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This Newsletter is my summary of items about computers and technology that I select from various sources each month. Individual items may be of interest to you and/or could be the foundation of a subject that you would like to discuss further during your Computer and/or Technology Group meeting(s). In most cases the Newsletter provides a brief summary of each item and a link to the original source material so that the author is given full credit and, if you desire, you can drill a little deeper into the subject. Should you belong to more than one computer/technology group you may receive more than one copy of this Newsletter as it is distributed to each group's mailing list. I've been asked to make the text large so it is easier for we "young" SIR guys to read. Please note: The links provided below were active when this was written. Some publishers inactivate links after publication for various sreasons including reducing server requirements. Should you find a non-working link, you might search for the subject matter using Bing, Google, Yahoo or another appropriate search engine.

December 2017 SIR Computer/Technology Newsletter

1. How About Electric Airplanes?
In the not to distant future when part of your travel plans include a short range flight on a feeder carrier airline you may find that flight powered by an electric motor fueled with electricity from an onboard battery pack. The days of using fossil fuel for short range flights is beginning to come to an end. Electric powered aircraft are non-polluting, are quiet and cost less to fuel and to maintain. Read the details of what is available today and what is coming in the future in the article at the link.
https://spectrum.ieee.org/aerospace/aviation/cheaper-lighter-quieter-the-electrification-of-flight-is-at-hand

2. Texting While Walking
We have all seen it - someone is walking but their eyes and their mind is focused on the screen of their smartphone. Next this person trips on a curb at a crosswalk, or runs into another pedestrian, or is hit, or almost hit, by a vehicle, or trips and falls. Watch pedestrians, particularly in urban areas, and you will see this over and over. The government's of a number of jurisdictions, both in the U.S. and internationally, have or are taking action to control this distracted walking. Honolulu has passed a law, that took effect on October 25, 2017, that allows police officers to write citations for $35 for viewing the screen of an electronic device while crossing a street. In September, the Board of Supervisors in San Mateo County, Calif., unanimously passed a resolution prohibiting pedestrians' use of cellphones while crossing streets. It's not enforceable, because California state law governs such issues, but a similar resolution is expected to go to the California Legislature for statewide consideration in January 2018. Read the article at the link for details of what others are doing to control distracted walking.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/23/business/honolulu-walking-and-texting-fine.html?emc=edit_th_20171024&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

3. Technology Aids The Visually Impaired
Technology continues to provide us with aids to make many aspects of our life, personal and professional, both easier to accomplish and faster to complete. Visually impaired people have been aided too with a number smartphone applications (apps) "that can help them hail a ride, link to real-time maps and get to the nearest convenience stores. But avoiding a tree branch obstructing a sidewalk after a storm or walking through a busy, rush-hour crowd, not to mention finding an office in an unfamiliar building or locating the closest restaurant in a new neighborhood - there is no app for that." Now, a visually impaired person can wear a wristband called Sunu that emits a high-frequency sound wave that bounces off objects as far as 14 feet in front of the wearer and registers as a gentle, pulsing vibration on the arm. The closer the object is, whether it's a wall, trash can or person, the more frequent the pulses become, letting the Sunu wearer create a mental map of the surrounding world using echolocation. The device is similar to sonar devices being used in vehicles to sense nearby objects and avoid crashes. Learn about Sunu technology in the article at the link.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2017/10/27/for-decades-the-blind-have-used-canes-to-get-around-now-an-special-wrist-band-helps-them-locate-hazards/?utm_term=.3e6d4052c83a&wpisrc=nl_innov&wpmm=1

4. New Airline "Black Boxes"
Every commercial airliner that transports people or freight (and most military aircraft) are equipped with highly survivable recording devices, often called "black boxes", that provide valuable information to examiners should the airplane be involved in a crash. Today there are two such recorders on airline airplanes. The first is a flight data recorder, that continuously records hundreds of data points about the aircraft and its performance. The second is the cockpit voice recorder, that continuously records the last two hours of all sounds in the cockpit, including the crew speaking, radio calls, audible warnings and switches being moved. These recorders are designed to survive even violent crashes and retrieving them from the wreckage is critical to crash investigations. A major problem of recovering the recorders from a crash at sea continues to exist. Now Airbus has announced that in late 2019 it will equip new Airbus A350 aircraft with newly designed "black box" recorders. There will still be two recorders but each will record both the flight data and the cockpit sounds for the last 25 hours instead of the last two hours. The significant difference from the current recorders is that if the aircraft crashes in water one of the new recorders will automatically detach from the wreckage, float to the surface and continuously report its position to satellites for 150 hours, or about six days. The second recorder will remain attached to the wreckage, but if in water, will transmit for 90 days, a sonar like location beacon. For more detail you should read the article at the link.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/29/business/black-boxes-plane-crashes.html?emc=edit_th_20170930&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=1

5. Is Your Data Being Sold on the Dark Web?
We all have heard of "the dark web", a strange place on the Internet, frequented by criminals and trouble makers who steal your passwords, your data and your identity and then sell this information to others who make more trouble for you. The dark web does exist. It is a dangerous place, so not for you, the average computer and Internet user to dig in to on your own. It is smaller than most think but should be understood as any of us can fall victim to it and the nefarious characters who focus on it. You can become knowledgeable and learn about the dark web by taking the time to read the article at the link. There is no test or exam after you read this but you will know more than most computer users and no longer be apprehensive about the "dark web".
https://www.csoonline.com/article/3205924/data-breach/is-your-data-being-sold-on-the-dark-web.html?idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&email_SHA1_lc=a3745daaa9f2e7bd10c063b9fcd13f05e102b3a2&cid=ndr_nlt_idge_insider_newsletter_2017-11-07&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Insider%20Alert%202017-11-07&utm_term=idge_insider_newsletter

6. A 2nd Operating System, Running Secretly, On Your Computer
What operating system (OS) are you running on your computer? Linux? Microsoft Windows? Mac OS X?, or one of countless others. Whichever OS you're running if you have a modern Intel CPU (released in the last few years) with Intel's Management Engine built in, you've got another complete operating system running on your computer that you might not have had any clue was in there: MINIX. This is an Intel OS that is built into every Intel manufactured processor and that you, the owner of the computer with that processor, have absolutely no access. The MINIX OS includes a full networking stack, a file system, many drivers and a web server. If you want to know more about MINIX, why Intel put it there and what risk it might be to you and/or your computer you need to read the NetworkWorld article at the link.
https://www.networkworld.com/article/3236064/servers/minix-the-most-popular-os-in-the-world-thanks-to-intel.html?idg_eid=7fd09df7f8b34e1b17df6921fcee139d&email_SHA1_lc=&cid=nww_nlt_networkworld_data_center_alert_2017-11-07&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NWW%20Data%20Center%202017-11-07&utm_term=networkworld_data_center_alert

7. Completely Autonomous Cars On The Road In Arizona
In a major milestone for autonomous vehicles, Waymo, the autonomous vehicle company owned by Alphabet, the holding company of Google, has ditched the backup drivers for its robot cars in and around Chandler, Arizona. The company will soon offer the public the use of a fully autonomous taxi fleet. Waymo's retrofitted Chrysler Pacifica plug-in hybrid minivans are now doing autonomous test drives on public roads within a 100-square-mile area of Chandler, a Phoenix suburb. Eventually that will expand to the entire sprawling Phoenix region. Initially, a Waymo employee will be aboard but in a back seat and not behind the wheel. Waymo has been working on self driving cars since 2009 and has logged more than 3.5 million autonomous miles on public roads in 20 U.S. cities plus 10 million miles a day in a virtual simulator, more than any other company. For much more detail read the San Francisco Chronicle article at the link.
http://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/Look-ma-No-driver-Waymo-robot-cars-in-Arizona-12339152.php?t=ab063c1f41

8. Driverless Cars On California Roads By June 2018
For some time, people have wondered when completely autonomous cars - the kind without any human operators - would appear on California roads. The state's residents now have a likely answer, one that suggests completely driverless vehicles could arrive as early as June 2018, and possibly even sooner, when all of the State statutory requirements are met. There are 42 companies that already hold permits to test autonomous technology on California roads. Additionally there are 285 autonomous vehicles licensed with the DMV and 996 drivers licensed to test those vehicles, State DMV officials said. Assuming the state's final proposed rules are approved, those drivers would no longer need to ride inside autonomous test vehicles. Learn more about autonomous vehicles in the Washington Post article at the link.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2017/10/11/driverless-cars-could-hit-california-roads-as-early-as-2018/?utm_term=.bd7d2b25ac12&wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1

9. Laser Weapon On Jet Fighter Aircraft
Lockheed Martin has a contract to develop and demonstrate, by 2021, a laser weapon on a fighter jet aircraft. "The Pentagon has been keenly interested in lasers for several years. Unlike bullets, bombs or missiles, they sizzle instead of boom and can limit damage to a specific target, while limiting collateral damage. Lasers travel at the speed of light and are relatively inexpensive. And with enough power, they can fire for long periods of time without running out of ammunition." The Pentagon has tested lasers on ships, ground vehicles and aircraft larger than fighter jets. Star Wars is almost here. More detail is in the article at the link. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/11/08/lockheed-martin-gets-ready-to-test-a-laser-weapon-on-a-fighter-jet/?utm_term=.0abfc7058c42&wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1

10. First Digital Pill Approved By The FDA
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first digital device to be included in a prescribed medication in pill form. The device will tell doctors when the medication was taken and will help in resolving the fact that millions of patients do not take medications as prescribed by their physicians. The digital sensor, containing copper, magnesium and silicon (safe ingredients found in foods), generates an electrical signal when splashed by stomach fluid and transmits data to a small receiver in a skin patch worn by the patient. The skin mounted receiver communicates with an application running on the patients smartphone which, in turn, sends the patient data to the physician. All the details are in the article at the link.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/13/health/digital-pill-fda.html?emc=edit_na_20171113&nl=breaking-news&nlid=45350125&ref=cta

11. TIME's Best Inventions of 2017
Every year TIME Inc evaluates new inventions and selects the best top 25. TIME publishes their list, unranked, of the 25 that made it to the final cut. The best of 2017 are covered in the article at the link.
http://time.com/5023212/best-inventions-of-2017/?utm_source=time.com&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=the-brief&utm_content=2017111618pm&xid=newsletter-brief

12. Gifts For Those Who Want To Protect Their Data
The holiday season is upon us so what better time to consider gifts for friends, family and even ourselves, of items or gadgets that will do an excellent job of protecting the recipient's digital data from unauthorized people. The article at the link discusses three such gifts with descriptions of what each does, how it works and the suggested price. Give one to someone you care about or give one to yourself.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/11/16/must-have-gifts-for-those-who-value-their-privacy/?utm_term=.761b0657022a&wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1

13. FCC Attacks Robocalls
We all have received telephone calls from a computer with a recorded pitch delivering a sales message to you. Many of these robocalls seem to arrive during dinner time or in the evening. You are not alone. Independent studies show that U.S. consumers received about 2.4 Billion robocalls per month in 2016. Now, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), on November 16, 2017, "approved new rules to protect consumers from unwanted robocalls, allowing phone companies to proactively block calls that are likely to be fraudulent because they come from certain types of phone numbers." At the link is an FCC press release explaining the new anti robocall rules.
http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2017/db1116/DOC-347787A1.pdf

14. Tesla's Electric Big Rig Truck
Tesla Motors just announced its new all electric semi truck that will be available for delivery in 2019. A fully loaded Tesla truck, moving at 60 mph, can travel 500 miles on a single battery charge easily supporting the average long haul truck route of 250 miles. When compared to a diesel powered big rig, the Tesla truck has four independent electric motors with no engine, no transmission and no differential. Tesla guarantees that its drive train will last for one million miles. The electric truck's operational cost will be 20 cents per mile less expensive than a comparable diesel powered truck. Several major truck operating companies have placed deposits on the electric Tesla truck including Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer with a fleet of about 6,000 trucks, who announced that the company initially has ordered five Tesla units for Walmart U.S. and 10 units for Walmart Canada. See details, pictures and a video of the new truck in the article at the link.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2017/11/17/teslas-latest-creation-an-electric-big-rig-that-can-travel-500-miles-on-a-single-charge/?utm_term=.2c8b514fc502&wpisrc=nl_innov&wpmm=1

15. The Vanadium Redox-Flow Battery
Mobile phones, laptop computers, tablet computers, various remote controls, etc. all use rechargeable batteries that allow the extension of the supported devices to almost anywhere. Battery technology has been developing at a pace similar to the electronic device technology that the batteries support. The leading commercially used battery technology today is lithium-ion, used in these mobile devices and now powering electric vehicles and providing small amounts of battery power backup to individual homes and businesses. A newer technology, vanadium redox-flow batteries (VRFB), that started out as a modest research project at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), a U.S. Department of Energy lab in Washington state, is superior to lithium-ion in many ways. VRFB technology is being heavily supported by China where a VRFB plant covering more than the area of 20 soccer fields opened in early 2017. The plant is on track to manufacture 300 megawatts worth of VRFBs by the end of 2017 and meeting a long term goal of three gigawatts per year production. The batteries will be used to equip a 200-megawatt, 800-megawatt-hour storage station backing up the entire power grid of Liaoning province that serves about 40 million people. Should power demand spike on that grid, the battery station can dispatch all or part of its 200 megawatts in milliseconds. Read much more about battery technology, VRFB's and where the Chinese and others are headed in the IEEE article at the link.
https://spectrum.ieee.org/green-tech/fuel-cells/its-big-and-longlived-and-it-wont-catch-fire-the-vanadium-redoxflow-battery

November 2017 SIR Computer/Technology Newsletter

1. How To Switch
If you have a smartphone (or tablet computer) it almost certainly is powered by an operating system (OS) that is from Apple, iOS, or from Google, Android, the two most widely deployed mobile operating systems on earth. Whichever powers your phone, you may decide to switch to a newer model phone that is powered by the other OS. How do you make that switch? The two links below detail the steps to take to make the switch.
To Switch from Google's Android to Apple's iOS:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/09/18/how-to-switch-from-android-to-ios/?utm_term=.ffa8a930c225&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1
To Switch from Apple's iOS to Google's Android:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/09/18/how-to-switch-from-ios-to-android/?utm_term=.ef74c2e844cf&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1

2. Identify Cancer In Seconda During Surgery
If you have surgery to remove cancer tissue the surgeon is usually confronted with determining the exact location of the margin of the cancer tissue. The surgeon wants to remove all of the cancer tissue without removing more normal tissue than required. The surgeon often makes a judgment call, based on what he sees, of what is cancer and what is normal tissue. Sometimes, while the surgery is underway, a tissue sample can be sent to the laboratory for a frozen section analysis by a pathologist who may be able to determine if the tissue is normal or cancer. The frozen section process takes 30 or more minutes per sample while the patient and surgery team wait. The freezing process can damage the tissue sample and make a diagnosis difficult or impossible. Now, a team of scientist at the University of Texas at Austin has developed an operating room tool that the surgeon touches to the questionable tissue. Within 10 seconds the device reports "normal" or "cancer". Test so far show that the reports are 96% accurate. The article at the link provides much more detail and tells how the device works.
https://spectrum.ieee.org/the-human-os/biomedical/devices/handheld-mass-spectrometry-pen-identifies-cancer-in-seconds-during-surgery

3. What Facebook Has Found About Russian Use Of Disinformation U.S. Election
The investigation of the Russian use of fictitious Facebook accounts to post fake news with Americans is continuing. Facebook software engineers and government cyber security experts are cooperating in the investigation. In November 2016 Mark Zuckerberg, the Facebook CEO, came to "recognize the magnitude of a new threat - a coordinated assault on a U.S. election by a shadowy foreign force that exploited the social network he created." The Washington Post article at the link described the investigation findings so far plus the admission that the effort is continuing because experts believe that only the "tip of the iceberg" has been exposed so far.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/obama-tried-to-give-zuckerberg-a-wake-up-call-over-fake-news-on-facebook/2017/09/24/15d19b12-ddac-4ad5-ac6e-ef909e1c1284_story.html?utm_term=.9dfe20d6e504&wpisrc=al_alert-COMBO-economy%252Bnation&wpmk=1

4. Afraid of High Places? - Climb a 1,500 Foot Communications Tower
There are many places throughout the U.S. and around the world where tall towers are used to support line of sight communications and mobile phone connection. These towers include aircraft warning and navigation lights to prevent aircraft collision with such towers and their support guy wires. Occasionally equipment, including the lighting, at the top of such towers needs to be serviced. The YouTube video, recorded by a drone, shows a technician climbing a 1,500 foot tower to replace a burned out navigation light. If you are afraid of high places, fasten your seatbelt while you watch this fascinating video.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/f1BgzIZRfT8?feature=player_embedded

5. Android Shortcuts - A Video
Any of us with a smartphone find ourselves moving from one feature or one application to another and wishing there was an easy, rapid way to make that move. ComputerWorld has a video for users of Android operating system powered smartphones that introduces nine little known shortcuts that will help users navigate between features and applications. While you are in the video section of the ComputerWorld website don't hesitate to look around as there are a number of other videos that will teach you more about your smartphone.
https://www.computerworld.com/video/81877/9-hidden-android-shortcuts-that-will-save-you-time?idg_eid=36beaed40c5805a8e4c7311495b43f74&email_SHA1_lc=&cid=cw_nlt_computerworld_dailynews_2017-09-22&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Computerwor

6. Don't Charge Your Mobile Phone Overnight - Why?
Almost every one of us has a mobile phone and/or a tablet computer that needs regular recharging of its internal batteries. It is common for most users to recharge such devices overnight so that in the morning the user has a 100% charged mobile device. The Time article at the link tells you why it is recommended that you NOT recharge your mobile phone (or other device) overnight. This is not because there is risk that the device could be overcharged because charging circuits in modern mobile devices turn off the charging to prevent overcharging. The article goes into detail with its recommendation and additionally recommends how, when and for how long you should recharge your mobile phone or device.
http://time.com/4949569/mobile-phone-charge-overnight/?utm_source=time.com&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=the-brief&utm_content=2017092517pm&xid=newsletter-brief

7. How To Restore an iPhone and Use Recovery Mode
"Technology isn't flawless. Every once in a while, the device you depend on fails you. Given that our entire digital lives are carried with us on our smartphones, you need to know what to do when things go awry. If you have an iPhone that's run into trouble," the article at the link will show you how to get your phone back up and running, including the steps to use recovery mode if need be.
https://www.computerworld.com/article/3225480/apple-ios/how-to-restore-an-iphone-and-use-recovery-mode.html?idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&email_SHA1_lc=a3745daaa9f2e7bd10c063b9fcd13f05e102b3a2&cid=cw_nlt_computerworld_mobile_wireless_2017-09-19&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Computerworld%20Mobile/Wireless%20Computing%202017-09-19&utm_term=computerworld_mobile_wireless

8. Global Shift Toward All Electric Vehicles
General Motors says it will add at least 20 electric vehicles to its lineup by 2023. Ford followed with its own initiative with 13 offerings. China announced that it will soon be setting the date when it will totally ban the sale of gasoline powered vehicles. "The announcements by G.M. and Ford follow pledges by the German automakers Volkswagen and Daimler to build hundreds of thousands of electric vehicles in the coming years, and the decision by Volvo, the Chinese-owned Swedish luxury brand, to convert its entire lineup to either electric cars or hybrid vehicles that are powered by both batteries and gas." California is considering banning the sale of gasoline powered cars. The shift to non-polluting vehicles is rapidly gaining speed. Read the two articles at the links below to help you keep up with this dramatic shift in the global automotive industry.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/02/business/general-motors-electric-cars.html?emc=edit_th_20171003&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/09/business/china-hastens-the-world-toward-an-electric-car-future.html?emc=edit_th_20171010&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

9. Electric Car Battery Design and Charging Technology Rapidly Improving
The previous item in this Newsletter describes the global acceleration of the shift toward vehicles powered by electric motors rather than gasoline and diesel fueled internal combustion engines. Some potential electric vehicle customers still have "range anxiety" - a fear of running out of battery stored energy in an electric vehicle who's range is too little. Battery technology is already significantly addressing the vehicle range issue with a number of electric cars available today that have ranges in excess of 300 miles on a charge. Even longer range vehicles will be available soon. Now there is another obstacle: "charging time trauma" - a fear that any journey will be delayed because electric charging takes a long time when compared to refueling time with gasoline or diesel. Charging technology is again moving to the rescue with new charging stations, combined with enhanced vehicle charge capability already available. Developments in the labs project further charging speed increases in the near future. If you want to know where electric vehicle technology is headed, read the interesting article at the link.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/05/automobiles/wheels/electric-cars-charging.html?em_pos=small&emc=edit_ct_20171005&nl=technology&nl_art=1&nlid=45350125&ref=headline&te=1&_r=1

10. Why We Changed To Protecting Our Social Security Account Number
When Social Security Account Numbers (SSAN) were first issued they were proudly displayed as a badge of having reached retirement age. People had their number printed with their address on bank checks, had them tattooed on their body as a form of identification and broadly used their SSAN as the ultimate, confirming form of personal identity. The government confirmed such use when your SSAN became the required form of identity when filing income tax returns and receiving medical care under Medicare. Today, we guard our SSAN like our most cherished possessions because it "is" our identity and can be stolen by someone else. What is the history of your SSAN and why has the way you treat it changed? Find out at the link.
http://time.com/4970536/social-security-number-secret-history/?utm_source=time.com&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=the-brief&utm_content=2017100813pm&xid=newsletter-brief

11. How Can We Replace Insecure Social Security Account Numbers?
When we think about cyber security and identity theft our thoughts usually include how we can protect our Social Security Account Number (SSAN), a key element of our individual identity. The facts are that our SSAN is quite insecure and fairly easy to determine with only limited information, much of which is public. The Washington Post article at the link tells how someone can determine your SSAN and what types of technology is under consideration to replace the current system.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2017/09/20/your-social-security-number-may-not-be-secure-but-how-could-we-replace-it/?utm_term=.efefe915e6b5&wpisrc=nl_innov&wpmm=1

12. IBM Now Has More Employees In India Than In the U.S.
IBM, a leading U.S. headquartered global technology company has for decades been shifting the base of its full spectrum of business and the work force that supports that business from the U.S. to India. Today, the company employs 130,000 people in India, about one-third of its total global work force, and more than in any other country. Their work is not just assembly line and call center operations but spans the entire gamut of IBM's businesses, from managing the computing needs of global giants like AT&T and Shell to performing cutting-edge research in fields like visual search, medical diagnostics, artificial intelligence and computer vision for self-driving cars. As an example, IBM in India has also been working with the Manipal Hospitals chain, based in Bangalore, to adapt the IBM Watson data search system to help doctors treat certain cancers. Presented with a patient's medical history, the system taps into a database that includes advice from doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York to recommend the best treatments including the price, which is a major consideration because most Indians lack health insurance. Dr. Ajay Bakshi, Manipal's chief executive, said the biggest potential for the technology was in rural hospitals with few doctors. Manipal has just begun offering online "second opinions" from Watson for 2000 rupees, or about $31. "It never sleeps. It never forgets. It doesn't get biased," he said. The very interesting article at the link will give much detail about how and why this shift toward India has continued and what IBM is doing there.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/28/technology/ibm-india.html?emc=edit_th_20171001&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

13. GPS Accuracy in Smartphones to Increase
If you are among the billions of people around the globe who have a smartphone you also have a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver built into that phone that can provide position information of the smartphone. If a mapping application (app), that works in conjunction with the GPS, is included the smartphone can continuously provide the user with navigation information between a current location and a desired location. The accuracy of the GPS position data is critical to more complex location and position tasks. Today, the GPS chip included in your smartphone can report position (yours and/or an objective) to an accuracy of about five meters. "The first mass-market chip that can take advantage of a new breed of global navigation satellite signals and will give the next generation of smartphones 30-centimeter accuracy instead of today's 5 meters. Even better, the chip works in a city's concrete canyons and it consumes half the power of today's generation of chips." The new GPS chip has been included in the design of some smartphones that are slated to be released in 2018. The article at the link provides more detail.
https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/semiconductors/design/superaccurate-gps-chips-coming-to-smartphones-in-2018

14. Detecting Infectious Disease with a Smartphone
That smartphone that you have in your pocket is so much more than just a telephone. It is a camera, a voice and video recorder, it is a Global Positioning receiver, but most of all it is a powerful computer that can be loaded with applications to help you do your job. One job is that of global health experts who want to be ahead of the spread of infectious disease. They "don't worry about if a major infectious disease outbreak will occur; it's just a matter of when." One such disease is cholera, that can be detected in water before it is infecting people. A lab test usually takes about five days to get results. But, all that is needed is a microscope, a camera to capture images, and a computer to crunch the algorithms. We carry such computers and cameras around in our pockets everyday - it is a smartphone that now provides test results directly to the health experts in the field in 30 minutes. Read about it in the article at this link.
https://spectrum.ieee.org/the-human-os/biomedical/diagnostics/fighting-cholera-with-a-smartphone

October 2017 SIR Computer Newsletter

1. Highest Rated and Free Antivirus Software
The article at the link is from PC Magazine and evaluates and rates a number of antivirus /security software programs that are free. The article will be very helpful as you decide if you should install such software on your computer and then help you learn about each of a number of choices. Best of all, each of these software packages can be protecting your computer and your files for free. Here is the link:
https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2388652,00.asp?utm_source=email&utm_campaign=announcments&utm_medium=title

2. Changing Name in MS Word Document Change Tracking File
Microsoft Word, for Windows or Mac, supports sharing documents with others as a document is developed to final form. When changes, edits, additions and deletions are made to a shared document, and if enabled, the name of the person who made the change and the change date are captured in a tracking file to provide a history of the document's development. As an example, assume your name is Robert Smith. This is the name that will appear in the tracking file unless you change the file instructions to use your preferred name of "Bobby". You can define what name you want your edits to be identified with by following the instructions in the New York Times article at the link.

3. Airports and Airlines Are Using Social Media To Communicate With Customers
Airports and Airlines are increasingly using social media, like Twitter and Facebook, to communicate with their customers. Almost all of these customers are passengers but some are vendors and suppliers to both airports and airlines. The next time you fly and are looking for any information about your flight, or airport services, you might want to check the appropriate Twitter or Facebook account for the answer rather than looking for a customer service counter, an electronic information board or waiting for a public address announcement. The article at the link will provide you with detail. Enjoy your next trip.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/21/business/airports-like-carriers-use-twitter-to-ease-travelers-concerns.html?emc=edit_th_20170822&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125

4. Microsoft and Apple Both Failed To Learn From Each Other
Microsoft and Apple have been, and continue to be, leaders in the technology arena so it is important to look at both companies and see what developments or technologies one company pushed to success and the other company did not pursue or failed to properly pursue. In all these cases there are lessons to be learned. The article at the link details the most significant of these lessons that one company won with and the other missed.
http://www.computerworld.com/article/3219714/microsoft-windows/apple-vs-microsoft-windows-lessons-both-failed-to-learn-from-each-other.html?idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&email_SHA1_lc=a3745daaa9f2e7bd10c063b9fcd13f05e102b3a2&cid=cw_nlt_computerworld_enterprise_apps_2017-08-25&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Computerworld%20Enterprise%20Apps%202017-08-25&utm_term=computerworld_enterprise_apps

5. The Cassini Spacecraft 20 Year Mission To Saturn
Twenty years ago the U.S. launched a spacecraft named Cassini to explore the planet Saturn, its surrounding moons and its famous rings. As Cassini's two decade mission was nearing the end of it's onboard fuel the NASA mission team decided to destroy the spacecraft rather than leave it in Saturn orbit where it might later crash into one of Saturn's moons. The National Geographic video at the first link is a short animation of the Cassini mission, from launch to fiery death in Saturn's atmosphere, last Friday, September 15, 2017. The second link is a New York Times video with additional interesting detail of the Cassini mission.
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/short-film-showcase/why-is-the-cassini-probe-on-a-collision-course-with-saturn?utm_source=NatGeocom&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=specialedition_cassini_20170915&utm_campaign=Content&utm_rd=1955050575%20#preamble

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/14/science/cassini-grand-finale-saturn.html?emc=edit_na_20170915&nl=breaking-news&nlid=45350125&ref=cta&_r=0

6. Windows 10 "My People"
The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, due to be available in September-October 2017, will include a new feature named "My People". The feature allows you to select your three best friends and symbolically place them near you, via icons in the taskbar. Just as you might stop by for a chat, My People allows you to quickly Skype or email them-and just them-all from a single button on your taskbar. And the best feature is how they can respond: "Shoulder taps" pop up emoji right from your taskbar, so that your friend can wave hello. The short article at the link talks about My People and includes a screen image showing the feature's taskbar icon.
http://www.techconnect.com/article/3216489/windows/windows-10s-my-people-microsoft-makes-it-easy-to-just-wave-hello.html?idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&email_SHA1_lc=&cid=tcon_nlt_techconnect_daily_2017-08-29

7. What Keeps Apple iPhones and It's Customers Together?
It has been 10 years (2007) ago when Apple's CEO, the late Steve Jobs, introduced the iPhone. In that time more than 1.2 billion iPhones have been sold, adding to the total worldwide acceptance of smartphones as what is arguably one of the best selling gadgets ever produced. Amazingly, a huge percentage of customers who's first smartphone was an iPhone have stayed with the Apple device for up to 10 years, a long time for a technical device, and despite the fact that the Apple iPhone usually cost more than other brands of smartphones. The New York Times article at link looks at the reasons why customers have stuck with Apple's iPhone as their smartphone choice.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/23/technology/personaltech/iphone-10-years.html?emc=edit_th_20170824&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=2

8. How To Protect Your Online Information.
How do I protect my online information? How do I check to see if my information has been compromised? What do I do if my data has been hacked? Should I change my passwords? What about my security questions? How do I select strong passwords? Answers to all these questions and others are in the excellent article at the link. Take the time to at least read it and hopefully followup with the suggestions and instructions in the article.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/technology/how-to-protect-data-online.html?emc=edit_th_20170908&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

9. Moving Phone Data and Aps From Apple to Android or From Android to Apple
If you use an Android powered smartphone and are switching to a new Apple iPhone there is an easy way to transfer your data, pictures and files from the Android phone to the iPhone. Or, maybe you are moving from an Apple phone to one powered by Android. In both cases the operating system developers have published methods and software to help you make the change. Apple has an application (app), Move to iOS, that is a free download from the Google Play Store. Load the app and follow the detailed instructions in the article at the first link below and you'll soon be up and running. If moving from Apple to Android, follow the instructions in the second link. Enjoy your new smartphone.
http://www.techconnect.com/article/3217024/apple-ios/how-to-switch-from-android-to-iphone.html?idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&email_SHA1_lc=&cid=tcon_nlt_techconnect_daily_2017-08-21

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/01/technology/personaltech/switching-between-apples-ios-and-googles-android.html?em_pos=small&emc=edit_ct_20170907&nl=technology&nl_art=8&nlid=45350125&ref=headline&te=1

10. Risk When Replacing a Broken Smartphone Screen
Every year millions of smartphones are dropped and some of those accidents result in a broken or cracked screen. Replacing the damaged screen is far less expensive than buying a new phone. There are many firms who can replace broken smartphone screens so many owners elect to get the replacement. If you need to replace your phone's screen, be careful because replacing the screen, or some other smartphone hardware is an avenue for malware software to be installed on your phone that puts you at risk for exposing personal data, passwords, account access information, etc. If you are considering having a smartphone screen replaced read the article at the link so you understand the potential risk.
https://www.wirelessdesignmag.com/news/2017/08/researchers-explore-how-phone-replacement-screens-could-trigger-attacks?et_cid=6069184&et_rid=620730920&location=top&et_cid=6069184&et_rid=620730920&linkid=https%3a%2f%2fwww.wirelessdesignmag.com%2fnews%2f2017

11. Equifax Credit Data Hacked
One of the three major consumer credit reporting agencies, Equifax, has reported that a data breach from mid-May to July left Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers and other sensitive information for 143 million United States consumers vulnerable to hackers. Hackers were able to retrieve birth dates and addresses, as well as credit card numbers for 209,000 consumers. Documents with personal information used in disputes for 182,000 consumers was also taken. Equifax has created a website, www.equifaxsecurity2017.com, to help consumers determine whether their data was at risk. The two links below lead to articles from both the New York Times and the Washington Post that provide more detail on the hacking.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/07/business/equifax-cyberattack.html?emc=edit_na_20170907&nl=breaking-news&nlid=45350125&ref=cta&_r=0

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/09/07/hackers-steal-personal-data-for-143-million-americans-from-credit-reporting-agency-equifax/?utm_term=.4e9145f4e30e&wpisrc=al_alert-COMBO-economy%252Bnation&wpmk=1

12. How To Freeze Your Credit Record To Protect Your Identity
After learning of the major hack of individual's identity information from Equifax you may want to freeze your credit accounts with the three major credit reporting agencies. The excellent Washington Post article at the link tells you exactly how to do that to protect your credit information. Remember, if you are 65 years of age or older, reside in California, and request a a credit record freeze, the credit agencies must freeze your record at no charge.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/09/09/after-the-equifax-breach-heres-how-to-freeze-your-credit-to-protect-your-identity/?undefined=&utm_term=.c56fe533f831&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1

13. Backup, Backup, Backup - The Best External Drives At Low Cost
The TechConnect article at the link is an excellent review of external drives that rate high and that you can purchase for a small dollar cost. The article provides comparisons of different capacity drives with different connection ports. Even if you are not looking to purchase a new backup drive, or drives, you will learn a great deal about what drives are the best and the most cost effective. While you are reading study the rational for having two or more backup drives.
http://www.techconnect.com/article/3198109/storage/best-external-drives.html?idg_eid=36beaed40c5805a8e4c7311495b43f74&email_SHA1_lc=&cid=tcon_nlt_techconnect_daily_2017-08-24

14. Use Google Maps While Off-line
If you're going to an area where the Internet is slow, mobile data is expensive, or you can't get online, you can save an area from Google Maps to your phone or tablet and use it when you're offline. The Google document at the link tells you how to download the map and then use it on on your Android or Apple iOS powered smartphone or tablet. Open the document and select the tab for either an Android device or an Apple iPhone or iPad, then follow the detailed instructions.
https://support.google.com/maps/answer/6291838?co=GENIE.Platform%3DiOS&hl=en&oco=0

15. Using The Power Of A Smartphone
We frequently hear people comment on not needing a mobile phone because a phone conversation can wait or, even if they have a smartphone, it remains turned off and kept in the car to use only if needed. The fact is that a smartphone is a powerful tool that if used properly could save your life. Only as an example, there is a new product called "Geko" that works with the features of your smartphone and is described in the item at the link. Every modern smartphone includes a location services feature that uses GPS and other services to know where you and your phone are located at all times. Such information could be critical in an emergency. The Geko product is a small emergency whistle that is activated by blowing it for two seconds, or pushing a button. The Geko instantly communicates with your smartphone, uses your phone's location data and sends an email or text message of your current location to three trusted people. The messages are sent again, every 2-3 minutes, until you turn the notification messages off. You can surely think of emergencies or threats where such automatic, continuous notifications of where you are could be helpful or even life saving. The power of a smartphone is key to this one valuable capability - there are many more. It is not just a phone but a modern technology device that can help you in many ways. You should learn the many ways that your smartphone can serve you.
https://www.thegrommet.com/geko?utm_campaign=20170826&utm_content=37441&utm_medium=email&utm_source=CC&trk_msg=2O73BIHRGHQKJB020S68CMOBMS&trk_contact=9MJL8DKSIMFSTHS7N9L4MPGEQK&trk_sid=SMPVARNNTP73F34OOCCEKT7GDG

16. Best Laptop Computers For 2017
Each year TechConnect publish a review and ranking of laptops that they consider to be the best available. Before you invest in a new laptop you should at least review this list - it is at the link.
https://www.techconnect.com/article/2854456/laptop-computers/the-best-pc-laptops-of-the-year.html?idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&email_SHA1_lc=&cid=tcon_nlt_techconnect_daily_2017-09-13

17. U.S. Bans The Use Of Kaspersky Security And Antivirus Software
The Russian firm Kaspersky is a globally recognized and deployed producer of data security and antivirus software. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has announced a ban on U.S. government use of software produced and upgraded by Kaspersky because the company has relations with and/or some kinds of attachment with Russian intelligence and security services. The Homeland Security Department "is concerned about the ties between certain Kaspersky officials and Russian intelligence and other government agencies, and requirements under Russian law that allow Russian intelligence agencies to request or compel assistance from Kaspersky and to intercept communications transiting Russian networks". The use of Kaspersky software is considered a security risk. Details are in the article at the link.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-to-ban-use-of-kaspersky-software-in-federal-agencies-amid-concerns-of-russian-espionage/2017/09/13/36b717d0-989e-11e7-82e4-f1076f6d6152_story.html?utm_term=.f72dae4b42d8&wpisrc=al_alert-COMBO-world%252Bnation&wpmk=1

September 2017 SIR Computer Newsletter
1. Solar Eclipse Will Strain Cell Phone Networks
On August 21st a rare total solar eclipse will pass over the entire continental United States from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean. Because the path of totality is narrow millions of people are traveling, mostly by car, to geographic locations that are in the path of totality. Almost all of the eclipse's path is in rural America. As an example, the town of Madras, Ore., with a population of 6,500, is bracing for an influx of anywhere from 85,000 to 150,000 visitors coming to see the eclipse. Almost every one of the visitors to towns like Madras will bring their smartphone, to take pictures and to connect to friends by phone, text message or email. Cellular service is marginal in many rural locations but many will be stressed beyond any projected usage with the connection load of millions of users on August 21st. The article at the link describes the problem and tells the steps that some wireless carriers are taking to help subscribers connect.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/08/03/rural-towns-in-the-eclipses-path-brace-for-a-flood-of-smartphone-toting-visitors/?utm_term=.31308f6b6bdc&wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1

2. Digital Magnifying Glass
If you find yourself wanting to magnify fine print, say on a menu in a dimly lighted restaurant, you may be able to use your smartphone's camera, screen and photo flash LED to read the print. There are magnifying glass software applications (apps) that can be downloaded to most brands of smartphone. If you own an Apple iPhone or iPad that is running the iOS 10 or newer operating system the magnifying glass function is built into the operating system. The article at the link tells you how to turn the function on and how to use it in that dark restaurant.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/16/technology/personaltech/use-phone-as-digital-magnifying-glass.html?em_pos=small&emc=edit_ct_20170518&nl=technology&nl_art=6&nlid=45350125&ref=headline&te=1&_r=0

3. Finding The Date Of A Map Image
Google Maps and their Street View images are very useful in helping you navigate to a destination you have not visited before. If available, the Street View images give you the look and feel of the destination and the surrounding neighborhood and quickly help you decide where you need to go, where to park, etc. Knowing the date of the Street View image can be quite helpful, particularly if the destination you are to visit is rapidly growing, or changing. The article at the link tells you how to display the map image date.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/20/technology/personaltech/finding-the-date-on-a-map-image.html?em_pos=small&emc=edit_ct_20170720&nl=technology&nl_art=7&nlid=45350125&ref=headline&te=1&_r=0

4. Typing Shortcuts on Apple and Android Mobile Devices
If you have a smartphone or a tablet computer you often type messages and/or documents on the device touchscreen. Most users do not know that the operating system software that powers these devices includes a number of shortcuts that will speed up your typing and make it easier. There are two links below, one for Apple iOS powered devices and one for Android powered devices.
The first is shortcuts and tips for Apple iPhone and iPad devices, both powered by the Apple iOS operating system.
http://www.computerworld.com/article/3209971/apple-ios/16-essential-ios-typing-tips-for-ipad-and-iphone.html?idg_eid=36beaed40c5805a8e4c7311495b43f74&email_SHA1_lc=&cid=cw_nlt_computerworld_mobile_wireless_2017-07-21&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&ut
The second is shortcuts and tips for multiple manufacture devices, powered by the Google developed Android operating system. http://www.computerworld.com/article/3048523/android/android-keyboard-shortcuts.html?idg_eid=36beaed40c5805a8e4c7311495b43f74&email_SHA1_lc=&cid=cw_nlt_computerworld_mobile_wireless_2017-07-21&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Computerworld

5. Will Your New PC Accept Windows 10 Updates?
In 2013 or 2014 if you bought a new Windows 8.x PC with an Intel Clover Trail processor it came with a free upgrade to Windows 10 redeemable when Microsoft released this new operating system (OS). When the new OS became available it was introduced with much fanfare and significant encouragement by Microsoft for computer users to upgrade to the new Windows 10 OS. Now you have Windows 10 installed and Microsoft is notifying you of updates when they become available. You install each update to keep your PC current. The latest update is the March 2017 Creators Update, version 1703, but when you attempt to install this update you are presented with this message: "Windows 10 is no longer supported on this PC." What does this mean? What do you do now? Start by reading the TechConnect article at the link.
http://www.techconnect.com/article/3209977/microsoft-windows/windows-10-is-making-too-many-pcs-obsolete.html?idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&email_SHA1_lc=&cid=tcon_nlt_techconnect_daily_2017-07-25

6. Distribution and Updating of Adobe Flash Player Ends Soon
On July 25, 2017, Adobe announced that at the end of 2020 it will terminate all distribution and updating of Adobe Flash Player which has fallen out of favor as the former leading tool for programming and accessing video on the web. Ten years ago Apple said it would not support Flash and more recently, in 2015, YouTube dropped Flash in favor of HTML5. We described some of the history of Flash in the January 2017 issue of this Newsletter when we said, "Many of us used, or continue to use, the Adobe Flash Player for easy access to some websites and videos. Problems with Flash came to the publics attention years ago when Apple's CEO, Steve Jobs, first introduced the iPhone. At that time the web was widely using Flash. Having the Flash Player on your computer and/or mobile device was considered essential if the device was going to be able to connect to sites on the web. The iPhone did not support Flash and Steve Jobs said it never would. He added, Flash would not be installed on any Apple products, particularly the iPad and iPhone. Jobs said that Flash was too slow, too cumbersome, consumed too much power, particularly when running on a mobile device, was incompatible with touch-screen devices and Flash had major security issues that provided pathways to hackers into a device running Flash. The industry loudly said Apple made a major mistake by not including and supporting the popular Flash. In the seven years since the iPhone introduction, the global use of Flash has fallen from almost 100% of the market to less than 10%, but, some large firms still support it. Flash security issues continue despite almost an uncountable number of security patches. Apple and many other firms no longer support Flash. Adobe has stopped marketing Flash for any mobile devices. If you are still running Flash on any device, mobile or desktop, it is essential that you keep up to date with all issued security patches because hackers still focus their attacks on Flash as an easy way to penetrate your device." Details of Adobe's current annuncement about Flash are in the article at the link.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/3210748/web-development/adobe-flash-player-to-reach-end-of-life-in-2020.html?idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&email_SHA1_lc=a3745daaa9f2e7bd10c063b9fcd13f05e102b3a2&cid=ifw_nlt_infoworld_daily_2017-07-25&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=InfoWorld%20Daily:%20Afternoon%20Edition%202017-07-25&utm_term=infoworld_daily

7. Robot Vacuum Collects Data On Your House
The Roomba robot vacuum moves about your home vacuuming dirt and debris as it navigates around walls, furniture and appliances using cameras and other sensors. The vacuuming happens on a schedule that you set. When the Roomba batteries need to be recharged the robot returns to its base station and recharges. If the scheduled cleaning was not completed before the recharge the Roomba continues its assigned task. When completed the robot vacuum parks in the recharging base station. Now the manufacturer is capturing data from the Roomba robot about the floor plan and furniture arrangement in your home with the possibility of selling such data to parties that are interested in it for marketing and other purposes. The article at the link gives more detail.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/07/25/the-company-behind-the-roomba-wants-to-sell-maps-of-your-home/?utm_term=.4a04d083a775&wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1

8. The Apollo 10 Lunar Mission
The link below leads to a short article and audio program about a new TIME and NASA series, called "Countdown", that is being released as individual podcasts. The first is about Apollo 10, a mission that almost ended badly. You'll remember that Apollo 10 was the first mission that went to the moon with all the Apollo hardware and software - the Command Module, the Service Module, and the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM) that included a Lunar Decent Module and Lunar Accent Module. Two of the three crew members separated from the Command Module and descended in the LEM from a 60 mile high lunar orbit to nine miles from the lunar surface. They were not scheduled to land and did not land. The Lunar Lander's computer was much less powerful than today's smartphones so there was significant flight input from the crew. The human crew had to take even more unexpected actions because of a major problem that occurred in the LEM during the Apollo 10 mission. The next mission, Apollo 11, was of course the first moon landing. Find 25 minutes of your time to listen to the exciting whole "Countdown - Apollo 10" audio podcast that is included in the article at the link - it is amazing. (There is one very short ad in the audio, about 1/3 of the way through the audio program - I guess NASA has to pay the bills too.) Enjoy this fascinating view of our space flight history.
http://time.com/4866242/apollo-ten-10-tom-stafford-gene-cernan-space-nasa/?xid=newsletter-brief

9. Save $ With These Travel Applications
Two travel experts identify six travel applications (apps) that you can access with your smartphone or tablet computer to save you money when you travel. The TIME article at the link identifies and provides detail of the preferred apps in three categories - airfare, hotels and rental cars/parking. Enjoy your next trip.
http://time.com/money/4872421/travel-apps-save-money/?xid=newsletter-brief

10. Should My New Smartphone Be Powered By Android Or Apple?
If you are in the market to purchase a new smartphone you have some decisions to make in selecting which one to buy. One of the decisions is which software operating system should power the new phone? Since smartphones first entered the marketplace ten years ago a number of mobile device operating systems have come and disappeared, effectively leaving only two, Apple's iOS and Google's Android. You should choose an operating system based on which best meets your requirements and supports the things you want to do with your new phone and the things the smartphone can do for you. The ComputerWorld article at the link will walk you through 12 points of difference between Apple iOS and Android OS that you may want to consider in making your buying decision. Make the operating system choice and then select a phone model (and manufacturer in the case of Android) that further meets your needs.
http://www.computerworld.com/article/2468474/mobile-apps/mobile-appsiphone-vs-android-five-points-of-difference.html?idg_eid=36beaed40c5805a8e4c7311495b43f74&email_SHA1_lc=&cid=cw_nlt_computerworld_dailynews_2017-07-28&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&

11. Buying an SD Memory Card for Your Camera
When you go to purchase an SD memory card for your digital camera, you're faced with a confusing collection of acronyms and jargon. The TechConnect article at the link provides a breakdown of what the symbols and terminology mean so you can buy the right one for your camera and situation.
http://www.techconnect.com/article/3208766/storage/sd-memory-cards-the-features-and-specifications-to-look-for.html?idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&email_SHA1_lc=&cid=tcon_nlt_techconnect_daily_2017-07-26

12. Electric Cars - Details Of Different Types plus Volvo's Plans
The August 2017 issue of this Newsletter (last month) included an article, "Electric Cars Mainstream? - Sooner Than We Thought" that described the rapidly approaching development, marketing and sale of electric powered cars. That article also reported that Volvo had announced that beginning in 2019 (that is less than two years away) the company will no longer offer new vehicles powered only by gasoline or diesel fuel. The two new articles at the links below expand on Volvo's plans and provide excellent overviews of the different ways that electric vehicles (EV's) can be powered - battery electric (i.e. Tesla Model S, Nissan Leaf, Chevrolet Bolt), conventional hybrid (Toyota Prius, Ford Focus Hybrid, Chevrolet Volt), plug-in hybrid (Toyota Prius Plug-In, Audi Plug-In) and hydrogen fuel cell (Honda Clarity, Toyota Mirai). These electric vehicles (EV's) are coming so taking the time to read these two articles will provide you with knowledge that you will soon need.
http://spectrum.ieee.org/cars-that-think/transportation/advanced-cars/will-volvo-really-kill-the-gasoline-engine http://spectrum.ieee.org/green-tech/fuel-cells/why-the-automotive-future-will-be-dominated-by-fuel-cells

13. The Robots May Be Coming
Faced with 132 job openings and an increasingly unreliable American workforce because of alcohol, despair, depression and a spike in the use of opioids and other drugs, a factory in Wisconsin hopes it will get help from its newest employees, who arrived recently in four boxes: Robot 1 and Robot 2. The article at the link drills down into this and other corporate decisions to use human workers or technology based machines, decisions that have technical, financial, manufacturing, economic and even political issues.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/rise-of-the-machines/2017/08/05/631e20ba-76df-11e7-8f39-eeb7d3a2d304_story.html?utm_term=.c601a172b0df&wpisrc=al_alert-national&wpmk=1

14. Time For A Smart Lock For Your Home
The technology of door locks has barely changed in a thousand years. A key, usually made of some metal, is configured to match the interior of the lock so that when the lock and key fit together access is granted. Now that technology of all kinds is finding it's way into hundreds of items that we use every day, locks are now in the mix. Such technology is now being included in locks, called Smart Locks, to enhance the thousand year old design and capability of the device that protects our home and our property. A smart lock can bring numerous features to you - it can be easy to install, there is no physical key to lose or duplicate, each person with access can have a unique unlock key, individual access times and dates can be controlled, locks can be operated remotely, records of access are available, etc. The article at the link describes smart lock features and capabilities and ranks models from several manufacturers that TechConnect believes are the best available.
http://www.techconnect.com/article/3212828/connected-home/best-smart-lock.html?idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&email_SHA1_lc=&cid=tcon_nlt_techconnect_daily_2017-08-03

15. Transferring AutoCorrect Entries To A New Computer
Microsoft Word, as part of Microsoft Office for Windows and for Mac, allows you to collect AutoCorrect entries that you use to fix habitual typos, insert characters and shortcut other keystrokes. If you are buying a new computer you don't have to lose those entries because there is a way to transfer your AutoCorrect eateries to your new machine. The procedure for doing this, on a Windows or Mac computer, is in the New York Times article at the link.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/04/technology/personaltech/taking-your-autocorrect-entries-with-you.html?emc=edit_th_20170805&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=1

16. Moving A Large Music Library Off Your PC
Many people have very large music libraries stored in an iTunes library on the hard drive of a PC, be it either a Mac or a Windows machine. Before you use all your PC's hard drive storage you might want to move your music library to an external backup hard drive. The article at the link tells you how to move your music.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/28/technology/personaltech/relocating-itunes-library-external-drive.html?em_pos=small&emc=edit_ct_20170803&nl=technology&nl_art=14&nlid=45350125&ref=headline&te=1&_r=0

August 2017 SIR Computer Newsletter
1. Homes With Smart Devices Are At Greater Cyber Risk
Previous issues of this Newsletter have included items about the rapid growth in the use of "connected" devices of every kind, in our workplace, in public spaces and in our homes. These "smart" devices, called Internet Of Things (IOT) devices, can be connected to a network and then to the Internet. In our homes they include lighting, down to individual light bulbs, appliances like ranges, washing machines, refrigerators, toasters, coffee pots, TV screens, receivers and recorders, door locks, security systems, home heating and cooling equipment, etc. Each IOT device can be communicated with through a computer, smartphone or tablet connected to the Internet from anywhere. In a home the risk is that such multiple IOT connections can result in a large network, that like many home networks has only minimal security. Cyber attackers look for large networks, particularly large networks with poor security. The excellent article at the link, from the San Francisco Chronicle, provides detail of the cyber security issues and risk presented to homes equipped with multiple connected smart devices.
http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/ODN/SanFranciscoChronicle/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=HSFC%2F2017%2F06%2F19&entity=Ar00102&sk=74C598ED&mode=text

2. Driver Ignores Autonomous Vehicle's Warnings
A number of items in past issues of this Newsletter have focused on the rapid development of computer controlled autonomous vehicles by an expanding number of both automotive and technology companies. Many such vehicles are operating on public roadways around the U.S. as both test platforms and in use by vehicle customers. Different systems provide the vehicle and driver with various features and capabilities of computer assistance. Tesla Motors system, called Autopilot, is already available to customers. In mid-2016 a Tesla Model S sedan, operating with Autopilot engaged, at 70 miles per hour, collided with a large truck, killing the Tesla driver. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), who has been investigating since the accident, has just released a roughly 500 page report which, in part, says that "in the minutes leading up to the collision, the Tesla driver was audibly warned six times to keep his hands on the steering wheel. He was also warned visually, seven times, on his Tesla's dashboard." More detail about this accident and autonomous computer driven vehicles is in the article at the link.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/06/20/the-driver-who-died-in-a-tesla-crash-using-autopilot-ignored-7-safety-warnings/?utm_term=.369bafad4bc9&wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1

3. How To Remove Malware From Your Windows PC
Malware on your Windows PC? The TechConnect article at the link tells you how to clean it out and restore your PC to a pristine state.
http://www.techconnect.com/article/243818/security/how-to-remove-malware-from-your-windows-pc.html?idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&email_SHA1_lc=&cid=tcon_nlt_techconnect_daily_2017-06-21

4. Unlocking Your Mobile Phone For A New Carrier Network
If you have a mobile phone it almost surely was purchased set up for connection to a specific wireless network carrier - AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint, Virgin Mobile, etc. and you had a contract for that network carrier to provide you with mobile service. Your phone was "locked" to that network carrier. Some phones, but not all, could be "unlocked" from a specific carrier, frequently at significant expense and technical difficulty. Today, your wireless carrier must unlock your mobile phone if you request it. Any wireless phone purchased after 2015 will work with any carrier, so you can't be tied to any one network carrier. There are some terms and conditions that you'll need to follow to unlock your phone, and of course they vary by carrier. The article at the link describes the procedures for the major wireless carriers.
http://www.techconnect.com/article/3201885/apple-phone/unlock-your-iphone-verizon-att-sprint-t-mobile-virgin-mobile.html?idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&email_SHA1_lc=&cid=tcon_nlt_techconnect_daily_2017-06-23

5. Airbag Supplier Takata Files For Bankruptcy
Takata, the Japanese airbag manufacturer and the subject of equipment recalls in multi-millions of vehicles worldwide, has filed for bankruptcy protection. Regulators and lawyers around the world are taking action to help protect consumers who have not yet had their defective and recalled airbags replaced. The article at the link fills in some of the details but developments are continuing.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/25/business/takata-japan-restructuring.html?emc=edit_th_20170626&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125

6. Robo Calls
On June 22, 2017 "the Federal Communications Commission proposed a $120 million fine against an individual who apparently made almost 100 million spoofed robocalls in violation of the Truth in Caller ID Act. The law prohibits callers from deliberately falsifying caller ID information to disguise their identity with the intent to harm or defraud consumers." If robo calls drive you nuts and this guy is convicted then payback should put a smile on your face. Details are in the article at the link.
http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2017/db0623/DOC-345470A1.pdf

7. Tomorrow's Computer - An Information Appliance?
In the late 1970's, a leading technologist and early Apple employee, Jef Raskin, argued that computers should be information appliances, like other home appliances. Computers should be easy to operate, not require upgrade or the addition of new applications but should do a finite number of tasks with the flip of a switch or the push of one or two buttons, just like your washing machine or vacuum cleaner. Jef's idea never took root and computers became the devices we see everywhere we go and use every day. He advocated for an information appliance until the end of his life in 2005. Now, Amazon has introduced Jef Raskin's information appliance and you can have it sitting on a counter or desk in your home. It is the latest version of the voice controlled Amazon Echo, but with an added touch screen, and called Echo Show. "The Echo Show is a remarkable machine, not just for what it is now but for the way it clarifies Amazon's vision of the future of computing. It's becoming the model for a new kind of communal, household computer - a resurrection of Mr. Raskin's idea of an information appliance," as opposed to the image of a PC that we all have today. The Echo system is so successful that other technology firms like Apple, Microsoft and Google are racing to catch Amazon. Read the amazing story of Amazon's Echo in the article at the link.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/28/technology/amazons-vision-of-computings-future-an-information-appliance.html?emc=edit_th_20170629&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125

8. Squeezing More Battery Out Of A Smartphone
If your smartphone seems to not hold a battery charge for as long as it did in the past you should read the article at the link for tips that will give you more use time between recharging and give you more longevity of your smartphone battery.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/29/technology/personaltech/squeezing-more-battery-juice-out-of-a-smartphone.html?emc=edit_th_20170630&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

9. The Evolution of iOS, Apple's Mobile Operating System
If you own an Apple iPhone, iPad tablet or iPod, it is powered by an Apple developed operating system (OS) called iOS. The the first iOS, iOS1 was introduced in 2007 in conjunction with the release of the first iPhone. Since then, newer versions of the software have been released, each including improved and added features and capability. The latest version, iOS11, has just been announced and will be released in the fall of 2017. The excellent review of capabilities, additions and changes of each iOS version is in the ComputerWorld slid show article at the link.
http://www.computerworld.com/article/2975868/apple-ios/the-evolution-of-ios.html?idg_eid=36beaed40c5805a8e4c7311495b43f74&email_SHA1_lc=&cid=cw_nlt_computerworld_mobile_wireless_2017-06-09&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Computerworld%20M#slide1

10. Fog Lamps and Vehicle Lighting
New technology is everywhere around us but maybe most visible in the new vehicles that are on the road and maybe in your driveway. One of the latest changes is the disappearance of front fog lights on cars sold in America (Rear fog lights are required on cars in Europe) because modern high output headlights can in many cases provide the lighting of both older headlights and fog lights. Other vehicle lighting changes are also taking place or are planned for the future. Read the details in the article at the link.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/29/automobiles/wheels/why-fog-lamps-are-starting-to-disappear.html?emc=edit_th_20170630&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125

11. Police Robot Vehicles and Drones
Computer technology is moving the police force of Dubai to the leading edge of the future of law enforcement as, by the end of this year, they deploy unmanned autonomous police vehicles that come with a built-in aerial drone that can be deployed to surveil areas and people that the robot vehicle can't reach. The robot vehicle/drone, manufactured by Singapore based Otsaw Digital, is named O-R3. It "can navigate on its own using machine-learning algorithms, but police can control the robot remotely from behind a computer dashboard. The vehicle also comes equipped with thermal imaging and license-plate readers. Dubai plans that by 2030, 25% of their police force to be drones. Read more about this leading technology in the article at the link.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2017/06/30/meet-the-newest-recruits-of-dubais-police-force-robo-cars-with-facial-recognition-tech/?utm_term=.16abdc49b534&wpisrc=nl_innov&wpmm=1

12. The Birth of iPhone
Almost every one of us has a smartphone, a device that a decade ago did not exist . Ten years ago, Steve Jobs, the Apple CEO, stood on a stage and unveiled the Apple iPhone, a device that opened the flood gates to all of the smartphones, from multiple manufacturers, that have become an almost required device. The birth of the iPhone is the subject of a new book, THE ONE DEVICE - The Secret History of the iPhone, by Brian Merchant, 407 pages from Little, Brown & Company, that is reviewed in the article at the link. Interesting technology and computer history.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/19/books/review/one-device-secret-history-iphone-brian-merchant.html?em_pos=small&emc=edit_ct_20170622&nl=technology&nl_art=5&nlid=45350125&ref=headline&te=1&_r=0

13. Best Tablets You Can Buy - A Review
If you are in the market to purchase a new tablet computer the TIME review article at the link may be useful in helping you decide which tablet is best for you.
http://time.com/4839283/best-tablets-ipad-android-surface/?xid=newsletter-brief

14. Avoid A "Smishing" Scam
Technology continues to be added to our lives to make what we do faster, more comfortable and more efficient. Unfortunately, as each new added technology becomes broadly used it attracts those interested in attacking us through the technology to steal our personal information. The newest attack, called "smishing", uses text or instant messaging services to access our personal information with messages similar to email phishing messages - appearing to be urgent and getting you to click on a link or visit a site that then steals your information. The Fortune article at the link tells you much more about smishing and reminds you to always be on the alert.
http://fortune.com/2017/07/07/smishing-scam/?xid=newsletter-brief

15. Electric Cars Mainstream? - Sooner Than We Thought
Ever since the introduction of electric cars from multiple manufacturers both the industry and public view has been that "electric cars will remain a niche product for many years, plagued by high sticker prices and heavily dependent on government subsidies." Now a growing number of analysts believe that this position is outdated. A new report from a Bloomberg research group "suggest that the price of plug-in cars is falling much faster than expected, spurred by cheaper batteries and aggressive policies promoting zero-emission vehicles in China and Europe." Volvo has just announced that in two years it will no longer offer new models powered by gasoline or diesel fuel. France also plans to ban the sale of gasoline and diesel powered vehicles. The article at the link provides more detail on the rapidly approaching world of all electric vehicles.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/08/climate/electric-cars-batteries.html?emc=edit_th_20170710&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125

16. Smart Thermostats
With an ever increasing number of Internet connected devices and appliances, called the Internet Of Things (IOT), it is appropriate to look at the most sold IOT device, the home (or office) thermostat. The article at the link provides detailed descriptions of the top five "smart" IOT thermostats according to TechConnect.
http://www.techconnect.com/article/3206565/thermostats/best-smart-thermostat.html?idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&email_SHA1_lc=&cid=tcon_nlt_techconnect_daily_2017-07-11

17. Adding New Fonts To Your Computer
Your computer, be it a Windows machine or a Mac, comes equipped with a range of fonts to use in documents and files that you use or produce. You still may find yourself wanting to add a new font for "that special effect" that you want your document(s) to have. The article at the link tells how to add, or delete, fonts from both Mac and Windows computers.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/17/technology/personaltech/adding-new-fonts-to-the-computer.html?emc=edit_th_20170718&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

July 2017 SIR Computer Newsletter
1. Amazon Can Block Shoppers From Seeing Competitive Stores
Retail stores face added competitive pressure as shoppers find an item of interest in a store and then, on the spot, use their smartphones to check the price and availability of the same item at other, competitive stores. This rapidly growing practice is called mobile window shopping. Amazon, who is aggressively adding "brick and mortar" stores to its massive internet store operation (e.g. Amazon's acquisition of Whole Foods and its 465 physical stores) has just been awarded a patent for a system that prevents mobile window shopping. When the system detects an Amazon shopper attempting to access a competitors website Amazon may take one of several actions. "It may block access to the compet'tor's site, preventing customers from viewing comparable products from rivals. It might redirect the customer to Amazon's own site or to other, Amazon-approved sites. It might notify an Amazon salesperson to approach the customer. Or it might send the customer's smartphone a text message, coupon or other information designed to lure the person back into Amazon's orbit." More detail is in the article at the link.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2017/06/16/amazon-has-a-patent-to-keep-you-from-comparison-shopping-while-youre-in-its-stores/?utm_term=.53e2bf7bcda5&wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1

2. Autonomous Artificial Intelligence Military Flying Drones
This Newsletter frequently contains articles about drones, autonomous computer controlled vehicles, artificial intelligence controlled platforms and robots of all kinds. Now a defense contractor, Kratos Defense and Security Solutions, has introduced several robotic, artificial intelligence controlled U.S. Air Force (USAF) vehicles that can fly alongside manned USAF fighter aircraft, as wingmen, on military combat missions. The company showed "a 30-foot-long drone backed by the Air Force called the XQ-222 Valkyrie, with a range of more than 4,000 nautical miles. Kratos is promoting the pilotless planes at the Paris Air Show .... in preparation for a new round of testing." Somehow "Star Wars" suddenly seems a little closer. Here is a link to a report with a lot more detail.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2017/06/14/the-pentagon-is-building-robotic-wingmen-to-fly-alongside-fighter-planes/?utm_term=.c00ad83cdbb7&wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1

3. Security Awareness
Several times each year we provide Newsletter readers with a link to a current issue of OUCH! The Monthly Security Awareness Newsletter for Everyone. The link below will take you to the June 2017 issue of OUCH! For an up to date review of computer security procedures and security things and issues to be aware of, I recommend clicking on the link and reading the brief but valuable OUCH Newsletter.
https://securingthehuman.sans.org/newsletters/ouch/issues/OUCH-201706_en.pdf?utm_medium=Email&utm_source=Houselist+Ouch&utm_campaign=STH+Ouch!&utm_content=English+Version

4. Ponzi Scheme Meets Ransomware To Attack You
You go to your computer only to get a message that your computer has been hacked. You are told that you have a choice: Pay the hackers a ransom of of a specified amount, in exchange for regaining access to your computer, or you try to infect two new people on behalf of the attackers. If someone that you know, and try to infect, falls for the bait and becomes infected, the attackers will consider the ransom paid and cede control of your infected computer. In late 2016 the first software infection of this type showed up. It combined a Ponzi, or pyramid scheme, in which one person entraps another, with malware that holds a computer hostage for payment - ransomware. Get ready, because initial indications are that this Ponzi - Ransomware combination worked so well that experts expect it to be deployed by a number of hackers. To learn more about what may soon be darkening your doorway, read the article at the link.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/06/technology/hackers-ransomware-bitcoin-ponzi-wannacry.html?emc=edit_th_20170607&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

5. Telemarketing Messages In Your Voicemail
Your mobile phone notifies you that you have a voicemail message - but, your phone never rang so how did you get a voicemail message? You listen to the voicemail message and find it is a recorded telemarketing pitch telling you about some deal you can get when you purchase whatever is being advertised. How is this possible? You know that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) manages the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991, a federal law. This law prohibits a number of things including calling cellular telephones with automated dialing and artificial or prerecorded voices without first obtaining consent (except in the case of an emergency). A number of new companies, called ringless voicemail providers, have petitioned the FCC for approval of services that bypass ringing your mobile phone and go directly to your voicemail to deliver messages for marketing and other purposes. These petitions claim that such a connection, that bypasses your phone, is not a telephone call under existing law. Additionally, they claim that since a connection directly to your voicemail is not a call, the federal "Do Not Call" list does not apply. Consumers are submitting comments (www.fcc.gov) as are businesses wanting to use this kind of marketing. We will have to wait to see what the FCC decides. More detail is in the article at the link.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/03/business/phone-ringless-voicemail-fcc-telemarketer.html?emc=edit_th_20170604&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

6. Tech Executives Invest In New Technologies
Two technology executives are investing part of their tech fortunes in current, new technology. Each is detailed in the two articles below and their associated links. The first is Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft with Bill Gates, a current philanthropist and Chairman of the Seattle Seahawks, is a major investor in an aircraft that will be used to carry space booster and satellite vehicles to high altitude for airborne launch. The aircraft, called Stratolaunch, was first shown to the public in late May at the Mohave Air & Spaceport. It is huge - with a 385 foot wingspan, 28 wheels, six Boeing 747 engines and a maximum takeoff weight 1.3 million pounds with payload and fuel. The Stratolaunch will initially carry 1000 pound satellites to 35,000 feet altitude where the booster will launch the satellite into low earth orbit. Here is an article with more detail and a picture of the Stratolaunch aircraft.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/05/31/paul-allen-just-rolled-out-the-worlds-largest-airplane-and-he-ready-to-take-on-the-rocket-makers/?utm_term=.6512ba4b08eb&wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1
The second is Sergey Brin, the co-founder of Google, who is investing $100 million in an "air yacht", the world’s largest airship - a blimp with a rigid structure designed to both deliver supplies abroad for humanitarian projects and ferry Brin's family and friends around the globe, shuttling a billionaire and his inner circle to exotic locations. Initially the airship will be housed in a giant airship hanger at Moffett Federal Airfield in Mountain View, California, the heart of Silicon Valley. Here is an article with some more detail.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2017/05/30/google-co-founder-sergey-brin-is-reportedly-building-a-100-million-air-yacht-to-help-the-poor/?utm_term=.00a026fc0f1e&wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1

7. Security Camera Identifies People
Nest, with Google, both companies that are part of Alphabet Inc., is introducing a new security camera that uses artificial intelligence (AI), the fastest growing technology segment, to identify specific people and pets. The camera uses AI to confirm the identity of previously identified individuals and animals. The camera can then notify a smartphone and report who is in the camera's view - family member, friend or unrecognized person. Here is an article with more detail.
http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/ODN/SanFranciscoChronicle/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=HSFC%2F2017%2F05%2F31&entity=Ar02103&sk=1874AB56

8. Password Manager Software
This Computer Newsletter regularly suggest that you frequently change and strengthen the passwords that protect your accounts, documents and applications. One suggestion continues to be the use of password management software that will suggest strong passwords, protect your passwords and enter the correct but different password for every account. Your only requirement is to remember only one strong password that protects the management software. The article at the link describes and reviews the six password managers that the authors believe are the best available. (FYI, I use one of these password managers to protect different passwords for every account while supporting my access to every password protected account from my desktop computer, tablet computer and smartphone.)
http://www.csoonline.com/article/3198507/security/the-6-best-password-managers.html

9. Intel Compute Card - Coming In August
In August 2017 Intel will introduce Compute Card, a card-sized PC that packs a CPU, memory, storage and wireless modules in a playing card size object that is inserted in a slot to provide full computer function to a number of different devices - a desktop, a laptop, a tablet, a smart white board, a projector, etc. HP, Dell and Lenovo are early backers. Here is a short marketing video about Compute Card.
http://www.computerworld.com/video/78036/intel-demonstrates-its-tiny-compute-card?idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&email_SHA1_lc=a3745daaa9f2e7bd10c063b9fcd13f05e102b3a2&cid=cw_nlt_computerworld_enterprise_apps_2017-05-30&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Computerworld%20Enterprise%20Apps%202017-05-30&utm_term=computerworld_enterprise_apps

10. Some Apple Applications Will Stop Working Soon
If you use a Apple iPhone and/or iPad you surely have a number of software applications (apps) running on your devices, driven by Apple's mobile operating system iOS. Enhancing iOS began with the appearance of the original iPhone and has continued to this day. The next major release of this operating system will be iOS 11, which is expected in the fall of 2017. Software apps available in the Apple App Store, and there are more than a million of them, have had to be upgraded by their developers to keep up with iOS development. iOS 11 will complete the upgrade of the operating system to 64 bit technology from the older 32 bit system. Unfortunately, some software apps, that you might be using on your Apple devices, have been abandoned by their developers or have not been kept up to date. These will no longer function under all 64 bit iOS 11 and will need to be replaced or abandoned. The article at the link tells you how to find apps that you use that are not being kept up to date and what you can do to avoid a future problem.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/30/technology/personaltech/the-end-of-the-road-for-some-apps.html?em_pos=small&emc=edit_ct_20170601&nl=technology&nl_art=5&nlid=45350125&ref=headline&te=1&_r=0

11. Bringing The Internet To Rural India
India is known in part for the millions of excellent technology workers who live and work in many of India's major cities that are focused on technology. There are however hundreds of millions of Indian residents living their lives in rural locations and non-technical urban areas. Now there are programs to introduce technology, through access to the Internet, for these uncounted millions who have never even seen a computer screen, a computer, a smartphone or even electricity. The article at the link is an excellent overview of the incredible effort of providing this first Internet exposure.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/21/world/asia/internet-in-india.html?emc=edit_ta_20170521&nl=top-stories&nlid=45350125&ref=cta&_r=0

12. Protect Your Smartphone
If you own a smartphone, and because it is a substantial investment, you are interested in protecting it and your investment as best you can but without placing protection in place that generally cost more than it is worth. The article at the link discusses the four most common smartphone protections - a case to protect the whole smartphone from the hardship of being carried and used every day; a screen protector to protect the display from scratches and possibly breakage; an extended warranty to replace or repair some failures of the phone beyond the basic warranty; an insurance policy to reimburse you for damage, loss or theft of your smartphone. The article at the link looks at these protections and tells which are worth your investment and which are a waste of your money.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/24/technology/personaltech/reality-check-what-does-and-doesnt-protect-your-smartphone.html?emc=edit_th_20170525&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

13. Computer Wins World's Most Complex Board Game
The world’s best player of what might be humankind’s most complicated board game, the game of Go, was recently defeated by a Google computer program. Adding insult to potentially deep existential injury, the champion human player was defeated at a game that claims centuries of play by humans - in China, where the game was invented. The software, AlphaGo, which was developed by DeepMind, the artificial intelligence (AI) arm of Google's parent, Alphabet Incorporated. This software, an AI program, has already pushed assumptions about just how creative a computer program can be. AI is considered by many to be the fastest developing arm of computing. The article at the link expands on AlphaGo, its use in winning the complex game of Go and where future AI programs might take us.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/23/business/google-deepmind-alphago-go-champion-defeat.html?emc=edit_th_20170524&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=1

14. Apple Watch Monitors Blood Sugar
Apple engineers have been working for more than five years to develop an improved method for diabetic people to monitor their blood sugar, an essential task to maintain their health. Today monitoring requires sticking the skin, usually on a finger, to draw a drop of blood which is moved to a device that reads the blood sugar level. Most diabetics consider it mentally anguishing to stick themselves many times a day to check their blood sugar. "Apple has been very interested in developing what it calls the “holy grail” in diabetes: non-invasive, continuous glucose monitoring. If successful, these sensors would be able to monitor blood sugar levels without breaking the skin." Recently, Tim Cook, the Apple CEO, has been wearing a small device attached to his Apple Watch that is collecting and reporting his blood sugar levels. "If Apple is successful in creating this next-gen glucose monitor, it would transform the Apple Watch from a wearable accessory to a revolutionary health device. Even though the Watch can now monitor your heart rate and track your activity, it's obvious Apple wants to add more significant health applications." There has been no formal Apple comment. The article at the link goes into more detail.
http://www.techconnect.com/article/3197691/wearables/tim-cook-is-testing-a-new-apple-watch-device-that-monitors-his-blood-sugar-monitor.html?idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&email_SHA1_lc=&cid=tcon_nlt_techconnect_daily_2017-05-22

15. Gmail Suggest Replies To Email Messages
"If you use Google's Gmail app, you may have seen something new pop up on your screen this week: suggested responses for your emails." Google is able to this with its "increased focus on artificial intelligence and machine learning." The article at the link describes how Google is able to make such suggestions and how the feature works with the Gmail user.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/05/19/do-you-say-thanks-or-thanks-google-will-tailor-suggested-email-replies-to-your-preferences/?utm_term=.2e5d088c1560&wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1

16. An Important Note To Military Veterans
The Department of Defense has announced that starting on Veteran's Day, November 11, 2017, all honorably discharged U.S. military veterans will be able, for their lifetime, to shop online at websites of the Army/Air Force Exchange, the Navy Exchange, the Marine Corps Exchange and the Coast Guard Exchange. The purchase of military uniforms, alcohol and tobacco products is excluded. Shopping at "brick and mortar" military exchange stores is not included. Think of this online opportunity like shopping at Amazon but with cheaper prices and no tax. Veterans must pre-register, anytime after June 1, 2017, by visiting the registration website at: https://www.vetverify.org/
Here is a Department of Defense article about this Veteran program.
https://www.defense.gov/News/Article/Article/1049558/dod-opens-online-exchange-shopping-to-veterans/

June 2017 SIR Computer Newsletter

1. Windows 10 Best Tips, Tricks and Tweaks
If you are a Microsoft Windows 10 user and have the current updates installed, the article at the link details 30+ "Best Tips, Tricks and Tweaks" that you should find interesting and hopefully useful.
http://www.techconnect.com/article/2875600/windows/windows-10-the-best-tips-tricks-and-tweaks.html?idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&email_SHA1_lc=&cid=tcon_nlt_techconnect_daily_2017-05-18#slide1

2. Technology Reduces Lost Luggage
If you have ever had the experience of "lost" luggage (or delayed luggage as the airlines prefer to call it) when traveling you will find some positive information in the New York Times article at the link below. Technology, including RFID baggage tags, computer tracking and automated "push" tracking notification of your luggage location to your smartphone. On at least one major airline you may elect to be provided with detail down to when your beg is loaded on your aircraft. A number of airlines are installing such luggage tracking systems. More detail is in the article. Have a great trip.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/15/business/investing-in-tech-to-tackle-an-awful-annoyance-lost-luggage.html?emc=edit_th_20170516&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

3. Danger - Public USB Charging Stations
When we travel, both locally and far from home, and carry our mobile digital devices, laptops, tablets, e-readers and smartphones, we may need to recharge one or more of our devices. Free public charging stations are available at airports, coffee shops, hotel lobbies and other locations. Most of these stations provide you with a USB cable to plug into your device and recharge the device's battery. - WAIT - When at home you can recharge via a USB cable connected between your mobile device and a home computer. While connected, you can both recharge and transfer data to and from your device simultaneously via the same USB cable. In that public charging station there could be a hidden computer on the other end of the USB cable you are about to plug in to your mobile device to recharge its battery. While you recharge this computer could simultaneously download data or upload software to your device. Don't use public USB charging stations - bring your own USB cable and plug in your own electric power transformer.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/10/technology/personaltech/the-risk-in-using-a-public-phone-charger.html?em_pos=small&emc=edit_ct_20170511&nl=technology&nl_art=8&nlid=45350125&ref=headline&te=1

4. Turn Anything into a PDF on an Apple iPhone or iPad
You can turn anything into a PDF on an iPhone or iPad that is running the operating system iOS 10 or above. The conversion capability is built into the iOS software. The article at the link tells you how to do it.
http://www.cultofmac.com/479511/make-pdf-iphone-ipad/

5. Batteries Help Renewable Energy
When you travel across this nation you see ever increasing sites supporting renewable energy - typically wind power turbines and solar power stations. When the wind is blowing and when the sun is shining (it's not night or cloudy) a significant percentage of our energy requirement is met from these sources. But, if we can capture more energy than is being consumed at any specific moment we must not generate it or we must throw it away. Now there are huge facilities full of rechargeable batteries to store excess energy to be used when needed. These battery facilities help meet goals set to shift toward renewable energy. The most ambitious goal is that of California - "have 50% of all electricity come from renewables by 2050". California is already home to 36% of the country's battery storage capacity with projects continuing to open on a regular basis. Oregon and Massachusetts have announced their own storage targets. Meanwhile, dozens of cities have made commitments to get 100% of their electricity from renewables. One study reports that one in four businesses with more than 250 employees has already deployed batteries to help with their electricity management. Personal battery systems for your home are available and being installed. Tesla (the electric car company) makes the largest home battery system. It is wall mounted near the home's main electric panel and can completely power the home for more than three days. Here is more on the rapidly growing renewable energy business.
http://time.com/4756648/batteries-clean-energy-renewables/?xid=newsletter-brief

6. Star Wars Technology That Is Almost Here
If you are a fan of Star Wars and the future technology that the Star Wars movies have introduced since 1977 you will be interested in the InfoWorld article at the link that describes ten such technologies that are almost here. Enjoy and "May The Force Be With You!"
http://www.infoworld.com/article/3015692/hardware/10-star-wars-technologies-that-are-almost-here.html?idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&email_SHA1_lc=a3745daaa9f2e7bd10c063b9fcd13f05e102b3a2&cid=ifw_nlt_infoworld_daily_2017-05-04&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=InfoWorld%20Daily:%20Afternoon%20Edition%202017-05-04&utm_term=infoworld_daily#slide1

7. Wish You Had An iPad?
Maybe you wish you had a new Apple iPad, or if you already have one, you probably wish that yours could do the things shown by this iPad Magician. http://videos2view.net/iPad-Magician.htm

8. Virtual Digital Assistants Expand Their Help To You
Virtual digital assistants are already in millions of homes, providing many kinds of assistance in response to voice commands - turning lights on and off, ordering take out dinner, changing thermostat settings, reporting all kinds of requested information, setting timers, playing requested music, etc. There are a number of different systems but the two most popular are Amazon Echo and Google Home. Israel-based, Intuition Robotics, is developing a virtual assistant named, ElliQ (pronounced L-E-Q), specifically for the elderly, a population shown to be more vulnerable to social isolation and physical inactivity. The founders expect that frequent engagement with a robot that makes positive lifestyle suggestions will promote physical and mental wellness. The artificial intelligence virtual assistant "learns" the schedule, habits and needs of its owner and makes appropriate suggestions. When the weather is nice, it suggests a walk. When it's time to take medication, the device is ready with a reminder. If you haven't spoken to relatives in a while it says a call is in order. Learn more from the article at the link about the technology assistance you may soon have to enhance your lifestyle.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2017/05/03/in-the-future-virtual-assistants-will-not-only-take-orders-theyll-have-ideas-of-their-own/?utm_term=.207931e349c0&wpisrc=nl_innov&wpmm=1

9. Backup, Backup, Backup
This Newsletter often reminds you to backup your files, documents and records and here we go again. The article at the link defines what is called 3-2-1 Backup and tells how to set it up. A friend and subscriber of this SIR Computer Newsletter reports that he has used 3-2-1 backup for more than a decade. If you don't have an original of your data, plus at least two backups, with one offsite, you need to get to work protecting your files.
https://haroldmansfield.com/what-is-a-3-2-1-backup-and-how-do-i-set-it-up/

10. Run Windows On Your Mac Computer
If you have an Mac computer you can run both the new Windows 10 operating system (OS) and the Mac iOS on your Mac with a free Apple software tool named Boot Camp. The article at the link describes this, what hardware and software is needed and how to load the OS and other software.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/28/technology/personaltech/running-macos-and-windows-10-on-the-same-computer.html?emc=edit_th_20170429&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

11. Merging Desktop and Smartphone
The May 2017 issue of this Newsletter included an item (#4, "Are Laptops Dead?) that in part discussed coming devices supporting the merger of smartphones with a laptop like keyboard, mouse and screen. The device would use the processor power, data storage, memory and applications from the connected smartphone. Now, Samsung has just introduced a device, the Samsung Dex Station, $150, that supports the connection of a desktop display, keyboard and mouse with the new Samsung Galaxy S8, $720, smartphone. The Dex Station, does not connect with any other smartphone including earlier Samsung smartphone models. The new Dex Station and the connection with the new Galaxy S8 is described in the article from InfoWorld at the link.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/3189907/mobile-technology/review-samsung-dex-nearly-nails-smartphone-as-desktop.html?idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&email_SHA1_lc=a3745daaa9f2e7bd10c063b9fcd13f05e102b3a2&cid=ifw_nlt_infoworld_daily_2017-04-22&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=InfoWorld%20Daily:%20Weekend%20Edition%202017-04-22&utm_term=infoworld_daily

12. New Car Technology
If you are buying a new car and have not purchased a new vehicle in six or more years, the average in the U.S., you may be surprised at the excellent technology in new vehicles. Although some is optional, much is now standard equipment and can not be eliminated. There are more sensors, more computer capability, more driver assistance, more entertainment and more safety features. Some buyers, particularly seniors, are unhappy when they want to opt out of what has become standard and find that can not be done. Read the article and watch the video in the article at the link to learn what you will be facing in your next trip to a new car dealer.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/20/automobiles/wheels/new-cars-technology.html?emc=edit_th_20170421&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

13. Eight Risky Password Mistakes
We talk about passwords frequently in this Newsletter but security measures must be reviewed and trained often. So, here is an article from TIME with eight mistakes that are frequently made by password users.
http://time.com/money/4747341/risky-password-mistakes/?xid=newsletter-brief

14. Your Next Home WiFi Should Be A Mesh Network
When you next upgrade the router supplied WiFi that you have in your home you should consider installing a "mesh network". The high speed connection supplied by your router to devices in your home is severely degraded as the distance from the router increases. A mesh network is a system of multiple Wi-Fi stations that work together to blanket every corner of your home with a strong wireless data connection. Systems consists of a base station, connected to your modem and a number of satellite stations placed around your home where your WiFi signal is weak. A number of manufacturers, both already existing and start-ups, are already selling mesh network systems. The article at the link describes mesh networks and provides test evaluation and pricing of three named systems.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/26/technology/personaltech/mesh-network-vs-router.html?em_pos=large&emc=edit_ct_20170427&nl=technology&nlid=45350125&ref=headline&te=1&_r=0

15. Microsoft Cuts Stand Alone Office Rights to Cloud Connection
Microsoft (MS) has announced that some MS Office users (almost all corporate) will lose their access to cloud services of MS, including email, when the new rules take effect in October 2020. For example, Office 2007 will exit its 10 years of support in October; as of October 31st, "Outlook 2007 will be unable to connect to Office 365 mailboxes, which means Outlook 2007 clients using Office 365 will not be able to receive and send email." Individual users will generally not be effected but read the ComputerWorld article at the link for more detail.
http://www.computerworld.com/article/3192401/enterprise-applications/microsoft-to-slash-cloud-connection-rights-for-stand-alone-office.html?idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&email_SHA1_lc=a3745daaa9f2e7bd10c063b9fcd13f05e102b3a2&cid=cw_nlt_computerworld_enterprise_apps_2017-05-02&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Computerworld%20Enterprise%20Apps%202017-05-02&utm_term=computerworld_enterprise_apps

16. High Power Laptops - Head to Head
If you are in the market for a powerful laptop then two that need to be on your list to consider are the Dell XPS 15 and the Apple MacBook Pro 15. A head-to-head comparison of these two powerhouse computers is discussed in detail in the article at the link. If you are not ready to buy one of these machines the article is still quite interesting to understand the things that are evaluated in such a comparison.
http://www.techconnect.com/article/3179677/computers/dell-xps-15-vs-macbook-pro-15-fight.html?idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&email_SHA1_lc=&cid=tcon_nlt_techconnect_daily_2017-04-27&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=TechConnect%20Daily%202017-04-27&utm_term=techconnect_daily

May 2017 SIR Computer Newsletter

1. Autonomous Vehicle Road Test Permits
This Newsletter has included a number of past articles about the rapidly expanding development of computer controlled, autonomous vehicles. If you are a doubter that such vehicles will be on the road in the near term you might find the list (below) of interest. The list is those firms that have already received permits from the California Department of Motor Vehicles to test autonomous, self driving vehicles on California roads and highways. Soon you will be encountering them on the road and maybe riding in one as a passenger with a computer driving you to your destination.

Current List of Approved Participants - (As of May 11, 2017)
(Permit holders are listed by the date the permit was issued)
* Volkswagen Group of America
* Mercedes Benz
* Waymo
* Delphi Automotive
* Tesla Motors
* Bosch
* Nissan
* GM Cruise LLC
* BMW
* Honda
* Ford
* Zoox Inc.
* Drive.ai Inc.
* Faraday & Future Inc.
* Baidu USA LLC
* Wheego Electric Cars Inc.
* Valeo North America, Inc.
* NextEV USA, Inc.
* Telenav, Inc.
* NVIDIA Corporation
* AutoX Technologies Inc
* Subaru
* Udacity, Inc
* Navya Inc.
* Renovo.auto
* UATC LLC (Uber)
* PlusAi Inc
* Nuro, Inc
* CarOne LLC
* Apple Inc.

