How to Stop Avast Injecting Signatures Into Your Emails

Written by Ben Stegner January 25, 2016
Avast is a great antivirus program, but it has some annoying features that may be enabled without your knowledge. From irritating sounds to tracking your every move, even this good antivirus solution is flawed.

Somehow @avast_antivirus just started adding an email signature to my gmail, and I never approved or set that up. Extremely not okay.

— Troy Crosby (@troycroz) December 23, 2015

Avast quietly introduced a new annoyance last month, when it started appending signatures to your outgoing emails — without telling you. Yes, you wouldn’t even know the program was doing this unless someone told you, or if you saw an email from someone else and made the connection.
Even worse, they put this crap into all your outgoing emails whether you’re using desktop mail with Outlook or Thunderbird, or a web-based client like Gmail or Yahoo! mail.
You’ve probably worked hard to craft an email signature that leaves the right impression, and having Avast hijack it without telling you is both a violation of trust and makes you look silly when sending important emails. If you decide this isn’t worth ditching Avast over, it’s easy to disable.


Open Avast by double-clicking the orange sphere icon in your notification area, or just search in the Start menu for Avast. Once in the program, click the gear icon in the top-right; you’ll be in the General tab. Now, just uncheck Enable Avast email signature to be rid of this nuisance.


There’s one other place you may want to check to ensure this is totally disabled. Switch to the Active Protection tab in the settings, then click Customize next to Mail Shield. Under the Behavior tab, uncheck Insert note into clean message (outgoing) (and you might as well uncheck the box for incoming clean messages, too, since it’s useless).

@avast_antivirus you're asking to be uninstalled with that automated email signature. I know I can disable it, but it's stupid to begin with

— timscribbles (@itstimscribbles) January 13, 2016

Did you notice this email signature on any of your emails? Will this make you stop using Avast? Let me know what you think of this scenario below!
Source: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/stop-annoying-avast-email-signatures/

How To Stop Videos From Auto-Playing in Your Browser

Whether it’s a music clip on YouTube, a Flash ad on a news site or the latest viral sensation on Facebook, most videos you come across on today’s web want to get going without any input from you—and that can cause problems with bandwidth as well as audio output you weren’t expecting. Here’s how to tackle the issue in your browser of choice.

One of the difficulties in addressing the problem is we’re right in the middle of a transition between old and clunky Flash and the new, streamlined HTML5 as far as video formats go. The momentum is definitely behind the latter, but you’re still going to come across plenty of sites using Flash, so you really need to block both types to be safe.
After following the steps below, the problem should be minimized for the most part. But even after applying these changes, you can’t be completely sure you one or two videos won’t slip by—some publishers use custom-made code to fool your browser into thinking it isn’t dealing with a video.

Google Chrome

As far as HTML5 is concerned, you’re going to need some third-party help to stop playback. From the extensions we’ve seen, Disable HTML5 Autoplay seems to be the most comprehensive and effective option, though a small number of users report that it doesn’t work. It effectively stopped clips from playing on YouTube and Facebook when we tested it.

For the older Flash technology, you can block this at source, as it’s built into Chrome. Head to the Settings tab, open the advanced settings selection, and then click on the Content settings button. Under the Plugins heading, tick the checkbox next to “Let me choose when to run plugin content”.

On some sites, this should be enough, but we found plenty of adverts getting through the net. To completely stop the flow, click Manage individual plugins... and untick the “Always allowed to run” entry next to Adobe Flash Player
This does mean you’ll have to activate Flash on sites that rely on it to work (like Rdio, for example), but this should be a one-time thing you can take care of via the blocked plugin icon that appears in the address bar—it’s a small price to pay for some peace and quiet. You can always go nuclear and disable Flash completely if you prefer.

Mozilla Firefox

In Firefox, HTML5 that can be disabled through the browser’s own settings. Type “about:config” into the address bar, click through the warning and search for “autoplay” options—double-click on media.autoplay.embed and the value changes to false.

As for Flash, open up the Firefox menu and choose Add-ons; if you click on Plugins from the subsequent screen you can select Ask to Activate from the drop-down menu next to Shockwave Flash. Any Flash videos will then need to be clicked on before they play (as with Chrome, this may interfere with some perfectly useful sites as well).

That should be enough to stop videos from playing, but sites and advertisers change their code on a constant basis and browsers don’t always manage to keep up. A variety of third-party extensions are available for Firefox too, from FlashStopper to Stop YouTube HTML5. The former replaces both Flash and HTML5 content with a thumbnail, and you may prefer it to the rather rudimentary blocking features in Firefox itself.

Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer

With Microsoft Edge still at such an early stage in its development—and with third-party extensions not yet supported—there doesn’t appear to be any way yet for you to stop video content from automatically playing. If you go into the advanced settings for the browser, you can supposedly turn off Adobe Flash Player, but it had no effect on the sites we visited (your mileage may vary).



As for the old-school joys of Internet Explorer, you can choose Safety and tick ActiveX Filtering to block some kinds of content; another option is to choose Tools then Manage add-ons to get access to the Shockwave Flash plugin. Right-click to disable it, or choose More information to remove it from one site in particular.
The steps for IE described above are the ones most commonly recommended, and they stopped some auto-playing content, but plenty still got through—it seems that Chrome and Firefox are much more effective at blocking this behavior than either the old or new browsers from Microsoft. If you know of a foolproof way that works, let us know.
[Header image courtesy of dolphfyn/Shutterstock.com]

16 Hidden Chrome Settings Worth Tweaking

The chrome://flags page is a strange and wonderful trove of hidden settings for Google’s browser. It lets you peek under the hood of the application and tinker around with some experimental options not yet ready for prime time. Here are 16 of the most useful flag settings you might want to tweak.

It’s worth re-emphasizing that these are experimental features—they might not work correctly and they might crash your browser. “We make absolutely no guarantees about what may happen if you turn one of these experiments on, and your browser may even spontaneously combust,” reads the official Google disclaimer on the flags page, a message we echo.
A browser restart is usually required to apply the changes, and you can use the Relaunch Now button at the bottom for the job. If you get into trouble, use the Reset all to default button at the top of the flags list, or uninstall Chrome and reinstall a fresh copy from the web.

1. Enable automatic spelling correction: Instead of just having Chrome suggest a spelling change while you type, you can have it just go ahead and make the alteration while you continue to tap away.
2. Enable multilingual spellchecker: Speaking of spell checking, the Chrome flags page includes an option that tells the browser to look for mistakes in multiple languages at once.
3. Enable download resumption: A fairly straightforward one—this gives you the ability to resume downloads that have been unexpectedly interrupted. Handy if you regularly deal with large files and flaky wifi.




4. Download status in Notification Center: Gives you a pop-up desktop notification in Chrome whenever a new download starts, complete with shortcuts for pausing, resuming, and canceling the download.
5. Enable password generation: Tired of the same old combinations of letters and numbers? Have Chrome suggest passwords for you (via a key icon) whenever it detects that you’re on a new sign up page.
6. Enable fast tab/window close: Separates Chrome’s JavaScript handler from its Graphical User Interface, which should in theory enable you to close tabs more quickly. Remember though that all these flags are experiments...
7. Save passwords automatically: By default, Chrome asks you if you want to save passwords for each site. But by enabling this flag, you can have it automatically store this information without prompting.

8. Material design in the browser’s top chrome: Add some of Android’s material design to your desktop. There are also separate flags for the Settings and Downloads pages, with the latter having the most dramatic effect on the visuals.
9. Smooth scrolling: An experimental feature that performs some behind-the-scenes wizardry to help pages flow smoothly from top to bottom even when the system is struggling. Integrated into Chrome OS.
10. Enable extension toolbar redesign: Want to see Google’s plans for the extension bar? Enable this flag, which puts icons for hidden extensions at the top of the Chrome menu for (slightly) easier access.
11. Enable large icons on the New Tab page: Google’s also busy redesigning the New Tab page with some bigger icons that make better use of the space—enable this flag if you want to take a look in advance.




12. Show settings in a window: Having the Chrome Settings in its own browser tab is perfectly convenient most of the time, but you might prefer it in a separate window, something this flag makes possible.
13. Emphasize titles in the omnibox dropdown: If you’ve ever found yourself wishing that the Chrome omnibox would show more search suggestions and fewer URLs when you type, this is the flag for you.
14. FPS counter: See the frame rate of a page (in frames-per-second) when hardware acceleration is enabled, via a small box overlay in the corner. More of a developer-centric option, but fun to try out nevertheless.
15. Enable tab discarding: Part of Google’s efforts to cut down on Chrome’s memory use, this abandons the contents of unused tabs when memory is low. The tab entry remains and the page reloads when you click it.
16. Enable Save Password Bubble UI: Another password-related flag, this one displays the prompt to save passwords in a pop-up bubble rather than a drop-down info bar. A small change but one you might like.

