Geekly Update - 20 January 2016
Could using antivirus software actually make your computer LESS secure? What's that mysterious blue light emanating from the room down the hall? And will auto-pilot for planes and cars create a world where nobody remembers how to fly or drive? Get answers to these burning questions, and the scoop on the latest tech news, in this edition of the Geekly Update. It's guaranteed to make you 146% smarter. Read, think and comment! |
The AskBobRankin Geekly Update
To entice security researchers to find and report bugs in its software, GM has launched a “bug bounty program” -- minus the bounty. So far, the only reward is GM’s promise not to sue researchers who reverse-engineer its code. (Ok, then… how about a ransom instead?)
The blue light emitted by phones, tablets, and computer monitors is causing most of the “digital eyestrain” reported by 73% of young adults, and even 53% of Americans age 60+. Less screen time is recommended, along with orange-tinted glasses that filter blue light.
The next version of Apple iOS 9 will include “Night Shift”, a feature that reduces blue light emitted by device screen at night to reduce eyestrain and insomnia. Windows users have long had the free software, f.lux, to do the same thing. Oh, and there’s always the power button.
Oxy-Morons! The teenager who hacked CIA director John Brennan’s AOL email is back. This time, he hacked the Verizon account of James Clapper, Director of National Intelligence, and forwarded Clapper’s home phone number to the Free Palestine Movement.
A flaw in Trend Micro’s antivirus software could have allowed hackers to steal passwords. But it was quickly patched by Trend Micro after its discovery by Google researcher Travis Ormandy, who recently excoriated AVG for crippling the Chrome browser’s security.
Ford Motor Co. is exploring ways in which wearable computing devices and in-car digital systems can make driving safer. For example, your smartwatch might alert your car that you’re too tired to continue driving.
Amazon Prime members now receive 20% off the price of new video games delivered on physical media. “New” means during the pre-order period and for two weeks after a game’s release. Orders placed on a game’s release date get free delivery, too.
The FBI seized a child p*rn website and moved it to government servers, continuing to operate it as part of sting operation that logged the IP addresses of 1,300 visitors to the site. Defense attorneys for Jay Michaud, a Vancouver teacher arrested in July 2015, argue that the FBI’s “outrageous conduct” should be punished by dismissing their client’s charges.
The FAA is concerned that automation of airline flights is causing pilots to forget how to fly manually in emergencies. The same concern may arise with self-driving cars.
If that's not bad enough, now it seems that some cars WITH drivers are getting jealous of those driverless cars. A man in Los Angeles recorded video of a Honda Accord that mysteriously started doing donuts in reverse, while the driver tried to get it back under control.
Ever seen a hipster juggling a fat smartphone and an oversized e-cigarette? Someone did, and thus was born the smartphone case with built-in e-cig.
Yahoo has a released a 13.5 TB database of anonymized user interactions with Yahoo’s various services, hoping the academic community will find something in all that data that people like about Yahoo.
Your thoughts on these topics are welcome. Post your comment or question below...
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This article was posted by Bob Rankin on 20 Jan 2016
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Article information: AskBobRankin -- Geekly Update - 20 January 2016 (Posted: 20 Jan 2016)
Source: https://askbobrankin.com/geekly_update_20_january_2016.html
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Most recent comments on "Geekly Update - 20 January 2016"
Posted by:
Michael Hall
20 Jan 2016
I've had trouble with yahoo ever since I got my first smartphone, trying to sink yahoo from my computer to smartphone, every time I go to log in on my smartphone I need to change my password, yahoo can't tell me what my password is,but if I use it as a new password, they reject it because it's an old password, even if I just added it hours before, one day I had to change the yahoo mail password 3 times!!!
I don't know if they changed anything as lately I haven't had to do anything but sign in.....
Posted by:
Jay R
20 Jan 2016
Is there a reason we should try and sink Yahoo? They seem to be doing a fine job by themselves. I don't think they they need assistance.
Posted by:
onedeafeye
20 Jan 2016
And for Linux users who would like f.lux or Night Shift, there's Redshift.
I installed it to try it out almost a year ago, and still have it and use it. I was skeptical, but no longer...
Posted by:
David Guillaume
20 Jan 2016
Thanks Bob for yet another great series of articles, I award you eleven chuckles out of ten for to-days news letter
David Guillaume
Posted by:
Doug Sawyer
20 Jan 2016
Yeah I hate yahoo had geocities many years ago and had same problems with passwords and google is better anyways for searching seems yahoo is mostly for the new user that is computer illiterate.
As for the eyestrain on my phone I use Dimly you can use a blue light filter and also dim the screen in many case darker than your normal settings
Posted by:
eb
21 Jan 2016
Bob. I just downloaded https://justgetflux.com/ and it made a wonderful difference in my screen color, much more restful.
I thank you and my old eyes thank you.
Posted by:
MmeMoxie
21 Jan 2016
You gotta just "love" the attorneys for pedophiles!!! Going to a Child P**n site, usually several times or a lot of times, means you are a pedophile, period. Accidently, going to a Child P**n site, whole different ballgame!
Bottom line, the FBI is not using "entrapment" on the Child P**n website. This is a real website, that has been up for awhile and the pedophiles need to be caught. Once a pedophile, always a pedophile - Contrary to the stupid Left Psychiatrists and Psychologists, as well as our stupid Judges, who only "slap their hands."
I have my own personal reasons, for hating pedophiles.
Posted by:
Phil
21 Jan 2016
f.lux is also available for the Mac.
Posted by:
Jay, Texas
21 Jan 2016
The information on blue light brings to mind some questions:
If blue light is so bad for your eyes is there a color of light that is good for your eyes?
If there is not a color that is good for your eyes which color is least bad for your eyes?
As I run through the colors of the spectrum in my mind, I find that even though blue is bad for my eyes for me it is more restful than any other color, certain shades of green come close, but I prefer blue. You seem to prefer blue as well since a shade of it is the background for these comments and another shade of it is the background along the margins when my browser window is wider than your web page. That brings me to one final question: Now that you know how bad for the eyes blue is, are you going to change the colors on your web pages?