Tuesday, January 21

Software

Jan142020 by TerryNo Comments

NSA warns Microsoft of severe Windows 10 bug

Recent Posts, Software, Windows
Windows Patch Tuesday gets Exciting On the last day of support for Windows 7 news breaks of a severe Windows 10 bug. The bug was so severe the NSA told Microsoft once it was found, or did they? https://techcrunch.com/2020/01/14/microsoft-critical-certificates-bug/ This bug was related to digital signatures, which is used as a defense against users downloading malware disguised as a typical program. However, due to the bug an attacker could include a digital signature from a trusted provider on any files they wanted. Once an unsuspecting user downloads those files their system could be compromised because of the digital signature Windows 10 would believe its safe. Below is a tweet from the NSA "Strongly" encouraging users to update their Windows 10 OS https://twitter.com/...
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Jan52020 by EPHNo Comments
Prepare for Rumors of War

Prepare for Rumors of War

Recent Posts, Blog, Linux
The news is ramping up on the potential for bad things happening. This not great timing for many computer users out there, whether it be for professional or amateur users currently in the middle of upgrading operating systems. With malware, viruses and ransomware in the media lately the addition of potential increases in cyber-attacks adds even more stress to the task of 24/7 system maintenance. On a user level, good housekeeping is essential, along with prudent patching, basic firewall and antivirus updating including routine monitoring. I have a little more confidence in my Linux systems, but Windows OS can be secured and protected if you put some time into basic system upkeep. Having a good backup procedure and preparation for system restore are always a priority for any true system...
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Dec242019 by EPHNo Comments

Have a Minty Christmas

Linux, Blog, Recent Posts
It’s the night before Christmas and all through the shop, not a coffee has been wasted, not even a drop. A little slice of banana cream pie goes perfect with some hot coffee as I install Mint 19.3 Tricia. Mint is an easy Linux Distribution to recommend to anyone just testing out the Linux waters who is more familiar with older Windows releases. Windows 10 latest incarnation has steered a few users towards alternative operating systems. I like Mint because it’s usually very stable on old hardware and doesn’t require some of the WiFi troubleshooting that other leaner distros do. What better way to spend Christmas Eve than sitting by a looped Yule Log video listening to old Christmas standards on Apple Music? I was going to install the latest Peppermint release to be a little festive in t
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Nov272019 by EPHNo Comments

Thanksgiving – Weathering the Storm

Blog, Linux, Recent Posts, Software, Windows
Yesterday, while sitting in Starbucks writing a few notes with my iPhone and waiting for my coffee, I could see storm clouds darkening the sky far off in the distance. It's not an unusual sight and often is nothing to get too excited about. The news reports have all been about the high winds and wintry weather warnings due in our area. I’m referring to the news I actually pay any attention to. Politics are avoided. With Thanksgiving in a few days, it’s not a bad strategy to avoid unnecessary nonsense. Now a day later I can hear the rain on the roof of the shop start tapping along with the blowing wind as the temperature drops down to a more seasonable cool temperature range of misery. I had spent some time earlier this morning playing around with the Chromebook’s Linux beta support and
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Sep152019 by EPHNo Comments

Nice and Quiet

Blog, Hardware, Linux, Recent Posts, Software
Sometimes a quiet day or two is just fine. No bad storms, no asteroid collision, no interesting tech news, just dull mediocrity. Yes, there's been some Linux Distro releases, and Apple product announcements, but nothing to lose any sleep over. There's no real reason to upgrade to a new laptop, no real need to update my iPhone, there's really nothing going on to get all worked up about, and that's not so bad. I can hold onto my wallet for a while, because I can't think of anything new recently announced that I really feel like I'm missing out on. That's good for me, but probably no so great for the industry. Too much excitement can sometimes cause real interesting news to get lost in a wave of noise. It's all perception. If you're actively looking and waiting for a particular hardware ...
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