TweakHound

Computer stuff...

Eric (a.k.a. TweakHound)

Patch Tuesday

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Windows Updates available. “Addresses an issue” as well as many security updates.
I recommend backing up and updating as soon as you can.

Windows 10
Build 1809 – December 11, 2018—KB4471332 (OS Build 17763.194)
Build 1803 – December 11, 2018—KB4471324 (OS Build 17134.471)
Build 1709 – December 11, 2018—KB4471329 (OS Build 16299.846)

Windows 8.1
December 11, 2018—KB4471322 (Security-only update)
December 11, 2018—KB4471320 (Monthly Rollup)

Windows 7
December 11, 2018—KB4471328 (Security-only update)
December 11, 2018—KB4471318 (Monthly Rollup)

Patch Tuesday Morning

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Backup if you have the time.

Firefox 64
Download (all) | Download 32-bit EN-US | Download 64-bit EN-US | Release Notes

Sysinternals Freeware Updates
Autoruns v13.93, Handle v4.21, Process Explorer v16.22, SDelete v2.02, Sigcheck v2.71, Sysmon v8.02 and VMMap v3.25

Adobe Reader Updated
Download (en-US) | Download (all) | Security Bulletin

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

Digital Divide Is Wider Than We Think, Study Says
A new study by Microsoft researchers casts a light on the actual use of high-speed internet across the country, and the picture it presents is very different from the F.C.C. numbers. Their analysis, presented at a Microsoft event on Tuesday in Washington, D.C., suggests that the speedy access is much more limited than the F.C.C. data shows.
Over all, Microsoft concluded that 162.8 million people do not use the internet at broadband speeds, while the F.C.C. says broadband is not available to 24.7 million Americans…Fast internet service is crucial to the modern economy, and closing the digital divide is seen as a step toward shrinking the persistent gaps in economic opportunity, educational achievement and health outcomes in America.
It is a problem in the county I live in and across this country. There are teachers in my county that have to drive to their school parking lots to use broadband for school related activities during their off hours.

Facial recognition: It’s time for action
We believe it’s important for governments in 2019 to start adopting laws to regulate this technology…We also believe that while it’s better to address these issues broadly, we should not wait for governments to act. We and other tech companies need to start creating safeguards to address facial recognition technology.
A good blog post with sound ideas. IMHO it will be largely ignored.

Facebook’s fall: From the friendliest face of tech to perceived enemy of democracy
Today, Zuckerberg is seen by many as a wincing megalomaniacal multibillionaire, and the personal data-mining company he created is viewed by some as an existential threat to democracy itself.
#DeleteFacebook

NIH Study Probes Impact of Heavy Screen Time on Young Brains
Brain scans of adolescents who are heavy users of smartphones, tablets and video games look different from those of less active screen users, preliminary results from an ongoing study funded by the National Institutes of Health show, according to a report on Sunday by “60 Minutes.”
I dislike seeing kids in public on phones and tablets. These devices have become babysitters, a way to shut kids up. Sad.

Thursday Morning Random Stuff…

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Windows 10 Updates
1809 – December 5, 2018—KB4469342 (OS Build 17763.168)
1803 – November 27, 2018—KB4467682 (OS Build 17134.441
1709 – November 27, 2018—KB4467681 (OS Build 16299.820)

Graphics Drivers
AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin Edition Optional 18.12.1.1 (05DEC2018)
Nvidia GeForce Game Ready Driver 417.22 WHQL (03DEC2018)

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

VCU knocks off Texas, Shaka Smart 54-53 in Austin
Facing former VCU coach Shaka Smart and Texas on Wednesday night at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas, the Rams kept the game close and took some slight leads.
Then, with 4:38 to play, a 3-pointer by Sean Mobley gave the Rams a 3-point advantage. They never relinquished the lead.
Hook’em indeed!

