I’ll start by giving you the “just” of things here. These scum…er…scammers send out emails pretending to be Paypal. Once you click the link or file from their email, and sign in via that link…they now have your Paypal information…and whatever money is attached to it. Odds are, they now also have access your email, Facebook, and any other accounts that you used the same password on with that email account.

Sound like a bad situation? It should…because it is. It should scare you, and it should provoke you to use more caution when reviewing emails that are supposedly from financial institutions.

This particular email had a LOT of red flags. For starters, none of the images properly loaded. Next, the “from” and “to” boxes were obviously suspicious. For instance the “from” box had “noreply@google.com” in it….why would Google be telling me that my Paypal account needed attention?

Next up, this email not only asked me to download a file to run, but also to BE SURE I had a modern browser with Javascript enabled to run the file with. This, my dear friends, is a HUGE “no-no.”

Below the “run this dangerous information stealing file” paragraph, they were kind enough to end their correspondence with a threat: “If you choose to ignore our request we will have no choice but to suspend your account.” Does this sound like something Paypal will send you? No…in fact…Paypal will not THREATEN to suspend your account if they detect suspicious activity, they will block the activity and contact you afterwards.

The good people at Paypal have taken the time to put together a page with more details and warnings on this subject, you can find it all right here:

What to do When You Think Something’s Amiss.

As promised, the image of my email is below, feel free to save this file, and send it around to your friends.  Hopefully this post was helpful!  Let me know if you have any questions in the comments!

***Update***

Please forgive the typo in the image….should be “enabled” not “enable.”

http://techcrunch.com/2012/02/16/os-x-mountain-lion/

• HTC Incredible with Android 2.2
• HTC Nexus One with Android 2.2, 2.3
• HTC Evo 4G with Android 2.2
• HTC G2 with Android 2.2
• Samsung Nexus S with Android 2.3

Download it yourself and try it out!  Hit up the comments section with your results.  Hopefully we’ll see Netflix move to other hardware and software platforms soon!

If you’re interested in the AT&T information, check out this article:

http://blognewsdaily.com/att-to-stop-free-tethering/364137/

It seems AT&T has gone as far as sending “Cease and Desist” text messages (yes, even the fine people at AT&T appear to have verbal communication complexes) to customers using the tethering programs. However, we have yet to see this from Verizon (information gathered from an hour or so spent on various forums). Both companies, it seems, have managed to block most tethering applications from the Android Market.  While this means you will no longer be able to simply download the file from the Market…it does not necessarily mean that you will not be able to retrieve the .APK files via other methods.  The removal of these programs is likely a ploy to prevent those less computer savvy from tethering on Verizon side, which I am positive will curb a large amount of tethering, but will not prevent those with a bit of know-how from installing the programs and using them anyway.

Either way there will always linger the morality of free tethering, and in the end it is technically wrong.  My opinion is that, as slimy as it may be, we all signed that Verizon/AT&T contract, and somewhere in their tiny, well-worded small print, there is a statement declaring that “you shall not tether lest you be ridden with ridiculous over charges or canceled services.”  That being said, lay low on the tethering for a while people…it may be a bumpy ride.

-TheTechGuy

Datacent.com

…and see if anything there sounds familiar!

Either way, if you think your hard drive is acting up, back it up!

We launched the new site today. Overall I’m pretty happy with it! Hopefully it will increase the readability and take away that “poop green” feeling I used to get when I looked at the old design!

-TTG

http://www.facebook.com/help/?faq=12903

This is straight from the Facebook help section, and clearly states Facebook’s stance on “who is view my profile” questions.

Be sure to check out my original post here: http://thetechguyblog.com/?p=182 for more info!

That being said, there is a lot of controversy and confusion out there on whether or not buying Applecare from a 3rd party vendor is “such a great idea.”  I’ve taken the time to read most of the forum posts (Macrumors and etc) and I’ve glanced around Amazon and Ebay at the different offerings.  (If you don’t feel like reading the whole article I’ll go ahead and tell you I settled on purchasing from www.smalldog.com..saving around $55.00).  Through my research, I’ve come to the following conclusions.  I hope they help simplify your search for the extended protection of your precious Apple products.

Keep in mind, the best thing you can do when purchasing Applecare is ask the seller if they will be sending a sealed box.  That box contains a serial number that corresponds with your “Applecare registration number.”  If Apple ever asks for proof of purchase, you’ll need that serial number!  Also, even if you do purchase a sealed box, check the sellers reputation!  Also inspect the box on receipt for any signs of tampering or “resealing.”  Lastly, try to shoot for sellers that are actually “Authorized Apple Resellers.”