2. How Government Uses Your Money - A New Database
In 2014, Steve Ballmer retired as the CEO of Microsoft and like many new retirees found himself asking what do I do now? After many discussions, some with his wife, he realized that one question, "what does the government - federal, state and local - really do with the money?", had no one source with an answer. This week, "Mr. Ballmer plans to make public a database and a report that he and a small army of economists, professors and other professionals have been assembling as part of a stealth start-up over the last three years." The start-up is named USAFacts. The database is "perhaps the first nonpartisan effort to create a fully integrated look at revenue and spending across federal, state and local governments." The full website will be available at www.USAFacts.org. The beta is up and running as this is being written. Because there is significant interest you can expect the site to be quite busy in the first days as its existence has just been announced. The article at the link gives much more detail.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/17/business/dealbook/steve-ballmer-serves-up-a-fascinating-data-trove.html?emc=edit_th_20170418&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

3. Twenty Most Successful Tech Failures Of All Time
The editors of TIME have published a list, with descriptions and pictures, of the 20 most successful technologies that failed in the marketplace, in all of time. The technology staff of TIME reported that there were many debates about what should be on the list of 20. TIME said it clearly with this article "a list of failures, yes, but failures that led to success or may yet still lead to something world-changing. That's why we've called these technology's most successful failed products. Like an experiment gone awry, they can still teach us something about technology and how people want to use it." The very interesting TIME list is in the article at this link. http://time.com/4704250/most-successful-technology-tech-failures-gadgets-flops-bombs-fails/?xid=newsletter-brief

4. Are Laptops Dead?
An opinion piece originally published by ComputerWorld and now republished by Techconnect.com concludes that sales of laptop computers will shortly be overtaken by sales of powerful smartphones, just like ten years ago when laptop sales took away the lead previously held by desktop computers. The very interesting article at the link below describes a number of factors that appear to be driving this change. Young people today are avoiding both laptop and desktop computers in favor of smartphones that can provide them with all the computer power they need and want. New hardware devices are about to be introduced by both Samsung and Apple that combine features of both laptops and smartphones. The devices, costing less than $200, are about the same size and look like a laptop, open like a clam shell, have a screen and keyboard but have a well where the trackpad of a laptop would be. Your smartphone goes into the well where the smartphone screen becomes the trackpad and the smartphone's processor, operating system, memory and storage provide the computer power to the device. Use it at your home or office desk and when you leave, eject your smartphone and take it with you. To understand what is coming in personal computing - read the article at the link.
http://www.techconnect.com/article/3186782/computer-hardware/the-laptop-is-dead.html?idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&email_SHA1_lc=&cid=tcon_nlt_techconnect_daily_2017-04-03&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=TechConnect%20Daily%202017-04-03&utm_term=techconnect_daily

5. Illegal Skimmers On ATMs
All of the automated machines, particularly ATMs, that allow you to swipe a credit or debit card in exchange for cash or other services, are able to be illegally modified by criminals to collect your card information and PIN number input. The modifications almost always includes the addition of concealed and difficult to detect illegal hardware added to the front of the ATM machine. Such hardware is often attached with double sided tape and appears to be part of the machine. An article from KrebsOnSecurity.com, at the link below, will provide you with a detailed description, with pictures, of what to look for on ATM machines and other devices that use data from your credit/debit/ATM card. Sometimes a slight tug on the device will dislodge the illegal hardware, giving you warning that you can report.
https://krebsonsecurity.com/2017/03/why-i-always-tug-on-the-atm/

6. Unpublished Apollo Photos
TIME just published a series previously unpublished photos from the Apollo program, from the pre-moon landing missions in the 1960's, through the first landing in 1969, to the follow-on missions into the mid 1970's. The pictures, with comments on each, are in the article at the link. When you look at these photos remember that the computer onboard the Apollo vehicle to support a manned lunar landing mission had far less processor capability and data storage than is available to you today in a smartphone. Enjoy the pictures.
http://time.com/unseen-apollo/?xid=newsletter-brief

7. Guide To Backing Up Your Data
The New York Times has published a helpful guide to backing up your critical data. It provides suggestions to backing up documents, photos, music, etc. from smartphones, tablets, laptops, desktops and even from social media accounts. The guide is at the link.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/31/technology/personaltech/data-backup-guide.html?emc=edit_th_20170401&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

8. The Best Of Windows 10 Creators Update
The Microsoft Windows 10 Creators Update, due this spring, is full of new, fresh features. The best of these are detailed in the TechConnect article at the link. If you are using Windows 10 don't miss out on this important Microsoft update.
http://www.techconnect.com/article/3157039/windows/the-windows-10-creators-updates-best-new-features-dynamic-lock-game-mode-privacy-tweaks-and-more.html?idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&email_SHA1_lc=&cid=tcon_nlt_techconnect_daily_2 017-03-29&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=TechConnect%20Daily%202017-03-29&utm_term=techconnect_daily

9. Costs of Data Storage Over 50 Years
The cost of storing your digital data has fallen over the past 50 years with 1 gigabyte stored in 1967 costing more than $1 million, but today, the same storage cost 2 cents. The ComputerWorld article at the link describes the historical changes in data storage technology and costs. It includes photographs of data storage devices almost a big as a car with less capacity than your smartphone. Enjoy your travel through computer history.
http://www.computerworld.com/article/3182207/data-storage/cw50-data-storage-goes-from-1m-to-2-cents-per-gigabyte.html?idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&email_SHA1_lc=a3745daaa9f2e7bd10c063b9fcd13f05e102b3a2&cid=cw_nlt_computerworld_data_management_2017-03-29&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Computerworld%20Data%20Management%202017-03-29&utm_term=computerworld_data_management

10. Internet Privacy Being Loosened
The U.S. House of Representatives voted on Tuesday March 28th, by a margin of 215-205, to repeal a set of landmark privacy protections for Web users, issuing a sweeping rebuke of Internet policies enacted under the Obama administration. The repeal marks a sharp pivot toward letting Internet providers collect and sell their customers' Web browsing history, location information, health data and other personal details. The Senate previously approved the measure so it now heads to President Trump who is expected to sign it. Details about your Internet activity and about you may soon be up for sale. The details are in the two articles in the two links below.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/03/28/the-house-just-voted-to-wipe-out-the-fccs-landmark-internet-privacy-protections/?utm_term=.7a019a39071c&wpisrc=al_alert-COMBO-econ%252Bpolitics%252Bnation&wpmk=1
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/29/opinion/how-the-republicans-sold-your-privacy-to-internet-providers.html?emc=edit_th_20170329&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

11. Ten Windows Shortcuts
If you are a Microsoft Windows user you may use keyboard shortcuts to help you maneuver through documents you are working with, files you are using and screens displaying on your computer's screen. The article at the link gives you ten Windows shortcuts that you may not know and may be of use to you in making your computer work faster and more pleasurable.
http://www.techconnect.com/article/3184937/software-productivity/10-powerful-obscure-windows-keyboard-shortcuts-you-should-know.html?idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&email_SHA1_lc=&cid=tcon_nlt_techconnect_daily_2017-03-28&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=TechConnect%20Daily%202017-03-28&utm_term=techconnect_daily

12. Lucid Motors
If you have had interest and been following the rapid growth in the automotive industry of alternative fueled vehicles you may want to read the Washington Post article at the link below. Cars are in development and on the market now that are powered by a mixture of gasoline and electricity (hybrid), all battery stored electricity and compressed hydrogen gas generating electricity through fuel cells. New automotive manufacturers and related suppliers are entering the market every day. One of the newest becoming visible is Lucid Motors that was founded in 2007 and is currently backed by $130 million in venture capital from investors in the U.S., China and Japan. Lucid's first model, the all electric Lucid "Air", is a direct competitor to the luxury all electric Tesla Model S sedan and will begin customer deliveries in 2018. The Air is described and shown in a video in the article at this link.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2017/03/22/this-electric-car-start-up-is-after-a-loan-that-trump-plans-to-eliminate/?utm_term=.bdb6bacf9809&wpisrc=nl_innov&wpmm=1

13. Most Android Devices Do Not Have Latest Security
A mobile threat defense vendor, Skycure, "found that 71% of Android devices are running on security patches that are at least two months old too old to be considered secure." If you use a mobile device powered by the Android operating system you should read the ComputerWorld article at the link to at least be aware of the possible risk to your digital data.
sorry the link will not work

14. Self-Driving Cars Could Be Boon for Aged
Many readers of this Newsletter are years into retirement. "The number of United States residents age 70 and older is projected to increase to 53.7 million in 2030, from 30.9 million in 2014, according to the Institute for Highway Safety." Ninety-two percent of senior people want to continue to age where they now live and not move to a retirement community. Most of them drive now but as they age they often are unable to continue to drive because of health conditions or because they grow uncomfortable with driving. Unfortunately, "16 million people 65 and older live in communities where public transportation is poor or nonexistent. That number is expected to grow rapidly as baby boomers remain outside of cities." But, these aging neighbors may in fact be rescued from not being able or willing to drive themselves, or having access to public transportation, by the rapidly growing technology of autonomous, self driving vehicles. Read the article at the link to find out how this is likely to happen.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/23/automobiles/wheels/self-driving-cars-elderly.html?em_pos=small&emc=edit_ct_20170323&nl=technology&nl_art=1&nlid=45350125&ref=headline&te=1&_r=0

15. Safeguarding Your Data When Crossing International Borders
Recently we have seen an increasing number of reports of international travelers being intercepted at border crossing points by law enforcement officers wanting to examine electronic devices like smartphones, tablet computers, laptop computers, fitness trackers, etc. and demanding access to the data, photos, files and applications (apps) on those devices. Those challenged have been citizens of many nations including U.S. citizens. The law enforcement agents have represented many nations including United States Customs and Border Protection officers. If you are an international traveler, what should you do protect the contents of your electronic devices? Read the article at the link for suggestions that you can easily put in place. Enjoy your trips.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/21/technology/personaltech/crossing-the-border-heres-how-to-safeguard-your-data-from-searches.html?emc=edit_th_20170323&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

16. Drowsy Driving Kills
Drowsy driving, where your attention is diverted to a condition between awake and sleep, called microsleep, caused 824 deaths in 2015 according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Now, a number of automotive vehicle manufacturers and technology firms are working on systems to detect when a driver is drowsy and provide warning and protective action. The fascinating article at the link describes a number of different systems being developed and tested to deal with drowsy driving. Some monitor a vehicle's movements, such as steering wheel angle, lane deviation, time driven and road conditions while others focus on the drivers body posture, heart rate and body temperature, facial expression and focus point of vision. Others watch for deviation from the normal reactions and behaviors of the vehicle's regular driver that the vehicle has collected and stored using artificial intelligence. When fully autonomous vehicles are available, rather than alert the driver to take action the drowsy driver detection warning could result in the self driving system taking control of the vehicle and pulling to a safe stop while communicating alerts to other, nearby vehicles about the drowsy driver vehicle's intention.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/16/automobiles/wheels/drowsy-driving-technology.html?emc=edit_th_20170317&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

April 2017 SIR Computer Newsletter
1. Your Car's Headlights
The technology of lighting has had major impact on headlights on vehicles, with significant improvement in brightness and lighting range. Sounds great does't it. But, the vehicle design has major impact with the result of the light's placement in the design often greatly reducing the actual lighting despite the technical improvement. The article at the link tells what has been found in testing and how lighting on a number of named vehicles score in independent testing.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/16/automobiles/headlights-get-new-attention-as-more-than-a-car-design-flourish.html?emc=edit_th_20170217&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125

2. Smartphone Photos
The spread of smartphones has provided millions of people with not only the ability to communicate with others but to have a high quality camera in everyones pocket. But, something has been lost - the ability to hold the physical photograph captured by those millions of cameras because we look at the captured images on a small electronic screen. Now, printers, small enough to carry with you can produce high quality images, on paper, that can be held in your hand, stored in an album, carried in your wallet or stuck on the front of the refrigerator. The printers connect to your smartphone by Wi-Fi or Bluetooth and print pictures about the size of business cards. The article at the link reviews three of these new photo printers, tells how they work and what they cost.
http://time.com/4677648/portable-photo-printer-film-fuji-sp-2-hp-sprocket-polaroid-zip/?xid=newsletter-brief

3. Picking The Best Mobile Phone Plan
When you purchase a new mobile phone, or when your current phone plan expires, you will find yourself having to wade through numerous mobile phone plans from multiple carriers. The carriers change plans all the time so the best choice in the past may not even be available now. Five years ago, unlimited data was the most cost effective but then carriers abandoned such plans and changed to specified limits of data use. Now, packages included in offered plans are different again. How do you decide what plan to select? The article at the link will help you make an educated choice of mobile phone plans based on your individual and family use.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/22/technology/personaltech/picking-a-new-phone-plan-here-are-your-best-bets.html?emc=edit_th_20170223&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125

4. Best Surge Protector
If you do not have your expensive, or inexpensive, electronic equipment protected from electrical surges, you should. A surge protector is much more than a "power strip" but, for only a small added investment, can provide significant protection to whatever equipment is plugged into it. "You may want to make the modest investment in a surge protector for the same reason you have a backup of your data: because there is no going back after an adverse event." Your small investment in a surge protector gets you ahead of a problem that you may have occur. A surge protector is like having all of your digital data and records backed up or like having insurance on your home or car. The excellent TechConnect article at the link will tell you how surge protectors work, what an electrical surge is and provide ratings and recommendations of a number of surge protectors. Don't leave yourself unprotected.
http://www.techconnect.com/article/3172540/home-tech/best-surge-protector.html?idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&email_SHA1_lc=&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=TechConnect%20Daily%202017-02-23&utm_term=techconnect_daily

5. Autonomous Self Driving Vehicles
The rapidly developing technology of computer controlled, self driving, autonomous vehicles has reached the point where some test vehicles are moving from the test track to the public roadways. The interactions of these vehicles and human vehicle drivers are still under study and development. We still can't answer all of the questions related to these interactions between vehicles controlled by humans and computers. What happens if a human driver blows their horn? How does the autonomous vehicle react? Can the sensors on an autonomous vehicle distinguish the difference between a human driver waving his hand for the self driving vehicle to proceed first or the human giving the middle finger to the other vehicle? How does the computer controlled vehicle react? Read more about such questions in the Washington Post article at the link.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2017/02/16/the-simple-question-about-self-driving-cars-we-still-cant-answer/?utm_term=.b10eda6ce48a&wpisrc=nl_innov&wpmm=1

6. What Is LTE-U?
Millions of Americans connect their smartphones to the cellular network using 4G LTE for the transmission and reception of data. Now a new technology, LTE-U, which stands for "LTE-Unlicensed", will begin to be included in new smartphones to support mobile data. There are issues however, because the new technology will share the same radio frequencies as WiFi routers and Bluetooth headsets. Supporters say LTE-U will provide a smoother and faster mobile experience for users while opposers are concerned that frequency sharing slows users experience when other devices also operate in the shared frequency. They say that such sharing will quickly also include garage door openers, baby monitors, car key fobs, etc. The article at the link provides more detail about LTE-U and the conflict of its use. You will see it in the marketplace soon.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/02/23/your-next-smartphone-might-run-on-something-called-lte-u-heres-what-that-means/?utm_term=.17d50b486423&wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1

7. Are You A Technology Holdout?
We live in a nation where more homes have access to Internet services than homes that have indoor plumbing, but we have 13% of Americans who never use the Internet for anything. There are still many owners of tube televisions, analog and rotary dial telephones, film cameras, fax machines and cassette tape players. These consumers are largely older people who long ago gave up trying to keep up with the latest technology. Many remain happy with worse products and more expensive products and may take pride in still knowing how to use the dated technology. If you are one of these consumers - who don't have a smart phone, who don't have a flat panel television, who don't use a digital or voice over Internet protocol telephone, who don't communicate with text messaging, who don't watch movies at home via digital streaming, who don't listen to Internet radio, who don't use the new technology already built into your new car - you should read the article at the link to understand why you are holding out in adopting new technology and what you may be missing.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2017/02/24/listen-technology-holdouts-enough-is-enough/?utm_term=.2b95b7a51c2d&wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1

8. Or, Are You Addicted To Technology?
Modern technology seems to be taking an ever larger slice of our lives. Go anywhere and watch more and more people with their focus on some small, handheld device and little or no attention on the people, surroundings or activity around them. The article at the link reports on a new book, "Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked," by social psychologist Adam Alter. The book warns that many of us are addicted to modern digital devices - not figuratively addicted, but literally addicted. Read the article and decide what you think.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/06/science/technology-addiction-irresistible-by-adam-alter.html?em_pos=small&emc=edit_ct_20170309&nl=technology&nl_art=3&nlid=45350125&ref=headline&te=1

9. A Two Atom Size Radio
OK readers - put on your technology hat. Every day you can find researchers working on projects of every kind imagined. Many of these are are technology projects. If you are interested in such projects a simple Internet search will provide you with interesting and informative results. Here is an example of one such research project. Researchers from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have made the world's smallest radio receiver that is built on a base of two atoms derived from atomic size defects in pink diamonds. Such a radio can function in the environmental extremes of outer space or inside of a living creature, including humans. It might be used to to transmit from some distant world or to report the health condition of a beating heart. Here is a link to a short, interesting article about this atomic size radio.
https://www.wirelessdesignmag.com/news/2016/12/worlds-smallest-radio-receiver-has-building-blocks-size-two-atoms?et_cid=5737816&et_rid=620730920&type=cta&et_cid=5737816&et_rid=620730920&linkid=World%26%23039%3bs+Smallest+Radio+Receiver+Has+Building+Blocks+

10. Should I Use The Chrome Browser?
The Chrome browser is excellent and has become the most popular browser in the world. But, is this enough to pass on other browsers in favor of Chrome? The article at the link looks a 13 specific capabilities that we look for in our browser and compares the performance of Chrome with other browsers. These include Opera, Edge, Vivaldi, Safari, Firefox, Tor, Neon and others. Chrome's performance shines but other browsers may be what you need if you are looking for enhanced capability in specific areas.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/3174828/internet/13-reasons-not-to-use-chrome.html?idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&email_SHA1_lc=a3745daaa9f2e7bd10c063b9fcd13f05e102b3a2&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=InfoWorld%20Daily:%20Afternoon%20Edition%202017-03-02&utm_term=infoworld_daily

11. Swedish Rechargeable Battery Plant
Almost 100% of the portable electronic devices that we all carry (smartphones, tablet computers, laptop computers, smart watches, fitness trackers, etc.) are powered with rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. Without a reliable source of such batteries these devices, that we depend upon more and more each day, quickly stop working and become worthless. A Swedish startup now plans to build a large lithium-ion battery plant in a Nordic country, probably Finland, that has lithium mines, to insure a battery source that is not half a world away.
http://seekingalpha.com/news/3249090-swedish-startup-aims-big-electric-battery-plant?uprof=46#email_link

12. Keeping Up With New Technology
    A. Nest Internet Connected Devices
This Newsletter has previously included items about security issues with some devices in the flood of devices that can be connected to the Internet - the Internet of Things (IoT). Now Nest, the Google owned manufacturer of Internet connected thermostats, smoke/fire/carbon monoxide detectors and security cameras, is introducing two step authentication to access Nest devices and make them more secure. The change is being rolled out now in an update to the management application (app) used to setup and manage Nest devices. If you own a Nest device, and many do, get the app upgrade and enable two step authentication as soon as you can. The article at the link provides details.
http://www.techconnect.com/article/3177807/home-networking/nest-adds-two-step-authentication-to-make-your-smart-home-more-secure.html?idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&email_SHA1_lc=&cid=tcon_nlt_techconnect_daily_2017-03-08&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=TechConnect%20Daily%202017-03-08&utm_term=techconnect_daily
    B. Universal USB-C Charging
If you have multiple mobile devices you must also have multiple charging devices with different charging technology and different cables with different connectors. Several years ago it was decided that a universal charging technology would be implemented and it would use a USB-C connector to the devices being charged. Test a year ago of USB-C chargers showed poor results as the internal charging technology still differed a great deal. New, current test show significantly improved results. If you want to avoid carrying multiple chargers, read the report in the article at the link. Maybe your mobile devices are covered and you can carry less support equipment with you.
http://www.techconnect.com/article/3170184/laptop-accessories/universal-usb-c-charging-how-the-dream-is-coming-true.html?idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&email_SHA1_lc=&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=TechConnect%20Daily%202017-03-07&utm_term=techconnect_daily

13. Buying A New TV?
If you are purchasing a new TV, now or in the future, TIME has published an article that describes twenty terms that you will hear or read as you decide what features and capabilities to be considered in your new TV. Read the article at the link and then have it with you when you face the numerous marketing terms you will encounter as you decide which TV to buy.
http://time.com/4696648/tv-buying-guide-glossary/?xid=newsletter-brief

14. Address Your Curiosity
As we grow older and every day are further and further from our days as a student in school, it is easy slow down our efforts to learn new things. If you have learned enough to be using a smart phone or a tablet computer there is a new software application (app) that can teach you something new each day, in categories that you select. The app, named "Curiosity", is available to download from the application stores supporting platforms powered by both the Apple iOS and the Google Android operating systems. The Curiosity app is informative, fun, and best of all, FREE. Check it out and keep learning.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/this-app-wants-to-help-you-learn-something-new-every-day/2017/02/24/f5524858-f944-11e6-bf01-d47f8cf9b643_story.html?utm_term=.45dca763f393&wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1

March 2017 SIR Computer Newsletter

1. How Your Phone Knows Where You Have Been
Almost every smartphone is equipped with GPS and/or location services functions to help you navigate using maps or instructions to a location, to help you find a lost or stolen phone and to find businesses and destinations that are near your current location. Your phone can display where you have been and/or places that you visit frequently. The article at the link provides more on your phone's location capability and how you can use it and modify the phone's settings. You may be tempted to just turn such services off but please consider that many of the smartphone functions and applications that you use will not work if GPS or location services are switched off. As a phone land-line example - imagine that you could turn off caller ID on 911 calls from your home phone. Emergency services providers would not be able to tell where you were from your call unless you were able to tell them the location of the emergency. In this example your "just turn it off" action could prove far more costly than any risk to your privacy.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/20/technology/personaltech/how-your-phone-knows-where-you-have-been.html?emc=edit_th_20170121&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125

2. Windows 10 Creators Update
Last month's SIR Computer Newsletter (February 2017) included an item about the coming Microsoft Windows 10 Creators Update (item #4 in that Newsletter issue) that is expected in "early 2017". TechConnect now reports that the new Windows 10 Creators Update may first ship to Windows 10 users on March 31, 2017. TechConnect suggested to Microsoft that they not rush the update to avoid any necessity of patches shortly after the update release. Here is the link.
http://www.techconnect.com/article/3161298/windows/windows-10-creators-update-could-ship-march-31-and-were-already-worried-about-bugs.html?idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=TechConnect%20Daily%202017-01-27&utm_term=techconnect_daily

3. $10 Settlement For DVD Drives
If you purchased a DVD-ROM, DVD-RW or combination drive between April, 2003 and December 31, 2008, a collection of DVD drive manufacturers have tentatively agreed to pay you $10 per drive, whether you purchased the drive as part of a PC or by itself. You'll simply need to visit the claim site and testify (under penalty of perjury) that you indeed purchased those drives within the given time period, and live in one of the 23 states (plus the District of Columbia) covered by the suit. California is an included state. The deadline to file is July 1. There is no cost to file a claim.
http://www.techconnect.com/article/3166548/storage-optical/if-you-own-a-pc-with-a-dvd-drive-youre-probably-owed-10.html?idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=TechConnect%20Daily%202017-02-07&utm_term=techconnect_daily

4. Security With Home Internet Connected Devices
If you have Internet connected devices in your home like a thermostat, inside and outdoor lighting, heating and cooling equipment, etc. you should be aware of the risk of being hacked through one of these devices. Such devices are part of the Internet Of Things (IOT) - all kinds of Internet connected equipment. Some of these devices have poor connection security so their use may put your network at risk. If your home WiFi network Is penetrated your personal, financial and business data may be compromised. Always make intelligent decisions when your data security is being threatened. Read the article at the link for more on this topic.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/01/technology/personaltech/stop-hijacking-home-devices.html?em_pos=large&emc=edit_ct_20170202&nl=technology&nlid=45350125&ref=headline&te=1&_r=0

5. Smartphone Security Lock
If you own a smartphone you probably know that the data in the phone is protected, or can be protected, by a password lock on the opening power up of the phone's screen. This is called a screen lock. If you have a screen lock password set you must enter your password each time you first access the phone to have access to any of the functions, applications or data stored in the phone. Some smartphone owners turn off the required screen lock because they find it a bother to have to enter a password. Turning off screen lock is allowed but is not recommended because should your phone be lost or stolen anyone can access all of the phone content. The article at the link provides more information about smartphone screen lock and tells you how to access and set or turn off screen lock.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/03/technology/personaltech/to-lock-or-not-to-lock-the-screen.html?emc=edit_th_20170204&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125

6. Home Internet Connection Speed
Almost all of us have wireless WiFi in our homes but most of us do not get the Internet connection speed that we are paying our provider for. Additionally, the quality and speed of wireless connection varies as we move throughout our home and as we add more Internet connected devices in our lives. Both of these problems can be resolved by a low cost upgrade to a new generation of Wi-Fi routers built around "mesh" technology. The article at the link tells how to do this, reviews several different device choices and covers the cost of each. Check it out.
http://time.com/4657984/faster-internet-wifi-router-mesh-home/?xid=newsletter-brief

7. Managing Windows 10 Update Restarts
If you use Microsoft Windows 10, and have the latests version, you can set your computer to avoid restarts associated with software updates during the hours when you use the machine. The article at the first link tells you why Microsoft, and other vendors, send you updates and want to install them immediately. As part of many updates that are installed, a restart is required. Microsoft lets you set the times when you typically use the computer, called active hours, so your work is not interrupted by a system restart resulting because of a software upgrade. The article at the second link tells you how to set your computer so you don't get these upgrade interruptions. It is a small thing but it avoids the frustration we all get when our work is disturbed.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/06/technology/personaltech/windows-10-automatic-restart.html?emc=edit_th_20170207&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125 https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/31/technology/personaltech/give-windows-10-a-restart-schedule.html?emc=edit_th_20170201&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

8. Where Is Cloud Storage? Is It Secure?
The NY Times article at the link answers the frequently asked question, "Where Does cloud storage reside and is it secure?" https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/23/insider/where-does-cloud-storage-really-reside-and-is-it-secure.html?emc=edit_th_20170124&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125

9. BlackBerry and Nokia Phones Coming Back
If you were an early owner of a smartphone you may well have owned a Nokia or a BlackBerry phone. Both of these brands have disappeared as the firms lost market share and were bought by other firms. Now both Nokia and BlackBerry will announce new smartphones on February 25th during the Mobile World Congress trade show. The BlackBerry branded device, called Mercury, will not be a product of the Canadian firm of the past but will be manufactured by the owners of the brand, the Chinese tech giant TCL. The Nokia branded device, the Nokia 6, will not be built by Microsoft who owned the Nokia name for a while, but by the current brand owner, the Finnish firm HMD. Specific features and functions of both smartphones will be announced in conjunction with the late February announcements.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/01/25/blackberry-and-nokia-phones-are-coming-back-with-a-twist/?utm_term=.61ee54b172e2&wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1

10. The Best Smartphones

TIME periodically publishes a list, with comments, of what TIME considers to be the best smartphones that are available. Their most current list, updated as of January 31, 2017, is at the link below. If you are considering purchasing a new smartphone in 2017 you should review this article to be armed with what TIME recommends.
http://time.com/4262920/best-smartphones-2017/?xid=newsletter-brief

11. The Best Smartphone Apps
So now you have a smartphone. After testing thousands of smartphone software applications (apps) the New York Times has published a list of the apps that serve users the best and have endured the test of time. There are hundreds of thousands of apps available, many are excellent but many shine like a flash bulb and quickly become unused or discarded. The apps highlighted in the article at the link continue to be widely used and provide value to their users. Load them on your smartphone - most are free - and enjoy the value you find. You won't regret having these available in your pocket.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/08/technology/personaltech/after-testing-thousands-of-apps-these-endured.html?emc=edit_th_20170209&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125

12. How Can You Tell An Email Is Real?
We all have received email messages that we suspect are not real but are attempts to get information from us - passwords, banking information, medical information, investment information, family information, etc. Such messages are called "phishing" emails because the sender is fishing for your information. "An estimated 156 million phishing emails are sent worldwide every day, and about 16 million of those make it through our spam filters and into our inboxes." So, what do you know about phishing? How can you detect a phishing attack? What can you do to protect yourself from phishing? Read the article at the link that will address all these questions.
http://diligent.com/blog/can-tell-email-real/

13. Erasing Yourself From The Internet
You may find yourself wanting to erase you and any trail of you from the Internet. Think of all the data about you that has been recorded via all of the interactions, interrogations, storage, searches and communications that you have engaged in and referred to through the Internet. Erasing yourself is called "disappearing" yourself - this is what you are considering. First however, you must decide if you really want to disappear and then, if you decide to proceed, you must know how to go about the task. The article at the link addresses these two steps - Do I want to disappear? How do I disappear myself from the Internet?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2017/02/10/erasing-yourself-from-the-internet-is-nearly-impossible-but-heres-how-you-can-try/?utm_term=.77ac353bd382&wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1

14. Converting Your CD Music To Digital
If through your adult life you have accumulated a huge pile of music CD's you might be interested in converting all that music to digital MP3 files and freeing up the space now full of your CD's and their little plastic storage boxes. Now, do you know how to go about the conversion to digital or do you want suggestions about how to proceed? Read the article at the link and you'll be on your way.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/09/technology/personaltech/digitize-cds.html?emc=edit_th_20170210&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

15. Ford Invest $1Billion In AI Car Development
Mark Fields, the Ford CEO, announced that Ford will invest $1 Billion over the next five years to develop artificial intelligence (AI) to control self driving cars that Ford already announced would be available in 2021. The developed technology will control Ford vehicles and be available for licensing to other vehicle manufacturers. The Ford development will be through Argo AI, a Pittsburgh based company. Argo AI is a direct competitor of Waymo, the autonomous vehicle AI software and hardware development firm previously owned by Google and now owned by Alphabet, the holding company of Google.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2017/02/10/ford-to-invest-1-billion-in-artificial-intelligence-for-your-car/?utm_term=.83de0dd1cf48&wpisrc=nl_innov&wpmm=1

16. More Autonomous Vehicles
There have been a number of reports in past issues of this Newsletter about the hot technology of computer controlled autonomous cars and trucks. Now, the next stage, autonomous ships at sea moving every form of cargo with no human crew on board. Read the fascinating article at the link to find out a great deal about this technology that will soon be upon us - not if, but when.
http://spectrum.ieee.org/transportation/marine/forget-autonomous-cars-autonomous-ships-are-almost-here/?utm_source=CarsThatThink&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_campaign=CTT02152017

17. Powerful Websites That Replace Desktop Software
Ever since we have had our own computers, be they laptops or desktops, we have had software applications and suites of applications loaded on our computers to support the task that we wanted to accomplish. There was never even a thought of accomplishing such tasks on-line, in the cloud, instead of with software loaded on our computer because the web and connection to it was not robust enough to support our task. Now, things have changed. Browsers are powerful, website technology like HTML5 has measurably stepped up the "horsepower" of Internet services and connection speed and dependability have significantly improved. Today, there are websites that can accomplish many of the tasks that we historically did only with software onboard our computers. The article at the link highlights 12 websites that you will find can support many task that you use often. Because they are web based, you can access them from any computer, wherever you are, as long as you have a solid Internet connection. The next time you purchase a new computer you won't have to buy and load multiple software packages to do your routine work.
http://www.techconnect.com/article/2459671/websites/12-powerful-websites-that-can-replace-your-desktop-software.html?idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&email_SHA1_lc=&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=TechConnect%20Daily%202017-02-15&utm_term=techconnect_daily#slide1


February 2017 SIR Computer Newsletter

1. What Google Knows About You
Do you regularly use Gmail, Google search, Google Maps, YouTube, Chrome, Google Play and/or other Google services or use an Android powered mobile device? If so, there is a very good chance that a great deal of information about you and what you are doing is held by Google. Almost all of the information is retained by Google because you authorized it when you accepted the terms of use for the Google service. Even if such information is retained by Google, itis only available to someone who gains access to your Google account - thus, use strong passwords and two-factor authentication to protect this and all other services you use from any vendor. Here are some of the things Google may know about you. For more detail you may want to read the article at the link below.
  1. A full history of your voice commands with any Google product--including actual audio recordings.
  2. An objective breakdown of your real Best Friends Forever (BFFs) - i.e. who you contact most.
  3. Stuff Chrome has saved about you - Apps, Extensions, Settings, Autofill info, History, Themes, Bookmarks, Passwords, Open Apps.
  4. How many Gmail conversations you've had.
  5. A full history of everywhere you've ever been.
  6. A full list of everything you've done from any Android device.
  7. A comprehensive collection of every site you've visited in Chrome--from any device.
  8. Exactly how many Google searches you've made this month.
  9. A running count of how many Android devices you've had connected to your account over the years.
  10. A running count of how many Android apps you've ever installed.
  11. Some stats on your invite-accepting habits.
  12. How many images you've stored with Google Photos.
  13. A full list of all your activity in the Google Play Store.
  14. How many YouTube videos you've watched this month.
  http://www.infoworld.com/article/3150925/privacy/14-eyebrow-raising-things-google-knows-about-you.html?idg_eid=36beaed40c5805a8e4c7311495b43f74&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=InfoWorld%20Daily:%20Morning%20Edition%202016-12-28&utm_term=i

2. Microsoft Browser Market Share Falls
Microsoft has two browsers, Internet Explorer (IE) and Edge, who's combined market share fell by 26.2% in December 2016. This led to a total market share fall during 2016 of 43% from the market share in December 2015. When in January 2016, Microsoft stopped supporting all but IE11 and Edge, users only choices were to upgrade to IE11, or upgrade to Windows 10 and start using Edge, or to move to a competitor's browser. Millions of users changed to other browsers. Computerworld says that at the end of 2016, IE and Edge were bing run by 428 million users, worldwide. This number is a reduction of 370 million users during 2016. The only positive news for Microsoft is that the December 2016 loss of about 15 million users was the smallest of any month in 2016. Here is the Computerworld report.
http://www.computerworld.com/article/3154172/web-browsers/microsofts-browsers-may-have-hit-rock-bottom.html?idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Computerworld%20Enterprise%20Apps%202017-01-06&utm_term=computerworld_enterprise_apps

3. Windows 10 Troubleshooting Tools
You are using Microsoft Windows 10 and find it to be more stable than previous versions of Windows but, like all kinds of software, including operating systems, sometimes things do not work as expected. Microsoft can provide several tools to address the most common of these issues - some are already in Windows 10 and others you can download from Microsoft. The ComputerWorld article at the link below provides explanation of when these tools might be needed and how to use them.
http://www.computerworld.com/article/3155816/microsoft-windows/fix-windows-10-problems-with-these-free-microsoft-tools.html?idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Insider%20Alert%202017-01-12&utm_term=idge_insider_newsletter

4. Windows 10 Creators Update
Microsoft's Windows 10 operating system (OS) has had mixed acceptance and support. Some Windows users have refused to move up to Windows 10 while many others couldn't wait to install it and love Windows 10 now that they running their computer on this OS. Windows 10 is not like earlier versions of Windows that every couple of years the entire OS was replaced with a completely new system. Windows 10 is "more of a living, breathing entity" that is changed with huge new "named" updates. The best example was the Windows 10 2016 Anniversary Update. Now, in early 2017 will come the next named update, the Windows 10 Creators Update that is full of updated and new features that will provide users with new and improved functionality. The article at the link is a very interesting review of some of what is new in the coming Creators Update.
http://www.techconnect.com/article/3157039/windows/the-windows-10-creators-updates-best-new-features-dynamic-lock-game-mode-privacy-tweaks-and-more.html?idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=TechConnect%20Daily%202017-01-18&utm_term=techconnect_daily

5. Tech Successes and Failures for 2016
At the end of each year the New York Times publishes its selections for the most significant technology successes and failures of the year just ending. The NY Times selections for 2016 are in the article at the link.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/14/technology/personaltech/biggest-tech-failures-and-successes-of-2016.html?em_pos=large&emc=edit_ct_20161215&nl=technology&nlid=45350125&ref=headline&te=1

6. DroneShield
DroneShield is the name of a U.S. company that manufactures a device that looks like a large (13 pound) shoulder fired rifle, called DroneGun, that can electronically take down a drone at a range up to 1.2 miles. There is no projectile or laser fired at the drone. There is no explosion. The DroneShield equipment electronically disrupts the signals between the drone and it's controller and the GPS data that continuously provides the drone with information about where it is in space and how it is oriented. The DroneGun operator can force the drone to land immediately or return to its launch location. Drones have proven to be a security and safety problem, particularly in areas that have legal protection like airports, prisons and restricted government facilities. Several months ago a drone crash landed on the grounds of the White House. Federal regulation currently allows the sale of DroneShield equipment only to specified federal agencies. State and local government may not purchase the equipment. If your neighbor's drone hovers over your house, right now you are out of luck as you can't buy the equipment to bring down the neighbors drone. Here is an article on DroneShield.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2016/11/29/watch-this-gun-can-take-down-a-flying-drone/?utm_term=.36395c25debe&wpisrc=nl_innov&wpmm=1

7. How Are You Hacked?
Many computer users think that people who may attempt to hack into a computer and/or an account are using advanced technical equipment and advanced skills. This is simply not true. Many successful hacking attacks work because the cyber hacker is able to trick the target into making a mistake that grants the attacker access to the computer or account. These attacks are called Social Engineering. The current issue of the Monthly Security Awareness Newsletter, called OUCH!, at the link below, will tell you how a social engineering attack works and what you should watch for to prevent a successful attack on your computer or accounts.
https://securingthehuman.sans.org/newsletters/ouch/issues/OUCH-201701_en.pdf?utm_medium=Email&utm_source=Houselist+Ouch&utm_campaign=STH+Ouch!&utm_content=English+Version

8. Hot Technology That Failed
We live in a time when new ideas, new methods, new devices, new applications and new almost everything are being presented to us almost every day. A significant percentage are related to technology. Investors, developers and consumers assess each of these new things to hopefully, accurately predict which ones will be winners and which will be losers. This analysis will drive investment, further development and consumer acceptance. Sometimes the analysis is wrong. At the link is a summary article of fifteen technologies that looked like winners but died in 2015. You may recognize a number of them, may have invested in one and/or may have purchased one of the new products. Picking winners and losers is not as easy as some think.
http://www.techconnect.com/article/3149727/consumer-electronics/15-technologies-that-died-in-2016.html?idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=TechConnect%20Daily%202016-12-30&utm_term=techconnect_daily

9. Amazon Order Fulfillment
When you place an online order with Amazon your order instantly moves to an Amazon warehouse, called a fulfillment center, that is closest to the delivery address and that stocks the merchandise that you ordered. If the order includes items stocked at different fulfillment centers the order will be split and delivered to you in separate packages. The speed of the delivery will be determined by several factors - the delivery speed you requested in your order, the Amazon commitment of delivery time on some items and the proximity of the delivery address and the shipping fulfillment center. In some metropolitan areas, Amazon commits to a 30 minute delivery time for some merchandise items. Amazon is already testing drone delivery to meet or beat this delivery commitment. Now, Amazon is developing flying fulfillment centers, in airships, that could move to a location where ordering customers might be temporarily located. As an example, think of the increased orders for NFL related merchandise from fans during the week before and through the Super Bowl at the game's location. Delivery by drone, dispatched from the flying fulfillment center, could be less than 30 minutes. Here is a Washington Post article with more detail of this latest effort by Amazon to further improve customer service.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/12/29/amazons-latest-idea-is-a-flying-warehouse-thatll-deliver-your-stuff-by-drone/?utm_term=.6b97e317b84e&wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1

10. Firefox Security on Windows Vista and XP
If you are running either Microsoft Windows Vista or Windows XP operating system on your computer and are using the Mozilla Firefox browser, you need to read the Computerworld article at the link below. Mozilla has announced that in 2017 it will terminate providing upgrade and security support for Firefox running under Windows Vista and XP. The specific date of support withdrawal will be announced in mid-2017.
http://www.computerworld.com/article/3153392/internet/mozilla-to-scrap-firefox-support-on-windows-xp-and-vista-in-2017.html?idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Computerworld%20Enterprise%20Apps%202017-01-03&utm_term=computerworld_enterprise_apps

11. Google - Good and Bad Ideas
Google is a huge company that almost every one of the readers of this Newsletter deals with frequently. Most of our interaction is through Google Search, the original and the core business of the company, while other interaction is through Google Maps, used for navigation, through Google Earth, used for research and through Gmail, the very popular email service. Google is now part of an even larger empire formed in 2013 by the Google founders, a holding company named Alphabet. Some of the business elements of Google, outside of their core functions of search and advertising, have moved directly under Alphabet and away from Google. Since then, Alphabet has acquired more than 190 companies. In the meantime, development of new business units has continued under both Google and Alphabet. Some of these business concepts have been hardware, some software and some services. The very interesting article at the link describes a dozen new Google business elements - some doing well, some doing poorly and some with judgement on their success still to be made. Check these to see how new ideas still flourish and may be available to you in the near future.
http://www.techconnect.com/article/3148335/internet/googles-biggest-hits-misses-and-wtf-moments-of-2016.html?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=TechConnect%20Daily%202016-12-20&utm_term=techconnect_daily

12. Commercial Hyperloop System
In August 2013, Elon Musk, the founder and CEO of Tesla Motors, SpaceX and Solar City, introduced a concept for high speed, medium distance travel, called Hyperloop. This concept envisions systems of passenger carrying pods moving people in partly evacuated tubes running between cities up to distances of a bout 900 miles. The pods would travel at about 760 miles per hour, allowing as an example, transit between San Francisco and Los Angeles in about 30 minutes. Musk published a study including engineering, development and marketing concepts. He further offered to give, at no cost, all of the development engineering to any companies that would work toward the commercial deployment of systems based on the Hyperloop concept. Two companies accepted, raised investment funds, and began development - Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) and Hyperloop One. HTT plans to have a system in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), operating over a distance of 105 miles, in 2020. Maybe one of your future trips will involve travel on a Hyperloop system.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2016/12/20/your-future-compete-flying-through-tubes-at-760-mph/?utm_term=.ad22c3e37817&wpisrc=nl_innov&wpmm=1

13. Resolutions To Simplify Your Tech Life
The new year is here and what better time to take some easy steps to refresh the devices and applications that help make your tech life easier to use, safer and more helpful to you. The article at the link suggest some easy steps that we all should at least consider. Five are: Clean up and strengthen your passwords. Do normal maintenance of your tech devices. Pay attention to and clean up the infrastructure that supports you - usually this is in your home. Don't be wasteful by keeping devices, cables etc. that can be sold, recycled or donated to others. When you shop, be smart and do the simple research that will get you the best tech products at the best price. Here is the link to the article.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/28/technology/personaltech/five-resolutions-to-simplify-your-tech-life.html?em_pos=large&emc=edit_ct_20161229&nl=technology&nlid=45350125&ref=headline&te=1&_r=0

14. Distributing Ransomware Is A Crime
"A new law that took effect in California on January 1, 2017 punishes conviction of distributing ransomware with a prison sentence of up to four years. In the past, ransomware cases were tried under existing extortion statutes. According to the bill's sponsor, California State Senator Bob Hertzberg, 'This legislation provides prosecutors the clarity they need to charge and convict perpetrators of ransomware.' "
https://www.scmagazine.com/ransomware-crime-bill-goes-into-effect-in-california/article/629451/

15. Cars Talking To One Another - Increased Safety
Research shows and the federal government supports a conclusion that having cars communicate with one another will significantly reduce accidents and save lives. Such communication would include location, direction and speed information. Computers on the vehicles would continuously compute risk of collision based on data from multiple vehicles. The Government has already proposed rules for such communications. The vehicle could react by taking action on its own and/or alerting the driver. Some cars from Google and other vendors that we see driving around the Bay Area already have some level of communications with each other. One of the major issues is the very subtle communications between two drivers who face one another in situations like at a four-way stop. This includes not only any movement of each car but where the drivers are looking and may be signaling by the body position, etc. The human brain is able to deal with and integrate this very complex array of data, then assess the information and take action while maybe altering course if the original assessment and action is not correct. At such an intersection the drivers are almost participating in a subtle dance. It is extremely difficult to program computers to deal with all of these details, let alone economically produce the sensors necessary to scan for and collect all this very subtle information. These difficulties will be overcome and we can expect to see more computer to computer communications between vehicles. Here is an article with more detail.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/13/technology/cars-talking-to-one-another-they-could-under-proposed-safety-rules.html?ref=technology&WT.mc_id=SmartBriefs-Newsletter&WT.mc_ev=click&ad-keywords=smartbriefsnl

16. Say Goodbye To FM Radio
Frequency Modulation (FM) radio was invented in 1933 in the U.S. and rapidly spread around the globe because it provided clearer transmission and less interference than Amplitude Modulation (AM) radio. Now, FM is about to be replaced by a newer technology, Digital Audio Broadcast (DAB). Norway will be the first nation to terminate all FM broadcast and replace them with DAB, beginning in January 2017 and completed, nationwide, before the end of the year. A number of other nations are watching Norway while they too prepare to make the change. FM broadcasting cost eight times more than DAB while DAB offers higher quality reception, more transmission channels and greater functionality. FM radio receivers in cars, offices and homes will need to be replaced or upgraded to receive DAB. In Norway, the upgrade of an FM car radio cost about US$175. Here are more details.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/01/07/norway-will-become-the-first-country-in-the-world-to-switch-off-fm-radio/?utm_term=.7b61f5a8ac88&wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1

17. Alexa Tips and Tricks
One of the hottest current and growing technologies is voice controlled digital assistants. Three that have devices broadly available today are Apple's SIRI, Amazon's Echo, who's voice is Alexa, and Google's Home. If you want information or help you just talk to the device that you have by saying, "Siri ......" or "Alexa ......" or "Ok Google ......". Apple's SIRI was the first to market but only on the Apple iPhone, iPad and Watch. Amazon's products were the first to operate in your home and now include several different voice controlled devices - Echo, Echo Dot, Amazon Tap and the Amazon Fire tablet. The article at the link, while focused on the Amazon products, will give you a sample of the kinds of voice assistance such digital assistants can provide. If you don't already have one (or more than one) of them in your home now you may find that you'll have one soon.
http://www.techconnect.com/article/3153032/home-tech/9-alexa-tips-and-tricks.html?idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=TechConnect%20Daily%202016-12-23&utm_term=techconnect_daily

January 2017 SIR Computer Newsletter

1. New Internet Connected All Electric Car
A Menlo Park, CA startup, Lucid Motors, just introduced prototypes of its new, all electric sedan, the Lucid Air, that the 300 employee company will begin manufacturing in 2018 in a new Arizona production plant. Like the Tesla Model S sedan, and other all electric models that are being introduced by both traditional and new name auto manufacturers, the Lucid Air will be computer controlled and have the capability of having features and specifications added and altered through software downloads directly to the vehicle. The Air will be a luxury model designed to like a business jet that operates on the road. Follow-on Lucid models will be focused at other segments of the auto market. The Air sedan will be powered by two new Lucid designed electric motors, providing a total of 1,000 horse power, and acceleration from zero to sixty miles per hour in 2.5 seconds. The standard car will have a 300 mile range on a charge, or a 400 mile range with an optional battery upgrade. Executives of the company say now is the time to "take a fresh look at the way vehicles are conceived, the way they're laid out and the energy that propels them." Electric propulsion, connection through the Internet and autonomous driving all "create very different cars from the ones the big automakers have spent a century perfecting". Learn more about Lucid Motors and the Air sedan in the article at the link.
http://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/Lucid-Motors-unveils-new-electric-car-to-10796760.php?cmpid=sfc_em_eed

2. Securely Disposing of Your Mobile Device
When you decide to replace an existing mobile device, usually a smartphone or a tablet, you need to be concerned with being sure that your data on the device does not fall into someone else's hands. The data on a mobile device often is more extensive than the information on a desktop computer. "Deleting" the data does not remove it. With your device in the hands of the wrong person, all of the extensive "deleted" data about you can easily be recovered using software that is openly available on the Internet. Your device must be "wiped" to destroy the data. Some parts, like your SIM card and removable storage must be removed and possibly physically destroyed. The link below will take you to an issue of the Security Awareness Newsletter, OUCH!, that will tell you specifically how to protect the data on the mobile device you are replacing. If you don't need this information now you might want to save it for when you are disposing of an no longer needed mobile device.
https://securingthehuman.sans.org/newsletters/ouch/issues/OUCH-201612_en.pdf?utm_medium=Email&utm_source=Houselist+Ouch&utm_campaign=STH+Ouch!&utm_content=English+Version

3. Twenty-Five Best Inventions of 2016
Every year TIME publishes a list, with description and pictures, of the 25 best inventions of that year. At the link is TIME's list of the "Best Inventions of 2016" which you can scroll through or go through page by page. They are interesting. Enjoy.
http://time.com/4572079/best-inventions-2016/?xid=newsletter-brief

4. Satellites Provided Ultra High Speed Internet Service
SpaceX, the commercial firm headed by Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla Motors and Solar City, that is already transporting supplies to the International Space Station under a billion dollar NASA contract, is developing a satellite based, global internet service. The firm announced its plans in 2015, saying it would cost $10 billion. SpaceX has now submitted an application to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for the wireless airways needed to support the system that will provide users with internet access at a speed of one gigabit per second, per user. The initial system will be 800 satellites in orbit at 700 miles altitude. The completed system, providing internet service to users anywhere on the earth, will be 4,400 satellites at the same altitude. More detail is in the article at the link.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/11/17/spacex-just-asked-to-test-its-orbital-internet-service-made-up-of-4400-satellites/?wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/11/17/spacex-just-asked-to-test-its-orbital-internet-service-made-up-of-4400-satellites/?wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1

5. Ransomware Hacker Demands $73,000
A computer hacker attacked some of the San Francisco Muni Metro computers over the weekend following Thanksgiving and demanded $73,000 ransom to unlock the malicious software that the hacker had installed on Muni computers. This is a ransomware attack. In this case, the hacker locked up employee computers at 900 workstations, shut down Muni's email system and knocked out the time-tracking portion of the Muni payroll system. Additionally, some ticket machines and fare gates went off-line. The attack was reported in detail in a San Francisco Chronicle front page article at the first link below. Fortunately, the Muni system had planned for such an attack, including proper backup, so they refused to pay the demanded ransom, restored their systems and passed the investigation over to the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security to find the hacker. That investigation is underway. The Muni system may have avoided paying the ransom but lost about $50,000 in fare revenue because the ticket machines and fare gates were off-line for part of the weekend as described in the article at the second link. There have been a number of articles in earlier issues of this Newsletter about ransomware, how it gets to your computer and what you can do to help negate such an attack. The lesson is - be alert, don't open files or attachments that you didn't get from known sources and most importantly, backup, backup, backup.
http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/ODN/SanFranciscoChronicle/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=HSFC%2F2016%2F11%2F29&entity=Ar00104&sk=58983D61
http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/ODN/SanFranciscoChronicle/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=HSFC%2F2016%2F12%2F03&entity=Ar02704&sk=EBDFFE91

6. Windows 10 and Cortana
If you use Windows 10 and you also use and are familiar with Microsoft's digital assistant Cortana, you should read the Computerworld article at the link. The combination of these two Microsoft systems will enhance both the work that you do and the entertainment that you enjoy with your Windows computer. Check it out.
http://www.computerworld.com/article/3043552/microsoft-windows/windows-10-quick-tips-get-the-most-out-of-cortana.html?idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&token=%23tk.IDGENTERPRISENLE_nlt_idge_insider_newsletter_2016-11-24&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Insider%20Alert%202016-11-24&utm_term=idge_insider_newsletter#tk.NDR_nlt_idge_insider_newsletter_2016-11-24

7. Flash Continues Despite Security Issues
Many of us used, or continue to use, the Adobe Flash Player for easy access to some websites and videos. Problems with Flash came to the publics attention years ago when Apple's CEO, Steve Jobs, first introduced the iPhone. At the time the web was widely using Flash. Having the Flash Player on your computer and/or mobile device was considered essential if the device was going to be able to connect to sites on the web. The iPhone did not support Flash and Steve Jobs said it never would. He added, Flash would not be installed on any Apple products, particularly the iPad and iPhone. Jobs said that Flash was too slow, too cumbersome, consumed too much power, particularly when running on a mobile device, was incompatible with touch-screen devices and Flash had major security issues that provided pathways to hackers into a device running Flash. The industry loudly said Apple made a major mistake by not including and supporting the popular Flash. In the seven years since the iPhone introduction, the global use of Flash has fallen from almost 100% of the market to less than 10%, but some large firms still support it. Flash security issues continue despite almost an uncountable number of security patches. Apple and many other firms no longer support Flash. Adobe has stopped marketing Flash for any mobile devices. If you still are running Flash on any device, mobile or desktop, it is essential that you keep up to date with all issued security patches because hackers still focus their attacks on Flash as an easy way to penetrate your device. The InfoWorld article at the link will give you much more detail.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/3148145/security/flash-player-remains-target-of-choice-for-exploit-kits.html?idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&token=%23tk.IFWNLE_nlt_infoworld_daily_2016-12-07&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=New%20Campaign&utm_term=infoworld_daily#tk.IFW_nlt_infoworld_daily_2016-12-07

8. Will Artificial Intelligence Bring Better Hacking?
Readers of this Newsletter have seen numerous items about the rapid growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the current hottest topic in the technology business. Machines can think, make human like decisions and assists us in uncountable ways. In the not to distant future, a cyber attack on your home (or business) computer may be a battle between a cyber hacker machine and your machine - your computer. No human hacker will be in the fight. The hacker computer will gain access to your device, determine where the vulnerabilities are and attack there, with all decisions made by the machine. The opening paragraph of the article at the link sums up the article better than this writer could. It says, "It may take several years or even decades, but hackers won't necessarily always be human. Artificial intelligence -- a technology that also promises to revolutionize cybersecurity -- could one day become the go-to hacking tool." Read the article at the link to help you get ready for what may be coming.
http://www.computerworld.com/article/3144509/security/will-ai-usher-in-a-new-era-of-hacking.html?idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&token=%23tk.CTWNLE_nlt_computerworld_data_management_2016-11-30&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Computerworld%20Data%20Management%202016-11-30&utm_term=computerworld_data_management#tk.CW_nlt_computerworld_data_management_2016-11-30

9. Enhancing Cyber Security
Readers of this computer Newsletter have seen a continuous stream of items about cyber security as our growing connection to each other, to the things we do and to the places we go has made us more exposed to electronic cyber attack. The attackers do not have our interest at heart. We have seen some recent examples - Yahoo just announced that in 2013 more than one Billion subscriber records were attacked and US intelligence agencies just announced that there were cyber attacks against parties to our recent National Election. Early in 2016, a U.S. Commission on Enhancing Cyber Security was formed to make recommendations of steps that are recommended for both commercial industry and government to take to enhance defenses against cyber attack. The final report of this Commission was just released. On Monday, December 12th, two of the Commission members were interviewed and broadcast. Those members were Sam Palmisano, the former CEO of IBM and Commission Chairman and Tom Donilon, a former National Security Advisor. The interview was conducted by the award winning reporter, journalist and talk show host, Charlie Rose, who co-anchors the CBS This Morning news broadcast and the PBS Charlie Rose interview show. The 22 minute, interesting cyber security interview is at the link.
https://charlierose.com/videos/29560?autoplay=true

December 2016 SIR Computer Newsletter
1. Android Phones Send User Data To China
Security contractors recently discovered preinstalled software in some Google developed Android operating system (OS) powered phones that monitors where users go, whom they talk to and what they write in text messages. Every 72 hours the software transmits the full contents of text messages, contact lists, call logs, the phone's location information and other data to a server in China. Authorities do not know whether the secretive data collection is for advertising purposes or is a Chinese government effort to collect intelligence. The Chinese company that wrote the code, Adups, says that the software is running on more than 700 million smartphones and other mobile devices including cars. The code comes preinstalled on the phones before they reach the marketplace. The surveillance is not disclosed to users. Adups has not disclosed which phones and devices have the software installed. The software was discovered by Kryptowire, a security contractor for the U.S. government Department of Homeland Security. The information was released to the public on November 15, 2015. More detail about this latest security threat is in the article at the link.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/16/us/politics/china-phones-software-security.html?emc=edit_th_20161116&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

2. Your Cellphone Number Is You
In the late 1960's, my uncle, who was a senior AT&T executive, told me that he believed that in my lifetime, young people would be assigned a personal telephone number that would be their number for life. People would carry or wear a very small telephone in their pocket, on their wrist, or attached to their clothing. If you wanted to contact some person you would simply dial their number and you would reach them wherever they were in the world. If they were busy, you would be able to leave them a voice message that they could respond to later. My uncle's prediction seemed like science fiction at the time but in 2016 we have almost reached all that he envisioned.
Today, 73% of Americans aged 25 to 29 have only a cellphone number and no land line. Most of them first got their cellphone number by the age of 12 and will keep that specific number for life. Their cellphone number and their Social Security number will be connected to them throughout life and will be access points to all kinds of data about them as individuals. See where your cellphone number links you now and will link you in the future by reading the article at the link.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/13/business/cellphone-number-social-security-number-10-digit-key-code-to-private-life.html?emc=edit_th_20161113&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

3. Smartphone Email Text Size
As we get older, many find that they would like the email text they are reading on their smartphone to be larger to make their reading easier. The article at the link addresses this subject directly with detailed instructions on how to change the text size on your smartphone, be it an Apple iPhone, a Google Android powered phone or a Windows phone.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/09/technology/personaltech/make-your-phone-easier-to-read.html?em_pos=small&emc=edit_ct_20161110&nl=technology&nl_art=7&nlid=45350125&ref=headline&te=1&_r=0

4. Do You Need An RFID Blocking Wallet?
If you have purchased an RFID blocking wallet, or have opened a new credit card to get a "free" RFID blocking wallet, you probably spent your money based on a risk assessment delivered to you through an intense marketing campaign designed to get you to spend your money on a threat that almost does not exist. The risk you perceive is that there is a large effort to remotely scan your credit, debit and ATM cards in your pocket to gain access to your personal information and to your card accounts. The actual threat is almost zero. The threat has been delivered to you by the people who sell RFID blocking wallets, bags and clothing. It has been enhanced by consumers who do not understand what RFID technology is, how it works, where the consumer may be exposed to it and if it would make sense for "bad guys" to make the effort to attempt to remotely scan for RFID data. The InfoWorld article at the link will educate you on remote RFID scanning. With this information, you can decide if you want to spend your money or time to protect against this risk.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/3138839/security's/no-you-still-dont-need-an-rfid-blocking-wallet.html?idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&token=%23tk.IFWNLE_nlt_infoworld_daily_2016-11-08&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=InfoWorld%20Daily:%20Morning%20Edition%202016-11-08&utm_term=infoworld_daily#tk.IFW_nlt_infoworld_daily_2016-11-08

5. Huge Cyber Attack
On Friday, October 21, 2016 there was a huge cyber attack that shut down major parts of the Internet on a global basis. The attack is still being studied to determine how the attack was accomplished and who initiated the attack. The attack is known as a Distributed Denial of Service, or DDoS type, where firms that provide online Internet traffic management are flooded with junk traffic that makes it almost impossible for real traffic to get through. The October 21st attack targeted Dyn, an Internet infrastructure firm, that among other things, provides online traffic management to hundreds of companies, including Amazon, CNN, Git-Hub, Twitter, Netflix, PayPal, Reddit, Zendesk, the New York Times and many others. In this case the junk that flooded the Internet came from code that had been planted on possibly millions of Internet connected devices that have little of no security built into them. Remember previous articles in this Newsletter about Internet of Things (IoT) devices of all kinds that are Internet connected - thermostats, baby monitors, kitchen appliances, electric tooth brushes, home security systems, home lighting, vacuum cleaners, etc. Many of these devices can easily be infected with malicious software downloaded to them by a cyber attacker through their unprotected Internet connection. Then the device operates as it should and waits for an execution command. When the command is received, the malware preloaded on the device executes and sends a flood of junk to the Internet. Multiply this by perhaps millions of IoT devices doing the same thing at the same time. As an example, if I can send 3,000 telephone calls to your home phone at about the same time, a real phone call has almost no chance of getting through. In a DDoS cyber attack and in this example, the network breaks down. Read more about this massive cyber attack and what it may mean in the future in the articles at the two links below.
http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/ODN/SanFranciscoChronicle/TranslateArticle.aspx?doc=HSFC%2F2016%2F10%2F24&entity=ar00107
http://www.infoworld.com/article/3134023/security/dyn-ddos-attack-exposes-soft-underbelly-of-the-cloud.html?idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&token=%23tk.IFWNLE_nlt_infoworld_daily_2016-10-24&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=InfoWorld%20Daily:%20Afternoon%20Edition%202016-10-24&utm_term=infoworld_daily#tk.IFW_nlt_infoworld_daily_2016-10-24

6. Better Performing iPhone 7
Part of the discussion during the October 25, 2016 SIR Branch 1 Computer Group meeting reported that there are different levels of performance by the Apple iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus models delivered equipped with cellular modems manufactured by Qualcomm or equipped with Intel manufactured modems. Both iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus smartphones sold for use on the Verizon or Sprint networks, or sold factory- unlocked, all have Qualcomm modems. The same iPhone models sold for use on AT&T or T-Mobile networks all have Intel modems. Test show that in areas of weak cellular signal strength the Qualcomm modem equipped phones have 30% better performance than phones equipped with the Intel modem. More information is in article at the link.
http://www.pcmag.com/news/348886/study-weak-signals-crush-intel-iphones?mailing_id=2291524&mailing=DailyNews&mailingID=0B95587C6306D2EB169C9D5F328A4694

7. Artificial Intelligence and the Defense Department
A number of articles about artificial intelligence (AI) have appeared in previous editions of this Newsletter. AI is a set of computer controlled functions that allow a robot to autonomously deliver needs to your hotel room, to automatically vacuum your carpet, to select a spot on your property for a drone to deliver a package, to drive your car across town and autonomously park the car after you exit, etc. AI is the computer technology currently growing more rapidly than almost any other. It is the technology that empowers machines to "think" and then to make decisions and take action without any human interaction or control. AI is the computer control that was the focus of the fictional "Terminator" movies. Now, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is intensely engaged in developing, evaluating and testing a number of AI controlled delivery, intelligence collection and weapon delivery systems. The DoD is designing robotic fighter jets that will "fly into combat alongside manned aircraft. It has tested missiles that can decide what to attack, and it has built ships that can hunt for enemy submarines, stalking those it finds over thousands of miles, without any help from humans." Such weapons are needed for us to maintain a military edge with our rivals, who are spending huge amounts of money to support similar development. The Pentagon's latest budget outlined $18 billion to be spent over three years on technologies that included those needed for autonomous weapons. The excellent article at the link will give you much more information about military developments in AI.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/26/us/pentagon-artificial-intelligence-terminator.html?emc=edit_th_20161026&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

8. Internet Connected Home Devices
Every day we discover more Internet connected devices that are used in our homes with the purpose of making our lives less complicated. Researchers have recently reported that they "have uncovered a flaw in a wireless technology that is often included in smart home devices like lights, switches, locks, thermostats", appliances, wireless alarm systems and many other devices in the increasingly praised smart home. Clustering smart connected devices can provide a path for malware to be spread among nearby smart devices like the flu virus can spread among people who are clustered densley in a space. The article at the link provides detail.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/03/technology/why-light-bulbs-may-be-the-next-hacker-target.html?emc=edit_th_20161103&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

9. Technology vs Candidate Promised New Jobs
The Presidential election is over and Donald Trump is the President Elect. One of his major campaign promises was to provide millions of manufacturing jobs that were lost to other countries because of globalization. The problem that the President will face is that many of the lost jobs are increasingly done by technology. "Machines are learning to do the jobs of manufacturing workers; artificial intelligence-based tools are mastering the jobs of call-center and knowledge workers; and cars are beginning to drive themselves. Over the next decade, technology will decimate more jobs in many professions. Those jobs will no longer be done by humans." Some robots already cost less to operate than the salaries of the humans they replace, and they are getting cheaper and better. The Boston Consulting Group predicts that, by 2025, the operating cost of a robot that does welding will be less than $2 per hour, for example. That's more affordable than the $25 per hour that a human welder earns today in the U.S., and even cheaper than the pay of skilled workers in the lowest-income countries. "Trump may be able to keep immigrants out, but how will he stop the advance of robots" that cost less than people do anywhere. For much more detail, read the Washington Post article at the link.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2016/11/09/why-technology-may-prevent-trump-from-delivering-on-his-jobs-promise/?wpisrc=nl_innov&wpmm=1

10. Seven Steps To Protect Your Digital Life
At the link is a short but excellent article that summarizes seven easy to follow steps that individuals can take to help protect their digital lives. As you know, there are no 100% guarantees. You probably have heard some, or all, of these suggestions before but it never hurts to pay attention one more time to some tips that just might protect you and your files and data from those who may want to harm you. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/17/technology/personaltech/encryption-privacy.html?emc=edit_th_20161117&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125

11. New Microsoft Desktop PC
For years Microsoft's total focus was the software it developed - the Windows operating system (OS) and numerous software applications (Apps). Over the last several years Microsoft has entered the hardware market space, with Windows phone followed by several tablet computers, parts of the industry that previously was entirely the space of Microsoft's business partners. Now Microsoft has announced a new all-in-one desktop computer named Surface Studio. It is focused on customers who use PC's for creative functions. The desktop is very attractive (similar in appearance to the Apple iMac desktop) and has a 28 inch touch screen that can be placed at any angle to be used as a screen or a digital drafting table. The Surface Studio will be available in limited quantities by the end of 2016. For more detail about the new Microsoft Surface Studio and a new Windows 10 release, see the NY Times article at the first link below.
The second link focuses on a strategic question: Is Apple yielding it's historical leadership of developing both hardware devices and software tools aimed directly at creative computer users and passing this leadership to others like Google and Microsoft? The Microsoft Surface Studio desktop computer is aimed directly at creative users and thus Apple. Learn more about this question in the InfoWorld article at the second link.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/27/technology/microsoft-unveils-its-first-desktop-pc.html?emc=edit_th_20161027&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125
http://www.infoworld.com/article/3135269/macs/as-apple-fiddles-microsoft-reaches-for-apples-discarded-creative-crown.html?idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&token=%23tk.IFWNLE_nlt_infoworld_daily_2016-10-27&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=InfoWorld%20Daily:%20Afternoon%20Edition%202016-10-27&utm_term=infoworld_daily#tk.IFW_nlt_infoworld_daily_2016-10-27

12. Was Clinton's Home Server Hacked?
The seemingly unending political campaign season is over. Over the many months we all heard numerous news reports about a home server that was used by the Clinton's. This server became the focus of many speculations concerning the security of the server and of the data, mostly email messages processed on the server. Many questions about not only this server, but all servers, remain of interest - was the Clinton server hacked? How would you hack a server or someones computer? What could be done to protect against getting hacked? What about Wikileaks? The InfoWorld article at the link below touches on these questions and others while providing fascinating information about server security including the news worthy Clinton home server.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/3137184/security/how-clinton-could-have-avoided-the-wikileaks-fiasco.html?idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&token=%23tk.IFWNLE_nlt_infoworld_daily_2016-11-01&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=InfoWorld%20Daily:%20Morning%20Edition%202016-11-01&utm_term=infoworld_daily#tk.IFW_nlt_infoworld_daily_2016-11-01

November 2016 SIR Computer Newsletter
1. Staying Secure
The link below will take you to an issue of the Monthly Security Awareness Newsletter, called OUCH! This issue provides four suggestions for staying secure. The general areas of the four suggestions are: You - no technology can keep you 100% safe but you, using common sense, can go a long way in adding to what technology does. Passwords - we have discussed passwords numerous times in this Newsletter. Make passwords strong, protect them and activate two step verification on every account that supports this technique. Updating - keep all of your programs and applications up to date. Security improvement is often the most significant part of an upgrade. Don't skip or even delay installing updates. Backups - keep all of your data and files backed-up so you can recover them in the event of a security breach or accident or act of God that destroys your files. The bottom line is that you should read the document at the link.
http://securingthehuman.sans.org/newsletters/ouch/issues/OUCH-201610_en.pdf?utm_medium=Email&utm_source=Houselist+Ouch&utm_campaign=STH+Ouch!&utm_content=English+Version

2. Watson In The Third Grade
Do you remember Watson, the powerful IBM computer connected to a huge database (not the Internet) that was able to defeat the top human contestants that appeared on the TV quiz show “Jeopardy”? This Newsletter has previously reported on computer developments using Watson in cancer research and patient care where Oncologists at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City have trained Watson to analyze research and a patient's medical history to suggest potential treatment options to doctors. Watson for Oncology is now being used at more than 20 medical centers. Now Watson is attempting to master a even more difficult task - designing lesson plans to teach math to third grade students. "For the past two years, the IBM Foundation has worked with teachers to build Teacher Advisor, a program that uses artificial-intelligence technology to answer questions from educators and help them build personalized lesson plans”. To learn more about Watson's computer power combined with artificial intelligence, read the article at this link.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/28/nyregion/ibm-watson-common-core.html?emc=edit_th_20160928&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

3. IBM Bets Big On Watson
The item above and items in several earlier editions of this Newsletter have discussed the expanded use of IBM's Watson computer system to provide solutions and enhance a number of real world business issues well beyond the introduction of Watson on a television game show years ago. IBM is betting big on Watson, with billions of dollars invested in its Watson business unit, first opened in 2014. Today there are more than 10,000 people employed in the Watson unit and it continues to grow. Watson is IBM's entry into the current technology boom in artificial intelligence. The IBM bet is big enough, that if successful, could be the engine that drives IBM to a future industry lead in this technology. The article at the link expands on IBM's plans for Watson.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/17/technology/ibm-is-counting-on-its-bet-on-watson-and-paying-big-money-for-it.html?emc=edit_th_20161017&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125

4. Electric Cars
When Tesla Motors introduced the first all electric production vehicle there were many voices saying that the concept of 100% electric powered cars, with no conventional fuel backup, would never succeed. Since then, Tesla has produced and sold thousands of all electric cars. A number of other major vehicle manufactures have introduced all electric cars. Now, another milestone has been reached, when one of the world's major international auto shows, the Paris Motor Show, has had all of the stars of the show be electric cars. The article at the link describes the show, which was open through October 16th, and includes details and pictures of a number of all electric cars, from every major manufacturer, that you will be seeing on the road very soon.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/07/automobiles/autoshow/range-is-all-the-rage-in-paris-as-electric-cars-steal-the-show.html?em_pos=small&emc=edit_ct_20161006&nl=technology&nl_art=4&nlid=45350125&ref=headline&te=1

5. Google Moves Into Hardware Production
Google, the global leader in Internet search and among the most popular applications (apps) for email and maps, has stepped into the world of hardware production with the announcement of a Google smartphone and plans for other Google hardware devices. Google recognizes that user access to their search engine, email and maps has been shifting to coming from mobile devices and away from desktop and laptop computers. To make mobile access to Google apps even faster and easier, Google has decided to build and control the mobile hardware being used. People familiar with Google's plans say that "Google's new smartphone, the Pixel, will employ artificial-intelligence technology that users can converse with, allowing them to sidestep keyboards as they access online information and make purchases such as movie tickets." Some of the other planned and coming Google hardware includes a voice focused digital assistant similar to the highly successful Amazon Echo and a virtual reality (VR) headset to compete with the Facebook Oculus system. Read the article at the first link if you want to see what is being reported about Google's plans. Google's new phone is designed to compete directly with the two top models of smartphones from industry leaders Apple and Samsung, the Apple iPhone 7 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 7. Current events have made the timing of Google's announcement of their Pixel smartphone almost perfect for several reasons. The new Apple iPhone 7 introduction was “cooler” than previous iPhone model announcements and production of the brand new Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has been terminated because the some of the phones have burst into flames and exploded. More about this and the Google Pixel is in the article at the second link.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/google-moves-into-hardware-production-with-smartphone-and-other-devices/2016/10/03/1fbc8e6d-bcbc-45be-a148-fd86b3fd11bf_story.html?wpisrc=nl_evening&wpmm=1
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/10/10/samsungs-awful-smartphone-launch-is-a-holiday-gift-to-google/?wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1

6. Yahoo Account Hacked? - What To Do
You surely have heard the news that more than 500,000 Yahoo accounts have been hacked. If you have a Yahoo account there is a reasonable chance that your account is among those that were hacked. What was hacked? How do you know if your account was hacked? What should I do? Where do I go to get Yahoo's advise? The article at the link will answer these questions.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/09/22/what-you-should-do-if-you-have-a-yahoo-account/?wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1

7. Which Came First - Chicken or Egg?
For thousands of years scientist and non-scientist have pondered the question, "which came first, the chicken or the egg?” Now at long last, current technology and scientific study may have an answer and it is detailed in the TIME article at the link. Read the article, with a smile, and you too will be able to engage in a spirited and knowledgable conversation on this widely known question. Enjoy.
http://time.com/4475048/which-came-first-chicken-egg/?xid=newsletter-brief

8. No More Blackberry Smartphones
If you were an early smartphone user you probably had a BlackBerry, a hardware device that owned the smartphone market space. Then, along came Steve Jobs and the Apple iPhone, later followed by a number of hardware platforms powered by the Android operating system. Since then, BlackBerry market share has fallen from almost 100% to single digit share in North America and Europe. In late September 2016 BlackBerry announced that it was completely abandoning the manufacture of phones and has licensed the production of any hardware to a group of Indonesian companies. More detail is in the article at the link.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/29/technology/blackberry-phones-earnings-q2.html?em_pos=small&emc=edit_ct_20160929&nl=technology&nl_art=8&nlid=45350125&ref=headline&te=1&_r=0

9. FaceBook Data Center FaceBook has 1.23 Billion users. With that size of a customer base, in a business that involves access to the Internet, there is a requirement for large facilities holding huge numbers of servers to support billions of connections. FaceBook has just released some details, including photographs, of a massive data center that it opened in 2013 in Sweden, about 70 miles from the Arctic Circle. The facility employees only 150 employees but is so advanced that one employee can maintain 25,000 servers. The pictures are in the PC Magazine article at the link. Not bad for a business that began with one server in Mark Zuckerberg's Harvard dorm room.
http://www.pcmag.com/news/348310/peek-inside-facebooks-data-center-near-arctic-circle?mailing_id=2224200&mailing=DailyNews&mailingID=75D903BE64E7D7132A21CC0FE0A91EF3

10. Storing Your Strong Passwords Past issues of this Newsletter have included numerous articles encouraging you to use strong passwords for all your protected accounts. The use of password management software has also been encouraged. The article at the link again encourages strong passwords and management software to make it easy for you to use and protect your passwords. The article includes recommendations and reviews of several password management software application packages. Please read the article, strengthen your passwords and protect and manage them inside an appropriate software package.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/06/technology/personaltech/after-you-strengthen-your-passwords-heres-how-to-store-them.html?em_pos=small&emc=edit_ct_20161006&nl=technology&nl_art=3&nlid=45350125&ref=headline&te=1

11. No More Free Windows 10
If you declined the year long Microsoft offer, ending in July 2016, of a free upgrade of your Windows 7 or 8.1 computer to Windows 10 you must now pay $120 for the upgrade. The only exception is that Microsoft will continue to provide a free upgrade to customers "who use assistive technologies with Windows — like screen magnifiers, text-to-speech narration tools or special hardware designed to make it physically easier to use the system." More detail is in the article at the link. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/27/technology/personaltech/so-now-you-want-windows-10.html?em_pos=small&emc=edit_ct_20160929&nl=technology&nl_art=12&nlid=45350125&ref=headline&te=1

12. Cyber Attack On The U.S. Military
Senior U.S. military leaders are concerned that complex weapon systems that all are interconnected are vulnerable to foreign cyber attack. When asked “Are we organized correctly to defend our weapon systems from the cyber threats of the future?” Air Force Space Command Gen. John E. Hyten said, “The answer is, ‘No, we're not." Flag rank officers in all the Uniformed Services, the Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps, all agree. Cyber security is complex and includes new, cyber secure systems and older excellent systems that need cyber upgrades. A Pentagon report described weapons blueprints, stolen in 2013 that may "help adversaries deploy data corruption techniques, which could cause planes, satellites or drones to crash, among other things." Our generals agree that we have decades of work ahead to secure all of our important systems from a cyber threat that also is advancing rapidly in its effort to penetrate systems. Read more in the article at this link.
http://fedscoop.com/weapon-systems-will-remain-vulnerable-to-hackers-for-decades-air-forces-cyber-commander-says

13. Borrow e-Books From Your Library
If you love books and reading, you may not know that you can borrow electronic books (e-books) from thousands of libraries to read on your smartphone or tablet computer. You don't have to purchase and own the book, as an e-book and you don't have to own the paper book or borrow a paper book from your library. The article at the link tells you how to find out if your local library will loan e-books and how to access such books. (SIR Branch 1 is served by the Peninsula Library System that loans e-books to library card holders.) The next time you want a book to read on your mobile device, borrow an e-book from your library.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/18/technology/personaltech/how-to-read-library-books-on-your-kindle.html?emc=edit_th_20161018&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

October 2016 SIR Computer Newsletter


1. Exploding New Smartphone
You decided to move to the most advanced technology smartphone you could find, so you just bought the brand new Samsung Galaxy Note 7. Now you read news reports that some of these phones have exploded and caught fire while charging. The problem is a flaw in the phone's lithium ion battery. Now what should you do? Start by stopping all use of the Galaxy Note 7 - turn it OFF and leave it off - and then read the article at the first link below. Samsung has already shipped 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7 phones which have now all been recalled. Production, shipping and sales of the Galaxy Note 7 has been terminated. Corrected replacement phones will ship as soon as possible. If you bought a Galaxy Note 7 several customer options are described in the first article. Even if you don't have a smartphone, but would like to know how lithium ion batteries work and can catch fire or explode, read the short TIME article at the second link. Then read about lithium ion battery fires on aircraft in the NY Times article at the third link.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/09/06/what-to-do-if-you-bought-samsungs-exploding-galaxy-note-7/?wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1
http://time.com/4485396/samsung-note-7-battery-fire-why/
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/13/business/as-more-devices-board-planes-travelers-are-playing-with-fire.html?emc=edit_th_20160912&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

2. Flash - Almost Gone But Not Yet
If you are still using Adobe Flash you are among a decreasing number of users accessing a reducing number of websites that are built using Flash. That number is now down to 8 percent. The Flash fall from grace began with Apple's Steve Jobs citing security and power consumption issues with Flash and saying that Apple computers, smartphones and tablets would never support Flash. Other browser vendors, including Google and Mozilla have moved away from Flash. The preference for replacing Flash is HTML5 that is being used for the coding of an increasing number of sites. Flash is not gone yet, and probably will be around for quite a while with ever decreasing use. Read the InfoWorld article at the link for current thoughts on the demise of Flash.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/3117746/web-development/flash-vs-html5-the-last-stand.html?token=%23tk.IFWNLE_nlt_infoworld_daily_2016-09-15&idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=InfoWorld%20Daily:%20Morning%20Edition%202016-09-15&utm_term=infoworld_daily#tk.IFW_nlt_infoworld_daily_2016-09-15

3. Wireless Software Update - To Your Car?
Every new model of every car has a growing use of onboard computers to accomplish all of the functions dealing with the operations of the car. At your home, on your desktop and many other connected devices, and while you are out with your mobile devices, updates and upgrade to the computers in all of these devices are accomplished over the air through the Internet. Now a similar upgrade and update path has already opened to our computer equipped vehicles. You don't need to visit the dealer for the upgrade because it is delivered to your car, through the air, just like upgrades are delivered to your smartphone. Learn more about what is being done today and what can be expected in the future - just read the article at the link below.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/09/automobiles/your-cars-new-software-is-ready-update-now.html?emc=edit_th_20160909&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

4. Change Your Dropbox Password
If you use the cloud storage service "Dropbox" you should change your account password now. Dropbox account information was hacked as long ago as 2012 and your data may be at risk. Read the short article at the first link below for more information. Newer information indicates that the hacked identity and password information is now available for sale on the dark web, the term for sites that deal in stolen property and data. More about this is at the second link. Take action - change your password.
http://time.com/4474986/dropbox-hack/?xid=newsletter-brief
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/09/07/hacked-dropbox-data-of-68-million-users-is-now-or-sale-on-the-dark-web/?wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1

5. Chip Credit and Debit Cards
Over the last six months almost all of us have had our credit and debit cards upgraded from having a magnetic strip to cards that also include an embedded security chip. Point of sale terminals are rapidly being upgraded to read the chip cards. Even though the chip cards are much more secure than the old cards, a recent survey of users shows that we are very unhappy with the new cards because payment transactions with the chip cards take significantly longer than payment with the old magnetic strip cards. Another technology, near-field communication (NFC), is considered by some card payment collection firms and users to be even more secure and much faster than using the chip cards. NFC is the underlying technology for Apple Pay and Android Pay and is faster than inserting your chip-enabled card into a reader. The user just taps their phone or Apple watch on the card reader to complete the payment. NFC is an established technology, already used in the consumer market for security and inventory control by placing very inexpensive NFC chips in price tags. Read more about chip cards and NFC in the article at the link. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/09/01/square-confirms-people-really-dont-like-those-chip-credit-cards/?wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1

6. How Netflix Works
If you use your computer and the Internet to stream movies to your TV set you might be interested in how this is done by the biggest such service, Netflix. When you access Netflix and request a specific film the Netflix network searches for the film and identifies the Netflix server that you must be connected to to download the film. That information is sent to your device and the connection is established. A group from Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) has identified 4,669 such Netflix servers in 243 locations around the world. Most of the servers are in the United States and Europe with others scattered around the globe. To learn more about Netflix, including a map of their server locations click the link below.
http://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/telecom/internet/researchers-map-locations-of-4669-servers-in-netflixs-content-delivery-network?utm_source=Tech+Alert&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=TechAlert_09-01-16&bt_email=r.riviello@comcast.net&bt_ts=1472736963490

7. The Useless Machine
In the 1950's two engineers at Bell Labs built a device that has come to be known as "The Useless Machine". Since then, millions have been sold, sometimes as an executive toy. The Useless Machine a small, completly plain, wood box with an on-off switch on the top. If you move the switch from "off" to "on" the box begins to make a grinding, mechanical sound. Then a small door on the top of the box opens and a finger or small human hand emerges, moves the switch back to off, retreats into the box, the small door closes and the sounds end. It does nothing else. In the computer and technology world, this useless machine, that does nothing except turn itself off, has different effects on people who see or own their own Useless Machine. Read about it here. Enjoy.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/04/magazine/letter-of-recommendation-the-useless-machine.html?em_pos=small&emc=edit_ct_20160901&nl=technology&nl_art=4&nlid=45350125&ref=headline&te=1

8. Auto Airbags
If you drive (or ride in) a car that is younger than 15 years in age there is a good chance that the car has been, or is being, recalled to replace the air bags in the vehicle. U.S. law requires that all vehicles be equipped with specified equipment designed to increase the safety of vehicle occupants. One requirement is sensors that determine that a collision is occurring, notify an onboard computer that in turn initiates the inflation of airbags that "catch" the vehicle occupants during the collision. All of this sequence of events occurs in microseconds. The airbags are deployed through the action of an inflater. Millions of airbags and their inflaters manufactured by a Japanese firm, Takata, were installed in more than 16 brands of vehicles, worldwide. These millions of inflators are being recalled because they have malfunctioned and killed at least 14 people and injured more than 100. If you are interested in the story about Takata airbags, why they were developed, where they were sold and installed and why the recall is in effect, read the article at the link. If your car is subject to the recall get it repaired now.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/27/business/takata-airbag-recall-crisis.html?emc=edit_th_20160827&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

9. Driverless Cars Interact With People
Driverless cars are being tested by a number of firms right now and some of these firms claim that such vehicles will be available to consumers in the very near future. Your first encounter with a driverless car will probably not be as a passenger in a driverless car, but instead as a pedestrian or the driver of another vehicle. As children we begin to learn the "rules of the road" that are employed by drivers with other drivers and pedestrians when they encounter each other on the road and particularly at intersections. There are subtle communications between all of these players who understand and know what they expect the other vehicle or person is going to do. If one of the other vehicles is a driverless car how does it participate in this subtle communication. A Mountain View, California firm, Drive.ai, is working to understand and develop the methods of such communications based on the rapidly growing fields of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and human machine interaction. Many of the firm's employees are from the Stanford University Artificial Intelligence Lab. Drive.ai joins about 20 self driving car projects in the Silicon Valley and about 50 across the U.S. The article at the link gives more detail.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/31/technology/how-driverless-cars-may-interact-with-people.html?emc=edit_th_20160831&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

10. Automatic Speaker Recognition
We continue to move more and more toward the use of our mobile devices for communicating with almost every kind of device and particularly those that are Internet connected, under the name Internet of Things (IoT). Connection with any of these devices introduces added complexity as the user who is connecting must be identified while other authorizations are completed. This identification must be accomplished with voice alone because visual or biometric data is not available. To resolve these issues, the Speech Technology and Research (STAR) Lab of SRI International is developing automatic speaker technology to allow a device to simultaneously identify the user attempting to connect, determine that this user is authorized to access the device, confirm access for this user to which specific applications on the device, and if authorized, execute a command issued by the user. The SRI International blog at the link describes automatic speaker recognition devices that you may be encountering soon as technology continues rapidly moving forward.
https://www.sri.com/blog/automatic-speaker-recognition-authenticating-users-internet-things?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=SRI%20News%20August%202016&utm_content=SRI%20News%20August%202016+CID_f0fc56538e3b5d66b3357f90e44afeb4&utm_source=marketing%20external&utm_term=Discover%20how%20SRI%20is%20advancing%20automatic%20speaker%20recognition%20technology

11. The Drones Are Coming
A number of previous issues of this Newsletter have included items about autonomously operating flying machines, usually simply called drones. On Monday, August 29, 2016, new Federal rules and regulations were published covering some limited commercial use of drones. Simply described, the new rules state that drones weighing 55 pounds or less can be operated in the U.S. if the operator has registered with the FAA, passed a written test, operates the vehicle below 400 feet altitude, not inside of airspace around airports or otherwise posted as no fly zones, and keeps the flying vehicle in sight. Some of these rules, particularly the visual line of sight requirement, will severely limit the commercial use of drones in the U.S. A number of U.S. firms and government responders are interested in using drones to deliver products and services, to inspect electric transmission wires and pipelines for damage, to conduct search and rescue, to gather news plus many things that have not even been defined yet. The article at the first link provides more on U.S. drones rules and changes that are being considered.
In the meantime, the commercial use of drones in other countries is moving forward at a rapid pace. New Zealand last year became one of the first nations in the world to approve the use of commercial drones for delivery. Later this year Domino's Pizza will begin drone pizza delivery in New Zealand where test are already underway. We may see rapid expansion of such delivery from this firm alone because Domino's Pizza Enterprises holds the master franchise rights for the Domino's brand in New Zealand, Australia, Japan, France and Germany. Read more at the second link below and continue to watch the press as the subject of drone use is changing rapidly.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/relaxing-the-rules-on-drones/2016/08/28/2622b26c-5e61-11e6-af8e-54aa2e849447_story.html?utm_term=.06bba23b53c3&wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2016/08/25/hungry-your-pizza-drone-will-be-there-in-30-minutes/?wpisrc=nl_innov&wpmm=1

12. New Major Software Company - G.E.?
The nations largest manufacturing company, G.E., is converting itself into a major software producing firm that company leadership equates to "competing with IBM and Amazon". The 124 year old company, that has more than 300,000 employees and makes power turbines, jet engines, locomotives and medical-imaging equipment began the transition into industrial software development in 2009. They plan to be a "major software company" by 2020. In 2011 G.E. opened a software center in San Ramon, California, near San Francisco and the Silicon Valley. This center now employs more than 1,400 who are mostly software developers. The initial project is to build an industrial scale computer operating system to be used to manage and operate factories and industrial equipment, like Windows and Android are used to manage and operate offices and mobile devices. The growth of computer attachment and control in all that G.E. does, clearly demonstrated in the expansion of the Internet of Things (IoT), is the driver of this project. G.E. executives believe that the industrial internet market will be $225 Billion by 2020. Some technology experts doubt that G.E. can make the transition from manufacturing to software. Jeffrey R. Immlet, the G.E. CEO, says that G.E.'s success or failure over the next decade depends on this transformation. He calls it "probably the most important thing I've worked on in my career." He adds, "there is no Plan B. It is either this or bust." At the link is more about G.E.'s plans.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/28/technology/ge-the-124-year-old-software-start-up.html?emc=edit_th_20160828&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

13. Self Driving Cars
Before you had ever seen a smartphone if you had been asked how an iPhone would change your life and make it better, how would you have answered? Today, people are being asked a similar question, in this case about automated self driving cars. What features and options do you want on such a vehicle? This is difficult to answer for an individual or even a company in the automotive business because we don't have enough exposure to the automated vehicle technology to properly respond to questions like, "should such a car have driver controls, like a steering wheel and pedals?" Automotive developers and manufacturers are answering such questions now in preparation of delivering automated technology vehicles to you as a customer, in just a few years. The article at the link describes this dilemma in detail and includes information on the plans that a number of auto companies are already implementing.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/self-driving-cars-reach-a-fork-in-the-road-and-automakers-take-different-routes/2016/08/24/5cdeaba8-63d9-11e6-8b27-bb8ba39497a2_story.html?wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1

14. Lost Checked Baggage
You reached your air travel destination but the baggage you checked with the airline is missing and you are not happy. Lost luggage, which usually is only misplaced, has been a customer issue for air travelers for years. Until about ten years ago baggage tags needed to be read by people and bags moved by them to the next routing position. At that time the percent of lost baggage improved with the addition of bar coded tags on checked baggage. Bar codes work well and allowed automatic sorting of baggage unless the bar coded tag was torn, dirty or not in line of sight with a bar code reader. Now, the next improvement, the use of RFID (radio frequency identification) baggage tags is being added by some airlines and at some airports. These tags can be read when the tag is only near the sensor but no line of sight is necessary. The rate of misplaced baggage is expected to significantly improve with full deployment of RFID technology. Here is an article with more detail.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/23/business/chip-technology-keeps-checked-luggage-in-check.html?emc=edit_th_20160823&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125
September 2016 SIR Computer Newsletter
1. Wearable Electronics at the Rio Olympics
The 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro will end on Sunday, August 21st. During the two week Olympics both the athletes and the attendees have shown the use of wearable electronic devices, called "wearables" to enhance athlete training and insure attendee enjoyment. InfoWorld has published a slideshow (pictures and text) of eight wearables that are being used and seen right now in Rio and either now or shortly will be available for you to purchase. Check them out at this link.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/3106915/hardware/in-pictures-wearables-at-the-rio-2016-olympics.html?token=%23tk.IFWNLE_nlt_infoworld_daily_2016-08-13&idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=InfoWorld%20Daily:%20Weekend%20Edition%202016-08-13&utm_term=infoworld_daily#tk.IFW_nlt_infoworld_daily_2016-08-13

2. LastPass Password Manager Software
This Newsletter has made frequent recommendations for techniques that can be used to create strong, effective passwords and ways to guard those passwords. One suggestion discussed on a number of occasions is the use of password manager software that encrypts, stores and protects multiple different passwords while making their use easy when you access protected accounts that are password protected. Among the things you have learned about computers is that errors can occur and an error just surfaced with a password Management software named LastPass. A coding error was detected that offered the potential for a hacker aware of the code error to gain access to a users password account details being protected by the management software. Within one day of the coding error discovery LastPass issued users a software patch to eliminate the code error. If you use, or are planning to use, a password manager, particularly LastPass, you should read the article at the link below. The use of a good password manager software is still strongly recommended to enhance your information security.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/07/28/people-downloaded-this-tool-to-keep-their-passwords-safe-but-it-had-a-major-flaw/?wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1

3. Another Password Solution
We are continuously reminded that security of our data is dependent on the strength of the passwords and other security steps that we take and keep up to date. The item above discussed a password manager package. This Computer Newsletter has previously included numerous items on passwords. We are told that passwords must be long, they must be changed often, they must include "at least one upper case letter, one lower case letter, one number, one special character" and they must be remembered and never written down where someone might find them. Complex passwords are hard to remember and are forgotten so people use simple, easy to remember passwords. Some data is further protected behind two factor verification, where a password is entered and then a one time passcode is emailed or texted to the user who enters it to gain access. Others are using fingerprint scans, face scans and iris scans. Now another option is becoming popular - Passphrase's. Study at Carnegie Mellon University shows that passphrase's are equally secure from hacking and much easier to remember and use. A passphrase is 16 to 64 characters long and makes sense to the user. Compare the password: "Trj7$pBh?91^22" to the passphrase: "Mydogandthecatnextdooraregreatfriendsandplaytogether". They are equally secure plus the passphrase is more difficult for hacking software to break. Which one is easier to remember and use? Now, the your accounts need to allow "passwords" to be long enough and not require numbers, special characters, etc. to allow passphrase's. The article at the link will provide more information on passphrase's.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/08/11/theres-a-new-way-to-make-strong-passwords-and-its-way-easier/?wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1

4. Hydrogen Powered Cars
If you are considering the purchase or lease of a new car, your choice of how the car is powered just added another option. For years the only choice was petroleum fuel. Then came hybrid vehicles that burn petroleum fuel to both power the vehicle's wheels and generate electricity that is stored in a battery to drive electric motors that power the wheels, thus reducing fuel cost. Next came all electric powered vehicles that are refueled by plugging them into an electric source and recharging the vehicle battery. Now comes hydrogen fueled vehicles that produce electricity with a fuel cell in the vehicle to power electric motors that drive the wheels. The appeal of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles is that they help reduce carbon emissions. Fuel cells combine hydrogen gas with oxygen from the atmosphere to produce electricity and water vapor that exits the vehicle via the tail pipe. A limited number of hydrogen fueling stations has delayed the introduction of these clean vehicles but now both the federal and state governments, particularly California, are providing incentives to deploy hydrogen stations. Toyota has already introduced the Mirai, a fuel cell powered four door sedan, in Japan in 2015 and California in 2016, where about 350 are already registered. Honda will have a fuel cell sedan, named Clarity, in the US in late 2016 while Hyundai will add a fuel cell SUV in 2017. If you want to learn about hydrogen fuel cell powered cars read the interesting article at the link. Don't worry, no one is trying to park the Hindenburg airship in your garage - todays compressed hydrogen gas is as safe as gasoline.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/22/automobiles/water-out-the-tailpipe-a-new-class-of-electric-car-gains-traction.html?emc=edit_th_20160722&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125

5. Encryption
Almost any conversation about computers results is some words about encryption - what it is, how it works, who should use it, what information should be encrypted, how does it protect your information, etc. The June 2016 Security Awareness Newsletter at the link, provides an easy to understand summary and information about the encryption questions above.
https://securingthehuman.sans.org/newsletters/ouch/issues/OUCH-201606_en.pdf

6. Review of Four Mini PC's If you are interested in a physically small PC that offers full power for an excellent price then you should read the reviews of four mini PC's in the InfoWorld article at the link. Each is a full PC that comes with the Windows 10 Home operating system in a package as small as two decks of cards and at a price ranging from $160 to $500. Two of the four have traditional hard drives with 1TB storage while the other two have 32GB solid state drives. All four support WiFi and Bluetooth. You supply the keyboard, mouse and display. The article details the four reviewed devices and concludes with a chart comparing features of each, side by side, plus InfoWorld performance test results, with an explanation of what is tested. Read the article - you'll learn something about evaluating computers plus details about these four mini machines.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/3098894/computers/review-4-mini-pcs-give-you-full-power-in-a-very-small-package.html?token=%23tk.IFWNLE_nlt_infoworld_daily_2016-07-23&idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=InfoWorld%20Daily:%20Weekend%20Edition%202016-07-23&utm_term=infoworld_daily#tk.IFW_nlt_infoworld_daily_2016-07-23

7. Gorilla Glass 5
Your next mobile device may have a touch screen that is even stronger and less likely to scratch or break because Corning has just announced Gorilla Glass 5, the company's newest version of its high strength glass. Since it was first introduced in 2007, Gorilla Glass has been included in 4.5 billion devices manufactured by Apple, Samsung, Motorola, LG, Hewlett-Packard and others. Corning claims that Gorilla Glass 5 "is four times as likely to survive a fall from waist or shoulder height as its competitors." That is important because a global survey shows "that 85 percent of smartphone users have dropped their mobile devices at least once in the past year and that 55 percent have dropped their mobile devices three or more times in the past year." Read more about Gorilla Glass 5, including how it is made, in the article at the link.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2016/07/21/your-smartphone-screen-will-soon-be-stronger/?wpisrc=nl_innov&wpmm=1

8. Get The Most From Google Maps
Google Maps is constantly ranked as one of the top ten used applications (apps) by people all over the world. All of us who use the app know how to see a map of a specific place and to get directions from one location to another. But, few of us are even aware of some of the advanced services that Google Maps can provide to make the app even more powerful and useful. The article at the first link below will provide you with six tips to open up additional features available in Google Maps. The article provides specific directions to get to these features: Plan multistop trips. Use the "Explore" feature. Download an area that can be used offline. Share directions with others. Sign in to Google Maps to get better service. Set up features and filters that you find useful. Here is the first link.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/08/05/tips-and-tricks-to-get-more-out-of-google-maps/?wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1
If you use Google Maps there is an update coming that will provide you and other users with even more useful information. Read about it at this link.
http://time.com/4423679/google-maps-update-features-2016/?xid=newsletter-brief

9. Artificial Intelligence is Hot
The investment and development focus in the technology world, and particularly in the Silicon Valley, for the last ten years has been mobile devices (smartphones and tablet computers), social media and mobile applications. Now, there is a shift and the new focus is on artificial intelligence (A.I.) and robots. Development effort, new jobs and investment are quickly growing in the area of A.I. "Silicon Valley's financiers and entrepreneurs are digging into artificial intelligence with remarkable exuberance. The region now has at least 19 companies designing self-driving cars and trucks, up from a handful five years ago. There are also more than a half-dozen types of mobile robots, including robotic bellhops and aerial drones." Start-up funding for A.I. companies that was $145 million in 2011 has grown to $681 million in 2016. A.I. is what is hot. If you want to know more, read the article at the link. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/18/technology/on-wheels-and-wings-artificial-intelligence-swarms-silicon-valley.html?emc=edit_th_20160718&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

10. Smartphone Iris Scan
Unlocking your smartphone or other electronic device is about to become more secure and easier to do at the same time. A locked smartphone was originally unlocked by the user entering a PIN number or code through the onscreen keyboard. The next development was scanning the user's fingerprint through a sensor either on the screen or beside the screen. Next was facial recognition through the camera built into the smartphone. Now, Samsung is about to introduce a new smartphone model that identifies the valid user by scanning the persons eye for the pattern of their iris. An iris scan is much more difficult to spoof and unchanging when compared to the changes that occur in faces from aging and fingerprints from wear or injury. Here is an article about iris scanning.
http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/ODN/SanFranciscoChronicle/TranslateArticle.aspx?doc=HSFC%2F2016%2F08%2F03&entity=ar02705

11. Wireless Keyboards
If you use a wireless keyboard you should read the Washington Post article at the link below. Recent testing has shown that a high percentage of wireless keyboard inputs can be intercepted from up to 250 feet away. The intercepting equipment can then read every keystroke of the wireless keyboard user. There go bank your account numbers, passwords, account information, etc. Read the article and see if you are at risk.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/07/26/your-wireless-keyboard-could-be-giving-your-secrets-away/?wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1

12. Get More From Amazon Echo
If you are one of the millions of customers who own the voice controlled Internet interface device, the Amazon Echo, here are some ideas of even more enhanced services that Echo can provide to you. If you are not familiar with the Amazon Echo, read the article in the SIR Computer Newsletter - April 2016, item #13, titled "Amazon Echo", and read the article in the first link below. When you have your Echo, and you will, the article at the second link expands on kinds of services that Echo owners are adding to the already broad range of assistance available by voice command through Echo. Just ask the Echo voice assistant, Alexa, to turn on or off lights or other devices in your home. Need help in the kitchen with ingredients if you are cutting a recipe in half or tripling a recipe? - just ask Alexa. Want to play music from a favorite play list on the streaming music service Pandora? - Just say, "Alexa play Pandora favorites." Just read the article at the second link for more suggestions of things you can do with a simple voice request.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/10/technology/the-echo-from-amazon-brims-with-groundbreaking-promise.html?emc=edit_ct_20160310&nl=personaltech&nlid=45350125
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/28/technology/personaltech/alexa-what-else-can-you-do-getting-more-from-amazon-echo.html?emc=edit_th_20160728&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0
August 2016 SIR Computer Newsletter

1. Windows Scammers
If you ever get a phone call from "Windows Support" or someone claiming to represent Windows, or Microsoft, and offering to help you remove or defeat malware that has been detected running on your computer, hang up. It is but one of thousands of similar scammers who are working to get their hands on your money. The article at the link provides a number of specific examples of the kinds of approaches these callers will use. The article is long but worth reading so you are prepared when it's your turn and you get such a phone call.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/3091857/security/what-i-learned-playing-prey-to-windows-scammers.html?token=%23tk.IFWNLE_nlt_infoworld_daily_2016-07-07&idg_eid=7fd09df7f8b34e1b17df6921fcee139d&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=InfoWorld%20Daily:%20Morning%20Edition%202016-07-07&utm_term=infoworld_daily#tk.IFW_nlt_infoworld_daily_2016-07-07

2. Classic Blackberry Ends
If you were one of the first users of what we call a smartphone then you certainly had a Blackberry device that had an LED screen and included a built in physical keyboard and trackpad instead of a keypad on a touch screen. Blackberry fans fought hard to continue to have the keyboard equipped device but touchscreen smartphones continued to gain users while Blackberry's were used less and less and became difficult to even find. To support demand and attempt to grow the market Blackberry introduced a new model keyboard and trackpad device in late 2014 called "The Classic". Now, Blackberry has announced the termination The Classic production. There are no plans to manufacture a newer smartphone with a physical keyboard and trackpad. If you want a Classic before they are all gone, some retailers and Blackberry corporate have a few left in stock. Here are more details.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/06/technology/a-sad-day-for-punchers-blackberry-to-discontinue-its-last-keyboard-phone.html?em_pos=small&emc=edit_ct_20160707&nl=technology&nl_art=7&nlid=45350125&ref=technology&ref=headline&te=1&_r=0

3. What Is Net Neutrality?
On June 14th a three-judge panel at the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that the Internet is a utility, applying a doctrine known as "net neutrality", which prohibit broadband companies from blocking or slowing the delivery of internet content to consumers. Internet service providers wanted a different ruling that would allow Internet service of a higher quality and speed to big users. The court said the network supporting the Internet is like the telephone network and all users will have the same rights to use the network. Net Neutrality will effect you so to understand just what that means read the two excellent articles at the links below.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/06/15/the-net-neutrality-court-decision-in-plain-english/?wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/15/technology/net-neutrality-fcc-appeals-court-ruling.html?emc=edit_na_20160614&nlid=45350125&ref=cta

4. China's Supercomputers
For the first time in history, a nation other than the U.S., China, holds the record for not only the fastest supercomputer in the world, a position it has held for the last seven rankings, but China additionally now has the record for the most supercomputers in the top 500 of the world rankings. "Also for the first time, the world's fastest supercomputer uses Chinese-made microprocessor chips instead of chips from Silicon Valley's Intel." These are key developments because supercomputing power is viewed in the global scientific community as an indicator of technological leadership. To learn about supercomputers, how the rankings are done and how the U.S. fell from its leadership position, read the article at this link.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/21/technology/china-tops-list-of-fastest-computers-again.html?emc=edit_th_20160621&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

5. Do You Want a Smart Blender?
Articles in several previous issues of this Newsletter have discussed the spread of internet attached devices of all kinds. This is called the Internet of Things (IoT). There now are internet connected, or "smart", toothbrushes, cutlery, baby monitors, refrigerators, thermostats, slow cookers, sprinkler systems, home and office lighting, sex toys, refrigerators, blenders, locks in doors, etc. "The absurdity of the phenomenon was made unavoidably apparent in May, when a start-up unveiled a "smart tampon," called my.Flow." If you want to see how smart your kitchen appliances should be, or will be, you should read the article at the link.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/19/magazine/just-how-smart-do-you-want-your-blender-to-be.html?em_pos=small&emc=edit_ct_20160616&nl=technology&nl_art=6&nlid=45350125&ref=headline&te=1&_r=0

6. Banks Moving To Biometric ID
The use of passwords and user ID to verify an account holder and protect the accounts is rapidly falling from favor because so many hundreds of millions of email addresses, phone numbers, Social Security numbers and other personal identifiers have fallen into the hands of criminals. Banks are moving to fingerprints, facial scans and other different forms of biometric ID. "Millions of customers of Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase and Wells Fargo routinely use fingerprints to log into their bank accounts through their mobile phones." Access to some corporate accounts, with the authority to wire transfer millions of dollars, is granted to some Wells Fargo customers through an eye scan by the camera in their smartphone. Some customers of USAA Federal Savings Bank are identified by scans of their facial contours, again through their smartphone camera. You can expect to see more of the use of biometric ID at your bank and in other activities in the near future. Learn more at this link.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/22/business/dealbook/goodbye-password-banks-opt-to-scan-fingers-and-faces-instead.html?emc=edit_th_20160622&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

7. Cover Your Camera
Almost every computer device that you have today, laptop, tablet, desktop and smartphone, is equipped with a camera, or multiple cameras, and a microphone to support your participation in both videos and audio communications with others. Video and audio capture using your camera and microphone is also becoming more common to confirm your identity in allowing access to accounts and physical facilities. Cameras and microphones can become a problem because hacking into them is one of the easiest targets for those who originate computer malware. If I hack your computer device I can turn on your camera and/or microphone, without your knowledge, and via the Internet, watch and listen to everything you do. To defeat my attack, just cover the camera and microphone jack with a small piece of electrical tape and remove it only when you are using the camera and/or microphone. Who is doing this tape trick? Everybody. Go to a computer security conference. You will find that counting the participants who do not have tape over their cameras and microphones will be a much shorter list than counting those who do have tape on their devices. Here is an article to help convince you to cover your device's camera and mic. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/23/technology/personaltech/mark-zuckerberg-covers-his-laptop-camera-you-should-consider-it-too.html?emc=edit_th_20160623&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

8. Phishing Website
Fraudulent websites continue every day to attempt to access our account and personal information. The global size of the effort is difficult to comprehend but here is an example. I have several accounts with USAA. Attempts to access these accounts are reported to USAA Security, who recently included the following in a response to such reporting: "Reporting of a phishing email helps USAA shut down hundreds of phishing websites every month. In fact, USAA shut down 14,260 fraudulent websites in 2015!" This is the security effort of but one company. How big is the global phishing attack attempting to get your information? Please be security conscious all the time.

