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FUNCTION RANDOM - All Things Technological On Your Mind

Started by Camazotz Automat, August 17, 2012, 04:04:35 AM

wr250

Quote from: area51drone on February 16, 2015, 11:50:00 AM
That would suck, but if you read the article, this is for third party apps, not regular content or even Samsung apps.
right. so if you use the plex or dlna app (both of which are 3rd party) to play your content, the tv will inject the ads. if you use a 3rd party app to play dvd/blueray, it will do the same. probably not if you use the samsung app. i dont own a smart tv, so i am just relaying the article.

area51drone

Quote from: wr250 on February 16, 2015, 11:53:48 AM
right. so if you use the plex or dlna app (both of which are 3rd party) to play your content, the tv will inject the ads. if you use a 3rd party app to play dvd/blueray, it will do the same. probably not if you use the samsung app. i dont own a smart tv, so i am just relaying the article.

I would not be surprised if some company tried to do this, but the moment they did and word got out, I think everyone would avoid that TV like the plague.   I could be wrong but I don't think any Samsung TV apps are playing dvds or blurays.. just streaming stuff.  I haven't seen a Samsung that has built in disc players, but who knows.   All I can really say is that I have a Samsung smart TV bought about 6 months ago and I've never seen an ad on it.

Heather Wade

Quote from: wr250 on February 16, 2015, 11:53:48 AM
right. so if you use the plex or dlna app (both of which are 3rd party) to play your content, the tv will inject the ads. if you use a 3rd party app to play dvd/blueray, it will do the same. probably not if you use the samsung app. i dont own a smart tv, so i am just relaying the article.

That sounds like a nightmare.  Glad I don't own one.

I often dislike Google's animations, but what they came up with for Alessandro Volta's birthday is nice. 

Still frame captured and zipped the complete gif animation for glorious viewing of the lighting of the letters if you missed it.

[attach=1]

wr250

lenovo reprtedly installs adware at the  factory. allegedly lenovo is installing superfish, a piece of adware that inserts its own ads into web pages. more improtantly, it can generate ssl certs, and therefore insert its ads into https pages (like your bank's site). being able to do such means it can read the page and have access to data on said site. (think bank account number).
note: removing the  application does not remove the root cert, and worse the private key appears to be the same on every machine.

http://thenextweb.com/insider/2015/02/19/lenovo-caught-installing-adware-new-computers/
more info http://www.theverge.com/2015/2/19/8067505/lenovo-installs-adware-private-data-hackers

my recommendation: if you buy a commercial pc , and must use windows, aquire a OEM version of windows to install on it, after wiping the hard drive(s) with a suitable program like dban . dont  use the pc until the pc is wiped.   you can use the serial # on the machine with a OEM version that matches the one on the machine. (so if you have win7 home premium installed when you buy it, get a win7 home premium disk).

albrecht

Quote from: wr250 on February 19, 2015, 07:21:46 AM
lenovo reprtedly installs adware at the  factory. allegedly lenovo is installing superfish, a piece of adware that inserts its own ads into web pages. more improtantly, it can generate ssl certs, and therefore insert its ads into https pages (like your bank's site). being able to do such means it can read the page and have access to data on said site. (think bank account number).
note: removing the  application does not remove the root cert, and worse the private key appears to be the same on every machine.

http://thenextweb.com/insider/2015/02/19/lenovo-caught-installing-adware-new-computers/
more info http://www.theverge.com/2015/2/19/8067505/lenovo-installs-adware-private-data-hackers

my recommendation: if you buy a commercial pc , and must use windows, aquire a OEM version of windows to install on it, after wiping the hard drive(s) with a suitable program like dban . dont  use the pc until the pc is wiped.   you can use the serial # on the machine with a OEM version that matches the one on the machine. (so if you have win7 home premium installed when you buy it, get a win7 home premium disk).
Wow. Thanks for that! That is crazy, especially considering where Lenovo is made and who runs it. My more paranoid side as wondered for decades how/if backdoors (I'm not up to speed on hacker terms so will use as a generic term) etc are being built into even hardware and chipsets and/or software from the PRC. Not necessarily for immediate use but strategically "just in case" of a future conflict. So much of our stuff, even going to important commercial and military equipment, is built there by people some of whom at least claim the US is the enemy.

