Sunday Beauty #129

Here’s another pretty picture for your Sunday..

Click on image to see more by this artist (reco’d)

“A cloudy sunset i a summer night in sweden” by imagesbystefen, courtesy of Flickr Commons

Today’s quote: “All men should strive
to learn before they die
what they are running from, and to, and why.” ~ James Thurber

Copyright 2007-2013 © “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.

An Assortment for your TGIF

Folks, here are a few items I found interesting this past week

First up, a video someone sent me. Loyal readers know I tip my cap to all who serve/have served, but I have to confess there’s one “branch” of service I don’t think of often enough..

(What do you bet, if you asked him, he’d say, “I just did my job..“)

Next, a few changes are happening in the tech industry..

* Did we all just witness Windows start to die?

“Surface RT’s failure calls the whole “Windows 8 Project” into question. As a result, the “death of the PC” may end up taking Windows with it…” Read more..

[best line in that article: “The market wants a 7″-8″ device, with … no requirement of the user to undertake any cognitive loading at all.” {braindead devices for braindead people? Wonder why that might be..}]

* Campaign Launched To Kill Off The Password

“The Petition Against Passwords calls for no more password login” Read more..

[Could that be because after umpteen years (decades) of “awareness training”, and enforcement, people still use easy to guess passwords, and the same one everywhere? Um.. yeah. Maybe.]

* I Hate Porn… But Don’t Block My Right to Get It!

“In his very public battle against child pornography and pedophilia, British Prime Minister David Cameron is facing critics ranging from ISPs and free speech advocates to some law enforcement professionals.” Read more..

[.. uh .. er.. I have a “Right” to view porn online? Whadya know.]

* NetSol Outages Beleaguer Web Workers & It’s Going to Get Worse

“Last Wednesday I, like many, spent part of my workday online. But Wednesday was not any old workday on the Internet. Instead, it served as an unpleasant reminder of how much we take for granted in today’s rich-content, always-on web workplace.” Read more..

* The opposite of Privacy.

“It seems that we have arrived at the point where people just don’t care about their privacy or security on Facebook. The many stories about this subject, on Facebook and elsewhere, have inured the average user; or else users have simply opted.. Read more..

And last, but certainly not least, Enterprises gain an ‘F’ grade in protecting themselves against cybercrime

“According to new research, the majority of enterprises gain an “F” grade in security.” Read more..

* Related: Worst IT fail ever? US agency spends millions in useless security

“A branch of the U.S. Commerce Department recently trashed perfectly good computers and wasted millions on a bogus malware infection. How did this happen?” Read more..

Is there such a thing as an “F-“?

Well, I hope that helped you get a little closer to the 5 o’clock whistle. TGIF!

Today’s quote: “Never mind searching for who you are. Search for the person you aspire to be.” ~ Robert Brault

Copyright 2007-2013 © “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.

More passwords stolen, Gmail, and, oh, yeah — Wall Street hacked

Those of you who regularly read me probably heard (last week) about the admission that hackers were disrupting the financial world of Wall Street (if not, see: As Nasdaq’s site hit by hackers, report says half of world’s exchanges suffered cyberattacks. “According to a report, half the world’s financial exchanges suffered cyberattacks in past year. And on Thursday, hackers hit the Nasdaq’s …”) and probably remember The hacked tweet that sank Wall Street   “… It took less than 140 characters to wipe out almost $140 billion from the stock market this week, as a fake report from The Associated Press of a …”)

.. $140 Billion .. is that a lot of money? Oh, well. All in a day’s work. (This is, IMHO, just the beginning, folks.)

* The good folks at Google changed my Gmail Inbox. They think I want/need “tabs” that sort my mail by category (such as “social”) automatically for me, so they just BANG! made the change. Yippee yahoo. Fortunately, unlike Microsoft and Yahoo’s mail, Google gave me the option to dismiss (turn off) this *unwanted* change.
I’m really getting sick and tired of the unwanted, unrequested, and generally useless changes forced upon me for change’s sake. My tolerance has dried up. But the young programmers need something to do to earn their paychecks, I guess. (How ’bout, go home and leave what works alone? Or, I know this is harder than adding some CSS, but work on what’s broken? [which is, like, everything.])

Other Items Of Interest:

* Why security metrics aren’t helping prevent data loss

“Security metrics are supposedly a way for upper management and IT departments to converse intelligently about in-house security programs. Why aren’t the metrics working?” Read more..

* Ubuntu forums hacked; 1.82M logins, email addresses stolen

“Canonical, the company behind the Ubuntu operating system, has suffered a massive data breach on its forums. All usernames, passwords, and email addresses were stolen.” Read more..

Oops.

* Hundreds of millions at risk from SIM card vulnerability A research group recently exposed a flaw in SIM cards that allows attackers to compromise devices.

“Berlin-based Security Research Labs flipped the mobile security market upside-down recently when they published reports about just how vulnerable SIM cards are to cyber attacks.” Read more..

* Malware in NH bank computers may affect hundreds of thousands

“Malware discovered on computers used by New Hampshire-based St. Mary’s Bank may have compromised more than 100,000 accounts.” Read more..

Oh, yes indeedy, there’s Lots more good news. But I’m tired and that’s enough for today. Have a good one, everybody.

Today’s quote: “People often say that this or that person has not yet found himself. But the self is not something one finds, it is something one creates.” ~ Thomas Szasz

Copyright 2007-2013 © “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.

