Audio Adventures in Bluetooth

Bluetooth is crazy making.  But in this case it's just a red herring.  If you are experiencing audio issues with bluetooth, you might want to read on.  I uncovered a logic that's probably bugged a lot of folks. 

If your computer has multiple audio in and out plugs, this may be the source of audio issues.  The fix is simple.  Here's my write up.

Background For My Fellow Geeks -> First Clue: ATAPI 

Realtek Digital showed I had an "ATAPI Internal Jack.  As you already know, TAPI (Telephony Application Programming Interface) started out in the dinosaur age as modem in part to handle audio transmission.  So I searched for "ATAPI" and found this thread.  It pointed to a video.   It's amusing to watch -- rather like a silent movie when your audio is out....  ;->

Audio In and Out Multiple Jacks

To cut to the chase, my Dell workstation has both front and back audio plug-ins.  That's right, two microphone inputs and two speaker plugs.  Obviously this makes it easy for you to plug in your headset from the front.  But it can make it tricky for the 'puter to handle multiple audio channels.

Audio Gets Lost

Intuitively I gather the routing of the audio gets lost.  So the drivers aren't designed to easily thread multiple inputs/outputs.  In addition, defaults are set to give every device exclusive control which just exacerbates the situation.

Fix Part 1 -- Trick Basic Audio Settings

The trick is to go to the Sounds in the Control Panel.  Go to each device listed - both the playback and recording.  Check to see if the settings has been check marked to give exclusive control and uncheck this on each device.  In addition, disable each device.  Next go back to each device and the enable each and every one.  No reboot required.

Part 2 -- Automatic Bluetooth Audio

It gets easier, way easier.  I thought I was still a few steps from my goal to enable audio on my Bluetooth headset.  But after I went through Part 1, it was all downhill.  As the headset was already paired, all I had to do was watch as the computer automatically updated with a couple of drivers.  One was IVT Virtual, which now shows under BROADCOM Bluetooth Device as version 6.2.49.124.  The other is Bluetooth SCO Audio version 6.1.34.104 from IVT Corporation.

Testing

Skype is very handy to confirm both the microphone and speaker side works with my Motorola H690 bluetooth headset. Just run the Skype test call.


Confirm New Settings

FWEIW: Device Manager confirms the following sound, video and game controllers are working:

    Bluetooth SCO Audio
    Intel(R) High Definition Audio HDMI
    Plantronics Calisto Pro Series
    Realtek High Definition Audio
    Unimodem Half-Duplex Audio Device
    USB Audio DAC
 
Perhaps Realtek Digital Output is totally in control since it is set as default.  Realtek Digital Output shows driver v6.0.1.5678.

Wish me luck, I'm going to log out and reboot..... 

Alert: Mac Genius': "The password for your Apple ID has been successfully reset"

I adore my Mac colleagues, most of all for their idealism and immense pride in seeing Mac stock jump to the highest market capitalization ever.  Just how much more acknowledgment do you need to confirm you are a genius? 

Even those with a Einstein level IQ can be fooled.  Here's a good one for you:

What comes to you Inbox, knows your personalized e-mail address, and has already protected you from fraudulent activity on your account.  Apple of course....

Uhhhh, not.....

But, hey if your credit card company quickly alerts you to a fraudster, Apple is primed to, too. Right?  

Not so fast cowboy.  Even if the skies are not cloudy all day, think about it.  Why not pull the trigger and click?  You may have been targeted by very clever phisher for presumably the most important detail of your system, your Apple ID.

Here's the header regarding the subject line: "password for your Apple ID  has been successfully reset".  (Note: I have disguised my info for obvious reasons.) 

Return-path:
Envelope-to: vm****@*****t
Delivery-date: Wed, 22 Aug 2012 13:05:25 -0400
Received: from impinc01.yourhosting****nt.com ([10.1.**.101] helo=impinc01.yourhosting****nt.com)
    by mailscan10.yourhosting****nt.com with esmtp (Exim)
    id 1T4EMu-0005fm-Q0
    for vm****l@*****.com; Wed, 22 Aug 2012 13:05:24 -0400
Received: from ltv.pl.159.230.91.in-addr.arpa ([91.230.159.76])
    by impinc01.yourhosting****nt.com with NO UCE
    id pt5M1j06q1fBcZX02t5M76; Wed, 22 Aug 2012 13:05:22 -0400
X-EN-OrigIP: 91.230.159.76
X-EN-IMPSID: pt5M1j06q1fBcZX02t5M76
Received: from  (192.168.1.143) by id.apple.com (91.230.159.124) with Microsoft SMTP Server id 8.0.685.24; Wed, 22 Aug 2012 18:05:20 +0100
Message-ID: <50350900 .202090=".202090" id.apple.com="id.apple.com">
Date: Wed, 22 Aug 2012 18:05:20 +0100
From: "Apple"
User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9.2.12) Gecko/20101103 Thunderbird/3.1.6
MIME-Version: 1.0
To:
Content-Type: multipart/alternative;
 boundary="------------08010700703020309060203"
Subject: [Norton AntiSpam]Your Apple ID password has been reset
X-Bl-Tracker: AAAABBfMaf8XCVhYG7N+3BuzesE=

To learn more, click on the image to view a screen shot of today's e-mail - Don't worry, the view is disinfected.  The malicious sites have been highlighted.  Just don't even think about going to those sites.  Otherwise you might pick up any kind of malware, a key logger would be worst case scenario, to stealthy attack your system. 

