" />

Tech Geek and More

Technology Explained for All

Sponsor Ad IDrive Remote Backup

Category Archives: Web Sites

How to check a shortened URL to see if it’s safe to click (From Tech and Life)

The following post comes from the Tech and Life blog (A friend of TGM) (LINK) http://www.techandlife.com/ (http://www NULL.techandlife NULL.com/). With the limitation of characters that you can use on Facebook and Twitter, one of the popular choices is the shorten the links you share. The problem is that by shorting links, it makes it harder to tell what are good links and what are links that you should avoid.  The original post for this story can be found at (LINK) http://www.techandlife.com/2011/08/how-to-check-a-shortened-url-to-see-if-its-safe-to-click/ (http://www NULL.techandlife NULL.com/2011/08/how-to-check-a-shortened-url-to-see-if-its-safe-to-click/).

Unshorten URL (http://www NULL.techandlife NULL.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Unshorten-URL NULL.jpg)

Yesterday I received email notification of a blog comment which I should check was spam and approve or trash. It looked like spam – a couple of words and a shortened URL. But was the link important or interesting? I was a little wary and knew that this could be a security risk, i.e. don’t click a link if you’re not sure where it’s leading or you don’t know the sender. If you come across a shortened URL on Twitter, you can hover your mouse over it and the full URL will often appear – but not always. So what can you do to check out a shortened URL before you click?

Unshorten the link

Paste the link into unfwd4.me (http://unfwd4 NULL.me/) or unshorten.com (http://unshorten NULL.com/) to see the full URL. You may then be able to decide if the link is reputable and worth following. Still unsure? Try the link scanners mentioned below.

Scan the link

Copy the shortened URL into LinkScanner Online (http://linkscanner NULL.explabs NULL.com/linkscanner/default NULL.aspx) or Online Link Scan (http://onlinelinkscan NULL.com/). They’ll scan the site and alert you if there may be a problem following the link. Or if you have time and want to try multiple antivirus engines, try the scanner at URLVoid (http://vscan NULL.urlvoid NULL.com/).

After you click the link

After you’ve decided to click, browser plugins like McAfee SiteAdvisor (http://www NULL.siteadvisor NULL.com/) and WOT (http://www NULL.mywot NULL.com/en/download) (Web of Trust) provide another tool you can use to alert you of known dubious or untrusted sites. I use McAfee and have found it to be fine. There are free and paid versions. The download link to the free limited version (SiteAdvisor) is currently at the bottom of their Downloads page. Web of Trust is also highly regarded in this fight against ‘clickjacking’ and avoiding malicious sites.

Software: Google+ App for Android–Battery Drain Issue

google-logo  With the release of the (Invite Only) Google+ in the past couple of days, Google has been able to create a lot of Buzz (No pun intended to another one of the Google Projects).  Google+ is the latest attempt to go head-to-head with Facebook.

Tonight’s post concerns the 1st issue I’ve run into while playing with Google+.  I have an HTC Evo 4G that since I moved to an extended life battery (3.7V / 3500 mAh) lasts me 2 full days between charges.  That was until I installed the Google+ App on my phone the other day (It was the only app that I had installed in the past 2 weeks), and suddenly my phone lasted 5 hours on a charge.  So not realizing what was happening, I charged my phone, and again only 5 hours and I was out of charge again.

During the initial install, I didn’t make any changes, and installed using the default settings. So with the sudden and massive cut in battery life, I started digging and figured out the following

- There are 2 settings in the Google+ app that directly affect your battery life.

Once I made the following changes my phone’s battery life went back to what I was accustomed to.

1 – Open your Google+ App

image

2 – When you start your Google+ app, click on the Menu button on your phone. This will open the settings button.  Click on settings

image

3 – Once you are in the settings section, scroll toward the bottom and Uncheck the “Instant Upload” choice.  Once that is uncheck, click on the “Instant Upload Settings”…..

image

4 – This will open an additional Instant Upload Settings Options screen.  On here scroll toward the bottom again, and click and put a check on “Battery Uploads” choice.

image

These changes so far have not had any affect on my ability to use the majority of the features in Google+.  The only 2 things is that I now have to manually upload my pics to Google+ (Instant Upload setting) and I can only upload photos when the phone is plugged in and charging (Battery Uploads).  Of course, you can always uncheck the Battery Uploads choice, upload your pictures, and then check it again. If you choose to only check the “Instant Upload” setting, you get some of your battery life back but not all. In my case, it was 1 full day + 6 hours (approx.).