Is NOTHING private any more? Shocking extent of how big firms harvest your data
Examples include:
– Pregnant women’s due dates being farmed out by Asda to mystery third-party companies for marketing;
– Children’s voices recorded on the YouTube Kids app being used by Google to promote other apps;
– Passport copies given to PayPal for account verification purposes being shared with Microsoft for facial recognition products;
– Health details, ethnic origin and political views of Facebook users being used by the social network for targeted advertising;
– Viewers of BT television being profiled for advertisers according toprofiles of their television watching and telephone call records.
Actually not shocking but definitely reinforcing.

Paul Thurrott – Tip: Download Windows 7 and 8.1 ISOs
“I’m not sure when this happened, but Microsoft now has ISO downloads available for Windows 7 and 8.1, and not just Windows 10.”
It happened over 3 years ago.

Saturday Morning News

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Macrium Reflect 7.2.3906
Download | Release Notes

Mp3tag v2.91
Download | Release Notes

BlackArch Linux 2018.12.01
BlackArch Linux is an Arch Linux-based penetration testing distribution for penetration testers and security researchers. The repository contains 2081 tools. You can install tools individually or in groups. BlackArch Linux is compatible with existing Arch installs.
Download
This is a Kali-like distro. Has anyone used it?

About Those Amazon Links
I want to thank you guys that use the Amazon links I post manually. I try to keep them relevant and they are often something I own (or want to). I get a tiny commission on those and that goes to help keep this site going. The costs for running this site includes hosting and software among other things.
As to the other ads…They help too but I hope you regulars are smart enough not to see them. I block all 3rd party ads on all sites, including my own.
uBlock Origin – Chrome | Privacy Badger – Chrome
uBlock Origin – Firefox | Privacy Badger – Firefox

Deal expired
Speaking of which…
Big sale, TODAY ONLY
Save on Star Trek collections on DVD and Blu-ray

Blocking A Programs Internet Access Via The Windows Firewall

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Many programs on your computer access the internet even though they don’t need to. They phone home for a variety of reason including telemetry and checking for updates.
I don’t need or want most programs phoning home for any reason. Still, they try.
With programs getting more invasive I thought it would be appropriate to show you how to block their access to the net.
[Read more…] about Blocking A Programs Internet Access Via The Windows Firewall

Friday Morning Dump

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AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin Edition Optional 18.12.1
“Support for Just Cause 4”
Download | Release Notes

GeForce Hotfix Driver Version 417.21
This is GeForce Hot Fix driver version 417.21 that addresses the following:
– Memory Data Rate reporting incorrect value in NVIDIA Control Panel
– Microsoft Edge does not respond after playing back video
– Can’t apply color format after updating to driver 417.01
Click the appropriate link to download the driver:
NVIDIA GeForce Hotfix Driver 417.21 for Windows 10 x64 – DCH
NVIDIA GeForce Hotfix Driver 417.21 for Windows 10 x64 – Standard

CCleaner 5.50
Download (I use portable) | Release Announcement
This version has “control and transparency over when updates are performed.”
LOL. I control that with the Windows Firewall, article to follow.

Google Shut Out Privacy and Security Teams From Secret China Project
“people’s search records would be easily accessible to China’s authoritarian government, which has broad surveillance powers that it routinely deploys to target activists, journalists, and political opponents…

Beaumont and other executives then shut out members of the company’s security and privacy team from key meetings about the search engine, the four people said, and tried to sideline a privacy review of the plan that sought to address potential human rights abuses…

“Their biggest fear was that internal opposition would slow our operations.”…

Google employees who had worked on Dragonfly watched the furor unfold and were not surprised by the backlash. Many of the concerns raised by the human rights groups, they noted, had already been voiced inside the company prior to the public exposure of the plans, though they had been brushed aside by management…

Zunger and his colleagues produced a privacy report that highlighted problematic scenarios that could arise once the censored search engine launched in China. The report, which contained more than a dozen pages, concluded that Google would be expected to function in China as part of the ruling Communist Party’s authoritarian system of policing and surveillance…

“What Pichai said [about Dragonfly being an experiment] was ultimately horse shit,” said one Google source with knowledge of the project. “This was run with 100 percent intention of launch from day one. He was just trying to walk back a delicate political situation.”

Deal expired
Star Trek: Stardate Collection Blu-ray
$32.36
Was: $58.99
You Save: $26.63 (45%)