cweb

Quote from: wr250 on February 19, 2015, 07:21:46 AM
lenovo reprtedly installs adware at the  factory. allegedly lenovo is installing superfish, a piece of adware that inserts its own ads into web pages. more improtantly, it can generate ssl certs, and therefore insert its ads into https pages (like your bank's site). being able to do such means it can read the page and have access to data on said site. (think bank account number).
note: removing the  application does not remove the root cert, and worse the private key appears to be the same on every machine.

http://thenextweb.com/insider/2015/02/19/lenovo-caught-installing-adware-new-computers/
more info http://www.theverge.com/2015/2/19/8067505/lenovo-installs-adware-private-data-hackers

my recommendation: if you buy a commercial pc , and must use windows, aquire a OEM version of windows to install on it, after wiping the hard drive(s) with a suitable program like dban . dont  use the pc until the pc is wiped.   you can use the serial # on the machine with a OEM version that matches the one on the machine. (so if you have win7 home premium installed when you buy it, get a win7 home premium disk).
Awesome. I'll have to look for this on my new Lenovo. I did an initial sweep removing a lot of the bloatware on Windows, so maybe I deleted part of this already. Removing McAfee alone was quite the bitch.

Thankfully, I only boot to the Windows part of the machine when I need a program I can't get on the Linux part. I almost never use the web browsers on Windows.

This begs the question: which other hardware vendors do this?

wr250

Quote from: cweb on February 19, 2015, 09:13:04 AM
Awesome. I'll have to look for this on my new Lenovo. I did an initial sweep removing a lot of the bloatware on Windows, so maybe I deleted part of this already. Removing McAfee alone was quite the bitch.

Thankfully, I only boot to the Windows part of the machine when I need a program I can't get on the Linux part. I almost never use the web browsers on Windows.

This begs the question: which other hardware vendors do this?

getting mcaffee/norton off a machine is a chore. they deeply integrate themselves into the os. i recommend getting free revo uninstaller. the free version does a decent job of removing programs, including leftover folders and registry entries. the paid one does more but for most the free version is more than adequate.
pc decrapifier does a good job of decrapifing a new pc. follow those up with wise registry cleaner to get any leftover registry entries.

make sure to re-install everything you can with ninite .

me , if windows is a must , i just boot to a linux live dvd/flash drive , and dd if=/dev/urandom of=/dev/sdX bs=4096 conv=notrunc,noerror . this does basically a low level format; slow but effective. even after 1 run data recovery is nearly impossible, even for 3 letter govt agencies. a new drive (ssd? :) ) would be ok too
next i just use an clean acquired (i try to get my images from microsofts ftp site) windows dvd to reinstall the os version to match the serial number (yes say windows 7 starter dvd can be hacked to install any win7 version up to and including enterprise); then reinstall.

as to what manufacturers do this? IMO probably all of them, just most of them are more sly. probably using remote desktop. It wouldnt surprise me if microsoft builds in a backdoor to the os and/or bitlocker (the ms encryption routines), we know apple did (until ios8 and the current osx) allegedly only when court ordered to.

Quote from: wr250 on February 19, 2015, 10:28:35 AM
getting mcaffee/norton off a machine is a chore. they deeply integrate themselves into the os. i recommend getting free revo uninstaller. the free version does a decent job of removing programs, including leftover folders and registry entries. the paid one does more but for most the free version is more than adequate.
pc decrapifier does a good job of decrapifing a new pc. follow those up with wise registry cleaner to get any leftover registry entries.

make sure to re-install everything you can with ninite .

me , if windows is a must , i just boot to a linux live dvd/flash drive , and dd if=/dev/urandom of=/dev/sdX bs=4096 conv=notrunc,noerror . this does basically a low level format; slow but effective. even after 1 run data recovery is nearly impossible, even for 3 letter govt agencies. a new drive (ssd? :) ) would be ok too
next i just use an clean acquired (i try to get my images from microsofts ftp site) windows dvd to reinstall the os version to match the serial number (yes say windows 7 starter dvd can be hacked to install any win7 version up to and including enterprise); then reinstall.

as to what manufacturers do this? IMO probably all of them, just most of them are more sly. probably using remote desktop. It wouldnt surprise me if microsoft builds in a backdoor to the os and/or bitlocker (the ms encryption routines), we know apple did (until ios8 and the current osx) allegedly only when court ordered to.

I would like to thank you, wr250, for once again melting my brain.

