Computer News

Here in Central Virginia we are getting our first snow!

Protection Patch
Windows Defender has been patched. The issue is critical. You should be patched automagically at some point. You can hurry things along by checking Windows Update.
You need to be on: Microsoft Malware Protection Engine version 1.1.14405.2 or higher.
To check your Windows Defender you can open it by searching “defender” or by pressing the Windows + R keys and copy/paste: C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\msascui.exe

Software Updates
Audacity 2.2.1
Nvdia Geforce 388.59 WHQL Game Ready Driver – “Provides the optimal gaming experience for Fallout 4 VR”

Amazon Key Sucks
Amazon Key is a program that gives access to your house to the delivery guy and who knows who else. This dude had a host of problems. First off I ain’t doing a smart lock unless it is biometric. Secondly, anyone that gives a key to their house to a stranger is an idiot.

Higgins Passed Away?
I didn’t know actor John Hillerman passed away. He was famous for sicking “The Lads” on Thomas Magnum. RIP Higgy Baby.

It’s The Weekend!
https://vimeo.com/245857321

We The People Call for The Resignation of FCC Chairman Ajit Varadaraj Pai
“We the people have identified FCC Chairman Ajit Varadaraj Pai as a threat to our freedoms due to his call to repeal Net Neutrality. We passionately call upon the white house for the immediate removal of FCC Chairman Ajit Varadaraj Pai from office for his actions.”

Not Cute, Just Sad
Article entitled, When your kid tries to say ‘Alexa’ before ‘Mama’. Some parents think it’s cute. These are probably the same parents who let their kids haul around tablets and phones with them all day.
[Read more…] about Wednesday Morning News

I hope everyone survived Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Went to a movie yesterday. The theater is next to a mall. I don’t understand why anyone would subject themselves to the insanity that is Black Friday.

Software Updates
dBpowerAMP R16.3 (release notes)

Say It Ain’t So
“phones running Android software gather data about your location and send it back to Google when they’re connected to the internet”
I’m stunned. Stunned I tell you.

Responsible Encryption, LOL
The government (all of them) wants to be able to decrypt your data whenever they feel like it. Although too many people don’t care, many of us think that is a load of… well, you know.
“If strong crypto is outlawed, only outlaws will have strong crypto”
If you are interested in this topic, be sure to click on the links in this article. Lots of good info on this complicated issue.

For Sale: Ocean Front Property In Arizona
Wired – What Amazon Echo and Google Home Do With Your Voice Data
So much naivety. About the only thing I liked in this article was the reference to Dokken.
Apologies to Mr. Strait.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to repair my tinfoil hat.

OFF TOPIC

Top 20 Whiskies Of 2017
I haven’t had anything on that list. Wouldn’t mind having a nip or 2 of each one!

Coffee Good For You
A new study says so. There should be another study any day now saying coffee is bad for you.

The Movie I Saw Yesterday
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. I enjoyed it. Interesting tale with a fantastic cast.
Peter Dinklage – my favs: Game Of Thrones, The Chronicles of Narnia
Woody Harrelson – my favs: One of my favorite actors. Far too many to list.
Frances McDormand – my favs: Moonrise Kingdom, Almost Famous
Sam Rockwell – my favs: The Way Way Back, The Green Mile

NoScript Updated
Noscript is a security/privacy plugin. Firefox 57 left the old plugins behind. New plugins are now “Webextensions“. Bottom line is all plugins need to be rewritten for FF 57 and Noscript has been updated accordingly.
Noscript install page
Noscript home

Not So Hidden
Surprise! Google Chrome’s incognito mode doesn’t hide your web activity.
“When you launch the incognito tab there’s this disclaimer there where we really try to help make it really clear to people that your activity is certainly still visible to the websites you visit and could be visible to your employer, to your school, and to your [internet service provide] of course”

Not So Random
“Windows 8 and later fail to properly randomize every application if system-wide mandatory ASLR is enabled via EMET or Windows Defender Exploit Guard”
I would say this would be patched quickly, at least I hope it would. Regedit workaround in article.

Not So Private
“You may know that most websites have third-party analytics scripts that record which pages you visit and the searches you make. But lately, more and more sites use “session replay” scripts. These scripts record your keystrokes, mouse movements, and scrolling behavior, along with the entire contents of the pages you visit, and send them to third-party servers. Unlike typical analytics services that provide aggregate statistics, these scripts are intended for the recording and playback of individual browsing sessions, as if someone is looking over your shoulder.”
Firefox: Noscript + uBlock Origin + Privacy Badger
Chrome: uBlock Origin + Privacy Badger

Software Updates
AMD Crimson ReLive Edition 17.11.2 (support for Star Wars Battlefront II, other fixes)
Intel SSD Toolbox 3.4.9 (firmware update for P4500 and DC P4600 series)
Winaero Tweaker 0.9

Off Topic

Tracking Turkeys
“A data collection service called SafeGraph collected 17 trillion location markers for 10 million smartphones during the holiday last year.”
Why?

