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Surprise! Oblivion Remastered Is Here: Bethesda's 2006 Classic Returns with a Modern Makeover Surprise, adventurers! Bethesda has officially dropped The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, and not only was it announced today, but it's already live in digital stores. That's right: no waiting, no pre-order purgatory. You can jump into Cyrodiil right now on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC. And if you're a Game Pass subscriber? You're already good to go. From Cult Classic to Modern Marvel Initially released in 2006,...

In the grand tradition of people spending absurd amounts of money on weird things, someone just dropped $87,840 on a single Flamin' Hot Cheeto. But not just any Cheeto. No sir. This spicy little snack was shaped like Charizard, the beloved Pokémon dragon who's been setting things on fire since the late '90s. Dubbed the ''Cheetozard,'' this heroic spicy corn puff emerged from a standard bag of Flamin' Hot Cheetos. The seller is unknown, but we would say it odd that someone watching anime found it when they n...

Security researchers at IBM's X-Force team recently uncovered a clever way hackers can bypass Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) a major line of defense built into Windows to stop unauthorized apps from running. What makes this hack so dangerous? It uses trusted, whitelisted applications, like Microsoft Teams, to sneak past Defender like it wasn't even there. How the Bypass Works WDAC is meant to stop unknown or unsigned software from executing, which helps block malware from getting to your PC. You have all seen it when you dow...

The FBI, CISA, and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) just dropped a joint advisory about the Medusa ransomware—and no, it's not a mythological threat. Still, it sure can turn your digital life to stone. While the total known victims sit at around 300 so far, it's who they're targeting that triggered the alarm bells. If you're running a business, school district, healthcare facility, or just value your data, you'll want to read this. What is Medusa Ransomware? Medusa ransomware (Not to be c...

If you've been using Skype for years, get ready for a change—Microsoft is officially phasing it out in favor of Teams. While this shift has been coming for a while, it's now clear that Skype's days are numbered. Let's break down why Microsoft is making the move, what advantages Teams offers, and what you need to do if you're still hanging onto your old Skype account. Why is Microsoft Shutting Down Skype? Skype was once the king of online communication, launching in 2003 and quickly becoming the go-to platform for video c...

A friend recently told me that Excel isn't just considered an esport but has a world championship and high-level competitions. I had no idea, but after looking into it, it's WILD! So, move over, Fortnite—there’s a new esport in town, and it involves pivot tables, nested formulas, and lightning-fast keystrokes. The Microsoft Excel World Championship 2024, organized by the Financial Modeling World Cup (FMWC), wrapped up its high-stakes finals at the HyperX Arena in Las Vegas on December 3–4, 2024. With a whopping $60,000 prize pool, Ex...

In today's episode of ''Pot Meets Kettle,'' OpenAI is up in arms over claims that a Chinese AI firm, DeepSeek, copied its technology to develop its own model. According to the https://nypost.com/2025/01/29/business/openai-says-it-has-proof-deepseek-used-its-technology-to-develop-ai-model/New York Post, OpenAI claims they have proof that DeepSeek built its AI using OpenAI's tech without permission. But here's the kicker: OpenAI built its own ''AI'' empire by scraping the entire internet, hooveri...

If you've ever felt like search engines are prioritizing ads or irrelevant results over genuinely helpful information, the latest https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/brave.htmlBrave Browser has an innovative solution. With its new ''Search Re-Ranking'' feature, Brave is changing how we interact with search engines. By applying advanced algorithms and a privacy-first approach, Brave helps users find more accurate, relevant search results faster and without bias. This new feature has something for anyone looking to gain c...

Bluesky is a relatively new decentralized social media platform initially incubated by Twitter, but it later spun off as an independent organization. Bluesky's development began in 2019, and it has garnered attention as a potential alternative to mainstream social networks, particularly for those interested in privacy, data control, and open standards for digital communication. If you’ve ever wished for more control over your social media experience, Bluesky might just have the answer for you. You can grab out MajorGeeks BlueSky Feed here. T...

Passwords: love them, hate them, or... well, mostly hate them. They've been around forever, and it feels like that pair of socks you keep wearing despite having a hole in them. They are functional but always let you down when you need them most. Enter passkeys, the shiny new alternative promising to save us from ''password fatigue.'' But what's the real difference, and why should you care? Let's break it down. A Brief History of Passwords Passwords have been around since the 1960s when computers were the size of a...

