tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-173264112024-03-13T17:59:39.131-04:00Bits from Bill<b>Technology thoughts leaking from the brain of "Bill Pytlovany"</b>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06125680988914445547noreply@blogger.comBlogger762125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17326411.post-89329324169774596652017-11-18T07:05:00.003-05:002017-11-18T07:05:35.411-05:00Good Bye Verizon, You Let Success Go To Your HeadDo you remember when Verizon Wireless had the best signal anywhere in the US?<br />
<span style="text-align: justify;"><br /><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">There was a time when Verizon was the only choice if you wanted a strong signal anywhere in the U.S. I remember conferences where my Verizon HotSpot provided a connection in the lowest hotel conference room while my friends struggled to access a WiFi connection provided by the conference sponsor.</span></span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br />Early in 2016, I started to notice the change. They told me that things slowed as more people switched to Verizon. It didn't help that everyone started using their phones to stream video and other high bandwidth uses. It's not unusual to see someone watching Netflix or video chatting on their phone.</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; text-align: justify;"><br /><br />The bottom line; Verizon hasn't been able to keep their "Can you hear me now?" crown</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; text-align: justify;">. I definitely noticed the change when I moved last year. It was only 7-8 blocks away but phone conversations this year started to be impossible. Instead of a clear voice, I would hear a noise similar to Charlie Brown's teacher.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br />For the technical types, apps like OpenSignal, Network Cell Info or my own Mobile Network settings would report a signal would vary between -110 to -128 dBm. It meant "zero bars" trying to use 4G. I finally reached the right person with Verizon who acknowledged they could see how bad it was. I was in what they claimed to be a dead zone. They told me I could change to a new carrier without having to pay a penalty for breaking my contract.<br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">After some research, I am convinced the future is with T-Mobile. It turned out to be a perfect solution for me.</span></div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">T-Mobile currently has a plan for anyone 55+. Two unlimited phone lines for $60 including all your taxes and local fees.</span></li>
<li style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">We could bring our own phones. This was a plus because the price for phones these days is criminal.</span></li>
<li style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">T-mobile is paying off the $200+ I still owe for my Samsung S7 Edge. They told me they would cover any other bills I might have up to $650.</span></li>
<li style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">They're offering me $50 to<span style="font-family: inherit;"> any friends I recommend to switch. I don't consider this a five-star review but if you do plan to switch send your name and cell number to BillP@aol.com.</span></span></li>
<li style="color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">And Best of All... I now have 4-5 bars of 4G signal! The typical signal inside my home now averages -90 dBm. I can now use my phone when I'm home.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Update: For me, having a working phone at home is critical. Now that I'm old and disabled I don't get out that much. I have been testing T-Mobile when I can and I'll admit not everyone will have the same results with their location. I have found T-Mobile has more local towers reported by their users but signal strength can vary. As I drive around, the app "Open Signal" tells me the signal strength and shows which tower I am using.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisElPaV67xWE60XuqKirBQUQJZl-YSNnE10fs8Ng0a1evT-bmveobaNr5gzivD0tlrPyFEm6moSP6igF6gCjwPrCdMVm8JReSVytW4bKalGuHtQAuQ6cRpz-EMrO0SrE4s4NNv/s1600/celltowers.jpg" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="T-Mobile Cell Towers in Scotia, NY" border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="540" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisElPaV67xWE60XuqKirBQUQJZl-YSNnE10fs8Ng0a1evT-bmveobaNr5gzivD0tlrPyFEm6moSP6igF6gCjwPrCdMVm8JReSVytW4bKalGuHtQAuQ6cRpz-EMrO0SrE4s4NNv/s320/celltowers.jpg" title="Open Signal" width="180" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Since "Open Signal" provides user-generated data I can recommend the program to test your location before you change. Keep in mind it won't matter how close a cell tower is. Cell signals are usually directional meaning they focus the signal in a particular direction. They are typically uni-directional or bi-directional. Most people think of a cell tower as omnidirectional.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The directional antennae will be strong for a 45 to 90-degree path. The advantage of a uni-directional signal is it will be much stronger than an Omni-directional antenna. In an ideal situation, Cell companies configuration their towers so each of their uni-directional signals are broadcast so that signals overlap with other towers. When this plan works they can provide a strong signal that will allow users to travel from one tower to another without a problem. This overlapping, directional signal can be proven mathematically to be the most efficient but when it's overburdened many dead spots will exist. While I am very disappointed with Verizon, I suggest you find someone in your area that uses the service you're considering. Invite them over and see what kind of signal they get at your house.</span></div>
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<span class="_47e3 _5mfr" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 0; margin: 0px 1px; vertical-align: middle;" title="wink emoticon"><span aria-hidden="true" class="_7oe" style="display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0px; width: 0px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="_47e3 _5mfr" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 0; margin: 0px 1px; vertical-align: middle;" title="wink emoticon"><span aria-hidden="true" class="_7oe" style="display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; width: 0px;">Update;)</span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06125680988914445547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17326411.post-77054443687802557632017-06-10T18:53:00.000-04:002017-09-12T09:05:30.104-04:00Amazon Alexa, the Next Computing Platform<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Anyone who has paid attention to my posts this year will have noticed two new topics. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>1) Lyme Disease</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I won't be the only one you’ll hear sounding this year's
Lyme alarm. The medical establishment continues to debate the proper diagnosis
and treatment of Lyme Disease. They all agree more cases are being reported but
no organization has been keeping track of the exact number. I may occasionally rant how long my “chronic
CNS Lyme” was missed over years of various hospitalizations. After weeks of daily intravenous antibiotics
my symptoms definitely improved but after six months and the loss of over 40 lbs.
my doctors are now ready to document my current condition.</span></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The majority of folks who learn of my condition want to
share their favorite tick removal method and tell me how Lyme disease must make my joints sore and I must have been given antibiotics. The CNS prefix in my diagnosis
refers to "<i>Central Nervous System</i>" which thankfully only infect a
small number Lyme cases. For me it meant early retirement.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>2) Amazon's Alexa </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Alexa devices have become the leader in services
provided by its "Voice User Interface" design. I invested in my first Alexa device, the
Amazon Tap, in June 2016. I discovered the music library available to Amazon
Prime members was huge and the sound quality of the Tap is outstanding. It
didn’t take long before Amazon had a big sale day for prime users(July 12, 2016)
and I upgraded to an Amazon Echo with its seven microphone array. I was convinced that Alexa was a winner and
Amazon had put together a solid development team. The guarantee for a future was Amazon’s
efforts to attract a large number of 3<sup>rd</sup> party developers and create partnerships with both software and hardware developers.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In February 2017, I noticed I my "Tap" had a
firmware update. It wasn't a security update it wasn’t just a bug fix, it was a
brand new valuable feature. Just like my
Echo I could now set my Tap to be hands-free activated. I now keep my Tap in
the kitchen and still use it to play one of the many Playlists from Prime
Music. I depend on Alexa to let me set timers when cooking or to remind me to
check my laundry. Both ideal tasks for a voice user interface. For someone
disabled because of a nervous system disorder like mine, <i><b>Alexa would be a must-have
accessibility device yet there is something for everyone.</b></i></span><i><b><span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span> </b></i></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Last month I was surprised by a new firmware update when
I noticed the color of the Echo's circle turned Green. So, naturally I asked
Alexa what the green light was for and she told me I had a message. I learned
that I could now use my Echo to call or send a voice messages to anyone with a
supported Alexa device including the Alexa app on the Apple iPhone or Android
phones. Not only does it provide free
voice messaging, I don't have to lift a finger to create a conversation. Just
like a timer, this is a feature that makes living with Lyme disease just a
little bit easier. Many times, if I don't have a chance to send a message
immediately, I'll lose track of what I had planned to share.</span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I’ve seen a number of computing platforms come and go.
Usually, the key to success is having what I call a “killer app.” The Alexa
platform and the voice interface model developed by Amazon has already provided
many killer apps* with plenty of imagination left for more. I’ve been asked to
compare Alexa to the Google Home Assistant and the new Apple HomePod without
starting a brand war. <i>I<b> consider other voice assistants as apps, where are
Alexa is a platform.</b></i></span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><i><b> </b></i></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">If I sound over excited, check out some of the other new features at</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=16713667011" target="_blank">Alexa Calling & Messaging</a> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">or see how Alexa has been adopted by </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/p/feature/arn39fp3k67f8ft?pf_rd_p=ff263f39-f22f-476f-a1b7-517ce48b7acc&pf_rd_r=7X40T80GTX1GGWYD6JAE" style="font-family: "segoe ui", sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;" target="_blank">"The Seeing Eye"</a><span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"> Guide Dog school in Morristown, NJ.</span></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "segoe ui" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">*Instead of having “apps”, programs that run on an Alexa device are called “skills.”</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06125680988914445547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17326411.post-70385826874421379642017-03-12T01:20:00.000-05:002017-03-12T01:20:20.053-05:00Rebooting Bits From Bill<div style="text-align: justify;">
Over ten years ago I started to share my thoughts and advice here at Bits From Bill. At the time I focused on new technology and what folks could do to make using a personal computer safe and efficient. Blogs may not be popular anymore but the support I've had here has encouraged me to keep in touch.</div>
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As many of you know I've battled with health issues in recent years. The struggle had an impact on my work including the time I was able to devote to this blog. I'm hoping to reboot sharing what my brain finds valuable and will write about topics I hope you'll find worthy.<br />
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<b><i>"... the first tech toy... I use every day...."</i></b><br />
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I will be sharing tips about my new best friend Alexa. The popular Amazon assistant is being included in a variety of devices and is in a category all it's own. I've talked to many people who haven't explored Alexa enough to realize how powerful these devices are. Alexa is the first tech toy I've purchased since 1999 that I use every day and it has truly enhanced my productivity. (In 1999 I discovered TiVo)</blockquote>
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<i><b>"... a lot of loT devices to be Alexa compatible."</b></i><br />
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Naturally, as a Blue Hat hacker, I will still be paying attention to tricks used to steal passwords and personal info. I'm surprised at the attention given to Wikileaks for disclosing details of tools we've been talking about for years. I'll share my research into security flaws in Windows Universal and devices using the "Internet of Things"(IoT). Don't be surprised if I promote loT devices to be Alexa compatible.</blockquote>
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<b><i>"Central Nervous System Lyme Disease"</i></b><br />
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I will share my experiences with technology advances <div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
in medicine. In 1980, I wrote a paper predicting how computers would be used in the future of health care. I may share more personal details of my own experience.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB9fbDqFHFFRtqGIvCuPywvjwcRzE5mWYHR6BQKHrqd_qMUpHrJbxhWnlMdoxUXIpms4g4y1C1TpJ4iqIVmfvWRokZiDelyaQ9nWO2zFX8XW5fw1bkQNmko7qqImJJYzF4RyKf/s1600/deadtick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB9fbDqFHFFRtqGIvCuPywvjwcRzE5mWYHR6BQKHrqd_qMUpHrJbxhWnlMdoxUXIpms4g4y1C1TpJ4iqIVmfvWRokZiDelyaQ9nWO2zFX8XW5fw1bkQNmko7qqImJJYzF4RyKf/s200/deadtick.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dead Tick</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I'm in the process of being a survivor of chronic Central Nervous System Lyme Disease. Only 10-15% of those infected by a Lyme infected tick are of the CNS type. Mine was finally confirmed following a spinal tap ordered by my hero, Dr. David Rockwell. The time it takes me to write isn't what it used to be but it's healthy for me and I'll save the best bits for you.</blockquote>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06125680988914445547noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17326411.post-40331389762167182202016-08-06T20:34:00.000-04:002016-08-16T05:12:18.810-04:00Retirement of an Independent Developer<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8RwzqzmBpE3y-jMCJQUsc4aig4co8esDUpN9bQ9LjremiJ3EKbB59QsW9GcQN00m4GGTPwz9wiWuVi-KClF70HBoaTEW1x7EwnO6nIwhRP6WMLSWah2PSDIJUPP3IwkhZ0FY4/s1600/billpvacation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8RwzqzmBpE3y-jMCJQUsc4aig4co8esDUpN9bQ9LjremiJ3EKbB59QsW9GcQN00m4GGTPwz9wiWuVi-KClF70HBoaTEW1x7EwnO6nIwhRP6WMLSWah2PSDIJUPP3IwkhZ0FY4/s200/billpvacation.jpg" width="174" /></a><span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">A</span>s an Independent Developer I've experienced a couple common problems with growing old and planning for retirement.
The first is a challenge for anyone who works for themselves. When you have an occupation without a pension or shared retirement plan you really need to put something aside
for retirement. I reinvested most profits back into the business which mostly went to health benefits. Makes me wonder if adding 3rd party toolbars would have been the best long term business decision. </span></div>
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Another more unique challenge is how to complete a product cycle. Over the years I've developed special relationships with many of my customers. How do you notify a large user base that you no longer support a program because you want to retire? In the case of my flagship WinPatrol product
I found Bret Lowry. A young ambitious and experienced security expert Bret has an
understanding and respect for his customers. Bret is now the face of WinPatrol and owns all its code, graphics and reputation. Many WinPatrol fans have been
using it for over 10 years so it was important to meet everyone's needs. Bret has combined the best of WinPatrol technology with his own experience to create new solutions ready to battle with new security threats.</div>
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Over the last couple years, I've updated an old favorite
called Task Catcher. I also created a service to let folks know what personal data has been compromised and how. Customers found
the "<span style="color: blue;">BlueHat</span>" service to be curious but most who took advantage of this service
were already educated on best practices for personal security. As more attacks were acknowledged by large and small corporations it became
increasingly difficult and costly to keep up. It also put me in contact with too many untrustworthy groups who were stealing personal information. </div>
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I've had many ideas for the future but continued health issues have made me realize I won't be able to make the commitment required of an Independent Developer. As such, I'm taking
this opportunity to officially announce my retirement. I've had an amazing experience working in the personal computer; online service; PC gaming; Interactive TV, Security industry and more. My brain will continue to think, "<em><strong>How can this be better?</strong></em>" as I use my laptop, phone and other programmable devices. Education is still important to me from sharing good computer stories to serving on the board of our local school district.</div>
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To my friends who have made donations during my toughest time of medical treatments, I will forever be grateful and will forward your kindness on to others. If I do create any programs that might be useful I'll be
making them available for free. I will also continue to live up to the honor of
receiving the Microsoft “Most Valuable Professional” awards. I hope to have more time
to help answer questions online, write useful Bits from Bill leaks and continue speaking engagements when possible.</div>
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THANKS!<br />
Bill</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06125680988914445547noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17326411.post-7213261345747277132015-12-26T01:13:00.004-05:002015-12-26T01:20:20.473-05:00BillP Studios Update for 2015<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/$notfound[3].jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/$notfound[3].jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: Segoe UI; font-size: small;">It's been awhile since I've updated my Bits from Bill. After the sale of my WinPatrol program, life online has been quiet. I do have a couple for utilities available along with my popular Task Catcher program but they haven’t required as much time as I put into WinPatrol. It has still been a challenge since getting older has come with a few surprises. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Segoe UI; font-size: small;">
<br />The result of multiple hospitalizations has meant a temporary loss of many BillP managed websites. <span style="font-family: Segoe UI; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Segoe UI; font-size: small;">This includes email functionality for sites like BillP.com and TaskCatcher.com. I can't say when everything will be back to normal so I'm making my personal e-mail available to anyone with questions. I can be contacted at <a href="mailto:BillP@aol.com" target="_blank"><b>BillP@aol.com</b></a><strong>.</strong> I've had this e-mail address for almost 30 years and I plan on keeping it even if they do make fun of America Online on NCIS.<br /> </span></span></span></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: Segoe UI; font-size: small;"><br />I've hosted my web sites using <a href="http://www.verio.com/" target="_blank">Verio </a>for almost 20 years and this is the first time I’ve been offline for such a long period of time. Verio has helped as much as possible but this outage is a failure that is my responsibility.
