Possible help for ransomware

Folks, this article discusses ransomware, and provides links to a ‘toolkit’ that may help you if you have been hit with an infection, and your files are now ‘locked’ by encryption. I have not tried any of this myself, and cannot comment one way or the other, except to say my advice is to seek professional help; but if you want to try D-I-Y decryption, well, then, here you go. Use at your own risk.

Article: Ransomware: To pay or not to pay

“There is no need to tell victims of digital extortion how successful it is. What is needed is a way to help victims respond to the ransom demands.” Read more..

And here is the toolkit’s Information page. It is vital that you thoroughly read it before using the toolkit. Ransomware Response Kit Overview.
Once you’ve read and understood the page, click the “Downloads” in the navigation pane. Be sure to read the “Readme” file before trying any tool.

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Today’s quote: “You cannot have a positive life and a negative mind.” ~ Joyce Meyer

Copyright 2007-2015 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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

Mid-April

Tuesday is my usual day for posting what I call “Tuesday Tidbits”; tech headlines (or other tech articles) I find interesting.

But this week there are none. At least, not that I noticed.
I found one.

There’s not even any I think you might find interesting (or that I think you ‘ought to know’).

* Now you can download your entire search history from Google

“Earlier this year, Google quietly rolled out a new feature that lets users download their search history.” Read more..

Today’s quote: “Life is short and we have never too much time for gladdening the hearts of those who are travelling the dark journey with us. Oh be swift to love, make haste to be kind.” ~ Henri-Frédéric Amiel

Copyright 2007-2015 © “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.

Rrruff! (video tutorial)

Okay. I admit. That is a weird title for a tech article. Maybe too weird?

Unless, maybe, you know who Scotty is.

Today, an “oldie but a goodie”! It has been a while since I have mentioned one of my favorite little free 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.

I not only have been using WinPatrol forever, highly recommend it, count it as one of those few apps and programs that is fersher worth the small fee to “go Pro” (aka “paid version”), but I like the author.

You do not need to be “computer savvy” to benefit from having WinPatrol on your PC, but Über Geeks will find plenty to fiddle with (aka “good, advanced, tools”). Improve performance and enhance your online safety. That’s a “win”.

Today I have a video ‘demonstration’ of WinPatrol, made by a fellow blogger.. which will give you an idea of what it does (and why you want it).  Again, you do not have to be as savvy as is shown, or open all those menus — he’s trying to show all that it can do.

Today’s free download: Download WinPatrol (Window XP, Vista, Windows 7 – includes 64 bit support. There’s a “portable” version as well.)

Today’s Bonus: Five things you should know before trying to fix a smartphone or tablet

“Bill Detwiler shares essential advice for everyone who wants to repair a cracked iPad screen or broken smartphone.” watch video..

Today’s quotable quote: “The thoughts of Plato and Machiavelli… don’t seem quite enough armor for a world beset with splitting the atoms, urban guerrillas, nineteen varieties of psychotherapists, amplified guitars, napalm, computers, astronauts, and an atmosphere polluted simultaneously with auto exhaust and TV commercials.” ~ John Fischer

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.

I Made $100 Billion – In My Spare Time!*

I know that those of you who are familiar with my writings here at Tech – for Everyone have read that title, and are (probably) expecting me to post some scam emails.. Online Lottery Winner!!!, etc.. thinking that I ‘made’ my billions that way. (scroll down)

Or maybe I’ll post samples of the ever popular 419 “Nigerian” scams “Dear Beloved One”, “Private and Confidential”, etc.. As I have – in the past – with my Once Again It’s Time To Play Let’s Count The Typos! game.

But no. Not today. I was not being facetious. I really did win over $102 billion dollars.

See?

Three five-spots put me over the top. (The trick is: don’t click on “bet it all” until you have $1,000,000 in the bank. Ha!)

What happened was, I got tired of chess and spider solitaire, and decided to dust off an old fave of mine — video poker. It had been a long time.. and I had forgotten how addicting this timewaster can be. (This game is ancient.. dating back to 2003, or so. But it does work on Vista, and most likely. Win 7.)(Yes folks. 2003 is “ancient” in tech.)

From CNet Editors’ Review:

“This video-poker simulation game earns points on several fronts. First off, Draw Poker Gold Edition is tiny and completely free, two big pluses we always appreciate. The game is not graphically intense, but it gets the point across just fine and looks almost identical to the video-poker machines you find in casinos.“

If you enjoy playing video-poker machines but don’t like feeding them all those quarters, this game is for you. You can download it from CNet, here.

