Messages

151

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: 010 Editor 25% off through September 2013

« on: September 08, 2015, 06:00 AM »

010 Editor is again available today at BDJ for $19.95 for home/academic, $49.95 for a commercial license.

Among other things, Version 6 adds full regex support across all find operations and a 64-bit executable.  It is also very, very fast, even on huge files.

As noted in my original post, this is not my main text editor for programming or writing, but it is an indispensable tool that I use nearly every day because of its ability to view, analyze and edit ANY file and its shell integration that makes it easy to do so.  That said, the current version is capable enough that I could use it as my primary editor if I were not wedded to Kedit and EditPad Pro after so many years.

152

Living Room / Re: Internet of Things thread (IoT)

« on: September 01, 2015, 01:10 PM »

For the paranoid who worry where the masters of the IOT universe plan to lead us, ars technica's review of Google OnHub should provide plenty of fodder.

Google’s smart home Trojan horse is a $200 leap of faith
Today it's a $200 Wi-Fi router. Tomorrow? We have no idea. (Ok, maybe some idea.)

And remember, after (or maybe before) they take over your home, they plan to take over your car.

153

General Software Discussion / Re: What's your preferred File Manager

« on: September 01, 2015, 01:00 PM »

Power Desk...brings back a lot of memories for me.  One of the first programs I geeked out on.  Definitely my first alternative file browser.

-superboyac (September 01, 2015, 12:21 AM)

First as in historical perceptive, perhaps.  First, as in choice today: No way!

I used PowerDesk for many years, going back to Windows 95, when it was part of the Mijenix Fix-It Utilities package. After Ontrack bought Mijenix, the original developers formed a new company called Novatix and brought out a similar program called ExplorerPlus, which went nowhere. Ontrack did little development and eventually sold PowerDesk to VCOM, another software company that maintains orphan software without further development and sells it based on past reputation. It then passed on to Avanquest - same thing.

PowerDesk 6 was the last worthwhile version, but I haven't used it in nearly a decade.

My file manager of choice for the last 5 years has been XYplorer.

154

General Software Discussion / Re: Windows 10 Privacy Concerns

« on: August 31, 2015, 06:14 PM »

I didn't mean to offend. My apologies to both you and Innuendo if I did.

-Deozaan (August 30, 2015, 01:10 PM)

I was definitely not offended. I just wanted to make clear that my post related to the original topic, not to your post, even if yours appeared just before mine in the thread. 

And yes, the focus of the thread has drifted from privacy to upgrades & security, although privacy and security are pretty closely related when you're hanging out in the cloud, as Microsoft wants us to do.

I consider the inability to turn off automatic updates in Windows 10 to be a threat to both my privacy and my security - enough so that I would not install Windows 10 on my main work system unless Microsoft changes that policy.

155

Living Room / Re: Startups and the Big Lie

« on: August 30, 2015, 11:16 AM »

...all those companies that served the needs of startups back in the 90s (Dell, OfficeMax, Staples, Kinkos, Steelcase, etc.).

-40hz (August 25, 2015, 01:06 PM)

Dell?  Dell was started (as PC's Limited) in 1984, changed its name to Dell in 1987 and went public in 1988. It didn't really become a major player itself until the early 90's.

And if any company illustrates the need to lie to grow a startup, it's Dell.

In the mid to late 80s, when tech publications ran regular comparisons of personal computers, PC's Limited systems could only be ordered direct from Michael Dell, and he made sure they got hand tuned souped up systems that outperformed the off-the shelf systems they got from major manufacturers.  As a result, Dell's PCs won every benchmark for a while (until the other companies wised up) and became the standard others were judged by.  But unless you worked for PC Magazine or PC World, you could not get a system from Dell that performed like that.

-xtabber (August 29, 2015, 02:29 PM)

Hmm, if I had known that I would have purchased all my PCs from Neil J. Rubenking. 

-MilesAhead (August 29, 2015, 02:36 PM)

Actually, it was Bill Machrone, who was editor-in-chief at PC Mag at the time, who explained what Dell had been doing and put in place controls to prevent manufacturers from gaming the system that way.

156

General Software Discussion / Re: Windows 10 Privacy Concerns

« on: August 30, 2015, 11:07 AM »

One of the major complaints about Windows 10 is that most end users have no way at all to turn off any automatic updates, but Microsoft may be about to change that, according to Woody Leonhard.

-xtabber (August 29, 2015, 01:53 PM)

If that was a reply to me, I was talking about Windows 7 & 8 when I said simply choose not to install the telemetry updates.

-Deozaan (August 29, 2015, 03:32 PM)

What makes you think this was a reply to you?
 
I did not quote your posts and this thread is about Windows 10 Privacy.