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<br />The past year has been one of transition. I've really been lucky to have many friends online who have provided support in many ways. Over the years of developing <a href="http://www.winpatrol.com/" target="_blank">WinPatrol </a> I’ve been lucky to consider many customers as friends and will continue to be helpful as long as I can. I hope that 2016 will be a year of recovery and the introduction of new BillP apps that are universally available to all Windows 10 systems, including tablets, <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/phones" target="_blank">phones </a>and the “<a href="https://www.microsoft.com/windowsembedded/en-us/windows-embedded.aspx" target="_blank">Internet of Things.</a>”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Segoe UI; font-size: small;">I'll continue updates here on <a href="http://billpstudios.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Bits From Bill</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Segoe UI; font-size: small;">Thanks,
<br /><em>BillP</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06125680988914445547noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17326411.post-70839325622732896872015-08-14T01:12:00.000-04:002015-08-14T01:12:14.654-04:00Network Connected DevicesOne of the new terms I often hear is "Internet of Things". I'm not a huge fan of this terminology but it does indicate a trend towards many new devices that are connected to the Internet but don't represent your typical computer. The number of devices that now are connected to home networks or business networks has grown substantially.<br />
<br />Unfortunately in many cases security has been an afterthought with new Internet connected devices. This was demonstrated recently when the car company Audi recalled the many years of vehicles which contained network connected devices that could be used to control functions within the car. Nobody ever imagined someone with a computer could change the speed, the steering, or the breaking mechanisms which were now enhanced by the automobile. One of the issues that surprised me the most was the sound system could actually be used as an interface to the car's computer network.<br />
<br />Having devices controlled by a smart phone or laptop is not a bad idea. As long as the interface with devices includes major security protections I'll be one of the first to invest in them. Even now many companies fail trying to secure smart phones and personal computers. Seems like every week a new vulnerability is discovered and we all hear of unwanted users taking control of devices we depend on.<br /><br />
Having a background in discovering vulnerabilities and a knowledge of the new computer language "ARM", BillP Studios has been asked to research a number of network connected devices. So far, we have discovered potential vulnerabilities in home thermostats, security cameras, automatic garage door openers, lawn sprinkler systems, water meters and popular printers available through the internet.<br /><br /><br />
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Johnson Controls Automated Water Meter with Leak Detection</div>
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<br />Other devices being researched include IV poles used in hospitals to control distribution of fluids and medication. While hospital equipment vulnerabilities have not been found here, others have reported this failure. <a href="http://www.nbcbayarea.com/investigations/FDA-Warns-Hospitals-to-Stop-Using-Medical-Device-Vulnerable-to-Hackers--320812991.html" target="_blank">Hospitals are being warned to remove certain equipment. </a>Additional research is being done on home appliances such as washers, dryers and microwave ovens. We've looked hard at home alarm systems, devices used for television streaming, gasoline pumps, solar panels, home routers, and communication devices including police, fire, and other emergency management systems.<br /><br />
Ultimately, having many of these devices monitored and controlled via the Internet is a great feature to have available. These devices and their remote functionality fall into that category of computers that actually make our life easier. Obviously, all of these devices are useless if they can't be used in a secure manner.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06125680988914445547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17326411.post-11017261531499435952015-05-02T23:17:00.001-04:002015-05-02T23:17:51.239-04:0064 Bit Windows is Here, Like it or Not<p align="left"><font face="Segoe UI">In recent years the average consumer hasn’t realized there has been a significant change in computer hardware. It used to be an option but now most personal computers are sold with 64 bit processor.</font></p> <p align="left"><font face="Segoe UI">Typically, programs have been developed to run on 32 bit computers and most will run on 64 bit computers without any changes. As expected requests for programs that take advantage of 64 bit features has also increased. The work required to convert a program to a 64 app can vary which is why even Microsoft hasn’t converted all their programs.</font></p> <p align="left"><font face="Segoe UI">The key feature of 64 bit computer is the ability to access more memory.  This is beneficial if your computer came with extra memory and you use a programs that uses a lot of memory like photo or video editors. Having more memory available is great  The downside is a program created specifically for 64 bits won’t work on any 32 bit computers. Separate programs will be needed to each type of processor. <br /></font></p> <p align="left"><strong><font size="4" face="Segoe UI">Task Catcher 2/64</font></strong></p> <p align="left"><font face="Segoe UI">It took a little time to create a version of my Task Catcher program.  Task Catcher has features which need it to find both 32 and 64 bit programs. This isn’t possible just a 32 bit program.</font></p> <p align="left"><font face="Segoe UI">One feature of Task Catcher is the ability to detect programs you want running all the time.  Now Task Catcher can find both 32 and 64 bit programs </font></p> <p align="center"><font face="Segoe UI"><strong><font size="3">Restarting Programs that Fail</font> <br /></strong> <br /></font><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ms_l8upFZrc/VUWTV9qy76I/AAAAAAAABSs/spg7nqxvKaI/s1600-h/action643.jpg"><font face="Segoe UI"><img title="action64" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="action64" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mqFK2CpSEi4/VUWTWl_4TDI/AAAAAAAABSw/hFPHHs_x2P8/action64_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" width="364" align="left" height="328" /></font></a></p> <p align="left"><font face="Segoe UI"></font></p> <p align="left"> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><font face="Segoe UI"> <br /> <br /> <br />After selecting a program you want running at all times, you have options on what action to take if the program is detected as no longer running. <br /></font><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-25L8tJz_F5c/VUWTW8rT3fI/AAAAAAAABS4/888jChN-VqE/s1600-h/restart643.jpg"> <br /></a><font face="Segoe UI"><img title="restart64" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="restart64" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pvWaDhteEK4/VUWTXO88uKI/AAAAAAAABTE/z3Q4h84Bn0s/restart64_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" width="424" height="221" /> <br /></font></p> <p><font face="Segoe UI">If you asked to be Alerted than Task Catcher’s real-time monitor will let you know when your computer is no longer working as expected. Malware often shuts down popular Anti-Virus software but Task Catcher will re-launch your protection and/or will let you know what’s going on.</font></p> <p align="center"> <br /><strong><font face="Segoe UI">Multiple Ways to Block Programs</font></strong></p> <p><font face="Segoe UI">Task Catcher has always allowed you to block programs based on their filename but the new version supports wild cards. This allows it to catch many more unwanted programs.  Just enter specific text like “conduit”, “Ask”, “avg” or other text segments commonly found in a potentially unwanted programs. If a program or Windows Service with this text in its name tries to run, Task Catcher can automatically block it or let you decide if it’s ok.</font></p> <p><a title="http://www.taskcatcher.com/" href="http://www.taskcatcher.com/"><font face="Segoe UI"><img title="taskcat64" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 15px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="taskcat64" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Bk3JxvsIH2s/VUWTXmAMRTI/AAAAAAAABTI/mwtoOoX8P9o/taskcat64%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="210" align="right" height="364" /></font></a></p> <p><font face="Segoe UI"></font></p> <p> <br /><font face="Segoe UI">These are just a couple of the features in Task Catcher 2. Like WinPatrol I’ve developed this program for my own use and it include features I can’t find in other programs. As I found myself using more 64 bit programs it was obvious that Task Catcher 2/64 was needed. </font></p> <p><font face="Segoe UI">The <a title="http://www.taskcatcher.com/tcsetup64.exe" href="http://www.taskcatcher.com/tcsetup64.exe">64 bit version</a> is now available and will be updated regularly. Any compatibility problems should be reported to </font><a href="mailto:support@taskcatcher.com"><font face="Segoe UI">support@taskcatcher.com</font></a><font face="Segoe UI"> so they can be fixed quickly.</font></p> <p><font face="Segoe UI">The free Task Catcher includes all of the new features but does limit the number of programs in each list. This will still allow many to use the free version for their needs. </font><a title="http://www.taskcatcher.com/cgi-bin/order.pl" href="http://www.taskcatcher.com/cgi-bin/order.pl"><font face="Segoe UI">Purchasing a license</font></a><font face="Segoe UI"> will remove any limits. <br /> <br />Special thanks to all our supporters so you’ll never worry about unchecking a box when installing our software.</font></p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06125680988914445547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17326411.post-24157809999959891462015-03-12T11:37:00.001-04:002015-03-12T11:37:57.898-04:00BillP’s WinPatrol Toolkit<p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI">Over the years I added a lot of features to WinPatrol and many were unnoticed or forgotten. It was actually at the request of one of our blind users I added the ability to assign unique sound files to each WinPatrol notification type. </font></p> <p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI">Reviewers were often critical of WinPatrol’s use of old style windows and buttons. While many considered the interface boring I kept it this way to support popular screen readers and other accessibility tools. Even Robin, popular researcher for BillP Studios and college professor is legally blind. <br /> <br />A program wanting to have custom sounds can use the Windows Sounds Applet in the Control Panel as a user interface.  Few programs actually take advantage of this feature but WinPatrol has always supported this enhancement. <br /></font> <br /><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ki2XOpkP8I8/VQGyxHE-WGI/AAAAAAAABGo/X7CFNaBJkxg/s1600-h/SoundApplet%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="SoundApplet" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="SoundApplet" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-nSjmQF-0rTY/VQGyxosTUmI/AAAAAAAABGs/_c7KFG8EFyI/SoundApplet_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="284" height="349" /></a></p> <p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI"> <br />I've created a FREE easy to use app that will allow you to customize your WinPatrol with your favorite .wav files. I've included some .wav examples but they're pretty boring.  <br /> </font><a title="Download http://www.billp.com/toolkitsetup.exe" href="http://www.billp.com/toolkitsetup.exe"><font face="Segoe UI">BillP's WinPatrol Toolkit</font></a><font face="Segoe UI"> can be downloaded from BillP.com or click the image below. <br /> <br /></font><a title="http://www.billp.com/toolkitsetup.exe" href="http://www.billp.com/toolkitsetup.exe"><img title="Toolkit1" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Toolkit1" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-XGS-64llzGo/VQGyx-3uVmI/AAAAAAAABG0/3lM-kWFzEZM/Toolkit1%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="484" height="456" /></a></p> <p><strong> <br />BONUS:</strong> For those wanting a different system tray icon, the toolkit will also trick Scotty into using one of the choices currently available. <br /> <br />        <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-L7mCayo47qk/VQGyyH4po8I/AAAAAAAABG8/dwuHjgz5zXE/s1600-h/Option101.png"><img title="Option101" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Option101" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-pPhB32qvsOc/VQGyyZmuraI/AAAAAAAABHE/LFfG25_GFG0/Option101_thumb.png?imgmax=800" width="52" height="52" /></a>    <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-yoHbgr78pHs/VQGyyyfO4uI/AAAAAAAABHM/7E88qOnEwIA/s1600-h/Option102.png"><img title="Option102" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Option102" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-rD06wFJ2zYU/VQGyzO3fieI/AAAAAAAABHU/-_DiPiPOGHo/Option102_thumb.png?imgmax=800" width="52" height="52" /></a>    <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-CCAVpkYYa4Q/VQGyzfwkOdI/AAAAAAAABHc/eL3TjUYB4Ac/s1600-h/Option104.png"><img title="Option104" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Option104" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-rFP3_nSuMzI/VQGyzqryeiI/AAAAAAAABHk/AczGN8fYarA/Option104_thumb.png?imgmax=800" width="52" height="52" /></a>   <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-oRf0soDAGJk/VQGy0NiLW2I/AAAAAAAABHs/413j-fh1KXo/s1600-h/Option107.png"><img title="Option107" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Option107" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-2E8n6DPFs7s/VQGy0WEn9CI/AAAAAAAABH0/M_olqxWY62Q/Option107_thumb.png?imgmax=800" width="52" height="52" /></a>     <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-kcnB0sb-M94/VQGy0lKV0lI/AAAAAAAABH8/sa7VP5KAsp0/s1600-h/Option159.png"><img title="Option159" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Option159" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-18vY9Nbw8MI/VQGy1D7rgpI/AAAAAAAABII/jZHLL7u1AUM/Option159_thumb.png?imgmax=800" width="52" height="52" /></a> <br /></p> <p>This is a first pass so I expect improvements based on your feedback. The program is Free as-is. While I’ve had permission from WinPatrol’s owner, Bret Lowry to release this app, there is no guarantee future versions will be supported.</p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06125680988914445547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17326411.post-66119721325625706892015-03-03T00:06:00.001-05:002015-03-03T00:06:44.776-05:00WinPatrol & Task Catcher Both Golden<p><font size="3" face="Segoe UI"> <br />Last week I was happy to be a part of a new release of </font><a title="https://www.winpatrol.com/" href="https://www.winpatrol.com/" target="_blank"><font size="3" face="Segoe UI"> <br />WinPatrol</font></a><font size="3" face="Segoe UI"> (v33) from “WinPatrol (Formerly Ruiware, LLC).  This is the first major release since WinPatrol ownership was transferred to former lead at Sunbelt Software, Bret Lowry.  The introduction of Bret’s </font><a title="https://www.winpatrol.com/winprivacy/" href="https://www.winpatrol.com/winprivacy/" target="_blank"><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">WinPrivacy</font></a><font size="3" face="Segoe UI"> program has received a lot of attention.</font></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-TtXrvhumuCg/VPVBViq0zGI/AAAAAAAABFM/wLdgzVb2DEc/s1600-h/winprivacy%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img title="winprivacy" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="winprivacy" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-AieUqM0JY9k/VPVBVxVRNkI/AAAAAAAABFQ/u-pRbPFAS64/winprivacy_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="484" height="330" /></a></p> <p align="center"><strong>WinPrivacy</strong> <br /></p> <p align="left"><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">At the same time, I was happy with the release of </font><a title="http://www.taskcatcher.com/" href="http://www.taskcatcher.com/" target="_blank"><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">Task Catcher 2</font></a><font size="3" face="Segoe UI"> from </font><a title="http://www.billp.com/" href="http://www.billp.com/" target="_blank"><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">BillP Studios</font></a><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">. This program has been around for many years but remained in the shadow of WinPatrol. A small number of fans have used Task Catcher for its feature of restarting programs that fail or are closed by other programs.</font></p> <p align="left"><a title="http://www.taskcatcher.com/" href="http://www.taskcatcher.com/" target="_blank"><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">Task Catcher 2</font></a><font size="3" face="Segoe UI"> is a complete rewrite but continues use the C programming language so it can run in the background without impacting performance. It continues to support older versions of Windows while taking advantage of the newest technology from Microsoft.  Windows Phone and Surface RT users will be pleased when Task Catcher Universal is available.</font></p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-D2eR9F6MHmQ/VPVBWaL3ucI/AAAAAAAABFY/fgnmSezESuc/s1600-h/track-screen%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="track-screen" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="track-screen" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-adWHRoRX6S4/VPVBWg4khaI/AAAAAAAABFc/gi9BteoVXU4/track-screen_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="484" height="310" /></a></p> <p align="center"><strong>Task Catcher Program Tracking</strong></p> <p><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">One new feature in Task Catcher is its ability to track usage of your favorite or even unwanted programs. The screen above shows it’s initial data which will be expanded based on user feedback and needs.