Subject "password for your Apple ID  has been successfully reset"

And get used to it big boys and girls, now that Apple has achieved capitalistic immortality it's become a target for all of the wanna-be hackers looking for a quick hit and run.

Now go out an buy some Apple stock and make me w wealthy woman.  Just kidding....  Perhaps Google might be a better play....

Urgent Alert: Phisher Targets ADP subscribers

Fortunately for me Norton Internet Security 2012 trapped three e-mails this morning.   Each was supposedly sent from ADP.  But they got sent immediately into Junk/Spam folder.  Nice catch Norton....

The reason I'm writing about this is to make sure other folks know about nasty phishing scheme by e-scammers.  

Recent trends have shown phishers are now targeting narrower segments of users by referencing small institutions in their e-mail.  Like today's email, you may find a very legit e-mail address.  

I'm not the only one that got targeted today Scam Expert on Blogspot.com.  Actually his e-mail was even more aggressive since it was requesting a transfer of funds immediately to cover the payroll account.  Naturally the aim was to get a wire of large funds from the unsuspected recipient into the scammers' offshore account.
 
The trick is to not click on the malicious links they embed in the email.

This is what you might see in your InBox - Notice the links are not exposed; read on below to see what's under the hood of this vehicular scam and run. 

Here's the raw text with the links in red (altered slightly so that you won't accidentally click from here) :

 


ADP Security Management Update

Reference ID:  70345



Dear ADP Client                                                                                                   June 2012

     

This message is to inform you of the upcoming ?Phase 2? enhancement to ADP Security Management (formally ADP Netsecure).  This is where you manage your users? access to ADP?s Internet services, and includes the self-service registration process. 

 Effective June 9th, ADP Security Management will reflect a new user interface.  This will include tasks such as Account Maintenance, User Maintenance, and Company Maintenance within Security Management. 


Please review the following information:

?         Click here   to view more details of the enhancements in Phase 2

?         Complete the What?s New in Security Management Service here <messenia.com/100mbY7P20E/index.html>  (Expected to take about 15 minutes)

?         View the Supported Browsers and Operating Systems, listed here . These are updated to reflect more current versions to ensure proper presentation of the updated user interface.  It is important to note that the new ADP Security Management is best accessed using Microsoft Internet Explorer Version 8 or Mozilla Firefox Version 3.6, at minimum.

 This email was sent to active users in your company that access ADP Netsecure with a security role of ?security master? or ?security admin?.  You may have other users that also access ADP Netsecure with other security roles.  Please inform those users of these enhancements, noting that the above resources will have some functionality that does not apply to their role.


As always, thank you for choosing ADP as your business partner! If you have any questions, please contact your ADP Technical Support organization.

Ref: 0609 MSAMALONIS1@TWNSHP

 

[This message and any attachments are intended only for the use of  the addressee and may contain information that is privileged and confidential. If the reader of the message is not the intended recipient or an authorized representative of the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, notify the sender immediately by return email and delete the message and any attachments from your system.]

 

Cherry Hill Township provides a secure environment for all information concerning our residents and all other business concerns. The information contained in this email is intended only for the individual(s) addressed in the message and may contain privileged and/or confidential information that is exempt from disclosure under applicable law.

Cherry Hill Township provides a secure environment for all information concerning our residents and all other business concerns. The information contained in this email is intended only for the individual(s) addressed in this message and may contain privileged and/or confidential information that is exempt from disclosure under applicable law.

In examining the e-mail meta data I discovered each of the three came from three separate IP addresss.   In case you want to view a little of this meta data, here's an edited example.   (Edited to remove identifiers particular to my accounts and services)

 Return-path:
Envelope-to: my email address
Delivery-date: Thu, 28 Jun 2012 13:30:02 -0400
Received: from impinc01.yourhostingaccount.com ([10.x.xxx.xxx] helo=impinc01.yourhostingaccount.com)
    by mailscan21.yourhostingaccount.com with esmtp (Exim)
    id 1SkIXa-0006Df-3o
    for my email address; Thu, 28 Jun 2012 13:30:02 -0400
Received: from 187-13-8-252.user.veloxzone.com.br ([177.47.134.243])
    by impinc01.yourhostingaccount.com with NO UCE
    id TtU11j02n5FF4s102tU2un; Thu, 28 Jun 2012 13:28:04 -0400
X-EN-OrigIP: 177.47.134.243
X-EN-IMPSID: TtU11j02n5FF4s102tU2un
Received: from [93.182.156.28] (account ADP_FSA_Services@ADP.com HELO ivsaqu.gitjhp.com)
    by 187-13-8-252.user.veloxzone.com.br (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 5.2.3)
    with ESMTPA id 303803475 for vmarechal@marshallassocs.com; Thu, 28 Jun 2012 14:29:58 -0300
Date:    Thu, 28 Jun 2012 14:29:58 -0300
From:    "ADPClientServices@adp.com"
X-Mailer: The Bat! (v3.5.30) Educational
X-Priority: 3 (Normal)
Message-ID: <9965831373.C5Z7AFUK487211@bmqtgofohjkyro.akufuqowzpxyz.biz>
To:
Subject: [Norton AntiSpam]ADP Security Management Update
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: multipart/alternative;
  boundary="----------2871472B85EFCC7"

My conclusion: these bad guys have assembled a 'bot' network of typically unsuspected "white hat" locations to elude immediate exposure.  


Basically, besides being skeptical, you protect yourself by keeping your anti-virus and your operating system up to date.