Monday Morning: Put Your Pom-poms Down
A certain state governor (or his PR team) tweeted a bunch of smack last night during the Democratic presidential candidates’ debate. Like this:
It is to laugh. Every decision made by this administration about Flint has been about money, not about the right thing, and not even about the legal thing.
He put his pom-poms down last week long enough to lawyer up, though. Mm-hmm.
By the way, that’s the NSFW version – here’s the language-sanitized clean version of that video for your office space. Crank the volume and bring it.
All around Apple town
- Email provider Lavabit filed an amicus brief in #AppleVsFBI, arguing the FBI’s demands could have adverse affects on businesses:
Such precedence would likely result in many businesses moving their operations offshore, therefore, making it more difficult for law enforcement to obtain even ordinary assistance from such companies…
Wow, sounds familiar, huh? Brief’s worth a read (pdf).
- Apple VP of software engineering Craig Federighi wrote an op-ed for yesterday’s WaPo, restating an opinion Apple and many of its supporters already expressed:
“…it’s so disappointing that the FBI, Justice Department and others in law enforcement are pressing us to turn back the clock to a less-secure time and less-secure technologies. …”
- The stakes get higher in #AppleVsFBI as Apple prepares to launch several new iPhones and an iPad on March 21. We all know a decision by Judge Pym will affect these devices in the future, not just the San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone 5C.
- And just to keep Apple users even more on their toes, there’s now Apple ransomware on the loose. So far only Mac devices have been targeted, but it’s only a matter of time before other Apple devices are similarly affected. I’d put my money on higher profile users or those using iPhones to remotely control costly systems.
Quickety-lickety
- Wall Streeters took home 9% less in bonuses on average in 2015 (Bloomberg) — How do the French say it…Quel dommage! Don’t forget that Gallic snark on delivery.
- You can’t ask another driver what they’re doing, but your car might, using V2V (Fortune) — Last week’s accident involving Google’s self-driving car and a bus suggests vehicle-to-vehicle communication may reduce accidents. (Or just let a human drive using their native adaptive consciousness…)
- Revealed at Milan’s car show, Toyota’s Setsuna is an electric vehicle made of wood (Forbes) — Reminds me of an old Chris-Craft boat. I’d love to see one with a similar nautical look.
And on this day in 1876, U.S. Patent 174,465 for Improvement in Telegraphy was granted to Alexander Graham Bell.
What will they write about this day in another 140 years? Do something worth writing about.
Maybe the first note below is the one you’re thinking of? I toss in the second one for free.
.
The gentleman who made email feasible, and who selected the “@” symbol for use therein, has passed away. I wonder where he is at now.
http://www.internethalloffame.org/inductees/Raymond-Tomlinson
.
Another visionary, who had at least as significant an impact on the world, died this past weekend. :”Dr. Thomas Rea, a dermatologist whose discoveries led to treatments that allowed patients with Hansen’s disease — leprosy — to live without stigma, has died. He was 86. Rea and his colleague Dr. Robert Modlin nailed down the precise role played by the immune system in Hansen’s disease symptoms such as skin lesions and growths. The immune connection had long been suspected but never previously explained. Their work opened the door to new treatments that rendered the disease non-contagious and allowed patients to live normal lives.”
.
Now there’s a life well lived.
.
http://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-thomas-rea-20160305-story.html
Along the lines of “talking cars”. How can I tell what information my current (unconnected) car is storing about my driving, that could be read out later, for example by the automaker or the police? Do all cars have some kind of box that can be pulled if the car is involved in an accident? If fo, is it a crime to disconnect it (if that were feasible)?
quote” How can I tell what information my current (unconnected) car is storing about my driving, that could be read out later, for example by the automaker or the police?”unquote
Or your insurance company. Or the finance company. Or DMV for that matter. But it depends on the year of your vehicle…
“Since the early 2000s, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been collecting black box information to get a better picture of the circumstances surrounding car accidents. In 2013, 96% of every new car sold in the United States came with a black box, and as of Sept. 1, 2014, every new vehicle must have one installed.Black box data has been used in a few high-profile investigations. In 2011, Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray totaled a government car (he walked away). He claimed he was driving the speed limit and wearing a seat belt. Investigators used his black box data to show he was driving 100 mph without a seatbelt at the time of the crash.”
http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/komando/2014/12/26/keep-your-car-black-box-private/20609035/
If I’m not mistaken, I believe in some states, if your registration becomes delinquent the State can shut your car down, or if your monthly payment becomes delinquent, the finance company can shut it down.
Isn’t America great or what.
“sparking between dental fillings” ( http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/35111-exclusive-navy-secretly-conducting-electromagnetic-warfare-training-on-Washington-roads.html )? Surprise! That $695 billion dollar budget ( http://www.boingboing.net/2016/03/02/how-would-you-explain-the-diff.html ) isn’t for healthcare.