Welcome to My Brother Steve .com Computer Services, Repairs & Tutoring. We're here to provide you with repairs, upgrades, spyware and virus removal, dead computer recovery, data transfer and recovery, setting up a new system, network and internet setup, website design, print layout services, tutoring, eBay and Craigslist auction assistance, and a whole host of other services.
Our main navigation above is color coded by section to help you know where you are on the site. Below each section tab, in the colored coordinated navigation bar, are the links for each page in that section. In the gold column on the left, you will also see the name of the section you are in, with a list of the section's pages below it, to give you additional choices for navigating the site.
We are open for our regular schedule this week:
Mon. - Fri. 9:30am - 5:30pm, by appointment.
Saturday by advance appointment.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Mon. - Fri. 9:30am - 5:30pm, by appointment.
Saturday by advance appointment.
We look forward to hearing from you!
◊ Breaking News Alerts! ◊
Report says that ransomeware, along with
fake anti-virus apps, is a growing problem.
fake anti-virus apps, is a growing problem.
Fake anti-virus and spyware scanning apps, rigged websites, infected email attachments.... Now ransomeware, bogus messages that take over your computer and try to scare you into giving in to their demands, is one of the fastest growing types of system infections.
Computer users PLEASE take note!
The Crisis malware, originally reported on last month, has been discovered to be a monster threat, compared to original estimations.
The Crisis malware, originally reported on last month, has been discovered to be a monster threat, compared to original estimations.
Well, I hate to be one of the bearers of bad news, but things just keep getting worse for Mac users out there in virus land. This time though, the bad guys are bringing it to a whole new level. In what may be a 'first of its kind' scenario, this secuity threat can actually break through the 'sandbox' walls, so to speak, and make its way onto a (VMware) virtual machine, by actively searching out virtual machines and copying itself onto them. This has traditionally been one of the big benefits of running virtual machines, in that they are separated from the host computer, so that a compromised virtual machine, running in its own little world, can't infect the host computer (although technically speaking this is doing the inverse of that process). The other part of this that has the potential to be a game changer is that this can also migrate onto Windows Mobile devices, which can then be synced with multiple PCs, further spreading the infection. Fortunately, at this time, iOS and Android devices appear not to be succeptible to infection.
The iOS operating system used by iPhone and iPad has a serious SMS spoofing flaw, which has just been discovered by a security researcher.
The individual who discovered the flaw, and goes by the online name "pod2g", rates this flaw as "severe" and has found that the flaw allows an attacker to falsify (or spoof) the number that the SMS text message is coming from. This could lead the receiver into believing the message was coming from a friend, your bank, or virtually anyone the attacker wanted to impersonate.
One of the newest types of social attack scams is called Smishing, which is a phishing scam sent as an SMS text message. Protect yourself and beware.
You should always be aware of anything you receive via mail, email, or text message. As more and more companies sell mailing and information lists for a profit, unscrupulous groups and individuals will find newer and more clever ways to part you from your money and/or personal information. These types of social engineering attacks, unfortunately, are an ever more present fact of life online. Please be careful of what you click on.
Windows 8 has now been promoted
to RTM as released build 9200, not build 8888.
to RTM as released build 9200, not build 8888.
The big OEMs should soon be getting their "gold master copies" to start producing PCs, laptops, & tablets. MSDN members should have their downloadable bits available by August 15th, and general availability should be around October 26th.
Windows 8 already being viewed as everything from "not awesome" to "catastrophe" by execs.
Some software comapnies, including game publishers, have not exactly had words of praise for the latest offering soon to be launched from Microsoft. The folks in Redmond sure can't be pleased that Valve Software's Gabe Newell called Windows 8 "a catastrophe for everyone in the PC space". Now, some of the top brass at Blizzard Entertainment have been tweeting like a canary on Twitter that Windows 8 is "not awesome for Blizzard either". When you factor in the hurt feelings from many of Microsoft's hardware OEM partners who have suddenly been turned into competitors, the questions start to arise if the newest member of the Windows family isn't going to become this decade's Vista, with an order of Metro to go....
Almost a half million Yahoo passwords
are leaked following a server hack
are leaked following a server hack
Some 450,000 Yahoo account ID and password combinations were hacked and then subsequently released by a group called 'D33Ds Company' using a technique called a SQL injection attack. The group said they hope companies "...will take this as a wake-up call" in how they manage security.
Cross-platform Trojan can check your OS
and will Attack Windows, Mac, & Linux
and will Attack Windows, Mac, & Linux
A new 'trojan' malware variant can detect what Operating System your computer is running and deliver the appropriate payload to your PC.
Facebook blames a 'bug'
for altering email addresses
for altering email addresses
after it tries to tell millions of users they're all just confused about how to check email.
Mac News Alert! (Updated June 29th)
New OS X Tibet malware variant surfaces
(this strain appears to be politically motivated)
New OS X Tibet malware variant surfaces
(this strain appears to be politically motivated)
Read this important article over at CNet News.
Critical Adobe Reader zero-day vulnerability!!
"Adobe is rushing to patch the memory-corruption vulnerability."
The information that this article highlights is just one reason among many that we recommend performing regular updates for your operating system and applications, and for using a more secure browser, such as Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome.
Read the entire article over at InfoWorld News.
◊ Update! ◊
Critical flaw ALSO exists in Adobe FLASH Player!!
Critical flaw ALSO exists in Adobe FLASH Player!!
Read the entire article over at CNet News.
We want to thank you for taking the time to come to our site. We want the information, services, and support to be useful and relevant to you. Please feel free to contact us to take advantage of our services, to offer suggestions, or to inquire about our work. We're looking forward to working with you to help you be more productive and successful with all your computing needs.
Remember, when they ask you who helped you with ANY of your computer needs... just tell them "My Brother Steve did!"
Now YOU have a brother in the computer business! ™
Website updated on April 18th, 2013
