"7 Ways to Reclaim Your Digital Privacy"

That's the title of a very useful article in Popular Mechanics.  We've spoken about Big Brother, big business and the threat to privacy on many occasions in these pages.  Here are some concrete steps we can take to regain at least a measure of control.

Privacy, we say, is about to come roaring back. No, it's not too late. Yes, we know that Google monetizes both our emails and our search histories. It's true that data brokers market our personal dossiers, listing everything from our favorite blogs to our old parking tickets (identity thieves must love it). And NSA leaker Edward Snowden really did prove the paranoids right: The United States government spies on everyone. Now, we agree that security agencies have a vital responsibility to track terrorists, but that mission can't require all citizens to live in a surveillance state. Feel you have nothing to hide? That assumes the data will always be used to defeat terrorists, not to monitor activists, let alone to stalk ex-girlfriends—yes, NSA employees have done that. Here's the other side to the privacy-is-dead argument. You can fight the privacy erosion that technology has enabled using tools that technology provides. And when you protect your data—using encryption and other tools—you incidentally bolster the argument that security is the norm. At least it should be. Privacy is not dead but simply suffering from neglect. It's your job to revive it.

There's much more at the link.  Very useful and highly recommended.

Peter

Lessons learned while moving to a new computer

You'll recall that last month, I asked for input about buying a new computer.  I eventually settled on a HP desktop system from Costco, which was at an almost unbeatable value-for-money point.  It arrived a couple of weeks ago, and I've slowly been moving my programs and data onto it and setting it up as my primary workstation.  I've learned a lot in the process.

First, I've used Mozilla Thunderbird as my e-mail client for many years.  I have several different e-mail accounts, depending on their purpose and scope (this blog's is only one of them).  Thunderbird lets me open them all in a single application and keep track of them without problems.  The last time I migrated to a new system, I ended up simply installing a new copy of Thunderbird and abandoning my earlier e-mails on backups, as I simply couldn't get them to migrate across successfully.  This time was far simpler.  I used the Mozbackup utility, which made the process amazingly simple once I'd figured out the correct sequence of events.  For the benefit of those who might do the same in future, here's what to do, and in this order.

1. Download Mozbackup to your old system and run it, placing the backup copy of your Thunderbird (and, if you wish, other Mozilla software such as Firefox) on an external hard disk or thumb drive.
2. Download the relevant Mozilla software (Thunderbird, Firefox, etc.) to your new computer and run it once, in order to set up each program's default profile.  Don't do anything else like enter your e-mail account details.
3. Download Mozbackup to your new system and run it.  Tell it to restore the profiles of the software you've installed, and point it to the external drive where you've stored the backed-up profiles from your old system.

That's really all there is to it.  Simple, quick and easy.  I imported eight different e-mail accounts, complete with four years of archived messages and all the settings, without a bobble.

I had some serious problems getting used to the Windows 8 interface (Windows 8.1, actually, but it's the same interface as 8.0).  It looks like a very useful product for touch-screen devices, but if you're working with keyboard and mouse, it's a pain in the butt.  I set up my new system to boot directly to the desktop screen, as in Windows 7, and installed Pokki to simulate the Windows 7 startup screen.  It works fine.

Microsoft Office 2010 gave me some serious headaches.  By default, it installs in 32-bit mode;  but Windows 8.1 is a native 64-bit application, as installed from the manufacturer on my computer.  I had some nasty compatibility issues until I figured out (by trial and error) that Office 2010 also has a 64-bit version, that can be installed by running its dedicated Setup program from the CD.  Once I'd switched to that version, things went much more easily.  I still had to locate it on my hard disk;  Windows 8.1 kept on trying to get me to load the preinstalled trial version of Office 2013 and/or pay for the Office 365 version.  I ended up uninstalling both of the latter trial versions, and now things run much more smoothly.

I've still got some music and video files to copy across to my new system, but I'm 90% finished with the migration now.  I'm already using the new system to continue editing Maxwell Book 3.  I'll be setting up a treadmill desk over the next couple of weeks, with a second screen for seated use when I'm not able to walk any further.  I'm pretty happy with the new computer so far.  It's much faster and more powerful than my old laptop.  As soon as the migration is complete, I'll upgrade the laptop's memory and install a new hard disk, and it'll become my occasional-use on-the-road computer.

Thanks to all of you who offered advice.  So far, so good!

Peter

Computer update

Thank you very much to everyone who responded to my earlier request for advice about replacement computer systems, either in Comments here or by e-mail.  I appreciate your help.

