Newsletter Archives

• The annoyances of a new computer

  Posted on February 12, 2024 at 02:42 CST by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  WINDOWS 11

  

  By Susan Bradley

  There is a dirty little secret in corporate technology — we don’t care about your operating system.

  If it misbehaves, we blow it off. If your computer doesn’t work, we issue you a new one. Don’t like that keyboard? Throw it away. Get a new release of Windows? We redeploy the entire operating system, using one of our various methodologies.

  It’s my opinion that this mentality — that the desktop doesn’t matter and can be easily wiped away — persists inside the Microsoft organization.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.07.0, 2024-02-12).

  Windows 11 Edge, KB5033055, Local account, Newsletters, Patch Lady Posts, Update History, Windows 11, Windows LAPS, Windows notifications, Windows Update

• Spying or helpful? You decide.

  Posted on November 27, 2023 at 02:42 CST by Susan Bradley • Comment in the Forums

  PRIVACY

  

  By Susan Bradley

  Years ago, my girlfriend had her first baby.

  Suddenly, I found myself sitting in front of my computer, searching only for baby bottles, baby clothes — everything baby-related.

  Milliseconds later (at least it seemed that fast), I was receiving mail for everything baby-related. Clearly, my online activity was being tracked, but I was missing the prominent online notices explaining how I could opt out.

  Then something really weird happened. That baby got a bit older. When he became a toddler, the marketing machine made sure I heard about the perfect baby pull-up pants. He hit kindergarten and I learned about all the books he needed to read.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.48.0, 2023-11-27).

  Privacy Ad Blockers, Newsletters, Notifications, Patch Lady Posts, Privacy, VPNs, Web Browsers, Websites, Windows notifications

• Hybrid attack can extract data from inert RAM

  Posted on November 11, 2019 at 01:10 CST by Tracey Capen • Comment in the Forums

  LANGALIST

  By Fred Langa

  It sounds impossible, but data can be recovered from RAM chips — even after they’ve been removed from a PC.

  Specialized attacks on memory modules can reveal working passwords and cryptographic keys still stored random-access memory, possibly allowing malicious hackers to bypass encryption services such as BitLocker, VeraCrypt, FileVault, and others!

  Plus: Disabling Windows Firewall and its nags.

  Read the full story in AskWoody Plus Newsletter 16.41.0 (2019-11-11).

  LangaList AskWoody Plus Newsletter, RAM attacks, Security, Windows notifications