Stop autoplaying ads, videos and media on web pages: stop videos autoplaying in Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer

By David Court | PC Advisor | 20 January 14

How to stop autoplaying ads, videos and media in Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

What to do if you're fed up with adverts playing as soon as you open a web page. Here we show you how to stop videos and media from autoplaying when you open a website in Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer.


Recently there has been a big increase in websites that host autoplaying video adverts, this can be incredibly annoying if you're listening to music on your computer while browsing the web. Here we show you how to stop videos and media from autoplaying when you open a web page in Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer. See all internet tutorials.

Before we start, we really need to say that you should consider your actions before you disable autoplaying video, or media adverts from websites that you regularly visit, as there is a good chance that this is main source of income, and is what ultimately funds the production of the content you wish to read. So, if you disable autoplaying videos/media make sure you support your favourite website – including PC Advisor – some other way. See also How to change Wi-Fi channel.

How to stop autoplaying ads, videos and media in Chrome

Disabling autoplay videos and media in Chrome is simple. First of all you need to type "chrome://chrome/settings/content" into the URL bar. Then all you need to do is scroll down to the plug-in section, and select 'click to play'.

How to stop autoplaying ads, videos and media in Firefox

Disabling ads/videos in Firefox is a little different from the process in Chrome. The first suggested way to stop Flash content from playing is to enter Firefox's configuration settings by typing "about:config" into the URL bar, accepting the warning, then entering "plugins.click_to_play" into the search box and toggling the settings. However, we experienced limited success with this method.





If this technique doesn't work for you, we suggest downloading the add-on Flash Block. To install this all you need to do is Google search "Flash Block Firefox" and install/enable the add-on, and then restart Firefox. Make sure you download from a reputable source. All Flash content will now be click to play, until you disable or remove the add-on.

How to stop autoplaying ads, videos and media in Internet Explorer

Stopping videos, Flash media and autoplaying adverts in Internet Explorer is the easiest the three. Simply go to Tools, Safety and then click on the ActiveX Filtering option. This will then put a tick next to the option, indicating that filtering is enabled.

Read more: http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/how-to/internet/3497991/how-stop-autoplaying-ads-videos-media-on-web-pages/#ixzz2rFdVDo77

32-bit vs 64-bit browsers: which version has the edge?

by Martin Brinkmann on January 3, 2016 in Internet - Last Update: January 3, 2016 1

The majority of web browsers are offered as 32-bit and 64-bit version nowadays, and it is up to the user to decide which version to run on the computer.

This comparison guide analyzes the performance of select browsers to find out which version of it performs better.

You can use it to compare the 32-bit and 64-bit version of a browser, or compare the performance across browsers to find out which may be most suitable for you.

It won't take other differences such as plug-in support into account though so keep that in mind. These differences can be important depending on what you are using the browser for. If you require certain plug-ins for instance such as Java, you may not be able to use a 64-bit version of a browser as it may not be supported.

Performance is not everything of course and there may be other reasons why you pick a particular browser over another even if it may use more RAM or perform worse in benchmarks.

The test system is a decent Intel Core i5-2500, 8GB RAM, 256 GB Solid State Drive system with a Nvidia GeForce GTX 960 and Windows 10.

32-bit vs 64-bit browsers

Most web browsers are offered as 32-bit or 64-bit versions. It is usually the case that the 64-bit versions are not offered directly, and that one has to click on an extra link to display 64-bit download links.

The two exceptions are Microsoft Edge which is only offered as a 64-bit version and the "new" Opera browser which is only offered as a 32-bit version. Because of this, Opera has not been included in the tests. No download link for Microsoft Edge as it is only offered as part of Windows 10 and not as a standalone version.

All browsers were installed on a fully updated Windows 10 PC. No modifications were made to the browsers and all were installed using the default settings suggested by the manufacturer.

• Mozilla Firefox 43.0.3 32-bit
• Mozilla Firefox 43.0.3 64-bit
• Google Chrome 47 32-bit
• Google Chrome 47 64-bit (select download Chrome for other platforms)
• Pale Moon 25.8.1 32-bit
• Pale Moon 25.8.1 64-bit
• Vivaldi Beta 2 32-bit
• Vivaldi Beta 2 64-bit
• Opera 34.0.2036.25 32-bit
• Microsoft Edge 64-bit

Tests

The following tests were run for each web browser individually.

