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Show of 01-25-2020

Tech Talk

January 25, 2020

Email and Forum Questions

  • Email from Doug in Baton Rouge: Dear Dr. Shurtz and Jim. I understand about the COOKIES that are placed in my computer when visiting online website.
  • But, what in the heck are TAGS, PIXELS and SDKs that are other forms of tracking software that websites can deposit as well? Please, explain each and how invasive they are, how to detect them and how to block them. Every one of your radio shows are great and really enjoyable! Thanks, Doug / Baton Rouge, LA
  • Tech Talk Responds: The cookie is a simple string of text that is loaded on users’ browsers when they visit a website. Its purpose is to enable the website to recognize and remember its users. Cookies make up the majority of website trackers online. The cookie was invented back in 1994 at Netscape, and originally served to provide websites with a ‘memory’, so that they could, for example, hold items in a shopping cart while the user browsed for goods on the site.
  • There are many different cookies: necessary cookies, analytics cookies or statistics cookies, marketing cookies or advertising cookies. The strictly necessary cookies function to make your website operate its most basic functions so that a visitor can visit it.
  • Tracking pixels or pixel tag allow tracking without cookies. Tracking pixels, also called pixel tags or 1×1 pixels, are transparent images consisting of a single pixel, that are present (albeit virtually invisible) on a webpage or in an email. When a user loads the webpage or opens the email, the tracking pixel is also loaded, enabling the sender of the tracking pixel, typically an ad server, to read and record that the webpage is
  • Information that can be obtained by websites and third parties via tracking pixels include: which OS the user uses, which browser or mail program the user uses, time the website was visited or the mail was read, user behavior on the website visited, and IP address and location of the user
  • Even if a user blocks tracking cookies and uses VPN to blur their IP-address, there still are other methods for tracking users. One of them is browser fingerprinting, the uniqueness of your specific computer, device or browser. Whenever a user visits a website, their computer or device provides the site with highly specific information about their system and settings. The use of this information to identify and track users is known as device or browser fingerprinting, sometimes also referred to as digital fingerprinting.
  • A browser fingerprint is thus a collection of many, many different information about a user’s device in order to create a sort of “fingerprint” for that device that can be tracked across the web. This browser fingerprint can consist of –
    • a user’s particular configuration
    • their setup
    • screen size, resolution and color depth
    • location, time zone and language settings
    • fonts used
    • browser plugin details
    • even the dust on the lens of their in-built computer camera.
  • This information might seem benign at first glance, but combined they can form a unique browser fingerprint that stand out as one among millions of other devices. Browser fingerprinting can successfully identify users 99 percent of the time.
  • Email from Kevin in Deltona, FL: Hello Dr. Shurtz. I started noticing I believe starting last Friday (01/17) that the podcasts for TechTalk started giving me a 404 error for the mp3 files. I went all the way back to November shows. Just wanted to let you know I enjoy the show via Podcast. Kind regards, Kevin Deltona.
  • Tech Talk Responds: Thanks for the email. We recently moved our site to WordPress from Drupal to facilitate easy updates. Apparently, some of the link to podcasts were broken. I asked my development team to fix the problem and am pleased to announce that all links have been fixed. Happy podcast listening.
  • Email from Barbie in Reston: Dear Doc and Jim. I recently attended BringIt2020 and the audience could vote for the best act. Unfortunately, the page that showed voting had not opened kept coming up and I could not vote. Someone said that I needed to clear my iPhone browser cache. I don’t have a clue what that meant. Help. Barbie in Reston
  • Tech Talk Responds: Browsers store copies of web pages in cache. When your reload the webpage, it loads from memory quickly. Unfortunately, if the web page changes, you get an old copy. Normally this is not the case, but it was for you.
  • Follow the steps below to clear Safari cache on iPhone and iPad.
    • Open Settings
    • Scroll down and tap Safari
    • Scroll down again and tap Clear History and Website Data, tap it once again to confirm
    • Alternatively, deleting the app and reinstalling it’s another option
  • Email from Jay in Fairfax: Dear Tech Talk. I recently created a website using Woodpress. I love some of the plugins. I have been reading that hackers are targeting Woodpress sites. Is there anything I can do to protect myself. Love the show. Jay in Fairfax.
  • Tech Talk Responds: You probably have several plugins installed that add extra features or functionality to your blog. WordPress plugins are wonderful things. They can add all kinds of useful and attractive bells and whistles to your blog and make it more enjoyable to use.
  • If you’ve been blogging for a while you probably know that abandoned plugins that haven’t been updated for some time can serve as back doors for hackers to break into your blog. That’s why it’s important to either replace or simply remove any plugin that hasn’t been updated in a long while.
  • Luckily, the Wordfence Security plugin makes it easy to stay informed about any outdated plugins that might be running on your blog. You really should be using Wordfence anyway because it does an exceptional job at locking hackers out of your blog, but it will also alert you via email when it detects that one of your plugins hasn’t been updated in over two years. In other words, Wordfence does the work for you so you can concentrate on writing great blog posts instead of having to keep an eagle eye on your plugins.
  • Once you have it installed, the Wordfence plugin will alert you right away when one of your plugins has been removed from the WordPress Plugin Repository for any reason, including for going over to the dark side (with corrupting malware).
  • Email from Duchie in North Carolina: Dear Doc and Jim. I am hoping you can give me a recommendation for a good mouse that does not cost too much. When I bought my first computer, I was told to always use a really good mouse. I was also told that I needed to stay away from cheap ones because they do not last very long and you end up spending more money in the long run. What is your recommendation for under $25? Duchie in North Carolina
  • Tech Talk Responds: That advice used to be true. However, today the difference in quality between expensive mice and cheaper models has shrunk quite a bit in recent years. I have been using Logitech Mice for years and they last a long time. My oldest mouse the Logitech M325 ($14.99 from third party vendors, not available on Amazon) and my newest is the Logitech M510 ($22 from Amazon). Both work perfectly on all of my computers, and judging from the thousands of overwhelmingly positive user reviews on Amazon it’s quite apparent that plenty of other folks are loving it as much I do!
  • Email from Doug in Kansas City: Dear Tech Talk. I am planning to buy a new laptop and would like some help in selecting a computer that is right for me. I am just a simply MS Office user and Internet surfer, not a gamer. What do you recommend?
  • Note: The links in this post are affiliate links. Thanks. Doug in Kansas City, KS.
  • Tech Talk Responds: All you have to do is buy one that lots of other people are buying and liking! And the easiest way to do that is to check out the list of best selling computers on Amazon. Amazon keeps a running list of the best selling items in any given category. I recommend checking out the computers on the “Best Sellers” list and then choosing one that has a lot of positive user reviews. If lots of other people like a particular model, chances are you will too. The user reviews will also alert you to any common problems that seem to afflict a particular model, allowing you to eliminate it from your pool of possible choices.

