Get a Text Browser for Window 7, 10 Working

Update 2020:  Get https://metadataconsulting.blogspot.com/2020/04/How-to-get-a-Text-Browser-for-Windows-7-10-Surf-the-web-in-text-only-no-ads.html

Goal: Surf the web with no ads. 
Solution: Get a working Text Browser for Windows; 

• Emacs which is well supported for all platforms comes with a web browser ! 
• tried Lynx browser but could not get it to work. 

Side Benefit: Easter egg - get around paywalled sites

The Emacs Web Browser (Eww) is a very basic and fast text/image browser. Flash and Javascript are not supported which gets rid of ads. Emacs Web Browser original instructions here, warning very sparse.

Emacs Web Browser surfing http://www.google.ca/

Source:

Get latest version GNU EMACS 26.0.90 for Windows

http://alpha.gnu.org/gnu/emacs/pretest/windows/

How to get EMACS Web Browser to work

1. Unzip emacs-26.0.90-x86_64-with-deps.zip - Depends library
2. Unzip emacs-26.0.90-x86_64.zip - Compiled Emacs editor with browser
3. Copy Compiled sub-directories to Depends sub-directories;
       bin -> bin
       lib -> lib
       libexe -> libexe
       share -> share - you can say NO to copy overwriting info and man directories.
4. Run EMACS by clicking runemacs.exe in Depends bin directory
5. In EMACS, choose Tools -> Browse the Web -> Enter your URL or Keywords: 
6. Voila! it works!

Trivia

1. EWW, the Emacs Web Wowser, is a web browser package for Emacs.
2. Download is huge at 716Mb combined, but running takes a scant 45 Mb of RAM.
3. If you just use emacs-26.0.90-x86_64.zip it will complain about not loading LIBXML2.dll.
4. You can download that here http://xmlsoft.org/sources/win32/, but then complains about gnutls not being installed, then we are into dependency hell. Hours later....

Canadian / American Spelling Differences - What lingo does your blog speak?

Canadian / American Spelling Differences - What does lingo does your blog speak?


For a complete description of language difference see Canadian Gov. Translation Bureau:  https://www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca/tcdnstyl-chap?lang=eng&lettr=chapsect3&info0=3#zz3

Canada	United States
abridgement	abridgment
acknowledgement	acknowledgment
amoeba	ameba
analyse	analyze
anaesthesia	anesthesia
arbour	arbor
axe	ax
barrelled	barreled
behaviour	behavior
belabour	belabor
brunette	brunet
calibre	caliber
catalogue	catalog
cancelled	canceled
candour	candor
centre	center
centimetre	centimeter
cheque	check
colour	color
counsellor	counselor
clamour	clamor
crystalline	crystaline
crueller	cruelest
crystallize	crystalize
defence	defense
dialogue	dialog
aeon	eon
favour	favor
favourite	favorite
fervour	fervor
fibre	fiber
flavour	flavor
fuelled	fueled
fulfil	fulfill
funnelled	funneled
gauge	gage
goitre	goiter
grey	gray
gruelling	grueling
harbour	harbor
honour	honor
humour	humor
jeweller	jeweler
instalment	installment
imperilled	imperiled
kilometre	kilometer
labour	labor
labelled	labeled
labour	labor
levelled	leveled
licence	license
litre	liter
louvre	louver
lustre	luster
macabre	macaber
manoeuvre	maneuver
marvellous	marvelous
matte	matt
medallist	medalist
meagre	meager
metre	meter
millimetre	millimeter
mitre	miter
modelled	modeled
mould	mold
moult	molt
moustache	mustache
neighbour	neighbor
paean	pean
paleolothic	palaeolothic
panelled/panelling	paneled/paneling
parlour	parlor
practice, practise	practice
pummelled	pummeled
pyjamas	pajamas
odour	odor
rancour	rancor
raquet	racket
reconnoitre	reconnoiter
saleable	salable
savour	savor
sceptre	scepter
smoulder	smolder
sombre	somber
sulphate	sulfate
sulphur	sulfur
tonne	ton
totalled	totaled
tranquillize	tranquilize
tumour	tumor
traveller	traveler
tunnelled	tunneled
theatre	theater
vice	vise
valour	valor
vapour	vapor
vigour	vigor
wilful	willful
worshipped	worshiped
queueing	queuing

What is blockchain?

Simple marketing explanation

More detailed explanation

What's a blockchain smart contract ? The future of payment, no middle man.