157

Living Room / Re: Startups and the Big Lie

« on: August 29, 2015, 02:29 PM »

...all those companies that served the needs of startups back in the 90s (Dell, OfficeMax, Staples, Kinkos, Steelcase, etc.).

-40hz (August 25, 2015, 01:06 PM)

Dell?  Dell was started (as PC's Limited) in 1984, changed its name to Dell in 1987 and went public in 1988. It didn't really become a major player itself until the early 90's.

And if any company illustrates the need to lie to grow a startup, it's Dell.

In the mid to late 80s, when tech publications ran regular comparisons of personal computers, PC's Limited systems could only be ordered direct from Michael Dell, and he made sure they got hand tuned souped up systems that outperformed the off-the shelf systems they got from major manufacturers.  As a result, Dell's PCs won every benchmark for a while (until the other companies wised up) and became the standard others were judged by.  But unless you worked for PC Magazine or PC World, you could not get a system from Dell that performed like that.

158

General Software Discussion / Re: Windows 10 Privacy Concerns

« on: August 29, 2015, 01:53 PM »

One of the major complaints about Windows 10 is that most end users have no way at all to turn off any automatic updates, but Microsoft may be about to change that, according to Woody Leonhard.

159

Found Deals and Discounts / Re: PhraseExpander Professional for PC 79% off $29.99

« on: August 23, 2015, 11:04 AM »

Note the following for this $29.99 discount license:

Restrictions: license includes a single download for a single user; to use on two computers, customers will need to purchase two licenses.

The regular $149.99 license can be expanded to 3 computers for $20.

160

General Software Discussion / Mozilla to replace add-ons with Chrome compatible extensions

« on: August 22, 2015, 11:11 AM »

Mozilla has announced that they will be replacing add-ons with a new WebExtensions API that will be compatible with Chrome and Opera. XPCOM and XUL will be deprecated and all developers expected to convert their add-ons to the new API within the next year.

As part of this transition, beginning with Firefox 41, due to be released September 22, 2015, only add-ons signed by Mozilla will work with the browser.

You can read the Mozilla announcement here.

161

General Software Discussion / Re: Is Windows 10 a trojan?

« on: August 17, 2015, 06:35 AM »

A P2P protocol like BitTorrent saves bandwidth on servers distributing to many clients. It does not save anything on clients.  Think about it: each client is still receiving the same amount of data - more, actually, because of the additional overhead involved in P2P.

So WUDO helps Microsoft save bandwidth, but it has little or no benefit for users if they leave the "PCs on the Internet" option checked.  If WUDO limited to PCs on an internal network works as it should (you'd have to trust Microsoft on that one), it could be helpful, but remember that it bypasses any internal controls or checks.

P2P is inherently not very secure, even if the proprietary BitTorrent protocol has no known vulnerabilities . I don't know of any security conscious organization that allows BitTorrent or similar P2P systems to distribute internally anything that comes from outside sources directly.

The proper way to redistribute software internally - and the way any responsible administrator does it - is to download a redistributable to one system, check it, and then redistribute it.  Microsoft provides this capability for nearly everything you can get from their site. Just look for the IT and tech support versions.

162

General Software Discussion / Is Windows 10 a trojan?

« on: August 15, 2015, 12:21 PM »

I’ve been highly critical of the many ways Windows 10 compromises users’ privacy,  but this article by Steven Auerbach in Slate is an eye opener as to just how awful the situation really is.

It is bad enough that Microsoft sees fit to capture every bit of data about you that it can. It is something else for them to turn your computer into a node in a peer-to-peer system for distributing Microsoft products.  But that is exactly what they are doing with Windows Update Delivery Optimization (WUDO), if you do not find and turn off the obscure option to get updates from and send updates to other PCs.

At the very least, this is theft of bandwidth. But it also appears that by default, Windows 10 effectively turns users' computers into nodes in a Microsoft botnet.

163

Living Room / Re: Security: Stagefright Vulnerability (Android)

« on: August 14, 2015, 02:39 PM »

OTA's to fix the vulnerability have already gone out - got them yesterday on both Nexus 7 (2013) and Nexus 10.  The original Nexus 7 (2012) and older Nexus devices are no longer on the Android update schedule and will not be getting patches from Google.

164

General Software Discussion / Re: So, what pdf reader app is your fav?

« on: August 14, 2015, 02:27 PM »

Note: For those users that would still like to use the licensed "PRO" version of PDF-XChange Viewer, the Serial keys for PDF-XChange Editor, PDF-Tools and PDF-XChange Pro are compatible for directly unlocking the "Pro" features of the Viewer.

