Rants about Linux, technology, data, and science
A rare photograph of how the popular former President is spending his free time. Looks like Mr. Obama has found a way to do really well for himself. I wonder if Michelle helps with the cooking? Los Pollos Hermanos, baby!
The LA Times is reporting that in a test of a proposed facial recognition system designed to help law enforcement identify criminal suspects, 1-5 California lawmakers were erroneously identified as being part of a criminal photo database set. OK, I can hear the jokes – I mean they ARE lawyers and politicians, so was the Read More …
I have a mid-2015 Macbook Pro that was, until recently, the best laptop I’ve ever owned. I noticed a few months ago that the battery was getting scary hot. Then finally, just this month, I received an email from Apple saying my Macbook was being recalled for a faulty battery that can overheat, and even Read More …
Update: So allegedly, Crusius has admitted to not liking Latinos very much and did claim to target them in the Walmart shooting. Police are still saying they “think” he wrote the manifesto, but that hasn’t yet been confirmed (though his ideas do seem consistent). If he did write the manifesto, all I can say is Read More …
In another example of why you shouldn’t trust mega-tech “cloud” companies with your home security, Vice News and GovTech have reported that Amazon is now coaching police how to obtain users’ Ring camera footage without a warrant. If that fails, the cops go directly to Amazon, and the company is more than likely to cooperate. Read More …
The study found that, “During the last hundred years the temperature is increased about 0.1°C because of carbon dioxide. The human contribution was about 0.01°C.” Kauppinen and Malmi conclude that global temperatures are controlled primarily by cloud cover and that “only a small part” of the increased carbon dioxide concentration is anthropogenic. KAUPPINEN, J and Read More …
The concentration along the 401 in Ontario is particularly striking – this is the primary zone of population and commerce and Canada’s “arterial” connection to the U.S. economy. Pete Zeihan (I think correctly) characterizes Vancouver as a “City State”, and the Maritimes as “another planet”. Sorry Canada, I love ya but you can’t get rid Read More …
Jen Gennai is Irish and the Head of “Responsible Innovation, Global Affairs at Google”. I don’t know whether Ms. Gennai has taken the U.S. Naturalization exam, but studying for that civics test, one will find many references to America’s cherished freedoms of speech and expression. I don’t think Ms. Gennai has much regard for America’s Read More …
The City of Riviera Beach, Florida’s computer systems were hijacked in a ransomware attack, resulting in the encryption of all of the city’s records. City Council voted unanimously to pay the ransom of $600,000, as it would seem to be the only way they can get their information back. How did the attackers gain access? Read More …
Giraldo et al (2019) have examined the potential use of nanotechnology in plants to improve crop yields and increase the stability and resilience of the world’s food supply. The underlying concept involves the application of embedded or “wearable” smart plant sensors that could provide feedback on environmental changes and pathogen-related stresses in real time. This Read More …