Today’s quote: ““The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing at the right time, but also to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.“ ~ Unknown

* Orig post: 11/28/10

For those who wanted the scam emails..:

"circa 2012?" .. what are they trying to say here?

Please folks, remember. If it has an “!” or a paperclip, and you don’t personally know the Sender? Delete. Unopened.

Q: How did the Post Office get my email?

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

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UVK + Sunday Beauty

Folks, another pretty picture for your Sunday…

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

“Desert wildflowers” by Donald Palansky, courtesy of Flickr Commons

Today’s free download: Are you the “geeky friend” people tun to for free tech support? If so, you’ll want to know about Ultra Virus Killer (for advanced users)

“Ultra Virus Killer, also known as UVK, is a free and portable application designed to help users detect and remove malware. UVK acts as a swiss army knife of malware removal as it contains similar functionality to a range of computer technician software use.” Read more..

Today’s quote: “Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.” ~ Mark Twain

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

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All Those In Favor, Please Stand Up | Free Ebook 4 U

I have been noticing a computing trend that I have yet to see reported anywhere else in the media.

(So either it is a “just me” thing, or [once again] the media is hopelessly behind the curve.)

What I have noticed is: more people – it seems to me – are doing their computing/working standing up.

What I mean by that is, I have seen a lot more (mainly home office [aka “SOHO“]) “work areas” be counters, or other raised platforms, and there’s no chair. No more office desk and ‘executive’s chair”, is what I mean. A chairless office.
(No more Fax machines and/or 14-button phones, either.)

When I comment, these work-standing-up types are delighted to tell me how much better they like the arrangement.. and go into lengthy detail as to the advantages, over the ‘old’ chair-sitting-behind-desk way.
The most common refrain is “I think better on my feet”.

They tell me it’s healthier, and they feel they are more productive. (And with a “hands free” headset.. they don’t get tangled in the cords..) Me? I’m a sitter. I purchased a deluxe, ultra-perfect “captain’s chair” for my office and I intend to get my money’s worth out of it.
But I can sure see the advantages these stand up arrangements are enjoying.. I have to confess.

How ’bout it? Have any of you out there “gone chairless”?

Free Ebook: a How To book those of you who use Microsoft Office may want to know about…

“My latest book Security and Privacy for Microsoft Office 2010 Users is now available.
http://www.wservernews.com/go/1331288433745

The book targets information workers (end-users) and uses scenario-based walkthroughs to illustrate how they can use the security and privacy features of Office 2010 and to a lesser extent of Office 365. The book is currently available in print form from Microsoft Press through O’Reilly Media and is also available in ebook form as a free download. Enjoy!”

iPad news: For those of you curious about such things, here is the video of the iPad 3 introduction announcement.

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I have been busy, and I apologize for missing yesterday. For those paying attention: recently I posted a Poll concerning an email. I am pleased to report that exactly 100% of the many respondents got it right. Yay!

Today’s quotable quote: “Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other.” ~ Abraham Lincoln

The criminal spam bots seem to have a theme today...

.. “My Good Friend” ..

Um…
Yeah.
Right.

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

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Windows 8 Consumer Preview Download + Lightning Deals

And – Robot Cars

Folks,
The “Consumer Preview” (beta) edition of Windows 8 is now available for download, for those who are interested in trying out Microsoft’s next generation operating system.

For more information, and to get the download, click here. (I do advise reading the FAQ’s first.)

Note: “Windows 8 Consumer Preview is stable and has been thoroughly tested, but it’s not the finished product. Your PC could crash and you could lose important files. You should back up your data and you shouldn’t test Windows 8 Consumer Preview on your primary home or business PC.”

And:

Can I uninstall Windows 8 Consumer Preview?

No. To go back to your previous version of Windows, you’ll need to reinstall it from the recovery or installation media that came with your PC.

Amazon “Lightning Deals”

Those interested in electronics might like to know that starting at 5:00 a.m. Pacific time today, March 2, 2012, there will be a series of Friday-only Lightning Deals in the Amazon.com Electronics Store. See all deals.

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Reading reco: Robotic cars get boost from Alex Padilla’s bill

“Robotic cars may have just turned a corner in California. Several years after Google’s autonomous vehicles began zipping up and down the state’s highways, a legislator has introduced a bill that would potentially clear the way for everyday use.

In an interview with The Chronicle, Padilla said that 99 percent of accidents are caused by human error, mistakes that the driverless cars mounted with cameras, sensors, lasers and intelligent software are unlikely to make.” Read more..

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Today’s quote: “As you walk down the fairway of life you must smell the roses, for you only get to play one round.” ~ Ben Hogan

.. It’s getting to be more like Minority Report every day..!

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

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