There is a new dangerous bug threatening systems everywhere called Heartbleed. This bug could be the most dangerous bug in Internet history.
I say that because Heartbleed is so technical and complicated. That’s because unlike other bugs, there’s not very much you can do to protect yourself. The burden of combating and preventing Heartbleed is on the web service, not the web service user. Then there’s encryption, a system used to keep online chatter private. Like if you’re paying for something online, encryption is what keeps other people from looking at the credit card numbers you’re using for payment. One of the most popular ways of keeping encryption secure is using free tools like Open SSL. SSL runs on 2/3 of the Web. But what if there’s a flaw in Open SSL, which is on the majority of the web? That’s what makes it so dangerous. What’s even worse is the flaw and bug is hardly detectable until it’s too late.
But there is some good news: there is something you can do. It’s suggested you change passwords for your following accounts: Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Pintrest, Google, Yahoo, Gmail, Yahoo Mail, Amazon Web Services, Go Daddy, Intuit (Turbo Tax), Dropbox, Minecraft, OK Cupid, Sound Cloud, Wunderlist. I’m not here to sensationalize anything. I’m not saying these organizations have been hit by Heartbleed. I have accounts with many of these great organizations, and I haven’t seen anything unusual or alarming yet. So don’t panic about it, but after learning about the potential severity of Heartbleed, I do think we need to heed these suggestions. I know I am. Are you?
As you know, today is the last day of Windows XP. I thought we could look back at some other technologies that have left us. Moment of silence, please.
10. Windows XP : It’s been around for 12 years. The following, Windows Vista, was a bust. It was so successful people didn’t want to let go. It’s over. Let it go.
9. Napster: This file sharing, and music sharing website was the target of jokes, lawsuits, and celebrity controversy. In December 2011, they were bought out by Rhapsody.
8. Floppy Disk: Can you believe between 1970-2000, this was the premier way to save and protect your files?
7. Pagers/Beepers: For those born after 1995 here’s how it worked: someone called your pager number. You called them back at your nearest land line phone, even a pay phone. That’s right: you wouldn’t know what a pay phone is either.
6. Commodore 64: For many in the 1980s, this was their first home computer. It ran a family only $595 (around $1,500 in 2014 dollars). An Apple that decade cost you $2,000, that’s in 1980s dollars.
5. Atari 2600: For many in the 1980s, this was your first home video game system. Forget Angry Birds and Halo; we were lucky to have Frogger and Pac Man.
4. Walkman: Headphones, cassettes, and the freedom to blast those racy lyrics your parents will never hear.
3. Personal Digital Assistance: In the ’90s, these electronic gadgets let you organize your so-called personal life. We have smartphones for that now.
2. Record Player/Turntables: This was the premier way of listening to music from the early 1900s-80s. Now, many DJs don’t even use them in the club. The Mac Book serves as their ‘wheels of steel’.
1. Record Stores/Video Stores: No more mega chain stores like Virgin, Tower, Blockbuster. Then again, who needs VCR’s, VHS’s? cassettes, or CDs?
Some time ago, I blogged about Turkey’s censorship on social media, mostly because Turkey’s prime minister Erdogan got caught in scandal.
Turkey’s court system took up the issue. They ruled in favor of…the people! They ruled the ban on social media sites like You Tube violates human rights. Twitter was included in this social media ban, but Turkey’s Constitutional Court ruled that ban violated the nation’s laws. The court in Ankara said the You Tube ban was too broad and instead of blocking the whole website, it just allowed the blocking of 15 videos. But Prime Minister Erdogan is hardly backing down. According to Reuters, Erdogan says he will comply, but doesn’t respect the ruling.
At this point, who cares what Erdogan respects? I’m sorry if that sounds harsh, but anybody with that much leadership and authority who would censor all of social media to cover his own foul ups will get little respect from me. I do have respect for the Turkish court system. They listened to the people. You think the people wanted their social media shut down? They didn’t. They painted graffiti I.P. addresses for people to get to their social media addresses. So I salute the Turkish people and courts for taking a stand against censorship and borderline tyranny. What can other nations learn from Turkey?
It’s a billion dollar a year business several times over. I’m talking about selling our personal information to the highest bidder with little legal or ethical accountability. CBS News’ Steve Kroft talks with Facebook director of public policy? Tim Sparapani on this controversial trade.
Mr. Sparapani now advises tech companies. He says there’s a lot that we don’t know about what’s being collected and sold about us. This includes everything from your political views to your medical records, and everything in between. Anyone, and I do mean anyone, can look at, buy or sell or know anything medical about you. They can follow and study what you buy online and the places you go to. For the longest time, data brokers have kept such a low profile. But now, a handful have come on the surface. There’s Paramount Lists, which has people struggling with addictions and debt. There’s Response Solutions; they have bipolar patients. Then there’s Stalistics. They broker the names of gays and lesbians.
Why are these data broker firms coming out now? Is it because they chose to or because they were exposed? I could care less. I’m just glad these issues are being discussed. Some may actually see positive aspects of data breaking. But at least we have concrete knowledge and know it’s being done and we can have an open debate about such issues. Do you believe data selling is ethical?
Rarely have I read about Apple and it’s CEO Tim Cook taking on politics. But it’s happened. And while the results were admirable, they weren’t pretty.
Mr. Cook took on conservative group National Center for Public Policy Research over sustainability issues. This group wanted Apple to share the cost of it’s sustainability programs and be more open in sharing it’s role with other businesses campaigning for environmental sustainability. The NCPPR urged him to push the theory that human beings play no role in climate change and the only reason a business should exist is for profit.? Cook vehemently rejected this proposal. He went even further: he told the NCPPR to sell their stock. He was so upset at the proposal he used the word ‘bloody’ to express his disgust. Some reported he even got emotional.
I think Tim Cook should be applauded for his response. Apple leads the forefront in green and clean energy and they should be praised for that, not bullied. In the end Apple’s commitment to the environment will be better for business and profit. I always thought a business had a responsibility to it’s community, nation and world to make it better, not just put money in it’s own pocket. Plus, what business is it to NCPPR how Apple spend it’s resources, so long as they’re doing so legally and ethically. So if they don’t like it, then they need to get rid of their stock. When it comes to politics, I don’t swing hard either way, but I am happy Tim Cook stood up for his company and stood up to these political bullies. Whose side are you on?
A few days ago, I reported Facebook purchased What’s App. I hinted what it could mean for these two businesses and the consumer. But what is ‘What’s App’?
First off, it’s the most popular instant messaging app in the world, with over 400 million users to date and growing. This instant messaging app trend began in Asia, but is really taking off here in the US. Apps like this can be simple, or you can be simple with What’s App, or you can get very creative. Some of What’s App’s competitors are getting creative, like Japan’s Line, which was founded in the wake of that nation’s devastating tsunami in March 2011. Now, Line is on the way to becoming the premier instant gaming message app.
This is an industry that is growing by leaps and bounds, and Facebook’s purchase will make it grow even more. But in addition to Facebook purchasing the What’s App, I’d like to see American innovators building an instant message app that’s just as good, if not better than What’s App or Line. I’d like to see them remain independent for as long as they can, which in this day and age, probably won’t be that long. So who will be that American inventor to step up with the ultimate instant massaging app?
