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Thursday Morning Random Stuff…

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FYI, I’m running Windows 10 October 2018 Update / 1809. So far everything seems to be OK. As with every other major update I had to reinstall SoundBlaster drivers.

AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin Edition Optional 18.9.3
Support for Assassin’s Creed and Forza Horizon 4.
Download | Release Notes

Intel Solid State Drive Toolbox 3.5.5
Download | Release Notes

LibreOffice 6.1.2
Download | Release Notes

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

Product updates based on your feedback
“We’ve heard—and appreciate—your feedback. We’re going to make a few updates in the next release of Chrome (Version 70, released mid-October) to better communicate our changes and offer more control over the experience…While we think sign-in consistency will help many of our users, we’re adding a control that allows users to turn off linking web-based sign-in with browser-based sign-in—that way users have more control over their experience. For users that disable this feature, signing into a Google website will not sign them into Chrome.”
Condensed version, you’ll bee able to disable the universal sign in.

Almost Every Major Free VPN Service is a Glorified Data Farm
“While many VPN service providers would want you to believe that they have charitable aims in offering VPN access for free, the reality is that most free VPN services are glorified data farms. I will know because I specialize in testing and reviewing VPNs. In a recent study my organization conducted, analyzing the most popular free VPN services, we discovered that pretty much every popular free VPN service is a glorified data farm or abuse access to user’s data and resources in some form. Hotspot Shield, in particular, is a major culprit.”
I use TorGuard. Use coupon code TweakHound for 50% Off for Life.

Hurricane Florence
Has anyone found a charity like the one JJ Watt set up for Houston?

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Examples:

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Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 2400MHz RAM List Price: $195.99 Deal of the Day: $127.49 You Save: $68.50 (35%)
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Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4 3000MHz RAM Was: $410.79 Deal of the Day: $309.99 You Save: $100.80 (25%)

Tuesday Morning Random Stuff…

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VMware Workstation Player 15.0
Download | Download for Windows | Release Notes

Intel Graphics Driver for Windows 15.40
Supports Intel(R) Iris(R) graphics, Intel(R) Iris(R) Pro graphics and Intel(R) HD graphics on:
– 4th Generation Intel(R) Core(TM) Processor Platform (codename Haswell)
– 5th Generation Intel(R) Core(TM) Processor Platform (codename Broadwell)
– Braswell Processor Family
– CherryTrail Processor Family
Download | Release Notes

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

Google search is adding a news feed to its homepage on mobile
“It leads a big pile of search improvements the company announced today”
“Big pile”. Hehe…

Hey, Microsoft, stop installing third-party apps on clean Windows 10 installs!
“With Windows 10, a clean install stays that way for about two minutes, because the second you hit the desktop, the Microsoft Store immediately starts trying to download third-party apps and games. And these apps keep trying to install themselves even after you cancel the downloads.”
You’re a little late to the party there bro.

Study: Girls ‘Significantly’ Better Than Boys At Reading, Writing
“The authors found that girls fared markedly better in both reading and writing in the fourth grade, only to see the gap widen in eighth and twelfth grades, especially when it came to writing.”
Hmmm… Maybe it’s because the boys are paying attention to other things?!

Monday Random Stuff…

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Please excuse any errors today. I had a root canal this morning.

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

Win10 Update Shenanigans
Woody is asking for help to try and figure out why Win10 updates or doesn’t. It is a Charlie Foxtrot for sure.

Google Chrome Shenanigans
Saturday I read a blog post by a Geek named Bálint that complained that starting Chrome 69, “any time someone using Chrome logs into a Google service or site, they are also logged into Chrome-as-a-browser with that user account.” I had already noticed that when I logged out of Gmail I was not logged out of Chrome. So, I bookmarked the article and got on with my weekend. I awoke this morning to find a growing furor over this issue had ensued in the last 2 days. Geeks are pissed off that Google was keeping them signed in. This is of course being seen as yet another way of Google trying to track you because the end result is that the change allows this to happen. A change that happened without notice.
The best article I’ve seen on this: Why I’m done with Chrome by Matthew Green (cryptographer and professor at Johns Hopkins University)

Google scrambled to get employees to delete internal memo detailing plans for censored search in China, says report
“Google’s human resources department reportedly told employees to delete a memo that was circulating with details about the company’s secretive plans to launch a censored search app in China, according to The Intercept. The memo reportedly appeared to contradict comments from Google CEO Sundar Pichai that the project was in its early stages.”

