| From: Don Green | 7/28/2024 8:44:43 PM | | | | | | How can A. I. and quantum computing work together to change the world
https://www.siliconinvestor.com/readmsg.aspx?msgid=34757261
|
| | All Things Technology - Media and Know HOW | Pastime Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last Read |
|
| From: Don Green | 7/28/2024 9:06:23 PM | | | | | | The U.S States with The Cleanest Power Grids
Despite the rise in renewable energy, natural gas and coal still play a major role in the U.S. electricity mix, with natural gas expected to provide around 42% of electricity in 2024.As renewable capacity additions in the United States soar, two states already have solar and wind accounting for more than half of their utility generation capacity.
These aren't the biggest states by absolute capacity additions, i.e., California and Texas. Wind and solar installations are surging in these two states, but they aren't the ones with the biggest shares of renewables in their generation capacity.
The top U.S. states with more than 50% of their generation capacity coming from wind and solar are Iowa and New Mexico, per data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) and energy data platform Cleanview cited by Reuters columnist Gavin Maguire.
In Iowa, the second largest wind power producer after Texas, wind and solar capacity combined accounts for 55.43% of the state's utility generation capacity, of which 54.1% is from wind and 1.3% from solar.
New Mexico, for its part, has 50.78% of its utility capacity coming from wind and solar power, wind accounting for 37.1% and solar making up 13.7% of utility generation capacity.
Renewable energy is the largest source of New Mexico's total in-state electricity generation. In 2023, wind power alone accounted for 38% of total in-state generation, according to EIA data. In less than a decade, renewable resources have seen their share jump as the amount of total electricity generation from renewable resources was more than six times greater in 2023 than in 2015.
New Mexico is among the top five states in terms of wind energy potential. Last year, wind energy contributed 81% of New Mexico's renewable generation and provided the largest share of the state's total in-state generation at 38%.
Related: Valero Energy Sees Q2 Net Income Cut in Half
In terms of capacity numbers, New Mexico ranked ninth in the nation at the end of 2023 in wind power capacity, with about 4,400 megawatts (MW) installed. Another 1,800 MW of solar power capacity and related battery energy storage are scheduled to come online in the state this year.
In Iowa, nearly two-thirds of total electricity net generation came from renewable resources in 2022, almost all of it from wind, per EIA data. The state was the second-largest wind power producer after Texas. Wind energy powered 62% of Iowa's net generation, the highest share of any U.S. state.
As Iowa's wind power capacity expanded, the share of coal in the state's electricity generation has slumped to 25% of total electricity net generation in 2022, compared to 44% five years earlier.
While wind and solar capacity is soaring, natural gas continues to underpin the power systems across the United States, while the share of coal in America's electricity mix is still above 15%, more than any renewable energy source.
All renewable energy sources combined—wind, solar, hydropower, biomass, and geothermal—surpassed coal-fired generation in the U.S. electric power sector for the first time in 2022. But coal still holds about 16% share of electricity generation, more than wind's share of around 11%, hydropower's 6%, or solar power's 4% share of the electric generation mix.
Currently, fossil fuels provide 60% of the total U.S. electricity generation. Last year, gas accounted for 43% and coal for more than 16%.
Coal and natural gas provide reliable energy when the variable wind power generation is faltering.
Natural gas-fired power generation has soared in recent weeks amid high electricity demand in exceptionally high temperatures across the country and a significant decrease in wind generation. Early this week, natural gas-fired power generation jumped amid the lowest wind power output in 33 months. The hot summer with low wind speeds has led to low wind power generation, which has prompted power producers to boost natural gas-powered generation to keep up with the summer electricity demand.
This year, natural gas is expected to provide around 42% of America's electricity, similar to last year, as total consumption is set to grow by 3% in 2024 and another 2% in 2025, per data from the EIA.
