The Savvy Boomer

Can your downloading history can be tracked?

Someone asked me a few weeks ago if they downloaded something from a torrent if it could be tracked.  Well it seems it can and if you want to see what your internet provider can see, go to http://www.youhavedownloaded.com/ and the landing page will tell you if you've been naughty or nice,  Here is a snip of what it said when I went there.

 

The sight is a bit of a joke but there are some concerns that if they can do this, what else is going on?  Take a look at their privacy policy-that's good advice on how to approach everything you do on the internet.

Malware Bytes is my new favorite virus detector

While I have what I thought was  good virus software, AVAST still let something called Vundo, which is about as nasty a Trojan as there is, into my system.  I knew it was there but AVAST couldn't get rid of it and neither could Spybot which is usually pretty reliable. Symantec's Vundo Fix said I didn't even have the virus.

Things slowly got  worse.  First I lost my wireless print capability, then occasionally my internet connection and all the while the system ran slower.   I kept trying thing to get rid of Vundo but nothing worked and if you Google all the tech sites, you'll see that it is a very difficult thing to dump.  After I started getting random web page pop ups, and my automatic software updates from Microsoft as well as the XP firewall could no longer load leaving a red balloon in my system tray harping at me that my system was vulnerable (no shit, Sherlock) I resigned myself to re-loading XP.  Finally, I figured when I booted this morning and got no desktop, simply wallpaper, the end was at hand.  I re-booted in safe mode to copy a bunch of files I hadn't backed up and after I finished, I decided to take 1 final look for a solution before I started the dreaded system reload.

I found a tech forum where several people with similar problems were raving about a piece of free software called Malware Bytes.  With nothing to lose, I downloaded it and tried it.  It found a mess of Vundo files and when I quarantined them, it asked to reboot the system.  Hallelujah, it worked!!

There was my desktop, the system was much faster, the wireless printer worked, no more red balloon and no more popups.  I'm going to give it another few days and if all stays as is, I'll be dumping AVAST and going with their recommended Anti-virus, Avira and the PRO version of Malware Bytes for $24.95 for further protection.  The best part is that if you are really stuck you can send them some files from your system that they will analyze and tell you how to fix.

By the way, who are these A-holes who write software like Vundo?  And what about the sites that the pop-ups take you to?  Do they really think anyone is going to buy their product when they land there because of a virus?

If you travel into the US, your laptop and/or iPod may be searched

According to CBC, US border agents have the power to not only look at any electronic files that you have on digital devices, they can also seize them.  I understand if they are looking for child porn or illegal activities, but where will the line be drawn?  Will they go through your music or video files to see if you have any pirated material and even if you do, how would they make that call?

Great, just another reason to stay away from the U.S., which I guess is what they ultimately want.

China censors this blog

I used to get a few daily hits from China, mainly from university students I used to teach.  But a couple of months ago, I received an email that said my blog was no longer coming up there.  I didn't think much about it especially since I was still getting hits from other parts of China.  But recently, I noticed my only Chinese hits now come from Hong Kong. 

I found this tool to check to see whether or not it is blocked, and sure enough-look at the last entry on the graph below.  I can't think of any post in which I ever attacked Chinese policies, but I have discussed China from time to time.  It's a little disconcerting to think how many sites must be blocked there if they block this little old site.

How about other bloggers?  Are you on the Chinese no-go list?

 

Canadians who use Rogers as their ISP-beware! they may be spying on you

If you are a Roger's internet customer in Canada, read this article at CBC.  If they are spying on customer internet usage, are they also listening in on their telephone customers' conversations as well?  Yikes, time to sell their stock before the crap hits the fan with regulators.

Cavius Personal Protection system

I recently tested the Cavius which is basically a small device that can emit a 130db alarm if it is triggered.  If someone is committing a crime against you, the last thing they want is to have attention drawn to them self.  It can be used in a variety of different ways and the shrill noise should be enough to make the culprit run away from you.  It is ideal for people who travel because of its compact size but there's nothing small about the sound it makes when triggered.

Our cat wasn't too anxious to touch it once he learned what the consequences could be.

Track who stole your electronic gadget

If you have ever lost or had one of your USB electronic gadgets (camera, pda, Ipod etc.) stolen, you realize there isn't a whole lot you can do about it.  TechCrunch has coverage of a couple of software products that can track your gadget and one of them is even free for now.  Be sure to read the comments on the post.  It seems that the original company is accusing the new company of ripping them off and even threatens to sue them.  Ahhh I love technology.