How to: Getting the old picture view back on Facebook (workaround)

On Thursday 2/10/2011, Facebook announced on their (LINK) blog page (http://blog NULL.facebook NULL.com/blog NULL.php?post=432670242130) in post called (LINK) More Beautiful Photos (http://blog NULL.facebook NULL.com/blog NULL.php?post=432670242130), that they are rolling out the new picture viewer to all Facebook users.

UPDATE on Thursday, February 10, 2011: We are rolling out the new Photo Viewer to everyone over the course of the next few weeks. Now, you can browse more photos faster without having to lose your place in Facebook. Visit the Help Center (http://www NULL.facebook NULL.com/help/?page=831) to learn more about using the Photo Viewer. Check out our Engineering blog (http://www NULL.facebook NULL.com/notes/facebook-engineering/developing-facebooks-new-photo-viewer/499447633919) for more technical details about how we designed and engineered the new feature.

The new viewer is supposed to give users the following

Higher Resolution

We’re increasing the size of the photos stored from 720 pixels to 2048 pixels on the largest edge, for an 8 times increase overall

A Better Photo Viewer

The new viewer makes it simpler and faster to navigate photos

Easier Tagging and Uploading

With our new uploader, you will be able to tag multiple photos in the same album all at once, as well as tag photos of the same person with a lot less effort

Some Comments made about this new picture viewer (these were posted on the same Facebook announcement by various Facebook users)

THIS BIG BLACK SCREEN IS MAKING MY PICTURES SMALLER NOT LARGER
I have a back button on my browser. I think I can handle browsing photos. I’d rather hit back 40 times than use this stupid new photo viewer, what a nightmare
No, I do not like this new way. I can’t see the photos. C can’t see what I have put on and sure can’t see what other friends have on their site. i guess older people or those of us wit eye problems don’t matter. Why would anyone ever do this so lots can’t see I don’t know!!!!!!
The new photo viewer is awful. It’s skips pictures when you are clicking on the arrow buttons and when you click on the actual picture. I hate pop ups, and I feel like the new photo viewer is one big pop up. The photos are actually smaller than they used to be. It’s really hard to tag ppl b/c it stays on the tagging function until you click “done tagging” even if you’ve moved on to the next picture. It’s harder to edit the picture info… i.e. caption, rotate, etc. Why mess with a good thing? The old way was SOOO much better. Please change!

So what does the Facebook Picture Viewer look like now / What issues are there

When accessing pictures in the new Facebook viewer they will look like this now.

However as well intentioned as this Facebook change was (as the reasons listed above – given by Facebook sound good), the implementation leaves A LOT to be desired. Here are some of the things that I have directly noticed.

Pic viewer only shows black screen, no pic sometimes
Pictures show smaller now than they did
Browser has locked up more than once while trying to use the new pic viewer (Both IE8 and Firefox)

Workaround to the old version back (It’s simple)

Unfortunately this new Picture viewer is not an optional selection. Facebook in its wisdom has chosen to make this a standard for all users in the coming weeks. If you find that you don’t like the new viewer, here is a simple workaround that will get you the old viewer back (unfortunately the viewer will revert back to the new viewer each time you access a new photo album, so you will need to do this each time you access a picture folder in Facebook)

Once you click on a picture and it comes up in the new viewer

You can do 1 of 2 things (which ever is easier for you)

1 – On top of the browser you will see the page refresh button –> click it and refresh your browser window (the IE8 refresh shown in picture, but all browsers have a similar button)

2 – Once you have the picture open in the new viewer –> on your keyboard click the F5 key (this does the same refresh function as the browser button)

Once your page refreshes, you will see the picture you were on and all other pictures in that album in the old viewer version (Just like below)

Software: FYI – Seems like there is an install issue with the latest version of Angry Birds (and a possible solution to the issue)

It seems that an issue is coming up where some “Bird Brains” are not able to get Angry Birds to update on their phone to the latest version. (I know this has happened to me. I’m using a Sprint EVO). What happens is that the update goes through the download, but it just never seems to install.

Then next time you check your programs for updates, Angry Birds is listed again as having an update available. The issue appears to involve the SD card. (Thank you Dawn for the solution)

Solution –

Is simply to unmount your SD card prior to running the update for Angry Birds. Once the update is completed you can remount the SD card.

