Eric (a.k.a. TweakHound)

Win10 1903 Updated
Bunch of “Addresses an issue”.
June 27, 2019—KB4501375 (OS Build 18362.207)

Stuff I bookmarked recently. Some off topic, some not:

Google accused of inappropriate access to medical data in potential class-action lawsuit
The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday, is the latest example of how tech giants’ forays into the trillion-dollar healthcare industry are being met by concerns over privacy…The company also noted it would use “de-identified medical records” from Chicago that would be “stripped of any personally identifiable information.”…Wednesday’s lawsuit claims that the company failed to do this. “In reality, these records were not sufficiently anonymized and put the patients’ privacy at grave risk”

Hey China, while you’re in all our servers, can you fix these support tickets? IBM, HPE, Tata CS, Fujitsu, NTT and their customers pwned
“Fresh details have emerged revealing just how deeply Chinese government hackers plundered HPE, IBM, DXC, Fujitsu, Tata, and others, stealing corporate secrets and rifling through their customers’ networks…Beijing’s miscreants had not just access to the internal files of HPE, IBM, Tata CS et al, but also their network-connected customers, putting designs, plans, personal information, and more, at their fingertips…Props to China for its deadpan comedy bit in response to today’s revelations: “The Chinese government has never in any form participated in or supported any person to carry out the theft of commercial secrets.”

Desert Storm Memorial is Way Short of $40 Million Fundraising Goal
“This will not stand. This will not stand, this aggression against Kuwait.” President George H.W. Bush, August 5, 1990
For more info and to donate: The National Desert Storm and Desert Shield Memorial

CCleaner 5.59
3 small fixes that won’t matter to 99.9% of you. Skip this one.
Download (I use portable) | Release Announcement
See also: Blocking A Programs Internet Access Via The Windows Firewall

Stuff I bookmarked recently. Some off topic, some not:

OneDrive Personal Vault
“OneDrive runs on the trusted Microsoft cloud, which has many security measures in place to keep your files safe. But we understand that some people want more protection for their most important and sensitive files, which is why we’re introducing Personal Vault.
Personal Vault is a protected area in OneDrive that you can only access with a strong authentication method or a second step of identity verification, such as your fingerprint, face, PIN, or a code sent to you via email or SMS.1 Your locked files in Personal Vault have an extra layer of security, keeping them more secured in the event that someone gains access to your account or your device.”
I dropped OneDrive a few years ago because the syncing between devices sucked. Has it improved? Right now I just encrypt my sensitive folders.

How To View Someone’s LinkedIn Profile Anonymously Without Account
I wanted to do this recently and found the above guide. Of the first 3 or 4 methods I found Gooogling, this was the only one that produced results. Limited but it works for the basics. I’m not on nor am I interested in being on Linkedin.

‘Dark patterns’ are steering many internet users into making bad decisions
“Even if you’ve never heard the phrase “dark patterns,” you’re almost certainly familiar with them. They’re the sneaky ways online companies trick you into agreeing to stuff you’d normally never assent to.
Classic example: You encounter a prompt asking if you want to sign up for some program or service, and the box is already checked. If you don’t uncheck it — that is, if you do nothing — you’re enrolled.
A bipartisan bill has been introduced in Congress that would prohibit websites and online platforms (hi, Facebook!) from employing such deliberately deceptive tactics, and would empower the Federal Trade Commission to crack down on sites that keep trying to fool people.”

You cannot be ‘too clean’ health experts warn, in bid to debunk myths
“You cannot be “too clean”, millennials are being told, as public health experts attempt to debunk myths around hygiene. The Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) said incorrect theories which became popular in the 1990s were fuelling confusion and unhygienic habits among subsequent generations.”
“Millennials”…

Cars.com’s 2019 American-Made Index: What’s the Most American Car?
1. Jeep Cherokee
2. Honda Odyssey
3. Honda Ridgeline
4. Honda Passport
5. Chevrolet Corvette
13. Ford F-150

NJ ‘Least Patriotic’ State In US, Study Says
The above article led to this one: 2019’s Most Patriotic States in America

Winaero Tweaker 0.15
Download | Release Info | Home Page

Goodbye, Chrome: Google’s web browser has become spy software
“In a week of Web surfing on my desktop, I discovered 11,189 requests for tracker “cookies” that Chrome would have ushered right onto my computer but were automatically blocked by Firefox. These little files are the hooks that data firms, including Google itself, use to follow what websites you visit so they can build profiles of your interests, income and personality.”

Dell software designed to protect you from vulnerabilities has another vulnerability
“Dell’s SupportAssist software, a Windows toolkit designed in part to protect your computer from security vulnerabilities, has yet another vulnerability of its own that makes running older versions of the software a risk to your system”
Y’all know to uninstall all that OEM crap right?

