Computer News

Day 10 of quarantine, still haven’t done taxes…

Intel Graphics Drivers
Version: 15.33.50.5129, “Security Fixes”, Windows 7-10
Download | Release Notes
Intel Win10 DCH Drivers
Version: 26.20.100.7985, Intel 6th generation (Skylake) and up.
Support for 1/2 a dozen games, fixes
Download | Release Notes

Intel Wi-Fi Drivers
Windows 10 | Windows 8.1 | Windows 7
***IMPORTANT:
“Intel Wireless 21.40.5 driver has been updated to include functional and security updates for the following operating systems: Microsoft Windows 8.1 and Windows 7. No further Wireless driver updates are planned for these operating systems. Users should update to the latest version.”

Intel Bluetooth Drivers
Version: 21.80.0, Win10 only
Download & Info
“Intel Wireless Bluetooth 21.80.0 driver has been updated to include functional and security updates. Users should update to the latest version.”

The Go-Go’s
I was just listening to the album Beauty and the Beat yesterday (yes I have the original vinyl). Absolutely magnificent. I like the non-hits better than the hits.
The fact that this band isn’t in the R&R HOF is just another example of what a joke that place is.
They were supposed to be on tour this summer. So many bands I love never come near here.
There is supposed to be a documentary out or coming out or something. I can’t find it. Promo Video
Home Page | Wikipedia | Discography
My Favs:

Macrium Reflect 7.2.4808
Two versions released in the last week.
Download (Just click Continue on the pop-up. No need to fill it out.) | Release Notes

Cleanmgr+ 1.32.1000
Added support for high DPI Scaling (e.g. displays with 4k resolution and scaling up to 200%)
Fixed critical bug in cleanup of WinSxS folder on x64-bit environments #5
Optimized cleanup of Thumbnails (there is no need anymore to restart explorer.exe)
Minor stability Improvements, Minor UI Improvements, Minor bug fixes
Download & Info

Amazon soliciting public donations to pay workers’ sick leave (click “let me read it first”.)
“Isn’t it a bit unseemly for Amazon, a company owned by the richest person in the world, to be soliciting donations to pay for workers’ sick leave? Why isn’t Amazon just paying people who contracted COVID-19 while doing essential work for Amazon?”

CBS All Access is offering a free one-month trial, just in time to binge Star Trek: Picard
To take advantage of the deal, sign up for CBS All Access using the code GIFT anytime before April 23rd. As part of that process, you’ll need to create an account and give CBS a credit card to charge when the month is up; the monthly payment will automatically renew once the free trial is up.
CBS also allows you to cancel the plan immediately and still use the entire month — so you can sign up, cancel the plan immediately, and still enjoy the full free month without having to worry about remembering to cancel at the end of the trial.
To do that, head over to the CBS All Access account page, scroll down to the “Subscription” line of the “Subscription & Billing” section, and hit “Cancel Subscription.” Your account will still work for the remainder of the 30-day trial, and it will shut down at the end (unless, of course, you enjoy the content so much that you decide to pay for another month, which is likely the whole point).

Win10 1903 & 1909 Updated
These are the “Addresses an issue” updates that came out for prior builds last week.
March 24, 2020—KB4541335 (OS Builds 18362.752 and 18363.752)

CCleaner 5.65
If you’re a Internet Explorer or Edge Chromium then go ahead and update. Then, please explain why you are using that garbage. Everyone else can skip this release.
Download (I use portable) | Release Info
See also: Blocking A Programs Internet Access Via The Windows Firewall

O&O ShutUp10 Updated
1.8.1409 – released March 24, 2020
NEW: Combination of multiple settings in a single setting (yeah, I don’t know what that means either.)
Download & Info | Changelog

Nvidia Geforce Game Ready WHQL Drivers 445.75
Game Ready for Half-Life: Alyx
The new Game Ready Driver provides the latest performance optimizations, profiles, and bug fixes for Half-Life: Alyx. In addition, this release also provides optimal support for Resident Evil 3, Ghost Recon Breakpoint’s Ghost Experience update, and the addition of NVIDIA DLSS 2.0 to Control and MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries.
Download | Release Notes

