Click here to view the embedded video.

So I played it safe by checking who really sent it.  The email said it came from paypal-center.com.  So now it makes sense how it made it to my inbox not my spam folder.  This meant that  whoever sent it (and I’ll tell you later where it came from) spoofed PayPal’s web domain before sending the malicious email.  Normally Google will show where the email really came from but this time it didn’t.  People ABUSE THIS ALL THE TIME!  AND PEOPLE FALL FOR IT ALL THE TIME!

Now, I looked at the attachment.  It’s a form requesting for ALL of my private information, and boy I would be an idiot if I did fill the form out.  Worse, I will have my identify stolen, I will be broke because they will wipe out my bank account, or even get loans for thousands of dollars (yes, I do have a good credit).  SCARY, I KNOW!!!!  Below is the image of the attachment.  Once I saw the social security number slot, I was like “OMG, They are so want to be obvious.”

So now that I’ve really confirmed it’s a fake, I went to find out where it came from.  So since the attachment is a html file and it’s a fill out form, it meant that it will indicate where its sending the information to by looking at it’s source code.  All I had to do was opened the attachment, right clicked the page and then “view page source” (This is in chrome, I think it’s sorta similar with IE now).  I didn’t waste any time and quickly searched for the word “form”.  The html “form” tag (<form>) normally contains the part where the information is going to.  Other malicious web contents hide it somewhere (submit button) or use javascript making it hard to find the “receipient” of the information being provided.  This time it was easy because it was in the form tag.  The image below shows it’s going to “http://housena.net” and will processed by hh.php.

Using Chrome, I went to “http://housena.net/hh.php” and it redirects me to https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_login-run.  It can load so fast that you won’t even notice that the address went from housena.net to paypal.com.  Again, this is typical with “phishing” to disguise it’s legitimacy.  This gets people ALL the time because it’s a TRICK and it’s a good one!

OK so now I was curious who housena.net was.  Fortunately, there’s an awesome web tool called “whois”.  It’s a web tool where you could find out information about website and it’s owner.  You can google “whois” and it’s really safe to pick one and use.

Unfortunately, the information for housena.net was kept private using what’s called “whois privacy”.  This was the end of it all.  At this point, there’s little to nothing I could do to find out more information about housena.net.  As you can see from the image below, it was created just yesterday, so this means that any information pertaining to housena.net in the www has not been indexed or propagated.

• So the lesson is NEVER EVER trust an unsecured web content especially when it’s asking for private information.  To be safe, DO NOT provide your social security number, unless otherwise you are 100% sure that the web content is safe.  You can use the same steps I’ve taken in this article with any suspicious emails you get.
• NEVER EVER TRUST an email with an attachment asking you to provide private information.  To be safe, manually go to the website and update your information there.  Be sure you are in a legitimate website not a “clone” website.  Often times, legitimate website’s have electronic verification certificate they carry.  This means they have been checked for legitimacy.  The website must then use a secure protocol “https”  (not http) to encrypt everything you do in that website.  I’ve attached the image below as an example.  Green means good and red means uh-oh.

There are countless of ways how viruses enter your computer.  One of the main gateways that enables them to enter a victim’s computer is, of course, the internet.  Without the internet, viruses cannot propagate, unless the perpetrator physically implants them in each every single computer in every single victim’s home.

All web browsers whether Chrome, IE, Firefox or Safari are not 100% virus proof.  It doesn’t take that much to inject malicious codes into someone’s computer through web browsers.  Google Chrome is the only web browser I feel safe with despite of all the risks.  I love the fact that it doesn’t take much to update Google Chrome to defend itself from new vulnerabilities.  But like I said, all web browsers are not 100% virus proof, so don’t think about sending me hate emails now.

Suggested Softwares:

The main line of defense a user must have is an active Antivirus.  Having a working Antivirus can strengthen one’s computer’s ability to protect itself.  As with browsers, all Antivirus softwares are not 100% virus proof.  AVG may detect a “Blaster Worm” which Norton cannot.  Many people would pay for Antivirus thinking that it would work better than the free version of other Antiviruses, but like I said, there are some viruses that Norton may not detect that AVG can or vice versa.  Windows 7 and 8 comes with free Antivirus called the Windows Defender.  Yes, it does have the ability and basic features that Norton and other paid Antivirus have.

Another line of defense one user may need is to have a spyware/malware/adware scanner.  These types of scanners work the same way as an Antivirus, but more focused on malicious advertisement softwares such as GAIN (yeah, fuck GAIN and all people behind it).

One thing to keep in mind is that the above softwares take A LOT of resources (RAM, CPU) which may dramatically slow down a computer’s performance.  Check for each software’s system requirements before installing them in a computer.  In essence, have an Antivirus and Spyware Scanner at the same time may turn a user’s computer into an extremely slow 7-year old machine.  Unless a user has a multi-core with several RAM computer.

