Geek Stuff category archive
Farcical Recognition 0
Remember, much of the tech stuff you see on your telly vision is not forensic science, but rather forensic science fiction. In real life, when it doesn’t work as expected, the repercussions can be devastating, if not fatal, to the mis-recognized. For example:
More accurately, the 28 members of Congress were falsely matched with mugshots from the 25,000 publicly-available arrest photos (the ACLU did not specify where it got the photos). (Though Lewis was, in fact, arrested during civil rights protests in the 1960s, the ACLU’s blog post on the test implied these photos were not part of their test.)
Eleven of the falsely identified Congresspeople were people of color, 40 percent of the erroneous matches, despite people of color making up less than 30 percent of Congress.
Much more at the link.
The Snaring Economy 0
Thank you, no, I’ll call a cab.
It’s called “vomit fraud,” a scam repeatedly denounced in social networks yet still taking place around the world. . . .
What is it? Passengers request Uber cars, which deliver them to their destination. So far so good.
But soon the passenger receives a note from Uber reporting an “adjustment” in the bill and an extra charge that can range from $80 to $150, depending on the driver’s degree of crookedness.
The story goes on the describe how unresponsive Uber is to the victims of this sick attack.
Geeking Out 0
RealPlayer playing on Windows Seven running in VirtualBox in seamless mode on Slackware 14.2 under the Fluxbox window manager. Note that you can see both the Windows menu from the virtual machine and the Fluxbox menu from the host machine. By the way, it’s a legit paid for and registered copy of Windows Seven.
A Simple Stand for an E-Box 0
I mentioned earlier that, thanks to a lightning strike, I recently purchased a ThinkPenguin E-Box computer. To free up some desk space, I built a simple little stand for it using bits and pieces of lumber in my scrap this-will-come-in-handy pile.
Meta: Up and Running 0
I mentioned earlier that we had a lighting strike that took out a computer, a printer, a KVM switch, a television, and two mini-boxes from the cable company.
I’ve got the replacement computer up and running with Debian 9 running the Plasma desktop. (The new television is up and running also.) As an aside, our cable company replaced the mini-boxes without a question. I must admit that I have some gripes with my cable company, but customer service is not one of them.
I had some truly oddball hardware issues with the computer when I first hooked it up and I have nothing but praise for ThinkPenguin’s support. When you want a new computer, think penguin.
Make TWUUG Your LUG 0
Learn about the wonderful world of free and open source. Use computers to do what you want, not what someone else wants you to do. Learn how to use GNU/Linux and its plethora of free and open source software to get stuff done with computers.
It’s not hard; it’s just different.
When: Monthly TWUUG meeting at 7:30 p. m. on the first Thursday of the month (June 6, 2018). Pre-meeting dinner at Chicago Uno, JANAF shopping center, 6:00 p. m. (map)
Who: Everyone in TideWater/Hampton Roads with interest in any/all flavors of Unix/Linux. There are no dues or signup requirements. All are welcome.
Where: Lake Taylor Transitional Care Hospital in Norfolk Training Room (map). (Wireless and wired internet connection available.) Turn right upon entering, then left at the last corridor and look for the open meeting room.
DIY External Hard Drive Rack 2
Earlier this week, a freak lightning incident took out my 23-inch Lenovo graphics tablet, along with my printer, a KVM switch, and two mini-boxes from my cable company. The Lenova was a fine machine and I will miss it, but it was also eight years old; I half-way expected it to die soon of natural causes, but I did not anticipate that it would be assassinated.
Oddly enough, the other computer attached to the KVM switch seems to be fine.
Over the years, a rat’s nest of wires, external drives, and hubs had built up behind the Lenovo and I decided this would be a good time to clean up the mess. Because I’m chea–er–frugal, I did on the chea–er–frugal.
Facebook Frolics 0
One more time, the internet is a public place. Comport yourself accordingly.
Meta: Sonar Sidebar Widget 0
I have removed the “Support Accessible Computing/Sonar Linux OS” item from the sidebar over there on the right——————->.
I understand that the founder of the project left it some while ago. Also, I recently heard Larry Bushey from the Going Linux podcast, who was involved in the Sonar project in its early days, express concerns that the project may be in limbo.
As an aside, I have listened to every episode of Going Linux and recommend it highly for persons interested in learning about free and open-source Linux-based operating systems and software.
No Place To Hide 0
I normally keep the GPS on my Android phone turned off, unless I have a positive need to use it. For example, I turn it on when I am using Move! Bike Computer to record a bicycle ride. Also, I don’t use the phone for navigation. I use maps.
Remember maps? They are big and colorful and easy to read and don’t talk back.
Yesterday, I turned the GPS on to perform a function and neglected to turn it off when I was done.
After going out for Sunday morning breakfast at our favorite breakfast place (it’s not fancy, but the food is good, the prices reasonable, the people nice, and the country ham to die for), we stopped at a local commercial emporium to purchase some items. Shortly thereafter, I received a message from Google asking me to provide a review of [name of commercial emporium].
I won’t make that mistake again.
It’s not Google’s business, or anyone else’s business, where the hell I choose to shop. Or where you choose to shop.
And people worry about the NSA and surveillance, for Pete’s sake, while they run nekkid through Silicon Valley without consciousness of their nekkidness, as Adam and Eve in Eden before eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge.
We are doomed.
Furrfu.
Make TWUUG Your LUG 0
Note: This month’s meeting is being held on the first Wednesday instead of the first Thursday because of a scheduling conflict involving the meeting room.
Learn about the wonderful world of free and open source. Use computers to do what you want, not what someone else wants you to do. Learn how to use GNU/Linux and its plethora of free and open source software to get stuff done with computers.
It’s not hard; it’s just different.
When: Monthly TWUUG meeting at 7:30 p. m. on the first Thursday of the month (June 6, 2018). Pre-meeting dinner at Chicago Uno, JANAF shopping center, 6:00 p. m. (map)
Who: Everyone in TideWater/Hampton Roads with interest in any/all flavors of Unix/Linux. There are no dues or signup requirements. All are welcome.
Where: Lake Taylor Transitional Care Hospital in Norfolk Training Room (map). (Wireless and wired internet connection available.) Turn right upon entering, then left at the last corridor and look for the open meeting room.
Geeking Out 0
Earlier this week, I broke my Debian install. I was running Debian Sid (testing) and ran an update and lost my GUI environments. Sid is a testing version; if you run a testing version, you have to expect stuff to happen. Plus I had been having quirky stuff happen for quite some time, so I suspect the issue was mine and not Debian’s.
I was too lazy to troubleshoot the problem, so last night I reinstalled Debian Stretch. Since I had my home directory on a separate partition, all my personal files and settings were preserved, as I simply reinstalled the OS to the root partition. Consequently, once I reinstalled and started programs, they behaved as previously configured.
Here’s a screenshot of the new install running the Plasma desktop (Debian gives the option of installing one or more desktop environments; I chose Plasma and MATE):
Facebook Frolics 0
Carl Hiaasen ghostwrites Mark Zuckerberg. A snippet:
Methinks he has a point.
Follow the link for the rest.
Facebook Frolics 0
Oh what a tangled web the Zuckerborg weaves,
as these discovered when they tried to leave.