Category: Technology

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The Power of Hype

Or maybe rather, the power of Marketing.

Although most of my work is Technical, discussing Technical details with extremely Technical people, I am sometimes surprised by the Power of Hype.

It is not about the latest SmartPhone or gadget, but it is sometimes about latest Technology trends. Even when there is not much behind it, I notice it is being discussed and considered because “people talk about it”.

One thing that I can’t do is “object the Hype”. I can explain it, talk about it, but I can’t say “this is Hype”, because I will be considered “uninformed” (or maybe “not cool”)

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Energy Monitor – Mac OS

Available from Mavericks, but just “found” it.

As I work outside the office VERY often, this may be the most important monitoring tab for me. Not only the applications which consume a lot of CPU time in a certain time, but the ones which consistently drain my battery.

Google Chrome and Outlook look the main culprits while Apple application are better

Energy Monitor

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Finally!!! Amazon Kindle in Japan

Almost there…

Finally, Amazon will release Kindle for the Japanese market.
After the Nexus 7 Fiasco, Kindle Fire HD is definitely the first runner up for my new tablet.

Only two small issues/questions:

  • Can I connect my Amazon.com Kindle to Amazon.co.jp?
  • Kindle will be available in November, while Fire HD in December

 

 

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Damage Control 101 – Blow out of proportions

I may be speculating here, but the Iran Virus story and media coverage made me think.

Facts:

  1. Siemens SCADA systems around the world were hit by Stuxnet virus.
  2. Some of the systems are in Iran
  3. From BBC report: “Stuxnet was first detected in June by a security firm based in Belarus, but may have been circulating since 2009.”
  4. “Siemens was neither involved in the reconstruction of Bushehr or any nuclear plant construction in Iran, nor delivered any software or control system,” he said. “Siemens left the country nearly 30 years ago.”
  5. “Siemens said that it was only aware of 15 infections that had made their way on to control systems in factories, mostly in Germany.”

Yet the Media speculates:

  • “The sophisticated super virus Stuxnet” – Deutche Welle
  • “One of the most sophisticated pieces of malware ever detected was probably targeting “high value” infrastructure in Iran, experts have told the BBC.”
  • “Stuxnet’s complexity suggests it could only have been written by a “nation state”, some researchers have claimed”
  • “The fact that we see so many more infections in Iran than anywhere else in the world makes us think this threat was targeted at Iran and that there was something in Iran that was of very, very high value to whomever wrote it,” Liam O’Murchu of security firm Symantec, who has tracked the worm since it was first detected, told BBC News.

Facts seem to contradict the speculation, but the story becomes more interesting, doesn’t it?

However, Mr O’Murchu and others, such as security expert Bruce Schneier, have said that there was currently not enough evidence to draw conclusions about what its intended target was or who had written it.

And now my speculation:

As Siemens are obviously do not actively involve themselves in the PR and reports of  “some researchers have claimed”, it looks like Symantec are doing all they can do to blow this story out of proportions. This is not a story of “Symantec software failed to identify and stop a malware”, but “Symantec cannot possibly identify and stop such a sophisticated Super Virus written by a Nation State”.

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Twitter Spam Bots

I do not understand why Twitter does not filter simple spam bots. It appears like spam bots “ride” trending topics to offer their merchandise (or even compromising links). Every email client can filter out these simple spams, but twitter cannot?

twitter spam

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Google Code Jam and Quebec

2009 Google Code Jam is announced.

But that’s not really a reason for a blog post. In the Rules section I found the following clause:

You are not a national or resident of any of the following countries or provinces: Burma (Myanmar), Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Quebec, Sudan and Syria, or anywhere where the contest is prohibited by law. Burma (Myanmar), Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria are restricted by US export controls and sanctions programs and are therefore not eligible to participate in Code Jam. Google reserves the right to relax any of these restrictions if permitted by law before the start of the Qualification Round.

It is interesting to see Quebec (Canada) in the same list with countries that are restricted by US export controls and sanctions. Google does not offer any explanation, but I found s Google Group Discussion that sheds some light.