To unmount your SD card – Go to All Apps –> Settings
Select SD & phone Storage
Click on Unmount SD Card
- you will see a message that says “If you unmount the SD card, some applications you are using will stop………” –> click ok on that message. You will then see the phone say “Unmounting in progress” –> wait for the message to change to “Mount the SD Card”.
Now Run your Angry Birds update. –> once completed
just go back into All Apps –> Settings
select SD & phone Storage
Click on mount SD Card

Alert: For all my fellow WordPress bloggers – version 3.05 of WP is now available. (Highly recommended you upgrade)

WordPress has announced the release of version 3.0.5 of the WordPress blogging software (LINK: http://wordpress.org/news/2011/02/wordpress-3-0-5/ (http://wordpress NULL.org/news/2011/02/wordpress-3-0-5/)). WP is reporting that this upgrade is highly recommended as it includes a number of fixes for the WordPress software. (If your blog is hosted on WordPress.com then this update is being done automatically for you)

This security release (http://codex NULL.wordpress NULL.org/Version_3 NULL.0 NULL.5) is required if you have any untrusted user accounts, but it also comes with important security enhancements and hardening. All WordPress users are strongly encouraged to update.

Three point oh point five
Enhances security
Three point one comes soon

The release addresses a number of issues and provides two additional enhancements:

Two moderate security issues were fixed that could have allowed a Contributor- or Author-level user to gain further access to the site.

One information disclosure issue was addressed that could have allowed an Author-level user to view contents of posts they should not be able to see, such as draft or private posts.

Two security enhancements were added. One improved the security of any plugins which were not properly leveraging our security API. The other offers additional defense in depth against a vulnerability that was fixed in previous release.

Download 3.0.5 (http://wordpress NULL.org/download/) or update automatically from the Dashboard > Updates menu in your site’s admin area. Please update immediately.

Soapbox: January 2011 Stats for Tech Geek and More. Thank you.

This is just a quick THANK YOU for visiting post. Again January 2011 continues the streak of Best Month Ever for Tech Geek and More. For the month of January 2011, Tech Geek and More shows 8,569 visits with 23,866 pageviews. All I can say is WOW!!!!!!!!!

In addition, seeing Tech Geek and More getting visits from 129 countries leaves me speechless as well.

I know that these numbers are tiny compared to most sites out on the Information Super Highway, but to me, this is

HUGE!!!!! Really !!!!!

Tech Geek and More started as a “hobby” project. A way that I could communicate Tech info in non-geeky ways to Clients, Friends, and Family. I never ever imaged anything close to these numbers.

So to all of you who have visited Tech Geek and More, Thank you.

Sincerely,

Alex

Head of Tech Geek and More

Alert: Another Facebook Rogue app to look out for

The rogue Facebook apps continue. This time the warning is about an app labeled as haha or hahatoyourself. It will appear on a page of someone you know, and may even include a direct message to you saying

Heyy (insert your name here), what are you doing in this video? LOL Embarrassing!

The scam may also list as

Look at you HaHa!

and look like a video post.

In both cases, DO NOT CLICK ON THE LINK, the links will attempt to install a rogue app on to your account. If you have clicked on the links already, you will want to do the following

- Remove the posts from your account

- Check the allowed 3rd party applications

You really need to check and see what 3rd party applications have access to your Facebook account. There are many apps in Facebook that people find useful, at the same time, many other Facebook apps are just there to steal your data, or use your account in ways that you don’t want.

To check your Privacy settings for 3rd party apps, click on account (on the top right of Facebook) and then click on Privacy settings.

Now (in the lower left corner) select Apps and websites, where it says “Edit your settings”

This will take you to the Apps and Websites page where you should remove any app that you either do NOT recognize or that you no longer use

- *Run a full scan on your pc with Malwarebytes or SuperAntiSpyware to check your pc.

If you need to download either you can download them from www.ninite.com (http://www NULL.ninite NULL.com)

- *Run a full scan on your pc with your Antivirus Software.

If you don’t currently have an active Antivirus program, you can download a FREE Antivirus program from www.ninite.com (http://www NULL.ninite NULL.com). (Tech Geek and More recommends Microsoft Security Essentials) If you have an old Antivirus program that is expired, you should remove it prior to installing the new Antivirus software.

(*Make sure you update the program prior to running it)

Alert: Flaw found on Amazon site – Changing your password recommended

Do you have an account on Amazon? Have you had it for a few years? Are you still using the same password that you set up when you opened your account? If you say yes to any of these, it is highly recommended that you change your password.

A flaw has been discovered on the Amazon site that

allows users to log in with passwords that resemble, but do not match, their actual password.

Read the following post from Huffington post (with info from Wired) concerning the flaw on the Amazon site.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/20…11/01/29/amazon-security-flaw-password-problem_n_815634.html (http://www NULL.huffingtonpost NULL.com/20 NULL. NULL. NULL.11/01/29/amazon-security-flaw-password-problem_n_815634 NULL.html)

Hardware: (From Microsoft at Home) How to clean your computer

As a tech I’m still surprised at what I find when I open up customers pc’s for upgrades or repairs. I have seen everything from enough lint to make a sweater all the way to small furry creatures (Keep in mind, the creatures have not all been dead). Microsoft at Home has a post out this morning with 5 basic how to steps to keep your machine clean, and happy.

