Geekly Update - 27 Sep 2017

The AskBobRankin Geekly Update

The U.S. Navy has found a money-saving alternative to the $38,000 periscope control joystick first proposed for its new Virginia-class submarines. It seems $30 Xbox controllers work just as well. (And the sailors will intuitively know how to use them.)

LifeLock is offering to protect your identity in the wake of the Equifax data breach - using services provided by (drumroll, please) Equifax. And charging up to $29.95 per month.

And oh yeah, there was another big breach, exposing millions of credit and debit cards. KrebsOnSecurity reports that fast food chain Sonic Drive-In has admitted that their payment systems were hacked, and there's evidence that the stolen card information is being actively sold in online black markets. If you've recently feasted on a SuperSONIC Bacon Double Cheeseburger, check your credit card statement for fraudulent charges.

T-mobile has increased its data cap on “unlimited” plans from 32 GB to 50 GB per month. Verizon and AT&T remain at 22 GB, and Sprint provides 23.

Has-been singer B.o.B (no relation) is trying to raise one million dollars via GoFundMe to prove that the Earth is flat. What he's proved so far is that there are at least 97 stupid people on the Internet.

How do you say "Where is the bathroom?" in Chinese? You could ask Google Translate, but it might be easier to rent a dedicated device that can listen to spoken phrases in one language, and repeat them in another. Chinese search company Baidu is planning to offer such a gadget (which also functions as a wifi hotspot) to travelers.

Twitter announced that it has suspended nearly 300,000 accounts “tied to terrorism” in the first six months of 2017. Disturbingly, 75% of those accounts were deleted before they sent a single tweet. Simultaneously, Twitter turned over to government requests data on 3,900 user accounts.

Fans of artist Clifford Still no longer must make pilgrimage to Denver to view his works. The Clifford Still Museum has put 1,200 of his paintings - about 70% of its collection - online for free.

Apple has admitted that its latest Apple Watch has problems with LTE connectivity, after hearing about them from many reviewers. This article includes instructions for canceling your pre-order.

Hackers got into the Securities and Exchange Commission's EDGAR database of corporate filings, raising the possibility that they were able to illegally profit from sensitive information before it was released to the public.

Google users searching for “depression” will soon be prompted to “check if you’re clinically depressed.” The nanny-state maneuver is presented in conjunction with the US National Alliance on Mental Illness. NAMI says the online quiz is not a definitive evaluation, but is intended “to help people get the right help more quickly.” In other words, yes, it’s a marketing gimmick for therapists.

Now you can spy on passing strangers, just like police do. A startup called Flock provides a sensor that will record the license plate number of every car that passes your house, for just $50 per year. Eventually, Flock will record and recognize drivers’ faces, too. What you'll probably learn is that your neighbors drive past your house on their way to work every morning.

Uber has lost the legal right to operate in London, where authorities have deemed the definitely-not-a-taxi service to be a threat to public safety. At issue are Uber policies and practices regarding driver background checks, reporting of sexual assaults, and obstruction of legal investigations.

Police must obtain a search warrant before using a “stingray,” or cellular tower simulator, the Washington DC Court of Appeals has ruled. So must the FBI, ICE, IRS, and other law enforcement agencies that have used the technology covertly in the past.