What is Bitcoin's Lightning Network? Current transaction limits is the problem.

Visual Studio Code Blank/Empty Screen Fix for Windows

Visual Studio Code 1.18 (8 November 2017) Blank Screen still persists

How to fix Visual Studio Code Blank/Empty Screen on Windows

Right-click on Shortcut and add --disable-gpu to Target: 

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft VS Code\Code.exe" --disable-gpu

Officially recognized - https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/supporting/faq#_vs-code-is-blank

Tue 13-Feb-18 1:17pm  - Update : Still an issue on version 1.20.0

HP Synaptics driver for touchpad and keyboard hides a Key-Logger found in over 400 models

HP release a shame fix for their Synaptics touchpad drivers, fix number HPSBHF03564 rev 1 - Synaptics Touchpad Driver Potential, Local Loss of Confidentiality

A potential security vulnerability has been identified with certain versions of Synaptics touchpad drivers that impacts all Synaptics OEM partners. A party would need administrative privileges in order to take advantage of the vulnerability. Neither Synaptics nor HP has access to customer data as a result of this issue.

The keylogging code was present in the SynTP.sys file, which is part of the Synaptics Touchpad driver that ships with some HP notebook models.

"The logging was disabled by default but could be enabled by setting a registry value," said Michael Myng, the security researcher who discovered the flaw earlier this year.
That registry key is:

HKLM\Software\Synaptics\%ProductName% 

HKLM\Software\Synaptics\%ProductName%\Default

%ProductName% might be “SynTP” or “PointerPort”. The value type is DWORD.

See my post on Windows 10 opt out on spying telemetry

This will affect IBM Thinkpads as well, even though not yet announced.

Sources:

1. https://www.computerworld.com/article/3238512/microsoft-windows/hp-stealthily-installs-new-spyware-called-hp-touchpoint-analytics-client.html
2. https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/hardware/keylogger-found-in-hp-notebook-keyboard-driver/

How to install GNU EMACS Text Web Browser on Windows 10

Update 2020:  Get https://metadataconsulting.blogspot.com/2020/04/How-to-get-a-Text-Browser-for-Windows-7-10-Surf-the-web-in-text-only-no-ads.html

Goal: Surf the web with no ads and paywalls.
Solution: Use a Text Browser;  

• tried Lynx browser but could not get it to work. 
• Emacs which is well supported for all platforms comes with a web browser ! 

The Emacs Web Browser (Eww) is a very basic and fast text/image browser. Flash and Javascript are not supported which gets rid of ads. Emacs Web Browser original instructions here, warning very sparse.

Emacs Web Browser surfing http://www.google.ca/

Source:

Get latest version GNU EMACS 26.0.90 for Windows

http://alpha.gnu.org/gnu/emacs/pretest/windows/

Update 2020:

Get https://metadataconsulting.blogspot.com/2020/04/How-to-get-a-Text-Browser-for-Windows-7-10-Surf-the-web-in-text-only-no-ads.html

How to get EMACS Web Browser to work

1. Unzip emacs-26.0.90-x86_64-with-deps.zip - Depends
2. Unzip emacs-26.0.90-x86_64.zip - Compiled
3. Copy Compiled sub-directories to Depends sub-directories;
       bin -> bin
       lib -> lib
       libexe -> libexe
       share -> share - you can say NO to copy overwriting info and man directories.
4. Run EMACS by clicking runemacs.exe in Depends bin directory
5. In EMACS, choose Tools -> Browse the Web -> Enter your URL or Keywords: 
6. Voila! it works!

Trivia

1. EWW, the Emacs Web Wowser, is a web browser package for Emacs.
2. If you just use emacs-26.0.90-x86_64.zip it will complain about not loading LIBXML2.dll.
3. You can download that here http://xmlsoft.org/sources/win32/, but then complains about gnutls not being installed, then we are into dependency hell. Hours later....

Apple Phishing Email - Payment Confirmation for Order No. 6881237774449 App Store - Mobile Legend: Bang Bang on App Store

For the record, this is an Apple phishing email attempt that is recently going around. What to do?  Report them, goto bottom of page.

