A Rocket Scientist Dissects Exploding Planets

Love it! Great read.

Scientist Wil McCarthy shows how Star Trek's planets explode | SCI FI Wire

Offsite Backup for your Hard Disk

This is an interesting option for those of us with large photo archives. I've already got mine uploaded (and yes, it took forever) but as I'm considering a large scan-all-my-old-negatives project, this is a real possibility.

Offsite Backup for your Hard Disk - Ship the Storage Device to Amazon via Postal Mail

Smart Grid Infrastructure Vulnerability

Tallahassee has begun rolling out Smart Meters city wide as part of an effort to decrease costs to the city-owned utility. There a many critics of the initiative, and I don't feel qualified to speak about the specifics on purchasing and installing this technology.

However, when I found out that the collectors that talk to the Smart Meters, and then in turn report data to the city utility actually have public, routable, IP addresses, my mouth popped open.

That is ludicrous. And now one of the manufacturers of these systems is acknowledging potential problems.

IOActive Verifies Critical Flaws in Next Generation Energy Infrastructure

Look, I'm not an expert in infrastructure, but there has got to be a better way to do this.

REI Shopper Hauled Away Over ATM Photo

So what's your take on this... Your Rights: Loomis Rent-A-Cops Have Shopper Cuffed, Hauled Away Over ATM Photo

Personally, I think it's a classic case of a conflict escalating faster than anyone involved wanted it to, and it underlines one golden rule... be nice to the police. Yes, the Loomis guards overstepped their authority, and REI shouldn't have called the police. But once law enforcement is on the scene, it's a different situation. And remember, everything that comes out of your mouth will be used against you. Everything.

Wi-Fi to Go

If I ever take the plunge to a cellular data plan, this is the only way to go.

State of the Art - With a Private MiFi Hot Spot, Be Online Wherever You Like - NYTimes.com

An Expectation of Online Privacy

Great essay from Bruce Schneier.

Schneier on Security: An Expectation of Online Privacy

My best advice? Don't put anything online that you wouldn't want on a billboard alongside an interstate. Don't write that snide email, don't publish that photo, without thinking first.

The world, it be a changin', and everyone needs to be ready for that fact.

What is at Stake in Afghanistan

Great quick read on what is at stake in our conflict in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: What Is at Stake? - Brookings Institution

Of particular interest is the part where the author ties Pakistan into the fate of Afghanistan. Everyone needs to remember that Pakistan is a nuclear nation, with a small stockpile of weapons.

"A victory for the Afghan Taliban would encourage its new partners, the Pakistan Taliban, in their struggle to take over the world’s second largest Muslim country. This February several Pakistani Taliban leaders united their forces and proclaimed their allegiance both to Omar and bin Laden."

This issue isn't going away soon, and it isn't going to be solved with force of arms alone.