Trinidad and Tobago Computer Society

Author: ttcsadmin

  • Ars Technica: Gangnam Style overflows INT_MAX, forces YouTube to go 64-bit

    http://arstechnica.com/business/2014/12/gangnam-style-overflows-int_max-forces-youtube-to-go-64-bit/

  • Adobe releases 2nd critical security update for Adobe Flash Player for Windows, MacOS X & Linux (November 25 2014)

    Adobe Flash Player logo
    Adobe Flash Player logo

    Adobe has posted a 2nd critical security update for Adobe Flash Player in November 2014 for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux.

    According to the Adobe Security Bulletin dated November 25 2014:

    Adobe has released security updates for Adobe Flash Player for Windows, Macintosh and Linux.  These updates provide additional hardening against CVE-2014-8439, which was mitigated in the October 14, 2014 release (reference http://helpx.adobe.com/security/products/flash-player/apsb14-22.html)

    So update ASAP!

    To determine what version of the Adobe Flash player you have on your Windows, Macintosh or Linux system, visit http://www.adobe.com/software/flash/about/

    To download the latest version of Adobe Flash Player without any adware or bundled third party offers, visit
    http://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/distribution3.html

    Windows users should note that the Flash Player in Microsoft Internet Explorer v9 and earlier versions of Internet Explorer and the Flash player in web browsers like Opera, Mozilla Firefox and Safari are separate installs.
    You should install and update both versions of Adobe Flash.

    For Internet Explorer v10 and Internet Explorer v11 (for users for Windows 7 Service Pack 1 and Windows 8), these browsers have Adobe Flash Player built-in and users should update their Internet Explorer browser versions.

    Google Chrome browser users has Adobe Flash Player built-in and users should update the Google Chrome browser to the latest version. See https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95414 on how to do so.

  • Trinidad & Tobago Computer Society statement on the intent by Cable and Wireless Communications PLC to acquire Columbus International

    Trinidad & Tobago Computer Society Statement on
    the intent by Cable and Wireless Communications PLC to acquire Columbus International

    The Trinidad and Tobago Computer Society (TTCS) notes with concern the November 6th 2014 announcement by Cable and Wireless Communications PLC (C&W) of C&W’s intent to acquire Columbus International.

    We feel that this acquisition will lead to very high ownership concentrations in Caribbean-wide wireline services (voice and broadband internet) and subsea fiber links. In some markets this acquisition will also remove the prospect of healthy competition in mobile telephony services.

    In Trinidad and Tobago, the Telecommunications Services of Trinidad & Tobago (TSTT) will experience the intolerable position of competing with a shareholder that is privy to all its plans (C&W owns 49% of TSTT, while the Trinidad and Tobago Government is a majority shareholder of National Enterprises Limited (NEL), the latter which owns 51% of TSTT) and may have veto power on its investment programs. If the merged entity were to gain controlling interest in TSTT, the resulting combination would absolutely dominate all broadband and wireline telephony services and would be in an excellent strategic position to extend this dominance to the wireless voice and broadband market.

    Even if C&W were to sell its TSTT shares, it is unlikely that a small national player will be able to compete with much larger, geographically diversified and well capitalized competitors. It is important to note that TSTT would NOT be an attractive acquisition target for anyone but C&W, given its small size and weak competitive position and that it is the GoRTT that may be forced to acquire C&W’s TSTT shares. In a sense the taxpayers of Trinidad and Tobago may end up partially funding the merger of C&W Communications and Columbus International.

    Ultimately, the TTCS sees the proposed merger as reversing two decades of solid progress in liberalizing the local telecommunication sector and feel that the residential and business consumers will lose many of the benefits of intense competition between C&W/TSTT, Columbus Flow and Digicel.

    ——-

  • Interesting Windows programs

    Interesting Windows programs

    Here are several links to various software and other related websites for Microsoft Windows (10/8/7) .

    With many great Free and Open Source Software for Windows listed at TTCS OSSWIN online at https://ttcsosswin.ttcs.tt/ and available for download as TTCS OSSWIN , this article will focus on useful freeware programs.

    This article was last updated on November 12 2021.

    AntiVirus

    For Windows 8 and 10, Windows Defender is preinstalled.

    For Windows 7, BitDefender Antivirus Free Edition – lightweight, free anti-virus software.

