Update Flash fix security flaws!

Adobe Flash update available, exploits in the wild, another update due this week.

 # update-flashplugin-nonfree --install

Microsoft stole my Linux invention!

A while back I proposed an idea for a Gnome extension on my blog. If only I had patented it!

Microsoft have incorporated my idea into Windows 10, which of course borrows a lot from Linux, as "Task View" (third icon from left):

Update Flash fix security flaws!

I've been away for a few weeks. I updated my computer when I came back and found a Flash update was available. As I have mentioned before, Flash updates do not arrive with the Debian update process- it's a manual update:

# update-flashplugin-nonfree --install

Brian Krebs has the details.

Update Flash won't fix security flaws!

Another Flash update in Debian today, but Flash is still insecure- there's still an active 0-day exploit- and blocked by default by Mozilla.

Update Flash fix security flaws!

Adobe pushes emergency fix for active 0-day.

No, this isn't a duplicate of the previous post.

It looks like I'll be saying exactly the same thing next week too, according to Brian Krebs.

For the second time in a week, Adobe Systems Inc. says it plans fix a zero-day vulnerability in its Flash Player software that came to light after hackers broke into and posted online hundreds of gigabytes of data from Hacking Team, a controversial Italian company that’s long been accused of helping repressive regimes spy on dissident groups.

In an advisory published late Friday evening, Adobe said it plans to issue another Flash patch the week of July 13, 2015.

Update Flash fix security flaws!

Adobe pushes emergency fix for active 0-day.

ars technica UK

How to update Flash in Debian.

Brian Krebs survives A Month Without Adobe Flash Player.

Firefox can block tracking cookies- but not by default

I read an article on the BBC News website about ad blocking in web browsers recently and was interested to read a claim that blocking tracking cookies in Firefox can speed up page load times by about 44%. Whatever you may think about the privacy concerns of tracking cookies, this seems to be a big hit on performance. The article doesn't mention how to activate tracking protection in Firefox (it's not enabled by default, or an easy preferences option), but the information is available on this Mozilla Support page.

This feature requires a recent version of Firefox to work- the ESR version in Debian Jessie didn't support it. I had to install the release version from the Debian Mozilla Team. As a bonus, I get to play with the new video chat feature, and preferences in a tab.