Profiles in IT: Peter Williston Shor

  • Peter Williston Shor is American applied mathematics, best known for his work on quantum computation, in particular for devising Shor’s algorithm.
  • Shor, 40, was born August 14, 1959 in New York City.
  • He grew up in Washington, D.C. and in the San Francisco Bay area.
  • While attending Tamalpais High School, in Mill Valley, California, he placed third in the 1977 USA Mathematical Olympiad.
  • After graduating that year, he won a silver medal at the International Math Olympiad in Yugoslavia (the U.S. team achieved the most points per country that year).
  • He received his B.S. in Mathematics in 1981 for undergraduate work at Caltech, and was a Putnam Fellow in 1978.
  • He earned his Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from MIT in 1985. His thesis was on probabilistic analysis of bin-packing algorithms.
  • After graduating, he spent one year as a postdoctoral researcher at the UC Berkley.
  • In 1986 accepted a position at AT&T Bell Labs. For several years, he worked mainly on algorithms for conventional computers while also researching probability and combinatorics.
  • In 1994, he says, after thinking about the problem for nearly a year, he made he discovered a factoring algorithm that could be implemented with quantum computers.
  • Since then, he has spent most of his time investigating quantum computing and quantum information theory.
  • A quantum computer operates on a different system of logic than a conventional computer, using the properties of atoms and light rather than electronics to compute.
  • It has the potential to far surpass the speed of digital computers and solve problems that are intractable even for today’s fastest parallel machines.
  • However, the possibilities of such a device were not appreciated until 1994, when Shor discovered an algorithm for factoring large integers or whole numbers into prime numbers on a quantum computer.
  • The difficulty of factoring long numbers using conventional computers is the basis of some widely used methods for encrypting information on the Internet.
  • For this reason a quantum computer could, at least potentially, compromise the security of electronic cash and on-line signatures.
  • However, a device which could actually carry out Shor’s algorithm for large numbers is still many years away, because numerous technical difficulties.
  • Link Shor’s algorithm video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvTqbM5Dq4Q
  • Shor has received several awards and honors for his work, including the Nevanlinna Prize, awarded at the 1998 International Congress of Mathematicians, and the 1998 International Quantum Communication Award.
  • In 2017 he received the ICTP Dirac Medal (International Center for Theoretical Physics. In 2019, he was elected ACM Follow for work on quantum computing.