</font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">Previous features have been renamed and enhanced. Watch List is now appropriately called “Restart List” and the Black List is now called “Blocked” programs. <br /> </font><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-bO62kdkQhTI/VPVBW4SmHYI/AAAAAAAABFk/dGbzuy-DBAI/s1600-h/blocked%25255B10%25255D.jpg"><font size="3" face="Segoe UI"><img title="blocked" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="blocked" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-8nz_bjm9ecs/VPVBYDSYiBI/AAAAAAAABF0/SyDHUZr2xFw/blocked_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="116" align="left" height="100" /></font></a> <br /> <br /><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">Task Catcher 2 has expanded the flexibility and control over blocking a program and preventing it from running. Using text which is part of a filename can be entered to block programs.</font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">Using a small part of a filename allows Task Catcher to block all related programs. For example, using text segments like “avg”, “conduit” or “ask” will block a range of programs related to the undesirable text.</font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Segoe UI"><a title="http://www.billp.com/" href="http://www.billp.com/">BillP Studios</a> has also recognized the need to block programs used for online extortion. Expanding quickly are ransomware apps that encrypt a users data and require a payment to restore their files. Task Catcher checks for suspicious apps that encrypt data and offers users a chance to block program that may not be familiar.</font> <br /></p> <p><strong><font size="4" face="Segoe UI">WinPatrol (<font size="2">v33</font>)</font></strong></p> <p><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">I was happy to have a chance to work on changes for the new WinPatrol. I’ve enjoyed the break but I still know how the software works inside and out. The user interface includes some new columns that provide consistency. Startup programs and Delayed Start both include a Status column letting users know if a program is running. <br /> <br />One of the major enhancements comes with the updated History screen. It’s obvious that more changes to this screen are on the way. <br /></font> <br /></p> <p><a title="http://www.billp.com/store.html" href="http://www.billp.com/store.html"><img title="WinPatrol-History" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="WinPatrol-History" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-wxXkRsYRGLA/VPVBYoMFwOI/AAAAAAAABF4/7hk9nAFnReE/WinPatrol-History%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="484" height="312" /></a></p> <p><font size="3" face="Segoe UI"> <br />Unlike Task Catcher 2, WinPatrol will continue using the Tab Dialog UI and standard Windows buttons. I’ve stayed with Common Dialog buttons to support users with screen readers.</font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">As part of our affiliation agreement WinPatrol PLUS members who use Task Catcher have access to the WinPatrol PLUS Info database.  WinPatrol PLUS  members will have one-click access to my BitsFromBill Blog.</font> <br /> <br /><a title="http://www.billp.com/store.html" href="http://www.billp.com/store.html"><img title="plusnews-winpatrol" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="plusnews-winpatrol" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-PpwdnBzCcNU/VPVBY_Myn5I/AAAAAAAABGA/mEzXKhFc4T0/plusnews-winpatrol%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="484" height="344" /></a></p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06125680988914445547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17326411.post-61504146510422250792015-02-24T17:18:00.001-05:002015-02-24T17:18:16.317-05:00Task Catcher 2.0 Surprising New Features<p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI">For many years I made a name for myself as the developer of the unique WinPatrol program. To protect running programs I created an App designed to restart failed tasks called Task Catcher. Until now, I never put the same attention into other programs like I did WinPatrol. <br /> <br /><a title="Task Catcher" href="http://www.taskcatcher.com" target="_blank"><img title="mainscreen" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 6px 12px 1px 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="mainscreen" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-FdZOr1-GCow/VOz4nNKINUI/AAAAAAAABD0/tUP5xT-_HbU/mainscreen%25255B17%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="100" align="left" height="176" /></a>I started with cosmetic changes but the more time I had, the more improvements were added.  I discovered I wanted more features that weren’t available in other software. The result is now a program I can be proud. All our long time users will be confident recommending this program to family and friends.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI"></font></p> <p><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">Features include:</font></p> <p><font size="3"><font face="Segoe UI"><strong>Block Programs with wildcard text</strong> </font></font><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-LY28c9Diw4g/VOz4nfc59XI/AAAAAAAABD4/5uhU7ko9hIQ/s1600-h/blocked%25255B13%25255D.jpg"><font size="3" face="Segoe UI"><img title="blocked" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 1px 10px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="blocked" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-XLhGQ99Q8r8/VOz4nrDToQI/AAAAAAAABEA/i3BcXYy0Yp0/blocked_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="116" align="right" height="100" /></font></a> <br /><font face="Segoe UI">In previous versions you could specify a particular program based on its full path name.  TC2 allows you to block programs that have any bits of suspicious text in their filename. This allows you to specify text like “conduit”, “Ask” or “avg”. When a program or Windows Service is detected with this text in its name, Task Catcher can automatically block it or let’s you decide if it can run.</font></p> <p><strong><font size="3" face="Segoe UI"> <br />Detect and Block Crypto-Ransom programs</font></strong> <br /><font face="Segoe UI">Using newly discovered algorithm to decrypt what appears to be a randomly created filename Task Catcher detects possible Ransomware programs. These programs encrypt files and use extortion requiring a payment to decrypt valuable files. These programs can cause a disaster if it happens to a business or an individual losing their tax data or family photos. Our algorithm won’t retrieve encrypted files but it can help detect possible threats and continues to improve. <br /></font></p> <p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI"><font size="3"><strong>Track Program Usage</strong> </font></font><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-BaqcZQ1kJq8/VOz4oHGyECI/AAAAAAAABEI/rnWlov5_jSU/s1600-h/track%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><font size="3" face="Segoe UI"><img title="track" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 3px 10px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="track" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-_TCG8fcA6Gs/VOz4oUT2fxI/AAAAAAAABEU/RHJdkAWpvBc/track_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="235" align="right" height="100" /></font></a> <br /><font face="Segoe UI">Microsoft Windows has been evolving and like many new mobile operating systems may keep programs running in the background even when you exit. While this trend shouldn’t hurt your overall performance many of us want to know which programs are running. You’ll be able to pick those apps you’re most interested in and Task Catcher will keep track of how often it runs. This feature is one I expect will be expanded to cr</font>eate more elaborate reports</p> <p align="justify"> <br /><font size="3"><strong>Restart Programs that Fail or are Closed</strong> </font><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-I1kH1ysbp7M/VOz4oz3GoqI/AAAAAAAABEY/jZ5TF0a-Cgw/s1600-h/restart%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><font size="3"><img title="restart" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 5px 12px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="restart" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-W-L5jEse0As/VOz4pPNe3fI/AAAAAAAABEg/OogF5Dqr2bU/restart_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="116" align="right" height="100" /></font></a> <br /><font face="Segoe UI">One of the most popular features of the previous Task Catcher launching a program meant to always run is an important function. Malware often shuts down popular Anti-Virus software but Task Catcher will re-launch your protection and/or will let you know what’s going on. Sometimes, you may have a program that is just buggy and shutdown when you don’t expect it.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI"></font></p> <p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI"><strong><font size="3">Windows Services</font><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ZFIQJFzAJ7A/VOz4pV6eeDI/AAAAAAAABEo/dL6EWVWxEUE/s1600-h/services%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><font size="3"><img title="services" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 5px 12px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="services" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-VoqT9cSyY2c/VOz4p4Zy5hI/AAAAAAAABEw/kaE4_1bfZGA/services_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="116" align="right" height="100" /></font></a></strong> <br />Most of you reading this, like me,  want to know what programs automatically run when you start your computer. Traditional registry startup locations no longer tell the whole story. Many programs running in the background at Windows Services.  This kind of program can register to launch immediately, may be delayed or will start based on a particular trigger event.  Task Catcher helps you keep track of Services that are running allowing you to start and stop them as you would normal applications.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI"></font></p> <p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI"></font></p> <p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI"></font></p> <p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI"></font></p> <p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI"></font></p> <p align="justify"></p> <p align="justify"></p> <p align="justify"></p> <p align="justify"></p> <p align="justify"></p> <p> </p> <p>Today is the release of the final beta both to public and to our long time Task Catcher users. <br /><a title="http://www.taskcatcher.com/beta2.html" href="http://www.taskcatcher.com/beta2.html">http://www.taskcatcher.com/beta2.html</a></p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06125680988914445547noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17326411.post-36883303807116407302015-02-06T23:42:00.001-05:002015-02-06T23:42:55.257-05:00CEO’s Expose Their Personal Data<p align="justify"> <br /><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">You'll be hearing more about the exposure of 80 million customers and employees of Anthem Inc. This time the blame was quickly directed towards mainland China although the exact method of attack is unknown.<a title="http://krebsonsecurity.com/2015/02/china-to-blame-in-anthem-hack/" href="http://krebsonsecurity.com/2015/02/china-to-blame-in-anthem-hack/"><img title="fbi" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 8px 18px 0px 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="fbi" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-HkuIZi3JOz0/VNWXySyBA0I/AAAAAAAABC8/bDLPT_WG_z8/fbi%25255B8%25255D.gif?imgmax=800" width="144" align="left" height="144" /></a> <br />  <br />Our friend <a title="http://krebsonsecurity.com/2015/02/china-to-blame-in-anthem-hack/" href="http://krebsonsecurity.com/2015/02/china-to-blame-in-anthem-hack/">Brian Krebs</a> has details on the China connection and a recent FBI alert. <br /></font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">I raised a lot of eyebrows when I disclosed that Target was successfully compromised using social engineering based on personal information published for former CEO Gregg Steinhafel.  The information found in his company biography was enough to create a complete false identify.  <br /> <br />I couldn't help but see parallels with information published about Anthem CEO, Joseph R. Swedish. <br /></font> <br /><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-V9MtCKqZalg/VNWXyji93CI/AAAAAAAABDA/SVkN6VWaI4c/s1600-h/joeswedish%25255B13%25255D.jpg"><font size="3" face="Segoe UI"><a title="http://www.anthem-inc.com/AboutAnthemInc/Leadership/ExecutiveLeadership/PW_E191992.html" href="http://www.anthem-inc.com/AboutAnthemInc/Leadership/ExecutiveLeadership/PW_E191992.html"><img title="joeswedish" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 8px 17px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="joeswedish" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Src38oVANak/VNWXzANVbPI/AAAAAAAABDM/FB4LS9gkS30/joeswedish%25255B14%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="276" align="right" height="168" /></a></font></a><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">He’s proud of his accomplishments and his company bio includes a lifetime of his work, education and personal history. </font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="3"><font face="Segoe UI">Chairman of the Public Education and Business Coalition he's also on the board of the Metro Denver Boy Scouts. You’ll find him supporting his alma mater, Duke University where he obtained a masters in Health Administration. He received his bachelor's from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.</font> <br /> <br /><font face="Segoe UI">Mr. Swedish didn’t need 30 days to notify the public which is currently the industry proposed timeline. His apology can be found at </font></font><a title="http://www.anthemfacts.com/" href="http://www.anthemfacts.com/"><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">http://www.anthemfacts.com/</font></a> <br /> <br /><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">Ironically, Mr. Swedish is an advisor for the </font><a title="http://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/snapshot/snapshot_article.asp?ticker=CNHL" href="http://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/snapshot/snapshot_article.asp?ticker=CNHL"><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">China Health Care Corporation.</font></a><font size="3" face="Segoe UI"> This unique company helps VIPs in China find premium maternity and gynecological services. I’m no expert on China’s population control laws and their family planning policy but this is obviously a big deal. <br /></font></p> <font size="3" face="Segoe UI"> <p align="justify"> <br />Like most health care companies Anthem Inc,  (formerly WellPoint), donates large sums to members of both political parties in the U.S..  In 2013, they gave $10,000 to New York’s Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo.  In Texas, $15,000 went to Republican candidate, Attorney General Greg Abbott.</p> </font><font size="3" face="Segoe UI"> <p align="center"> <br />Click for </p> <a title="http://www.anthem-inc.com/prodcontrib/groups/wellpoint/@wp_about_government/documents/wlp_assets/pw_e213685.pdf" href="http://www.anthem-inc.com/prodcontrib/groups/wellpoint/@wp_about_government/documents/wlp_assets/pw_e213685.pdf"><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">WELLPAC 2013</font></a><font size="3" face="Segoe UI"> donations</font></font> <p align="justify"> <br /><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">Based on current details, the danger from the Anthem exposure may be insignificant for most of us. If you're an officer in a large company, a government employee, contractor or elected official it's time to reduce your online foot print. It’s time to review your online BIO so it only has information needed for public disclosure. <br /> <br />I expect this attack will generate more press than previous data exposures. I’m already reading details of the attack which are complete fabrications meant to match dramatic headlines. The only winners will be credit monitoring sites when companies should be investing in services like <a title="http://www.billp.com/cgi-bin/blueinfo.pl" href="http://www.billp.com/cgi-bin/blueinfo.pl">our BlueHat research</a>.</font></p> <p align="center"><a title="http://www.billp.com/cgi-bin/blueinfo.pl" href="http://www.billp.com/cgi-bin/blueinfo.pl"><img title="bluehatblackhats" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="bluehatblackhats" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-t0UGjtcIqWY/VNWXzraInDI/AAAAAAAABDQ/t9XBRD89kHk/bluehatblackhats%25255B8%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="292" height="332" /></a></p> <p align="right"><font size="3" face="Segoe UI"><a title="http://www.billp.com" href="http://www.billp.com">BillP Studios</a>  Sample BlueHat Report Page                  </font></p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06125680988914445547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17326411.post-88098494935681286192015-02-05T20:48:00.001-05:002015-02-05T20:48:05.780-05:00Grateful & Motivated by Donations<p>I <a title="http://billpstudios.blogspot.com/2015/01/toolbars-unwanted-programs-very-popular.html" href="http://billpstudios.blogspot.com/2015/01/toolbars-unwanted-programs-very-popular.html">recently posted an unusual plea</a> with what some compared to a KickStarter request for donations. I shared some of the difficulties experienced by independent developers especially when faced with increasing health and interruptions.