Geek Stuff category archive
Vacuous Vacuum Cleaner 0
Update: Link fixed. This link has been annoying.
Edina, Minnesota, cops want to hoover the google.
Privacy law experts say that the warrant is based on an unusually broad definition of probable cause that could set a troubling precedent.
“This kind of warrant is cause for concern because it’s closer to these dragnet searches that the Fourth Amendment is designed to prevent,” said William McGeveran, a law professor at the University of Minnesota.
Issued by Hennepin County District Judge Gary Larson in early February, the warrant pertains to anyone who searched variations of the resident’s name on Google from Dec. 1 through Jan. 7.
In addition to basic contact information for people targeted by the warrant, Google is being asked to provide Edina police with their Social Security numbers, account and payment information, and IP (internet protocol) and MAC (media access control) addresses.
The case involve some kind of identity theft that led to financial fraud. The Barney Fife’s seem to think that Google was used to find a photo that was involved in the fraud.
Details at the link.
Words fail me.
Picture This 0
Phishers have been snaring the sharing:
Security researchers have discovered 13 new Instagram credential-stealing apps on Google Play.
The malicious apps, which pose as tools for either managing or boosting Instagram follower numbers, are actually designed to phish for Instagram credentials. The stolen credentials allow hackers to abuse compromised accounts in order to distribute spam and ads, enriching crooks in the process.
Altogether the malicious apps have been installed by up to 1.5 million users, software security firm ESET reports.
The applications have been removed from the Play Store.
Details at the link.
Down at the Farm 0
I looked at the site a few minutes ago (about 22:20) and got a message that “one or more of the database tables is not available” and to “repair them now.”
So I logged into my hosting provider, went to my VPS, opened cPanel, and ran a check, a repair, and an optimize; then, just for good measure, I exported a *.sql backup to my local computer (there is no such thing as too many backups).
It’s working again, and I have a new valid backup.
Facebook Frolics 0
Case dismissed.
Modamani wanted the US social media giant, represented by Facebook Ireland Limited, to stop the spread of such defamatory fake news, which have been shared countless times.
He was represented by German lawyer Chan-jo Jun, who has previously launched legal action against Facebook, demanding it stop the spread of racist hate speech and other content illegal under German law.
No Place To Hide 0
It’s probably not a good idea to fly blindly into a cloud just because you can.
Cloning Your Website with XAMPP 0
As my two or three regular readers know, recently–well, for most of February–my website experienced some issues. So as to research them, I cloned the site to my local computer using XAMMP, which is available from ApacheFriends.org.
Look below the fold for more.
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.
What: Monthly TWUUG Meeting.
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. See directions below. (Wireless and wired internet connection available.) Turn right upon entering, then left at the last corridor and look for the open meeting room.
When: 7:30 PM till whenever (usually 9:30ish) on Thursday, March 2.
Directions:
Lake Taylor Hospital
1309 Kempsville Road
Norfolk, Va. 23502 (Map)
Pre-Meeting Dinner at 6:00 PM (separate checks)
Uno Chicago Grill
Virginia Beach Blvd. & Military Highway (JANAF Shopping Center). (Map)
Join the forums.
I’m Back 2
It appears everything is working on my VPS. I just updated the DNS.
I haven’t minded a bit of a break from scouring the news.
I will take a rest from this for the rest of the day. In the meantime, I have nothing but good things to say about the quality of the tech support at my hosting provider. I could get cheaper hosting, but I’m willing to pay for value received.
Besides, it’s still a cheap hobby compared to golf or skiing.
In the meantime, my notes from the HTML updates I’ve been posting during this transition are below the fold.
Regular insanity returns tomorrow.
Twits on Twitter 0
The BBC looks at Twitter Bots:
“It is difficult to assess exactly how many Twitter users are bots,” said graduate student Juan Echeverria, a computer scientist at UCL, who uncovered the massive networks.
Mr Echeverria’s research began by combing through a sample of 1% of Twitter users in order to get a better understanding of how people use the social network.
However, analysis of the data revealed some strange results that, when probed further, seemed to reveal lots of linked accounts, suggesting one person or group is running the botnet. These accounts did not act like the bots other researchers had found but were clearly not being run by humans.
Via Schneir on Security.
Facebook Frolics 0
One more time: the internet is a public place. If you cuss someone out online, everyone’s going to hear you.
You’re Lyin’ Eyes 0
The things that you’ve seen
A-flickerin’ on that screen,
They ain’t necessarily so.
Meta: Down at the Farm 0
The Add-to-Any plugin, which I’ve had installed almost since the beginning of this blog, threw a syntax error preventing the blog from loading.
I FTP’d into the server and deleted that plug-in’s sub-directory, and things seem to be working again absent that plugin. I shall wait a bit before reinstalling it, in case an update comes out.
We shall see.
Also, bloggery will be light today because reasons.
