Backdoor vulnerability found in D-Link routers

Posted by David Bernstein

If you have a broadband internet connection at home you most likely have a router between your modem and computer, or at least you should have one. Even if you don’t use a wireless connection you should have a router to get an extra layer of security to protect you from the outside world.

There are a handful of top brands of routers you will find in your local electronics store such as Netgear, Belkin and Linksys. There is one major brand (D-Link) that has recently been discovered to have a security hole that can allow remote code execution and allow the hacker to login to the router without knowing the name or password. After they are in they can do things such as change the router’s settings and redirect computers to malicious websites. A researcher from Tactical Network Solutions named Craig Heffner discovered the vulnerability out of boredom while reverse engineering the web server software contained in the router’s firmware.

This security hole does not affect all D-Link routers. The most likely affected models include the DIR-100, DI-524, DI-524UP, DI-604S, DI-604UP, DI-604+, TM-G5240 and possibly DIR-615. The BRL-04UR and BRL-04CW routers made by Planex Communications might also be vulnerable because they also appear to use the same firmware. D-Link plans on having the issue fixed by Halloween.

YouTube is redoing the way comments are posted on videos

Posted by David Bernstein

 You might have noticed that when you go to watch a YouTube video that there are comments underneath and many of them are either irrelevant to the video’s content or just negative comments that are posted for no other reason but to be negative.

Google is now changing the way YouTube comments are shown to make them a better and more relevant experience for the viewers of that video. This will also cut down on trolling and spam like comments that don’t have anything to do with the video.

Comments will change from having the newest comment on top to the most relevant comments being at the top of the list. And people that you know that post comments will get top billing on your video’s page. If you post a comment on your own video it will also get more attention than other viewers. YouTube will also be using Google+ to personalize what different people see based on their friends and which other posters they interact with the most.

And if you don’t have the time to weed out the comments you don’t want shown on your videos page then you can use their new tools to filter out unwanted commenters or certain keywords that you choose. You can also have the option to hold these comments for review in case you decide later on that you want to post them.

Windows 8.1 pricing released

Posted by David Bernstein

You may or may have not “upgraded” to Windows 8 and may or may not ever plan to. If you are planning on buying a new Windows computer then you will be stuck with Windows 8 unless you format the drive and put a different version of Windows or a whole other operating system on it.

You may have also heard about Windows 8.1 which brings back the Start button but not the Start menu which is borderline pointless. But it will let you boot to the traditional Windows desktop if that’s what you like to see when you first log in.

If you are already running Window 8 then you will be able to upgrade to Windows 8.1 for free but if you don’t then you will have to pay. Starting on October 17^th you will be able to download Windows 8.1 or buy it on a DVD for $119.99 for the Standard version and $199.99 for the Pro version which will let you connect to a corporate network and use features such as Remote Desktop.

As of now Windows 8.1 is an upgrade only but when the 17^th comes around it will be available as a full download for clean installations. If you are doing an upgrade then it’s best to upgrade from a Windows 7 computer since Vista and XP upgrades are not recommended and may not work that well because files, settings and programs will not transfer.

Intel claims they can overclock SSD drives

Posted by Jim Bernstein

If you are a PC geek of any kind you know that it’s possible to overclock your processor to get more performance out of it. You also know that the latest craze in hard drives is the SSD or solid state drive that is much faster than traditional spinning disks and is more like using a flash drive for a hard drive.

PC giant Intel is saying that they can overclock an SSD drive and will demonstrate it at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco. They haven’t said how it will be done but if it can then that opens up a whole new world for hard drive performance.

Since SSD drives are driven by a clock\timings just like processors are this should be able to be done but it’s hard to say if it will affect the reliability of the drive or not. Doing so may or may not even increase performance too much and may in fact reduce the life of the drive. Some are speculating that Intel is just doing this for fun and to prove that it can be done. If it can be done and does make a difference it will be up to the consumers to decide if they want to risk the life of their drive for a little more performance. I guess we will find out on September 10^th.

Windows 8.1 to officially launch in October

Posted by David Bernstein
 

The first major update to Windows 8, Windows 8.1 will officially launch in October of this year. The free update will start rolling out on the 17^th in New Zealand first of all places and will be available in the Windows store as well as for download online. The 8.1 update will also be available to retailers and on new devices starting on the 18^th. You may have got your hands on for the 8.1 preview last June to see how it worked and the final release should be pretty much the same.

Windows 8 has had less than stellar sales number thanks to its total redesign which is better suited for touchscreen devices such as tablets rather than personal computers. The 8.1 update brings back the Start button even though there is no Start menu. The Start button just brings you to your apps instead. One nice feature is the option to be able to boot right to your desktop rather than the “metro” screen. Other improvements will be Internet Explorer 11 and some new built in apps. If you are into cloud computing there will also be built in access to Sky Drive.

USB 3.1 specifications finalized (10Gbps speed)

Posted by David Bernstein

If you are a computer user then there is a close to 100% chance you have used a USB port for something such as a flash drive, external hard drive, printer, mouse etc. For many USB devices speed is not important and it doesn’t matter if you are using a USB 1.0 port or the latest USB 3.1 port. But for devices such as hard drive and cameras having a fast bus speed makes all the difference in the world.

USB 3.0 (5Gbps) has been out for some time and many people still don’t have USB 3.0 ports on their computer. It seems as though USB 2.0 (480Mbps) has been all the rage for the past several years. The powers that be have been working on the new USB 3.1 standard for a while and now the specifications have been released and they are looking pretty good… actually twice as good as USB 3.0.

Dubbed “SuperSpeed+” USB the new USB 3.1 will offer 10Gbps speeds and be fully backwards compatible with older versions and devices. This new speed standard puts USB in contention with Thunderbolt ports which already offer 10Gbps speeds with 20Gbps on its way. Don’t expect to see this in new computers any time soon since it takes some time for manufacturers to roll it out and of course you will have to have a USB 3.1 compatible device to take full advantage of the speed.

AMD releases 5 GHz gaming chip

Posted by David Bernstein 

If you are one of those people who are all about numbers when it comes to the specs of your PC then AMD has a high numbered processor for your gaming needs. Their new FX-9560 processor runs at 5.0 GHz and is made for gamers who need processing power for today’s latest games.

The chip has 8 cores and is unclocked making it easy for users to overclock it and get even more performance out of it. In fact, AMD even supplies software that makes overclocking the processor even easier.

For now though if you want a FX-9560 you will have to buy it with a new computer since AMD is not selling them by themselves at the moment.