I followed all the links you provided, and compared all the systems you recommended.  Most of them were reasonably attractive deals, but if I were to go with a laptop system, most had one or more limitations - display resolution, or memory size, or processor, or whatever.  It began to look increasingly as if my idea to spend as little as possible, buy a less capable system, and replace it again after two to three years, was probably the most cost-effective solution.

However, a number of you suggested that I consider a desktop system, as portability was a now-and-then requirement rather than an everyday thing.  Others suggested an external monitor for a laptop computer, which would effectively treat it as a desktop system.  (I already use such a monitor, BTW, but it's older technology, unable to handle 1080p resolution or even true 720p.)  I looked at some of the alternatives out there, and began to think hard about this option - particularly as it turned out I can upgrade the RAM on my present notebook to 8GB (its maximum capacity) and replace the defective hard disk drive with an equivalent unit for a combined total of under $100.  If I upgrade to a 250GB SSD, total costs will rise to about $200, but the overall system speed will probably go up by a factor of two or three.  That'll make it a longer-term viable solution for on-the-road needs and a backup to my desktop system.

I accordingly started to price desktop systems.  I'd built more than a few of them in past years, so I understood them well (I started in computers - as a mainframe operator - in the mid-1970's, and can remember using the first generation of IBM PC with its green monochrome monitor, one single-sided floppy disk drive and a whopping 64KB - yes, that's kilobytes! - of RAM).  Shopping around on sites like Newegg and Amazon, I priced components to build a very capable modern system, to get an idea of what a high-end desktop computer would cost if I built it myself;  then I began looking at offerings from computer vendors and retailers.

Miss D. came up with the solution.  She e-mailed me a list of Costco's current computer deals, among which were three absolutely outstanding packages - priced so low I couldn't build them myself for even 10%-25% more than Costco's price.  The three were:

1. A HP Envy 17.3" laptop (including MS Office 2013) for $999.99;
2. A Dell XPS 8700 desktop without monitor for $699.99;  and
3. A HP Envy 700qe desktop with 23" 1080p monitor for $999.99.

If I'd needed Microsoft Office, the laptop would have represented an extraordinarily good deal;  but I already have that software, so its inclusion in the bundle made it less economical overall.  The Dell desktop was tempting, but faded in comparison to the HP desktop package, which is absolutely stuffed with everything to make it a thoroughly competent and capable system.  It has the latest-generation Intel quad-core CPU, a full 32GB of memory, a fast video processor with 4GB of dedicated memory, a 23" LCD backlit monitor, and all the other bells and whistles.  I couldn't build a comparable system using quality components for less than about $1,200 (excluding shipping costs for the components and sales tax), so Costco's price was very attractive indeed.  That's what I eventually chose.  It was simply too good a deal to turn down, even though it was more than I initially wanted to spend.  I'll call it a Christmas present to myself.

My new system should be here in about three weeks.  When it arrives, I'll order a replacement hard disk drive or SSD and more memory to upgrade my laptop, and do a full re-installation of the operating system and software while I'm at it.  (A number of you have recommended that I look at Linux for the laptop. I'll read more about that while I'm waiting, to see whether it's a worthwhile option for me.)  I already have a decent-sized UPS for the desktop system, and I'll replace its batteries with new ones while I'm waiting.

Thanks to everyone who responded, for all your suggestions.  I'll let you know how the new box performs when I've got it up and running.  It's going to be a quantum leap in performance compared to my present system, that's for sure!

Peter

A bleg for laptop advice, please

I'm in need of advice from those of my readers with greater technical and user expertise than mine in the field of laptop computers, please.

My present laptop is a fairly basic 2009 Gateway model (it's really a re-badged Acer unit).  Its hard disk is starting to give errors on boot-up, requiring more and more frequent CHKDSK runs to resolve them - a sure sign that it needs to be replaced.  (Yes, I have good backups, both local and online!)  However, the computer has only USB 2.0 ports, and I'd like a couple of the much faster USB 3.0 ports for use with an external hard disk drive for backup and data transfer.  Also, it's got a 15.6" screen at 1366x768 resolution.  I'd like a larger screen for working with multiple documents, with higher resolution for better sharpness and less eyestrain during long periods of editing.  Finally, its 4GB of memory becomes overloaded when I have multiple documents open, plus a couple of dozen Web sites in browser tabs, plus e-mail, music and other programs.  I'm therefore looking at replacing the whole computer, rather than just the hard disk.

