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Microsoft has released the first public preview of Linux GUI applications on Windows 10 – so we wasted no time in taking it for a spin around the block. The ability to run GUI applications on Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 is not new – enthusiasts have been able to run them via separately installed X server utilities for years – but the arrival of official support is still something of a game changer. The official support is more ambitious and better integrated than the various unofficial approaches.The preview comes via the Windows Insider Program, by which developers and enthusiasts...

Web browsers controlled by Big Tech companies often collect massive amounts of user data which can be used to create detailed profiles and track you across the web. Some, such as Microsoft’s Edge browser, even integrate technology that adds “trust ratings” and “misinformation” warnings to the links in your browser. By switching to one of these privacy-focused browsers, you can fight back against Big Tech data harvesting by blocking ads and trackers. Not only does this protect your privacy but it often gives you a much faster and smoother user experience. Check out the list of private web browsers below...

In an attempt to better track users and predict their search habits, Google Chrome has developed FLoC (Federated Learning of Cohorts). FLoC provides visibility into user data to any website that desires this information. In fact, FLoC places each user in an ID group to help websites recognize and target individuals. In response, the alternative search engine DuckDuckGo has come out with an extension for Chrome that can block FLoC tracking. Furthermore, users now have the option of using either the DuckDuckGo application or extension to entirely opt out of FLoC monitoring. Google first implemented FLoC in order to offer...

Let's say I wanted to build a small web site to try and make a small stab against wokeness. In the past, I'd have probably registered a domain with Godaddy, and then either rented some hosting space or thrown up my own server. In a rural area and it's hard enough to get a reliable DSL - and I need to stay on the good side of my ISP since I use it for work. So short of renting some commercial space in town and trying to get a business internet connection, it looks like I'd have to use a...

Desktop computers might feel like a thing of the past, but there are still plenty of reasons to choose a the best desktop PCs over a laptop. Oftentimes, even base model desktop computers are far more powerful than their mobile counterparts. This makes them better suited for multimedia projects like photo, video and music editing. And if you’re looking for a machine for your work or home office, you might as well get more power and performance at a similar (or lower) price. That’s right, desktop computers are often far more affordable than premium laptops. If you feel like you...

The Committee on Liberatory Information Technology has announced a long-standing Chromebook bug that could reveal user location history. Evidently already on the radar of Google, the platform has a feature allowing anyone with physical access to your device to connect as a guest and view your Wi-Fi logs. Of course, once said intruder has accessed these logs, they would then need the technical knowhow to make sense of them. However, if they are skilled enough, they may be able to track your place history by viewing your Wi-Fi network access over the past seven days. It turns out the bug...

Although I can still access Pluto TV on my computer, I still can't get it on my big screen TV. It has been about a week since I was able to get it on my big screen. I use Amazon Fire to get my channels.Does anybody else out there have this problem? And how can I get this resolved.

I am not sure what happened, but starting yesterday morning on Winblows7, I can NOT connect to Free Republic with Firefox or Internet Explorer, If I use Brave it connects as Unsecure but it won't let me log in, it times out, I can scroll and read only. Firefox will only connect if I point it to the IP address and allow the cert exception, but it Won't let me Log in either. NO Problem with Any Other websites?? It is a dual boot machine, so I am using Ubuntu right now and everything works like it is supposed to????...

TECH PING: This is the second time that the update to Windows 10 has wiped out my passwords in BRAVE during the update. What is going on?? Help? I cannot stop the updates and feel very trapped. I have been using brave successfully for at least 5 years. This password issue upends my life. any insight would be appreciated.

Security researchers from Cornell University have found a web browser attack that affects both macOS and Windows computers. Unlike other browser-based attacks, this one does not use JavaScript.The hack is the first JavaScript-free browser side-channel attack ever discovered. Rather than using the popular scripting language, the exploit was built entirely with CSS and HTML.Though new, Apple’s M1 chipset is not protected from this attack and maybe more vulnerable to this exploit, claim the researchers in a recently published paper (via AppleInsider).It is described as being “architecturally agnostic” attacking Samsung, AMD, and even Apple’s new silicon, says The 8-Bit blog.In fact,...

I had been delaying the update of Windows 10 to Version 20H2 since it first was released and showed up in Windows Update. I recall reading some comments about waiting out this update, but I don't remember why.