Tor Browser 9.0.7
All Platforms:
Bump NoScript to 11.0.19
Bug 33613: Disable Javascript on Safest security level
Windows, OS X, Linux:
Bump Tor to 0.4.2.7
Download | Release Info

Off Topic

Virginia Closed
My state has basically been shut down.
“This order goes into effect at 11:59 PM on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 and will remain in place until 11:59 PM on Thursday, April 23, 2020…All gatherings of more than 10 people are banned statewide, beginning at 11:59 PM on Tuesday, March 24, 2020…All schools will remain closed through the end of this academic year.
– – –
*note – Most of these are already closed.

The following recreation and entertainment businesses are considered non-essential and must close to the public beginning at 11:59 PM on Tuesday, March 24, 2020:
Theaters, performing arts centers, concert venues, museums, and other indoor entertainment centers;
Fitness centers, gymnasiums, recreation centers, indoor sports facilities, indoor exercise facilities;
Beauty salons, barber shops, spas, massage parlors, tanning salons, tattoo shops, and any other location where personal care or personal grooming services are performed that would not allow compliance with social distancing guidelines to remain six feet apart;
Racetracks and historic horse racing facilities;
Bowling alleys, skating rinks, arcades, amusement parks, trampoline parks, fairs, arts and craft facilities, aquariums, zoos, escape rooms, indoor shooting ranges, public and private social clubs, and all other places of indoor public amusement.
– – –
All dining and congregation areas in the following establishments must close to the public beginning at 11:59 PM on Tuesday, March 24, 2020. These establishments may continue to offer delivery and/or takeout services. Establishments include:
Restaurants;
Dining establishments;
Food courts;
Farmers markets;
Breweries;
Microbreweries;
Distilleries;
Wineries; and
Tasting rooms.
– – –
The following retail businesses are considered essential and may remain open during normal business hours:
Grocery stores, pharmacies, and other retailers that sell food and beverage products or pharmacy products, including dollar stores, and department stores with grocery or pharmacy operations;
Medical, laboratory, and vision supply retailers;
Electronic retailers that sell or service cell phones, computers, tablets, and other communications technology;
Automotive parts, accessories, and tire retailers as well as automotive repair facilities;
Home improvement, hardware, building material, and building supply retailers;
Lawn and garden equipment retailers;
Beer, wine, and liquor stores;
Retail functions of gas stations and convenience stores;
Retail located within healthcare facilities;
Banks and other financial institutions with retail functions;
Pet stores and feed stores;
Printing and office supply stores; and
Laundromats and dry cleaners.
– – –
Businesses in violation of this order may be charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor.

Code of Virginia – § 18.2-11. Punishment for conviction of misdemeanor
The authorized punishments for conviction of a misdemeanor are:
(a) For Class 1 misdemeanors, confinement in jail for not more than twelve months and a fine of not more than $2,500, either or both.

Win10 Updated
Versions 1809 and below have been updated.
“This non-security update includes quality improvements. Key changes include:” a bunch of “Addresses an issue” stuff.
March 17, 2020—KB4541331 (OS Build 17763.1131)

Google Chrome Updated
“This update includes 13 security fixes.”
Download | Release Info
Chrome for Android updated too, update via the play store

Samsung SSD Magician 6.1.0
Will appear here when download restrictions removed.
The only change from the previous versions:
“Changed the character(O →√, X→“”)in Supported Features by model”
I’m skipping it.

Adobe Reader Updated
Security Updates. Lots of Adobe products patched.

