The FBI has warned users to think carefully when buying and using "smart" televisions. The warning is based on the idea that many people have bought or will buy new televisions either as part of "Black Friday" or in time for Christmas. The warning ... from the FBI's Portland office is based partly on the prospect that people might not have set out to buy smart sets, but that most or all of the TVs on offer currently have such features. (Source: techcrunch.com ) Cameras and Microphones on Some Sets A "smart" television is simply one that has an Internet connection. Previously that's mainly been ... (view more)
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Infopackets Reader Georges M. writes: " Dear Dennis, I had to perform a non-authoritative restore on our Domain Controller (DCs) because one of our lower-level techs accidentally deleted an important organizational unit (OU). I got everything ... working again, but I'm having a problem trying to reinstall a program called ScreenConnect, which is used to remotely connect to machines we manage. I noticed you wrote about a previous article about how to uninstall ScreenConnect and was wondering if you could help with this problem. Here's what's happening: when I try to install ScreenConnect, it says ... (view more)
Mozilla has removed security tools from Avast and AVG from the Firefox extension store. It says the tools are collecting too much personal data about users. The extensions are third-party tools for the Firefox browser that add extra functionality to ... web browsing. In this case, the advertised purposes include highlighting and blocking malware that could be downloaded, and warning users when a page may be part of a phishing attack. That's where a user is tricked into typing in personal details into what they think is a legitimate site. Mozilla acted after online posts by Wladimir Palant, who ... (view more)
Security researchers say a serious Android bug could let malware pose as a legitimate app and gain unwanted access to a phone's data and functions. The concept of the 'StrandHogg' bug has been known for several years, but now it's being actively ... exploited to target online banking. In simple terms, the bug has two unwanted effects: it can trick users into giving malware sensitive 'permissions' to access the phone, and it can hijack legitimate apps to trick users into handing over login details and sensitive information. Researchers at Promon explain the bug is with a security setting called ... (view more)
Facebook is to let users automatically copy their uploaded photos and videos to Google's photo service. It's part of a "data portability" project between tech giants, but is also a demonstration of how slowly the project itself is moving. The tool ... will mean users can transfer files without needing to download them to their devices, then re-upload them to another service. In particular, Google's Photos service makes it easy to access photos on multiple devices. It also has automatic tagging so that users can quickly find all their photos of a particular location or activity, for example. It's ... (view more)
Infopackets Reader James D. writes: " Dear Dennis, I'm running Windows 10 and my C drive is nearly full. I've tried to free up as much space as possible, but no matter what I do it makes no difference. That's when I came across your article about ' ... Can't delete restore points (C drive Full) ', in which you recommended a program called TreeSize Free in order to find space hogs on the C drive. To my surprise, when I ran TreeSize Free it says that my Recycle Bin is taking up almost 500GB of space. I've tried emptying the Recycle Bin from the desktop, but TreeSize Free is still reporting that ... (view more)
Infopackets Reader Hillary K. writes: " Dear Dennis, My main PC recently upgraded to Windows 10 1909 (November 2019 edition) and now it immediately boots into a black screen . I can move the mouse around, but I can't login because I have a black ... screen. I've tried CTRL + ALT + DEL on the keyboard to bring up Task Manager per Microsoft's website, but it doesn't work. I've also tried Windows Key + P to refresh my display but it doesn't work. I can see the hard drive light blinking, meaning that there is activity and the system appears to be loading and doing things, but that's it. All I get is ... (view more)
Mozilla is to block "fingerprinting" tracking in the Firefox browser. It's an alternative tracking technique to cookies and doesn't require any consent from users. Most people know about cookies, which involves sites putting a small file on a ... computer to either identify a user for future visits or track their online activity. In most cases cookies both legally and practically need consent from the user before they can be issued. Fingerprinting is a more creative technique that doesn't require consent and has proven harder to block. It's all based around the fact that a website is able to ... (view more)
A hard drive manufacturer has warned its solid state drives could effectively self-destruct after a little less than four years of total operation. HPE (Hewlett Packard Enterprise) says users need to apply a firmware fix immediately, while it's ... another reminder of the importance of backups. 20 different HPE models are affected, all in the SAS range, which are hard drives typically meant for enterprise. All are solid state drives, which have no moving parts. This makes them more expensive and much faster than traditional hard drives. (Source: hpe.com ) The problem isn't with the actual drives ... (view more)
Microsoft has blocked users of some security software from updating Windows 10. It's also spotted some problems with specific WiFi drivers. The good news is that although the Windows 10 problems are with the well-known Avast and AVG security tools, ... it only affects older versions. Specifically the problem comes if the software is from version 19.5.4444.567 or earlier. (Source: techradar.com ) Since Avast! also owns AVG, the version number is the same for both engines. Automatic Updates On Hold Microsoft hasn't said exactly what the compatibility problems are, but has put a block on automatic ... (view more)
