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Computers/Internet (General/Chat)

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  • Windows 10 is Lying to Me About Anti Virus Conditions

    04/17/2016 7:05:29 AM PDT · by savedbygrace · 48 replies
    Windows 10 keeps popping up a message in the SysTray, trying to tell me that Windows Firewall AND Webroot AV/Firewall are both disabled. I have intentionally disabled Windows Firewall, but Webroot is fully up and actively protecting my system. What's up with this Microsoft lie? Is there any way to stop the fallacious popup?
  • Pentagon worried about strategic nerd shortage on electronic battlefield

    04/16/2016 5:29:22 PM PDT · by CtBigPat · 13 replies
    DuffleBlog ^ | 3/30/2016 | unnamed
    As the U.S. military prepares to fight the wars of the future, many of the most effective warriors will very likely be keyboard warriors, far behind the lines of combat. According to Lt. Gen. Edward C. Cardon, the head of U.S. Army Cyber Command, however, the U.S “nerd inventory” is at an all time low.
  • Robots may beat drones in race to deliver packages

    04/16/2016 9:10:46 AM PDT · by TigerLikesRooster · 18 replies
    SFGate ^ | April 6, 2016 | Carolyn Said
    Robots may beat drones in race to deliver packages By Carolyn Said Updated 7:53 pm, Wednesday, April 6, 2016 Forget flying drones. When it comes to predictions on what sci-fi method might bring you hot pizza, aspirin, groceries or new shoes, some experts bet that delivery robots rolling down sidewalks will beat out airborne couriers. Getting your purchases to your front door — the “last mile” challenge — is an obsession throughout the multibillion-dollar logistics and e-commerce industries. While Amazon, Google and Walmart pursue flying delivery drones, some much smaller companies are quietly working on simpler autonomous solutions anchored on...
  • Please help.

    04/16/2016 7:35:08 AM PDT · by The_Republic_Of_Maine · 10 replies
    http://www.mainetv.net/ ^ | 4-16-2016 | Self
    I have a question for all, The two videos at www.MaineTV.net make it perfectly clear that computer voting machines and computer vote counting machines are easily hacked and corrupted, stealing elections, so that, the one sworn is is not the one elected, but the one anointed by the powers to be. Now my question: Why do you think it is literally impossible to get the Maine State Legislature and/or the Governor to work to ban these machines and return to paper hand counted ballots. I am serious with this question, I don't know how to work to remedy this till...
  • Apple's website hints 'OS X' to be rebranded as 'MacOS'

    04/15/2016 12:48:26 AM PDT · by Swordmaker · 16 replies
    AppleInsider ^ | Thursday, April 14, 2016, 04:38 pm PT (07:38 pm ET) | By Roger Fingas
    Adding to the evidence that Apple is intending to change the name of OS X, the company on Thursday posted an updated webpage referring to the software as "MacOS" instead. The term can be found on an FAQ page within Apple's Environment subsite, specifically in a section about greenhouse gases and product lifecycles. The text is the only direct reference to either Macs or OS X in the FAQ — notably, the rest of Apple's website still appears to insist on using "OS X." In late March it was discovered that one framework in OS X 10.11.4 refers to "macOS."...
  • Alert: If You’re Not On iOS 9.3.1 – UPDATE NOW.

    04/14/2016 7:28:50 PM PDT · by Swordmaker · 13 replies
    Razorian Fly ^ | April 14, 2016
    The urgency? … a newly discovered variant of the 1970 glitch that could result in your device becoming inoperable if you happen to be running any version of iOS prior to iOS 9.3.1, and connect to a known Wi-Fi network.The issue revolves around a feature that has been present in Apple’s iOS operating system for sometime – that is, the ability for either an iPhone or iPad to connect to networks that you have personally connected to before, automatically.This is in actual fact super handy, and prevents the need to enter security information for said networks each time you which...
  • Apple Ends Support for QuickTime for Windows; New Vulnerabilities Announced

    04/14/2016 7:09:55 PM PDT · by dayglored · 26 replies
    US-CERT ^ | Apr 14, 2016 | US-CERT Team
    Alert (TA16-105A) -- Apple Ends Support for QuickTime for Windows; New Vulnerabilities AnnouncedSystems Affected Microsoft Windows with Apple QuickTime installed Overview According to Trend Micro, Apple will no longer be providing security updates for QuickTime for Windows, leaving this software vulnerable to exploitation. [1] (link is external) Description All software products have a lifecycle. Apple will no longer be providing security updates for QuickTime for Windows. [1] (link is external) The Zero Day Initiative has issued advisories for two vulnerabilities found in QuickTime for Windows. [2] (link is external) [3] (link is external) Impact Computer systems running unsupported software are...
  • 'Apple owes me $2bn'

    04/14/2016 6:57:44 PM PDT · by Swordmaker · 12 replies
    The Register UK ^ | April 13, 2016 | By Chris Williams
    A Detroit woman says Apple owes her $2bn because the iGiant allegedly ripped off her smartwatch idea.Daisy Washington-Gross has sued [PDF] the Silicon Valley giant in US district court of eastern Michigan, alleging Apple's Watch infringes her patent. She claims she paid $325 to apply for a patent describing a "detachable bleeper disc digital gym shoe computer wrist watch" in July 1996, although her submission doesn't appear to have gone anywhere except the bin. El Reg could find no record of the application. Your move, Apple ... Washington-Gross's court filing Washington-Gross's letter to Magistrate Judge Anthony Patti is dated April...
  • How do I change my settings to a show an except of the article, I'm only getting headlines now?

    04/14/2016 4:42:17 PM PDT · by ObamahatesPACoal · 11 replies
    I must have hit a setting somewhere that means I only see headlines.
  • Man Deletes His Whole Company With One Bad Line of Code

    04/14/2016 11:38:37 AM PDT · by Red Badger · 100 replies
    www.popularmechanics.com ^ | Apr 14, 2016 144 | By Eric Limer
    Thanks to just one mistake, he instructed the computer to delete everything it could find. The next time you accidentally close a file without saving, just keep in mind that it could be worse. You could be Marco Marsala, a hosting provider who accidentally and irrevocably deleted his entire business with a faulty line of code. As Marsala wrote on Server Fault, a forum where he was asking for help with the bind he'd gotten himself into, "I run a small hosting provider with more or less 1535 customers ...All servers got deleted and the offsite backups too." A dire...
  • Robust New FreeOffice Suite Proves Free Can Be Just as Good

    04/14/2016 10:45:43 AM PDT · by ShadowAce · 20 replies
    Linux Insider ^ | 12 April 2016 | Jack M. Germain
    SoftMaker's FreeOffice Linux office suite is a LibreOffice look-alike that provides strong performance compatibility with Microsoft Office documents. SoftMaker, based in Germany, offers a line of open source offerings that compete with its commercial flagship office suite, SoftMaker Office 2016. It's a Windows/Linux cross-platform office suite with integrated applications for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations and email management.The commercial version is nearly identical to the free, open source FreeOffice version. The FreeOffice line is distributed under the Mozilla Public License. SoftMaker Office Mobile for Android smartphones and SoftMaker Office HD Basic for Android tablets are free of charge.Both the commercial and...
  • Reconfigured Tesla coil aligns, electrifies materials from a distance

    04/14/2016 8:28:59 AM PDT · by Red Badger · 20 replies
    phys.org ^ | April 14, 2016 | Provided by: Rice University
    Nanotube wires self-assemble under the influence of a directed electric field from the Tesla coil. Credit: Jeff Fitlow ======================================================================================================== Scientists at Rice University have discovered that the strong force field emitted by a Tesla coil causes carbon nanotubes to self-assemble into long wires, a phenomenon they call "Teslaphoresis." The team led by Rice chemist Paul Cherukuri reported its results this week in ACS Nano. Cherukuri sees this research as setting a clear path toward scalable assembly of nanotubes from the bottom up. The system works by remotely oscillating positive and negative charges in each nanotube, causing them to chain together...
  • OPM Seeks Social Media Tracking for Background Checks

    04/13/2016 12:42:46 PM PDT · by zek157 · 6 replies
    nextgov ^ | April 11, 2016 | Jack Moore
    The Office of Personnel Management is preparing for a pilot program to automatically track public social media postings of people applying for security clearances. OPM is conducting market research to find companies that can perform automated social media tracking and other types of Web crawling as part of the background investigation process, according to an April 8 request for information posted online. Responses from interested companies are due by April 15. OPM is looking for companies that can automatically browse “publicly available electronic information,” which includes information posted to news and media sites; Facebook, Twitter and other social media postings;...
  • Microsoft Security Bulletin -- It's Patch Tuesday Again! (Windows Update Day)

    04/13/2016 9:18:03 AM PDT · by dayglored · 24 replies
    Microsoft TechNet ^ | Apr 13, 2016 | Microsoft
    This is the monthly Microsoft Security Bulletin, a.k.a. "Patch Tuesday". It's another load of patched flaws, many serious including browser vulnerabilities. A good Register article: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/04/12/microsoft_patch_tuesday_12apr16/ Microsoft's official list: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/security/bulletin/
  • Amazon launches $290 Kindle Oasis, its thinnest e-reader ever

