This week we learned how to “back up photos to Flickr, automate repetitive tasks, & normalize MP3 volume”, enable “stereo mix” in Windows 7 to record audio, create custom papercraft toys, read up on three alternatives to Apple’s flaky iOS alarm clock, decorated our desktops & app docks with Google icon packs, and more.

Photo by alexschlegel.

Random Geek Links

It has been a busy week on the security & malware fronts and we have a roundup of the latest news to help keep you updated.

Photo by TopTechWriter.US.

• US govt e-card scam hits confidential data
  A fake U.S. government Christmas e-card has managed to siphon off gigabytes of sensitive data from a number of law enforcement and military staff who work on cybersecurity matters, many of whom are involved in computer crime investigations.
• Security tool uncovers multiple bugs in every browser
  Michal Zalewski reports that he discovered the vulnerability in Internet Explorer a while ago using his cross_fuzz fuzzing tool and reported it to Microsoft in July 2010. Zalewski also used cross_fuzz to discover bugs in other browsers, which he also reported to the relevant organisations.
• Microsoft to fix Windows holes, but not ones in IE
  Microsoft said that it will release two security bulletins next week fixing three holes in Windows, but it is still investigating or working on fixing holes in Internet Explorer that have been reportedly exploited in attacks.
• Microsoft warns of Windows flaw affecting image rendering
  Microsoft has warned of a Windows vulnerability that could allow an attacker to take control of a computer if the user is logged on with administrative rights.
• Windows 7 Not Affected by Critical 0-Day in the Windows Graphics Rendering Engine
  While confirming that details on a Critical zero-day vulnerability have made their way into the wild, Microsoft noted that customers running the latest iteration of Windows client and server platforms are not exposed to any risks.
• Microsoft warns of Office-related malware
  Microsoft’s Malware Protection Center issued a warning this week that it has spotted malicious code on the Internet that can take advantage of a flaw in Word and infect computers after a user does nothing more than read an e-mail. *Refers to a flaw that was addressed in the November security patch releases. Make sure you have all of the latest security updates installed.
• Unpatched hole in ImgBurn disk burning application
  According to security specialist Secunia, a highly critical vulnerability in ImgBurn, a lightweight disk burning application, can be used to remotely compromise a user’s system.
• Hole in VLC Media Player
  Virtual Security Research (VSR) has identified a vulnerability in VLC Media Player. In versions up to and including 1.1.5 of the VLC Media Player.
• Flash Player sandbox can be bypassed
  Flash applications run locally can read local files and send them to an online server – something which the sandbox is supposed to prevent.
• Chinese auction site touts hacked iTunes accounts
  Tens of thousands of reportedly hacked iTunes accounts have been found on Chinese auction site Taobao, but the company claims it is unable to take action unless there are direct complaints.
• What happened in the recent Hotmail outage
  Mike Schackwitz explains the cause of the recent Hotmail outage.
• DOJ sends order to Twitter for Wikileaks-related account info
  The U.S. Justice Department has obtained a court order directing Twitter to turn over information about the accounts of activists with ties to Wikileaks, including an Icelandic politician, a legendary Dutch hacker, and a U.S. computer programmer.
• Google gets court to block Microsoft Interior Department e-mail win
  The U.S. Federal Claims Court has temporarily blocked Microsoft from proceeding with the $49.3 million, five-year DOI contract that it won this past November.
• Google Apps customers get email lockdown
  Companies and organisations using Google Apps are now able to restrict the email access of selected users.
• LibreOffice Is the Default Office Suite for Ubuntu 11.04
  Matthias Klose has announced some details regarding the replacement of the old OpenOffice.org 3.2.1 packages with the new LibreOffice 3.3 ones, starting with the upcoming Ubuntu 11.04 (Natty Narwhal) Alpha 2 release.

Sysadmin Geek Tips

Photo by Filomena Scalise.

• How to Setup Software RAID for a Simple File Server on Ubuntu
  Do you need a file server that is cheap and easy to setup, “rock solid” reliable, and has Email Alerting? This tutorial shows you how to use Ubuntu, software RAID, and SaMBa to accomplish just that.
• How to Control the Order of Startup Programs in Windows
  While you can specify the applications you want to launch when Windows starts, the ability to control the order in which they start is not available. However, there are a couple of ways you can easily overcome this limitation and control the startup order of applications.

Random TinyHacker Links

• Using Opera Unite to Send Large Files
  A tutorial on using Opera Unite to easily send huge files from your computer.
• WorkFlowy is a Useful To-do List Tool
  A cool to-do list tool that lets you integrate multiple tasks in one single list easily.
• Playing Flash Videos on iOS Devices
  Yes, you can play flash videos on jailbroken iPhones. Here’s a tutorial.
• Clear Safari History and Cookies On iPhone
  A tutorial on clearing your browser history on iPhone and other iOS devices.
• Monitor Your Internet Usage
  Here’s a cool, cross-platform tool to monitor your internet bandwidth.

Super User Questions

See what the community had to say on these popular questions from Super User this week.

• Why is my upload speed much less than my download speed?
• Where should I find drivers for my laptop if it didn’t come with a driver disk?
• OEM Office 2010 without media – how to reinstall?
• Is there a point to using theft tracking software like Prey on my laptop, if you have login security?
• Moving an “all-in-one” PC when turned on/off

How-To Geek Weekly Article Recap

Get caught up on your HTG reading with our hottest articles from this past week.

• How to Combine Rescue Disks to Create the Ultimate Windows Repair Disk
• How To Boot 10 Different Live CDs From 1 USB Flash Drive
• What is Camera Raw, and Why Would a Professional Prefer it to JPG?
• Did You Know Facebook Has Built-In Shortcut Keys?
• The How-To Geek Guide to Audio Editing: The Basics

One Year Ago on How-To Geek

Enjoy looking through our latest gathering of retro article goodness.

• Learning Windows 7: Create a Homegroup & Join a New Computer To It
• How To Disconnect a Machine from a Homegroup
• Use Remote Desktop To Access Other Computers On a Small Office or Home Network
• How To Share Files and Printers Between Windows 7 and Vista
• Allow Users To Run Only Specified Programs in Windows 7

The Geek Note

That is all we have for you this week and we hope your first week back at work or school has gone very well now that the holidays are over. Know a great tip? Send it in to us at [email protected].

Photo by Pamela Machado.