My problem is that there's a massive price jump between low-end 'consumer' laptops and more sophisticated units.  On a disability income (until my book royalties improve to the point of providing a livable income stream) I find it hard to justify dropping a grand or more on a high-end unit when for half that sum, I can buy something that may be at least adequate for my current needs (albeit with the likelihood of having to upgrade or replace it within two to three years).  To illustrate the problem, here's a comparison between three Acer units, one low-end and two rather more high-end (see below the graphic for links to each one).  All are supplied with Windows 8, but none has a touch-screen display.

From a technical perspective, I'd say the second or third unit is more suitable for what I need, and for long-term growth.  However, they'll cost me double or more the price of the first unit.  My computer will be used primarily for writing, Internet browsing and blogging (including a limited amount of image processing - cutting, cropping, sizing, etc., but not Photoshop-type work), some YouTube viewing and occasional on-line movies, and simple single-player games to distract me when writing gets too frustrating.  For that sort of workload, are the more expensive units worth their much higher price?  I understand that I might have to upgrade or expand the lower-end unit within two to three years, but might I not have to do the same to the higher-end units anyway?  Technology is moving so fast that I'm not sure spending twice as much now will buy me twice as much 'future-proofing', if you know what I mean.

Battery life isn't a major issue for me.  I seldom take my computer out of my office, although I do need to do that from time to time.  I'll usually use it in hotel rooms or at friends' homes, where a power socket is available.  I need 2-3 hours battery life at most, and these units will provide that.  A user-replaceable battery is a nice thing to have, if possible - I prefer not to have batteries that can only be replaced by the supplier.

Have I specified all the important bits and pieces above?  (For example, should I look for a touch-screen display if I want to get the most out of Windows 8?)  Also, what about a docking station or port replicator?  I presently attach external peripherals like keyboard, mouse, a 1TB HDD for backups, a larger monitor, etc. to my laptop when it's at home.  I've plugged them into a USB 2.0 hub until now, but that's definitely going to be a problem when I have a mix of USB 3.0 and 2.0 devices.  Is it worth investing a little in a universal docking station or port replicator like this one?  For less than $100, it looks like it might significantly extend my computer's connectivity.

I'd be grateful for responses and suggestions from those who deal with these things more often, or at a more technical level, than I do.  If I really should buy one of the more expensive units, I'll find a way (even if it means ramen for supper for a while), but I'm only going to do so if that's essential.  Over to you, friends!  Let us know your reactions in Comments.  (I'm not necessarily committed to the Acer brand, either, so if you want to suggest alternatives to that, fire away.)

Thanks!

Peter

Your online life - permanent as a tattoo

In the third in our series of video clips examining online security and privacy, Juan Enriquez discusses the reality of our online presence, and how it's almost impossible to alter, amend or erase it.

Sobering truths.  That's why I don't participate in social media (apart from this blog).  I have no desire for an indiscreet photograph to come back to haunt me in future years!

Peter

Why privacy matters

Next in our series on Big Brother's insatiable appetite for snooping and the need for reform, here's another TED talk on a related topic.  This one's by Alessandro Acquisti, and is titled 'Why Privacy Matters'.

Some real food for thought there, IMHO.  Another talk in this series will follow tomorrow.

Peter

Facebook users, be warned . . .

The Telegraph has published an interesting (and worrying) article about what hackers can learn about you from Facebook, and how they can use it.  Here's an excerpt.

Anyone can download all the data Facebook holds on them. Thanks to Europe-wide data protection rules companies are obliged to reveal what information they store on you. Normally this involves a written request, small fee and 40-day wait.

Luckily Facebook makes this easy. By clicking on account settings (the small cog icon at the top right), picking "general" and going to "download a copy of your Facebook data" you can get hold of everything.

Browsing the folders at first is fairly amusing. Old messages track forgotten relationships as they spark up and peter out. Gossip from university days resurfaces. AmDram productions you promised friends you would attend remain in a list of past events.

You realise biographers of the future won't be combing through dusty collections of letters but double-clicking on folders containing Facebook profiles. But what if the data fell into the wrong hands?

To see what useful info could be gleaned I downloaded my own personal Facebook data, which has been building up for the last seven years. Through simple word searches a host of sensitive information could be uncovered within minutes.

Searching for the word "bank" in the file containing past messages returned my bank account details. Sort code; account number; card number; bank name; the lot. Turns out I had sent them to a friend who needed to transfer money in 2010.

Typing "my address" bought up my home address, including postcode, as well as a flat I had rented in London. Searches for "my number" and "my email" found the correct details instantly.

Date of birth could be worked out via "happy birthday" posts. Relatives could be found by searching the friends list for my surname. Recent sessions logged the IP address of the computer used.