    04/13/2016 8:50:18 AM PDT · by C19fan · 29 replies
    Appleinsider ^ | April 13, 2016 | Staff
    In announcing the Oasis on Wednesday, Amazon said its ultimate goal is to make the hardware eventually "disappear," delivering the simplest possible experience for readers. In the retailer's words, the Oasis is "another step toward this mission," weighing in at 4.6 ounces and measuring 3.4 millimeters at its thinnest point. In order to achieve this svelte design, Amazon trimmed battery life on the Kindle itself, and developed a new dual-battery design. The Kindle Oasis ships with an included charging cover that delivers "months" of uptime, according to Amazon.
  • Mac Users Attacked Again by Fake Adobe Flash Update

    04/12/2016 10:31:56 PM PDT · by Swordmaker · 11 replies
    Intego ^ | April 12th, 2016 | by Graham Cluley
    Mac users are once again being urged to exercise caution when installing updates to Adobe Flash Player, after a fake update was discovered infecting computers.Intego security experts have identified the rogue package installer as a variant of OSX/InstallCore, and have updated Intego VirusBarrier definitions to provide protection.The in-the-wild attack has been spread in the form of a Mac Package installer .pkg file, also known a flat package, and has been signed with a legitimate Developer ID certificate — effectively tricking OS X's built-in Gatekeeper security to believe that the files can be trusted and are not malicious.Curiously, if the Mac Package...
  • iPhone users targeted by new 'Apple Support' scam that steals ID and password

    04/12/2016 8:29:34 PM PDT · by Swordmaker · 21 replies
    International Business Times ^ | April 12, 2016 13:20 BST | By Jason Murdock
    Apple Phishing scam doing the rounds Phishing is a technique used by cybercriminals that ‘fishes’ for sensitive information via email – and now mobile. Apple users should be on high alert after a fresh SMS phishing scam was exposed that uses sophisticated online trickery in an attempt to compromise Apple ID credentials. Commenters on social media first reported the issue in early April after receiving a suspicious text message that read: "The Apple ID associated with this number is due to be terminated. To prevent this, please confirm your details at supportatapple.com – Apple Inc." Screenshot of the Apple phishing...
  • Apple grows to 7.4% of worldwide PC market as Windows continues to cede share to the Mac

    04/11/2016 11:52:14 PM PDT · by Swordmaker · 8 replies
    AppleInsider ^ | Monday, April 11, 2016, 04:35 pm PT | By Roger Fingas
    Apple continued to grow overall Mac marketshare during the March quarter as most leading Windows PC makers suffered significant setbacks, according to the latest research data from Gartner and IDC. Apple's total share of the global PC market grew to 7.4 percent in the first quarter of calendar 2016, good for fourth place globally, according to IDC. That's up from 6.7 percent in the same period a year ago. Apple's total sales actually fell 2.1 percent to just under 4.5 million. But the larger PC market dropped 11.5 percent, allowing the Mac to easily outpace the market. Market leader Lenovo...
  • Windows 10 debuts Blue QR Code of Death – and why malware will love it (BSOD gets an Update)

    04/11/2016 8:42:46 PM PDT · by dayglored · 31 replies
    The Register ^ | Apr 12, 2016 | Chris Williams
    Microsoft has added a QR code to its infamous Blue Screen of Death in Windows 10. As of Windows 10 Insider Preview build 14316, when the operating system falls over, you get not only the sad ASCII smiley but also a QR square that contains an encoded URL that leads you to a webpage about your problem. Scan it with a smartphone or other handheld and your browser will be taken to the embedded web addresses. Right now, it just points to windows.com/stopcode, which explains typical Blue-Screen-of-Death causes, but in future it could contain detailed information about the crash –...
  • Yahoo is for sale; bidders line up; Marissa Mayer is toast

    04/11/2016 7:33:45 PM PDT · by Swordmaker · 68 replies
    CNN Money ^ | April 11, 2016 | by David Goldman
    Yahoo is for sale, and bidders are lining up to grab their own, ever-shrinking piece of Internet history. The once-great Internet pioneer is entertaining offers...reluctantly. CEO Marissa Mayer would like to see Yahoo through its struggles, but impatient investors are looking for a way to cash out. Yahoo (YHOO, Tech30) has reportedly given interested parties until April 18 to make their offers. The company is expected to fetch something like $8 billion for its core Internet business. Who's buying? The list of interested parties matches the potpourri of businesses that Yahoo operates. Media companies, such as the Daily Mail and...