NPR need(ed) Click and Clack more than they...

NPR need(ed) Click and Clack more than they realize(d).

A brief history of Car Talk: “They’ve changed the way people see public radio in America”

Tom and Ray Magliozzi endure, 35 years on, because they act like no one but themselves.

I know what the story means, but did the...

I know what the story means, but did the headline writer know what else the headline might mean? 

The Diary of a Construction Manager in Love with His BI Tool | SmartData Collective

Hi, my name is Bob and I am a construction manager. I oversee all aspects of managing the operations of a construction project, including budgets, staffing, and the compliance of the entire constructi...

LinkedIn and passwords

If you haven't changed your LinkedIn password within the past 24 hours, please stop reading this and read the LinkedIn blog post that describes, among other things, how to change your LinkedIn password now. If you've used the same email/password combination on any other sites, change those passwords as well. Come back here when you're done.

While the details are still trickling out, it appears that many, if not most, LinkedIn passwords got into the wrong hands. Some 6.5 million encrypted passwords were posted online (now no longer generally available).  Ars Technica has a good rundown on what happened. These were the passwords that the hacker(s) couldn't figure out. We can assume that the bad guy(s) figured out the other passwords. The reason that the passwords could be figured out is that the passwords are guessable, passwords such as 123456, 1234567, 12345678 , and the like.

It took a little while for LinkedIn to confirm that the breach had indeed taken place, but did finally confirm the trouble.

LinkedIn News (linkedinnews) on Twitter via kwout

As far as we can tell, only the password database was compromised, without the associated email addresses. This makes it less likely that bad guys were able to access any LinkedIn account, a small bit of comfort.

This was not a good day for LinkedIn. There was another problem with the way that LI handled calendar information on iOS. I'm still a big fan of LinkedIn for all that it can do. I use it many times a day to find important resources that I use on my current projects. At this point, there's nothing comparable .

The way that they handle these crises will go a long way to show how serious they are about protecting customer data. I hope that they get it right. If they don't, they'll lose and we'll lose, too.

Jersey loves its dogs more than it loves...

Jersey loves its dogs more than it loves its kids

Bark Bark - Click It or Ticket | MetaFilter

Well, let's think rationally. Yes, we don't want our kids to die. Probably we care about that more than we care about pets dying. But that's not what this is about. This is about the tende...

Don't Touch That Dial: How Boston Radio...

Don't Touch That Dial: How Boston Radio Could Destroy Itself

In 1979, Video killed the radio star. Not long after Carson Daly left his post at “Total Request Live,” though it's tough to pinpoint exactly when, Video turned the gun on itself. The shot, thank ...

Writers tell DoJ - Don't let Amazon lower...

Writers tell DoJ - Don't let Amazon lower the prices on e-books because people will buy more e-books because they're cheaper and that's really bad somehow. 

Attacking Amazon, Authors Group Urges Opposition to E-Book Settlement

The Authors Guild is encouraging its 8,500 members to submit comments against the proposed settlement between the Department of Justice and three large publishers. The settlement, the guild argues, wi...

It's a shame that this good research is...

It's a shame that this good research is cluttered with random and needless screeds. We know that you think Gladwell is hypocritical and dangerous, but let the facts tell the story. 
Long read, particularly if you've enjoyed Gladwell's  New Yorker writing.

Malcolm Gladwell Unmasked: A Look Into the Life & Work of America’s Most Successful Propagandist

Gladwell has shilled for Big Tobacco, Pharma and defended Enron-style financial fraud, all while milking a lucrative career as one of America's best-paid corporate speakers. ...

"For the first time since 2008 the US Government...

"For the first time since 2008 the US Government has run a surplus...."

http://papastraighttalk.blogspot.com/2012/06/us-budget-surplus-is-back.html

"When we ignore how innovation actually...

"When we ignore how innovation actually works, we make it hard to see what’s happening right in front of us today. If you don’t know that the incandescent light was a failure before it was a success, it’s easy to write off some modern energy innovations — like solar panels — because they haven’t hit the big time fast enough."

32 Innovations That Will Change Your Tomorrow

An abridged guide to the many ways that your day is about to get better.

Now that you've grounded your system, you...

Now that you've grounded your system, you'll find that suddenly your customers are occasionally dying!

WHY THREE PRONGS? Electrical ground, stray voltage

Why do AC cords need three prongs? If there is no positive or negative in AC systems, why do we have HOT and NEUTRAL? I attempt to shed light on some of these mysteries.

I may be done fixing things

Ever notice how, when you fix something and, instead, break it, that it's really difficult to get back to the Edenic state that existed before you fixed it? I have.

New old stuff

Because, well, because ..., I'm tinkering with this blog's settings some of you may see a blast of old blog entries. I'll send another note that indicates that the wave is over.