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WEEKLY NEWSLETTER 22 - 27 JANUARY, 2024
Hello and Welcome,
Welcoming Members to January 2024
Our Committee hopes you are all still enjoying the festive activities, so we have decided not to hold any meetings during January. This will give members more time with family and friends and recharge their batteries, ready for another busy year.
We will be holding our club's Annual General Meeting very soon; however, it is prompting an urgent call for Committee nominations. Please consider.
— John Lucke
Meetings This Week
NO MEETINGS
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.
NOTE: THERE ARE NO SIG MEETINGS in JANUARY.
ASCCA News:Tech News:
Info-stealers can steal cookies for permanent access to your Google account
See the Malwarebytes article posted on January 11, 2024, by Pieter Arntz | Noted by Club Member John Symonds.
Hackers have found a way to gain unauthorized access to Google accounts, bypassing any multi-factor authentication (MFA) the user may have set up. To do this, they steal authentication cookies and then extend their lifespan. It doesn't even help if the account owner changes their password.
Since discovering the exploit, numerous white and black hat security researchers have looked into and discussed the issue. As a result, the exploit is now built into various information stealers.
Cookies track users across websites and remember information about their visit. Authentication cookies are data the browser sends to a site to identify the user and check whether they are logged in. Usually, these cookies expire, and the user will be asked to log in.
Persistent cookies enable continuous access to Google services, even after users reset their passwords. This exploit allows the generation of persistent Google cookies by using a Google Application Programming Interface (API) designed for synchronizing accounts across different Google services to bring expired authentication cookies back to life.
A Google account provides access to Google services like Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Maps, as well as Google Ads and YouTube.
In a statement, Google responded:
"We routinely upgrade our defences against such techniques and to secure users who fall victim to malware. In this instance, Google has taken action to secure any compromised accounts detected."
However, some info stealers have reportedly been updated to counter Google's fraud detection measures.
Sources familiar with this issue have told BleepingComputer that Google believes the API is working as intended and that no vulnerability is being exploited by the malware, which implies that Google isn't working on a more permanent fix for this problem.
Review devices
To check whether someone has accessed your account, you can view which computers, phones, or other devices were signed in to your Google Account recently.
1. Go to your Google Account.
2. On the left navigation panel, select Security.
3. On the Your Devices panel, select Manage all devices.
4. You'll see devices where you're currently signed in to your Google Account or have been in the last few weeks. For more details, select a device or a session.
5. Devices or sessions where you're signed out will have a "Signed out" indication.
6. If multiple sessions appear for the same device type, they might all be on one or multiple devices. Review their details, and if you're not sure all the sessions are from your devices, sign out on them.
Remediate
If you think your account has been compromised, you must sign out of all browsers to invalidate the current session tokens and reset your password. Next, you will need to sign back in to generate new tokens. Only this stops unauthorized access because it invalidates the old tokens.
The steps outlined below are for administrators who manage Google Accounts for a company, school, or other group. As an administrator, you can sign a user out of a managed Google Account, such as Google Workspace or Cloud Identity.
To reset a user's sign-in cookies:
1. Sign in to your Google Admin console. Sign in using an administrator account, not your current account.
2. Go to Menu > Directory > Users in the Admin console.
3. In the Users list, find the user. If you need help, go to Find a user account.
4. Click the user's name to open the account page.
5. Click Security > Sign-in cookies > Reset.
What might help stop this abuse is if Google speeds up the announced end of tracking cookies. It's best to keep these information stealers off your computer.
We don't just report on threats — we remove them.
Cybersecurity risks should never spread beyond a headline. Keep threats off your devices by downloading Malwarebytes today.
Best Mouse: Cherry M64 Pro Wireless Mouse
See the How-To Geek article by DAN HELYER, JOE FEDEWA, JORDAN GLOOR, NICK LEWIS, CORBIN DAVENPORT, AND CORY GUNTHER PUBLISHED 12th Jan 2024.
Already acclaimed for its mechanical keyboard switches, CHERRY acquired a Swedish esports gear manufacturer in 2023 to form the CHERRY XTRFY gaming brand, and its debut releases were on display at CES this year. We liked what we saw, with the M64 Pro taking our pick for the best mouse at the show.
Designed with input from professional esports players, the M64 Pro features a slender ergonomic design and launches alongside the M68 Pro, a symmetrical model with identical specs. We preferred the ergonomic design, which felt very comfortable in the hand. It had an excellent mouse feel.
Marking XTRFY's sixth generation of mice (though this is the first under the CHERRY XTRFY brand), the M64 Pro offers better grip and control than previous M4 and M8 models while cutting the weight to an airy 55 grams.
The highlight feature, though—and what separates the pro mouse from its non-pro counterpart—is its 8,000Hz polling rate. Most gaming mice only offer 1,000Hz, making the M64 Pro up to eight times more responsive. That means smoother cursor movement, sharper control, and some of the lowest click latency ever measured on a wireless gaming mouse.
