Warning of serious CryptoLocker virus

We’ve seen one of the nastiest viruses we’ve ever encountered in the shop this week, called CryptoLocker. After the infection, the virus encrypts all your documents and photos. It then demands a payment of up to 300 Euros to decrypt the files, which needs to be acted on within a time limit after which decryption will no longer be available:

The bad news is this isn’t the usual scare-mongering we often see with so-called Ransomware. The virus has genuinely encrypted the files and there really is no way to unscramble your data without paying the fee which we wouldn’t recommend and has of course no guarantees! If you do get the virus, disconnect your Internet connection to prevent further files becoming encrypted.

The virus is relatively easy to remove but your files will still be unusable. You will have to rely on a backup, or the slim possibility of a little known feature of some versions of Windows called Shadow Copy.

According to Sophos, a security software company, the virus is spread via email or botnets. Botnets exist on already infected machines and allow further viruses and malware to be attached, so it’s vitally important that you have your virus protection up to date and we’d suggest running a full scan of Malwarebytes as well. Our recommendation would also be to have Malwarebytes Pro active on your machine for real-time malware protection.

The video below from Sophos shows the virus in action:

Please do give us a call on 01822 618544 if you have any concerns.

Review and video of the Micro Drone 2.0 Quadrocopter with on-board camera from Extreme Fliers

We’ve had a range of toys and gadgets from Extreme Fliers over the last few years and they’ve all been a lot of fun. We saw the company on Dragon’s Den originally and then at a trade show. Their Robocopter GST is easily the best RC helicopter we’ve had our hands on. It’s stable and robust and if it does have a nasty crash most of the parts are available from us or direct from Extreme Fliers.

Last year they released their Micro Drone Quadropter, with four rotors, 100m plus range and the ability to perform a variety of flips and other stunts. This is fantastic fun – simple to start flying but a challenge to master – which is exactly what you want! And at a good price too (£70 RRP). It’s still available at a reduced price whilst stocks last.

This year they’ve brought out version 2.0, which can take an optional on-board camera and has further improved stability. You can chuck this one in the air and it’ll right itself – impressive stuff!

We’ve had a chance to try it out with a standard definition camera attached and have been impressed. Take a look at it in action in the video below. In case it’s not obvious I am no master flyer! Plus there are a few obstacles in the shop to avoid. But it’ll work outside too and we’ve had lots of fun with version 1.0 out on the moors.

I think you’ll agree the video is surprisingly good for a £20 add on. The build quality of the Micro Drone is good, especially considering the price point (also £70 RRP). Again, most of the parts are replaceable and the device charges off a USB port on your computer in around an hour. You’ll need 4 AA batteries for the controller and they’ll last a fair few flights.

It’s easy to pick up: you plug the battery in, turn the remote on and push the thrust slowly forward and then back. You’ll hear an encouraging beep and then you can start flying. It has two modes of flight: mode 2 and mode 4. The difference is how the two sticks control movement. I prefer the switch to the left which banks left and right with the right stick and turns left and right with the left stick. But it’s a personal preference. The manual appears to have this the wrong way around in its description but you’ll soon work out which control method your prefer.

It’s useful to know that the black blades / white LEDs are always at the front of the Micro Drone. So practice with it lined up this way and learn how to take off and go forwards and backwards.

The range is excellent and you can easily send the Quadrocopter flying over 100m into the sky. Flick the stunt switch to stunt mode and you can perform a range of flips and acrobatic manoeuvres. It’s very impressive but give yourself some space when trying these for the first time!

The camera attaches to the base of the Micro Drone with the supplied double sided tape and then plugs into its main board. All the drone’s lights come on and as you switch the camera on and off the lights respond accordingly. The function button is used to perform a simple flip even in standard mode. Now it turns the camera on and off to start recording video or to take a photo. Make sure your stop recording before unplugging the battery and removing the MicroSD card otherwise the recording will be corrupt.

The camera module kit comes with a 1GB MicroSD card, card reader, some screws and even a screwdriver. The camera itself seems decent enough build-wise for the price and I’m impressed with the quality of the footage. But the accessories are an afterthought. The card reader is poor quality and you’ll have to be careful inserting the very thin MicroSD card into its slot. Ensure it goes into the reader slot itself and doesn’t disappear into the housing! If it does you’ll have to gently open the housing to retrieve it. Still with careful use it does the job.

Overall this new Micro Drone from Extreme Fliers is a hit and I expect it to do well this Christmas with young children and children aged over 40! I’m having trouble putting it down!

You can buy it here: http://thetechnologycompany.co.uk/gadgets. And if you’re local, come and try out all our toys in the shop.

Extending WiFi coverage using Powerline adapters

One of the most common questions we have from customers, is how to extend wireless coverage around the house. First, try and locate your router as high and visible as is possible. This can often improve your signal dramatically.

If this offers no improvement then you have several options, but by far the easiest method is to use Powerline adapters. These simply plug into household power sockets and use your existing electricity cabling to reliably extend your Internet access around the house. They are generally bought in pairs: one end is wired to your router; and the other end can be plugged in wherever you like, thereby extending your wireless coverage.

In the video below I show the basic installation of the popular TP-Link TL-WPA281 pair of adapters:

 

The smaller adapter is plugged into a power socket near your router.

Connect this adapter to your wireless router using the supplied Ethernet cable. Plug the longer wireless adapter into a socket where you'd like to extend wireless coverage to. A new wireless network (TP-LINK_XXX) will be created which you can connect to with any wireless device:

 

 

If you'd like to setup security on this network which we’d recommend, you will need to access the configuration page. The easiest way to do this is using the supplied CD. Or you can download the file here. Running the file will locate the adapters on your network and allow you to connect:

 

 

Enter admin for username and password. In the configuration page click on Wireless Security down the left hand side, click on the WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK radio button and enter a password of at least 8 characters in the PSK password box. You have now secured your network.

 

 

This step is optional but It's worth setting the wireless channel to something that doesn't interfere with your existing network. There are three non-overlapping wireless channels: 1, 6 and 11. Log in to your router and find out the wireless channel it’s using. Then select one of the other two for the Powerline adapter.

Logging into a remote computer with Windows Remote Desktop Connection

If you’ve ever needed to access your work machine from home, Windows Remote Desktop Connection offers a very convenient solution. You can sit at home as if you were in front of your work machine. You can use all your work applications and even print of straight to your local home printer.

In the video below I go through how to set up a connection. Give it a try and let me know how you get on!