Dec 21, 2015
High-Tech Holiday Gifts for Fellow Geeks
7:00 AM
Paul B
Dec 17, 2015
Top Five Countries with Highest Percentages of Cybercrime
7:00 AM
Paul B
Cybercrime is not isolated to one single group, ethnicity, gender or race. These faceless outlaws do not discriminate, and though this is a global problem, some countries are more likely to suffer the wrath of cyber thieves more so than others. So which countries in the world community make the top five list of most likely to be hacked, what kinds of cyber crime are rampant in these nations, and most importantly, what can online community members do to protect themselves and their information while connected to the web?
In the Top 5
Coming in at No. 5 is the country of Brazil. According to Symantec's ranking of the top 20 countries experiencing cybercrime, based on the percentage of malicious computer activity detected in each country and other telling variables, Brazil topped at four percent in the malicious computer activity arena.Notably, Brazil has more phishing website hosts than any other country in the top five list. These phishing websites obtain and store personal information, making identity theft more likely to occur. To guard against such cyber offenses, online users should not offer up any personal information to any unauthorized webpage, nor should users store and save passwords on their computers.
Sneaking into the No. 4 spot was Great Britain with five percent of the recorded malicious computer activity tracked globally, and Germany, with six percent, settled into the rank of No. 3. Germany is also ranked 12th in 20 in the prevalence of malicious code within their online environments.
Malicious code is computer language designed to steal personal information. This kind of malware snakes its way into users' computers or electronic devices through opening unsolicited emails and clicking suspicious links. Once they have installed, opened and begun to run, this malware transmits your personal information through the open channels of the Internet computers that are normally located thousands of miles away from your location, where your information is stored and later sold to counterfeiters. Protecting against such aggressive violations involves close monitoring of your identity details and setting up credit alerts in case of infraction.
Battle for No. 1
From here the cyber criminals favorite playgrounds become obvious. Jumping up three percent to a total of nine percent malicious computer activity, China slides into the runner-up ranking, and finally, with a whopping 23 percent of recorded cybercrime activity based on percentage of recorded malicious computer activity: The United States of America. Ironically, the U.S. is also ranked No. 1 on the list of countries in which cybercrime originates.Notice that the list of nations experiencing the highest levels of cybercrime are not third-world countries; these are first-world, wealthy, highly established nations. This just goes to show the undeniable reach of cyber criminals and the great need for protection from white collar crime in the modern age.
Dec 7, 2015
More reliable free alternative to mRemoteNG
7:00 AM
Paul B
I have been using mRemote and mRemoteNG for a long time now. It is just way easier to keep all of your remote server connections in one place if you manage a lot of servers like I do.
Well there has been something with mRemoteNG that has been bothering me since I started to manage more and more Windows 2012 R2 servers, and that's the fact that if you have five RDP connections open you can't open any more to Windows 2012 R2 servers. You can open Microsoft Remote Desktop and connect fine, but it will fail with mRemoteNG and it's a known issue that won't be fixed anytime soon.
Since they aren't fixing it, and people have been bitching since at least 2013, I thought I'd check out a different tool to use instead. I found Terminals!
From their page:
I blurred out my connections, but you might be able to see that you can group your connections easily, which was a feature I liked in mRemote as well.
So far, I haven't had any issues with multiple RDP sessions and Windows 2012 R2, So I think I will stick with this for the foreseeable future.
What do you use to manage multiple RDP/SSH etc sessions? Let us know in the comments!
Well there has been something with mRemoteNG that has been bothering me since I started to manage more and more Windows 2012 R2 servers, and that's the fact that if you have five RDP connections open you can't open any more to Windows 2012 R2 servers. You can open Microsoft Remote Desktop and connect fine, but it will fail with mRemoteNG and it's a known issue that won't be fixed anytime soon.
Since they aren't fixing it, and people have been bitching since at least 2013, I thought I'd check out a different tool to use instead. I found Terminals!
From their page:
Terminals is a secure, multi tab terminal services/remote desktop client. It uses Terminal Services ActiveX Client (mstscax.dll).Here is a list of protocols Terminals supports:
The project started from the need of controlling multiple connections simultaneously. It is a complete replacement for the mstsc.exe (Terminal Services) client.