Better Make That A Large Popcorn
Star Wars: The Last Jedi will be the longest Star Wars movie ever. The Phantom Menace will still feel like it’s the longest though.

Because Meat, That’s Why (and beer, don’t forget beer)
The CDC says only 12% of Americans eat the daily recommended amount of vegetables. Look fellas, there is only enough room in my belly for so much. I can have a half pound bacon cheese burger and a beer or I can eat peas and broccoli. It’s no contest.
FYI – Vegetarians are less healthy and are more depressed.
Related: The Burger Lab: How To Make The Ultimate Bacon Cheeseburger

Weather Forecasts, Someone Please Explain
Weather Service calls for third straight mild winter (October 19, 2017)
“For the third time in as many years, the nation — on balance — should expect warmer-than-normal temperatures, according to the National Weather Service, which released its winter outlook Thursday. The Weather Service favors warmer-than-normal conditions for the southern two-thirds of the Lower 48, including the Mid-Atlantic. Only a sliver of the Northern Plains and Pacific Northwest is expected to experience colder-than-normal temperatures…Still, Halpert said “there was nothing to indicate” the nation will have punishing outbreaks of the polar vortex as experienced in the winter of 2013-2014 and, to a lesser degree, the winter that followed.”
OK, then this…
Report: Polar vortex to bring ‘extended period of severe winter weather’ (November 16, 2017 )
“All indicators favor a cold winter in the eastern U.S.,” according to the report. “The combination of cold and wet could result in an above normal snow season for parts of the northern U.S., including the large population centers of the northeastern U.S.”
Criminy!

Software Updates
Adobe Acrobat Reader DC 2018.9.20044
CCleaner 5.37.6309
Tails 3.3
Tor Browser 7.0.10

New Nvidia Drivers
388.31 WHQL Drivers are out.
“Provides the optimal gaming experience for Star Wars Battlefront II, Injustice 2, and Destiny 2”

Off Topic

Amazon and Whole Foods Market Announce Lower Prices on Additional Customer and Holiday Favorites
“Whole Foods Market and Amazon today announced new lower prices on additional best-selling grocery items and holiday staples at Whole Foods Market stores, including a new lower price on organic and no antibiotic turkeys for all customers – and an even deeper discount on organic and no antibiotic turkeys for Prime members. This offer is a sneak preview of the special savings and in-store benefits Prime members can expect when Prime becomes the official rewards program of Whole Foods Market.”

Donut Media YouTube channel
Lots of cool automotive related videos like:
Top 10 Greatest Movie Car Chases from the 80’s
Evolution of the Jeep 4×4 Utility Vehicle
Two Grannies, One Lamborghini
Camaro – Everything You Need to Know
Top 10 Best Police Chases

Polls Widget
Thanks for the votes and feedback on the polls widget. The issues with these widgets is that they need to update every time someone votes. This goes against the page caching that many sites like mine use. The purpose of page caching is to make your page loads quicker and use less of your bandwidth. I think I will try this one for now. I will throw the first real poll up tomorrow. Remember, it’s just for fun.

GET OFF OF FACEBOOK
Sean Parker unloads on Facebook “exploiting” human psychology
Sean Parker was the founding president of Facebook. Here are some quotes from the article:
“God only knows what it’s doing to our children’s brains.”
“How do we consume as much of your time and conscious attention as possible?”
“you’re exploiting a vulnerability in human psychology.”

The Rich And The Rest Of Us
“The three richest people in the US – Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos and Warren Buffett – own as much wealth as the bottom half of the US population, or 160 million people…Our wealthiest 400 now have more wealth combined than the bottom 64% of the US population, an estimated 80m households or 204 million people,” the report says. “That’s more people than the population of Canada and Mexico combined…The report says the “billionaire class” continues to “pull apart from the rest of us” at the fastest rate ever recorded. “We have not witnessed such extreme levels of concentrated wealth and power since the first gilded age a century ago.”

Ivy Leaguers, LMAO
The Geeks at Dartmouth Collage found out that cantennas actually work. Made one of those back in the day when I was trying to get into wardriving. This “discovery” has been all over the web this week.