Launching alongside keyboards, microphones, and other CHERRY XTRFY gaming gear, the M64 Pro will be available for $139 in Q2 of 2024.
Best Smartphone Accessory: Belkin Auto-Tracking Stand Pro
See the How-To Geek article by DAN HELYER, JOE FEDEWA, JORDAN GLOOR, NICK LEWIS, CORBIN DAVENPORT, AND CORY GUNTHER PUBLISHED 12th Jan 2024.
The new Belkin Auto Tracking Stand Pro is a battery-powered phone stand with facial tracking, but it's better than others who've tried something similar. Not only did it work flawlessly, but it doesn't need a companion app to work with the iPhone. It'll do face tracking right inside the stock iPhone camera app.
Our Editor-in-Chief gave it a try, and here's what Jason had this to say: "Not only did the Auto-Tracking Stand Pro impress me with the flawless side-to-side and up-and-down pan movements, but it stayed laser-locked onto me even despite the crowd of people watching me use it."
This 360-degree swivelling phone stand is impressive. Once it identifies your face, it tracks you with ease. It's perfect for video calls, work meetings, content creation, or being a webcam for your Mac. The Belkin Auto Tracking Stand Pro is more expensive than your traditional phone stand, costing $180, but it has a 5-hour battery life, and when it's plugged in, you'll get 15W wireless charging for your phone. Grab yours from Belkin's website at the end of January.
Best Robot Vacuum: Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra
See the How-To Geek article by DAN HELYER, JOE FEDEWA, JORDAN GLOOR, NICK LEWIS, CORBIN DAVENPORT, AND CORY GUNTHER PUBLISHED 12th Jan 2024.
Robot vacuums have gotten progressively more advanced over the years, and now Roborock is taking things up a notch with appendages. The Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra was announced at CES with a small flip-out arm. While it's not a literal arm that can pick up items in the way (yet), this can help the vacuum reach those tough spots.
The arm pushes the typical robot vacuum-spinning brush out farther away from the body, which should help it get into corners. There are also mops for cleaning hard floors on the back, and they can also stick out to reach nooks and crannies. Guiding the cleaning are cameras on the front and back and a new voice assistant called "Rocky." It's a similar idea to Ecovacs' "Yiko" assistant.
Another cool feature is buying a base station connected to your home's plumbing. That means you'll never have to refill or drain the mopping tanks. Our Justin Duino was at the show to check out the vacuum, and he said: "Being able to auto-refill the water tank and dump dirty water through your home plumbing takes even more work off of your home cleaning responsibilities. Add in the extendable brush arm, and the S8 MaxV Ultra should keep your home looking as clean as possible."
As expected, all this tech comes at a price. The Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra costs $1,800 and will launch in April.
The Four Best Free Tools to Analyze Hard Drive Space on Windows
See the How-To Geek article by CHRIS HOFFMAN AND NICK LEWIS | UPDATED APR 24, 2023.
No one wants to use File Explorer to figure out what's eating up storage space.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Third-party tools are significantly better for determining what uses up drive space than native Windows tools. WinDirStat, SpaceSniffer, or TreeSize are some great free options.
When your hard drive fills up, you don't have to dig through File Explorer to see what's using space. You can use a disk space analyzer to scan your drive (or just a single folder) and see which folders and files use space. You can then make an informed decision about what to remove and quickly free up space.
These tools differ from disk cleaning applications, which automatically remove temporary and cached files. An analyzer will scan your drive and give you a better view of what's using space so you can clear up disk space.
WinDirStat Is the Best All-Around Tool
WinDirStat
WinDirStat is our preferred tool, and it's all you'll need. Its interface allows you to see what's using space on your hard drive at a glance. When you launch WinDirStat, you can tell it to scan all local drives, a single drive like your C: drive, or a specific folder on your computer.
After it finishes scanning, you'll see three panes. On top is a directory list showing the folders using the most space in descending order. On the bottom, there's a "treemap" view that shows you a colour-coded view of what's using space. On the right, there's a file extension list showing statistics about which file types use the most space. It also serves as a legend, explaining the colours at the window's bottom.
For example, when you click a directory in the list, you'll see the contents of that directory highlighted in the treemap. You can mouse over a square in the treemap to see what file it represents. You can also click a file extension in the list to see exactly where files of that type are located in the treemap view. Right-click a folder in the directory list, and you'll see options to delete that folder or open it in Explorer quickly.
WinDirStat doesn't offer a portable app on its website, but you can download a portable version of WinDirStat from PortableApps.com if you'd like to take it with you and use it on various PCs without installing it first.