By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com |
| | All Things Technology - Media and Know HOW | Pastime Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last Read |
|
| From: Don Green | 7/28/2024 9:20:17 PM | | | | | | Why Two Monitors Are Better Than One Ultrawide
Dibakar GhoshPublished Jul 27, 2024
dg>>> I recently spent a few weeks researching and actually testing multiple 4K monitors curved and flat to replace a dead HD 25 in display. I ended up buying this monitor for my multiple monitor desktop and highly recommend it if you are in the market I have 2 HD 25” 60 hz displays and 1 43” 4K 144hz display
pcmag.com
<div data-img-url="https://static1.howtogeekimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/split-screen-with-two-monitors-on-one-side-and-an-ultrawide-monitor-on-the-other-side.jpg" data-modal-id="single-image-modal" data-modal-container-id="single-image-modal-container" data-img-caption=""Lucas Gouveia \/ How-To Geek | VAKS-Stock Agency \/ Andrey_Popov \/ Shutterstock"" data-reader-unique-id="90" style="max-width: 100%;"> Lucas Gouveia / How-To Geek | VAKS-Stock Agency / Andrey_Popov / Shutterstock
I’ve used single monitors, upgraded to dual monitors, and then switched to an ultrawide. Now, after spending years using all three setups, I’ve finally come to a verdict—dual monitors are better than ultrawides! To prove my point, here are seven reasons why I’m opting for two screens instead of one.
1 A Better Screen-to-Price Ratio The primary reason for choosing a dual monitor setup is the better screen-to-price ratio. For the same price, you’re getting more screen real estate if you pick two monitors vs an ultrawide monitor. Let's break it down:
On average, 4K 27-inch monitors cost around $250. If you put two 27-inch monitors side by side (combined cost $500), you get the same screen real estate as a 49-inch super ultrawide (32:9 aspect ratio) monitor—costing well over $1000. So you’re basically paying over double the price for the same screen space.
 Dibakar Ghosh | How-To Geek
That said, 4K is generally more expensive. What about FHD (1080p)? Well, the average price of a FHD 27-inch monitor is around $120. A good FHD 34-inch ultrawide costs $220-300, which is in the same ballpark as two 27-inchers of equal resolution.
However, it’s still not an apples-to-apples comparison because you get less screen real estate with a 34-inch ultrawide compared to two 27-inch monitors. The ultrawide has just enough space to open three snapped windows side-by-side. Four windows feel a bit cramped—which dual monitors pull off comfortably.
 Dibakar Ghosh | How-To Geek
2 Flexible Monitor Orientation Ultrawide monitors come with a fixed orientation—either flat or curved. Dual monitors, on the other hand, offer unparalleled flexibility. You can position them at various angles. I personally prefer a 135-degree angle.
The game-changer, though, is when you add monitor arms. Once you get those, you’ve just unlocked even more flexibility. At the time of writing, I’m waiting for mine to arrive!
With monitor arms, you can have a monitor close to you and the other in the background. You can have one monitor positioned above the other. This is great if you’re working with limited horizontal space. You can work on the bottom monitor right in front of you and keep the one on the top to look into reference data from time to time.
 Apple
I personally plan to have one monitor in portrait and the other in landscape. This setup is a productivity powerhouse, especially for applications that benefit from vertical space such as:
- File managers: See more files at once in portrait mode
- Spreadsheets: Great for seeing more rows
- Document reading: Perfect for PDFs and long-form content
- Chat applications: More conversations visible at once
- Coding: Seeing more lines of code
It's definitely not a configuration for mainstream users, but the beauty of it is that you can set things up to work for you, as I plan to do here.
3 Multiple Output Sources
 Dibakar Ghosh | How-To Geek
When you have two monitors, each screen can potentially display output from different devices. For example, all modern monitors have 2-3 HDMI inputs. You can pair the primary HDMI input of each monitor to your PC. But then you can have the secondary output of one of the monitors connected to your gaming console—like I have with my PS5. This allows you to game on one screen while viewing guides or chatting on the other.
Pro Tip: If you have limited HDMI inputs, you can use HDMI splitters. These devices allow you to connect a single HDMI port on your monitor with two or more input sources.