Basic Knowledge (Don’t be stupid):

One main thing that a user should keep in mind is that today’s viruses pretend to be as an Antivurs.  Many users have fallen victim of these kind of traps.  If a user thinks about getting an Antivirus software, then the best thing to do is to not be ignorant.  Many hackers use hi-jacked websites to host their fake Antivirus (which in actuality contain real viruses).  Many users may have seen advertisements before that says, “Scan your computer for virus for free NOW!!!!” or “Your computer has been infected with virus.”  I see this a lot from Porn Websites, but DO NOT Fall for these advertisements.  Again, the gateway for viruses to enter a victim’s computer is the internet.  The following are the main Antivirus softwares out there that users can trust (in random order).

• Norton (Symantec)
• AVG
• Windows Defender
• Kaspersky

Do not agree to install anything unless you know what it is.  The most common mistakes which I believe users do to end up with viruses is when they click and agree on everything they see.  The biggest thing to avoid is to not immediately agree on some random pop up.  Popups can be very persistent, I know!  The best thing to do when you see a popup is to close it by clicking on the “X” button on the upper right hand corner of the window.  Do not click “yes” “no” “dismiss” etc.  Most popups are very persistent so you may need to pick a battle.  I’ve gotten to the point where I had to close the application (web browser) via Task Manager because of a stubborn popup.  Be very careful when choosing “yes” as this may give a nasty virus the permission to enter the computer.  However, most web browsers today come with popup block (Google Chrome does a great job with them).

Another big thing to avoid is installing a toolbar add-on to the web browser.  This is the main reason why users see popups which ultimately leads to the intrusion of viruses.  Again, many hackers use vulnerabilities on the toolbar add-ons to inject viruses in the user’s computer.  I stay away from toolbars and/or other web browser add-ons.  In fact, don’t use them at all.

Pay a lot of attention when installing a software.  Many softwares out there has an option that asks permission to install a third-party software (i.e. Vuze, Universal Extractor).  Many users normally end up with more toolbars, add-ons, or another random software in their computer due to not paying attention during a granted software installation.  Normally, softwares may ask a user a permission to install third-party software in the middle of a granted installation, so users HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION.  The common mistake users do is unconsciously agreeing on a third-party software installation during a granted software installation.

Ignorance to File Types is another reason why users unconsciously agree on a third-party software installation.  If a user is downloading an .EXE file, then this means that the user intends on installing something in their computer.  Many users accidentally install viruses to their computer because of not knowing file types they are downloading.  For instance, a user may have downloaded a file called “Girl On Fire – Alicia Keys.exe” thinking it’s a music file.  Note that the file is actually an executable file (.exe) which may contain viruses after being opened.

Viruses are extremely difficult to remove and in most cases they end up taking over the whole computer.  It can be extremely scary loosing important files or having personal files stolen.  So in order not to fall victim of hackers and viruses, users must exercise strong caution, best judgment, and stop downloading porn (JK about the porn).

Sure, the iPhone 5 is so far the best iPhone but coincidently the most disappointing iPhone.  Prior to its announcement (September 12), anticipated consumers have been dying to know more official details of the iPhone 5.  One of the biggest speculations is the addition of NFC or the Near Field Communication.  In spite of all the rumors, some managed to end up being true and some ended up as duds.

NFC or Near Field Communication has been on the market for quite some time.  This is the technology that simply enables or turns your phone as an alternative or a total replacement to your debit/credit cards.  This technology is similar to blink™ featured in Chase Cards and other Bank Cards.  However, it didn’t make it to the iPhone 5 as opposed to people claims it would be. 

Larger Display is one of the new features of the new iPhone 5 which happens to be not a really big deal nowadays.  Considering numerous Android Smartphones currently in the market with 4-inches plus displays, iPhone 5’s larger screen is not something I can be hyped about.  Even sadly, most of applications in the Appstore currently runs using the old aspect ratio 1.5:1.  The secrecy of this information caught most apps developers in a speedy race to update theirs apps to be compatible with this new feature; while most of them are presently still re-coding.  Currently, when opening an app, the screen displays it using the 1.5:1 aspect ratio with black margins on the top and bottom.  On the positive note, the latest iPhone now has the correct display aspect ratio of 16:9 which is the standard High-Definition ratio.

One of the new features Apple is currently emphasizing on is the new processor.  Apple claims that the new processor, A6, is much faster than its predecessor, A5.  Again, this is not something I call a Big News because it follows suit with new technologies.  The introduction of this new processor may well be because of the larger display.  The A6 processor also appears to be geared to go along with the “Better Camera” and “Panorama” features Apple recently announced with the phone.  The Panorama feature is also nothing new considering it has been a “secret feature” hidden in iOS5 (even iOS4).  Although, I’m sure the new processor will make capturing of Panoramic photos much better and faster than the previous iPhones.

The biggest real disappointment so far is the new Maps.  Apple also announced that it discontinued its partnership with Google Maps and instead began their own version of Maps.  Numerous complaints flooded the internet about how inaccurate and outdated the new iPhone Maps is.  Fortunately, Google Maps is not completely gone; users could still download the Google Earth app from the Appstore and use it as an alternative but it just won’t be used with the native Maps app.

