24-February 17

WEEKLY NEWSLETTER 19 - 24 FEBRUARY, 2024

Hello and Welcome,

Meeting TODAY

2024/02/17 — 14:00-16:00 — February, Sat — Web Design

Unfortunately, Steve can't be at the SMSA today so that we will be online only this month.

Here are the Zoom details:

SPCTUG Web Design Meeting

Time: Feb 17, 2024 14:00 Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney

Join Zoom Meeting

https://­us02web.­zoom.­us/j/­82634­658712

Meeting ID: 826 3465 8712

Passcode: webdesign

— Ed.

Meeting This Week

2024/02/20 — 10:00-12:00 — February, Tue — Tuesday Group

Meetings Next Week

NO MEETINGS

Schedule of Current & Upcoming Meetings

First Tuesday  18:00-20:00 — Main Meeting

First Saturday 13:00-14:00 — Penrith Group

Second Tuesday 18:00-20:00 — Programming

Third Tuesday  10:00-12:00 — Tuesday Group

Third Saturday 14:00-16:00 — Web Design

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Go to the official Sydney PC Calendar for this month's meeting details.

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Penrith meetings are held every 2nd month on the 1st Saturday from 1-2 pm.
The next scheduled meetings are in March, May and July 2024.

ASCCA News:Tech News:

AFP helps Malta arrest individual over distributing Trojan

See the iTWire article by Sam Varghese | Tuesday, 13 February 2024, at 08:26 am.

A Maltese national has been arrested for allegedly targeting users in Australia and other countries with a remote access Trojan or RAT in a joint operation involving the Australian Federal Police, Europol and the FBI.

A statement from the AFP on Tuesday said the individual, 27, had been arrested on 7 February by the Maltese police force after the AFP had provided intelligence.

The Trojan, known as Warzone, is claimed to have been distributed to other cybercriminals, "allowing them to bypass security and remotely access computers without the victim's knowledge, browse file systems, record keystrokes, steal usernames and passwords and even access Web cameras".

The AFP said its Cyber Command had "assisted in identifying persons of interest and coordinating intelligence related to the criminal network after identifying Warzone as an emerging cyber threat in 2020.

"The joint operation also targeted the network's infrastructure, shutting down sites and host servers to limit the software being used by more cybercriminals in the future".

The website was distributing the Warzone Trojan. Courtesy AFP

AFP commander Chris Goldsmid said: "These criminals are not bound by traditional borders, which means law enforcement agencies have to unite to make a lasting impact".

"This operation is an example of what the AFP's International Network can accomplish with partners like Europol and the FBI".

He said this was not the end of the investigation. "...with the intelligence we have gathered, we will be working with our partners at Europol and the FBI to track down those who have purchased this software".

"For a small cost, individuals with nefarious intentions could purchase software that would allow them to access a victim's computer and personal information," Goldsmid said.

"Cybercrime is increasing in scale and frequency, and the public must take proactive steps to keep their personal information safe."

Read More »

How to Copy File and Folder Paths on Windows 11

See the How-To Geek article by MAHESH MAKVANA | PUBLISHED 9 February 2024.

Select the file or folder and press Ctrl+Shift+C or use one of the other methods.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

To copy a file or folder's path, open File Explorer, find the file or folder, right-click it, and select "Copy as Path."

To copy the path using a keyboard shortcut, select the file or folder in File Explorer and press Ctrl+Shift+C.

To copy an app's path whose shortcut is on the desktop, right-click the shortcut, select "Properties," and access the "Shortcut" tab. You'll see the path in the Target field.

Copying a file or folder's path on Windows 11 is as easy as selecting an option in the right-click menu or pressing a keyboard shortcut. We'll show you how to do it in various ways on your PC.

From the Right-Click Menu

The easiest way to copy a file or folder's path is by choosing an option in that item's right-click menu. You can use this method to copy paths for multiple items as well.

To start, open File Explorer using Windows+E and locate your file or folder. Right-click that item, and in the open menu, select "Copy as Path."

To copy paths of multiple files or folders, select all those items, right-click a selected item, and choose "Copy as Path."

Windows has copied the full absolute path to your selected item(s).

Using a Keyboard Shortcut

Windows 11's 22H2 update introduced the ability to copy file and folder paths using a keyboard shortcut.

To use it, launch File Explorer and locate your file or folder. Select the file or folder, then press Ctrl+Shift+C on your keyboard.

Windows has copied the selected file or folder's path to your clipboard.

How to Copy the Path of an App

If you have an app's shortcut and you want to copy that app's full path, right-click the shortcut and select "Properties." You'll see the full app path in the "Target" field in the Shortcut tab. You can copy this field directly by selecting it and pressing Ctrl+C.

If you launch your app via Windows Search and not from a desktop shortcut, it's still possible to find your app's full path. To do that, open the Start Menu and search for your app. Right-click the app and select "Open File Location."

On the open window, right-click the app again and select "Open File Location."

Your app is now highlighted. Right-click the app and select "Copy as Path."

Tips for Pasting the File, Folder, or App Path You've Copied

Pasting the copied file, folder, or app path is as easy as accessing a text field and pressing Ctrl+V. Alternatively, right-click the text field and choose "Paste."

Note that your copied path is already enclosed with double quotes. If you plan to use the path in a command and the command requires using double quotes, you don't have to type the double quotes manually.

Also, the path you've copied doesn't contain any formatting. If you paste it into a document like a Microsoft Word document, it'll adapt to its original formatting.

And that's how you find an item's path and paste it at the desired location on your Windows 11 machine. We hope you find the methods useful.

Read More »

Fun Facts:

Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour

See the TransportNSW article.

Accor Stadium, Sydney Olympic Park

Friday 23 February to Monday 26 February

Important Travel Advice

With 300,000 fans expected over four nights from Friday to Monday, ticketholders are urged to leave their cars at home and catch public transport to avoid traffic delays. On Friday and Saturday nights, a combined crowd of 100,000 is expected as Blink 182 performs simultaneously next door at Qudos Bank Arena.

Hundreds of additional trains and buses will run to Olympic Park each night, and with the cost of travel already included in your concert ticket, public transport is the easiest way to get there. Show your Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour concert ticket to transport staff when boarding.

Join other Swifties by catching a train or major event bus to the concert!

See our Sydney Olympic Park transport map (pdf 780KB) to find your way.

Express and limited-stop trains will run to Olympic Park from Central and Western Line stations from mid-afternoon daily, with frequent return services until late each night. From Olympic Park station, the Stadium is a short 10-minute walk away.

Trackwork will affect your trip if you travel from the upper Central Coast/Newcastle region or the South Coast. Plan ahead and allow extra time.

Sydney Olympic Park Major Event Buses will run on all nine routes for all four shows:

Friday and Monday: services will run every 5 to 20 minutes between 2:42 and 6:33 pm, depending on the route. The last return bus leaves Olympic Park at midnight.

Saturday and Sunday: services will run every 5 to 20 minutes between 3:05 and 6:38 pm, depending on the route. The last return bus leaves Olympic Park at midnight.

If you have no other option but to drive, you must have pre-booked parking:

Only drive if you have pre-booked parking. Pre-book online ahead of time to secure a space. The P1 car park next to the stadium is already sold out, with spaces in the remaining car parks selling fast. A flat rate of $35 parking fee will apply.

Consider parking at a nearby train station commuter car park and continuing your trip on one of the many extra trains running to Olympic Park at no additional cost.

If you have pre-booked your parking, follow the directions of the staff and have your parking ticket ready to show at the car park entry.

Carpool with your group and allow plenty of extra travel time as traffic will be heavy.

Be aware that after the show, traffic will be hefty as everyone leaves at the same time. Expect to allow up to an hour of additional travel time exiting car parks.

Allow plenty of extra travel time on the roads, and plan your trip before leaving home. You can find real-time updates on traffic conditions at livetraffic.com.

If you're getting dropped off/picked up or catching rideshare and taxis:

Drop-off zone: use the designated area along Australia Avenue opposite the P6 car park.

Pick-up zone: use the dedicated pick-up zone in the P6 car park off Australia Avenue, entry via Bennelong Parkway and Murray Rose Avenue — free entry after 10.30 pm.

Taxi ranks are located on Herb Elliott Avenue near Park Street.

After the show, demand for taxis and rideshare will be high, and prices will likely surge. Avoid traffic delays while roads are closed by catching a train or bus outside the precinct to connect with your ride faster.

To avoid delays entering the stadium, download the Ticketek App to access your mobile tickets and save them to your Apple or Google wallet. Please don't wait until you get to the Stadium!

Read More »

Liquid Metal Could Transform Computer Memory

See the InfoPackets article by John Lister on February 12 2024, at 12:02 pm EST.

A photograph of liquid RAM, dubbed FlexRAM, in its oxidation and reduction state.
(Image credit: Jing Liu, Tsinghua University via IEEE.org)

Researchers in China have found a way to make flexible computer memory using liquid metal. It could one day revolutionize the physical design of computer devices.

Anyone who has handled either internal computer RAM or a flash memory device will know that bending them even slightly would not end well. That's because the electronics are housed on often-brittle plastics, but partly because they need to be flat and inflexible.

In straightforward terms, RAM uses flat, two-dimensional electronic grids. Each point where a horizontal and vertical line crosses is a cell that uses either a charge or switch to represent a 1 or 0 (or a "yes" and "no" value).

While this setup is highly miniaturized and can use multiple flat layers, it's still limited to some extent because the layers can't be bent. That restricts where it can go and how physically stable its housing must be.

Oxidization Is Key

Beijing's Tsinghua University researchers have developed FlexRam, which uses a liquid metal made mainly of gallium. Tiny droplets of the metal can be individually and reversibly oxidized. The presence or absence of oxidization will determine whether the metal conducts electricity, thus allowing data to be stored like traditional RAM. (Source: techradar.com)

Because the metal is entirely flexible, it doesn't need a rigid housing. Instead, the droplets are put into Ecoflex, a biodegradable plastic that's highly elastic and bendable. The researchers say they could stretch the FlexRam to twice its standard length, bend it back 180 degrees and make a whole twist, all without losing performance.

The long-run idea would be to use the memory when rigid data storage is limiting. This could include wearable or implantable devices and more flexible robotic devices.

Survives Without Power

At this point, the flexible RAM is merely a proof of concept, as it only stores a single byte (eight bits) of data. The test only covered 3,500 operation cycles (rewriting data), which is virtually nothing in commercial RAM terms.

The demonstration did overperform in one area, though. While it's technically a form of traditional RAM (such as used in computers) that is wiped clean when power is disconnected, FlexRam kept data reliably for up to 12 hours without power. That could make it worthwhile when energy is unreliable, or battery life is unpredictable. (Source: tomshardware.com)

What's Your Opinion?

Will this idea fulfil its promise? Can you think of situations where physically flexible data storage could help? Do you have any concerns about this technology?

Comments

Liquid Metal memory — Submitted by Focused100 on Mon, 02/12/2024 — 22:26

I'm trying to think of an app, and I'm having trouble.

Read More »

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Bob Backstrom
~ Newsletter Editor ~

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