[146 PERCENT?] Geekly Update - 02 March 2016

OMG, Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center hacked with Ransomware!!! While I never worked there, I knew many Surg. Techs. that did, way back when. It was/is a good, respected hospital with many, many advances, in my days of working in surgery in California back in the 70's & 80's.

They had an EMI scan, the forerunner of the everyday C-Scan, that is used today! Now, it only scanned the brain, but, the technology was there and within a few years, the C-Scan was born. As with any technology, there is always a beginning and the EMI scan was that starting point.

WHY a hospital???!!! What is wrong with these people? I guess they honestly do NOT care about anybody's life. This is bad, really bad. The fact that they can hack into hospitals, they will continue to do it.

Randsomware is terroristic activities, in my book. Listen I don't like what Ransomware is doing, either - BUT, to hack a hospital??? NO, that is not just computer "fun & games", this is extremely serious. In my mind, they are terrorists.

Indiana’s texting-while-driving law is “useless” because any driver seen fiddling with a phone could be doing any number of perfectly legal things like dialing, navigating, shopping, or reading the news, a federal appeals court ruled.

So it's okay for people to read news and shop while driving. That's about as "smart" as texting while driving.

I was heading home from work one night. A woman in an SUV was doing 30 mph in the passing lane on the freeway. Other drivers passing her were blowing their horns and flashing lights.

She was busy doing things on her tablet or phone she had placed in the middle of her steering wheel, and was totally oblivious to the world around her.

I've seen similar actions with people doing office stuff on laptops while driving as well, which caused accidents and horrific traffic tie ups because they're so busy being selfish that they don't care that they're blocking traffic.

As you can see this one struck a chord! :-)

“'We want it just for this one phone,' the FBI told a California judge in its successful request for an order compelling Apple to create a backdoor in its iOS software. Now it seems there are at least 12 other iPhones the government wants to use that software on."

And, I've read, a Manhattan DA who wants 175 more.

I hope that cute delivery robot doesn't end up like that robot that went safely across Canada and then started in the US until it was broken up (mugged) in Philly about 1 - 1 1/2 years ago.

Why don't they ask the "black hat" guys to unlock that phone in California. Why mess with Apple anyway!

I glanced over this quickly and thought it was a spoof. Then I clicked on some links and found out they are true! Well, that's how one knows that the world is moving faster than one can keep up. I have a question. About half the links I could not connect to--I got the "click" sound and the red and yellow star. That has been happening rather often lately when I've been researching something. Why is that?

EDITOR'S NOTE: Not sure what you mean by red and yellow stars. Does anyone else ever see that?

You can photograph or record video of cops, but at the same time you must tell them why you are doing so, ruled U.S. District Judge Mark Kearney in denying a First Amendment complaint lodged by students who were arrested while documenting the arrest of another student. If you don’t directly and explicitly express your purpose at the time, ruled Kearney, there is no “expression” for the First Amendment to protect.

Thanks Bob. This is good to know, with everyone pulling out cellphones and recording everything.

Regarding the hacking of hospital computer systems, the medical competency and/or prestige of any given institution, whether good or bad, is irrelevant to hackers. Esteemed institutions such as Sloan-Kettering, the Mayo Clinic or St. Jude's Hospital, down to the one's local welfare receiving hospital are all potential victims of Black Hat hackers, who, unfortunately, are looking for personal information such as social security numbers, insurance policy numbers medical and medicine prescription records, etc., that would be of use to them. It should go without saying that all institutions, public and private, dealing with personal information of clients or patients, should institute the highest and most current software encryptions available.

As to drivers texting while driving, I have a hard time believing that of all the drivers on the road at that time, not one driver (if not more) was unable to take the initiative to notify the local police about the unsafe driving of such a dimwit. Most cars built within the past eight or so years have some sort of built-in system similar to Ford's "Sync" system, that allows a driver to link their phone into the car's telematics, and, with a press of a button on the steering wheel, and a voice command, call into the 911 emergency service. If more drivers cared to report such activities, we would have less and less of these types of situations on the roads.