‘One in three TripAdvisor reviews are fake,’ with venues buying glowing reviews, investigation finds
I would have thought the number was higher. That goes for Yelp too.

How Tiger Woods overcame pain, scandal and age to triumph again
Good to see him win again! Next he will help the U.S. win the Ryder Cup.

How to sack a quarterback in the NFL

Friday Random Stuff…

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Firefox 62.0.2
Download (all) | Download 32-bit EN-US | Download 64-bit EN-US
Release Notes

Wise Disk Cleaner 9.7.9.696
Improved Google Chrome cleaning.
Minor bug fixes.
Download | Download Portable (what I use) | Release Notes

Other Software Updates
FileZilla 3.37.1
Mp3tag v2.90a

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

Former Google CEO predicts the internet will split in two by 2028 — and one part will be led by China
“I think the most likely scenario now is not a splintering, but rather a bifurcation into a Chinese-led internet and a non-Chinese internet led by America…There’s a real danger that along with those products and services comes a different leadership regime from government, with censorship, controls, etc.”
The way I see this unfolding is:
– Google sets up in China.
– China steals their tech and algorithms.
– China sets up their own heavily censored internet. All made possible by a greedy Google.
Use DuckDuckGo

Email Reveals Google Exec’s Effort to Help Hillary Clinton in 2016
“email…shows that a senior Google employee deployed the company’s resources to increase voter turnout in ways that she thought would help the Clinton campaign.”
Use DuckDuckGo

Google Workers Discussed Tweaking Search Function to Counter Travel Ban
“The email traffic, reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, shows that employees proposed ways to “leverage” search functions and take steps to counter what they considered to be “islamophobic, algorithmically biased results from search terms ‘Islam’, ‘Muslim’, ‘Iran’, etc.” and “prejudiced, algorithmically biased search results from search terms ‘Mexico’, ‘Hispanic’, ‘Latino’, etc.”
Use DuckDuckGo

Why college students don’t vote absentee? They don’t know where to buy a postage stamp
Good news is these people didn’t vote!

Metallica’s ‘Black Album’ Hits Historic 500th Week on Billboard 200 Chart
“Metallica’s self-titled 1991 album (often referred to as The Black Album, due to its stark, black album cover) scores its 500th nonconsecutive week on the Billboard 200 chart. It is now one of only four albums with 500 weeks or more on the tally…Among all albums — since the chart began publishing on a regular weekly basis in 1956 — Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon holds the record for the most weeks on the chart: 937. It’s followed by Bob Marley and The Wailers’ Legend: The Best of Bob Marley and The Wailers (539), Journey’s Greatest Hits (539) and Metallica’s Metallica (500).
Metallica’s self-titled album marked the rock band’s first No. 1 on the Billboard 200, when it debuted atop the list dated Aug. 31, 1991. The set spent four weeks on top, and marked the first of so far six chart-toppers for the group.
The album continues to hold the record as the biggest selling album in Nielsen Music history, with 16.83 million copies sold in the U.S. (since Nielsen began tracking data in 1991).”
Metallica – Metallica (“The Black Album”)

Thursday Random Stuff…

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Nvidia Geforce Game Ready 411.63 WHQL Drivers
“Provides the optimal gaming experience for Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Forza Horizon 4, and FIFA 19”
Download | Release Notes

AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin Edition Optional 18.9.2
“faster performance” in F1, Fortnight, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Star Control: Origins.
Download | Release Notes

CCleaner v5.47.6716
As mentioned the last few days, CCleaner 5.47.6701 was pulled because of a bug. A company rep said, “The bug relates to a user preference not correctly saving. It does not affect cleaning in any way.”
Difference in changlog between the 2 versions is this:
“Calling the Windows ‘ping’ function is now done explicitly from the /system32/ directory (fixes a potential vulnerability)”
Download (I use the portable version) | Release Announcement

Other Software Updates
EMDB 3.22
Tor Browser 8.0.1

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

Google Says It Continues to Allow Apps to Scan Data From Gmail Accounts
“Google Inc. told lawmakers it continues to allow other companies to scan and share data from Gmail accounts, responding to questions raised on Capitol Hill about privacy and potential misuse of the information contained in users’ emails.”
Nowhere to run to, baby, nowhere to hide

Apple gives you a TRUST rating – and it’s based on your phone call and email habits
“To help identify and prevent fraud, information about how you use your device, including the approximate number of phone calls or emails you send and receive, will be used to compute a device trust score when you attempt a purchase,” Apple explained…The revelation comes exactly one month after the Washington Post revealed Facebook was also giving users trust ratings.”