9. Social Media Scams
The current issue of the AARP Bulletin includes the article at the link that provides seniors with five ways that your data is at risk if you are using social media services. Facebook is but one social media service, but as an example, the article says that 64% of online adults aged 50 to 64 use Facebook as do nearly 50% of those 65 and older. So, there are at least even odds that you use one or more social media services. You should read the AARP article. http://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2016/stay-safe-and-secure-on-social-media.html

10. Windows 10 Install Court Award Against Microsoft
A California travel agent has won a $10,000 judgement against Microsoft for damaging her business by upgrading her work computer to Windows 10 despite her not approving the upgrade. Microsoft has decided not to appeal the award and has paid the travel agent. The whole story is in the article at this link. http://www.computerworld.com/article/3089071/microsoft-windows/customer-wins-10k-judgement-from-microsoft-over-unauthorized-windows-10-upgrade.html

11. Maintaining Device Batteries
When we first started using devices of all kinds with rechargeable batteries we learned some rules about how we should treat such batteries to extend the run time of the device they powered and extend the overall life of the battery. One rule was to run the device until the battery was completely discharged before recharging the battery. This was a valid rule because the the nickel-cadmium rechargeable batteries of the day failed quickly if not maintained this way. This rule is still followed by many users of today's devices but it is a misconception because modern lithium-ion batteries, used by everyone, do not need to be deep discharged before being recharged. In fact, deep discharge is not good for modern batteries. The article at the link covers four misconceptions about caring for rechargeable batteries. The article focuses on Apple iPhone batteries but the misconceptions apply to almost every battery powered device. The four misconceptions are: 1. The deep discharge discussed above. 2. Don't recharge overnight. 3. Turn off WiFi and Bluetooth to save power. 4. Close apps that are open and not being used. Here is the link to the article. https://www.wirelessdesignmag.com/blog/2016/06/what-tech-4-iphone-battery-misconceptions?et_cid=5358881&et_rid=620730920&type=cta&et_cid=5358881&et_rid=620730920&linkid=https%3a%2f%2fwww.wirelessdesignmag.com%2fblog%2f2016%2f06%2fwhat-tech-4-iphone-battery

12. Live Earthquake Information
Most of the subscribers to this Newsletter live in Northern California, an area that experiences regular occurrences of earthquakes. These are usually small enough that they are hardly noticed and result in little to no damage. When we feel an earthquake, or think we feel one, many would like to quickly confirm that it was a quake, where it's epicenter was located and how strong it was. Starting on Thursday, July 7, 2016, Google began offering information to people who search for "earthquake ", or "earthquake near me", or "recent earthquake", or anything similar. The information provided will include a map showing the earthquake location, the location of the device making the query and other details known at the time of the query. The Google search can be made from a desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone. Details are at the link. http://time.com/4388508/google-search-feature-earthquakes/?xid=newsletter-brief

13. Devices To Take On Vacation
We all have all kinds of devices. When we travel on vacation the questions always come up. What should I take with me and what should I leave at home? What devices will help make my vacation a success and what devices will end up being a pain in the neck? The quite helpful article at the link covers these questions in each of the following vacation categories: On the Plane. In a Rental Car. In an Airbnb House. Outdoors. Traveling Abroad. Here is the link.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/23/technology/personaltech/devices-that-deserve-to-go-along-on-vacation.html?em_pos=small&emc=edit_ct_20160623&nl=technology&nl_art=1&nlid=45350125&ref=headline&te=1&_r=0

14. Protecting Your Data In Public Places
When you travel or just visit a coffee shop with your Internet connected device you are always a target for criminals attempting to steal your personal information. They will use multiple methods to direct you to web access networks that they have set up and to read what you are doing while you are connected to a legal access network. The article at the link discusses some of the things the "bad guys" will do and what to watch for. More importantly, the article provides two list of the Do's and Don'ts to protect your information while using your device away from home.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/06/30/how-to-protect-your-data-in-hotels-airports-and-other-public-spaces-when-traveling/?wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1

July 2016 SIR Computer Newsletter

1. Insurance For Self Driving Vehicles
A UK insurance firm is the first to offer policies to self driving, driverless vehicles, a topic that is under intense study in the US as more and more such vehicles are on global roads. The new policy is only available and only covers vehicles in the UK. As expected, the premiums for this policy are less than similar coverage on a human driver controlled vehicle because all of the test and risk projection data shows that autonomous and partly automated vehicles are safer and less likely to be in an accident. Read the article at the link to learn about the beginnings of the design of what may be the next auto insurance policy you buy.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/06/09/this-company-just-solved-the-biggest-policy-problem-for-driverless-cars/?wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1

2. Windows 10 - Finding Wireless Networks
If you were a Windows 7 user who has recently upgraded to Windows 10, you already know that the user interface is different with the newer operating system. One of the things that you used to be able to do was view all of the wireless networks that were within range of your computer - but now you can't find how to see those networks in Windows 10. Read the article at the link and you'll know how to do it.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/02/technology/personaltech/finding-wireless-networks-with-windows-10.html?em_pos=small&emc=edit_ct_20160602&nl=technology&nl_art=8&nlid=45350125&ref=headline&te=1

3. Delete Unused MySpace Account NOW
If you have a MySpace account that you are not currently using, you should delete the account now. MySpace was one of the social networking services that were popular before FaceBook entered that space and quickly grew to be the major player. FaceBook reduced a number of earlier social network services, including MySpace, to second or lower positions in the market. In late May 2016 as many as 360 million MySpace accounts showed up for sale on the Internet. The accounts include passwords, email addresses and usernames that in some cases were stolen from MySpace as early as 2013, according to the current MySpace owner, Time Inc. Many previous MySpace users now use FaceBook or other services and simply abandoned their MySpace accounts. If you are one of those users, the article at the link recommends that you now delete your unused MySpace account along with any other unused Internet accounts.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/05/31/why-you-should-delete-the-online-accounts-you-dont-use-anymore-right-now/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_tech

4. IBM's Watson Hunts Hackers
IBM's "Watson" computer system (remember Watson beating the top two Jeopardy TV game champions?) is now being prepared to work, in conjunction with eight major universities, to hunt for cybersecurity issues by using Watson's ability to automatically scour vast troves of security research at a rate human operators couldn't possibly manage. This program is named "Watson for Cybersecurity". The effort is detailed in the article at the first link below. This is but one of a number of tasks that are using the massive search capability of Watson. The February 2014 SIR Computer Newsletter included an item about IBM's Watson computer system assisting physician's battle cancer at the University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center. Since then IBM has moved Watson into the realm of a number of different business applications in industries in which "the amount of information being produced has overrun the ability of professionals in those businesses to keep up with it." A number are in health care, at a number of large internationally recognized medical centers. Others are in the travel industry and in education. More than 100 businesses and non-profits have signed up and a number are already working to integrate Watson's capabilities into their businesses. Twenty to thirty years ago IBM was a leader in supporting businesses processing data that fit neatly in a spreadsheet. Now, IBM is responding with Watson to support technology companies who are scrambling to analyze phone conversations, social media posts and large volumes of non-numerical, unstructured data. Watson does this. This story covered is in the article at the second link below.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/05/10/ibm-is-training-watson-to-hunt-hackers/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_tech
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/on-it/ibm-sees-watson-as-moneymaker-but-only-in-the-long-term/2014/10/10/0cae16fe-4f23-11e4-8c24-487e92bc997b_story.html?wpisrc=nl-headlines&wpmm=1

5. U.S. Government and Dated Technology
The U.S. nuclear arsenal and the military strike forces tasked with the management and possible use of these weapons are controlling this arsenal with 1970's technology, like 8 inch floppy discs and the hardware needed to read/write them. Upgrades are coming but currently the only positive note on the current situation is that there are almost no ways to hack into the system. This is because the network is not running on the Internet and there virtually are no hackers who have the hardware or old technology knowledge needed to penetrate the systems. If you want a short history lesson on the technology of the 1970's and our nuclear forces, read the article at the link.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/05/26/the-real-reason-america-controls-its-nukes-with-ancient-floppy-disks/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_tech Now that you have seen the Defense Department's technology being kept running with your tax dollars, check out the article at the link below. Here are the details of ten U.S. Government departments that have technology as old as 56 years. Relax if your taxes are audited because the IRS is running part of its processes on 56 year old software and hardware. Here is the link.
http://www.nextgov.com/cio-briefing/2016/05/10-oldest-it-systems-federal-government/128599/

6. Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?
We all view with amazement the technology ability and knowledge that young people, even our grandchildren, display around us. I don't know if there is a way to compare our lack of ability against young people's ability to quickly master all kinds of knowledge but the link below might be a fun test for you. The annual Scripps National Spelling Bee was just completed and TIME has put together a ten word spelling test that you can take on-line to see if you can spell as well as fifth grade students. Just like the Spelling Bee, you can listen to the word, ask for its language of origin and ask for a definition of the word. Then you spell the word and submit your spelling with a click. You will get feedback right away. Go ahead, have fun and see how many of the ten words you can spell, remembering that 11 year old children could spell them all.
http://time.com/4347515/scripps-national-spelling-bee-quiz/?xid=newsletter-brief

7. Locating A Lost Windows Device
Both Apple and Google have for some time had application software, either built into the operating system (Apple) or user installed on the operating system (Google), that will assists the mobile device's owner in locating the device if it is lost or stolen. Such software uses the device's wifi connection, mapping function and on-board GPS to provide the owner, searching from another computer, with the missing device's location, usually displayed on a map. Mobile devices are smartphones, tablet computers and laptop computers. Now, Microsoft is providing a similar service, called the Find My Device tool, on mobile devices running the Windows 10 operating system. The article at the link tells how the tool works, how to set it up and how to use it.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/25/technology/personaltech/locating-a-lost-windows-device.html?em_pos=small&emc=edit_ct_20160526&nl=technology&nl_art=7&nlid=45350125&ref=headline&te=1&_r=0

8. Customizable Smartphone
Google is working to market a smartphone, named Ara, that the user can customize as easily as snapping together lego blocks. Maybe you want your phone to have a better camera or a medical sensor to measure your blood sugar. Instead of having to purchase a whole new phone that has the features that you want, with Ara you would purchase only the modules needed to customize your smartphone to include the desired capability and snap them together. Google has been working on the concept for several years and has continued despite the fact that several other companies have considered and failed to introduce such a product. Google says that Ara will be commercially available next year. Read about Ara at this link.
http://time.com/4346811/google-project-ara-phone-launch/?xid=newsletter-brief


9. International Travel With A Smartphone
If you are planning international travel with your smartphone you have a number of choices about how you will get data connections and how much it will cost you. Don't think that data connection is easy to avoid by just deciding to not check email. Today, data connection is much more than email and is what makes a smartphone function. Many smartphone applications use a data connection to bring you updated, current information - mapping, guide book information on sight seeing, dining and attractions information, etc. are all driven by data. Without data on your smartphone you will be carrying pounds of paper guidebooks, maps and brochures. So, to avoid the paper and to use the power of your smartphone, what should you do? First, there are two basic choices: Purchase international roaming from your carrier, probably at a high cost or, do some planning and get your smartphone setup for use in the countries where you plan to travel, almost always at significantly lower cost. Exactly what you can and should do depends on where your travel will take you. The New York Times article at the link is an excellent reference and details the courses of action you can take before you travel to reduce your cost and get the most out of your smartphone.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/26/technology/personaltech/a-travelers-guide-to-taking-a-smartphone-abroad.html?emc=edit_th_20160526&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

10. Electric Cars
Every day there seem to be more vehicles available that are powered by electricity. There are vehicles ranging from hybrids, a mix of fossil fuel and battery, plug-in hybrids that can additionally have their battery recharged by plugging them in, to all electric battery powered. Where in the U.S. you purchase an electric vehicle, and what kind of specific power it uses will determine what tax incentives and/or cash rebate your state will provide to you for making an electric vehicle purchase. The article at the link describes the locations where the best deals are available. Here's a peek - the best incentives are offered to those who purchase electric vehicles in Colorado, with California running a close second. If you might be considering a new car purchase check out this article.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/05/24/the-states-where-it-pays-to-buy-a-new-electric-car/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_tech

11. Second Line On Your Smartphone
If you use a smartphone and the one telephone number associated with your phone is not enough for you, there are ways to add a second line to your phone. The Computerworld article at the link will tell you how to do this. FYI, when you read the article you may have to register your email address with Computerworld to get past about half way through the article. You may then get articles like this one in email but you can always unsubscribe.
http://www.computerworld.com/article/3071153/mobile-wireless/call-on-line-2-six-ways-to-add-a-second-line-to-your-smartphone.html?token=%23tk.IDGENTERPRISENLE_nlt_idge_insider_newsletter_2016-05-24&idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Insider%20Alert%202016-05-24&utm_term=idge_insider_newsletter#tk.NDR_nlt_idge_insider_newsletter_2016-05-24

12. Surprise: Windows 10 Is Installed!
If you wake up one morning to find that while you were sleeping Microsoft installed Windows 10 on your computer and did away with the Windows 7 or 8.1 that you were using, the link will take you to an article with detail of what to do to reverse the Windows 10 upgrade that you didn't want yet.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/3074096/microsoft-windows/hit-by-an-unexpected-windows-10-upgrade-heres-how-to-recover.html?token=%23tk.IFWNLE_nlt_infoworld_daily_2016-05-23&idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=InfoWorld%20Daily:%20Afternoon%20Edition%202016-05-23&utm_term=infoworld_daily#tk.IFW_nlt_infoworld_daily_2016-05-23

13. Google Home, Voice Assistant
This Newsletter has previously included several articles about voice recognition digital assistants available from a number of manufacturers - i.e. Apple, Amazon and Samsung. The Apple assistant, Siri, and the Samsung assistant run on mobile devices while the Amazon assistant, Echo, runs alone at home or in an office. Google is about to enter this home technology market space with a product called "Google Home". Neither an availability date or pricing has been announced. Google noted that this new product will be key to much of Google's future business as it is based on the fact that Google "knows more things about more people than any other company, organization or government in history" and the new Google Home household device, "will use that information to help people run their lives". To learn more, see the article at the first link below. See the second link for a very interesting comparison of Google Home and the current industry leader, Amazon Echo.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/19/technology/google-home-a-voice-activated-device-that-already-knows-you.html?em_pos=small&emc=edit_ct_20160519&nl=technology&nl_art=0&nlid=45350125&ref=headline&te=1&_r=0
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/19/technology/personaltech/google-home-a-smart-speaker-with-a-search-giant-for-a-brain.html?em_pos=small&emc=edit_ct_20160519&nl=technology&nl_art=1&nlid=45350125&ref=headline&te=1&_r=0

June 2016 SIR Computer Newsletter

1. Upgrade or Keep Your Device?
Technology manufacturers continue to overwhelm us with "new and improved" devices that we are encouraged to purchase as soon as the new model is available in the market. Devices include smartphones, tablet computers, laptops, desktop computers plus all of the attached hardware and software equipment that can be connected by wire or through the air to our devices. If we study these devices we will find that there often is no need to fall prey to the marketing pressure to upgrade to the newest devices because the the device we have is perfectly capable of continuing to provide the service we want. The article at the link covers things to look for, and that you can change, to greatly extend the life of your devices - smartphones, tablets and PC's. If saving your money is important to you, read this article.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/21/technology/personaltech/choosing-to-skipthe-upgrade-and-care-for-the-gadget-youve-got.html?emc=edit_th_20160421&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125

2. Need Hearing Aids?
As people age many of them begin using hearing aids, most often for age related hearing loss. Many more people who should be using something to assists their hearing are not because of the very high cost of hearing aids which today cost an average of about $2400 each or $5000 for a pair. Hearing aids are classified as medical devices and are regulated by the federal Food and Drug Administration (F.D.A.). Under federal and state rules hearing aids generally must be provided by an audiologist, a licensed hearing aid dispenser or a medical doctor. The consumer electronic device technology used in modern smartphones and other personal devices is now becoming wildly available in the hearing device market. These consumer devices, that look and perform like hearing aids, are not regulated because they are not, strictly speaking, hearing aids (an F.D.A. approved term) but instead are personal sound amplification products, or PSAPs (pronounced PEE-saps). Such devices are priced at hundreds of dollars per pair instead of thousands of dollars. Needless to say, audiologist and their supporters are worried as increasing numbers of potential hearing aid customers are obtaining the hearing assistance they need by purchasing PSAPs. If you now use, or are considering the purchase of devices to help you hear better, you should read the article at the link.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/21/business/hearing-aid-business-feels-pressure-from-consumer-electronics.html?emc=edit_th_20160421&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=1

3. Fax Just Won't Die
"Depending on how you define the point of origin of the first method of distributing images or photographs over an electrical wire, the fax machine may date back to 1843." In 1865 there was an operational fax service in France between Paris and Lyon. Modern fax machine service was introduced in the U.S. in the 1964, fifty-two years ago. If you look for technology devices from that many years ago you will find none - except for the fax machine. In an age when we can transmit live, high definition video to someone almost anywhere on earth, why would a "system persist that is still highly dependent on the ancient ritual of taking rough scans of paper, making an analog telephone call, connecting with a remote modem at speeds that might fall to 9,600bps or lower, and transmitting an image of that paper, one line at a time, to a printer on the other side?" This is madness. If you want to find an answer to why fax won't die and learn more about fax you'll have to read the InfoWorld article at the link.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/3060612/security/why-email-hasnt-killed-the-fax.html?token=%23tk.IFWNLE_nlt_infoworld_daily_2016-04-25&idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=InfoWorld%20Daily:%20Morning%20Edition%202016-04-25&utm_term=infoworld_daily#tk.IFW_nlt_infoworld_daily_2016-04-25

4. More On Ransomware
Discussions in computer groups and several items in previous issues of this Newsletter have focused on ransomware, the newest and most threatening hack to our computers. As a brief review, ransomware is computer software, called malware, because it is unwanted and is designed to do harm to computers it infects. When ransomware gains access to your computer it encrypts your computer files - documents, photos, spreadsheets, videos, etc. - and denies you access to the files without an unlock key that you can purchase for a stated amount, thus the name, "ransomware". Without paying the ransom and getting the decryption key you can never access the encrypted files again. Read the TIME article at the link for an excellent review of the latest about ransomware. Avoid a ransomware attack of your computer by using continuous security practices of never opening files of unknown origin. Never click links that you don't trust, don't visit strange websites, etc. Just use good, common sense - if you don't know for sure who sent you the file or link, don't click the link, open the document or download the file. Bad guys are working every day to attack your computer. Do not lower your defenses, even once, or you could be the next victim.
http://time.com/4303129/hackers-computer-ransom-ransomware/?xid=newsletter-brief

5. Biometric ID Security
Part of the agenda of a recent SIR Computer Group meeting was a discussion of the use of voice passwords and voice identification required by some firms to identify members who call in by telephone to execute various forms of business. Voice identification is but one form of what is referred to as biometric identification. Other forms are fingerprints, facial recognition, iris scan and DNA. It would appear that these forms of identification are quite secure. They are being used today to grant access to secure facilities, to allow access to computers, to unlock smartphones, etc. If you use biometric information for security how could anyone hack into your secure systems because they can't replicate your face, your fingerprints or your DNA? The article at the link might give you a different view by explaining how hackers might get your biometric data and then use it to appear to be you to gain access to protected secure data or facilities.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/3060856/security/the-dark-side-of-biometric-identification.html?token=%23tk.IFWNLE_nlt_infoworld_daily_2016-04-26&idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=InfoWorld%20Daily:%20Morning%20Edition%202016-04-26&utm_term=infoworld_daily#tk.IFW_nlt_infoworld_daily_2016-04-26

6. Is It A Fake Ransomware Attack?
When you open your computer tomorrow morning you may be in trouble if it says. "Your personal files are encrypted. Your documents photos, databases, and other important files have been encrypted with strongest encryption and a unique key, generated for this computer. The ransom due to us to unlock your files must be paid within 48 hours or your files will be destroyed." You may be under attack by ransomware - but on rare occasions, you may be the target of a fake ransomware attack with the goal of scaring you into paying money to the attacker but with no harm to your computer files. The article at the link tells you how to quickly and easily determine if you are in the grip of real ransomware or a fake.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/3062552/security/how-to-tell-if-youve-been-hit-by-fake-ransomware.html?token=%23tk.IFWNLE_nlt_infoworld_daily_2016-04-29&idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=InfoWorld%20Daily:%20Morning%20Edition%202016-04-29&utm_term=infoworld_daily#tk.IFW_nlt_infoworld_daily_2016-04-29

7. Windows Computer - Remove Quicktime NOW
If you have Apple QuickTime software installed on your Windows computer it is strongly recommended that you remove the software from all Windows computers now. The article at the link tells you why and how.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/26/technology/personaltech/removing-quicktime-for-windows-in-a-hurry.html?emc=edit_ct_20160428&nl=personaltech&nlid=45350125&_r=0

8. Kiss Your TV Goodbye
Almost all of us grew up watching cartoons and Howdy Doody on a 1940's or later TV, a new device that rapidly took over our living rooms as we matured. This new device was a box full of electronics, tubes and later solid state devices, tuner/demodulator, video and audio processing boards. It had a screen that over time changed from black and white images to color and grew in size from no larger than your hand to covering a whole wall. TV's changed as we grew older, with their electronics moving into small boxes and their screens growing larger and thinner so they could hang on a wall like a painting. Despite all these changes, when you walk into a room with one there is no doubt that there is a TV in the room - if it is on, there is a picture on the screen and if it is off, the screen is a huge black rectangle. All of this is about to change. The electronics will not need to be hidden because with Internet signal delivery most are no longer needed and are being removed. The screen will disappear because when not providing a TV image it might project an image like a painting, or it might roll up and be hidden, or it might be transparent and become a window. Read the article at the link for a history of TV, the changes that have already come and the new ones that are coming. TV as we have known it will soon be gone.
http://spectrum.ieee.org/consumer-electronics/audiovideo/kiss-your-tv-goodbye?utm_source=TechAlert&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Tech+Alert_04-28-16&bt_email=r.riviello@comcast.net&bt_ts=1461853396886

9. Security With IoT Devices
Everyday there are an increasing number of Internet of Things (IoT) devices available to the public. IoT devices can be connected to the Internet to make your life easier and more enjoyable. Assume that you have some such devices. You are leaving work for home. Your connected smartphone tells your home furnace to bring your home to a comfortable temperature and your IoT connected coffee maker to brew a fresh pot of coffee. As your car approaches your home the GPS in your smartphone knows your location and tells lights in and outside your home to turn on for your arrival. Nice. But, what might be the downside of having such devices? If you have them how can you protect yourself from pitfalls that might exist? To find out, read the computer security awareness newsletter, called "Ouch!", at the link.
https://securingthehuman.sans.org/newsletters/ouch/issues/OUCH-201605_en.pdf

10. Successor to Moore's Law
The August 2015 Newsletter reminded us that in 1965, Gordon E. Moore, a co-founder of Intel Corporation, reported that the number components per integrated circuit was doubling every two years. He modified this in 1975 to project that future growth would double the number of transistors per integrated circuit every two years. This became to be known as "Moore's Law", has proven to be correct to the present time and is a foundation of Silicon Valley technology development. Now, the science of silicon computer chip development is rapidly approaching the ability to manipulate material as small as atoms. When that is fully achieved, a physical boundary will have been reached that will require new design ideas and/or moving away from silicon as the primary computer chip component. This could mark the end of Moore's Law. As a small example of our chip development, "the Apple iPad 2, which went on the market in 2011 for $400, had more computing power than the world's most powerful supercomputer in the 1980s, a device called the Cray 2, that was about the size of an industrial washing machine and would cost more than $15 million today." At the link is an excellent review of where we have come in computer chip development and where we may be headed in the future.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/05/technology/moores-law-running-out-of-room-tech-looks-for-a-successor.html?emc=edit_th_20160505&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

11. Opting Out Of Online Activities
Recent studies, based on survey's of over 41,000 U.S. households, are showing a rapidly increasing number of Americans are opting out of online activities because of their concern with Internet security and threats to their identity and their computer records. "The research suggests some consumers are reaching a tipping point where they feel they can no longer trust using the Internet for everyday activities." The article at the link goes into the details of survey participant experiences and what Internet activities they are dropping. Are you next?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/05/13/new-government-data-shows-a-staggering-number-of-americans-have-stopped-basic-online-activities/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_tech

12. Free Windows 10 Upgrade To End
Microsoft has confirmed that on July 29, 2016 it will end the current free upgrade from earlier Windows versions to Windows 10 Home. After July 29th, customers will be able to continue to get free Windows 10 when they buy a new device, or they can purchase a full version of Windows 10 Home for $119. The Microsoft announcement did not mention the cost of Windows Pro.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/3066782/microsoft-windows/confirmed-windows-10-free-upgrade-will-end-on-july-29.html?token=%23tk.IFWNLE_nlt_infoworld_daily_2016-05-05&idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=InfoWorld%20Daily:%20Afternoon%20Edition%202016-05-05&utm_term=infoworld_daily#tk.IFW_nlt_infoworld_daily_2016-05-05

13. Consuming Power When Off
Many of the electronic devices that we have to make our lives comfortable consume electric power when they are in standby mode and even when they appear to be completely off. A recent study shows that "about a quarter of all residential energy consumption is used on devices in idle power mode." As more devices move into the category of Internet of Things (IoT), always online and connected to the Internet, we can expect that this idle use energy consumption will increase. Do you have a laptop, a modem, a router, a printer, a coffee maker, a TV set? The article at the link provides some specific examples of off or standby power consumption by common devices that we have connected to our electric meters.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/08/science/just-how-much-power-do-your-electronics-use-when-they-are-off.html?emc=edit_th_20160508&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

14. Fifty Most Influential Gadgets
TIME has just published a list, with pictures and a brief description of each item, of the "Fifty Most Influential Gadgets of All Time". You may own, or have owned, one or more of the items on the list. TIME's list is at this link. Enjoy.
http://time.com/4309573/most-influential-gadgets/?xid=newsletter-brief

15. Artificial Intelligence Voice Assistant
Apple's Siri was the first broadly distributed voice command digital assistant. Since Siri's introduction, a number of other similar voice assistants have entered the market - from Google, Samsung and Amazon. One third of the original design team of Siri has left Apple and say they have developed something "even better than Siri that will do everything for you." This new assistant, called Viv, was first demonstrated to technology experts on May 9, 2016. When Viv, or programs like it, are "powered by artificial intelligence and unprecedented volumes of data, they could become the portal through which billions of people connect to every service and business on the Internet. It's a world in which you can order a taxi, make a restaurant reservation and buy movie tickets in one long unbroken voice conversation -- no more typing, searching or even clicking." To find out more about where artificial intelligence driven voice assistants may be headed read the article at the link.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/05/04/siris-creators-say-theyve-made-something-better-that-will-take-care-of-everything-for-you/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_tech
May 2016 SIR Computer Newsletter

1. Chip Credit Cards
If you carry a credit card yours has already, or shortly will be, converted from a card using a magnetic strip to a card using an embedded chip to identify you and validate transactions. The chip carrying card system, long used in many places around the world, was scheduled to be fully in place in the U.S. in October 2015. You probably know that has not yet happened. Why? Transactions made with a chip carrying credit card are significantly more secure, thus the change, but to make the change banks must issue the new technology chip cards and merchants must make substantial investment in new point of sale hardware and software that can read and accomplish the chip card transaction. Additionally, the the new equipment and merchant system must be certified, usually by the banks or certifying companies owned by the banks that issue the credit cards. Under the old system, a charge back for a fraudulent transaction was covered by the credit card issuing bank. Since October 2015 and during the change over, fraudulent transactions made using magnetic strip cards are covered by the merchant making the transaction, not the bank. The bottom line - the banks who are responsible for certifying the new merchant systems have no incentive to speed the transition up because the banks are no longer responsible for the financial loss of fraudulent transactions. It is a complicated story, but you will understand what is happening if you read the New York Times article at this link.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/23/business/chip-card-payment-system-delays-frustrate-retailers.html?emc=edit_th_20160323&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

2. Samsung Smartphones
Samsung builds outstanding smartphones, to the point that Samsung smartphones are the world leader based on sales volume. Their phones win praise for the outstanding quality of their hardware but continue to face criticism for software when stacked up against Apple's iPhone. The Samsung issue appears to be generated because Samsung is a hardware manufacturer and uses software written by others, including the Google Android operating system (OS), to power and provide features on the excellent Samsung hardware. There is a large quantity of software on Samsung smartphones provided particularly phone carriers, who have contractual arrangements with Samsung to place software, called "bloatware", on Samsung phones. The company has taken steps to address the problem in its just released new flagship phones, the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge, by reducing the amount of preinstalled software. Unfortunately, the superb Samsung hardware is still burdened with some junky bloatware. If you have a Samsung smartphone, consider disabling much of the almost worthless and badly designed software that came preinstalled on your phone. Follow the four steps in the article at the link to clean up your phone. This will provide you with improved performance and experience with your Samsung smartphone.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/17/technology/personaltech/make-a-samsung-smartphone-great-by-switching-out-its-apps.html?emc=edit_th_20160317&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

3. Boarding Pass Nightmare
You are a tech savvy airline traveler. You avoid paper boarding passes in favor of the modern, and airline preferred, electronic boarding pass that shows on the screen of your smartphone. You have no checked baggage. You are at the airport and are registered to use the express lanes through TSA security. You have a WiFi connection to download your boarding pass to your phone which you did not have time to do earlier. Boarding at your gate just began but you have plenty of time as you approach the security checkpoint. Your boarding pass download attempt fails because the airline will not allow download of boarding passes once your flight has began boarding. Without it you can not get through TSA security to your gate, that you can see 50 yards away. Too bad - you miss your flight. If you travel by air, read this story.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/03/17/the-infuriating-rule-american-airlines-wont-tell-you-about-until-its-too-late/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_tech

4. Swim and Fly Drone
The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) (http://www.jhuapl.edu/) has developed a drone that can be deployed and wait in salt water on the sea floor, at a depth of several hundred feet, for up to two months, then launch from the bottom to the surface and fly away to complete a mission. Imagine military, intelligence collection/operations or law enforcement missions that might be accomplished by such a vehicle. More detail is in the article at the link. Be sure to watch the embedded video.
http://www.wirelessdesignmag.com/blog/2016/03/drone-week-after-two-months-uav-can-launch-itself-nautical-depths?et_cid=5193205&et_rid=620730920&type=cta&et_cid=5193205&et_rid=620730920&linkid=http%3a%2f%2fwww.wirelessdesignmag.com%2fblog%2f2016%2f03%2fdron

5. Best Free Windows Software
Every few years InfoWorld publishes a summary of the best free software for use on Windows powered desktops. If you currently use the Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 operating system (OS) and plan to stick with this system instead of upgrading to Windows 10, despite intense pressure by Microsoft to make the change, the article at the link is for you. This is InfoWorld's latest list of the top 25 free software programs that should be running on your Windows 7 or 8.1 computer.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/3045995/microsoft-windows/top-25-free-tools-for-windows-7-and-81.html?token=#tk.IFWNLE_nlt_infoworld_daily_2016-03-26&idg_eid=36beaed40c5805a8e4c7311495b43f74&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=InfoWorld

6. Automated Food Service
More than a hundred years ago automated food service was available in Europe and in the USA in facilities called automat's. The technology was mechanical and food was delivered to the customer who fed the automat with coins (no paper money) inserted in order of descending value. Forty automats were in New York City. Technology did not keep up with prices and customer desire and food service shifted to fast food establishments that are today racing to keep up with technology. Now, 3-D printers are being tested to "build" food items, like pizza, that can be delivered even faster to the customer. At the same time, technology has been rapidly changing the ways that we prepare food at home in our own kitchens. The article at the link provides an interesting review of where we have come in delivering food to customers and to our families.
http://www.idgconnect.com/abstract/13963/from-sci-reality-a-history-automated-kitchen

7. Anesthesia Robot Pulled
An item about Anesthesia Robots in the July 2015 issue of this Newsletter said: "The next time you have a surgery procedure there is an increasing possibility that your anesthesia will be administered and managed by a completely computer controlled anesthesiology robot instead of an MD who is certified to administer anesthesia. There have been several past efforts to automate the delivery of anesthesia. Today there are two different robot platforms being tested. One, named "Sedasys", has been in development for 15 years and is the older of the two robotic platforms. Only four U.S. hospitals use Sedasys now and it is restricted to use in colonoscopies in healthy patients and to deliver light to moderate anesthesia. Sedasys is a conservative device that can reduce or completely stop the delivery of anesthesia drugs but cannot increase dosages." Now, Johnson & Johnson, the manufacturer, has stopped sales because there have been few orders for the Sedasys anesthesia robot even though it showed that it could reduce the cost of routine anesthesia from several thousand dollars to several hundred dollars. There has been very strong opposition to the robot from doctors and nurses who specialize in the administration of anesthesia. Whenever new technology looks like it will change, or even eliminate, someone's job there is often resistance - firemen in railroad locomotives, a third pilot in an airline cockpit, drones without any on board crew members, etc. Only time will tell if this technology stalls or continues to move forward. Here is more detail.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/03/28/its-game-over-for-the-robot-intended-to-replace-anesthesiologists/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_tech

8. Apps To Navigate Airports
The next time you travel by air you may find that navigating inside airports that you transit during your journey is easier as your smartphone guides you. A number of airlines, airports and airport vendors have and are developing and deploying applications (apps) that can guide you, with turn by turn directions, to destinations in the airport that you select - ticket counters, baggage claim, security check points (with the shortest lines), restaurants, retail stores, rest rooms, departure or arrival gates, etc. The features available, the airports covered and the airlines participating are changing rapidly as the industry develops the technology but many of the systems are available now by simply downloading a free app to your smartphone. If you will be traveling, read the article at the link so you understand what is available today, then upload any appropriate apps to your smartphone before your departure and enjoy your trip.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/29/business/using-apps-to-ease-the-hassle-of-navigating-airports.html?emc=edit_th_20160329&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125

9. Technology vs Concussion
The diagnosis and treatment of concussion has become the focus of discussion in sports, particularly in football, across the full range of teams playing the game - little league, middle school, high school, college and the professional teams of the National Football League (NFL). When a concussion injury is suspected it is critical that diagnosis be rapid and accurate. A player with a concussion should be restricted from further exposure to head trauma and put in the care of a physician. Diagnosis methods have been spotty and and can take nearly an hour. Now, a Boston startup, SyncThink, has developed a technology device named Eye-Sync, that is portable and can be used on the game sidelines to very accurately diagnose a concussion in 30-40 seconds. "Eye-Sync works by having a person wear virtual reality headgear over their eyes. The viewer sees a point of light that rotates clockwise in a circle. The technology tracks how accurately the eyes follow the light" and provides a written report on the test results. SyncThink recently won Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance to market the technology as a medical device. Here is an article with more detail.
http://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/Stanford-football-uses-eye-tracking-goggles-to-7216178.php

10. Orthodontics for $60
Past issues of this Newsletter have included several articles about 3D printing where a digital computer file can guide the production of a solid object. With access to a laser scanner and a 3D printer a college student at the New Jersey Institute of Technology spent $60 for materials and produced orthodontic retainers to straighten his teeth. The student laser scanned his teeth and produced a digital mold of his teeth. He then digitally shifted his teeth in small steps into the desired positions and used the 3D printer to produce 12 different retainers covering the image of his mouth from start to desired finish position. He wore the retainers in the order required to move and realign his teeth. Needless to say, this student's project might significantly impact the cost of orthodontic work in the future. Here is the story.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2016/03/30/a-college-kid-spends-60-to-straighten-his-own-teeth-what-could-possibly-go-wrong/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_tech

11. Control Panel On Windows 10
If you are using the new Microsoft Windows 10 operating system and miss the old familiar Windows "Control Panel" the item at the link has details of how to get to your old friend.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/31/technology/personaltech/taking-control-of-the-windows-10-control-panel.html?emc=edit_ct_20160401&nl=personaltech&nlid=45350125&_r=0

12. Computer Fabrics
MIT is directing the work of a new nonprofit, the Advanced Functional Fibers of America Institute, which will continue work begun at MIT to develop fabrics with properties of computers. The Institute already has $317 million in funding from companies, investors other universities, some states and $75 million from the U.S. Department of Defense. Next generation fabrics under development can store energy, control their own temperature, change color and behave like computer sensors. "Fabrics that store energy could provide climate control, helping a person endure extremely hot or cold conditions. Sheets on a bed could provide the perfect temperature and monitor our sleep cycles" says an MIT professor. Medical doctors could get continuous medical reports from the clothing we are wearing for both health reporting and medical care. Here is an article telling where fabrics with computer properties might take us.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2016/04/01/time-to-change-a-diaper-or-car-tire-futuristic-fabrics-will-let-you-know/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_innov

13. Think You Have Old Computers?
You are concerned about what might go wrong if you upgrade your Windows 7 or 8.1 computer to Windows 10. How would you like to be upgrading to todays software and hardware technology from systems that were current in the 1990's or early 2000's, fifteen to twenty-five years ago? Unbelievably, that is what The White House and even Air Force One are facing. How could this happen? "Responsibility for White House technology has long been divvied up between four agencies, each with their own chief information officer: the National Security Council, the Executive Office of the President, the Secret Service and the White House Communications Agency." Any time one of these agencies wants to make a technology change or upgrade the others must all sign off on the change. Need I say more? Read the article at the link and you still might not understand how we could be in this position but you at least will have a historical background.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/04/us/politics/technology-upgrades-get-white-house-out-of-the-20th-century.html?emc=edit_th_20160404&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

14. Nine iPhone Tricks If you use an iPhone here are nine easy to learn tricks that you can do with the phone to make your daily life easier. Here is an example: You probably have a handy man, a plumber, a yard mowing man, etc. You want to call the plumber, but what is the plumber's name so you can look him up in your directory and call him? You can teach Siri, Apple's voice assistant, that John Smith (insert the correct name) is the plumber. Now, when you want to call, or text, him just say, "call the plumber" and it will happen. Here is a TIME article with nine iPhone tricks.
http://time.com/4284086/iphone-tricks-tips/?xid=newsletter-brief

15. Billions of Tiny Charges
We all know that almost everything in the computer business, be it for the largest corporations or for an individual person, is moving to the cloud. No longer must a company or a person have a building full of computer hardware, running dedicated software, or even a small desktop box to do the computer functions that they want. An ever increasing amount of that effort is moving to the cloud, which means that for a fee the user "rents" the computers in a large facility. Now, providers of computer services, both large (think Google, Microsoft, Amazon) and small are shifting the pricing model away from the consumer reserving computer power by "renting" available time on a bank of computer servers. The new model charges for actual computer power that is actually used. Think about being charged two one-millionths of a penny for running one line of software code. The process works because the number of individual billings are so numerous. The consumer, corporate or individual, is happy because they are billed for only the computer power used instead of reserving server space, storage space or processor power that might not ever be used. Read the article at the link and you'll know more about how cloud computing is being refined.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/11/technology/billing-by-millionths-of-pennies-cloud-computings-giants-take-in-billions.html?emc=edit_th_20160411&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0
April 2016 SIR Computer Newsletter

1. New Monopoly Game
We all remember playing the popular Monopoly board game with our friends and often with our whole family. This Hasbro game, first introduced in 1935 by Parker Brothers, continues to be a leader in the board game business. When you played Monopoly your success was measured by the stack of Monopoly cash that you accumulated through the rents collected from properties and utilities that you owned. The game was won by controlling all the cash. Now a new version of Monopoly, called "Ultimate Banking", is being introduced to more closely match the game to today's life style. There will be no cash in the game. Players will have plastic "credit cards" that will be touched on an electronic reader (the Ultimate Banking Unit) to pay and receive rent, purchase property, get bonuses, pay fines, etc. All of the game's financial transactions will be electronic. Additionally, rent, property prices, fines, etc. will change in value, as will your credit score and net worth, all based on market conditions that change as the game is played. The article at the link will help get you ready for the day when your grandchildren challenge you to a game of Monopoly.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/02/19/monopoly-is-changing-again-and-some-parents-are-not-going-to-like-it/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_headline

2. Legal Russian U.S. Overflights
If you like technology and spy stories you will enjoy the article at the link. As part of the "Open Skies Treaty" both the US and Russia are allowed to fly pre-approved intelligence collection flights over the other nation's territory. Recently, the Russians have requested US approval to upgrade the camera and other collection equipment on Russian flights over the US. The upgrade will include their latest computer controlled, digital camera technology. Here is a fascinating tale of a program that has been in place for years but is little known by most Americans. Enjoy.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/23/world/europe/russia-wants-closer-look-from-above-the-us.html?emc=edit_th_20160223&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

3. Forced Windows 10 Upgrade
Many users of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 have suddenly found that Microsoft has succeeded, or attempted, to upgrade their computer to Windows 10 without asking or even telling the computer user that the upgrade was completed or attempted. If you use Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 you should carefully read the InfoWorld article at the link below. The article will expand on what Microsoft appears to be doing, how to tell if you are now running on Windows 10, how to return your computer to the earlier operating system (OS) and what to watch out for if you decide to revert back or if you decide to continue with Windows 10. Another SIR member suggested that if you were upgraded to Windows 10 and don't want it, carry your PC into a Microsoft Store and demand that they do the work to return your computer to your former OS.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/3043656/microsoft-windows/first-aid-for-forced-windows-10-upgrades.html?token=%23tk.IFWNLE_nlt_infoworld_daily_2016-03-14&idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=InfoWorld%20Daily:%20Afternoon%20Edition%202016-03-14&utm_term=infoworld_daily#tk.IFW_nlt_infoworld_daily_2016-03-14

4. Extending Mobile Battery Life
If you have a mobile device - a smartphone, a tablet computer, etc. - you surely have experienced some anxiety about the charge status of your device when you find yourself dependent on the device combined with a failing battery charge. The article at the link will give you some tips to extend this battery life and uncover some myths about things to save your battery that have little to no positive effect.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/25/technology/personaltech/tips-and-myths-about-extending-smartphone-battery-life.html?emc=edit_ct_20160225&nl=personaltech&nlid=45350125&_r=0

5. Internet Of Things
The connection of all kinds of devices to the Internet is called the Internet Of Things (IOT) and has been the subject of several items in previous issues of this Newsletter. Soon there will be more than a trillion devices connected to the Internet and these connections will be impacting every part of commerce from energy to manufacturing and from transportation to health care. The article at the link discusses some of these IOT connections and highlights a new IOT connected Sleep Number Bed shown at the January Consumer Electronics Show. This bed contains multiple sensors that send a continuous stream of collected data to a tablet computer or smartphone. Over time, the adaptive technology will tell you "not only how long and how restfully you slept, but can recommend changes - including room temperature, bed time, and exercise - that can improve your sleep." The article goes on to detail some of the challenges that may stand in the way as the IOT revolution moves forward.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2016/02/26/whats-blocking-smart-beds-from-helping-you-get-a-great-nights-rest/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_tech

6. Addicted To Your Smartphone?
Are you overusing your smartphone or have you moved past a line and are now addicted to your phone? The article at the link will help you answer this question and give you some suggestions about what to do if you recognize that you smartphone use is taking up too much time in your life. http://time.com/4234366/phone-smartphone-addiction/?xid=newsletter-brief

7. Apple vs The FBI
The news is full of almost daily reports of the different positions in dealing with an Apple iPhone that was in the possession of one of the two San Bernardino shooters who were killed in a shoot out with police. The data in the smartphone is of interest but is encrypted. Law enforcement is demanding that Apple produce computer code to defeat the encryption and allow access to the data. Apple's position is that producing such code would put data at risk in millions of iPhones. Now, another question is being asked - what would be happening if the phone was not an Apple manufactured iPhone running an Apple written operating system (OS) but was a Samsung manufactured Galaxy phone (the hardware) that was running the Google written Android OS? At the link is an article that addresses this question and gives the reader insight into the security and other differences between an Apple iPhone and some other manufactured hardware using the Google written Android OS.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/03/02/what-if-the-san-bernardino-shooters-had-been-using-a-samsung-galaxy-phone/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_tech

8. Computer Controlled Cars
Self driving cars are the the topic of more and more articles, technology reports and news items every day because they are not still simply a vision of the future - they are here. Computer controlled cars are driving and being tested on American highways, particularly in the Silicon Valley area. The March 8, 2016 issue of TIME Magazine has a cover story with ten pages of articles focusing on all aspects of computer driven cars. In one article, "The Increasingly Compelling Case for Why You Shouldn't Be Allowed To Drive", TIME says computers are "superior drivers. These words may grate in the sunburned left ears of car-loving Americans. But the computer is simply a better driver than a human. Better at keeping its eyes on other drivers; better at maintaining a steady cruising speed and thereby maximizing fuel efficiency; better at parsing GPS data, weather data, traffic data-any and all kinds of data and better at making rapid-fire adjustments. The computer doesn't get distracted by a spouse, kids or the jerk who just made an illegal lane change. It doesn't sneak a glimpse at Snapchat, or fumble with a leaky burrito, or steer with its knees while playing air guitar. The computer couldn't blink even if it wanted to. It never says yes to a fourth chardonnay, never convinces itself that weed improves its driving. Asking directions is a computer's favorite activity, and unless ordered to, the computer never falls asleep." Another article in this TIME issue, "Forget the Distant Future, Smarter Cars Are Already Here" details the sensors and multiple computers that control almost all aspects of a modern car that today has more lines of computer code than a Boeing 787 aircraft. TIME says that as autonomous computer driven cars gain presence in the marketplace, traffic will be less congested, the US annual six million accidents rate will dramatically fall and the annual 33,000 traffic deaths will be reduced to almost zero. The full TIME report can be read in the March 8, 2016 print edition or the digital addition at time.com. Unfortunately, access to the TIME digital edition is limited to subscribers of either the print and/or digital addition. Non-subscribers can purchase unlimited TIME access for a month for less than $3 on the website. Find the TIME March 6th issue - as a subscriber, in a library, from a friend, or on-line - then, read the report and you will be up to date and more knowledgable about this exploding technology that will be parked in your driveway before you know it.

9. Military Drone Swarms
The Department of Defense (DoD) is testing clusters of small computer controlled drones that are released in a canister by a high speed aircraft, find and communicate with each other and then act as a flying swarm to complete a military mission. The individual drones weigh about a pound each and after release move in packs, gain situational awareness and proceed on their mission. The DoD will not discuss missions that the system could be used to accomplish or if such missions have already been flown. For more detail read the article at this link.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2016/03/08/inside-the-secretive-pentagon-office-planning-skyborg-fighters-and-drone-swarms/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_evening

10. Ransomware Attacks Mac's
The first computer ransomware attack on Apple Mac computers has been identified and defeated but not before some Mac computers were infected. A Ransomware virus locks files on a victim computer until the user sends the hackers money that is demanded in the software. This Ransomware virus is particularly noteworthy because Apple's operating system usually is not susceptible to such attacks. If you use an Apple Mac you should read the TIME article at the link.
http://time.com/4249413/apple-mac-ransomware-hack/?xid=newsletter-brief

11. Ransomware - Pay or Don't Pay?
The article above is about Ransomware. If you are a victim and face a demand to pay to unlock your files on your computer, do you pay the ransom or refuse to pay? The article at the link provides four reasons to not pay, one reason to pay and suggested actions you can take to help negate a Ransomware attack.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/3043197/security/4-reasons-not-to-pay-up-in-a-ransomware-attack.html?token=%23tk.IFWNLE_nlt_infoworld_daily_2016-03-14&idg_eid=7fd09df7f8b34e1b17df6921fcee139d&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=InfoWorld%20Daily:%20Morning%20Edition%202016-03-14&utm_term=infoworld_daily#tk.IFW_nlt_infoworld_daily_2016-03-14

12. Computer Beats Human - Again
Ever since computing machines were first developed there have been contest to see if the artificial intelligence of a computer was smarter than and could out perform a human. Several years ago we all watched with interest a contest between an IBM computer named Watson and human champions of a TV game Jeopardy. Result - Watson beat the human players. The artificial intelligence of computers has been studied in competition with world ranked players of the board game chess, considered a very difficult game of strategy. There have been mixed results but the computers have won more chess matches than they have lost. The 3,000 year Chinese board game, Go, is considered the most complex board game ever created. Go is "more complex than chess, with a far greater possible sequence of moves, and requires superlative instincts and evaluation skills. Because of that, many researchers believed that mastery of the game of Go by a computer was still a decade away." Now a multi game contest has been held between a world champion Go master and a computer, Google DeepMind's AlphaGo. Needless to say, after hours of play, AlphaGo won, 4 games to 1. Go players and fans around the world are shocked that computer artificial intelligence has advanced to this level of skill. Read about the multiple game win, computer vs human - machine wins, in the two links below.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2016/03/15/what-alphagos-sly-move-says-about-machine-creativity/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_tech http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/10/world/asia/google-alphago-lee-se-dol.html?emc=edit_th_20160310&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

13. Amazon Echo
"Many of the world's largest technology companies have spent the last five years searching in vain for the holy grail, a machine to succeed the smartphone as the next must-have gadget." It appears that the huge technology companies have lost this contest to Amazon with their voice controlled, screenless, Internet connected, table top device called "Echo", a 9.25 inch x 3.27 inch black cylinder. You talk to Echo and her female voice, named Alexa, quickly answers. Echo answers questions, reads audiobooks and the news, plays music, reports traffic and weather, gives info on local businesses, provides sports scores and schedules, keeps shopping list and more through Alexa, Echo's cloud-based voice service. Echo additionally controls lights, switches, and thermostats with compatible WeMo, Philips Hue, Samsung SmartThings, Wink, Insteon, and Ecobee smart home devices. New Echo features are coming on line regularly. Echo is only available from Amazon for about $180. Here is a link to an article about Echo. Additionally, visit the amazon.com website for even more information.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/10/technology/the-echo-from-amazon-brims-with-groundbreaking-promise.html?emc=edit_ct_20160310&nl=personaltech&nlid=45350125

14. Destinations On Google
Google has just announced a totally new service called "Destinations on Google", designed to provide all aspects of vacation planning through the use of a smartphone. Destinations on Google provides easy to use screens, sized for use on a smartphone, with lots of pictures to support research on where to go, what to do there, pricing of travel and hotels and the ability to book your entire vacation. All of the features of Destinations are fully integrated - for example, when you have a target destination you will get recommended travel dates based on air and hotel pricing, weather at the location and other factors. Destinations on Google is an excellent tool designed to make your vacation planning easy and painless while at the same time helping the average user learn and use the powerful features of their smartphone. Read the article at the link for all the details and how to access Destinations on Google.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/13/travel/trip-planner-google-destinations.html?emc=edit_ct_20160310&nl=personaltech&nlid=45350125&_r=2

15. Typo Halts Hackers
Each of us spends some time making sure that steps have been made to protect our personal information, our business transactions and our financial accounts and transactions. We check to make sure that the merchants we deal with, the credit cards we use, our bank and investment firms have the systems in place to protect themselves and our accounts from the unending assault by hackers attempting to get our personal and account information and money from us directly and through the businesses and financial institutions we work with. If the hackers want big rewards they work to steal from big targets like major banks and large companies. Recently, the Bangladeshi Central Bank was the hacker's target. Despite all the Bank's security measures, the hackers were able to access the bank's credentials necessary to authorize interbank transfers. The hackers then directed the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank in New York to make about three dozen different multi-million dollar transfers, totaling nearly one billion dollars, to a number of other international financial institutions. The transfers were in line to be executed when the Federal Reserve Bank asked for confirmation from the Bangladeshi Central Bank because the word "foundation" had been misspelled on one of the transfer request. The hacking was discovered and all funds were recovered. Keep taking the steps you are to protect yourself but know that sometimes a simple error can be detected and protect you from some of the most complex hacking attempts to penetrate the barriers that you erect. Here is the story.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/03/11/how-a-simple-spelling-mistake-helped-stop-a-1-billion-digital-bank-heist/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_tech

March 2016 SIR Computer Newsletter

1. Password Management
Shortly after the beginning of each year Internet and data security experts remind us once again that the passwords we are using are so weak that some can be broken by pre-school age children. People actually protect their important, personal and private information and access to their data and accounts, behind passwords like "password" or "123456" or "Starwars". Additionally, once we find an easy password to remember we then use the same password on multiple accounts. This Newsletter has had earlier articles suggesting the selecting of better passwords and recommending the use of password management software to enhance the security of your information. At the link is a new article "beating on the same issue" of password selection and password management software, with reviews of several password management software packages that you might decide to consider using.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/21/technology/personaltech/apps-to-manage-passwords-so-they-are-harder-to-crack-than-password.html?emc=edit_ct_20160121&nl=pers onaltech&nlid=45350125&_r=0

2. Windows 10
Microsoft has been pushing hard for several months for Windows operating system (OS) users to upgrade to the new Windows 10. At the link is an excellent summary article about upgrading to Windows 10 - what you can do, how to do it and what to watch out for when changing settings on your computer to accommodate your preferences about upgrading to Windows 10.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/20/technology/personaltech/sticking-with-windows-7.html?emc=edit_ct_20160121&nl=personaltech&nlid=45350125

3. Technology Of CIA Interest
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has offices responsible for locating, and when appropriate, analyzing new technologies that could be of value to the Agency in accomplishing its mission. The CIA philosophy is, as it should be for each of us, that if you do not keep up with new technology you will quickly find yourself left behind. The link below leads to a short slide show, of nine slides, briefly describing eight new technologies of interest to the CIA. Use your imagination as to ways these technologies might be used.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/3030243/security/8-hot-technologies-the-cia-wants.html?token=%23tk.IFWNLE_nlt_infoworld_daily_2016-02-06&idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=InfoWorld%20Daily:%20Weekend%20Edition%202016-02-06&utm_term=infoworld_daily#tk.IFW_nlt_infoworld_daily_2016-02-06

4. Testing Driverless Cars
Multiple automotive and technology manufacturers are developing different approaches to providing consumers with fully autonomous computer controlled vehicles, often called driverless cars. As development matures, finding locations for full public test of these vehicles is becoming a growing problem because different approvals and laws must be in place to allow operation of these vehicles on the public roads, streets and highways. The bureaucratic process of such government approval is usually very slow. Now the self governing Isle of Man, the small Chicago size island between Britain and Ireland with a population of about 90,000, is rapidly moving to establish relationships with companies wanting to test fully autonomous vehicles and is putting the laws and rules in place to support such test. The article at the link is a fascinating look at this effort by the Isle of Man government to help technology move forward. The next article in this newsletter, titled "No Human Driver Required", shows that there may be other solutions to testing such vehicles. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2016/02/02/a-small-self-governing-island-may-hand-over-its-roads-to-self-driving-cars/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_tech

5. No Human Driver Required
Google has a pod like computer controlled self driving car that has no steering wheel and no pedals for a human to "drive" the vehicle. Partly as a result of the Google design, the government of California is developing legislation requiring a steering wheel and pedals in all vehicles that operate on California roads. Google opposes such legislation. Now the Federal Government has stepped into the debate with a position by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration that, "If no human occupant of the vehicle can actually drive the vehicle, it is more reasonable to identify the "driver" as whatever (as opposed to whoever) is doing the driving." This means that from a legal point of view the computer software controlling the vehicle would be the driver and any humans on board would be passengers. This is a major win for Google, who believes that autonomous vehicles should not require, or have, a human driver in the vehicle. The details are in the article at the link.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/02/10/googles-driverless-cars-are-now-legally-the-same-as-a-human-driver/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_tech

6. RFID Chips Help Shoppers and Stores
More and more frequently the tags on store merchandise contain a salt grain size electronic device called a radio-frequency identification (RFID) chip. These chips, that use no power or batteries and cost pennies each to manufacture, are being used widely to provide assistance to both customers and store operators. Impinj, a company that manufactures RFID chips, shipped three billion in 2015. Retailers either using or testing the use of RFID technology include Levi's, Target, G-Star, Kohls, L.L. Bean, Kenneth Cole, and New Balance. More companies are being added every day. Stores use RFID to provide more accurate inventory control and to locate specific merchandise, even if it is misplaced in the store. "Where is that very last pair of dark-wash, 34×32 jeans, that inventory says are in stock but are not on the store or warehouse shelf where they should be?" A hand held RFID Reader can quickly locate the missing jeans, help make the customer happy and close the sale. Read more at this link about what RFID is already doing for you and for stores.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/business/wp/2016/01/20/the-tiny-chip-that-could-power-big-changes-in-how-you-shop/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_headlines

7. Keeping Windows 7 or 8.1? Maybe Not!
If you purchase a new PC with a new next-generation processor built by Intel, AMD, Qualcomm, or others, you will find that your new PC will only run Windows 10 and can not be downgraded to run the Windows 7 or 8.1 that you know and love. Microsoft wants to provide users with the best performance compatibility by more tightly linking their software with the computer hardware (the silicon). This goal is more difficult, or even impossible, if the software and silicon interaction needs to be backward compatible - thus Microsoft's position. The PC Magazine article at the link gives more detail.
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2498097,00.asp?mailing_id=1549405&mailing=DailyNews&mailingID=394E191E029AB32390186E3917024D83

8. Personal Digital Assistants
In 2011 Apple introduced us to Siri, a voice operated virtual personal digital assistant, designed to provide all kinds of help to a user - voice activated search and voice response to the user. Since then Siri has been enhanced and all of the other technology and marketing giants - Google, Microsoft, Amazon and Facebook - have joined Apple with their own versions of voice personal assistants. To date they are Apple's "Siri", Microsoft's "Cortana", Amazon's "Alexa", Google's, built into Google search and Facebook's, called "M", is in test. The article at the link discusses all these personal assistants, describes the strengths and weaknesses of each and gives some good examples of how one of them could help you.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/28/technology/personaltech/siri-alexa-and-other-virtual-assistants-put-to-the-test.html?emc=edit_th_20160128&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

9. Do You Know Why Zebras Have Stripes?
If you are an innovator then you need to read the article at the link. Scientific theories about why zebras have stripes have existed for more than 100 years. You may believe that you know the reason for the stripes because you remember hearing or even learning about this subject. The message in the article for innovators is to never lose sight of the fact that the obvious answer may not be right. Enjoy.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2016/01/28/what-zebras-and-their-mysterious-stripes-can-teach-innovators/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_tech

10. Underwater Data Centers
Our data intense computer and Internet connected age has led to hundreds of huge data center facilities scattered around the world. These centers power everything from streaming video to social networking, email, digital entertainment and a growing menu of cloud services including The Internet of Things. A data center contains thousands of computer servers that generate a lot of heat that must be removed with expensive to run air conditioning. Additionally, computer users are concentrated in urban areas where real estate is expensive, but data centers are located where floorspace is less expensive but at great distances from urban users. Placing data center computing power near users lowers the delay, or latency that people experience, which is a big issue for web users. Today, "Microsoft manages more than 100 data centers around the globe and is adding more at a rapid clip. The company has spent more than $15 billion on a global data center system that now provides more than 200 online services." Now, Microsoft is testing underwater data centers that resolve the cooling cost and, because most urban centers are near the ocean, also resolve the real estate cost and user latency issues. A branch of Microsoft Research, known as New Experiences and Technologies, or NExT, has just completed a 105-day trial of servers in an eight foot diameter steel capsule that was placed 30 feet underwater in the Pacific Ocean off the Central California coast near San Luis Obispo and managed from Microsoft's headquarters in Redmond, Washington. The test was more successful than projected. A three times larger system is in development and will begin test shortly. Here is much more detail.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/01/technology/microsoft-plumbs-oceans-depths-to-test-underwater-data-center.html?emc=edit_th_20160201&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

11. Cable or Satellite Set Top Box
If you have cable or satellite TV you have what is called a set top box near one or more of the TV sets in your home. The cable/satellite company provides the set top box(s) which are set to the TV provider's signal and convert that signal for delivery to your TV set. Rent for the set top box(s) is included in the monthly service charge that you pay for your cable or satellite service. Data shows that the average lease fee that you pay your cable/satellite provider for the set top box(s) is $231 per year. A Congressional study has shown that set top box rentals generate $20 billion in revenue for the industry. On January 27, 2016 the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) "announced a proposal allowing cable and satellite subscribers to pick the devices they use to watch programming" instead of having to lease such equipment from their TV signal provider. Industry reaction was immediate, with tech companies, like Apple, Google and Amazon, supporting the proposal and cable and satellite companies opposing the idea. This will progress as a fast developing story. The current details are in the article at the link.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/28/technology/fcc-proposes-changes-in-set-top-box-market.html?emc=edit_th_20160128&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125

12. Creating a Family Website
If you are interested in creating a family website to share pictures and videos with your family and friends here is a New York Times Tech Tip on how to proceed and some considerations before you step off on such a project. Good luck.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/02/technology/personaltech/creating-a-family-website.html?emc=edit_ct_20160204&nl=personaltech&nlid=45350125&_r=0

13. Stay Safe On-line
Google security experts offer five tips of things to do to make sure you stay safe when dealing with on-line accounts. The article at the link goes into detail but here are the five steps to take.
   1. Keep your software updated,
   2. Don't fall for "phishing" scams,
   3. Add recovery contact information to your accounts,
   4. Don't use the same password for multiple sites and
   5. Enable two-factor authentication.
Here is the link.
http://time.com/4214718/how-to-stay-safe-online-google/?xid=newsletter-brief

14. One World Trade Center Observatory
At the link is a short video of the views and features available from the Observatory at the top of the new One World Trade Center in New York City. It is an amazing blend of the natural views from the Observatory and the computer controlled image technology, beginning in the elevator, making a visit unique. It is much more than just a ride up in an elevator, taking a few pictures and riding back down. Here is the link to the video.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/aDIN26yxbnw
February 2016 SIR Computer Newsletter

1. Driverless Car Challenges
Driverless cars, controlled by computers that are fed information by multiple kinds of sensors, are appearing more and more as topics in both the national and local news. Vehicles are being developed and tested around the world but California and the San Francisco Bay area are at or near the top of any list of development and test activity. Eleven companies, including Ford, Google, Tesla and Honda already have permits to test driverless cars in California. When we drive we must continuously make decisions effecting other people, vehicles and objects around us. An automated vehicle must "use a combination of sensors and pre-programmed logic to assess and react to various situations - to share the road with other vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists." How do we build such systems and program computers to make such decisions? These questions have created considerable consternation among technologists and ethicists. The very interesting article at the first link discusses this dilemma and asks some additional difficult questions. Once we build our computer and technology based "driverless" car we reach a point where it must be tested on the public streets. California just published its proposed initial regulations covering such vehicles. Some firms active in the development, particularly Google, object to some of the conditions proposed in the State regulations. The article at the second link goes into more detail.
http://cacm.acm.org/magazines/2015/8/189836-the-moral-challenges-of-driverless-cars/fulltext
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2015/12/16/californias-dmv-puts-the-brakes-on-self-driving-cars-for-now/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_tech

2. Was Dell Customer Data Hacked?
People with the intent of securing your personal information without your knowledge continue their efforts without stop. Now it appears that customer information held by Dell Customer Support may have been hacked. A number of Dell customers have reported receiving unsolicited telephone calls reporting to be from Dell with the caller knowing the customer's name and address, the customers Dell PC model and serial number and the complete service history of the customer's computer. Dell has been asked several times if it is possible that their customer support records might have been hacked but to date Dell has not answered. The article at the link gives more detail.
http://arstechnica.com/security/2016/01/latest-tech-support-scam-stokes-concerns-dell-customer-data-was-breached/

3. Technology Helps Movie Snack Bars
Many of us enjoy seeing a good and entertaining first run movie on a theater's big screen. Two thirds of us who attend movies also make purchases at the theater snack bar. Theaters are very interested in encouraging snack bar sales because ticket sales net the theater very little profit while the profit margin on snack bar revenue can be better than 85%. Several major theater chains are testing having theater customers use smartphone applications (apps) to pre-order and pre-pay for snack bar purchases and have them available for pickup when the customer arrives at the theater. Now, you can purchase your theater tickets and your snack bar items in advance and avoid standing in line for tickets and or snacks. Enjoy the movie, but please be courteous to others by silencing your phone and not using it in the theater. Here is a link for more detail on snack bar apps.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/14/business/media/cinema-apps-that-help-bypass-the-popcorn-lines.html?emc=edit_th_20151214&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

4. Star Wars Technology
If you are a Star Wars fan you know that Episode VII has been in theaters since December 18, 2015. You may have become a fan for a number of reasons since the first Star Wars movie in May 1977. It is a safe bet that the fictional computers and technology demonstrated in Star Wars are part of your interest. At the link is an article containing a short slide show of ten Star Wars technologies that could be in our lives sooner than we might think. Enjoy.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/3015692/hardware/10-star-wars-technologies-that-are-almost-here.html?token=%23tk.IFWNLE_nlt_infoworld_daily_2015-12-17&idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=InfoWorld%20Daily:%20Morning%20Edition%202015-12-17&utm_term=infoworld_daily#slide10

5. You Should Buy A New Router
Wireless routers are more expensive than they were a few years ago but that is because manufacturers are recovering their development and production cost for today's routers that include significant enhancements in technology. They have better range, support faster speed and provide much more throughput of data. If you have not purchased a router for several years you should be buying a new one now. The article at the link describes the technology and capability improvements that have recently become available. It additionally names some specific routers that you should consider plus gives you the knowledge you need to make informed decisions when you go shopping, in a store or on-line.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2015/12/17/wifi-routers-are-getting-more-way-expensive-but-heres-why-you-should-buy-a-new-one-anyway/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_tech

6. Amazon's Amazing Fast Delivery
Amazon clearly is one of the world's largest online and telephone retailers. Their merchandise fulfillment centers that stock inventory and rapidly fill and ship orders are the subject of studies by both experts and students in numerous fields. Speed in getting ordered items to customers is one of Amazon's main focuses. In some of the New York City area (Manhattan, some areas of Brooklyn and Long Island City in Queens) Amazon is offering one hour delivery to Amazon Prime Now customers. New York is one of 20 cities in the U.S. where this ultra fast delivery service is now available. Amazon says, "Ten years ago people thought two-day shipping seemed really fast," but "we think two-hour shipping and one-hour shipping will be the standard." From articles in earlier issues of this Newsletter you know that Amazon is developing a less than one hour delivery service using flying drones. The TIME article at the link explains how Amazon, using the latest in computer control of merchandise delivery management can now deliver to their customers in an hour. In the article be sure to watch the three minute video from the Tracy, California Amazon Fulfillment Center about how Amazon ships an ordered Teddy Bear. Note the use of automation and robots.
http://time.com/4159144/amazon-prime-warehouse-new-york-city-deliveries-christmas/?xid=newsletter-brief

7. A Silicon Valley For Drones
While we watch the ever increasing reports of the public use of unmanned aerial vehicles, popularly called drones, it is easy to believe that they support only two main functions, the military and recreation in the form of toys. In the State of North Dakota, it's businesses and major universities clearly have another vision. North Dakota is rapidly becoming the Silicon Valley of drones. The State has already spent $34 million supporting drone business growth that the market research firm Gartner projects will be $7 billion in ten years. The two major state universities already have drone programs. The University of North Dakota, in Grand Forks, has the Unmanned Applications Institute that has already graduated 61 students from its four year program and has another 200 students enrolled. North Dakota State University, in Fargo, has recently started a similar degree program. "States with farming, oil and rail lines see many practical reasons to put robots in the sky. Infrared imaging can judge crop health. Cameras can spot leaks and cracks in pipelines. Smaller copters can inspect windmill blades. Livestock can be located easily." A number of existing major businesses have already opened offices in North Dakota. New drone related startup businesses also are opening there. The military is flying and controlling Global Hawk missions from Grand Forks Air Force Base for reconnaissance_r=0">
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/26/technology/a-silicon-valley-for-drones-in-north-dakota.html?emc=edit_th_20151226&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

8. Distracted By Your Mobile Device?
The article at the link tells of a 20 year old man, walking while looking at the screen on his mobile device, who fell to his death in San Diego. The message is clear - when looking at a mobile device don't walk, drive or engage in any activity that could put you and others at risk.
http://time.com/4161758/man-device-san-diego-cliff/?xid=newsletter-brief

9. Easy, Free Malware Check
There are thousands of malware programs out there. Finding if any of them have made their way onto your computer is an almost impossible task for many reasons including the sheer volume of malware programs trying to get on your device. Now, the Infoworld article at the link below offers a simple and free solution to your efforts to check your computer for malware. The article includes a link to a video that explains the process. The author says, "The whole setup process will take you about five minutes and the scan, which you can execute any time you like, takes less than a minute. Only malware in memory will be detected, but if you're infected, it is very likely that a malicious process will be running and in memory -- and this easy method will sniff it out."
http://www.infoworld.com/article/3014323/security/a-free-almost-foolproof-way-to-check-for-malware.html?token=%23tk.IFWNLE_nlt_infoworld_daily_2016-01-02&idg_eid=3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=InfoWorld%20Daily:%20Weekend%20Edition%202016-01-02&utm_term=infoworld_daily#tk.IFW_nlt_infoworld_daily_2016-01-02

10. Historical Airway Beacons and Arrows
If you are a fan of the technology used early in aviation history you will find the link below of interest. In the early 1920's, before the use of computers and even radar, the U.S. Government established the Transcontinental Airway System. Between 1924 and 1931 the government installed a network of 1,550 beacons and large concrete arrows on the ground to help guide airmail pilots, both night and day, across the nation. When radar and other additions were made most of the beacon and arrow sites were abandoned, with only about 200 left today, mostly in poor repair. The site at the link has pictures, an interactive map of the Transcontinental Airway System and text of the system history.
http://surveymarks.planetzhanna.com/map-of-ngs-airway-beacons/

11. Your Car Reports On Your Driving
New cars are loaded with both computers that control multiple functions and sensors that collect all kinds of information that is fed to the onboard computers so they can make your driving experience safer and more comfortable. Now, a number of major auto insurance companies are establishing programs to use the data that your car collects to assists them in underwriting your insurance policies. The cars already can report car location, speed, acceleration, braking, g-forces and time of day for every event. Most of the programs allow you to opt in to supply such information to your insurer and receive a premium discount for your participation. Cars in the program can suggest to the drivers that they adjust aggressive driving, acceleration or braking. If such adjustments are made the insurance company may provide additional discounts. Premiums could of course be increased if reported data shows unsafe driving. The article at the link gives more information about interactions with your auto insurer that you may soon see.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/01/04/the-big-data-of-bad-driving-and-how-insurers-plan-to-track-your-every-turn/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_tech

12. Do You Run Java On Your Computer?
If you have Java SE software installed on your computer you should read the article at the link below. Java is used by consumers to help them see what they expect when they browse the Internet. Because Java is currently installed on more than 850 million computers there is a reasonable chance that you have it. Java SE is available in two different distributions, Java Runtime Environment (JRE) for end user consumers and Java Development Kit (JDK) used by software developers. Java is owned by Oracle Corporation who acquired it in 2010 with the purchase of its developer, Sun Microsystems. "Security experts say Java is notoriously vulnerable to attack. It has been linked to a staggering array of security flaws that can enable hackers to steal personal information from users, including the login information for people's financial accounts." Oracle is aware of this and has issued updates to users. Unfortunately, these update did not uninstall the older Java code with the security issues. Now, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has ordered that Oracle tell consumers explicitly if they have outdated, insecure copies of the Java software - and help consumers remove it from their computers. Here is more detail.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2015/12/21/nearly-a-billion-pcs-run-this-notoriously-insecure-software-now-oracle-has-to-clean-it-up/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_tech

13. Microsoft Stops Older Explorer Support
Millions of Microsoft Internet Explorer browser users are depending on on versions earlier than the Explorer 11 version. On January 12, 2016, Microsoft terminated all support of Explorer 8, 9, and 10. This means that security updates and technical help for versions prior to the current Explorer 11 are no longer available. Older versions may be more vulnerable to cyberattacks. Users of older Explorer versions should now either upgrade to Internet Explorer 11 or switch to another browser for Internet access. Here is an article with more detail.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/01/06/microsoft-will-stop-updating-anything-older-than-internet-explorer-11-but-millions-are-still-using-the-old-browsers/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_tech

14. Chinese Passenger Carrying Drone
A Chinese manufacturer introduced a passenger carrying autonomous aerial vehicle (drone) at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The drone uses batteries that can be fully recharged in two hours and support flights of 23 minutes at up to 63 miles per hour and altitudes up to 11,500 feet. The human it can carry is a passenger and not a pilot. The flight plan is scheduled and controlled from a Microsoft Surface Tablet. The passenger can command only "take off" or "land" with a single keystroke on the Surface tablet. The article at the link gives more detail and includes a picture of the drone. Are you ready to sign up for a ride?
http://www.wirelessdesignmag.com/news/2016/01/chinese-drone-maker-unveils-human-carrying-drone?et_cid=5043588&et_rid=620730920&type=cta

15. SpaceX Recoverable Rocket
At the link is a new YouTube video of the recent launch and recovery of the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle. SpaceX was founded and is run by Elon Musk - yes, the same guy who founded and runs Tesla Motors, the successful electric car company. The Falcon 9 is the SpaceX heavy lift vehicle that has already completed a number of cargo missions to the International Space Station (ISS). SpaceX now wants to recover the Falcon 9 first stage by having it return and land back at the launch site rather than having it fall into the ocean. Success will save taxpayers millions of dollars on every launch. The video at the link shows a December 2015 SpaceX Falcon 9 mission that delivered 11 small satellites to orbit (This was an actual operational mission, not just a test launch) and then the first stage making a successful return and landing back at the Florida launch site. The video shows the launch, the deployment of several of the 11 satellites and the first stage recovery and landing, plus some SpaceX employees "going nuts" while watching the mission's success. Enjoy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANv5UfZsvZQ
A later (mid-January 2016) Falcon 9 mission successfully delivered a satellite to orbit but the first stage return landing was unsuccessful. One of the four landing legs failed to lock down in the landing position and although the vehicle landed on target it fell over on the landing platform.
January 2016 SIR Computer Newsletter

1. Required Federal Drone Registration
The Federal Government has become so concerned about the increase in drone flying vehicles appearing near airports, government facilities and sensitive areas that a Federal Drone Registration process will go into effect on December 19, 2015. Drones are predicted to be among the most popular Christmas gifts this season. If you, a member of your family or a friend has, or is planning to purchase a flying drone, you should read the remainder of this summary and the full article at the link. All drones weighing between 0.55 of a pound and 55 pounds must be registered. There is a $5.00 charge and the government will issue a certificate valid for three years. Drones purchased before December 21, 2015 must register by February 19, 2016. Drones purchased on or after December 21, 2015 must register prior to their first outdoor flight. Failure to register may result in substantial fines and/or prison. Registration will be through a website, linked to the FAA website. The registration site will collect the drone owner's name, physical address and email address. A credit card number will be used to verify the individual and pay the $5 fee. Registration will need to be renewed every three years. Here are two links with more detail.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2015/12/14/most-drone-owners-will-need-to-register-next-week-or-risk-penalties/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_tech
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/15/technology/drone-registration-rules-are-announced-by-faa.html?emc=edit_th_20151215&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0
Drones are registered at: www.faa.gov/uas/registration
Information about safe use of drones is at: www.knowbeforeyoufly.org

2. Volvo Self Driving Car
Volvo has released its vision of what the interior of a self driving car will look like. Volvo believes that normal driver controls - steering wheel and pedals - will still be present because autonomous driving will not be available everywhere that the driver wants to take the vehicle. The most notable interior change will be the seats that will allow full reclining, with headrest and footrest, when the car is in self driving mode. An article, with pictures and detail, is at this link.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2015/11/18/heres-volvos-concept-of-a-self-driving-cars-interior/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_innov

3. Microsoft Windows History
On November 10, 1983, Bill Gates, one of Microsoft's founders, announced Windows 1.0. The first version of Windows was not delivered to the first Microsoft customer until two years later, on November 25, 1985. Now, 30 years have gone by and all of us have lived through those 30 years of different versions of Windows. A slide show review of the highlights of Windows history, from Windows 1.0 to the just released Windows 10, is available at the link. Enjoy a look back at how learning Windows and using computers worked into your daily life.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/3005611/microsoft-windows/happy-30th-windows-what-weve-loved-through-the-years.html?phint=newt%3Dinfoworld_daily&phint=idg_eid%3D103af277744610d7e46832321c23f931#tk.IFWNLE_nlt_daily_am_2015-11-19

4. Offline Google Maps
Many of us have learned how to use Google Maps on our smart phone or tablet computer to help us find a specific address or location or to receive turn-by-turn directions from a current location to a destination of interest. We have also learned that this is an online function with our connection to Google Maps. If our connection is via Wi-Fi it is free but if there is no Wi-Fi and we make our data connection through the cellular network we may incur significant data usage and charges. Now, Google comes to our rescue with offline Google Maps and turn-by-turn directions. While in a Wi-Fi access area simply download the maps of interest through a free application (app) on your device. Once you have the app installed and maps downloaded proceed with your travel or search using the downloaded maps and data. This Google service is already available to Google Android powered devices and is scheduled to be available to Apple iOS powered devices by the end of this year. Another similar app, Maps.me, is already available free for both iOS and Android powered devices. At the link is an article telling much more, how to install and how to use Google Offline Maps.
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/11/29/travel/find-your-way-without-losing-your-wallet.html?emc=edit_ct_20151125&nl=personaltech&nlid=45350125&_r=0&referer=

