Tech Thoughts Daily Net News – July 20, 2012

Google Nexus 7: product photos and Jelly Bean screenshots – Samsung had a 7 inch Android tablet a couple of years ago, but we haven’t seen as much excitement for this form factor until the release of the Asus manufactured Google Nexus 7.

How to configure Firefox plug-ins to load only when clicked – Firefox 14 can be configured to load plug-ins only when clicked. This can provide additional security and stability to your system. We’ll show you how to set it up and use it.

Stop Windows’ Automatic Updates from Rebooting Your PC – Can you believe Windows still does this? Me, neither. Fortunately, there’s any easy way to stop it.

Use Google Chrome’s Task Manager To Get Details About Specific Running Processes – The browser I primarily use is Google Chrome. A feature in Chrome, that is little used and can be quite handy, is the built-in task manager. The Chrome Task Manager can provide you with details about the specific processes that are running (plus CPU, Network bandwidth being consumed, and a multitude of other options).

California to Get Tough on Behalf of Online Privacy – California’s top legal official has put the tech industry on notice that she intends to get tough on behalf of digital privacy. The new unit’s impact could extend beyond California, because it will police not just companies based in the state but all companies that do business there.

Add text to your iPhone photos with Tiny Post – If you’ve grown bored with Instagram and are looking for a new photo-sharing app, Tiny Post might fit the bill. This free iPhone app lets you add three lines of text to photos, creating one of those hilarious or poignant images you undoubtedly see daily in your Facebook News Feed or elsewhere on the Internet.

Barnes & Noble Offers $50 Gift Card with 16GB Nook Tablet – The gift card offer, which runs through July 29, comes at a time of increasing competition among 7-inch tablets, with Google’s Nexus 7 tablet shipping now.

iPad Primarily a Leisure, Not Business Device – The iPad is largely used as an entertainment device, with most owners picking up the tablet to access the Internet, watch video, look at photos, or play games, according to a new report. In surveying Apple users, Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) found that “leisure use predominates, including entertainment and gaming.”

Search On YouTube Puts a Mini YouTube Viewer in Chrome – Are you ever looking at a web page with great information but want to find out if there’s a simple, more easily-digestible version in video form? That’s when it comes time to search on YouTube—except then you have to make another window or tab or leave the web page to perform that search. Search On YouTube is a Chrome extension that puts a tiny little YouTube viewer in your toolbar so you can search easily and trouble-free.

SoundGecko Converts Any Article Into an MP3 and Syncs with Dropbox, Drive, or an iPhone App – At its core, SoundGecko is a new webapp that’s essentially a text-to-speech transcription service. Drop a URL into SoundGecko and it converts the article into speech.

Security:

The Worst Passwords – Ever! – The recent hack into the Yahoo.com password database has exposed the fact that “too many Internet users are making poor decisions when choosing their passwords.”, according to Graham Cluley of NakedSecurity.sophos.com. I couldn’t agree more. There have been tons of articles published, including on this blog, about the importance of using a strong password. But evidently our attempt at Internet safety education is falling on deaf ears…or people just don’t care.

Phishing Websites Reach All-time High – The number of phishing websites detected reached an all-time high earlier this year, a sign that making fake websites spoofing real ones is still a lucrative trade for cybercriminals. More than 38 percent of the fake websites were related to financial services, according to the APWG’s report. The second most spoofed market vertical was payment services, followed by retail and other service sites. The sites spoofed 392 brands, also a new record.

Senators call for probe of electric grid cybersecurity – After a CNET article reports potential security vulnerability with the electric power grid, two U.S. senators call for a federal investigation.

Blackhole malware attack poses as rejected wire transfer email – SophosLabs is intercepting a wave of malicious emails that have been spammed out around the world, luring unsuspecting internet users into clicking on a malicious attachment.

End Users Still Don’t Know How To Handle Personal Data, Study Finds – Nearly a third of users have been victims of cybercrime; one-fifth still use no protection while surfing

Company News:

Who Wants to Be in the PC Business? Not Dell – Have you noticed that it’s just not so cool to be in the PC business these days? Michael Dell, founder and CEO of Dell, said this week that the “new Dell” really isn’t in the PC business anymore.