Now, to be fair, there are ultrawide monitors that allow you to split the screen and show the display from two different input sources. This feature is called Picture-By-Picture. My ultrawide doesn't have this feature, so I don't have first-hand experience using it.
4 Enhanced Screen Sharing Dual monitors also prove their worth when it comes to screen sharing. Most screen-sharing apps recognize individual monitors as separate input sources. You can put everything you want to share on one display while doing your thing on the other.
There’s very little worry about slip-ups and accidentally sharing private information. You don’t need to keep an eye on a specific tab or window allocated to the screen-sharing app.
You have a dedicated screen or monitor, which allows for better management of what you share and what you don’t. This is not only a huge quality of life improvement for people who do a lot of screen sharing, but it also makes your presentations feel more professional and focused.
5 Affordable and Accessible Monitor Arms
<div data-img-url="https://static1.howtogeekimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/dual-monitor-stand.jpg" data-modal-id="single-image-modal" data-modal-container-id="single-image-modal-container" data-img-caption=""HUANUO"" data-reader-unique-id="282" style="max-width: 100%;"> HUANUO
Dual monitor arms are usually more affordable compared to ultrawide monitor arms. This is likely because ultrawide monitors are significantly heavier, requiring more robust (and consequently, more expensive) arms to support them. In contrast, dual monitor arms—a single base with two arms—are more affordable and widely available.
Also, you can’t cheap out on monitor arms you get for ultrawide monitors. As I said, they are heavy, and cheaper monitor arms will start to lose their strength and cause the monitor to sag as gravity does its work. My friend has a 49-inch super ultrawide connected to a monitor arm and faces a constant battle of adjusting and readjusting the height as the entire setup just sags and drops down after a few hours.
Of course, this is because he was using a cheap monitor arm, but that’s the point. You can potentially opt for a budget dual monitor arm for your 27-inch monitors and not worry about the displays sagging because they aren’t generally that heavy.
6 Power Efficiency
 Dibakar Ghosh | How-To Geek
With an ultrawide, the entire screen consumes power all the time, even if you are essentially using a portion of it. However, on a dual monitor setup, you have the flexibility to use only what you need.
Sometimes, when you only need just one monitor, you can simply turn off the other one, saving power and reducing your electricity bill. This flexibility not only saves energy but also gives you more control over your workspace illumination, which can be particularly appreciated during late-night work sessions.
Moreover, some monitors have an "ECO" mode that reduces brightness and power consumption. With dual monitors, you could keep one in ECO mode for less demanding tasks, further increasing your energy savings.
7 Built-in Backup
 Dibakar Ghosh / How-To Geek | Midjourney
Last but not the least, with a dual monitor setup, you always have a backup. With a single ultrawide monitor, if it fails, you're left in the dark (or rather looking at the dark). But in a dual monitor setup, if one of them fails, you can continue working on the other monitor while you wait for a replacement or repair.
Granted, both monitors can fail simultaneously, but the chances of that happening are very low. Overall, having your setup function as its own backup can be a lifesaver when you're facing tight deadlines or in the middle of an important project. It's an extra layer of reliability that a single ultrawide setup simply can't offer.
As you can see, dual monitor setups offer a plethora of benefits that cater to various workflows. It certainly meets my needs and requirements, but there are some trade-offs. The main drawback would be the bezels interrupting the screens.
If you're heavily into media consumption or PC gaming, an ultrawide might provide a more seamless experience. Watching movies on an ultrawide can be fantastic, with no black bars on the top and bottom. For PC gaming, especially with titles that support ultrawide resolutions, the panoramic view can be truly impressive. |
| | All Things Technology - Media and Know HOW | Pastime Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last Read |
|
| From: Don Green | 7/29/2024 5:04:58 PM | | | | | | Proofpoint Email Routing Flaw Exploited to Send Millions of Spoofed Phishing EmailsAn unknown threat actor has been linked to a massive scam campaign that exploited an email routing misconfiguration in email security vendor Proofpoint's defenses to send millions of messages spoofing various popular companies like Best Buy, IBM, Nike, and Walt Disney, among others.
thehackernews.com
"These emails echoed from official Proofpoint email relays with authenticated SPF and DKIM signatures, thus bypassing major security protections — all to deceive recipients and steal funds and credit card details," Guardio Labs researcher Nati Tal said in a detailed report shared with The Hacker News.
