Improved Preformance and Privacy in Firefox 21.0

Improved Preformance and Privacy in Firefox 21.0

 Mozilla has released Firefox 21.0 Final, a major new version of its cross-platform, open-source web browser for Windows, Mac and Linux. Version 21 gives users more control over their tracking cookie preferences, extends the social API to support four new providers and implements support for tools to help with troubleshooting and performance issues.

Also included in this release are improvements to its Do Not Track Feature, users now have three options via the Privacy tab of Firefox’s Options dialog. The default "user says nothing" and "user says don’t track" have now been joined by a "Tell sites that I want to be tracked" option for those who wish to allow tracking in order to see more personally relevant advertising.

Mozilla has also improved Firefox's Social API to support new providers. Users now have the option to add Asian social providers Mixi and Weibo, plus news aggregators msnNOW and Cliqz. Once installed, users switch between providers by clicking the main button and selecting the chosen provider from the list.

 Lastly is this author's personal favorite the new Firefox Health Report. A tool that provides information designed to improve browser performance while also sharing data with Mozilla, This can be disabled for those that do not wish to share data with Mozilla, Options dialog -- select Advanced > Data Choices tab to do so. Firefox will also monitor start-up times and alert users via the status bar of slow start times and offer a link to a web site which will offer advise on how to improve start up speed.

Version 21.0 update also comes with the promise of improved graphics performance, the implementation of Remote Profiling for developers and the removal of support for certain depreciated History APIs as part of Firefox’s drive towards asynchronous History and Bookmarks.

Download FireFox 21.0

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nVIDIA GeForce Drivers for Windows 320.14 Beta

nVIDIA GeForce Drivers for Windows 320.14 Beta

Recommended driver for Nvidia cards. It is Microsoft WHQL-certified and will also be available for download via Windows Update.

 nVIDIA GeForce Drivers for Windows 320.14 Beta

Latest Changes

• - Performance Boost – Increases performance by up to 20% for GeForce 400/500/600 series GPUs in several PC games vs. GeForce 314.22 WHQL-certified drivers. Results will vary depending on your GPU and system configuration. Here is one example of measured ga
• - GeForce GTX 660: ?Up to 20% in Dirt: Showdown
• - Up to 18% in Tomb Raider
• - Up to 10% in Metro: Last Light
• - Up to 8% in StarCraft II
• - Up to 6% in Sniper Elite V2

Download nVidia Drivers

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Homedale:WLAN Monitor WIFI access Points

Homedale::WLAN Monitor

Homedale lets you search for Wi-Fi / WLAN Access Points and monitor their signal strength. See an overview of all available access points with their signal strength, encryption [WEP/WPA/WPA2], speed and channel. You can also monitor the signal strength of selected access points in a graph over the time. With a right mouse click, you can start logging to a text file and create a screenshot. Make a right mouse click to connect and disconnect from a WLAN access point.

Signal Strength

You can also monitor the signal strength of selected access points in a graph over the time. With a right mouse click, you can start logging to a text file and create a screenshot.

 

Connect

Make a right mouse click to connect and disconnect from a WLAN access point. The blue icon shows the currently connected access point.

 

Download Homedale.zip

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Monitor and Log TCP Connections With TcpLogView

Monitor and Log TCP Connections With TcpLogView

TcpLogView is a free connection monitoring software for Windows. You can use TcpLogView to monitor and log TCP connections. When a process on your system creates a connection, both the process name and the location where it has connected will be logged.


TcpLogView is portable, you can use it from a USB flash drive for example. Without any active TCP connections on startup, the list that you see will be empty. As soon as you start an application that establishes an online connection, you should see new events being logged inside TcpLogView.

System Requirements & Limitations

• This utility works on any version of Windows, starting from Windows 2000 and up to Windows 8. On 64-bit systems, you should use the x64 build of TcpLogView.
• This utility creates the TCP log by taking a snapshot of currently open TCP connections, and comparing it to the previous snapshot. This means that if a TCP connection is opened for a very short time, then TcpLogView will not be able to capture it.
• On Windows Vista/7/8 with UAC turned on, you should run TcpLogView as administrator if you want to get full process information. 

Download links:

Download TcpLogView

Download TcpLogView for 64-bit systems

 

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Microsoft Security Bulletin Advance Notification for May 2013

Microsoft Security Bulletin Advance Notification for May 2013

Microsoft Security Bulletin Advance Notification for May 2013 Issued: May 9, 2013

This is an advance notification of security bulletins that Microsoft is intending to release on May 14, 2013. The full version of the Microsoft Security Bulletin Advance Notification for May 2013 can be found at http://technet.microsoft.com/security/bulletin/ms13-may.

This bulletin advance notification will be replaced with the May bulletin summary on May 14, 2013. For more information about the bulletin advance notification service, see http://technet.microsoft.com/security/bulletin/advance.

