This is the start of something new. This idea has been going around in my head for weeks and the idea was to feature my favorite articles I tweeted this week along with some commentary about each one. This may go through some changes but as this is Week 1, let’s get started.
Currently I use Hootsuite to schedule and post my Tweets, Google+ Posts, and Facebook. So from that I get an idea of how many people click on my links. It doesn’t tell me who (that would be scary) but it does tell me how many. So using the unscientific approach of number of clicks shows how popular a tweet was, I will definitely feature those, but sometimes a tweet a topic I hold near and dear fails to get traction either because of the time of day it is posted or some other factor. I will feature those as well.
Have an Android Phone? Want to Find it? Google it
From the Creepy but Cool files, if you enable Google location services on your phone, finding your phone could be as easy as going to Google.com and just typing in “Find My Phone”. It will ask you to log into your Google account (use the primary Gmail account you use on your phone), and then show you on Google Maps the approximate location of your phone. If it is accessible it will also give you an option to ring your phone.
Useful but creepy. Lost Your Android Phone? Now You Can Just Google It http://t.co/4Z1XZ5G5oQ #Android #Google
— Roy W. Richardson (@aroyrichardson) April 21, 2015
Verizon says “unlimited Data Plans are stupid”
Verizon basically said we are idiots to want unlimited data plans. I know everything has to have a limit so to speak but first selling us unlimited plans and then calling a 2 gig plan unlimited is false advertising. But are we silly to want what we want? We don’t really want unlimited. Instead, we want to pay one price and use it as much as we want and not have to pay ridicules overages. For some of us, unlimited is 2 gig, others it is 6 gig, etc. Granted, we know if someone is using 10 gig plus, well, maybe they should pay more but the system as it is punishes even the least data users. What do you think?
We are idiots and "unlimited plans are stupid" says Verizon. Verizon vs. T-Mobile unlimited data plans comparison BGR http://t.co/aLp5kqQofI
— Roy W. Richardson (@aroyrichardson) April 22, 2015
Sysadmins every where Scream at Once
This week two scary security alerts went out. For Windows admins with Internet facing Internet Information Server instances, there was the “HTTP Ping of Death”. Basically a header problem that when attacked would cause a “DOS” Denial of Service issue. Basically the server would hang or even blue screen so that the server wasn’t responding or available. Hopefully everyone is all patched up by now. Hopefully.This was my most clicked tweet of the week.
Grrrr. Sysadmins, patch now: HTTP 'pings of death' are spewing across web to kill Windows servers • The Register http://t.co/s3kqlpbplB
— Roy W. Richardson (@aroyrichardson) April 18, 2015
In other Security news…
Popular eCommerce application Magento finally have an exploit in the wild for a security issue they published about in February. This is a bad one and you need to get patching quickly as exploits are in the wild and thousands of servers were attacked.
If you haven't haven't patched Magento, you better. Hackers exploit Magento e-commerce vulnerability | PCWorld http://t.co/DEUWcmtHiN
— Roy W. Richardson (@aroyrichardson) April 25, 2015
Who wants to live forever… Digitally anyway?
So if you should die tomorrow (hopefully you won’t) but if you did, who would you want to have access to your Digital assets? Who would have access to your Facebook, Gmail, Twitter, YouTube Channel, your iTunes account? If you don’t give someone access to these things, the courts may not help. There isn’t much legal precedent for what to do with these elements of a human life. In fact, iTunes as it is currently setup basically belongs only to the person who originally purchased it. So you go and so would your tunes. So if you give access to someone you trust to your digital elements, you allow your digital elements to keep going. Google offers a way to designate someone your Digital Heir. In my case, I designated my wife. This article talks about how laws have not kept up and you really can’t even “Will” your Digital assets to a loved one. But some social media accounts give you a way to allow your designated person to access your accounts.
I made my wife my Digital Heir apparent. Facebook and Gmail: what happens to data after your death? http://t.co/8aVu3LjvZa #Gmail #Facebook
— Roy W. Richardson (@aroyrichardson) April 21, 2015
Jedi Marriage
This is my favorite story of the week: Jedi’s can now get married. (Dang I hate typos! It’s Official.)
It Official: Jedis can get married. Boy Gets Best Response After Asking George Lucas To Let Jedis Marry (Photos) http://t.co/BjQ0xr3n97
— Roy W. Richardson (@aroyrichardson) April 22, 2015
A little boy sends a letter to George Lucas asking why Jedis can’t get married. The reply is awesome and a win for Jedis every where. I am so glad. I married my wife in secret because she is a Jedi. Now we can be public about it.
And those are my favorite stories of the week. I hope you enjoyed them.