USB Type C

The new Macbook has a Type C USB connector.

"USB-C port with support for:
Charging
USB 3.1 Gen 1 (up to 5 Gbps)
Native DisplayPort 1.2 video output
VGA output using USB-C VGA Multiport Adapter (sold separately)
HDMI video output using USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter (sold separately)"

I wonder if the Lightning connector will be replaced.

IoT: Neo Smart Jar

So there was the crockpot and now there are smart jars. I don't see them getting much traction at $99 for a pair.

Via The Blaze.

There's An App

...for that.

My trash company is urging me to download their app. I have to draw the line somewhere, and this is where it is.
— Michael Arrington (@arrington) March 6, 2015

New Phrase

A co-worker just talked about a "Darwinian Fate Accelerator." That's a new one to me, but I think I'll have to use that.

IoT: Keen Smart Vent

Sounds like a great idea... the Keen Smart Vent. I've got problems with hot and cold areas in my house. (It's much better since I've replaced both HVAC systems in the last 8 months or so.) I'd love to see if it could actually lower utility bills rather than just even out the temperatures.

Patching

I like this quote:

“You can’t patch people. They want to be helpful. So train them.” @swordshieldsec #knoxcybersummit
— Clarisntwrks (@ClarisNtwrks) February 5, 2015

Li-Fi and NLOS Lightwaves

Tangentially related...

Near Line of Sight (NLOS) Lightwave experiments

And Li-Fi:

Hot Jobs in Knoxville

Woo hoo!

Computer and Information Systems Managers are expected to be the hottest job in Knoxville between now and 2020.

Technology

On the one hand, you'd think they'd have something nicer. On the other, I appreciate a company being frugal.

Just visited the WOW! Cable offices. Their lobby setup includes a VHS player and a CRT television. #cuttingedge pic.twitter.com/tdKMOfqJ6C
— Lone Nut (@LoneNutVolFan) December 12, 2014

Modern Prison

And we do it to ourselves...

modern prison pic.twitter.com/P5XfrQwnJr
— Banksy (@lamBanksy) December 8, 2014

Hash

When it comes to troubleshooting, hash is a four letter word.

Eduroam

I've recently learned about the Eduroam service and I must say it is a cool idea. Basically, a bunch of schools got together to allow wireless access at each other's locations:

"The eduroam initiative started in 2003 within TERENA's Task Force on Mobility, TF-Mobility. The task force created a test bed to demonstrate the feasibility of combining a RADIUS-based infrastructure with 802.1X standard technology to provide roaming network access across research and education networks. The initial test was conducted among five institutions located in the Netherlands, Finland, Portugal, Croatia and the UK. Later, other national research and education networking organisations in Europe embraced the idea and gradually started joining the infrastructure, which was then named eduroam. 

eduroam allows any eduroam-enabled user to get network access at any institution connected to eduroam."

So say, I was a student at the University of Tennessee here in Knoxville. If I were to visit London, I would be able to connect to the LSE's (and many other's) wireless network. That's pretty slick.

Ammo for 3D Printed Guns

Hate the title... but an interesting way around a problem.  The Bullet That Could Make 3D-Printed Guns Practical Deadly Weapons:

"Now an amateur gunsmith has instead found a way to transfer that stress to a component that’s actually made of metal—the ammunition."

"His ammunition uses a thicker steel shell with a lead bullet inserted an inch inside, deep enough that the shell can contain the explosion of the round’s gunpowder instead of transferring that force to the plastic body or barrel of the gun."

"Crumling’s 3-D printing-friendly ammo will serve as a proof-of-concept—and a reminder: If gun control advocates are taking comfort in printed weapons’ impracticality, that comfort gets a little colder with every upgrade."

OnBeep Onyx

I've think I've seen these before... OnBeep Onyx:

"The idea behind Onyx was born from Greg & my experiences as emergency responders. During an incident, an emergency responder needs to be able to communicate with the rest of the team without losing focus. The last thing you want is to have your attention pulled away from the scene in an emergency. To make that possible, we rely on two-way radios. They’re bulky, ungainly and cumbersome, but they’re reliable — and that’s what matters when you’re working in life-or-death situations."

The versions I've seen look like this:

Watching the Watchers

Target Blu Eye:

"The £999 system (plus £100-£200 for installation) monitors the frequencies of emergency services’ Tetra and Airwave radios and, according to the manufacturer, listens for the distinctive regular pulses sent by the radios every four seconds. These could be emitted by marked or unmarked vehicles; by radios worn by beat officers or mobile speed camera operators; or by radios in police helicopters. When a transmission is detected, the driver is alerted."

And I agree they really wouldn't like this if someone created a network of dectors and publicized their locations.

Via Slashdot

Anonabox - Poof!

And Kickstarter has killed the anonabox Tor router.

Routers

As is often the case, life seems to work in themes... since I've talking about the CWNP, I see a couple of articles about routers.

The first is a primer for buying a new router for your home.

[[[ UPDATE: Check out this reddit thread about the anonabox ]]]

Second is anonabox : a Tor hardware router:

"The anonabox easily encrypts Internet usage with a simple device that secures all web traffic, not just the traffic coming from one program. No software to download or configure, no login credentials, no registration, just plug it in and your network connection is encrypted. The anonabox also allows people to use programs over Tor that never supported it before or required complicated configuration like Skype, Safari and Filezilla, to name just a few. Also the default firewall configuration protects your computer or network from outside access."

CWNP

I'm looking into the Certified Wireless Network Professional program for my next cert. CWNP is vendor agnostic. I've never formally done any training or studying on the wireless side, but after reading a couple of chapters, I'm excited about the (no surprise) overlap with ham radio topics. I spotted a ham calling "CQ" in the CWNP forum.

LTE Direct

Forget the goTenna or FireChat, the carriers are looking at providing direct phone to phone communications.* (Although, it looks like FireChat proved its usefulness in China.)



* Well, I think direct communication, but the more I read, the more it looks like a BLE alternative/beacon/marketing tool.


Via Slashdot.org

Low Cost HP Windows Laptops

Low cost HP Windows Laptops. This looks really impressive http://t.co/whNPyoA143
— Wally (@wbm) September 30, 2014

"HP's Stream brand will now encompass laptops with 11.6-, 13.3- and 14-inch screens, while tablets will be available with 7- or 8-inch screens; all the devices will run Windows 8.1. The Stream 7 tablet is the cheapest of the bunch, priced at just $100, while the Stream 8 will cost $150. The Stream 11 laptop will cost $200, followed by the Stream 13 at $230. All the devices will go on sale in November."

It would be worth it for this alone... Office 365 Personal is $70/year:

"Each device will come with a one-year subscription package to Microsoft services that includes Office 365 Personal, 1TB of OneDrive cloud storage and 60 monthly minutes of Skype. Additionally, the Stream 8 will include 200MB of free 4G data each month for the life of the device at no additional cost."