Algorithms are meaningless without good data. The public can exploit that to demand change. Every day, your life leaves a trail of digital breadcrumbs that tech giants use to track you. You send an email, order some food, stream a show. They get back valuable packets of data to build up their understanding of your preferences. That data is fed into machine-learning algorithms to target you with ads and recommendations. Google cashes your data in for over $120 billion a year of ad revenue. Increasingly, we can no longer opt out of this arrangement. In 2019 Kashmir Hill, then a...

Hackers are friends not foes, says Alyssa Miller in this opening argument for our latest debateThis week's motion is: Hacking is not a crime, and the media should stop using 'hacker' as a pejorative.And now, arguing FOR the motion is ALYSSA MILLER...Using the term “hacker” to describe cyber criminals is an unfortunate habit that plagues modern media. The accompanying imagery of hoodie-clad individuals hunched over computer displays in darkened rooms exacerbates the issue. The predominance of associating hacker with cyber criminals has exploded as cyber-attacks and breaches have become regular topics in mainstream media. However, using “hacker” in such a...

Microsoft late Tuesday raised the alarm after discovering Chinese cyber-espionage operators chaining multiple zero-day exploits to siphon e-mail data from corporate Microsoft Exchange servers. Redmond's warning includes the release of emergency out-of-band patches for four distinct zero-day vulnerabilities that formed part of the threat actor's arsenal. Microsoft pinned the blame on a sophisticated Chinese APT operator called HAFNIUM that operates from leased VPS (virtual private servers) in the United States. HAFNIUM primarily targets entities in the U.S. across a number of industry sectors, including infectious disease researchers, law firms, higher education institutions, defense contractors, policy think tanks, and NGOs. The...

ASF board member resigns in protest of org's online chatter 'policing'The Apache Software Foundation (ASF) has removed Marko Rodriguez from the TinkerPop project he co-founded because his provocative Twitter posts were said to have violated the ASF Code of Conduct."I was removed from the project I started 11 years ago for 'publishing offensive humor that borders on hate speech,'" Rodriguez explained in an email to The Register. "However, now that Big Tech has secured the ASF board, it is a way to 'shut me up' about the monopolistic practices of Big Tech."Rodriguez argues that "woke culture" is a creation of...

Microsoft released a new servicing stack update (KB5001078) after an older one caused problems for Windows users installing Patch Tuesday security updates.Microsoft has removed a faulty servicing stack update, which was causing issues for Windows users when they tried to install last week’s Patch Tuesday security updates.Microsoft’s servicing stack update provides fixes for the component that installs Windows updates. This particular defective update (KB4601392) applied to Windows 10 users (version 1607 for 32-bit and x64-based systems) and Windows Server 2016 users.To address this issue, Microsoft has removed the faulty update and released a new one (KB5001078).“There is a known issue...

You can perform various Microsoft Defender Antivirus functions in Windows-10 with the dedicated command-line tool mpcmdrun.exe. This utility is useful when you want to automate Microsoft Defender Antivirus use.

Just bought a new Windows 10 PC for downstairs where I am much of the day but am still using a 6 year old Dell Windows 7 with IE upstairs in the evening . Twitter and other sites no longer support IE so I would like your advice re: a new browser . Thanks in advance .

Brief Description of Announcement, Charges, and Availability The Personal System/2 (R) (PS/2 (R)) Model 30-001 enhances thecurrent PS/2 Model 30 product line with a single disketteconfiguration. The Model 30-001 is a desktop system that provides an8MHz 8086 processor, 640Kb memory, a 3.5-inch 720Kb diskette, MultiColor Graphics Array (MCGA) graphics, and PC XT (TM) compatibility.The system provides expansion flexibility with support for a seconddiskette or a fixed disk drive. The system maintains compatibilitywith most existing IBM Disk Operating System (DOS) software. The PS/2 720Kb 1-inch High Diskette Drive is a 3.5-inchdiskette drive that can be installed as a second diskette drive...

shameless Vanity. Need direction on who to hire. Want someone who can help me move my emails to a new platform, who can help me down load my cloud, and who can install a vpn on my devices or network. Who do I call?? The old computer guys in the area want to give me easy out of the box answers and are upset that I use Brave and am thinking of using Proton.