Remember, a pc needs to be treated like a car, that goes for both software and hardware. These 5 steps are just one more thing you really should do to your pc, just like taking your car in for an oil change or to rotate the tires.

The following is from “How to clean your pc”

I have a dirty secret. I’ve never cleaned my computer. Sure, I’ve dusted my monitor, but I haven’t taken off the cover or tried to reach the crumbs lurking inside my keyboard. And I honestly don’t know the difference between pressurized air dusters and compressed air cleaners.

“Your computer could fry if you don’t keep it clean,” says Jonathon Millman, chief technology officer for Hooplah Interactive.

Whether it’s a desktop or laptop/notebook computer, dust and lint can clog the cooling vents. This can cause your computer’s brain—the central processing unit (CPU)—to heat up. And heat is the biggest cause of component failure in computers. Regular cleaning could save you costly maintenance fees down the road.

Follow the five simple steps (http://www NULL.microsoft NULL.com/athome/setup/cleancomputer NULL.aspx#3) in the cleanup and maintenance routine below to keep your computer and accessories looking shiny and new. It’s an easy, do-it-yourself solution to help them run smoothly and last longer.

To read the complete post go to Microsoft at Home (LINK) http://www.microsoft.com/athome/setup/cleancomputer.aspx#3 (http://www NULL.microsoft NULL.com/athome/setup/cleancomputer NULL.aspx#3)

Alert: Facebook – Tagged Picture used to spread “Fake” links and Malware. (Plus How to Untag yourself)

Since Facebook is the BIG FISH currently, and most users on Facebook seem to “trust” what they see, the bad guys are now targeting Facebook with more daily scams. From Rogue apps, to fake links, to hacking accounts, to now Fake picture tagging on profiles. The following was something I came across yesterday

the tagged picture was on the profile of someone I know. I did confirm with that person that they don’t know “Julie” (either by name or picture) the person on the tag. Of course Julie has a link on her tag. If you happen to click on the link (even if just by mistake) what you get is sent to a website that will download malware on your pc.

So as always having a Facebook account means that you need to pay attention to what is happening on your account. If you run into a situation where a picture is tagged to you that you don’t want showing on your profile, here are the steps to Un-Tag yourself from the picture.

How to Untag yourself –

From your Facebook home page, locate the blue bar at the top of the screen. It says Facebook, Home, Profile, Friends, and Inbox. Click on “Profile”. Now you will be sent to your profile page.

On your profile page, look underneath your profile picture that is located at the top left. Under it, you will see “Photos”. Click on Photos

Now in the middle section of the page toward the bottom you will find the “Photos and Videos of you” section.

Look at the pictures below this section. Any pictures tagged will appear in this area. Click on the picture you would like to remove.

Now look under the picture for the section that says “In this photo”. Next to that you will find “Remove tag”.

Click remove tag. The photo will not show up on your profile anymore

Facebook: How to check your Facebook Privacy settings, secure your profile (As much as can be done)

With the start of the new year (2011), I think its perfect time to remind everyone, YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE YOUR FACEBOOK SETTINGS ARE WHERE YOU WANT THEM!. Not that I want to yell at you, but I figured I need to get my point across. Facebook makes its money by you sharing, the more you let the world know about you, the more Facebook makes, its just that simple. Which is a reason (and in my opinion the main reason) why Facebook makes its security settings vague (to most non-technical people at least), and why its recommended settings make so much of what you do on the site open for the world to see. (As shown in the example below) See how Facebook “recommends” that You share

All your status info
All your pictures
All your posts

with the entire world, and then adds the line “Share a tagged post with friends of the friends I tag” which means pretty much everyone as well.

(**NOTE: Facebook settings pic shows the green check next to custom, which is in fact the selected settings on Facebook for this account. I highlighted the Facebook “Recommended” settings to show the settings Facebook would like you to use, but I did NOT apply them to the account)

If you are not comfortable with the world knowing that much info about you (and you shouldn’t be), then you need to check your settings and make sure that only those parts of Facebook that you want to share are open to ONLY those people you want to share with (I.E. – Friends and Family)

The techs at PrivacyChoice (LINK: http://www.privacychoice.org (http://www NULL.privacychoice NULL.org)) have written a tool that will simplify your ability to make sure your Facebook settings are Private.

To use this tool, go to the PrivacyCheck page (LINK: http://www.privacychoice.org/privacycheck (http://www NULL.privacychoice NULL.org/privacycheck) ) and once on the site,

Right click on top of the button (In blue) that says PrivacyCheck and then select save “link to Favorites” or “save link to Bookmarks” (depending on which browser you use).

Once you have the page saved in your Favorites or Bookmarks, go to your Facebook page and sign in.

