"Tech Bubble" vs. "Social Bubble"

(Google Trends)

In honor of the recent merger of Google Trends with Google Insights for Search, I thought I'd note an interesting recent trend that confirms one in my own head. People used to refer to the "Bubble 2.0" as the "tech bubble" exclusively, but now they refer to it as the "social bubble" just as much. That evolution mirrors my own, where I've come to understand that the current tech bubble is almost entirely centered on social media hysteria.

More info: I've written about bubble stuff a couple times, though you should probably just skip those and go directly to the really informative video I linked. It's a really good, informative, non-hysterical analysis of the nature and evolution of the bubble.

Oh, and P.P.S., in case you haven't heard, it's already popped. But that's no surprise, is it? This was all pretty silly in the first place. Maybe now I'll stop seeing things like my local coffee shop begging for me to like it on Facebook.

Cybersecurity: not just protecting Grandma's bank account anymore

(source: PC Magazine)

So reportedly, PNC Bank's website just got hit by a Muslim hacktivist group (don't worry, it was just a DDoS). It's supposedly another front in the Youtubes Wars of 2012. But, like most of these shenanigans, people suspect it to be just a tool for political aims. Specifically, some government people think it's just a cover for Iran's burgeoning hacker corps.

The point is, for years we've been hearing people try to use "cyberterrorism" as another way to scare people into securing their networks. But it's now finally happening.

So before, security experts were saddled with warning about your credit card number getting sent to Russia as their most realistic argument. And the non-security person could counter with "Well my bank will just reverse the charges, so why is it worth running a hardened Arch Linux system just to look at cat pictures?" Now, hopefully, we're seeing that it's not just about weighing the hassle of your own (or your customers') info getting out. It's a matter of national security. So finally, people: get your shit together!

The Howling Fat Men of the Coen Brothers

Of course this is a Coen Brothers trope. Why would you expect any different?

But really, this video might be better if it were restricted to John Goodman. The entire thing is worth it just to see him burst out of the ground amidst a thunderstorm, yelling at the sky like he clawed his way out of the womb that is Mother Earth herself. Nothing will convince you of that man's overwhelming presence like that clip.

Walph Raldo Emerson

Is it just me, or does anyone else always think that when they read "Ralph Waldo Emerson"? I have no idea why it transmutes in my head to that, but it does. And for some reason the name "Walph" is hilarious to me.

Somehow Google yielded no pages discussing this very important phenomenon. Looks like there's still a topic in this world that's not on the internet. (Until now. And yes, that's half the purpose of this post.)

The new iPod nano

(via imgur)

Uh oh, better break out the lawyers.

P.S. I swear this won't turn into a 24/7 Apple Hate blog. But for the time being, I've decided to stop holding back at all. The fact that we can now patent rounded corners and make the other guy pay $1 billion for it means all the stops have been pulled out and we're now in free-fall toward patent law insanity. And Apple has (unexpectedly) decided to become the poster child of all of it.

Facebook

(source: Ars Technica)

Re: Apple hitting Samsung with $1 billion patent fine

(via imgur)

Yeah, now that they've come out with that verdict, I'm going to start being shameless myself about shaming Apple.

Maybe I'll just keep yelling "Xerox PARC!"

Re: Apple's import ban on Android phones

A reference if you aren't up on the news: Apple may seek U.S. ban of Samsung Galaxy S III today - CNET

Oh, and instead of repeating myself, I'll point to a previous post that makes clear what I think of some (j/k- most) software patents: Apple swings +6 mace of multitouch at enemies

UPDATE: This post was about the import ban, but oh man, even better is the ongoing trial between Apple and Samsung over the very essence of Android: Apple is accusing Android of outright ripping off the iPhone. It's basically a repeat of the Apple vs. Microsoft case in the 90's where Apple accused Windows of copying the Macintosh. Except if Microsoft ripped off Apple, then Apple ripped off Xerox PARC. But maybe that's another can of worms.

Breach update: eHarmony and Last.fm also hit, also idiots

Following up on my report of LinkedIn's password leak, I thought I should note that eHarmony and Last.fm were also hit. And speaking of the thoughtless security practices of LinkedIn, apparently these guys were worse.

Now, I'm not as mad about them because they don't handle user information nearly as important and sensitive as LinkedIn's. But while the SHA-1 hash function LinkedIn was using was weak, the MD5 hash function eHarmony and Last.fm were using has been known to be bad practice since 1996! Apparently they've managed to ignore good advice since the first Clinton administration!

Anyway, another interesting thing about the breach is that the Last.fm database has been floating around the dark parts of the Internet since 2010, so be sure to change your password there too.

Closed my LinkedIn account

In case you haven't seen, last week it became known that LinkedIn had been hacked. 8 million passwords had been leaked to the public, and who knows how many the infiltrators kept to themselves. The passwords were obscured by a hash, but they used a hash function with vulnerabilities that have been known for years, and worse, they didn't use a salt. Normally it wouldn't be a big deal if a password database was leaked if its designers weren't clueless. Instead, with the incredibly weak hashing done by LinkedIn, over half the passwords have been cracked and are known to hackers in their original, unobscured form. So if you haven't yet, change your password at LinkedIn (also, eHarmony may have been hit). Or, if you don't really need it, you can take the approach I did and delete your account.

Here's the issue: LinkedIn has proven that they cannot be trusted with sensitive information. First we find out that its Android app has been storing users' passwords in plaintext, a truly bone-headed and reprehensible security practice. This is the security equivalent of failing kindergarten. Then last week we find out that when you enable a certain calendar-integration feature, its mobile app mines your phone's calendar data and sends it back to its servers, again all in plaintext. And now this password database appears on the internet, showing that not only have they been hacked, but their storage of our most security-sensitive information is once again failing at the most basic security practices. And, I note, I haven't received a single email or intra-site message alerting me to the event. Looks like they're not notifying their users at all? I guess they're now showing that they can't even respond in a responsible manner that shows any care for their customers' data.

So my advice: if you find LinkedIn provides you with real professional advantages, proceed with caution. But if you're not really getting enough out of it to justify putting up with these idiots, consider following me to the exit.