Windows 10 has to 'phone home' for You to change Your password!

Did you know?

Windows 10 has to "phone home" for you to change your own PC login password:

If you don't have internet, you can't change your own login password on Windows 10.

I feel like this is "innovation" in the wrong direction...

XP to XP Embedded

To start with, this is a bad idea.
You really need to get off of Windows XP (where the "XP" now stands for "eXPired").

There are better Operating System(s) out there now, even those that are free.
Example: Linux Mint - http://www.linuxmint.com/

But if you have to run XP, then at least initiate this 'hack' to maybe, possibly, get a few more updates from MS that might work with XP. Of course it comes with the standard disclaimer from Microsoft:

The security updates that could be installed are intended for Windows Embedded and Windows Server 2003 customers and do not fully protect Windows XP customers. Windows XP customers also run a significant risk of functionality issues with their machines if they install these updates, as they are not tested against Windows XP. The best way for Windows XP customers to protect their systems is to upgrade to a more modern operating system, like Windows 7 or Windows 8.1.

So here's how you do it:
[1] Create a text file on the desktop.
[2] Make sure you can see the .txt extension. If you can't, refer to here on how to turn it on.
[3] Open the TXT document, and Copy the following into it:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\WPA\PosReady] 
"Installed"=dword:00000001

[4] Close and Save the TXT.

[5] With the TXT highlighted on your desktop, press [F2] to rename it to "embed.reg"

[6] Confirm you want to rename the TXT file to a REG file.

[7] Run the file and merge the setting with your registry.

[8] You're done! Go run Windows Updates now.

How to Turn On Extensions for Known Types (Windows)

• Reveal file extensions for known file types.
• This is a feature bug in Windows where Microsoft does not display the [usually 3-character]  extension of a file. This has been used in the double-extension exploit:
• Excerpt: A way to trick users into opening a virus. Many people have learned that text files (.TXT) and image files (.GIF, .JPG, etc.) are safe to launch because they are data and not executable software. They have learned to be leery of .EXE, .VBS and other extensions that are executed immediately. Thus, virus writers try to trick more people using double extensions, so "I LOVE YOU.TXT.vbs" is really not a .TXT file, but a .vbs file, a Visual Basic Script that is executed immediately
• Open Windows Explorer [Win]+[E]:
• Press [Alt] to make the menus appear
• Tools --> Folder Options..
• Go to the View tab
• Check "Always show menus"
• Uncheck "Hide extentions for known types"

100th Post!

This is the 100th Blogger Post for me.
Yea! ;)

Note: Some past posts have been deleted. Example: content they linked to was no longer available.

The Ideal Case for an iPhone

The ideal case for a seasoned iPhone (like the iPhone 5) would be at least this:
• Should be similar-to / strong-as an OtterBox.
• Should have it's own (non-stick) screen protector, like the OtterBox Defender.
• Should have it's own battery to supplement the phone's.
• It's lightning connector to the phone should be MFi certified w Apple.
• Should have a Qi wireless charging coil built-in.
• Should have a wired charging port, either USB micro or Apple lightning.


Nice optional, but not critical features would be:
• Would have both charging ports available to accept either USB micro or Apple lighting.
• An independent on-the-case LED battery meter for the case battery.
• An independent on-the-case LED flashlight.
• A UBS power out port, so you could charge something else.

R.I.P. GTalk

One of Google's best products, Google Talk for Windows died today.

Sad because this was really the best all-around IM client for Windows. Short sided of Google to try to push everyone to their "hangouts". Why can't they co-exist?

Don't Trust Wireless Keyboards

Yet another reason not to trust wireless keyboards.

Article: Researcher builds $10 spy tool disguised as wall charger to log wireless keyboard typing.

Don't trust wired ones either - regularly look for passive dongles between your kb and your PC.

How to Install WINE 1.7 on Linux Mint 17

To install WINE 1.7 on Linux Mint 17, simply enter the following three commands:

$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:unbuntu-wine/ppa

$ sudo apt-get update

$ sudo apt-get install wine1.7

Now to run a Windows EXE, just right-click on it, and select "Open with..." --> WINE in the Linux Mint environment.