"U.S. District Judge Mark Kearney...denying a First Amendment complaint lodged by students"

The Ministry for State Security has spoken-Ministerium für Staatssicherheit,!!!!

Sieg Heil!!

Thanks again, Bob R.: another selection of enlightening gems, and contoversial anomalies.
I'd like to comment firstly on texting whilst driving...
Here in the UK, ANY use of a mobile (English for cell) 'phone, whilst driving is contrary to British road law. A driver will be prosecuted for "not being in proper control of a vehicle". This catch-all offence can equally be applied to eating an apple or sandwich; drinking a cola; or applying make-up.
Drivers' mobiles have frequently been shown to be in use at the time of a serious injury collision.
The USA, especially Indiana, road laws in this area patently lag behind all countries of Europe: drivers should be held accountable for the "due diligence" necessary at ALL TIMES to drive safely!
Secondly, on hacking in-car computers...
I'm not surprised that someone's found a way to hack an in-car system; although Nissan seem to have held the door open for them! But no-one seems too bothered that; where ANY computers are concerned; there will always be back doors for hackers to find, and also the inevitable albeit occasional "blank-screen" failure.
My questions have always been "Who will be held accountable?" and "How can the cause of any failure be proved?"; when in-car computer "glitches" cause multiple deaths and the maiming of innocents....
Surely the cars' manufacturers cannot be relied upon to investigate such failures themselves: their vested interest would make such involvement inevitably prejudiced.
When my Hyundai's anti-lock brakes system "computer" failed; there was (and still is) no independent body to test that computer in the UK at a reasonable cost.
How can we feel safe; passing over the control of our cars' speed and direction to hackable computers; all of which are also inherently fallible?
Why are there no manufacturers' plans for manual over-rides to allow us to take back control of such potential death-traps?

"Robots are losing their jobs to people for a change, as Mercedes brings assembly workers back to handle the complex customizations of its luxury vehicles."

GO, HUMANS! It is about time, now robot's goals of taking over the World is slowed.

P.S. Bob, I want my money back, I only got 145% smarter. Please, no Bitcoins.

I believe Jillian S. is referring to the little red and yellow "POW" symbol (I call it that because it reminds me of a Lichtenstein painting)that appears when you left click on a link and it is disabled due to a pop-up blocker. You then have to right click and use "open" from the menu.

No need for an independent body - you can test anti-lock brakes with your right foot. While driving on a clear stretch of road, press hard on the brake pedal. If the brakes pulse rapidly, the anti-lock is working. If they do not pulse, it is not.

Hi Bob. ALways interesting. Thanks for your continuing efforts to educate us all. Just want to say though that I particularly enjoyed your sidebar. I am just hoping that I fall above and not below the average. ;-)

Thanks for all the fun!

@Robert A -- Thank you for pointing out what these hackers are trying to do. Yes, all hospitals can be hacked with Ransomware. I just happen to know Hollywood Pres. from personal experience & was shocked. I think this is a good wake-up call, for all hospitals. You are spot on that a good encryption is the answer.

In reading your comment, I thought of several different ways these hackers can do damage. A large segment of the equipment in the hospitals are computerized & connected to the main computer. I think, this is why Hollywood Pres put their patients in other hospitals in the area.

All of the computers in the ICU & CCU are in connected to the main computer storage. The ability to mess with these computers is possible & that can have devastating outcomes. This applies to ALL hospitals!!!

I think I got dummer.

Bob,
"The perennially renewed federal ban on taxing of Internet services has been made permanent by an executive order issued by President Obama. That’s one less thing for Congress to fight about every year. "

Obama DID NOT sign an executive order. He can't. He signed a bill into law.
Let's keep it accurate. Please

BTW, Happy Birthday !!!