To receive automatic notifications whenever Microsoft Security Bulletins are issued, subscribe to Microsoft Technical Security Notifications on http://technet.microsoft.com/security/dd252948.

Microsoft will host a webcast to address customer questions on these bulletins on May 15, 2013, at 11:00 AM Pacific Time (US & Canada). Register for the Security Bulletin Webcast at http://technet.microsoft.com/security/bulletin.

Microsoft plans to release 10 security patches May 15th 2013;

2 Rated Critical (Internet Explorer)
8 Rated Important. (2x Windows, 3x Office, 1x lync, 1x .net, and 1x MSSE)

As with all updates make sure to set a restore point and back up all data prior to downloading and installing these updates to prevent loss of data.

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PerfView Performance-Analysis Tool For isolating CPU and Memory-Related Performance Issues

PerfView Performance-Analysis Tool For isolating CPU and memory-related performance issues

PerfView is a performance analysis tool focusing on ETW information (ETL files) as well as CLR memory information (heap dumps). It can collect and view ETL files as well as XPERF CSV files. Powerful grouping operators allow you to understand performance profiles in ways other tools can't. PerfView is used internally at Microsoft by a number of teams and is the primary performance investigation tool on the .NET Runtime team. Features include:

• Non-invasive collection - suitable for use in live, production environments
• Xcopy deployment - copy and run
• Memory
• Support for very large heaps (gigabytes)
• Snapshot diffing
• Dump files (.dmp)
• CPU Performance
• Support for managed, native, and mixed code
• Can read XPerf logs
• Profile diffing

Updates in the 1.4.1.0 version include:

• Added more /StopOn* options for stopping the circular buffer when paritcular events happen.
• Support for events logged with WPP Software Tracing (place TMF files in an TMF directory)

Download PerfView

 

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Microsoft Puts A bandaid On IE8, Users Are Still Advised to Upgrade to IE10

Microsoft Puts A bandaid On IE8, Users Are Still Advised to Upgrade to IE10

Microsoft has issued an advisory, and  "Fix it" for Internet Explorer 8. However it's  more a temporary stop-gap than a real resolution for the flaw. Microsoft stresses that "CVE-2013-1347 MSHTML Shim Workaround" is "not intended to be a replacement for any security update". This Fix It can also be disabled if for some reason you have an issue with it.

The vulnerability is a remote code execution vulnerability. The vulnerability exists in the way that Internet Explorer accesses an object in memory that has been deleted or has not been properly allocated. The vulnerability may corrupt memory in a way that could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user within Internet Explorer. An attacker could host a specially crafted website that is designed to exploit this vulnerability through Internet Explorer and then convince a user to view the website.

The vulnerability does not affect Internet Explorer 6, Internet Explorer 7, Internet Explorer 9, and Internet Explorer 10.

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Change Your Password Lately? You Should

Change Your Password Lately? You Should

I get calls, support tickets, and family telling my that "My computer has been hacked, or my Facebook has be broken into. This is more common that one would think and my question is alway;

Have you changed your password lately?

As long as there have been computers there have been passwords to login to them. Many people including persons in IT use common non-complex passwords often using 123456, password, or the street for which they live.

Intel's blog notes that length is more important than complexity when choosing a password: "The password 'Br3ak1ead&7' would take a computer three days to crack, at 1,000 guesses per second. Meanwhile, the seemingly simple 'thunder showers before sunset' password, would take the same computer, guessing at the same rate, 550 years to crack."  Using strong passwords is highly recommended, password that contain uppercase letters, punctuation and numbers are a good start but as noted above length is often better than complexity.

I always suggest that the person write out a long sentence using a familiar verse, quote or line in a movie, then take the first letter from each word and substitute uppercase, numbers, and punctuation.

Example: I grew up in Novato, California and went to high school at Live Oak.

password would be:  IguiNCawthsalo.

You could take it a step further and sub a few letters for numbers as such,

new password:  Igu1NCawth5alo.

In this example I subbed the lowercase i for a 1, and the letter s for a 5. As you can see this is a very complex password however as noted in the Intel article a better solution would be a longer ramdom password. Both methods have their strong points as well as weaknesses you can check your examples here using Intel password checking tool

My example password Igu1NCawth5alo. when tested using the Intel tool gives the following results;
CONGRATULATIONS, It would take about 6858401 years to crack your password.

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Rid Your Inbox of Unwanted Subscriptions: Unroll.Me

Rid Your Inbox of Unwanted Subscriptions: Unroll.Me

If you are like many your receive tons of subscriptions you don't want, and even some you do. This can become a hassle and clutter your inbox with tons of unwanted subscriptions and spam. It is very time consuming to open each email, select unsubscribe and with most have to wait 1-3 days for the action to fully unsubscribe your from their mailing list.

In comes Unroll.Me, a very easy, quick solution that takes the hassle out of opting out and is currently only compatible with Gmail including Google Apps for Business. Goto Unroll.Me and login. Once you login you are presented with the option to scan your inbox, this process can take a few minutes.

