Consumer Computer & Internet Guide / Tips, Tricks and Tweaks

Various selected topics for home users and general users in the areas of IT/computer/internet and security

Understanding CSV Files: What they are and how to use (How-to)

Added at 02/04/2023

Using CSV files is a daily routine for many people who have to accomplish a - fully automatic or semiautomatic - data exchange between different IT systems. CSV files are not the only solution path, but are very common. This concerns for instance online and e-commerce businesses which import the current orders from eBay into their own ERP system (Enterprise Resource Planning) or the accounting when exporting tax data to the tax office.

(Briefly) Backups - Do we need that?

Added at 11/03/2021

Computer security – Not "Update Flash Player" but "Remove Flash Player"

Added at 04/11/2018

In light of current events, many IT news pages create headlines like "Patch your Flash Player, now!". This happens – again and again – with regularity when a new vulnerability in Adobe Flash gets out or a corresponding security patch or update is published...

Attention when choosing an Encryption solution - Weakness in Password manager of Firefox and Thunderbird

Added at 03/21/2018

An "IT security researcher" recently engaged attention on a seemingly older, known weakness in Mozilla's password managers of Firefox and Thunderbird. Core problem is the way of dealing with the master password (keyword: secure password hashing). We recommend for years to pay close attention - when choosing an encryption software - which password hashing procedure is used. Otherwise, you eventually have no real data encryption at all. We try to provide some clear background information.

Missing the old User Interface (UI) Design Theme in new Firefox Quantum?

Added at 11/27/2017

By adjusting the Firefox configuration easily and manually, the 'feeling' of the old user interface theme can be restored a little bit on the basis of the new built-in default design. We show a design proposal and explain the easy installation.