-Tracker Software Products

^...hehe; "you're welcome to use this $25 program, if you pay us $44 or more"    http://www.tracker-software.com/product/pdf-xchange-viewer

-Curt (August 14, 2015, 03:46 AM)

This is actually a good deal because it allows you to use the viewer in pro mode in addition to the editor, tools or pro versions if you have a license for any of the latter.  Among other things, the viewer comes in a portable version, which the others do not.

165

Living Room / Re: The end of the hard disk

« on: August 13, 2015, 04:04 PM »

Samsung has just introduced a 15.36 TB SSD in a standard 2.5 inch form factor.  That's over 50% greater capacity than the largest hard disk drive available today.

166

General Software Discussion / Re: Windows 10 Privacy Concerns

« on: August 13, 2015, 11:04 AM »

According to this article in Ars Technica, Windows 10 sends information identifying individual systems to Microsoft whenever one is online, regardless of privacy settings.

This really isn't all that much different from how Android and iOS operate, but you expect that from phones and tablets that depend on the cloud for much of their functionality.  A personal computer is a different matter altogether.

167

Living Room / Re: Preloaded spyware, courtesy Lenovo

« on: August 13, 2015, 10:48 AM »

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water.....

Lenovo used Windows anti-theft feature to install persistent crapware

168

Found Deals and Discounts / Paragon HDM Pro 50% off at BDJ

« on: August 11, 2015, 06:48 AM »

Paragon Backup and Recovery Compact is advertised for free today on BitsDuJour, but if you look at the list of products offered at the bottom of the page, there is also a link for Paragon Hard Disk Manager Professional 15 at 50% off ($49.95).  HDM Pro includes the functionality of just about every disk utility program Paragon offers.

FWIW, if past experience is anything to go by, a new version will come out before the end of the year, with a 50% off upgrade offer for registered users.

169

General Software Discussion / Re: Windows 10 Privacy Concerns

« on: August 06, 2015, 01:56 PM »

I'm sure most DCers have read 1984. The direction we're heading seems so obvious.

-phitsc (August 06, 2015, 11:13 AM)

More than "1984," which is about oppressive government, I'd suggest reading "The Space Merchants" by Pohl and Kornbluth, which is about where unfettered commercialism, and advertising in particular, can lead the world.

170

General Software Discussion / Re: Windows 10 Privacy Concerns

« on: August 06, 2015, 11:14 AM »

In today's Register, Andrew Orlowski describes "the indiscriminate data slurp that Microsoft calls Windows 10 [as] basically a clumsy, 3GB keylogger."  My feelings exactly!

I will probably have to use W10 eventually, if only to support new hardware, but I'll wait until intrepid pioneers have worked out the details of dealing with the privacy issues.  Remember, a pioneer is the guy lying there with a bunch of arrows in his back.

171

Living Room / Re: The end of the hard disk

« on: July 29, 2015, 10:32 PM »

Just over a month ago,  when I started this thread, my thinking was that a decade from now, hard disks would still be around, but only for low cost offline storage.

The announcement last week by Intel and Micron of what they call 3D Xpoint memory technology has changed that.  This is non-volatile memory capable of densities up to 10 times greater than NAND, byte-addressable (unlike NAND, which is addressed in blocks) and as fast as DRAM.

Intel+Micron claim that this is not a lab concept, but a product which they expect to bring to market within a year.  If so, I'd expect NAND prices to fall even faster and SSDs to become the standard for low cost offline storage. I'd also expect that a decade from now, nobody will even be making HDDs.

172

Living Room / Re: I'm ready to join the HTPC (home theater pc) revolution - what to get?

« on: July 23, 2015, 09:37 PM »

Earlier this year, I replaced a desktop PC that I had been using as an HTPC with this Zotac ZBOX-BI320-U-W2. I paid under $200 at the time.  It comes with a licensed copy of 64-bit Windows 8.1 preloaded on a 64GB SSD.  It has 2GB of RAM installed and supports up to 16GB, but the since the installed memory is on a single DIMM with one slot free, you can upgrade to 6GB very cheaply just by adding a 4GB laptop DIMM. The pre-installed SSD is an mSATA card, leaving the internal SATA slot free, so you can install a 2.5" HDD or SSD for additional internal storage. 

I'm very pleased with the unit.  It's tiny, completely silent and worked right out of the box without any hassles. Even installing additional RAM and an HDD was easy enough for a complete novice. It feels much snappier than the nominally much more powerful Core-2 Duo system it replaced.  While it may not be up to multitasking multiple browsers and desktop applications, it has no problem running any kind of multimedia, including streaming HD-video.  The integrated HDMI port supports 5.1 surround sound nicely through my receiver, which is actually more important to me than video, and with 4 USB 3.0 ports plus Gigabit Ethernet, it can connect to anything I want.

