SB 103 (and more)

Folks, another interesting image for your Sunday.

Click on image to see more by this artist

I thought the title for this one should be “When you really gotta go”, but the photog titled it “Paris”. He is a Pro I have featured here on Sunday Beauty before. Click and see some of his other works.

Sunday Ugly:

Well.. at least they said “please” …

Yes folks. The “attached file” is a virus. Beware the paperclip.

* Please take some time today and just relax. Sit and be still. Don’t worry that you are not driving a 2013 BMW 7 Series. Forget politics. Forget the evil neighbor. Just .. be.
(And please be safe online.)

Today’s quote: “Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.” ~ Martin Luther

Copyright 2007-2012 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.

Important. Scary. And Some Fun, Too

(For Your Friday.)

Yesterday I posted an article about our networks and GoDaddy that I do hope you all read. (When experts say “we’re going about this all wrong” …) Today I have some equally important reads for you.

* Adobe code signing infrastructure hacked by ‘sophisticated threat actors’

“The eyebrow-raising hack effectively gave the attackers the ability to create malware masquerading as legitimate Adobe software and signals a raising of the stakes in the world of Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs).” Read more..

(I like the article’s last sentence best.)

One of the factors that had me unusually busy these last weeks has been an increase in people buying new machines, as they wanted to upgrade/update “before Windows 8 gets here.” (And the time for that is now.) But even corporate IT types will want to read this next..

* Even Windows 8 early adopters prefer Windows 7 by two to one

“A survey find that even hard-core Windows 8 fans prefer Windows 7 by a two to one margin.” Read more..

(My favorite sentence: “This is an upgrade that drastically changes the technology without adding significant improvements.”)

I have said it before, but I’ll say it again: the time to get off of Windows XP is years past, now. Further, my humble opinion, you will be happier buying now and getting Windows 7 than “waiting for Windows 8″… (Tablets and phones excepted.)

Marry Me Sugar Daddy dot com

I see things.

Marry Me Sugar Daddy dot com? Do people actually visit websites like this? (I am certain they do..) And you wonder why dot com bubbles burst..

Good New! Registry Launches Search Engine for Porn

“You know what the Internet needs? A search engine for porn. Well, Internet, your wish has been granted. The ICM Registry today took the wraps off Search.xxx, which will allow users to more easily sort through the adult content available on the .XXX domain.” Read more..

Friday Fun: What? You’re still here? Okay.. how about a “funny video”.. (I do not have time to preview that one, so watch at your own risk..)

Today’s quote: “Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Copyright 2007-2012 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.

How To Restore the Menu bar | Best Internet Security

In older versions of Windows, the menu bar was always visible in Explorer. In Vista and Windows 7, (and many programs too) the menu bar is now hidden by default, and you must press the ALT key to see it. These simple steps will cause it to always be visible.
(The “menu bar” gives you the familiar File | Edit | View |Tools | Help ‘drop down’ menus)

1) Launch Explorer by opening Computer (or Documents, or Pictures..), then press ALT to access the menu bar.

2) Click on Tools and then on Folder options.

3) In the Folder Options window, click on the View tab, and click to place a check in Always show menus.

4) Click on Apply and then OK.

That’s it. You’re done. (Should you decide you prefer the “more screen real estate” no menu bar look, simply repeat the steps and un-check the box.)

For other (specific) programs, you may have to hunt around a bit for the Show Menu bar setting; but usually it is under the View menu (visible after pressing Alt).

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Reading reco’s:

* The Best Security Suites of 2013

“Yes, new versions of security suites are coming in every day, but we want to keep you up to date. We’ve reviewed 28 packages to help you choose which is best for you.” Read more..

* Surprise at the GoDaddy outage? Vulnerable networks are ticking bombs

“Bob Eisenhardt sees the GoDaddy outage as the tip of iceberg for vulnerable networks from banks to infrastructure. His take is pessimistic. Do you disagree?

…The GoDaddy incident could be viewed as a staggering breach of web-based commerce, and Steve Wozniak has it precisely correct when the guru-savant of Apple predicted the security risks of storing data “in” the cloud. A partner of mine (a certified BCP/DR planner) feels precisely the same way about the inherent dangers of cloud-based storage. The list of consequences is actually endless if you ponder the imponderables of it all.” Read more

* Cisco Acquires ThinkSmart Technologies For Wi-Fi Location Analytics

“By acquiring ThinkSmart Technologies, Cisco plans to use the company’s Intellify Wi-Fi location analytics technology to expand its customers’ ability to track mobile users within a venue for a variety of business intelligence uses.” Read more..

Data Mining. Tracking. Yippee yahoo.
(They don’t need to track me with GPS and WiFi triangulation.. I update foursquare every chance I get!)

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Today’s free download: (an “oldie but a goodie”) It has been a while since I have mentioned one of my fave little computer protection apps – WinPatrol.

Clean up your Taskbar, ActiveX, Brower and Startup programs. WinPatrol monitors and exposes adware, keyloggers, spyware, worms, cookies, and other malicious software. This program puts you back in control of your computer with no need for constant updates.
Download WinPatrol (Window XP, Vista, Windows 7 including x64 support)

Today’s quotable quote: “Action without study is fatal. Study without action is futile.” ~ Mary Beard

Copyright 2007-2012 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.

A Quiet Word To The Honchos At Ma Bell…

Recently I began letting my answering machine answer all incoming calls.

And, for the last several weeks, have been mentioning to random people that I am considering stopping my landline service altogether, due to the fact that (an average of) 12 telemarketing calls a day is making me see red.

Their response to me has been almost universal. It goes, “you mean you haven’t done that yet?”

Now.. we all know Washington’s Do Not Call List is a sad joke, but I was an early adopter, and I am not going to ding the idea behind it. What I am going to say here is, if you happen to be a honcho at a TelCo, and you’re losing sleep over all the folks UNsubscribing, you might want to reconsider the idea (blame) that we’ve all switched to cell phones. (It’s not totally true.)

And consider doing something about the vile plague that is telemarketing.

If you don’t, soon, well.. at least one fella is going to stop sending you cash every month —

And that is the most polite way I can phrase it.

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Here in the Bay Area, the theft of cell phones (iPhones) and tablets (iPads) has gotten so.. um, common, that authorities are advising us not to use them in public.. (kinda where you need them). Here’s a great read: A cell phone of my very own. Hello, crooks – San Francisco Chronicle

“A visit to my local cell phone store on Lakeshore Avenue in Oakland brought the frenzy connected to the rollout of each new generation of ...”

Copyright 2007-2012 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.

Viewing The View..

Glancing out, towards the horizon, let us see what we can see…

Permission Pass Letter?

Three scammers scamming,
Two exclamation points,
ONE golden ATM card.

I also received a very REAL-looking notice from Amazon telling me my 42″ HDTV had shipped to an address in Kentucky.

Only.. I didn’t order a TV.. and live several states away from Kentucky..

And every hyperlink pointed to a URL (web address) ending in dot ru (“.ru”)
Russia.
(I hear that’s where the cyber mafia lives.)

Wonder what would have happened had I clicked?

Similarly…

paperclip, paperclip, catch me a fool…

Today’s quotable quote: “A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.” ~ George Bernard Shaw

PS: Yes. That “Dearest one” was the same old form we’ve come to know and love over the last 20 years..

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Musik4u:

What can I say?

Copyright 2007-2012 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.

Corruption, or Ineptidude?

Jennings caught that ball.

Period.

There, that’s my vote. What’s yours?

Scary Internet News..

(Um.. I really mean, “More Scary Internet News..”)

Two items well worth your consideration today.

* “High” threat alert issued in midst of bank site incidents

In the wake of issues affecting Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase’s websites, the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center (FS-ISAC) raised the financial industry’s cyber threat level to “high.”

.. A hacktivist group called “Cyber fighters of Izz ad-din Al qassam” claimed responsibility for attacks on “properties of American-Zionist capitalists” launched Tuesday, specifically mentioning Bank of America and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) as targets.” Read more..

(Yes, folks. Not all the Internet’s citizens like us.. and want to be our “Friends”..)

* Privacy Concerns: Is your ISP Spying on you? (File sharers/Torrent users, take note.)

“Our world is becoming more and more connected. Most people are now tethered to their cellphones and send massive amounts of data via email, web browsing, and Facebook, resulting in their habits and personal lives leaving permanent digital trails on the Internet. With all this information out there, is your Internet service provider (ISP) spying on you? Is someone watching what you send? If you’re concerned about privacy, the answer might disturb you.” Read more..

(I don’t think the question is “is?” I think it’s more like “how much are they recording? [and how long do they keep it?])”

I am starting to think about how difficult my life were to be if I forgo email and Google Maps… My withdrawal would not be as difficult as some, as I never did bite into the Facebook/Twitter apple..

Very good “food for thought” in those two. Hope you’ll read ’em. Now it’s back to the Monday grindstone..

Today’s quote: “Do not let the hardship of the past rob from the joy of the present.” ~ heard on the street (or maybe TV)

Copyright 2007-2012 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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>> Folks, don’t miss an article! To get Tech – for Everyone articles delivered to your e-mail Inbox, click here, or to subscribe in your RSS reader, click here. <<

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All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.