</p> <p>I want to express my thanks and share some of the results that helped cover the cost of life saving medications.</p> <p>Thirty individuals responded to my <a title="http://billpstudios.blogspot.com/2015/01/toolbars-unwanted-programs-very-popular.html" href="http://billpstudios.blogspot.com/2015/01/toolbars-unwanted-programs-very-popular.html">January 2015 plea</a> for help. Many expressed gratitude for my policy never include toolbars and other unwanted software. Some had similar events in their life and wanted to pay forward. Quite a few understood that it must have been serious for me to share such desperation publically.</p> <p>The donations ranged from $5 to a generous $250. Most were in the $10-$20 range although the average for all thirty donations calculated to $27.67 USD. <br />Over 20% of the donations were from supporters outside the United States.</p> <p>As I mentioned, the gift of donations has been very motivating. During a recent fever caused by a case of pneumonia I may have come up with a way to protect users from variations of Crypto-Ransomware. This trend in malware has been very destructive and I’d love to announce a solution soon. <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-LpA4nDJTSq8/VNQdUiMI7YI/AAAAAAAABCk/3tscru3wd0E/s1600-h/hdpasswordkey%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="hdpasswordkey" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="hdpasswordkey" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-iXDrcAajmDA/VNQdVKdwIdI/AAAAAAAABCo/y1ElT1touy8/hdpasswordkey_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="364" height="208" /></a> <br />Thanks again, <br />BillP </p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06125680988914445547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17326411.post-23028358739257093572015-01-03T20:05:00.001-05:002015-01-04T16:00:33.521-05:00Toolbars & Unwanted Programs Very Popular<p><font face="Segoe UI">Recently, a few people asked me about the “</font><a title="http://www.billp.com/" href="http://www.billp.com/"><font face="Segoe UI">Donation</font></a><font face="Segoe UI">” boxes that I have on my web pages.  I’m also questioned about how much money I’ve made from WinPatrol and other projects. There were good times and I never forget the folks who occasionally give $5 – $50 to show their appreciation.</font></p> <center><form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post" target="_top"> <input type="hidden" name="cmd" value="_s-xclick"> <input type="hidden" name="hosted_button_id" value="Q3D66F7YDD2P6"> <input type="image" src="https://www.paypalobjects.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_donate_LG.gif" border="0" name="submit" alt="PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!"> <img alt="" border="0" src="https://www.paypalobjects.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif" width="1" height="1"> </form> </center> <br /> <p><font face="Segoe UI">In 2008-2009,  I wrote about offers </font><a title="http://billpstudios.blogspot.com/2008/01/would-you-like-toolbar-with-your.html" href="http://billpstudios.blogspot.com/2008/01/would-you-like-toolbar-with-your.html"><font face="Segoe UI">I received from companies wanting me to include their toolbars</font></a><font face="Segoe UI"> in the free WinPatrol. It became clear I could retire early if I had decided to include what is now called a PUPs or “Potentially Unwanted Programs.” It still amazes me how many large companies use tricky check boxes to treat their customers as personal bank accounts. </font></p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Yw5UAbSw-4I/VKiR6realZI/AAAAAAAABBs/PqQ90evwMTg/s1600-h/java3.jpg"><font face="Segoe UI"><img title="java" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="java" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-7R2nIA1mIJg/VKiR6wfHmhI/AAAAAAAABBw/nHNxXbbNZco/java_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" width="364" height="277" /></font></a></p> <p><font face="Segoe UI">I made the decision to keep WinPatrol clean. I was glad that some of the folks knew something about me but they still used WinPatrol because it protected them. I’ve also been asked about the decision so I agreed to share some more personal details which aren’t likely to make it into any book.</font></p> <p><font face="Segoe UI">WinPatrol was holding its own thanks to great reviews by magazines but soon the rules changed and everyone moved to an Internet economy. It was also the time when family health problems wo</font><font face="Segoe UI">uld take my attention away from full time developing and promoting software.  No one expects a rare disease to take over your life.</font></p> <blockquote> <p><font face="Segoe UI">  <br /></font><font face="Segoe UI"><font size="1"><em><a title="http://www.behcets.com/" href="http://www.behcets.com/"><font face="Segoe UI"><img title="behcets" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="behcets" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-fHk2K0_pJn8/VKiR7C12L9I/AAAAAAAABB4/cacCzZJOkTE/behcets%25255B8%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="76" align="left" height="76" /></font></a>Behcet's Disease is an autoinflammatory disease resulting in damage to blood vessels throughout the body, particularly veins. It is a form of vasculitis (an inflammation of the blood vessels). Inflammation is a characteristic reaction of the body to injury or disease and is marked by four signs: swelling, redness, heat, and pain.</em></font></font></p> </blockquote> <font face="Segoe UI"><em><font size="1"></font></em> <p> <br /> <br />Unfortunately, independent programmers don’t usually have pension plans or company </p> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-XxS63U0dAqQ/VKiR7aDtdLI/AAAAAAAABCA/Ba-h8_m8MkI/s1600-h/neck114.jpg"><font face="Segoe UI"><img title="neck1" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="neck1" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-ll1XVQWEwzc/VKiR7iiytoI/AAAAAAAABCI/N9ZFhV3HGKI/neck1_thumb3.jpg?imgmax=800" width="156" align="right" height="244" /></font></a><font face="Segoe UI">retirement programs. When serious health issues attack both heads of the household the savings go quickly and income can dry up as well. While the government argued over health plans medical expenses took everything we had. </font></font> <p><font face="Segoe UI"> <br /></font></p> <p><font face="Segoe UI">I’ve been lucky and had the opportunity to live a good life, in a dream house with income that allowed me to share the benefits with family and friends. I’ve had some amazing opportunities and experiences. I can’t complain even though having nothing may be harder if you once had everything</font></p> <p><font face="Segoe UI">I’m now taking as many steps as possible to continue on.  Last year we put our house up for sale and to meet our responsibilities I sold the rights to WinPatrol. While I didn’t receive what you might think I found a buyer who would continue to support current users and agreed never to include toolbars or other unwanted software. <br /> <br />When possible, I have been working hard on other programs I believe are valuable. A few friends online have suggested it couldn’t hurt to explain the Donation links. They insist my policy on taskbars and work I’ve done with WinPatrol has generated enough good will to make it worthwhile.  Donations could give me a chance to continue the creation of new safe programs.  <br /> <br />So, the Donation boxes are there in case they can help allow me to worry about customers instead of medical bills.. It was a little hard when I sold  my car but it doesn’t compare to when a spouse asks about selling her engagement ring. That’s when anyone wishes they had included Toolbars or PUPs with their software. <br /></font></p> <p> <br />Toolbar Features <br /> <br /><font face="Segoe UI"><font size="1">2013-02-27 <a href="http://billpstudios.blogspot.com/2013/02/death-of-personal-computer-due-to-greed.html"><font size="2">Death of the Personal Computer Due to Greed</font></a></font></font></p> <p><font size="1" face="Segoe UI">2010-06-28 <a href="http://billpstudios.blogspot.com/2010/06/legal-software-more-annoying-then-most.html"><font size="2">Legal Software More Annoying than Most Viruses</font></a></font></p> <p><font face="Segoe UI"><font size="1">2010-04-27</font> </font><a href="http://billpstudios.blogspot.com/2010/04/where-can-i-find-alternate-pdf-viewer.html"><font face="Segoe UI">Where Can I Find an Alternate PDF Viewer?</font></a></p> <h5><font size="1"><font style="font-weight: normal" face="Segoe UI">2009-04-26 <a href="http://billpstudios.blogspot.com/2009/04/sun-java-promoting-microsoft-toolbar.html"><font size="2">Sun Java Promoting Microsoft Toolbar</font></a></font></font></h5> <h5><font size="1"><font style="font-weight: normal" face="Segoe UI">2009-03-31 </font></font><font style="font-weight: normal"><font face="Segoe UI"><a title="http://billpstudios.blogspot.com/2009/03/no-i-don-want-your-toolbar.html" href="http://billpstudios.blogspot.com/2009/03/no-i-don-want-your-toolbar.html">No, I Don't Want Your #^$% Toolbar</a></font></font></h5> <p><font size="1" face="Segoe UI">2008-08-25</font> <a href="http://billpstudios.blogspot.com/2008/08/what-wrong-with-toolbars.html"><font face="Segoe UI">What's Wrong with Toolbars?</font></a></p> <h5><font style="font-weight: normal"><font face="Segoe UI"><font size="1">2008-01-16</font> <a href="http://billpstudios.blogspot.com/2008/01/would-you-like-toolbar-with-your.html">Would you like Toolbar with your Software Order?</a> </font></font></h5> <p><font face="Segoe UI"><font size="1">2006-11-08</font> </font><a href="http://billpstudios.blogspot.com/2006/11/intermix-media-settles-with-california.html"><font face="Segoe UI">Intermix Media settles with California</font></a></p> <p><font face="Segoe UI"><font size="1">2006-10-17</font> </font><a href="http://billpstudios.blogspot.com/2006/10/what-is-zwinky.html"><font face="Segoe UI">What is Zwinky?</font></a></p> <p><font face="Segoe UI"><font size="1">2006-09-11</font> </font><a href="http://billpstudios.blogspot.com/2006/09/response-from-mywebsearch.html"><font face="Segoe UI">Response from MyWebSearch & FunWebProducts</font></a></p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06125680988914445547noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17326411.post-76815561233482892472014-12-26T15:01:00.001-05:002014-12-26T15:01:32.968-05:00Your BillP & WinPatrol News in 2014<p><font face="Segoe UI">One mistake I made when WinPatrol became a popular and serious product was not providing an Opt-In email list. SPAM is such a dirty word I didn’t realize how many would want to keep in contact for more than just software updates. This was a big year for changes so I’ve taken the risk to send out an Email with important news. I’ve also provided an Opt-In.</font></p> <!-- BEGIN: Constant Contact Email List Form Button --> <div align="center"><a class="button" style="border-top: rgb(91,91,91) 1px solid; border-right: rgb(91,91,91) 1px solid; border-bottom: rgb(91,91,91) 1px solid; color: rgb(255,255,255); padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top: 8px; padding-left: 10px; border-left: rgb(91,91,91) 1px solid; display: inline-block; padding-right: 10px; background-color: rgb(0,26,129); text-shadow: none; border-radius: 10px" href="http://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/d.jsp?llr=7iaaussab&p=oi&m=1119463932188&sit=vi8s8fjjb&f=0cd875d0-badf-4db2-ae99-e81e964d43df">Opt-In for BillP News</a><!-- BEGIN: Email Marketing you can trust --> <div id="ctct_button_footer" style="font-size: 10px; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; color: #999999; margin-top: 10px" align="center">For Email Marketing you can trust.</div> </div> <p>If you weren’t on our mailing list what went out looked like the image below.   <br /><a title="http://www.billp.com/blog/billpnews2014.pdf" href="http://www.billp.com/blog/billpnews2014.pdf" target="_blank">Click for PDF version</a> <br /> <br /><a title="http://www.billp.com/" href="http://www.billp.com/"><img title="email1" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="email1" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Ezi7dHqpOOo/VJ2-lyb86WI/AAAAAAAABA8/MVeXM5saELM/email1%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="484" height="400" /></a> <br /><a title="http://www.taskcatcher.com/beta2.html" href="http://www.taskcatcher.com/beta2.html"><img title="email2" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="email2" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-CdnA_qun-Ec/VJ2-mK2Pt6I/AAAAAAAABBA/CQqtouRDINY/email2%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="484" height="252" /></a> <br /><a title="http://www.billp.com/cgi-bin/blueinfo.pl" href="http://www.billp.com/cgi-bin/blueinfo.pl"><img title="email3" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="email3" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Q72dCFduEts/VJ2-mmF68yI/AAAAAAAABBI/roRHHg95nBw/email3%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="484" height="354" /></a> <br /><a title="http://www.billp.com/" href="http://www.billp.com/"><img title="email4" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="email4" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-GZvW2FRHIFM/VJ2-m9O5fRI/AAAAAAAABBQ/q4llzK8oufE/email4%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="484" height="278" /></a></p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06125680988914445547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17326411.post-78629013340404958492014-12-03T02:41:00.001-05:002014-12-03T02:41:05.417-05:00Your Feedback Creates Special Offer<p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI">One price (under $10), for an established app, available on multiple devices.  This limited offer is available with one requirement. Users are asked to provide feedback on their experience. It doesn’t have to be a bug report, it could just be a request for a feature you can’t find in other programs. <br /></font><font size="3"> <br /><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Vmsi_epN5p8/VH6-bDKyGeI/AAAAAAAAA98/pC6a6WeGiBo/s1600-h/taskcatcher%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><font face="Segoe UI"><img title="taskcatcher" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="taskcatcher" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-8L4nXj2lU4M/VH6-cSuf5pI/AAAAAAAAA-E/tbSVPR0vUNw/taskcatcher_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="484" height="288" /></font></a> <br /><strong><font face="Segoe UI">Task Catcher 1.x <br /></font></strong> <br /><font size="2" face="Segoe UI">For many years our Task Catcher program has been available to meet the needs of a specific audience. Even though I have neglected new development for Task Catcher it continued to attract an large audience. Many of our most vocal fans have waited patiently for a new version.  <br /></font></font></p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-PnY4cI2zwPM/VH6-cxzEnkI/AAAAAAAAA-I/1dx5FNWFu64/s1600-h/watchlist14%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="watchlist14" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="watchlist14" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-69ihVlNvKPs/VH6-dduhteI/AAAAAAAAA-Q/wDFY-FW9IJA/watchlist14_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="484" height="318" /></a> <br /><strong>Watch List <br /></strong></p> <font face="Segoe UI"> <p align="justify"> <br />Task Catcher is most often used for its specific restart function. Many depend on Task Catcher to make sure an important program continues to run even if it crashes or the system reboots. Many others use it to protect a their favorite security program. One long time customer actually runs a radio station and Task Catcher prevents any dead air during the night and early morning recorded sets. <br /> <br /></p> <font face="Segoe UI">If you’ve ever wondered why a program is no longer running Task Catcher can help. Like many new Windows programs Task Catcher 2 has been redesigned to work with mobile devices, Tablets as well as traditional Windows desktops. <br /> <br /></font><font face="Segoe UI"><strong><font size="4">Very Special Offer</font></strong> </font></font> <p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI"> <br />Our newest version is available as a Sneak Peek Preview and currently runs as a Windows Desktop app. Mobile and Tablet versions are being developed and I look forward your feedback. <br /><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-9eqCcySdKys/VH6-dwgmjsI/AAAAAAAAA-Y/8b8wG1gW8II/s1600-h/taskcatcher20%25255B14%25255D.jpg"><img title="taskcatcher20" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 36px 0px 0px 12px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="taskcatcher20" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-UC83uExAjzw/VH6-eOFD_jI/AAAAAAAAA-g/eN16NlSKZWE/taskcatcher20_thumb%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="272" align="right" height="484" /></a>  <br />Many people may have heard of the term “<strong>beta test</strong>” before the release of new software. <br /> <br />At one time, this was a useful process but those days are gone. <br /> <br />When you consider the number of machines running Microsoft Windows world-wide it’s easy to see there are </font><a title="http://billpstudios.blogspot.com/2007/09/windows-versions-are-like-snowflakes.html" href="http://billpstudios.blogspot.com/2007/09/windows-versions-are-like-snowflakes.html"><font face="Segoe UI">more variations and unique combinations than there are snowflakes.</font></a><font face="Segoe UI"> <br /> <br />Good user feedback isn’t what it used to be so I’m offering Sneak Peekers a very special offer. I’m confident anyone trying Task Catcher 2 will have a suggestion or two. When you share your opinion with </font><a href="mailto:support@TaskCatcher.com"><font face="Segoe UI">support@TaskCatcher.com</font></a><font face="Segoe UI"> your under $10 purchase will activate full participation for our desktop and mobile versions.