Special thanks to this video for the info!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waCuiEMviZ0

How to Install Minecraft on Linux:

UPDATE (20150418):
Minecraft no longer requires system-wide Java to install. It will get what it needs of Java automatically, and make it only available to itself. This makes Minecraft run better, and more securely!


Original Post (20141002):
Specifically I have done this, and know that it works, on Linux Mint 17. But any compatible flavor should work!

The commands are:

Instructions for installing Oracle Java 7 on Ubuntu, Linux Mint and their derivative systems:

$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:webupd8team/java
$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get install oracle-java7-installer

How To Install Minecraft On Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Elementary OS and their derivative systems:

$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:minecraft-installer-peeps/minecraft-installer
$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get install minecraft-installer 

I originally got these from this source. Many thanks to them.


Have fun!
-J

"Java no botha"

Finally! Oracle has put in an option to Java to opt-out of "Ask" and other "offers".

Albeit buried in the advanced options, this is well worth doing on all of your systems.

Go to:
   Control Panel
      Java
         [Advanced] tab
            scroll to near the bottom, and check "Suppress sponsor offers when installing or updating Java"

Tips and Tricks for Good Passwords

Grant Thompson has an amazingly well-done channel on YouTube. Recently I saw one of his videos that brought up some noteworthy points on passwords, and how to create good one.

I especially like that this is in a less-than-5-minute video format for people that are very busy (and might not be interested in reading an article on this topic), but still need to know this information in order to function safely on the web today.



As far as my recommendation for a password manager, I think that LastPass is the best:
     www.LastPass.com

How To [Really] Get Malware Off Your PC

If you have a PC, you probably have malware.

Malware is defined as "short for malicious software, is any software used to disrupt computer operation, gather sensitive information, or gain access to private computer systems. It can appear in the form of code, scripts, active content, and other software. 'Malware' is a general term used to refer to a variety of forms of hostile or intrusive software." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malware)

I define it more broadly and simply as "any unwanted applications that are running when you didn't specifically request them to run".

This runs the gamut of annoying, to truly malicious.


If you want to REALLY get rid of malware, you cannot boot within the Operating System (OS) that is infected and expect it to heal itself. The reasons for this are many, but most notably some malware - like rootkits - can install themselves so low-level that they start before the OS does. Therefore no program, running under the OS can even see the files, let alone disinfect or delete them.

So in order to remove files like this the drive has to be working on externally from the infected system. The good news is, there is a way to "externally" work on your own hard disk drive (HDD), using your own PC's hardware, by booting solely off of a CD-ROM, and never booting from the infected HDD.

To do this, you need to download a Rescue Disc Image in the ISO format. Then use a program, such as Infrarecorder, to burn the ISO file to a bootable CD-ROM (or DVD-ROM).

Make sure in the BIOS of your PC that you can boot from your CD / DVD drive. I like to set the boot order to: [1] CD / DVD Drive, [2] Removable / USB Drive, then finally [3] HDD.

If your PC is an untrabook or for some other reason does not have a CD / DVD drive, you can try making a USB Rescue Drive or you can get one of these inexpensive USB optical drives which any good tech outta have in their 'tool box'.

Here's where to get the ISOs I recommend:

AVG Rescue Disc (AVGRD):
http://www.avg.com/us-en/avg-rescue-cd

Kaspersky Rescue Disk (KAVRD):
http://support.kaspersky.com/us/viruses/rescuedisk/


While you're at it, make sure your drive integrity is good - purchase a copy of SpinRite - and run it. It really can make a difference, and will give you early warning of a HDD that's heading south.


Happy Hunting!
-J

A Good Monitor

Here's a good 19" monitor with VGA and DVI inputs, and even a USB hub, for ~$80:

A Curious Bug

To the best of my recollection, I have never seen this bug before:

And yet this morning, the Publix / Cheek & Scott parking lot was littered with them:

Basking in the predawn glow of the parking lot's artificial lighting, which you can see reflected on their hard-back shells.

They are nearly motionless, and as hard as a glass marble. About the size of two marbles side-by-side.

You can see here, I gently nudge one with my shoe (flipping it up-side-down) and it immediately (and quite frantically) rights itself, then becomes motionless again:

Does anyone know what kind of bug this is?

How to tell what carrier your cell phone is on:

Dial 611 to find out what carrier a cell phone is on.