TP-Link routers are currently in the spotlight, as more than 16,000 of these devices have been compromised to form a botnet known as ''7777'' or ''Quad7.'' This botnet targets network devices globally, and the scale of the operation is turning heads due to its powerful capabilities in performing password-spreading attacks -- a brute-force technique where attackers attempt to gain unauthorized access to multiple accounts by trying a few common or weak passwords across many usernames, rather than trying many pas...

I LOVE Halloween and have a significant display consisting of props I have been collecting for years. Unfortunately, while prepping my older Haunted Hill Farm Farkas Werewolf, I noticed some unfortunate dry rot on the latex. This broke my heart because it is one of my favorites, and it is probably 8 years old, so the odds of replacement were a bit low. But I like it enough that I decided to hunt down a new one if possible. I was surprised to find it available on Amazon! Even better, while I was checking out the details, the Capital One Shopping br...

It's that time of year again! Amazon Prime Big Deal Days are here, running on October 8th and 9th, 2024. If you're a Prime member, you're in for a treat with massive discounts across electronics, home goods, beauty products, and more. Prime Big Deal Days is like a fall version of Prime Day, exclusively available to Prime members. If you're looking to get ahead on your holiday shopping, this event lets you nab great products at a fraction of their regular prices - before the Black Friday rush. From the latest tech gadgets to eve...

DNA testing is a great tool that can lead to some seriously cool discoveries. For example, MajorGeeks Co-Founder Tim Tibbetts used DNA testing to track down family members he had no idea existed, giving his family tree a whole new set of branches. Another friend finally completed their ancestry chart after years of hitting dead ends several generations deep. And in a completely different win, I finally solved the mystery of why my dog has strangely tiny ears. So, whether you're looking for long-lost relatives or just curious about your dog’...

When the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was introduced in 2018, it was heralded as a groundbreaking initiative to protect personal data and provide more control over how companies use that data. However, despite its noble goals, the reality has been far less impressive. Instead of empowering consumers, GDPR has primarily benefited large corporations while creating barriers for smaller companies and exposing more personal data to breaches. Going forward, how we handle AI will be far more important than how we handle cookies. With U.S. lawm...

If you have recently attempted to download directly from GitHub, you may have encountered the dreaded Unicorn! display, indicating that no server is currently available to fulfill your request. Currently, things are beginning to come back to normal, with some pages displaying content while others display a blank page with the message One Moment Please... They have updated the status to ''The database infrastructure change is being rolled back. We are seeing improvements in service health and are monitoring for full recovery.''...

Google Chrome and chromium-based browsers have been the browsers of choice for many years, thanks in no small part to their robust ecosystem of extensions. However, changes are on the horizon that could shake up how we interact with these handy tools. The culprit? Manifest V3 is a significant update to the Chrome extension platform that will phase out the existing Manifest V2, and it's something you should have on your radar. The Manifest V3 changes will affect all Chromium-based browsers, not just Google Chrome. Browsers like Microsoft Edge, O...

Has your antivirus software ever flagged a perfectly safe application as a threat, prompting a WTH moment? It's called a false positive, and it can be pretty frustrating not only because you know the file is good, but now you can't get the program to run or download due to the flag. The good news is you can solve this issue by whitelisting the program. Let's take a look into what whitelisting is in the context of antivirus software, w...

Recently, a reader of our newsletter called me to task for recommending software that Malwarebytes tagged as suspicious or a PUP. We have written PUPs and detections before, but this is an excellent time to discuss how tools from small developers often face an uphill battle regarding being recognized as safe. Understanding why false positives happen from the perspectives of both the author and the antivirus company can help you make better, more informed decisions. This is especially true for utilities from companies like NirSoft, of whom I ment...

Hey, Geeks! I've got some juicy news from the folks over at VMware. Broadcom, which purchased VMware last year for 69 billion, is making VMware Workstation Pro and Fusion Pro accessible for personal use. Yep, you heard that right—zero, nada, zilch, nothing! What is even more surprising about that news is that they just announced a hprice increase due to their new subscription model. What the Heck Is a Virtual Machine Anyway?

