Today it’s Apple Mac – Owner’s Alert

Folks, last week I alerted iPhone owners the need to ‘upgrade’. Turns out, it’s all Apple products need to do it.

* Update your Mac OS X — Apple has released Important Security Updates

“If you own a Mac laptop or desktop, you need to update your system right now. It turns out that the critical zero-day security vulnerabilities disclosed last week, which targeted iPhone and iPad users, affect Mac users as well.” Read more..

Pass the word on to your Apple-owning friends and family.

More cheery news:

* Hey, Music Lovers! Last.Fm Hack Leaks 43 Million Account Passwords

“Another Day, Another Data Breach! If you love to listen to music online and have an account on Last.fm website, your account details may have compromised in a data breach that leaked more than 43 Million user personal data online.” Read more..

[ The first line of that ‘blurb’ is why I no longer post everyday. And it’s why one should change all their online login passwords several times a year {but who does that?}. ]

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Today’s quote: “Whatever you do in life, surround yourself with smart people who’ll argue with you.” ~ John Wooden

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.

New tech security resource

Also, a $99 “PC Stick” (That comes with Windows 10)

Sharp-eyed readers will have noticed that I, for the first time in ages, have added a new referral link to my ‘blogroll’; CNet’s recently announced Security and Antivirus Center. I recommend taking a look-see.

* The best security apps and expert advice

“Today we’re thrilled to launch our new Security and Antivirus Center. Our goal: to give you the tools and tactics you need to protect your privacy, your data, and your devices. You’ll find guides, reviews, and how-tos, including tips on banishing bloatware from your PC, tweaking your browser settings for better security, and building better passwords. We’re especially pleased to present our Best recommendations: we’ve tested security software and services and have declared a winner for best VPN, best password manager, and best cloud backup. Come check it out and let us know what else you’d like to see.” Read more..

Other Items (of possible interest):
* The best tool for protecting your kids (or employees) from malware and porn

“One of the industry’s best security tools gives a hand to frazzled parents.” Read more..

[Note: worth reading even if you are not a parent, IMHO.]

* Archos $99 PC Stick is latest Windows computer that fits in your pocket

“The French device maker joins Lenovo and Intel in offering a miniature system that connects to your HDTV via HDMI, but its version is cheaper and will ship with Windows 10 pre-installed.” Read more..

Today’s quote: “It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.” ~ Yogi Berra

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.

Play Minecraft? Change Your Password.

While I do not understand the appeal, I do understand Minecraft is an extremely popular online game, with millions of members. If you’re one of them, be aware:

* Minecraft hacked! More than 1800 Minecraft account Credentials Leaked

“A sad reality for gamers all around the world who enjoy playing the very popular game Minecraft on their PCs. If you are one of them, you’ll want to pay attention here. A plain text file containing over 1,800 Minecraft account usernames and passwords has just been leaked online, German media reports. The details available in the leak has been posted to Pastebin, which would allow anyone to … ” Read more..

It does no good to warn them..? (note the company’s response.)
* Two Million Cars Using Wireless Insurance Dongle Vulnerable to Hacking

“2015 will be a year more smarter than 2014 with smarter mobile devices, smarter home appliances, and yes Smarter Automobiles. Nowadays, there are a number of automobiles companies offering vehicles that run on a mostly drive-by-wire system, meaning that a majority of the controls are electronically controlled, from instrument cluster to steering, brakes, and accelerator as well. No doubt these ..” Read more…

I wonder if the people using this have even once considered the Big Brother vileness of this ‘monitoring device’? (I also wonder if law enforcement doesn’t have similar tools..) Oh, well. It’ll save them some money, and that’s the only consideration worth considering… right?

Sometimes, I think the Ostrich Method really is the only way to stay sane on this planet..

Source: amyrouse.net

Of course there’s plenty of other discouraging tech headlines, (such as Oracle issues critical patch update: 169 new security fixes) but.. read those two (above), and consider the implications. That’ll be enough for today.

Dumb:

Uh. Okay! I’ll get right on it!

Today’s quote: “When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.” ~ Mark Twain

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.

Passwords worth real gold

A quick ‘must read’ for you today.

* Russian hackers show who values passwords

“As I’ve said here before, it is time end-users realize their personal data has value, including username and password. For those who can’t calculate that value, know that Facebook didn’t develop a $189 billion market cap harvesting corn on Farmville. That cap was built on personal data willingly provided by its end-users.” Read more..

[note: “end user” is Geekspeak for you and me – computer users.]

Today’s quote: “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.” ~ Mark Twain

Copyright 2007-2014 © “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.
And please, never forget – one person can make a difference.
Find a way to make someone’s day today.
(Best advice I ever heard? Don’t sweat the small stuff.)

A few headlines of (possible) interest

Here are a few items of interest, for your consideration.