A public relations nightmare’: Ticketmaster recruits pros for secret scalper program
“Box-office giant Ticketmaster is recruiting professional scalpers who cheat its own system to expand its resale business and squeeze more money out of fans, a CBC News/Toronto Star investigation reveals.”
I don’t think any non-criminal person anywhere likes anything about Ticketmaster.

Credit freezes are now free. Here’s why you might want one
“Many experts agree that freezing your credit report is the strongest way to protect against identity theft.
Starting Friday, you’ll be able to do it free of charge.
In the wake of a massive data breach last year at Equifax that exposed personal information for about 148 million Americans, Congress amended the Fair Credit Reporting Act to require reporting agencies to freeze reports for no charge. Equifax is one of the three major credit reporting agencies in the United States.”
Thanks to Dan S. for the heads up!

KISS End Of The Road World Tour
“After an epic and storied 45 year career that launched an era of rock n roll legends, KISS announced exclusively on NBC’s America’s Got Talent tonight that they are hanging up their 9-inch tall touring boots. The news was delivered in trademark larger-than-life KISS style with a blistering performance of “Detroit Rock City”, proving why the band is known as one of the most iconic live performances that simply can’t be missed. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers who have sold more than 100 million albums worldwide have toured to nearly every city on the planet and played every venue imaginable. Having played for Kings & Queens, for U.S. veterans, and for millions of devoted KISS Army fans, they will play their final shows as part of the multi-year END OF THE ROAD WORLD TOUR. Dates have yet to be announced but KISSonline.com will have all the updates in the weeks to come.”
Kiss Announce Final ‘End of the Road’ World Tour
“All that we have built and all that we have conquered over the past four decades could never have happened without the millions of people worldwide who’ve filled clubs, arenas and stadiums over those years,” Kiss said in a statement. “This will be the ultimate celebration for those who’ve seen us and a last chance for those who haven’t. KISS Army, we’re saying goodbye on our final tour with our biggest show yet and we’ll go out the same way we came in… Unapologetic and Unstoppable.”
Kelly, this one goes out to you brother.

Photo from KISS Richmond, Virginia. September 9th, 2016

Wednesday Random Stuff…

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Intel SSD Toolbox Updated
Version: 3.5.4.0 Date: 9/17/2018
Download | Release Notes

CCleaner Update Pulled
As I mentioned yesterday, CCleaner 5.47 was pulled. A single post by the companies rep in their forum says,
“Hey guys there is a bug here and we’re hotfixing it now. v5.46 has been restored in the meantime.”
That’s all I know.

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

Hackers stole customer credit cards in Newegg data breach
“Hackers injected 15 lines of card skimming code on the online retailer’s payments page which remained for more than a month between August 14 and September 18”
I haven’t shopped there in almost 2 years.

Police, Fire Recruits Quizzed About Sex Lives In Application
Everyone should have replied, “None of your damn business.”

Homeless Man Shaving on Train Goes Viral Because Humans Are Terrible and Social Media Was a Mistake

We’ve all seen a man at the liquor store beggin’ for your change
The hair on his face is dirty, dread-locked, and full of mange
He asks a man for what he could spare, with shame in his eyes
“Get a job you f***ing slob, ” is all he replies
God forbid you ever had to walk a mile in his shoes
‘Cause then you really might know what it’s like to sing the blues
Everlast – What it’s Like (Music Video)

50 Years Of Sockin’ It To The PTA
“A single mom who wears miniskirts is the scorn of a small town. Fifty years ago this month, the song “Harper Valley P.T.A.” made singer Jeannie C. Riley the first woman to hit the top spot on both the pop and country charts.”
Fantastic song. Rolling Stone listed it as one of the top 100 country songs (#58) and for once I agree with them (text list here).
They made a movie based on the song too.

