Geekly Update - 15 April 2021

The AskBobRankin Geekly Update

Recently I was trying to find an address with Google Street View, and I noticed that the house was blurred out. A bit of research informed me that the homeowner had done this on purpose, and you can too! Here’s how to hide your home from Google Street View.

On a related note, Google Maps has added several new features. Eco-friendly routes help you find the most fuel-efficient (but not necessarily the fastest) route. Indoor AR-based navigation will keep you from getting lost in the mall, and the weather layer will show live and forecasted weather on the map.

The FBI is “unhacking” compromised Microsoft Exchange email servers, remotely removing "malicious web shells" that can allow unauthorized access to emails and networks. The FBI obtained a search warrant to access hundreds of compromised servers and pre-emptively removed the malicious code when the owners “appeared unable to do so.”

The Aska is a flying car that can drive on conventional roads to and from takeoff and landing sites. It has folding wings that open into a 50-foot wingspan, 150mph top speed, a 250-mile range, and if you put down a $5,000 deposit now, you might get one in 2026 (if you pay the balance due of $784,000).

The Federal Communications Commission wants you to try their speed test app to help them measure internet speeds across the country, and collect more accurate broadband speed information. The FCC Speed Test App is available on both Android and iOS.

Security researcher Brian Krebs asks: Are you one of the 533 million people who got Facebooked? Hackers leaked personal data for over 500 million Facebook users this week. Facebook considers the scraped data “old” – meaning it was collected way back in 2019. But Krebs says the data could make those affected vulnerable to a SIM-swapping attack.

Researchers at RMIT University in Melbourne Australia are working on the development of transparent electronics. They say the devices could be integrated into glass displays and (uh oh) smart contact lenses.

For almost a week, a massive container ship called the Ever Given blocked the Suez Canal, preventing travel through one of the world's busiest shipping corridors. Popular Mechanics explains how it happened, and how they eventually got the 1312-foot ship unstuck.

That shiny new smartphone could cost you over $1000, and according to ZDNet, may not be your smartest option. “With little compromise,” Matthew Miller says, “a few select older models can save you hundreds while offering nearly the same experience as the latest and greatest.” Check out these flagship phones from a year or two ago, and you’ll save a bundle.

Who doesn’t have an old Samsung Galaxy phone in their junk drawer? Samsung Electronics has announced plans to repurpose those old Galaxy smartphones to help provide eye exams in underserved communities. The used smartphones are attached to handheld fundus cameras, thus creating "eye-phones" (don't tell Apple) which can take images of the rear of an eye, to help assess eye health.

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