5. An iPhone Quick Reset
We love iPhones, but sometimes, like all our electronic devices, they act up. Apps slow down or crash, things don't run as smoothly as we'd like, or things just get weird - and we don't know why. If the acting-up device was a PC we would restart it. The preferred solution for an iPhone also is to power off and restart the device, which takes about one minute. If for some reason you only have 10 seconds to sort out your iPhone's issues, here's a handy trick to help you do a quick reset repair. All you have to do is zap the iPhone's RAM, and you don't even have to leave your Home screen to do it. First, make sure the phone is on, unlocked and on the Home screen. Now, hold down the Power button on your iPhone until the "Slide to power off" prompt appears. Then, ignore the Slide prompt, just release the Power button and hold down the Home button until the phone brings you back to the Home screen. That's it - your iPhone is refreshed. Buy the way - this works on all iOS powered devices, like iPad or iPod. Here is one source article.
http://www.cultofmac.com/399976/how-to-make-your-iphone-run-better-in-10-seconds/

6. Holiday Lights Slow Your WiFi Network
The British regulating agency, Ofcom, (similar to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission) has issued a report saying that almost all holiday lights, and particularly those that flicker, interfere with wireless WiFi networks. WiFi providers receive their highest number of wireless WiFi interference complaints during the holiday season and attribute this, at least in part, to holiday lights. There are four other things that often are guilty for wireless WiFi interference - the use of a microwave oven, a wireless baby monitor, nearby high voltage power lines and using a cordless telephone. The first link is an article with more detail on the Ofcom Report. The second link summarizes the five common reasons for WiFi interference.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2015/12/01/are-your-holiday-lights-killing-your-wifi/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_headlines
https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/business/technology/5-everyday-items-slowing-down-your-wi-fi/2015/12/02/ae03b4f6-9922-11e5-aca6-1ae3be6f06d2_video.html?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_tech

7. Star Trek Communicator
If you ever watched a Star Trek TV series show or feature length movie you know that Star Fleet crew members communicate with each other and with their computers by voice through a communicator enclose in an insignia pin worn on the chest of their uniform. Simply tap the insignia and talk. Now, Google, who has a long publicly known fascination with Star Trek, has shown a prototype device similar to the Star Trek communicator. The device is worn on the chest, is accessed by a tap, has a built in microphone and speaker and is connectable to other devices and computers through Bluetooth. Google, whose core business is search, is investigating the device to see if they can further define how people access information through voice search or through Google Now, a predictive service designed to provide information to users before they even think to search for it. A TIME article at the link provides more information information about the Google "Star Trek" communicator.
http://time.com/4121895/google-star-trek-communicator/?xid=newsletter-brief

8. Automated Parking
Technology reaches many parts of our lives. It helps us park our cars, with computer applications letting us use our mobile devices to find parking and if there is a parking meter to keep track of the meter time on a device in our pocket. Parking technology is reaching into our vehicles themselves with more and more having the ability to park themselves. The dreaded "parallel parking" test that we all had to take when we first applied for a drivers license is gone because our cars now can park themselves with no input from the driver beyond pushing a start parking button. Now technology has reached into the garages where we park our cars. Machinery under computer control moves the car to a storage space and retrieves the car when the driver returns. These systems support much more dense parking in the physical space of a parking garage building. Such systems are already being used in Europe and Asia and are now being introduced in the U.S. But, all is not well! Some auto parking facilities have damaged cars and are taking far to long to return the parked car to the driver from storage. The article at the link tells the whole story and in some cases will make you smile or even laugh. Technology isn't always flawless.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/28/us/road-to-robotic-parking-islittered-with-faulty-projects.html?emc=edit_th_20151128&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

9. Amazon Package Delivery Drone
Amazon is actively testing a new prototype drone designed to be able to deliver orders to some customers in less than 30 minutes from the time of the order. The drone is larger (Amazon only says less than 55 pounds) and faster (55-58 MPH) than drones with similar missions being tested by other companies. The Amazon drone is a hybrid octocopter drone, meaning that it can land and takeoff vertically like a helicopter (using its 8 rotors) and fly forward with wings and a pusher propeller. It includes "sense and avoid" software onboard to allow it to avoid unexpected objects (like a dog or a toy) in its delivery landing zone in the customer's back yard. Amazon notes that it is testing a number of different drone designs. Most of the test are being conducted outside of the U.S. because Amazon remains frustrated with the very slow pace of U.S. drone regulation development when compared to progress in other nations. The first link below is to an article, with pictures and video, of Amazon's prototype drone. The second link examines some difficulties Amazon may have and explains why there are size and weight limits on Amazon's drone.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2015/11/30/amazon-has-a-new-drone-delivery-video-here-are-8-details-worth-noting/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_tech
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2015/12/01/why-amazon-drone-delivery-could-wind-up-being-the-anti-costco/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_tech

10. Tech Toys To Inspire A Child
Technology gadgets and toys are often appropriate only for adults because of the complexity of the technology used and the technical background and understanding needed to operate and enjoy the gadget or toy. This Christmas there are a number of new technology toys that are designed to inspire children and help them create, learn, explore and have fun. At the link is a New York Times article that describes six tech toys suitable for children. There are pictures, descriptions and pricing for each of the toys. Merry Christmas.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/10/technology/personaltech/tech-toys-to-inspire-a-childs-imagination.html?emc=edit_ct_20151210&nl=personaltech&nlid=45350125&_r=0

December 2015 SIR Computer Newsletter

1. Windows 10 Auto Download and Review
If you are a user of Microsoft Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 get ready for Microsoft to push (push means automatically download) the upgrade installer for Windows 10 to your computer unless you opt out of the upgrade. In early 2016, Microsoft will re-categorize Windows 10 as a "recommended update". This means if you have Windows 7 or 8.1 set to automatically apply updates, the Windows 10 installer will kick in. Depending on your Windows Update settings the process will automatically initiate on your computer. Before the upgrade actually installs, and changes your operating system to Windows 10, Microsoft says "you will be clearly prompted to choose whether or not to continue. If you choose to upgrade (Microsoft's recommendation) you will have 31 days to roll back to your previous Windows version" if you are not happy with the new operating system. There is more information in the Infoworld article at this link.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/2999913/microsoft-windows/microsoft-to-start-pushing-automatic-updates-to-win10-early-next-year.html?phint=newt%3Dinfoworld_daily&phint=idg_eid%3D3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381#tk.IFWNLE_nlt_daily_pm_2015-10-30
If you are going to upgrade your computer to Windows 10, now or in the future, before you do so you should use the Internet to search, locate and read reviews from multiple sources plus comments by various experts. At the link below is one review. You can find others.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/3004038/microsoft-windows/review-new-windows-10-version-1511-still-cant-beat-windows-7.html?phint=newt%3Dinfoworld_daily&phint=idg_eid%3D3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381#tk.IFWNLE_nlt_daily_pm_2015-11-12

2. Ransomware Defeated
We have had several items in previous Newsletters and in discussions of computer groups about ransomware, an insidious form of computer malware that can destroy your access to all files on your computer. Ransomware software is typically loaded on your computer clandestinely. Once in place, it encrypts your data files of all types, than notifies you of the infection and demands payment, often in digital bit coin, for a computer key to allow you to break through the encryption and give you access to your files. The demanded "ransom" is in hundreds or thousands of dollar amounts. If you refuse to pay the demanded amount you will not be able to access your files again. Globally there are a number of ransomware packages but three have been the most successful in causing major problems for computer users. They are - Coinvault, Bitcryptor and CryptoWal. Now, with the help of the internationally recognized Russian security and anti-malware firm Kaspersky, the two lead authors of the Coinvault and Bitcryptor ransomware have been arrested in Amersfoort, The Netherlands. Kaspersky http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/11/02/kaspersky_announces_death_of_coinvault_bitcryptor_ransomware/http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/11/02/kaspersky_announces_death_of_coinvault_bitcryptor_ransomware/ has posted more than 14,000 ransomware decryption keys on their website and in their security scanning package. This effectively kills Coinvault and Bitcryptor. Details uncovered from the arrest may be helpful in finding the group responsible for the CryptoWall 3.0 ransomware. Here is more detail. Here is even more on CryptoWall from the San Francisco Chronicle, with the first reference to the latest ransomware version, CryptoWall 4.0.
http://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/Criminals-release-new-version-of-notorious-6616253.php?t=5f40bd43b4

3. Self Driving Cars
Almost every day we are seeing press reports about autonomous vehicles that are currently being developed and/or tested, actions by federal and state governments allowing such vehicles on public roads and reports and opinion articles about the risk and consequences of the use of such vehicles. Almost all of the major vehicle manufacturing companies are working on autonomous models. Some non-auto companies like Google, Amazon and Apple are also in the race. But, where do we stand as consumers - when and who might we see first in the marketplace. A think tank firm, Navigant Research, has stack ranked, based on strategy and execution, the vehicle manufacturers autonomous vehicle developments to date. The article at the link gives all the detail. As a spoiler, there is a tight cluster at the top consisting of Daimler (Mercedes-Benz), Ford, Honda, Toyota and Volvo. Navigant says the leader at the moment is Mercedes-Benz but any of the others near the top could easily take the lead position. Here is the link.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2015/10/22/four-takeaways-from-a-new-report-on-who-is-leading-in-self-driving-cars/

4. Replace Your Router Now
Time Magazine has just published an extremely helpful article (at the link below) titled "5 Reasons To Replace Your Router Right Away". The article gives five individual goals or expectations that you may have for managing data in your home. It then briefly discusses the solution and then names a specific router that you can purchase to help accomplish that goal or expectation. This is an article that you should read now and also file away for future use.
http://time.com/4078083/best-router-upgrade-faster/?xid=newsletter-brief

5. Historical PC?s
Beginning in the mid-1960's the purchase of a personal computer (PC) first became available to the consumer. By today's standards these machines were quite expensive and had little computing capability. As an example, consider the the IBM 5100 Portable Computer that you could buy in 1975. It weighed 55 pounds and was the size of a small suitcase. This high end state-of-the-art model did not have a CPU as we expect today but used a 64KB circuit board processor that included a 16-bit data bus. It included a 5-inch CRT that could display 16 lines of text with 64 characters on each line. Data storage was a quarter inch magnetic tape drive that could store 204KB of data. The IBM 5100 cost $19,975, that when adjusted for inflation to today?s dollars is $88,000. Look at any newspaper for today?s PC prices, in the hundreds of dollars, and imagine what you could buy for $88,000. The article at the link includes a slide show of pictures, data and prices of early PCs. Now you know that prices today are very reasonable for very powerful machines. http://www.infoworld.com/article/2984308/computers/the-most-expensive-pcs-in-computing-history.html?phint=newt=infoworld_daily&phint=idg_eid=103af277744610d7e46832321c23f931#tk.IFWNLE_nlt_daily_am_2015-09-17

6. Nissan Concept Car
Nissan recently unveiled a new concept car at the Tokyo Auto Show. You can see Nissan's vision of the interaction of people and the car at the video in the article at the link below. The car is powered by electricity and recharged wirelessly. It has extensive computer control. The driver won't always have to be behind the wheel and can push a button for the steering wheel to emerge or recede into the dash. The car can communicate with people outside but near the vehicle to avoid conflicts with pedestrians. Read the article and watch the video at the link to see where Nissan projects technology will take us.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2015/10/28/watch-nissans-new-concept-car-tell-pedestrians-when-its-safe-to-cross/

7. Virtual Reality Journalism
Computer driven virtual reality (VR) is a rapidly developing video technique that immerses the viewer in the image. The viewer becomes the center of the viewable world around them and can look in any direction, left, right, up, or down and see what is around them, just like in life. Today, VR is most commonly being used by players of sophisticated, advanced video games but now other applications are being developed - medical, engineering, product development, technical inspection, etc. On November 7, 2015 the New York Times published the first VR journalism video that the public can view and participate in. All of the details about this exciting use of the new VR technology are in the article at the link.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/08/magazine/virtual-reality-a-new-way-to-tell-stories.html?emc=edit_th_20151106&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

8. Malware On Android Devices
All of us who use devices that can have their capabilities enhanced through the addition of software applications (apps) know to be careful when we download apps to our devices. The two major providers of operating systems on mobile devices, Apple?s iOS and Google?s Android OS, each have application stores that screen software apps submitted for sale through that store - the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. Now a cybersecurity firm, Lookout, reports that a number of new Android malware strains are masquerading as popular apps. Once these apps are installed on an Android powered device the malware digs into the device so deeply that it is ?nearly impossible? to remove. The owners of some infected devices have been forced to replace their device. Lookout reinforces what we should already know when it says the easy way to avoid such malware on Android devices is ?Only install apps from Google?s official Play Store". Here is an article with more detail.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2015/11/06/beware-new-android-malware-is-nearly-impossible-to-remove/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_tech

9. Distracted Driving
Many of us, particularly those with new cars, are faced with the increased number of computer controlled services and features that are available to us while we drive. Some of these features are available in a class called "infotainment" where you can use your voice to turn features on and off, select which radio stations or recorded music or audio books to listen to, speak to a digital assistant to get information or directions and make or answer telephone calls. All of this is done with the drivers voice so he or she are not having to look away from the road ahead and are "not distracted". Now, the newest studies show that these voice command technologies can distract a drivers attention for close to half a minute following their use. Most drivers think that once they terminate the voice command interaction that they are fully focused on the task of driving. Research shows this is not true. It does show continued distraction, and inattention to driving, lasting up to 27 seconds. When driving at only 25 miles per hour, a 27 second distraction has the car traveling about 300 yards, the length of three football fields. Are you willing to drive that distance with your eyes closed? The article at the link goes into much more detail about distracted driving. Everyone who drives should read it.
http://spectrum.ieee.org/cars-that-think/transportation/safety/siri-and-friends-keep-distracting-drivers-up-to-27-seconds-later/?utm_source=carsthatthink&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=102815

10. Select Perfect Passwords
Passwords are the primary means that we depend on to protect our identity and data in the electronic age. To work effectively we should use different passwords for every different account or file we are interested in protecting plus each password should be a completely random, long string of characters consisting of upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters. Add that all passwords should be changed frequently and should not be known outside of authorized users of the account or file. Our problem is that we can't create or remember such complex strings of random letters, numbers and characters so we usually use easy to remember passwords like "password", or "12345678". Easy to remember equals easy to break and easy to penetrate. Now, two University of Southern California researchers have published a paper with a novel solution for creating passwords that are both extremely hard to crack and relatively easy to remember: randomly-generated poems. Tests of their system are very favorable. The Washington Post article at the link describes the system and can teach you how to build passwords that are easy to remember and are very secure. (The San Francisco Chronicle republished this Washington Post article on October 26, 2015.)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonkblog/wp/2015/10/22/these-researchers-have-discovered-the-perfect-password-thats-also-easy-to-remember/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_evening

11. Internet Undersea Cables
Today there are amazing amounts of data flashing around the world via the Internet. Much of the data pathways taken are via undersea cables stretching not only between continents but along coastlines because undersea routing is less expensive than routes overland. The first intercontinental communications cable (copper wire for telegraph transmission) was in the Atlantic Ocean, between Newfoundland and Ireland. "The first ?official,? non-test message was sent from Queen Victoria to President James Buchanan. It was hardly instantaneous. The 509-letter message took 17 hours and 45 minutes to transmit across the Atlantic, but that was significantly faster than waiting for a ship" to carry the message across the ocean. Today, undersea cables are fiber optic and can carry gigabits of data. The article at the link provides a brief but excellent summary of undersea cables - the network size, where the network goes, how the cables are laid, what the cables look like and what are the threats to the cables. One threat is sharks, who for unknown reasons like to bite undersea cable.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2015/10/26/the-internet-is-actually-a-series-of-tubes-or-at-least-undersea-cables/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_tech

12. Bond Technical Gadgets
If you like computers and technical devices then have a little fun watching the video in the TIME article at the link. The video briefly shows movie scenes of every gadget ever used by James Bond in a Bond movie. There are 193 gadgets. Enjoy.
http://time.com/4103864/james-bond-gadgets-video/?xid=newsletter-brief

November 2015 SIR Computer Newsletter

1. E-books or Printed Books?
Five years ago, the sales of dedicated digital readers, like Amazon's Kindle and Barns & Noble's Nook, tablet computers like iPad, and smartphones from a number of suppliers, seemed to be driving book sales away from printed paper and to digital versions that are read on these digital devices. Electronic book (e-book) sales went up 1,260 percent from 2008 to 2010. Print booksellers fought hard as customers visited stores to select books of interest but then bought them on-line as e-books. Some major booksellers lost the survival battle, like Borders who declared bankruptcy in 2011. Print books looked as though they were going the way of the dodo bird. Then, slowly this trend changed, with print books sales gaining ground and the sale of e-books and dedicated e-book reader devices declining. The American Booksellers Association's 1,410 member stores in 1,660 locations in 2000 has grown to 1,712 stores in 2,227 locations in 2015. Publishers and suppliers of print books are all seeing growth. It is too early to tell if this turn around favoring printed books is a long duration trend or short term change in the way readers want to have books delivered. Time will tell. If you're a reader, you should read the article at the link. If you prefer reading on paper, click the link and print the article - then read the printed copy. Enjoy.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/23/business/media/the-plot-twist-e-book-sales-slip-and-print-is-far-from-dead.html?emc=edit_th_20150923&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125

2. Auto Makers Fear Tech Firms
The Frankfurt International Motor Show is considered one of the worlds most important auto shows held annually. The 2015 show had a unique flavor that appeared throughout as major auto manufacturing firms clearly expressed their concern that the increasing penetration of software applications in motor vehicles would shift control of the vehicles themselves to the software designing technology firms. Auto firms are also concerned with the value and cash positions of their firms verses the technology firms. As an example, Daimler (Mercedes), BMW and Volkswagen are not at ease when they consider that Google is valued at more than five times the value of any of these firms. Apple is worth eight times as much. Both Google and Apple and other tech firms have hundreds of people working on automotive issues. None have announced that they are going to develop a whole car but their work continues to be largely secret. The major auto manufacturing firms are working to insure that they remain the controlling force behind their industry. Here are links to two articles with far more detail.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/18/automobiles/apples-auto-inroads-create-a-buzz-at-frankfurt-motor-show.html?emc=edit_th_20150918&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/22/business/apple-presses-ahead-with-efforts-to-create-car-though-big-issues-remain.html?emc=edit_ct_20150924&nl=technology&nlid=45350125&_r=0

3. Palm Size Computers
For years computers have been shrinking in size, whether powerful enterprise computers or personal computers (PCs) for use in the office or at home. Prices too have been shrinking. Today there are a number of mini PCs, that can fit in the palm of your hand and won't drain your bank account to purchase. As an example of mini size and mini price, a "C.H.I.P." PC can be ordered today for December 2015 delivery. (The C.H.I.P. computer was previously mentioned in the June 2015 issue of this Newsletter - "#13 Very Inexpensive Computer.") The Chip measures just 2.3 inches X 1.5 inches. It includes a 1GHz processor with graphics capability, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of storage and built in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. And the price - $9.00. The link offers a slide show of 13 of these radically tiny, palm size computers that are in the marketplace today.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/2986244/computers/mini-pc-invasion-10-radically-tiny-computers-that-fit-in-the-palm-of-your-hand.html?phint=newt%3Dinfoworld_daily&phint=idg_eid%3D3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381#slide1

4. History and Future of Computer Chips
We have all heard of Moore's Law, a 1965 prediction, by one of the Intel Corporation founders, of the growth rate of computer processing power. The article at the link is an outstanding review of the history of Moore's Law and a view of where the computer industry goes in the future. It is not appropriate for me to attempt to summarize the article. If you enjoy computers you should read this article as it will provide you with a wealth of information, or at least an excellent review, of the heart of the computers you enjoy every day.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/27/technology/smaller-faster-cheaper-over-the-future-of-computer-chips.html?emc=edit_th_20150927&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125

5. Complex Auto Computers
Our cars have become some of the most sophisticated devices on earth as computers are added to control and manage multiple functions. We now have black boxes, not a black box, as individual computers with their individual code make the vehicle what it is. A modern luxury car today has 100 million, or more, lines of computer code. As a comparison, the computers controlling the Large Hadron Collider have half that, with 50 million lines of code. All of Facebook runs on 60 million lines of code. Virtually all of the code in vehicles goes unscreened outside of the auto companies that develop it. The unfolding Volkswagen scandal demonstrates what can be done when it is known that millions of lines of code will not be visible to the public or to government. Regulating bodies like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (N.H.T.S.A.) admit that they do not have the capacity to examine the millions of lines of code that control a modern auto. If the public and government can't scrutinize the code, what about hackers who are already beginning to show their ability to penetrate auto code? Some auto makers are already taking steps to hinder hackers. Tesla recently hired a security executive from Google and began offering a $10,000 reward to outsider computer code developers who identify security problems in Tesla auto software. There is much more to this story about the computer control of the vehicle that you are driving today. Read it at this link.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/27/business/complex-car-software-becomes-the-weak-spot-under-the-hood.html?emc=edit_th_20150927&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

6. Voice Control of Computers
David Pierce recently wrote in Wired, "voice recognition and artificial intelligence are getting so good so quickly that it isn't really a stretch to imagine that talking to computers will soon become one of the signature ways we interact with them." Initiatives by Apple, Microsoft, Google, Amazon and a number of start-ups are focused on voice control. All have introduced, or are about to introduce, new advancements in the use of voice as the key or sole method of interacting with a computer. Amazon has introduced Echo, a small unobtrusive device, plugged in only to power, that sits on a table or countertop and waits for you to talk to it and ask a question. Echo is connected via Wi-Fi to the Internet and wirelessly to other Wi-Fi devices in your home. Ask Echo to set timers, questions about the weather, to convert recipe amounts, to play music, to read an audio book, to dim the lights, is the garage door open or closed, etc. Buy Echo and soon you'll be asking it for help multiple times a day. The newest Apple iPhone (iPhone 6S) again includes Siri, Apple's voice control system, but with a significant improvement. Now Siri consumes almost no power waiting for the user to ask for something so, like Amazon's Echo, Siri is always listening for a request. A start-up, SoundHound, has an interesting voice application. Instead of searching for a hotel on several sites just say to your computer, "Find me a three or four-star hotel in New York next Friday for less than $300," and your computer does all the work. If you remember the voice interaction with computers in the Star Trek TV series and movies or in the movie 2001 A Space Odyssey, that is where we are rapidly going. Learn much more in the article at the link.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/24/technology/personaltech/iphone-6s-hands-free-siri-is-an-omen-of-the-future.html?emc=edit_ct_20150924&nl=technology&nlid=45350125&_r=4

7. Building an Artificial Brain
Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft, has used $500 million of his estimated $17.7 billion personal fortune to seed two parallel efforts to understand neuroscience and develop artificial intelligence. The first project is to start with a blank sheet of paper and develop an artificial brain that, on its own, can pass a high school science test. Writing the software to accomplish this is the most difficult engineering task ever attempted. Teaching a machine to look things up and respond is common today but teaching a machine to reason, like even a young child can, is a monumental task. The second project, being undertaken by another completely different team, is approaching the question from the other direction - deconstructing the brain and doing an analysis of the individual pieces to understand how the human brain works. Allen has "persuaded University of Washington artificial intelligence (AI) researcher Oren Etzioni to lead the brain-building team", as the CEO of the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence, "and Caltech neuroscientist Christof Koch to lead the brain-deconstruction team", as President and Chief Scientific Officer of the Allen Institute for Brain Science. Each team will be staffed with a small army of PhD's, all working for Allen. Extensive and fascinating details of the two team projects, including comments by the team leaders and members, are in the article at this link.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/national/2015/09/30/brain/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_headlines

8. IBM Expands Watson's Use
The May 2015 issue of this newsletter noted that "Ever since the IBM "Watson" computer system appeared on the TV quiz show Jeopardy, and soundly defeated two human Jeopardy champions, there has been significant interest in bringing the power of Watson's artificial intelligence and data analysis to both commercial and human assistance projects." That article described Watson's inclusion and impact in several medical and health care projects. Now, IBM is further expanding the extensive computing power of the Watson system.
First, IBM will open a Watson West office in San Francisco in 2016. IBM reports it already has 350 company partners using Watson to manufacture products and about 50 firms providing Watson aided services. There are about 70,000 software developers using Watson software in some way. IBM plans to increase those numbers with the addition of its Watson West office. Some of those plans are discussed in the article at this link.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/25/technology/ibms-ai-system-watson-to-get-new-west-coast-home.html?emc=edit_th_20150925&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=1
Second, in a partnership involving the Irish biomarker analysis company ORRECO and the Oregon Track Club, IBM has introduced "Coach Watson" who will help optimize the performance of the elite runners. "Coach Watson will help answer questions like 'how hard' or 'how long' a workout should be, whether an athlete experiencing fatigue should lower the intensity of workouts or take a few days off to recover, and how to optimize sleep schedules around travel. Coach Watson might also be able to spot signs of an upcoming injury weeks in advance through the continuous monitoring of biomarker data." Read more about Watson supporting elite athletes at this link.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2015/10/01/what-ibm-watson-can-do-for-elite-athletes/

9. Self-Healing Airplanes
Boeing and Carnegie Mellon University have entered into three year, $7.5 million deal that will establish an Aerospace Data Analytics Lab that will test the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and big data to help transform the ways multi-billion dollar industries do business. The Carnegie Mellon School of Computer Science and Boeing will work together to improve the quality of Boeing's aerospace activities through the application of AI and big data. One of the areas of focus will be airline maintenance. Airlines today collect huge amounts of data from thousands of sensors built into airliners plus reports, observations and test results from flight crews and maintenance employees. So much data is collected that it overwhelms the ability of humans to understand. Boeing and Carnegie Mellon believe that recent advances in language technologies and machine learning will provide quite useful insight into the collected data. Maintenance could then be performed just when it is needed - not too early and not too late - instead of on a schedule developed years ago for each individual type of maintenance. The bottom line is that every component in a plane would know when it needed maintenance attention. The maintenance procedure would be applied at exactly the correct time, meaning the plane would be almost like fixing itself. Change like that can produce huge operating savings - thus Boeing's interest. Read much more at this link.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2015/10/06/how-artificial-intelligence-could-lead-to-self-healing-airplanes/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_tech

10. Does Technology Kill Jobs?
We are currently surrounded with conversations expressing concern that the rapid advancement of technology and robotics is taking away human employment opportunities. A different opinion is held by David A. Mindell, an MIT professor with extensive experience with robotics and the author of a fascinating new book, "Our Robots, Ourselves: Robotics and the Myths of Autonomy". Mindell cites as examples several different jobs that have been impacted by technology, robots and automation - commercial pilots, deep sea and space explorers and Predator drone pilots. All of these jobs still exists but automation has changed the work, usually by adding to what each can accomplish, but at the same time removing some of the glamour and fun from the job. Deep sea explorers want to be diving into the depths but today they launch, control and analyze data from robot explorers. They still have jobs and they collect more data at lower cost but their job is not as sexy as it was in the past. Drone pilots sit in the U.S. controlling drones flying and attacking targets half a world away. They too still have jobs, but would rather be flying over the battlefield even though the use of drone vehicles is much less expensive. The flying drone cost fractions of the cost of a manned aircraft plus we can "train 10 pilots of remote vehicles for the price of one pilot for a manned vehicle." Making the transition from the way we did a job to a revised way with added technology may be difficult because we are hard wired to "connect with the more classical human story." People who explored new places end up in history books, like Christopher Columbus and Neil Armstrong. Now, can you name anyone on NASA's Mars Rover team? Read more here.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2015/09/28/when-technology-takes-the-fun-out-of-your-job/

11. Have a Wi-Fi Headache?
Almost all of us have a wireless Wi-Fi router in our home to provide dependable, high speed, wireless connection to the Internet by mobile devices in and around our homes. We connect with laptop computers, tablets, e-readers, smartphones, etc. Other "connected" devices like printers, appliances, lighting, door locks, security systems, etc. are being added. Unfortunately, some of us experience less than dependable service with slow connections, or no connection, in some places in our homes. If this is your experience, you have what is called "A Wi-Fi headache". The problem almost always is your wireless router. At the first link is an informative article that explains how your home Wi-Fi works, what kinds of problems you may be experiencing, why you may be having those problems, what to do to resolve the difficulties and if you need a new router, the second link identifies and describes specific brands and models to buy. These two links may be very helpful.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/08/technology/personaltech/if-your-wi-fi-is-terrible-check-your-router.html?emc=edit_th_20151008&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/10/07/technology/personaltech/wirecutter-best-routers.html?emc=edit_ct_20151008&nl=technology&nlid=45350125&_r=0

12. Graphene Supercapacitors
The May 2014 and June 2014 issues of this Newsletter included articles about a new material named Graphene that was beginning to be used in products and expected to be used in exciting new ways in numerous technology and computer products. At the time we said "Graphene is the strongest, thinnest material known to exist. A form of carbon, it can conduct electricity and heat better than any other known material. It is not only the hardest material in the world, but also one of the most pliable. In 2012 it was discovered to be 200 times stronger than steel and so thin that a single ounce of it could cover 28 football fields." Now, a group at the University of California, Los Angeles, is using Graphene as the basis of tiny but very powerful capacitors. This is extremely significant because capacitors are the single electronic component that have not been successfully reduced to micro-size like other electronic components that today are manufactured on single silicon chips. Micro supercapacitors would help electronic engineers design even better technology devices. "Together with a battery, such supercapacitors could run a cellphone for days. And because an array is less than 10 micrometers thick - far finer than a human hair - it is completely flexible. Build these arrays on flexible substrates and they could power a roll-up display." To learn more about graphene based supercapacitors and the products that they may support, read the article at this link.
http://spectrum.ieee.org/semiconductors/materials/how-a-microscopic-supercapacitor-will-supercharge-mobile-electronics?utm_campaign=Weekly%20Notification-%20IEEE%20Spectrum%20Tech%20Alert&utm_source=boomtrain&utm_medium=email&utm_term=555a972628fbca1d260da

13. Home Internet - 10 Gigabits-per-second
Residential subscribers on the publicly owned Internet access system in Chattanooga, Tenn., can now enjoy a connection speed of 10 gigabits-per-second. That is fast enough to download a feature length, HD movie, in one second. The municipally supplied service is far faster than any high speed connection service offered elsewhere in the nation by Google Fiber, Comcast or any other provider. The service is not inexpensive, at $300 per month, but with more and more home devices and services connected to the Internet, customers want more bandwidth and speed. Chattanooga has a long history of leading in providing its citizens with high speed Internet access and continues to lead. Here is a Washington Post article with more details.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2015/10/16/you-thought-google-fiber-was-fast-this-citys-internet-just-got-10-times-faster/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_tech
October 2015 SIR Computer Newsletter

1. 3-D Printing Glass Objects
Researchers at MIT have announced and demonstrated the ability to 3-D print glass objects. Humans have been blowing, forming and molding glass objects for more than 4,500 years. The MIT work is the "first time that a 3-D printer has been used to process glass from a molten state to an annealed object." In 2016, a number of these objects will be shown at an exhibition at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City. 3-D printing is already being used in the aerospace industry to produce objects that improve performance and cost less to produce. General Electric is 3-D printing jet engine fuel nozzles. Applications for 3-D printed glass objects are being developed in the field of architecture to support solar energy collection, storage and use. Other advanced technology applications will surely follow. Here is an article with added detail.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2015/08/25/why-being-able-to-3d-print-glass-objects-is-such-a-big-deal/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_tech

2. Home Printers Without Ink Cartridges
Are you tired of having to change printer ink cartridges and pay the high price for replacement cartridges? Well, Epson has just announced a family of five new printers, for home and small office use, that do not use ink cartridges. Called EcoTank, these printers have "large ink reservoirs" known as supertanks that come loaded with enough ink for up to two years of printing for the average user. When replacement ink is needed the ink is purchased in a bottle that the customer uses to refill the printer ink tank. Replacement ink price will be as low as $12.99 per bottle or $59 for a set (different colors) of bottles. The printer you own now was very cheap to purchase because it's cost is subsidized by the thousands of dollars per gallon price you must pay for printer ink in cartridges. The new Epson printers are not as inexpensive because the ink has a very price. The consumer will have lower long term total cost by using an EcoTank printer. The Epson EcoTank printers should be available in retail stores in September 2015. Here two articles with more detail.
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2489049,00.asp?mailing_id=1420514&mailing=DailyNews&mailingID=4555152AFA3D4D56F9366D8E4E39533D
http://www.larrysworld.com/epson-follows-verizon-and-changes-how-customers-pay-for-products/

3. Two-Step Security Verification
OUCH! is a Monthly Security Awareness Newsletter for Computer Users. The September 2015 issue of OUCH! has an excellent, short article about two-step verification - what it is, why it offers much more protection of your information than a user ID and password and how simple two-step verification is to set up on your accounts. The link below leads to a .pdf file of the September OUCH! issue. The OUCH! publication license allows you to share or distribute their Newsletter as long as you do not sell it or modify it.
http://www.securingthehuman.org/newsletters/ouch/issues/OUCH-201509_en.pdf

4. Google Driverless Cars
Google has been road testing completely automated driverless cars since 2009. In those six years there have been 16 crashes, almost all fender benders, and every one has been caused by a human driver and not the automated driver system. The problem is that the Google cars are programmed to obey the traffic laws but human drivers often want to push the limit of traffic law to gain an advantage. As an example, at a four way stop intersection the automated car knows when it is its turn to cross the intersection and then expects the other vehicles to come to a full stop. But the human driven vehicles often keep creeping forward, a violation of the law, to gain an advantage. In another example, the Google software controlled car knows to stop for a pedestrian in a crosswalk but a vehicle behind the automated car hits the rear ends the automated vehicle because the human driver expects both cars will beat the pedestrian. The automated driverless car software continues to be fine tuned. Here is an article with more detail.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/02/technology/personaltech/google-says-its-not-the-driverless-cars-fault-its-other-drivers.html?emc=edit_th_20150902&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

5. Protect Your Junk
Smile guys. A recently published study from Argentina reported that a four hour exposure to an electromagnetic producing device, like a laptop computer on your lap or a Wi-Fi connected phone in your pocket, results in the death of 25% of a male's sperm. But, fear not. An enterprising engineer is now producing men's boxer shorts, called Wireless Armour, that protect male fertility against 99.9 percent of harmful electromagnetic radiation emitted by Wi-Fi devices. The fabric, called RadiaTex, is woven to include silver thread, known for that metal's ability to block electromagnetic radiation. The boxers cost $38+ per pair. Here is the full detail for all those with raging testosterone and who are concerned.
http://www.wirelessdesignmag.com/blogs/2015/08/smart-boxers-protect-your-package-electromagnetic-radiation?et_cid=4755530&et_rid=620730920&type=cta

6. Golf Smartphone Applications
All who receive and read this Computer Newsletter are interested in and use computers and technology. Many have smartphones. A number of these same people also enjoy playing golf. There are numerous software applications (apps) that are focused on the golfer and available for smartphones powered by Apple's iOS, Google's Android and Microsoft's Windows Phone operating systems. These apps can improve your technique and mastery of the sport, use the smartphone's GPS capability to tell you distances on the course, keep your and your foursome's scores, increase your knowledge of the rules and even give you tricks and tips about your favorite golf course. If you are a golfer and have a smartphone you should read, and watch the embedded video, of the article at the link.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/20/technology/personaltech/video-feature-golfing-apps-that-improve-play-from-tee-to-green.html?emc=edit_ct_20150820&nl=technology&nlid=45350125

7. Technology and Business Cards
The ever expanding growth of digital technology has made notable change to many of the things around us. This growth has resulted in significant changes to physical media items like books, magazines, brochures and newspapers. Many of these have moved to, or at least added, versions that provide their information content on a digital device and a screen. The paper versions have disappeared. But, there is one physical media device that has resisted change - the paper business card. Despite the ever improving ability to exchange individual contact information electronically between mobile devices, the exchange of business cards continues, by far, to be the preferred method of sharing and moving contact information. Here is an article with more about this and the efforts that have been made, and are still being made, to unseat business cards.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2015/08/19/business-cards-stubborn-holdouts-in-the-digital-revolution/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_tech

8. Smartphone Sales Profits
It has been eight years since the smartphone was born with the introduction of the Apple iPhone. This was followed by market entry by a number of other manufacturers of smartphone hardware and providers of smartphone software, including operating systems. One of the rules of business, particularly in the technology business, is that as a product spreads through the marketplace, and even becomes a commodity with growing market share, the price and the profit will fall. But this rule has been broken and has now become the subject of study by both business and academic experts. The rule breaker, for eight years, is the Apple iPhone. Many consider the iPhone to be the single most profitable product on earth. The Apple iPhone has less than half of the global smartphone market but Apple now makes 92% of the total global smartphone profit. No matter what measure may be reported the object of business is making profit and not controlling market share. Apple's product has reset the business rules. (Interestingly, on September 9, 2015, Apple announced a Q4 2014 profit of $18 Billion, the most profitable quarter ever for an publicly traded company.) Here is a NY Times article about the iPhone's amazing business success.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/10/technology/personaltech/apples-iphone-still-breaks-the-rules-eight-years-on.html?emc=edit_th_20150910&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125

9. Digital Stethoscope
"About 200 years ago a French physician rolled a sheet of paper into a cylinder and held it up to the chest of a patient. The creation was crude and simple, but it worked." The physician "could better hear his patient's heartbeat, and the stethoscope was born." Since then the physician's stethoscope has little changed. Now, a Silicon Valley startup company, Eko Devices, has received approval from the FDA to build and market a digital stethoscope called Eko Core. This device may result in significant change in patient care. The Eko Core provides the physician with digital enhancement of heart sounds while filtering out non-cardiac background sounds and at the same time recording heart sounds and transmitting them to a software application running on a smartphone or tablet computer. The recorded sounds can be uploaded to a distant cardiac expert for consultation and/or the recording can be retained in the cloud for later analysis, diagnosis or comparison to earlier or future recordings. Eko Devices is also working on software through which heart recordings could be processed for automated diagnosis. Here is an article with more detail.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2015/09/02/ekos-stethoscope-shows-the-potential-of-digital-technology-to-reinvent-health-care/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_tech

10. Flying Aircraft Carrier for Drones The technology supporting flying drone vehicles continues to advance at an amazing rate. What we see about drones in the press typically involves irresponsible individuals flying easily available drone vehicles near airfields, aircraft in flight, emergency events, etc. where the drones are in the way. Not all drones are bad news. There are valuable and legal functions for flying drones - business delivery and monitoring, emergency services including police, fire and medical, military intelligence collection, weapon delivery, battlefield management, etc. Now, the Department of Defense, through the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), is meeting with potential proposers for a system of small drones, known as Gremlins, that would be launched from a large flying aircraft, like a manned military C-130 transport. The Gremlins would perform their military mission and, on their own, return to the mothership and land or be recovered. In this case, the C-130 mothership would be like a flying aircraft carrier. The crew of the mothership would be performing functions like launching, fueling, arming, repairing, recovering, etc. that we usually identify with an aircraft carrier at sea. The link below is to a Washington Post article with more detail.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2015/08/28/darpas-next-gen-drones-will-launch-and-land-on-other-airplanes-while-theyre-moving/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_tech

11. Screens Moving Like Fabric
The digital world that we live in finds us surrounded with screens of all sizes, everywhere - where we work, where we live, in our pockets, on our wrist. Every one of those screens is a slab of glass or plastic, most are flat, some are curved and a few are slightly flexible. Now a Chicago based firm, Polyera, is showing and about to enter the market with screens that move like fabric. After ten years in development, this is a screen that's had all of its internal components redesigned entirely, so that it can move like a fabric. Polyera just introduced the first application of its technology, a wearable device called Wove - with a screen that you can wrap around your wrist like a leather bracelet or watch band. Users can interact with Wove when it's rolled up or when it's flat. Other applications are in development. Read about Polyera, their technology and where it might go, at this link.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2015/08/20/this-company-could-completely-change-how-we-interact-with-all-our-screens/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_headlines

12. Vinyl Records Coming Back
Until the late 1970's and early 1980's most of the recorded music that we listened to was delivered through vinyl long play (LP) records. Around 1980, the delivery vehicle changed, first to magnetic tape, in several formats (8 track then audiocassettes), then to digital compact disc (CD's), then digital video disc (DVD's) and most recently to "on demand" digital streaming of music through the Internet directly to the consumer. Now, the demand for high quality vinyl disc is returning. The market is still small but significant and growing at such a rate that the very small number of companies who can produce vinyl records are having to turn away business. The article at the link is an excellent description of this business and the operational and management hurdles being faced and overcome as vinyl records make a comeback. If you are a vinyl record fan or just interested in looking at a technology of your youth, you will enjoy this article.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/15/business/media/a-vinyl-lp-frenzy-brings-record-pressing-machines-back-to-life.html?emc=edit_th_20150915&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

13. Microsoft Prepares You For Windows 10 Free Windows 10 upgrades for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users are coming. InfoWorld now reports that Microsoft is alreadyautomatically uploading, without asking, a folder of software (up to 10GB) to Windows 7 and 8.1 users that is designed to help those users install the Windows 10 upgrade - if they decide to do the upgrade. If the Windows user does not upgrade to Windows 10 this "help" software, called "crapware", just sits on the computer waiting and taking up space. Millions of Windows users, worldwide, will get the software package through Windows Update. The article at the link tells about it, how to detect it and how to get rid of it if found on a machine that is not going to be upgraded to Windows 10. Have fun.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/2983777/microsoft-windows/how-to-clean-the-windows-10-crapware-off-your-windows-7-or-81-pc.html?phint=newt%3Dinfoworld_daily&phint=idg_eid%3D3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381#tk.IFWNLE_nlt_daily_pm_2015-09-14

14. Inflight Wi-Fi Service - Update
The future use of satellite connections for inflight Wi-Fi service and the expected lower cost was discussed in an August 2015 SIR Computer Newsletter item (#7, Inflight Wi-Fi Service). That item described the current low quality and high cost of inflight Wi-Fi but anticipated much improved quality and lower costs coming in the future. Don't hold your breath. The new satellite service is coming, but very slowly. In the meantime, demand continues to grow and prices for use of the current service are increasing rapidly. It is not unusual for a Wi-Fi connection for the duration of a transcontinental flight (e.g. New York to San Francisco or Boston to Los Angeles) to be as much as $40. You can expect prices for inflight connection to the Internet to remain high or further increase until the new satellite connection systems are in place. Here is an article with much more detail.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/27/technology/personaltech/in-flight-wi-fi-prices-jump-as-demand-surges.html?emc=edit_th_20150827&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0
September 2015 SIR Computer Newsletter

1. Digital Cemetery
For many years, many of us have kept track of our business contacts, friends and family members in electronic address books, or digital contact list. These list have included telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, snail mail addresses and in some cases, birthdays, anniversaries and other important notes. Today, these list are on smartphones, tablet computers, laptops and desktops while in the 1990's they were on personal organizers like Palm Pilots. We have hundreds or maybe thousands of contacts on each of our list. Now, what do you do when you learn that a contact on your list has died? Do you delete the contact, move the contact to another list, or leave the contact where it has been? These questions are the subject of the very interesting opinion piece recently published by the New York Times and at this link. It is a great read, has application to each of us and is worth the few minutes it will take you to read.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/19/opinion/sunday/my-digital-cemetery.html?emc=edit_th_20150719&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

2. New Lighting Pays For Technology
The incredible growth of conversion to LED lighting is providing a platform for the addition of all kinds of technology driven sensors attached to the lighting fixtures. The cost of these sensors is more than covered by the energy cost saving provided by the new LED lighting. Shopping malls around the world are leaders in this spread of technology. A smart lighting start-up, Sensity Systems, has partnerships with several major businesses, including the leading global mall developer, Simon Property Group, Cisco and Acuity Brands, a leading maker of LED lighting. Such systems are installed in locations as disparate as Newark, NJ; Bangalore, India; Adelaide, Australia; and Albertslund, a Copenhagen suburb. Depending on the sensors installed or connected with the lighting, such systems can detect a range of factors and activities, like motion, congestion, pollutants, gunshots, available parking or, increasingly, a information about a shopper in or near a store. Such sensors can detect that you have a smartphone and your exact location in a store, within five centimeters. That data, combined with the identity of products displayed right where you are in the store, can trigger transmission of a discount coupon to your smartphone for a product you are standing in front of. The retailer can add these kinds of capabilities, at no added cost, by changing to modern, lower energy consuming lighting. Here is an article with much more detail.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/20/technology/a-light-bulb-goes-on-over-the-mall.html?emc=edit_th_20150720&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

3. Hacking Your Car's Computers
We all know that cars today have computers built into the vehicle. For some years, fuel flow and throttle position have been computer controlled with the on-board computer using inputs of vehicle speed, vehicle altitude, air temperature, humidity, accelerator position, etc. Over the years multiple computers have been added to new cars to control almost all functions of the vehicle. Now, Internet researchers are demonstrating how, from miles away, a hacker can gain access to some car computers while the vehicle is operating. The video in the article at the first link shows a hacker controlling transmission gear selection, accelerator, windshield wipers and washers, radio station selection and volume, air conditioning and heating and if the vehicle ignition switch is on or off. The hackers showed that they could remotely disable the brakes or shut down the engine while the car is moving. Here is the link.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/posttv/business/technology/how-hackers-can-control-your-car-from-miles-away/2015/07/22/ca4beb62-3061-11e5-a879-213078d03dd3_video.html
Within days of the hacking described above Chrysler recalled more than 1.4 million vehicles that were vulnerable to being hacked, for an upgrade to the software running on the vehicle computers. This article details the recall and other developments.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2015/07/24/fiat-recalls-1-4-million-cars-vulnerable-of-being-hacked/?wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1

4. Protect Your Computers
The discussion at almost every computer group meeting includes conversation about "How do I secure my computer and digital information from hackers?" It is an unending conversation as the experts work to make security enhancements while others attempt to develop new ways to break through the security barriers and procedures being used. Google recently released a new paper that outlines two surveys, one of about 300 non-expert Internet users and the second about 230 security experts. Participants in each group were asked how they stay safe online. If paying attention to what the experts do makes sense, then the article at the link is worth your attention. Three topics at the top the expert's list of to do items are: First - Install Software Updates Quickly - use automatic update if available and do not fear getting malware through auto-updates. Second - Use Unique Passwords. Use Password Manager Software - this will help you keep track of many, robust, unique, encrypted passwords that are necessary to keep your information secure. Third - Go Beyond Passwords with Two-Factor Authentication - another step beyond user ID and password to confirm who is accessing the data. This often uses a one-time key that is texted to your mobile device. It is very secure.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2015/07/24/how-security-experts-protect-themselves-online/?wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1

5. Netflix - DVD Rental vs Video Streaming
We are all aware that the Netflix business model has been focused on delivering feature length video to millions of customers. This business has involved signing up customers with a small subscription charge and then mailing customer selected video DVDs to these customers who view the videos and return the DVDs to Netflix in prepaid mailing envelopes. Now Netflix is modifying its business to support the increasingly popular streaming of videos directly to customers via the Internet - no more DVDs, no more envelopes and no more mailing. This is a major shift in a company business model. There have been stumbles along the way, like an unsuccessful attempt to split the business into two companies, one for streaming customers and a second company for DVD rental customers. But, Netflix is succeeding. The DVD rental business continues to be quite profitable while the streaming business rapidly grows. Today, the company has 50 million streaming subscribers and 5.3 million DVD rental subscribers. At the link is a fascinating NY Times article about Netflix history and how the company is managing through this business transition.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/27/business/while-its-streaming-service-booms-netflix-streamlines-old-business.html?emc=edit_th_20150727&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

6. Threat To Android Smartphones
During our SIR Branch 1 Computer Group July meeting several members said that they use a smartphone powered by an Android operating system (OS). The link below is to a Washington Post article that describes a new threat to Android powered phones. The threat is unique because it can attack by just being sent to the phone and without the receiver doing anything. Usually the implementation of malware requires some action by the receiving device, like opening a file, playing a video or audio or connecting to an Internet link. One billion (with a B) Android powered phones may be at risk. Updates to the Android OS are in the works but depend on the hardware vendor and the smartphone user installing the update when it is available. Here is the link to the Washington Post article with much more detail.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2015/07/28/your-android-smartphone-could-be-attacked-with-a-text-message/?wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1

7. Keep Internet Safe
When we visit or live in a city we quickly learn that we are surrounded with people who are focused on their interest and not ours. We learn to avoid walking down dark alleys and engaging in activities with people and things that seem too good to be true. Today, being on the Internet is like living in the world's largest city. Thieves are everywhere. A policeman is hard to find. But the rules still apply. Using a few commonsense precautions can keep you from becoming another victim of this "big city". Here is a InfoWorld article with seven Internet behaviors that will help keep you safe. It is worth reading.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/2953295/security/7-easy-steps-internet-street-smarts.html?phint=newt%3Dinfoworld_daily&phint=idg_eid%3D3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381#tk.IFWNLE_nlt_daily_am_2015-07-28

8. Facebook Drone
The May 2015 SIR Computer Newsletter included an item (#7, "Facebook Has Drones Too") describing Facebook development of a solar powered drone that would be used, in conjunction with other identical drone vehicles, to provide Internet connection to remote parts of the globe. The drone, called Aquila, "has a wingspan about equal to a Boeing 767 jetliner but it only weighs about as much as a car. It will fly at between 60,000 and 90,000 feet altitude, on multi-month missions, powered by wing mounted solar cells and four electric motor driven propellers." Facebook has now released a short video of Aquila that is included in the Washington Post article at the link below.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/posttv/business/technology/facebooks-unmanned-aircraft-aims-to-bring-the-internet-to-remote-locations/2015/07/30/30b35326-36f3-11e5-ab7b-6416d97c73c2_video.html

9. US Response to China Hacking
The New York Times has reported that the US government leadership has decided that some form of retaliation is appropriate because of the alleged theft by China of the personal information of more than 20 million Americans from the data bases maintained by the the US Government Office of Personnel Management. The issue is quite complex and not appropriate to attempt to summarize. The NY Times article is at this link.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/01/world/asia/us-decides-to-retaliate-against-chinas-hacking.html?emc=edit_th_20150801&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

10. Hacking Windows 10
Windows 10 has just been made available by Microsoft and, as expected, hackers have already begun attacking the new operating system and applications that run on it. This continues to be an unending battle - new software, hardware, or both, enter the marketplace and the hackers are on it right away. Plato said, " Only the dead have seen the end of war". His words remain true.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/2955704/cyber-crime/windows-10-upgrade-scams-are-only-warming-up.html?phint=newt%3Dinfoworld_daily&phint=idg_eid%3D103af277744610d7e46832321c23f931#tk.IFWNLE_nlt_daily_pm_2015-08-03

11. Windows 10 and Your Personal Information
If you are using a Windows operating system you already know that Microsoft has, for years, been collecting selected personal information about you to enhance the services that you are provided. When you upgrade your computer to Windows 10 you should know that the trickle of personal information that Microsoft collects is "going to turn that trickle into a gusher". You will be able to turn off some of the collection but, in many cases such action will also negate features that you want to be able to use so you won't turn off the information collection. Here is a link to an InfoWorld article with more details about Windows 10 and your personal information.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/2956715/microsoft-windows/privacy-and-advertising-in-windows-10-both-sides-of-the-story.html?phint=newt%3Dinfoworld_daily&phint=idg_eid%3D3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381#tk.IFWNLE_nlt_daily_pm_2015-08-05

12. Into the Internet of Things
The concept that everything will eventually be connected together through the Internet, called the Internet of Things (IoT), is in fact continuing to grow. Some of the proposed connections are silly, but others are excellent ideas. If you have wireless WiFi in your home there may be places in your home where poor WiFi signal strength effects your ability to get a good wireless connection to your mobile device. The WiFi signal can be amplified by installing a WiFi extender near where the signal is weak. Unfortunately, these extenders are small, ugly boxes that need to be plugged in to a power outlet. Now comes an elegant solution - a WiFi extender combined with an LED lightbulb, the size of a standard incandescent bulb. The light is controlled, off, on and dim, by a smartphone application. The WiFi extender remains on, drawing it power from the bulb's socket. Bingo, a strong WiFi signal everywhere in your home for about $50. This IoT solution and several others are detailed in the article at the link.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/06/technology/personaltech/diving-headfirst-into-the-internet-of-things.html?emc=edit_th_20150806&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125

13. Microsoft Office on a Tablet Computer
If in the past, you were a Microsoft Office user and wanted to to use the suite of Office applications on a tablet computer you were out of luck until Microsoft introduced its tablet, Surface, and Microsoft introduced tablet versions of its Office suite that ran on Apple iPads (Apple iOS powered) and some Android OS powered tablets. The only problem, Microsoft Office ran better on an Apple iPad than it did on the Microsoft Surface tablet. Now, the new Microsoft OS, Windows 10, comes to the rescue so users of Microsoft Surface tablets can get fully functional and easy to use Microsoft Office applications. Not so fast. The InfoWorld article at the link reports that Microsoft's Office suite still runs better, is easier to use and has more features when running on an Apple iPad than when running on a Microsoft Surface tablet with the Windows 10 operating system.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/2960784/office-software/office-mobile-better-on-ipads-than-on-windows-10-tablets.html?phint=newt=infoworld_daily&phint=idg_eid=103af277744610d7e46832321c23f931#tk.IFWNLE_nlt_daily_pm_2015-08-07

14. Heads Up Display In Your Car
Apple and other technology and auto companies are working to develop heads up display systems for cars. Heads up displays (HUDs) project appropriate data on the windshield directly in the line of sight of the equipment operator. They are common in a number of military combat aircraft to allow pilots to keep their eyes focused on the target of interest while essential flight and weapon information is presented directly without the pilot change his field of view. HUDs have been used in aircraft since World War II. They first appeared in production autos in the late 1980's in the Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme where speedometer information was projected on the windshield in front of the driver. Several after market portable devices can be used in cars today. The technology company effort appears very widespread although many companies will offer little to no public information at this point. Here is a link to a Washington Post article about HUDs and your cars.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2015/08/13/apple-might-be-bringing-fighter-jet-technology-to-car-windshields/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_headlines

15. 3D Printed Drugs
Computer technology takes another step into the drug industry with the FDA approving the first drug produced with 3D printers building individual drug tablets. Printed drugs have advantages for several patient issues that interfere with some patients being able to take prescribed drugs. Printed drugs can be produced that are so loosely held together that they dissolve almost instantly in contact with a liquid which helps people who have difficulty swallowing pills and tablets. Printed drugs can be custom built for individual patients who have specific but unusual dosage requirements. A physician might prescribe a drug dosage of 57mg and tablets in that exact dose can be custom printed for that patient. Here is an article with far more detail.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2015/08/11/why-it-matters-that-the-fda-just-approved-the-first-3d-printed-drug/
July 2015 SIR Computer Newsletter

1. Train Your Brain
Lumosity, a product of Lumos Labs, is a system of computer games and tests designed as daily exercises to improve your memory and your ability to focus. More than 60 million people have subscribed to have Lumosity create a training program for their brain. A small sample of the kinds of mental challenges presented by Lumosity is available as a free software application (called an app) that can be downloaded to your mobile device - a tablet or smartphone. The app is available for devices powered by both the Apple iOS and Google Android operating systems. If you like the challenges presented by the free Lumosity you can access the app's full power by purchasing a monthly or annual subscription through the app. You purchased that smartphone or tablet so now, for free, you can see a good example of the computer power you hold in your hand - it isn?t just for phone calls and text messages. Here is an article with more detail.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/lumosity-app-offers-brainteasers-that-might-help-improve-your-memory/2015/06/11/6ed8e172-0f00-11e5-9726-49d6fa26a8c6_ story.html?wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1

2. Internet Service Through SpaceX
Forty-four year old Elon Musk was successful as a PayPal executive. He left PayPal to found and lead several other businesses - Tesla Motors, the leading all electric vehicle manufacturer, where Musk is the CEO; SpaceX, with a billion dollar NASA contract to launch and recover spacecraft, where Musk is the CEO; and Solar City, the nation's most profitable solar energy company, where Musk is the Chairman of the Board of Directors. Now Mr. Musk has announced that SpaceX has applied to the Federal Communications Commission for permission to begin testing the use of small, inexpensive satellites, in low earth orbit, to provide Internet connection from anywhere on the Earth's surface. The plan calls for a constellation of 4000 satellites that will communicate both with the ground and with each other to handle Internet traffic. If successful, this could transform SpaceX into a major competitor to Comcast, AT&T and other telecom companies. Be careful if you plan to bet against Elon Musk - he has not yet been involved with a looser. Here is an article with much more detail.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/spacex-founder-files-with-government-to-provide-internet-service-from-space/2015/06/09/db8d8d02-0eb7-11e5-a0dc-2b6f404ff5cf_story.html?wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1

3. Robots Taking Human Jobs?
An item in last months Newsletter (June 2015 SIR Computer Newsletter, item #9) included a quote from futurist Ray Kruzweil about the speed of technology growth. He said, in part, "Within seven years .... the smartphones in our pockets will be as computationally intelligent as we are. It doesn?t stop there, though. These devices will continue to advance, exponentially, until they exceed the combined intelligence of the human race." This growth will include a shift of jobs in the workplace away from people and to technology driven machines - robots. The best projections today are that the safest jobs will be those that require creativity. Other jobs will be vulnerable when the "robot overlords come for our jobs." Many university professors may fall into the latter group as technology today is operating in their classrooms and limiting their creativity. Computer, video and communications technology allows what are called massive open online courses (MOOCs) that can have 1,000 or 10,000 or even 100,000 students in a single class with a single professor. His job could be at risk. Some studies suggest that 47 percent of U.S. jobs are at risk of being taken over by smart machines and software in the next two decades. Much more detail is in the article at this link.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2015/06/02/watch-out-college-professors-the-robots-are-coming-for-your-jobs/?wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1

4. Robot Competition
Robots of all kinds are becoming more capable and practical as both computer hardware and software make self controlling of a machine possible. Both military and commercial support of robot development is growing to augment missions of all kinds. The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency recently sponsored an international competition of twenty-five teams, from universities and commercial firms, to have human shaped robots complete eight tasks, including driving a vehicle, opening a door, operating a portable drill, turning a valve and climbing stairs, all in the space of an hour. The task were selected because they represent things that would be encountered when operating in a hazardous environment. A team from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology claimed the $2 million first prize. Here is an article about the robots and the competition.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/07/science/korean-robot-makers-walk-off-with-2-million-prize.html?emc=edit_th_20150608&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=1

5. USB-C is Here Now
If you buy a new laptop or desktop computer, or other device, you probably will find it equipped with a new port connector - USB-C, the new industry standard. The USB-C connector supports DisplayPort, HDMI, power, USB, and VGA. There is no upside down when plugging in a USB-C cable. The connection is two or more times faster than the connections you have been using since the mid-1990's. Here is an article about this latest connector that you will soon see everywhere.
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2478121,00.asp?mailing_id=1271319&mailing=BuildIt&mailingID=02FC8BA0ECF2B3116E8049FEBBAEFCF7

6. How You Watch Movies at Home
If you are a fan of watching both current and past feature length movies at home you know that how you do this has changed over the years. Your original opportunity began with the availability of video tape. You could buy a movie on tape, or for a good deal less money, rent a movie on tape from a video rental store. Next came a change of the recording media from video tape to video on a plastic disc, called a DVD (digital video disc). Then came the ability to completely avoid the trip to the video store by subscribing to a video service that would mail the DVD to you and provide free return mailing after you watched the movie. Now, movies can be streamed, or downloaded if you want to keep your own copy, directly to you at home via the Internet with no further need to ever touch a DVD. Several recent items in the news about how we watch movies at home could be of interest to you.
A. Local CBS TV News reported that with the recent closing of a video store there are now only two operating video rental stores in the entire San Francisco Bay Area.
B. Today?s major video service provider, Netflix, will still send you a DVD by mail which you return but the mailing process for DVD delivery is now only 10% of Netflix business. The other 90% of Netflix business is streaming and downloading movies to subscribers via the Internet.
C. Netflix's share of total U.S. Internet traffic is exploding. Their streaming service now accounts for 36.5 percent of all the Internet bandwidth consumed by North American users during primetime, according to a Canada-based network measurement firm. D. Global revenue spent to download movies and stream videos will rise above that for buying and renting DVDs for the first time ever in 2015.
If you are still buying or renting DVD's you are already well behind current technology. You will soon see that finding movies on DVD will be growing more difficult because, with falling demand, the production of movies in DVD format is being eliminated. Here are two appropriate articles.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2015/05/28/netflix-now-accounts-for-almost-37-percent-of-our-internet-traffic/?wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1
http://time.com/3906985/streaming-netflix-dvds/?xid=newsletter-brief

7. Windows 10 - Available July 29th
Microsoft has announced that Windows 10 will be available to the public on July 29, 2015. Microsoft is offering free upgrades to most devices currently running Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1. Qualifying customers who are using these Windows operating systems can register right now to get their free July upgrade to Windows 10. Detailed instructions are on Microsoft's website. The first link below has additional information. Once you install Windows 10 you will have the benefit of new features available in this operating system. Five of these new features are detailed in the second link below.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2015/06/01/microsofts-all-new-windows-10-debuts-on-july-29/?wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1
http://time.com/3903068/microsoft-windows-10-upgrade-features/?xid=newsletter-brief

8. Hyperloop Test Tracks
In 2013, Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla Motors and SpaceX, proposed a system named Hyperloop that would transport passengers at very high speeds, in small pods, through low-pressure tubes. This system would be incredibly cheap and energy-efficient, and could comfortably take passengers from Los Angeles to San Francisco in just 30 minutes. Musk produced a 50+ page engineering concept document describing the Hyperloop system. He did not patent any of the ideas or engineering and offered all the preliminary engineering and development work for free to any interested parties. Now, a firm plans to construct an estimated US$100 million pilot test track along California's Interstate 5 to further explore the Hyperloop idea. At the same time, Musk is building a mile long, reduced scale, Hyperloop test track near the SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorn, California, so smaller firms can test Hyperloop concepts and development hardware. Here is an article with much more detail.
http://www.sciencealert.com/a-test-track-is-being-built-for-elon-musk-s-1-200-km-h-train

9. Tips on Mobile Device Batteries
Your high technology mobile phone or tablet computer has new, high tech batteries that are easy to properly charge and care for. You should understand how to do just that. Here is a link to a Popular Mechanics article that will help you understand these new batteries and the differences from the rechargeable batteries that you were using a few years ago.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/a15731/best-way-to-keep-li-ion-batteries-charged/

10. Immortal Social Accounts
If you participate in online social networking, like Facebook, Twitter, etc. you need to consider and plan for what happens to all of the content of your account(s) when you die. How you want the messages, photos, videos, notes, etc. handled should be included in your estate plan. In addition to your personal estate plan and instructions to your survivors you must also meet the requirements of the Terms and Conditions of the individual online sites where you have accounts. When you established an account with an online service you were presented pages and pages of the site's terms and conditions that you probably did not read but just clicked "Accept". Part of those conditions, that you accepted, often specify that when you die, what happens to your online account, what happens to the content of your account, who has access to parts or maybe all of your account and who can change or delete all or parts of your account. The site may allow you, while living, to set up specific access and processes to take effect after you die. If you don?t make changes you have accepted site?s default instructions. Your personal estate plan documents may give instructions to your executor or trustee in regards to an online site but efforts to follow these instructions may be blocked by the the site Terms and Conditions that you approved and had in place when you died. Such conflicting instructions already have been the subject of court cases. At the link is a brief article about how to execute some of the estate instructions available on a Facebook account. Check any accounts that deal with as they may effect your own estate plans.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/21/technology/personaltech/unlike-you-your-facebook-account-can-be-immortal.html?emc=edit_ct_20150521&nl=technology&nlid=45350125

11. Mobile Phone Bills
What do you pay for your mobile service? Your monthly bill will be based on what mobile carrier you use and what mobile plan you select. The plan may include specified numbers of voice calls or voice minutes, the number of text messages and the amount of digital data transmitted to and from your mobile device, combined with what kind of a deal you or your organization may be able to negotiate with the mobile carrier. The U.S. Government appears to work the same way in contracting for mobile service for federal government employees. There are no standard government mobile service rates. Each government agency, department or even office in a department may make its own deal with a mobile carrier. At the link is a Washington Post article that you should enjoy. It tells what we the tax payers are paying for mobile service for U.S. Government employees. Here is a quote as an example of what you'll learn. "The State Department pays $48 a month on the low end for 400 minutes, unlimited text and data ? but it pays $12 more per month for a plan with only 300 minutes, unlimited text and data. In what world does an agency agree to pay more for less when it is already paying less for more in other parts of the building?" Enjoy.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2015/05/22/you-wont-believe-how-much-some-federal-agencies-are-paying-for-cell-service/?wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1

12. Anesthesia Robots
The next time you have a surgery procedure there is an increasing possibility that your anesthesia will be administered and managed by a completely computer controlled anesthesiology robot instead of an MD who is certified to administer anesthesia. There have been several past efforts to automate the delivery of anesthesia. Today there are two different robot platforms being tested. One, named "Sedasys", has been in development for 15 years and is the older of the two robotic platforms. Only four U.S. hospitals use Sedasys now and it is restricted to use in colonoscopies in healthy patients and to deliver light to moderate anesthesia. Sedasys is a conservative device that can reduce or completely stop the delivery of anesthesia drugs but cannot increase dosages. The second, "iControl-RP", is being tested at the University of British Columbia. It has been used to induce deep sedation in adults and children undergoing general surgery during more than 250 surgeries. iControl-RP manages the complete anesthesia process. Managing the delivery of anesthesia is like a balancing act that can be quite challenging for even highly trained and experienced MD's. So far, the iControl-RP robot testing is showing it to be faster at recognizing changes in patient condition measurements and faster in adjusting the delivery of appropriate drugs to the patient during surgery. For all of you MD's, here is a Washington Post article with more detail.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2015/05/15/one-anesthesiology-robot-dips-its-toes-into-whats-possible-this-one-jumps-all-in/?wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1

13. Flying Micro-Drones
The Department of Defense is actively engaged in developing and testing small flying vehicles, micro-drones, that can be dropped from an aircraft at high altitude and fly autonomously, as a swarm, to a military target of interest for intelligence collection, observation or weapon delivery. The individual vehicles in such a swarm appear to those in the target area as a swarm of insects or a flock of birds, too many and too small to effectively counter. Instead of a military invasion this will be a military infestation. Micro-drones in one program are called CICADA, which stands for Close-In Covert Autonomous Disposable Aircraft, are relatively cheap, easy to make and totally disposable. Another program is LOCUST, Low-Cost UAV Swarming Technology. In one test in Arizona, a swarm of micro-drones was released from 57,600 feet, descended in free fall the almost 11 miles to the surface and glided to within 15 feet of their pre-programed target destination without any remote guidance. Here is a Washington Post article about these micro-drones.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2015/05/20/cicadas-locusts-and-the-new-innovation-of-military-infestations/?wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1

14. Aibo Will Go On
Decades ago, in the television series Star Trek, one of the lead characters, Data, was a computer controlled machine - a robot. Data maintained a very lifelike relationship with all the human and other living characters around him. As more and more robot machines are interacting with us the development of actual relationships between humans and these robots are sure to occur and become more complex. The past can give us a brief look at these human-machine relationships. From 1999 to 2006 Sony manufactured and sold a robotic pet dog named Aibo. One hundred and fifty thousand of the robot pets were sold. Now, Sony has closed its last Aibo repair center and owners of the computer controlled "pets" are concerned that as parts become unavailable, Aibo as a species will die. At the link is a video that shows the amazing relationship that has developed between some people and Aibo, their computer controlled robotic pet.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/18/technology/robotica-sony-aibo-robotic-dog-mortality.html?emc=edit_th_20150618&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

June 2015 SIR Computer Newsletter

1. Quantum Computing
The computers that we know and love are called digital computers because they process information that is represented digitally in the computer as bits, called binary digits, each of which can be a 0 or a 1. There are two states, 0 or 1, on or off. Because these bits only have only two values, long sequences of 0s and 1s are necessary to form a number and in turn to do a calculation. Such calculations are accomplished sequentially. If a computer's task requires doing millions, or tens of millions of calculations, it takes increasing time for the computer to complete the task. We humans view the computer as incredibly fast but some task are so complex that even the fastest digital computer can take weeks or months to finish. Enter the quantum computer, a device that has been postulated for decades but that we are just beginning to learn how to build. A quantum computer processes quantum bits, called qubits, that have the unique ability to hold a value of 0 or 1, or hold both values at the same time, a superposition denoted as "0+1." The power of a quantum computer increases exponentially with the number of qubits. Rather than doing computations sequentially as classic computers do, quantum computers can solve problems by laying out all of the possibilities simultaneously and measuring the results. As a simple but less than perfect example, imagine being able to open a combination lock by trying every possible number and sequence at the same time instead of trying every number and sequence sequentially. Every major corporate player, several government organizations and numerous start-up firms are working to build a practical quantum computer. A Canadian start-up, D-Wave, reports having a computer that has 512 qubits and can, in theory, perform 2, raised to the power 512, operations simultaneously. That's more simultaneous calculations than there are atoms in the universe. Want to learn about the coming quantum computers? Read the articles at the two links below.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2015/05/11/quantum-computing-is-about-to-overturn-cybersecuritys-balance-of-power/?wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/22/technology/testing-a-new-class-of-speedy-computer.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20130322&_r=0

2. TED Lecture
TED is a "platform for ideas worth spreading." TED started in 1984 as a conference where technology, entertainment and design converge. Today TED shares ideas from a broad spectrum - from science, to business, to global issues - in more than 100 languages. You can learn more about TED and see video's of TED lectures at http://www.ted.com. At the link below is a 7 minute video of a TED lecture by filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg who is noted for bending the boundaries of time and space with the technology of computers, high-speed cameras, time lapses and microscopes. This lecture, and the video, focuses on highlights from his latest project, a 3D film titled "Mysteries of the Unseen World," which slows down, speeds up, and magnifies some astonishing wonders of nature. It is amazing photography and brilliantly explained. Enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/FiZqn6fV-4Y

3. Winning Popular Games
We play simple yet popular games because they entertain us and make us feel even better when we win. Deciding what choices to select or moves to make to win involves strategic decisions, probability and math. We may even use our computers to help us win and may play the games on a computer. The article at the link includes 20 data views that offer lots of winning insight into the most popular games in America. This information could help you win when playing Battleship, Chess, a coin toss, Connect Four, Diplomacy, "Jeopardy", Monopoly, Pac-Man, "The Price is Right", Rock-Paper-Scissors, Scrabble, Texas Hold'em, Tic-tac-toe, plus some ideas on winning in Las Vegas. Have fun and smile.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/05/08/how-to-win-any-popular-game-according-to-data-scientists/?wpisrc=nl_evening&wpmm=1

4. Intelligence Services and the Internet
The U.S. Congress continues to move to reduce access by the National Security Agency and other U.S. intelligence services to Internet data and telecommunications information despite increases in global terrorism. At the same time, the lower house of the French Parliament has overwhelmingly approved a sweeping intelligence bill that was personally introduced to Parliament by the Prime Minister. The bill "would give French intelligence services the right to gather potentially unlimited electronic data from Internet communications, and to tap cellphones and capture text messages. It would force Internet providers to comply with government requests to sift through subscribers' communications." If the French bill also wins in Parliament's upper house, and becomes law, it will give the French government broad surveillance powers, with little judicial oversight, to help prevent terrorism and other crime in France and against French citizens.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/06/world/europe/french-legislators-approve-sweeping-intelligence-bill.html?emc=edit_th_20150506&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

5. Smartphone Applications
The smartphone that you own, as you know, is much more than a mobile, wireless telephone. It is a device to visit the Internet, a terminal to receive, send and store email messages, a calendar, an address book, a clock, with alarm, a camera, a photo album, a video recorder and player, a calculator, an audio player and recorder of music and voice, a radio and television receiver, a compass and a GPS navigation and locating device. Your smartphone can provide you with all of these basic functions plus others, depending on which model device you have and which operating system software runs on the device. Additionally, thousands of other functions are supported through the addition of application software, called "apps", that can be loaded on your smartphone through the air (wirelessly) and cost nothing to a few dollars. These apps may provide you with assistance at home, at work or at play to make completing task or just living your life easier, faster or just more fun. If you have a smartphone and are not running apps, you should be. If you don't have a smartphone you are missing the opportunity of having today's technology improve your life in many ways. Look for apps in online stores that support your device and it's operating system. Here are several. Android powered devices - visit Google Play or the Amazon AppStore for Android.
Apple iOS devices - visit the Apple Store.
Blackberry devices - visit Blackberry App World.
Windows Phone devices - visit the Windows Store.

6. New Chip Credit Cards - Safe?
We have been using credit cards for years that provide security using data stored in a magnetic strip on the card plus a purchaser signature on paper or a point of sale terminal. A more secure technology that includes a data chip embedded in the card instead of the magnetic strip is just beginning to be introduced in the U.S. Chip cards are already widely used in Europe and Asia where the purchase process is - insert the card into a chip reader, pause momentarily, remove the card and enter a PIN into a keypad. This process is known as "chip and PIN". No signature is used as there is no point of sale method anywhere to verify signature. In the U.S., a process known as "chip and signature" will be used as the new chip cards are introduced. Changing to the much more secure use of a PIN instead of signature is considered too much change for Americans to deal with. Plans are to change to the more secure"chip and PIN" much later. Read about it here. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/get-there/wp/2015/04/30/your-new-credit-card-may-not-be-as-safe-as-you-think/?wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1

7. Can't-Do-Without Technology
The smartphone has become the world favorite can't-do-without technology. Now another computer controlled device has moved onto the global list of such devices and it is not what you think. This growing popularity tech device is in 76% of Japanese households, is used widely in other parts of Asia, as well as in the Middle East and, increasingly, in Europe. No, it is not a tablet computer or a laptop, a GPS, or a camera. It is a high-tech, electronic, computer controlled, heated, warm-water-spraying bidet toilet seat. Go ahead and laugh! Think you'll now skip to the next item in this Newsletter? Don't do that. Take a few minutes to read the article at the link and you too may join the rush around the globe for these devices. Here is the link. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/30/technology/personaltech/electronic-bidet-toilet-seat-is-the-luxury-you-wont-want-to-live-without.html?emc=edit_ct_20150430&nl=technology&nlid=45350125&_r=0

8. Cutting the Power Cord
Ten years ago would you have bet that the average consumer could economically cut the telephone cord for their home wired telephone and move all their voice communications to mobile devices? It happened. Now the next cord cutting is rapidly approaching. Consumers, both individual and commercial, are cutting the power cord for all, or a large percentage, of the electric power they purchase from the power grid. Consumers are installing solar panels to supply power while knowing the weakness of solar is that it doesn't work at night or during very cloudy weather. That problem is now overcome by affordable battery storage units that are no larger than a file cabinet or refrigerator, make no sound, have no moving parts and last for decades. Homeowners can now economically capture solar power, convert it to electric energy for current use, store what is not needed currently for future use and sell what is excess to the public power grid. The article at the link describes where we are today and where we are headed with this power cord cutting.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/if-the-industry-makes-its-connections-your-next-home-may-run-off-a-battery/2015/04/25/c4a68482-de00-11e4-a500-1c5bb1d8ff6a_story.html?wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1

9. Smartphone Smarter Than You?
In 1965, Gordon E. Moore, a co-founder of Intel Corporation, reported that the number components per integrated circuit was doubling every two years. He modified this in 1975 to project that future growth would double the number of transistors per integrated circuit every two years. This has become known as Moore's Law and has proven to be correct to the present although it is not expected to continue for many more years. Today, technology advancement is even faster. Ray Kurzweil, a renowned futurist, predicted in 1999 that by 2023 a $1000 laptop would have the hardware computing power and storage capacity of a human brain. Software emulating the human brain may take until 2029. "The implications of all this are mind-boggling. Within seven years - about when the iPhone 11 is likely to be released - the smartphones in our pockets will be as computationally intelligent as we are. It doesn't stop there, though. These devices will continue to advance, exponentially, until they exceed the combined intelligence of the human race." Then what might happen? Here is a Washington Post article with more thoughts.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2015/04/23/the-coming-problem-of-our-iphones-being-more-intelligent-than-us/?wpisrc=nl_innov&wpmm=1

10. Government Opens Silicon Valley Offices
If you want to compare business cultures that greatly differ you don't need to look any further than Silicon Valley vs Washington DC Federal government agencies. For many years both cultures have avoided each other because they are so different. Technology companies have avoided becoming involved with government customers and their slow, bureaucratic and cumbersome procurement system even though these customers could be worth billions of dollars of business. Government agencies have avoided tech companies because government does not understand fast moving experimentation, rapidly shifting ideas, risk taking and the freewheeling technology business culture. Now, both the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security are moving to close the cultural divide by opening liaison offices in the Silicon Valley. Here is the story.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2015/04/23/why-the-pentagon-is-wooing-silicon-valley-and-the-valley-is-playing-hard-to-get/?wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1

11. Technology in Our Cars
It seems that every day brings us more information about how new technology is available or being added to our cars to make our driving easier and safer. Cars can park themselves and even drive themselves. There are enough sensors being mounted on some new cars that when the data collected is combined with the computer processing power in the car it can make it almost impossible to crash the the vehicle. The Washington Post published an interesting article, at the first link, contrasting technology systems soon available in the MINI's Augmented Vision system, and other elements of BMW's new driverless technology system available, or coming, in larger BMW vehicles. The article raises the obvious question: "Are we headed for a future where humans get better and better at driving cars with the help of machines? Or are we headed for a future where machines get better and better at driving cars with the help of humans?" You decide! Here are two articles.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2015/04/21/why-your-car-shouldnt-come-with-a-pair-of-augmented-reality-goggles/?wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1
http://spectrum.ieee.org/cars-that-think/transportation/self-driving/why-you-shouldnt-worry-about-googles-selfdriving-car-accidents/?utm_source=carsthatthink&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=051315

12. Red Cross Drones
The American Red Cross asked for a study that has reported that drones are one of the most promising technologies able to provide assistance following and during a disaster. In part, the report said, "Drones outfitted with cameras can broadcast a live video feed to emergency workers, providing them a better understanding of their circumstances. This provides many benefits such as knowing where it is safe to set-up their operations. Survivors can be located. The levels of flood waters can be tracked. Supplies, provided they aren't too heavy, can be delivered." Drones can provide first responders with invaluable benefit through a rapid, broad overview of a disaster area before emergency services are allocated where most needed. Here is more detail.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2015/04/21/american-red-cross-takes-serious-look-at-using-drones-for-disaster-relief-holds-off-for-now/?wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1

13. Very Inexpensive Computer
In early 2016, for $9, you will be able to buy a computer, the size of a credit card, that runs Linux and comes with a 1 GHz processor, 512 MB RAM, 4 GB storage, and built-in WiFi and Bluetooth for connecting to the Internet and other devices. That is enough computing power to surf the Web, play video games, check e-mail and use word processing software. The computer is called C.H.I.P. What global developers might do with a computer this inexpensive is almost unlimited. If a consumer wants a portable computer that can go anywhere, C.H.I.P can be turned into PocketC.H.I.P for $40. The PocketC.H.I.P enclosure adds a 4.3-inch touchscreen display, a full QWERTY keyboard, and an internal battery that powers PocketC.H.I.P. for up to five hours. Read about C.H.I.P. here.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2015/05/13/how-a-9-computer-could-change-the-way-we-think-about-computing/?wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1

14. Windows 10 Microsoft has just released some details about the new and coming Windows 10, including the editions of the operating system that will be available and the differing features that will be in the editions. The detail is in the article at the link.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/2922194/microsoft-windows/microsoft-releases-new-official-windows-10-details-including-the-editions.html?phint=newt%3Dinfoworld_daily&phint=idg_eid%3D3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381#tk.IFWNLE_nlt_daily_pm_2015-05-13

May 2015 SIR Computer Newsletter

1. IBM's Watson Ever since the IBM "Watson" computer system appeared on the TV quiz show Jeopardy, and soundly defeated two human Jeopardy champions, there has been significant interest in bringing the power of Watson's artificial intelligence and data analysis to both commercial and human assistance projects. IBM has been focusing Watson on the health care field with existing joint projects with leading medical centers, including Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and the Cleveland Clinic. Now IBM has expanded its health care work by forming Watson Health, a multi partner project initially teaming IBM, with three industry partners - Apple, Johnson & Johnson and Medtronic. Additionally, IBM is buying two start-ups - Explorys, a spin-off from the Cleveland Clinic whose data on 50 million patients is used to spot patterns in diseases, treatments and outcomes; and Phytel, a Dallas maker of software to manage patient care and reduce readmission rates to hospitals. The health care projects already planned for Watson Health are exciting. The power of computers and technology is again helping make each of our lives better, healthier and possibly longer.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/04/13/ibm-creates-watson-health-to-analyze-medical-data/?emc=edit_th_20150414&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0 Interestingly, the processing and data analysis capability of Watson also can be used to work like top chefs and culinary experts to create new dishes and food combinations that consumers love. Watson can analyze millions of ingredient combinations against data detailing human preferences for the taste, texture, look, mouth feel, etc. of food, enhancing the relentless experimentation by restaurants (including fast food chains) to find new dishes and food combinations. Here is an article about Watson designed foods we may soon be eating.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2015/04/15/how-ibm-watson-helped-me-to-create-a-tastier-burrito-than-chipotle/?wpisrc=nl_innov&wpmm=1

2. Planes Without Human Pilots? In 2014, airlines flew more than 8.5 million passenger flights, carrying more than 838 million passengers. Modern airliners carrying those passengers were largely computer controlled from takeoff through landing. Computer controlled autopilots use multiple sensors to know where the aircraft is, how it is performing and to make adjustments to take advantage of real time opportunities while keeping the aircraft and it's passengers safe, on course and on time. In recent surveys, Boeing 777 wide body airline pilots reported that they manually control the aircraft for less than seven minutes on flights lasting five or more hours. Airbus pilots reported manual control of less than 3.5 minutes. Is it now time to consider turning flight control over to computer robots and get the slower thinking human pilots out of the cockpit? Some future questions will be even harder. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/07/science/planes-without-pilots.html?emc=edit_th_20150407&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

3. Graphene - A New Material In 2004 a new material, called Graphene, was developed by two researchers who won the Nobel Prize for their discovery. There has been huge interest during the last decade in this new material. Now, the first commercial product, a Graphene light bulb, may soon enter the market. This bulb will last longer, use less electric power and cost less than the best LED bulbs just becoming available. Graphene is a two dimensional (2D) material, not a 3D material, because it is only one atom thick. As a result it's properties are phenomenal. It is 200 times stronger than steel, harder than diamond, and more conductive than silicon. "In non-scientific parlance, graphene makes electrons go all wobbly." Some of the futuristic ideas that have been floated for graphene have been truly awe-inspiring, such as building a space elevator from the Earth's surface to orbital altitude, suspended on Graphene wires. One could travel between the Earth and geosynchronous orbit riding in an elevator. Here is an article with more about Graphene and what else might be coming.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2015/04/02/why-the-graphene-light-bulb-could-switch-on-a-new-era-of-innovation/?wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1#

4. Wireless Charging All the mobile devices that we carry are powered by batteries that need to be recharged. There are cords and transformers and, in some cases, the need to find an electric outlet when we need to recharge in a public place. A number of existing companies and startup firms are working on different technologies that allow us to recharge our devices wirelessly. Nothing would be required beyond being in the vicinity of a charging point. This might mean simply walking into a business, like a coffee shop or a retail store, and the portable devices with you would begin to recharge and continue to recharge for as long as you were there. You would not need to remain still or even remove the rechargeable devices from your pocket. Here are links to two articles about different ideas and technologies that are being worked on to provide wireless recharging.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/2888266/power-management/wireless-charging-real-deal.html
http://www.infoworld.com/article/2905356/mobile-technology/start-up-touts-wireless-charging-from-wi-fi-and-bluetooth-signals.html?phint=newt%3Dinfoworld_techbrief&phint=idg_eid%3D3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381#tk.IFWNLE_techbrief_2015-04-02

5. Internet of Things The April 2015 SIR Computer Newsletter included an item about the Internet of Things (IoT), an expanding list of "things" connected to the Internet - devices, gadgets, applications, etc. Now IBM, who wants a piece of the huge and growing market of IoT devices, software and services, has committed $3 billion over four years to develop an IoT business unit. This is not surprising because projections of this market are very positive. IDC estimates that by 2021, as many as 28 billion IoT devices will be installed around the world. General Electric has predicted that IoT systems will add up to $15 trillion to global annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) over the next 20 years. The link below has much more detail. As the concept of IoT continues to expand, some are thinking beyond, to a new and growing concept, the Internet of Everything (IoE), a term meant to convey the outcomes that IoT will enable. A Silicon Valley friend provided this example. "Think of a pocket GPS, an IoT device, vs. healthcare agencies forecasting the likelihood of car accidents requiring medivac capability on the basis of real-time big data analysis of social media indicating an increased flow of elderly people driving to an Obamacare informational rally, with input from all their geo-locatable devices, not only their smartphones, and handheld GPS units but also their IoT and locatable pacemakers, watches, cars, hearing aids, "power canes" etc. That is what IoE is about." We clearly have ever changing technology and terminology to continue to learn about and to follow if we want to keep up.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/2903942/internet/ibm-to-pump-3-billion-into-new-iot-business-unit.html?phint=newt%3Dinfoworld_techbrief&phint=idg_eid%3D3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381#tk.IFWNLE_techbrief_2015-03-31

6. Amazon Drone Tests Amazon is testing it's drone delivery service, called Prime Air, in an undisclosed location in Canada because Amazon says the U.S. federal test approval process is too slow. The end goal is to utilize what Amazon sees as a slice of virgin airspace – above 200 feet, where most buildings end, and below 500 feet, where general aviation begins. Into that aerial slice the company plans to pour highly autonomous drones weighing less than 55 pounds, flying through corridors 10 miles long or longer at 50 mph and carrying payloads of up to 5 pounds that account for 86% of all the company's shipped packages.
http://fortune.com/2015/03/30/amazon-drones-canada/?xid=newsletter-brief

7. Facebook Has Drones Too Facebook supports multiple technologies to spread Internet access to remote and poor populations around the world. The company just announced that it is working on a high altitude drone, code named Aquila, that will use lasers to establish Internet connection and relay from consumers and Internet providers. Wide geographic areas will be covered by multiple Aquila drones that will communicate with each other to provide broad Internet coverage. Aquila is a large drone. It has a wingspan about equal to a Boeing 767 jetliner but it only weighs about as much as a car. It will fly at between 60,000 and 90,000 feet altitude, on multi-month missions, powered by wing mounted solar cells and four electric motor driven propellers. Here is an article that includes a picture of the Aquila drone.
http://techcrunch.com/2015/03/26/facebooks-aquila-drone-will-beam-down-internet-access-with-lasers/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_board

8. Technology Drives Tips Up You have just made a small purchase or finished a short taxi ride. You swipe your credit card and are ready to sign but the card reader ask you for the tip amount. You may not have even been considering giving a tip on such a small charge. What do you do? Research data shows that you give a tip. Research also shows that since the inclusion of payment methods beyond cash, tips have been increasingly added to purchases of goods and services and those tip amounts have been increasing as a percentage of the purchase amount. As an example, tips given to New York City taxi drivers averaged about 10 percent in the cash-based system. When credit card payment was added to the system, the average tip grew, in 1999, to 22%. As other technology payment systems have been added, merchants have learned that if the customer is asked to make a decision about giving a tip he is much more likely to not only include a tip, but also to increase the amount. When you next get your bill in a restaurant note that it probably suggest the tip amounts at 10%, 15% and 20%. What do you do? Here is an article about how you tip.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/03/27/how-technology-is-making-us-tip-more-than-ever/?wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1

9. Internet Explorer Goes in 10 Months If the browser on your computer is Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) you may have about ten months until Microsoft pulls support of the browser. Specifics vary depending on the version of IE that you are using and what Windows operating system is on the computer. Details are in the article at the link. After January 12, 2016 IE will continue to work but where support is terminated there will be no software updates, including security upgrades from Microsoft. If your version of IE will lose support you should either update to a new edition of IE or dump Microsoft for one of the other browsers that are available - almost all are free.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/2902262/applications/more-than-half-of-all-ie-users-face-patch-axe-in-10-months.html?phint=newt%3Dinfoworld_techbrief&phint=idg_eid%3D3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381#tk.IFWNLE_techbrief_2015-03-26

10. Military Force Fields Boeing has been granted a new patent for a "method and system for shockwave attenuation via electromagnetic arc". This patent effectively is for a force field that utilizes converging laser or microwave beams to attenuate the effect of a shockwave from an explosion. This is similar to what we have grown to see in fictional stories about the future like Star Trek and Star Wars. The "force field" is not designed to stop an incoming projectile like a bullet or a missile. It detects the shockwave from a very near explosion and almost instantly erects the force field to attenuate the explosion's shock wave and protect people and equipment from the explosion. Technology and computer processing power allow the very high speed detecting of the incoming shockwave, determining where to place the force field barrier and establishing the converging laser or microwave beams. Here is an article with more detail.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2015/03/25/force-fields-could-be-the-next-big-battlefield-innovation/?wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1

11. MS Office On Tablets For Free Microsoft has made a number of different attempts to sell their business suite, Office, to tablet computer users. Now, Microsoft has announced that later this year it will begin providing Office for free on new Samsung and Dell tablets plus tablets from a number of other manufacturers if they use the Android operating system. Users of such tablets have become comfortable without access to Office so many experts believe the free Office suite will be considered "bloatware" (unneeded junk software). Fortunately, tablets that include the free software will allow users to remove the Office software from the tablet.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/2900935/android/microsoft-pursues-android-users-preloading-office-on-samsung-dell-tablets.html?phint=newt%3Dinfoworld_techbrief&phint=idg_eid%3D3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381#tk.IFWNLE_techbrief_2015-03-24

12. Mercedes-Benz Self Driving Car In March 2015 Mercedes-Benz demonstrated its F 015 self driving concept car in the San Francisco Bay area. This car will never be available to the public in its present form as this vehicle is only designed to test and show an array of capabilities and features that Mercedes-Benz plans to include in future vehicles. At the link is a YouTube video showing the car. There are other videos of this car available on YouTube - just search there for "Mercedes-Benz F 015".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLW_ldALGBo&feature=youtube_gdata_player

13. Windows 10 Upgrade Path Microsoft has published its upgrade path to Windows 10 from various earlier Windows operating systems (OS's). The summer of 2015 has been mentioned as the projected time that Windows 10 upgrades will become available. If you are currently running Windows OS on your desktop, laptop or mobile device the Slashgear article at the link provides a summary checklist of the hardware requirements and current Windows OS configurations that can be upgraded to Windows 10.
http://www.slashgear.com/microsoft-reveals-windows-10-upgrade-checklist-19374383/

14. Charge While You Walk SolePower is a crowd funded (Kickstarter) startup that is producing insoles that fits in your shoes and generate electric power from your walking. The power is stored in a very small rechargeable battery that can then be used to charge a smartphone, a GPS device, or run battery powered lights. An average day's walking provides enough power to more than supply a smartphone for a day. Be sure to watch the video embedded in the article at the link.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/on-small-business/wp/2015/03/18/sxsw-start-up-snapshot-shoe-inserts-that-charge-your-phone-when-you-walk/?wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1

April 2015 SIR Computer Newsletter

1. Apple Store Success Retail industry reporting has previously noted that Apple Store retail locations generate more sales revenue per square foot than any other type of retail store. Now, the Wall Street Journal reports that "Apple draws so many shoppers that its stores single-handedly lift sales by 10% at the malls in which they operate, according to Green Street Advisors, a real-estate research firm." As a result, Apple is able to negotiate very favorable rental agreements in shopping malls. Additionally, other retailers in malls with an Apple Store are willing to pay higher rents because of the added sales opportunity brought by the presence of an Apple Store. Here is a Wall Street Journal article with more detail.
http://www.wsj.com/article_email/apple-gets-sweet-deals-from-mall-operators-1426007804-lMyQjAxMTI1NzEyMDkxOTA0Wj?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_board

2. First Responders and Technology The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is working with the Center for Innovative Technology, a Washington nonprofit organization, to identify commercially available wearable technology that could be modified to fit the requirements of, and provide assistance to, first responders. The Center has already selected two firms, Chicago-based TechNexus and Dallas-based Tech Wildcatters, to manage a nationwide competition of technology offerings. Six finalists will be chosen in May 2015, undergo a two-month training program in the summer and demonstrate their products to government customers and investors in September. This methodology is designed to reduce red tape and introduce start-up companies to a government market the firms may not have considered. Corporations can submit applications to enter the competition until May 10, 2015. Here is a link for more detail.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/dhs-competition-seeks-to-bring-wearable-technology-to-first-responders/2015/03/12/0c7ff3b8-c82d-11e4-b2a1-bed1aaea2816_story.html?wpisrc=nl_tech&wpmm=1

3. Better Passwords Every now and then it is appropriate to review positive tips and pitfalls to consider when deciding on passwords to protect you and your information. So, here we go.

