Brandon Dimmel

A new report suggests that the cybercriminals behind the now infamous CryptoLocker ransomware scam are making huge profits. The main factor driving that revenue: the rapidly rising value of bitcoins . CryptoLocker is a form of Trojan horse known as ... ransomware. After being installed on a system -- usually following the opening of a malicious email -- it takes control of a user's system. Those behind the scam then demand the victim pay up if they want to regain control of their computer. The usual ransom: between $300 and $600 in bitcoins, a relatively new type of Internet-based currency. So, ... (view more)

FlightGear 2.12.1 Want to know what it's like to pilot a commercial airplane? Then check out this open source flight simulator that is compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux. This project is the work of skilled developers from around the world. ... http://www.flightgear.org WebCacheImageInfo 1.00 This simple but effective tool allows you to search for JPEG images with EXIF data stored inside your web browser's cache. It can then display a list of all of the images found in your cache. Supported browsers include Internet Explorer, Chrome, and Firefox. http://www.nirsoft.net This freeware software ... (view more)

XnSketch 1.14 Get creative with your favorite photographs using XnSketch. This unique tool allows creative users to turn their photos into cartoon or sketch images. Users can access eighteen different effects, including strokes, pastel, pencil ... sketch, and colored sketch. http://www.xnview.com/ The Weather Channel 4.2.4 Get weather updates instantly on your PC, Mac, smartphone, tablet computer, or television with The Weather Channel app. This app displays current weather conditions, 5 to 14-day forecasts and trends, and provides users with severe weather alerts. http://www.theweathernetwork. ... (view more)

New reports suggest Microsoft is planning to take on National Security Agency (NSA) surveillance by stepping up its encryption. The hope appears to be that by encrypting more information the NSA will have limited access to Microsoft's sensitive ... data. Microsoft executives are reportedly meeting to determine what encryption techniques could be used to prevent the National Security Agency from spying on the company and its customers. Washington Post Report Alarms Tech Titans It's part of a response to a Washington Post report which appeared to prove that Microsoft, Google, and Yahoo are being ... (view more)

Millions of North Americans will take to the Internet in search of Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals this coming weekend. But experts warn that cybercrooks are using a number of schemes to catch unsuspecting shoppers in their web. Avira security ... expert Sorin Mustaca says it's imperative Internet shoppers take extra caution when opening emails with attachments (like those featuring PDF or HTML sales flyers), clicking on links in emails, and visiting sites that offer bargains that may be too good to be true. "All these things have something in common: social engineering and greed," Mustaca ... (view more)

SoundVolumeView 1.10 This simple and straightforward tool allows you to view information related to the current volume for all active sound components on your system. You can use this tool to mute and unmute each of those components. This program is ... compatible with Windows Vista through Windows 8. http://www.nirsoft.net ZenKEY 2.5.0 ZenKey lets you control every function on your system using only keystrokes. That means you can create customized menus containing unique system functions. This allows you to execute actions by pressing a simple key combination. A real time saver! http://zenkey. ... (view more)

One restaurant owner is so desperate to rid his fine dining establishment of annoying smartphones that he's established a new rule: if everyone at a table turns off their mobile device, all pay half price for their meals. The incentive is the work ... of Jawdat Ibrahim, a restaurateur based just outside Jerusalem in Israel. Ibrahim says he got really tired of watching couples enter Abu Ghosh, his fine dining restaurant, and spend the entire meal texting or talking to others. In some cases, Ibrahim says people were so distracted by their phones that they had to ask his staff to re-heat their meals ... (view more)

Microsoft's new 'Scroogled' merchandise appears to be selling remarkably well. New reports suggest a lot of the gear, which rips on Google's controversial Gmail privacy policy, has already sold out. Microsoft began its Scroogled campaign earlier ... this year. The focus of the offensive is Google's Gmail privacy policy, which allows the company to scan both sent and received emails in order to formulate more effective advertisements. Microsoft insists its email service, Outlook, doesn't do that to its customers. To highlight the difference, Microsoft recently began selling mugs, t-shirts, ... (view more)

Free Hide IP 3.9.3.2 Protect your system from attack with Free Hide IP (Internet Protocol). This program lets you keep your IP address hidden from others at all times. That makes it harder for hackers and identity thieves to find your system and ... attack it. UPDATE: we have received reports that this program is being flagged by some antivirus programs. We apologize for this and have removed the link. Please also review the Major Geeks software policy if you have any further questions (that link is further down the page). http://www.free-hideip.com Rufus 1.3.4.270 This handy tool allows you to ... (view more)

Six people have been arrested in connection with a massive, worldwide ATM fraud scheme that raked in an estimated $45 million. The banks affected were based in the Middle East, though all of the suspects recently arrested hail from Yonkers, New ... York. According to reports, early this year a team of cybercriminals used "sophisticated intrusion techniques" to hack into the financial systems of at least two Middle East banks, including the National Bank of Ras Al-Khaimah (in the United Aram Emirates) and the Bank of Muscat (in Oman). The latter was hit hardest. Investigators estimate that $40 ... (view more)