    Windows Utilities

    • BleachBit Reclaims disk space by removing temporary files from Windows and many Windows applications
    • Speccy – system information tool for your PC
    • John’s Background Switcher – periodically changes the wallpaper on your Windows desktop – you can specify to update your wallpaper from a variety of online sources (Flickr, Unsplash, etc) as well as images from your computer or network share
    • ProduKey – displays the product keys of Microsoft Office and Microsoft Windows – useful when you want to re-install the software and you don’t have it available.
    • CutePDF Writer – Create PDF documents from any Windows application that can print
    • Neutron – small and simple time synchronizing program that retrieves the accurate time from one of several time servers on the Internet and updates the Windows’ clock.
    • Attribute Changer – Windows Explorer addon to easily change file and folder attributes and date/time stamps, including photo (EXIF) information.
    • CDBurnerXP – burn CD and DVDs including Blu-rays
    • Open-Shell-Menu – brings back the Classic Start Menu for Windows 7,8,10 – great for Windows 8 which “broke” the start menu UI
    • ImageUSB – backup USB drives to an image and write an image concurrently to multiple USB Flash Drives.
    • Teracopy – utility to copy files better than Windows – can pause / resume copying and in the case of a copy error, it would skip the file rather than stop the entire copy operation
    • Windows PowerToys – set of Windows 10 utilities from Microsoft
    • Wox – quickly launch programs or search for programs and files with a few keystrokes

    Windows Internet Applications

    • Mozilla Firefox – Award-winning Web browser that’s fast, secure, and easy to use.
    • Google Chrome – web browser by Google noted for its speed and minimalist interface.
    • MailStore Home – archive and backup/restore email from a variety of email clients and Internet mail (POP3 / IMAP / Gmail / Yahoo!)

    Windows Applications

    • LibreOffice free office productivity suite (word processor, spreadsheet, presentations) compatible with all major office suites
    • 7-Zip file archiver with high compression ratio. Supports ZIP files
    • Stickies – place sticky notes on your desktop and/or send to other users’ desktops over a LAN ; can be set to disappear and reappear on your screen to acts as reminders
    • Convert – easy to use unit conversion program that will convert units such as distance, mass and MANY others
    • VideoLAN – multimedia player for various audio and video formats
    • IrfanView – excellent image viewer / converter / manipulator
    • FastStone Image Viewer – image browser, converter and editor. Free for home use.
    • XMPlay – minimal, yet powerful audio player. Support skins to change its appearance
    • Paint.NET – image and photo editing software with features such as layers, unlimited undo and special effects.

    Other Useful Windows Sites

    • gHacks Technology News – great technology blog on Windows and the Internet.
    • FOSSHub – good download site of Freeware and Free and Open Source Software
    • FileHippo.com – well organised collection of Windows software organised by categories to download
    • TinyApps.Org – a catalog on tiny (< 1.44MB) programs for Windows

  • Microsoft announces Skype for web beta

    Very interesting news, especially for Chromebook users, and for those on the road or using another computer to chat without the Skype desktop client.

    screenshot of Skype web client (credit : Skype.com)

     

    From http://blogs.skype.com/2014/11/14/please-welcome-skype-for-web-beta/

    “..We’re starting to roll-out a brand new way of using Skype. Now, not only can Skype be used on just about any screen you lay your hands on, but you can also enjoy Skype on a browser. Welcome, Skype for Web (Beta).

    Skype for Web makes it quicker and easier than ever before to connect with friends, family and colleagues around the world, for free – directly from Skype.com.

    You can use Skype for Web without having to download an app before you get started, which means anyone new to Skype can get chatting even faster. Simply sign in to Skype for Web on Skype.com and you’ll be able to connect and start instant messaging directly from your browser….

    …You can connect to Skype for Web from Internet Explorer (10+), Chrome on Windows, Firefox or Safari on your computer ..”

  • Techcrunch: Microsoft Takes .NET Open Source And Cross-Platform

    For more than 12 years now, the .NET framework has been the programming model for developers who want to build apps for Windows. But in its efforts to take many of its developer tools cross-platform, Microsoft today announced that it plans to take .NET to both the Mac and Linux soon and that it is open-sourcing most of the full server-side .NET core stack (not client-side .NET), starting with the next version.

    Read the full article at
    http://techcrunch.com/2014/11/12/microsoft-takes-net-open-source-and-cross-platform/

  • Adobe releases critical security updates for Adobe Flash for Windows, Mac and Linux (November 2014)

    adobe-flash-logo-screenshot

     

     

    According to the Adobe Security Bulletin dated November 11 2014:

    Adobe has released security updates for Adobe Flash Player for Windows, Macintosh and Linux.  These updates address vulnerabilities that could potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system. Adobe recommends users update their product installations to the latest versions

    So update ASAP!

