So, how worried should you be? And what should you do? Here’s what we know right now. How to Secure Your Devices Against the KRACK WPA2 Vulnerability First, some good news: unlike WannaCrypt and Petya ransomware attacks, KRACK is only a proof-of-concept attack. There haven’t been any reported cases of this vulnerability being exploited on a widespread basis. That being said, the vulnerability does exist. Here are some highlights....
What Is It? Like Blek, this game gives you a pattern, and you need to find it among the chaos. It reminds me of the retro game, Simon. Your job is to see the color arrangement and swipe across the shapes to create the pattern. As you move up in levels, the shapes start moving around and changing. It’s not just patterned recognition but a bit of timing and reflexes. There’s no time limit, score, or penalty....
— Tavis Ormandy (@taviso) May 6, 2017 Microsoft Security Advisory 4022344 says: Check for Updates Two days after getting the news of the exploit Microsoft’s Security Response Center and Windows Defender developers deployed a fix that is now available via Windows Update. The versions of Windows affected by this bug are Windows 7, 8.1, RT, and Windows 10. It also affects other anti-malware software typically used by IT departments like Microsoft Forefront Security for SharePoint Service Pack 3, Windows Intune Endpoint Protection, and others....
Microsoft Streamlining its Phone Business According to a statement from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella: In breaking down the numbers, Microsoft says the restructuring will result in a reduction of up to 1,350 jobs at Microsoft Mobile Oy in Finland and an additional 500 jobs globally. As Mary Jo Foley reports “the impairment and restructuring charge” will be at approximately $950 million, with around 200 million of that amount related to severance payments....
Windows 10 19H1 Preview Build 18298 File Explorer improvements include an updated icon and updated default download folder sorting. There are new start menu improvements that continue to improve upon those with build 18290. You can now utilize the “Quick unpin for groups and folders” which lets you quickly start fresh and reorganize you Start menu layout. Today’s build also includes improvements to the Touch Keyboard for faster response. Console updates which include a new Terminal tab in the Properties page....
Windows 10 20H1 Preview Build 19041 Starting with build 19018 Microsoft introduced new Quick Search features including Weather, Top new, Today in history, and New movies. With today’s build, those features are expanding to other countries including Australia, Canada, Mexico, Germany, France, and others. Depending on your location you will see two of the aforementioned Quick Search options. In addition to rolling out the Quick Search features, here is the list of other changes and improvements in today’s build:...
Windows 10 Preview Build 19645 Here’s a look at the general changes and improvements in today’s release: We changed the servicing model for the Linux kernel inside of Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 distributions. This build includes this change to remove the Linux kernel from the Windows image, and instead have it be serviced via Microsoft Update, the same way that 3rd party drivers (like graphics, or touchpad drivers) are installed and updated on your machine today....
Windows 10 August Patch Tuesday These updates will bump your build to 19041.1165, 19042.1165, or 19043.1165 based on the version you are currently running. The main thing these updates include is security and quality improvements. Including three zero-day vulnerabilities and fixes the nagging PrintNightmare vulnerability that allows bad actors to gain access to system-level privileges by connecting to a remote print server. In addition, the patch also includes the following fixes:...
You should get the update automatically within the next couple of days, but if you want to stay on top of the situation head to Settings > Update & security > Windows Update. Or, if you don’t want to go through Windows Update you can download the KB4041676 update and install it manually. Note that a restart will be required to complete the installation. After the update has completed hit the Windows key and type: winver and hit Enter....
Windows 10 Redstone 5 Preview Build 17733 Microsoft notes that the dark theme for File Explorer is in the completion stage. “Today’s build marks the turning point where we’ve finished what we set out to do for this release,” writes Microsoft’s Dona Sarkar and Brandon LeBlanc. Just to note, I’ve been using the dark theme for File Explorer on a couple test systems during these preview builds and haven’t been overly enthused with it....
I turned on my Xbox 360 console at 8PM CST and received the following message that an update is available. Select Yes. The update will be downloaded and installed. Your console will restart a couple of times while it’s installed. Make sure to not turn off your console while the upgrade takes place. When the update is complete you’ll see the following new dashboard interface. This is a view of the home screen....
Using Advanced Search Features in Windows 10 Update: Windows Search was decoupled from Cortana and is now its own field (or button) on the taskbar. You can use similar functions to the ones shown below with Windows Search. One of the first places you can start searching for files in Windows 10 is the Search box on the taskbar. We’ve already covered some of the power search features in Windows 10....
Better Tab Management in Microsoft Edge Edge is going to pick up a lot of new tab management features to make navigating the web easier. According to the article by Microsoft Edge general manager Drew DeBruyne, the new management features are “designed specifically to address major points of anxiety for users – the chaos and clutter of the web and the fear of losing tabs.” He also says “Our research tells us that Windows users spend more than 50% of their time on the web, but are often derailed by the arduous task of having to sift through countless search results, sites, and the sheer volume of unfamiliar content online....
Use Ninite to Download Apps the Easy Way Hey, if you haven’t checked out Ninite –groovyPost has a great piece where we covered it here — you’re really missing out. Available for Windows XP and up and most Linux versions, Ninite is a free app that lets you easily and automatically install popular plug-ins, cloud apps, and other services you use to any computer, new or old. It’s amazing if you’re moving to a new computer and don’t want to reinstall and log in to each one all over again....
When an idea comes to mind, you just want a simple solution you can quickly fire up and put your thoughts down. That said, this article does take a dive into the many ways you can capture your thoughts and have them available to you whenever you need them. Note taking has come a long way from the days of basic text files. This includes inking and a digital assistant, not to mention the opportunity to incorporate dynamic media such as photos and videos in your notes....
The easiest method to display results in a new tab is to just press Alt + Enter when performing searches. This will work for both the Firefox address bar and the dedicated search box. You can also set Firefox to open a new tab for search queries from the search box. But this doesn’t apply to searches done in the main address bar (omnibar). Here’s how to make it work....
MediaMonkey for Windows 8 / RT First you’ll need an app for Windows 8 or Windows RT that allows you to play FLAC files. MediaMonkey is the best free one I’ve found which you can download from the Windows Store. After installing it MediaMonkey you’ll be able to play FLAC files from your local machine or from virtually any other system on your home network. Once you start playing your FLAC music, you can use the Windows 8 / RT Play To feature over your WiFi network....
The answer: go wired. “But wait,” you say. “This is the 21st century. Everything is wireless. Get with the program, bro.” And to that, I say: “Exactly.” The fact that everything is wireless is exactly the problem. In many ways, it is the best of times and the worst of times for wireless devices. From 3D and HD streaming content to home-based cloud file sharing, there is more data zipping across your local area network than ever before....
Many people have no idea how much personal data websites gather from you, how they sell it to aggregators to make personalized ads or even if it’s possible to stop. Take Google. It logs your search queries for 18 months at a time — combine that with other data from Google+ or Facebook, which make money by data aggregation. That’s a lot of personal info you’ve just put into someone else’s hands....
Re-Download Kindle Ebooks to Different Devices Your Kindle Library page opens. This will list all books you’ve purchased and downloaded…including samples. Find the book you want to download again. On the far right side are action buttons for each publication. Click Actions then select Deliver to My… The Deliver Title window comes up. Select the device from the dropdown menu that you want the title delivered to. Note: If you don’t have a WiFi connection, you can connect your device to your PC via a micro USB cable and have the title transferred too....
