Saturday, 2 April 2016

How to disable windows 10 upgrade permanently with just one click

If you are a Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 user, who don't want to upgrade to Windows 10 now or anytime soon, you might be sick of Microsoft constantly pestering you to upgrade your OS.

Aren't you?

With its goal to deploy Windows 10 on over 1 Billion devices worldwide, Microsoft is becoming more aggressive to convince Windows 7 and 8.1 users to upgrade to its newest operating system, and it is getting harder for users to prevent the OS being installed.

But if you're worried that this out of control Windows 10 upgrade process will force you into downloading an unwanted OS; I have an easier solution to block Windows 10 upgrade on your PCs.

A new free tool, dubbed Never10, provides the user a one-click solution to disable Windows 10 upgrade until the user explicitly gives permission to install Windows 10.

Never10 has been developed by Steve Gibson, the well-known software developer and founder of Gibson Research, which is why the tool is also known as "Gibson's Never10."

How to Disable Windows 10 Upgrade on Your PCs


  1. Go to Gibson's Never10 official site and click on the Download.
  2. Once downloaded, the program detects if the upgrade to Windows 10 is enabled or disabled on your system and then shows a pop-up. If enabled, Click 'Disable Win10 Upgrade' button.
  3. You’ll again see a pop-up that now shows Windows 10 upgrade is disabled on your system, with two buttons to 'Enable Win10 Upgrade' and 'Exit.' Click on Exit button.

disable-windows10-upgrade
That's it, and you have successfully disabled Windows 10 Upgrade on your PC.

Here's the kicker:

The best part of this tool is that you don't have to install an application on your PC to do this. Gibson’s Never 10 is an executable. So you just need to run it, and it doesn’t install anything on your computer. You can delete it when you're done.
"The elegance of this 'Never 10' utility is that it does not install ANY software of its own. It simply and quickly performs the required system editing for its user," Gibson writes on his page about the new utility.
According to Gibson, Never10 will be a great help to inexperienced users while advanced users will likely appreciate the fact that no additional software is installed and will be able to refer their family and friends to this easy-to-use utility.

For more technical details on how this tool works, you can head on to this link.

Unlike other available Windows 10 blocker tools, Never10 blocks the Windows 10 upgrade, but at the same time, the tool allows you to start the update process in case you change your mind, according to Windows watcher Paul Thurrott.

However, the primary purpose of Gibson's Never10 is to prevent Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 operating system from being upgraded to Windows 10. As Gibson says:
"Many users of Windows 7 and 8.1 are happy with their current version of Windows and have no wish to upgrade to Windows 10." 
"There are many reasons for this, but among them is the fact that Windows 10 has become quite controversial due to Microsoft's evolution of their Windows OS platform into a service which, among other things, aggressively monitors and reports on its users' activities."
Moreover, just a month ago, Microsoft was caught displaying unsolicited advertisements on its Windows 10 users' desktops.

These reasons are enough for many users to stay on their previous versions of the Windows operating system.

Tuesday, 1 March 2016

How to turn windows 10 lock screen ads off

Although the ads are not as annoying as the Windows 10 privacy concerns related to the way Microsoft collects your personal data, the good news is that you can turn the ads OFF.

Here's How to Turn the Ads OFF
Disable Windows 10 Lock Screen Advertisement
The advertisements are because of the Windows Spotlight feature in your Personalization settings.

If you don't want to see these intrusive ads, follow the steps given below to disable Windows Spotlight:
  • Open the Start Menu and look for 'Lock Screen Settings.'
  • Under 'Background,' Choose either 'Picture' or 'Slideshow,' instead of Windows Spotlight.
  • Now, Scroll down to 'Get fun facts, tips, tricks, and more on your lock screen' and uncheck this box.
The advertisements are turned ON for your lock screen by default, which is definitely a clever way to offer companies to reach their customers, without mentioning the word 'advertisements' to the Windows users.
windows-10-settings


As I previously said: Nothing comes for Free, as "Free" is just a relative term. Everything comes with its own price.

As warned last year, Microsoft also started pushing Windows 10 upgrades onto its user's computers much harder by re-categorizing Windows 10 as a "Recommended Update" in Windows Update, instead of an "optional update."

Raspberry Pi 3 — New $35 MicroComputer with Built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

While celebrating its computer's fourth birthday, the Raspberry Pi Foundation has launched a brand new Raspberry Pi today.

Great news for all Micro-computing fans – A new, powerful Raspberry Pi 3 Model B in town.

Months after introducing just $5 Raspberry Pi Zero, Raspberry Pi Foundation has introduced its third major version of the Raspberry Pi, the successor of the Raspberry Pi 2 that was launched back in February last year.

The Raspberry Pi is a highly simple computer that looks and feels very basic, but could be built into a number of geeky projects. Due to its low-cost appeal, the Raspberry Pi has become the most popular computer yet with 8 Million units already sold.

Raspberry Pi 3 — Built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth


Although previous versions of Raspberry Pi needed USB adapters to get Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, credit card-sized Raspberry Pi 3 Model B has built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetoothconnectivity.

The new version of the Pi supports 802.11n Wi-Fi (2.4GHz only) and Bluetooth 4.1, freeing up its four USB ports for other purposes.

The Raspberry Pi 3 is also getting a speed jump from a 32-bit processor, 900MHz quad-core ARM Cortex A7, to a faster 64-bit processor, quad-core 1.2GHz ARM Cortex-A53 CPU.

The new Raspberry Pi is expected to give 50 percent faster performance than the previous version due to architectural improvements and increase in clock speeds, says Eben Upton, CEO of Raspberry Pi.

