October 2022 - The Digital Life from Lökwest -lessons from a hacker, new Apple products, help on crossing the street, and a 2 meter keyboard!
October 2022 - The Digital Life from Lökwest -lessons from a hacker, new Apple products, help on crossing the street, and a 2 meter keyboard!
Can you believe it - fall is here and the clocks will change in a month? As I told my family the other day, I guess that means we're still moving around the sun! 😎
We appreciate you tuning in for another edition of the tech news you can use. Like every month, we've been curating away and have some great articles for you.
First off, read about password cracking from a professional password cracker. You may just think twice the next time you choose a new one! Then catch up on your news with new Apple product announcements, a Tesla robot, and a new government regulation.
Finish off with a way to see hidden Netflix categories, ideas for your next walk (and how not to get run over when walking), and a 2-meter keyboard.
Oh, and don't miss tech history to see what the equivalent of 6K bought you in 1977. It never ceases to amaze me how far we've come!
Now that's a newsletter! 🙂
Have a great October - we'll see you in November! 🎃
[FEATURE] Passwords again??
Lessons from a Professional Password Cracker — themarkup.org
I recently ran across this conversation with Jeremi Gosney, a professional password cracker. Read this article if you're curious what a hacker may try to break your password. Although I cover some of this in my password talks, Jeremi discusses a lot of topics with great clarity. A recommended read!
In the news...
Apple's iPhone 14 Event: Everything Announced — www.ign.com
Although this happened early in the month, you may be late to the game. If you need a recap on all of the new announcements from Apple, here's a good round-up.
Tesla Reveals Optimus, a Walking Humanoid Robot You Could Buy in 2027 — www.cnet.com
Two prototype Tesla Bots that could walk, wave their arms, and grip with fingers were announced this week. CEO Elon Musk says they'll eventually cost $20,000 and should go on sale by 2027. A lot of the pundits are dismissing Elon in light of the more advanced robots that have come out of DARPA. I, for one, think it's a brilliant move. Use the parts you've already developed and tested in your cars to build robots that can help you build more cars. And as an aside, it's a great revenue stream to sell the robots for other uses.
White House Bans Paywalls on Taxpayer-Funded Research — www.extremetech.com
This has bothered me for a while - especially in the tech realm. Up until now, a lot of the research YOU pay for was only available if you paid for it again. The government has finally fixed this, moving to close the loophole that enabled journals to keep publicly funded research behind a paywall.
That's interesting...
Library.one is an independent content aggregator, search engine, and link-sharing platform. If you're looking to dive into what experts on various subjects read about and link to, this is your place. Try out a topic and cut through the usual search result nonsense!
Hong Kong is trialing ground-level signal lights so pedestrians can see them while browsing smartphones — www.zmescience.com
Seems like everyone's face is in their phones these days. Some societies in Asia are taking this seriously, enacting phone "jaywalking" fines. Hong Kong has an even more interesting idea. I can see this catching on elsewhere.
A little fun...
Netflix Codes: find hidden categories on Netflix — www.netflix-codes.com
Netflix uses a complex system to categorize its films and tv shows. You probably didn't know that you only see a fraction of the categories in the actual app. Check out this site to find the list of "secret codes" for Netflix and how to use them!
EarthQuest - A Random Adventure Generator — earthquest.net
Go take a hike! No, literally. This app's aim is to generate a new route for you to walk each day. Just enter your location and it'll start generating fun routes and goals. Seems like a great idea.
In tech history...
Radio Shack’s First PC: 45 Years of TRS-80 — www.howtogeek.com
45 years ago, Radio Shack released the TRS-80 Micro Computer System, a 1977 personal computer that launched an era of low-cost PCs along with computers from Apple and Commodore. Here’s what was special about it. For starters, in 1977, the TRS-80’s $599.95 price was a terrific deal. The Apple II sold for $1298 with 4K of RAM (that’s $6284 today). Monitor and storage sold separately! Think what kind of equipment you could buy with 6K today?!
In closing...your next keyboard? LOL
Gboard from Google Japan — www.youtube.com
This is a pretty funny spoof from Google Japan, who's realized a very useful linear keyboard. (You'll see in the video) Although we doubt you'll be able to find it, they did release plans on how to build it. "I remember by length - the "S" key is 16 cm from the left" 😂😂