At this point, while you are in your profile, go to your Favorites or Bookmarks and click on the shortcut you created. It will cause a short scan (about 2 or 3 seconds) followed by the following information

If any part of your profile is public, the window will list it and show you what in Facebook you are sharing with the world. Is this scanner a perfect replacement for common knowledge and alertness while online, of course it isn’t. You always need to stay as alert while online as you would be if you were walking in a strange neighborhood by yourself in the middle of the night (I know that sounds over dramatic, but it is the reality of the wild wild web).

In addition there is 1 more step you should take –

To check your Privacy settings for 3rd party apps, click on account (on the top right of Facebook) and then click on Privacy settings.

Now (in the lower left corner) select Apps and websites, where it says “Edit your settings”

This will take you to the Apps and Websites page where you should remove any app that you either do NOT recognize or that you no longer use

On this page in addition to apps, I recommend checking the settings for

Info accessible though your friends – which means that you share something with someone on your list, is that person allowed to then share it with people they know (which could be people you DON’T know)
Games and Apps – Do you really want everyone to know that you spend 20 hours a day working on your farm? (Just saying – but this setting is up to you)
Instant personalization – Do you want to other sites (currently limited to Bing (http://www NULL.bing NULL.com), TripAdvisor (http://www NULL.tripadvisor NULL.com), Clicker (http://www NULL.clicker NULL.com), Rotten Tomatoes (http://www NULL.rottentomatoes NULL.com), Docs (http://www NULL.docs NULL.com), Pandora (http://www NULL.pandora NULL.com), Yelp (http://www NULL.facebook NULL.com/l NULL.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww NULL.yelp NULL.com%2F&h=9a4cf), and Scribd (http://www NULL.scribd NULL.com) but I’m sure this list will grow) know what you are sharing on Facebook, so that they can then show your info to your friends when the friends visit those sites. Yes I know it talks about Letting you see relevant info about your friends when you go to those sites, but think about it, that has to be a 2 way street. How else are the friends going to know about you unless you say ok.
Public search – Do you want anyone to be able to Google or Bing (among other search engines) your name and find your Facebook profile. Personally no but this one is also your call.

So there ends the lesson on Securing your Facebook profile in 2011, or at least until Facebook changes its policies AGAIN!

(From the PrivacyChoice Blog) Alert: Be careful about the MyLife ad’s

In the continuing effort to both alert and educate readers of Tech Geek and More, here is a post that comes from the Privacy Choice Blog (LINK) http://blog.privacychoice.org/2010/11/30/consumer-beware-mylife-look-ups-are-a-lousy-deal/ (http://blog NULL.privacychoice NULL.org/2010/11/30/consumer-beware-mylife-look-ups-are-a-lousy-deal/) . The blog post mentions MyLife ad’s on Facebook, however, I have seen these ad’s on other sites (like Yahoo Mail).

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

Consumer beware: MyLife look-ups are a lousy deal

Posted on November 30, 2010 (http://blog NULL.privacychoice NULL.org/2010/11/30/consumer-beware-mylife-look-ups-are-a-lousy-deal/) by Jim Brock (http://blog NULL.privacychoice NULL.org/author/admin/)

(http://blog NULL.privacychoice NULL.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/mylife-ad2 NULL.jpg)You’ve probably seen the Facebook ads for MyLife (http://www NULL.mylife NULL.com), which pitch you to enter your name to see what’s publicly available about you and who’s been looking for it. When you click through, they ask for not only your name, but also your age and location. Once you enter all of this information (but not before), they show you bogus blurred photos of people who they say are looking for you, and then solicit your email address if you want to actually see anything more. (You can even let them connect to your Facebook account, if you’re feeling really brave.) Once you’ve given them your email address, you learn that, in fact, no more free information is actually forthcoming. Instead you need to pay $15.95 to see your own profile.

Here’s the kicker: anything you enter as part of this process apparently becomes part of the profile they can connect with your email address in their database. This was confirmed in a note from their customer service department: ”If the site is asking you to provide a email address in our sign up that means you are creating a free user profile, in that event yes you would be added to our database.” This doesn’t jump out at you from their privacy policy, and certainly isn’t prominently disclosed anywhere an unsuspecting consumer might see it.

It gets worse. In their privacy policy (http://www NULL.mylife NULL.com/privacy-policy), MyLife even reserves the right to share your email address with “third party co-marketing partners if we believe they have an offer that would be of interest to you.” Swell.

In short, MyLife asks you to build their database about you while giving you nothing in return unless you pay. Doesn’t sound to me like a very good deal.

PS I sure wish Facebook would make some effort to police these deceptive ads, particularly since they thrive on curiosity about your own Facebook profile.

Higher Resolution

A Better Photo Viewer

Easier Tagging and Uploading

How to Untag yourself –

In addition there is 1 more step you should take –

Consumer beware: MyLife look-ups are a lousy deal