Geekly Update - 26 October 2017

The AskBobRankin Geekly Update

Einstein is best known for his work on the theory of relativity. But have you heard about Einstein's Theory of Happiness? The famed scientist was staying at a hotel in 1922, and had no money to tip the bellboy. So he scribbled some sage advice on a scrap of paper and handed it to the servant. Ninety-five years later, that paper sold at auction for $1.56 million.

Tesla is distributing its high-performance batteries and solar panels to Puerto Rico hurricane victims. About one-third of the island is still without grid power.

Hate the gas pumps that blast video commercials while you’re filling your tank? Here’s a simple hack that will let you pump in peace.

In Australia’s rugged outback, one restaurant is testing Google’s drone delivery system. The drone can reach remote customers at speeds up to 75 mph. Drone delivery of food and medicine to disaster areas is another application.

It’s high time to get serious about cybersecurity from the consumer to the corporate IT office, according to a rather scary editorial by Gerhard Eschelbeck is the vice president of privacy and security at Google.

The FAA is proposing a worldwide ban on laptops in checked luggage, citing concerns about batteries exploding in combination with dry shampoo aerosol cans. The United Nations will take up the proposal. (Or, they could ban dry shampoo aerosol cans.)

The New York Police Dept. claims that its database of assets seized from citizens not charged with any crimes is too fragile to tinker with, so the department can’t even tell lawmakers how much money it has seized under civil asset forfeiture laws. Data experts say that’s nonsense.

Using Bitcoin to buy a sandwich could cause headaches at tax time. The IRS has ruled that cryptocurrency transactions must be treated like stock trades. You have calculate your capital gain or loss on every single transaction.

See if you agree with Time Magazine’s selection of the 15 Most Influential Web Sites of All Time.

The latest ransomware outbreak is hitting organizations from Eastern Europe to South Korea. “Bad Rabbit” ransomware spreads via fake Flash update notifications. If you see such a notice, don’t click on it.

Amazon is offering secure in-home delivery to Prime members. The $249 system includes a smart lock and video camera. When a delivery person is verified, the lock opens to allow the package to be placed inside. Video of each delivery can be viewed live or from a recording.

Researchers are exploring how to make a password using your watch, shoes, or old household junk and your phone’s camera. Beats “123456.”

Farmers are using smart lasers to scare birds away from crops without frying the cute little pests.

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