Posts filed under “tech”
My password is bigger than your password
My password is bigger than your password. And that’s a good thing. According to researchers at Georgia Tech, GPU-accelerated brute-force password cracking techiques are getting really good: “Right now we can confidently say that a seven-character password is hopelessly inadequate,” said Mr [Richard] Boyd, “and as GPU power continues to go up every year, the [...]
The iPad and textbook piracy
CourseSmart has been all over the tech blogs today, with its new iPad app and claims that its catalog contains 90% of “core textbooks.” I definitely understand the appeal of storing and using textbooks on a tablet device: no books to carry around or forget at home. Everything’s there on one device, complete with bookmarks and [...]
Americans don’t think internet access should be a government priority
Earlier this week, I posted about the CRTC’s open consultation on basic phone and internet service, which asks: “[W]hat role, if any, should the CRTC play in ensuring that all Canadians have access to broadband Internet service at comparable rates?” Stateside yesterday, the Pew Internet & American Life Project published a new report on home [...]
In Praise of the Dumbphone
It’s been a summer of mobile phone announcements. The Droid X. The iPhone 4. The Blackberry 9800 is expected to be announced on Tuesday. And there’s been a lot of talk: “Should I upgrade to the new iPhone 4?” “Should I switch to an Android?” Strangely, there’s little talk of downgrading to a “dumbphone.” You [...]
New Nora Young show on CBC Radio
A big congratulations to Nora Young and the whole team who put together her new show Spark. According to the show blog, the half-hour show was just approved, will starts in the fall, and will be a magazine of smart and irreverent trend-watching. It explores stories in technology, trends, and new ideas that register high [...]