AskWoody

Apple security updates out for January 2022

Just a reminder to those that have and use Apple devices, today there are several security updates out for MacOS, Apple TV, iPhones, iWatch.  Just the other day we had to turn off an iWatch and turn it back on to get it resync’d to the watch.

Included in these updates are several zero day fixes.

Apple security updates

MS-DEFCON 4: A very complicated patching month

ISSUE 19.04.1 • 2022-01-25

By Susan Bradley

Thanks, Microsoft, for a very messy January.

This month will be somewhat convoluted for patching, due to the high number of side effects. To make it worse and more complicated, Microsoft has left it up to us to figure out what to install — rather than pushing out the fixed updates via Windows Update or WSUS. The side effects for those with servers are extreme. In some cases, you’ll need to install two updates before rebooting the servers you manage to successfully patch this month.

I’m lowering the MS-DEFCON level to 4 in spite of these difficulties, but business users must be cautious.

Anyone can read the full AskWoody Plus Alert 19.04.1 (2022-01-25).

38 years ago an Apple was born

Steve Jobs presenting the first Mac in 1984 – YouTube

“Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and their ingenious team at Apple announced on January 24, 1984, the launch of the Macintosh 128K, the original Apple personal computer.”

On This Day: Apple release first Macintosh computer – Press Las Vegas

Twenty years of trustworthy computing

ISSUE 19.04 • 2022-01-24

ON SECURITY

By Susan Bradley

Are we more secure now?

It’s been 20 years since Bill Gates wrote the “trustworthy computing” memo and had Microsoft’s developers take a coding pause so they could be trained in how better to write secure software.

Twenty years later, are we more secure? Do you feel more secure?

I’m not sure I do. You know I watch this every hour of every day, and it sure feels like we are doing the same updating and patching dance over and over, without feeling more secure. We are promised that the hardware and software we buy will meet the safety promises. We certainly deserve that — period.

Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 19.04.0 (2022-01-24).
This story also appears in the AskWoody Free Newsletter 19.04.F (2022-01-24).

Inaccessible backups, and a dead laptop

LANGALIST

By Fred Langa

How can you repair what you can’t get at? Today’s column covers two problems caused by very different access issues.

In one case, a subscriber is locked out of her old, obsolete backup files; she can neither access nor delete them and thus cannot recover the huge chunk of disk space they occupy.

In another, a different subscriber needs to data-wipe (“sanitize”) the hard drive of a fatally damaged laptop. But how can he wipe the drive when the laptop won’t even turn on?

Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 19.04.0 (2022-01-24).

‘Fake’ HDMI 2.1: The standard that isn’t

PUBLIC DEFENDER

By Brian Livingston

If you’re interested in buying new monitors for your business or home that support the latest HDMI 2.1 standard — such as many displays that were demonstrated at CES (the Consumer Electronics Show) earlier this month — you may be surprised to learn that HDMI 2.1–certified monitors may not necessarily support the enhanced features that have been heavily promoted.

The shocking truth is that the HDMI Licensing Administrator (HDMI LA) — an organization in San Jose, California, that has authority over the trademarked term HDMI — is certifying as “HDMI LA compliant” monitors that support as few as one of the at least seven new features that HDMI 2.1 offers over 2.0.

Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 19.04.0 (2022-01-24).

Info-Base – Map your brain

FREEWARE SPOTLIGHT

By Deanna McElveen

Sometimes I can’t remember why I walked into a room. Why should I think I’ll remember my daughters’ mailing addresses if I don’t write them down? Will I remember where I wrote them down? What was I talking about?

Oh yes, Info-Base! What is it? It’s a free program created by Jochanan Agam of Zurich, Switzerland. It’s actually an improved clone of the original DOS program called “Tornado,” which then became “Info-Select” (for DOS) and later “Info-Select” (for Windows). Jochanan renamed it “Info-Base” and added a zillion features.

Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 19.04.0 (2022-01-24).

$68.7 billion? Peanuts.

MICROSOFT NEWS

By Will Fastie

Frenzy around corporate acquisitions is nothing new; but this time, for Microsoft, it seems overstated.

Last week, Microsoft announced its planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the well-known maker of such game franchises as Candy Crush, Call of Duty, and World of Warcraft. Part of the frenzy surrounded the price — almost three times more than Microsoft’s previous large acquisition, LinkedIn.

Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 19.04.0 (2022-01-24).

Tip for the weekend – January 22 – the Microsoft Catalog site

Video here

This weekend I’m demonstrating how the Microsoft Catalog site works. This month if you use business VPN software you may need to manually download patches from the Microsoft catalog site.

But there’s a slight little problem with the site, while part of it is in https, the links to the patch itself comes down on http. In the modern browsers that we use, this makes the download process throw off an error. So to get around it, you have to click to enable the download.

Mind you this “bug” has been there since 2018.

Bottom line, it’s normal. This is one of those times I’ll tell you to go ahead and “just click”. One of the FEW times I’ll tell you to click through a warning.

68.7 billion dollars later

Wes Miller has been at the forefront of Microsoft and Microsoft licensing for eons. His tweet today on the subject of Microsoft’s 68.7 BILLION (with a B) acquisition of Blizzard gaming made me chuckle

Looking forward to writing about World of Warcraft for Education and Call of Duty for Business.

For a company who totally BLEW it on the phone platform, they seem to be buying their way once again into the mobile world.

The thing that gives me pause in all of this is that it feels like Microsoft sees Big Business customers and Gaming customers and those of us in the middle kinda have to piggy back on one or the other and just hope there’s enough scraps at the table left behind. What’s your take on this buy out?

Various out of band updates out to fix January patch issues

Let your PC start the new year right! (Part Two)

ISSUE 19.03 • 2022-01-17

LANGALIST

By Fred Langa

Taking a little time now to thoroughly check and proactively service your Windows PC can pay off big time in the coming year.

Whether you’re planning to move to Windows 11 or stick with Windows 10 (or even 8.1!), this easy-to-follow annual checkup is preventive medicine that can help ensure that your PC begins 2022 in the best shape possible!

Editor’s note: This topic is an AskWoody tradition. We plan to refresh and republish it in January every year. In this year’s two-part edition, Fred provides abundant references to classic, detailed PC-maintenance how-tos originally published in Windows Secrets and AskWoody!

Read the full story in the AskWoody Plus Newsletter 19.03.0 (2022-01-17).
This story also appears in the AskWoody Free Newsletter 19.03.F (2022-01-17).