[attachimg=1]

wr250

Quote from: Camazotz Automat on February 19, 2015, 10:34:00 AM
I would like to thank you, wr250, for once again melting my brain.
agent : orange does that to me

Quote from: wr250 on February 19, 2015, 10:35:53 AM
agent : orange does that to me

agent : orange and that uppity little bitch baby Stephen Hawking will not let me in their tree house fort.

This past Wednesday, government authorities obtained a search warrant for wr250's residence. They were hunting for a rumored and highly illegal giant "super computer" that can, among other things, operate independently of any known coding system, yet interface with all systems, in an environment known as "The N Cloud of the deep web."

And they found that computer. In his basement. Authorities call the machine "the Chrysalis."

With this device, it is alleged wr250 can (among many other things) look at and control all computers, even those not online, by using their bleed off signals causing perturbations in the local electrical power grid. The technology is little understood but is thought to involve rogue Russian satellites and cloned cell phone towers.

The computer had to be destroyed on site, as the multi man tech team became concerned about deadly radiation beams activated when they tried to crack the skin of the behemoth.

It's estimated the machine comprises at least forty-two felony counts in its nose cone alone.

One government tech, who asked to not be identified, reported the computer as being "it's something out of a nightmare and we don't know if such technology can be controlled by our methods," while a hipster government employee named Slater simply said, "it's wall to wall Giger, and if there are more of these out there, we are so fucked."

One of the more incongruent facts about the machine was an external analog altimeter. It was the only item recovered intact before detonation.

wr250 remains at large and is said to be wearing an orange hat and mirrored sunsglasses.


[attachimg=1]

wr250

Quote from: Camazotz Automat on February 19, 2015, 11:28:00 AM
This past Wednesday, government authorities obtained a search warrant for wr250's residence. They were hunting for a rumored and highly illegal giant "super computer" that can, among other things, operate independently of any known coding system, yet interface with all systems, in an environment known as "The N Cloud of the deep web."
actually it was for a pirate fm station running repeats of  the now defunct (thanks jaz) "the spec sheet" . they found the computer incidentally and had the warrent changed whilst destroying my fm equipment.

QuoteAnd they found that computer. In his basement. Authorities call the machine "the Chrysalis."

With this device, it is alleged wr250 can (among many other things) look at and control all computers, even those not online, by using their bleed off signals causing perturbations in the local electrical power grid. The technology is little understood but is thought to involve rogue Russian satellites and cloned cell phone towers.
not russian satellites i used "the black knight" satellite.and a few stinger cell phone tower emulators i "acquired"

QuoteThe computer had to be destroyed on site, as the multi man tech team became concerned about deadly radiation beams activated when they tried to crack the skin of the behemoth.

It's estimated the machine comprises at least forty-two felony counts in its nose cone alone.

One government tech, who asked to not be identified, reported the computer as being "it's something out of a nightmare and we don't know if such technology can be controlled by our methods," while a hipster government employee named Slater simply said, "it's wall to wall Giger, and if there are more of these out there, we are so fucked."

One of the more incongruent facts about the machine was an external analog altimeter. It was the only item recovered intact before detonation.

wr250 remains at large and is said to be wearing an orange hat and mirrored sunsglasses.[/i]

[attachimg=1]

they didnt destroy the machine, their inept probing triggered its self destruct system. the self destruct consisted of a small thermonuclear device, the altimeter was not in any way tied to the machine, but simply a decoy.


wr250

make any windows 7 dvd able to install any edition
basically you delete the  ei.cfg file from the std dvd. either copy the entire dvd to your drive and delete the file , then reburn as a bootable dvd and copy to a bootable flash drive. or make a iso of the dvd and open that with any number of iso tools to delete the ei.cfg file and burn to a dvd.

choose a edition that matches the key you have stuck on the machine, and install.
http://tweaks.com/windows/40135/install-any-edition-of-windows-7-from-any-windows-7-dvd/

windows 8 version: http://www.howtogeek.com/126093/how-to-get-all-the-windows-8-editions-on-one-install-disk/

wr250

the superfish password has been cracked. this allows anyone to use the superfish cert to spy on user activities . the password is "komodia"  -no quotes-
http://thestack.com/superfish-password-komodia-self-signed-190215
this is in reference to http://bellgab.com/index.php/topic,3320.msg341583.html#msg341583