In a recent revelation that has left the tech community in awe, Elon Musk disclosed an ambitious plan to combine forces with Meta and Microsoft in a historic merger to construct the ''SpaceVerse,'' a virtual reality (VR) space station that you travel to. This initiative now takes a further leap into the future with the integration of Hyperloop transportation technology and advanced AI communication via ChatGPT, pushing the boundaries of innovation and interconnectivity. The SpaceVerse, a concept that initially sounded straight o...

Opera GX is tailored for gamers. It features CPU and RAM limiters, Twitch and Discord integration, and a GX Corner for gaming news. But it is not just for gamers. We have been recommending Opera GX for some time and have included it in our Top Freeware Picks as a default browser. It's a top pick not only for its features but also because Opera GX makes surfing fun again. In that vein, I stumbled on a feature called Redeem My Soul& that made me laugh so hard I had to share. If activated, Redeem My Soul, AKA Fake My His...

The Naz.API dataset, which contains over 70 million compromised credentials, is being used in credential-stuffing attacks, a strategy where attackers exploit stolen login details to infiltrate user accounts across multiple platforms. This is a growing concern in the cybersecurity landscape, as it has been linked to a recent surge of old, verified forum accounts posting spam about casual dating sites.

In today's hyper-connected multi-verse, a cellular service outage is more than just an inconvenience; it's a full-blown crisis. Reports have flooded in about a widespread AT&T service interruption, leaving over 75,000 users in the lurch and looking for ways to stay connected. (This outage also affects Circket users, which AT&T also owns.) Count the author as one of the disconnected masses. Since my office has WiFi, surfing is fine, but I could not receive or send phone calls or texts. With just an error that said I was not on the ...

The Benefits of a Download Manager - A download manager is a software tool designed to help download files more efficiently. When you need to download software packages, large image/video files, or batches of files onto your device, a download manager can split these files into smaller chunks or request multiple transfers to boost transfer speeds.

Hey Geeks! I know there are a ton of you 3D printing enthusiasts out there. Count me as one as well. If you are into it, you know that 3D Printing is not an exact science, and failures happen. During my learning curve, I have stuck, wrecked, replaced, and sometimes destroyed several models of printers. .

We've all been there. You're browsing the web, having a blast surfing memes, when suddenly, your boss appears out of nowhere. Your heart jumps into your throat as you scramble to hide whatever embarrassing (or unproductive) thing you were looking at. But fear not, fellow internet wanderer, Opera GX has your back with its Panic Button! ..

Grok is a neologism coined by American writer Robert A. Heinlein for his 1961 science fiction novel Stranger in a Strange Land. It technically means ''to drink'' but refers to a deep understanding of something beyond the intellectual level to a point where one feels they have merged with it. Heinlein's definition of grok is complex and nuanced. Still, it can be summarized as a kind of empathy or intuition that allows one to see the world from another perspective and understand it profoundly. It is to understand something so...

a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) will be conducted by FEMA and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The test will be divided into two parts and will start on Wednesday, October 4, at around 2:20 p.m. ET.

Jailbreaking AI is a term used to describe circumventing the ethical safeguards and restrictions that may be placed on large language models (LLMs) such as Bard and ChatGPT.

Recently we have been working with our buddy at https://www.alomware.com/Alomware, coding out a new interface for the MjaorGeeks Windows Tweaks. The script collection is nearing 300 and is simply unwieldy by just using a direct listing. We wanted to keep everything portable but also have a way to navigate the scripts more elegantly... It's a bit easier to show in a video than write, so... here you go. Let us know what you think. ...

Tipflation is a term that refers to the phenomenon of increasing the number of industries that are asking for tips.

Online advertising has become essential to our browsing experience. However, lurking within this digital landscape lies a hidden danger, malvertising. Short for malicious advertising, malvertising poses a significant threat to users by exploiting online ads to deliver harmful content. In this blog post, we will explore what malvertising is, how it can impact you, and, most importantly, how to protect yourself against this growing menace. What is Malvertising?

2023 Geeky Fathers Day Gift Ideas What do you get for the guy who seems to have everything he needs? Sure, you can replace his beat-up old slippers and get him some new wollen socks that Dumbledore would appreciate, but you know he won't use them. So you grab something to BBQ etched on it with and a six-pack of beer, and you're good to go. Well, maybe this year, it's time to shake things up and get something a little different and geekier. Something cool that will make Dad super excited and ask…where did you get this? Here are some that we came across in our travels...