- Windows Remote Desktop (RDP)
- VNC
- VMRC
- SSH
- Telnet
- RAS
- ICA Citrix
- HTTP and HTTPS
So far, I haven't had any issues with multiple RDP sessions and Windows 2012 R2, So I think I will stick with this for the foreseeable future.
What do you use to manage multiple RDP/SSH etc sessions? Let us know in the comments!
Dec 2, 2015
The Best Features Inside the iPhone 6s
7:00 AM
Paul B
3D Touch
When Apple added Force Touch to its MacBook Pro trackpads earlier this year, experts predicted the same technology would come to the iPhone, and they were right. Like Force Touch for the trackpad, 3D Touch adds an extra dimension to your iPhone's screen by responding to the pressure of each press from your finger or thumb. Tap on the Mail icon and it will open the app. Long-press and it will give you the option to move the icon around your home screen. And now a hard press opens a quick menu outside the app. While Apple launched the iPhone 6s with a myriad of 3D Touch features, it's the developer community that will really make this new technology come to life.Improved Cameras
Apple is always striving to house the best smartphone camera on the market inside the latest iPhone, and the 6s makes great strides in this area. The newest rear-facing camera captures stunning 12-megapixel photos and can now shoot video in full 4K resolution — a feature more common on a GoPro than a smartphone. The front camera is also beefed up to 5 megapixels, so your selfies can be more vivid than ever. And like the iPhone 6, the Plus version carries a few optical features that the regular 6s does not have.A9 Processor
The 64-bit A9 processor teams up with the new M9 motion coprocessor to bring speeds 70 to 90 percent faster than the iPhone 6, according to Apple. If all you do is check email and Facebook, you probably won't notice a difference between the 6 and 6s. But if you love the latest mobile games and multitasking apps (which has greatly improved in iOS 9), then this new processor is a treat for your speedy thumbs.New Materials & Internal Design
The #Bendgate scandal is over. While the outside of the iPhone 6s looks nearly identical to the iPhone 6, the inside features a new architecture made of a higher grade of aluminum and glass that prevents the unfortunate bending in the pocket. You should still use a case, as the iPhone 6s is incredibly thin, but this new structure should save you a trip to the Genius Bar.Faster Wi-Fi and LTE
You may not think much about the antenna in your phone that affects Wi-Fi and LTE speeds, but Apple is always improving them to speed up your signal and capacity to download data. Depending on your home Internet connection and carrier signal, this might not make any difference. But for some, the new iPhone means faster Internet.Rose Gold
And, of course, how will anyone know you have the new iPhone if it looks just like the old one? Apple has you covered there, too. The iPhone 6s comes in white, black, gold and now rose gold, which means your iPhone can be both a smartphone and a fashion statement.Nov 13, 2015
Vitamin E: A Natural cure for stomach ulcers?
7:00 AM
Paul B
You might be asking how a six year old boy can be stressed out, but the answer is pretty simple when you realize that his mother and I moved him away from his home in California to be closer to his mom's family, and then just a few short months later his mom filed for divorce.
This sort of thing has really affected our young son, and because it is stress related we have had multiple doctors say that the only thing we can do is give him lansoprazole and ranitidine to keep his stomach acid in check. Well, it's not working.
There is hope though. I recently came across a study that tested the comparative effect of palm vitamin E and ranitidine on the healing of ethanol-induced gastric lesions in rats. The study showed a significant effect of vitamin E in the fight against ulcers. From the study:
We found that the mean ulcer index obtained after 1 week and 3 weeks of treatment with palm vitamin E and palm vitamin E Plus ranithidine (sic) were significantly lower compared to control and group treated with ranitidine alone. This finding suggests that palm vitamin E given alone or in combination with ranitidine is able to promote the healing of ethanol induced gastric lesions.
I started my son on vitamin E this past Monday and in just two days he had marked improvement in the pain he was reporting to me. I give him one tablet in the morning with his other medications, and one in the evening. We use the "needles" scale to determine his pain level. He tells me how many needles it feels like he has in his stomach. Well after a couple of days using vitamin E he regularly reported ZERO needles! It's easily the most improvement I've seen in two years!
If you are in the fight against stomach ulcers, you might want to incorporate vitamin E supplements into your medicine program. So far it's looking promising for my son. I only hope his mom agrees with me and continues giving him his supplements when he is at her house.
Oct 27, 2015
What Power Sources Are Available for Electric Cars?
7:00 AM
Paul B
Driving a traditional gas-fueled vehicle is a reliable way to travel with plenty of refueling stations, but it’s harmful to the environment. Electricity is a secondary energy source that is becoming increasingly more popular in vehicles. However, it can cause more pollution than gas and fossil fuels depending on its energy sources.
Before investing in your next car, get a better understanding about your options and what is truly best for the environment.
Solar Power
All light contains energy, but when it hits certain materials, it can be turned into an electrical current. To simplify the explanation, as the light gets absorbed by materials like silicon crystals, an electrical current is generated. Solar energy can power solar charging stations for electric vehicles. According to Revision Energy, just nine solar panels can power an electric car for roughly 12,000 miles of driving every year.Coal
In theory, charging an electric car has less of an impact on the environment than a gasoline-fueled car. But in reality, the power source behind the charging station matters. According to a study by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, if the electricity is generated from a coal-fired power plant, your clean-energy Chevrolet Volt may be polluting the environment as much as 80 percent more than driving a gasoline-powered vehicle.If you know your electricity comes from solar, wind, hydro, nuclear or other clean energy sources, an electric vehicle is better for the environment because it doesn't emit tailpipe pollutants. But if it's powered by coal, it might be best to stick to a gas variety until you can identify the best electric power source.
Nuclear Energy
Believe it or not, nuclear energy does not produce harmful polluting emissions. A nuclear-fueled power plant turns water into steam and drives a turbine generator to make clean electricity. Despite being an undervalued and underused energy source, nuclear energy is predicted to become a major source of power for electrical cars and hybrids. The government's Freedom Car and Fuel Partnership is working to develop affordable cars and trucks that reduce the country's dependence on oil and harmful emissions.Hydropower
Flowing water can be harnessed into electricity without emitting harmful emissions into the environment. The falling or flowing water helps churn a turbine that spins a generator that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy. This method is used for electric cars like the Nissan Leaf. One of the powerful benefits to hydropower is its reliability. While solar power requires a certain amount of sunlight and wind turbines require enough wind, hydropower is not intermittent because flowing water always flows. However, there are potential downsides, such as disturbing ecosystems.Your journey to a clean energy source for your electric vehicle doesn't have to be complicated. Use a site like Energy.gov to find over 17,000 alternative fuel stations in the United States. This site also can help you plan a route to see what types of stations can fuel your hybrid or electric car along the way.
Oct 26, 2015
How to contact AWS support without knowing your account login information
7:00 AM
Paul B
I hate these cloud companies that offer a service, but make you jump through ridiculous hoops to speak to someone in customer support. Amazon's AWS is no different. If you click on their Contact Us page you are presented with this gem:
Where is the phone number!?
This sort of thing is all well and good if you know your account information, but if you are a company and the person who setup the account is no longer with the company, and you don't know the account login information this does you no good.
Well, there is a way to get a hold of AWS support without having to login first. Just dial Amazon's customer support phone number which is 1-866-216-1072. Politely ask to be transferred to AWS support and you will be good to go.
This worked for me to get access to a company AWS account. They couldn't tell me anything which is nice for security purposes, so I had to track down an account number, but once I had that I was able to verify the email address associated with the account and get the password reset using their password reset process.
I hope this helps you out if you have a similar AWS issue.
Where is the phone number!?
This sort of thing is all well and good if you know your account information, but if you are a company and the person who setup the account is no longer with the company, and you don't know the account login information this does you no good.
Well, there is a way to get a hold of AWS support without having to login first. Just dial Amazon's customer support phone number which is 1-866-216-1072. Politely ask to be transferred to AWS support and you will be good to go.
This worked for me to get access to a company AWS account. They couldn't tell me anything which is nice for security purposes, so I had to track down an account number, but once I had that I was able to verify the email address associated with the account and get the password reset using their password reset process.
I hope this helps you out if you have a similar AWS issue.