Win10 Updated
All supported versions of Win10 have been updated except the newest version, 1903.
30+ “Addresses an issue”.
Windows 10 Release History

Firefox 67.0.4
“Security fix”
Download | Release Notes
This means Tails has been updated and Tor Browser will be.

Intel Graphics Windows 10 DCH Drivers
Highlights:
Launch Driver: Steel Division 2 & The Sinking City
Performance improvements: The Sinking City & Unreal Engine 4
Download | Release Notes

Stuff I bookmarked recently. Some off topic, some not:

Microsoft’s Chromium Edge browser now available on Windows 7 and Windows 8

The sky is falling for fast food, but not for Chick-fil-A. Here’s why.
“Where total restaurant traffic increased less than 1 percent, Chick-fil-A saw double-digit growth…“The level of customer satisfaction is highly differentiated from many of their fast-food peers.”…Chick-fil-A’s customer service is legendary…“Half of all meals are now eaten in restaurants, half of those as fast food, and half of those are just 10 companies. Chick-fil-A is now one of them”
My fav fast food chain. I’ve got the app on my phone. I usually get:
Spicy Chicken Sandwich, Fruit Cup, and a large diet Lemonade. If I’m really hungry I will get 2 sandwiches and eat them without the bun. I wish they had spicy nuggets or strips.

Wise Disk Cleaner 10.2.2
“Improved the function of Common Cleaner, Updated various translations, GUI and usability improvements, Minor bug fixes.”
Download (I use portable) | Release Notes

Update Your Firefox Browser, Hackers Are Abusing a Serious Bug
“Firefox users need to patch their browsers. Hackers have been exploiting a serious bug in the software, which can be used to take over the entire computer…Mozilla has patched the flaw with Firefox 67.0.3”
Thanks to reader Allen for the heads up.

Samsung SSD 970 PRO 512GB – NVMe PCIe M.2 2280 SSD
List Price: $199.99
Price: $140.97
You Save: $59.02 (30%)
This is the SSD that runs Win10 on my main rig.

AMD Radeon Adrenalin 2019 Edition 19.6.2 Optional
Download | Release Notes

Firefox 67.0.3
Download | Release Notes

Stuff I bookmarked recently. Some off topic, some not:

BANG FOR YOUR ZUCK? Facebook unveils ‘its most invasive and dangerous form of surveillance yet’ with launch of Libra cryptocurrency
“If you’re concerned with Facebook knowing too much or having too much access to your private data or social graph, the GlobalCoin will give Facebook even more direct access to your financial information,” he told The Sun. “It’s not just access to the information of your transactions, it’s direct access to your wealth and capital”

New law enforcement hacking tool can unlock most iPhone, Android handsets
“Israeli forensics firm Cellebrite is responsible for creating such a tool – the Universal Forensic Extraction Device (UFED), and the security company now claims it can unlock almost of all of the latest Apple and Android smart devices thanks to its latest update.”
There is absolutely nothing on my phone anyone would want to see.

Woman knocked down while on phone wins payout from cyclist
“Judge Shanti Mauger, at Central London county court, said the cyclist was “a calm and reasonable road user” and that Brushett was looking at her phone when she walked into the road in front of him.
However, she ruled that Hazeldean was liable to pay damages, saying: “Cyclists must be prepared at all times for people to behave in unexpected ways.”
I see some judges in the U.K. are as moronic as some of ours.

Does Whiskey Age In The Bottle? Here’s Why You Might Want To Drink It Sooner Rather Than Later
“If you’re looking for a simple answer to the question that brought you here: no, whiskey doesn’t age in the bottle and you’re really doing yourself a disservice if you hold onto one longer than you need to, so if you’re looking for an excuse to have a dram or two, you just found one.”
Hmmm… dunno. Lemme Google it…
Damn. The Scotch Whisky Association backs that up,
“Unlike wine, whisky does not mature in the bottle. So even if you keep a 12 year old bottle for 100 years, it will always remain a 12 year old whisky. As long as the bottle is kept out of direct sunlight, the Scotch Whisky will not deteriorate, even if it is opened.”
That sucks. I’ve got 2 special edition bottles of 2008 Jack Daniel’s signed by the master distiller. What do you think, drink it or save it?

Chrome Updated
“The stable channel has been updated to 75.0.3770.90 for Windows, Mac, and Linux, which will roll out over the coming days/weeks.”
Download: 32-bit | 64-bit

Sysinternals Freeware Updates
Process Explorer and Sysmon have updates.
Download & Info

Amazon’s new Echo Dot Kids Edition comes in blue or rainbow colors
If you allow Amazon to use this or any device track your kid in any way then you’re not a good parent.