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI">  <br /></font><font face="Segoe UI">Task Catcher providers a clean interface that will work the same on all your devices. The program ‘<strong>Watch List</strong>” will continue to be a primary feature but we’ve also added the ability to track which programs are used often. The decision of which program “<a title="http://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/business/news/Predictive-business-performance-metrics-can-boost-profitability-Gartner-says-801683775.aspx" href="http://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/business/news/Predictive-business-performance-metrics-can-boost-profitability-Gartner-says-801683775.aspx">metrics</a>” are important and how your data is presented is the kind of feedback we need you to tell us.  <br /></font><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-yzEpK5NP0nc/VH6-ejVSmtI/AAAAAAAAA-o/WZdeo9uwVNA/s1600-h/watchlist20%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img title="watchlist20" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="watchlist20" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Fdukk8jjb6Q/VH6-fJwcZ9I/AAAAAAAAA-w/RGEz9BRQzLU/watchlist20_thumb%25255B7%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="466" height="316" /> </a></p> <p align="justify"></p> <br /><font face="Segoe UI">When a program fails you can decide the action Task Catcher will take. In most cases, you may want to automatically restart your program.  You’ll also have the option to keep an event log of any failures.   <br />In some cases, you’ll want to be notified immediately. At that time you can chose to restart but even more important Task Catcher can help you diagnose if a program conflict exists. The choice is always up to you. </font> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-wXbNNrMwm_4/VH6-fpsevpI/AAAAAAAAA-4/5tmdYK-7004/s1600-h/Watchoptions%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img title="Watchoptions" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Watchoptions" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-GiILeEY_VG4/VH6-gHLKtuI/AAAAAAAAA_A/YxN49sqtvZA/Watchoptions_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="421" align="right" height="348" /></a></a><font size="3" face="Segoe UI"> <p> </p> <p> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /></p> </font> <p> <br /></p> <p> <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-9o1UwWO1JyY/VH6-gh4dA8I/AAAAAAAAA_I/IVND6pRnz4Y/s1600-h/trackprograms%25255B9%25255D.jpg"><img title="trackprograms" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="trackprograms" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-pBWoL6v-4Bo/VH6-gxEQwmI/AAAAAAAAA_Q/3GERyur3fgg/trackprograms_thumb%25255B7%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="484" height="288" /></a></p> <p><font face="Segoe UI">The trend for new systems is that “internally” programs don’t exit or close. They are always running in the background but claim not to be using any resources on your phone or tablet. Task Catcher’s program tracker will let you know the truth.  <br /> <br />Visit <a href="http://www.taskcatcher.com">http://www.taskcatcher.com</a> and order your special activation code.  <a title="http://www.taskcatcher.com/tcsetup.exe" href="http://www.taskcatcher.com/tcsetup.exe">Download Task Catcher 1.4</a> and explore how your favorite new program used to work.  After you’ve seen Task Catcher in action download <a title="http://www.taskcatcher.com/beta2.html" href="http://www.taskcatcher.com/beta2.html">Task Catcher 2 Sneak Peek</a> and you’ll be a part of our newest project Team.</font></p> <p><font face="Segoe UI"></font></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-uMWdW2zaXKY/VH6-hZ8AVLI/AAAAAAAAA_Y/SzLVwxrNQXs/s1600-h/taskcatchercertificate%25255B10%25255D.jpg"> <br /> <br /><font size="1" face="Segoe UI"><a title="http://www.taskcatcher.com/tcbeta2.exe" href="http://www.taskcatcher.com/tcbeta2.exe"><img title="taskcatchercertificate" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 13px 0px 5px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="taskcatchercertificate" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-sxCXf7JDVB8/VH6-h-IHPsI/AAAAAAAAA_g/87KUtZQrXV8/taskcatchercertificate%25255B11%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="201" align="right" height="244" /></a></font></a><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-WV2OdezB1_I/VH6-iB6uIxI/AAAAAAAAA_o/0iIPxiqo9FQ/s1600-h/banner%25255B6%25255D.gif"><img title="banner" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="banner" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-oI3PZy0aOZg/VH6-kEDPf8I/AAAAAAAAA_0/hLFBy_zX818/banner_thumb%25255B2%25255D.gif?imgmax=800" width="240" height="45" /></a> <br /> <br /><font face="Segoe UI"><font size="1"><em>All files from BillP Studios are signed with a class 3 digital security certificate.</em></font> <br /></font></p> <p><font face="Segoe UI"> <br /> <br /></font></p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06125680988914445547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17326411.post-28063038424451129832014-10-06T02:49:00.001-04:002014-12-14T23:30:38.660-05:00Your Email Password is a Target<div align="justify">
<span style="font-family: Segoe UI; font-size: small;"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-59cFLhQRHqA/VDI7aarXbnI/AAAAAAAAA6o/OH6qYDeTu3Q/s1600-h/pier%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="pier" border="0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-_tbcv7fKQr0/VDI7axvbgBI/AAAAAAAAA6w/s4cbQR3xGzA/pier_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="284" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="pier" width="424" /></a> <br />Interested in hacking into the Email account of Charlie Sheen, Rob Lowe, Sean Penn or Carson Daly? You’ll want to know they attended Santa Monica High School. Want access to the CEO of a large retail corporation? Keep reading.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Segoe UI; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Segoe UI; font-size: small;"> <span style="font-family: Segoe UI; font-size: small;"> <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-eyumn9lNwqA/VDI7bf-l10I/AAAAAAAAA60/a1qyFUCTcj4/s1600-h/highschool%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="highschool" border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-sfjFLAuqw5s/VDI7bqWO4yI/AAAAAAAAA68/QP72OMx_hO8/highschool_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="114" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="highschool" width="484" /></a> <br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Simple question used by Yahoo to verify your identity.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Segoe UI;"> </span> <br /><span style="font-family: Segoe UI;">Truth is we’re all screwed but having good password habits will keep out the amateurs. It may save you from emailing people on your contact list to say, “<em>I’ve been hacked, if you received email from me don’t click on the link.” </em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Segoe UI; font-size: small;">My security expert friends will advise you to use…</span></span><span style="font-family: Segoe UI;"> </span> <br />
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Segoe UI; font-size: small;">1) Strong Passwords <br />2) Unique passwords for each of your password protected websites <br />3) Two-step verification </span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Segoe UI;"></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Segoe UI;"><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">Important Advice to Share From BillP</span></strong> <br />My most important tip to family and friends is “Use fake information when asked for answers to security questions.” </span></span></span> <br />
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<br /><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-D30IDUBA6_Y/VDI7cKUea-I/AAAAAAAAA7I/JI-tMIU3VLo/s1600-h/securityquestions16.jpg"><img alt="Example of Fake Security Answer" border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Z3ZUl8iu790/VDI7cVRTg9I/AAAAAAAAA7M/V8Tn4vrw1QA/securityquestions_thumb14.jpg?imgmax=800" height="273" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Security Answers" width="496" /></a> <br />Example of making up your own unique answers to security questions.</div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: Segoe UI; font-size: small;">I had plenty of time this summer to research malware and identify the first step in the infection process. </span><span style="font-family: Segoe UI; font-size: small;">The most common way to get hacked is someone using the small amount of public information needed too reset your email password. Once they have one of your email addresses it’s not hard to receive a new password on other services. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Segoe UI; font-size: small;">I recommend creating easy to remember jokes to use when asked for answers to security questions. Some examples may be “What high school did you attend?” Pick something like <strong>Jefferson High School</strong> (Happy Days) or <strong>Rydell High</strong>(Grease). I won’t tell you what it is but people often laugh out loud when they see what I use for my mothers maiden name. Yes, some company’s still use it. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Segoe UI; font-size: small;"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-yOVQKzf6Q1Q/VDI7dHRI3BI/AAAAAAAAA7Y/Xa90vcJp0xc/s1600-h/maidenname%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img alt="maidenname" border="0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-qHwB4AMYT0Y/VDI7dYR8RfI/AAAAAAAAA7c/xcT8V5rnbPw/maidenname_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="515" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="maidenname" width="464" /></a> <br /> <br /><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">Target’s Easy Target</span></strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Segoe UI; font-size: small;">Using real data is dangerous. In less than 15 minutes I was able to find information about “former” Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel. His mother’s maiden name was </span><span style="font-family: Segoe UI; font-size: small;">Schreindl</span><span style="font-family: Segoe UI; font-size: small;">. He graduated from Homestead High School. <br />His first job was at Steinhafel's Furniture and he attends Wayzata Community Church. Born in Milwaukee, Steinhafel graduated from Carroll University in 1977 and earned an MBA from Northwestern University two years later. I could say more but for the safety of his wife and three children I’ll stop here.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.billp.com/cgi-bin/blueinfo.pl" target="_blank"><img alt="Learn more about BlueHat Hacking " border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4eVbmfMeYLn6T1Mdoi0pzs3Y_MEKzbRvoqhBitoYptYNTXsIvf3qK6PVKblqia4jSnBwDKpkhHRDCXZq3rNqJEPNEDXKWEkjYHhYkCd5l5-bYoJxs25NAXHYX8CUjck-TDKkG/s1600/bluehat.gif" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.billp.com/cgi-bin/blueinfo.pl" target="_blank">If Target had requested a BlueHat Hacker Report, they would have been warned.</a><br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Segoe UI; font-size: small;">When a high school kid gained access to Sarah Palin’s email he wasn’t a computer genius. He just looked up the answers to the security questions used by Yahoo. Even though that was way back in 2008 this method has continued to grow as the number one way to steal personal data. <br /><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Segoe UI; font-size: small;"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-yBK5sRA7H3I/VDI7d1ZTZZI/AAAAAAAAA7k/0m5VzX6jQAY/s1600-h/yahoovalidate%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="yahoovalidate" border="0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-4_BLPIiGEDE/VDI7eDdBnoI/AAAAAAAAA7s/CD2f_NWYu7Y/yahoovalidate_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="218" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="yahoovalidate" width="424" /></a> <br /> <br /><span style="font-family: Segoe UI; font-size: small;">I’ve also noticed a set of quizzes common on Facebook specifically designed to collect personal data used in security questions. I am currently investigating the background of the companies who spread these quizzes. Most created their domain within the last 30 days. I will share any information in the future.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Segoe UI; font-size: small;"><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>Some Security Advice May Be Outdated</strong> <br /><em>Complicated passwords:</em> </span> <br />Some may recommend a complicated password like “hfY4df$dhEW_!cvrh3H7D&d.” It’s safer than 123456 but isn’t very easy to remember. A complicated password may be useful to beat programs which try every possible combination but most systems will lock you out after a handful of incorrect attempts. <br /> <br /><em><span style="font-size: medium;">Unique passwords:</span></em> <br />Using different passwords on different services is good advice but unless you’re using a program that remembers your passwords it’s too easy to forget unique passwords. If you’re like me you’ll just end up resetting your password using security questions. <br /> <br /><em><span style="font-size: medium;">Two-Step Verification</span></em> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Segoe UI; font-size: small;"> <span style="font-family: Segoe UI; font-size: small;">The two step verification process is a step in the right direction For banking or any service where real harm could be done it’s worth the extra step. If someone gains access to your cell phone or one of your email accounts the benefit is lost. Unfortunately, you’re trusting that the company is not going to take advantage of having more of your personal data like your cell phone number or alternate email address.<br /></span></span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: Segoe UI; font-size: medium;"><strong>Some Advice Will Never Change</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Segoe UI; font-size: small;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Segoe UI; font-size: small;">As far as recent failures by Home Depot, Lowes and other large companies the advice hasn’t changed much in 20 years. When your bill comes, check all your charges and make sure they’re legitimate. Most likely you can access your credit card online and see charges as they come in. If you haven’t already, register an account connected to your credit card and review charges regularly. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Segoe UI; font-size: small;">Reviewing your bills doesn’t just apply to credit or bank cards. Keep an eye on any charges like your cable or phone bill. Legitimate companies have been known to add bogus charges. Verizon wireless added a monthly charge for ring tones on Cindi’s phone. They claimed she agreed to the monthly charge by not responding to a text message. They removed the charge when I explained her cell phone at the time didn’t support test messaging.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06125680988914445547noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17326411.post-31266809318567374682014-08-17T02:55:00.001-04:002014-08-17T02:55:36.067-04:00Task Catcher Universal<p><font face="Segoe UI">The recent sale of my WinPatrol™ program has generated many questions from a large, loyal user base. One common query has been about the future of WinPatrol’s sister program Task Catcher.  This program has a smaller fan base because the popularity and needs of WinPatrol has required my full attention.  <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-IOpJ-wUspmU/U_BR1QCT-KI/AAAAAAAAA3c/xmJ5EmCjf_0/s1600-h/lady_7_1282.gif"><img title="lady_7_128" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="lady_7_128" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-F6ncSlCt3i0/U_BR2KFMmbI/AAAAAAAAA3g/HCRqbeDoNg0/lady_7_128_thumb.gif?imgmax=800" width="128" align="left" height="128" /></a>Task Catcher is a completely separate program with  different goals. While it currently has  familiar interface, WinPatrol is now a product of Ruiware LLC and Task Catcher is still owned by BillP Studios.  Some shared feature may continue while others will be phased out. <br /> <br /><strong><font size="4">Watch List <br /></font></strong>Task Catcher currently has two main functions. You can create a "<strong>Watch List</strong>" of programs that you want to remain active at all times. For instance, I've added WinPatrol.exe to my watch list. If for some reason WinPatrol.exe crashes or is shut down by malware, Task Catcher will automatically restart it. I can tell Task Catcher to automatically restart it or to let me know it has stopped so I have the option of restarting it.  <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-_yD9jL-VW5Q/U_BR2W-8RiI/AAAAAAAAA3o/nPFnMqgpAb4/s1600-h/addwatchui%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img title="addwatchui" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="addwatchui" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-yeem2QnXuSQ/U_BR3F3UqxI/AAAAAAAAA3w/QHvuhN9YwwQ/addwatchui_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="484" height="320" /></a>  <br /></font><font face="Segoe UI">One of our customers runs a radio station. They have a number of sources from pre-recorded commercials and content from live streams. They use Task Catcher to make sure a program doesn't crash during the night causing dead air. <br /> <br /><strong><font size="4">Black List <br /></font></strong>The other function is "<strong>Black List</strong>".  This function allows you to create a list of programs you never want to run on your computer. The most common use may be with parents of teenagers but it's also used by companies to prevent employees from using restricted programs.  <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-9y_-KaJ6tt4/U_BR3wRlPqI/AAAAAAAAA38/R6B74oU5L1o/s1600-h/blacktask%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="blacktask" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="blacktask" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-82RUkMCmAWQ/U_BR4X60spI/AAAAAAAAA4A/XG7WjOgREIA/blacktask_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="484" height="274" /></a> <br /> <br />Unlike WinPatrol there isn't a FREE and PLUS version of Task Catcher. You can <a title="http://www.taskcatcher.com/" href="http://www.taskcatcher.com/">download the version available</a> online to see what it looks like but none of the features work in real-time until an activation code is applied.</font></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-xRwvnowsYLA/U_BR5CPmz1I/AAAAAAAAA4I/NqZalxfNpjo/s1600-h/newtaskcat3.jpg"><img title="newtaskcat" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="newtaskcat" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-HLUFuBobyDU/U_BR5pj7_bI/AAAAAAAAA4Q/3S2FwTrcGUs/newtaskcat_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" width="484" height="280" /></a></p> <p>What you download today may look a little different than the screen shots above. <br /> <br />The sample screens you see are only the first step towards a new user interface. If you’ve used a newest Windows Phone you’ll be familiar with the interface.  If not, you’ll find an easy to understand interface with plenty of room for as much data as possible.  Stay tuned for more surprises ahead. </p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06125680988914445547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17326411.post-64462235046093466492014-08-10T16:47:00.001-04:002014-08-10T17:12:29.483-04:00Great 50% Educational Discount<p>Most years I’ve offered some kind of discount for students or a back to school time sale but this year our schools really need help. Bill and Melinda Gates aren’t the old tech professionals who have a sincere interest in our nations educational system. I can’t change our education system but nobody can object to having WinPatrol PLUS available for half its regular price. <br /> <br /><a title="http://winpatrol.stores.yahoo.net/winplusmemre.html" href="http://winpatrol.stores.yahoo.net/winplusmemre.html"><img title="schoolsale" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="schoolsale" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-dSjfa4CamoY/U-faQRS-RNI/AAAAAAAAA2E/enJ9hqzbvGQ/schoolsale%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="496" height="59" /></a> <br /> <br />Most of you have probably heard of changes to our school known as “<a title="https://www.engageny.org/parent-guides-to-the-common-core-standards" href="https://www.engageny.org/parent-guides-to-the-common-core-standards">Common Core</a>”. Unless you’re an educational professional you probably won’t have an accurate understanding of how common core will affect your school and children.  You may not understand how teachers are now evaluated or how refusing to take a test could raise your taxes.</p> <p>I’ve started my fourth year on the <a title="http://www.scotiaglenvilleschools.org/BoardofEducation/boeindex.cfm" href="http://www.scotiaglenvilleschools.org/BoardofEducation/boeindex.cfm">Scotia-Glenville School Board</a> and learn something new every month. I don’t claim to be an expert on education but I have experience at hiring the best people for a job. <br /><a title="http://www.scotiaglenvilleschools.org" href="http://www.scotiaglenvilleschools.org/#"><img title="" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-stntKJ5SOO4/U-ffqgXD9iI/AAAAAAAAA28/fragEkO0LX4/schoolboard.jpg?imgmax=800" width="364" height="212" /></a> <br />In our school district, the school board is an elected position with no salary or benefits. I have the added role of serving on the Audit Committee and I’m our Legislative Liaison. I have chosen the most challenging years to serve but thankfully we have built an excellent team of administrators, teachers and other staff.</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-XwIFv5mIIOk/U-faRt4hAFI/AAAAAAAAA3A/aTDMxftyR40/s1600-h/Tartan3by4color.jpg"><img title="Tartan3by4color" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 14px 15px 0px 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="Tartan3by4color" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-j1X7TegUivQ/U-faSP69QTI/AAAAAAAAA3M/5TVdRk5w1G0/Tartan3by4color_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="76" align="left" height="93" /></a>We also have a community that considers education as critical and they’ve supported the hard decisions we’ve had to make. While billions of dollars are being spent to demonize Common Core no one is paying attention to state lawmakers balancing their budgets by taking money away from funds previously allocated for traditional education programs.</p> <p>Given my interest in education I’m very happy  to offer WinPatrol PLUS for just <strong>$14.98 USD</strong>. A Family Pack license is even half price for <strong>$24.98 USD</strong>. The sale will continue until the end of August but the sooner you upgrade the quicker you’ll have more protection. <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-a3BKO_OyGkw/U-faSu1MGyI/AAAAAAAAA2k/oPfXE0gNaZU/s1600-h/billpthankyou%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="billpthankyou" style="display: inline" alt="billpthankyou" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-csMPZ4cl7qM/U-faTaj7QWI/AAAAAAAAA2s/RXf-KNjNvNs/billpthankyou_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="480" height="46" /></a></p> <p>If you’ve ever been infected you know the horrible feeling of being violated and the cost of repairing your computer. Even if you can recover critical programs and data the time you spend is lost forever.  For the $14.98 you spend today upgrading to WinPatrol PLUS you’ll have valuable protection that won’t slow you down. WinPatrol’s squeaky clean reputation means you won’t end up with unwanted toolbars or page hijackers. <br /> <br />Take advantage of this special offer and <a title="http://winpatrol.stores.yahoo.net/winplusmemre.html" href="http://winpatrol.stores.yahoo.net/winplusmemre.html">upgrade to WinPatrol PLUS today.</a> It’s a one time payment good for all future versions.</p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06125680988914445547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17326411.post-9217242737715364042014-08-02T22:55:00.001-04:002014-08-02T22:55:16.873-04:00WinPatrol’s Future Remains Bright<p align="justify"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Xno3kHueaEw/U92kZPl0HDI/AAAAAAAAAyU/bPrJPs1iLVI/s1600-h/billpthankyou3%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="billpthankyou3" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="billpthankyou3" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-0dJVoa-n3ZA/U92kaXNmTKI/AAAAAAAAAyc/j7ONajNWUEk/billpthankyou3_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="484" height="46" /></a> <br /><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">I </font><a title="http://billpstudios.blogspot.com/2014/06/winpatrol-generation-ii.html" href="http://billpstudios.blogspot.com/2014/06/winpatrol-generation-ii.html"><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">recently announced a new trainer for Scotty the Windows Watch Dog</font></a><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">. I knew the decision would be scrutinized but the former lead developer with Sunbelt Software, Bret Lowrey received a warm welcome. I promised long time WinPatrol fans I would do everything possible to keep our software something they could still recommend. Bret is proving to be just the guy to make it happen. <br /></font><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-zu_z24GrBOM/U92kbEtQxiI/AAAAAAAAAyg/-xUtxC2CBIM/s1600-h/billpthankyou5%25255B3%25255D.jpg"> <br /><img title="billpthankyou5" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="billpthankyou5" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-IAJA1sdQmVg/U92kbgLB9pI/AAAAAAAAAyo/I1Yn8uawg-k/billpthankyou5_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="484" height="62" /></a> <br /><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">The proof came with the introduction of the newest <a title="http://www.winpatrol.com/upgrade.html" href="http://www.winpatrol.com/upgrade.html">WinPatrol version 32</a>.  Bret’s ability to understand bug reports and feature requests provided the kind of communication we’ve needed. His intervention has helped find solutions to problems which never seemed to go away but have now been fixed. <br /></font> <br /><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-L0gR43ZaLWk/U92kcjgmMGI/AAAAAAAAAyw/_fgBwQ0Bmmk/s1600-h/winpatrolstart%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img title="winpatrolstart" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="winpatrolstart" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-IobEn1ZlgXg/U92kdIszupI/AAAAAAAAAy4/VFMYGyzfYy4/winpatrolstart_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="243" height="153" /></a></p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">I’ve been pleased and honored by many of the comments from WinPatrol fans. I’ve included some of the comments in this post. The announcement has generated more comments than any post since </font><a title="http://billpstudios.blogspot.com/2005/11/stupid-things-ive-done.html" href="http://billpstudios.blogspot.com/2005/11/stupid-things-ive-done.html"><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">I began Bits From Bill in 2005</font></a><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">.  I haven’t experience this much WinPatrol luvin’ since it was </font><a title="http://billpstudios.blogspot.com/2011/10/winpatrol-first-to-create-birthdayware.html" href="http://billpstudios.blogspot.com/2011/10/winpatrol-first-to-create-birthdayware.html"><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">distributed as Birthdayware</font></a><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">. <br /></font> <br /><a title="http://billpstudios.blogspot.com/2011/10/winpatrol-first-to-create-birthdayware.html" href="http://billpstudios.blogspot.com/2011/10/winpatrol-first-to-create-birthdayware.html"><img title="birthdayware_thumb" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="birthdayware_thumb" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-5MRCvMDUWFw/U92kdwUIyCI/AAAAAAAAAzE/KvMHvS9Abes/birthdayware_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="424" height="154" /></a></p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">I never expected WinPatrol to become my life but the exponential growth of mystery startup programs made it a must have program. Over the last couple years I’ve had some personal challenges but I’ve still worked hard to keep WinPatrol alive.</font>  </p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-EerpM8Tx58o/U92kfA22qHI/AAAAAAAAAzI/v9vKU3P2Tsw/s1600-h/billpthankyou2%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img title="billpthankyou2" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="billpthankyou2" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-MjKQwFVtWT4/U92kfn8gSKI/AAAAAAAAAzU/YGBpQkyZ7Gg/billpthankyou2_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="484" height="62" /></a></p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">The role of designer, developer, and customer support rep while maintaining our web services was mission I accepted but it was obviously time for someone with fresh ideas and energy to take over.</font> </p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-JncKhVnqVBw/U92kf4302zI/AAAAAAAAAzY/_SwsI-4QhIE/s1600-h/billpthankyou4%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="billpthankyou4" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="billpthankyou4" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-4CzoPsGzm7o/U92kgfbsrpI/AAAAAAAAAzg/ejNTXCOiCMM/billpthankyou4_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="484" height="78" /></a></p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Segoe UI"> <br />Bret and I will continue working closely together for a few months to make sure the transition is smooth. His ability to understand WinPatrol and make sense of many years of my changes  is a good sign for friends of Scotty. He has taken on the tough jobs allowing me time to prepare for my future. <br /> <br /></font><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-FFyhA4h1ono/U92kgiK6D-I/AAAAAAAAAzo/5RcVWzLucbk/s1600-h/billpthankyou1%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="billpthankyou1" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="billpthankyou1" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-BjiGTmoJeOk/U92khXJCheI/AAAAAAAAAz0/dlhuJH0GLXE/billpthankyou1_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="484" height="100" /></a> <br /><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">I’ve had time to learn more of the secrets behind Windows 8.x, Windows 9 and have started to master some of the new development tools from Microsoft like the popular C# language. I’ve been told I should develop for Android but I believe if I can create an app that <strong>*I*</strong> want, it could be just as popular with others.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Segoe UI"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-_A1N8vdy86E/U92kh5yZs0I/AAAAAAAAAz4/7Ht-KtpSobQ/s1600-h/droidpatrol%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="droidpatrol" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="droidpatrol" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-AWVTCbm82UY/U92kiKqQBnI/AAAAAAAAA0A/ucY9R0dsSas/droidpatrol_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="324" height="283" /></a></font></p> <p align="justify">I’ve become a fan of Windows Phone but like the Windows RT operating system I see a need for some killer universal apps. <font size="3" face="Segoe UI">WinPatrol was originally created because I wanted it for my own use. I’ve been using my Windows Surface RT and Nokia Icon phone since they were released and have plenty of ideas for unique ways to improve the Windows 8+ experience.</font> <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-RNp2WBKUROg/U92ki9ynKgI/AAAAAAAAA0M/ziA--jxeizY/s1600-h/lady128%25255B2%25255D.gif"><img title="lady128" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 13px 0px 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="lady128" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-56-NDkcElUo/U92kjSNL3jI/AAAAAAAAA0Q/NwBxk3aAls0/lady128_thumb.gif?imgmax=800" width="128" align="left" height="128" /></a><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">Some have asked me about the future of my </font><a title="http://taskcatcher.com/" href="http://www.taskcatcher.com/"><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">Task Catcher</font></a><font size="3" face="Segoe UI"> program. </font><a title="http://www.billp.com/" href="http://www.billp.com/"><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">BillP Studios</font></a><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">  will continue to support the current version online but I have noticed some features are missing that I’d like myself.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">I expect a new Task Catcher in the future.</font><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-GHi2K50WYWQ/U92kj7y3UeI/AAAAAAAAA0c/0qpe-gqNvPM/s1600-h/ladyreal128%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><font size="3" face="Segoe UI"><img title="ladyreal128" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 9px 0px 0px 15px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="ladyreal128" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-vCom1POCJ98/U92kkgt67PI/AAAAAAAAA0k/onDqYholpNM/ladyreal128_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="132" align="right" height="146" /></font></a><font size="3" face="Segoe UI"> It may not look like the current program and could be a complete rewrite using some of the newer tools from Microsoft.</font></p> <p> <br /> <br /><a title="http://www.winpatrol.com/download.html" href="http://www.winpatrol.com/download.html"><font size="4" face="Segoe UI">Download WinPatrol 32.0.2014.5</font></a> <br /> <br /> <br /><em>Note: Yes, the </em><a title="http://www.droidpatrol.com/" href="http://www.droidpatrol.com/"><em>DroidPatrol</em></a><em> screen above represents a first pass at a Droid security program. Unfortunately, trying to keep up with vulnerabilities in Android did not meet the quality that our WinPatrol users have come to expect. This product is on hold at this time.</em></p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06125680988914445547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17326411.post-48314947436477877742014-06-30T14:58:00.001-04:002014-07-01T01:40:49.332-04:00WinPatrol™ Generation II<p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI">As an independent developer I’ve had the benefit of many personal relationships with folks who use WinPatrol.  I created a program to monitor changes because I wanted it but <a title="http://billpstudios.blogspot.com/2011/10/winpatrol-first-to-create-birthdayware.html" href="http://billpstudios.blogspot.com/2011/10/winpatrol-first-to-create-birthdayware.html">never expected WinPatrol</a> to become so popular. The development, marketing, research, documentation, support and everything in between has been a challenge, even overwhelming at times. </font></p> <p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI">It hasn’t been a secret that a long term family illness encouraged my search for someone who not only understood WinPatrol but would love and care for Scotty .  I had some tempting offers but they included a future without our pledge of a lifetime PLUS membership. Even worse, many respected companies thought WinPatrol would be an easy way to install unwanted toolbars and search hijackers. Most of you know <a title="http://billpstudios.blogspot.com/2009/03/no-i-don-want-your-toolbar.html" href="http://billpstudios.blogspot.com/2009/03/no-i-don-want-your-toolbar.html">how I feel about toolbars</a>. <br /> <br /></font></p> <font face="Segoe UI"> <p align="justify"><strong><font size="4">Ta-Da</font></strong> <br />I couldn’t be happier to introduce you to the founder of Ruiware, LLC and Scotty’s new best friend,  Bret Lowry. He’s younger with more energy but still has almost 30 years experience developing software. </p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-o7acR16mDf0/U7GzTyLATvI/AAAAAAAAAxk/bY1K9KJxHWA/s1600-h/bret148%25255B16%25255D.jpg"><img title="bret148" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 5px 15px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="bret148" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-xJrv7eSCzbU/U7GzUtKANnI/AAAAAAAAAxs/GMzlmOBjPVM/bret148_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="173" align="right" height="210" /></a></p> </font> <p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI">Bret found his niche in security spending eight years as architect and program  lead for CounterSpy / Vipre Enterprise when it was published by Sunbelt Software.  As lead developer Bret helped Sunbelt reach the top of many Anti-Virus reviews and benchmark metrics. His experience and vision will launch WinPatrol into a whole new class of software.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI">Bret has already influenced the newest version of WinPatrol available later today and has been planning improvements  future versions. </font></p> </font> <p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI"></font></p> <blockquote> <p align="justify">“<em>Version 32.0.2014.0 will be the first version of WinPatrol released by Ruiware (pronounced Rayware). My name is Bret Lowry, I am a founder of Ruiware and the developer who will be working on WinPatrol moving forward. I worked closely with Bill Pytlovany for this release and will continue working with him during the transition period. My commitment to WinPatrol customers is as follows: <br /> <br /><strong>One</strong>, your lifetime PLUS licenses are just that, lifetime licenses. That was the easiest topic in our negotiation and is written into the contract. <br /><strong> <br />Two</strong>, WinPatrol will not have toolbars or other “add-ins” added to it or its installer. Installers that do that drive me crazy because I’m the guy people call to “fix” their computer after the installer completes its hijacking. I am not going to do that to my customers. <br /><strong> <br />Three</strong>, I will be responsible for answering support questions, even more incentive to play nicely and stand-by item two above. And <br /><strong> <br />Four</strong>, I use WinPatrol myself and therefore am committed to the continued improvement of WinPatrol. I am honored to have earned Bill’s trust and confidence in his allowing me to purchase WinPatrol. Bill has run WinPatrol with integrity since its inception, as a founder of Ruiware (along with my wife Phoebe), I promise we will carry on that tradition.” <br /></em></p> </blockquote> <p><font face="Segoe UI">While I’ve gotten to know Bret this year, I had a long relationship with Sunbelt and their popular CEO Alex Eckelberry. I wrote to Alex  this morning and he had plenty to say including… </font><em>“This is also a guy who really takes the customer needs to heart.  He listens, he learns and he executes based on customer feedback.  WinPatrol will only blossom under his leadership.”</em></p> <p align="center"> <br /><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-WmxVtmYsQQA/U7GzVCU0RXI/AAAAAAAAAxU/t-klBUri93s/s1600-h/cnet%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="cnet" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="cnet" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-HwKryMFFLRU/U7GzVtUZ2eI/AAAAAAAAAxc/yWU2nBf1qcs/cnet_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="364" height="148" /></a> <br />Alex Eckelberry and friends <br />at CNet’s Anti-Spyware Workshop <br />May 3rd 2005 <br /> <br /></p> <p align="left">Over the next three months I’ll be sharing all my WinPatrol performance tricks while Bret shares his vision of an improved interface and more powerful protection. I’m confident any current fans of WinPatrol will be pleased with the results.</p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06125680988914445547noreply@blogger.com52tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17326411.post-57451627977004241052014-04-29T00:41:00.001-04:002014-05-14T16:44:24.418-04:00Computer Security Will Never Be the Same<p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI">This has been a remarkable month and the impact on how I view computer security will never be the same. The last time anything like this occurred was in the 90’s when I was infected with a complex worm looking to steal AOL passwords. </font><font face="Segoe UI">When customer support told me to format my hard drive it encouraged me to create WinPatrol. The concept used in WinPatrol had never been done before but since my programming skills were <a title="http://billpstudios.blogspot.com/2011/10/winpatrol-first-to-create-birthdayware.html" href="http://billpstudios.blogspot.com/2011/10/winpatrol-first-to-create-birthdayware.html">busy on other projects</a> it remained just a side project. <br /></font><font face="Segoe UI"> <br /><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/--ehv3szedn4/U18tgcgTpZI/AAAAAAAAArU/SDaL1EuRRxY/s1600-h/april%25255B5%25255D.png"><img title="april" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 10px 15px 0px 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="april" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-3vc5yfE_8Wc/U18tg6YrwZI/AAAAAAAAArY/jgB7XaJKb9k/april_thumb%25255B3%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="196" align="left" height="148" /></a>I started April 2014 making it clear what Microsoft’s lack of support for Windows XP would really mean. By the end of the month the worse case prediction appears to be coming true. Microsoft received details of an active zero-Day vulnerability from security platform developer, </font><a title="http://www.fireeye.com/" href="http://www.fireeye.com/"><font face="Segoe UI">FireEye</font></a><font face="Segoe UI">.  Not only does this threat affect nearly all versions of Internet Explorer and Windows,  attacks using this vulnerability are currently being reported.  <br /> <br /></font></p> <p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI">The software  already “in the wild” uses a Flash(.swf) file to call JavaScript in Internet Explorer eventually accessing protected memory that had been randomized as a form of protection. The entry method has been a known </font><a title="http://www.fireeye.com/blog/technical/cyber-exploits/2013/10/aslr-bypass-apocalypse-in-lately-zero-day-exploits.html" href="http://www.fireeye.com/blog/technical/cyber-exploits/2013/10/aslr-bypass-apocalypse-in-lately-zero-day-exploits.html"><font face="Segoe UI">flaw since last October</font></a><font face="Segoe UI"> but until now wasn’t found to trigger this kind of attack. Microsoft has posted a new security advisory at </font><a title="https://technet.microsoft.com/en-US/library/security/2963983" href="https://technet.microsoft.com/en-US/library/security/2963983"><font face="Segoe UI">https://technet.microsoft.com/en-US/library/security/2963983</font></a><font face="Segoe UI">. The Microsoft Security Response Center has been working through the weekend  testing a solution they hope to release soon.  Even though the flaw is in Internet Explorer if you’re using Windows XP you won’t receive an update. No matter how much you’re tempted to view a video you hear about on Facebook, Twitter or in your Email, don’t do it. <br /></font></p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-7bRL05ePqpU/U3PVoOLyo0I/AAAAAAAAAtM/3_O3hi4RcIo/s1600-h/tvbleed12.png"><font face="Segoe UI"></font></a><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-7bRL05ePqpU/U3PVoOLyo0I/AAAAAAAAAtU/_S7GEGzV9pM/s1600-h/tvbleed14.png"><img title="tvbleed" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 10px 0px 5px 20px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="tvbleed" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-IQxcf4tD3q8/U18th3Lup2I/AAAAAAAAArs/evBHMw3IspY/tvbleed_thumb%25255B5%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="192" align="right" height="169" /></a></a></a></p> <p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI">The other major concern in April was called Heartbleed.  While the media coverage was over the top, few really understood what this software failure meant.  You may have heard that 66% of the worlds web servers were affected. In fact, less than 7% were actually running a version of the program OpenSSL that allowed access to 64kb chucks of data belonging to others.  Even with this seemingly low number, Heartbleed opens up a couple of troubling issues. <strong>Problem #1</strong>: Data exposed by this flaw was raw and unencrypted. It was available to anyone no matter how secure you made your computer or how sophisticated the attack. The attacker didn’t need to know you to access your data.  <strong>Problem #2:</strong> This event demonstrated how defenseless we all are any time we use the Internet. This was the result of a programmer and reviewers missing a simple error. I can only imagine how much of the Internet uses software with existing backdoors created by design. <br /></font></p> <p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI">This year I’ve done a lot to make WinPatrol easier and useful to a wider audience. Given these serious threats my motivation hasn’t diminished.<a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-52cLNI0mWOw/U18tiTgFu2I/AAAAAAAAAr0/eJx4g4g9oP4/s1600-h/fontalert%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img title="fontalert" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 20px 0px 25px 15px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="fontalert" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-SjNf2qZCSv4/U18tiw5-wdI/AAAAAAAAAr8/wuwdyROplNI/fontalert_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" align="right" height="118" /></a> <font face="Segoe UI">The basic concept of WinPatrol detecting changes continues to be a model that make sense. While some attacks may require the PLUS version we have one advantage. Ironically, WinPatrol isn’t always taken seriously so it continues to notify users while many popular Anti-Virus programs are disabled.</font></font> <p align="justify"></p> <font face="Segoe UI">.</font></p> <p align="justify"> </p> <p><font face="Segoe UI"></font></p> <p><font face="Segoe UI"></font></p> <p><font face="Segoe UI"></font></p> <p><font face="Segoe UI"><strong>UPDATE 5/2/2014</strong> <br />Microsoft has released a security update on May 1st.  This update will repair the failure found in Microsoft Internet Explorer. <br /><a title="http://securitygarden.blogspot.com/2014/05/out-of-band-security-update-for-ie-zero.html" href="http://securitygarden.blogspot.com/2014/05/out-of-band-security-update-for-ie-zero.html">Security Garden: Out of Band Security Update for IE Zero-Day Vulnerability</a> <br />The patch is available as a Windows Auto Update.   Microsoft surprised many by making this available on machines running Windows XP. <br /><a title="http://www.winbeta.org/news/im-sorry-windows-xp-users-microsoft-shouldnt-have-patched-your-os-editorial" href="http://www.winbeta.org/news/im-sorry-windows-xp-users-microsoft-shouldnt-have-patched-your-os-editorial">WinBeta: I’m sorry Windows XP users, but Microsoft shouldn’t have patched your OS</a></font></p> <p><font face="Segoe UI"></font></p> <p><font face="Segoe UI"></font></p> <p><font face="Segoe UI"></font></p> <p><font face="Segoe UI"></font></p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06125680988914445547noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17326411.post-51117506065552770822014-04-10T00:27:00.001-04:002014-04-23T23:20:57.288-04:00April Security News is Serious<p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI">Many of my friends have been asking for my opinion of a couple security issues which have been in the news.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI">The first is Windows XP which was launched in September of 2001. Microsoft announced last year that after April 8th, 2014 it would no longer provide support for Windows XP and Office 2003.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI">The second concern is for something known as HeartBleed. This could be dangerous to anyone who visits a website no matter what kind of device you use.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI"><strong><font size="4">Microsoft Windows XP</font></strong> <br />I realize that many of you can not or will not upgrade your computer currently running Windows XP.  It may not happen today or even next month but it’s only a matter of time before your computer is infiltrated and is useless.  Start putting aside some money, backup your data regularly and look for alternates to programs you can’t do without.  I’m sorry but it’s only a matter of time. <br /> <br />If someone on your home or business network is using Windows XP, turn off their access. When their machine is attacked it will compromise your entire network. </font><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-U1Q0BVSUHZ4/U0YdkVOoiYI/AAAAAAAAAqU/725461k-Fsw/s1600-h/mifihotspot%25255B8%25255D%25255B11%25255D.jpg"><font face="Segoe UI"><img title="mifihotspot[8]" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 0px 18px; display: inline" alt="mifihotspot[8]" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-P2R9WaFc3nc/U0Ydk3C6WCI/AAAAAAAAAqc/tqZ762CQ4J0/mifihotspot%25255B8%25255D_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="240" align="right" height="168" /></font></a></p> <p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI">If they really need Internet access consider getting them a separate connection perhaps through their phone or with a separate hotspot.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI"></font></p> <p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI"></font></p> <p align="justify"> <br /><font face="Segoe UI">Many of you asked about using WinPatrol which is a great idea but doesn’t address the big picture. The security guru’s at Microsoft spend a lot of attention on flaws or vulnerabilities in software.  When they find a hole that lets hackers in, they create a patch. After a great deal of testing they release fixes on what we called “Patch Tuesday." <br /> <br />WinPatrol will continue to notify you of regular changes to your computer but the ability to patch vulnerabilities isn’t its specialty. What I will be doing is paying attention to what I hear from hackers. When possible, we will notify WinPatrol users if a particular file or ActiveX component is found to have a vulnerability. <strong>WinPatrol</strong> <em><strong>PLUS</strong></em> will allow you to disable ActiveX components by setting their Kill Bit. This is the most we can do and will require quick action. <br /> <br /><strong><font size="4">OpenSSL - Heartbleed</font></strong> <br />On Monday researchers disclosed a serious flaw in a open source program used by almost half the web servers around the globe. A version of the program called OpenSSL allowed hackers to grab a chuck of recently active protected memory.  This memory could contain anything from names and passwords to someone’s grocery list to decoded government or industrial secrets.  Any kind of data that is communicated could be snatched. After collecting unlimited chucks of data a hacker could make a game out of figuring out what segments could be valuable. Each chunk was 64K like the total addressable memory of the Commodore 64.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI">Some media outlets like the BBC have repeated the advise to change every password you have. There is no trustworthy list of up-to-date/time safe computers but <a title="https://github.com/musalbas/heartbleed-masstest/blob/master/top10000.txt" href="https://github.com/musalbas/heartbleed-masstest/blob/master/top10000.txt">a list created yesterday</a> claims to have tested 10,000 popular sites. Most have been updated by now but you’ll want to be sure before changing any password or even signing on.  An updated list should be available soon. <br /> <br />A number of tools for consumers have sprang up allowing you to verify in real-time if a website is currently safe. I found the following to run my own tests.</font></p> <font face="Segoe UI"> <p align="center"> </p> <a title="http://filippo.io/Heartbleed/" href="http://filippo.io/Heartbleed/"><font face="Segoe UI"><img title="heartbleed" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="heartbleed" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-nMpqGeLf-C8/U0YdlZGAWuI/AAAAAAAAAqk/ci1fR6uwPLg/heartbleed%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="484" height="277" /></font></a> <br /><font face="Segoe UI">Click image to test your favorite site</font></font> <p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI">My web sites have been hosted by the company, </font><a title="http://www.verio.com/" href="http://www.verio.com/"><font face="Segoe UI">Verio</font></a><font face="Segoe UI"> and I was pleased to see my information was safe It doesn’t mean it was always safe but if not, at least Verio was quick to apply a fix. I can confirm no personal or financial customer data is stored on our web servers. <br /> <br />I wouldn’t necessarily advise you to change all your passwords. Before you do, you’ll certainly want to be sure the company is aware of Heartbleed and has updated their security.  Over 56.8% of the companies on <a title="https://github.com/musalbas/heartbleed-masstest/blob/master/top10000.txt" href="https://github.com/musalbas/heartbleed-masstest/blob/master/top10000.txt">the list of 10,000</a> are listed as safe because they don’t even use OpenSSL.  Another 36.9% tested safe yesterday. That leaves only 6.3% were vulnerable when the news was announced.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI">I have changed some of my more important passwords but I regularly changes passwords anyway. I did change my Yahoo passwords since they were mentioned in many news reports and acknowledged using OpenSSL.  Considering Google was involved in disclosing this bug it’s interesting that Yahoo was used as an example. Many friends of Google were notified so they could update their version of  OpenSSL before the information was made public.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI"> <br />While you may notice my tone is not meant to create panic, I personally consider this failure as devastating. I started developing online services for consumers 30+ years ago and this is the “utmost cock-up”.  