Tuesday Morning News

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Win10 Updated
Only builds 1709, 1803 have updates as of this writing.

1709 & 1803 Fixes
This update includes quality improvements. No new operating system features are being introduced in this update. Key changes include:
Addresses a Microsoft Intune issue that occurs after installing any of the updates released between July 24, 2018 and September 11, 2018. Windows no longer recognizes the Personal Information exchange (PFX) certificate that’s used for authenticating to a Wi-Fi or VPN connection. As a result, Microsoft Intune takes a long time to deliver user profiles because it doesn’t recognize that the required certificate is on the device.

1709 Fixes
Addresses an issue that may prevent a VPN connection from establishing for some users that are using VPN with IKEv2. The connection fails with the error, “Remote Access Error 809.”

Win10 1803 – September 17, 2018—KB4464218 (OS Build 17134.286)
Win10 1709 – September 17, 2018—KB4464217 (OS Build 16299.666)

Google Chrome Updated
Version 69.0.3497.100 for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android released.
Desktop version contains 1 security fix.
Android version contains “bug fixes and improvements.”
Download | Download standalone(full) | Download standalone 64-bit Windows version(full)
Download Google Chrome for Android

CCleaner 5.47
Download (I use the portable version) | Release Announcement
I keep getting questions so…
Yes, I still use CCleaner. Yes, I still recommend CCleaner. But, though many seem not to listen, I keep telling folks NOT TO INSTALL IT. It doesn’t need to be installed and all the issues that have come up have been from the installed versions.
This version has been pulled for some reason. I downloaded 5.47.6701 portable so we will see what happens.
Thanks to James P. for the heads up!

Monday Morning Random Stuff…

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Winamp 5.8
This weekend multiple sites posted excitedly about a new beta leak from Winamp. One problem, it is from 2016.

Hot Deals!!!

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Logitech G602 Lag-Free Wireless Gaming Mouse – 11 Programmable Buttons, Up to 2500 DPI
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Weekend Random Stuff…

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Not much tech news out there.
Stuff I bookmarked recently. Some off topic, some not:

Hurricane/Tropical Storm Florence
North Carolina is still getting hammered. South Carolina is getting it now too. I hope you all get through this OK.
The Cajun Navy is out already. Those folks are awesome.
The drama queens over at the Weather Channel could win an Emmy for their Hurricane Florence coverage. I don’t know if it will be Best Drama Series or Best Comedy Series.
I’ve never understood why reporters find it necessary to stand out in that stuff. When I see it all I think is, “Idiot”.

Google China Prototype Links Searches to Phone Numbers
I’m not gonna quote anything because the whole article is quotable, and stunning, and sad.
This after revelation of Google’s political bias.

Exactly How Teachers Came to Be So Underpaid in America
“The decline in education funding is not limited to salaries. Twenty-nine states were still spending less per student in 2015, adjusted for inflation, than they did before the Great Recession, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, leaving many public schools dilapidated, overcrowded and reliant on outdated textbooks and threadbare supplies.”
We say public safety and education is important yet we underpay first responders and teachers.

A solar observatory in New Mexico is evacuated for a week and the FBI is investigating. No one will say why.
Bizarre. The silence is only making the tinfoil hat brigade go nuttier than usual.

It’s Beer Season
The Fall beers are out in force. Oktoberfest, Pumpkin, Maple…
It isn’t making my diet easy. I’ve gone from +237 lbs to 216 in the last few months. Shooting for 200.

Thursday Morning Random Stuff…

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

AMD Radeon Software Adrenalin Edition Optional 18.9.1
Support For: Shadow of the Tomb Raider & Star Control: Origins
Download | Release Notes

Intel PROSet/Wireless Software and Drivers for Windows 10 v20.80.0.5
Key Issues Fixed:
Resolved various BSOD associated to different circumstances
Tray icon appears as if the system is using wired network while system is using WiFi

Apple Announces Large Expensive iPhone
According to Trusted Reviews the 512GB XS Max iPhone will be $1,300. This tops the $960 price that Samsung charges for the 256GB Galaxy S9+ (the 256GB XS Max is $1,150). Like the iPhones before it I’m sure this will be a great seller. All the cool kids will have one.

Illegal Alien