* THE FLABBY ERA How Far Fitness Has Fallen

“You’re pathetic. Really. According to the latest research, human fitness has decreased so dramatically in recent years that even the strongest of us would consider ancient men to be, well, monsters.” Read more..

* Heartbleed Havoc: 10 Passwords You Need To Change Right Now

“Facebook, Google Gmail and Amazon Web Services, among other services, are urging users to change their passwords in response to the Heartbleed bug.” Read more..

* Americans Can’t Pass Their Own Citizenship Test

“An impressive 91% of immigrants who seek to take an American citizenship test pass it. A sampling of Miami residents — all of whom were naturalized American citizens — didn’t fare as well. And by not faring so well, we mean only 1 in 15 passed. U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!” Read more..

* 10 Ways Hackers Will Get The Best Of You

“CRN pulled together some top ways, identified in the Verizon Data Breach Report, that hackers can get the best of you and your business.” Read more..

* U.S. search warrant can acquire foreign cloud, email data, judge rules

“Comments made by Verizon’s chief lawyer (and heavily disputed by legal experts and academics at the time) have been proven false.” Read more..

[ What are the big picture implications here??? ]

* Wallpaper apps on Google Play contain mobile Bitcoin-mining malware
Dendroid RAT slips into Google Play

“Five wallpaper apps in the Google Play store – that are now no longer available – did deliver on the background images that were promised, but also delivered a new piece of mobile Bitcoin-mining malware known as BadLepricon.” Read more..

Yippee yahoo.

Not so bad.. Nissan Shows Off Self-Cleaning Car

“Nissan is testing a new “super-hydrophobic” paint that will repel dirt, water, and oil.” Read more..

I want that! ( hmmm… I wonder if a can of silicon spray.. )

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Bonus: (I know at least one reader will like this..)  Eckhart Tolle speaks at Google Fireside: “Living with Meaning, Purpose and Wisdom in the Digital Age.”

Today’s quote: “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” ~ Dr. Seuss

Copyright 2007-2014 © “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. <<

---

All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.
And please, never forget – one person can make a difference.
Find a way to make someone’s day today.
(Best advice I ever heard? Don’t sweat the small stuff.)

Sunday Beauty #117 (and a news item)

I think it’s safe to say that today’s SB image is more “interesting” than “beauty”.. But it caught my eye.

Click on image to see more by this artist

“Plaid Pants and Smoking” by phrawr, courtesy of Flickr Commons

News item: Online note-taking service Evernote hacked: 50 million passwords reset after breach

“Online note-taking service Evernote Corp. says it has been hacked and is resetting all its 50 million users’ passwords as a precaution.” Read more..

I had to laugh when I saw this product. (There was a point in my life, long ago, I would have coveted such a gizmo..) I kinda wonder why it took so long to invent? (to see the remarkable item, click here.)

A deal you might be interested in.. Unlimited cloud storage for $29/yr.

Poll: A quick question for those of you who made new year’s resolutions: Are you sticking with the program, or did those good intentions slip into the roadside ditch already?

Mind Blower: This short video might just low your mind..

Today’s quote: “Like success, failure is many things to many people. With Positive Mental Attitude, failure is a learning experience, a rung on the ladder, a plateau at which to get your thoughts in order and prepare to try again.” ~ W. Clement Stone

Today’s quote #2: “When patterns are broken, new worlds can emerge.” ~ Kupferberg, Tuli

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. <<

---

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

Firefox: managing stored passwords*

Most (all?) web browsers offer to “remember” the  user name and password combination you use to log into certain websites (such as Hotmail, or your bank, etc.) which allows for faster access when you return to the site. Firefox is no exception.

If you should need to change the remembered login on your machine – say, if you “remembered” an incorrect combo, or if you changed the login using a different machine (it is highly recommended that you change your passwords several times a year..) – the following steps will allow you to delete the ‘bad’ ones.

Tip of the day: Manage your login passwords in Firefox.

1) Open Firefox, and click on “Tools” from the menu bar at the top.
2) From the Tools menu, click on “Options…”
3) A new window will open. Click on the “Security” tab.

4) Now click the “Saved Passwords” button.
5) Now a new window will show you all of the “remembered” logon combinations that Firefox is storing for you. Simply click on the troublesome/obsolete item and then click “Remove”.

This deletes the (old) entry. Now go to the website in question. You will be asked to log in. Then Firefox will offer to “Remember” this (new) password – click Yes.

That’s it. You’re done.

Related link: For those of you who may like to learn what constitutes a good password (and, what does not) please read, Strong passwords, hidden Admin

Today’s free download: Portable Glary Utilities. Folks, I have mentioned the wonderful, free, Glary Utilities program here before. It contains a safe Registry scanner, Privacy sweeper, anti-spyware sweeper, temp file emptier, and more. Now you can carry this tool around on your thumbdrive by downloading the “portable” version. I suggest using the first link; the “self-installer”.

Orig. post: 11/1/09

Copyright 2007-2010 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved. post to jaanix.

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