Of course this is a new App, for a project that was just released and is still in early beta and changes we can all expect that Google will be making changes to fix issues.

Alert: 2 New Facebook Scams (July 2011)

facebook  One of the most common tricks the bad guys use to trick people into infecting their computers involve using current events. Since the beginning of the internet “Social Engineering” has always been the easiest way to get around any pc security.

     We have 2 new tricks making the rounds on Facebook.

1st Scam –

     Just a few days ago Facebook announced a new feature (that will be coming soon) allowing Facebook users the ability to do Video chat (http://articles NULL.cnn NULL.com/2011-07-06/tech/facebook NULL.announcement_1_mark-zuckerberg-facebook-spokeswoman-facebook-users?_s=PM:TECH) with others on your Facebook list.  Security firm SOPHOS is now reporting that the bad guys have started using that announcement to trick Facebook users into infecting their machines (LINK) http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2011/07/08/facebook-scammers-spread-app-pretending-to-be-video-calling/ (http://nakedsecurity NULL.sophos NULL.com/2011/07/08/facebook-scammers-spread-app-pretending-to-be-video-calling/) 

     The FAKE app will show on someone who has already been tricked into clicking the link. The idea being that if you see if the link on the page of someone you know, “then it must be safe”. If you happen to click on the link from someone “someone you know”, then the link appears on your page and the cycle continues. 

fbvidscam3-500

If you see a wall post referencing "Enable video calls.", don’t click it! Send your friend a message that they have been tricked.

     Keep in mind 2 things, (1) The Facebook Video chat will not be released as an add-on app on Facebook, It will be built directly into the site. (2) It isn’t out for general public use yet.

2nd Scam –

     With the Not Guilty verdict in the Casey Anthony verdict causing so many emotions within the general public, the bad guys have figured that emotion will override common sense.

     As SOPHOS is reporting (LINK) http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2011/07/10/leaked-video-of-casey-anthony-confessing-facebook-scam-spreads-quickly/ (http://nakedsecurity NULL.sophos NULL.com/2011/07/10/leaked-video-of-casey-anthony-confessing-facebook-scam-spreads-quickly/) , there is now a FAKE story showing up in posts claiming to be a confession video.

casey-anthony-1 

     For those who wonder why would anyone bother to do this there is a simple answer, MONEY…….

Because you’ll ultimately be taken to a page which pretends to be YouTube, but is really designed to trick you into taking a survey that earns commission for the scammers.

casey-anthony-3

     The page you will be taken to is FAKE and of course before you can see a video THAT DOESN’T EXIST, you need to fill out a survey.  In addition, if you click on the link, it will then appear on your wall and in your likes, with the hope that your FB friends will click see them and click on the links from you.

———————————————————————-

     As always, here are a few reminders

1 – Do your “homework” before clicking on links, even if they appear on the Facebook page of someone you know. Please understand, JUST BECAUSE ITS LISTED ON THE INTERNET, DOES NOT MEAN THAT IT’S TRUE

2 – Make sure you are updating your pc software. That includes Windows/Office Updates, Mac Updates (Yes Mac is starting to get the attention of the bad guys), in addition to Adobe Software Updates (Acrobat, Flash), Oracle Software Updates (JAVA), Your Antivirus maker software (you should be running something, a number of free choices, so there is no excuse), and your Anti-malware software (Superantispyware, Malwarebytes, etc.)…..

Web: **Trekkie Alert** Netflix now has everything Star Trek

Netflix  For all those Trekkies out there, Netflix now has every episode of Star Trek from every season, of every series (including the The Animated Series), plus the movies.

     The following are available via streaming or DVD/Blue Ray 

Star Trek: Enterprise (http://www NULL.netflix NULL.com/Movie/Star-Trek-Enterprise/70158332?strkid=916817486_4_0&lnkctr=srchrd-sr&strackid=287b2bf6050c4b50_4_srl&trkid=222336)

Star Trek: Voyager (http://www NULL.netflix NULL.com/Movie/Star-Trek-Voyager/70158331?strkid=916817486_3_0&lnkctr=srchrd-sr&strackid=287b2bf6050c4b50_3_srl&trkid=222336)

Star Trek: The Next Generation (http://www NULL.netflix NULL.com/Movie/Star-Trek-The-Next-Generation/70158329?strkid=916817486_2_0&lnkctr=srchrd-sr&strackid=287b2bf6050c4b50_2_srl&trkid=222336)

Star Trek (http://www NULL.netflix NULL.com/Movie/Star-Trek/70101276?strkid=916817486_1_0&lnkctr=srchrd-sr&strackid=287b2bf6050c4b50_1_srl&trkid=222336)  (2009 Movie)

Star Trek (http://www NULL.netflix NULL.com/Movie/Star-Trek/70136140?strkid=916817486_0_0&lnkctr=srchrd-sr&strackid=287b2bf6050c4b50_0_srl&trkid=222336) (Original Series)

     With the remaining series and movies on DVD and/or Blue Ray. It seems that Paramount has updated the franchise with a digital makeover.

And More: STUCK–What happens when you are stuck at the Airport

youtube-logo These guys got stuck at the Dallas – Forth Worth airport overnight when they missed their connection, which happened to be the last flight of the night. 

 

This is what happens when you get to spend the night at an airport that has closed.

As someone who has been a road warrior and has slept at numerous airports over the years (including DFW), this video brought back many memories.  I’ve seen similar types of bored behavior in many airports (Chicago, Denver, Atlanta, Phoenix, just to name a few).  I can neither confirm or deny if I’ve done anything like this in the past (but I do think Phoenix has better wheelchairs than DFW)

Alert: Another version of the “See who is looking at your profile” scam on Facebook

facebook In todays edition of Facebook scams to watch out for, is a new version of the “See who is looking at your profile” scam.  In the past, you would find messages like the following on your friends profiles….

image

If you clicked on the link, you risked compromising your Facebook account.  Seems the average user has hear of this enough that those who try and use this scam have now changed tactics…..

This one just came to my attention a short time ago.  Where someone on my list was tagged in pictures

image

As you can see the 3 pictures appear to be completely random.  If you place your cursor over any of the pictures you see the “LOL!! Me cant believe that you can see who is viewing your profile!…………”

If you were to click on any of the pictures, they will open in the Facebook picture viewer and at the bottom of the picture you will again see the message.

image

So lets go over this again.  If you see a message in Facebook that talks about “See who checks your profile” or anything even remotely like that.

 

DO NOT CLICK IT!!!!!

 

It is a scam, at minimum it will add messages to your profile that you don’t authorize, and at worst, it can compromise your Facebook account, allow for malicious use of your account and could even install other non-Facebook related malware/viruses on your pc.

Facebook does not allow in its terms of service for anyone to be able to give you the “see who checks your profile” information.  If anyone person or company says they can help you see that, THEY ARE LYING / IT’S A SCAM.

Software: Internet Explorer 9 – Is now available

microsoft After a year of previews, beta’s, and release candidates, Microsoft has now released the latest version of Internet Explorer 9. Internet Explorer 9 includes the following (From Microsoft – LINK: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/internet-explorer/help/ie-9/whats-new-in-internet-explorer-9 (http://windows NULL.microsoft NULL.com/en-US/internet-explorer/help/ie-9/whats-new-in-internet-explorer-9) )

Notification Bar

The Notification Bar that appears at the bottom of Internet Explorer gives you important status information when you need it, but it won’t force you to click a series of messages to continue browsing.

Search in the address bar

You can now search directly from the address bar. If you enter a website’s address, you’ll go directly to the website. If you enter a search term or incomplete address, you will launch a search using the currently selected search engine. Click the address bar to select your search engine from the listed icons or to add new ones.