The cybersecurity company has given the campaign the name EchoSpoofing. The activity is believed to have commenced in January 2024, with the threat actor exploiting the loophole to send as many as three million emails per day on average, a number that hit a peak of 14 million in early June as Proofpoint began to enact countermeasures.
"The most unique and powerful part of this domain is the spoofing method – leaving almost no chance to realize this is not a genuine email sent from those companies," Tal told the publication.
"This EchoSpoofing concept is really powerful. It's kind of strange it is being used for large-scale phishing like this instead of a boutique spear-phishing campaign – where an attacker can swiftly take any real company team member's identity and send emails to other co-workers – eventually, through high-quality social engineering, get access to internal data or credentials and even compromise the entire company.
The technique, which involves the threat actor sending the messages from an SMTP server on a virtual private server (VPS), is notable for the fact that it complies with authentication and security measures such as SPF and DKIM, which are short for Sender Policy Framework and DomainKeys Identified Mail, respectively, and refer to authentication methods that are designed to prevent attackers from imitating a legitimate domain.
It all goes back to the fact that these messages are routed from various adversary-controlled Microsoft 365 tenants, which are then relayed through Proofpoint enterprise customers' email infrastructures to reach users of free email providers such as Yahoo!, Gmail, and GMX.
This is the result of what Guardio described as a "super-permissive misconfiguration flaw" in Proofpoint servers ("pphosted.com") that essentially allowed spammers to take advantage of the email infrastructure to send the messages.
"The root cause is a modifiable email routing configuration feature on Proofpoint servers to allow relay of organizations' outbound messages from Microsoft 365 tenants, but without specifying which M365 tenants to allow," Proofpoint said in a coordinated disclosure report shared with The Hacker News.
"Any email infrastructure that offers this email routing configuration feature can be abused by spammers."
Put differently, an attacker can weaponize the shortcoming to set up rogue Microsoft 365 tenants and deliver spoofed email messages to Proofpoint's relay servers, from where they are "echoed back" as genuine digital missives impersonating the customers' domains.
This, in turn, is accomplished by configuring the Exchange Server's outgoing email connector directly to the vulnerable "pphosted.com" endpoint associated with the customer. Furthermore, a cracked version of a legitimate email delivery software called PowerMTA is used for sending the messages.
"The spammer used a rotating series of leased virtual private servers (VPS) from several providers, using many different IP addresses to initiate quick bursts of thousands of messages at a time from their SMTP servers, sent to Microsoft 365 to be relayed to Proofpoint-hosted customer servers," Proofpoint said.
"Microsoft 365 accepted these spoofed messages and sent them to these customers' email infrastructures to be relayed. When customer domains were spoofed while relaying through the matching customer's email infrastructure, DKIM signing was also applied as the messages transited through the Proofpoint infrastructure, making the spam messages more deliverable."
It's being suspected that EchoSpoofing was intentionally chosen by the operators as a way to generate illegal revenue as well as avoid the risk of exposure for extended periods of time, as directly targeting the companies via this modus operandi could have drastically increased the chances of getting detected, effectively imperiling the entire scheme.
That having said, it's currently not clear who is behind the campaign. Proofpoint said the activity does not overlap with any known threat actor or group.
"In March, Proofpoint researchers identified spam campaigns being relayed through a small number of Proofpoint customers' email infrastructure by sending spam from Microsoft 365 tenants," it said in a statement. "All analyses indicate this activity was conducted by one spam actor, whose activity we do not attribute to a known entity."
"Since discovering this spam campaign, we have worked diligently to provide corrective instructions, including implementing a streamlined administrative interface for customers to specify which M365 tenants are allowed to relay, with all other M365 tenants denied by default."