SpaceSniffer Offers the Best Graphical View
SpaceSniffer
Try SpaceSniffer if you're looking for something different. SpaceSniffer doesn't have the directory list included in WinDirStat. It's a graphical view that displays folders and their files by relative size, like the bottom treemap view in WinDirStat's interface.
However, unlike WinDirStat's treemap, you can double-click folders to drill down graphically in this interface. So, if you have a bunch of files taking up space in your "C:\Users\Name\Videos" directory, you could double-click each directory in turn to drill down and eventually right-click a file or folder to access options like Delete and Open.
In WinDirStat, you can only drill down through the directory list — not graphically through the treemap view. You must start scanning a specific folder to get a new graphical view.
WinDirStat seems more practical, but SpaceSniffer does have the best graphical view. If you don't care about the directory list, SpaceSniffer is the tool for you. It runs as a portable application, too.
TreeSize Free Has a Slick Interface
TreeSize
TreeSize Free is a good alternative if you want something simpler than WinDirStat. It provides the same directory list and treemap interfaces in WinDirStat. Still, it doesn't have WinDirStat's file extension list, and its ribbon-style interface is more at home on modern versions of Windows than WinDirStat's toolbar. TreeSize Free also adds a convenient scan option to Explorer, so you can right-click any folder in File Explorer and Windows Explorer and select "TreeSize Free" to scan its contents.
To view a treemap in TreeSize Free, click View > Show Treemap. As in the other applications here, you can right-click files or folders in the application to delete or open them.
While there are paid TreeSize Personal and TreeSize Professional applications, these add bonus features like the ability to search for duplicate files, which other tools do just fine. You can scan and visualize your disk space without a problem using the free version of TreeSize.
This application is also available as a portable application, so you don't have to install it before running it if you prefer.
Windows 10's Built-In Storage Usage Tool
Windows 10's Built-In Storage Usage Tool
Windows 10 has a storage usage tool that may help you in some cases. It's not a classic disk space analyzer like the above tools but has similar features.
Head to Settings > System > Storage and click a drive to access it. You'll see a list of things taking up space on that drive, from apps and games to system files, videos, photos, and music. Click a category, and Windows will suggest things you can remove — for example, you'll see a list of installed applications, which you can sort by the space they take.
While this tool is less powerful than the above ones, it can be helpful for quickly understanding disk usage and freeing space in a pinch.
How to Clear Disk Space
Once you've identified what is using up all your space, it is simple to free up space. All the third-party apps we listed allow you to easily open an Explorer folder or a file directly to check out what it is. Just right-click, then click "Open" or "Explore Here" in the case of WinDirStat. You can then delete files as you would normally. Make sure to double-check what you're deleting, though.
Modern versions of Windows — namely Windows 10 and Windows 11 — will have a ton of stuff written to the AppData subfolders. They're often named strangely, too, so you may not recognize them at first glance. You can't safely delete the 20 GB folder you see hanging out in Local without verifying what it is and what it does. In all likelihood, it is a folder created by a piece of software you installed, and you're better off uninstalling it properly than just deleting the folder.
Fun Facts:
RoboUP Unveils All-Terrain Robot Lawn Mower
See the iTWire article by David M Williams | Sunday, 14 January 2024, 16:45.
Service robot industry pioneer RoboUP announced its latest innovation at CES 2024, the Rhino 1 All-Terrain robot mower. It's designed to revolutionise how people care for their living spaces, embodying thoughtfulness, empathy, and compassion with their solutions.
Watch the 2m:30s video showing RoboUP going through its paces.
RoboUP
RoboUP's new Rhino 1 Robot Mower is an impressive, compact unit that cuts your lawn with a robust engine and dual cutting disc, ensuring efficient coverage. You can set boundaries without wires to control where the mower goes, keeping parts of your lawn off-limits.
Further, it can go where lesser robots cannot — the Rhino 1 embodies superior off-road performance. With its robust car-like all-wheel drive (AWD) system, the Rhino 1 can navigate steep slopes and conquer rough landscapes with precision steering.
The Rhino 1 builds on RoboUP's previous robot lawnmower, the TM01, which was launched in Europe in 2023. RoboUP gained vast feedback from users, helping shape the Rhino 1.
RoboUP has also launched a new website as a one-stop hub for insight, interaction, shopping, and customer service. The new site also includes user-friendly user-interactive communities, competitions, giveaway events, and live streams.
RoboUP's vision extends beyond efficiency, aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, SDG 3 and SDG 15. The RoboUP robot mowers promote clean, chemical-free lawn care, contributing to healthier communities and biodiversity preservation.
Meeting Location & Disclaimer
Bob Backstrom
~ Newsletter Editor ~
Information for Members and Visitors:
Link to — Sydney PC & Technology User Group
All Meetings, unless explicitly stated above, are held on the
1st Floor, Sydney Mechanics' School of Arts, 280 Pitt Street, Sydney.
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