Windows Updates
Windows 7
June 11, 2019—KB4503269 (Security-only update)
June 11, 2019—KB4503292 (Monthly Rollup)

Windows 8.1
June 11, 2019—KB4503290 (Security-only update)
June 11, 2019—KB4503276 (Monthly Rollup)

Windows 10
1903 – June 11, 2019—KB4503293 (OS Build 18362.175)
1809 – June 11, 2019—KB4503327 (OS Build 17763.557)
1803 – June 11, 2019—KB4503286 (OS Build 17134.829)
Reminder: March 12 and April 9 will be the last two Delta updates for Windows 10, version 1803. Security and quality updates will continue to be available via the express and full cumulative update packages.

Firefox 67.0.2
Download | Release Notes

Start10
“Fixes incompatibilities with Cortana while running Windows newly released version 1903”
Download

Sysinternals Freeware Updates
Autoruns, Sysmon, and VMMap have new versions.
Download & Info

VLC 3.0.7.1
32-bit | 64-bit | Release Notes

Patch Tueday is tomorrow.
As I’ve said before I’m currently running Win10 1903 on my main rig. Everything is OK with the exception that networking on my VMs doesn’t work sometimes. The only fix is to reboot. 1903 certainly hasn’t made my computing experience any better.

AMD Radeon Adrenalin 2019 Edition 19.6.1 Optional
Download | Release Notes

Macrium Reflect v7.2.4325
Download | Release Notes

Stuff I bookmarked recently. Some off topic, some not:

Fewer kids are riding and buying bicycles, and the industry is worried
“The number of children ages 6 to 17 who rode bicycles regularly — more than 25 times a year — decreased by more than a million from 2014 to 2018, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association. That includes both casual rides around the neighborhood and more serious cycling for fitness or competition…Youth fitness activists and sporting goods market analysts are in agreement about what’s been keeping kids off bikes. The primary culprit, they say, is screen time, whether on phones, televisions or video games. A 2018 study from the American Heart Association found kids and teens ages 8 to 18 averaged more than seven hours a day looking at screens.”
One thing I really noticed down at the beach few weeks ago. Too many Americans of all ages are fat. I don’t mean a couple of pounds. I mean dozens to hundreds of pounds. Sad.

A TV meteorologist who objected on air to management’s ‘code red’ orders might be out of a job
“The reason? Crain criticized Sinclair Broadcast Group’s initiative to implement mandatory “code red” days in their affiliates’ forecasts. Meteorologists at local stations under Sinclair’s auspices are encouraged – or at times, forced – into declaring code red days, the decision often made by management. And during Wednesday morning’s broadcast, Crain had had enough.”
I’m tired of that crap. The most popular station around here is NBC12 and they have “First Alert Weather Days” all the fracking time. You twatwaffeles in the weather biz are crying wolf too much and you’re gonna get someone killed.

Please rise… 🇺🇸#NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/oF4obcg4V1

— Metallica (@Metallica) June 6, 2019

Windows 10 News
Current status as of June 6, 2019:
Windows 10, version 1903 is available for any user who manually selects “Check for updates” via Windows Update. The recommended servicing status is Semi-Annual Channel.

Software Updates
CCleaner v5.58.7209
EMDB V3.43
PCMark 10 2.0.2115
VLC 3.0.7: 32-bit | 64-bit

Stuff I bookmarked recently. Some off topic, some not:

What’s Up: June 2019 Skywatching Tips from NASA
“Jupiter is at its biggest and brightest this month, rising at dusk and remaining visible all night. The solar system’s largest planet is a brilliant jewel to the naked eye, but looks fantastic through binoculars or a small telescope, which will allow you to spot the four largest moons, and maybe even glimpse a hint of the banded clouds that encircle the planet.”

Here’s a scientific explanation for why rich people think they’re better than everyone
“The researchers found that those with more education, higher income, and a higher perceived social class had “an exaggerated belief that they would perform better than others, compared with their lower-class counterparts,” the press release said.
“Individuals with relatively high social class were more overconfident, which in turn was associated with being perceived as more competent and ultimately more hirable, even though, on average, they were no better at the trivia test than their lower-class counterparts,”
“Advantages beget advantages,” Belmi said. “Those who are born in upper-class echelons are likely to remain in the upper class, and high-earning entrepreneurs disproportionately originate from highly educated, well-to-do families.”
“In something of a dark irony, the respondents of higher socioeconomic status rated themselves as more empathic — a ‘better-than-average effect’ that Varnum followed up on in a separate study — when in reality the opposite was true,” Baer wrote. The study actually found that the upper-class participants had lower neural responses to others’ pain.“