Or, you can sometimes tell by the home screen, as seen here on this StraighTalk iPhone5:

(TFW = TrackFone Wireless, a.k.a. StraightTalk)

How to Tell if You are Connected to a Verizon Femtocell (Network Extender)

You probably have seen stories like this:

Hack Turns Verizon Femtocell Into Spy Tool

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2421782,00.asp

But there is a simple way to know if you are connected to a real Verizon cell tower, or someone's Verizon femtocell (what Verizon calls a "Verizon Wireless Network Extender", link).

Simply dial #48.

From Verizon's own documentation:
"How do I know my phone is connecting through the Network Extender? When dialing #48 on your wireless phone, an an­nouncement will tell you if you are within range of the Network Extender. In addition, you will hear a short double tone on your wireless phone whenever making or receiving a call. The tone is played at the beginning of the call."

So also watch-out for (well, "listen"-out for) those short double tones too. That's a dead giveaway that you're on a femtocell. If you were not expecting to be on one, and don't trust the new unknown one; then it's time to "go sheilds up!" - set your phone to airplane mode, until you're clear of the area.

Be careful who you connect with!

Happy Tech'n,
-J

How to default HTML render of a Google Calendar on a web page to Week view:

I personally find that the Week view of Google Calendar is more helpful. This is also the case because I have so many calendars and events shared with my account that it just runs out of space trying to fit events into the small squares of a monthly calendar. Furthermore, you don't get the time-block perspective in Month-view that you do in Week-view, where you can easily see where events are double-book or overlapping.

Recently I wanted render a Google Calendar on a web page, and it (of course) defaults to Month-view:

...with options to change it to Week-view, or Agenda-view. I wanted it to default Week-view:

...and optionally display Month-view or Agenda-view.

To do this, you need to add a tiny snip of code to the iframe embed code URL.


For example, your URL probably looks something like this:

src="http://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=[your_domain].com_[GoogleAuthKey]%40group.calendar.google.com&ctz=America/New_York&amp"


You just need to add to it:

src="http://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=[your_domain].com_[GoogleAuthKey]%40group.calendar.google.com&ctz=America/New_York&mode=week"

That's it! Now the default view mode = week.


Happy Tech'n,
-J

Will people one day answer their phones with CAPTCHA phrases?

"What's three plus four?"

Robo-calls are getting "smarter". Recently I've noticed a trend in robo-spam-calls to awkwardly answer the phone, then "introduce" themselves ("oh, hi, this is George...") and even go on to ask you how you are, and "politely" wait for a reply, before launching into their sales spiel.

It makes me want to answer any call from an unknown number with a CAPTCHA like the above. In fact I need my smart phone to go ahead and field my calls from any unrecognized number, and filter out the spambots from the humanoids, then let only real people ring through.


UPDATE (20150811):
Coming full circle on this, it's now rumored that Apple will make Siri available to answer incoming calls in a future update of iOS. So robo-calls may one day be answered (and filtered) by your robo-assistant. I love the irony of that. ☺

Questions on Old and New Laptops

I recently received an email from a daughter of a friend of mine, and it's a common question and topic that I often field for people. I wrote her back, and thought I'd share the content of the dialog, and additional questions, with others, as it might help. In fact since then, two other people have asked similar questions; so I hope this helps!

This is for informational purposes only. Name(s) have been changed to protect their identity. This information is current as of June 2013, but as you know, technical specifications can and do change rapidly in our field.

Hi Anna,

...

 

I am saving up money right now to buy a new laptop. Mine is ready to retire. I can't really do my school work on it, it gets me aggravated.

 

I just wanted to ask you for advice. What kind of laptop should i get, I have been looking online but it all sound the same to me, and most of it i don't understand. I just need something where i can use the full Microsoft Office package.I work with Excel and Word a lot, and at times use the other programs. For some of my online classes i have to watch videos.

Have you considered a Mac? I would get a Mac Book Pro, if you can afford it.

What's your budget?

 

A lot of my business courses require me to download trial versions of certain programs such as SPSS and PHStat.

Some of those might not have Mac versions... do you (or your course work) require it to be a Windows PC?

Are you looking for a laptop only? Or are you also considering desktops too?

