Geekly Update - 27 Sep 2017

Category: Tech-News

Is the U.S. Navy installing Xbox gaming systems in their new submarines? Does Lifelock really use Equifax to protect consumers affected by the Equifax breach? And what will Google do if it sees you searching for information about depression? 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

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.

Geekly Update 09-27-2017

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.

 
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Most recent comments on "Geekly Update - 27 Sep 2017"

Posted by:

John
27 Sep 2017

B.o.B.'s donors may be stupid, but it's easy money for him


Posted by:

Bart
27 Sep 2017

Your comment about Google and depression is off-target. Google is not the gummint. When people are seriously depressed, it's often hard for them to take any steps to get help. Making it easy, anonymous and non-judgmental may relieve a lot of suffering and save lives. That may not be something you care about, but don't demean those who do.


Posted by:

David
27 Sep 2017

We bought an instrument for about $800k, and the controller for a stage inside the instrument failed after the warranty expired. Instead of paying a few thousand for a replacement, we bought a Saltek Rumble controller for less than $50. All we needed was one joystick and one button, but it got a lot of looks, and some questions, from visitors.

Unfortunately, there were no games on the instrument that used the controller.


Posted by:

Jim Bennett (Bennecelli)
27 Sep 2017

Spelling correction: the artist is Clyfford Still -- first name spelled with a Y, not an I.


Posted by:

Robert
27 Sep 2017

The Flat Earth Society has members all around the Globe....


Posted by:

Mark Blackston
27 Sep 2017

Bob, this is very disappointing... I'm only 144% smarter after reading this issue. Where's my other 2 percent's worth?


Posted by:

BILL DAVIS
27 Sep 2017

I INSTALLED KODI 17.4 AND I NEED HELP !!

I WATCHED A YOUTUBE VIDEO THAT TEACHES HOW TO ADD ADDONS THAT ARE NEEDED TO WATCH MOVIES AND TV USING KODI , BUT I AM AGE 70 AND ON MEDS FOR MEDICAL PROBLEMS ,, SO IT IS VERY HARD FOR ME TO LEARN HOW TO FIX KODI

CAN ANYONE HELP ME REMOTELY BY USING TEAMVIEWER SOFTWARE ??

PLEASE !!


Posted by:

NB
27 Sep 2017

Robert, I think you mean all ACROSS the globe!!!


Posted by:

HA
27 Sep 2017

No, he means across the MAP.


Posted by:

Huxley
27 Sep 2017

NB: Seriously the funniest comment I've seen all week!


Posted by:

John
27 Sep 2017

Do you suppose that the Navy can actually purchase the Xbox joysticks for the $30? I suspect they will be the next golden hammer.


Posted by:

RichF
28 Sep 2017

$38K for joysticks and $68K for toilet seats. I guess the government has to cut back seeing they've been fighting these wars for 20 years.


Posted by:

Old Man
02 Oct 2017

Re: RichF 28 Sep 2017

The ridiculous prices for inexpensive items are the result of cost-sharing. The method used is to take the total cost of the end item and divide it by the number of components. Inexpensive items’ cost-sharing is outrageous, but the expensive parts are significantly cheaper.
For example (keeping figures simple): If you went to the store and bought a pack of gum for $1 and a package of meat for $39, the total would be $40. Using cost-sharing, you would have gotten the gum for $20 and would think that was stupid. However, you also need to look at having spent only $20 for the meat which would be a great bargain.
Regardless of the actual cost of the periscope control joysticks, their cost-share was $38,000 each. By buying the controllers elsewhere, they would be the end item, and therefore would only cost $30 each – no matter how many were bought.
The prudent thing would be to buy the inexpensive items from a 3rd party, and the expensive ones from the contractor. Contractors know this, so use as many proprietary items as possible to force the users to buy replacements from them.


Posted by:

Colin
23 Oct 2017

The disturbing thing about Twitter suspending accounts, is who are they accountable to?


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