Ah, Monday. The start of another work week. Perhaps my lunchtime findings can give you something to think about…
- From the “Damn Microsoft and their Start Button” Department: Actually, this has nothing to do with Microsoft, and everything to do with “Start” buttons. Specifically, automobile start buttons and keyless entry systems. Hardware keys, even though they can be easily duplicated, have one distinct advantage: everyone understands how they work. You put in the key and turn it to on, or to off. The keyless starter systems, however, have no such universal protocol: although it is understood how to turn the car on, turning it off completely is another matter. Different manufacturers use different approaches. It turns out that turning a car off is critical: it relates to dealing with uncontrolled acceleration, as well as simply turning the car completely off when you park (some haven’t, and have returned to either no car or dead battery). It also turns out that some of these systems can be affected by nearby radio frequencies. After reading this, I’m not sure I’d want a keyless car.
- From the “Shades of Therac 25” Department: You think by now we would have learned about software safety. But we haven’t. The NY Times has an article about how people have been mistakenly given too much radiation, making them (effectively) dead people glowing. Missed warnings. Missed filters. All leading to non-reversable problems. Yet another reminder that we need to be careful with our technology.
- From the “And When I Die” Department: And speaking of death, the Washington Post has an interesting article on some new services that are springing up: digital lockers to store site passwords and messages that would be sent to a virtual executor when you die. Now you have a way to pass on your Facebook or LJ password to a trusted friend who can post your obit when the eventual occurs. My worry would be that the service would still be around.
- From the “Divided House” Department: USA Today is reporting on a poll that President Obama is the most polarizing president to date. In fact, the article notes that excessive partisanship and polarization towards the president started with President Clinton, and has continued ever since. In many ways, this polarization is one of the most harmful things we’re seeing in politics today: we’ve lost the ability to listen to the other side and work towards compromises (and that goes for both parties, as there was equal polarization under Bush 43). Hopefully, our leaders will realize this before it is too late.
- From the “Can You Hear Me Now” Department: Lastly, something that might help my cell phone bill. It appears that Apple will be working with Verizon for their new Tablet, and as a side benefit of that, will add Verizon as a carrier for the iPhone once the exclusivity period runs out with AT&T in June. This would be good news for us, as we’re on Verizon, and we have lots of friends with iPhones. Perhaps they will get fed up with AT&T and switch.