 

So i am guessing i need a computer with a lot of space.

You want a minimum of ¼TB of space (250GB).

Solid State Drive (SSD), if you can afford it.

 

Right now i have an Acer, but it has become very slow and gets hot very very fast even with a fan under it.

Open it up &/or blow it out with compressed air. Not the canned air- it loses pressure too fast as the liquid boils off (cooling the can) to fill the void. Get to a real air compressor with 70-100 psi and get all the dust out of your PC - or as much as you can. Although it doesn't seem like it, dust - especially the soft light fluffy dust that accumulates over a long time, is a very good insulator of heat - this means that it acts like a blanket over all your PC's components and heat sinks - unfortunately helping to hold IN the heat that the PC is trying to expel into the ambient air.

This can cause your PC to run hotter than it should, use more energy trying to compensate, and even scale back the processor speed as heat levels exceed tolerances. If it gets too hot, it can permanently damage some parts of your PC, &/or cause it to spontaneously reboot for no apparent reason (among other things).

 

It is on its fifth year of serving me :)

That's a LOOOONG time - even for a home PC.

My recommendation for the average machine is 3 years in business, 5 years tops for home.

You're at the end of that useful life-cycle on this PC. I would not spend any $$ to fix or upgrade it. (Time, on the other hand, like to [software] clean it up, or [hardware] blow it out, is probably worth it in the meantime while you're looking for a replacement.)

 

I would like to have something that has an easy way to organize all my school work as well as other documents + pictures.

Use Dropbox. It's safe (not malware), secure (encrypted), easy, and works/runs all the time; backing up and updating your files to the cloud. For example, I had my daughter organize all her school work in a folder (with sub-folders) in her own Dropbox account. And I had her share that folder with me (my Dropbox acct), so that I had a real-time instant back up of her work, should something happen to her PC.

This is something that you CAN and SHOULD do now- on your slow machine- so that when you DO get a new PC, install Dropbox, and enter your account info - all your files will automatically start downloading and populating your new PC.

It will also get you a ready-made easy way to shuttle files from one PC to the other. Though, if you're going to need to move a lot (1GB+), a thumb drive or the like would be faster.

 

If you have anything in mind could you please help me with this decision.

If you're on a super tight budget, and want PC over Mac, then here's the laptop I recommend to folks:
http://jayharrison.blogspot.com/2012/08/best-current-deal-on-laptop-pc.html

For (right now) less than $300, you get a business class notebook "Lenovo ThinkPad R400 14" Notebook - Refurbished - Intel - Core Duo 2.2GHz - Black - 4 GB RAM - 160 GB HDD - DVD-Reader - Genuine Windows 7 Professional 32-bit."

Cons: Slim on HDD space; regular HDD - not SSD; Optical drive is READ only (no burning).

 

 

Thank you,

My pleasure. Let me know if I can ever be of assistance!

Thank you,
Jay Harrison

The Cost of a Watt

Thought:

As a[n easy] rule of thumb;
Every watt a device consumes, costs me ≈10¢ per month.

So, if I have a 2watt LED porch light, that I leave running 24/7, it will cost me ≈20¢/mo to operate.

Actual Math: (0.002kw * 0.1125/kw * 24hrs * 31days) = 16.74¢
Granted, this is a rule of thumb, as a general guideline, for easy on-the-fly estimates, with room for the cost of electricity to go up a bit too.

Git Rid of Java!

A friend of mine, David, recently sent me a link with this question:

Is this something to do or worry about?

http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2013/01/12/us-government-advises-computer-users-to-disable-java-software/?test=latestnews

The answer is yes. Java is problematic, especially in the browser, and is the number one vector of disease for computers. If you don't actively use Java, you should get rid of it from your browser.

My recommendation is to use Firefox as your main browser for all general web-surfing, and disable Java from Firefox. Then IF you have a site that requires Java, and you trust that site, run that site only in MSIE and all your other browsing (Facebook, Google searches, etc) in your security hardened Firefox.

To disable Java in Firefox (for Windows PCs): open Firefox and click Tools menu --> Addons. Click the Plugins tab, locate each of the Java plugins, and click the Disable button for each. Restart Firefox and you're all good!