Infopackets Reader Gina V. writes: " Dear Dennis, I watch a lot of sermons from my church online, but since around October this year I keep getting 'An unanticipated problem was encountered, check back soon and try again. Error code: ... MEDIA_ERR_UNKNOWN' I don't understand what this means. I have searched Google and it seems a lot of people have the MEDIA_ERR_UNKNOWN Chrome error message when playing videos in the web browser. I also have a MEDIA_ERR_UNKNOWN Firefox error. I'm not sure what to do next. Can you please help? " My response: Generally speaking, the 'MEDIA_ERR_UNKNOWN' is a generic ... (view more)
Infopackets Reader Sam G. writes: " Dear Dennis, I have an old external 1 TB hard drive I'd like to format for use with Apple Time Machine backup. The problem is that the disk is currently formatted as NTFS and is not readable with Time Machine. I ... have searched Google on how to convert a Windows disk to Mac (format to HFS+ on Windows) but can't seem to find a solution to this problem. Any help would be appreciated! " My response: I asked Sam if he would like me to connect to his machine using my remote desktop support service in order to have a closer look, and he agreed. Below I will discuss ... (view more)
A bogus "Windows Update" distributed by email is, perhaps unsurprisingly, actually ransomware. It shouldn't fool most users but makes it a good time to remind less tech-savvy PC owners of the need to take necessary precautions. The unsolicited ... emails have a subject line of either "Critical Microsoft Windows Update!" or "Install Latest Microsoft Windows Update now!" Those who open the email will then see a message that says (complete with opening typo) "PLease install the latest critical update from Microsoft attached to this email." (Source: trustwave.com ) $500 Ransom Demand It seems a safe ... (view more)
Google is fixing an Android bug that let hackers remotely capture videos and images without permission. The bug could also have revealed the user's precise location, making it particularly dangerous if exploited by stalkers. Security researchers at ... Checkmarx discovered the bug in several default camera apps on a variety of Android phones, including the Google and Samsung apps. (Source: arstechnica.com ) The bug could only be exploited once malware was on the phone, but even then it still shouldn't have allowed such an attack. That's because it involved using a rogue app on the phone to access ... (view more)
A man who launched millions of separate attacks on websites has been jailed for 13 months for conspiracy to damage Internet-connected computers. Sergiy Usatyuk, who is 20, offered an attacks-for-hire service using Distributed Denial of Service ... (DDoS) tactics. A Denial Of Service attack is a crude but often effective technique that simply involves flooding a site with bogus "visits" until the web server becomes overloaded, which then causes the website to become inaccessible for ordinary users. It's roughly equivalent to tying up a company's switchboard with prank calls. The "distributed" ... (view more)
Infopackets Reader Sam G. writes: " Dear Dennis, I just purchased an unlocked Verizon Samsung Galaxy S10+ on ebay. The phone works great. I'm currently using an AT ... (view more)
Infopackets Val G. writes: " Dear Dennis, Recently my Windows 10 machine failed to update, resulting in an infinite boot loop (Startup Repair). I knew I had to reinstall Windows, but backed up the data first using Macrium Reflect. After that I tried ... to copy the data back from the disk image backup (using copy and paste), but each time Windows Explorer would crash during the file copy. I tried Robocopy to copy the data and this worked - however, I kept receiving errors such as: ' C:\Temp\Users\Default User\AppData\Local\Application Data\Application Data\Application Data\Application Data\ ... (view more)
A court says US customs officials can't examine the contents of phones and laptops at the border without reasonable suspicion of illegal activity. It said current policies violate the Fourth Amendment. The amendment prevents "unreasonable searches ... and seizures" and requires warrants based on probable cause. It's been at the centre of numerous technology-related cases as courts decide what constitutes property and searches when it comes to digital devices and information. The latest case, first brought in 2017, covers the policies of the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency and the ... (view more)
Google is experimenting with ways to inform Chrome users when a web site likely to be slow to load. In doing so, it wants to penalize poorly coded sites - though critics say that's not always the main reason for a delay. The idea is a form of ... "badging" that will appear in the browser. It's a sign of how potentially controversial the subject is that Google is thinking of informing users in this way rather than simply downgrading such sites so they appear lower in search rankings. The initial tests will be based around the general point of whether a site is slow to load. Later on, Google may ... (view more)
Google is to use outside help to scan apps before they go into the Google Play store. It says the move is needed to cope with the continuing increase in the number of rogue Android apps. Just two weeks ago, 21 Android apps were reported to be rogue ... ; in early September, 24 apps were found to be rogue . The new "App Defense Alliance" involves Google working with three security companies, namely: ESET, Lookout and Zimperium. They all specialize in mobile security with a particular emphasis not just on spotting individual rogue apps, but on figuring out common characteristics and clues ... (view more)
Infopackets Reader Samuel P. writes: " Dear Dennis, I have two Windows 10 Pro machines, currently running Windows 10 1903. Both machines can't install KB4522355 (released October 24, 2019). This update would bring me to OS Build 18362.449. When I go ... to PC Settings -> Update and Security, it tells me that KB4522355 is pending, and when I click 'download and install', it tries to install but then fails repeatedly. I've tried clearing my Windows Update queue per your instructions but KB4522355 won't install . Can you please help? " My response: I asked Samuel if he would like me to connect to ... (view more)
Infopackets Reader Frank G. writes: " Dear Dennis, I recently installed AVG antivirus and made the mistake of paying for the upgrade to premium, which has slowed my computer down considerably. I've since canceled my subscription and reverted back to ... AVG free (per your recommendation). I now cannot uninstall AVG Secure browser . Each time I try, it says it's removed, but it's still there. I've tried everything I can think of to remove AVG Secure Browser, but it seems I'm stuck with this steaming pile of poo. To make things worse, it automatically loads every time I reboot the machine like it's ... (view more)
Microsoft's revamped version of the Edge browser will launch on January 15, 2020. It's based on the same code as Google's Chrome and will be able to run Chrome extensions. Designed as a replacement for the much maligned Internet Explorer, Edge ... debuted with the release of Windows 10 back in July, 2015. The original version was built from scratch using Microsoft's own browser engine, which is the component that turns a web page's code into what users actually see on the screen. The new edition isn't simply an update but rather a complete rebuild. It will now use code and ... (view more)
Mozilla is reducing the likelihood Firefox users will be bothered by website notification requests. It will make browsing a lot less frustrating, but will upset some website owners. What are Website Notifications? Notifications in web browsers work ... in a similar way to notifications from apps on a mobile phone or tablet. As an example, a user of a streaming video site might agree to accept browser notifications. They could then get notifications whenever the site adds a new episode of a TV series they've previously watched on the site. On Windows 10, this notification might appear in the ... (view more)
Ask online about ways to improve the Internet connection around your home, and you'll often come across users recommending that you use a "mesh WiFi" system. So, what is mesh WiFi? Is mesh WiFi better than regular WiFi? What about mesh vs an ... extender, or mesh vs a router? How does mesh compare to Google Nest? How do you set up a mesh Wifi network? We'll answer those questions and more below. What is Mesh WiFi? Mesh WiFi is a way to combat poor wireless reception, particularly in houses with multiple floors, thick walls or an unusual shape. It's also aimed at houses and offices where ... (view more)
Infopackets Reader Gerry J. writes: " Dear Dennis, Thanks for your article on how to reset admin password on a Seagate NAS (network attached storage) - this was the only article I could find on the subject. I have a related question. I've done a ... full reset of the NAS (wiping out all data) and recreated my network shares, and now I'm ready to copy data back. In the past, I've used Windows file copy to do this, but sometimes it fails and then I have to start over again. I did research on this subject and it's my understanding robocopy is a much more reliable method and will actually resume the ... (view more)
Infopackets Reader Jerry F. writes: " Dear Dennis, I recently upgraded Kodi media player on my PC from Kodi Krypton (version 17) to Kodi Leia (version 18). It seems that this latest update is now interfering with my Xbox 360 controller. Let me ... explain. For years, I've been using a program called Xpadder with my Xbox 360 controller on my PC, which allows me to map keys (and mouse functionality) to my controller. In this case I've configured it a specific way so that I can use my controller like a mouse which allows me to use it for Windows functions, plus I can use it to control Kodi the way I ... (view more)
Google has taken yet another step to try to kill off Adobe Flash. The move will dramatically reduce the visibility of Flash content in its search results. Adobe Flash was once innovative and the primary way for delivering animated and interactive ... content online, including online-based browser games and even advertisements. Even so, many web designers seemed more interested in showing off their creativity with Flash rather than making a usable and useful site. Adobe Flash Security Bugs Severe As far back as 2010, Apple made the decision to ditch Flash entirely from its devices - a move that ... (view more)
Most people know not to open an executable file or document attached to an email unless they were expecting it. But a new example of malware means even an audio file could trigger a payload. Researchers at Blackberry Cylance Threat recently ... uncovered malicious code hidden inside WAV files. That's a computer format for audio that was common for music on PCs before MP3 became established. The attackers are using a technique called steganography, which is a way to hide a file inside another file in a way that normally cannot be detected. Steganography has previously been used in image files, and ... (view more)
Security researchers have exposed more than 20 rogue Android apps that secretly load ads as part of a scam. The rogue apps perform their advertised tasks for cyber criminals, but also drain batteries and overheat phones in the process. It's another ... embarrassment for Google as all the apps were found in the official Google Play Store, which is designed to vet apps to reduce the chances of malicious activity. Remove These Rogue Android Apps Now Researchers at ESET antivirus say they found 42 apps have been part of an orchestrated campaign running since July last year. They were able to ... (view more)
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