Geekly Update - 22 July 2021
Did NASA just prove that the North Pole got fried by the 'ring of fire' eclipse last month? Can Google predict which subway train will be the least crowded on any given Friday morning? And why are large corporations censoring themselves to placate the Chinese Communist Party? 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
18-year-old Shane Sonderman was part of an online harassment group known for "swatting" victims (sending fraudulent distress calls to police). One victim was a 60-year-old grandfather who had refused to give up his @Tennessee twitter handle to the miscreants. The man died of a heart attack when police were maliciously summoned his home. Sonderman was sentenced to 60 months in prison.
Kodak apologized to the Chinese government, after posting pictures on Instagram that highlight the plight of Uyghur Muslims detained in Chinese “re-education camps”. A rep for the Chinese Network of Human Rights Defenders says, "This is just another pathetic example of how companies are willing to censor themselves, even with an ongoing cultural genocide, just to maintain access to the Chinese market."
Google Maps has been updated with some goodies for those using public transportation. You can see if your bus will be late, and how long the delay will be, or view “crowdedness predictions” that estimate how crowded your bus, train or subway is likely to be based on past rides.
News broke this week about Pegasus, a “government-grade spyware” being used to target journalists, activists, and political figures. Here’s how to check your phone for Pegasus spyware.
NASA shared a picture of the moon casting a shadow on the Earth during the June eclipse. The fuzzy brown spot covering the Arctic region made it look like the "ring of fire" eclipse had scorched the North Pole.
Mercedes-Benz says they will transition to all-electric by 2030. Sort of. They’ll still sell gas-powered cars in places where there’s not enough consumer demand for electric vehicles.
Tesla launches its Full Self-Driving subscription package for $199 per month. But there’s still a good chance you could get t-boned at a busy intersection.
If you wandered into a dark corner of the Web, or stumbled into some NSFW content, you may want to delete your digital tracks. Google has introduced a new quick delete option to delete the last 15 minutes of your Search history.
A team of researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has developed a way to neutralize viruses with nano-capsules formed using the “DNA origami” method. The strategy has been tested against some viruses in cell cultures, and may prove successful against coronaviruses.
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 22 Jul 2021
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Most recent comments on "Geekly Update - 22 July 2021"
Posted by:
Jay R
22 Jul 2021
When I began reading your last paragraph, I initially thot that you were talking about malware. CoVid didn't enter my mind until I saw it in print.
Posted by:
Ken H
22 Jul 2021
Seriously? "Tesla launches its Full Self-Driving subscription package, but there’s still a good chance you could get t-boned at a busy intersection." Not what I saw in the video. Even so, "a good chance?" It's still in Beta and you surely know that means "not ready for prime time,"
"keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road" as Elon told everyone.
Posted by:
David
22 Jul 2021
Ah, would that COVID would never be mentioned again. Alas, that is surely out of the realm of possibility.
Posted by:
Brian B
22 Jul 2021
In my view, a self driving car will have no steering wheel, pedals or levers. As long as they do, they're a lawyer's wet dream. The car should be able to drive itself with no intervention from a human, either possible or needed. In the event of one of these cars being responsible for a collision, involving injury or death, who is liable, Mr Musk, the person responsible for the roadside triggers, or the poor schmuck who paid a fortune for the privilege of taking part in an expensive legal marathon?
Posted by:
Brian B
23 Jul 2021
Bob, just a little expansion on you Pegasus warning. This malware was initially downloaded through clicking on a malicious link in SMS messages etc. which we all know not to do. Now they are downloaded without any action from the user, via a zero day attack. Whitelisting, like PC Matic gives 100% protection against Pegasus, and any or all others similar.
Posted by:
Ed S
23 Jul 2021
Not to rant here but I have yet to see any valid logical reason for having a self driving car. An accident looking for a place and time to happen. As was mentioned, a lawyers wet dream. There have already been accidents involving this foolishness. But when money is to be made, safety and logic goes out the window and the people that buy into this stupidity should have to sign a waver to not sue "when" not "if" but "when" something goes wrong which has already happened and will continue to. IMHO Stupidity on steroids! but $$$$$$$$$ decides doesn't it!
Posted by:
RandiO
06 Aug 2021
I liked the Chinese media comment about online games better: "Opium for the Mind" was the (later) retracted statement this week.
ONLY 3% of Americans do NOT own mobile phones and probably could care less what google does w/our data, or that the chinese government is now said to have a dossier for every American. 🤦♂️