Mon 20130114 Updates:

• http://www.scmagazine.com/java-zero-day-infections-pick-up-steam/article/275818/?DCMP=EMC-SCUS_Newswire
• https://www.securelist.com/en/blog/208194070/Java_0day_Mass_Exploit_Distribution

NON-sugarless Gum

A while back a friend asked me about finding a non-sugar-free gum.
I finally had time to do the research on this.
Apparently the only good way to find a real sugared gum is to go with vintage gums.
Three options are:


Clove Gum

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002268MA/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=intellections-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0002268MA



Clark's Teaberry Gum

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007IR288/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=intellections-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0007IR288



Black Jack Chewing Gum

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EEK4OO/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=intellections-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000EEK4OO


Happy chewing!
=J

Karma

"Karma is simply Justice, misattributed."
-Jay Harrison, 20130107

Fracuum (flash game)

Fracuum is an 'old school' style flash based maze game, with an interesting infinite zoom playing field. Worth a look!

http://cache.armorgames.com/files/games/fracuum-13222.swf

Christmas 2012

It's all about the Cross.

Adobe Releases New OpenSource Font for Coders:

Read the article here:
http://blogs.adobe.com/typblography/2012/09/source-code-pro.html
=J

Floppy Music

Now this is just cool...

Gmail needs better keyboard shortcuts support.

Google needs to work on their Gmail keyboard shortcuts. Yes, they've created the 'Custom Shortcuts' Lab, but it's still too simplified. I'll give two examples:

[1] How do I set the "Trash a message" key to the [DELETE] key? The default keyboard shortcut, [#] (i.e. [Shift]+[3]) is retarded. At least I can change this with a Lab to the [T] key to Trash an item. But why can't I have the option to use the [DELETE] key? Seems so intuitive...

[2] Why is there no keyboard shortcut for "Indent more" and "Indent less"? These don't exist, as far as I can tell, and are not customizable, even in the extended Lab.
(UPDATE 20170620: Use [Ctrl]+[[] and [Ctrl]+[]] -- nice!)

Google - please work on this!

The Belkin Conserve Socket

The Belkin Conserve Socket F7C009q Energy-Saving Outlet is a neat little switch that allows a device (or group of devices) to be manually activated, and then auto-time-out after an interval of 30min, 3hrs, or 6hrs (as set by the switch on the side). This is handy for desk lights, work spaces, etc. Being able to handle 1800 watts, it's also good for space heaters or other high-demand equipment. Or, if for example, you worry about forgetting to turn off the coffee pot (or any other appliance), this is the solution. For under ten bucks, it's a convenient upgrade to any device that you don't want or need to be left on. And upgrade that is movable and not tied to that single device. So it very well may outlive your original appliance.

Also great for reducing phantom loads of transformers or other leaching power sources. The switch consumes only a tiny 0.18watts while activated, and ZERO (no phantom load) when not activated (including ZERO power consumption for all down-stream devices).

Check it out, here:

P.S. this can plug into the top outlet, and not block the bottom one!

The Best BioLock I've Used

Another recommendation - this time for a bio-lock: The Keyless Biometric Fingerprint Door Lock Trinity 788. I own three of these, and have had several people ask me about them recently. Actually, the first one I owned was branded by Barska, but they're all exactly the same unit/model. I was delighted when I found this one by Adel. These work great, and can store up to 98 fingerprints - 3 of which are Admin fingerprints. These are for indoor installations only (or at least under cover / well out of outside weather). Some of the "key" features I liked about this unit are all the levels of back-up/redundancy it has:
#1 It has a non-volatile memory, that does not need to stay powered to remember settings and fingerprints (it doesn't store your actual fingerprint, rather a cryptographic hash of it).
#2 Should you not have your fingerprint handy (say, you're talking to someone over the phone, that you want to have access, and you're not on-site) there is a 6-digit passcode function too (stored as fingerprint #99).
#3 Should the batteries go dead, you can hold a 9-volt battery up to the bottom of the unit, to power it via built-in 'hidden' contacts.
#4 Should the electronics go bad - EMP? ;-) - you can remove the handle (with included allen-wrench) to expose a 100% mechanical keyed lock (2 keys also included).

Click on the image below see them on Amazon.com:

UPDATE:

Or this one: