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.
Latest Features
How-To Geek ETC
HTG Projects: How
to Create Your Own Custom Papercraft Toy
How
to Combine Rescue Disks
to Create
the Ultimate Windows Repair Disk
What is Camera Raw, and Why Would a Professional Prefer it
to JPG?
The How-To Geek
Guide to Audio Editing:
The Basics
How
To Boot 10 Different Live CDs From 1 USB Flash Drive
The 20 Best How-To Geek Linux Articles of 2010
Arctic Theme for Windows 7 Gives Your Desktop an Icy Touch
Install LibreOffice via PPA and Receive Auto-Updates in Ubuntu
Creative Portraits Peek Inside
the Guts of Modern Electronics
Scenic Winter Lane Wallpaper
to Create a Relaxing Mood
Access Your Web Apps Directly Using
the Context Menu in Chrome
The Deep – Awesome Use of Metal Objects as Deep Sea Creatures [Video]