Cleanmgr+ Updated
This is a disk cleanup tool. I had previously not been discussing this program because I didn’t like the name. Cleanmgr.exe is Windows Disk Cleanup and it sounded to me like they were pimping Cleanmgr+ as a Disk Cleanup enhancement which it is not. Still, it’s a good program and I’ve been using it for several months. Recommended.
Download & Info

VMware Workstation 15.5.2
“bug fixes and security updates”
Be sure to update tools too.
Download | Release Notes

Tor Browser 9.0.6
Browse Privately. Explore Freely. Defend yourself against tracking and surveillance. Circumvent censorship.
“This release features important security updates to Firefox. This release updates Firefox to 68.6.0esr and NoScript to 11.0.15.”
Download | Release Info

Tails 4.4
Tails is a live operating system that you can start on almost any computer from a USB stick or a DVD. It aims at preserving your privacy and anonymity.
“This release fixes many security vulnerabilities. You should upgrade as soon as possible.”
Download | Release Info

Clonezilla Updated
Free partition and disk imaging/cloning program.
Download | Release Info

Off topic:

OZZY OSBOURNE’s Son JACK Blasts People For Toilet Paper Hoarding: ‘Chronic S**tting Isn’t A Symptom Of Corona’

Meat department this morning at Wegmans Food Market in Short Pump, Virginia.

Win10 Updated
Out of band update today, “Updates a Microsoft Server Message Block 3.1.1 protocol issue that provides shared access to files and printers.”

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

Google: You know we said that Chrome tracker contained no personally identifiable info? Forget we ever said that
“Google has stopped claiming that an identifier it uses internally to track experimental features and variations in its Chrome browser contains no personally identifiable information.”

WTF?
What’s wrong with people? I made my weekly run to the store. “Really busy for a Thursday”, I thought as I drove up. I grab a few things to make chili and head over to get paper towels and toilet paper…
I…
Uh…
What the F***???
The aisle is almost empty, there is no toilet paper. A lady, seeing the stunned expression on my face says,”Yep, I went to Costco and you can’t even park there.”
Seriously, hoarding toilet paper? To everyone that did this, YOU SUCK.

Goodbye Old Friend
A computer I built in 2008 finally bit the dust. It was my main rig for about 6 years. Twin Raptor 150’s, oof! Those were the days…

GREYHOUND – Official Trailer (HD)
Definitely gonna see this in the theater…if they’re still open.

I’m Back
I want to thank so many of you that reached out to me during these last difficult months. Touched, amazed, grateful… those words don’t seem adequate. It helped me and my wife more than you know.
I’m doing well and my absence has been due to attending to things that were left unattended or neglected this last year or so. I will be easing back into this.

Google Chrome Updated
“The stable channel has been updated to 80.0.3987.132 for Windows, Mac, and Linux…This update includes 4 security fixes.”
Download | Release Notes

Microsoft PowerToys 0.15
“Our mantra for the 0.15 was infrastructure, quality, stability and work toward getting a way to auto-update PowerToys. While it took a bit longer to get here, we feel it was worth the extra time to fix bugs that really impacted your experience with PowerToys.”
Download & Release Notes

Samsung NVMe Driver 3.3
Download | Info | Installation Guide

CCleaner v5.64.7613
“Introducing… ‘Health Check’.” No thanks
Download (I use portable) | Release Announcement
See also: Blocking A Programs Internet Access Via The Windows Firewall

I apologize that this post is as scattered as my life is right now. I’ll share someday.

Windows 7 EOL
Doomsday predictions, “end of an era”, supposed hacks. There are no answers to what will happen with Windows 7 going forward. Today is listed as the last day of extended support. Truth is nobody knows exactly what that entails. I wouldn’t be in a rush to ditch Windows 7 just yet but you do have options:
– “Upgrade” to Win10. The free option still works. I did it yesterday on my wife’s PC. It was my old one that I bought in 2008. It seems to be a little wonky and I haven’t had time to mess with it. I might just put Linux Mint on it.
– Install Linux. I use Linux Mint right now.
– Keep using Windows 7 as is. Should be OK for a while. At some point in the future that rig may need to be disconnected from the internet.
What are your plans?

Cryptic Rumblings Ahead of First 2020 Patch Tuesday
“Sources tell KrebsOnSecurity that Microsoft Corp. is slated to release a software update on Tuesday to fix an extraordinarily serious security vulnerability in a core cryptographic component present in all versions of Windows. Those sources say Microsoft has quietly shipped a patch for the bug to branches of the U.S. military and to other high-value customers/targets that manage key Internet infrastructure, and that those organizations have been asked to sign agreements preventing them from disclosing details of the flaw prior to Jan. 14, the first Patch Tuesday of 2020.”