Hey Geeks! If you are reading this, you use your computer for many different tasks, from browsing the web to coding and gaming. And sometimes, you need to use a terminal to run some commands or scripts. But which terminal should you use? Windows Terminal vs PowerShell vs Command Prompt - what's the difference and which one is better?

What are false positives, and why are they so prevalent with new files or files from new authors? Have you ever been annoyed by your antivirus software telling you that a perfectly harmless file is infected with malware? That's what we call a false positive, and it can be a real pain in the ASCII. False Positives are not only annoying but can be downright destructive.

Hey Geeks! Are you considering using a VPN? If so, there are some excellent reasons why -- and some why not. ..

You may have heard of Sam Altman, the former president of Y Combinator and the current CEO of OpenAI. He';s a visionary entrepreneur involved in some of the tech world's most ambitious and innovative projects. Now -- he's diving into Cyrpto. Sam Altman has recently raised 100 million dollars for his latest venture, Worldcoin

Inactive Account Deletion - Google is Updating Inactive Account Policies

Hey Geeks, did you catch Google';s annual developer conference? No? Don't Panic here's a video covering some major aspects - precisely where Google is going with AI.... and wow, are things going to change for many people? Here are some of the highlights. First, I found this video ridiculous in its production. If you need to add a clap track to what is supposed to be a live conference --- that is just so 70's sitcom it's annoying. I kept expecting Jo...

Have you ever wanted to write like Shakespeare but without the hassle of learning iambic pentameter and Elizabethan English? Well, now you can, thanks to Google Bard, the latest feature of Google Cloud AI. Currently, in the experimental stage (beta), Google Bard is a natural language generation service based on the LaMDA family of large language models that can create poetic texts in various styles and genres, from sonnets to limericks, haikus to rap lyrics and well as any traditional type of document or code.

Many of you may know what Phishing is - many do not. Phishing is a cyberattack that uses fake emails, phone calls, text messages, or any other way you can be reached to trick you into giving up your personal information or account information.

Seven years after Utah declared Pornography a https://apnews.com/article/a490ad0dd7f446b595247d8cb20661aa health crisis. The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has filed a lawsuit opposing https://le.utah.gov/~2023/bills/static/SB0287.htmlUtah Law SB0287 requiring adult websites to verify the age of those who want to view their pages. Verification must be done with either a digital ID or an age verification contractor. So clicking the I'm Over 18 button would no longer work. The https://www.freespeechcoalition.com/blog/free-speech-coalition-files-...

If you look closely at your gmail, you might see some blue checkmarks next to the names of some senders. What do they mean? Did Elon buy Gmail to add Twitter Verification Badges? No, but Google is taking a page out of Twitter's book of verification. The blue checkmarks are a new Gmail feature to protect you from scammers and phishing attempts. They indicate that the sender has verified their identity through BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification). This verification means the sender has proven they own the domain name and logo used...

Hey Geeks. Mothers Day is just around the corner. Sure, you can roll up to the local florist for some flowers as your gift... If gifts are your thing. Or you can get something a bit geekier for something more memorable. Sibling rivalry is real. Am I right?

If you were one of the millions of Facebook users whose data was harvested by Cambridge Analytica, you might be in line for some settlement money.

Hey Geeks, I wanted to divert a bit from our software life to talk about something that might interest you if you are looking for a good deal on Amazon: the Amazon Renewed Program. https://www.amazon.com/Certified-Refurbished/b?ie=UTF8&node=12653393011 What is the Amazon Renewed Program? It's a way for Amazon to sell products returned by customers, repaired by qualified technicians, and tested to ensure they work as new. These products are sold at a lower price than the new item and come with a minimum 90-day warranty. The items are all ...

Mark your calendars because today is the day you were introduced to o CatGPT, the latest and greatest chatbot powered by artificial intelligence and catnip.

ChatGPT,the now famous chatbot, that claims to be able to converse with humans on any topic, using natural language and an engaging personality. It is based on a large-scale neural network model trained on billions of words and searches the internet. ChatBots, like ChatGPT, can generate content such as poems, stories, and even code. It can also help users rewrite or improve existing content. But how do ChatBots compare to our beloved popular voice assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant, already in millions of devices? Will ChatGPT repla...

