New notification sign

[Bouleversee]

I've just noticed something I haven't seen before: at bottom right of my compputer screen there is a black rectanlge with white horizontal lines on it and in one corner of that a circle with a figure 1 in it. If I hover over it it says 1 new notification. I hesitate to click on it for fear of being hacked, esp. as I received an email yesterday purporting to be from a friend asking if I could do them a favour which I suspected was a scam and indeed it was; friend's computer had been hacked. Glad I didn't respond to that one.
Anyone know anything this notification sign? Who is is likely to be from?

[seagles]

I have a Lenovo ideapad and have a "similar" symbol. I get notifications from apps, email, virus checker etc, clicking on the notifications just opens up a strip on the right side of screen with all the notifications. I can click on them to open the relevant app or clear all notifications if I want to. I also get notifications of appointments and other apps from my "linked" phone, tablet and fitbit.

[pje16]

as I often find, googling leads to a convoluted microsoft page
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/win ... 4fd967c3f1

[Bouleversee]

I have a Lenovo ideapad and have a "similar" symbol. I get notifications from apps, email, virus checker etc, clicking on the notifications just opens up a strip on the right side of screen with all the notifications. I can click on them to open the relevant app or clear all notifications if I want to. I also get notifications of appointments and other apps from my "linked" phone, tablet and fitbit.

So it's safe to click on it.

I also see that they have started to show the price movements of my shares at the bottom of the screen and there are various other symbols I hadn't noticed before, hovering over which produces: Show hidden icons, Meet Now, 90% available (plugged in), Plusnet-QJKM internet access. No idea what all that is about.

[Bouleversee]

as I often find, googling leads to a convoluted microsoft page
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/win ... 4fd967c3f1

That just makes me want to shoot myself.

[pje16]

I always use the option show hidden icons
at a guess you are with Plusnet as your ISP
"Plusnet-QJKM internet access"
Plusnet-QJKM will be the name on the back of your router

[PhaseThree]

I've had this feature on Windows 10 for years - It shows you new notifications from windows.
It's part of the OS and I find it relatively useful. There is certainly no issue with clicking on it.
(not sure why some people are seeing it and others not)

[pje16]

I hate the notfication as we use Netdocs at work and very time I check a file in or out - up it pops
and I already know about that
I have right clicked on it and turned off "show number"

[Bouleversee]

Yes, I'm with Plusnet and I keep getting messages from Avast, who have somehow got installed on my computer, that my internet provider might present some danger, can't remember the actual words. I have so far ignored their invitation to resolve various problems as their notices always appear when I am in a hurry to do something and I wouldn't understand what they were talking about anyway. Microsoft says they haven't detected any threats.

[pje16]

it may be this, if so nothing to worry about
https://community.plus.net/t5/My-Router ... -p/1553442

[chas49]

Show hidden icons - if you click this, it will show the icons for other things which are running in the background. This isn't a bad thing as such - there will always be some things running on your PC.

Meet Now -

"Microsoft’s “Meet Now” feature in Windows 10 appears as an icon in the notification area of the taskbar that includes links to Skype teleconferencing functions. Here’s how to hide or disable the Meet Now icon and notification."

It's basically a way of getting to Skype. If you don't use that. just right-click the "Meet Now" notification, and select Hide. According to a site I found, "This action effectively “disables” Meet Now as well, since the button was merely a set of links to Skype." (https://www.howtogeek.com/704215/how-to ... indows-10/)

90% available (plugged in) - your battery is 90% full and currently plugged in!

Plusnet-QJKM internet access - you're connected to the internet (either by a wire, or wirelessly) - the icon will vary depending on which it us - and you're connected to a router with that name!

Hope that helps a bit...

[Bouleversee]

it may be this, if so nothing to worry about
https://community.plus.net/t5/My-Router ... -p/1553442

Well this led me to the following:

"The text below might uniquely
identify you on the Internet
Your Internet connection's IP address is uniquely associated with the following "machine name":


xxxxxx plus.com

The string of text above is known as your Internet connection's "reverse DNS." The end of the string is probably a domain name related to your ISP. This will be common to all customers of this ISP. But the beginning of the string uniquely identifies your Internet connection. The question is: Is the beginning of the string an "account ID" that is uniquely and permanently tied to you, or is it merely related to your current public IP address and thus subject to change?

The concern is that any web site can easily retrieve this unique "machine name" (just as we have) whenever you visit. It may be used to uniquely identify you on the Internet. In that way it's like a "supercookie" over which you have no control. You can not disable, delete, or change it. Due to the rapid erosion of online privacy, and the diminishing respect for the sanctity of the user, we wanted to make you aware of this possibility. Note also that reverse DNS may disclose your geographic location.

If the machine name shown above is only a version of the IP address, then there is less cause for concern because the name will change as, when, and if your Internet IP changes. But if the machine name is a fixed account ID assigned by your ISP, as is often the case, then it will follow you and not change when your IP address does change. It can be used to persistently identify you as long as you use this ISP.

There is no standard governing the format of these machine names, so this is not something we can automatically determine for you. If several of the numbers from your current IP address (31.125.40.119) appear in the machine name, then it is likely that the name is only related to the IP address and not to you. But you may wish to make a note of the machine name shown above and check back from time to time to see whether the name follows any changes to your IP address, or whether it, instead, follows you.

Just something to keep in mind as you wander the Internet".

The xxxxxx at the beginning is actually the user name I have for my Plusnet account which I didn't want to publish. I don't use it anywhere else so I doubt there is any real danger but since my ignorance when it comes to computers and the internet is pretty profound, I don't really understand it,. I have no idea what they mean by "machine name"

[pje16]

Don't worry about it
it's a lot of geek waffle (I used to be in IT)
It all looks a bit scary but no-one else will know the xxxx bit
mine is pje
I am with Plusnet as well

sleep well tonight

[Bouleversee]

Many thanks, pje. I'm wondering how Avast got their icon onto my computer. I don't recall ever signing up for them. I have Malwarebytes and the Microsoft one so why do I need them interrupting me at frequent intervals?

[pje16]

if you don't need it you could uninstall it
you don't need that AND malwarebytes

[xeny]

AV software tends to see threats everywhere rather like a nervous (pick inoffensive stereotype to suit). It does this to generate enough insecurity in the userbase that they don't remove it, and ideally upgrade to the paid for version.

Every computer on the internet has an address that identifies it, rather as buildings have unique addresses, otherwise desirable network traffic could never got to them, rather as without a postal address you'd lever receive any letters.