Easter Egg Time

For those unaware, in geek world, Easter Eggs are those little extra features programmers put into code (ie. software, etc.) that unlock a hidden feature that has not been made known to the general public.  For instance, type "Do a barrel roll" into Google and see what happens!

Two Factor Authentification all the rage now...finally!

Securing your account has always had a simpler solution in which nobody was willing to do..until now.  Two factor authentification seems to be the rage.  

The file-sharing utility Dropbox is now offering two-factor authentication, a system that makes it much harder for hackers to capture valid credentials for a person's account.

Dropbox, one of the most widely used web-based storage services, said last month it planned on introducing two-factor authentication after user names and passwords were stolen from another website and used to access accounts.

While it is relatively easy for hackers to obtain a person's user name and password using malware and social engineering, it is much harder for them to intercept one-time passcodes, although it is possible. The codes, sent by SMS (short message service) or generated by a device, expire quickly.

Just a day after security firm Sophos publicly took Facebook to task for lacking important security features, the social network has added some new security elements in what it says is an effort to "make Facebook a more trusted environment."

In a blog post this week, Arturo Bejar, a director of engineering with Facebook, explained the new upgrades. The most noteworthy feature in the announcement is the introduction of two-factor authentication. According to the blog post, users who turn on the new feature will be asked to enter a code anytime the user tries to log into Facebook from a new device.

Apple this week followed the lead of rivals like Facebook, Google and Microsoft, offering two-step authentication to help customers secure their Apple IDs against hacking.

The new feature is designed to block unauthorized changes to iCloud or iTunes accounts, and keep hackers who steal Apple IDs from purchasing digital content or hardware using the credit cards stored in customers' iTunes and Apple Store accounts.

iTunes users in particular have complained for years about security so lax that hackers have easily hijacked their accounts to run up big bills.

Security experts commended Apple, even though the company was slow pulling the trigger.

Barnes & Noble offers a Nook Simple Touch for free with purchase of Nook HD+

Pity the underdog e-reader—you know you’re in trouble when you have to give your goods away.

On Friday, Barnes & Noble announced it would be giving away a Nook Simple Touch (which normally retails for $79) with the purchase of a Nook HD+ tablet ($269). The reality is, B&N just can't sell enough of the e-readers: in its most recent quarter, the company sustained a net loss of over $6 million.

The book retailer heavyweight has had so much trouble selling the Simple Touch, it’s trying to give it away as part of a limited promotion going on from March 24 until March 30, 2013. B&N may have had a rough time selling the lower-end model as consumers seem to be more in favor of more general-purpose tablets, like the iPad or the Kindle.

Barnes & Noble stock lost slightly on the day, closing Friday at $16.60 per share.

Maybe the majority shareholder's recent offer to buy all of Barnes & Noble—minus the Nook unit—wasn’t such a crazy idea after all?

Office 2013 or Office 365? Which is better (cheaper) for you?

Confusion has reigned on which to get, as Microsoft has joined the increasing number of software companies trying to get you to "rent" software, as opposed to just owning it.  So what to do with the new version of Office?  Personally, I say get a copy of Office 2010 and be done with it (while you can still get it cheap), but if you must insist on the newest of software, check out this Computerworld article.  They have a calculator telling you which option is best for you.  All you do is indicate which programs you primarily use and how many computers you intend to use them on and....bam!  You get a cost for each. 

Free Hard Drive Clean up Tool. Bleachbit

Bleachbit

Bleachbit is a cross-platform (Windows and Linux) cleaner. It has been my experience that Bleachbit does the best job (of all available tools) of freeing up the most space. Bleachbit not only frees up space, but helps to keep private your data by clearing all available caches, deleting cookies, clearing Internet history, shredding temporary files, deleting logs, and discarding junk. Bleachbit also has the ability to wipe unallocated disk space in order to improve compression ratio for disk image backups. Cost: Free.

Two Step authentification for Apple's iCloud now available!

Apple has finally responded to increasing online security threats by introducing two-step authentication for iCloud. Like Google and other companies that already employ two-step authentication, Apple's system would provide an extra layer of security on top of the existing iCloud passwords when users try to access their accounts from unrecognized devices. iCloud users can set up two-step authentication on Apple IDs today by going to the Apple ID website and clicking the "Password and Security" tab.

Apple walks you through the process on its Apple ID management site.

For Apple, this means an authentication code is either sent via SMS to a phone number or found within the Find My iPhone app (if you have it installed) whenever you try to log in from somewhere new. This means that a potential attacker will have a harder time getting into your iCloud account without having physical access to your "trusted" device receiving the code. (Users are prompted to set up at least one trusted device when they turn on two-step authentication, though you can have more than one if you like.) Currently, two-step authentication is available to iCloud users in the US, UK, Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand.