Newsletter Archives

• Comparing three file-compression tools

  Posted on February 24, 2020 at 01:00 CST by Tracey Capen • Comment in the Forums

  GENERAL COMPUTING

  By Lance Whitney

  Windows includes its own tool for compressing and uncompressing single files, multiple files, and entire folders.

  But the two most popular third-party compression tools — 7-Zip and WinZip — are far more powerful and capable.

  Windows’ built-in ZIP tool will get the job done for basic compression tasks, but it has some important limitations. For example, it has no option for creating or unzipping encrypted files. You also can’t control the compression format or level. Those are all options 7-Zip and WinZip handle with ease.

  Read the full story in AskWoody Plus Newsletter 17.8.0 (2020-02-24).

  Utilities 7-Zip, AskWoody Plus Newsletter, encryption, File compression, WinZip, ZIP files

• Freeware Spotlight — CipherShed

  Posted on July 8, 2019 at 01:00 CDT by Tracey Capen • Comment in the Forums

  Best Utilities

  By Deanna McElveen

  In a digital world that’s becoming increasingly less safe, data encryption is one of the better tools for keeping cyber thieves at bay.

  That’s especially true if you travel with a laptop or a flash drive — just imagine the damage you might incur if your device were lost or stolen. But keeping sensitive files, folders, and/or entire disks encrypted will make your files inaccessible to the device’s “new owner.”

  Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 16.25.0 (2019-07-08).

  AskWoody Plus Newsletter, Utilities AskWoody Plus Newsletter, CipherShed, encryption, Security

• On Facebook Secret Conversations…

  Posted on July 8, 2017 at 18:02 CDT by Kirsty • Comment in the Forums

  In the wake of the recent Snapchat location sharing change, I received a message concerning end-to-end encryption in Facebook Messenger:

  “… as of late last year FB messenger has end to end encryption BUT…one has to select it for each message they want to make “secret”.

  It won’t work with MS desktop FB unless its Win 10 (never for me).”

  Now I’m not a Facebook user, but this intrigued me. What I found did not seem to be very user-friendly.

  The app that introduced encryption is only available from the Microsoft Store for “Windows 10 and Windows 10 mobile”, but only the mobile app appears to have the chat encryption. It seems older OS devices must use prior app versions which do not support encryption. Naturally, apps are also available for Android and iOS.

  
  (and note the mediocre ratings…)

  HowToGeek.com have a post which details the rigmarole required to effect the much-lauded chat encryption. It discusses what parts of conversation are actually encrypted (not any video calling, or any images it allows you to send), and problems with using more than one device with the app.

  Their post contains details on how to select which device you’ll be using, how to start a new Secret Conversation, changing an existing conversation to a secret one, confirming your conversations are secret, self-destroying messages and deleting secret conversations.

  I was surprised how difficult this all seemed, when other messaging apps seem to be a little simpler.

  Thanks to @hiflyer

  Other encryption, Facebook
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