DragonI

Report: Android overtakes Windows as the internet’s most used operating system

Mobile is today as important, if not more important, than desktops when it comes to the internet and apps. A clear reminder of that comes with news of a..

techcrunch.com|Jon Russell

1. Android - 37.93%
2. Windows - 37.91%
3. iOS - 13.09%
4. OS X - 5.17%
5. Unknown - 2.85%
6. Linux - 0.75%

Fantom Ransomware Poses As Windows Update, Encrypts Your Files For Fun | HotHardware

A security researcher for AVG has discovered a new piece of ransomware called Fantom that masquerades as a critical Windows update. Victims who fall for the ruse will see a Windows screen acting like it's installing the update, but what's really happening is that the user's documents and files are being encrypted in the background. Fantom

hothardware.com

Fantom is based on the open-source EDA2 ransomware project, and unfortunately there's no way to decrypt the files without the culprit's help. Plain and simple, you're in a bad spot if you happen to fall for this one. While savvy computer users might spot the ransomware as a malicious attempt to wreak havoc, it's easy to see how a less experienced user could be tripped up by this one. The scam starts with a pop-up labeled as a critical update from Microsoft. Once a user decides to apply the fake update, it extracts files and executes an embedded program called WindowsUpdate.exe. From there it appears as though Windows is applying updates complete with a percentage counter and a warning not to turn off your computer. Once initiated, the user can close the screen by pressing Ctrl+F4, but that doesn't stop the ransomware from encrypting files in the background.

Windows 8 more widely used than OS X, IE still on the rise

arstechnica.com

Windows 8 usage up by more than a third to take it to the mainstream. In July, Windows 8 passed Windows Vista in market share. In August, it passed every single version of Apple's OS X, combined. Internet Explorer 10 grew sharply, too, with almost one in five Internet users now on the latest version of Microsoft's browser.

The History of CTRL + ALT + DELETE

mentalfloss.com

ctrl+alt+delete started as a trade secret. Then it became an icon.

So Bradley created a keyboard shortcut that triggered a system reset without the memory tests. He never dreamed that the simple fix would make him a programming hero, someone who’d someday be hounded to autograph keyboards at conferences. And he didn’t foresee the command becoming such an integral part of the user experience. ...

In 2001, hundreds of people packed into the San Jose Tech Museum of Innovation to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the IBM PC. In two decades, the company had moved more than 500 million PCs worldwide. After dinner, industry luminaries, including Microsoft chairman Bill Gates, sat down for a panel discussion. But the first question didn’t go to Gates; it went to David Bradley. The programmer, who has always been surprised by how popular those five minutes spent creating ctrl+alt+del made him, was quick to deflect the glory.

“I have to share the credit,” Bradley joked. “I may have invented it, but I think Bill made it famous.”

For the past several months I’ve been woking on a project with my amazing cohorts, Paul, Tim, and Adam, and Cameron at GitHub. I’ve had the joy of learning new technologies and digging deep into the inner workings of Git while lovingly crafting code.

But today, is a good day. We’ve called the shipit squirrel into action once again! We all know that the stork delivers babies and the squirrel delivers software. In our case, we are shipping GitHub For Windows! Check out the official announcement on the GitHub Blog. GitHub for Windows is the easiest and best way to get Git on your Windows box.