In the past, I've tended to recycle older systems for multimedia purposes, but this has been so much easier that I doubt I'll ever do that again.

173

Living Room / Re: Patch your Flash! Version 18.0.0.203 (July 08, 2015)

« on: July 18, 2015, 01:05 PM »

Or if you don't want to abide by Adobe's goofy insistence on trying to bundle McAfee software and want to be able to install Adobe Flash while not connected to the internet, go here:

https://www.adobe.co...r/distribution3.html

-Innuendo (July 11, 2015, 02:54 PM)

Actually it's McAfee if you go to the Adobe site with Firefox or IE. If you go there with Opera it tries to install Chrome and make it your default browser.  I don't use Chrome, so I don't know what they try to stick you with if you do.

The link above gives you the current full distribution version, but that can be quickly out of date as new vulnerabilities are found and patched - almost daily, it seems, so you need to download it again each time there is a patch.

What you get from the regular Flash update page is actually a stub that goes to Adobe, downloads the latest installer and launches it.  There are stub versions available, with and without crapware, for the various combinations of plug-in types: Netscape (Firefox and other Mozilla derivatives), Chromium (Chrome, Opera, etc.) and ActiveX (IE) and OS versions.  The stub deletes itself after launching the installer, forcing you to download it again each time you update, giving Adobe another chance to trick you.  The stubs only change for major version changes, not for each security patch/update.

What I do to keep Flash updated is to keep a set of the no-crapware stubs locally. When I hear of a new security patch, I just copy the appropriate stubs to the software install folder on each system I want to update and run them. That automatically installs the latest updates without my having to go back to Adobe's site to select anything. I find this easier and less error-prone than downloading a full new version each time.



  

 

174

Living Room / Re: PayPal about to claim rights in all IP sold/licensed using PayPal for payments

« on: July 13, 2015, 03:53 PM »

PayPal has retreated on robocalls.

If you have a PayPal account, you should have received an email with the following BS clarification:

We value our relationship with you and work hard to communicate clearly. Recently, however, we did not live up to our own standards.

Earlier this year, we sent you an email about updates that we planned to make to our User Agreement on July 1, 2015. The User Agreement is a document we share to help you understand your relationship with PayPal and the obligations we both have.

Unfortunately, some of the language in this update caused confusion and concern with some of our customers about how we may contact you.

To clear up any confusion, we have modified the terms of Section 1.10 of our User Agreement. The new language is intended to make it clear that PayPal primarily uses autodialed or prerecorded calls and texts to:

•     Help detect, investigate and protect our customers from fraud
•     Provide notices to our customers regarding their accounts or account activity
•     Collect a debt owed to us

In addition, the new Section 1.10(a) and 1.10(b) makes it clear that:

•     We will not use autodialed or prerecorded calls or texts to contact our customers for marketing purposes without prior express written consent.
•     Customers can continue to enjoy our products and services without needing to consent to receive autodialed or prerecorded calls or texts.
•     We respect our customers' communications preferences and recognize that their consent is required for certain autodialed and prerecorded calls and texts. Customers may revoke consent to receive these communications by contacting PayPal customer support and informing us of their preferences.

175

Living Room / Re: Partitioning or Not w. single HDD?

« on: July 09, 2015, 01:52 PM »

But a good partition scheme can make a difference in safety and recoverability from disaster.

-xtabber (July 08, 2015, 10:07 AM)

I fail to see how. In all the years I've been doing this stuff, I've seen machines eaten up with all sorts of failures and maladies. But I've never once ran into a situation where extra partitions would have made a difference. Either the drive is still spinning, or there are valid backups available ... Or the drive stopped dead, the backups don't exist, and the party in question is quite royally screwed.

-Stoic Joker (July 08, 2015, 11:24 AM)

15-20 years ago, when a hard disk over 80GB was considered huge, my working computer tended to be a tower with 2-3 drives, and I would back up my system disk by imaging the whole drive.

My working computer for the past dozen years has been a small form factor machine with a single much larger drive, currently 2TB.  It is partitioned because I can backup a full image of a 100GB system partition to another partition on the same disk in less than 30 minutes, whereas imaging a 2TB drive, or even a 500GB drive would take many times longer and require an external device.

This means I always have a recent full image backup of my system partition.  It also means I never have to reinstall the OS, since I can simply restore from an image, and since the images are reasonably small (<20GB), I can keep a number of them.

I don't recall the last time I had to replace a system disk because of drive failure.  Probably not since MS-DOS 5.  On the other hand, there have been plenty of times that the easiest way to recover from a software installation gone awry, a possible virus, or just a bad Windows update, has been to restore the last good image of the system partition.