Hobart Computer Repairs

We will be closed for stocktake this Saturday 24th June.
Back to normal hours on Monday.

Need to update to Windows 10 ?. Come see me at the new location with Principal Computers.

We've got lots of solutions to get your old Windows 7 system up to date and running well.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2605429576192152&id=137852569616544

Windows 7 has officially reached end of life.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4057281/windows-7-support-ended-on-january-14-2020

Come see us or give us a ring to discuss your options.

Be it an upgrade to speed up your old system and bring it up to Windows 10, or a new or refurbished PC / Laptop.

We've got you covered.

There's been a mix up with our phone number during the move. To reach us please call Principal Computers on 62355010.

Hobart Computer Repairs are merging with
Tasmanian Principal Computers.

From the 3rd of June, our new address will be 243 Harrington St, Hobart
(on the corner of Warwick Street)

Our phone number 6228 4998 and the website, FB page, etc will remain the same.

Thank you for your ongoing support over the years, and see you at the new premises!

Pretty funny 'explanation' of Bitcoin...

BITCOIN EXPLAINED "We all have a crypto-friend who sounds like this guy. Gold back in 698BC was no different..." Do you like our skit? Want us to make more? We take Crypto don...

Warning! Clear-text password storage vulnerability affecting Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Edge browsers.

There is a security vulnerability affecting Microsoft's Edge browser, and all recent versions of Microsoft's Internet Explorer.
This vulnerability was reported to Microsoft Security Response Centre way back in 2010, when I first became aware of it on Internet Explorer 8.
I have recently confirmed the same issue continues to exist on Internet Explorer 9, 10 and 11, and also on the latest version of Edge.

The issue is that the affected browsers store confidential data in clear text on the local system drive.

Data includes the URL of the website visited, the username and password, and/or any other credentials used to log in.
This includes data generated when logging into bank accounts, Facebook, and any other website.
Please note, this is irrespective of whether you choose to allow IE or Edge to store the password, or not.

Any person with access to the Administrator or the specific user's account could retrieve these details easily.
Any malicious software running under the Administrator or the specific user's account could simply read this data.

Here's a couple of examples:

Your computer gets infected by malware.
You log into your bank account online using Edge or Internet Explorer.
The malware simply reads the clear-text bank URL, account number, and password.
It does not have use any method that may alert antivirus programs of its existence, such as trying hook the keyboard to capture keystrokes.
It simply has to read the data in clear text.
The malware can then forward that data onto the creator of the malware, whenever there is a network connection.
The creator of the malware can access your bank account online from anywhere they want to, and transfer funds, open and close accounts, change passwords, etc.

A shared computer at a workplace may be used by several people during any given day.
Like too many businesses, the staff all use the same account, rather than each having their own separate accounts.
One person logs in to check their bank account, or perhaps the business' accounts.
After they finish, the make sure they log out of their bank website, close their browser, and return to their work.
A malicious user sits on the same computer, and then simply writes that information down.
They can then log in to that account, transfer money, apply for new accounts, etc, from anywhere.

Microsoft's response was that the storage of passwords in clear text "...is a by design behavior in IE".
They did not seemed concerned as ..."the directory where the information is stored is restricted to administrator and the specific user."

However, given the ease with which malicious software could retrieve this information, without being forced to use methods that may alert the antivirus application of its existence, and without needing Administrative access, I believe this is extremely dangerous, and also very poor security design of these browsers.

I have not to date seen reports of any malware taking advantage of this.

The only workaround is to not use Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Edge browsers.
I recommend using Firefox as your browser.

Probably old news, but this is fantastic!
Reddit started an blank canvas called Place, which is a blank canvas with a million pixels.
Anyone could edit a pixel, but were limited to one pixel per 5 minutes (and sometimes longer).
The art, the battles, the organisation, the effort, that thousands of people, working individually, and in groups, must have put into it, is amazing.
What an interesting concept.
And as someone commented, the final canvas had no racist or bigoted images or messages in it.
Here's a time lapse on youtube of it coming to life:
Its 4-5 minutes, so you might want to play it at 2x speed, if you're impatient.
Amazing detail, and loved the aussie parts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnRCZK3KjUY

Reddit Place (/r/place) - FULL 72h (90fps) TIMELAPSE Thanks to /u/JetBalsa for the Image Archive! On April Fools' Day 2017, a social experiment was launched in the form of a subreddit called "place". It feature...

Time to get a VPN.
Also recommend using Duckduckgo for your search engine and Firefox for your browser.

Heads Up, All Your Metadata Is Going To Be Captured And Stored From Tomorrow Scott Ludlam wants you to get a VPN.

If you own a Samsung Galaxy Note7, even if its been exchanged already, turn it off, and take it back to get a refund or exchange for a different model.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-11/samsung-galaxy-note7-owners-told-to-stop-using-the-smartphone/7921272

Stop using your Galaxy Note7, Samsung says Samsung urges all owners of its Galaxy Note7 smartphones to power them down and stop using them.