On 4/29/25 11:37 AM, Frank Slootweg wrote:

AJL <[email protected]> wrote:

Somehow I got my Chromebook browser completely locked up saying I had a
virus and to contact xxxx to get rid of it. However since it said it was a >> Windows 11 virus I wasn't too worried. But I was surprised that it was able >> to lock up the Chromebook completely so that I had to reboot it to recover. >> Perhaps Chrome stuff is not really as safe as advertised...

We had something like that in 2019 on my wife's laptop, in which a
full page web page "Your system is infected with 3 viruses" seemed to
have locked up the (Windows 8.1) computer.

My wife's current desktop (HP 23" Envy Touchsmart bought in 2014) is also
using Windows 8 and still works great.

However it turned out that
Ctrl-Alt-Del could still access Task Manager and Task Manager could End
the offending process.

I remember years ago having a Windows browser locked up by a similar scam
but IIRC not the whole machine. I tried everything I could think of on the
Chromebook with no luck. I was frankly (no pun intended) surprised that
Google actually had let me down...

The page had a Microsoft logo and "Windows" in the text, but no
Windows version. It also had 'Scan Now' and 'Press OK to begin the
repair process'. For some strange reason, I never tried those buttons
Of course there was no virus and it wasn't even a get-money/ransomware
thing, more an ads things.

I try to never take chances. I never click the link on suspected scams,
browser or texts etc. Paranoia perhaps...

According to my notes, the main culprit was rackcdn.com.
I found the 'official' term for a thing like this, malvertising.

Hadn't heard that before. Appropriate though.

-Subject change-

Got this new Pixel tablet toy with Android 15. It won't let me sideload my
old Groundhog newsreader so I'm stuck with this PhoNews which is a PITA
when reading. I can't find any other Usenet readers (not downloaders) in
the Play Store. Wonder if anybody knows of any? I'm not sure if I'm ready
for sideloading from outside the store for security reasons but will listen
to all suggestions...

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

AJL <[email protected]> wrote:

On 4/29/25 11:37 AM, Frank Slootweg wrote:

[...]

We had something like that in 2019 on my wife's laptop, in which a
full page web page "Your system is infected with 3 viruses" seemed to
have locked up the (Windows 8.1) computer.

[...]

However it turned out that
Ctrl-Alt-Del could still access Task Manager and Task Manager could End
the offending process.

[...]

The page had a Microsoft logo and "Windows" in the text, but no
Windows version. It also had 'Scan Now' and 'Press OK to begin the
repair process'. For some strange reason, I never tried those buttons
Of course there was no virus and it wasn't even a get-money/ransomware >thing, more an ads things.

I try to never take chances. I never click the link on suspected scams,
browser or texts etc. Paranoia perhaps...

Sorry, that was apparently too tongue in cheek. (Of course) I didn't
try those buttons. I'm Dutch, but I'm not *that* stupid! :-)

[...]

-Subject change-

Got this new Pixel tablet toy with Android 15. It won't let me sideload my
old Groundhog newsreader so I'm stuck with this PhoNews which is a PITA
when reading. I can't find any other Usenet readers (not downloaders) in
the Play Store. Wonder if anybody knows of any? I'm not sure if I'm ready
for sideloading from outside the store for security reasons but will listen
to all suggestions...

Can't you sideload that particular app/APK or can't you sideload at
all?

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 4/30/25 7:43 AM, Frank Slootweg wrote:

AJL <[email protected]> wrote:

Got this new Pixel tablet toy with Android 15. It won't let me sideload my >> old Groundhog newsreader so I'm stuck with this PhoNews which is a PITA
when reading. I can't find any other Usenet readers (not downloaders) in
the Play Store. Wonder if anybody knows of any? I'm not sure if I'm ready >> for sideloading from outside the store for security reasons but will listen >> to all suggestions...

Can't you sideload that particular app/APK or can't you sideload at
all?

When I try to sideload the Groundhog apk it first gives me a virus warning.
When I say go ahead anyway it then says the app won't run on this device. I
guess I wasn't all that surprised since Groundhog stopped transmitting
around Android 9 and this Pixel is running Android 15. In my older toys
(and current Galaxy S10+ phone) I can use Groundhog for reading and just
switch to PhoNews for replies. (PhoNews requires each post read to be
downloaded separately, A 3 to 5 second wait EACH, thus my annoyance.) But
so far as I've said I've been unable to find an Android Groundhog/PhoNews
replacement. Perhaps there's not enough old men left on Usenet to make to
make development worthwhile... 8-O

For anyone contemplating a Pixel tablet I have only 2 complaints. No
headphone hole and no SD slot. Otherwise it works great...

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 4/30/25 2:24 PM, Siard wrote:

On Wed, 30 Apr 2025 16:39 -0000 (UTC), AJL wrote:

When I try to sideload the Groundhog apk it first gives me a virus warning. >> When I say go ahead anyway it then says the app won't run on this device.
I guess I wasn't all that surprised since Groundhog stopped transmitting
around Android 9 and this Pixel is running Android 15.

I managed to sideload Groundhog (and several other old apps) on Android 14, >here's how:
https://liliputing.com/how-to-install-old-apps-on-android-14/

Interesting. I'll have to give it a try. Thanks.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On Wed, 30 Apr 2025 16:39 -0000 (UTC), AJL wrote:

When I try to sideload the Groundhog apk it first gives me a virus warning. When I say go ahead anyway it then says the app won't run on this device.
I guess I wasn't all that surprised since Groundhog stopped transmitting around Android 9 and this Pixel is running Android 15.

I managed to sideload Groundhog (and several other old apps) on Android 14, here's how:
https://liliputing.com/how-to-install-old-apps-on-android-14/

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)