First thing I really like about the new iPhone is that it is an LTE device.  LTE or Long Term Evolution is a standard high-speed data communication for mobile devices.  LTE is currently much faster than 3G and is easier to upgrade (to be much faster) in the future.  Apple claims that the new iPhone 5 has a battery life of 8 hours with LTE and has much more idle life than previous iPhones.  Yay!  I hope this is true!

The second thing I really like about the new iPhone is that it’s thinner.  The phone is much lighter than the iPhone 4 or 4s.  It also has a better feel and grip in your hands.

Decisions were made- bad decisions were made.  However, Apple once set the standard so high that majority of mobile manufacturers followed and with the latest iPhone, it seems like they are falling behind.  Sure the iPhone 5 is disappointing and may be the big reason why consumers started returning theirs or swapped them with the new Samsung Galaxy III.  However, I might still give it a shot; I’ll probably get one tomorrow and test one out.

I guess we just have to suck this up and wait for the next generation iPhone.  But whatever the next iPhone may or not be, two things are certain:  we won’t see it until next year and we may not know what it will have to offer until it is announced.

I’m sure you have noticed the absence of some Google Chrome features from their latest builds.  However, you might have not noticed these if you continue to sport the original or earlier builds.  Previously, you can easily open a Chrome window in Incognito mode simply by just selecting this option from a taskbar-pinned Chrome.  This feature has long been eliminated for some weird reason.  The following steps will create an one-click Incognito shortcut from your taskbar.  This doesn’t enable the right-click “Open in Incognito” feature. 

1.  Right-Click your desktop , select NEW then SHORTCUT.
2. A Create Shortcut window will popup.  Type C:\Users\blackpager\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe –incognito

Then click next.

1. Type in a name you want to call the shortcut with… ie. Incognito Chrome
2. Drag and drop that newly created shortcut in to the taskbar.
3. Delete the shortcut from the desktop (Optional)

These steps should work.  Comment below for questions.

First and foremost, research a reliable Foreign wireless service. Make sure they offer Unlimited 3G data speed with the best coverage. If not, I won’t even bother reading the rest of this.

Get a Google Voice http://google.com/voice number while you’re in the US. You may not be able to signup for one outside the US.

On your iPhone, go to Appstore and install Talkatone.

Buy a foreign SIM card from a foreign country.

Make sure it has unlimited data plan… and the minutes – whatever minutes you really want to have for local calls.

Activate your foreign sim by inserting it in your iPhone.

In a foreign country, open Talkatone, go to settings and login under accounts using your google voice login.

Once logged on, you may start dialing US numbers using the keypad, but you need to make sure you include +1 before the area code. For instance, +1 (916) 538-2697. You can talk for as long as your unlimited data is still valid.

Enjoy!

For some reason, it is still impossible to directly use HTML or Rich Text Format in the native iOS 5 email app as a signature. Luckily, I found a way around this.

First, you need to backup your device using iTunes.

Download and install a free “plist editor”.

Download and install iBackupBot.

Open iBackupBot and select the latest backup from the list on the left side.

Look for Library/Preferences/com.apple.mobilemail.plist and check the checkbox next to it.

On the toolbar, select File>Export

A dialog box will popup. Select Export only checked files(s). Make sure to check Export with backup information, for import to another backup. Hit OK then choose a place to save it (I suggest save it in your desktop for easier access).

Open the file Library_Preferences_com.apple.mobilemail.plist which you just saved using the plist editor.

Look for SignatureKey. You will find Sent using my iPhone.

Erase Sent using my iPhone and replace it with the HTML Signature. It’s important to keepandintact otherwise you’ll miss up the whole file and it will not work.

Go to File>Save

Now, go back to iBackupBot with the latest backup file selected.

Go to File>Import

Select and Open Library_Preferences_com.apple.mobilemail.plist.info

Now, open iTunes and use Restore from Backup…

Choose the latest backup and wait until it’s finished restoring.

If everything went well – enjoy your HTML/Rich Text Format Signature.

Update: I just discovered that when using iBackupBot, you can just double click on Library_Preferences_com.apple.mobilemail.plist and it will open using a built-in plist editor. Don’t forget to also hit save before exiting otherwise obviously it won’t save.

Update: Another discovery. The plist editor will give you an error and won’t allow you to save the file if it contains pure HTML code. What you need to do is use an HTML escape tool in order for it to work. Fortunately, there’s an online tool for this. Check it out HTML escape tool here. Make sure to only select replace < > “ and nothing else. Copy the result in Library_Preferences_com.apple.mobilemail.plist file between <string> and </string> under signature key.

Select Services

Scroll all the way down to Google+ then turn it ON using the radio button.

It will prompt you to enable Picasa, so just enable it because that’s where Google+ is going to store all your pix.

Then click Save changes.

Now navigate to http://www.google.com/+ and you should be able to setup your Google+ profile under your Google Apps username.