Geekly Update - 10 May 2017
Have you applied this week's batch of Microsoft fixes for 55 vulnerabilities in Windows? One of the bugs could allow hackers to remotely control your computer. Can you get in trouble just for clicking the Like button on your favorite social media site? And why does Facebook have 7,500 'content monitors' on their Community Operations team? Oh, and Banana Phone, anyone? Get answers in today's Geekly Update -- it's jam-packed with the latest tech news. This issue is guaranteed to make you 146% smarter -- you'll see why. Read, think, and, comment! |
The AskBobRankin Geekly Update
China announced new rules for online news publishers and aggregators. Reading this, you’d think they’d never heard of the First Amendment over there.
School kids have to be careful what they do on social media, even outside of school. 7th-grader Zachary Bowlin was suspended after he "liked" an Instagram photo of a Airsoft gun. School officials felt that his action posed a potential threat to student safety.
Carter Wilkerson just got a year's supply of free chicken nuggets from Wendy's, and broke the Guinness World Record for the most retweeted message on Twitter. The restaurant chain challenged him to get 18 million retweets as part of a campaign to raise funds for the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.
Facebook is hiring 3,000 new “content monitors” to review images, videos, and posts that their users report as objectionable. They will join the 4,500 existing employees on Facebook's community operations team. The hope is that they can quickly act to take down stuff posted when someone "live streams" a horrific act like the Robert Goodwin murder.
The last Patch Tuesday, May 9, saw Microsoft release fixes for 55 vulnerabilities, 15 of them “critical.” So if you haven’t updated Windows this week, get busy.
Here's an actual profile of a guy on dating app Tinder: "I perform well under pressure. I like to eat grass and chill in the mud. No problems. 6 ft tall and 5,000 pounds if it matters." But this "guy" is actually "Sudan," the world's last white northern rhino, who lives in Kenya and needs a mate.
Uber is facing a criminal investigation of how the company used its “Grayball” software to identify and evade local authorities who tried to learn if Uber operated illegally in their cities.
"Ring, ring, ring, ring, ring!" Children of the 90s can now pre-order a real, functional Banana Phone. That means you can bet $40 that some guys you’ve never heard of will deliver a product that no one knows they want.
The last time HBO’s John Oliver went off on Net Neutrality, we got Net Neutrality. Nows that FCC Chairman Ajit Pai wants to take it away, Oliver is going off again, hilariously.
Amazon’s new $229 Echo Show is bigger than ever before, including a larger speaker and a touchscreen for commands you don’t want to talk about.
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This article was posted by Bob Rankin on 10 May 2017
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Article information: AskBobRankin -- Geekly Update - 10 May 2017 (Posted: 10 May 2017)
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Most recent comments on "Geekly Update - 10 May 2017"
Posted by:
Glen Cowgill
10 May 2017
There is a Google Ad covering 3/4 of your article which I can find no way of getting rid of it. Help
Posted by:
Glen Cowgill
10 May 2017
Ad is now gone, Google replaced it with another ad which gave me the delete box.
Posted by:
Sharon Fleming
10 May 2017
Well....do we or do we NOT apply the update? I'm confused. I thought you first said NOT....now I'm not so sure.
Sorry!
Posted by:
Jack Anderson
10 May 2017
Purchased the IDrive One that you were offering @ a steal price. Wasted my money. Doesn't work. Went on Chat with them no luck there. Sent email to them 1 week ago and no response.
Won't respond to any future "bargains" here.
Posted by:
TKinNewville
10 May 2017
BANANA PHONE - YES! I NEVER look at sites that offer experimental/gofundme/indiegogo stuff, but I LOVED the Banana Phone song, as did my kids. I ordered three and hope that they come through. Thanks for sharing this major technological breakthrough! I always learn something new from the Geekly Update. Thanks, Bob!
Posted by:
onedeafeye
10 May 2017
The link in the Uber article results in Page Not Found on my computer. It seems to be a typo - the link has the url duplicated back-to-back.
Posted by:
Walter
10 May 2017
Here is the Uber article link:http://www.reuters.com/article/us-uber-tech-crime-idUSKBN1812F7
Posted by:
Terry Hollett
10 May 2017
This is the link for the Uber story: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-uber-tech-crime-exclusive-idUSKBN1802U1
Posted by:
bill
10 May 2017
Same here - Uber article is not found.
Try this one http://www.motortrend.com/news/uber-greyball-software-now-subject-criminal-investigation/
Uber has also been accused of other scams.
Adding fake cars on the user display to make it look like a ride is closer than it is.
Using three different map routes: Long for calculating the customer charge, real for driving instructions to the driver, and short for paying the driver.
Posted by:
Lucy
10 May 2017
Jack Anderson...... call your credit card company, many offer a warranty that your purchases will work. Or they may offer to help you get a refund from iDrive for the defective item.
Also, make sure you cancel on the iDrive website the automatic annual re-up of the "cloud service" you may not realize you have signed up for.
Posted by:
Lucy
10 May 2017
Glen Cowgill ... Try an ad blocker to block ads on websites.
AdBlock Plus is a free and effective option.
If you wish you can use the link above the posts on any page to buy Bob a Snickers bar to make up for not seeing the ads that help pay for the costs of providing this excellent info for us.
Posted by:
Dave Fox
11 May 2017
Gotta have one of those bannana phones !
Posted by:
David Baker
11 May 2017
Please comment on TVFrog. Is this a scam?
Posted by:
RandiO
11 May 2017
Thank you for the heads-up on the new threats to the Net Neutrality law by the new regime.
All your readers SHOULD go and "express" their displeasure with this new attempt to revoke this law (under FCC Docket 17-108: Restoring Internet Freedom). website shortcut is gofccyourself.com
Posted by:
PgmrDude
11 May 2017
School Kids & Social Media: That's just wrong. Multiple posts/likes, etc., maybe, if they are actually EXCESSIVE, but a SINGLE incident simply shows interest, not obsession.
Uber: Ha Ha Ha. Go Uber! Using "illegal?" software to "identify and evade local authorities" trying to determine if Uber is OPERATING illegal. Too funny for words. Yes, I realize that this is WRONG, but it IS funny.
John Oliver: Typo, "NOWS that FCC Chairman...", should be "NOW that FCC Chairman...".
Thanks, Bob, for another great article!
Posted by:
tom-tom
13 May 2017
Bob, better be careful... Facebook 'cops' might come after you! [Just kidding (of course)]