From : AppStore Order Receipt <nnnnnnnnnnnnnnn@mobilelegend-bangbang.net> Subject : Payment Confirmation for Order No. 6881237774449 App Store                                       Thanks for your purchase Dear Client, You’ve purchased a product from Mobile Legend: Bang Bang on App Store. This is receipt your payment from YoungJoy Technology Limited. Document ID Date Confirmed Status 6881237774449 Thursday, December 07, 2017 SUCCESSFUL Mobile Legend: Bang Bang 1000 Diamonds Type: Purchase in App  Qty: 1  Price: $29.99  VIEW RECEIPT VIEW RECEIPT points to evil link.... https://t.co/PxDb9TPL1A   which decompresses to https://appleid.service-kopla.ga/ Didn't authorized this transaction? Visit the App Store help center to dispute this transaction. If you have any questions about this information, you can visit App Store help Center Learn how to manage account preferences for iTunes, iBooks, and App Store Purchases Help & Contact | Security | Privacy & Policy  © 2017 All Right Resrved. Apple Distribution International, Hollyhill Industrial Estate, Hollyhill, Cork, Ireland.

Here's how the phishing site looks

How to tell this is a Phishing email ?

1. Check email address in full, if it's not from originating company then it's phishing.
2. Hover over all links in email, if it's not from the apple.com site then forget it.
   
   
3. The best way is to look at message source, see below.

How to examine Email Message Source ?

Now lets look at message source

1. Outlook.com->Actions->View Message Source. 
2. Gmail.com->More (down arrow to top right)->Show original.

Check for suspicious links, anything that does not originate from apple.com.

Report Phishing Email (not as Spam)

1. Outlook.com->Junk (at Top)->Phishing Scam
2. Gmail.com->More (downarrow to top right)->Report Phishing 

Report Phishing URLs at Google now 

If you have recievied this email take further action now by click these links

1. https://www.google.com/safebrowsing/report_phish/

Report phishing at Microsoft and government agencies

1. http://www.microsoft.com/security/online-privacy/phishing-faq.aspx

Report phishing emails to Apple 

Forward the email to abuse@icloud.com. This provides Apple's legal department and law enforcement with useful information to help prevent future phishing emails.

Mailsploit Lets Attackers Send Spoofed Emails on popular email clients and servers

The main reason for SPAM 

Mailsploit is a collection of bugs in email clients that allow effective sender spoofing and code injection attacks. The spoofing is not detected by Email Servers, therefore circumventing spoofing protection mechanisms SPAM filters.

Bugs were found in over 30 applications, including prominent ones like Apple Mail (MacOS, iOS and watchOS), Mozilla Thunderbird, various Microsoft email clients, Yahoo! Mail, ProtonMail and others.

In addition to the spoofing vulnerability, some of the tested applications also proved to be vulnerable to XSS and code injection attacks.

How Mailsploit works

Attacker can create a valid email address whose username is actually an RFC-1342-encoded string:

From: =?utf-8?b?cG90dXNAd2hpdGVob3VzZS5nb3Y=?==?utf-8?Q?=00?==?utf-8?b?cG90dXNAd2hpdGVob3VzZS5nb3Y=?=@mailsploit.com

Decoded this becomes which contains null-byte (\0):

potus@whitehouse.gov\0(gov@whitehouse.gov)@mailsploit.com

The problem is most mail systems will ignore everything after null-byte (\0). 


Thus potus@whitehouse.gov would be scanned ignoring the real exploit domain @mailsploit.com.  

Thus when you reply to this email, it would choose first email. 

Reply-To: potus@whitehouse.gov

Who does this affect ?

Mail Clients affected (see full actively maintained spreadsheet) 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

Mozilla Thunderbird ≤ 52.5.0 / SeaMonkey ≤ 2.4.8 MACOS WINDOWS Mail for Windows 10 WINDOWS Microsoft Outlook 2016 MACOS WINDOWS Yahoo! Mail IOS Yahoo! Mail ANDROID [A bug bounty program that does not allow disclosure yet] ANDROID [A bug bounty program that does not allow disclosure yet] IOS Spark ≤ 1.4.1.392 MACOS Spark IOS ProtonMail ANDROID IOS Polymail MACOS Airmail ≤ 3.3.3 MACOS BlueMail ≤ 1.9.2.62 ANDROID TypeApp ANDROID IOS AquaMail ANDROID Opera Mail MACOS WINDOWS Postbox ≤ 5.0.18 MACOS WINDOWS Newton ANDROID MACOS WINDOWS Guerrilla Mail ANDROID Email Exchange + by MailWise ANDROID AOL Mail ANDROID TouchMail WINDOWS Mailbird WINDOWS

Source
https://www.mailsploit.com/index