Heather Wade

Quote from: wr250 on February 19, 2015, 01:32:23 PM


Good to see you're proudly flying the Jolly Roger, wr.  Thank you for all the good info on SuperFish.  Much appreciated.

wr250

american and british spies steal phone sim card manufacturers private keys.
while your call phone carrier has these private keys (for authentication purposes) it appears the manufacturer was hacked.
these will allow decryption of any sim encrypted cell phone activity. on  any carrier.

https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/02/19/great-sim-heist/


wr250

FCC enacts net neutrality rule prohibiting speeding up or slowing down of any specific traffic,paid "fast lanes" , or blocking specific sites or apps. this applies to mobile traffic as well.
http://www.theverge.com/2015/2/26/8114265/fcc-ruling-net-neutrality-victory-internet-title-ii



zeebo

Quote from: Camazotz Automat on February 18, 2015, 05:20:43 PM
I often dislike Google's animations, but what they came up with for Alessandro Volta's birthday is nice.  ...

Long ago I got a kick out of Google's little logo variations.  Over the years, as they've become more frequent, more ornate, animated, added sound, become "doodles" ... I have come to loathe them.

To me it's a classic example of something simple and pleasant, which over time has become over-engineered and terrible (sadly imho this was the same trajectory gmail took which I used to love and now cannot stand).

Can they not just have a little setting to toggle them on/off?  Is it really that important to them that I know if it's friggin Arbor Day?

MV/Liberace!

Quote from: zeebo on February 27, 2015, 01:11:15 PM
Is it really that important to them that I know if it's friggin Arbor Day?

Or the birthday of some foreigner who invented a better butt plug in 1886?

Catsmile

Google telling me it's some well known persons 232 birthday.
That's just wrong. When you have a deathday, you forfeit the right to have more birthdays.
STOP THAT SHIT GOOGLE!!!1 

Quote from: zeebo on February 27, 2015, 01:11:15 PM
Long ago I got a kick out of Google's little logo variations.  Over the years, as they've become more frequent, more ornate, animated, added sound, become "doodles" ... I have come to loathe them.

To me it's a classic example of something simple and pleasant, which over time has become over-engineered and terrible (sadly imho this was the same trajectory gmail took which I used to love and now cannot stand).

Can they not just have a little setting to toggle them on/off?  Is it really that important to them that I know if it's friggin Arbor Day?

Doodle + Pandering = Doopandering? Pandoodleling?

zeebo

Quote from: MV on February 27, 2015, 06:10:07 PM
Or the birthday of some foreigner who invented a better butt plug in 1886?

Good point, all of us who want to know already get the RSS feed.

zeebo

Quote from: Mind Flayer Monk on February 28, 2015, 01:38:04 AM
Doodle + Pandering = Doopandering? Pandoodleling?

Dude with such portmanteau experiments, I fear you're reading too much James Joyce.

wr250

Here are the steps to have infinite grace period with Windows 7 -- no 3rd party tools required!

Reboot
press F8 at startup
Repair Computer
System Recovery Options: Keyboard: US
Username/Password
(you will see: Windows found on Drive ?:)
Command Prompt
win7_reset.bat
exit
Reboot

The contents of: win7_reset.bat

reg load HKLM\MY_SYSTEM "\Windows\System32\config\system"
reg delete HKLM\MY_SYSTEM\WPA /f
reg unload HKLM\MY_SYSTEM

And on reboot,

Command Prompt
Right-click, Run as administrator
win7_reg.bat

Contents of: win7_reg.bat

slmgr /upk
slmgr /cpky
REM Default keys for Window s7
REM Home Premium
REM slmgr /ipk RHPQ2-RMFJH-74XYM-BH4JX-XM76F
REM Professional
slmgr /ipk HYF8J-CVRMY-CM74G-RPHKF-PW487
REM Ultimate
REM slmgr /ipk D4F6K-QK3RD-TMVMJ-BBMRX-3MBMV


notes:
you will need to create the 2 .bat files
the keys shown are the keys windows uses if you dont enter a key when you install windows (30 day trial , then activation nagger pops up after 30 days.)
instead of booting into recovery mode it might work from safe mode or even in normal windows (will still need a reboot) instead of using win7_reset.bat, simply open the registry editor and delete the specified key
i didnt test this.

MV/Liberace!

Twitter is such a shitty way of communicating with people.

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