PASSWORD TIP
Here's one way to create a strong password you'll remember: Think of a sentence or phrase that's meaningful to you (i.e., my oldest son Zac will be 15 years old on May 30!). Use the first letter of each word to create a password (i.e., mosZwb15yooM30!). Then change some of the letters to similar special characters (i.e., mo$Zwb15yooM30!). Warning: Do not use this example as a password. Now that it's been widely published, a hacker is likely to try it. A strong password should be 9 to 30 characters long and:
- contain at least one uppercase letter (A-Z)
- contain at least one lowercase letter (a-z)
- contain at least one number (0-9)
- contain at least one special character, like: # @ $ % ^ ! * + = _

PASSWORD PITFALLS
For your own protection, avoid passwords that use dictionary words in any language, personal information (such as your name, birthday, driver's license or passport number), sequences or repeated characters (such as AaBb1234#), or adjacent letters on your keyboard (like Werty12@#).

Writing down passwords or saving them on your computer can expose them to loss or theft. If you do choose to document your password, be sure to store it safely in a lockbox, or encrypt the document or file on your computer's hard drive.

4. Smart Auto Dashboard

When you next go to purchase a new car you will most likely be offered the choice of having the car connected to an Apple, or Google, or both, designed operating system that controls a large screen and some other controls on the car's dashboard. The Apple system is called CarPlay while the Google system is Android Auto. Both systems are well along in development and are experiencing wide acceptance by a number of auto manufacturers with roughly two dozen car brands signed on to offer one or both. Ford, General Motors, Audi, Honda, Volkswagen and Hyundai are among those onboard. Both CarPlay and Android Auto will provide the driver with access to, and control of, a number of functions that today are not available and/or are distracting or are not legal for drivers to do. Safety is key in both systems - functions are easy to perform, can be accomplished in less than the two second federal time limit, keep the drivers eyes on the road, etc. When you activate the auto system the screen on your smartphone will go blank. You can make phone calls but can only send text messages by voice, not by typing. Almost all functions will be controlled by voice commands to insure that the driver can keep his eyes on the road. Here is an article with much more detail.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/23/technology/rivals-google-and-apple-fight-for-the-dashboard.html?emc=edit_th_20150223&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

5. Lenovo Laptop Security
If you bought a new Lenovo laptop since August 2014 you should read the Wired article at the first link below. Lenovo included adware (a common practice), called a Superfish program, on some of these computers that a number of outside security firms believe open these laptops to cyber attack. Even if you do not have a new Lenovo laptop, the article at the first link provides the reader with an interesting and easy to follow description of how a security penetration can work and how it might also be detected. On February 20th, the US Department of Homeland Security warned new Lenovo laptop users to remove the Superfish software from their computers as it represents a significent threat of a cyber attack on the computer as long as the software is present. The second link gives details of the government warning.
http://www.wired.com/2015/02/lenovo-superfish/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_board
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/20/us-lenovo-cybersecurity-dhs-idUSKBN0LO21U20150220?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_board

6. Microsoft Phone Business
Microsoft has spent the last five years trying to get a foothold in the mobile phone business and taking market share away from Apple and it's iPhone and a number of other phone manufacturers running Google's Android software. Microsoft even spent $7 billion purchasing Nokia and its previous large handset business. After five years, Microsoft now clings precariously to a 3 percent share of new smartphone sales. Now, Microsoft is taking a different path. They would still like to be part of a growing market share of smartphones powered by a Windows operating system but are no longer pushing against the Apple iOS and Google Android operating systems. Microsoft is rapidly introducing popular, powerful and profitable software applications that run on Apple and Android powered phones. Individuals and enterprises can expect to find a growing warehouse of excellent Microsoft applications written specifically to run on phones powered by Apple and Android operating systems. Here is more detail. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/19/technology/personaltech/microsoft-has-suddenly-gotten-serious-with-mobile.html?emc=edit_th_20150219&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=1

7. Smartphone Cameras
You may have noticed that all the travelers, visitors and tourist that could be easily identified because of the large cameras they were carrying seem to have almost disappeared. At the same time, everyone you see, your spouse, your children, your co-workers, your neighbors and those tourist, has a fairly high quality camera with them all the time - it is in their smartphone, particularly the Apple iPhone. The traditional brands that manufactured and sold cameras, Kodak and Polaroid in the US, plus several Asian and European companies, are struggling to remain in business. The old camera companies so far have generally been too late and non-competitive with products they have introduced to the market while attempting stay up with technology and survive. Here is an article describing six products designed to help rescue traditional camera companies. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2015/03/03/6-way-too-late-attempts-from-the-camera-industry-to-compete-with-the-iphone/?wpisrc=nl_innov&wpmm=1 http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2015/03/03/6-way-too-late-attempts-from-the-camera-industry-to-compete-with-the-iphone/?wpisrc=nl_innov&wpmm=1

8. Pi = 3.1415926.....
You subscribe to this Newsletter because of your interest in computers. That interest easily can be extended to an interest in technology and to mathematics, the foundation of both technology and computer science. If you divide the distance around any circle by the distance across the circle, you will get 3.1415926535......, called Pi. Saturday, March 14, 2015, also written 3-14-15, was the official celebration of Pi (?), the magical, mathematical and infinite constant that is the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter. In honor of the celebration, the Washington Post published a fascinating article about Pi. It is at the link.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/03/14/10-stunning-images-show-the-beauty-hidden-in-pi/?wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1

9. Internet of Things Danger
The term "Internet of Things", (abbreviated IoT), refers to the flood of devices, installed and used in our homes, work places and on our bodies, that are connected wirelessly to the Internet. Every device you can think of is already available, or soon will be, as an IoT device - a toaster, your car, an alarm clock, a watch, a thermostat, your kitchen range, a light bulb, your electric tooth brush, a TV, etc. - everything. But is installing all these connected devices, designed to make your life better, there is a security risk or a danger of computers running wild. Think of the computer HAL in the movie "2001 A Space Odyssey". The InfoWorld article at the link includes a tale of an engineer who networked his entire home of IoT devices only to have his whole home crash when a burned out light bulb overloaded the network server with continuous messages saying it was burned out.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/2893600/mobile-technology/smart-home-or-dumb-security-risk.html?phint=newt%3Dinfoworld_techbrief&phint=idg_eid%3D3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381#tk.IFWNLE_techbrief_2015-03-06

10. Car Makers Fear Silicon Valley
Major auto companies attending the huge Geneva Auto Show displayed "palpable nervousness" that the car industry could be next in line for disruption by Silicon Valley. There was particular concern about Apple and Google who, although not directly represented at the Auto Show, were the topic of conversations across the show floor. Cars are becoming more and more controlled by on board computers and are connected to a broad range of services through the Internet. Apple and Google are already displacing auto company designed dashboard displays and controls. (See item #4 above) These companies are expert in computer and connection technology and have huge bank accounts looking for places to be invested. Here is an article with more and interesting detail.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/04/business/international/at-geneva-auto-show-worry-about-silicon-valley.html?emc=edit_th_20150304&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125

11. One Trillion $ Company
It appears clear that the first company in the world to be worth $ 1 Trillion will be a technology company. Many bets are being placed on Apple to be that company but an equal number of predictions favor other technology companies, some that we know and some that are not yet visible or don't yet exist. Remember not too many years ago when Microsoft, Dell, Nokia, Cisco and Intel looked to be the most successful companies in the world and in position to stay there. Things changed. What technologies will lead what companies to the front of the pack, and in turn, to the first One Trillion $ company? Consider the thoughts in the article at the link. Remember, $1 trillion in annual revenue means selling seven billion people one item each that costs $143.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2015/02/27/the-epic-quest-to-become-the-first-1-trillion-company/?wpisrc=nl_innov&wpmm=1

12. Your Organized Mind
Do you think that there is a limit to your ability to make the thousands of decisions, large and small, that you make every day? Is it possible that the flood of information available and presented to each of us every day, through TV, radio, e-mail, the Internet, the press, movies, technology, etc. can slow down or even defeat our ability to make decisions? If you are interested, make one more decision and decide to read the article at the link for some thoughts on these questions.
http://www.delanceyplace.com/view_archives.php?2740&p=2740

13. IBM High Security Tablet
Later this year, IBM will begin selling to government customers, a modified Samsung, Android powered tablet computer. The tablet, a 16GB, LTE-equipped Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 is bundled with a mix of high security software from IBM and a Secusmart's special MicroSD card that will provide the customer with greatly enhanced security. The price of the modified tablet, with a one year service contract, will increase from $500 for a retail Galaxy Tab S 10.5 to $2380 each.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/2896644/mobile-security/ibm-teams-with-blackberry-and-samsung-to-offer-governments-a-secure-android-tablet.html?phint=newt%3Dinfoworld_techbrief&phint=idg_eid%3D3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381#tk.IFWNLE_techbrief_2015-03-16

March 2015 SIR Computer Newsletter

1. Microsoft Windows 10 is coming. Microsoft will announce its new 1. Here are three short summaries of items that may be of interest to you, along with links to appropriate articles with more detail.
    A. In the fourth quarter of 2014 Apple brought in $18 billion in earnings which included 93% of the global profit from the sale of mobile phones. Samsung, who manufactures Android powered phones, captured almost all of the remaining 17% but Samsung's profit continues to decline.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/09/apple-grabs-93-of-the-handset-industrys-profit-report-says/?emc=edit_th_20150210&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=1
   B. The US Postal Service (USPS) has continued to lose revenue as the volume of "snail mail" delivered items decline because customers are communicating electronically through the Internet. Now, a survey by a major utility showed that 91% of customers chose to receive their billing statements by mail, even though only one-quarter of them pay that way. Customers said the physical, paper bill was valuable as a reminder and as a payment receipt even though most actually paid the bill on-line.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/wp/2015/02/10/can-the-usps-can-cling-to-hope-that-people-still-want-paper-bills/
   C. IBM has filed a patent infringement suit against the travel service, Priceline.com, for using IBM’s patented processes on its website and two other sites owned by Priceline, the restaurant reservation service OpenTable and the travel-booking agent Kayak.com.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/02/10/ibm_sues_priceline/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_board

2. Drones of all kinds are showing up everywhere. You will find several items in this Newsletter about drones and the things they can do. There are large, airplane size drones, like the models used today to watch and even attack military targets. There are small drones, like the ones you can buy in your neighborhood electronics store for $20 and your children can fly inside your home. There are drones of all sizes and capability in between. What do we do when there are drones that we don't want operating in some places because they are a threat to our personal or even national security? A drone recently landed on the White House lawn and the US Secret Service never knew it was there. The French are seeing a number of drone flights, of unknown source, over and near nuclear power plants. The problem is complex. You must detect the drone, determine if it represents a threat, decide what action to take if any, track the drone and intercept the drone either physically, electronically or with a directed energy weapon. Here is an article with some thoughts.
http://www.wirelessdesignmag.com/news/2015/02/high-tech-solutions-countering-unwanted-drones?et_cid=4400663&et_rid=620730920&type=cta

3. The recent cyber attack on Anthem that resulted in the compromise of identity information of 80 million people, preceded by a similar attack on JP Morgan Chase, has accelerated the debate about the use of only User Name plus a Password for access to computer systems in the investment and banking industry. We can expect government regulators to require new rules on identity verification, particularly for access to financial accounts. Enhanced procedures might still require a user name and a password plus something else - some biometric data like a finger print or an iris scan, for example. Another two layer log on is - enter user name and password, then the system will send a numerical pass key as a text message to your mobile phone, and you then enter the pass key to complete your secure log on. Here is a link to an article with more detail.
http://time.com/3700203/anthem-identity-theft-hacking/?xid=newsletter-brief

4. Google is one of the top five companies in the world. There are now a number of indicators that Google is studying and making positioning decisions that support a major move into the telecommunications market space. Google is already providing very high speed (one gigabit per second) Internet connections to homes in an expanding number of cities. This speed is one hundred times faster than the national average Internet connection speed. They are about to introduce a Google branded smartphone. They are reported to be engaged in business conversations with mobile carriers Sprint and T-Mobile. At the link is a very interesting article, published by the Washington Post, about what, why and how Google may soon be a major player in the Telcom market.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2015/02/06/google-is-serious-about-taking-on-telecom-heres-why-itll-win/

5. Here is an item on the very current use of drones. In January, two BBC producers used a camera carrying drone to provide views of the Auschwitz World War II death camp that have never been available before. The resulting video is available on YouTube and has already had over five million views in the first week. The first link below tells about shooting, editing and building the video. The second link is directly to the YouTube video. A summary of the views in the video follows here. The drone video shows the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp as it is today - 70 years after it was liberated by Soviet troops. The camp in Poland is now maintained as a World Heritage Site and is visited by thousands of tourists and survivors every year. Auschwitz was the largest camp established by the Germans during World War II. More than a million people - the vast majority of them Jews - died there between 1940, when it was built, and 1945, when it was liberated by the Soviet army. Here is some of what you will see in the video. Railway tracks into Auschwitz-Birkenau - Trains filled with victims from throughout occupied Europe arrived at the camp almost every day between 1942 and the summer of 1944. Ruins of wooden huts at Birkenau - Birkenau (or Auschwitz II) was erected in 1941 solely as a death camp, the wooden huts are now in ruins with only brick fireplaces and chimneys remaining. Entrance to Auschwitz I -The wrought-iron sign over the entrance bears the words Arbeit Macht Frei - "Work sets you free". Auschwitz I - The brick-built buildings were the former cavalry barracks of the Polish Army. Courtyard between blocks 10 and 11 at Auschwitz I - Block 11 was called "the Block of Death" by prisoners. Executions took place between Block 10 and Block 11 and posts in the yard were used to string up prisoners by their wrists. Auschwitz Birkenau is now a museum run by the Polish Culture Ministry, and is a Unesco world heritage site.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2015/02/03/the-story-behind-the-viral-bbc-video-of-auschwitz-that-was-shot-with-a-drone/?wpisrc=nl_innov&wpmm=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=449ZOWbUkf0&feature=youtube_gdata_player

6. On February 1, 2015 the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) raised the speed used to define broadband when computing market share of broadband service providers. The definition changed from 4Mbps (Megabits per second) downstream and 1Mbps upstream to 25Mbps downstream and 3Mbps upstream. Comcast, the largest provider of broadband connection, objected to the change because Comcast is seeking FCC sign off for the purchase of Time Warner Cable. The change increases the Comcast market share of 25Mbps and faster to 56.8 percent excluding mobile broadband and 44.7 percent including mobile broadband. The new definition increases the Comcast market share because competing broadband providers, using DSL technology, have difficulty providing speeds of 25Mbps and faster while more than half of Comcast's customers enjoy such speed. Comcast does not want the change in measurement method, that now shows Comcast having more than half of the U.S. home broadband market, to influence FCC approval of their Time Warner purchase. http://arstechnica.com/business/2015/01/comcast-now-has-more-than-half-of-all-us-broadband-customers/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_board

7. In the 1960's, when men first flew to, landed and walked on the moon, the Apollo Spacecraft Guidance Computer had a 2.048 MHz processor - slower than those you find today in a musical greeting card. Technology growth and the cost of newer technology has moved us to the point where today, governments are not the only sponsors of trips to the moon and beyond. The Google Lunar X Prize will award $30 million to the entrant who develops a robot that can safely land on the surface of the moon, travel 500 meters over the lunar surface, and send mooncasts back to the Earth. Today there are five teams competing for the prize. Before we know it, there will be commercial businesses traveling to the moon. Some predict that within 20 years individuals will be able to buy a ticket to fly to the moon for a vacation that today we can only imagine. This article uncovers some of these dreams.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2015/01/26/looking-for-an-exotic-vacation-heres-why-moon-travel-may-be-only-20-years-away/?wpisrc=nl_innov&wpmm=1

8. IBM is engaged in an effort to use computer technology and computer power to make the food we eat safer. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 48 million Americans suffer from some kind of food-borne diseases annually. IBM, working with other companies, governments and universities, believes that different foods and food components can be genetically scanned to develop profiles of what that food item should look like. The profiles can be stored in a huge database. With todays computer technology, foods or food items can then be quickly scanned and compared to the database. When disease or foreign elements are detected as a result of the comparison the suspect food or food component can be further investigated to determine if it safe. Here is a link to an article from TIME with the details.
http://time.com/3687374/ibm-thinks-it-can-make-your-food-safer-will-it-work/?xid=newsletter-brief

9. Previous issues of this Newsletter (November 2014 and February 2015) have included items about Marriott International being fined by the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) for blocking the use of personal Wi-Fi hot spots by guest in Marriott hotels and convention centers. After pressure from the FCC and several commercial firms, Marriott announced it would stop the hot spot blocking. To close the issue completely, on January 27, 2015, the FCC announced that it would "no longer tolerate hotels, convention centers or others intentionally interfering with personal Wi-Fi hotspots", that such Wi-Fi blocking is "prohibited" and that it would aggressively investigate reports of such interference. If you use your mobile device as a Wi-Fi hotspot don't hesitate to report any suspected interference to the FCC.
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2015/01/fcc-blocking-wi-fi-in-hotels-is-prohibited/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_board

10. Microsoft announced that Windows 10 will be offered as a free upgrade to Windows 7, 8, and 8.1, as well as Windows Phone operating systems, during the first year of Windows 10's release. Users who wait and upgrade beyond the first year will have to pay a fee for the upgrade. The amount of such an upgrade fee was not announced.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/2873374/microsoft-windows/windows-10-upgrades-will-be-free-for-existing-windows-users-at-first.html

11. Here is a story about a flying drone that could help save your life. A team, led by a Dutch student at Technical University Delft is working to deploy ambulance drone flying vehicles to rapidly respond to medical emergencies. The drone could arrive significantly faster, bring essential emergency equipment, like a consumer operated defibrillator, and maintain communications with those assisting a victim while waiting for arrival of emergency responders. Once the drone reaches the scene, the drone dispatcher/paramedic, using the drone's on-board camera and connection to the EMS control center, can watch, talk to those at the scene and instruct those helping the victim. Here is a YouTube video showing this drone at work.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-rEI4bezWc&feature=youtube_gdata_player

12. The highly respected security firm, Kaspersky Lab, reported that US and some other nations cyber security organizations have, for at least 14 years, been able to penetrate the most sophisticated cyber security defenses of target nations and business firms to monitor their networks and plant malware for intelligence missions. Additionally, target networks, not connected to the Internet for security reasons, have been penetrated through USB devices carrying undetectable and unremovable malware that acts when the device is temporarily connected to the target network. Here is a very interesting Washington Post article with details of the Kaspersky report.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2015/02/17/the-nsa-has-reportedly-found-ways-to-avoid-even-the-strongest-security-measures/

February 2015 SIR Computer Newsletter

1. Microsoft Windows 10 is coming. Microsoft will announce its new operating system, Windows 10, in a live broadcast, streamed on the Internet, on Wednesday, January 21, 2015, at 9:00 AM Pacific Time (5 PM GMT). The Microsoft website has information about where you can access the January 21st webcast.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/2871028/operating-systems/microsoft-to-webcast-next-weeks-windows-10-keynote.html?phint=newt%3Dinfoworld_techbrief&phint=idg_eid%3D3f70579c718d8ac1a8e7c51e97432381#tk.IFWNLE_techbrief_2015-01-16

2. One of the broad terms seen at the 2015 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas is the "Internet of Things". This term means that soon, almost everything that you use daily will be connected to the Internet - your toaster, your car, your watch, your washer and dryer, your shoes, your toothbrush, etc. - everything. Samsung Electronics, for example, announced that shortly every Samsung product will be an Internet of Things product. Cisco believes this could be a $19 trillion market with 50 billion objects connected to the Internet by 2020. Many other companies are using this idea in their current product and services marketing. The problem that is being faced is that the consuming public is not buying the idea. Most people do not need, or want, an alert on their smartphone that their toast is finished being toasted or that their car has not been washed in two weeks. The first link below is an interesting article about the "Internet of Things" as seen from this year's CES. The second link suggest three reasons why the Internet of Things won't work.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2015/01/07/firms-are-selling-the-internet-of-things-hard-at-this-years-ces-but-are-consumers-buying-it/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2015/01/16/3-reasons-why-the-internet-of-things-still-doesnt-make-sense/

3. The Washington Post published an interesting article describing five new technologies that may change how you shop. The technologies are identified and described in the article at the link. First - Toshiba TCxAmplify - When shopping in a grocery store supporting the technology, you use your smartphone to scan items as you place then in your shopping cart. When finished shopping you wave your phone at a register terminal and pay for the purchase using a credit card or a digital wallet such as Apple Pay, and you are on your way home. Second - Intel MemoMi MemoryMirror - When clothing shopping at Neiman Marcus, step up to a full length mirror, which really is a human size color display, to see how you look in an item you have selected. Using hand gestures, you can change the color of the outfit in the "mirror" and can even compare two looks side-by-side. Third - Panasonic Powershelf - Uses a weight sensitive pad on the store shelf to immediately notify store employees when restocking is required. Additionally, Powershelf uses a digital display to show shoppers the item price. Management can instantly adjust the price display for any item in a single store or across a network of stores without having to deal with paper price tags on the shelf edge. Fourth - Shelfbucks - Hold your smartphone up to a sensor for an item of interest in a store and receive additional product information and discount coupons for the item if available. Fifth - Microsoft's fast-food self-ordering kiosk - the customer builds his own order instead of giving the order to a store employee standing at a cash register. Hardee's restaurants are using this technology and finding that customers who order through the kiosk's are spending more on their orders. Interesting. Here is the article.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/business/wp/2015/01/14/5-new-technologies-that-may-change-how-you-shop/

4. The November 2014 issue of this Newsletter (issued 10/20/2014) included an item reporting that the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) had fined Marriott International $600,000 for blocking the ability of their customers and guest connecting to the Internet through personal WiFi hotspots instead of connecting via an available Marriott WiFi network that the customer must pay for. Marriott, through one of its business partners, and with the trade group the American Hotel and Lodging Association, asked the FCC to clarify when hotels can block outside Wi-Fi hotspots in order to protect their internal Wi-Fi services. The request is based on the hotel's use of already FCC approved equipment that happens to interfere with other WiFi equipment attempting connection in the hotel. The FCC has not yet responded or even decided if it will respond. More recently Google and Microsoft entered the battle by siding with the FCC against the Marriott position that blocking WiFi access of guest is ok. On January 15, 2015 Marriott yielded (see link below) when it announced that it would no longer attempt to block the use of personal hotspots by guest in Marriott hotels and convention centers.
http://www.inc.com/kimberly-weisul/marriott-abandons-quest-to-block-your-personal-hotspot.html?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_board

5. Many people who use a smartphone or tablet do not enjoy writing long passages on a touchscreen keyboard. They want a better keyboard with feedback when typing, full size when in use and compact when being carried. Numerous vendors have developed such keyboards but all seem to have fallen short in providing all the features that users want. Now a crowd-funded startup, WayTools, has developed a keyboard for smartphone and tablet users, called TextBlade, that looks very promising. (I do not have any investment or other interest in WayTools, the developers of TextBlade. The company is a startup that was crowd-funded, like through Kickstarter, and is not available for public investment. Crowd-funded businesses give investors discounts and early shipment on the funded product but they do not give any equity position in the company. Such startup companies often pop up with a killer product, sell a bunch, make millions of $ for a small number of founders and investors and then die when they don't develop a second killer product.) If you are interested in a TextBlade keyboard read the article at the link and also visit the company website at www.waytools.com for a series of excellent videos of the keyboard that will play automatically once you start the first video. Here is the article link.
http://www.technologytell.com/apple/145325/textblade-something-completely-different-keyboard-input/

6. Now that many of us are retired and can travel for our own pleasure it is interesting to see what we might be experiencing as technology developments are applied to the passenger experience. We have seen some come in recent time - video screens for every seat, on the back of the seat in front of you. Remember telephones available from every seat - they have come, been on most airplanes and now disappeared as mobile phone technology moved ahead. At the link is an article discussing seven changes that you as an airline passenger may see in your future retired travel.
http://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/escapes/scout/7-Airline-Innovations-That-Will-Change-the-Way-We-Fly.html

7. Every twelve months, when the calendar year changes, we are faced with predictions of every kind of what to expect in the new year - which politician to watch and follow, what movies will win at the box office, what natural disasters to expect, what foods will become favorites, etc. Since the people who read this Newsletter are interested in computers and technology it is appropriate to look at at least one article projecting the most anticipated technical innovations to expect in 2015. The Washington Post article at the link says there will be several items of wearable technology, several will support recreation, transportation and entertainment, several will aid communications. Find the specific innovations at this link.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2015/01/02/the-most-anticipated-innovations-coming-in-2015/

8. Each January in recent years has been the time of the huge Consumer Electronics Show (CES) where the public for the first time can see the newest electronic devices that will soon be available to consumers. The 2015 CES drew huge crowds who found that a significant focus of this year's show was in the automotive industry. The "connected" vehicle, be it a car or truck, includes numerous ways for the drivers and passengers of vehicles to remain in contact with multiple aspects of the world, both inside and outside the vehicle. One of the broadly shown technologies was the use of heads-up displays (HUD) where key data about the vehicle, the vehicle's surroundings and the outside world is projected on the vehicle windshield in the driver's line of sight. Needless to say, there are different opinions about the use of HUD, its safety, and if used, what information should be displayed. Here is a Washington Post article about the heads-up automotive technology shown by multiple vendors at the 2015 CES.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/heads-up-technology-puts-data-on-car-windshields-at-ces/2015/01/06/036afdf6-95e5-11e4-927a-4fa2638cd1b0_story.html?wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1

9. Car instrument panels have become a array of buttons, knobs, screens, switches and lights. Their use has become confusing and distracting for drivers and has resulted in reduced attention to the requirement for focus on driving. Now, auto manufacturers are rethinking the design interface that drivers will confront. Larger touch screens, like those widely available on tablet computers, use generally accepted touch gestures to accomplish specific functions. Multiple car manufacturers are developing driver control interfaces based on what has been learned through the broad use of tablet touch screens. At the link you can read about what various manufactures are considering and what your next new car might include.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/02/automobiles/to-tame-dashboard-chaos-carmakers-take-a-hint-from-tablets.html?emc=edit_th_20150102&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=1

10. The National Aviation and Space Administration (NASA) is investigating the development of airliners that would be operated with a cockpit crew of a single pilot instead of the traditional two person crew of a pilot and copilot. The NASA investigation is being managed by Rockwell Collins. Part of the investigation includes consideration of performing some of the copilot functions from the ground through technology developed to control unmanned flying vehicles or drones. Here is an article with some thoughts on single pilot airliners.
http://flightclub.jalopnik.com/the-thought-of-a-single-pilot-airliner-is-just-a-bit-sc-1677413476

11. There have been several items in previous issues of this Newsletter about the rapidly growing number of applications for the use of drone vehicles. There are drone vehicles, with various levels of computer and human control, being developed or used to support a number of commercial and government missions. Drones can deliver all kinds of packages, from business items to medical devices and drugs. They can survey, photograph items of interest, provide recconisance for civilian and military analysis and deliver weapons on targets. The military already has numerous drone vehicles performing missions that we read about in the press. Now, the Defense Department's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is contracting for the development of drones that are small enough to fly through a window, operate autonomously inside of a building while moving fast enough to avoid interception and navigating and avoiding objects to either collect information or deliver weapons on a target. Here is an article about these indoor drones.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/12/30/dod-wants-to-build-drones-that-can-buzz-into-bad-guys-doorways/


12. Our growth with technology has taught us that as time moves forward our ability to process things is faster, our access is broader, our ability to store information is less expensive, our communications are easier and all of what we do is supported more and more by the technology that is everywhere. One of the effects of this technical growth is the fact that we have become digital hoarders. We save everything - every document, every email, every photo, every video, every text message - even though we probably will never look at the item again and if we want to we may be unable to find it anyway. When we buy new digital devices like smartphones or computers, be they desktops, laptops or tablets, or attached devices, they all have more and more storage capacity. If we fill up the built in storage we add external hard drives and thumb drives. Now we can store even more in "the cloud", on remote servers. All of this additional hardware and cloud hoarding space is growing while at the same time becoming more inexpensive. At the link is an interesting article about our digital hoarding. Maybe reading his will modify your behavior.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2014/12/16/just-say-no-to-digital-hoarding/?wpisrc=nl-inn&wpmm=1

13. The State of Iowa is working to become the first state to offer residents the ability to carry their drivers license electronically in their smartphone. Drivers would be offered the ability to carry their license in their wallet, in their smartphone or both. The concept of an electronic license and an smartphone application to support it is still in early development. Legal experts say that there are a number issues that need to be resolved regarding security, legality and individual privacy. What happens if, for example, a police officer drops the phone on the highway and a semi runs over it? Who will be liable? What happens if your phone locks automatically while the police officer is checking the electronic license? What happens if someone sends a text message to the phone while the police officer is holding it? The U.S. Supreme Court has already ruled that the police cannot see your text messages or other smartphone content without your permission or a warrant. Here is an article with more to consider.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/12/17/iowa-pursues-a-virtual-drivers-license-app/?emc=edit_ct_20141218&nl=technology&nlid=45350125&_r=0
January 2015 SIR Computer Newsletter

1. The rapidly growing global use of mobile digital platforms (smartphones, tablet computers and ultra light weight laptop computers) continues to increase the demand for services and applications that can be delivered and used through these mobile platforms. One of the highest demands is for the streaming of live TV broadcast to these devices. In the U.S. this is a significant problem because the producers of TV programming, particularly the major networks of ABC, NBC and CBS, want to maintain control of distribution of their productions. Several months ago a startup company, Aereo, attempted to enter this marketplace by capturing free, through the air broadcast on an antenna and rebroadcasting this TV programming through the Internet to be receivable on any Internet connected device. The broadcast networks filed suit and the U.S. Supreme Court found in favor of the networks - Aereo has since filed for bankruptcy. The networks will fight hard to protect the billions of dollars they collect in retransmission fees from cable companies and satellite providers who rebroadcast the network programs. Now, all three major networks, with NBC the most recent, are offering streaming of broadcast to Internet connected devices - but, no, control has not been given up - the user must use their cable login to access the programming. This means that if you attempt to save money by terminating your subscription to cable or satellite TV (called "cutting the cord") you will not be able to watch broadcast TV through your Internet connected device. Too bad!!!!
http://mashable.com/2014/12/16/nbc-live-streaming/?wpisrc=nl-swbd&wpmm=1

2. Data collected during the week of Thanksgiving, compared with last year's data, showed that the sale of TV's with screens measuring 32 inches or smaller are down by 50% while the sales of TV's with larger screens are significantly higher than previous years. Sales of sets with screens 33'' - 49" increased 21%, screens 50" - 64" increased 35% and sales of the largest screens, 65" and larger, increased by 100%. All your friends and neighbors have big screen TVs, so now is a great time to dump that old, small screen, tube TV and join the crowd. After all - it's almost 2015. Here is more information.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/12/16/how-cord-cutting-is-changing-the-kinds-of-tvs-we-buy/

3. Almost all of us have a mobile phone, be it a smartphone or feature equipped cellphone. Some of us have disconnected our home from a wired telephone and use our mobile phone for all telephone communications. Those unwanted spam telephone calls we receive, often at dinner time, are arriving more frequently on our mobile phone as we shift away from wired telephone service. At the link is an interesting InfoWorld article about our use of mobile phones, the spam calls we receive and the care we should take when we debate who we should provide our mobile number to.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/2854033/internet-privacy/your-cell-phone-number-to-give-or-not-to-give.html?phint=newt%3Dinfoworld_daily&phint=idg_eid%3D103af277744610d7e46832321c23f931#tk.IFWNLE_nlt_daily_pm_2014-12-12

4. Comcast has recently been contacting its Comcast Internet service subscribers and asking these customers to sign up for a new, replacement cable modem that will support the newly available doubled speed Internet service to their homes. Additionally, the new equipment replaces not only the old cable modem but also the customer's requirement for a wireless router to support private WiFi in the customers home. Now, two Bay Area Comcast customers have filed suit against Comcast. They charge that the new Comcast equipment they installed in their home not only supports their personal home requirements but also provides a second, secret wireless channel that the public can use as a wireless Wi-Fi hotspot whenever that public wireless user is within range of the Comcast equipment. The suit charges that without the customer's knowledge or permission, Comcast is using the customer's electric power, clogging the Internet bandwidth to the customer's home and threatening the customer's privacy. Here is a link to an article with more detail.
http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Comcast-sued-for-turning-home-Wi-Fi-routers-into-5943750.php?wpisrc=nl-swbd&wpmm=1

5. One of the technologies already available on a number mobile devices is called "lock/wipe/restore". This technology, if fully implemented, allows the owner of the mobile device (phone, tablet, etc.) if it is stolen, to remotely lock access to the device, thus rendering the device useless, to remotely erase (wipe) the entire content of the device and, if the stolen device is recovered, for the owner to restore the device content. Lock/wipe/restore is a significant deterrent to stealing these mobile devices. Most major manufacturers and mobile network carriers have volunteered to include lock/wipe/restore in their mobile devices by mid-2015. Now, a recently released government study shows that one out of every ten robberies in the U.S. includes the theft of a mobile device. As a result, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is asking that implementation of lock/wipe/restore be moved forward to the end of March 2015 and that manufacturers and mobile network carriers formally agree to do so. The manufacturers and carriers don't want to be told to do it but want to continue the position of "volunteering" to implement the technology. Here are the details.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/12/05/crazy-1-in-every-10-robberies-involves-the-theft-of-a-phone/?wpisrc=nl-swbd&wpmm=1

6. Interacting with your bank through a mobile device, usually a smartphone or tablet computer, is called Mobile Banking. All major banks have Mobile Banking software applications (apps) that can be downloaded and installed on your mobile device. Beside simply checking account balances, one of the most popular mobile functions is the ability to deposit a check using the mobile device. Slightly different procedures are used by different banks but in most you endorse the check, open the Mobile Banking app, use the camera to photograph both sides of the check you are depositing, tap deposit on the screen and you will get acknowledgement that the deposit has been received. At the link is a helpful NY Times article with some comments and suggestions about check depositing through mobile banking - How long do you retain the paper check? How should the check be endorsed? When will deposited funds be available? Etc.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/06/your-money/some-drawbacks-in-tapping-the-phone-to-deposit-a-check.html?emc=edit_th_20141206&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

7. Every year, for almost 100 years, each of us has had the opportunity to purchase and enjoy Girl Scout cookies sold by Girl Scouts at our home front door, at our place of work, outside a store or in a shopping center. Now, the Girl Scouts are going digital with the ability for you to order your cookie selections on-line or through an application (app) running on a mobile device. More than a million Girl Scouts sell more than $800 million in cookies each year. Digital sales will provide another choice in how customers can place their orders and are expected to add additional revenue for the Girl Scouts.
http://time.com/3611308/girl-scouts-e-comerce-digital-cookie-sales/?xid=newsletter-brief

8. The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and the destruction of the World Trade Center towers took the lives of 658 of the 960 New York based employees of the large bond trading company, Cantor Fitzgerald. Along with that tragic loss of life went the knowledge of, and passwords to, thousands of accounts, files and documents necessary for the company to continue to exist as a business. The effort by Cantor Fitzgerald, with help from Microsoft and a number of cyber security firms to recover the lost passwords included detailed study of the psychology of how and why people select the passwords they use. The excellent New York Times article at the link begins with the Cantor Fitzgerald story and then follows with the who, how and why of passwords we choose. You will find it will help you understand your password selections.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/19/magazine/the-secret-life-of-passwords.html?emc=edit_th_20141121&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125

9. "Text Neck" is a medical condition increasingly showing up as a result of bending the neck forward to work on mobile devices like smartphones and tablet computers. If you use a mobile device you might want to read the article at the link. Old age already results in enough health issues as parts wear out. While aging creeps up on today's young people, who are heavy into using mobile devices, they may have yet another aging condition to expect and may want to work now to prevent - "Text Neck".
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/11/20/text-neck-is-becoming-an-epidemic-and-could-wreck-your-spine/
December 2014 SIR Computer Newsletter

1. In the not too distant future the smartphone in your pocket may be able to warn you that an earthquake will shortly begin to shake the ground under your feet. The Seismological Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley in conjunction with the Deutsche Telekom Innovation Laboratories, are looking into the possibility that a smartphone application (app) could send out alerts of coming quakes to mobile phone users, giving them precious seconds of lead time before a tremor. An app named MyShake uses smartphone accelerometers and locaters to combine with information from 400 ground installed seismometers in California to determine that a quake alert is appropriate. Other apps that provide smartphones with earthquake information, but not warning, are already available. Some desktop applications are also up and running. If you have a smartphone and may experience an earthquake you may want to read the article at this link.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/13/technology/personaltech/an-earthquake-warning-system-in-your-pocket.html?emc=edit_ct_20141113&nl=technology&nlid=45350125

2. We all expect that the larger developers and producers of computer software will detect flaws, coding errors and weaknesses in their software that could do harm or put users at risk. Our expectation is just that, an expectation, but not necessarily a fact. One of the world's largest software providers, Microsoft, has just detected and corrected a major flaw in Windows that could have allowed hackers to penetrate and take control of computers through the Windows flaw. The software bug has been present and remotely exploitable in every Windows product since the initial release of Windows 95 - for 19 years. There are other similar stories. Why does it take so long to find these software bugs? Here is an article that could help explain the answer.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/11/12/microsoft-just-squashed-a-19-year-old-software-bug-how-did-it-go-undetected-so-long/

3. Articles, newscast and expert comments about "Net Neutrality" have filled the press recently. Some may not know what this hot topic is all about and what the differing positions on the issue are about. The Washington Post has published a short, excellent article that explains, in plain language, what net neutrality is, what the different positions are and who supports them. Here is a link.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/11/12/the-split-between-obama-and-the-fcc-on-net-neutrality-in-plain-english/

4. The Breakthrough Prize award ceremony was held at NASA's Moffett Airfield Hanger One (the huge former airship hanger) on November 9, 2014. The Breakthrough Prizes are for outstanding efforts in science and technology and pay the winning scientist and developers prizes of $3 million each. That amount is twice what is paid to Nobel Prize winners and three times what the MacArthur Foundation pays for its "Genius" grants. There were 12 Breakthrough Prize winners, with three of particular significance - one for Science, one for Math and one for Physics - that you can read about them at the link below. You may want to follow these ideas through 2015. Here is the link.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2014/11/11/these-are-3-breakthrough-science-ideas-youll-be-talking-about-in-2015/

5. During the October 27, 2014 SIR Branch 1 Computer Group meeting there was a discussion about a ransomware infection named CryptoWall 2.0 that if it infects your computer denies you access to all files on your computer by encrypting them. The infecting software then demands payment of a fee of $500, that increases to $1,000 after seven days, for a decrypt software tool to unlock your files. If payment is made it is in bitcoin to shifting and encrypted account numbers, in shifting international financial institutions. There is no guarantee of receiving the decrypt tool even if payment is made. My spouse had the misfortune of having her Windows 7 powered desktop infected with CryptoWall. We have been unable to determine how the infection occurred. She is very diligent in avoiding activities that could result in a malware infection. The malware itself can be easily removed from the computer but the encrypted files (documents of all types, pictures, videos, etc.) it has already replaced your files with can not be opened. The encryption method used is so sophisticated that decrypting the files would present a significant challenge a three letter U.S. Government agency (think NSA or CIA). According to experts, the only remedy is to either pay the ransom to be able to recover your files or to completely overwrite and then reformat the computer hard drive to return it to just manufactured condition. Here is a link to an article about this threat, what it does, how it does it and things you can do before and after such an infection. (FYI, this Computer Newsletter is produced on an Apple machine and has never been produced on the Windows computer.)
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/virus-removal/cryptowall-ransomware-information

6. Any of you who watched the November 4th election coverage on CNN had the opportunity to see a marketing campaign for the Microsoft Surface tablet computer fail for all the world to see. Microsoft has been spending millions of dollars on advertising and TV prime time product placement in it's continued effort to get sales traction for the Surface tablet in a market that is completely dominated by the Apple iPad, followed by several tablet models powered by the Google Android operating system. None of Microsoft's efforts have succeeded to date. For election night coverage Microsoft appears to have provided Surface tablets for use by the eight CNN on-stage political commentators, experts and reporters. As the evening moved on, it became clear that the Microsoft Surface tablets on all of the onstage desks were being used as stands to prop up Apple iPads that the experts and reporters were actually using. Here is an article about this.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/11/05/cnns-election-night-coverage-featured-microsofts-surface-being-used-as-an-ipad-stand/

7. A major international metrics company, Net Applications, reports that in October the number of users of Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 grew significantly while the number of users of Windows XP fell at an increasing rate. Remember, Microsoft has withdrawn full support of XP. Windows 7 continues to hold more than 50% of the Windows users and this operating system was gaining even more ground in October. The details are in the story at the link.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/2841850/operating-systems/windows-8s-user-share-skyrockets-in-october-as-xps-plummets.html

8. The technology devices that we carry today (smartphones, activity trackers, smart watches, etc.) are becoming able to use facial recognition technology and voice analysis technology to continuously track our, or others, emotions. Software is in development to interpret these emotions and project the results on a screen, like a smartphone, smartwatch or worn device like Google Glass. Such capability can be used to provide better and focused customer service, aide law enforcement and improve marketing. Technology to analyze voice is now being tested in global call centers to determine the mood of the caller so the agent can immediately interact in different ways depending on what the customer's mood tells about expectations of the caller. There is much more information at this link.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2014/10/31/what-happens-when-your-friends-smartphone-can-tell-that-youre-lying/

9. A number of leading international cyber security firms have reported that over at least the last seven years the Russian government has sponsored and probably directed a sophisticated program of cyber techniques to collect target government, corporate and individual information while at the same time disrupting normal operations of the target organizations. The targets are around the world. The Russian cyber attack program is not as massive as the previously reported programs sponsored by the Chinese government but the Russian program is far more sophisticated and is using very advanced techniques. Recently there have been Russian directed attacks against the White House. These are being investigated by the FBI, the Secret Service and the National Security Agency (NSA). Here are links to two articles describing what security firms are reporting and the White House attack.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/29/technology/russian-government-linked-to-more-cybersecurity-breaches.html?emc=edit_th_20141029&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/hackers-breach-some-white-house-computers/2014/10/28/2ddf2fa0-5ef7-11e4-91f7-5d89b5e8c251_story.html?wpisrc=nl-headlines&wpmm=1

10. Since the invention of the original credit payment methods, to the many choices available today, there has been a continuous battle among credit processors for the small fees on each transaction that total in the billions of dollars for the payment processors. Just weeks ago, Apple Pay was introduced with raves from the retail and finance industries that it represents the future of how we all will be paying for what we buy. Not so fast! Now a group of merchants including Wall-Mart, Best Buy, RiteAid and CVS are developing a new payment system that reportedly is being designed to completely cut credit card and debit card companies and banks out of the transactions. RiteAid and CVS have stopped accepting Apple Pay as they "evaluate payment methods they will accept." The battle continues and is clearly far from over. Here are links to articles from the New York Times and TIME with more detail.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/27/technology/personaltech/2-drug-chains-disable-apple-pay-as-a-rival-makes-plans-.html?emc=edit_th_20141027&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0
http://time.com/3540848/riteaid-cvs-block-apple-pay/?xid=newsletter-brief

11. A Minnesota based Verizon salesperson showing an 85 year old customer a new smartphone application was surprised when the customer said "Wow, I have got to show this to my Mom." The sales person asked his Mom's age and was shocked to hear, "113". The 85 year old customer and his 113 year old mother are both users of technology, with both smartphones and tablets and both use social media websites like Facebook and Twitter. If you are avoiding the active adoption of new technology devices and social media sites because "that stuff and those websites are for young people", you are wrong. "Grandmas, it seems, have taken to Facebook. And although the site is phasing out of popularity among young people, seniors are fully embracing it. Since 2000, the number of adults 65 and older who use the Internet has increased from 14 percent to 59 percent. And in that group, nearly half use a social networking site such as Facebook." Seniors are signing up in record numbers for classes to learn how to use new technology devices plus the many software applications that run on the devices. Here is a link to an article discussing how your senior friends and neighbors are moving ahead of you with their use of today's technology.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/let-grandmas-teach-you-a-thing-or-two--about-facebook/2014/10/22/5fd3700e-57b1-11e4-bd61-346aee66ba29_story.html?wpisrc=nl-headlines&wpmm=1

12. IBM (International Business Machines) has just reported its 10th straight quarter of sagging sales. The company has now begun an aggressive move away from "business machines", meaning hardware, that has been the heart of the company's business since its founding. IBM is refocusing on the new technology gold mines such as data analysis and cloud computing. If you follow or invest in IBM you should read the article at the link.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/newfound-tension-for-techs-old-guard-abandoning-hardware-that-helped-it-soar/2014/10/20/c121c92a-5886-11e4-bd61-346aee66ba29_story.html?wpisrc=nl-headlines&wpmm=1

13. Here is an example of a business direction change IBM is making. The exclusive deal between Apple and IBM that was announced in July will shortly begin providing product. The August 2014 issue of this Newsletter included an item on the Apple-IBM agreement. The deal is intended to help open enterprise business to Apple while helping IBM penetrate the applications market on the increasingly popular Apple mobile devices. The first products will be for the banking, government, insurance, retail, telecommunications and travel and transport sectors. Other business sectors will follow. Here is a link for more detail.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/2836557/mobile-technology/first-products-from-appleibm-deal-to-come-next-month.html?source=IFWNLE_techbrief_2014-10-21#tk.rss_news
November 2014 SIR Computer Newsletter

1. Defense giant Lockheed Martin, Notre Dame University, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Air Force Research Lab have begun flight testing a streamlined and greatly miniaturized airborne laser turret that has the potential to totally transform air combat as we understand it today. How about an air-to-air and air-to-ground weapon system able to fire a directed energy weapon (meaning a laser or particle beam weapon) while in-flight and hit targets ahead, behind, left, right, above and below. Sleep peacefully tonight knowing that Star Trek like phaser technology is literally coming to a fighter jet, transport or unmanned combat aircraft near you in the not so distant future. Here is a link to an article with the details.
http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/lockheeds-new-laser-super-turret-could-change-air-comba-1635210849

2. You surely have noticed the growing reality entertainment now available on TV. One of the subjects is the "repro man" who recovers autos (or airplanes and boats) from buyers who have missed loan payments for their vehicle. Modern technology is about to put the repro man out of business. Lenders are now able to remotely shut down a vehicle that is not being paid for and, if necessary, direct a recovery person to the exact vehicle location. The subprime auto loan business is risky but can have high payout to lenders as some interest rates are as high as 29%. A lender can reduce risk by shutting down the vehicle until the debtor makes due payments or by quickly recovering the vehicle if needed. Reduced risk means that more buyers can purchase vehicles because their loans can be approved. Here is an interesting article about how technology is changing this fascinating financing business.
http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/09/24/miss-a-payment-good-luck-moving-that-car/?_php=true&_type=blogs&emc=edit_th_20140925&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

3. Here is a good idea. We all have heard that we should make copies of important documents like passports, drivers licenses, health care insurance cards, etc. and keep them in a file. Such copies could help in recovering or replacing such documents if the originals are lost or stolen. But what do you do if you lose your documents while traveling and your backup copies are in a file at home? Try this. Scan these important documents and e-mail them to yourself as an attachment in a message with some keywords in the subject and/or message text that you can remember. Save and file the incoming e-mail and attachment(s) in a folder on the e-mail server you use. You can search for it using the keywords you selected. If you use an Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) e-mail service (like Gmail, for example) you could recover your saved e-mail message and your scanned documents using any browser from anywhere in the world.

4. The October 2014 edition of this Newsletter included an item (#6) about the discovery of rogue cell towers throughout the U.S. Towards the end of July, ESD America, the makers of the ultra-secure CryptoPhone, reported that their engineers and customers had discovered more than a dozen rogue cell towers, also known as interceptors or IMSI catchers, around the U.S. Newer information indicates that the discovered towers may represent only a small piece of a much higher total. Interceptors are a huge risk if used by parties with harmful intent, like a foreign intelligence service. Once a device connects to an interceptor tower, the interceptor's operator can do a number of things, including eavesdrop on calls and/or text messages, or in some cases push data or programs, like spyware, to the mobile device. Here is a link to an article about these cell towers.
http://www.csoonline.com/article/2684064/mobile-security/rogue-cell-towers-discovered-in-washington-dc.html

5. When we travel with mobile devices (laptop computers, tablet computers, smartphones, etc.) we do so to allow us to connect to the Internet while we are away from home or the workplace. There are two general ways to establish such an Internet connection. First, through a WiFi network, maintained by a place of business, office, airline or government, to which we are granted access, for free, or through payment to the provider. Second, through a broadband cellular network provided by a cellular carrier with whom we have a prepaid business relationship. If you have both connection methods available you often will choose the least expensive. Marriott Corp. was recently fined $600,000 by the Federal Communications Commission for blocking and disconnecting hotel guest who attempted to connect to the Internet through the guest's own broadband provider instead of using the Marriott hotel's very expensive WiFi network. Here is an article with more details.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/10/03/fcc-to-marriott-no-you-cant-force-your-customers-onto-terrible-hotel-wifi/?wpisrc=nl-swbd&wpmm=1

6. Is technical evaluation, user preference and marketing success considered when corporate decisions are made in the selection of technology equipment? You be the judge. Steve Ballmer, the former Microsoft CEO and new owner of the Los Angeles Clipper basketball team, made the fate of all the Apple devices used by the team's staff one of the first things he discussed with head coach Doc Rivers. Ballmer, who is known to prohibit the use of Apple iPhones or devices by any members of his family, reportedly said to the Clippers head coach, "We are probably going to get rid of these iPads, aren't we?" The Apple iPads, used court side by both coaches and players to illustrate game strategy for team members, will probably be replaced by Microsoft Surface tablets.
http://time.com/3431754/microsoft-los-angeles-clippers-ipads-apple-banned-surface-steve-ballmer/?xid=newsletter-brief

7. The UN Broadband Commission's just released annual report shows that the United States continues to fall further behind countries in Europe and Asia in rankings for Internet affordability, speed, and subscription rates while telecom giants who provide U.S. Internet service are busy in Washington working to maintain the status quo. The U.S. is 25th in a global ranking of average Internet download speeds, behind such countries as Moldova, Latvia, and Estonia and more than three times slower than global leader Hong Kong. U.S. providers appear to be focused on maximizing profit at the expense of U.S. broadband competitiveness. http://www.infoworld.com/article/2687863/internet/att-comcast-verizon-competition-extortion-broadband.html?source=IFWNLE_nlt_daily_am_2014-09-26

8. The February 2014 SIR Computer Newsletter included an item about IBM's "Watson" computer system assisting physicians battle cancer at the University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center. Now, IBM has moved Watson into the realm of a number of different business applications in industries in which "the amount of information being produced has overrun the ability of professionals in those businesses to keep up with it." A number of these applications are in health care, at a number of large internationally recognized medical centers. Others are in the travel industry and in education. More than 100 businesses and non-profits have signed up and a number are already working to integrate Watson's capabilities into their businesses. Twenty to thirty years ago IBM was a leader in supporting businesses processing data that fit neatly in a spreadsheet. Now, IBM is responding with Watson to support technology companies who are scrambling to analyze phone conversations, social media posts and large volumes of non-numerical, unstructured data. Watson does this. Here is the story:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/on-it/ibm-sees-watson-as-moneymaker-but-only-in-the-long-term/2014/10/10/0cae16fe-4f23-11e4-8c24-487e92bc997b_story.html?wpisrc=nl-headlines&wpmm=1
In case you missed it, here is the February 2014 SIR Computer Newsletter item on Watson: "Cutting edge computer technology is being used more and more to assist physicians in their efforts to provide the best medical care to patients. A current effort includes work by the MD Anderson Cancer Center of the University of Texas and IBM, plus several Silicon Valley technology companies. The IBM Watson computer system was originally developed to demonstrate locating information and quickly responding to natural human language questions in a competition with people while using the format of the TV program Jeopardy. The IBM Watson technology is now being used to provide MD Anderson physicians and medical staff with unprecedented detail in support of leukemia patient treatment. This Watson system is called an Oncology Expert Advisor (OEA). The link below is to a video produced by MD Anderson and IBM to provide other physicians with information about the ongoing OEA project. The video is about one hour long but when you have the time I believe you will find watching it well worth your time. It includes an actual demo, presented by an MD Anderson Oncologist, and beginning about 27 minutes into the video, that shows some of the amazing support that a physician can be provided by the Watson powered system. Here is the link to the video."
http://www3.mdanderson.org/streams/FullVideoPlayer.cfm?xml=cfg%2FMoon-Shots-IBM-Watson-2013

9. On the last day of September, Microsoft announced its newest operating system (OS), Windows 10. The announcement was expected but with the product name of Windows 9. Microsoft said the name was because the new OS has so many advancements beyond Windows 8. Terry Myerson, the head of Microsoft's Operating Systems Group used a car analogy to describe the advancements in Windows 10. He said, "Yesterday, they were driving a first-generation Prius, and when they got Windows 10 they didn't have to learn to drive something new, but it was as if we got them a Tesla." The new Windows 10 also distances itself from the troubled Windows 8. It brings back the classic Start button. It will manage desktop devices, mobile devices (smartphones, tablets and laptops) and servers. Developer versions of Windows 10 are available now with general availability for the public expected in mid-2015. Read about Windows 10 at these two links.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/2689834/operating-systems/12-things-to-know-about-windows-10.html?source=IFWNLE_techbrief_2014-10-01#tk.rss_news/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/09/30/microsoft-jumps-straight-to-windows-10-brings-back-the-start-menu/

10. This Newsletter has had recent articles about global interest in using today's electronic technology to support unmanned flying drones to deliver goods and provide services to customers. Amazon is testing drones in Canada while Google is running tests in Australia. Now, DHL has begun a month long test in Germany to move medicine to Juist, a sparsely populated island off the northwestern coast of Germany. The flights should take about 30 minutes each way and are the first drone flights with no ground based pilot to be approved in Europe.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/09/25/dhl-to-begin-deliveries-by-drone-in-germany/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_php=true&_type=blogs&emc=edit_th_20140926&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=1

11. Do you remember the Star Trek holodeck? It was a special room where computer generated 3-D images immerse people in the holodeck in the virtual reality of any setting the participant(s) wanted. Participants could see, feel, taste, smell, hear and touch the computer generated reality around them. Now, Microsoft Research has introduced "dyadic projected spatial augmented reality" in RoomAlive, a room that you would easily recognize as the Star Trek holodeck. Read about it at this link.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2014/10/09/why-it-matters-that-microsoft-is-channeling-the-star-trek-holodeck/

12. Every day, users of mobile devices like smartphones, tablets and laptops connect to the Internet through public access hotspots. When we connect to a hotspot for the first time we are often asked to accept the "Terms and Conditions" of the provider, which can be pages of fine print text. We usually don't read all this text but simply check the "Accept" box and proceed with the connection. In June, a Finnish Internet security firm, F-Secure, sponsored a research project about hotspot Internet access. The project was conducted in some of the busiest neighborhoods in London and was intended to highlight the major risks associated with public Wi-Fi networks. The terms and conditions of the deal offered to the public included language providing free Wi-Fi access, for life, in exchange for the subscriber turning over their eldest child, for life. The project was terminated after a number of subscribers actually signed up for the offer. Be careful what you sign up for.
http://time.com/3445092/free-wifi-first-born-children/?wpisrc=nl-swbd&wpmm=1

13. If you are preparing to purchase a new smartphone the question always comes up - what do I do with my old smartphone? Without a plan, the old phone ends up in the back of a drawer and the value is not realized. A recent study showed that Americans have $34 billion of value in old smartphone sitting in drawers. There are a number of things you can do with your old phone. Trade it in where you purchase your new phone, mail it to a reseller or sell it yourself online. Whatever you decide there are two things you must do. First, backup the information, photos, applications, etc. from your old phone. Most or all can then be loaded onto your new phone. Second, erase all of the data and information on the old phone. You don't want the new owner seeing your address book, your text messages, your photos, your e-mail messages, etc. Here is a link with more detail.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/02/technology/personaltech/how-to-get-more-room-in-the-sock-drawer-sell-your-cellphone.html?emc=edit_th_20141002&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=1
October 2014 SIR Computer Newsletter

1. The security of credit card transactions, amounting to billions of dollars every day, is problematic. Particularly in the United States, antiquated credit card technology, long replaced in much of the world, is still the norm. Nearly all U.S. credit and debit cards carry enough information on their magnetic strips to authorize thousands of dollars in fraudulent purchases, and that information gets routinely transmitted with each transaction. This offers criminals mass hacking opportunities, as customers of Target, Neiman Marcus, Home Depot and others have learned in recent months. Credit card technology in the U.S. will change. The use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chips in the credit cards instead of magnetic strips - technology already used by much of the world - is one improved solution. At the same time there have been numerous attempts to employ Near Field Communication (NFC) payment technology, where you wave your wallet, your smartphone or a key fob near a point of sale terminal and your purchase is authorized. On September 9, 2014, Apple introduced a new NFC payment system, called Apple Pay, that has security experts impressed because it is significantly more secure than any currently available or projected payment system. At the link is an interesting article describing the background of different payment systems and the security of the new Apple Pay and other proposed systems.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/09/10/so-you-want-to-hack-apple-pay/

2. At any time of day there are an average of 8,000 airline flights in the air over the U.S. Every one of these flights are effected by weather - with weather related delays in departure and arrival and turbulence in flight being the major impacts. Now, modern forecasting, aided by the technology of massive computer processing power, is making significant progress in reducing the adverse impact of weather on the flying public and the airline industry. If you fly you'll enjoy the article at the link.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/08/technology/airlines-take-the-bump-out-of-turbulence.html?emc=edit_th_20140908&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125

3. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology is finding increasing usage to improve and make our lives less complicated. Price tags on high value items can include RFID circuits to warn stores of shoplifting. RFID key fobs let you unlock and start your car without removing your keys from your pocket. RFID chips are being used in new credit cards to transmit data at a point of sale without a magnetic strip on the card. Soldiers carry RFID chips to provide location data to their comrades, leaders and senior commanders. Now the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) is testing military developed RFID chips, packaged about the size of a key fob and located in a special pocket of firefighter uniforms, to tell the location of each firefighter. Many RFID chips are passive and only transmit data when interrogated by a master device. The tags used by the military and those being tested by FDNY are active as they transmit location information at a preset interval, like every few seconds - I'm here, I'm here, I'm here. In New York, the firefighter's on scene commander and the FDNY Command Center can know each tagged firefighter's location. At the link is an article about the FDNY evaluation.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/09/03/nyc-firefighters-are-being-tracked-with-military-developed-radio-tags/

4. A little more than three years ago Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri won a national competition to be the first American cities to have available Internet connection speed of one gigabit per second and cable TV at every home via a fiber optic cable system installed and maintained by Google. The system is up and running with up to three quarters of homes subscribing to the service. (subscribers number 75% of homes with $100k + annual income and 33% of homes with income of less than $100k.) The service cost $70 per month for Internet connection or $120 per month for Internet plus cable TV. One gigabit Internet connection speed is about 100 times faster than what is available to most American homes. This speed will support the download of 612 photographs in one second compared to the two and a half minutes it would take most Americans. The connection speed is the problem. What do you do with it? Google, outside developers and customers are all working to develop applications that are appropriate for the gigabit speed. The service will be rolling out to other cities soon. Here is an article with more detail.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/06/technology/two-cities-with-blazing-internet-speed-search-for-a-killer-app.html?emc=edit_th_20140906&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

5. All of us with any experience with computers and the Internet are familiar with the common procedure of signing into a data account. Enter used ID, enter your password and the answer to some security question(s). The security questions often are first or favorite pet's name, mother's maiden name, city where you were born or were married, favorite song, favorite teacher, etc. In these days of continuous cyber crime, making it more difficult for an outsider to find or guess your user ID, your password and the answers to security questions is a simple step you can take to help to protect your data. Here is a Washington Post article with some suggestions.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/09/04/how-to-game-security-questions-to-make-yourself-safer-online/

6. A major mobile device security firm has detected and located at least 19 cell phone towers, located across the nation, that are not affiliated with any mobile phone carrier. The towers are not operated by the U.S. government or any known wireless security firm. The towers intercept mobil phone calls and then then rapidly pass the calls to the subscribers wireless carrier. The purpose of the intercept is not yet known. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is investigating.
http://venturebeat.com/2014/09/02/who-is-putting-up-interceptor-cell-towers-the-mystery-deepens/

7. In the last several months, articles in this Newsletter and in both print and broadcast media have discussed efforts by Amazon to develop methods to deliver merchandise to customers with flying drones. Now, in addition to Amazon, Google has announced a several year old development project called "Wing", designed to deliver items to you with flying drones. Google's drones are very sophisticated as they can hover like a helicopter, transition to horizontal flight like a fixed wing aircraft and lower their cargo to the ground using a lanyard while the vehicle hovers. The first link below is to an article about Google's program. This article contains a link to a YouTube video of Google test operations in Australia. The second link goes directly to the video should you not find it the article.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/08/28/google-joins-amazon-in-dreams-of-drone-delivery/?_php=true&_type=blogs&emc=edit_th_20140829&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRTNvWcx9Oo&feature=youtube_gdata_player

8. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), a Pentagon agency that develops a variety of high-tech equipment for the U.S. military, is developing medically implantable devices that could help people heal more quickly through the use of biosensors and electromagnetic devices that control human organs. The program is known as the Electrical Prescriptions program, or ElectRx (pronounced "electrics"). "Instead of relying only on medication, we envision a closed-loop system that would work in concept like a tiny, intelligent pacemaker," said Doug Weber, the program's manager. "It would continually assess conditions and provide stimulus patterns tailored to help maintain healthy organ function, helping patients get healthy and stay healthy using their body's own systems." Here is a link to the article.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2014/08/27/new-obama-plan-calls-for-implanted-computer-chips-to-help-u-s-troops-heal/

9. Smartphones and tablet computers powered by the Android operating system are the target of a rapidly growing infection of malware called "Ransomware", that seizes the device and allows the user no access. A message on the screen demands payment to unlock the device. The message my say that the device has been locked by the FBI or by a Cybersecurity firm. The demanded payment is usually several hundred dollars. Even if paid there is no assurance that the device will be unlocked. The technique of Ransomware has existed for years but the rapidly spreading attack on Android devices is new and apparently successful for the cyber criminals behind it. Hundreds of thousands of Android powered devices were reported as infected in just one month ending in August 2014. If you use an Android powered device you should read the article at the link.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/08/22/android-phones-hit-by-ransomware/?emc=edit_th_20140823&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125

10. Visa is introducing new software to help determine if a gas pump Visa transaction is from a stolen or copied credit card. When the card is swiped in the pump the software analyzes 500 pieces of data, including location and past transactions, in less than one second. Based on that data, the software creates a risk score on a scale from zero to 99. The higher the score, the higher the risk that the card in use is stolen. Each gas station gets to set a risk threshold, say 50 on that zero-to-99 scale. If your card generates a risk score that exceeds the threshold, a message will flash at the pump for the customer to see the attendant inside the station. If the driver is using a stolen card he will almost always drive away rather than risk having the card taken by the station attendant. Test by Chevron have shown a 23% drop in fraud at their gas pumps.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/08/20/visa-wants-to-stop-crooks-from-using-your-credit-card-to-buy-gas-heres-how/

11. The U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has unveiled a free online search tool that helps consumers determine if a vehicle is impacted by a recall. The consumer needs the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) and an Internet connection to the government website at the link below. Vehicle manufacturers are required to provide identification of all vehicles with uncompleted recall work done over the last 15 years. To insure that the data is up to date, vehicle manufacturers must update this information each week. Motorists can find their VIN by looking through the windshield at the driver's side dashboard or on the driver door (where it latches when closed). Enter the VIN into the NHTSA website, which will return results of any open vehicle recall. If there are no uncompleted recalls for the vehicle users will receive a "No Open Recalls" response. Here is a link to the NHTSA website.
https://vinrcl.safercar.gov/vin/

12. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) also has announced plans to require all motor vehicles to be equipped with computer and sensor technology that insures that each vehicle be in continuous communication with all nearby vehicles. Such equipment and software will give drivers more reaction time to emergency situations and reduce accident rates. Research is already underway at a number of major universities and large technology corporations. At the link is a New York Times article describing this program, what it could bring to drivers, when it may be available and what it may cost on each vehicle.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/21/business/new-era-in-safety-when-cars-talk-to-one-another.html?emc=edit_th_20140821&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125

13. When you travel with your laptop, smartphone or tablet, either near or away from home, your ability to remain connected through the Internet has become the expected standard. Some of those connections are through wireless networks at places you trust, like work, businesses and friends. More and more connections are through publicly available WiFi "hot spots". To protect your private data it is important that you adopt some simple rules whenever you connect through a public WiFi hot spot. Learn what to do and what to avoid by watching the C/net provided YouTube video at the link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXXr5RCIuqE&feature=youtube_gdata_player

14. If you have your ear to the chatter in computer technology circles you know that Windows 9 is coming. It should be announced by Microsoft near the end of 2014 and be fully available in early to mid 2015. Microsoft has just released Windows 8, Update 2, but the author of the InfoWorld article at the link below believes this update is only an attempt to make the trouble prone Windows 8 as acceptable as possible for new hardware purchased during the approaching holiday season. The real thrust of Microsoft is it get Windows 9 out to consumers before they abandon Windows and switch to another operating system like Linux or Mac. At the link read about Windows 9 - why its coming and some of what to expect.
http://www.infoworld.com/d/microsoft-windows/windows-9-the-empires-last-hope-245440
September 2014 SIR Computer Newsletter

1. With all the current concern of our computers being the target of cyber crime, InfoWorld has published an article detailing 11 sure signs that you have been hacked. If you want to understand this subject you should read the full article at the link. As a quick overview, here are the "11 Sure Signs You've Been Hacked". Fake antivirus messages, Unwanted browser toolbars, Redirected Internet searches, Frequent random pop ups, Your friends receive fake emails from your email account, Your on-line passwords suddenly change, Unexpected software installs, Your mouse moves between programs and makes correct selections, Your anti-malware software, Task Manager, or Registry Editor is disabled and can't be restarted, Your bank account is missing money, and You get calls from stores about nonpayment for shipped goods. If you have any of these 11 signs, reading the article at the link is a must.
http://www.infoworld.com/d/security/11-sure-signs-youve-been-hacked-229782?page=0,0

2. You are traveling, have checked into your seventh floor, Silicon Valley hotel room and unpacked your baggage. You are preparing to go out for the evening and realize that you forgot your toothbrush and toothpaste. You call the front desk for help. They will have the two items sent to your room immediately. Instead of delivering the items by dispatching a bellhop the front desk loads the toothbrush and toothpaste into a covered tray at the top of a four foot tall, wheeled robot. It will leave the lobby, ride an elevator, even with human passengers, and arrive at your room in minutes. Your room phone will ring and you'll be told your items are at your door where the robot will greet you. No tip will be expected. Here is the story.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/12/technology/hotel-to-begin-testing-botlr-a-robotic-bellhop.html?emc=edit_th_20140812&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

3. According to a Washington Post article, "The secrets of one of the world's most prominent surveillance companies, Gamma Group, spilled onto the Internet last week, courtesy of an anonymous leaker who appears to have gained access to sensitive corporate documents. And while they provide illuminating details about the capabilities of Gamma's many spy tools, perhaps the most surprising revelation is about something the company is unable to do: It can't hack into your typical iPhone." Interesting for any smartphone user or someone considering which smartphone to buy. Here is a link to the article.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/08/11/why-surveillance-companies-hate-the-iphone/

4. Continued cyber attacks on individual, corporate and government digital information are fueling current discussions and efforts to develop improved, easier to use and more secure methods to access such information without passwords. The recent reports of billions of compromised files has added to the effort. Experts see no reason for protecting information with a long string of letters, numbers and special characters. At the link is a ten page slide show from InfoWorld that describes some of these efforts. As an example, would you be willing to take a security pill each day, just like taking a multi-vitamin? If so, when you touch your smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop the device will recognize you and gives you access to the files you are authorized to see or work on. Here is the link.
http://www.infoworld.com/slideshow/158302/8-ways-declare-your-independence-passwords-245453#slide1

5. The news is full of reports about Russian cyber criminals stealing identity information of more than a billion, with a "B", people. The previous article discussed replacing passwords with other methods but today passwords are still the preferred method of protecting your information. It is therefor time to review a new article, this time published by the Washington Post, about how to deal with your passwords. Here is the link.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/08/07/how-to-keep-track-of-your-passwords-without-going-insane/

6. InfoWorld reports that, "Most USB devices have a fundamental security weakness that can be exploited to infect computers with malware in a way that cannot easily be prevented or detected, security researchers found. The problem is that the majority of USB thumb drives, and likely other USB peripherals available on the market, do not protect their firmware -- the software that runs on the microcontroller inside them, said Karsten Nohl, the founder and chief scientist of Berlin-based Security Research Labs." At the link is the full article with the technical detail.
http://www.infoworld.com/d/security/most-usb-thumb-drives-can-be-reprogrammed-infect-computers-247489?source=IFWNLE_techbrief_2014-08-01

7. In 2012, a US citizen from Maryland traveled with his wife on a day trip to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. On their return to the U.S. that afternoon U.S. Customs agents seized, without a warrant, two smartphones and a USB flash drive and let the travelers pass. A later detailed electronic search of the devices uncovered evidence of possible criminal activity that, if proven, could result in 100 years in prison. In mid-2014 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Fourth Amendment protects U.S. citizens from searches of mobile electronic devices without a warrant. A request to the courts to have the warrantless search of the traveler's phones and flash drive vacated was not successful. "Such an invasive search can be performed on virtually anyone entering the United States, according to legal scholars, based on an exception to the Fourth Amendment's warrant requirement. While the border search doctrine is meant to help U.S. officials secure contraband and halt criminal activity, there are realistically few limits on what customs officers can examine, and how. The border agents in this case were deemed to have reasonably suspected him of a crime." Read the Washington Post article at the link for more detail on law enforcement access to your digital data when you return to the U.S.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/07/30/think-the-supreme-court-protected-your-cellphone-from-warrantless-searches-think-again/

8. With the fight over net neutrality still simmering, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has opened up another front in the battle over the Internet's future. The FCC wants to explore the possibility of helping cities build their own connections to the Internet and bypass the commercial broadband providers like Verizon and Comcast that have generally served as America's path to the Web. The FCC has opened up new proceedings for a pair of petitions asking for the government's help in providing Internet access. Members of the public can make comment directly to the FCC.One of the major arguments is that the government has no role in such a commercial business and should be bared from participating. The counter argument is that only the government can prevent large corporations from providing service in densely populated areas where profit margins are high while ignoring more rural areas where margins are too low. The national growth of the electric industry is cited as an example where corporate holding company distributors only wanted to provide electric service where population was dense. President Franklin Roosevelt vowed to reform the holding companies if he won reelection in 1932. After winning, he launched the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and the Rural Electrification Administration, among a number of other offices meant to provide power to those who'd been passed over by the privately owned utilities because those areas weren't as profitable. The result was that the entire nation gained access to electric power and the price dropped for everyone in the US. Now the question is "Should the FCC try to preempt state laws that block cities from building out publicly owned Internet infrastructure?" The battle is engaged.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/07/29/how-the-history-of-electricity-explains-municipal-broadband/?wpisrc=nl%5fswbd

9. We each have lived through the amazing and accelerating changes brought to the world by the growth of technology. We have heard the words, "Keep up or you will fall behind and quickly be so out of date that catching up will be nearly impossible." Here is an example. Suppose you enjoy the entertainment of feature length movies and multiple episode TV series. You were delighted when you could enjoy these in your home at times of your choosing by visiting a video store and renting what you wanted to see on video tape. Later, the recorded medium changed from tape to DVD disc but the process remained the same - visit the video store. Next came companies, like Netflex, that for a small monthly fee used the mail to move the DVD's to and from you. Today the mail is not needed as recordings of movies and TV programs can be delivered to you as a digital stream and played on devices in your home and in your pocket. Netflix's total business is still rapidly growing, exceeding 50 million customers for the first time in July 2014. But the business has shifted from mailing DVDs to streaming the video to their customers. Less than 6.3 million of the 50 million Netflix customers are still asking for mailed DVDs. That number is declining by more than 390,000 each quarter. As demand for DVDs declines, producers will reduce or eliminate the supply. Customers who have avoided keeping up with changing to digital streaming will no longer be able to enjoy home entertainment of feature length movies and multiple episode TV shows because the DVDs will no longer be manufactured and will not be available. Here are two links detailing the success and changes in Netflix's business.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/netflix-earnings-soar-as-it-adds-subscribers/2014/07/21/77604c94-1114-11e4-98ee-daea85133bc9_story.html?wpisrc=nl_headlines
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-07-21/-orange-is-new-black-vaults-netflix-past-50-million-subs.html?wpisrc=nl%5fswbd

10. Even though many of us use smartphones and/or tablet computers we still also use a Microsoft Windows powered desktop or laptop as the focus of our digital connection to the world. There have always been numerous software applications (apps) available to run on our Windows machine to help make our computer life easier. If you haven't looked at free desktop programs lately, you'll be surprised. The rise of Apple and Android powered mobile devices has not slowed the development of Windows desktop computer apps. The current crop of free-for-personal-use desktop apps runs rings around the best tools we had not too long ago. At the link is an article recommending the 25 best, free or almost free, productivity, file management, media, system and security apps that the article's author has tested on Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 Update 1. Hopefully some will be of value to you.
http://www.infoworld.com/slideshow/160168/top-25-free-tools-every-windows-desktop-246999?source=IFWNLE_nlt_daily_am_2014-07-28

11. In March 2014 the former Director of the National Security Agency (NSA), Army General Keith Alexander, retired from government and the US Army. Shortly after retiring he and his business partners founded IronNet Cybersecurity Inc., a firm that is offering large corporations a unique set of security protections from cyber attack. The company has applied for a number of patents covering these security processes and is reportedly charging up to one million dollars per month for their security services. An article published by Foreign Policy (at the link) is a fascinating read because patents in the area of cyber security are rare and these were submitted by the former head of the worlds largest intelligence organization, the NSA. Here is the link.
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2014/07/29/the_crypto_king_of_the_NSA_goes_corporate_keith_alexander_patents?wpisrc=nl%5fswbd

12. Do you know someone who has a new smartphone but uses it only as a voice telephone? Does this person refuse to use the dozens of features already built into the smartphone and not even consider the hundreds of thousands of available software applications (apps) that can be added? Does the smartphone's owner say they "don't need" any added features beyond voice communications because "I can get that when I get home - that is fast enough"? An article in The Atlantic, at the link below, looks back in history to see that many people have reacted similarly to the introduction of new technologies. When the first trans Atlantic telegraph cable shortened Europe-to-America communications from ten days to less than ten minutes, voices said it was "too fast" and "who needed it". Similar criticisms accompanied the introduction of photography, the phonograph, radio, television, personal computers, etc. Check the Atlantic article - it will make you smile plus give you ammunition for conversation with your smartphone owning friend.
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/07/in-1858-people-said-the-telegraph-was-too-fast-for-the-truth/375171/?wpisrc=nl%5fswbd

13. New York City (NYC) has released a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the upgrade of up to 10,000 city pay phone sites to "current technology communications points". On May 12 the city held a bidders conference for prospective bidders. Sixty vendors attended including Google, Samsung, IBM, Cisco Systems, Verizon Wireless, Cablevision and Time Warner Cable. The city amplified and explained what had been asked for in it's published RFP and answered vendor questions. Each potential bidder could then decide if it intended to provide a bid which was to be submitted before the end of July 2014. The city envisions the communication points as essentially pay phones brought into the 21st century. The installations would include free Wi-Fi for at least 85 feet around each site that has advertising, as well as phone service and the ability to make free 911 emergency and 311 information calls. The city also is encouraging applicants to offer cellphone charging stations, short local calls for free, text messaging, touchscreens for information or business transactions, and built-in sensors to monitor the local environment. NYC revenue from advertising on and around the communication points would be shared with the winning vendor. The evaluation of bids is underway. Here is a link to an article about the project.
http://www.computerworlduk.com/news/networking/3531904/google-may-bring-wi-fi-to-new-york-city-pay-phones/?wpisrc=nl%5fswbd

14. Microsoft continued to lose money on its Surface tablets throughout its just-concluded 2014 fiscal year, adding hundreds of millions of dollars in red ink and boosting total losses to $1.7 billion since the device's 2012 launch. Microsoft's effort to gain market acceptance of its Windows powered tablet computer has continued with a string of setbacks. The marketplace is dominated by tablets powered by Apple's iOS and to a lesser extent, Google's Android operating system. At the same time the global rate of growth of all tablet sales has slowed as newer smartphones offer larger screens and more tablet like capability. Here are links to two articles dealing with Microsoft Surface issues.
http://www.infoworld.com/d/mobile-technology/surface-damage-mounts-microsoft-red-ink-reaches-17-billion-247661?source=IFWNLE_techbrief_2014-08-05
http://www.infoworld.com/t/tablets/surface-pro-3-problems-linger-despite-three-firmware-patches-in-month-247079
August 2014 SIR Computer Newsletter

1. After more than 30 years of rivalry Apple and IBM have entered into an partnership agreement to encourage corporate customers to purchase Apple iPad and iPhone mobile devices and connect to corporate enterprise systems through applications (apps) jointly developed and serviced by Apple and IBM. The global IBM sales force will sell Apple mobile devices to it's business customers while Apple services these devices and the software apps running on them. The Apple-IBM agreement boost IBM contact and sales in increasingly more mobile customers and opens the door for Apple hardware and software sales to corporate enterprise customers. Under the deal, IBM will develop Apple operating system (iOS) apps serving the retail, banking, insurance, transportation and telecommunications industries under the umbrella of IBM MobileFirst for iOS Solutions. An end-to-end enterprise platform called IBM MobileFirst Platform is also being developed. The companies will also launch an enterprise version of AppleCare, Apple's customer support service. IBM has agreed to pitch these new services, as well as iPhones and iPads themselves, to its business clients around the world. The first products developed under the partnership will launch this fall. Here are two links.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/apple-ibm-give-up-30-year-rivalry-to-work-together-on-iphone-ipad-software/2014/07/15/b12a0be6-0c59-11e4-8c9a-923ecc0c7d23_story.html?wpisrc=nl_headlines http://time.com/2989394/apple-ibm-enterprise/?xid=newsletter-brief

2. Almost all of us use email every day to communicate with family, friends, companies that we do business with, politicians, and local, state and national government offices. We send and receive all kinds of information, files, documents, pictures, forms, stories and, yes, jokes, by email. Before email developed and grew into what we know today, academic institutions, in conjunction with the US Government, began using ARPAnet, an academic research network that preceded the Internet and later evolved into the Internet and email as we know it today. In 1982, MIT published the "rules" for the proper use of ARPAnet. Here is what MIT said. It appears that we have grown during the last 32 years! "Sending electronic mail over the ARPAnet for commercial profit or political purposes is both anti-social and illegal. By sending such messages, you can offend many people, and it is possible to get MIT in serious trouble with the Government agencies which manage the ARPAnet. It is considered illegal to use the ARPAnet for anything which is not in direct support of Government business. At the AI lab, we use the network to talk to other researchers about all kinds of things. For example, personal messages to other ARPAnet subscribers (for example, to arrange a get-together or check and say a friendly hello) are generally not considered harmful. This is one of the ways in which we adapt the network environment to our community. It is very clear that without that sort of freedom, the network could not have evolved to its current point of technical and social sophistication."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2014/07/09/heres-what-proper-e-mail-etiquette-looked-like-in-1982/?wpisrc=nl%5Finn

3. Almost all of us have important information stored somewhere in the cloud and on the Internet. Maybe it is paperless receipts stored in an email folder, or pictures or videos on a social network site or a photo storage site. Maybe personal business or medical information is backed up on one or more Internet services. All this data is handy and easy for you to access for your own use or to share with others by simply accessing the appropriate site and entering your account ID and logon password. Now, what happens to all of your data and information, called digital assets, when you die? Most businesses and Internet sites are prohibited by law from releasing any information to other than the account holder. When you checked "I agree"to the forty pages (too long to read) of terms and conditions of sites you use you probably already agreed to the process of dealing with your data when you die. How do you preserve your files, photos, etc. and allow access by your family? How do you assure that other data is destroyed and not accessed by any others? The answer is plan ahead and make dealing with your digital assets part of your estate plan. Federal and state lawmakers have been, and continue considering, laws about digital assets so make sure you and/or your estate advisor are up to date in this fast changing area of law. Here is a valuable article on this subject.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/03/technology/personaltech/how-to-digitally-avoid-taking-it-to-the-grave.html?emc=edit_ct_20140703&nl=technology&nlid=45350125&_r=0

4. The White House has long lagged behind the outside world in its technological capabilities, relying in large part on face-to-face meetings and mountains of paper to conduct business. But technology is making inroads in the White House although some traditional functions may continue to be done in the old fashioned way. The Washington Post has published an interesting article about White House technology. Here is a link.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/in-president-obamas-white-house-some-traditions-give-way-to-modern-technology/2014/07/06/431864be-eb51-11e3-9f5c-9075d5508f0a_story.html?wpisrc=nl%5Fhdtop

5. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has just announced that flying toys like the $154 Husban X4 Quadracopter are no longer toys--they are drone aircraft in the FAA's eyes and cannot be flown without a certificate of authorization or a special airworthiness certificate. You can buy toys like this in any large shopping mall and on-line from many sources, priced from as low as $29. Millions have already been sold with no buyers even dreaming that government permission might be required for their child fly the new toy. Here we go with rapidly advancing technology running head to head against government regulators and various security organizations. Some of these battles are already in our courts and others will soon be joining them in the legal debate. Here is a link to an article with more detail.
http://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/aerospace/aviation/that-toy-is-now-a-drone-says-the-faa

6. IBM has announced that over the next five years it plans to spend $3 billion to both improve the capability of current silicon based chips and to develop more advanced non-silicon chip technology with promising but unproven designs that employ quantum physics, carbon nanotubes and chips inspired by the brain, called neuromorphic chips. At the same time, IBM has begun to shift toward a stronger focus on lucrative chip research, development and licensing while moving away from manufacturing. For several months, IBM has been seeking to sell its chip-manufacturing operations.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/07/09/ibm-wants-to-invent-the-chips-of-the-future-not-make-them/?_php=true&_type=blogs&emc=edit_th_20140710&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

7. Don't blink - here comes China. For the third time in 18 months a Chinese supercomputer, the Tianhe-2, run by China's National University of Defense Technology, has been declared the fastest supercomputer in the world. The Tianhe-2 clocked 33.86 petaflops per second (33.86 quadrillion calculations per second) in the 43rd edition of the Top500 at the International Supercomputing Conference in Leipzig, Germany. The runner-up, from the US, in this twice-yearly ranking came in at only half the speed: The U.S. Energy Department's Titan, a Cray XK7 machine at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, tested out at 17.59 Pflop/s. The Top500 list of supercomputers was started in June 1993 to compare the performance of the worlds most powerful computers and show the growth of supercomputing.
http://www.infoworld.com/d/computer-hardware/china-wins-slowing-supercomputer-race-244801?source=IFWNLE_techbrief_2014-06-23

8. If you like to visit our National Parks when you travel the one drawback that you face is assembling all the information and items that you need to support your visit. Paper maps and guide books are a start but the pile grows with added current information on trails to consider, sites to see, where to stay or camp, guides to plants and wildlife, etc. The task of gathering and carrying all this information is almost eliminated if you have a tablet computer and/or a smartphone powered by an operating system from Apple (iOS) or from Google (Android). A number of available software applications (apps) for your mobile devices, produced by the National Parks Service and commercial firms, will provide you with all the reference information you need. The pile of paper, books, maps and guides you carried in the past will be reduced to the mobile device you already carry. Here is an article that names and describes a number of these apps.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/26/technology/personaltech/navigating-national-parks-with-rich-digital-guides.html?emc=edit_ct_20140626&nl=technology&nlid=45350125&_r=0

9. In the article above you learned to bring your tablet or smartphone to our National Parks, but don't bring your flying drone. Both the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Parks Service have recently released restrictions on the use of remotely piloted flying vehicles, or "drones". The National Park Service announced on June 20th that it was banning the launch, recovery and flight all drone flying vehicles in and over all National Parks. Drones have previously been barred from some parks, like Yosemite, but this extended the ban to all National Parks. Permits will be issued, on a case by case basis, for drone operations in support of scientific research and studies, fire fighting and prevention and rescue operations. The new rules are only temporary and will prohibit drone use until the agency develops a final policy on drones that serves the parks as well as park visitors. The Federal Aviation Administration is concerned with the lack of regulation of the rapidly growing use of drones and other flying vehicles. The FAA asked Congress to take action and in the meantime the FAA interpreted existing rules to prohibit hobbyists' model aircraft from flying within 5 miles (8 kilometers) of an airport without clearance from the airport or ground control. Here are two appropriate links.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2014/06/20/national-park-service-bans-drone-use-in-all-national-parks/
http://www.computerworlduk.com/news/applications/3526690/us-faa-outlines-restrictions-for-model-aircraft-in-wake-of-reckless-use/?olo=rss

10. About a year ago, Apple introduced "kill switch" software in their iOS 7 Operating System for iPhone and iPad devices. This software lets the owner of a stolen iPhone or iPad remotely "kill" the device by deleting all data and applications and preventing any reactivation, thus reducing the device's value to zero. The objective of the "kill switch" is to reduce theft of these very popular mobile devices. It works. Thefts of Apple iPhones are down 19% in New York, down 38% in San Francisco and down 24% in London. During the same time period the theft of Samsung smartphones, that do not use Apple's "kill switch" equipped operating system, are up 40% in some markets. After seeing these positive results the two major competing mobile operating systems, Google's Android and Microsoft's Windows Phone, have decided to add "kill switch" capability to their software.
http://www.infoworld.com/d/mobile-technology/iphone-thefts-drop-google-and-microsoft-plan-kill-switches-smartphones-244627?source=IFWNLE_techbrief_2014-06-19

11. Coffee break and hallway conversations in law firms and technology companies have often centered on the belief that the U.S. Supreme Court is living in the dark ages when it comes to the understanding of technology. The Court does not even use email. The supposition is that the Court is staffed with "old people" who have been unable to keep up with fast moving pace of technology. A recent opinion piece in the New York Times concludes the opposite - the Court has clearly demonstrated that it does understand technology and the impact on the lives of those touching such technology. Two recent Supreme Court rulings form the basis of this revised opinion. In the first, in a unanimous decision the US Supreme Court announced that police may not generally search the cellphones of people they arrest without first getting search warrants. In the second, the court ruled against the technical process being used by a startup company, Aereo, to stream broadcast TV.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/06/26/the-tech-savvy-supreme-court/?emc=edit_th_20140627&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125