A criminal could even work out the exact times I would be out of the house for dinner or on holiday by looking at which events I was attending.

"There are all sorts of things you could do with that," says Tony Neate, an ex-policeman who spent 30 years in the force and now heads up the government-backed Get Safe Online campaign.

"I know from talking to people within the police and the Serious Organised Crime Agency that you are well on your way as a criminal to having everything you need to steal your identity."

He adds: "They can mirror who you are and then start looking at where they can actually make money from the information they have got ... The amount of information you have given me is 90 per cent there for someone to be able to [commit identity fraud]."

By intercepting post at my home address a fraudster could create a credit card or take out a bank loan in my name, according to Neate. The Facebook data alone may be enough to open a new bank account with my details to be used to transfer dirty money.

Neil Munroe, external affairs director at credit information group Equifax, says the information "ticks a lot of the boxes" needed to take out a credit card and fears people fail to adequately protect their profiles.

"A lot of passwords are still set as derivatives of family names, pet names, holidays, that type of thing," he says, warning that Facebook profiles can help criminals guess logins. The fact that so many people use one password for all their accounts is also a danger.

Munroe continues: "Intuitively everybody knows that that information should not be there. You would not write that information on a sandwich board and walk down your local street with it on. That is exactly what you are doing with Facebook."

There's more at the link.

This merely confirms my earlier opinion that Facebook is simply too much of a security risk to use safely.  The same applies to most other social media, IMHO.  I'll be staying off them, thank you very much - or, if I find myself forced to use them, I'll do so from a dedicated computer that does nothing else, and doesn't have links to my e-mail, address book, or other personal information.

Peter

Useful tips for Android, Google Search and Google Maps

The Telegraph has published three articles that I've found useful.

Android: 10 hidden features

Google search: 15 hidden features

Google Maps revamp: new features enabled

If you use any of those services, you may find the articles interesting.

Peter

The expanding role of Big Data

We've talked a lot about Big Brother's intrusion into our privacy, and seen that commercial 'surveillance' of our everyday activities is just as intrusive.

I was therefore intrigued to come across a 47-minute video presentation by Martin Fowler and Rebecca Parsons on 'The Evolving Panorama of Data'.  It's pretty technical stuff, oriented towards programmers and data analysts, so unless you're interested in that sort of thing it's probably more geeky than you want to watch.  Nevertheless, from the perspective of a former computer software technician, and one interested in personal privacy and data security, it's a fascinating look at how business use of our data is evolving.  It makes it clear why so much information about us is being linked in altogether new ways to produce insights into our motivation, behavior and other aspects of our personality that might shock us with their depth and accuracy.

All in all, it's worthwhile viewing if you're prepared to invest three-quarters of an hour of your time in an arcane and sometimes almost impenetrable subject.  Click over there and see for yourself.

Peter

Panic as welfare grinds to a halt

I note in a grim, "I-told-you-so" way, but with no satisfaction whatsoever, that food stamp and related benefits, typically paid to recipients by means of 'EBT' or electronic benefit transfer (issued by means of a card similar to a credit card), came to a temporary halt today.

People in Ohio, Michigan and 15 other states found themselves temporarily unable to use their food stamp debit-style cards on Saturday, after a routine test of backup systems by vendor Xerox Corp. resulted in a system failure.

Xerox announced late in the evening that access had been restored for users in the 17 states affected by the outage, hours after the first problems were reported.

. . .

U.S. Department of Agriculture spokeswoman Courtney Rowe underscored that the outage was not related to the government shutdown.

. . .

Wasmer said the states affected by the temporary outage also included Alabama, California, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia.

There's more at the link.

According to Twitchy, which 'mine[s] Twitter to bring you “who said what” in U.S. politics, global news, sports, entertainment, media, and breaking news 24/7. If it’s news, we’re on it', the breakdown immediately led to an outbreak of dystopian, doom-gloom-and-disaster messages.  Here are a few examples.

• EBT cards aren't working & Monday is a holiday. Holy s***. F*** You @SpeakerBoehner the gov could've already been opened w vote.
• @joshduggar my friend posted on FB that we now can't use our EBT Card. Are they going to starve us now? Please help us.
• Im hearing food stamps has stop nationwide. Ok.This is scary. Its about to go down across the map. Riot! And walmart ebt is down to. oh f***.
• Cuz lock your doors load your guns they cut off ebt cards nationwide.

Again, more at the link.