    To determine what version of the Adobe Flash player you have on your Windows, Macintosh or Linux system, visit http://www.adobe.com/software/flash/about/

    To download the latest version of Adobe Flash Player without any adware or bundled third party offers, visit
    http://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/distribution3.html

    Windows users should note that the Flash Player in Microsoft Internet Explorer v9 and earlier versions of Internet Explorer and the Flash player in web browsers like Opera, Mozilla Firefox and Safari are separate installs.
    You should install and update both versions of Adobe Flash.

    For Internet Explorer v10 and Internet Explorer v11 (for users for Windows 7 Service Pack 1 and Windows 8), these browsers have Adobe Flash Player built-in and users should update their Internet Explorer browser versions.

    Google Chrome browser users has Adobe Flash Player built-in and users should update the Google Chrome browser to the latest version. See https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95414 on how to do so.

     

  • Raspberry launches Raspberry Pi Model A+ for $20 US

    Raspberry Pi Model A+ (source : http://www.raspberrypi.org/)
    Raspberry Pi Model A+ (source : http://www.raspberrypi.org/)

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Raspberry has announced the Raspberry Pi Model A+ for $20 US. From the announcement :

    “Like the Model A, the Model A+ uses the BCM2835 application processor and has 256MB RAM, but it is significantly smaller (65mm in length, versus 86mm for the Model A), consumes less power, and inherits the many improvements that we made to the Model B+, including:

    • More GPIO. The GPIO header has grown to 40 pins. The Model A+ is compatible with the HAT standard for add-on boards.
    • Micro SD. The old friction-fit SD card socket has been replaced with a much nicer push-push micro SD version.
    • Better audio. The audio circuit incorporates a dedicated low-noise power supply.”

    Read the rest on the Raspberry website at http://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/#raspberry-pi-model-a-plus-on-sale

  • Create installation media for Windows 8.1

    You can download Microsoft Windows 8.1 (or 8.1 Pro) from Microsoft’s website by following the instructions at http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/create-reset-refresh-media

    2014-11-11_09-05-31

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Installation is straightforward. You can choose the language version, the edition of Windows (8.1 or 8.1 Pro) and the 64 bit version or 32 bit version. Next, you choose whether you save the installation file as either an ISO file (for burning to a DVD) or for a USB flash drive.

    The download is around 4GB so you’ll obviously need a fast internet connection for this.

    You will need a valid product key, but if you’ve ever purchased a laptop or desktop and you didn’t receive the installation media, now you can get the installation media directly from Microsoft.

     

     

  • 51 cameras from Trinidad and Tobago viewable to anyone over the Internet

    security-265130_640

     

     

     

     

    More persons in Trinidad and Tobago have security cameras at their home or office. Often, such cameras are accessible on the Internet.

    However, your cameras can be viewable to anyone on the Internet if your cameras are not secured properly.

    A recent Techcrunch article highlighted the issue of unsecured webcams :

    An odd site…purports to display 73,000 unsecured webcams from around the world, most of them CCTV and simple IP cameras. All of the cameras have two things in common – they’re streaming on publicly accessible network ports and they are still using the default passwords, thereby allowing anyone with a web-crawling robot and the wherewithal to type admin/admin to gain access to the stream.

    The site breaks the cameras down by model and location and most of the cameras are standard IP-based cameras (or banks of cameras) made by major manufacturers like Foscam and Panasonic.

    Currently, the “odd site” lists 51 cameras from Trinidad and Tobago, viewable to anyone over the Internet.

    About.com’s article “How to Secure Your IP Security Cameras“ (update May 2017) Lifewire’s article “How to Secure Your IP Security Cameras” ) offers some practical advice to better secure your camera:

    • Change your camera’s default password with a strong password to protect your camera feed. Having no password or having weak passwords (like “admin” or “12345”) makes it easy for anyone to hack your camera. Similarly, camera’s default passwords are easily known. Changing your password to a strong password is crucial.
    • Check your camera manufacturer’s website for updated firmware (the software that runs your camera). Updated firmware can patch vulnerabilities that attackers could use to control/view cameras without needing a password.
    • Turn on Encryption – if your camera can encrypt data, turn this on so that the URL for the camera’s login page begins with “https” instead of “http”. If your camera is wireless capable, your camera (and your wireless network) should be configured to use WPA2 encryption.

    See also this article from the US Federal Trade Commission: Consumer Information : Using IP Cameras Safely