12. If you watched the several television series and feature films of Star Trek you were amazed at the technology that appeared throughout these science fiction shows. Now it is interesting to see where we have come with actual technology developments as compared with the technology of StarTrek. The Washington Post published an interesting item about the innovations that not too long ago were fictional dreams and today are as good as or better than what we envied in the past.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2014/07/01/how-todays-technology-is-rapidly-catching-up-to-star-trek/

13. Technology moves rapidly forward so that what were yesterday's leading technology items are tomorrow's salvageable parts and scrap. The end of useful life happens to all types of technical items that we encounter every day - computers, smartphones, TVs, cars and airliners. At the link is an interesting story, with plenty of pictures, of what happens to that Boeing 747 that you just came home on from vacation and the airline company retired so it could be replaced with a newer airplane. Enjoy.
http://aviationweek.com/blog/photos-what-happens-all-those-airliners-when-they-retire-see-tear-down-747-400?NL=AW-05&Issue=AW-05_20140707_AW-05_616&YM_RID='email'&YM_MID='mmid'&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_5_b
July 2014 SIR Computer Newsletter

1. An Austin, Texas startup, TrackingPoint, has developed a computer assisted rifle aiming system that allows a novice shooter to hit targets the size of a smartphone, at ranges of a kilometer, more than 80% of the time - sniper-like precision. The system uses an array of sensors, all built into the sighting scope attached to the rifle, that include gyroscopes and accelerometers, to determine the rifle's incline and elevation, plus pressure, temperature, humidity and wind speed sensors to collect climate conditions. When the shooter pulls the trigger a built in computer processor analyzes all the sensor data while also taking into consideration other important factors such as the shooter's own jitteriness. The computer fires the rifle at the exact moment needed to hit the target. The US Army has ordered six of the rifles for testing.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2014/06/02/with-this-rifle-almost-anyone-can-hit-targets-a-kilometer-away-with-ease/?wpisrc=nl%5Finn

2. Readers of this Newsletter know that we are beyond the date that Microsoft intends to support its Windows XP operating system. Some users speculate that Microsoft will still produce fixes for its software if a major security flaw is detected beyond the end support date. We do not know what Microsoft will do for Windows XP. We can get an idea of what might happen by following Microsoft's support of its browser, Internet Explorer (IE) 8, a version that was introduced five years ago and that Microsoft has also stopped supporting although more than 20% of users still depend on IE 8. A major international software security firm detected a significant security issue with IE 8 and notified Microsoft in October 2013. As a matter of policy the security firm waits for six months before any public announcement of such security issues to give the software developer, Microsoft in this case, time to correct the flaw. As of mid-May 2014 Microsoft has not issued a repair or an alert to users about the security flaw in IE 8. Here is an InfoWorld article about this issue.
http://www.infoworld.com/d/security/new-internet-explorer-zero-day-details-released-after-microsoft-fails-patch-242966?source=IFWNLE_techbrief_2014-05-22

3. We each take steps of various kinds to protect ourselves and prevent cyber security issues that reveal our personal information to unauthorized persons. At the link is an interesting blog that reminds us that no matter how much security effort we apply, a family member can give away all our information in seconds. Enjoy this and be careful.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/05/21/in-cybersecurity-sometimes-the-weakest-link-is-a-family-member/?_php=true&_type=blogs&emc=edit_ct_20140522&nl=technology&nlid=45350125&_r=0

4. The conventional wisdom is that the future of war will involve private robot armies, predator drones carrying out precision strikes, and maybe even the militarization of space. This may be correct, but future wars may be centered on cyber warfare focused on the economic power of the "enemy", whoever that might be. If you're expecting something along the lines of a conventional war, with a clear beginning and end, think again. The future of war may be all about low-grade, low-intensity attacks in cyberspace, all easily disavowed. Instead of one big cyber Pearl Harbor, maybe it will just be a lot of tiny little Pearl Harbors. It could be the ultimate asymmetric war in which we do not even know who to attack, or how or when. These projections are the subject of a fascinating Washington Post blog posting by Dominic Basulto with Bond Strategy and the former editor of Fortune's Business Innovation Insider. Here is a link.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2014/05/30/chinas-cyber-generals-are-reinventing-the-art-of-war/?wprss=rss_technology&wpisrc=nl_tech

5. Ever since the invention of the printing press the consumer market for printed books has been increasing. In 2008 the estimated market was more than $15 billion. Now there are digital books, produced without paper, distributed electronically, and read on e-book readers. Paper book sales have fallen to $10 billion today and are expected to be down to $8 billion in 2017 with equal revenue from sales of e-books in that year. When the new U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland, Suzi LeVine, was recently sworn in it was on a Kindle Touch e-reader with a digital copy of the U.S. Constitution installed. Technology marches forward.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/06/02/a-u-s-ambassador-was-just-sworn-in-on-a-kindle/?wpisrc=nl%5fswbd

6. The method used today to diagnose a medical condition is almost identical to the method used since the beginning of medical care by humans. The doctor examines the patient and matches the observed symptoms to what knowledge the physician has or can find in reference medical data. Then medical test that can be ordered to, in some cases, confirm the physician's proposed diagnoses. If the confirming test are negative the physician can guess again and test again. While this goes on, the patient may be getting sicker by the hour. Now a method has been demonstrated that uses computer power to scan billions of DNA fragments found in body fluids extracted from the patient. These DNA fragments can be from the patient and from any organism that is present, or has been present, in the patient. At the link below is a quite interesting article about using DNA fragments, along with computer power, to diagnose a medical condition that was determined to be caused by a very rare disease causing bacterium. Once diagnosed, the patient responded immediately to a common antibiotic. Without the computer powered DNA search the patient may have died. Very interesting.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/05/health/in-first-quick-dna-test-diagnoses-a-boys-illness.html?emc=edit_th_20140605&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

7. When we were young we all wanted cars with huge, powerful V-8 engines to take us and our friends to the drive-in and maybe a fill up with 30 cent per gallon gas. Some of the muscle cars we drove got 10 or 12 miles per gallon. Times have changed. We now are interested in conserving fuel. Our government requires that fuel economy improves. At the same time we don't want to give up engine power and vehicle speed. Some of us have moved away from V-8 power to cars powered by V-6's and even 4-cylinder engines but these are considered by some to be "weird" and "wimpy." Now, new technology and computer control in engine development is supporting both our government and personal goals. A new high-tech 3-cylinder engine developed by Nissan, that weighs just 88 pounds and pumps out an amazing 400 horsepower, helps convince consumers that a 3-cylinder engine is good for more than cutting the grass. Ford, BMW and others have spent years developing powerful, fuel efficient 3-cylinder engines that exceed fuel consumption requirements yet give us the muscle that we had in the 1960's and the 1970's and still want today. Here is an article from TIME.
http://time.com/money/2795469/3-cylinder-engine-fuel-efficiency-horsepower/

8. We often face questions and have discussions about which browser should be used for access to the Internet. That is such a complex issue because the answer may depend on what Internet connected applications you use plus what browser features and even browser appearance you like and are comfortable with. Browsers change regularly so keeping up is a task itself. Here is an InfoWorld article on features in the latest update versions of four of the most poplar browsers - Firefox 30, Internet Explorer 11, Chrome 35 and Safari 8.
http://www.infoworld.com/t/web-browsers/browser-bonanza-whats-new-in-firefox-30-ie11-chrome-35-and-safari-8-244247?source=IFWNLE_techbrief_2014-06-13

9. Navigation systems are widely available as built in equipment in new motor vehicles. Similar navigation applications are also available, often as standard, on mobile devices like smartphones, tablet computers and laptop computers. Handheld navigation only devices are also available. Many of us find these devices to be extremely helpful in finding our way to destinations that are new to us, so we are using them often when we drive. With the continuing concern with distracted driving, the use of navigation information in cars is a growing concern of government, law enforcement, the automotive and technology industries, safety organizations and the courts. If you use a navigation device or software you should read the New York Times article at the link below
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/16/business/agency-aims-to-regulate-map-aids-in-vehicles.html?wpisrc=nl%5fswbd

10. This Newsletter previously has reported the identity of a Chinese People's Liberation Army (P.L.A.) Unit 61398 that is dedicated to the collection of cyber intelligence from Western governments and commercial firms. In late May the US Justice Department indicted five P.L.A military officers from Unit 61398 for cyber crime. Now, a second large Chinese cyber intelligence organization, P.L.A. Unit 61486, has been specifically located in Shanghai. This unit's targets are the networks of European, American and Japanese government entities, military contractors and research companies in the space and satellite industry. The US National Security Agency (NSA) knows that P.L.A. Unit 61398 and Unit 61486 regularly communicate with one another. If you are interested in cyber crime, and/or cyber intelligence on a global scale, read the article at the link.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/10/technology/private-report-further-details-chinese-cyberattacks.html?_r=0

11. Whenever you walk around a major Western city with the Wi-Fi turned on on your mobile device (a smartphone or tablet computer), you are broadcasting your location to government agencies, marketing companies and location analytics firms. Your phone, when searching for Wi-Fi networks that it can connect to, is broadcasting a Media Access Control (MAC) address, a unique identification number tied to each device, that lets your device identify itself. Wireless routers receive this address information to be ready to connect if asked, even if the mobile device never connects to the wireless network. The individual person is not identified but the device is tracked and can be recognized as it moves around or when it is seen again at some future time. There is a lot of valuable data collected mostly because people are unaware the it can be collected. Now, Apple is doing something about this with its newest mobile device operating system, iOS 8, that will be available in the fall of 2014. IOS 8 will generate random MAC addresses while scanning for networks. That means that companies and agencies that collect such information will not necessarily know when the same device (i.e., person) visits a store twice, or that the same device pops up in stores across the country or the world, suggesting a traveling owner. While Apple's move is good for its customers and for their privacy, it is not an invisibility cloak. The biggest risk still remains the loss of information when users log onto sensitive accounts while they are actually connected to a public Wi-Fi network. Example - don't access your bank while connected to free Wi-Fi in a coffee shop. Read about it here.
http://qz.com/218437/a-tiny-technical-change-in-ios-8-could-stop-marketers-spying-on-you/?wpisrc=nl%5fswbd

12. Many of us now use text messaging on our smartphones for short, instant communications with family and friends. Those of us that use texting find it very effective, valuable and time saving. We see young people texting at very high speed and wonder how they do it. The texting world record was just captured by Marcel Fernandes Filho, a 17 year old Brazilian who had to text the following two sentences and get both the spelling and punctuation 100% correct: "The razor-toothed piranhas of the genera Serrasalmus and Pygocentrus are the most ferocious freshwater fish in the world. In reality they seldom attack a human." He completed and sent the text message in just 18.19 seconds. (No active link is available)

13. Every time a customer pays with a credit or debit card, the retailer pays a fee to have the payment processed. According to the Nilson Report, a payment card trade publication, merchants in the United States spent $71.7 billion on these fees last year. Everyone you can even think of is trying to develop a way to get a piece of that money. Today, for example, at Starbucks you can pay with cash, credit, debit, a Starbucks card or with your mobile phone in two different ways. Here is what is going on right now.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/19/business/retailers-vie-to-cater-to-the-cash-free-customer.html?emc=edit_th_20140519&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

14. The British government is making it clear that cyber crime is a serious criminal offense. Any hackers that manage to carry out "cyberattacks which result in loss of life, serious illness or injury or serious damage to national security, or a significant risk thereof" would face a full life sentence, according to the serious crime bill proposed in the Queen's speech on June 4, 2014. Crime does not pay.
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jun/04/life-sentence-cybercrime-queens-speech?wpisrc=nl%5fswbd

15. There have been several articles in recent Computer Newsletters about the rapid growth of 3-D printing technology and uses of the resulting printed products. Autodesk and Steelblue have partnered to create a printed 3-D model of a portion of San Francisco. The model was created to aid real-estate developer Tishman Speyer in telling the story of urban development in the rapidly changing South of Market Area (SOMA) neighborhood. It can help with urban planning and building construction decisions that are better understood with the kind of physicality that only a real-world 3-D replica offers compared to digital images or digital models. A video at the link shows how the model was printed and constructed.
http://vimeo.com/96664486
June 2014 SIR Computer Newsletter

1. Computer aided and computer driven autos are already here. They are being tested on public roads now and will be in your garage sooner than you imagine. Good technology ideas all start with a crazy innovation concept -- it then gets picked up and fine-tuned by some of the best minds in the business, and then is asked to prove its societal benefits in real-world use cases using verifiable data. Then comes the hard work of making the technology affordable enough and cool enough that it will appeal to the mainstream. This approach appears to be working: In a recent J.D. Power survey, 37 % of Americans said they are interested in self driving cars. The link below is to a Washington Post article about the things that will, or will not, push computer controlled cars to the marketplace.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2014/04/24/self-driving-cars-put-hype-in-their-rear-view-mirror-the-potential-is-real-now/?wpisrc=nl%5Finn
The second link, from the NY Times, is a piece about driving in the current version of Google's self driving car and how routine such a trip has become.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/05/13/a-trip-in-a-self-driving-car-now-seems-routine/?_php=true&_type=blogs&emc=edit_ct_20140515&nl=technology&nlid=45350125&_r=0

2. Once we begin to move forward with self driving cars we will need to face the fact that some road accidents are unavoidable, and even autonomous cars can't escape that fate. An animal might dart out in front of you, or the car in the next lane might suddenly swerve into you. While human drivers can only react instinctively in a sudden emergency, a robot car is driven by software, constantly scanning its environment with unblinking sensors and able to perform many calculations before we're even aware of danger. Such a car can make split-second choices to optimize crashes-that is, to minimize harm. But software needs to be programmed, and it is unclear how to do that for the hard cases. Wired magazine has published a very interesting article about this coming computer programming dilemma. If hitting one of two bike riders is unavoidable, how do we program the computer to select which one to hit and which one to avoid? What choices is the car to make when a crash is unavoidable? The link below is to this fascinating Wired article.
http://www.wired.com/2014/05/the-robot-car-of-tomorrow-might-just-be-programmed-to-hit-you/?wpisrc=nl%5fswbd

3. Autonomous and automated vehicles are not limited to those that operate on the ground, on our streets and on our highways. Additionally, we have flying vehicles, commonly called drones, a technology that is just beginning to display demand for workers with all the many skill sets needed in the drone business. Drones will not be used just to deliver packages or pizza. Their will be rapidly increasing demand for drones to support agriculture, pipeline inspection and service, telecommunications, law enforcement, railroad and highway inspection, real estate, education, journalism, meteorology, aerial photography, the military, etc. Projections show 70,000 new drone related US jobs in the next three years and the drone business growing to $80 billion by 2025. Read about this coming business and the demand for drone skilled employees, here.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2014/05/13/graduates-with-drone-skills-are-going-to-be-in-demand-soon-heres-why/?wprss=rss_technology&wpisrc=nl_tech

4. A new mobile software application (app), IndoorAtlas, can bring "GPS-like" location accuracy to mobile apps, even in interior settings with no access to GPS or GLONASS satellite networks. The app is available for current versions of both Android and Apple iOS powered mobile devices. The IndoorAtlas technology works by using the magnetometric sensors on devices like the iPhone to measure very small variations in the Earth's magnetic field, translating it into positional data that according to IndoorAtlas is accurate to within about 6 feet. Here is an InfoWorld article about it.
http://www.infoworld.com/d/mobile-technology/iphone-gets-gps-geomagnetic-based-app-241504?source=IFWNLE_techbrief_2014-04-29

5. If you have wondered why we don't have better information about the probable location of the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 you are not the only person asking that question. This is 2014 and the smartphone in your pocket knows where you are. The navigation system in your car knows your location. It can compute a route to a desired destination while giving you turn by turn instructions as you proceed along a route there. Why can't we get accurate location information about thousands of airplanes, carrying hundreds of thousands of passengers every day? At the link is an Opinion piece from the New York Times that gives an interesting view of the technology involved in answering the question, "why?"
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/29/opinion/finding-a-flash-drive-in-the-sea.html?emc=eta1

6. There is a very low tech industry that today in the US does $30 billion in annual revenue. It could be the next business to be improved by the application of technology. This is the business of parking garages and parking lots. How about a free application that runs on your smartphone. It ties your vehicle license plate number to your credit card. When you enter a parking facility equipped with the associated technology a camera scans your license plate and checks you in. There are no parking tickets to take - no ticket to misplace and no ticket to lose. When you later drive out, your license plate is again scanned, and a display tells you the dollar amount being charged to your credit card. No parking ticket is needed and your wallet and smartphone remain in your pocket. Additionally, the parking facility would have accurate, real time information, of the number of vehicles in the facility. With added inexpensive sensors the facility could know which parking spaces are unoccupied and guide newly arriving vehicles to available spaces. Other information available to the facility would support improved management, cost control and marketing opportunities for the parking business. Here is an article.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2014/04/18/could-the-ease-of-uber-come-to-parking-garages/?wpisrc=nl%5Finn

7. Business Insider has published a profile of Larry Page, the Google founder and CEO. It details Page's love of engineers -- he thinks Google should employ one million of them -- and his disinterest in so many other things. According to the profile, Page is totally focused on leveraging technology to solve problems that affect millions of people. He sees little use for whatever gets in the way of that focus. Here is a link to the fascinating Business Insider article.
http://www.businessinsider.com/larry-page-the-untold-story-2014-4

8. In April, the data collection and rating firm, Nielsen, reported that for the first time more than 50% of all US age groups, including seniors, are using smartphones. Seventy percent of the US total population is now using smartphones, up from 65% in February and 58% in January. With seniors rapidly adopting their use, age is no longer the big factor it was in smartphones' march to dominance. What does it mean? Data on smartphone usage clearly shows that the entire population is shifting to mobile devices instead of wired devices for people-to-people interaction, for contact with social networks and for business interaction. Businesses and providers of mobile services are paying attention and rapidly moving to accommodate these shifts from fixed and wired to mobile platforms. Users insisting on connecting only through wired phones and computers are likely to find themselves falling behind. Here is an article.
http://venturebeat.com/2014/04/22/for-the-first-time-the-majority-of-americans-are-using-smartphones-even-seniors/

9. On April 22, 2014 the U.S. Supreme Court heard a case that, no matter how it is decided, promises to have huge implications for the way we watch TV in the future. The case pits a New York startup company, founded in 2012 and named Aereo, against the major TV producing companies. It is focused on Aereo's business model of distributing broadcast television programming over the Internet. It will be several months before the Court's ruling, but if you read the article at the link you will better understand the issues and be prepared when this important decision is released. Major changes could result in how you get television programming.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/04/22/everything-you-need-to-know-about-aereo-the-startup-thats-taking-on-tv-in-the-supreme-court-today/?wprss=rss_technology&wpisrc=nl_tech

10. Can you imagine a swarm of computer controlled micro-robots, each no larger than a small ant, assisting in the manufacture, repair or destruction of small electronic devices? Well, they're here. Like a swarm of ants, individual robots can be performing individual task while at the same time working with others to accomplish a team's single task. The miniature robots are being built by SRI International as part of a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) program that seeks to "lower the cost and speed the delivery of high-quality manufactured goods." Here is an article about these micro-robots.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/04/19/a-swarm-of-tiny-ant-sized-robots-at-your-service/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_php=true&_type=blogs&emc=edit_th_20140420&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=1&

11. Microsoft will reportedly debut its revamped Start menu -- along with a free, cloud-based version of Windows -- this fall according to information reportedly authored by Wzor, a Russian blogger notorious for his accurate leaks of Windows information. Microsoft will launch the revised, Windows 7-style Start menu (being requested by many long time Windows users) as part of an entirely new Windows release. Both updates will come as part of Windows 8.1 Update 2, possibly to be named Windows 8.2.
http://www.infoworld.com/d/microsoft-windows/report-new-start-menu-and-free-cloud-based-windows-debut-fall-240940?source=IFWNLE_techbrief_2014-04-22

12. Last month's SIR Computer Newsletter (May 2014, item #12) included an article about a new material named Graphine that will result in future changes in a number of electronic products and devices. A new article, at the link, adds 10 more products that we may see with the uses of graphine. You may want all of them.
http://www.brit.co/graphene/
In the next few years graphine will have significant effect on the design and capability of products that you use every day. If you want to learn more about the amazing material graphine, read the Bloomberg article at this link. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-05-15/samsung-apple-smartphone-battleground-is-single-atom-thick-tech.html?wpisrc=nl%5fswbd

13. If you are in the market for a consumer grade hard drive, maybe to be used to backup your computer data, then you should read the article at the link. InfoWorld wanted to find which hard drives performed the best and the worst. They asked the cloud backup firm, Backblaze, a company that uses more than 27,000 consumer-grade hard drives in its data centers. The bottom line - best performance went to a Hitachi Deskstar model and worst performance to Seagate Barracuda 7200 models. Read the article for more detail and specific models of these and other hard drives.
http://www.infoworld.com/t/hard-drives/buying-hard-drive-stats-say-get-hitachi-avoid-seagate-234686

May 2014 SIR Computer Newsletter

1. The last item in the April 2014 SIR Computer Newsletter (Item #12) briefly discussed advances in computer facial recognition. Now, a new article provides more detail about how computer facial recognition works and how well it works. Asked whether photos of two unfamiliar faces show the same person, a human being will get it right 97.53 percent of the time. "New software developed by researchers at Facebook can score 97.25 percent on the same challenge, regardless of variations in lighting or whether the person in the picture is directly facing the camera." Here is an article full of detail.
http://www.technologyreview.com/news/525586/facebook-creates-software-that-matches-faces-almost-as-well-as-you-do/

2. If you have a great idea and can win venture capital funding you can become one of the many new millionaires created every year. Here is a opportunity that we all missed. Your children and grandchildren surely played with Lego blocks to build all sorts of interesting objects. Some of what was built were simple and some objects were complex. If the child wants to build some of the more elaborate objects, kits of all the required Lego pieces are available. Some are quite expensive - you can shell out $239 if the child wants to build Lego's London's Tower Bridge, and $399 for the Star Wars Super Star Destroyer. Now a San Jose startup, Pley, will rent you the Lego kit contents for a price of $15 - $39, depending on how large and complex the Lego kit is. The 23 person Pley startup has sent more than 75,000 Lego sets to 15,000 families, turning over each set in about 2.5 minutes in its San Jose warehouse. Four venture investment firms have taken note of this success and invested a total of $6.75 million. Now, you too can become a millionaire - what is your great idea?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/03/21/lego-rental-startup-success-is-6-75b-lesson-in-sharing/?wpisrc=nl_headlines

3. Facebook has just spent $2 billion in cash and stock to purchase Oculus, a small startup that produces virtual reality software and hardware. Virtual reality supports users by completely immersing the participant in a computer generated world of sight, sound, smell, feel, etc. If you were a fan of the TV series, Star Trek - the Next Generation, then the Starship and Starbase installed "holodecks" are virtual reality devices. Mark Zuckerberg, the Facebook founder and CEO , believes that virtual reality will be the next major computing platform with applications far beyond those in use today that are mostly in gaming. Future applications may be in relationship interaction, Facebook's current focus, commerce, communications, medical, the military and others. Facebook is not alone in working to develop future virtual reality functions as active programs are already underway by major technology players including Sony, Google and Microsoft.
http://www.infoworld.com/d/the-industry-standard/zuckerberg-sees-virtual-reality-next-major-computing-platform-239115?source=IFWNLE_techbrief_2014-03-26

4. Apple's smartphone, the iPhone, and tablet computer, the iPad, have a voice driven personal digital assistant named Siri. The user can interact with their device by voice to provide information, dictate messages, both email and text, issue requests and instructions. The user can then get information from Siri, also by voice. Sometimes Siri mispronounces the name of a person or place. You, the user, of an iPhone or iPad running Apple's current operating system, iOS 7, can teach Siri how to correctly pronounce the name. Here is how. When you hear the program bungle your name, or anyone else's, tell it, "That's not how you pronounce that" or "That's not how you pronounce my name." Siri will ask you to say the name properly and then present you with three different versions to play back. You can listen to each variation and then select the one you want to use. If none hit the mark, tap the "Tell Siri again" option and try again until the software comes up with a better match. From then on Siri will pronounce the name as it learned from your instruction.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/27/technology/personaltech/choosing-a-tablet-computer.html?emc=edit_ct_20140327&nl=technology&nlid=45350125

5. One of the most lucrative software franchises in history, Microsoft Office, has finally come to the most influential computing device of the last few years, the Apple iPad. Microsoft introduced the long-awaited suite of applications, which includes Word, PowerPoint and Excel, at an event in San Francisco on March 27th. Satya Nadella, Microsoft's new CEO, committed to making the software work on all major computing devices, including those made by its competitors. Microsoft also plans to create Office applications (apps) for tablet computers running Google's Android operating system. To some, the move is a refreshing sign of a new Microsoft, one slowly unshackling itself from an era when its major decisions were made in deference to Windows, Microsoft's operating system. Skeptics wonder if Microsoft has waited too long, giving the almost 200 million people who use iPads, especially business professionals, years to get used to life without Office and giving an opening to start-ups and Apple's competing office suite of products called iWorks - Pages, for word processing, Numbers, for spreadsheets and Keynote, for presentations. The two links below, one from the New York Times and one from Infoworld, provide an excellent overview of Microsoft Office, it's background, it's marketing, it's strengths and it's weaknesses. The articles also highlight several reviewers comments about the ability of Office to operate in the rapidly growing touchscreen world of iPad, smartphones, the Microsoft Surface tablet and Windows 8 powered PC's.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/28/technology/microsofts-office-suite-for-ipad.html?emc=edit_th_20140328&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125
http://www.infoworld.com/d/mobile-technology/first-look-office-ipad-mixed-bag-good-first-step-239277

6. Starting this baseball season, the San Francisco Giants are adopting Apple's iBeacon technology to send offers and alerts directly to fans' iOS 7 devices while they're at AT&T Park, according to Engadget. iBeacon uses Bluetooth technology to communicate with Apple mobile devices like iPhones and iPads. This is the first year Major League Baseball has begun using the technology, and it will appear in 20 of the 30 MLB ballparks. The Giants believe that iBeacon technology can help fans have a better time at the ballpark. The Giants have long been one of the most technologically progressive organizations in baseball. Fans first enjoyed in-stadium cell coverage in the early 2000s, and in 2004 the club became the first in any professional sport to turn its stadium into a WiFi hotspot. Currently, there are 1,289 WiFi antennas blanketing AT&T Park with connectivity good enough to stream video to thousands of fans at the same time.
http://www.engadget.com/2014/03/28/san-francisco-giants-mlb-ibeacon/

7. A local company, Lively, is providing peace of mind for family members and friends of seniors who live alone. Lively produces sensors that track the movements of their elderly customers' homes and automatically notify family members if things are amiss. The sensors can be placed on cupboards, pillboxes, doors and more to deliver a comprehensive awareness of activity, without invading privacy or imposing the burden of the elder person needing to wear a sensor. Lively's built-in cellular service means no Internet access or phone line is required. Family members receive alerts and reminders by e-mail and text. Research shows that there were about 3 million monitors of elderly people in in the US in operation in 2011 with the market expected to grow to 36 million in 2017. The marketing goal for any company working with such technology is to provide monitoring that is easy to install and use without making it difficult or uncomfortable for the elderly person or the family. Lively believes they meet this goal. Here is a San Francisco Chronicle article about this technology.
http://www.sfgate.com/technology/article/Lively-sensors-let-relatives-keep-track-of-seniors-5368327.php?cmpid=hp-hc-bustech#photo-6103730

8. The human brain was not designed for reading. There are no genes for reading like there are for language or vision. But spurred by the emergence of Egyptian hieroglyphics, the Phoenician alphabet, Chinese paper and, finally, the Gutenberg press, the brain has adapted to read. Before the Internet, the brain read mostly in linear ways - one page led to the next page, and so on. There might be pictures mixed in with the text, but there didn't tend to be many distractions. The Internet is different. With so much information, hyperlinked text, videos alongside words and interactivity everywhere, our brains form shortcuts to deal with it all - scanning, searching for key words, scrolling up and down quickly. This is nonlinear reading, and it has been documented in academic studies. Some researchers believe that for many people, this style of reading is beginning to invade when dealing with other mediums as well. The article at the link is a fascinating view of how the way we read may be changing because of our immersion in technology.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/serious-reading-takes-a-hit-from-online-scanning-and-skimming-researchers-say/2014/04/06/088028d2-b5d2-11e3-b899-20667de76985_story.html?wpisrc=nl%5Feve

9. So you have done everything you can to protect your PC, home network or business network from hackers. Maybe not! When hackers were not able to penetrate the security barriers of an oil company they loaded malware to the online menu of a Chinese restaurant that was popular with oil company workers. When the workers browsed the menu, malicious code was downloaded to their desktop or laptop which in turn allowed the hackers access to the company's network. Are you safe? Read about it here.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/08/technology/the-spy-in-the-soda-machine.html?emc=edit_th_20140408&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125&_r=0

10. Two weeks ago, on April 8th, Microsoft ended support of its 12 year old operating system, Windows XP. At the links below are two excellent Washington Post articles reminding you that this is not he end of the world but, if you use Windows XP, there are some things you should consider and some things that you should do. Here are links to the articles.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/04/08/five-things-to-know-about-todays-xp-deadline/?wprss=rss_technology&wpisrc=nl_tech
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/04/07/mourning-the-end-of-xp-well-help-get-you-through-it/

11. Every time you use a search engine (like Google, Bing, Yahoo, Yelp, etc.) to find some information your quarry is added to a search history database that contains some of the most personal information you will ever reveal online: your health, mental state, interests, travel locations, fears and shopping habits. What do you think someone might be able to find out about you if they could see every search you have made during the last ten years including every website you visited as a result of the search results? The article at the first link below tells you more, but more importantly, it tells you how to delete your search history plus how to turn off future collection. The video at the second link has additional detail and suggest some search engines that protect your search history, and in some cases, even from the government.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/03/technology/personaltech/sweeping-away-a-search-history.html?emc=edit_ct_20140403&nl=technology&nlid=45350125
http://www.nytimes.com/video/technology/personaltech/100000002802392/browse-without-prying-eyes.html?playlistId=100000002688520

12. If you are constantly trying to stay up with technology there is a new material at the front of the line that you should know about because it will soon have significant impact on products everywhere. That material is "graphene." It was discovered 10 years ago but in 2010 scientist began to develop commercial methods to produce it. Graphene is the strongest, thinnest material known to exist. A form of carbon, it can conduct electricity and heat better than any other known material. It is not only the hardest material in the world, but also one of the most pliable. In 2012 it was discovered to be 200 times stronger than steel and so thin that a single ounce of it could cover 28 football fields. Chinese scientists have created a graphene aerogel, an ultralight material derived from a gel, that is one-seventh the weight of air. A cubic inch of the material could balance on one blade of grass. What might graphene be used for? How about a mobile phone as thin as a single sheet of paper, and foldable to easily fit in your pocket. How about a battery for a mobile phone or tablet that holds a charge for a week and can be recharged in 15 minutes. Want to get up to speed on grapheme? Read this article.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/04/13/bend-it-charge-it-dunk-it-graphene-the-material-of-tomorrow/?emc=edit_th_20140414&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=45350125

13. Where is the next major battleground for technology companies? For all the talk of drones, wearable technology, homes of the future and flying Internet networks, the truth is that technology companies are still keenly interested in the consumer electronics device that's been a fixture in the American living room for decades: the television. Amazon has just entered this marketplace with the introduction of Amazon's Fire TV, a set top device, for $99, that will allow customers to stream video, audio, and video games to their televisions. This is not unique, as there are a number of similar devices like the Google Chromecast, Apple TV, Roku, etc. Amazon sales and marketing data shows that regular Amazon customers who have a relationship with Amazon through some device, like an Amazon Kindle Fire e-reader, spend significantly more at Amazon.com with much of that business beyond the scope of the device. Amazon is entering this market because it believes that Fire TV will drive similar business across Amazon. Here are links to two articles, one from the Washington Post and the second from the San Francisco Chronicle.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/04/02/why-amazon-wants-to-rule-your-television/?wprss=rss_technology&wpisrc=nl_tech
http://www.sfgate.com/technology/article/Amazon-Fire-TV-set-top-box-streams-content-to-5371888.php

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April 2014 SIR Computer Newsletter

1. Almost every one of us attended meetings in our working lives where presentations were given using PowerPoint, the presentation application in the Microsoft Office Suite. Now, this long standing presentation software is falling from grace with leading scientists, government officials, CEO's and senior military officers. All are banning the use of PowerPoint presentations in business meetings because it "makes the presenters become stupid." Physicists in the U.S. working on the Large Hadron Collider found that meeting discussion became limited to what was on prepared slides so the physicists banned PowerPoint - from then on, they could only use a whiteboard and a marker. The CEOs of Amazon and LinkedIn have eliminated the PowerPoint presentations from meetings. Robert Gates eliminated the use of PowerPoint presentations when he was the CIA Director and now, as the Defense Secretary, is getting such presentations excluded in the Department of Defense. Here is the story.
http://macdailynews.com/2014/03/17/physicists-generals-and-ceos-agree-ditch-microsofts-powerpoint/

2. Previous issues of this Newsletter have included articles about the rapidly growing technology of 3-D printing that allows solid, three dimensional objects to be "printed" from a graphics data computer file. (see past articles on 3-D printing in the SIR Computer Newsletters for September 2013, October 2013, November 2013 and January 2014). Last year Amazon opened a 3-D Printer Store to deliver objects to Amazon customers manufactured by 3-D printing. Now, it appears that the Store may sell the digital data files to customers who then could "print" the purchased object on their home or office 3-D printer. Additionally, the Amazon 3-D Printer Store may sell printers, printer parts and printer supplies. Before long you too may have a 3-D printer of your own. Here is an article with more detail.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2014/03/13/how-3d-printing-could-transform-amazon-and-online-shopping/?wpisrc=nl%5Finn

3. Are you an active supporter and user of your public library? If you are, new research from the Pew Research Center shows that you probably have a higher level of technology usage than the average American. "Library lovers" and "information omnivores" are more likely to regularly use the Internet, to access the Internet through a mobile device, to have broadband at home, to have a smartphone, to have a tablet computer, to have an e-book reader and to use social networking. Here is more detail.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/03/13/love-libraries-then-youre-probably-ahead-of-the-technological-curve/?wprss=rss_technology&wpisrc=nl_tech

4. The current hot discussion topic for technical devices and services is "wearable" items. Since 2007, with the introduction of modern smartphones, we have grown to love carrying small devices that provide us with services and features undreamed of only a few years before. We can communicate by voice, text and email, take pictures and record video, find our way, work on the Internet, plus do thousands of things supported by software applications. Now, the next step seems to be rapidly approaching with devices we will wear and not have to carry to provide the same and more features and services. The first such devices are already here - GoogleGlass, smart watches like Pebble, smart bracelets, wearable medical devices, etc. The first link below discusses such wearable devices. Now that wearables will be with us, will the devices be fashionable? Consumers are giving feedback to electronic device manufacturers and making it clear that if they are going to "wear" such devices then the devices must not need to be worn in a detracting location or be a distraction to today's concepts of fashion. Producers are responding. The second link shows examples of "fashionable" wearable technology.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/pebble-steel-an-a-ha-moment-for-wearables-almost/2014/02/25/d012d46c-9e21-11e3-9ba6-800d1192d08b_story.html?wprss=rss_technology&wpisrc=nl_tech http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/06/technology/personaltech/no-longer-clashing-wearable-tech-embraces-fashion.html?emc=edit_ct_20140306&nl=technology&nlid=45350125&_r=0

5. If you are an active reader of books then a new startup company, Oyster, provides a service that could interest you. Oyster has an application (app) that is currently available on the Apple iPhone and iPad and supports unlimited access to 100,000 e-book titles for a fee of only $9.95 per month. Book readers are turning more and more to the e-book format instead of paper books as reading devices become more available and publishers are delivering more books in electronic format. A January report by the Pew Research Center said that of the 76 percent of Americans who had read a book last year, 28 percent had read an e-book, up from 23 percent in 2012. Public libraries now offer e-books on loan to library users just like paper books. Libraries each have a finite number of licenses for each e-book title so when all are checked out a reader must wait for an available copy, just like a paper book. An advantage of the e-book service provided by Oyster is that Oyster holds unlimited licenses to all titles it makes available so there is no waiting for a popular title. Here is the story.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/business-start-up-oyster-aims-to-make-digital-books-fantastic-in-their-own-right/2014/03/11/5564ab0e-a953-11e3-8599-ce7295b6851c_story.html?wpisrc=nl_headlines

6. If you own or plan to purchase a new smartphone or tablet you might find this item of interest. Fake versions of a Netflix software application (app) have been found on some Android operating system (OS) powered smartphones and tablet computers built by Samsung, Motorola and LG. The malware may be being loaded onto the devices in the distribution chain so the malware is already in the device when purchased by the consumer. Marble Security tested the malware and said "this isn't the real Netflix app. It has been tampered with and is sending passwords and credit card information to Russia." This is a new threat to users of Android powered devices. Security experts have long warned that downloading applications from third-party marketplaces for the Android platform is risky since the applications have often not undergone a security review. Google patrols Android apps in its Play store, but malicious ones occasionally sneak in. Apple's App Store is less affected because of the company's very strict security reviews. Here is a full article on this topic.
http://www.infoworld.com/d/mobile-technology/pre-installed-malware-turns-new-android-devices-237700?page=0,0

7. All of us are exposed to technology terms. Sometimes we are embarrassed because we think we know what a technology term means only to find out that we are wrong. Don't feel bad, a survey by Vouchercloud.net to determine American user knowledge shows that many have incorrect information about technical terms. As an example, 11% said that they thought HTML - a language that is used to create websites - was a sexually transmitted disease. 27% identified "gigabyte" as an insect commonly found in South America. A gigabyte is a measurement unit for the storage capacity of an electronic device. Here are some others.
- 42% said they believed a "motherboard" was "the deck of a cruise ship." A motherboard is usually a circuit board that holds many of the key components of a computer.
- 23% thought an "MP3" was a "Star Wars" robot. It is actually an audio file.
- 18% identified "Blu-ray" as a marine animal. It is a disc format typically used to store high-definition videos.
- 15% said they believed "software" is comfortable clothing. Software is a general term for computer programs.
- 12% said "USB" is the acronym for a European country. In fact, USB is a type of connector.
Here is a link to an LA Times article on this subject.
http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-1-10-americans-html-std-study-finds-20140304,0,1188415.story#axzz2v6I3FxcK

8. Facebook, the huge social network company, is a leading supporter of the Internet.org Initiative that is working to provide affordable Internet connectivity to the five billion people on the earth who today have no such access. Now, to support this initiative, it appears that Facebook is getting ready to purchase Titan Aerospace, a maker of solar powered, high altitude, long flight duration drone aircraft. These aircraft can be launched, climb to an altitude above 65,000 feet (20,000 feet higher than most commercial jet flights) and orbit above a location on the earth for more than five years without needing to land or refuel. These drones are "atmospheric satellites" that can conduct most of the operations of an orbital satellite, but are cheaper and more versatile. In this case the drones will provide satellite like Internet connectivity for users, beginning in Africa, who today have no access. Here is an article with more detail.
http://techcrunch.com/2014/03/03/facebook-in-talks-to-acquire-drone-maker-titan-aerospace/

9. In the technology news again, Facebook just agreed to acquire mobile-messaging application startup WhatsApp for $16 billion in cash and stock. That is Billion with a "B". The story is at the first link below. WhatsApp's users can send text messages over the Web for free, as opposed to traditional text messages, which consumers pay for through their mobile-phone plans. More than 450 million people already use WhatsApp, with 1 million new registered users being added daily, according to Facebook. In June 2013 WhatsApp set a record of processing 27 billion messages in one day. The company was founded in 2009 by two young former Yahoo employees. Four billion dollars of the sale price will be distributed among the company's 55 employees, most whose ages are in their 20's. The bigger story, at the second link below, is the impact of the service that WhatsApp provides to the consumer public. This starts with text messages today but may quickly grow to include voice calls and even TV. All of the ways we communicate may be going to change because a little 55 employee Silicon Valley company "built a better rap." Read the NY Times item below and learn what may be coming.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/facebook-to-buy-mobile-messaging-app-whatsapp-for-16-billion/2014/02/19/d7fd9dfe-99b4-11e3-b1de-e666d78c3937_story.html?wpisrc=al_tech_b
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/02/20/the-other-big-winner-in-the-whatsapp-deal-your-wallet/?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20140221

10. Ford is ending a partnership with Microsoft to develop software to support voice command, telephony, data and touchscreen integration for Ford vehicles. Ford is replacing the Microsoft Windows based embedded system with a software package called QNX, developed by Blackberry. The Ford in-the-car Sync system, developed with Microsoft, has experienced problems that have resulted in declining Ford customer satisfaction ratings. The partnership with Ford was Microsoft's largest business agreement in the auto industry.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/02/24/ford-to-drop-microsoft-from-car-systems/?_php=true&_type=blogs&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20140225&_r=0

11. Item #4 above in this Newsletter discussed wearable technology devices. Such a device is GoogleGlass, a combination still and video camera, Internet connected computer and video display device, built into an eyeglass frame. It is undergoing test now and expected to be released to the public market later in 2014 at a price of about $1500. The public is attempting to adjust to the presence of a video camera/video display operating while the person wearing the GoogleGlass is nearby, or talking to them, or engaged in some activity like watching a movie or driving a vehicle. The world of those using technology to be continuously "connected" is running into those who are not and/or don't want to be "connected." Now, a number of state legislators are introducing bills prohibiting wearing GoogleGlass (or similar devices) while driving or engaged in some other activities. Google and others in the technology world are working to educate the public about such devices and at the same time are opposing such legislation. There have been instances of testers leaving the device turned on while in a setting that does not allow recording video of using a mobile phone. Google recently set out some rules for their GoogleGlass testers warning them not be a "Glasshole" when wearing the device in public. Here are two links, one from Reuters and the second from the Washington Post, with details.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/25/us-google-glass-lobbying-idUSBREA1O0P920140225
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/02/19/google-tells-glass-users-to-stop-being-glassholes/?wprss=rss_technology&wpisrc=nl_tech

12. Software that supports facial recognition has been available for several years but it is slow and requires significant processing time to confirm a recognition. Now a company long in this business is introducing a new facial recognition technology that can scan individuals at a rate of one every two seconds. If the new system actually works as test suggest, it will make a significant difference in computers assisting in identifying individuals of interest to law enforcement and other organizations. Here is an article.
http://gcn.com/Articles/2014/01/28/SRI-facial-scanner.aspx?m=2&Page=1


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March 2014 SIR Computer Newsletter

1. We continue to add new, more capable yet more complex devices, like smartphones, to our lives. Many people, particularly older people (do you know any of them?), are baffled by most of the features included on these new devices. Sixty-two percent of Americans now own a smartphone, according to a Gallup poll. For many of them, smartphones are confounding and intimidating, and they often wind up just using the phones as expensive cameras that can make calls. About 81 percent of cellphone users send text messages - among the easiest functions to use on a smartphone, requiring just basic spelling and typing abilities - but only half the nation's cellphone users download apps and read or send e-mail, according to research by the Pew Research Center. Women are less likely than men to download applications (apps) to their smartphone even though such apps could provide the phone's user with helpful functionality. Some highly touted smartphone innovations are barely used at all. A Harris poll showed that just 5 percent of Americans use their smartphones screens to show ticket codes for movie admission or airline boarding passes instead of the paper item. Whether that's because of a lack of interest or lack of know-how (or both) is not entirely clear but vendors and developers are working to find out. Here is more on this subject.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/smartphones-get-more-sophisticated-but-their-owners-do-not/2014/01/15/99d7e100-7a20-11e3-8963-b4b654bcc9b2-story.html?wprss=rss-technology&wpisrc=nl-tech

2. If you are a fan of reading, listening or watching reports and discussions on science and technology topics you may enjoy a weekly radio broadcast titled "Science Friday". The program format is the interview of, and discussion with, leading experts in technology and science topics of current interest. Each topic is discussed for an appropriate time, usually 10 - 30 minutes, as part of each two hour program. Science Friday has been broadcast for 22 years and is produced by the Science Friday Initiative, a 501(c)(3) organization. It is broadcast nationally. In the Bay Area it is broadcast every Friday, from 11 AM to 1PM, on KQED-FM at 88.5 on the FM dial. Check it out - you may become a regular listener. You can read more about Science Friday at the website:
http://www.sciencefriday.com/

3. Each year the security firm Splashdata publishes a list of the top 25 worst passwords used by people to protect accounts. In 2013, the top of the list changed from "password", the 2012 winner, to the new champion, "123456". To see the entire top 25 worst passwords visit the link below. If you use a password on the list your best move is to quickly change it to something that is more secure - make it longer and mix letters, both upper and lower case, with numbers with symbols.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2089244/the-25-worst-passwords-of-2013-password-gets-dethroned.html

4. Wearable electronic devices are among the fastest growing category of what is new. One of the leading devices is Google Glass, a tiny video screen, camera and Internet connected computer built into what resembles a pair of glasses. Several hundred are now out in the public undergoing test. In 2014 sales will begin and there will be many thousands in the public's hands. Google Glass is expected to transform the way that people interact with data and communications but for one unlucky early user a paranoid reaction to the device ended up becoming a huge time waster. After wearing a turned off and prescription lens-equipped model to the theater, a man had it torn from his face on suspicion he was recording the movie and engaging in movie piracy. Several hours later the FBI conceded they'd made a big mistake. We need to keep up with technology that may appear near us or we may over-react to what we see. Here is a link to the story.
http://torrentfreak.com/fbi-drags-google-glass-man-from-theater-on-piracy-fears-140121/

5. You may know an elderly person or possibly you are such a person. This could be helpful. High-tech upgrades may let older people live independently in their own homes longer and avoid having to move to a care facility or to a child's home. Their medicine bottles will alert their doctor when they miss a dose. Pressure-sensing floor mats can sense when they have fallen or let caregivers know when a patient hasn't showered for a while. Honeywell is developing a sensor that customers can wear on their body that would detect whether they are moving in a manner that would indicate they have fallen. The aim of these upgrades is to allow an aging population to stay in their homes - and remain independent - longer. Maybe you know such a person. Read about it here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/hi-tech-upgrades-may-let-aging-baby-boomers-live-independently-in-their-own-homes-longer/2014/01/20/72e3d3b8-759f-11e3-8b3f-b1666705ca3b-story.html?wprss=rss-technology&wpisrc=nl-tech

6. Microsoft has been pulling out all the stops in an effort to recover from the growing failure of marketing success for all the variants of Windows 8. In October 2013 Microsoft introduced Windows Phone 8 in a continuing effort to capture part of the rapidly expanding mobile device market, a market Microsoft has never succeeded in penetrating. Unfortunately, the only mobile phone manufacturer to accept the Windows Phone 8 operating system was Nokia, who has been struggling as users move to Apple iOS and Android powered devices. Now Nokia, who hitched its wagon to the Windows Phone 8 platform, reports it sold fewer smartphones in Q4 2013, the holiday quarter, than it sold in Q3 2013. Sales of phones with the shiny new Windows operating system went down from sales in the third quarter. Here are the details.
http://www.infoworld.com/t/microsoft-windows/windows-8s-latest-victim-windows-phone-sales-234833

7. Bluetooth, the short range wireless communication technique widely used between electronic devices, for example between a mobile phone and a wireless earpiece, has recently been used by thieves stealing credit and debit card information from gas station customers. US prosecutors have charged 13 members of a gang accused of stealing $2 million from gas station customers using Bluetooth-enabled skimmers hidden inside the pump card reader/ATMs. Presumably, a member of the gang installed a small electronic board in the gas pumps, probably while maintaining or servicing the pumps. The board then collected and stored customer credit card information but additionally included a Bluetooth transmitter. At regular intervals a gang member within about 30 feet of the pump, maybe while refueling his own vehicle, would signal via Bluetooth for the pump to dump the credit card data to a recorder the gang member had. The beauty of this method is that the pump does not need to be opened to read the collected data through a wired connection which would risk discovery of the gang installed circuit board. Here is the whole story.
http://news.techworld.com/security/3498684/thieves-steal-2-million-from-gas-station-atms-using-bluetooth-skimmers/

8. Just how capable and how powerful is a modern smartphone? A writer found an old 1991 Radio Shack ad, offering a variety of what were then cutting-edge gadgets. There are 15 items listed in the full page ad, and all but two of them - a radar detector and a set of speakers - do jobs that can now be performed, in most cases better, with a modern smartphone. The writer uses an Apple iPhone that you can carry in your shirt pocket. The unsubsidized price for today's iPhone is $549, with much better pricing available. The 13 items in the Radio Shack ad, that today's iPhone can match or beat, would have cost more than $3,000 in 1991. Here is the ad and the full story.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/01/31/todays-iphone-is-more-useful-than-3000-worth-of-gadgets-from-a-1991-radio-shack/?wprss=rss-technology&wpisrc=nl-tech

9. Over time each of us becomes more comfortable with the growing number of services that are available to us because of our easy access to these services through the Internet and our mobile, laptop and desktop devices. Many of these services are free to the user. Have you ever wondered what it takes and what it cost to provide you with such services? Here is one example. Apple has a free voice interaction service called Siri that is available as a base feature to users of Apple iPhones and iPads. Every day, iPhone and iPad users ask millions of questions through Siri by simply speaking to their device and getting answers back by voice and/or as text and graphics on the screen of their device. Apple must analyze each of these questions using computer intense natural language processing to convert the spoken questions into a form that computers understand. Then Apple must search for the answer, formulate the response and convert it to a form that the human user can understand. All of this happens in seconds. How much computer power is needed? Apple has three Siri server farms, called instances, in the U.S. and at least one each in a number of other countries. Each Siri instance runs on 32 powerful HP servers with 1024 processor cores and 32 terabytes of RAM apiece. Each instance is made up of 4 HP c7k enclosures (list price $31,000 each) with each holding up to 8 HP ProLiant BL660c Gen8 server blades (list price $27,969 each) with memory of 1TB. A quick calculation shows that each Siri instance cost about $1,019,000 for hardware alone. Software, facility and operating expenses are additional. http://m.cultofmac.com/cultofmac/#!/entry/the-hardware-that-siri-runs-on-puts-the-new-mac,52e872cfe56d0bb8534cb9fe/1

10. If you like a good mystery story in addition to your interest in computers and technology then this item is for you. At the link is an article describing how cyber criminals penetrated the Target data network and were able to get computer malware loaded on thousands of Target point of sale credit card readers to steal customer credit information. The article discusses the results of the investigation so far. It's quite a story. If you shopped at Target before and around Christmas, and paid with a credit or debit card, please continue to check your card account statements for transactions that you did not make.
http://krebsonsecurity.com/2014/02/target-hackers-broke-in-via-hvac-company/

11. There are hardware devices and software from multiple sources so how do you position yourself so that the features and services you need don't disappear if a provider fails? What happened to all the Betamax VCR movies you bought? How about the e-books you bought to read on a Nook? You can position yourself to survive the extinction of the supporting technology. This article tells you how.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/13/technology/personaltech/how-to-survive-the-next-wave-of-technology-extinction.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit-th-20140213

12. Marriott International is moving the bulk of its employee recruiting, job application and hiring process to mobile platforms. Smartphones and tablets are the focus of the way that the millennial generation communicates. With the total global workforce projected to be 42% from this generation by 2025 Marriott wants to be positioned to capture the attention of this huge field of employment candidates. Marriott expects that its mobile application process will be very beneficial everywhere but especially useful in developing countries such as China and India, where many people use smartphones as their primary or their only way of accessing the Internet. Many firms have already shaken up their e-commerce and marketing functions to cater to smaller screens, but the job application process has largely remained stuck in the realm of desktop Web. Marriott has had a large team working to develop a user friendly application process that is centered on running on devices with small screens. The goal has been to make it easy for the employee candidate to understand and use from their mobile device. Here is the full story.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/marriott-international-brings-job-application-process-to-smartphones-and-tablets/2014/01/25/5cb8ed22-83a4-11e3-bbe5-6a2a3141e3a9-story.html?wpisrc=nl-headlines

13. This item could be filed under the heading "And You Think You Have Trouble". Microsoft has just named a long time Microsoft employee, Satya Nadella, as the CEO. Mr. Nadella asked Microsoft's founder and retired Chairman, Bill Gates, to return to the company as his product and technology adviser. The New Yorker reported that on his first day back at Microsoft, Bill Gates spent the entire day, with help from Mr. Nadella for half of the day, attempting to install the upgrade to Windows 8.1. The two most senior Microsoft executives were not successful. In response to a press question the company reported that Mr. Gates will be using Windows 7 for the immediate future. How would you like to be the Microsoft executive responsible for delivering Windows 8 ? Here is a link to the story.
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/borowitzreport/2014/02/gates-spends-entire-first-day-back-in-office-trying-to-install-windows-81.html
Febuary 2014 SIR Computer Newsletter

1. Current reports indicate that Microsoft will abandon the Windows 8 product and replace it in 2015 with a new operating system, now code named "Threshold", but probably marketed as Windows 9. Microsoft considers Windows 8 to be a debacle and wants to get away from that label. Even with its newest version, Windows 8.1, the software is in use on less than 25 million PC's. Microsoft needs the current version of Windows to be running on more than a billion PC's for it to be considered successful. Here is a link to one report of what is known now.
http://m.winsupersite.com/windows-8/threshold-be-called-windows-9-ship-april-2015

2. If you don't have a smartphone or a tablet computer the publication Business Insider says that the world is running away from you as these technologies spread. At the end of 2013, global smartphone penetration will have exploded to 22% of the global population from 5% in 2009. That's an increase of nearly 1.3 billion smartphones in four years. Tablets are showing faster adoption rates than smartphones. It took smartphones nearly four years to reach 6% global penetration from when the devices first started to register on a global level. Tablets accomplished this in just two years. Here is what Business Inside says.
http://www.businessinsider.com/smartphone-and-tablet-penetration-2013-10

3. Cutting edge computer technology is being used more and more to assist physicians in their efforts to provide the best medical care to patients. A current effort includes work by the MD Anderson Cancer Center of the University of Texas and IBM, plus several Silicon Valley technology companies. The IBM Watson computer system was originally developed to demonstrate locating information and quickly responding to natural human language questions in a competition with people while using the format of the TV program Jeopardy. The IBM Watson technology is now being used to provide MD Anderson physicians and medical staff with unprecedented detail in support of leukemia patient treatment. This Watson system is called an Oncology Expert Advisor (OEA). The link below is to a video produced by MD Anderson and IBM to provide other physicians with information about the ongoing OEA project. The video is about one hour long but when you have the time I believe you will find watching it well worth your time. It includes an actual demo, presented by an MD Anderson Oncologist, and beginning about 27 minutes into the video, that shows some of the amazing support that a physician can be provided by the Watson powered system. Here is the link to the video.
http://www3.mdanderson.org/streams/FullVideoPlayer.cfm?xml=cfg%2FMoon-Shots-IBM-Watson-2013

4. If you develop a new technology related device or service then one way for you to secure funding for your idea and to introduce it to the world is to place it on Kickstarter, an Internet service designed to do just this. In 2012 Kickstarter sponsored more than 18,000 projects and raised more than $319 million in funding to get the projects up and running. The numbers for 2013 are not in yet but are expected to exceed those of 2012. At the link below is an article describing ten Kickstarter funded projects. The author selected these ten as being of great value to users of the products. They are not listed in any specific order. You will find some great ideas here and among other Kickstarter projects.
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/10-successful-kickstarter-projects-in-2013-for-our-everyday-lives/

5. Each of us has lived through the evolution and development of computers. Beginning with devices that filled a room, to covering a desktop, to sitting on our lap and now to fitting in our pocket. Much of this evolution is discussed in a new book, Dogfight: How Apple and Google Went to War and Started a Revolution, by Fred Vogelstein. An excerpt from this book, published as an article in The Atlantic, is at the link. This article discusses the impact on Apple, Google and Microsoft of the January 9, 2007 introduction of the iPhone by the late CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs. If you enjoy the history of computers, mobile devices or the Silicon Valley, you will enjoy reading this article.
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/12/the-day-google-had-to-start-over-on-android/282479/

6. Early in the development of the telephone industry the rules were different. If you had a AT&T telephone (Bell at the time) you could only call other AT&T customers. If you wanted to call someone with service from another company you had to have a telephone and wiring from that company. It was not unusual for some homes and businesses to have multiple telephone instruments connected to the services provided by multiple telephone companies. We then moved to a position of "the" phone company (AT&T) being a regulated monopoly, with a special duty to the public. Then came the AT&T brake-up and formation of "Baby Bell" companies and today with voice moving as data on the Internet. If you want an excellent and interesting review of the telephone industry, past, present and future, you should read the Washington Post article at the link.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2013/12/19/this-100-year-old-deal-birthed-the-modern-phone-system-and-its-all-about-to-end/

7. If you have ever been bothered in a public area, like an airport gate area, a park bench or a waiting room, etc., by someone having a loud mobile phone conversation, here is the perfect solution. The YouTube video at the link shows what you could do. It has been viewed more than 7 million times. Do this - Sit beside the offending caller while pretending to be engaged in your own loud mobile phone conversation. Listen to the offenders conversation and respond to what they are saying while appearing to be saying the words on your own call. Be as loud as the offending caller. You will quickly drive the caller nuts. Watch the video, laugh and see what you could do the next time a cell phone caller interferes with your peace and quiet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YA1J-raGinQ&feature=youtube-gdata-player

8. If your computer's operating system (OS) is Windows XP read this item. On April 8, 2014, Microsoft will end all technical support and security upgrades for Windows XP. There are still hundreds of millions of PCs running this OS. This is the second time this newsletter has highlighted this warning. After April 8th, Windows XP will be wide open to hackers around the world. A single un-patched security breach in XP could open up computer and personal information of millions of users to such hackers. It is recommended that prior to April 8, 2014, Windows XP users upgrade their software, and hardware if required, to Windows 7 or Windows 8 or move to some other OS. Here is a TIME TechLand article with more detail.
http://techland.time.com/2013/12/27/windows-xp-to-become-a-hackers-dream-in-2014-experts-warn/?xid=newsletter-daily

9. It's 2014 and the bets are already being placed on what new gadgets, electronic devices, entertainment choices and communications methods will become available this year. How about smarter phones, and extremely smart watches or flexible and wearable TV screens. Read some of the predictions here to prepare yourself for keeping up with your children and grandchildren.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/12/29/disruptions-coming-in-2014-extremely-smart-watches-and-wearable-tvs/?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit-th-20131230&-r=0

10. A new kind of computer chip will be introduced in commercial versions in 2014. It will have major impact on the way computers are used. The new processors are designed to operate the same way that living neurons adapt to change which means that the chip can learn as it works, tolerate errors and adjust to changes. These new chips will perform some functions that humans do with ease: see, speak, listen, navigate, manipulate and control. At the first link read a NY Times article about where this soon to be available technology may take us. More information about these human brain like computers is in a Washington Post article at the second link.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/29/science/brainlike-computers-learning-from-experience.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit-th-20131229&-r=0
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2014/01/02/neuromorphics-the-first-big-tech-buzzword-of-2014/?wprss=rss-technology&wpisrc=nl-tech

11. The 2014 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) just ended with the annual race to show the hottest new product of the future. Interestingly, TIME TechLand also just are: Blu-ray and DVD players, Stand alone in-car GPS units, Dial-up Internet, Low-end Digital Cameras and Car Keys. Here is a link to the TIME article that explains the demise of these technologies.
http://techland.time.com/2014/01/02/5-tech-products-that-will-be-dead-in-5-years/?xid=newsletter-weekly

12. When you watch the growth of technology you better not blink because you will miss something important. In 2009 the leading smartphone manufacturers were Blackberry and Nokia. Where are they today? In 2009 there was no such thing as an iPad but now Apple has sold 170 million iPads and is quickly approaching sales of 200 million. The article at the link is a quick review to remind you where technology has come in a few short years. Don't blink !!!!!!
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/12/24/four-years-and-1000-blog-posts-ago/?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit-th-20131225

13. If you are concerned by the seemingly growing number of reports of violations of cyber security and the loss of your privacy here is an interesting New York Times published opinion piece, written by a "paranoid cybersecurity reporter", and titled Stop Asking Me For My Email Address. It will give you things to think about, ideas and will make you smile.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/01/10/stop-asking-me-for-my-email-address/?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit-th-20140111

14. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is actively engaged in many technology projects including one to develop robots that can move around and collaborate with people on tasks. This project is an attempt by the federal government to push technology forward, with the goal of creating machines that can be used in place of humans to perform dangerous tasks. To various degrees people and computers work together to have the robots complete various pre-defined task. The balance of human input versus autonomous operation by a robot weighs on the overall evaluation. Here is an article describing some of the DARPA work.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/21/science/by-sci-fi-standards-newest-robots-may-disappoint.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit-th-20131221&-r=0
January 2014 SIR Computer Newsletter

1. A new hand sized device, called HydroBee, is becoming available to provide users with electric power to recharge a mobile phone or other devices when no other source of power is available. The HydroBee, about the size of a one pint bottle and secured by a short tether of string, fishing line, rope or wire, is placed in a source of running water. Return in two hours, retrieve the HydroBee from the water and a set of internal 12,599 mAh batteries are fully charged. Connect it and there is enough power to recharge your mobile phone several times. The manufacturer is accepting early orders through Kickstarter of $78.00. Here is the story.
http://www.ohgizmo.com/2013/11/20/hydrobee-is-your-own-portable-hydroelectric-power-plant/

2. A leading technology market analysis firm, Canalys, predicts that in 2014, half of all worldwide PC sales will be tablet computers instead of desktop and laptop machines. Because the operating system (OS) is provided free to multiple manufacturers, the Android OS will power many tablets with the balance powered by Apple, Windows and a few others. A number of small hardware manufactures will produce tablets costing less than $150 for developing country markets.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035-3-57613754-94/tablets-to-carve-out-nearly-half-of-pc-market-next-year/

3. Amazon announced on the December 1, 2013 CBS news program "60 Minutes" that the company is actively engaged in work to provide 30 minute delivery of most of its products to a majority of Amazon customers. The delivery service, called Amazon Prime Air, will be an extra cost option to the customer and will use electric powered flying drones to move small packages (five pounds or less, which is 78% of Amazon orders) directly to customer addresses from Amazon delivery centers. Amazon has already applied for FAA approval for the drone use of airspace and expects FAA approval by 2015 when the service could be ready to begin to be available. Prime Air is another example of the kind of enhanced customer service that cyber customers expect and vendors are working to provide. Traditional retailers compete on the strength of their products. But Amazon, increasingly, is competing on the basis of time - fulfilling our wishes as close to instantaneously as possible. The drone strategy promises to cut what is currently a one-day or two-day shipping window down to 30 minutes or even less. Drones have an advantage over delivery trucks in that they can use a more direct route, rather than having to follow winding streets. This saves time and saved time may make Amazon the preferred vendor. In case you missed the 60 Minute broadcast, here is a TIME article about the Amazon delivery service. Be sure to watch the short video included in the article.
http://techland.time.com/2013/12/01/amazon-bezos-drones/?xid=newsletter-daily

4. In the item above we learned about a future package delivery service being developed by Amazon to enhance customer service through faster delivery. In San Francisco, a new start-up company, Luna, is providing package delivery to customer homes in the evening, from 7PM until midnight, when someone is home to receive the delivery. The service is called Moonlight Delivery and cost $6.99 for one or more packages delivered to an address at one time. The customer orders items from vendors and has them delivered to a Luna bonded warehouse in San Francisco. Luna notifies the customer of the package arrival through a Luna application (app) running on the customer's iPhone. Delivery date and time is scheduled using the same app. The customer receives conformation of the delivery arrival shortly before the delivery driver actually arrives. Here is a blog describing the new Luna Moonlight Delivery service.
http://blog.useluna.com/post/68865109884/introducing-luna-never-miss-a-delivery-again

5. Checkout the website at the link. I think you will find it fascinating. In a barcode format the site shows how many lines of computer code are needed to support selected functions and programs. Very interesting. The very bottom of the list is the number of lines of code reported to be needed to drive the new healthcare.gov website. 500 million. Wow!!!! Here is the link:
http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/million-lines-of-code/

6. This Newsletter recently has included several items about the rapidly growing technology of 3-D printing. Now, according to the MIT Technology Review, "by making the basic building blocks of batteries out of ink, Harvard materials scientist Jennifer Lewis is laying the groundwork for lithium-ion batteries and other high-performing electronics that can be produced with 3-D printers. Although the technology is still at an early stage, the ability to print batteries and other electronics could make it possible to manufacture new kinds of devices. Think of self-powered biomedical sensors, affixed to the skin, that would continuously transmit vital signs to a smartphone. Or existing products could be made more simply and efficiently. For example, the plastic shell of a hearing aid is already 3-D printed for a custom fit inside a wearer's ear. But the electronics are manufactured separately, and the batteries are often the type that must be replaced frequently. If the electronics and a rechargeable battery were printed together, the final product could be made more rapidly and seamlessly." Read more and see pictures at this link.
http://www.technologyreview.com/demo/521956/printing-batteries/

7. Here is even more on the broad work being done to speed delivery to customers. If I can order a pizza, by phone or on-line, and expect it to be delivered in 30 minutes or less, why can't I order products from most vendors and expect nearly instant delivery instead of days later? Modern e-commerce lets us order things we want at any time and from anywhere, so why shouldn't we expect to have the things we buy in our hands in minutes? That day is coming.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/12/08/disruptions-at-your-door-in-minutes-delivered-by-robot/?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit-th-20131209&-r=0

8. All of us look at our computers and wonder if we are up to date with our hardware and software. When we believe our technology is behind, we take steps to upgrade or replace the dated equipment and/or software we are using. Such a fix is not possible for some parts of the US Government as some agencies are still using technology like floppy disks, new in the 1980's. Daily, the Federal Register publishes on its website and in a thick booklet about 100 executive orders, proclamations, proposed rule changes and other government notices that federal agencies are mandated to submit for public inspection. Submissions by government departments for inclusion in the Register are made by all government agencies, including a number still using 1980's floppy disks technology. The Register must accept submissions on those disks until Congress changes the law that allows the continued use of such dated technology. See, you're not behind at all. Your computer probably does not even have a floppy disks drive. You are too far ahead. Here are the details.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/07/us/politics/slowly-they-modernize-a-federal-agency-that-still-uses-floppy-disks.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit-th-20131207

9. The theft of smartphones has become an incredibly profitable business for people willing to steal the devices. Mobil phone users and manufacturers plus law enforcement organizations support the inclusion of a "kill switch" in smartphone software that would allow the theft victim to remotely completely disable the phone. If stolen smartphones could be "killed" their value would disappear and their theft would end. Despite significant support for the idea, wireless carriers oppose the kill switch idea. Apparently this is because such a system would destroy the significant revenue that the wireless carriers make from the sale of mobile phone insurance policies to protect users from phone theft. Here is an article with the details.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/11/19/carriers-reject-a-kill-switch-for-preventing-cellphone-theft/?-r=1&

10. According to Speedtest.net the US ranks 31st in Internet consumer download speed to users. The fastest average speeds are provided in Hong Kong, followed by Singapore, Romania, South Korea and Sweden. Some other speed measuring services rank the US as high a ninth but not higher than that.
http://venturebeat.com/2013/11/26/america-falls-a-dismal-31st-on-ranking-of-consumer-download-speeds-report/

11. More than 50 million users of smartphones powered by the Android operating system (OS) have downloaded a free flashlight software application (app) that covertly sends the phone's location to vendors who pay the app's developer for the location information. The app, called Brightest Flashlight Free, was developed by a firm named Goldenshores Technologies, that has been cited by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for failure to disclose to users of their application that location information was being collected and distributed to other parties. Here is the story.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/flashlight-app-kept-users-in-the-dark-about-sharing-location-data-ftc/2013/12/05/1be26fa6-5dc7-11e3-be07-006c776266ed-story.html?wprss=rss-technology&wpisrc=nl-tech

12. All of us are aware of the threat that some malware will infect our computer and begin transmitting information stored on our computer or our keystrokes to another party. We are careful to avoid threats that we see and understand. One of the most protective things we could do is to not physically connect our computer to the public network through the Internet. This technique is often used in high security government and commercial facilities to insure that no data can move out of a controlled internal network. It is called having an "air gap" between you and the outside world - no physical connection. Now, computer scientists have developed and demonstrated computer malware that can send information across an "air gap" using high frequency, inaudible sound that cannot be heard by humans. The malware uses the microphone and speakers built into almost all computers to clandestinely send information to another computer even though there is no physical or web connection between the machines. Here is an article about these developments.
http://arstechnica.com/security/2013/12/scientist-developed-malware-covertly-jumps-air-gaps-using-inaudible-sound/

13. While technology continues to improve our lives, many people in the developing world are held back because of the global shortage of electricity. Now a US start-up, Uncharted Play, is building a soccer ball called "Soccket" that generates electricity. Inside the Soccket ball is a generator and rechargeable batteries. The ball weighs only three ounces more than a regular soccer ball. The ball has a headphone jack built in which is connected to an included charging station. USB cords are then attached to the charging station and used to charge up to five portable lights at a time. With 30 minutes of play with the ball by the average child, three hours of LED light will be provided. Each Soccket ball comes with a charging station, five portable lights and all the necessary cables. The Soccket systems are being paid for by donations from organizations and individuals and given to schools in developing areas. Uncharted Play has already built and distributed 9,000 Socckets and plans to build 50,000 per year. Here is a link to a Washington Post article.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2013/11/21/the-soccer-ball-that-helps-kids-in-underdeveloped-areas-finish-homework/?wprss=rss-technology&wpisrc=nl-tech

********************* MERRY CHRISTMAS ************************

December 2013 SIR Computer Newsletter

1. The Chinese government has directly entered the global environmental program to protect endangered animals. The government is using modern communications technology to inform and even warn Chinese citizens of the government push. Radio, TV, email and text messages are all in play. As an example, recently, shark fin soup has all but been banned throughout China. It is not to be served in government, commercial and personal dining. All forms of communications are being used to notify the people. When internationally traveling Chinese citizens arrive in Kenya and other African countries and turn on their cell phones, they receive a text message from the local Chinese embassy requesting that they do not buy ivory or rhino horn during their stay. One such message, translated from Chinese, reads: "The State Department wishes you safe travels. Please follow Kenyan law, do not carry illegal ivory, rhino horn, or any other wildlife products. Please do not feed or disturb wildlife. Respect local customs and remain polite and friendly. National Forestry Warning: Please do not poach, take, or use wildlife or plants to sell, carry, or mail. Pay close attention to ivory, rhino horn and other products derived from endangered animals."
http://www.wildaid.org/news/say-no-ivory-and-rhino-horn-chinese-cell-phone-users-told

2. Here is another in a series of articles supporting a recommendation that you should have a smartphone. If you travel with a smartphone you could use it with a new software application (app), Distress Signal, that can be downloaded to a Apple iPhone in seconds and cost $1.99. The app uses the phone's internal GPS to keep track of your location and knows the telephone numbers for emergency services for every country in the world. If you are in trouble, in a place like Latvia for example, the app will send your contact information and location to local authorities in the language of the country you are visiting. The app also can be configured to send coordinates of your location to your family or friends so they can find you. The app also has the ability to send an SOS signal, has a compass, an alert siren, a guide to show you where you last had a cellular signal and a map to help you to find a local hospital and police station. Right now, the SMS emergency text-messaging service works in the UK, Ireland, China, Hong Kong, New Zealand, France, Italy, Spain, Slovenia, Latvia, Austria, Luxembourg, Portugal, Philippines and Iceland. Coverage for the full US and other parts of Europe will be added shortly.
http://www.tuaw.com/2013/10/23/daily-iphone-app-distress-signal-alerts-authorities-when-you-ar/

3. The proliferation of computers to people around the world who are working in every profession continues to result in accelerating technical breakthroughs that effect and improve our lives in ways that are increasingly difficult to imagine or predict. We discuss these topics in our Computer Group meetings and learn of new developments each time we meet. The faster we run to remain current, the faster we must run to keep up with the accelerating pace of computer stimulated change. As an example, for scientist at a Silicon Valley biotech company, creating a new life-form has become as simple as this: Type out a DNA sequence on a laptop computer. Clicks "send." A few yards away in the laboratory, robotic arms mix together some compounds to produce the desired cells. This one company is creating completely new organisms at the dizzying rate of more than 1,500 a day. Other companies are "building" other completely new living things at similar rates. Some of the created life forms convert sugar into medicines. Others create moisturizers that can be used in cosmetics. And still others make biofuel, a renewable energy source. These creations are not genetically modified living things, like salmon modified to grow faster, but these are new life forms that nature has never produced. These capabilities have evolved because computers can do all the kinds of processing, analysis, research and functions that we could not do before computers entered our lives. Here is an article on just the bio-technology advances mentioned above.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/companies-rush-to-build-biofactories-for-medicines-flavorings-and-fuels/2013/10/24/f439dc3a-3032-11e3-8906-3daa2bcde110-story.html?wpisrc=nl-headlines

4. Google, in conjunction with Google owned Motorola, is working to develop a completely modular mobile smartphone that will allow easy user reconfiguration of the hardware. Google calls the development "Project Ara". If you break your smartphone screen, you could buy a replacement and install it in your phone with two screws. If you take lots of pictures or videos with the phone you can purchase an enhanced camera module and replace the stock camera. If you store your digital files in the cloud, replace the phone's storage module with a bigger, longer lasting battery. When a replacement or upgrade module is installed the phone will automatically detect the new component and integrate it into the rest of the system. The Google objective is to have a phone with completely open source software (the already available Google Android operating system) plus a fully open hardware platform, configurable by the consumer. This marketing strategy is focused directly on the Apple iPhone marketing model which has both the hardware and operating system software developed and built by one vendor, Apple. Here is an article about Project Ara.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2013/10/29/motorolas-modular-smartphone-will-be-the-anti-iphone/?wprss=rss-technology&wpisrc=nl-tech

5. If locking your computer when you move away from it is important to you here is a solution. A British computer accessory firm, Atama, has introduced a Bluetooth 4.0 device named Sesame that locks an Apple Mac desktop or laptop when you walk away from the computer. Sesame is a small fob added to the users pocket key ring. It uses the ultra low power mode of Bluetooth 4.0 to run for months on a single coin cell battery in Sesame. The user can set the distance from the computer need to lock the computer. A duel lock can also be selected that requires the returning user to enter an unlock password in the computer and then press a small button on the Sesame device to unlock the computer. Sesame should be available by December 2013.
http://appleinsider.com/articles/13/11/04/new-bluetooth-accessory-sesame-automatically-locks-your-mac-when-you-step-away

6. The Silicon Valley startup, "Nest", was founded by and is lead by Tony Fadell, a former Apple executive. Nest is focused on using today's technology to improve the function and increase the value of home appliances and devices that we use every day. Nest's first product, a smart, wireless Internet connected home thermostat has become a must have product for homeowners worldwide. Nest's second product, Nest Protect, just becoming available, is a smart, connected, smoke, fire and carbon monoxide detector and alarm. In the interesting article at the link below, Tony Fadell explains why and how he started Nest and where it may be headed in the future. So far it is another Silicon Valley success story.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/11/07/nests-tony-fadell-on-smart-objects-and-the-singularity-of-innovation/?nl=technology&emc=edit-ct-20131107

7. "Stephen Elop, a candidate to replace Steve Ballmer as Microsoft Corp.'s chief executive officer, would consider breaking with decades of tradition by focusing the company's strategy around making the popular Office software programs like Word, Excel and PowerPoint available on a broad variety of smartphones and tablets, including those made by Apple and Google according to three people with knowledge of Elop's thinking." Here is a Bloomberg article with further detail.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-11-08/microsoft-ceo-candidate-elop-said-to-mull-windows-shift.html

8. If you are considering buying a new tablet and you believe "size matters" then Panasonic will have the tablet for you. In January a new 20 inch touch screen tablet will be on the market with a retail price of $5,999. This tablet won't slip into a backpack easily, but Panasonic believes it'll be suitable for use in hospitals, museums, galleries, and at construction sites. You will want to keep your charger cord handy because Panasonic estimated that the tablet's batteries will last only two hours. Here is an article and pictures of this giant tablet.
http://www.theverge.com/2013/11/8/5080136/panasonic-4k-toughpad-tablet-specifications-price-release-date

9. It is not difficult today to learn a great deal about an individual through information the individual, or friends, post to on-line social networks like FaceBook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. Universities and employers are increasing their scans of such public sources as part of their processes for selecting students for admission and selecting future employees. Read the article at the link below and you will gain information to use in conversations with your younger family members and friends who are still in school and/or the workplace. They should be aware that personal and "just for fun" comments that they make, or that their friends make about them, in on-line networks can come back to haunt them years later. Here is the article.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/10/business/they-loved-your-gpa-then-they-saw-your-tweets.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit-th-20131110&-r=0

10. Amazon and the US Postal Service (USPS) have entered into an agreement that could turn the shipping industry upside down as the deal provides Sunday delivery of products purchased on-line from Amazon. The deal helps rescue the money strapped USPS while providing Amazon with a competitive advantage of product delivery on Sunday, a day when almost no other retailer or delivery company provides service. Weekend delivery of purchases has become more important as on-line business continues to grow at rapid rates and expensive purchases require a recipients signature at delivery. Recipients are not at home to sign for weekday delivery. The arrangement may force Amazon competitors into making similar agreements with the USPS, FedEx, UPS or other smaller carriers. Here is the story.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2013/11/11/amazons-brilliant-plan-to-rescue-the-postal-service-and-disrupt-the-shipping-industry/?wprss=rss-technology&wpisrc=nl-tech

11. We hear all the time that we should be careful to protect our computers from infection by malware and viruses by not opening unknown documents and messages, not running unknown programs and not connecting devices with content not known to us. One mistake is all it takes to cause substantial harm. Now a leading international cyber security firm has reported that computers on the International Space Station (ISS) were infected with cyber malware carried to the ISS on a USB stick drive by a Russian cosmonaut. The report was published by UK International Business Times. Here is a link to their article.
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/521246/20131111/international-space-station-infected-malware-russian-astronaut.htm

12. About 15% of Americans over the age of 18 do not use the Internet. These people, while part of a slowly sinking number, are cut off from from job portunities, educational resources, health-care information, social networks, even government services. Forty-nine percent of non-Internet users are over the age of 65. No users tend to have less eduction, have lower incomes and live away from urban areas. Here is an article that discusses this. If you know a friend who does not use the Internet you might want to make a friendly effort to encourage and help them get connected. It's easy.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/gap-between-those-who-use-internet-and-those-who-dont-is-widening/2013/11/12/d9d8d002-4726-11e3-a196-3544a03c2351-story.html?wpisrc=nl-headlines

13. "Moore's Law famously predicts the steady rise in the number of transistors that can fit on a single computer chip. Every two years, the idea goes, that number doubles. Moore's Law has been so consistently reliable, as a Google research team points out, that technology companies have come to rely on it to build their long-term business plans. It's a deceptively simple way to describe what's actually a mind-boggling phenomenon of engineering. It's hard to visualize, but the chart at the link helps put Moore's Law in great perspective. Remember the venerable Pentium computer chip, which saw many a PC through the 1990s? Released in 1993, it had 3.1 million transistors. Today, two decades later, the most powerful chips have close to 3 billion transistors, a nearly 1000-fold increase." |
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2013/11/12/how-ridiculously-fast-our-computer-chips-have-gotten-in-one-chart/?wprss=rss-technology&wpisrc=nl-tech
November 2013 SIR Computer Newsletter

1. About a year ago Microsoft released a new operating system (OS) software, Windows 8. It has proven to be confusing to many users mostly because it comes in two distinct flavors, one a traditional operating system that uses a mouse and keyboard and the second, an operating system for new touch screen computers that presents itself through "tiles" on the touch screen. The two Windows 8 versions do not look the same, do not work at the same time and barely communicate with each other. Sales of Windows 8 software, and new PCs running the new OS, have been slow and significantly less than Microsoft and computer industry projections. Now, to address the many problems with Windows 8, Microsoft has introduced Windows 8.1 to help resolve the difficulties with Windows 8. This OS will be a free upgrade for all Windows 8 users and will ship installed on all new Windows powered PCs. Did Microsoft fix the discrepancies through the new Windows 8.1? To find out you will have to read one or more of the three articles (from the NY Times, the Washington Post and InfoWorld) at the links below, or as a minimum, watch the two minute video in the NY Times article. Here are the three links:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/17/technology/personaltech/reconciling-the-2-worlds-of-windows-8.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit-th-20131017&-r=0
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/windows-81-launches-with-some-familiar-touches/2013/10/17/5801ae38-373a-11e3-80c6-7e6dd8d22d8f-story.html?wpisrc=nl-tech http://www.infoworld.com/t/microsoft-windows/beyond-windows-81-228947?source=IFWNLE-nlt-daily-pm-2013-10-17

2. In 2007 Apple introduced the world to the iPhone, the first of a long line of touch screen, mobile devices, produced by multiple manufacturers, that, in just six years, have revolutionized the ways the whole globe communicates. Fred Vogelstein, a contributing editor for Wired authored an article, And Then Steve Said, 'Let There Be An iPhone', that appeared in print in the New York Times Sunday Magazine on October 6, 2013. The link below will take you to a version of Mr. Vogelstein's article. It is a fascinating study of the trials, successes and failures over the years, months, weeks, days and hours that led to the first public demonstration of the iPhone by the late Steve Jobs. Mr. Vogelstein also is the author of a book that will be published in November 2013, titled "Dogfight: How Apple and Google Went to War. And Started a Revolution".
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/06/magazine/and-then-steve-said-let-there-be-an-iphone.html?pagewanted=1&-r=0&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit-th-20131006&adxnnlx=1381067898-rj4tJ9BMQchT%20cttvYpiWw

3. This Newsletter previously included two articles about the growing use of 3-D printing, a technology that "prints" solid object from data files. (Those articles were in the SIR Computer Newsletter for September 2013, item #1 and October 2013, item #9.) NASA is now preparing to deploy a 3-D printer to the International Space Station (ISS) to test the manufacture of many of the custom tools necessary to operate, repair and service items on the ISS. If the printer test is successful, the many custom tools needed on the ISS could be made when needed instead of having to carry a large, heavy inventory of custom tools into space just in case they are needed. Here is an Associated Press article about NASA 3-D printing.
http://www.sfchronicle.com/technology/article/NASA-preparing-to-launch-3-D-printer-into-space-4857500.php?t=e8bace3644

4. Almost every one of us attend our computer group meetings carrying with us a laptop computer, a tablet computer and/or a smartphone. We connect these devices to the rest of the world through the Internet and/or a telecommunications carrier network. The devices we carry additionally connect to other devices to exchange information that each device collects. Now smaller, wearable devices are just entering the market. These devices will collect and process even more information about you and what you are doing. As an example, when you want directions to some destination, your device, say a smartphone, uses Global Positioning System (GPS) data it collects to know where you are as you begin your travel. It will display a map and turn-by-turn directions to the requested destination. Wouldn't it be helpful if the map and directions had appropriate detail depending on whether you are moving on foot or in a vehicle? Today that too happens. The newest Apple iPhone includes a sensor to determine if you are walking or driving and displays appropriate maps and directions. Next, you may be wearing a "Smartwatch" that will be helping you navigate through your daily business. What kinds of data might be being collected, today and in the future, and how will this help you? Here is an article to consider.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/wearable-technology-raise-privacy-concerns/2013/09/30/0a81a960-2493-11e3-ad0d-b7c8d2a594b9-story.html?wpisrc=nl-headlines

5. A Harvard Business Review article reports that individuals and corporations are rapidly turning away from voicemail in favor of the faster and more focused communication of texting and e-mail. The author, Michael Schrage, a research fellow at MIT Sloan School's Center for Digital Business, says the more and more employees are only occasionally checking their voicemail in-box if they check at all. Vonage reports that only 14% of voicemail messages are ever retrieved by the voicemail box owner. Callers are reaching voicemail greeting that ask the caller to send a text or e-mail for a more timely response. Employers are supporting these changes. The article says now is the time to get rid of your voicemail box and send it to the same destination of carbon paper and faxes. Here is a link to the Harvard Business Review article.
http://blogs.hbr.org/2013/09/time-to-hang-up-on-voice-mail/

6. This is a Computer Newsletter so it seems appropriate for us to listen to the leaders and founders of companies that make these devices we call computers. At the link below is a YouTube video of an excellent interview of Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft. The interview was at Harvard University on September 21, 2013. One question was, "Why does the user of a Microsoft Windows powered computer feel like he needs three hands? Why this Control - Alt - Delete thing?" You will laugh at Bill Gates answer. The video is nearly an hour long but well worth the time to learn, through this new, unique view of Bill Gates, about the industry he helped build and the devices we now use every day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBHJ-8Bch4E&feature=youtube-gdata-player

7. With smartphones in everyone's hands it is easy to forget that just a few years ago BlackBerry was the premier mobile gadget in the world. As recently as 2009, BlackBerry was named by Fortune magazine as the fastest growing company in the world, with earnings exploding by 84% a year. Things have changed. BlackBerry, a company that previously changed its name from Research in Motion (RIM) to the name of its product, has had its stock price fall 90% since 2009 to under $7 (at its low point last summer). Today, BlackBerry has fallen to the back of the smartphone pack, with only 3% of the market, as Apple's iPhone and Google Android powered mobile devices have come to dominate the market. BlackBerry's decline has become a case study about what happens when a tech giant fails to innovate in a consumer-technology market that is changing at breakneck speed. In a sign of the these fast moving times, Apple sold a record 9 million units of its latest iPhones during the first weekend they were on sale. At the same time, Blackberry is preparing to lay off thousands of employees and become a private company to help preserve some of its value. Here is a TIME Business article about how Blackberry and other tech companies can quickly fail if they lose touch with their market.
http://business.time.com/2013/09/24/the-fatal-mistake-that-doomed-blackberry/?xid=newsletter-daily

8. The use of BlackBerry devices may be falling like a stone but the US Government, typically slow to make any change, is still signing three year contracts for it's employees to continue to use BlackBerry mobile devices. Although there has been a 57% decline in government spending for BlackBerry's since 2011, the federal government has already spent more than $40 million on BlackBerry devices in 2013. The Department's of Defense and State are still the biggest users. Here is an article about how we continue to use, and thus prop up, a device that has all but disappeared in commercial and individual use.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/blackberrys-hope-lies-in-slow-poke-federal-washington/2013/09/25/61b304ee-2610-11e3-b3e9-d97fb087acd6-story.html?wpisrc=nl-headlines

9. Keep smiling. There are many users of technology devices, like smartphones, who have less common sense than any reader of this newsletter. In late September, Apple released a completely updated operating system (OS) software for iPhone, iPad and some iPod devices. The new software is named iOS 7 and is free. A week after the software release, someone produced and published a fake advertisement stating that when you installed the iOS 7 software on your iPhone it made the phone waterproof. Unbelievably, although almost everyone realized the ad was a fake, a few iPhone owners installed the software and then promptly dropped their iPhone into a bucket of water to test the software induced waterproofing. Needless to say, these phones were ruined. See, they are out there - and each one gets one vote, just like you and me. Here is a link to an article about the "waterproofing" software.
http://www.cultofmac.com/247213/owners-fooled-by-fake-apple-ad-that-claims-ios-7-will-make-iphones-waterproof/

10. If you want to reach college students or young adults you know not to send them a "snail mail" letter in an envelope. You probably know that the young person is far more likely to read and act on your message if you send an e-mail. Now that is changing. University students are rapidly abandoning e-mail in favor of texting and social media, like Facebook and Twitter. They report that e-mail is far too slow and boring. Keep ahead of these trends of the generation coming into leadership positions or you will find yourself left in the wake of technology. Here are the details.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/29/fashion/technology-and-the-college-generation.html?pagewanted=1&-r=0&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit-th-20130928

11. Nest is a Silicon Valley start-up that a year ago introduced the public to its first product, an energy saving, smart home thermostat. The Nest thermostat has become a "must have" product with the company shipping more than 40,000 per month through sales from the company website, Best Buy, Home Depot, Apple and Amazon. Now Nest has introduced its second product, a smart smoke, heat and carbon monoxide (CO) detector and alarm, called the Nest Protect, that will be available in November 2013. Both the Protect and the thermostat can communicate to you through the Internet and your mobile device. You can visit the Nest website, at www.nest.com, to learn about the Nest Protect or the thermostat. Here is an article about this new technology product.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/nest-introduces-a-smart-fire-alarm/2013/10/08/f96d416a-301e-11e3-8906-3daa2bcde110-story.html?wpisrc=nl-tech

12. Delta Airlines announce recently that the airline has agreed to purchase Microsoft Surface tablets for use by Delta crew members as electronic flight bags. Experts from both the computer industry and the airline industry expressed surprise because all other airlines switching from paper flight bags to tablet computers have selected the Apple iPad, the only tablet approved by the FAA for such use. Fortune magazine and CNN report that it will be two years before Microsoft will be able to deliver the Surface tablets with appropriate software for airline use and hopefully obtain FAA approval. Why the choice? Some Delta insiders reported that the Delta IT department was "in bed with Microsoft." Here is the story.
http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2013/10/01/apple-delta-jeppesen-surface/

13. Here is an interesting video that shows what can be done with a computer, video editing software and publicly available data. What if the moon orbited the earth at the distance of the International Space Station (ISS), about 370 miles, instead of its current orbit distance from the earth's surface of about 240,000 miles? The moon would move faster to stay in orbit at the closer distance. It's transit time across the sky would be much shorter. The Lunar orbit speed would be faster than the earth rotates so the moon would rise in the west and set in the east. When the moon crossed between an earth observer and the Sun a very dark eclipse would result because of the apparent size of the moon in it's close orbit. Here is a short video of what the closer moon would look like from your yard.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBDZtt0vWD8&feature=youtube-gdata-player
October 2013 SIR Computer Newsletter

1. The sale of greeting cards has been steadily declining since 2002 as that slice of our lives shifts to digital means of delivering greeting card messages. The author of the NY Times article at the link below had a recent birthday. He received 93 birthday wishes on Facebook, 20 congratulations on Google Plus, 12 through Twitter, 15 friends and family sent birthday wishes by text message, eight by e-mail, two by voicemail and one through SnapChat. He did not receive a single physical greeting card. The traditional greeting card business has fallen 60% over the last ten years. The average greeting card purchaser today is in their late 40's. The author's 89 year old grandfather sent his Happy Birthday greeting by e-mail. Are you still mailing "snail mail" greeting cards?
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/20/birthday-greetings-now-sent-over-text-and-twitter/?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit-th-20130821