I wrote two years ago about the changing urban self-defense environment. If welfare benefits get shut off for any extended period, for any reason, look for those warnings to come horrendously true. The so-called 'welfare class' is utterly dependent on their government freebies and handouts. They're vulnerable to the slightest interruption, because they have no intention of providing for themselves, even if they were capable of doing so. They're 'entitled' to their benefits. The government 'owes' them.

That's not true, of course . . . but truth and logic won't help you survive an angry mob. That takes more firepower than most of us possess - so it's better to stay out of their way.

Peter

A call to artists and graphic designers

I'm working hard on the third book in the Maxwell Saga, and have many more books planned or under consideration.  Until now I've used stock images for my covers, with editing and graphic design input by Oleg Volk (who's done an amazing job - check out the covers in my sidebar for examples - and who will probably continue to design my covers, using author-supplied images).  However, I'm finding it difficult to locate cover art that meets my needs for future books.  Stock images are OK at a basic level, but not much further than that.  I know that other authors and would-be authors are having the same problem - I'm in touch with at least five or six of them.

Trying to find someone to produce custom artwork for book covers is very frustrating.  All too often one provides ideas - even a rough sketch - to an 'artist', only to have them insist on interpreting that according to their vision of how it should look.  They've got it all wrong.  If I'm paying, I decide how it should be interpreted.  I want to hire someone who'll work with me to make my vision a reality.  I don't want to waste my money on someone who tries to do it their way!  If they have good, creative ideas to suggest, that's fine with me;  but in the end, it's my judgment that counts.  (Of course, that may sum up the difference between an 'artist' and a 'graphic designer'.  One is motivated by personal creativity first and foremost;  the other primarily by commercial considerations.)

Be that as it may, I've decided to try to find someone - or more than one person - who'll produce custom images for my book covers.  I've priced that sort of thing carefully.  I can hire someone like Luca Oleastri, a.k.a. 'Innovari' (whose images I used for the first two Maxwell book covers) for about $200 to produce a single custom image of the type and size required.  He works fast (turnaround time is usually 1-2 weeks for the initial image, plus a couple of days for edits and changes), and delivers a ready-to-use 300dpi JPEG or TIFF image file.  That's affordable, and a very reasonable rate compared to some other 'big-name' artists/designers.  I don't want to go higher than that, because I'm not selling huge quantities of books, and I can't afford to pay the sort of rates a large publisher would be charged.  For a 'beginner' artist, still making his or her reputation and wanting to build up a portfolio, I'd look to pay less than that per image;  but I understand they have to eat, too, so I won't be unreasonable.

I know at least one other author who's looking for a cover artist right now.  There are more - I'm in touch with at least half a dozen, and for the right person with the right attitude at the right price, I'm willing to help sell their services to everyone (because it's in all our interests to have a good artist/graphic designer available at a reasonable price).  That number of authors might produce a steady income stream for the right person, perhaps 1-2 covers every month.  I also know a small press imprint that might be interested in good artwork for their covers, if the price is right.

The covers have to meet the following criteria:

• They must fit the genre in question (in my case, science fiction, but other authors will fall into different categories).
• They must have a central, eye-catching image or theme that stands out and is easily recognizable in thumbnail size, and even in reduced-thumbnail size, on Amazon.com (see my covers in the sidebar for an idea of what this entails).  Call it 'visual branding' for want of a better word - a central image that catches the eye.  They must use text fonts, color, light and shading to be eye-catching and easily understandable in a row, or multiple rows, of other thumbnail cover images, so as to attract the attention of potential readers.  (Go to a few Amazon.com book pages and look at the 'Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought' recommendations - an example is shown below.  Look for images that have a clear central feature, easily identifiable despite their small size.  Look for fonts that are easy to read, even when the text is tiny.  Look for colors that jump out at you, catching the eye.  Now look at those covers where the colors are washed-out or too dark, or titles are hard to read, or images have no central feature that expresses and encapsulates their subject matter.  Makes a difference, doesn't it?)

• The images and artwork can't be overly gaudy or flashy.  They have to be professional.  They're going to appear alongside tens of thousands of other books with professionally-produced covers, and must be able to bear comparison with them.

If you're an artist or graphic designer who can produce computerized images of the size and quality required, and interpret either detailed instructions from an author and/or the plot of a book to design suitable images, and are willing to work for the amounts I've mentioned earlier, please contact me, either by e-mail (my address is in my blog profile), or by leaving a comment beneath this post.  You should be able to provide samples of your work.

(Also, if any reader has friends or acquaintances who possess the necessary skills and experience to do this, please ask them to read this post, and suggest that they contact me.  I'd love to hear from them.)

Thanks.

Peter