Ebay Applecare
There is definitely a lot of speculation on the internet about purchasing Applecare from Ebay.  From what I’ve gathered, if for any reason you were to need to use your Applecare for repairs, Apple reserves the write to “spot check” your warranty and ask for proof of purchase (serial from original Applecare box).  Some users “swear” by their deeply discounted Ebay purchase (for instance $200.00 off Applecare for 15″ Macbook Pro).  However, a discounted APP (Applecare Protection Plan) from Ebay sellers usually only consists of the seller emailing you the registration code, which seems to be more than a bit “shady” to most Apple users.  I’ve taken the time to contact some of the more supposedly “legit” Ebay sellers, and asked if they would include the box with the corresponding serial number if I paid more for shipping.  One particular seller had a lot of positive feedback, but had 6 or 7 negative marks, stating that he refused to give the serial number to the buyer. Here’s the exchange we had via Ebay messaging:

Me:
Hello,
Your description states that you also have boxed warranties. What is the cost of a boxed set? Given your negative feedbacks concerning not providing the necessary invoices with the proper serial number for proof of purchase, I would feel more comfortable purchasing a sealed box.

Seller:
Wow, 1 or 2 feedbacks out of 14000 and you think you need
to worry, but if you want that, I have them for $260, let me
know

Me:
I saw around 7 negative feedback on your profile in the past 12 months, and they all concerned your refusal to provide the serial number and invoice.  If you can assure me you can provide those two things, I’ll be happy to purchase your digital only auction as is.

After that reply, I received no further correspondence from this seller.  Keep in mind, this is coming from a “legit” Ebay seller with over 10,000 sales and 99.9% positive feedback.

Amazon Applecare
Amazon appears to be a more legitimate source for Applecare.  However, it’s important to remember that 3rd party sellers operate on Amazon as well, selling products through the Amazon store.  Their products will show up in the Amazon search results as well.  I have heard rumors of Applecare purchased from Amazon going sour as well, so again, check the legitimacy of the seller.  I will say, the pricing looks a bit more realistic on Amazon, and if I were to pick between Amazon and Ebay, I’d go with Amazon.

So how does one “get shafted” when buying Applecare anyway?
Sellers have a few methods when it comes to ripping off discount warranty seekers.  The first one is pretty simple: they use a keygen (a computer program that generates registration keys) to generate the numbers for the Applecare Registration.  This is still under some speculation, but is a highly likely explanation for those who have mysteriously had their Applecare revoked without warning.  Another method?  The seller sends you a valid Applecare number via email, you register your computer, and all is well with the world.  Then a few weeks, or months later, the seller requests a refund from Apple for YOUR warranty, and gets it.  Once again, leaving you without your warranty, and of course, your money.  Again, these methods can mostly be avoided, simply by purchasing from a reputable seller, preferably an authorized Apple reseller.

At the end of my search, I remembered an Apple reseller that a friend referred me to a while back called Small Dog, I ended up purchasing my Applecare from them, and couldn’t be happier.

Hopefully this information is helpful to you all, but what’s your take?  Have you been shafted by shady Applecare dealers?

-TheTechGuy

Facebook Clickjacking

To gain 2-finger scrolling, and a lot of other awesome multi-touch, and gesture features to your laptop, you’ll need a program called Scrybe. Scrybe is a free software, but you’ll need a laptop with a Synaptics touch pad to use it. This typically isn’t an issue, as most laptops will have a Synaptics touch pad installed.

Before we begin, there are a few things you need to know:

Hardware requirements
•Scrybe does not require additional hardware, because most modern Synaptics TouchPadTM and ClickPadTM sensors have built-in support for Scrybe.

Supported operating systems
• Windows 7® (32 bit, 64 bit, and other) • Windows XP® • Windows Vista®

Now, head on over to the Scrybe Website and download the software. Installation is simple, and most features will be available upon installation. After the install, you’ll have a new icon in your taskbar, this is the application icon for Scrybe, and will allow you to practice the new features of your laptop! If you want to configure some of the advanced options, simply visit your computer’s control panel, click on the mouse/touchpad settings, and enjoy all of the new options you have available! Here are some of the incredible things you can do with Scrybe on your computer:

-Tap 3 fingers on your touchpad and draw a letter to launch websites and applications
-Place 2 fingers on your touchpad and move your fingers up and down to scroll in websites. Can also be used to zoom.
-Place your thumb and forefinger on your touch pad and rotate it to rotate pictures
-Add custom gestures to perform custom actions

Enjoy!
-TheTechGuy