I don’t fear the damage caused by this threat as much as I worry about what this general lack of  oversight represents.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI"> <br />You can find more details online from our favorite security investigator, </font><a title="http://krebsonsecurity.com/2014/04/heartbleed-bug-exposes-passwords-web-site-encryption-keys/" href="http://krebsonsecurity.com/2014/04/heartbleed-bug-exposes-passwords-web-site-encryption-keys/"><em><font face="Segoe UI">Brian KrebsonSecurity</font></em></a><font face="Segoe UI">  and official reports sponsored by Homeland Security on the </font><a title="http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/720951" href="http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/720951"><font face="Segoe UI">Carnegie Mellon CERT database</font></a>.   <font face="Segoe UI">The list of 10,000 is located at <br /></font><a title="https://github.com/musalbas/heartbleed-masstest/blob/master/top10000.txt" href="https://github.com/musalbas/heartbleed-masstest/blob/master/top10000.txt"><font face="Segoe UI">https://github.com/musalbas/heartbleed-masstest/blob/master/top10000.txt</font></a></p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06125680988914445547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17326411.post-81599449381378059622014-04-06T00:59:00.001-04:002014-04-06T00:59:47.601-04:00Give a Gift of WinPatrol PLUS<p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">I often receive email from long time WinPatrol users asking how they can give a lifetime PLUS upgrade to one of their friends. I feel a special bond with our loyal PLUS members. They send me kind messages saying that WinPatrol is their must-have program and the first they install on new or rebuilt computers. <br /> <br /></font><a title="http://www.winpatrol.com/gift.html" href="http://www.winpatrol.com/gift.html"><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">Giving the gift of WinPatrol PLUS</font></a><font size="3" face="Segoe UI"> is easy and even recommended by USA TODAY when tech writer Byron Acohido suggested that <em>“WinPatrol may be one of the best kept secrets in computer security.”</em> <br /></font><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Jit0OSWjm40/U0DfPeK7zZI/AAAAAAAAAp0/u90_2HYST9k/s1600-h/usatodaygift%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><font size="3" face="Segoe UI"><img title="usatodaygift" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="usatodaygift" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-kuiwZ2YqOC4/U0DfP30gs7I/AAAAAAAAAp4/wlUXiACaLQI/usatodaygift_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="496" height="471" /></font></a> <br /><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">Click on the image above for the full article or click the image below to learn how to give WinPatrol PLUS to someone who could benefit from our PLUS features. <br /></font><a title="http://www.winpatrol.com/gift.html" href="http://www.winpatrol.com/gift.html"><font size="3" face="Segoe UI"><img title="gift" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="gift" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-g5yFy5Uez8E/U0DfQffGzcI/AAAAAAAAAqE/5q9Pq0usCfg/gift%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="496" height="262" /></font></a></p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">Click to go to <br /> </font><a title="http://www.winpatrol.com/gift.html" href="http://www.winpatrol.com/gift.html"><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">http://www.winpatrol.com/gift.html</font></a></p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Segoe UI"></font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Segoe UI"></font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Segoe UI"></font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Segoe UI"></font></p> <p align="justify"> <br /><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">If your friend isn’t worth $29.95 you can also recommend our free version of WinPatrol. Installing WinPatrol is fast and easy but our free </font><a title="http://www.winpatrol.com/license.html" href="http://www.winpatrol.com/license.html"><font size="3" face="Segoe UI">license</font></a><font size="3" face="Segoe UI"> does include one restriction. If you install WinPatrol to protect your friend they must be informed and educated on how WinPatrol works. I have received Emails and threats from folks who had WinPatrol installed by well intended friends without their knowledge.</font></p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06125680988914445547noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17326411.post-63688733407709817912014-03-17T02:03:00.001-04:002014-03-17T02:13:23.227-04:00Safe Updates & Discounts For Windows XP<p align="justify">There are a variety of services that help keep your important software updated. We've added a  <b>"Check for Safe Updates"</b> button  to integrate a new version checking feature directly into WinPatrol. It won’t be the most powerful but in the WinPatrol spirit our goal is to make sure updates are safe and folks are educated to all possible risks. <br /><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-46vxAUoiVLE/UyaQEA4bBrI/AAAAAAAAApY/lVQcqiRFCw0/s1600-h/safeversionbutton%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="safeversionbutton" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 1px 30px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" border="0" alt="safeversionbutton" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-x6xuy_qGPOg/UyaQElFombI/AAAAAAAAApg/-mOZwvz8_m8/safeversionbutton_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="324" align="right" height="328" /></a> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Previously this button checked for new versions of WinPatrol but it has been expanded to include version checks for popular software packages. When you click this button we'll compare your version against the newest safe version available. If updating is recommended you'll see a safe link that goes to the official download page for the software. </p> <p align="justify">This is critical because bogus sites are showing up on the top results page with Google, Bing and other search engines. It's easy to find yourself on web page that tries to trick you into downloading software wrapped with a setup program that installs additional unwanted software. <br /> <br />Even a legitimate company like <a title="http://www.oracle.com/" href="http://www.oracle.com/">Oracle</a> has partnered with toolbar and anti-virus companies. The revenue they get when anyone installs the parasitic software is significant. Considering the installed base of Java users and now often they need security updates it’s a very lucrative market. The WinPatrol PLUS Safe Update Engine will also warn you about these threats and show you sample screen shots of what you might expect. <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-0X4NMRPE7NQ/UyaQEztDPHI/AAAAAAAAAo0/W5ekdxzjRRk/s1600-h/javaask%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="javaask" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="javaask" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ad9Jk_8-Ohg/UyaQFQPjNdI/AAAAAAAAAo4/VMxSWvUZkcg/javaask_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="484" height="370" /></a> <br /><em>Every time a new version of Java is available Oracle will try to push other software unrelated to Java. In some cases they’ll receive over a dollar for each customer lead.</em></p> <strong> <p>Restore Deleted Files</p> </strong> <p align="justify">Our second big feature came after feedback from radio host and America’s Digital Goddess, Kim Komando. In a <a href="http://www.komando.com/downloads/2339/a-powerful-watchdog-for-windows">recent article, Kim recommended WinPatrol </a>but cautioned her readers about the dangers of deleting files that may be required. WinPatrol has always provided a History button that allows you to Restore any Startup Programs but she had a point when it comes to the removal of hidden files.</p> <p align="justify">The files will now quarantined in a WinPatrol vault. We will also include a command line scripts that can be used to restore any files that had been hidden. The command-line scripts are created for a worse-case scenario when someone deletes a file that is required for Windows to run. The script or .bat file can be run in safe mode or a command-line mode. <br /></p> <p align="justify"><strong>PLUS Discount for Windows XP</strong></p> <p align="justify">The new Safe Update Engine will also detect which version of Windows you're running. If appropriate we will advise you to any potential problems. For instance, if someone is still using Windows XP we will offer timely protection tips. It’s clear not everyone can or will be upgrading immediately. Some businesses have software or hardware that still requires Windows XP.  Unfortunately, an XP machine could be infiltrated and turned into a "bot" that could be used to send SPAM or deploy viruses. </p> <p align="justify">If our Safe Update Engine detects you're using Windows XP you'll see a link to a special Windows XP purchase page. The name of this page will routinely change but it will have a PayPal button that allows you to upgrade to WinPatrol PLUS for only $2.00 USD. If you can’t afford a Windows upgrade we’ll make sure WinPatrol PLUS is affordable. <br /> <br /><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-8W1LWNXNjqE/UyaQF9Pr2GI/AAAAAAAAApE/Bf1H3XtcRK4/s1600-h/safeupdatexp%25255B14%25255D.jpg"><img title="safeupdatexp" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="safeupdatexp" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-bXoJaCIVFqU/UyaQGdzfJBI/AAAAAAAAApI/xdodnrLSCVk/safeupdatexp_thumb%25255B12%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="496" height="250" /></a></p> <p align="justify">This is section of the results provided by the WinPatrol PLUS Safe Update Engine. In this example, the special offer is provided when the Safe Update feature detects Windows XP is running.</p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06125680988914445547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17326411.post-1800539618605749162014-03-13T15:55:00.000-04:002014-03-14T12:52:37.323-04:00Tell Microsoft to Rethink Windows XP Guidance<p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI">On the surface(no pun intended) it’s not unreasonable for Microsoft to drop support for Window XP. At least that’s what I used to think.  Richard Hay of <u>WindowsObserver.com</u> shares a common opinion, “XP is 13 years old - hardware and OS's have changed so much since then.”  He’s right of course but I realized my car is even older. It doesn’t have built-in GPS, backup cam or even an iPod connection but I’ll keep it. The impact of Windows XP on our planet & me is still much bigger than my ‘95 Camaro Z-28. <br /> <br /></font></p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-aQwG2N3ydRg/UyINVtteeqI/AAAAAAAAAnk/FViutQJWXlI/s1600-h/xplaunch4%25255B1%25255D.jpg"><font face="Segoe UI"><img title="xplaunch4" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 10px 15px 0px 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="xplaunch4" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-BRkvubQoF1c/UyINWAaOFCI/AAAAAAAAAno/rMVoGma4ars/xplaunch4_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="148" align="left" height="215" /></font></a><font face="Segoe UI">In the fall of 2001 Bill Gates stood on a stage in New York City and proudly introduced us to Windows XP. It was the largest launch event I had attended complete with a concert in the park by Sting.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI">As Microsoft prepared for the launch they were encouraged by then Mayor Rudy Giuliani to hold the event in NYC. After the trauma of 9/11 a large event was needed to show the world the city was safe and open for business. <strong>Microsoft did the right thing.</strong> <br /> <br /> <br />On April 8th, 2014 Microsoft will cease support for Windows XP inviting hackers around the world to have their way with any system still using XP. While it may seem reasonable Microsoft has provided limited guidance. Their advice; upgrade to Windows 8.x or even Windows 7.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI"><strong><font size="3">Windows is not like any other product. </font> <br /></strong>You can’t compare Windows to any other tool in or outside  the computer industry. The courts may have ruled Microsoft did not hold a monopoly but <strong>the impact</strong> <strong>of Windows world-wide is beyond a normal product life cycle</strong>. The <a title="http://www.justice.gov/atr/cases/f3800/msjudgex.htm" href="http://www.justice.gov/atr/cases/f3800/msjudgex.htm">justice system did acknowledge</a> a substantial cost would be occurred choosing an alternative to Windows on an Intel based system. </font></p> <p align="center"> <br /><a title="http://www.microsoft.com/business/en-my/Pages/xp-eos.aspx" href="http://www.microsoft.com/business/en-my/Pages/xp-eos.aspx"><font face="Segoe UI"><img title="windowsxpeos" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="windowsxpeos" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Cdem4Ev_uPA/UyINWjEOXKI/AAAAAAAAAn0/fSSU-nb6pFU/windowsxpeos4.jpg?imgmax=800" width="496" height="191" /></font></a><font face="Segoe UI">  <em><a title="http://www.microsoft.com/business/en-my/Pages/xp-eos.aspx" href="http://www.microsoft.com/business/en-my/Pages/xp-eos.aspx"><font size="1">Click for updated count down info</font></a></em></font></p> <em></em> <p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI">Microsoft making an effort to encourage upgrading and is providing help to business customers who need to make the transition. The site makes it clear what will change in support and security risks.  <em><strong>“you will no longer receive security updates, fixes or online technical support for PCs still running Windows XP SP3 and Office 2003.”</strong></em> <br /></font><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-l8N31dzYcG0/UyINXEvt7DI/AAAAAAAAAn8/8tKt2S-L4Vg/s1600-h/malaysiaxp15.jpg"><font face="Segoe UI"><img title="malaysiaxp" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 25px 0px 0px 25px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="malaysiaxp" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/--gUsdub03bM/UyINXiuhL6I/AAAAAAAAAoA/JUqc3W_8TYQ/malaysiaxp_thumb4.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" align="right" height="296" /></font></a><font face="Segoe UI"> <br />While Microsoft is trying to point to their actions as being reasonable their examples show the world isn’t ready to change. If 1 out of 6 computers in Malaysia are still using Windows XP it’s clear Microsoft is not providing a reasonable choice. Even if a cost was attached to continued support the option should exist. There must be a path available besides a completely new OS that may not support all the existing hardware or software.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI">Microsoft has sponsored a white paper which demonstrates the costs connected with continuing to use Windows XP. All data and costs predictions  are based on a world with no alternate support from Microsoft. No where in the paper are cost estimates if Microsoft was still involved in minor ways.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI">By not providing some kind of extended support Microsoft will fail to attract a new generation of users of microprocessor based devices. Many of us remember the quote, “<em>Nobody ever got fired for buying IBM</em>”. By ignoring history <strong>Microsoft is damaging its brand</strong> at a critical time in the market place. Modern customers want to hear the quote, “<em>We’ve got your back.”</em></font><font face="Segoe UI"> <br /></font></p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-z7OnClD3M6g/UyINYAuE34I/AAAAAAAAAoE/dosL7-d1aUo/s1600-h/scotty128%25255B2%25255D.gif"><font face="Segoe UI"><img title="scotty128" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: left; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px 20px 0px 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="scotty128" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-3JU79YY7n5k/UyINYXRimRI/AAAAAAAAAoQ/6gKkB04N8BE/scotty128_thumb.gif?imgmax=800" width="128" align="left" height="128" /></font></a><font face="Segoe UI">Ironically, Microsoft’s decision will increase sales of my own </font><a title="http://www.winpatrol.com/" href="http://www.winpatrol.com/"><font face="Segoe UI">WinPatrol</font></a><font face="Segoe UI"><sup>™</sup> PLUS product which does support Windows XP.  WinPatrol has been in the market for over 16 years and while I will take advantage of many new Windows 8 features I’m still able to protect Windows XP users.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI"><strong>Let me be clear! </strong> <br />If you’re using Windows XP I strongly recommend you find a cost effective way to upgrade your computers. I’m happy if you upgrade to WinPatrol PLUS but to really be safe you need to a different version of Windows. After you upgrade, continue to use WinPatrol along with other security programs.  Millions of Windows XP machines will soon become malware infected “bots” sending out spam and attacking computers across the world with software vulnerabilities  as soon as they’re found. </font></p> <p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI">Even if you aren’t running Windows XP let Microsoft know how you feel.  Use hashtag #april8th</font></p> <p align="justify"><font face="Segoe UI"> <br /></font></p> <ul> <ul> <ul> <ul> <li> <p><i><a title="http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/legal/intellectualproperty/Trademarks/Usage/Windows.aspx" href="http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/legal/intellectualproperty/Trademarks/Usage/Windows.aspx"><font size="1" face="Segoe UI">Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries.</font></a></i></p> </li> </ul> </ul> </ul> </ul> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06125680988914445547noreply@blogger.com3