New Tab page

The redesigned New Tab page displays the sites you visit most often and color codes them for quick navigation. A site indicator bar also shows how often you visit each site, and you can remove or hide the displayed sites anytime you like.

Enhanced tabs

Tabbed browsing allows you to move easily between multiple open webpages in a single window, but there might be times when you want to look at two tabbed pages at the same time. Tear-off tabs allow you to drag a tab out of Internet Explorer to open the tab’s webpage in a new window, and Snap it for side-by-side viewing.

Download Manager

Download Manager is a powerful new feature that keeps a running list of the files you download from the Internet and notifies you when a file could be malicious. It also lets you pause and restart a download—if you have a slow internet connection—and shows you where to find downloaded files on your computer. You can clear the list at any time

Pinned Sites

If you visit certain webpages regularly, Pinned Sites allows you access them directly from the taskbar on your Windows 7 desktop.

Streamlined design

The first thing you’ll notice when you open Internet Explorer 9 is the compact user interface. Most command bar functions, like Print or Zoom, can now be accessed by clicking the Tools button, and your favorites appear when you click the Favorites button. Otherwise, Internet Explorer gives you the basic controls you need, and lets the web take center stage.

Download links for Internet Explorer 9 leaked a few hours early, as spotted by Winrumors.com (http://www NULL.winrumors NULL.com/internet-explorer-9-rtm-download-links-now-live/):

Windows  7 (x86 version (http://download NULL.microsoft NULL.com/download/C/3/B/C3BF2EF4-E764-430C-BDCE-479F2142FC81/IE9-Windows7-x86-enu NULL.exe))

Windows 7 (x64 version (http://download NULL.microsoft NULL.com/download/C/1/6/C167B427-722E-4665-9A40-A37BC5222B0A/IE9-Windows7-x64-enu NULL.exe))

Windows Vista (x86 version (http://download NULL.microsoft NULL.com/download/0/8/7/08768091-35BC-48E0-9F7F-B9802A0EE2D6/IE9-WindowsVista-x86-enu NULL.exe))

Windows Vista (x64 version (http://download NULL.microsoft NULL.com/download/7/C/3/7C3BA535-1D8C-4A87-9F1D-163BBA971CA9/IE9-WindowsVista-x64-enu NULL.exe))

*NOTE – Internet Explorer 9 is NOT supported on Windows XP.

Facebook: Another scam alert – Fake Charlie Sheen Video scam

facebook (From the register)

(http://www NULL.theregister NULL.co NULL.uk/2011/03/07/charlie_sheen_facebook_scam/)

Charlie Sheen fake filth flick powers Facebook survey scam • The Register (http://www NULL.theregister NULL.co NULL.uk/2011/03/07/charlie_sheen_facebook_scam/)

www.theregister.co.uk (http://www NULL.theregister NULL.co NULL.uk)

Scammers have exploited actor Charlie Sheen’s increasingly bizarre antics as a lure for the latest in a long line of survey scams on Facebook.

**********************************************************************************************************

Tech Geek and More Note

As always scammers are looking to use human curiosity against you.  The want for the “latest train wreak”  is now and has always been one of the best ways for a bad guy to be trick you into falling for his/her trap.

Remember -

  • Keep your AV updated
  • Make sure you have a Spyware program or 2 installed on your pc. I recommend having both superantispyware and malwarebytes installed on your pc. You can find both at www.ninite.com (http://www NULL.ninite NULL.com) (Listed about mid-page, and both are free, even though both may ask you if you want to upgrade to pay versions.  The free versions are more than enough)
  • Always make sure they you update not only your Windows Install and Office install by going to Windows update in Control Panel (Vista and Win 7) or by Going to (LINK) http://update.microsoft.com/windowsupdate/v6/default.aspx?ln=en-us which is the Microsoft Updates page (Win XP and earlier) (http://update NULL.microsoft NULL.com/windowsupdate/v6/default NULL.aspx?ln=en-us)
  • DO NOT CLICK ON ANY link that you were not expecting, even if it appears to come from someone you know.  (This is the Red Riding Hood theory. )
Google Ads
View in: Mobile | Standard