1. RAM usage after default installation.
2. RAM usage with 10 websites open (ghacks.net, startpage.com, youtube.com, betanews.com, reddit.com, slashdot.org, producthunt.com, twitch.com, amazon.com, google.com)
3. Mozilla Kraken benchmark (lower better)
4. JetStream benchmark (higher better)
5. Google Octane benchmark (higher better)
6. RoboHornet benchmark (higher better)
7. Dromaeo benchmark (higher better).

The first two tests highlight the browser's RAM usage. While RAM usage is not that much of an issue anymore on modern systems that come equipped with 4 Gigabyte of RAM or more, it needs to be considered that the browser is just one of the programs run on a system and that a high RAM usage may result in performance drops if other demanding applications are run.

The benchmarks test the browser's JavaScript performance.

The benchmark results

Browser	RAM on Start	RAM 10 Tabs	Kraken	JetStream	Octane	RoboHornet	Dromaeo
Mozilla Firefox 43.0.3 32-bit	135.8	583.1	1263.5	143.88	22168	107.4	928.12
Mozilla Firefox 43.0.3 64-bit	145.6	905.3	1241	141.52	22586	109.75	872.46
Google Chrome 47 32-bit	144.6	738.4	1273	162.83	28468	hangs	hangs
Google Chrome 47 64-bit	121.9	744.6	1081.6	173.03	29814	hangs	hangs
Pale Moon 25.8.1 32-bit	105.4	501.7	1719	hangs	17016	105.81	751.11
Pale Moon 25.8.1 64-bit	179	741.3	1830.1	hangs	14000	88.9	649.13
Vivaldi Beta 2 32-bit	95.7	620.6	1150.6	166.54	28316	150.7	hangs
Vivaldi Beta 2 64-bit	107.4	1029.5	1076.9	171.81	29633	156.02	hangs
Microsoft Edge 64-bit	88.2	1238	1256.5	193.96	29883	91.09	660.05

One surprising result of the tests that I ran was that hangs were experienced quite frequently. Google Chrome did not complete  the RoboHornet and Dromaeo benchmarks, Pale Moon froze while running the JetStream benchmark, and Vivaldi froze running the Dromaeo benchmark.

The only two browsers that ran all tests without freezes or hangs were Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Edge. Every other browser experienced at least one freeze while running the benchmarks.

Another interesting observation is that Vivaldi outperforms Google Chrome in some benchmarks and with RAM usage even though it is still a beta release. In addition, it did not freeze while running the RoboHornet benchmark while Google Chrome did.

Mozilla Firefox 32-bit vs 64-bit

RAM usage is nearly the same on start but once all ten websites were fully loaded it was apparent that the 64-bit version of Firefox used way more RAM than the 32-bit version. That's to be expected but something one should consider especially on devices where RAM is scarce.

Benchmarks on the other hand show only marginal differences which means that users won't see a performance boost in either version when compared to the other.

Google Chrome 32-bit vs 64-bit

RAM use was nearly identical in both versions of the Google Chrome web browser. The difference in RAM on start can be attributed to the loading of additional pages on start in the 32-bit version.

It is somewhat surprising that the 64-bit version of Chrome uses nearly the same amount of RAM as the 32-bit version once all 10 sample websites were loaded.

As far as tests are concerned, the 64-bit version performed better in benchmarks, but both Chrome versions froze during the RoboHornet and Dromaeo benchmarks.

Pale Moon 32-bit vs 64-bit

RAM use was higher both on start and after loading the ten sample sites in the Pale Moon browser. The 64-bit version did not perform as well as the 32-bit version in most benchmarks, and both versions froze during the JetStream benchmark.

Vivaldi 32-bit vs 64-bit

Vivaldi's RAM usage was quite good on start and acceptable with ten websites open in the 32-bit version of the browser. The 64-bit version on the other hand used the second highest RAM count of all browsers in the test.

Performance was on-pair with Google Chrome with only marginal differences between the two. As far as 32-bit and 64-bit version performance is concerned, it is close and unlikely that anyone will notice differences while using the browser.

Verdict

Results are quite surprising, not only because of the hangs and freezes experienced during benchmarks, but also because of the performance parity between 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the same browser. Most differences are marginal and not visible to the user sitting in front of the device.

Now You: Do you prefer 32-bit or 64-bit versions of browsers?

Source: http://www.ghacks.net/2016/01/03/32-bit-vs-64-bit-browsers-which-version-has-the-edge/