2. A senior at the University of Pennsylvania, Meredith Perry, suddenly found herself wondering why she had to carry around long cords and charging equipment to charge her "wireless" laptop, tablet and smartphone. Why couldn't these devices be charged wirelessly? She worked through the problem, overcame objections by scientist and engineers and now has business backing. She has working demonstration models of her wireless charging system, a Mountain View, California company, uBeam, with employees and, most importantly, funding from venture firms and several Silicon Valley heavy hitters. Read at the link about her idea, how uBeam works and her new startup company.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/18/technology/an-inventor-wants-one-less-wire-to-worry-about.html?pagewanted=1&nl=technology&emc=edit-ct-20130822&-r=0

3. New cars today have multiple built in digital processors (think computers) to control almost all of the car's functions. At the link is an article about three young hackers who were given access to a Toyota Prius for one day to see what they could do. An included YouTube video shows some of the vehicle control they were able to take over from a laptop computer. After you watch the video you can join me in shopping for a used car built in the 1950's - with no computers!
http://www.autoblog.com/2013/07/24/watch-how-hackers-can-take-control-of-your-car/

4. Look at the successes, growth, revenue and profits of technology leaders like Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Cisco Systems, Oracle, Intel and Microsoft for a picture of the overall economic health of the technology marketplace and the broader health of the total economy. Really? All of the companies named above are having serious troubles adjusting their businesses to accommodate the rapidly changing requirements of corporate and individual customers who demand the use of cloud based software connected through the Internet to mobile smartphone and tablet devices. The demand for software running on local servers, desk and laptop computers and associated hardware is rapidly declining. Shares of Cisco Systems, the biggest maker of computer networking equipment, have dropped 54 percent. Shares of Oracle, one of the biggest business software companies in the world, have fallen 30 percent. Dell is now trying to go private as part of a turnaround, with stock off about 70 percent. Sun Microsystems, once the influential tech company, was purchased by Oracle in 2010 for $5.6 billion, 88 percent below its value in 2000. All of these traditional technology companies are seeing declining gross margins, reduced sales, internal reorganizations, executive departures and reassignment and many other changes as they attempt to retain their leadership positions in the market. Some will succeed and some may not.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/22/technology/shifting-tech-scene-unsettles-big-players.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit-th-20130822&-r=0

5. The San Jose Mercury News published an excellent article concerning what software , or software suites, you should consider using to support creating and working with word processing, spreadsheet and presentation documents. The article explains the choices and makes recommendations while looking at the user's work environment - whether working alone on one computer, working on multiple devices, working in coordination with other people, plus consideration of what hardware and other software is in play. If you deal with word processing, spreadsheet and/or presentation documents you should read the article at the link.
http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci-23963324

6. Recently we have been seeing news about the collection and storing of Metadata connected to our e-mail messages, text messages and telephone calls. This collection is being done by many corporations and by governments. The data includes information about the sender (phone number, e-mail address, etc.), the receiver (similar information), the time of the communication, the length of the communication, etc. Metadata does not include the actual content of the communication. So what good is the metadata to the company or government collecting and storing it? Simply, the data can be analyzed to make conclusions about the communicating person(s). Here is a hypothetical example: A young woman calls a number known to be a gynecologist; then immediately calls her mother; then a man who, during the past few months, she had repeatedly spoken to on the telephone after 11p.m.; followed by a call to a family planning center that offers abortions. You never heard or saw the actual content of any of these phone calls. What conclusion might you reach if presented with this information about the young woman's calls? Remember, all the information was derived from metadata only? Read more in this Washington Post blog.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2013/08/27/heres-how-phone-metadata-can-reveal-your-affairs-abortions-and-other-secrets/?wpisrc=nl-tech-b

7. Every so often (or more frequently than that) you want to get some accurate statistical information to be include in something you are writing or discussing. Questions like - what is the current world population? How long until we run out of oil at current consumption rates? How many cars were produced last year? How many computers were sold this year? How many e-mails were sent today? How many people have no safe drinking water? A website, WorldMeters, at the link below, can answer these and many more questions. When you first access the website it will take a few seconds to retrieve and display the current data in multiple categories. The numbers will then continuously update while you are on the site. You can drill down into any data for more detail. You may want to bookmark this site's address for future quick access. Now you can win those arguments and bets and speak up because you will have the facts. The Internet rescues us once again.
http://www.worldometers.info/

8. More and more, cars are connected to the Internet to keep both drivers and passengers up to date with all kinds of rapidly changing information. One of the items changing is mapping, including the additional information related to mapping that helps people get to places and services they want or need. Mapping and navigation systems in most cars today are based on data that is stored in memory or on an internal DVD. The data is out of date almost as soon as it is published. Car owners often don't update their navigation system data. Now, the three heavy hitters in vehicle mapping, Google, Nokia Mapping and TomTom, are working with all the major automotive companies to provide advanced, Internet connected vehicle based mapping services that will be update automatically whenever the car is running. Here is a Forbes article about what you may be seeing soon.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/joannmuller/2013/09/04/googles-map-features-find-their-way-into-more-cars/?partner=yahootix

9. There was an article in the September 2013 Computer Newsletter about the growing availability of 3D printer equipment. Now, several major companies, like Amazon, are considering and testing the use of 3D printing in conjunction with other product distribution methods to reduce delivery time of purchases to customers. At the same time, 3D printing can reduce the cost of product inventory. Here is an example. Suppose your company wants to carry 10 different ornaments for use at Christmas. All 10 are advertised in both your on-line and printed catalogues. Sales begin. Orders could be filled from your warehouse supply of 5,000 units of each of the ten designs. Suppose designs #4 and #7 of the ten choices do not sell. You are stuck with your inventory of 5,000 of each unsold design. As an alternative, individual ornaments could be 3D printed as orders were received. When the holiday season ended you would have shipped every ornament ordered and you would have zero left over in inventory. Read about it here.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2013/08/29/what-happens-when-you-mash-up-3d-printing-and-amazons-same-day-delivery/?wpisrc=nl-tech-b

10. Retirement has given us all more time to do the things we enjoy. This often includes travel. A new book, Cockpit Confidential, by Patrick Smith, published in May 2013, provides the reader with up to date information and answers to questions about todays air travel. The book was just commented on by David Pogue, the senior New York Times technology reporter, in an article at the link below. Cockpit Confidential is available where books are sold, including Amazon.com, where it is available as a printed book, as a Kindle electronic book and as an audio book. If you travel by air, read the review at the link and decide if you might enjoy this book. Here is the link to the NY Times article.
http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/12/the-many-mysteries-of-air-travel/?ref=personaltechemail&nl=technology&emc=edit-ct-20130912&-r=1&

11. Recently we have been hearing a great deal about monitoring what you are doing. The government is doing it and so are many commercial firms. A new study of employee monitoring software in restaurants suggests that when employees know they're being watched, it can significantly alter employee behavior and dramatically increase sales. The study was done by three academics: an associate professor at the Olin Business School at Washington University, an associate professor at the Marriott School at Brigham Young University and a research scientist at the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Bottom line - monitoring can have positive results for the employer and the employees.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/26/how-surveillance-changes-behavior-a-restaurant-workers-case-study/?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit-th-20130827&-r=0

September 2013 SIR Computer Newsletter

1. Just a few years ago you would have to pay about one million dollars for a device that could "print" a solid object from a computer file. Such a device, called a 3-D Printer, is now available at Staples for $1,299 as a consumer product and the prices continue to fall. Experts predict that 3-D printer devices will eventually be in every American home and fundamentally change the way we procure simple items. Maybe you want to replace a lost TV remote battery cover or you need a part for your car. Visit the manufacturer's website, download a computer file for the part and pay for it if required, and then print it on your 3-D printer. If you want to understand about 3-D printing and be ready for when you go shopping for one to connect to your computer, you should read the Washington Post article at the link.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/3d-printing/2013/07/19/368ec8fe-ee5f-11e2-a1f9-ea873b7e0424-story.html?wpisrc=nl-tech-b

2. The question once again is, "Why have a smartphone?" Physicians are using smartphones, with their ever growing number of software applications (apps) and hardware attachments, to assists in the examination of patients. Sensors and cameras in smartphones can collect patient data, powerful onboard smartphone processors can do complex computations to aid the physician and smartphone communications capability can provide near instant voice and data connection to other medical staff and to the full breadth of the Internet. Physicians are beginning to use these capabilities. An earlier SIR Computer Newsletter reported that a traveling cardiac physician had used his smartphone with an EKG app, in-flight, to diagnose a passenger's heart attack. That same physician has has had a second, nearly identical experience. In both cases, the patients survived after the planes diverted for an emergency landing, at the physicians request, to get the patient hospital care. Maybe your next physical will be aided by a smartphone.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/will-your-next-physical-be-done-by-smartphone/2013/07/22/c44a3902-e271-11e2-a11e-c2ea876a8f30-story.html? wpisrc=nl-headlines

3. In today's electronic age we all receive our mail in two ways. A growing amount comes to us as e-mail and as documents, pictures and files delivered electronically to our computers, tablets and smartphones. The other slice of mail we receive, popularly known as "snail mail", is delivered to us as physical objects, mostly paper in envelopes. This is the same kind of mail that was delivered by the Pony Express in the 1800's and by runners in ancient Rome. You, the recipient of snail mail, can access this mail when you retrieve it from its delivery point. Now, an Austin, Texas startup, Outbox, will pickup all of your personal mail, scan it, and deliver all of its content to you electronically through an application running on your tablet computer and/or smartphone. You can read and act on your mail from wherever you are with access to the Internet. Outbox service includes other features like removing junk mail that you choose to eliminate. Outbox charges $4.99 a month for their service. Read about Outbox in this San Francisco Chronicle article.
http://www.sfchronicle.com/technology/article/ Outbox-delivers-paper-mail-to-the-cloud-4682849.php?t=53169b31d0

4. Now when you stream video or music content through your computer, tablet or smartphone, you don't have to watch it on the small screen of the receiving device but can easily and inexpensively display the programming on your large screen TV. Google has just introduced a $35, oversize thumbdrive size device, called Chromecast. It plugs into an HDMI port and USB port (for power) on your TV and delivers the video or audio content to the TV via your wireless WiFi network. A similar device, AppleTV, has been available for several years. The Chromecast device is available now on-line from the Google Play Store. Here are two links to articles about the Chromecast device.
http://techland.time.com/2013/07/24/google-takes-another-stab-at-tv-with-the-35-chromecast-device/?xid=newsletter-daily
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/google-chromecast-what-is-it-and-how-does-it-compare/2013/07/25/d61e5428-f492-11e2-aa2e-4088616498b4-story.html? wpisrc=nl-headlines

5. We all continue hearing that soon we will be able to pay for anything - a movie ticket, a cup of coffee, new pair of shoes, a taxi ride, etc. - by simply waving our smartphone over a sensor at the point of sale. We keep hearing about it but "it" doesn't seem to happen. Why? What is causing the delay? This NY Times article should help you understand.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/28/technology/im-still-waiting-for-my-phone-to-become-my-wallet.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit-th-20130728&-r=0

6. In the second quarter of 2013, global shipment of PC's fell 11%, the fifth consecutive quarter with PC sales down. At the same time, shipments of tablet computers continue to grow at unprecedented rates. Many executives in the computer business believe that the era of the PC is ending. The result will be the availability of only a few models of PC's for use by businesses as a utility device to perform specific tasks. Individual consumers will find it increasingly difficult to find a PC with the desired features at an acceptable price. For years, consumers bought millions of PC's because they provided fast, cost effective access to the Internet, meaning e-mail, information consumption and gaming. Consumers generally only use a very small part of the computer processing power of a PC. Now, a newer device, the tablet computer, meets and exceeds the consumer's requirements at even lower cost, with greater convenience and mobility, so tablets are what consumers purchase. Businesses supply their employees with PC's, both desktop and laptop, to support access to corporate networks and the Internet. Most employees are not "power users" requiring the processing capability of a powerful PC. Again, in most cases, tablets meet both the employee and the employer requirements, at lower costs. That PC you are using may soon be desired as an exhibit in a technology museum. Here is an article to fill in the gaps in this story.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/29/technology/pc-industry-fights-to-adapt-as-tablets-muscle-in.html#http://json8.nytimes.com/pages/technology/index.jsonp

7. We know that modern mobile, digital devices - smartphones, cellphones, tablets laptops, etc., collect and transmit different levels of location information. How can such data be used? Last year in US v Jones the US Supreme Court ruled that tracking an individual through a GPS device attached by police to an individual's car without a search warrant constitutes an illegal search. The police should obtain a warrant first. But what about location data that your cell phone provider receives from your phone as you move and are automatically connected to different cell towers? Such location information is necessary just to make the cell phone system work. On July 30, 2013, the U.S Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, held that individuals have no reasonable expectation of privacy over the location data collected by cellphone companies because the individual provides that information voluntarily just by having a phone. (An article is at the link.) We'll see where the use of location data goes as the courts continue to work this issue. To illustrate possible uses of location information Priscilla J. Smith, a senior fellow at the Information Society Project at Yale Law, wrote a fun analogy of "Star Wars" that was published in the North Carolina Journal of Law & Technology. Here is what she said. "Imagine that Chancellor Palpatine - the Star Wars character and virtuous Senator from Naboo who is really the evil Darth Sidious in disguise - sets out to discredit the Jedi and their puny Senate supporters so that he can monopolize power. He orders a tracking device that relays information back to giant computers that produce reports about the Jedi's locations to be placed on all their space ships. He discovers Anakin's relationship with Senator Amidala, that Obi Wan buys and sells bulk cartons of "death sticks" despite being a spokesperson against them, and that Senator Amidala (despite her relationship with Anakin) also frequents a lesbian bar called Sisters with some friends from her planet Naboo. He also finds out that Mace Windu and Yoda take out their spaceships and speed through Coruscant's back alleys for fun. He uses this information to undermine his targets and turn them against each other. All the characters resist his blackmail, except for one: Anakin."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2013/07/31/your-location-history-is-like-a-fingerprint-and-cops-can-get-it-without-a-warrant/?wpisrc=nl-tech-b

8. Every day we seem to spend more time talking, or at least thinking, about the possibility of someone hacking their way into our computer and thus into our lives. Think about this. Today, your car has ten to forty built in computers. Small computers are built into our homes - in door locks, large and small appliances, heating and cooling equipment, telephones, etc. People are working on ways to hack into all these computers and into your life, to steal from you or your insurer, find information about you or simply disrupt your life in some way. Here is an interesting article about what might be in store for us all.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/11/taking-over-cars-and-homes-remotely/?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit-th-20130812&-r=0

9. Microsoft has already announced that in a few months it will terminate updates and support for the Windows XP operating system (OS) that is still very widely used. Recent data shows that last month, 37% of all computers accessing the Internet are running on Windows XP. Microsoft wants you to move to Windows 8 and hardware builders want you to purchase new equipment that supports Windows 8. XP users are beginning to protest and push back on Microsoft's plans. A recent InfoWorld published article (at the link) titled, Why I'm keeping my Windows XP machine, supports doing just that. The article tells why it might make sense to keep your XP machine in addition to the new equipment you buy to support Windows 8. Here is some text from the article. "Everywhere I look, I see old Windows XP systems that just work. After years fighting all the old battles and blue screens, these Win XP machines have been knocked into submission, and they do what they were intended to do: drive point-of-sale (POS) systems, as well as run industrial networks, kiosks, teller transactions, arcade games, transportation systems, basic business activities, the whole gamut of core PC functions. Now we're supposed to throw them out because Microsoft says we need to buy a new version of Windows?" Here is a link to the article:
http://www.infoworld.com/t/microsoft-windows/why-im-keeping-my-windows-xp-machine-223671?source=IFWNLE-nlt-daily-pm-2013-07-30

10. If you are going to keep your Windows XP computer as suggested in the item above you might want to consider this. Hackers are always working to get malware running on your computer to collect your personal information and/or cause trouble or steal information from firms or other individuals through your computer. When a software provider, like Microsoft, detects a malware attack on their software they quickly release a security fix, often in days or even hours, to overcome the threat. On April 8, 2014 Microsoft will terminate its support for Windows XP. Hackers are now banking malware that they plan to release after April 8th because the hacker malware will have higher value when the user has no defense coming from Microsoft. If you plan to keep using Windows XP after next April, be prepared for an onslaught of hacker attacks against your XP operating system.
http://www.computerworlduk.com/news/applications/3463603/xps-retirement-will-be-hacker-heaven/?olo=rss

11. If you have color blindness, particularly red-green color blindness, there are several companies that make glasses to help you see these colors. Here is a link to a NY Times article describing these amazingly helpful products.
http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/15/glasses-that-solve-colorblindness-for-a-big-price-tag/?ref=personaltechemail&nl=technology&emc=edit-ct-20130815&-r=0

12. Over the years there have been predictions about the projected successes and failures of all kinds of technology. Some of the worst predictions, meaning those that turned out to be completely wrong, are fun to review. Here is one example: In April 2007, Steve Ballmer, the Microsoft CEO said, "There's no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share." We all now recognize that Mr. Ballmer was wrong as the Apple iPhone has become one of the most successful technology products ever introduced to the marketplace. Yahoo news has published an article about the 10 Worst Technology Predications - what was said and the background about the subject. It is fun to read. Here is a link:
http://news.yahoo.com/10-worst-tech-predictions-time-180944528.html

August 2013 SIR Computer Newsletter

Please note: The links provided below were active when this was written. Some publishers inactivate links after publication for various reasons including reducing server requirements. Should you find a non-working link, you might search for the subject matter using Bing, Google or another appropriate search engine.

1. The Los Angeles Unified School District has just announced that it has decided to provide an Apple iPad to every student in the district. The contract with Apple has a value of $30 million. It is another example of an education system switching from laptop computers to tablet computers for students. Tablets are equally able to support student requirements, are perceived as the future direction of computing and they cost less than laptops. Microsoft attempted to have the District provide some students with Windows powered tablets but the District unanimously said that the Apple iPad was a "superior product" and they would not ask any student to accept less.
http://www.idownloadblog.com/2013/06/19/apple-30m-la-school-contract/

2. Many details about who we are, what we are doing and where we go can be - and often are - tracked, collected, collated and analyzed. There are very few secrets as we move deeper into a digital world. Companies collect and analyze personal information in the name of profit. Government authorities mine similar information in the name of security. A NY Times blog, at the link, offers several suggestions that will help you make it more difficult for others to track you and learn about your life.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/19/ways-to-make-your-online-tracks-harder-to-follow-2/?nl=technology&emc=edit-ct-20130620

3. The article above discusses protecting who you are, where you are and what you are doing. Companies collecting such information may be doing so to provide you with better customer service - so, do you allow the collection or block it? In the 1950's and 1960's airlines were actively including technology and data management to provide a high level of service to their customers. In recent times the airlines themselves have become laggards in data-handling innovation, according to Thomas H. Davenport, a visiting professor at the Harvard Business School. "They were early adopters, and they have not done much for many years," he said. The airline loyalty programs and per-seat revenue management systems, both date back to the 1970's. British Airways (BA) has a new innovative personalized service and offers a program, called Know Me, that collects and tracks an unusual amount of data on individual passengers, their preferences and their travel history. If something doesn't run smoothly the Know Me database provides suggestions to gate and customer service agents, through iPad tablet computers. The suggestions are for focused compensation for that specific BA customer. Customer satisfaction is increased because the initial compensation offer is targeted at the customer's specific interest. Here is an article with more detail.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/26/why-the-airline-industry-needs-another-data-revolution/?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit-th-20130627

4. In the not too distant future your doctor may write a prescription for a pill that will monitor a number of your medical functions as it passes through your body in about 24 hours. A number of startup companies, several in the Silicon Valley, are testing these ingestible computers that report their observations to an application running on a smartphone or tablet computer and/or e-mail the results to your physician. Such 24 hour monitoring is particularly helpful in providing information about conditions associated with chronic, long term medical conditions like diabetes, heart disease, stomach acid production, etc. Here is a link to a NY Times blog about these medical devices.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/23/disruptions-medicine-that-monitors-you/?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit-th-20130624

5. We all have received those email messages from some Nigerian prince who needs your small financial help to get out of a predicament. In exchange he will followup with a fortune to you. These messages are Internet spam. We recognize the Nigerian email for what it is and just delete it. But, where did the idea of spam come from and more importantly, where is it going as technology moves forward. Do you know where the next spam attack on you will come from? Will you even recognize it as spam when it comes? Here is a TIME article that will help.
http://techland.time.com/2013/07/03/the-nigerian-prince-and-the-valley-girl/?xid=newsletter-daily

6. This fall you will begin to see many more Internet domain names beyond those we are now most familiar with like .com, or .org, or .edu. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has approved the changes that allow domains like .nyc for New York City, or .green, or .app, or .kid, or .mom, or .dad. There will be many more. Here is an article with additional details.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/new-york-snaps-up-nyc-three-things-to-know-about-new-web-addresses/2013/07/03/ab774b80-e3d0-11e2-a11e-c2ea876a8f30-story .html?wpisrc=nl-tech-b

7. The newest version of Adobe Photoshop, the program that just about every photographer and designer on earth uses to retouch or even reimagine photos, will no longer be available for purchase but only as a rental. Photoshop CC can be rented for $30 per month or $240 per year. The software will not be running in the cloud but will still be downloaded onto your computer. Each month the software will check with Adobe to confirm that you have a valid, paid subscription and to download any software updates. If you are not paid, the software will be disabled. In that case you will be able to see files previously edited with Photoshop but you will not be able to make any additional edits. The rental actually allows you to load and use the software on two different computers, Windows or Apple, or one of each. Photoshop CC is loaded with new, very powerful features that have not available in earlier Photoshop versions. It requires a high-horsepower, current model computer - Mac OS X 10.7 or Windows 7 or later. Interestingly, this software rental model is also being tested by Microsoft with an Office 365 subscription for $100 a year. Soon your regular monthly payments will include your computer software rental. The first link below is a NY Times article with a good deal of additional information. At the second link, David Pogue, of the NY Times, discusses user outrage at Adobe for changing Photoshop to rental instead of former purchasing a user license.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/04/technology/personaltech/photoshop-cc-turns-software-into-a-monthly-rental.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit-th-20130704&-r=0& pagewanted=all
http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/05/photoshops-new-rental-program-and-the-outrage-factor/?nl=technology&emc=edit-ct-20130705

8. If you travel with your laptop computer, tablet computer or smartphone your ability to remain connected wherever you go and while you are moving is increasing each day. Domestic and international airline flights are rapidly adding inflight WiFi connection to the services available to passengers. Some services connect from plane to ground, supporting domestic flights, while others connect plane to satellite and support flights over land or oceans. The cost of inflight WiFi is still high, $12 or more per flight, but is beginning to fall as competition increases. Here is a NY Times article about inflight WiFi - who has it and who is adding it.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/25/business/in-flight-wi-fi-still-costly-but-more-available.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit-th-20130625&-r=0

9. A highly respected data security firm, Bluebox Security, has just released a report stating that they have found a major security flaw in the Google's Android mobile operating system that could affect up to 99 percent of Android phones now in consumer hands. The concern is that the flaw can provide an easy path for a hacker to add malware to any application running on an Android powered device without the user knowing it is there. Bluebox reported the flaw to Google in February 2013 but Google has not commented. If you use an Android powered mobile device, phone or tablet, you should read this Washington Post article.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/android-security-flaw-affects-99-percent-of-phones-researcher-says/2013/07/05/5a931a36-e56b-11e2-aef3-339619 eab080-story.html?wpisrc=nl-tech-b

10. Once again we ask the question, "Why might I want to have a smartphone?" As you drive on vacation or to visit family wouldn't it be handy to know what services, like which restaurants, service stations, hotels, etc., are available at the next five to ten exits ahead? A smartphone application (app) called "iExit" does exactly that. The app uses the GPS built in your smartphone to determine where you are and what direction you are traveling on that road. On the phone's screen you can then scroll through the exits ahead and see services available information for each exit. Unlike a stand alone GPS device, that also can display nearby services, iExit does not display nearby services that are behind you on your route. The iExit app is available for both Apple iOS powered and Android powered smartphones for 99 cents and can be downloaded through the air to your smartphone.
http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/10/iexit-no-directions-but-much-guidance/?nl=technology&emc=edit-ct-20130711

11. If you are a fan of computers, technology and additionally new cars, you may want to be following the rapidly growing business of all electric and hybrid powered cars. The interest in these technologies is expanding as sales increase and all of the players in the automotive business work for a segment of this hot marketplace. Here is a recent SF Chronicle article.
http://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/Sales-climb-for-electric-and-hybrid-cars-4649615.php?t=07e8db592f

12. JetBlue Airlines has become another airline company to replace cockpit crew member Flight Bags with specially configured Apple iPad tablet computers, called an Electronic Flight Bag. Twenty-five hundred jetBlue pilots will be supplied with iPads to replace each crew members 35-45 pound flight bag full of paper. Just maintaining the old flight bag took each crew member 30-90 minutes, 3-4 times per month, to post changes totaling 3,500 pages per year. The Apple iPad is the only tablet approved by the FAA for use by crew members in flight. jetBlue pilots join airline pilots from American (8,000), Alaska (1,500), United (11,000) and Delta who are already using the tablets instead of pounds of paper detailing aircraft systems and procedures, checklists, airfield charts, approach and departure charts, in-route charts, etc.
http://m.cultofmac.com/cultofmac/#!/entry/51cb2bedc5f0cf15b377d565

13. U.S. universities are facing thousands of cyber attacks daily, many of them from or through China. The targets are clear - personal information of travelers, students and university staff plus valuable details of research and patents in fields as disparate as prescription drugs, computer chips, fuel cells, aircraft and medical devices, etc. A spokesman from the University of Wisconsin said the volume of the cyber attacks are stunning with ".... 90,000 to 100,000 attempts per day, from China alone ......" The cyber attacks against Americans occur not only at home but when traveling. Some companies and universities no longer allow employees to carry laptops to some countries, including China, because the minute the traveler connects to a network, everything on the laptop will be copied, and/or something will be planted on the computer in hopes that it will be taken back home and connected to the home network. When the traveler returns and connects to the home network the attackers will be into the home network. Here is an article with details.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/17/education/barrage-of-cyberattacks-challenges-campus-culture.html#http://json8.nytimes.com/pages/education/index.jsonp

July 2013 SIR Computer Newsletter

1.   If you were a fan of the Star Trek series of TV programs and movies you have seen an increasing number of the future technologies shown in that series become reality - we carry computer controlled "communicators" (mobile smartphones), have "pads" (tablet computers), we interact with devices by voice, use various medical treatment and diagnostic devices, etc. Now, work is underway to develop a device like the Star Trek replicator that, on command, could build a needed hardware or food item in seconds from raw materials. NASA has funded research to use 3-D printer technology to build food items from raw ingredients in powder and liquid form. The "built" food item, a pizza for example, would be nutritious and look, taste and smell like the the real item. Such a system could be used to save weight and space on long duration space missions, like travel to Mars. Here is an article about this technology.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/nasa-asks-could-3-d-printed-food-fuel-a-mission-to-mars/2013/05/21/76fc3668-c224-11e2-914f-a7aba60512a7-story.html

2.   The Washington Post published a fascinating article reporting on a new study from researchers at the McKinsey Global Institute, the in-house think tank of the Automation of knowledge work, Internet of things, Cloud, Advanced robotics, Autonomous and near autonomous vehicles, Next generation genomics, Energy storage, 3D printing, Advanced materials, Advanced oil and gas exploration and recovery, and Renewable energy. Here is a link to the article.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/05/24/these-12-technologies-will-drive-our-economic-future/?wpisrc=nl-tech-b

3.   When you use a search engine on the Internet you need to be aware that there are others working to send you spam or set you up for a scam as a result of your search. Although the major search providers work continuously to eliminate spam and scams in the presented results of your search, some still get through to you. You need to learn to spot spam. Look at the letters that follow the period in a web address and know what they mean before you click on a web address. You should know that some sites are more of a risk than others Your thinking may be wrong about what is risky. For example, studies show that porn sites are usually safer than many main line sites because the former are watched more closely by their owners checking for attempts by others to insert spam and scams into the site. You should know that some types of search attract spam - like travel searches and searching for music files. Here is a link to a NY Times article about a number of things to consider when you search.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/23/technology/personaltech/how-to-detect-swindles-and-spam-lurking-in-your-search-results.html? ref=personaltechemail&nl=technology&emc=edit-ct-20130523

4.   How can I keep my e-mail account from getting hacked? J. D. Biersdorfer recently addressed this frequent question in a NY Times Gadgetwise column at this link.
http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/21/qa-protecting-your-mail-account/?nl=technology&emc=edit-ct-20130523

5.   We all find ourselves surrounded with successful gadgets that are very popular, provide users with valuable features and services and make money for their developers and manufacturers. Think of devices like the Apple iPhone, Bose Noise Canceling Headphones or the first true laptop computers. Along with the successes there have been many failures - spectacularly bad gadgets that were introduced with great fanfare and crashed almost as soon as they were introduced. Yahoo News has published a list of what they believe are the 25 Worst Gadget Flops of All Time. Read the short descriptions of each of these loser gadgets and you'll remember them. Hopefully you don't own too many of them. Here is a link to the Yahoo article.
http://news.yahoo.com/25-worst-gadget-flops-time-182831702.html

6.   When you're on the go and need a little extra power for a dying phone, a fading laptop, or a weary camera, carrying extra batteries is prudent, but it takes up space and you need one battery for every device. An external battery pack lets you carry one gadget that can charge up anything you plug it into. LifeHacker has published a list of the top five external battery packs based on votes from LifeHacker readers. Now you can have reliable backup power for your devices. Here is a link to the article.
http://lifehacker.com/five-best-external-battery-packs-509802431

7.   If you travel internationally and have been shocked or even stung by the high cost of using a U.S. mobile device in another country you should read the article at the link. Most carriers have introduced new, significantly lower rates to support your continued connection to voice and data while you travel. Here is a link to this NY Times article.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/30/technology/personaltech/packages-lower-cost-of-travel-with-a-cellphone.html?pagewanted=1&-r=0&nl=technology&emc=edit-ct-20130530

8.   Los Angeles is the first large US city to implement a project under development for ten years that synchronizes all 4,398 traffic lights across LA and places traffic control under computer assisted management. The program is already chalking up dramatic reductions in driving time. Drivers in what was ranked as America's most traffic congested city soon will be able to drive, at the speed limit, down the city's main streets for miles without having to stop at a single traffic light. Here is a link to an article published on Zautos.
http://zautos.com/los-angeles-may-have-found-a-solution-to-heavy-traffic/

9.   "Why should I have a smartphone?" This is a question we have been asking in each issue of this computer newsletter over several months. Each month we have provided an answer. One more answer may be that you have seen the results of a new study and you just don't want to be left behind. On Wednesday, June 6th, the Pew Center for Internet and American Life reported that, for the first time, a majority of all American adults (56 percent) now use mobile smartphones that run an operating system such as Apple's iOS, Google's Android or Microsoft's Windows Phone. Thirty-five percent of American adults own a mobile phone that is not a smartphone and nine percent do not own any kind of mobile phone. Here is a Washington Post article about our use of mobile phones.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/a-majority-of-all-american-adults-own-a-smartphone-poll-says/2013/06/05/49384608-cde2-11e2-8f6b- 67f40e176f03-story.html?wpisrc=nl-tech-b

10.   With the majority of American adults now using smartphones, the remaining market space is growing smaller and more expensive to win sales for the two major competitors, Apple and Samsung. What might be the next new, cool, must have technology that can capture the consumer's dollars? Here are some ideas. http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/as-smartphone-market-matures-makers-race-to-wow-consumers/2013/06/05/a3753890-ce02-11e2-8f6b-67f40e176f03- story.html?wpisrc=nl-headlines

11.   Maintaining on-line security and the use of passwords is a frequent topic of discussion at our computer group meetings. I am a retired military officer and have authorized access to several government on-line systems that require passwords as part of the access process. These systems all require strong passwords that are changed frequently. Here is an example of what one system requires. Consider this the next time you protect your information with a password.
Your password must be changed every 60 days.
Your password must:
- be 15 to 30 characters long
- contain at least two uppercase letters (A-Z)
- contain at least two lowercase letters (a-z)
- contain at least two numbers (0-9)
- contain at least two of the following special characters: # @ $ % ^ ! * + = -
- change at least four characters from your previous password
Your password cannot: - contain any spaces - be one of your last ten previous passwords

12.   The Apple operating system, called iOS, that provides the base operating system software for all Apple mobile devices (iPhones, iPads, iPods) will be fully integrated with dashboard displays in new cars in 2014 according to a Washington Post article. The car brands that have already signed up for full integration with Apple's iOS include Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Chevy, Kia, Infiniti, Hyundai, Volvo, Jaguar, Porsche, and Acura. It is expected that with this integration many new iOS software applications (apps) appropriate for use in a vehicle will become available and will be easy to install.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/ios-integration-comes-to-cars-in-2014--and-it-looks-sweet/2013/06/11/b31212c4-d202-11e2-9577-df9f1c3348f5 -story.html?wpisrc=nl-tech-b

13.   The current news is full of statements, concerns and accusations about the US government "listening to our telephone calls and reading our e-mail messages". The primary "culprits" are the National Security Agency (NSA) and the major telecommunications and Internet servicing companies. So, what is going on? Should we be worried that all the government and corporate organizations around us are digging deeply into our most private communications while listening and reading everything? First, the NSA was formed and is charged with collecting and analyzing information related to National Security that is available in signals transmitted by all electronic means, to include radio, telephone, Internet, satellite upload and download, wire, cable, etc. The NSA is prohibited, without a warrant, from collecting the actual content of signals (phone calls, e-mail content, etc.) by American citizens or legal US residents. The NSA is authorized to collect and analyze the metadata of such communication. Corporate organizations can collect and retain your information, well beyond just metadata, based on the terms of service you agreed to with that company. Metadata is deceptively innocuous information: e-mail addresses to and from, times of e-mails, phone numbers dialed and received, lengths and times of calls, unique device serial numbers, etc. Metadata is rich with clues useful to both corporate marketing programs and to the analysis of hostile intelligence information. The bottom line - the Government is not listening to our telephone calls and reading our e-mail messages unless a court has authorized such collection against you. It is collecting and mining the metadata, stored in huge databases that can be available for computer assisted analysis. Here are links to two Washington Post articles that will expand on this subject.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/metadata-reveals-the-secrets-of-social-position-company-hierarchy-terrorist-cells /2013/06/15/5058647c-d5c1-11e2-a73e-826d299ff459-story.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/how-a-shared-e-mail-address-disrupted-plots-in-britain-and-us/2013/06/18/ebb023c4-d84b- 11e2-a016-92547bf094cc-story.html?wpisrc=nl-headlines

June 2013 SIR Computer Newsletter

1. We continue to answer the question - "Why would I want a Smartphone?" Not too many years ago, if you were considering rearranging your home furniture, you moved it and then moved it back if you didn't like it. Maybe you wondered what a room would look like if you "painted that wall green." How about if you added a new room to be a den, right there. Today there are applications (apps) that run on a Smartphone and/or on a tablet computer that easily let you picture the changes you dream of, in color and from any position in the space. You can use such apps to show results if you modify an existing structure or build one from the ground up. Here is an article that discusses such apps.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/02/technology/personaltech/home-design-apps-let-you-experiment-with-colors-and-decor.html? nl=technology&emc=edit-ct-20130502

2. Through market research retailers already have a pretty good sense of what people are buying and even how they're moving through stores, but they don't really know where customers are going once they leave. This knowledge could be very useful. Now, with smartphones being carried by millions of users, a start-up company, Placed, is using the data available from smartphones to provide added market research to customers wanting this kind of information. Placed pays a small fee to smartphone users to load the Placed app on the phone. Placed then collects location and other information about where the phone is located and how it is being used. Today, Placed has more than 70,000 consumers who are providing data. Companies pay Placed for the marketing reports based on collected consumer data. An example - a high-end retail business that found out that while females in a specific age range enter its stores a lot, they don't buy very much. Rather, the stores they visit next are usually discount retailers such as Burlington Coat Factory and Ross. The suggestion is clear: These shoppers want to see what's hot and then buy a reasonable facsimile at a lower price. The Placed client can use this information to make adjustments to help capture revenue from those customers that they are now losing. Here is an article expanding on this subject.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/on-it/heres-how-smartphones-tablets-and-huge-databases-will-upend-market-research/2013/05/03/ 1a13fd0c-b3b8-11e2-9fb1-62de9581c946-story.html?wpisrc=nl-tech-b

3. TIME Magazine has published a detailed list of their selection of the 50 Best Websites for 2013. The link below takes you to the opening page of TIME's list. From there you can step through one page at a time or look at the entire list to go to a specific page. Each page of the list provides a description of the website, the information it provides the user, what to expect and a link directly to the website itself. Please find the time in your day to page through the descriptions of the 50 selected websites and visit those that are of interest to you. It will be time well spent and will provide you with an excellent update of what is available on the web and a reminder of the growing power of the Internet. You will surely find one or more websites that you will want to visit again and again. Here is a link to the TIME article to get you started.
http://techland.time.com/2013/05/06/50-best -websites-2013/?xid=newsletter-daily

4. When you fly a year or two from now you probably will enjoy a WiFi connection at your airline seat that is 30 times faster than what most Americans have in their homes. The public demand for continuous connection to the Internet from everywhere is increasing at an amazing rate. The Internet provides access to all kinds of services that only recently were unavailable or uninvented. This continues to drive the demand. The FCC hears and understands this demand and has initiated a process to provide high speed wireless connectivity to airline passengers that should be available in about two years. Here is a NY Times story about in-flight WiFi.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/10/business/fcc-advances-plan-for-faster-in-flight-wi-fi.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit-th-20130510

5. Why are our mobile device network carriers in North America so far behind much of the rest of the world? What the reporter of the article below is experiencing now is exactly what I experienced almost a decade ago when traveling in the Pacific, to Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and to Australia (Sydney and Melbourne). It appears that much of the world is still running ahead of us in both customer service and services available to mobile device users. Why? Here is a TechCrunch article that describes the issue. Awareness is the first step in correcting the problem.
http://techcrunch.com/2013/05/11/americas-carriers-are-terrible-its-probably-your-fault/

6. Technology continues to bring us ideas to make our lives easier, more pleasant, more enjoyable and more efficient. Now a group of MIT trained engineers are adding something new to the equation of technical advances. Have you ever wanted a flying car? Here is a link. Be sure to watch the short, included YouTube video.
http://cleantechnica.com/2013/05/11/have-you-ever-wanted-a-flying-car-video/

7. If you have ever looked for your auto's owners manual only to find that it was missing or misplaced, you are in luck. Now there is a website where you can find owners manuals for many cars and download them to your computer for FREE. Here is a link to the website named Just Give Me the Damn Manual.
http://justgivemethedamnmanual.com/

8. The growth of new computer data centers is driving the price of business space for these centers to far in excess of the price commanded by office space for people and regular office functions. Data center companies are paying very high rates to insure that they have space close to their clients with sufficient electric power (sometimes as much power as a mid-size town) and high speed Internet connection capacity. Some of the biggest data center companies have won or are seeking Internal Revenue Service approval to organize themselves as real estate investment trusts (REIT's), allowing them to eliminate most corporate taxes. At the same time, the companies have not drawn the scrutiny of utility regulators, who normally set prices for the delivery of the power to residences and businesses. While companies have widely different lease structures, with prices ranging from under $200 to more than $1,000 a square foot, the industry's performance on Wall Street has been remarkable. Digital Realty Trust, the first major data center company to organize as a REIT, has delivered a return of more than 700 percent since its initial public offering in 2004, according to an analysis by Green Street Advisors. Here is a link to an article on these data centers.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/14/technology/north-jersey-data-center-industry-blurs-utility-real-estate-boundaries.html? nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit-th-20130514&-r=0

9. Why might you want a smartphone? Here is yet another reason. ABC has become the first major broadcast network to begin live streaming it's local broadcast via the Internet. The programs will reach Internet connected devices, PC's, tablet computers and smartphones through a software application (app) to be called Watch ABC. This "personal TV service" will be free to people who have cable or satellite TV connection in their homes. It will be initially available in New York and Philadelphia with later introduction to cities with ABC owned stations followed by cities with ABC affiliate stations. Here is a link to a NY Times article about ABC's growing ability to provide you with live, local TV wherever you are.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/13/business/media/abc-to-let-app-users-live-stream-local-programming.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit-th-20130513&-r=0

10. The Shanghai based Chinese military cyber unit that the U.S. previously accused of attacking American commercial and government computer systems appears to be back on the attack after falling silent for about three months. Several major international cyber security firms report that the renewed attacks are using new techniques but are focused on many of the same targets, the U.S. military and government managers of infrastructure services plus large commercial firms working to expand or open markets in China. Here is a link to this very current story. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/20/world/asia/chinese-hackers-resume-attacks-on-us-targets.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit-th-20130520&-r=0

11. The U.S. Government reports that as more baby boomers enter retirement there will be 72.1 million Americans over the age 65 of by 2030. As the number of seniors grows the number of younger care givers is declining because of low wages in that field and a reduced number of potential care workers. Technology will help solve this growing problem as numerous major universities and technology firms work to refine and develop robots to provide the care necessary. Read about how each of us may find our care, at home and in care facilities, being provided by efficient and friendly robots. Star Trek is almost here.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/19/disruptions-helper-robots-are-steered-tentatively-to-elder-care/?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit-th-20130520
May 2013 SIR Computer Newsletter

1. If you have joined one or more social network sites but have now decide you want to remove yourself from a site you may find it more difficult than it was to sign up. Many such sites don't want to lose subscribers because more members means more revenue from advertisers. Here is a NY Times article telling you how to remove yourself from Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, MySpace and Amazon.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/18/technology/personaltech/how-to-sever-ties-to-social-networks-and-other-web-sites.html?pagewanted=1 &-r=0&nl=technology&emc=edit-ct-20130418&pagewanted=all

2. Recently you may have seen TV advertising for auto insurance where your rate is determined using a small device from the insurance company. You carry the device in the car when you drive, or plug it into the diagnostics port under the dashboard for a week or two, then return it to the insurance company. The device records your driving information - speed, acceleration, breaking, etc. to help the company give you a fair rate based on how you drive. If you want to get price quotations from several companies you repeat the several week process with each company. Now there is a smartphone application, an app, called StreetOwl, that uses the GPS and accelerometers in your smartphone to track your driving habits. The app does not communicate with any insurance company but recommends to you an auto insurance company most likely to give you the best rate for a policy based on how you drive. Now you can focus on working with that one company. "I don't want a smartphone. I don't need one. Why should I want one? This is another reason why a smartphone may make sense for you. Here is a link to an article about StreetOwl.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/safe-drivers-new-streetowl-app-will-find-you-cheaper-car-insurance- exclusive/2013/04/16/4db8f27c-a60a-11e2-9e1c-bb0fb0c2edd9-story.html?wpisrc=nl-headlines

3. Five years ago, in 2008, an entering student at the University of North Dakota, who always dreamed of being a pilot, enrolled in a new degree program - Unmanned-Aircraft-Systems Operations. He spent his college years studying drones. Today there are 120 students enrolled in the program at UND. Eighty-one publicly funded entities, including more than 25 universities, have applied to the FAA for certificates of authorization to fly drones, one of today's fastest growing technology segments. Read the full TIME article at this link:
http://business.time.com/2013/03/18/majoring-in-drones-higher-ed-embraces-unmanned-aircraft/#ixzz2R1lvfkBS

4. Today, USB 3.0 has a top data transfer rate of 5 Gbps. Thunderbolt 1.0, a joint development of Intel and Apple, supports speeds of 10 Gbps. The new Thunderbolt 2.0 supports 20 Gbps transfers. While faster speeds are always nice to see, the real upgrade with Intel's new Thunderbolt interface - code-named Falcon Ridge - will be the ability to transfer and display massive 4K video files simultaneously. That's a lot of data, considering that 4K video files are about four times as large as today's 1080p HD files. Read more here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/intels-thunderbolt-20-interface-will-be-twice-as-fast-as-todays-and-maybe- youll-actually-use-it/2013/04/09/5f73cd98-a092-11e2-bd52-614156372695-story.html?wpisrc=nl-tech

5. A number of publications have headlined articles about the continued fall in sales of PC's as consumers and businesses shift their computing services to tablet computers and ultra light and thin notebooks. Worldwide PC shipments were down 13.9% for the first quarter of 2013 when compared to Q1 of 2012. Some market trend experts are blaming part of the decline on the introduction by Microsoft of the new Windows 8 operating system which has not been well received. Here are links to articles from both the NY Times and the Washington Post.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/11/technology/data-show-steep-decline-in-pc-shipments.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit-th-20130411&-r=0
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/windows-8-blamed-as-pc-sales-slide/2013/04/11/02a0d740-a2a0-11e2-82bc-511538ae90a4-story.html?wpisrc=nl-tech

6. Some of us would like to know when a recipient has received and opened an e-mail that we have sent them. Depending on what e-mail provider you use this may be automatically included, may be easy to set up, may be difficult to accomplish, or may be impossible. Here is a blog from J.D. Biersdorfer, a technical reporter from the NY Times, that explains how this may be accomplished.
http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/01/qa-tracking-sent-mail-messages/?nl=technology&emc=edit-ct-20130404

7. The numbers of charging stations for plug-in electric cars are increasing with more sales of hybrid vehicles, like the Chevy Volt and Toyota Plug-in, and all electric cars like the Tesla Model S and the Nissan Leaf. Parking a non- electric, Internal Combustion Engine (ICE), car in an electric car charging station spot is called "being ICE'd. This is enough of an issue that many States are working on legislation to fine such parking violators. The State of Washington has a new law on the books with a fine of $124 for parking a non-electric car, or an electric car without connecting to the charge station, in an electric vehicle spot. California is working on a similar law. Here is an article for all ICE car drivers:
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1083547-park-a-regular-car-in-electric-car-space-in-wa-itll-cost-ya-124

8. Recent cyber attacks against American Express, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America and others have become more troubling. An increasing number of these attacks appear to have state backing or direct state participation. "The attacks have changed from espionage to destruction, said Alan Paller, director of research at the SANS Institute, a cybersecurity training organization. "Nations are actively testing how far they can go before we will respond. As a computer user you should read this article to continue to be informed.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/29/technology/corporate-cyberattackers-possibly-state-backed-now-seek-to-destroy-data.html?pagewanted=1

9. An earlier SIR Computer Newsletter reported that Google was installing ultra high speed fiber to homes in Kansas City. Now Google Fiber is going to be installed in Austin, TX. Google says its fiber-to-the-home product provides customers with broadband-Internet speeds of 1 gigabit per second - roughly 100 times faster than the average U.S. connection - as well as crystal-clear television service. The move to Austin puts Google in direct competition with the powerful Time Warner Cable which reinforces the belief that Google is moving to become a major Internet Service Provider (ISP). Here is a TIME article about Google's moves.
http://business.time.com/2013/04/08/google-fiber-reportedly-coming-to-austin-tx-as-cities-race-to-boost-web-speeds/?xid=newsletter-weekly

April 2013 SIR Computer Newsletter

1. "I don't want a smartphone. I don't need one. Why should I want one?" These are statements and a question that I hear, usually from people of an age who could, or already do, belong to an an organization like Sons In Retirement (SIR). There are numerous answers to such questions so in this issue and in future issues of this Newsletter we'll present just some of the reasons that you may want, enjoy or even need to consider having a smartphone. Here is one: If you are a fan of amateur astronomy, or want to learn about astronomy but don't know where to start, or you just enjoy looking at a beautiful night sky when it is clear, a smartphone could help and teach you. A current smartphone contains a GPS so the phone knows where it is located on the Earth. It also contains a compass and accelerometers so the phone knows where it is pointed and how it is moving in any direction. There are software applications, called apps, that can be wirelessly loaded onto your smartphone to give you added functions on the phone. To support astronomy there are numerous apps, like Starmap and Night Sky Lite, that cost zero (free) to $4.99. With such apps loaded, and your smartphone in hand, you can hold the phone up to the sky and it's screen will reproduce what is in your field of view. It will label every point of light and tell you what star, planet, moon, galaxy, nebula, etc. you are seeing at that moment. As you move your eyes and the phone to change your view, the image on the phone's screen will scroll to follow you. Some astronomy apps include a "Tonight" button that tells you the most interesting things to look at tonight from your current location and the time of day. The app will then guide you to where to look to see the object of interest. What better way to learn or improve your knowledge of astronomy, for less than $5 and available every night. If this interest you it is one answer to, "Why should I want a smartphone?" Maybe now you have an interest in having one. Here is a link to a NY Times article about smartphones and astronomy apps.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/28/technology/personaltech/stargazing-apps-for-amateur-astronomers.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit-th-20130228&-r=0

2. An earthquake can happen at any time. Lighting is one of the things you will miss the most in an such an emergency. Energizer is about to introduce a line of four battery powered, portable, multipurpose lanterns and flashlights that use "light fusion technology," which distributes light uniformly using laser-etched acrylic panels. For example, the Energizer Folding Lantern uses light from tiny LEDs spread across a flat, plastic panel to illuminate a broad area when it is opened. These new emergency products are scheduled to be available at Target in late March 2013 and at other retailers soon thereafter. Read about them here:
http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/27/from-energizer-big-light-in-a-compact-package/?nl=technology&emc=edit-ct-20130228

3. Considering how much information we keep on computers and on the internet, estate planning just isn't complete anymore without including digital assets and social media accounts. Here, in part, is what a website, Estateplanning.com (www.estateplanning.com) says about digital assets. "What will happen to these assets when we become disabled or die? Would a family member or administrator know where to find important documents? It wasn't that long ago that we had only paper records; we could simply point to a file cabinet or drawer and tell someone "everything is in there when the time comes." But if you scan documents or receive financial statements electronically, someone else may not even know these exist. If you use a program like Quicken or Quickbooks and tax preparation software, those records are on your computer, too. Do you have a Facebook page, a blog, email accounts? Do you store photos online? Your family would most certainly want to keep these, both for their own memories and, perhaps, for a family legacy. These accounts record our thoughts, our perspectives, our lives in a way that has not been possible before. Much of the information stored on computers, hard drives and online accounts is password protected. Unless we make arrangements in advance, family members or administrators may not be able to access these and the information will be lost forever. Estate planning for digital assets and social media accounts is similar to estate planning for other assets. You need to make an inventory of what you have, name someone to step in for you, provide that person with access, and provide some direction for what you want to happen to these assets." It can be more complicated than just providing the user ID's and passwords to someone in your family. Another person accessing an online service, or even a bank account, can violate the terms of service that the account holder signed, and worse, violates the law in some States. An Oregon mother has been battling in court against Facebook and the State of Oregon since 2005 for access to her deceased young son's photos that are stored online. Giving her access violates both the Facebook Terms of Service and state law. All parties would like to give her access but fear legal action if access is granted. The bottom line is - you need to understand and make proper arrangements for the access to, and protection of, your digital assets. Here is a link to an article about the Oregon case.
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/death-facebook-photos-could-fade-away-forever

4. It seems that digital access security is a continuing subject of interest. Strong passwords are the first barrier to others gaining access to your personal information, accounts and data so here again is a new article, in this case from TIME, about having strong passwords and offering some other security tips.
http://techland.time.com/2013/02/28/creating-strong-passwords-and-other-security-tips/

5. Attention Windows XP users. On April 8, 2014, just a year from now, all support, including security updates, of Windows XP will end from Microsoft. Now is the time to get going and move to Windows 7 or Windows 8 (or a machine operating on Chrome or Apple software). The year will pass quickly and you don't want to be caught trying to operate on a non-supported system. Windows XP was released in 2001. You had to know you'd need to upgrade to new systems at some point in the dozen years since then -- you should've planned ahead. From a cost perspective, by using XP you're working with four-generation-old technology and at a security risk that could cost you more money in the long run than a new system will cost you now. Make the move before it's too late. Here is an article:
http://www.infoworld.com/d/microsoft-windows/its-time-loosen-your-cold-dead-grip-windows-xp-213543?source=IFWNLE-nlt-daily-pm-2013-02-27

6. Last month's Computer Newsletter included several items, with appropriate links to published articles, concerning evidence of focused Chinese military cyber penetrations of US commercial and government computer systems. Now the US government has entered the public discussion with a challenge dlivered to the Chinese through a White House spokesman. The "dance of deplomancy" has now begun, with statements being made by both governments. A New York Times and a TIME article at the links below are each an interesting read about what has happened to date and where we might go from here with this global topic.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/12/world/asia/us-demands-that-china-end-hacking-and-set-cyber-rules.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit-th-20130312&-r=0
http://world.time.com/2013/03/12/hack-attack-china-and-the-u-s-trade-barbs-on-cyberwarfare/?xid=newsletter-daily

7. Many of us have wireless Wi-Fi running in our homes to support all kinds of wireless devices - phones, tablets, laptops, TVs, even thermostats and other appliances. You may have noticed some places in your home where the Wi-Fi signal is weak or even nonexistent. If so, you are a candidate for a simple, inexpensive device called a Wi-Fi Range Extender. Here is an excellent article to bring you up to speed on these devices.
http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/07/wi-fi-for-every-room-in-the-apartment/?nl=technology&emc=edit-ct-20130307

8. Computers originally occupied the space of an entire building. Then they became the size of a garage, then a car and then fit on a desktop. Now they will fit in your pocket. As their size reduced so did their price. Now there are several computers smaller than a mobile phone that cost less than $100 and could replace a desktop machine. The article at the link reports on tests of three of these small, inexpensive computers, with a conclusion that they work, are not quite ready for consumer use, but will be in the near future. This article will be of interest to our members who are technical and interested in where computing might be headed.
http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/can-a-50-mini-pc-replace-your-desktop/
March 2013 SIR Computer Newsletter
1.   Press discussion about cyber security and cyber warfare has peaked recently as a result of a report by a Northern Virginia (Washington DC beltway) Internet security firm, Mandiant, that accused the Chinese military of conducting a massive cyber attack on US targets.   Mandiant pointed at a specific attacker, from the 2nd Bureau of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) General Staff Department's 3rd Department, which is commonly known by its Military Unit Cover Designator (MUCD) as Unit 61398. This organization operates principally from a specific 131,000 square foot, 12 story building in Shanghai. Chinese public records show that the building is supplied by China Telecom with special fiber optic communications infrastructure "in the name of national defense."  For five years, Unit 61398 has actively recruited at major Chinese universities. The Unit requires that its personnel first, be trained in computer security and computer network operations and second, be proficient in the English language. Both the NY Times and the Associated Press (in the Washington Post) have published articles that give an interesting look inside of Unit 61398 and details of Mandiant's published report. Here are links to each:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/19/technology/chinas-army-is-seen-as-tied-to-hacking-against-us.html?emc=na&-r=0
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/badminton-harry-potter-and-facebook-a-look-at-chinese-unit-accused-of-huge-hacking-operation/2013/02/20/65ccce24-7b3a-11e2-9c27-fdd594ea6286-story.html?wpisrc=nl-tech

2.   The Internet security firm, Mandiant, was also engaged in investigating a Chinese cyber attack on the New York Times and other US news organizations. Most of these attacks occurred after the news organizations published articles about a prominent and very wealthy Chinese businessman and politician. The details of the Mandiant and FBI investigation is an interesting read. Here is a link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/31/technology/chinese-hackers-infiltrate-new-york-times-computers.html?pagewanted=1&-r=0&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit-th-20130131

3.   Japan is known around the world for its adoption of high tech tools to help make all aspects of business and personal life as modern as it can be. In spite of this, the one dated tool that Japan can not seem to give up is the fax machine. In 2011, 100% of Japanese businesses and 45% of private homes had fax machines. Businesses that have attempted to convert from fax orders to on-line order taking have seen business tumble until they returned to using fax. "There is still something in Japanese culture that demands the warm, personal feelings that you get with a handwritten fax."  Here is a fun article about Japan's retention of fax's.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/14/world/asia/in-japan-the-fax-machine-is-anything-but-a-relic.html?pagewanted=1&-r=0&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit-th-20130214

4.   We are all old enough to remember when telephone numbers could be BUtterfield 8-9739 or PEnnsylvania 6-5000 and telephone numbers were accessed using a rotary dial. Today we have push button telephone dialing, often called touch tone, and still called "dialing". If you are interested in how the design of both the rotary dial and the touch tone key pad came about here is an interesting history lesson, published to honor John Karlin, of Bell Labs, who led the effort to make the telephone easier to use.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/09/business/john-e-karlin-who-led-the-way-to-all-digit-dialing-dies-at-94.html?pagewanted=1& -r=0&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit-th-20130209

5.   A smartphone can save your life. Passengers on a recent Washington DC to San Diego flight heard a call asking if there was a doctor on board. A passenger was having chest pain. Fortunately Dr. Eric Topol, the chief academic officer of Scripps Health, a prominent cardiologist and the foremost figure in the field of wireless medicine was on board. Dr. Topol took out his Apple iPhone, snapped on a small sensor pad attachment (AliveCor's FDA-cleared Heart Monitor, available to US licensed medical professionals) and activated a free application called AliveECG. The doctor took and recorded the patients cardiogram and quickly confirmed that the man was having a heart attack. The plane made an emergency landing, the patient was rushed to the hospital and survived. Dr. Topol believes that such devices could lead to better and cheaper health care everywhere, from airplanes to senior citizen's homes. He said, "These days, I'm prescribing a lot more apps than I am medications." Read about where such applications can take us in the NBC News article at this link.
http://rockcenter.nbcnews.com/-news/2013/01/24/16677207-the-key-to-better-health-care-may-already-be-in-your-pocket-and-its-not-your-wallet

6.   On January 30 Honda announced that Siri, Apple's voice assistant, will be available on the 2013 Honda Accord and several Acura models. A number of other auto manufactures are also working to integrate Siri into their vehicles, including Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mercedes and Toyota. Chevy has already announced its integration of Siri in new vehicles. The inclusion of Siri is meant to let drivers interact with their iPhone while keeping their focus on the road. Drivers can make hands-free calls, send texts, listen to messages, make and find calendar appointments and select songs to play on the vehicle's audio system, all by using only their voice and "talking to the car."
http://gigaom.com/2013/01/30/apples-siri-coming-to-2013-honda-accord-2-acura-models/

7.   If you are not familiar with Internet based digital music services the article at the link will introduce you to this topic. These services, offered by companies like Pandora, Slacker, Spotify, Songza and others, provide very high quality, digital music via the Internet to your home, car or portable device like a laptop, tablet computer or smartphone. You can purchase a small Internet radio for your home that can wirelessly receive these services over your home wireless network. Many new cars are equipped to receive them as are all smartphones. Check it out:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/13/business/media/small-rival-music-service-takes-aim-at-pandora.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit-th-20130213&-r=0

8.   Remember Dick Tracy's wrist radio? Are you ready for a smartphone on your wrist? You may be seeing them sooner than you think. Last year, Corning, the maker of the ultra-tough Gorilla Glass that is used in the Apple iPhone, announced that it had solved the difficult engineering challenge of creating bendable glass, called Willow Glass, that can flap like a piece of paper in the wind without breaking. Now Apple is reported to be developing bendable wrist devices but Apple will not comment on such devices. Here is an article to give you what information is available so far.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/10/disruptions-apple-is-said-to-be-developing-a-curved-glass-smart-watch/?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit-th-20130211

9.   Most of our SIR members use a version of Windows as their computer operating system (OS). Now, Microsoft has released their latest version, Windows 8, and questions are increasing about the new Windows. Should the user upgrade, when should one upgrade and what new hardware is required or recommended? David Pogue, of the NY Times, authors numerous articles and blogs commenting on Windows 8. If you have questions or are considering moving to Windows 8 you should read this article.
http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/07/how-to-use-windows-8-search-for-it/?ref=personaltechemail&nl=technology&emc=edit-ct-20130207 
February 2013 SIR Computer Newsletter
Please note: The links provided below were active when this was written. Some publishers inactivate links after publication for various reasons including reducing server requirements. Should you find a non-working link, you might search for the subject matter using Google or another appropriate search engine.

1. The end of one year and the beginning of a new year floods us with reviews of technology from 2012 and predictions of the technology trends to watch for in 2013. January brings the largest consumer technology show of the year, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), with the introduction of numerous new, and sometimes amazing products that we will be seeing through the coming year. For all of us that store, backup and transport our computer data on little flash drives, how about this as an example from the Consumer Electronics Show. Kingston Digital, announced a new flash drive that can hold a terabyte of data, easily the largest flash drive on the market, in terms of storage capacity. Physically, it is compact, a little larger than a Bic lighter, with a brushed aluminum finish. The drive is called the DataTraveler HyperX Predator 3.0. It will connect to a computer port using USB 3.0, as its name implies. Kingston Digital said the new drive is the fastest USB 3.0 Flash drive it makes, working at up to 240 MB/s read and 160 MB/s write. It also has a SuperSpeed USB 3.0 certification. The drive is expected to be on sale by March 2013. The price has not been announced, but a 512 gigabyte version of the drive, which has half the storage, is available now for $1750.

2. The use of smart phones and tablet computers continues to grow at almost amazing rates. TIME magazine, TechLand, has just published a list of about a dozen candidates for the best smart phones and tablets shown at the just completed 2013 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Scroll through the list for pictures and descriptions of each. I believe you will find them interesting.
Here is the link. http://techland.time.com/2013/01/15/the-best-phones-and-tablets-at-ces-2013/?xid=newsletter-daily

3. The Washington Post published an interesting look at the Technology Trends to Watch in 2013.
Here is a link to their article.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/top-tech-trends-of-2012/2012/11/13/eb57b5c4-29c6-11e2-96b6-8e6a7524553f-gallery.html?wpisrc=nl-tech#photo=1

4. Each year David Pogue, the senior technology reporter for the NY Times, publishes a list called "the Pogue Awards". This is not a list of the best products of the year; Pogue says "everybody does that." No, the Pogies celebrate the best ideas of the year: ingenious features that somehow made it into real-world tech gadgets - even if the products themselves are turkeys. The summaries of each of the ideas is fascinating reading.
Here is the link. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/27/technology/personaltech/pogie-awards-for-the-brightest-ideas-of-2012.html?pagewanted=1&-r=2&nl=technology&emc=edit-ct-20121227&

5. "In the three years since Apple launched the iPad, a once-crazy idea has grown to become conventional wisdom: The PC is dying. Every few months, market analysts release reports showing staggering growth in tablet sales and an ever-grimmer future for traditional laptops and desktops." If you are interested in following and understanding this and other opinions about where the PC business is going you should read the excellent article from Slate that is at the link. http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2013/01/ces-2013-do-it-all-transformer-gizmos-are-the-pc-s-best-hope-against-the.html?wpisrc=nl-tech

6. The little software programs, called applications or apps, that are usually very inexpensive or free, are helping to drive the sale of smart phones and tablet computers. Apple, who introduced the idea of the on-line applications store, or App Store, have just reported that customers have now downloaded 40 billion apps. In December 2012 alone they delivered over two billion downloads. Slash Gear just published a summery of app downloads and their use. http://www.slashgear.com/apple-app-store-blasts-through-40-billion-downloads-07263601/

7. For some years Microsoft has "owned" the productivity software used in businesses around the world. Think about Microsoft's Office suite that includes packages for word processing, spread sheets, presentations, data bases, e-mail, publishing, etc. Now for the first time Microsoft is being replaced by a similar suite of software from Google that runs in the cloud. Larger enterprises are now making the move away from Microsoft. In the last year Google has scored an impressive string of wins, including at the Swiss drug maker Hoffmann-La Roche, where over 80,000 employees use the Google package, and at the U.S. Interior Department, where 90,000 use it. Here is a link to a NY Times article that describes this shift. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/26/technology/google-apps-moving-onto-microsofts-business-turf.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit-th-20121226&-r=0

8. Microsoft introduced its newest operating system (OS), Windows 8, shortly before the holiday season. Much has been published about Windows 8 since it became available with differing views of the software and where it might go. Here are links to two of the many articles. The first, published in late December 2012, reports that Windows 8 sales are slower than Microsoft hoped and the thoughts about what this means.
Here is that link: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/24/technology/tepid-sales-of-microsofts-windows-8-point-to-shaky-market.html?pagewanted=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit-th-20121224
The second, by David Pogue, describes three completely overlooked gems buried in the Windows 8 OS that Pogue says should not be overlooked and should be highlighted by Microsoft.
Here is the link: http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/17/three-windows-8-features-worth-celebrating/?ref=personaltechemail&nl=technology&emc=edit-ct-20130117

9. In the coming months Disney plans to begin introducing a vacation management system called MyMagic+ that will drastically change the way Disney World visitors, some 30 million people a year, do just about everything. Disney World guests currently plod through entrance turnstiles, redeeming paper tickets, and then decide what to ride; food and merchandise are bought with cash or credit cards. People race to FastPass kiosks, which dispense a limited number of free line-skipping tickets. But gridlock quickly sets in and most people wait. And wait. MyMagic+ will allow users of a new Web site and app - called My Disney Experience - to preselect three FastPasses before they leave home for rides or V.I.P. seating for parades, fireworks and character meet-and-greets. Orlando-bound guests can also preregister for RFID bracelets. These so-called MagicBands will function as room key, park ticket, FastPass and credit card. Read more about what to expect and how your experience will be enhanced when you next have a Disney vacation. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/07/business/media/at-disney-parks-a-bracelet-meant-to-build-loyalty-and-sales.html?pagewanted=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit-th-20130107

10. For security reasons students are uncomfortable carrying there laptop computers between home and the library late at night. Drexel University in Philadelphia has solved the problem by installing a vending machine in the University library that dispenses Apple MacBook laptops that students can use for up to five hours. Drexel is considering other locations for vending machines and is now looking at vending Apple iPad tablet computers. Several other universities are also looking at the program.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/in-this-universitys-laptop-vending-machine-the-macbooks-are-free/2013/01/10/2e5f73c4-5aab-11e2-b8b2-0d18a64c8dfa-story.html?wpisrc=nl-tech
December 2012 SIR Computer Newsletter
Please note: The links provided below were active when this was written. Some publishers inactivate links after publication for various reasons including reducing server requirements. Should you find a non-working link, you might search for the subject matter using Google or another appropriate search engine.

1. Recently we have heard more and more about cyber warfare and the impact such attacks can have on our lives because we have become increasingly dependent on electronics and computers. We think of cyber warfare as a software attack on our own computer or on computers supporting us - banking, business, utilities, etc. Now Boeing is testing a missile system nicknamed CHAMP (for Counter-electronics High- power microwave Advanced Missile Project) that supports another form of cyber warfare. The missile flies over a target area or city and discharges bursts of microwave energy at selected target buildings, shutting down electronics and computers in every building without ever touching them. Even the video cameras that Boeing trained on the targeted computer screens were shut down by CHAMP. There is no physical damage to the buildings, or people in the buildings. All electronic equipment just stops working. You can read about this and watch a short video at this link.
http://www.thedaily.com/article/2012/10/25/102512-news-microwave-missile/

2. Microsoft has just released its Surface tablet computer, the first computer of any type that Microsoft has ever brought to market. David Pogue, of the New York Times, has published a detailed review of the Surface - both it's hardware, that he really likes, and it's software, that he says needs some more work. Read the review and you'll learn about Surface plus learn about tablets in general. Here is the link.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/24/technology/personaltech/microsoft-unveils-the-surface-its-first-tablet-review.html? pagewanted=1&-r=1&nl=technology&emc=edit-ct-20121025

3. The next time you travel by air you may find that the security procedures you must process through are more complex as they relate to your boarding pass. Many travelers visit airline and travel sites on-line to pre-print their boarding pass and save processing time at the airport. Now detailed information about designing and manipulating the barcodes on pre-printed boarding passes has become available on the Internet. Fake and altered boarding passes can now easily be produced. Needless to say, security experts are concerned. Expect changes when you next travel. Here is a Washington Post article about the boarding pass security issue.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/airport-security-checks-are-vulnerable-to-fake-boarding-passes-experts- warn/2012/11/03/83b0fd3a-2364-11e2-ac85-e669876c6a24-story.html?wpisrc=nl-headlines

4. The impact of digital technology on student learning is the subject of constant study with differing conclusions reached in different studies. Some say attention span is reduced thus making teachers work more difficult in holding student interest. Others say teachers need to adjust how they teach to accommodate the changes in how students learn when using new and ever changing technology. Some voices say students learn faster and more quickly grasp complex concepts while others say students can not remain focused and therefore learn more slowly. If you are interested in children and their education you should read this article.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/01/education/technology-is-changing-how-students-learn-teachers-say.html? -r=0&nl=todaysheadlines&adxnnl=1&emc=edit-th-20121101&pagewanted=all&adxnnlx=1353528973-mtiGROARK4EfIo8E2hHqNA

5. We have just completed a national election and what seemed an unending campaign leading up to that election. Since we voted on November 6th there have been numerous articles describing the use of digital devices, software, data bases, communication technology, social networks, search engines, etc. in support of the candidates. Reading what techniques, processes and methods were used by individual candidates, political parties, poll workers, etc. is a lesson for each of us as we look ahead to technology's impact on our next national election in four years. I've been told those campaigns began on November 7th. Here are four very interesting articles describing the use of technology in our just finished election.
http://swampland.time.com/2012/11/07/inside-the-secret-world-of-quants-and-data-crunchers-who-helped-obama-win/?xid=newsletter-weekly
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/13/us/politics/obama-data-system-targeted-tv-viewers-for-support.html? nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit-th-20121113&-r=0
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/election-2012/wp/2012/11/09/epic-whale-romney-volunteers-say-orca-was-debacle/?wpisrc=nl-tech
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/election-2012/wp/2012/11/09/how-badly-did-mitt-romney-lose-the-technology-fight/?wpisrc=nl-tech

6. Young people are quickly learning that what they, or their friends, post on the Internet, frequently on social networks, is available forever. "The Internet is written in ink, not in pencil." As high school students prepare to seek admission in a university or look for a job with a good employer they are finding that colleges and employers are doing Internet searches for whatever is available on-line about individual applicants. Text, pictures and videos posted on their site, or those of friends, can put a bad mark on what initially seemed an impeccable record. Some students are changing the name on some internet post to a fictional name to conceal their past. Unfortunately, using a false name on an internet account is a Federal crime so the next event could be federal law enforcement at their front door. If you, your children, your grandchildren or your friends are actively posting information on social Internet networks you should read this article.
http://nation.time.com/2012/11/15/when-colleges-look-up-applicants-on-facebook-the-unspoken-new-admissions-test/?xid=newsletter-weekly

7. Optical drives (CD and DVD drives) have been rapidly disappearing from laptop and notebook computers offered by Apple and Windows OEM manufacturers. Now optical media slots (DVD and BluRay) are also disappearing. Most music, movies, and software can be downloaded and shared in a much more convenient fashion via the Internet and a high speed connection. With improved on-line storage services consumers are now relying heavily on Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud and SkyDrive for their data storage. Laptop and notebook manufacturers are beginning to release equipment that excludes on board storage devices like hard drives and flash storage. If you are in the market for a new laptop or notebook get ready as technology continues to move ahead at light speed.
http://www.redmondpie.com/with-optical-drives-being-phased-out-is-the-same-inevitable-for-the-hard-drive-flash-memory-opinion/

8. Protecting your personal, financial and other information is most often dependent on a password to keep intruders out. Unfortunately, the passwords we use are often the weakest link in our security chain. If you want to use better passwords you should read the NY Times article at the link. The author includes a checklist of suggestions for strengthening the passwords you use.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/08/technology/personaltech/how-to-devise-passwords-that-drive-hackers-away.html? ref=personaltechemail&nl=technology&emc=edit-ct-20121108

November 2012 SIR Computer Newsletter
Please note: The links provided below were active when this was written. Some publishers inactivate links after publication for various reasons including reducing server requirements. Should you find a non-working link, you might search for the subject matter using Google or another appropriate search engine.

1. The computer mouse faces extinction as the interaction between users and their computers evolve. The computer mouse was invented 49 years ago, in 1963.
Today there are new, faster and more precise methods for people and machines to communicate with each other. These methods are second nature to new and young computer users and are being adopted very rapidly by long time computer users. There are high school and younger children today, using computers every day in school and at home, who have never seen a computer mouse. They are using touch screens and touch pads that understand multi-touch gestures of 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 fingers and how the touch moves on the screen or touch pad. They are using voice commands and hand or body motion to issue instructions to their computers. Eighteen months ago, in conjunction with the purchase of a new computer, and after much consternation, the author of this newsletter made the jump from a mouse to a wireless multi-touch, multi-gesture touchpad guiding my first Apple computer on the desktop. I have not used a mouse since then and will never look back because the newer methods provide more options and better control than a mouse. Today, when I use another computer, either Windows or Apple, I am amazed at the things I can't do with a mouse. Read the article at this link and you too may decide to make the same move.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/the-mouse-faces-extinction-as-computer-interaction-evolves/2012/10/07/759aafa6-0e48-11e2-bb5e-492c0d30bff6-story.html

2. Now that we have done away with the mouse, look at your computer keyboard. In the upper left corner is an Escape Key, usually marked "esc". Have you ever wondered why it's there and where it came from? The short answer is that it allows you to tell your computer "STOP" or "don't do that." It lets you remind the computer that you, and not it, are in charge. Here is a whimsical article about the origin of the esc key and where it and the keyboard itself may be going.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/07/magazine/who-made-that-escape-key.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit-th-20121006

3. When we travel, airlines immerse us in in-flight entertainment, with choices of movies, live television, music and games. Passengers expect, and even demand, more audio and video channels, more movies and more services delivered to each traveller on individual screens. Passengers vote with their travel dollars, often selecting an airline not only by ticket price but by entertainment choices available. The airlines spend huge sums of money to keep up with passenger demand and services of competitor carriers. At the same time, more and more passengers are traveling with a laptop computer, a tablet computer or a smartphone, each capable of delivering similar entertainment to the individual passenger. The users of such personal devices want more in-flight WiFi connectivity to stream movies, on-line games and data and more power outlets to keep their devices charged. Where do the airlines invest their dollars to meet customer demand? Here is an article to help you understand these issues and what to expect from the airlines.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/25/business/in-flight-entertainment-is-at-crossroad.html?-r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&adxnnl=1&emc=edit-th-20120925&adxnnlx=1349818525-AJjVqntAjSadhJwq6Z7qlA

4. We are rapidly approaching our national election on November 6th. As this date nears, scam artists are working hard on-line to attack unsuspecting people to steal money, personal information, and a wealth of other valuable data. People become caught up in the pre-election frenzy of information and mis-information about the candidates and issues. The frenzy causes our guard to be lowered in a desire to see all the information and challenges. This makes it easier for the scam artists. Suppose you get an e-mail, appearing to be forwarded to you by a friend, that says, "Did you know that before he became a senator, Barack Obama went to Ukraine and made a pornographic video? Click here to see it now." When you click the link to see the article or look at the video, malware is installed on your computer. Now you are on the hook and depending on the nature of the malware, someone may be able to read every keystroke you make on your computer, or worse. Here is an article with more detail.
http://www.thedaily.com/article/2012/10/06/100612-tech-news-sophos-deleon/

5. TIME Magazine just published a list of the 50 Best Websites in 2012. The link below is to the opening page of the list. From there you can page through each and see screen shots and a description of each one. You will find it is worth your time to scroll through the descriptions of these sites. You will learn things that you did not know about the power of the Internet. I'll bet you will find a number to be interesting and will find several of specific value to you. Here is the link.
http://techland.time.com/2012/09/18/50-best-websites-2012/?xid=newsletter-weekly#introduction-2

6. All part-time and full-time Yahoo employees have been asked to order a new smartphone to be supplied by the company. Each employee is has been asked to choose either an Apple iPhone 5, one of three Android powered phones, the Samsung Galaxy S3, HTC One X, HTC EVO 4G LTE, or a Windows 8 powered Nokia Lumia 920. In addition to receiving a modern smartphone, employees' phone and data plans associated with the devices will be completely covered by the company. After the new phones have been purchased and provisioned, Yahoo! will cease IT support for Research In Motion (RIM) Blackberries on its corporate network, following the trend of many companies around the world who have abandoned the one time smartphone king. Yahoo previously provided and supported only Blackberries for its employees. Here is the story.
http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/yahoo-giving-smartphones-to-all-employees-includes-iphone-5

7. We all remember Polaroid instant cameras and the fun that they were at gatherings of family and friends. Take a picture and within a minute you had a print on paper to pass around. Modern digital photography spelled the end of Polaroid cameras and the end of many other cameras that captured images on film. Now Polaroid is introducing a new instant camera, the Z2300. The camera looks in many ways like a small point and shoot digital camera. The Z2300 is digital - shoot a picture and it is stored digitally in the camera. You can review stored photos on a three inch LCD screen on the back of the camera. Find one you want to share, push a button and the camera produces a 3 x 2 inch, color print of the selected picture. The Z2300 is a digital camera with a built in printer. The camera cost $160. A 30 sheet pack of print paper, stored in the camera, cost $15, meaning that each printed picture cost 50 cents, about what color pictures cost on the original Polaroid cameras. Here is an article about the Z2300 published by Gadgetwise.
http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/19/polaroid-develops-a-new-instant-camera/?nl=technology&emc=edit-ct-20120920

8. In a letter to Microsoft shareholders, CEO Steve Ballmer announced that Microsoft is refocusing its efforts on what he called "devices and services", producing tightly integrated Microsoft brand software, hardware and services, similar to the product strategy of Apple. Ballmer said the move is a "significant shift" that affects every part of company. The earlier announcement of the soon to be available Microsoft brand Surface tablet, running the touch focused Windows 8 operating system, was a clue to the newly announced Microsoft product direction. Here is a Washington Post article with more detail.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/microsoft-shifting-to-devices-and-services/2012/10/10/db430b4a-12cc-11e2-be82-c3411b7680a9-story.html?wpisrc=nl-headlines

9. The battle for advantage in the Internet arena is rapidly shifting to mobile devices. In the past, these contest were centered on who had the leading browser - Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator. Then the battle shifted to who had the superior Internet search engine - Google or Yahoo. Each of these struggles took years to sort out but we now know how they turned out. Today, the high tech conflict is between the mobile operating systems of Apple's iOS and Google's Android. Apple sells iOS on hardware it also produces. Google gives away the Android software and lets multiple manufacturers produce appropriate hardware. Both companies have been successful with their strategies. Apple makes $1 billion a month on iPhone sales while Google gets significantly less revenue per unit but has massive market share. At the link is an excellent TIME article about this growing technology battle.
http://business.time.com/2012/10/12/why-apple-vs--google-is-the-most-important-battle-in-tech/?xid=newsletter-daily

October 2012 Computer Newsletter
Please note: The links provided below were active when this was written. Some publishers inactivate links after publication for various reasons including reducing server requirements. Should you find a non-working link, you might search for the subject matter using Google or another appropriate search engine.

1. The February 2012 Newsletter included an item on an emergency mobile phone called SpareOne that is now available. Having a mobile phone available, particularly in your car, has become even more important as pay telephones and highway emergency phones disappear. Access to a phone can get you out of trouble or even save your life. Since the SpareOne has a claimed battery life of up to 15 years while in standby, with a single standard AA lithium battery, it is worth considering having one in your auto glove compartment in case you need it. Think of it as insurance - something you buy and hope you never need to use. If you don't have another mobile phone you can add a SIM card for about $10, plus an inexpensive mobile service, and use it for regular mobile phone calls. Here is a link to an article about the SpareOne.
http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/12/a-phone-good-to-2027-on-one-charge/?nl=technology&emc=edit-ct-20120913
2. October 26th is the date that the new Microsoft touchscreen Windows 8 becomes available. PC manufacturers have already begun to deliver touchscreen laptops that support Windows 8. Touchscreen desktop computers are next. Hewlett-Packard (HP) has unveiled its all-in-one touchscreen desktop models that will be available in late October. The models announced are all-in-one machines, meaning the entire computer and screen is in one piece. Other than electric power all of the external connections are wireless so there is only the single power cord out the back of the computer, making it perfect for locating in kitchens or family rooms where space is tight. The HP machines just announced are described in the article at the link.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/making-kitchen-computers-sexy-hp-unveils-windows-8-all-in-one-desktops-with-touch-and-wireless-tech/2012/09/10/ef1fd45a-fafc-11e1-a65a-d6e62f9f2a5a-story.html?wpisrc=nl-tech
3. Windows XP is now eleven years old and Microsoft is beginning the process of withdrawing support of the decade old operating system. Two major steps have already been announced. First, Microsoft has usually allowed buyers of new PC's, sold with the newest operating system installed, to downgrade the operating system to an earlier version. Buyers of new Windows 8 Pro equipped PC's will be allowed to downgrade the OS to Windows 7 and Windows Vista but not back to Windows XP. Second, the upcoming Microsoft Office 2013 will only run on Windows 8 and Windows 7 but will not run on Windows XP or Vista. You can read the details here.
http://www.readwriteweb.com/enterprise/2012/09/the-last-days-of-windows-xp.php
4. As hundreds of millions of smartphones are in the pockets of people around the world, technology companies are now looking at your wrist. Companies like Apple, Nike and Sony, plus dozens of startups, are looking a strapping a device on your wrist. The wrist device would not replace your smartphone but would provide you with selected information wirelessly from the smartphone in your pocket. Examples are time, weather, urgent e-mail and text messages. It additionally can be a remote screen of your phone and allow you to control selected applications on the smartphone. Here is an article with additional detail.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/19/disruptions-the-next-wave-for-the-wristwatch/?nl=technology&emc=edit-ct-20120823
5. Did you ever lie to your parents, even once, about where you were after school? Today, with children having smartphones, parents can use the built in GPS function to know where their children, or grandchildren, are at any time. A number of smartphone applications (apps) are available to support this function. Some 20 million people have already downloaded Life360, a smartphone app that supports locating family members. One research firm estimates that more than 70 million people across North America and Europe will be using such programs to track family members by 2016. The article at the link discusses this further and provides information on a number of specific apps that are available.
http://business.time.com/2012/09/14/should-you-use-your-smartphone-to-track-your-kids/?xid=newsletter-daily
6. If you look at new DVD's or Blu-ray discs you have begun to see an increasing number also marked "UltraViolet". Wonder what that means? When you purchase a DVD or Blu-ray disc marked UltraViolet you also get a legal digital copy, running on a server, that you can access to stream or download to any mobile device, laptop, tablet or smartphone, and enjoy wherever you are. You don't have to carry the disc with you. There is a registration and viewing process described in the article at the link.
http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/12/qa-digital-copies-for-dvd-owners/?nl=technology&emc=edit-ct-20120913
7. Using photographs in historical research has moved forward rapidly with the spread of digital photography combined with computer processing power and the Internet. Old historical photographs are being digitized, with detailed location and date data, and are easily located on a number of websites. These pictures are easy to combine with current digital images that sites are encouraging photographers to upload to with appropriate location and date information. Almost all current digital cameras tag photos with date information and many include GPS coordinate information. Users can have a new photo of a location and often find similar photos of the same location taken on a number of dates in the past, providing an magnificent view of history. The excellent article at the link describes this opportunity in detail.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/06/technology/personaltech/web-sites-with-a-historical-bent-join-a-place-to-an-image.html?-r=1&nl=technology&emc=edit-ct-20120906
8. Hotels may have come late to technology, but recently they have been jumping in as travelers demand to be constantly connected and expect hotels to make that possible. Hotels now see technology as a way to stand out in the crowd of brands. If you travel, and most of us do, check this article for a sample of the kinds of things hotels are doing today to keep their guest connected.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/11/business/hotels-seek-an-edge-in-offering-the-right-digital-perks.html?-r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit-th-20120911
September 2012 Newsletter
Please note: The links provided below were active when this was written. Some publishers inactivate links after publication for various reasons including reducing server requirements. Should you find a non-working link, you might search for the subject matter using Google or another appropriate search engine.
1. If you are in a vehicle accident you know that you should exchange information with the other driver(s) in or witnessing the accident. What information do you provide? You think you know because you have been driving for many years. In this age of identity theft what if the accident was staged with the intent of getting your personal information. Now, what information do you provide, what do you not provide and what else should you do? The Washington Post has published an interesting article (at the link) addressing these questions. Additionally, if you have a smartphone there is an application called WreckCheck that will walk you through what to do and what pictures to take with your phone camera. Here is the link:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/the-color-of-money-what-information-to-share-after-an-auto-accident/2012/08/14/ea635822-e645-11e1-936a-b801f1abab19-story.html?wpisrc=nl-headlines-nonlocal

2. We have all heard of Facebook. If you have an Facebook account you are but one of a billion others who use Facebook. If you don't, it is a very safe bet that your children and grandchildren are regular Facebook users. Now another service, Facedeals, not formally affiliated with Facebook, is in limited test. Facedeals is a 100% opt-in service - you must take specific steps in both Facedeals and Facebook to use the service. Here is what it does. Facedeals uses facial recognition cameras in business establishments to identify subscribers by comparing their image from the camera when they entered the business to their profile photos on Facebook. When identified, Facedeals instantly sends a discount or special deal coupon to the subscriber's smartphone to use in the store they just entered.
You can read about it here:
http://www.thedaily.com/page/2012/08/15/081512-tech-news-facedeals-deleon/

3. If you like a great spy story you will enjoy the tale at the link below, in a blog from the New York Times. It is about a very sophisticated spyware product, called FinFisher, developed by a British firm and sold to government law enforcement and intelligence agencies to "help track criminals." FinFisher is showing up around the world, including in the U.S. It can grab images of users' computer screens, record their Skype chats, remotely turn on cameras and microphones, and log keystrokes. Read about FinFisher here:
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/13/elusive-finspy-spyware-pops-up-in-10-countries/?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit-th-20120814
4. The August 16, 2012 edition of the all digital newspaper The Daily reported, "Adobe Flash is going the way of the dodo. The company has disabled new installation of Flash on the Google Play app store for Android devices. Though Flash is still present on the desktop, newer technologies like HTML5 have all but replaced it on mobile devices." Interestingly, five years ago there were predictions that Apple's iPhone would fail because it did not support Flash. It never has supported it because Steve Jobs publicly said that Flash was a dead technology as it required too many lines of code and consumed too much memory and power.

5. Corning has produced an excellent five minute YouTube video titled "A Day Made of Glass." It shows numerous concepts for the interaction of people with computers through advanced glass products. Watch this video. It is a vision of tomorrow and will be well worth your time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Cf7IL-eZ38&feature=youtube-gdata-player
6. A number of us are engaged in digital photography. We want a computer to support our work with pictures but a the same time may want to consider the use a laptop or notebook machine instead of a desktop. The August 6, 2012 San Francisco Chronicle published a freelance writer, David Einstein, answer to a reader question on this subject. "Q: I'm in the market for a new notebook - one that is good for managing and editing photos and video. What are the key features to consider, and how much will I have to spend? A: Almost any new notebook will give you enough power, but a really fast processor and robust graphics system are advisable if you want your photo and video software to speed through tasks like redisplaying heavily edited photos and rendering video. Another key consideration is the notebook's display. Entry- and mid-level notebooks use display technology called "twisted nematic" (sounds like the name of a garage band), which offers only limited color reproduction and viewing angles. What you want is a display using "in plane switching" (IPS), which is what professional photographers and designers use. IPS provides wider viewing angles along with fuller and more accurate color. Dell, HP, Sony and other big brands sell Windows notebooks with IPS displays, but they aren't cheap. IPS can add up to $500 to the cost of the computer, so you're looking at $1,000 and north for an IPS model. For all you Apple fans out there, be prepared to pay $2,200 for a MacBook Pro with an IPS Retina display. Unless you need the portability of a notebook, you can get into the IPS game for less money with a desktop computer and an IPS monitor. A capable Windows PC can be had for less than $600, and a 22-inch IPS monitor for around $200."