Proofpoint emphasized that no customer data was exposed, nor did any of them experience loss of data, as a result of these campaigns. It further noted that it reached out to some of its customers directly to change their settings to stop the effectiveness of the outbound relay spam activity.
"As we started to block the spammer's activity, the spammer accelerated its testing and moved quickly to other customers," the company pointed out. "We established a continuous process of identifying the customers affected each day, re-prioritizing outreach to fix configurations."
To cut down on spam, it's urging VPS providers to limit their users' ability to send large volumes of messages from SMTP servers hosted on their infrastructure. It's also calling on email service providers to restrict the capabilities of free trial and newly created unverified tenants to send bulk outbound email messages as well as prevent them from sending messages that spoof a domain for which they do not have proven ownership.
"For CISOs, the main takeaway here is to take extra care of their organization's cloud posture – specifically with the use of 3rd party services that become the backbone of your company's networking and communication methods," Tal said. "Specifically in the realm of emails, always maintain a feedback loop and control of your own – even if you trust your email provider fully."
"And as for other companies providing this kind of backbone services – just like Proofpoint did, they must be vigilant and proactive in thinking of all possible types of threats in the first place. Not only threats that directly affect their customers but the wider public as well.
"This is crucial for the safety of all of us and companies that create and operate the backbone of the internet, even if privately held, have the highest responsibility on it. Just like one said, in a different context entirely yet so relevant here: 'With great powers, comes great responsibility.'"
Found this article interesting? Follow us on Twitter ? and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post. |
| | All Things Technology - Media and Know HOW | Pastime Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last Read |
|
| From: Don Green | 7/30/2024 10:17:24 AM | | | | | | Intel's CPU instability and crashing issues also impact mainstream 65W and higher 'non-K' models — damage is irreversible, no planned recall
Intel has now divulged that the crashing issue affecting 13th and 14th-gen processors impacts all 65W and higher CPUs, meaning even more
tomshardware.com |
| | All Things Technology - Media and Know HOW | Pastime Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last Read |
|
| From: Don Green | 7/30/2024 8:45:29 PM | | | | | | 10 Useful Run Commands Every Windows User Should Know
Haroon Javed
Tired of navigating through the cluttered Windows interface to find the tools you need? Look no further than Run commands. Run commands can take you straight to the Windows tools or settings you need without the fuss. Let's explore some useful Run commands that every Windows user should know.
Why Use Run Commands? You might be wondering why you should bother with Run commands when you can access many of these settings through the Start Menu or Control Panel. The answer is efficiency: Run commands are a faster and more direct way to access various Windows settings, tools, and features.
Instead of clicking through multiple menus, you can simply enter a command and access the setting or tool you need instantly. You can open the Run dialog box by pressing Windows+R on the keyboard. After that, you can simply type a command and hit enter.
Run commands are quick and efficient, and sometimes give you access to features you didn't even know existed. Plus, there's something undeniably cool about typing in a command and watching your computer jump into action, right?
Use msconfig to Tweak Startup Settings First up is msconfig—Microsoft System Configuration. msconfig is your system's control center that enables you to handle startup programs, services, and system configuration options from a single interface. With msconfig, you can disable unnecessary startup programs and speed up your boot time significantly.
You can also use msconfig to troubleshoot issues by booting your PC in Safe Mode or selecting different startup options. Furthermore, you can also enable or disable different services.
To access the system configuration utility, open your Run dialog box and type msconfig.
Run msinfo32 to Get Your System Specs Curious about your system's specs? Just type msinfo32 in the Run dialog box, and you’ll see everything from your processor type to the amount of RAM installed. You can access detailed system summaries, including hardware resources, software environments, and components.
This information can be invaluable when you're troubleshooting, upgrading your hardware, or generating a report for technical support. You can even use it to check your BIOS version or verify your system's specifications.
Manage Your Installed Apps With appwiz.cpl If you're looking to manage your installed applications, appwiz.cpl is the command for you. This command brings up the Programs and Features window, giving you a complete list of installed applications on your PC. With a few clicks, you can quickly uninstall programs, change installed programs, or repair programs that aren't working properly.