Sunday Beauty 128

Here’s another interesting image for your Sunday..

Click on image to see more by this artist (reco’d)

“fallen” by jmf1007, courtesy of Flickr Commons

Today’s quote: “Resolve to be thyself; and know that he who finds himself, loses his misery.” ~ Matthew Arnold

Copyright 2007-2013 © “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.

Just a thought …

I know this isn’t “tech”, but …

.. this lil’ guy needs a home.

Yes. I know. A little cat/kitten and/or dog/puppy is a responsibility. And an expense. Caring for a pet can have its moments of being a royal pain in the posterior. It’s not a job for everyone.

Most of us are “too busy”. And have enough responsibilities already. Right?

And a dog or cat is not like a goldfish in a bowl. You do have to do more than just give it some food once in a while. Cats and dogs have actual brains, and personalities. (That latter may be my understatement of the week..)

But, IMHO, having a furry friend (or.. several furry friends) is one of the best things we can do for ourselves — there are many rewards. (One of the best of those is knowing you saved someone from the gas chamber..) (And having to get off the dang couch to walk your dog is not some cosmic punishment – you’ll probably live longer and  weigh less  be more fit.)

Now, I’m not saying go down and spend umpteen-hundred bucks on a gold-certified blue-ribbon prize-winner pedigree. I’m saying go down to your local animal shelter, SPCA, or “rescue adoption” center, and save a stray mutt (aka “mixed breed”) from life in a cage (or worse).

Change your life. Step up.
Maybe.. today?

I think you’ll be glad you did. (And, I guaranty, it’s cheaper than therapy..)

Today’s quote: “If you would attain to what you are not yet, you must always be displeased by what you are. For where you are pleased with yourself there you have remained. Keep adding, keep walking, keep advancing.” ~ Saint Augustine

Copyright 2007-2013 © “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 Lineup of Interesting Items

Folks, here are some items that have come to my attention that some of you might find interesting..

* New version of a portable malware scanner available..

Never be caught off-guard again: Try Emsisoft Emergency Kit 4.0 for free right away!

The Emsisoft Emergency Kit Scanner draws upon the award-winning dual scanner technology of Emsisoft Anti-Malware. Recent improvements to the cleaning engine ensure that malware removal is more thorough than ever. Naturally you are able to perform the removal yourself at no charge and our malware experts in the Emsisoft Support Forum are also available if you require advice or assistance.

* EaseUS contacted me and let me know they have a new utility available. I have not tried this, but you might want to be aware it exists..

We just released the world’s first free iPhone data recovery software, EaseUS MobiSaver Free

* And another company contacted me to let me know about their special giveaway. I have not tried this product either, don’t know a thing about them/it, but, here you go..

MacX Video Converter Pro Giveaway (v4.0.0 -Jul 12)

Best all-in-one solution to convert video, download video, make photo slideshow, record screen, edit video and more. Built in 320+ video and 50+ audio codecs, it supports a ton of input & output video formats, and a wide variety of presets for the latest mobile phones & tablets, including iPhone, iPad, Android, Samsung, WP8, PSP, Blackberry, etc. 32x faster and extraordinary quality.

Other news:

* Google’s Blogger to delete all ‘adult’ blogs with ads in three days

“Google has given blogs marked ‘adult’ on its Blogger service until Monday to cease monetizing or face deletion. Untold numbers of angry and panicked users forsee an SEO bloodbath.” Read more…

This is (just one reason) why you don’t ‘rent’ from a service provider (aka “cloud”) but own your own. Never know when they’ll change the rules (or go out of business)(or hand over your stuff to the gov.)(And yes, I know that’s what I am doing here on WordPress… but I’m giving stuff away, not trying to profit nor be private.)

* Things you didn’t know you could do online

“If you’re bored of Facebook, why not rent a husband or watch the African plains to pass the time?” Read more..

* Floating Russian nuclear plants: am I the only one who thinks this is a really bad idea?

“What worries me (in addition to everything else) is this: it’s a project that’s already run out of money once in a country known to cut corners on safety.” Read more..

And last but not least: The Ed Bott Report Everything you need to know about the Windows 8.1 Preview (FAQ)

“You’ve got Windows 8.1 questions. I’ve got answers. What’s the best way to install Windows 8.1? Can it be uninstalled? What’s new, what’s changed, what’s missing?” Read more..

Today’s quote: “If you want to make enemies, try to change something.” ~ Woodrow Wilson

Copyright 2007-2013 © “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.

Gen Y (A quick reading reco)

Folks, just a quick “you might be interested” article for your consideration..

* How Millennials Think, and What To Do About It

“You can gripe about Gen Y all you want. But if you can’t attract them, you’re going to lose the war for talent.” Read more..

Bonus reading reco: you should be aware.. Microsoft turns up the heat to phase out XP

* Microsoft issues partners Windows XP phase-out marching orders

“Microsoft is rolling out new programs and incentives to encourage its resellers to help it move its still-sizable base of Windows XP users off that operating system by April 2014.” Read more..

Are you still using XP? I will no longer support the dead-OS-walking XP, except to help someone migrate to a newer (safer) version (there are only 273 more days until MS drops all support for Windows XP).

Today’s quote: “Life is a shipwreck but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats.” ~ Voltaire

Copyright 2007-2013 © “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.