7. There is a rapidly growing interest by businesses, credit providers, banks and customers to digitize your wallet by allowing you to pay for purchases and services using your smartphone instead of credit card, debit card, check or cash. This method is already significantly in place in much of the rest of the world with the U.S. behind in adoption. Now Starbucks has inked a deal with Square, a startup, while 7-Eleven, Best Buy, CVS and Wal-Mart have linked together and formed a company to support payment by smartphone. Now you can add Dunkin Donuts to the list of businesses supporting and encouraging customers to pay with their smartphones. Here are three articles to bring you up to speed on this capability that shortly you will see in the stores, restaurants and service offerers that you use.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/10/technology/the-campaign-to-digitize-your-wallet-is-intensifying.html?-r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&adxnnl=1&emc=edit-th-20120810&adxnnlx=1344607923-/V5ZL++fnx0I25pwjRKiIQ
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/16/technology/major-retailers-plan-mobile-payments-effort.html?-r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit-th-20120816
http://www.thedaily.com/page/2012/08/17/081712-tech-apps-dunkindonuts-scharr-zzphotoglzz/

8. We all have lived through an evolution of media and devices for storing our computer programs, documents and data. Floppy disks led to tape drives, CD's, DVD's, hard disk drives and now solid state drives. When you go to purchase a new computer, a replacement drive or a backup drive you will now be faced with a question, "do I buy one of these new solid-state drives?" You need knowledge to address this question, so to help you, Lifehacker.com has published "A Complete Guide to Solid-State Drives." You will find the guide at this link: http://lifehacker.com/5932009/the-complete-guide-to-solid%20state-drives

9. There appears to be a great deal of confusion by many about the purchase and lending of digital books. Readers, publishers, authors, libraries and retailers all seem to have different concerns about the use of digital books. Readers don't have to purchase digital books as many can be borrowed from a library, often at no cost, just like a paper book. Publishers are concerned with how to price this new medium to end users. Authors fear that lending a digital book cuts into their revenue and violates their copyright protection. Libraries have good data on how many copies of paper books to purchase but have little to no data on digital books. Retailers worry about profit margins as reader demand shifts to digital books and away from paper books. Here is a interesting Washington Post article about some of these concerns and that some of the concerns are unfounded.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/the-e-book-lending-wars-when-authors-attack/2012/08/13/dea818b6-e450-11e1-89f7-76e23a982d06-story.html?wpisrc=nl-tech August 2012 Newsletter
Please note: The links provided below were active when this was written. Some publishers inactivate links after publication for various reasons including reducing server requirements. Should you find a non-working link, you might search for the subject matter using Google or another appropriate search engine.
1. Many individuals are dropping telephone land lines at home and using a smartphones as their sole telecommunications device, but the information below appears to be a first. The Opus hotel in Vancouver, British Columbia has done away with the traditional hotel room phone and is equipping each of its hotels guest with an Apple iPhone. The guest carry the iPhone with them while they are the hotel's guest. While in the hotel, or out anywhere in the Vancouver area, there is one button access from the phone to all hotel services. Local calls and Internet access from the iPhone are free and long distance calls appear on the guests' bill. When the guest checks out the phone is turned in and its memory is wiped to ensure the guests' privacy. Earlier in the year, the hotel installed an iPad 2 tablet computer, equipped with a virtual concierge app, in each guest room. You can read about it here: http://www.tuaw.com/2012/07/10/boutique-hotel-equips-guests-with-iphones/
2.3. We all have received a .pdf file that we would like to edit. With free Adobe Reader software we can read the document but to edit it we need to have expensive Adobe Acrobat software. How about if you could convert the .pdf document to a Microsoft Word .doc document and edit as much as you needed. You can do the conversion for free using your browser and a service called ZamZar (www.ZamZar.com). Just go to the ZamZar site, upload your .pdf document, identify the format you want to convert to and provide an e-mail address. ZamZar will convert the document and e-mail you a link to the converted document that you can download back to your computer. Here is a link to an article that explains the whole process. http://osxdaily.com/2012/07/05/easily-convert-a-pdf-to-doc-file-for-free/
4. "One morning before an offseason workout, Peyton Manning, of the NFL Denver Broncos, thumbed through his playbook. Unlike previous years, the four-time NFL MVP had everything he needed to study in his hands. That's because he wasn't holding 500 pages of bound paper. Manning was cradling a nifty new iPad." The NFL is switching to the tablet computer with the Broncos ordering 130 64 gigabyte iPads for players and coaches to consolidate their paper playbooks, team statistical information and DVDs of game films. Last season the Baltimore Ravens and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made the switch. In the offseason, the Miami Dolphins moved to iPads, with a unique twist. If a Dolphin player uses his team provided iPad to visit an unauthorized website there is a $10,000 fine. Read all about this interesting use of today's technology here. http://www.thedaily.com/page/2012/07/05/070512-sports-nfl-broncos-ipad-corbellini-1-2/
5. If you are getting ready to buy a new laptop computer the NewYork Times just published an excellent article on what to consider and look for when you go shopping. The article says, "If you need a laptop that will let you render 3-D graphics while also managing La Guardia's air traffic control system, stop reading"..... because you are looking for a laptop well beyond what most of us need. The NY Times article describes what is needed in a laptop for most of us. It details what to look for under the headings - Weight, Screen Size, Processor, Battery Life, Memory, Storage, Graphics Card, Wireless, Optical Drive, Price, Mac or PC? and Try It Out. Read the full article at the link below and you will be ready to go shopping. Read the next article an this newsletter and you'll know when to go shopping. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/12/technology/personaltech/an-updated-guide-to-laptop-shopping.html?-r=2&nl=technology&emc=edit-ct-20120712
6. Now that you know what to look for in a new laptop, when should you buy? Are there better times to shop for a computer just like there are better times to shop for furniture, or fresh crab, or a new washing machine. Decide.com is a Web site created by artificial intelligence experts that tracks millions of price changes on consumer electronics and appliances and uses algorithms to predict when buyers are most likely to get a deal. Decide.com says there are three windows each year when laptop prices are at their best -in late June, the last two weeks of September and beginning again in mid-December. Check the link below to read about how Decide.com could help you determine when to shop for a laptop or other major purchases tracked by this website. http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/05/it-may-be-a-good-time-to-buy-a-laptop/?nl=technology&emc=edit-ct-20120712
7. Windows 8 PCs are coming in October 2012 and in a recent interview Microsoft's chief executive Steve Ballmer said that "We are trying to make absolutely clear we are not going to leave any space uncovered to Apple." Ballmer went on to say that Microsoft will be going hard after the consumer cloud market, hardware, software and the tablet market as it looks ahead. Part of the Microsoft strategy has already been announced with a dramatic reduction of price to consumers for upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for current users of Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7 - the price: $39.99. Previous Microsoft major operating system (OS) upgrades have been much more expensive - $199.99 to upgrade to Windows 7. This new pricing may be to help Microsoft close the gap with Apple major OS upgrade pricing which is $19.99 for the upgrade from the current Lion OS to the coming Mountain Lion OS. There are two articles at the links below for more detail: http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/with-windows-8-on-horizon-microsoft-declares-new-war-on-apple/2012/07/10/gJQADTjPbW-story.html?wpisrc=nl-tech http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/microsoft-offers-cheap-upgrades-for-windows-8-pro/2012/07/03/gJQA70zbKW-story.html?wpisrc=nl-tech 8. An Oslo technology firm has developed a printable thin film sensor that is inexpensive enough to be included in standard packaging of everyday products. Now your cereal box will be able to provide the grocery store with information to track the product inventory, freshness and where an item has been and what the environment was in those locations. Read about it here. http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/the-internet-of-things-is-coming-to-a-grocery-store-near-you/2012/07/10/gJQATRK3aW-story.html?wpisrc=nl-headlines JUNE 2012 Newsletter
Please note: The links provided below were active when this was written. Some publishers inactivate links after publication for various reasons including reducing server requirements. Should you find a non-working link, you might search for the subject matter using Google or another appropriate search engine.

1. An ever increasing number of people are adopting a mobile phone as a necessary communications device. Older cell phones, called "feature phones", are rapidly being replaced with newer technology "smartphones" that can provide not only telephone service but enhanced services through connection to the Internet. The survey firm Nielsen reports that as of February 2012, fifty percent of US mobile subscribers had switched to smartphones as their hardware of choice. Newer smartphone technology is being used more by women than men, more by Asian-Americans, more by Hispanics and more by people aged 25 - 34. So, who isn't moving to the new smartphone technology? According to Nielsen, older, white men appear to be holding on to their old feature phones more than any demographic in the country. We SIR guys need to get with it! Read about it at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/nielsen-whos-still-using-dumbphones/2012/05/07/gIQAFrZi8T-story.html?wpisrc=nl-headlines

2. If you use a smartphone now, or after reading the item above you are considering a smartphone, here is a item showing how little software applications, called "apps", installed on your smartphone at little to zero cost, can help make your life easier. Have you ever wondered through an airport looking in vain for a place to get a good sandwich, enjoy a quite drink, or buy a good book? You found a lousy sandwich for $10, the lounge was very noisy and you never found a bookstore. Next time you might be able to save some steps, and possibly some money, by using an airport guide app on your smartphone or tablet computer. In addition to helping find food vendors and shops that may not rip you off, the apps can help you avoid overpaying for ground transportation once you reach your destination. The top three, recommended in a NY Times article at the link, are iFly Pro ($7 on Apple and Android, but with free versions available), Airport Transit Guide ($5 on Apple, with a limited free version) and GateGuru (free on Android and Apple). If you travel by air, reading the article at the link will be worth the time and, if you are a smartphone user, installing one of the apps discussed may make your next trip even better.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/03/technology/personaltech/a-review-of-airport-guide-apps-app-smart.html?-r=1&emc=eta1

3. An item in the May 2012 Computer Newsletter discussed Microsoft Windows 8 coming soon and included links to four articles on the subject. Microsoft has scheduled a "Windows 8 Release Preview" for the first week of June 2012. The apps already announced as included in Windows 8, for Mail, Calendar, People, Messaging, and other apps have all been updated ahead of the Release Preview. Additionally, Microsoft has announced that apps for News, Sports and Travel are being added to the standard Windows 8 package. On June 6th, Microsoft is delivering the keynote at Computex, so we should expect to hear more about Windows 8 and its supporting hardware.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/windows-8-release-preview-to-include-metro-style-news-sports-and-travel-apps/2012/05/21/gIQA7sH5fU-story.html?wpisrc=nl-headlines

4. A startup company, Gigabit Squared, has announced that it is in discussions about providing ultrafast Internet connection at six communities near major research universities. The six locations have not yet been named. The United States was falling behind other nations that have moved aggressively to build high-speed Internet infrastructures. The US ranked 13th in average connection speed in a survey last year by the network service provider Akamai. The world leader was South Korea, followed by Japan, Hong Kong, the Netherlands and Latvia. The city with the fastest average connection speed was Daegu, South Korea, followed by five other South Korean cities and eight cities in Japan. Boston, was fastest in the United States but ranked just 51st on the global Akamai list.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/23/technology/partnership-plans-to-bring-ultrahigh-speed-internet-to-six-communities.html?-r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit-th-20120523

5. The Federal Government is catching up to the rapid move to mobile access. On Wednesday, May 23rd, President Obama mandated a target for all federal agencies to make their information more accessible over mobile devices by the end of this year. "Americans deserve a government that works for them anytime, anywhere, and on any device," the President said in a statement. "By making important services accessible from your phone and sharing government data with entrepreneurs, we are giving hard-working families and businesses tools that will help them succeed." Hayley Tsukayama, Washington Post, May 23, 2012

6. Since Steve Jobs' authorized biography was published last year, rumors have grown that Apple was going to produce an high definition television (HDTV) for sale to consumers. Apple's rumored television is widely expected to make extensive use of Siri, the voice control system that first appeared in Apple's iPhone 4S. Jobs was quoted as saying that he had "finally cracked" the problem of creating an elegant interface for the TV. With Jobs calling it "the simplest user interface you could imagine", speculation immediately leapt to Siri, which could allow users to change channels and find shows using only their voice. Now, another feature is widely rumored. A prototype Apple television set seen by several sources includes a Siri-enabled iSight camera that will allow users to make FaceTime video calls from the HDTV. Addressing the fact that users are likely to sit substantially farther away from the television than they do their computers and mobile devices, the source claims that the camera will be able to automatically detect and track faces, zooming in on them for FaceTime calls even if the caller moves about the room. Read the article here:
http://www.macrumors.com/2012/05/07/apple-television-set-to-include-siri-and-face-tracking-isight-for-facetime-calls/

7. We all have produced or downloaded documents, files, photos. etc. and stored them on a hard drive. If we wanted the file on another device, we sent it as an e-mail attachment or copied it to a floppy disk, CD, DVD or USB thumb drive and moved it to the other device. Now, a number of companies store your data for free and make it accessible to whatever device you are using, wherever you are, as long as you have an Internet connection. This is called Cloud Storage. The NY Times recently published an excellent article, "A User's Guide to Finding Storage Space in the Cloud", that covers in detail four of the major cloud storage services - the four are: Google Drive (www.drive.google.com), Microsoft Skydrive (www.skydrive.com), Dropbox (www.dropbox.com), and Sugarsync (www.sugarsync.com). Here is a link to the NY Times article: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/17/technology/personaltech/a-computer-users-guide-to-cloud-storage.html?-r=3&nl=technology&emc=edit-ct-20120517&pagewanted=all

March 2012 Newsletter
1.  Since late January 2012 there has been a good deal of press and Internet buzz concerning Apple's partnership with the three largest U.S. textbook publishers combined with the release of Apple's iBook 2 software and the new on-line Textbook store.  The Apple video at the link below is a marketing piece but provides an excellent summery, with great visual examples, of the power of touch screen tablet computers and how interactive textbooks can encourage and stimulate learning by students.  Apple and these three publishers are starting by first focusing on high school textbooks, where the need is greatest, but it will soon migrate to universities, middle schools and elementary schools.  Some universities and public school systems already have begun to move to digital textbooks on tablet computers (see the article included in the November 2011 Computer Newsletter).  This current move by the leading textbook publishers with Apple will accelerate the development of the end products and get them into the hands of teachers and students even sooner.  According to an article in the January 24, 2012 edition of the digital newspaper, The Daily, the immediate demand for these digital, iPad textbooks "is off to a roaring start."  The Daily reported that in the first three days of sales, more than 350,000 digital textbooks had been purchased and downloaded.  Here is a link to the Apple video:  

2.  Consumer Reports magazine has published an excellent article about "Caller ID Spoofing", a scam designed to get personal information from you.  If you check caller ID when you receive a telephone call you are the target.  The scammers log onto one of a number of websites, pay a fee to open an account, then enter a name and telephone number that they want to pretend to be calling from.  The false information is displayed on a recipient's caller ID device.  You may fall for the scam if your caller ID display says you are being called by your bank or credit card company, with the correct phone number.  What should you do?  Consumer Reports says "Never give personal information over the phone, and if someone claiming to be from a financial institution calls and asks for personal data, hang up, call the correct company number, and let a rep know what happened."  Don't violate this rule because your caller ID device says the call is from someone you know.  It may be a scam.
Source:  Consumer Reports, March 2012 issue, page 9, "Who's calling, please."

3.  Are you ready to drive on Highway 101, I-280 or other California highways with driverless cars beside you, behind you or in front of you?  It may have already happened because driverless cars are already being tested on California highways.  General Motors, Volkswagen, Audi, BMW and Google are testing driverless cars now in locations already approved for such test, like the Bay Area.  Beyond testing, Nevada has already put a law on the books sanctioning driverless vehicles on all roadways in the state.  Hawaii and Florida have bills being worked on.  Why the interest?  The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) says there were 5,474 deaths from distracted driving in 2009.  The accident rate for driverless vehicles so far appears to be significantly lower and is expected to improve.  Soon you'll be able to buy such a vehicle and read the newspaper, send e-mail or take a nap while you are driven by your car.  Read about it here:   http://mashable.com/2012/02/19/driverless-cars-infographic/
4.  In a 1965 paper, Gordon E. Moore, an Intel co-founder, said that the number of transistors that could inexpensively built on an integrated circuit would double about every two years.  Since then, this has proven to be true and become called Moore's Law.  The latest Intel chip, Sandy Bridge, uses a manufacturing process to place 2.3 billion transistors 32 nanometers apart on a single chip.  Now, an international team of researchers at the University of New South Wales, Purdue University and the University of Melbourne has managed to produce a transistor that is made from a single atom that is just 0.1 nanometers across.  Use of such transistors would further significantly reduce the size of processors and allow Moore's law to continue to hold true beyond 2020.  I guess we can expect to continue to see more and more powerful electronic devices, in smaller and smaller packages for the foreseeable future.
5.  The Associated Press reported that the federal government is cracking down on "robocalls," those automated phone calls with the tendency to interrupt Sunday dinners and otherwise annoy consumers.  The Federal Communications Commission said that it will now require telemarketers to obtain written consent from people before placing a robocall. Written does not mean handwritten, though - electronic forms are OK.  The new rules also eliminate a loophole that allowed telemarketers to place robocalls if they had an "established business relationship" with the consumer.  Now, they will have to obtain consent even if they had previously done business with the person they want to call.  Telemarketers will also have to provide an automated way for people to revoke their consent to the robocall by pressing a few keys on their phone during the call.  If this happens, the new rules require telemarketer to add the person to the company's "do not call" list.
6.  One of the main drivers of the amazing popularity of smartphones is the availability of software applications for the phones, called apps.  They are inexpensive (free or a couple of dollars, averaging less than $1 each), can be downloaded to the phone through the air in seconds and provide numerous services to the smartphone user.  Today, Apple alone has 500,000 apps for the iPhone.  When the Android, Blackberry and Windows Mobile markets are added, there are 1.1 million apps available.  In 2011 there were 30 billion apps downloaded worldwide.  The San Francisco Chronicle reports that now there are new search engine apps available to help smartphone and tablet computer users find an app for a specific function from among the million plus available.  Two local firms, Palo Alto's Quixey and San Francisco's Chomp produced some of the latest tools to help people find the app that's right for them.  They scour the apps ecosystem - not just the titles and keywords, but ratings, reviews and other sources - to pinpoint the most appropriate match for the user.  Check them out.
7.  A number of our Computer Group members already have, or are considering buying, an Apple Mac computer.  This summer Apple will be releasing its newest operating system, OS X 10.8, code named Mountain Lion.  The current OS, Lion, brought iPhone and iPad features to Apple laptops and desktops.  The new release will bring all of these platforms even closer together so the look and feel is the same across all of them.  In combination with iCloud, action taken on one device, be it creating or editing a document, noting an appointment, adding a contact, taking a note, adding a photo, music or podcast or multiple other functions, can be instantly and wirelessly reflected across all of your devices.  The way that you access and use documents and applications will be the same across devices.  Here is a link to an article about Mountain Lion by New York Times technical reporter, David Pogue, that is worth reading whether you use an Apple device or not.
8.  On March 14, a N.Y. based company, Aereo, will let New York City residents watch over-the-air television channels, including major broadcast networks like CBS and NBC, on their computer or mobile device via a Web app and without a cable TV subscription.  The service, that cost $12 per month and is initially available in New York City only, also will include an Internet-powered DVR that lets viewers store up to 40 hours of programming in the cloud.  This programming can then be accessed from any Internet connection in the city.  The service will let users "cut the cord" as it will eliminate the need for expensive cable or satellite TV subscriptions.
http://www.thedaily.com/page/2012/02/15/021512-tech-news-aereo/

9. The updated information is this:  Apple has just announced that it is rapidly approaching the download of the 25 Billionth app from the Apple App Store.  That's 25,000,000,000, which averages about 3.5 apps for every human on the earth.  Apple expects that the download will occur within the next 60 days.  Whoever downloads the 25 Billionth app will be automatically awarded a prize of $10,000.
 
"One of the main drivers of the amazing popularity of smartphones is the availability of software applications for the phones, called apps.  They are inexpensive (free or a couple of dollars, averaging less than $1 each), can be downloaded to the phone through the air in seconds and provide numerous services to the smartphone user.  Today, Apple alone has 500,000 apps for the iPhone.  When the Android, Blackberry and Windows Mobile markets are added, there are 1.1 million apps available.  In 2011 there were 30 billion apps downloaded worldwide.  The San Francisco Chronicle reports that now there are new search engine apps available to help smartphone and tablet computer users find an app for a specific function from among the million plus available.  Two local firms, Palo Alto's Quixey and San Francisco's Chomp produced some of the latest tools to help people find the app that's right for them.  They scour the apps ecosystem - not just the titles and keywords, but ratings, reviews and other sources - to pinpoint the most appropriate match for the user.  Check them out.

February 2012 Newsletter

 
1.  A January 22, 2012 New York Times article, at the link below, offers a fascinating view of why the manufacture of many products, particularly electronics, has moved from the U.S. to overseas locations.  The article centers on the engineering, production and manufacture of the Apple iPhone but provides insight into other companies, with specific examples, that produce supporting components like chipsets, glass screens, processors, etc. used throughout numerous industries.  The article offers material to support discussions of not only overseas manufacturing but the shift in the size of the American middle class, unemployment issues, the global economy, and many other subjects.  This is a rather lengthy article, but I strongly recommend that you take the time to read it as it is full of information that you can use in future conversations concerning not only technology but numerous other subjects of current interest.  Here is the link:   
 
2.  Over the last ten years, Apple has introduced products and services that have resulted in major changes and impact to several industries, with PC's, tablet computers, mobile telephones, consumer electronic and music among them.  Tim Bajarin, the President of  Creative Strategies, Inc., a technology industry analysis and marketing intelligence firm in the Silicon Valley, has written an interesting article projecting the impact of Apple on major industries over the next three to five years.  His article was published TIME Techland, an online publication about technology.  He proposes that the industries that will be most impacted are Television, Automobile, Watches and Consumer Appliances.  You will find the article a very interesting read.  It is at this link: 
 
3.  Some mobile phone owners have a mobile telephone only for emergency use and not for everyday communications.  Many of these phones are kept in a car glove compartment or a drawer at home to be used only in an emergency.  They are rarely turned on or even recharged.  Will your emergency cell phone work if you need it?  Now a company, Xpal Power, has a new phone called "SpareOne" that is specifically designed to provide such emergency service.  SpareOne use a single AA battery, Alkaline, NiMH or Lithium.  If the phone is equipped with a lithium battery and stored for emergency use, it will maintain its charge for 15 years.  If the SpareOne is used it should provide about ten hours of talk time with a new lithium battery.  When used in an emergency, the SpareOne will provide you with voice communication while transmitting your caller ID and your GPS computed position so emergency responders can locate you.  The SpareOne was announced at the International Consumer Electronics Show in January 2012, will be available in the first quarter of the year and will cost $49.99.  Read about it and where to get one in this engadget article:
 
4.  During the week after Christmas, users of smartphones and tablet computers downloaded 1.2 billion applications (apps) to run on their devices - a record number.  Apps are the software programs that allow smartphones and tablets to perform all of the functions that these devices can support.  Almost all apps can be downloaded to the device wirelessly and many are free or cost only a dollar or two.  There are about a million different apps available today (Apple alone has more than 500,000) and more are available each day.  On Christmas day alone, 6.8 million new smartphones and tablet computers were activated and 242 million apps were downloaded.  Read about it in this San Francisco Chronicle article:
 
5.  Now technology is turning to something we all have but rarely think about - our home thermostat - a tool that has had little to no technical update in decades.  A former senior Apple engineer, Tony Faddel, has formed a new Silicon Valley start-up, Nest Labs, and their first product is a completely new, high tech, home thermostat called Nest.  The Nest will learn about activity in your home, and combined with your preferences, will heat and cool your home while saving you money on energy costs yet keeping you comfortable.  Nest also connects to the Internet, wirelessly, so you can control it while away through the Nest website or a free app running on your smartphone or tablet computer.  You can easily install the nest yourself with the tools and instructions that come with it, or have the Geek Squad from Best Buy install it for you.  Read all about the Nest in this Washington Post article.
 
6.  Technology in all forms continues to march forward.  31% of all US warplanes are now unmanned, or drone, vehicles according to a Wired article.  The military prefers to call most of these vehicles "remotely piloted" rather than "drone" as most of them are in fact controlled by a human pilot who is not onboard the vehicle.  The military now has 7,500 drones but we hear about only a very small number of the most sophisticated and most expensive.  Many military drones are very small, like the 5,346 intelligence gathering drones operated by the Army.  Read more about these vehicles here: http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/01/drone-report/
 
7.  Laptop and desktop computer sales have slowed over the last year with the growth in sales of tablet computers, smartphones and a thin, light laptop introduced by Apple.  The January International Consumer Electronics Show saw the introduction of numerous new devices called "Ultrabooks".   An Ultrabook is a very thin, very light laptop computer built with a new low-power chip and solid-state storage that replaces the bulkier mechanical hard drive.  Some of these devices have 13 inch screens, are only 0.59 of an inch thick and weigh less than three pounds.  An article at the link below reports that some predict more than 70 Ultrabooks to be introduced in 2012 with products from all of the major PC manufacturers.  Keep your eye on this market as the entire PC industry is betting that Ultrabooks will be the next hot item.  Here is the link: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/16/technology/ultrabooks-embraced-by-pc-makers-at-ces.html?emc=eta1
 
8.  You know the scenario: You're fiddling with your cellphone or smartphone near a sink, the toilet, or a swimming pool when you lose your grip and your phone is now worthless.  The digital newspaper, The Daily, published an article about a company named Liquipel that will completely waterproof your phone, inside and out, with an invisible coating that is a thousand times thinner than a human hair.  The cost is far less than cost of replacing your smartphone.  Be sure to watch the video in the article at this link: http://www.thedaily.com/page/2012/01/12/011212-tech-video-liquipel/

January 2012 Newsletter

1.  We all have passwords to protect computer files and documents, bank accounts and many other things from access by others.  We want to select passwords that provide maximum security but are easy to remember - two goals that conflict, because if it is easy to remember it is easy for an unauthorized person to guess.  A company named SplashData, that offers password security solutions, has published a list of the 25 worst, but most commonly used passwords in 2011.  Here they are:
password -123456 - 12345678 - qwerty - abc123 - monkey - 1234567 - letmein - trustno1 - dragon - baseball - 111111 - iloveyou - master - sunshine - ashley - bailey - passw0rd - shadow - 123123 - 654321 - superman - qazwsx - michael - Football
 
A good password includes different characters, upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters, in a random order and the longer the better.  There are software programs available that help you manage multiple passwords and protect them in an encrypted file behind a single good master password that you can remember.  Search for password management software and you will find many choices.  Time magazine published an article based on the SplashData information.  It is at the link.  Check it out.  http://techland.time.com/2011/11/22/the-25-most-popular-and-worst-passwords-of-2011/#ixzz1hwUiRvCP
 
2.  Many of us have learned to carry a laptop computer with us when we travel to keep in touch with family, friends and the world around us while using it as a today's age tool to do both personal and business work while on the road.  Time Techland has published an interesting article weighing the pro's and con's of electing to carry a smaller and lighter Apple iPad 2 tablet computer instead of a laptop.  If you have a tablet computer, or are considering purchasing one, you will find this article interesting and informative. http://techland.time.com/2011/12/26/how-the-ipad-2-became-my-favorite-computer/
 
3.  Each year David Pogue, a NY Times technology reporter publishes a report covering the best technology ideas for the year.  The list, called the Pogie Awards, is not a list of the best products but the best ingenious ideas that have made it into actual products.  Examples include a 16 gigabyte USB flash drive that is about the size of a dime.  It is so small that you can leave it plugged into a laptop to increase your storage space while barely knowing it is there.  The price: $25.  How about a $5 app that runs on Apple or Android smartphones and tablets that can turn pages and set timers on the device by voice command when your hands are dirty, wet or sticky.  Or an LED light bulb, that you screw into any socket and in addition to light it also is a high quality speaker to deliver music, wirelessly, from an iPod, MP3 or CD player.  Instant speakers anywhere in your home.  Read about these items and others at:
 
4.  The invention of the smartphone has created a world where millions of people stroll through life constantly staring into a mobile device.  Sometimes these people trip, fall, walk into a wall or worse.  Even so, we are not going to put these devices down.  Every day there will be more people using such devices to remain connected.  The NY Times recently reported that both Apple and Google have secret development efforts to refine wearable computers.  Such devices may clip to, or be built into the users clothing, or include screens that wrap around the users wrist, or project an image for the user through a pair of glasses, contact lenses or some type of headset.  They will probably be controlled by voice instead of touching the device.  If you want to keep up with technology ideas that are coming you should read this article.
 
5.  For some time Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) has been the leading global browser for access to the Internet.  Second position has been held by Firefox.  Now the Washington Post reports that second place has been taken over by the Google developed Chrome browser, at the expense of both IE and Firefox.  Google reported that Chrome had 70 million active users in 2010 but had grown to 200 million active users by October 2011.  Read the Washington Post article at:
 
6.  In November 2011 Adobe announced that it was terminating development of Flash for mobile browsers and operating systems in favor of focusing development on the open HTML5 platform.  The Flash player is widely used to deliver Internet content, particularly video and animation.  Flash has become increasingly less relevant in mobile, most notably because it was publicly excluded from the Apple operating system, iOS, by none other than the late Steve Jobs himself.  Jobs said he would never support Flash because it was proprietary, not secure, a drain on battery life and not designed for mobile.  He favored an open platform like HTML5.  Apple's position of not supporting Flash provided fuel for vendors advertising competitive smartphones and tablet computers running other OS's, particularly Google's Android OS.  Now, Adobe's announcement indicates that Apple won this battle.  Here is the Washington Post/Bloomberg article about Adobe Flash.
 
7.  Smartphones include a camera that can often take not only still but also video pictures.  These cameras have become so good and so small and easy to carry that the use and sales of point and shoot cameras have fallen to record lows.  Now, there a numerous small and inexpensive attachments for smartphones to further enhance the ability of users to produce high quality photographic images.  If you are into photography and you have a smartphone, or are considering one, you should read the NY Times article at this link.

December 2011 skipped

November 2011 Newsletter

1.  Has Apple just introduced a completely new way to interact with your computer and mobile device?  Apple just announced the new iPhone 4S.  Some were disappointed as they expected the announcement of a completely different device with the name iPhone 5.  The announced iPhone 4S, appears almost identical to the already available iPhone 4, but it is very different on the inside.  The iPhone 4S has a faster processor, a new camera, a longer lasting battery and HD video recording, but the most significant change is the inclusion of what may be the next big revolution in how we interact with our gadgets.  This is a software interface called "Siri", an "intelligent assistant." that is nothing short of amazing.  Siri can listen to your "natural language" questions or requests (that is, words spoken as you would to another human, not a computer) and respond like a human secretary.  It's not just that Siri listens, either.  The software is capable of understanding the context of what you're talking about.  If you ask, "do I need a raincoat today?", Siri knows you are asking about the weather.  Because the phone knows where you are, Siri responds with something like "Probably - the forecast is for rain beginning before noon today."  The bottom line is that you just talk to the iPhone 4S, like you would to a human assistant, and Siri answers like a human, not like a computer.  You can ask Siri to set an appointment and it will check for conflicts, ask for guidance if appropriate, and set the appointment on your calendar.  Siri is connected to both Yelp and Wolfram Alpha (search engines focused on content not websites) so you can ask for facts like currency exchange rates or how many cups are in a gallon.  As we've seen with the Apple iPad, and frankly the entire focus of Apple over the past few years, the company wants the desktop computer to disappear and something else to take its place.  Siri looks like it's going to be a big part of that disappearing act.  Read about this amazing interface in the article at the link below and/or check the Apple website (www.apple.com) for several videos to see Siri in action.  Here is the link to the article:
(Update Note:  Customer acceptance of the new iPhone 4S appears high as Apple announced more than one million units were pre-ordered in the first 24 hours of availability, breaking the record set by any earlier iPhone model.  At a base price of $200 each, this exceeds $200,000,000 in retail revenue on the first day.)
2.  The Indian government is introducing a new tablet computer that cost $35.  The 7-inch touchscreen device, known as Aakash ("sky" in Hindi), is made by tech company DataWind.  Running an Android 2.2 operating system, the tablet offers a very basic feature set of word processing, Web browsing and video conferencing along with two USB ports and 256 megabytes of RAM.  The device cost DataWind $45 to manufacture but a $10 government subsidy lowers the price to $35 in an effort to reach up to 220 million school age children in families with an average monthly income of 3000 rupees, or about $61.  DataWind can produce 100,000 units per month, so without additional production, it will take more than 183 years to reach all of the school children.
3.  If you have a smartphone, running either the Apple or Android operating system, and you enjoy astronomy, you can get observation advice from applications (apps) available for your phone.  You can watch coming meteor showers and other astronomical phenomena if your smartphone is loaded with Meteor Shower Guide ($1 on Apple) or Meteor Shower Calendar (free on Android), and two great star-viewing apps, StarWalk ($3 on iPhone; $5 on iPad) and Google Sky Map (free on an Android device).  See, that smartphone in your pocket is much, much more than a phone.  If you are interested you should read the article at this link:
4.  One of the Nation's leading school systems and the largest in the Washington DC area, Fairfax County, is beginning the process of changing all text books to digital instead of printed books.  After testing digital books last year in 18 schools the decision was made to begin the transition.  Beginning this fall, all Fairfax County middle and high school students will be using on-line books in social studies.  The high school book being replaced is 1,052 pages and weighs 5.6 pounds.  It will no longer be weighing down every students backpack.  The system will adopt new math, language arts and science textbooks over the next few years.  Within five years digital will overtake print in county schools, and students will travel to class not with a bulging backpack but with a single laptop, netbook or tablet computer that will serve as a portal to textbooks and other digital resources.  The online books are generally cheaper than their hard-copy cousins and look similar, but they've been souped up with interactive maps and links to primary sources and History Channel video clips.  Unlike printed books, which the system purchases about every six years, the online versions can be updated regularly to correct errors and reflect current events.  Students can take notes in the margins, highlight important ideas and prompt the computer to read passages aloud.  Students today are very comfortable in our digital world and should be using tools in school like what they are already using outside of school and at home.  Read more here:
5.  At the link is a report that is a very good argument FOR keeping your cell phone with you and turned ON when you are driving or riding in a car.  One man is alive today because his family was able to get help to track the location of his cell phone and thus find him alive in his wrecked car.  The second man had a cell phone, but it was turned off, and he was not found in time to still be alive.  Here is the link:
6.  A good example of the power of computers can be seen in the gargantuan AlphaDog, the latest quadruped robot to be built for the U.S. military.  The robot was developed and built by a team of engineers and scientists at Boston Dynamics.  The program is funded for $32 million, by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Marine Corps, as a prototype of a "robotic mule" that could haul military gear in a war zone.  AlphaDog is designed to travel autonomously, using computer vision to follow a human leader or a GPS system to reach a given destination on its own.  Video of the creature, at the link below, was just publicly released for the first time. http://www.thedaily.com/page/2011/10/01/100111-news-alpha-dog-1-2/
7.  In the past few weeks, Microsoft has slowly allowed a stream of details to trickle out to get consumers, analysts and the press excited about Windows 8, the next version of its flagship product, which it promises will work across desktops, tablets and smartphones.  Microsoft sees the Apple iPad as its main rival.  Few $500 non-iPad tablets have sold well so far, including RIM's BlackBerry Playbook, Samsung's Galaxy Tab or HP's now-defunct webOS TouchPad.  Microsoft acknowledges that today any consumer willing to spend $500 on a tablet will most likely purchase an iPad.  Microsoft plans to call on hardware partners to build devices that are less expensive but not cheaply made.  The company is willing to take a hit on revenue from Windows 8 tablets in order to get as many devices into people's hands as possible.  To accomplish this, Microsoft is looking at a certification program for Windows 8 devices that are code-named "Primed for Windows."   Microsoft will handle the majority of marketing and advertising for these "Primed" devices.  This will allow manufactures to focus solely on manufacturing more cost-effective products without taking on marketing and advertising costs.  These less-expensive devices are the only ones that will get the "Primed" certification.  It remains to be seen if there will be "Certified for Windows 8" tablets at a higher price point.  Microsoft believes it can own the tablet space within three years, and it plans to do so by pushing more Windows desktops, laptops and phones into the market.  In other words, Microsoft will bleed money to make Windows 8 successful.
8.  Patients at a Newport Beach, CA doctor's office are no longer given a clipboard upon arrival.  Instead, they're handed an Apple iPad, where they tick off symptoms and allergies with the touch of a finger.  A nurse uses her own iPad to plug in vital signs.  In the exam room, the doctor summons appropriate data by tapping on his tablet and is aided by a list of likely diagnoses for, say, abdominal pain.  After the visit, the doctor dictates his notes about the patient straight into the iPad, where they're instantly transcribed and stored with other records.  Lured by new technologies and financial incentives from the U.S. government, doctors are throwing out stacks of paper and replacing them with handheld computers.  The law offers doctors up to $63,750 over five years to help pay for the change if they can prove they're making "meaningful use" of the systems by, say, submitting prescriptions electronically. Through August 2011, about 90,000 of the roughly 530,000 eligible Medicare and Medicaid providers-hospitals, clinics, and private practices-had registered to participate, with about 7,000 receiving initial payments for demonstrating meaningful use of digital records.    
It is estimated that spending on electronic systems by health providers could grow to $32 billion by 2015.  Read more at:

October 2011 Newsletter

1.  You probably don't think of General Motors as a technologically nimble company. But deep in the G.M. archipelago of cars, parts and wholly owned subsidiaries there sits a  technological gem: OnStar.  Now, OnStar is available as a rearview mirror that goes on almost every car, not just those from GM.  You can buy OnStar, and have it installed for example, at Best Buy, for $374.  It is called OnStar FMV.  The replacement mirror looks good, with just a few buttons on the mirror frame that allow you to communicate with OnStar.  OnStar is a seamless brew of cellular, Bluetooth, GPS, microphone, speakers and human operators.  Its feature list includes both safety and convenience elements. For example, if you crash, sensors wirelessly alert a 24-hour call center staffed by 2,000 OnStar operators. They immediately talk to you over the built-in speaker. If you don't respond, or if you say something like, "My legs are broken in six places," they automatically send an ambulance. They know exactly where to send it; they can see where you are, and they know what kind of car you're driving.  David Pogue of the New York Times has tested OnStar FMV, installed on a Toyota Camry.  He highly recommends it.  If you have interest you should read his article at:  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/01/technology/personaltech/onstar-fmv-offers-premium-but-costly-service.html?emc=eta1

2.  If you want to reduce the amount of junk mail you receive in your email box you have been told for years to never respond and don't try to unsubscribe because that just confirms to the sender that they reached a valid, in use email address.  Now, the thinking about unsubscribe is changing.  There are two things you can do.  First, continue to use your existing email address as the "public" address that it is.  Public means this is the email address that you use when you fill it in on forms, give it to firms that send you catalogs, pay bill you on line, fill in surveys, etc.  Then, get a second email address that you  provide only to your personal corrispondents and never provide to a company or fill in on any form, application or request, etc.  Second, when you see "SafeUnsubscribe" at the bottom of a junk mail message, Click it.  You will land on a Web page that basically says, "OK, that's it.  We have taken you off ALL mailing list."  SafeUnsubscribe is a service of a company named Constant Contact and they have 370,000 companies signed up and paying for their service.  It really works.  Now, don't think that you can ever unsubscribe from email sent by companies that sell Viagra or promise bigger body parts.  You can't unsubscribe from them.  Don't try.  Here is the link if you want to read the whole article:  http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/01/rethinking-the-never-unsubscribe-rule-for-spam/?emc=eta1
3.  You may be aware that Google frequently changes the Google corporate logo on its homepage.  The company has a department of 10 people with the job of designing the logos that are called Google Doodles.  Some require months to develop.  The Doodles honor people, nations, important events, birthdays, holidays from around the world, etc.  The Doodle team has created and used over 1000 Doodles since the first one in 1998.  You can see past Google Doodles on the Google website.  You can select groups you would like to see by year and date.  Check it out.  It't fun.  Here is the link to get you started:  http://www.google.com/logos/
4.  The noted author of "Getting Things Done", David Allen, has sold hundreds of thousands of copies of his book recommending organizing your life with folders and labels to assists in finding things in the future.  For your future reference do you save e-mail messages in folders or just keep them in your inbox?  There may be better ways to manage the hundreds, or even thousands, of messages that you may need in the future.  If the message(s) you what are in a folder and you can't remember which folder, you may miss it or be unable to find it.  A recent New York Times article suggest "5 Easy Steps to Stanch the E-mail Flood."
First, Stop Organizing and Start Searching:  Today's computer operating systems (Windows 7 and Apple OS-X) and most modern e-mail programs include extremely powerful search capability.  You can find any and all appropriate messages by searching on a word, a phrase, a date, a subject, a senders name or company, or any text in the message body, etc.
Second, Be Ruthless About Blocking:  Organizing your e-mail is much easier if you do the front end work to reduce and eliminate ever getting unwanted e-mail.  Block what you can.
Third, Build a Digital Nag:  We often save messages because we want to take some action, not now, but at some future time.  If you leave the message in your inbox it may be forgotten as it is pushed down by new messages that continue to arrive.  Today there are small software programs, called plug-ins, that can make an e-mail message reappear in your inbox as a new message on a future date that you select for that message.  A few of those plug-ins are Nudgemail (http://www.nudgemail.com/), Followup, (http://www.followup.cc/)http://, Followupthen, (www.followupthen.com/) and Boomerang, (http://www.baydin.com/).
Fourth, Use Your Inbox as an Address Book:  If you save your e-mails you already have a searchable address book of everyone who has ever sent you an e-mail.  If you use MS Outlook, download a plug-in called Xobni, (http://www.xobni.com/), that will completly automate your address book every time you get a new e-mail.
Fifth, Make Your Peace:  The four steps above are not bulletproof.  No system is.  Don't beat yourself up about organizing your e-mail.  Relax.
Here is a link to the full NY Times article:
5.  In last month's Newsletter there was an item about the dramatic slowing of PC sales as sales of mobile devices like tablet computers and smartphones are rapidly growing.  PC's are not going away and their industry does not need saving.  The problem is that most of consumer interest is with mobile devices and for PC's it is focused on Apple systems.  Companies like Acer, Intel, Microsoft, Dell, HP and whoever gets the HP spinoff PC business do not have a strong presence in these growth catagories.  If PC growth has stalled it affects them greatly.  As a result, a new catagory, the UltraBook, has appeared in an effort to win back market share with something new.  UltraBook is a name for a computer that is super light and super thin, like the extreamly popular Apple MacBook Air.  Several UltraBooks are already on the market; from Acer, Samsong and Toshiba.  The whole PC industry recognizes that Apple is on to something and wants to confront the MacBook Air with UltraBooks.  You can read more detail and see some pictures of UltraBooks at the link. http://techland.time.com/2011/09/12/can-ultrabooks-save-the-pc-industry/
6.  Windows 8 is coming and it will be a complete change from any previous Windows operating system (OS) you have ever used since it was first introduced in 1985.  Beta copies of the new software are already available and being downloaded by developers.  The name "Windows 8" is the product development working codename - another name may appear when the OS is released to the public in mid to late 2012.  The new version of Windows is not about just improving on the past, as all previous versions have been.  It is about completly departing from the past.  Windows 8's defining feature is its new user interface which looks nothing like Windows 7, Apple's OS X Lion or anything else anyone's ever seen on a personal computer.  Nearly all of the clutter of Windows' traditional interface is gone, including the Start button.  It dispenses with windows, menus and dialogues and uses touch as its primary means of input.  It can be controlled with a keyboard and mouse, but it's going to shine on PCs with touchscreens.  It's extremely finger-friendly, and as you use it, screens and other elements swoop around with a balletic grace that rivals that of the iPad.  It is - this is not a word usually applied to Microsoft products - beautiful.  You'll want to read all about it at:

September 2011 Newsletter

 
1.  Each year TIME Magazine publishes a list of the 50 Best Websites for that year.  They are fun and useful to check out.  The link below will take you to TIME's article and the list for 2011.  The websites are in categories of Music &Video, Family & Kids, Sports, News & Info, Financial & Productivity, Shopping & Travel, Health & Fitness, Social Media, Games and Education.  Additionally, the site has links to other lists - prior year 50 Best Websites, YouTube's 50 Best Videos, Top 10 Internet Blunders, Best iPhone Apps, etc.  Look around and have fun.  Here is the link:
 
2.  If you are planning to purchase a mobile device - a smartphone or a tablet computer - the device will have an operating system and your selection should be based in part on that operating system.  As mobile devices have rapidly become very widely used they have begun to draw the attention of hackers and the producers of malware and viruses.  The mobile device operating systems available today are iOS, used on Apple devices; Android, used by several manufacturers; BlackBerry, used on  BlackBerry devices built by RIM; WebOS, used on Palm and HP devices; Symbian, on Nokia and some Samsung devices and J2ME used on several devices in conjunction with another OS.  Interestingly, the operating system most frequently attacked by hackers and malware is the Android OS.  It is believed that this is because the Google developed Android Os is open source software and available to anyone at no cost.  A hacker can get the base OS for free and dig deeply into the source code to develop a hack to attack the operating system.  Here is an New York Times article that discusses this in more detail:
 
3.  Seven weeks after it first went on sale, HP killed its new TouchPad tablet computer, HP's competition to Apple's iPad.  In 2007, Palm announced it's first tablet, the Foleo, but 120 days later it killed the product and it was never sold.  Today, a product must be a hit, and a big hit, when it is first introduced or it will not be kept on the market.  A number of other products have suffered similar fates and in the future more can expect the same.  If you would like to read an interesting article on this rapidly moving technology marketplace here is a link:
 
4.  The editors of major newspapers each day select what they believe to be the biggest news item for that day and it appears on the newspaper's "page one, above the fold".  On Sunday, August 21, 2011, the San Jose Mercury News published the following headline on page one, above the fold:  A Turbulent END to the PC Era. The article stresses that two things were important.  First, we have officially moved from the PC era to the age of mobile computing.  And second, a massive upheaval looms for the industry that built Silicon Valley.  Although it seemed unthinkable a year ago, the shift away from PC's to mobile devices promises  to scramble the hierarchy of technology companies, "creating new winners and losers, and propelling all sorts of partnerships and deals."  We live next to the Silicon Valley and many of us are invested in its firms, so you should read this article.  Here is the link http://m.mercurynews.com/sjm/db-259613/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=54eL537P&full=true#display
 
5.  So, you are going to read a book.  In todays world of technology you have a wide range of choices of just how you read your book.  Are you going to read it printed on paper?  How about on the screen of your desktop or laptop PC?  Why not in PDF format on your PC or printed on paper from your home printer?  Read it on an Amazon Kindle, an Apple iPad, a Windows powered smartphone, an Android powered phone or tablet, an Apple iPhone, or a Barns & Noble Nook?  What are the strengths and weaknesses of each of the choices?  Must you purchase the book or is it available for free or can you borrow it from a library?  What does it cost?  Read all about it here:
 
6.  David Einstein, of the San Francisco Chronicle, had an excellent article describing the power of smartphones in the August 8, 2011 edition.  Parts of his article are quoted here:
Q. There is a commercial on TV of a young American trying to communicate with an older Italian man.  The young man speaks a sentence into his smartphone and it is translated into Italian for the older man to hear.  Does such a thing exists?
A.  Sure.  The young man probably is using Google Translate, a free app that includes speech to speech translation between any two languages.  After speaking a word, phrase or sentence into the phone, you see a translation on the screen.  Press a speaker icon and the phone utters the translation in the second language.  Translation can go both ways.  It is pretty cool and fairly accurate, and best of all it's free.  The one possible drawback is that you need mobile data service for it to work.  There are other similar apps - Talk to Me and Jibbigo.  Jibbigo can get around the required data connection by letting you install the language pair dictionaries in your phone memory, at $5.00 per pair of languages.   

August 11, 2011

1.  Not too long ago we stored backup computer data and information we wanted to share on diskettes.  Then we shifted to using CD's and later to DVD's.  Now we use flash drives, or thumb drives.  Each of the devices we used in the past had a life expectancy that we were warned not to exceed at the risk of the loss of our data and records.  So, what is the life expected for a flash drive?  At least one expert says a flash drive may have 10,000 to a million data-write cycles before the drive begins to give error messages.  With proper care a flash drive could last for years.  The message is - keep track of all devices that you use to store data - and backup important things so they are not lost.  http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/19/qa-the-lifespan-of-a-flash-drive/?emc=eta1

2.  It may seem to you that as the speed of the introduction of technology products increases the products themselves seem to be less ready for prime time - some just don't work.  That observation may be correct.  A TIME Mobile News article says there are three main culprits in technology products being available to consumers before they are ready.  First - the increasing release of products in "beta" versions.  "A world in which anything can be a beta is a world in which no product must be complete."  Second - Easy updates.  Companies can easily use the Internet to push out upgrades to product users is a strong temptation to ship products before they are complete.  Third - The rush to be first and beat the other guys.  We have seen this in the multitude of tablet computers that have been released to compete with the highly successful Apple iPad, with every one of them failing to be a hit because they lacked capability that consumers wanted.  The TIME article is at
http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,2085630,00.html?artId=2085630?contType=article?chn=bizTech
  

3.  Each one of us keeps a calendar of some sort to keep track of appointments, business and social events, birthdays, etc.  Our calendar may be kept in a calendar book, on scraps of paper, in a computer, on a smartphone or cell phone or written on the palm of our hand.  Today there are many voices telling you that you should move from using paper to using some electronic means to keep track of your life.  Before you even considering using only an electronic calendar you should read the article at the link below.  There is room in our lives for both paper and electronic means of being on time and not missing appointments.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/31/fashion/calendar-wars-pit-electronics-against-paper.html?-r=1&emc=eta1

4.  Forty years ago, Gordon Moore, a founder of Intel, predicted that the number of transistors that could be nestled comfortably and inexpensively on an integrated circuit chip would double roughly every two years, bringing exponential improvements in consumer electronics.  His prediction, called Moore's Law, has proven to be true.  Now, however, researchers fear that this extraordinary acceleration is about to meet its limits. The problem is not that they cannot squeeze more transistors onto the chips - they surely can - but instead, that all those transistors could require too much power to run economically. They could overheat, too.  Lots of people are looking for a solution, including such things as shutting down individual transistors on a chip when they are not in use. The issue is that as consumers, the Next Big Thing may take longer to get here than we have grown to expect. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/01/science/01chips.html?emc=eta1

5.  Is a library without any paper books still a library?  Drexel University in Philadelphia just opened a new library with 170 million electronic items and not a single bound item.  Stanford University removed all but 10,000 printed items from its new engineering library that opened last year.  The University of Texas at San Antonio engineering library removed all printed documents in exchange for all electronic material when it opened in 2010.  The question being asked is "When all its books disappear, does a library lose its definition?" http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2079800,00.html?artId=2079800?contType=article?chn=us

6.  Imagine a doctors office without filing cabinets and clipboards.  Doctors would see patients, write records, prescribe medication, file insurance claims, order lab tests and schedule future appointments with the touch or swipe of a finger on a tablet computer.  If the US government has its way you could soon be seeing this in your doctors office.  The US Department of Health and Human Services has just certified the first electronic health records platform.  It is approved to run only on the Apple iPad.  Drchrono is the health care iPad application that won the certification.  Doctors who adopt it's use become eligible for up to $44,000 in federal incentives.  There may be a large number to sign up as four out of five doctors recently surveyed by a health marketing company said they plan to purchase an iPad in the next year.  http://www.thedaily.com/page/2011/07/29/072911-biz-drchrono/ 

7.  Over the last several months there has been a fascinating battle for ownership of technology patents, focused on mobile devices and computing, with most of the major players in that space engaged.  Technology patents have become the ammunition regularly used in corporate efforts to control space in the marketplace.  The players with the most ammunition often win.  There have been many news reports and articles published as this battle unfolded.  When combined these articles would make an excellent case study at any major business school.
This drama began in 2009 when the huge Canadian firm, Northern Telecommunications Networks (Nortel), filed for liquidation after previously declaring bankruptcy.  The last remaining Nortel assets were 6,000 telecommunications patents.  On April 4, 2011, in an unsolicited bid, called a stalking horse bid, Google bid $900 million for the patents.  The Canadian courts monitoring the Nortel liquidation decided not to accept Google's bid as final until they conducted a bidding auction for the patents.  Other players asked to participate.  The approved bidders were Google (bidding under the name Ranger), Apple, Intel (who in the middle of the bidding joined Google in Ranger), Norpax (an affiliate of RPX Corporation) and a consortium called Rockstar Bidco that included RIM (the Blackberry manufacturer), EMC, Ericsson, Sony and Microsoft.
The bidding started.  Norpax did not bid in round three and was removed.  In the fifth round Rockstar Bidco did not bid.  This resulted in just three bidders - Google, Apple and Intel.  Apple then decided to stake Rockstar Bidco and bid under that consortium name.  This is when Intel joined Google in Ranger.  The bidding continued until in the 19th round, Apple in partnership with Rockstar bid $4.5 billion.  Ranger (Google + Intel) did not bid.  The consortium of Apple, Microsoft, RIM, EMC, Ericsson and Sony was declared the winner of the 6,000 Nortel patents.  The deal was approved at the end of July by both Canadian and US courts.
Why would Microsoft want to participate in this patent bidding war?  Although all of the bidders have business in the mobile device market there are only two major players who develop operating systems (OS) for mobile devices (think smartphones and tablet computers) - Apple, with iOS and Google, with Android.  Microsoft attempted to enter this market space  last year with their Windows Mobile OS and was quickly driven into extinction by devices running Google's Android OS.  Now, Microsoft is on the verge of releasing their first devices running the all new Windows Phone 7.  Google does not charge its OEM partners that manufacture hardware running the Android OS.  Microsoft has sued several of these Google partners to charge patent fees (for patents Microsoft already owns) for patent violations in Google's Android OS.  Google would have been much better able to protect itself and it's OEM partners had Google won the 6,000 Nortel patents.  Now Apple + Microsoft, and their partners, own the patents and are in a much better position to defeat Google in court.  The cost to win this position - $4.5 billion.  Won't the coming battle be interesting?      
follow-up article
      
http://m.mercurynews.com/sjm/db-259613/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=wcsqY0fZ

July 13, 2011
 

1.  As we get older, some of us and/or our spouses, find sleeping more difficult.  Technology can come to our rescue with a large number of noise canceling devices that are not expensive and are very effective.  The article at the link is an excellent summary of what these devices do, what brands make sense (with links to their websites) and how much they cost.  Some of these devices are stand alone while others run on computers, tablet devices and smartphones.  Check out the article - you'll find it quite interesting and maybe helpful.
 
2.  We have all seen airline pilots carry those 40 pound black bags through airports.  They contain safety checklist, their aircraft operating manuals, logbooks, navigation charts, weather information and airfield approach and departure charts.  Now the FAA is approving pilot use of the 1.5 pound Apple iPad loaded with all that is in that 40 pound bag, plus much additional information.  American Airlines and Alaska Airlines already have FAA approval and have begun the transition.  Charter airlines and private pilots are also rapidly adopting the technology.  Read all about it here:   http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/05/business/05pilots.html?emc=eta1
 
3.  New technology is rapidly emptying our pockets of a number of items - replaced with your smartphone.  Now keys are disappearing as smartphones can unlock your office, your home, your car and your hotel room.  Several lock manufactures are offering lines of door locks that use the technology.  A number of hotels now issue a code to the guest smartphone instead of a room key or keycard.  Auto manufacturers are working to eliminate physical keys and even individual electronic key fobs in favor of a code on your phone to lock, unlock and start your car.  I guess we all better start running if we want to keep up - technology is gaining on us.  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/04/technology/04key.html?emc=eta1
 
4.  Reading the three items above might lead you to believe that the items you have today have become obsolete.  This view is reinforced when Silicon Valley executives tell us the PC as we now know it is dead - to be replaced by a smartphone and a tablet computer.  It is not necessarily so.  Here are a two excellent articles that will make you feel better.  The first counters the idea that the PC is dead.  http://www.thedaily.com/page/2011/07/06/070611-apps-accesspoint-pc-1-2/
The second addresses the fallacy of single use products being obsolete in favor of multi-function products, like smartphones.  The author uses examples of Cisco's recent killing of the Flip camcorder in favor of the video capture capability of todays smartphones and the fact that the multi-function Swiss Army knife does not replace the kitchen knives in your drawer at home.  This is an excellent read.  http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/07/how-to-design-a-hot-product/?emc=eta1
 
5.  An increasing number of companies are moving their employees away from Microsoft's Office Suite (Word, Excel. Powerpoint, Access, Outlook, etc.) and to cloud based solutions like those available from Google.  The Intercontinental Hotel Group is moving 6,000 employees to Google cloud apps.  Microsoft is attempting to counter the trend by releasing Office 365 that runs its suite of office applications in the cloud instead of using licensed software running on PCs.  The battle is engaged.
 

 

JUNE 8 2011

1.  Have you ever had a document file, video file, music file or picture file that you wanted to convert to another file format?  How do you do that?  Where is a website that can help me?  How much will it cost?  Rick Dusine has come upon a jewel of a site that can convert these file - for FREE.  You should try this out and maybe bookmark it for future use.  http://www.online-convert.com/
 

2.  Every one of us has seen someone do something with technology and say, "I didn't know that!". Well now you will know.  David Pogue of the New York Times wrote the article at this link.  It covers ideas for Cell Phones, Cameras, Smart Phones, the Web, Editing Text and special tricks for Windows and Mac users.  For example:  When typing a URL on the address bar of Internet Explorer you don't need to type the http:// and just tap Ctrl+Enter instead of typing .com.  Tap Ctrl+Shift+Enter for .org.  Here is the link:  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/19/technology/personaltech/19pogue.html?-r=1&emc=eta1


3.  In a second article under the heading, "I didn't know that!", David Pogue provides more ideas, tips and shortcuts under headings for Screenshots, E-mail, Editing Text, iPhone, other Cell Phones, the Web and Computers.  For example, if you have a file that is too big to transmit as an e-mail attachment you can use a free intermediary parking space at yousendit.com or transferbigfiles.com to get your file on the way.  Read all the other good ideas at:  http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/19/25-more-tech-tips-and-tricks/?emc=eta1


4.  In 2008 David Pogue published a similar list of good ideas, tips and shortcuts.  Here is a link to that article:  http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/02/tech-tips-for-the-basic-computer-user/?emc=eta1


5.  You may want to reconsider that earlier decision you made not to buy a new e-book reader and keep purchasing books printed on paper.  Since April 2011, Amazon, the worlds largest bookseller reports that it is selling more e-books than paper books - specifically, 105 electronic books for every 100 paper books.  This milestone was reached sooner than anyone, including Amazon projected.  Here is an article on the subject:  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/20/technology/20amazon.html?emc=eta1


6.  When we were younger we paid for purchases at a store cash register ("point of sale") with cash or by writing a check.  Later individual store brand credit cards were added.  Next came national credit cards followed by national debit cards.  Coming on fast is payment with your smart phone or cell phone.  How that phone transaction is handled, processed and billed is still being debated because a lot of players have money in the game.  Be assured, point of sale payment using your phone is coming.  It is already being widely used in Asia.  If you want to understand some of the technology and the financial issues of this debate here are two articles that will give you some of that information:  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/27/technology/27google.html?emc=eta1
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/24/technology/24pay.html?emc=eta1

MAY 11 2011

1.  Lately there is an ever increasing amount of discussion about "cloud computing."  We even had a speaker spend time explaining cloud computing and how it could make your computing life easier.  Now the Washington Post has published an excellent article on the subject that is available at the link.  I believe that you will find it most interesting.  The article ends by saying that "the future of personal computing is cloudy, with occasional storms."  Here is the link:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/cloud-computing-an-old-idea-with-a-promising-future-thanks-to-the-internet/2011/04/26/AFYHBDdF-story.html
2.  In 2006 a company named Jitterbug launched a new cell phone, called Jitterbug, that was aimed at the rapidly growing senior market.  The Jitterbug had large type on the display, very limited features, easy operator assistance to make telephone calls and even dial tone like a land line phone.  Jitterbug sold very well.  But seniors are rapidly becoming more tech savvy and are asking for more features like those available on smartphones.  The newer Jitterbug J now includes Bluetooth, text-messaging, customizable screen colors and the ability to add functions like calendar plus internet connection to get weather, stocks and sports stats.  Here is a link to an article on this subject:  http://www.thedaily.com/page/2011/05/02/050211-biz-senior-tech-1-2/
3.  Technology marches on.  The URL link in the item above about Jitterbug cell phones is linking to an article from a new daily newspaper, called "The Daily", published since February 2011 by the Rupert Murdoch News Corp.  The Daily is a full featured daily newspaper with sections for news, entertainment, culture, opinion, gossip, technology and sports - even a daily crossword puzzle.  The paper is unique as it distributed only electronically, only by subscription, and only to users of the Apple iPad.  The daily is not available in print, on the Internet or to users of other tablet or portable devices.  The paper includes many interactive features that are supported by the iPad, like embedded video, scrolling left, right, up and down and easy flipping through the pages to sections of interest.   Subscribers can select individual articles in The Daily and email a link to someone who can use the link to see that individual article but not the whole published issue.  Take the time to have a look at The Daily when you see an iPad who's owner is a subscriber.  It is quite a good newspaper.
4.  A group of high-ranking officials are pushing hard for the military to adopt technologies that are already popular with consumers, like smartphones, video games and virtual worlds.  The goal is to provide engaging training tools for soldiers who have grown up using sophisticated consumer electronics.  In a time of shrinking budgets, these tools are viewed as relatively inexpensive supplements to larger, costlier training equipment while providing a surprisingly realistic training experience.  Video games and other similar technologies are being used today by our Armed Forces with expansion continuing.  To find out more, check out the full story at:  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/02/technology/02wargames.html?emc=eta1
5.  Around the world, players, young and old, are staying up late to play a new game that is sweeping the globe.  The game phenomenon, Angry Birds, from the Finnish company Rovio, has 75 million paid downloads and 40 million active users.  The game is being played on Tablet computers and smartphones, mostly by males who are young men, their fathers and their grandfathers.  If you haven't played Angry Birds yet give it a try.  It is very easy to learn yet difficult to master and fun to play.  The perfect mix for a game.  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/01/fashion/01ANGRY.html?emc=eta1
6.  Most retailers have websites and almost all of them allow customers to place orders on these websites.  Today those very same customers are placing orders from their mobile devices, mostly smartphones, instead of from their computers.  Retailers have seen a drop in Internet business as customers have shifted to mobile platforms as their interface device.  Retailers now understand that these devices use mobile browsers, have smaller screens and smaller keyboards.  If the customer is uncomfortable on the retailers website they will take their order somewhere else.  So, retailers are rapidly modifying their websites to be optimized for interaction with mobile devices.  Amazon is among the leaders as it started developing mobile websites in 2006, before there were any smartphones.  Some major retailers like Bed Bath and Beyond, Coach, Dillard's, and Ann Taylor still do not have sites specifically designed for mobile phones.  By mid-2010 only 12 percent of the top 500 U.S. online retailers had sites compatible with mobile browsers.  Many have lots of catchup work to do.
7.  Young people are losing the ability to write in cursive handwriting.  The growth of computer keyboards, smartphones and other portable devices and overhead projectors instead of blackboards is eliminating the art of handwriting.  Many today print when they have to write something and have no keyboard.  What will happen as these people mature and want to read historic documents?  Will fine hand motor skills be lost?  Will signatures become more unreadable?  Is anyone doing anything to correct this problem?

April  13 2011
 

1.  On March 30th Google announced that it will build an ultra high-speed Internet network in Kansas City, KS in a test aimed at demonstrating new uses of the Internet at speeds 100 times faster than existing technologies.  Kansas City was selected from more than 1,100 cities of between 50,000 and 500,000 residents that applied to Google's request for interested cities.  The jump from dial-up to today's broadband has led to streaming online video, digital music and video conferencing over the Web.  Google wants to demonstrate how faster access can lead to even more innovative Internet services, such as live 3-D video lectures and streaming medical imagery.  Kansas City consumers will be able to buy the service from Google and other providers that will be licensed to sell the service.  Have you got any thoughts of services that could become available with Internet connections 100 times faster than today?

2.  The computer manufacturer Acer has a new laptop offering called Iconia that is one of the most bizarre products to ever make it to production.  The Iconia, when closed, looks like a laptop.  When opened, however, it is actually two 14-inch touchscreens joined in a hinge.  Open this link and you can see the Iconia and read about it.  Interesting.  http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/29/acers-iconia-is-the-craziest-laptop-of-all-time/?emc=eta1

3.  We are all "retired" so we have lots of time to do many of the things that we have been meaning to do all during our working lives.  One of those things is to compile a complete inventory of all the things we own and keep it up to date and safe.  Such an inventory can be invaluable for insurance purposes and for our families when we pass away.  Today there are a number of  computer applications, called "apps", that run on PC's, Mac's, smart phones, and tablet devices, that can assists you in building and maintaining such an inventory.  Here is an article from the NY Times that summarizes a number of these apps.  

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/31/garden/31hometech.html?emc=eta1

4.  The use of Smartphones continues to grow with thousands more entering service around the world every day.  Why?  A number of recent studies and articles have focused on this question and all have come to the same conclusions.  Smartphones with a single device that is easy to use, can be carried in your pocket and replaces a number of devices at less cost.  Additionally, a smartphone provides a platform that can be loaded with hundreds of software applications, at little to no cost, that will be of use to the specific owner of the smartphone.  Here is one article (at the link) that tells why people are turning to smartphones.  It shows examples of the costs savings without even considering the value of applications that might be installed on the smartphone.  Do you really want to be the last guy on the planet without a smartphone?  Are you still using two tin cans and a string plus a large bag full of all those individual gadgets that play music, take pictures and videos, find your destination, deliver email, tell the time, do calculations, play movies, deliver books, magazines and newspapers and record voice memos?
5.  Next we have a new use for smartphones - replacing all those credit and debit cards that we carry in our wallets.  Today, much of the world uses technology already available to smartphones and cell phones.  Instead of digging in your wallet for the correct card and swiping it, you simply wave your phone over a sensor at the point of sale or on a vending machine to pay for the transaction.  We are behind in the U.S. because the corporate infighting continues about who will get the transaction fees that are now collected by the card issuers.  The new technology brings telephone line and Internet providers into the equation, at the expense of the credit card companies and banks.  When the dust settles, that thick wallet in your back pocket will be thinner as the pile of plastic you carry will disappear.  As a matter of fact, some experts are predicting that customers who insists on continuing to use plastic cards will be charged a small fee for each card use transaction.  Read all about it here.
6.  In item #4 above we discussed smartphones replacing a number of gadgets and services.  Technology itself causes us to accumulate technical gadgets.  Every now and then we should review the items and services we hold on to and reevaluate which ones we keep and which ones we dump.  Here is an interesting article that looks at this question and gives reasons for keeping or dumping the following - Desktop computer, High speed Internet at home, Cable TV, Point and shoot camera, Camcorder, USB thumb drive, Digital music player, Alarm clock, GPS unit and Paper books.  Before you click the link, think about what you would decide, keep or dump, for each of these items.  Here is the link:
7.  We don't have to wait for results from the Google ultra high speed network in Kansas City discussed earlier.  Locally, Google and Sonic.com will be installing an experimental deployment of an ultra high speed network to 850 faculty and staff homes in a Stanford University subdivision.  The service, operating at 1000 megabits per second, is called Gigabit Service.  Google says the cost of the service will be competitive, but what might that mean?  The municipal electric utility in Chattanooga, Tenn. recently introduced gigabit service to its fiber-to-home Internet customers.  It charges $349.99 a month  and currently has only 20 customers.  But, it doesn't have to be expensive.  Gigabit service has been available for some time to any resident in Hong Kong for $26 per month.  Here is an article with all the details:  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/06/business/06digi.html?emc=eta1

 

Mar 9 2011

 

1:  The speaker at our Branch 90 monthly luncheon in February was Pierre Vachon, a senior engineer at Cisco, who spoke about Cloud Computing.  I have had some very positive feedback about his presentation.  Any of our Computer Club members who have comments or questions should bring these up in our discussion.  Here is a NY Times article with some suggestions for data storage in the cloud.  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/27/technology/personaltech/27basics.html?emc=eta1

 

2:  On February 22, 2011, Microsoft released the first major update for their newest operating system, Windows 7.  The update, Windows 7 SP1, is a free download that should automatically load on your Windows 7 PC if you subscribe to automatic updates.  If you have not received SP1 go to the Windows Update site and download and install the update.  http://voices.washingtonpost.com/fasterforward/2011/02/windows-7-sp1-set-to-land-toda.html?referrer=emaillink

3:  On February 24, 2011, Apple announced a refresh upgrade of its MacBook Pro line of laptops.  The upgrade includes a faster processor, more powerful graphics, a built-in HD camera and, most interestingly, a new port for a new technology that Apple calls "Thunderbolt".  Thunderbolt is the implementation of a joint effort between Intel and Apple to create a new high speed data and display port that would be adaptable to existing connection standards.  The performance specs of Thunderbolt are striking: At 10 Gbps, it's twice as fast as USB 3.0, 12 times as fast as FireWire 800 and 20 times faster than USB 2.0.  A Thunderbolt connection can transfer a full-length high-definition movie in 30 seconds.  The MacBook Pros are the first computers to feature the technology, but it will roll out across other manufacturers and other devices during the next year.  http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/24/apple-announces-new-macbook-pros/?emc=eta1

4:  We are at the leading edge of a rapidly growing group of graying population.  As the huge bubble of baby boomers move into their 60's the purchasing power of this growing group is finely getting the attention of many industries.  The movies are one.  Suddenly in the last few months an older audience has made a startling reassertion of its movie multiplex power. "True Grit," "The King's Speech," "The Fighter," "Black Swan" - all movies in contention for a clutch of Oscars last Sunday - have all been surprise hits at the box office.  Their drive to the top has been propelled by movie goers older than 50.  Hollywood has noticed.  Here is a NY Times article about our power:  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/26/business/media/26moviegoers.html?emc=eta1  M.I.T. researchers have designed a suit called Agnes to help product designers and marketers better understand older adults and create innovative products for them.  This study is most interesting.  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/06/business/06aging.html?emc=eta1

5:  IBM's computer named Watson won the Jeopardy contest against the two top human players in the games history.  What does this kind of computer power mean for our future or our grandchildren's future?

6:  The DVR rocked the world of television by letting viewers skip commercials and build their own home viewing schedules. Now a handful of Web services and applications are starting to do much the same thing to online publishers.  While making your life easier, these applications are driving discussions with publishers who want to make sure their income is protected as content in what they publish is altered.  Interesting,  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/01/technology/01read.html?emc=eta1

Feb 9 2011

 

1.  The ABC television program "Jeopardy" will feature a three day contest between the two highest dollar winners in Jeopardy history and a new IBM computer named "Watson", after IBM founder Thomas J. Watson.  The Watson computer is powered by 10 racks of IBM servers, running the Linux operating system and the size of 10 refrigerators.  . It is not connected to the Internet but has digested encyclopedias, dictionaries, books, news, movie scripts and more and has access, in it's internal storage, to the equivalent of 200 million pages of information.  Watson knows how to answer in the form of a question, a requirement of Jeopardy contestants.  The broadcast will be on Monday - Wednesday, February 14-16, at 7:00-7:30 PM on ABC.  You can read about it at:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/13/AR2011011300871.html?referrer=emailarticle

Watson has a website at http://ibmwatson.com that includes a number of interesting videos explaining the development, manufacture and training of a computer that can listen to a spoken question, determine what is required, search for the answer, formulate the response, decide to buzz in and be first to indicate being first with an answer and then respond correctly, by voice.

 

2.  You may have a pile of remote controls to operate TV, amplifier, DVD player, CD player, cable or satellite box, etc.  You already may have, or be considering, one of the universal remotes that are available.  Here is an article to bring you up to speed on this subject.  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/20/garden/20hometech.html?-r=1&adxnnl=1&emc=eta1&adxnnlx=1295744410-yX/+pK3+fK0b7Qsum/u2pg

 

3.  Distracted driving seems to be an ever growing problem with the increased use of electronic devices, especially mobile telephones.  There are efforts underway to develop solutions that will prevent drivers from using devices that will distract them without denying use by passengers or in emergencies.  Read about it:  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/21/technology/21distracted.html?emc=eta1

 

4.  Some students returning to class have been carrying brand-new Apple iPads in their backpacks, given not by their parents but by their schools.  A growing number of schools across the nation are embracing the iPad as the latest tool to teach their students.  Your grandchildren or great grandchildren may be among these students so you need to know how these new tablet computers are being used.  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/05/education/05tablets.html?emc=eta1

 

5.  The promise of technology is connectedness.  We can now connect to people all around the world by using numerous technical devices.  But could modern gadgetry be making us more lonely than ever?  Newsweek magazine has an interesting article on this question.  http://www.newsweek.com/2011/01/11/sherry-turkle-looks-at-technology-and-relationships-in-alone-together.html

 

6.  Amazon is one of the world's largest and most successful retailers.  The online retailer has quietly patented a way for people to return gifts before they receive them, allowing consumers to keep an online list of lousy gift-givers whose choices would be vetted by the intended recipient before anything ships.  Now, instead of returning that lousy gift you can exchange it for something else before Amazon ever ships the lousy gift to you.  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/26/AR2010122601836.html?referrer=emailarticle

 

7.  On January 19th, Starbucks began accepting payment by scanning the screen on the smartphone of the customer.  The service opened in 6800 Starbucks stores and an additional 1000 outlets in Target stores.  Computer technology makes your life easier again.  http://voices.washingtonpost.com/fasterforward/2011/01/starbucks-mobile-payments-debu.html?wpisrc=nl-tech

 

 Jan 12 2011

 

1:  Many of us of the age to be a SIR member approach new technology with care.  We are often slow to adopt these new technologies despite the fact that they are proven, safe, free or inexpensive, and already widely in use by people younger than us.  Here are 10 things you can do to improve your technological life.  Each suggestion tells "Why" you should do it and "How" to get it done.  They all are easy and (mostly) free.  Altogether, they should take about two hours.  If you do them, those two hours will pay off handsomely in both increased free time and diminished anxiety and frustration. You can do it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/30/technology/personaltech/30basics.html?-r=1&emc=eta1

 

2:  We are discussing technology at the beginning of a new year, a time when list of the "best of" the last year are published.  Here is a list of the Best Ideas of the 2010, from the NY Times technology editor.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/30/technology/personaltech/30pogue.html?emc=eta1

 

3:  Ok, but what technology ideas should we be looking for in the new year, 2011?  Time Magazine has published some ideas that include new tablet computers, next generation operating systems, superphones, etc.  Here are Time's thoughts.

http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,2039783,00.html?artId=2039783?contType=article?chn=bizTech

 

4:  You bought a new computer.  Before you donate the old one to the Good Will how do you make sure that all your data is removed from the computer?  Here is how.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/26/AR2010122600009.html?referrer=emailarticle

 

5:  Now that you have dealt with your old computer, you can move on to the new computer.  Be it a new Windows or Apple machine, how do you remove "junk" software that the manufacturer or dealer installed on your new computer?  How do you update the software you want to retain?  Here's how.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/23/AR2010122302059.html?referrer=emailarticle

 

6:  More and more, we're using browser-based services instead of traditional software, and storing documents, photos, and other data online rather than on our own computer hard disks.  It's a red-hot trend known as cloud computing.  Google, one of the strongest supporters of cloud computing has already introduced a web browser named Chrome.  Now Google is introducing a new operating system (OS), named Chrome OS, that is further focused on using the cloud.  Here is a Time article that will give you a good background on cloud computing and Google's Chrome OS.

http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,2039282,00.html?artId=2039282?contType=article?chn=bizTech

 

8:  Signs you're an old fogey: You still watch movies on a VCR, you listen to vinyl records, you shoot photos on film and you enjoy using e-mail.  Today, people are more often communicating using faster and easier methods like chat and text messaging instead of e-mail and even phone calls.  Your children and grandchildren are regularly communicating in these ways.  Don't get left behind - read the article at this link and after that reconsider the first item in this message about adopting new technology.  Here's the link.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/21/technology/21email.html?emc=eta1

 

 DEC 8 MEET   2010

1.  All of us were teenagers to young adults during the 1950's.  All of us regularly read Playboy Magazine, for the articles of course.  Now you can buy digital versions of every Playboy issue, from the first in 1953 through 2009, pre installed on a portable hard drive.  Each month's copy of Playboy is displayed in its entirety - including the advertisements that ran in each issue.  The entire set is browsable and searchable.  The Playboy content takes up only 20GB of the 250GB portable drive so there is lots of room for future updates and backups you want to store.  See, now you have a reason to buy that drive for backups.  The cost?  Just $300.  http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/01/every-playboy-issue-no-brown-wrapper-required/?emc=eta1

2.  The San Francisco Chronicle (11/30/2010) reports that, as a result of capable cell phones and pressure from children and grandchildren, more and more seniors are sending text messages.  Text messages are short written messages sent from one mobile phone to another.  They are an excellent way to communicate.  In the United States, in June 2010 alone, there were 173.2 billion text messages sent.  Don't miss out on text messaging - it's fun.  http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/11/30/BU8G1GJ1A4.DTL

3.  Now that the crazy Black Friday shopping day has passed Time Magazine has published a few tips for getting Black Friday-like savings, minus the frenzy.  These tips are easy to understand and do with the bottom line that you will save money and have fun doing the shopping that we all do at this time of year.  Read the short article at:  http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,2033538,00.html?artId=2033538?contType=article?chn=bizTech

4.  If you have an e-reader for electronic books you probably already know that in addition to e-books that you buy (for less than paper books) there are also a number of sources of free e-books to add to your library.  One such source is Project Gutenberg (http://www.gutenberg.org).  Free books are in the public domain, usually are older and often are classics.  Now it appears that some public domain books are being sold by Amazon, for its e-reader the Kindle, while the same e-books are available for free from Gutenberg.     http://voices.washingtonpost.com/fasterforward/2010/11/amazon-charges-kindle-users-fo.html?referrer=emaillink

5.  The phone book - or at least the residential white pages - is going the way of the rotary telephone and the phone booth. Not to mention vinyl records, typewriters and tape recorders.  Verizon, the largest provider of landline phones in the Washington region, is asking state regulators for permission to stop delivering the residential white pages in Virginia and Maryland.  Verizon and AT&T, the nation's two dominant landline carriers, say that most people search for numbers online and store frequently used numbers in their cellphones rather look than look them up in the white pages.  On line sources and a CD ROM directory will be available.  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/16/AR2010111605653.html?referrer=emailarticle

6.  The Washington Post's consumer technology expert tells you nine technology things to add to your wishlist - and one that's a waste of money.  Make your holidays even happier.  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/15/AR2010111502156.html?referrer=emailarticle

7.  Skipping a collage class or sleeping through a lecture is something most of us know something about.  Here is an article you may want to print out and share with your college bound grandchildren.  Technology now is used in the classroom to check attendance and compute grades with records of student answers to questions asked in class.  Bottom line - you better show up for class and know your material when you do.  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/16/education/16clickers.html?emc=eta1

 

 Nov 10 meet

should we move to 3rd wed for meet

1.  Just in case you want to video call your grandma to say hello when you finally reach the peak of Mount Everest, you're in luck!  Now 3G mobile phone service has reached the top of Everest.  Yes, we can hear you now, even from way up there.  A Nepalese telecom group Ncell, a subsidiary of Swedish phone giant TeliaSonera, says people can make voice and video calls and surf the Internet on their mobile phones, thanks to a high-speed phone base station at an altitude of 17,000 feet near Gorakshep village in the Everest region.  Previously, climbers had to rely on satellite phone calls to brag about their ascent.

2.  Have you ever wanted to be able to accept credit card payment when you sell some item or have a garage sale or an estate sale?  Now you can, with no contract, set up fee, monthly charge, no minimum amounts and no fees.  Here are two links:  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/30/technology/personaltech/30pogue.html?-r=1&emc=eta1

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/2010-10-22-squareapp22-ST-N.htm?csp=usat.me

 

3.  Question: Is it possible to print documents on both sides of the paper with an inkjet printer, or do I need a laser printer?  If so, how do I do it?

Answer: The ability to automatically print on both sides of the paper (also called duplex printing or double-sided printing) usually depends on the printer and its capabilities, but many inkjet models can handle the job. Check the printer's manual or manufacturer's Web site for specific information and instructions.

If the printer does not support automatic double-sided printing, it can be done manually without special equipment. Just print the odd-numbered pages of a document first, flip the pages over, reload the paper into the printer and print the even-numbered pages.

Depending on the printer, you may need to experiment, especially if the machine shoots out pages face-up and in reverse order. In this case, try setting the odd-numbered pages in normal order before you flip the stack and print out the even-numbered pages in reverse order.

Like other printer manufacturers, Hewlett-Packard has a guide to manual two-sided printing on its Web site at http://h71028.www7.hp.com/hho/cache/548309-0-0-225-121.html.  If a document has a lot of large graphics, pictures and other ink-hogging elements, you may want to use slightly thicker paper or print in a low-ink draft mode to help prevent saturation, wrinkling and smudging. Waiting for each side to dry before printing the other side can also help prevent frustration.

 

4.  What is too much PC?  A PC World reader spent $2000 on a new PC and asked if he had spent too much.  Here is the answer:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/22/AR2010102203900.html?referrer=emailarticle

 

5.  According to TIME Magazine, Apple appears to be headed in a completely new direction with the October 20th announcement of the new MacBook Air.  All solid state flash storage instead of a hard drive, multi-touch glass track pad instead of touch screen, long battery life, very light yet a full keyboard.  Interesting!  http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,2027526,00.html?artId=2027526?contType=article?chn=bizTech

 

6.  Is your once-speedy PC taking many minutes to boot up, days to display the printer menu and what seems like eons to get to a Web site?  Well, limber up your sluggish PC.  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/28/technology/personaltech/28basics.html?emc=eta1

 

7.  The next mobile phone you get will surely be a "Smart Phone".   You have a number of choices - an Apple iPhone, several models using the Google Android operating system, several from HP Palm using Web OS, several RIM Blackberry models, and now, the brand new Microsoft Windows Phone 7.  Here is a review of this newest entry into this market.  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/28/technology/personaltech/28pogue.html?emc=eta1

 

8.  All versions of Windows contain a utility called Task Manager that can be used to force an exit from a program that is not performing properly.  Task Manager is called up by pressing three keys at the same time - Control, Alt, Delete.  Unfortunately, even Task Manager doesn't always work and advises "the Program is Not Responding."  Now there is a free, small executable file, ProcessKO, which will work.   http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/20/AR2010102007076.html?referrer=emailarticle

 

9.  Here is an excellent article that list the "25 Worst High-Tech Habits and How to Fix Them".  Every SIR member who has a computer should read this item and take whatever corrective action is recommended if you have any of these worst habits.  Here is the link:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/31/AR2010103105286.html?referrer=emailarticle

 

October 13 meet

Something to think about.  Are my friends getting spam email from me?  Am I sending spam?  Check this out.

 

1.  A PC World Magazine article, reprinted by the Washington Post, "12 Ways the Tech Industry Is Screwing You (and How to Fight Back)" is full of interesting suggestions and subjects for discussion.  Here is the link:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/06/AR2010090604358.html?referrer=emailarticle

 

2.  Computers once filled entire rooms, then sat in the closet, moved to our desks, and now nestle in our pockets.  Soon, the computer may become invisible to us, hiding away in everyday objects.  Read all about it:  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/05/weekinreview/05markoff.html?emc=eta1

 

3.  Will the software I now run on my Windows XP computer work on a new Windows 7 computer that I plan to buy?  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/27/AR2010082702798.html?referrer=emailarticle

 

4.  If you buy a new Windows PC or upgrade to a current version of Internet Explorer you may find that your default search software is now set to be Microsoft BING.  If this happens, and you want to turn off BING and set some other software, like Google, to be your search engine, you will want to follow the steps in this article:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/09/AR2010090900205.html?referrer=emailarticle

 

5.  Every day more readers are shifting to electronic books (called e-books), e-magazines and e-newspapers.  What hardware will prevail to support this new technology trend?  Will it be dedicated readers like Amazon's Kindle, the Sony Reader, the Nook, etc. or will it be tablet computers like the Apple iPad and the plethora of tablets that are due to flood the market over the coming months?  Here is a projection of what will happen: http://eu.techcrunch.com/2010/09/03/e-readers-are-dead-meat-in-the-face-of-the-ipad-and-samsung-tab/  Other studies, focused on textbooks reach interesting and similar conclusions at:  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/19/magazine/19Essays-textbooks-t.html?-r=1&emc=eta1

 

6.  Each one of us should have a current will.  If you don't have one, get this fixed TODAY.  In an effort to save cost to produce a will you may consider using one of the numerous will making software programs available.  A look at wills produced by four of the leading software programs - Quicken Willmaker Plus 2011, Legacywrighter, Legalzoom and Buildawill - shows that it is a good idea to have the software generated will reviewed by a good estate attorney.  Here are the details:  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/11/your-money/11money.html

 

7.  Application programs, called "apps", that launch specific tasks, activities or services without having to use a Web browser - are revolutionizing the way people interact with the Internet.   Millions of developers worldwide are trying to cash in.  Most of these apps run on the numerous portable devices - smart phones, tablet computers, netbooks, laptops, etc. - that are becoming more popular every day.  As an example, there are 259,000 different apps currently available in the Apple App Store for iPhone and iPad users, with 512 new apps submitted to the store every day.  Global app business revenue is expected to grow from $4.1 billion in 2009 to $17.5 in 2012 with apps downloaded growing from 7 billion in 2009 to 50 billion in 2012.  Want to know more?  Read it here:  http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/09/13/BUHT1FBTSJ.DTL

 

8.  Microsoft has mandated that computer manufacturers stop offering "factory downgrades" for new computer sales, thus ending the reign of Windows XP and making Windows 7 the operating system (OS) of choice.  Dell became the first, but not the last manufacturer, to bid adieu to Windows XP when it stopped offering that OS in late September.

 

9.  What might the WEB know about you?  Open the link below, select the appropriate tab (name, e-mail, phone) , enter the information for you or someone else and click "SEARCH".  This is but one tool being used today by marketing and sales people to learn about customers and clients.  Have fun!  http://www.spokeo.com/name?g=name-gs-spokeo01&gclid=CIjzgLnTnaQCFQlm7AodjFNqEA

             September 8 meet

1.  Google shook up the data world when it offered Gmail with gigabytes of free storage to every user instead of a few megabytes.  Now Google does it again, offering free telephone calls to any number in the U.S. and Canada and very low rates, often 2 cents a minute, to international numbers.  The free service is Google Voice.  We'll discuss it.  http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/26/google-shakes-it-up-again-with-free-phone-calls/?emc=eta1

 

2.  TIME Magazine just published a list of 2010's best websites. From the helpful to the distracting, the big hitters to the unknowns, TIME offers a road map to the best of the Web.  Also see the second list of sites for mobile devices.  Both lists are full of real gems and worth paging through the descriptions one at a time.  Go to the link, then click the "Next" button to page through descriptions of the sites.  Also look for the link to the mobile sites list.  http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2012721-2012728,00.html?xid=newsletter-daily?artId=2012721?contType=article?chn=specials

 

3.  If you are buying a new High Definition TV (HDTV) what are the things you should be looking for?  Should you buy a plasma set, an LED set or an LCD set?  Why?  This article will help.  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/19/AR2010081907133.html?referrer=emailarticle

 

4.  What is a Hard Drive Crash?  Do they still happen?  Read all about it.  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/20/AR2010082003383.html?referrer=emailarticle

 

5.  Instead of filling cars with lots of new electronics that will grow outdated, the Mercedes designed Smart USA car will be using the Apple iPhone and its applications for its electronic wizardry.  It's even adding some unique touches.  "We're bringing high-tech telematics (GPS system, Internet radio, Bluetooth calling, etc.) into the vehicle using the iPhone as the platform," says spokesman Rick Bourgoise.

Case in point:  The Smart people have an iPhone application to guide you to your Smart car in a crowded parking lot.  Sure, the little car stands out anyway.  But this is a handy idea that would be great for any car.  It's called "Car Finder" and it works like this:  The iPhone marks the vehicle location via GPS automatically as soon as the phone is lifted from the cradle.  The phone will then pinpoint the car's location on a map when you return.  With Apple's iPhone apparently here to stay, Smart has also developed a dashboard mount for the iPhone.

"In terms of uniqueness, we're claiming to be one of the first automotive brands to develop its own iPhone drive app.  The developers from Mercedes-Benz R&D North America worked closely with Apple to create the app."

 

6.  Each fall new classes enter college for the first time.  The class of 2014 is entering this fall.  Several universities and collages publish information to their staff's so the "old" university professors and staff clearly understand the backgrounds of the new entering students.  Remember, most members of the class 2014 were born in 1992.  As an example, the class of 2014, won't understand that you are asking for the time by pointing to your wrist.  They don't wear watches because they tell time from their cell phone screens.  Bloit College (Wisconsin) calls this information the "Mindset List."  Enjoy their whole list here:  http://www.beloit.edu/mindset/2014.php  How old have we become?

 

7.  We have all become more likely to carry our mobile phone whenever we travel.  If you travel abroad and are not careful you can end up with a huge cell phone bill when you return home.  Here are some helpful ideas on how to avoid that large phone bill.  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/01/travel/01prac.html?-r=1&emc=eta1

 

8.  Why are HP and Dell fighting so hard to buy 3Par?  The fight may be over by the time our Computer Club meets but the question is still valid.  Here is the status today.  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/28/technology/28storage.html?th&emc=th

     August 11 meet

We will go around the table for discussion of appropriate computer/technology subjects and questions of interest to each of our members.  To that end I have included some subjects below that I have found or were suggested by members.  Where appropriate I have included an Internet link to an article on the subject that you may want to click to read additional detail on the subject.

 

1.  Here is a portable projector, the size of two chocolate bars, which can be attached to your laptop or smart phone with the supplied cables to project a 60 inch display of your pictures or full length feature movie.  http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/26/a-portable-movie-theater/?emc=eta1

 

2.  India has shown a $35 tablet computer for spreading technology to students and teachers.  If you visit the link be sure to watch the short video.  http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/07/23/india.thirty.five.dollar.laptop/index.html?hpt=T2

 

3.  Microsoft has retired Windows 2000 and Windows XP (through SP-2).  If you want to keep running them you are on your own - no more software fixes or technical support from Microsoft.  http://voices.washingtonpost.com/fasterforward/2010/07/microsoft-retires-windows-2000.html?referrer=emaillink

 

4.  Most of us check Snopes.com on occasion to confirm the rumors that show up in our e-mail, particularly before we forward such information to others.  Here is an interview of the Snopes founder by David Pogue, the technology editor of the New York Times.  This is worth your time to read.  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/15/technology/personaltech/15pogue-email.html?-r=1&emc=eta1

 

5.  Amazon.com announced that it is now selling more electronic books (e-books) than hard cover books.  Technology continues to change the way we live our lives.  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/20/technology/20kindle.html?emc=eta1

 

6.  Here is an interesting opinion of how the U.S. Postal Service might save itself as technology changes the mix of information on paper and electronic transmission.  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/22/AR2010072204241.html?referrer=emailarticle

 

7.  Nuance, the company that makes Dragon NaturallySpeaking for Windows, is in a pretty sweet position:  It's essentially a monopoly.  One by one, its competitors in the speech-recognition business have either left the market (Philips), gone out of business (Lernout & Hauspie) or turned over its product to Nuance (I.B.M.).  Even the sole Mac speech-recognition program, MacSpeech Dictate, can no longer be considered a kind of rival; Nuance bought it this year.  Here is an article about their newest upgrade that, in the $100 Home version, you might want to consider.  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/29/technology/personaltech/29pogue.html?emc=eta1

 

8.  We SIR members and our spouses continue to live to older and older age in part because of the healthy eating we do at our monthly Computer Club meeting at IHOP.  As we age it is beneficial for us to maintain our independence and not have to move into an assisted living facility or a nursing home.  Maintaining that independence can be helped if our adult children can be kept informed that we are healthy and up and about in our normal living.  The article at the link is about technology that is available today to assists us in addressing the concerns of our adult children for our well being.  Worth the read.  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/29/garden/29parents.html?emc=eta1