Quantum Computing Limerick by Peter Shor

  • If computers that you build are quantum,
  • Then spies of all factions will want ’em.
  • Our codes will all fail,
  • And they’ll read our email,
  • Till we’ve crypto that’s quantum, and daunt ’em.

Product of the Week: ColorCoral Universal Keyboard Cleaning Gel

  • ColorCoral Keyboard Cleaning Gel is almost like adult slime.
  • You can manipulate it into a ball with your hands, and then press it over your keyboard.
  • Pull it off gently to remove all the dust and any crumbs that might be there. It is made of biodegradable materials, so it’s not sticky and doesn’t leave behind any residue.
  • It is also fun to use! The pleasant lemon scent will leave your laptop smelling fresh, and it’s a quick, easy way to clean your keyboard.
  • If you don’t like the gel, you can use compressed air to clean your keyboard.
  • Falcon Dust-Off Electronics Compressed Gas Duster is a great compressed-gas spray that thoroughly cleans keyboards or any other hard-to-reach areas. Each blast is moisture-free, so it won’t make anything damp.
  • It’s powerful enough to get rid of any dust or crumbs lurking around.

Product of the Week: MagicFiber Microfiber Cleaning Cloths

  • Microfiber cloths are ideal for cleaning screens because they’re super-soft and highly absorbent.
  • A pack of MagicFiber Microfiber Cleaning Cloths makes that easy. You can get a pack of up to 30 for around $20 if you want.
  • These high-quality cloths easily whisk away dust, oil, dirt, and fingerprint smudges.
  • Each one also has its own little bag so they won’t get too dirty. You do have to wash them sometimes, though—if they’re dirty, they won’t clean very effectively.
  • You can use these cloths on basically any kind of screen, and they’re even great for cleaning your eyeglasses.

Memory Lane: Macintosh is 36 Years Old

  • On January 24, 1984, former Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced the first Macintosh at Apple’s annual shareholder’s meeting in Cupertino, California, debuting the new computer equipped with a 9-inch black and white display, an 8MHz Motorola 68000 processor, 128KB of RAM, a 3.5-inch floppy drive, and a price tag of $2,495.
  • The now iconic machine weighed in at a whopping 17 pounds and was advertised as offering a word processing program, a graphics package, and a mouse.
  • At the time it was introduced, the Macintosh was seen as Apple’s last chance to overcome IBM’s domination of the personal computer market and remain a major player in the personal computer industry.
  • Jobs pulled the Macintosh out of a bag at the event, powered it on, and the Mac had a little message for everyone in attendance.
    • Hello, I’m Macintosh. It sure is great to get out of that bag.
    • Unaccustomed as I am to public speaking, I’d like to share with you a maxim I thought of the first time I met an IBM mainframe: NEVER TRUST A COMPUTER YOU CAN’T LIFT!
    • Obviously, I can talk, but right now I’d like to sit back and listen. So, it is with considerable pride that I introduce a man who’s been like a father to me… STEVE JOBS.
  • Despite the high price at the time, which was equivalent to around $6,000 today, the Macintosh sold well, with Apple hitting 70,000 units sold by May 1984.
  • The now iconic “1984” Super Bowl ad that Apple invested in and debuted days before the Macintosh was unveiled may have helped bolster sales.
  • After the Macintosh, Apple introduced the Macintosh II, the Macintosh Classic, the PowerBook, the Power Macintosh, the iMac G3, the iBook, and so on, eventually leading to the current Mac lineup, which includes the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, ‌iMac‌, iMac Pro, Mac mini, and Mac Pro.
  • Today, Apple is one of the leading PC vendors in the world, shipping an estimated 18 million Macs worldwide in 2019.
  • Then Apple competitor IBM is no longer in the personal computer business, having sold its technology to Lenovo back in the early 2000s.

US could approve Boeing 737 MAX before mid-year: source

  • US air safety regulators could clear the Boeing 737 MAX to return to service before mid-year, a person close to the process said Friday.
  • The plane has been grounded since March following two deadly crashes. On Tuesday, Boeing announced that it did not expect to win regulatory approval until mid-2020.
  • An FAA spokesman reiterated that the agency has set no timeframe for certification, but indicated the process has moved forward from December.
    • “While the FAA continues to follow a thorough, deliberate process the agency is pleased with Boeing’s progress in recent weeks toward achieving key milestones,” the FAA spokesman said.
  • In December, the FAA publicly castigated Boeing for targeting an unrealistic return to service timeframe that seemed to be “designed to force FAA into taking quicker action.”
  • American, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines are the US carriers that fly the MAX.
  • Calhoun, who began as CEO earlier this month, has highlighted restoring Boeing’s reputation with regulators, customers and other stakeholders as an imperative as he tries to the turn the company around.