At a launch event today the Raspberry Pi Foundation said it has worked closely with Microsoft to ensure full compatibility between the new Pi 3 board and Windows 10 IoT.

Raspberry Pi 3 Model B: The $35 MicroComputer

raspberry-pi-3-microcomputer
The Raspberry Pi 3 is still just $35, but might be the biggest when looking at its specifications:
  • 1.2GHz Quad-Core Broadcom BCM2387 ARM Cortex-A53 processor
  • Graphics upgrade from 250MHz to 400MHz Dual Core VideoCore IV GPU
  • 802.11n Wi-Fi
  • Bluetooth 4.1 (Bluetooth Classic and LE)
  • Support 1080p video at 60fps using the H.264 format, up from 30fps
  • 1GB RAM (same as the previous version)
  • MicroSD Card Slot
  • Operating System: Operating System Boots from Micro SD card, running a version of the Linux operating system or Windows 10 IoT
  • Ethernet connectivity remains at 100Mbps
  • Requires a 2.5A input power
  • Video Output: HDMI (rev 1.3 & 1.4, Composite RCA (PAL and NTSC)
  • Audio Output: 3.5mm jack, HDMI, USB 4 x USB 2.0
The all-new and powerful version of Raspberry Pi 3 brings a host of new hardware that makes it a much more powerful computer.

The Raspberry Pi 3 costs $35/£30 only (nearly Rs. 2,400), same as the Raspberry Pi 2 and is available for sale from its partners Element14 and RS Components.

The company said it will also introduce a Raspberry Pi BCM2837-based Compute Module 3, an even smaller board designed for industrial applications, in the next few months. The Compute Module won't include any WiFi connectivity, but will have the same 1.2GHz Cortex A53 processor and 1GB RAM as the Raspberry Pi 3.

Wednesday, 27 January 2016

Critical Flaws in Magento leave Millions of E-Commerce Sites at Risk



Critical Flaw in Magento leave Millions of E-Commerce Sites at Risk
If you are using Magento to run your e-commerce website, it's time for you to update the CMS (content management system) now.
Millions of online merchants are at risk of hijacking attacks due to a number of critical cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in the Magento, the most popular e-commerce platform owned by eBay.

Why the Bugs are So Serious?

Virtually all versions of Magento Community Edition 1.9.2.2 and earlier as well as Enterprise Edition 1.14.2.2 and earlier, are vulnerable to the Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) flaws.
The stored XSS flaws are awful as they allow attackers to:
  • Effectively take over a Magento-based online store
  • Escalate user privileges
  • Siphon customers’ data
  • Steal credit card information
  • Control the website via administrator accounts
However, the good news is that the vulnerabilities are patched, and an update has been made available to the public after security firm Sucuri discovered and privately reported the vulnerability to the company.

How Easy it is to Exploit the Flaw

The XSS bugs are quite easy to exploit. All an attacker need to do is embed malicious JavaScript code inside customer registration forms in place of email address.
Magento then runs and executes this email containing JavaScript code in the context of the administrator account, making it possible for an attacker to steal administrator session and completely take over the server running Magento.
Cybersecurity firm Sucuri describes the bug as the worst hole, saying:
"The buggy snippet is located inside Magento core libraries, more specifically within the administrator's backend. Unless you are behind a WAF or you have a very heavily modified administration panel, you are at risk."
"As this is a Stored XSS vulnerability, this issue could be used by attackers to take over your site, create new administrator accounts, steal client information, anything a legitimate administrator account is allowed to do."

Patch your Software Now!

To prevent websites from exploitation, webmasters are recommended to apply the latest patch bundle SUPEE-7405 as soon as possible.
Since the latest patch resolves the issue for Magento version 1.14.1 and 1.9.1 and earlier, problems impacting Magento versions 1.14.2.3 and 1.9.2.3 have already been resolved.
With Alexa top one million e-commerce websites and over all ten Million websites using the internet's fourth most popular CMS, Magento has become a valuable target for attackers nowadays.
So, patch your websites now to stay safe!

Remove vulnerable java software now.

Security issues have long tantalized over 850 Million users that have Oracle's Java software installed on their computers. The worst thing is that the software was not fully updated or secure for years, exposing millions of PCs to attack.
And for this reason, Oracle is now paying the price.

Oracle has been accused by the US government of misleading consumers about the security of its Java software.
Oracle is settling with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over charges that it "deceived" its customers by failing to warn them about the security upgrades.

Java is a software that comes pre-installed on many computers and helps them run web applications, including online calculators, chatrooms, games, and even 3D image viewing.

Oracle Left Over 850 Million PCs at Risk

The FTC has issued a press release that says it has won concessions in a settlement with Oracle over its failure to uninstall older and insecure Java SE software from customer PCs upon the upgrade process, which left up to 850 Million PCs susceptible to hacking attacks.
However, the company was only upgrading the most recent version of the software and ignoring the older versions that were often chock full of security loopholes that could be exploited by hackers in order to hack a targeted PC.
Oracle is Now Paying the Price
So, under the terms of the settlement with Oracle, announced by the FTC on Monday, Oracle is required to:
  • Notify Java customers about the issue via Twitter, Facebook, and its official website
  • Provide tools and instructions on how to remove older versions of Java software
Oracle has agreed to the settlement that is now subject to public comment for 30 days, although Oracle declined to comment on its part.
Meanwhile, the FTC wants Java users to know that if they have older versions of the software. Here is the website that will help you remove them: java.com/uninstall.

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