New Intel Graphics Drivers
Windows 7-10 Braswell, 4th and 5th generations
Windows 7 & Windows 8.1 4th Generation
Windows 7 & Windows 8.1 6th Generation
Windows 7-10 Baytrail and 3rd generation
What a Charlie Foxtrot. You’re better off using the Intel Driver & Support Assistant.

Mark Hamill joins critics in deleting Facebook, condemning Zuckerberg
“So disappointed that Mark Zuckerberg values profit more than truthfulness that I’ve decided to delete my Facebook account,” Hamill tweeted. “I know this is a big ‘Who cares?’ for the world at large, but I’ll sleep better at night. #PatriotismOverProfits”

Who Signs Up to Fight? Makeup of U.S. Recruits Shows Glaring Disparity
“The men and women who sign up overwhelmingly come from counties in the South and a scattering of communities at the gates of military bases like Colorado Springs, which sits next to Fort Carson and several Air Force installations, and where the tradition of military service is deeply ingrained.
More and more, new recruits are the children of old recruits. In 2019, 79 percent of Army recruits reported having a family member who served. For nearly 30 percent, it was a parent — a striking point in a nation where less than 1 percent of the population serves in the military…
That has created a broad gap, easily seen on a map. The South, where the culture of military service runs deep and military installations are plentiful, produces 20 percent more recruits than would be expected, based on its youth population. The states in the Northeast, which have very few military bases and a lower percentage of veterans, produce 20 percent fewer.
The main predictors are not based on class or race. Army data show service spread mostly evenly through middle-class and “downscale” groups. Youth unemployment turns out not to be the prime factor. And the racial makeup of the force is more or less in line with that of young Americans as a whole, though African-Americans are slightly more likely to serve. Instead, the best predictor is a person’s familiarity with the military.”

Remembering Neil Peart, A Monster Drummer With A Poet’s Heart
“When Canadian prog-rock innovators Rush were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2013, it was both somewhat surprising and totally appropriate that drummer Neil Peart opened the trio’s acceptance speech. The musician and author, who passed away at the age of 67 on January 7 after a private, three-and-a-half-year struggle with brain cancer, famously eschewed the spotlight and rarely gave interviews. However, the Ontario native was a quiet leader who shaped Rush’s voice, writing the bulk of the band’s lyrics and maintaining a steely, rock-solid presence behind the drumkit.”
One of rocks greatest drummers. Side 1 of the Moving Pictures LP is my favorite from them (I still have it). Anyone else play air drums whenever the hear Tom Sawyer?

Nvidia Geforce Game Ready WHQL Driver 441.87
– Game Ready for Wolfenstein: Youngblood with Ray Tracing
– Maximum Framerate: In response to overwhelming demand from the community, we have introduced a new Maximum Framerate Setting into the NVIDIA Control Panel.
– Image Sharpening Improvements, Variable Rate Super Sampling, Share Freestyle Filters
Download | Release Notes

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

50 Greatest Hair Metal Albums of All Time
It’s a surprisingly good list considering Rolling Stone sucks.

Ricky Gervais’ Monologue – 2020 Golden Globes
I give zero f’s about award shows. Ricky Gervais monologue for the Golden Globes was in the news today. It caught my eye because my wife and I just streamed season one of his show After Life:
“Struggling to come to terms with his wife’s death, a writer for a newspaper adopts a gruff new persona in an effort to push away those trying to help.” It was outstanding. If you know pain this will hit home.
Anyway, Ricky takes no prisoners. He went after Hollywood, Apple, Amazon, Disney…
“So if you do win an award tonight, don’t use it as a platform to make a political speech. You’re in no position to lecture the public about anything. You know nothing about the real world. Most of you spent less time in school than Greta Thunberg.
So if you win, come up, accept your little award, thank your agent, and your God and fuck off, OK?”
Article with full transcript