We have all heard of malware, malicious software intentionally created to steal data, damage hardware, encrypt files and disrupt services. It comes in many forms such as viruses, spyware, ransomware, adware or Trojans. But now, a new form of malware may be emerging, malware created by artificial intelligence (AI). This AI-created malware may carry several advantages over human-created malware. AI Generated malware will be more adaptive as it can learn from its environment or more evasive as it can change its behavior accordingly.

If you're traveling and your phone battery is running low, you might be tempted to plug it into a public USB charging station at an airport, hotel, or coffee shop. But before you do that, beware that according to the FBI, using a public USB port could expose your device to malware or data theft. Avoid using free charging stations in airports, hotels or shopping centers. Bad actors have figured out ways to use public USB ports to introduce malware and monitoring software onto devices. Carry your own charger and USB cord and use an electrical ou...

This week, a group of top technologists from Silicon Valley have https://futureoflife.org/open-letter/pause-giant-ai-experiments/issued a joint statement demanding an immediate pause of all advanced AI systems development and deployment. The statement, which was signed by prominent figures such as Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai, Tim Cook, and most of the top mind in AI today warns of the existential risks posed by unregulated and unchecked AI systems that could potentially harm humanity and the planet. The statement reads: &#...

Holiday Gift Ideas for Geeks 2022. Shopping for geeks should be easy, but I am told it is not.

#RatVerified has been popping up on Twitter and recently was the #1 trending hashtag. So what does it mean? U

Microsoft has released the Windows Dev Kit 2023 ARM architecture PC to compete with the Mac Mini. .

A globally unique identifier (GUID) is a number that is used to identify an object or entity in a computer system. GUIDs are often used to identify resources, such as files, in a database. They can also be used to identify devices, such as printers in a network, hard drives, etc.. GUIDs are typically generated by a software application or by a hardware device. GUIDs are typically composed of 32 hexadecimal digits, divided into four 8-digit sections. The first section is typically used to identify the type of object or entity that the GUID identifie...

Long-time followers on MajorGeeks might seem to think that you see fewer listings on the front page. You would be correct. Allow us to explain.

Ok. I got lucky - well sort of. I was updating my ESPN fantasy football lineup, looking for a replacement tight end. As you can see in the browser shot, I was surfing the stats on Ben Watson, which should tell you how my season is going. While doing that, I received a big, red, scary (Red windows are always scary, no?) warning me the Security Sysadmin has detected threats in my browser looking to gain access to my bank accounts - etc. etc. Well, I'm the sysadmin as well as the only guy here, and my bank account isn't that remarkable.... ...

Nope, That is not clickbait, it is as the title suggests. Something went awry with the 9/17/2019 Windows 10 update 10.018362 causing Defender to only be able to scan a few files (in my case 11) before reporting the all-clear. This is not the case and the problem exists for both quick scan and full scan. Because Defender is built into the OS creating a workaround for this is -- well not possible. Nor does monkeying about with any of the available scan options have any effect. The only thing that helps is to go your 'Windows Security'...

You may have heard of Star Citizen, the 8-year, $250-$300 million massively multiplayer online space game that's still in Alpha? We keep hearing about the game and finally decided to take a look during a free play week.

While Google and YouTube consistently dominate the top two most popular websites, Facebook often sits in the third position with 2.3 billion users and 1.5 billion active users who log at least once a day. These numbers attract advertisers, and it works. In this article, we discuss who is buying these ads and how they work to get your attention.

Facebook. Love it or hate it, everyone has an option. But, like the Kardashians, most people we talk to claim they don't use, or pay attention to Facebook. The ones who do; well they're annoying. Why is Facebook so irritating now, or is it just us? Let's discuss the pros and cons and let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Google portfolios is shutting down what are the alternatives.

Unless the remake of IT scared you so bad that you've been hiding under a chair for the last week avoiding all news, then you have probably heard a little bit about the Equifax data breach. On...

Twitter is losing money and closing Vine. What went wrong? Here's my thoughts on it.

Pups, or Potentially Unwanted Software. You've heard of them, but many companies are taking liberties with what a PUP is so here's all you need to know.

A new look at how to manage passwords.

As Apple continues to get a larger market share of computer sales, you might be curious what it is all about. .