When the scan is complete you are given two options to unsubscribe, or rollup. If you selecte unsubscribe Unroll.Me will take of it. If you select Rollup, the subscription will be added to your daily rollup and delivered to you once a day. Users can choose when and how to receive the bulk emails, in the morning, afternoon or evening and in grid or list view, as well as manage the rollup and re-subscribe in case of a change of heart.

That is all it takes, now your once cluttered inbox is now a pleasant place to visit.

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Bring Back Messenger and Rid Yourself of Skype

A few weeks back Microsoft merged Messenger and Skype in to a single package and flipped the switch on Messenger forcing users to use the new client. A fan of the old Messenger and not wanting to use Skype I found a way to install Messenger without having to use the merged client.

Messenger Reviver 2 automatically installs, repairs and/or modifies Windows Live Messenger 2012, 2011, 2009, and 2008 (as well as Windows Messenger) so you can continue using and signing in to the old service.

You can download Messenger Reviver 2 here and there is also a zipped version you may download here if your anti-virus or other security tools is blocking your download.

Messenger Reviver 2: Install Messenger without Skype

Once you download and install the program double click the program to start, and it will detect all installed versions of Messenger and give you the option to revive them. You can then sign in and use Messenger as if Skype never happened.

This is a great alternative for those that do not like to be force feed a newer version that includes Skype. Although not a long time fix as rumors go Messenger is set to be discontinued in 2014 at some point, but for those that like the original messenger it will suffice for now.

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Microsoft Confirms Windows Blue in Latter 2013

Microsoft has confirmed the successor to Windows 8, Windows Blue 8.1 will roll out later this year, Julie Larson-Green, Windows co-chief, took to the podium at the Wired Business Conference today to confirm that a developer preview of Windows 8.1—a.k.a. Windows Blue—will be made available during the company's BUILD conference in June.

Windows 8.1 AKA Windows Blue Developer Preview June 2013

There is speculation that Microsoft will bring back the Start Button, although will not have the same functions that Windows 7 has. Also noted in the rumor mill is talks that they may allow Windows 8.1 users to boot directly to the Desktop, however this will be disabled by default and thus far not confirmed.

With the news of a preview in later June and a possible relase date scheduled for the end of the year one would have to think that an RTM would be available to OEMS 4-6 weeks prior for testing before signing off on the final image. Which would made a late October 2013 release to the public just in time for the holiday consumer rush.

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Have A Windows Phone? Here are Some Diagnostic Codes

If you like most want to change settings on your Windows Phone, here is a list of  diagnostic codes that you might want to check out.

Windows Phone Diagnostic Codes

As with all diagnostic codes, and hacks please remember to backup all your data in case you experience an adverse actions while using the below diagnostic codes. TechBetaPlus takes no responsibility for damage caused by the use of these codes and the end user is using at their own risk.

The list,

*#0*# - LCD Test - flashes through different colours
*#0002*28345# - Audio control utility
*#0011# - Power and Temprature settings
*#0228# - Bat
*#0289# - Melody Test\Test External and Internal Speaker
*#03# - SMDInfo
*#05# - Simple test menu
*#06# - Show IMEI number
*#0673# - MP3 Test Menu\Shows Audio sound tests
*#0782# - Shows Clock & Alarms settings
*#0842# - Vibrate test menu
*#0987# - Multitouch test
*#1111# - Show FTA software version
*#1234# - Shows the PDA and the Phone version number
*#197328640# - The Root Menu
*#2*# - Battery Information
*#2222# - Show FTA hardware version
*#2263# - RAT Selection option is resricted
*#232331# - BT RF Test Mode
*#232332# - BT Audio
*#232333# - BT Search Test
*#232337# - Bluetooth MAC Adress
*#232338# - WLAN MAC address
*#232339# - WLAN Test mode
*#2580# - Integrity Control
*#3*# - Test Brightness
*#32489# - (GSM test) Shows the ciphering status and options to enable or disable it.
*#7284# - USB Path control (TETHERED CALL)
*#745# - Operation (2): Ril log done
*#7450# - Operation (99):Error Report off done
*#7451# - Operation (99):Error Report off done
*#7465625# -Shows status of the Network, Service Provider, SIM or Corporation lock
*#770# - Operation (99):Vphone 770 done!
*#771# - Operation (99):Vphone 771 done!
*#772# - Operation (99):Vphone 772 done!
*#773# - Operation (99):Vphone 773 done!
*#774# - Operation (99):Vphone 774 done!
*#775# - Operation (99):Vphone 775 done!
*#776# - Operation (99):Vphone 776 done!
*#777# - Operation (99):Vphone 777 done!
*#778# - Operation (99):Vphone 778 done!
*#779# - Operation (99):Vphone 779 done!
*#780# - Operation (99):SR Test done!
*#9090# - Diag Config\UART/USB settings
*2767*3855# - Full Reset (all data will be deleted! Be careful)

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