Type appwiz.cpl in the Run dialog box and quickly access the Programs and Features control panel.
Customize Your Display With desk.cpl Whether you need to change your screen resolution, or orientation, or manage multiple monitors, the desk.cpl command brings all display-related settings to your fingertips. Additionally, it allows you to adjust your screen brightness, refresh rate, or the size of apps, text, or any other items.
Press Windows+R and type desk.cpl to start customizing your desktop environment based on your preferences.
Adjust Your Mouse Settings With main.cpl Running main.cpl in the Run dialog box launches the Mouse Properties window, where you can adjust mouse settings, such as pointer speed, sensitivity, and button configuration. You can also configure double-clicking behavior, wheel setting, trackpoint, and trackpad settings of your mouse.
With the main.cpl command, you can fine-tune your mouse experience and troubleshoot mouse-related issues.
Establish a Remote Connection Using mstsc mstsc refers to Microsoft Terminal Services Client, which is usually known as Remote Desktop Connection. Simply type mstsc in the Run window and establish a remote desktop connection. You can also customize your remote desktop settings by changing its size, color, audio, and others.
This command is perfect for remote work, technical support, or accessing files on another PC. For example, you can connect to your work computer from home or help a friend troubleshoot an issue.
Calibrate Your Screen With dccw Want to calibrate your monitor for accurate colors? Try dccw. Running this command will open the Display Color Calibration tool, which guides you through adjusting your monitor’s color settings. Poor color accuracy can be frustrating, especially for graphic designers or photographers.
To make sure that colors are displayed correctly while calibrating, follow the step-by-step instructions in the dccw calibration window. Additionally, it guides you through adjusting gamma, brightness, contrast, and color balance.
Remove Junk and Old Files Using cleanmgr Over time, your computer builds up unnecessary files. To keep your computer working smoothly, you need to remove these files. You can do this within a few steps by typing the cleanmgr command in the Run dialog box.
With cleanmgr, you can scan your specific drives and delete temporary files, system caches, recycled items, and other unnecessary data. It’s a quick way to reclaim disk space and improve system performance.
Monitor Your PC's Performance With resmon Want to keep a watchful eye on your PC's performance? Try resmon command. This command opens the Resource Monitor, which displays real-time data on system resources, such as memory, disk, CPU, and network usage.
If your computer is acting sluggish, resmon can help you identify which processes are hogging resources. It’s like having a health check-up for your PC—spot the issues and take action before they become bigger problems.
Navigate Efficiently With "." and ".." Finally, we have the single dot . and the double dot .. commands. You might use these . and .. commands with cd in the command prompt or PowerShell or any other terminal for changing directories. The . and ..commands may seem simple, but they're incredibly useful for navigating the Windows file system.
In the Run dialog, typing . opens the current user's home directory, while .. opens the Users directory. These commands are shortcuts for quick navigation through the file system, especially useful for accessing user-specific files and folders.
Mastering Your Windows PC These run commands are just one way to enhance your Windows experience. You can also use the command prompt commands to perform or automate multiple tasks. Furthermore, you can also enhance your search experience on Windows and find things quickly and efficiently. There are also many Windows shortcuts and hotkeys available to get things done quickly.
We've shared some helpful Windows Run commands with you, but there are many more out there. Just be careful experimenting—it is possible to mess things up if you go crazy with Run commands. |
| | All Things Technology - Media and Know HOW | Pastime Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last Read |
|
| To: Don Green who wrote (1795) | 7/31/2024 10:03:05 PM | | From: S. maltophilia | | | | | As I've said before, if I outlive Win 10 support, I'll be hopping over to Linux. One concern: how strong is their security? With such a small user base in the past, it wasn't worth the bad guys' while to write malware for it. But that will change. |
| | All Things Technology - Media and Know HOW | Pastime Discussion ForumsShare | RecommendKeepReplyMark as Last Read |
|
| |