Linux comes to ultrabooks: Dell to preload OS on XPS 13 – The open-source operating system is going to land this fall on one of Dell’s best ultrabook offerings.

Motorola Boosts Google Revenue – Google has reported a profit of US$2.79 billion in the quarter ended June 30, up 11 percent over the same period of last year, in the company’s first financial statement since it finalized its acquisition of Motorola in May.

AMD has scary things to say about the PC market – The chief executive of Advanced Micro Devices, the second largest PC processor supplier, had some pretty dire things to say about the state of the PC market.

Microsoft Posts Loss, Slight Revenue Increase in Q4 – Microsoft revenue rose slightly but due to several one-time items, it posted a net loss during its fourth fiscal quarter, when the Windows division’s sales fell 13 percent.

Webopedia Daily:

Cinnamon – A desktop graphics environment for Linux and other Unix-like operating systems. Cinnamon is a fork of the GNOME 3 desktop environment that features a traditional layout similar to GNOME 2 but with GNOME 3’s more modern technology and newer features. The mission of Cinnamon is to provide users with an “easy to use and comfortable desktop experience” while also staying current with the latest technology and capabilities.

Off Topic (Sort of):

Idioms Lost to Tech – Technology changes everything, from how we shop to how we stay in touch with friends. And it definitely changes the way we talk–just a few years ago phrases like “Facebook friends,” “trending on Twitter,” and “I can has more cheezburger?” didn’t even exist. But with each new tech-savvy phrase that’s introduced, another technology-based idiom is retired–or should be.

‘Internet Bat Signal’ Intended to Protect Open Web – The caped crusader returns to movie theaters this week, but Internet advocates today launched their own bat signal for the Web.

Hardheaded Socialism Makes Canada Richer Than U.S. – According to data from Environics Analytics WealthScapes published in the Globe and Mail, the net worth of the average Canadian household in 2011 was $363,202, while the average American household’s net worth was $319,970. The difference grows starker by the month: The Canadian system is working; the American system is not.

Google-style glasses prof turns up the heat on McDonald’s – After a pioneer in wearable computing claims he was assaulted in a Paris McDonald’s, the company insists he wasn’t physically attacked, but was asked to leave. He hits back again with new photo evidence.

Chinese Web Users Hit 538 Million – The number of Internet users in China has grown to 538 million, according to a report from the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC). More Chinese users are accessing the Web from mobile devices than a PC – 388 million vs. 380 million. The new pattern is partly a result of China’s mobile Internet prosperity, including easier Web access and lower gadget price tags.

Indonesia shuts down 1 million porn Web sites – With the beginning of Ramadan, the Indonesian government closes pornographic Web sites and hints that it may continue the closure past the country’s holy month.

The Holy Trinity of Inactivity: How Boredom, Distraction, and Procrastination Are Vital to Healthy Living – It probably sounds a little counterintuitive to suggest to anyone that they start slacking off, but in reality it’s about as important to your brain’s health as sleeping is. Being bored, procrastinating, and embracing distraction all help your brain function. In turn, you understand decisions better. You learn easier. You even foster creativity and productivity better. Let’s take a look at this holy trinity of inactivity from the points of view of both science and creative types.

Today’s Quote:

“The meek shall inherit the earth? Well… I don’t think so. If by meek you mean friendly and introverted, okay maybe, but if by meek you mean unwilling to take a chance, then never. If I was a betting man and I had to wager on who I thought would inherit the earth, my money would be on the curious.”

–      Jim Coudal

Today’s Free Downloads:

Webroot System Analyzer – Fast, accurate diagnosis equals rapid, cost-effective remediation. Webroot System Analyzer looks inside a problem system and gives you a quick assessment plus a detailed report on all aspects of hardware, OS and installed applications.

Nitro PDF Reader 2.5.0.33 – Create PDF files, fill-in and save forms, review and collaborate electronically, stamp your signature, type text directly on the page, repurpose content, and work with electronic documents in a way that’s never before been possible in a free PDF reader.