Newsletter for Aug 28, 2013 - Codename: Safety and Security

[mouser]

Newsletter for Aug 28, 2013

"Codename: Safety and Security"

1. Newsletter Editorial

Greetings readers.  This is the first edition of our newsletter that is being sent out since we did a major pruning of the newsletter mailing list.  So if you're receiving this newsletter by email, we're glad to have you still with us!

In fact, if you are receiving this newsletter and haven't yet posted on our forum -- this is the perfect time for you to make a post and say hello!  We are a super friendly site and we always like hearing from new people, and you don't have to have any special skills or background to join our discussions.  Everyone is welcome.  If you look in section 2 of the newsletter, you're sure to find a forum thread that is perfect for your first post.

Anyway, We've got a slightly unusual newsletter for you this month.  While we normally focus on software, this month there seems to have been a flurry of security-related posts on the forum.  So we added a new section at the end of this month's newsletter collecting some of the more interesting security-related posts on forum.

We also have a ton of new beta updates to DC software to report.  If you use one of our programs there is a good chance we have a new beta version for you to try.  And if you have any feature requests for one of our programs, now is the time to post it.

I've also started posting about a big new programming project I've started on -- a new open source web framework called Mewlo.  You'll find a few posts about it listed in section 4 below.

And lastly, DC member Jibz has uploaded a new release his very popular bitmapped font "Dina", which now includes 6pt and 8pt versions (see Section 3 below).


2. User-to-User: Your Input Requested

We love nothing more than having interesting discussions on our forum -- and we love when new people participate in the discussions.  In each newsletter we try to highlight a few topics that we think might interest casual readers and that are good candidates for making your first post.

• Online Activities to do with a (long distance) friend or partner?
• Off-brand li-ion camera batteries?
• My Gadget Idea: "Timestamper Disc"
• Did you ever throw your back out?

And some oldies but goodies:

• Help dc member build an insane server?
• OK - lets get to know each other... who are you, what do you do, where from?
• Show us the View Outside Your Window
• Gadget WEEKENDS
• Show us a photo of your mutt or other creatures..

3. DC Software Updates

Lots of updates to our hosted applications this month:

• Screenshot Captor - v4.6 beta
• Clipboard Help and Spell - v2.20 beta
• Find and Run Robot - v2.211 beta
• LaunchBar Commander - v1.36 beta
• ClipTrap v1.1.8
• Frameless v1.1.0
• sImgurUploader v1.0.3
• sPlaylistMaker v1.0.2
• sStockQuote v1.0.3
• sWeather v1.4.5
• Dina Programming Font v2.91

4. Member Reviews, Projects, and Announcements

We love to keep up with projects that our members are working on, and hearing what our forum members think of software they use.  If you're working on something interesting -- let us know!

• The Mewlo web framework - I'm Looking for Teammates
• Mewlo Web Framework Blog
• Coding Snack: change system volume to a desired level (like 20% OR 30%) on system start.
• Coding Snack: Change folder date based on newest/oldest file in the folder
• Coding Snack: Difference between two file times
• Mini Review: Apple Mighty Mouse - Wireless (Bluetooth) Model No.A1197 - Mini-Review
• DC member Kyrathaba (William Bryan Miller) shares his experience publishing his sci-fi novel

5. Website Discoveries, Debates, Essays, Discussions

What's new in cyberspace? What exciting new sites have been discovered by forum members?  What's the current hot topic and debate? Read on to find out...

• MakeUseOf.com - 100 Guides and Cheat Sheets
• The fun of installing custom router firmware (tomato, dd-wrt) - an introduction
• 3D Printing: Food
• A 360TB disc that holds data for more than 1 million years?
• The H - one of the best sites for tech and FOSS info says "bye-bye"
• Build Your Own Linux Supercomputer With $99 Board
• A new Dropbox Competitor
• Ten Thousand Words on Why Mobile Web Apps Are Slow

6. Software Discussions

Just a small software section in this month's newsletter..

• Download management software Orbit Downloader may have malicious code/intentions
• FileNanny and similar utilities
• Similar program to automation anywhere (integration software)
• Teamviewer mobile support
• Recommend an app to snapshot & restore a folder? (like version control?)
• Rufus: Bootable USB Device Tool
• What Android apps do you use to read digital books?
• Chrome's insane password security strategy
• Prevent programs from adding themselves to start-up.
• List all subfolders on multiple drives to text of csv

7. Entertainment and Humour

Here's a collection of some diversionary web browsing links posted on the forum recently.

• 10 Lifehacks from 100 Years Ago
• It was the best of Kickstarter, It was the worst of Kickstarter
• "Want to Be Smarter: play video games"
• 3D Printers - Dirty Secret
• Infographic of Internet Usage Every 60 Seconds
• $250,000 Prize for Human-Powered Helicopter
• Nineteen Eighty-Four (Orwell) vs. Brave New World (Huxley)
• Project: The Naturals - An Upcoming RPG Boardgame

8. Developer's Corner

This section highlights some discussions that might be relevant for not just for coders and developers, but also people interested in entrepreneurial issues.

• Dopamine Driven Game Design
• Licensing in a Post Copyright World
• Nerdy Data - source code search engine
• The Princess Rescuing Application (Mixing Games and Applications)
• Programming/Coder humor
• Maybe Not Everybody Should Learn to Code
• One man's Google Interview Experience

9. Security Corner

There were so many security-related posts on the forum in the last month that we have a section of the newsletter devoted to the issue.

• SIM Cards Have Finally Been Hacked, And The Flaw Could Affect Millions Of Phones
• Half of TOR sites compromised, including TORMail.
• HTTPS Hackable In 30 Seconds: DHS Alert
• Anti-Tracking Smartphone Pouch
• Edward Snowden's Email Provider Shut Down Rather Than Comply With Feds
• Manning Verdict in: guilty on all counts but one
• JavaScript And Timing Attacks Steal Browser Data
• Why you should avoid using social media
• SOPA 2: The Resurrection...
• Interview with Ladar Levinson of LAVABIT (Must see)
• Google: Gmail users shouldn't expect email privacy
• Interview With "The Dread Pirate Roberts" of The Silk Road
• Cody Wilson Interview on Idea City (3D Printing & Defcad)
• Groklaw shutting down because of our new US surveillance state
• Read all the officially and legally released NSA documents
• PirateBrowser released by The Pirate Bay

[mouser]

NOTE:

If you haven't yet signed up to receive the DonationCoder newsletter by email, you can do so here:

• https://www.donation...om/plist?p=subscribe

[tomos]

thanks mouser

[ewemoa]

Thanks for the newsletter

[m9833]

Thank you very much Mouser, for keeping up the great work. Because of your efforts, DonationCoder.com has been and remains one of the most useful and beloved site for many of us. 

[kyrathaba]

Very nice roundup!

[grandpastan]

Great job again.

[rgdot]

mouser, I never received this newsletter (not in spam either)

The pruning included me?

[mouser]

Click the link above to subscribe, or here: https://www.donation...om/plist?p=subscribe.

Basically *everyone* was removed from the mailing list and asked to click on the new subscribe link to continue receiving the newsletters.

[rhiannon]

hi, everyone
this is the first newsletter I've got. I just loved it. thank you.

[calbrin]

thank you!