Onion Hacked By Syria

The Onion was apparently hacked by Syria. (A serious post from their tech team.)

Here's their more typical Onion-style response.

Islam, Internet, and Privacy

"Islam, the internet and privacy"

StrongBox and Other Tools for Journalists to Protect Themselves From Government

StrongBox and other tools for journalists to protect themselves from the government

Get a Lifelog

Will some people want to record every 30 seconds of their lives?

3D Printing is Way Scarier Than Plastic Guns

Shelly Palmer: "3D Printing is Way Scarier Than Plastic Guns"

Reynolds Critiques IP Laws

Glenn Reynolds in Popular Mechanics: "Our Intellectual Property Laws Are Out of Control".

I fully support the idea of intellectual property, and it's ultimate based on the same grounds as more tangible form of property rights.  However, there are lots of legitimate questions about how best to implement the law.  Shifting concepts of "ownership" vs. new forms of licensing would definitely be one topic worth further work.

Streisand Effect and 3D-Printed Gun Clampdown

"DIY Firearms Makers Are Already Replicating And Remixing The 3D-Printed Gun"

The article notes:

By all appearances, the State Department’s efforts to take the CAD file for the Liberator offline for possible export control violations have done more to generate interest in the printable gun than to prevent its spread.

15 Ways Google Tracks You

15 ways Google tracks you.

Killer App for Google Glass?

Will Dekko be the killer app for Google Glass?

Should Washington Allow Internet Gambling?

WSJ: "Should Washington Allow Internet Gambling?"

(Note: I'm friends with the author of the "yes" side of the debate, Michelle Minton and I agree with her position.)

Bitcoin Mining Network Speed

"Bitcoin mining network 8 times faster than top 500 supercomputers"

Construction Starts on Jet Engine with 3-D-Printed Parts

MIT Tech Review: Construction Starts on Jet Engine with 3-D-Printed Parts

The Paradox of the Proof

Terrific essay on mathematical proof: "The Paradox of the Proof". (Via R. A.)

How the Human Brain Tracks a 100-mph Fastball

"How the Human Brain Tracks a 100-mph Fastball"

The FBI Will Love Google Glass

"Why The FBI Will Love Google Glass"

Live Map of Recent Wikipedia Article Edits

Live map of recent Wikipedia article edits.

The Other Cryptocurrencies

"Wary of Bitcoin? A guide to some other cryptocurrencies"

Why Do Old People Get So Hairy?

Popular Science: "Why Do Old People Get So Hairy?"

Jaw-Dropping Game Graphics

"The Most Jaw-Dropping Game Graphics of the Last 20 Years"

Spielberg's Themes and Techniques

"The themes and techniques of Steven Spielberg"

Ten Things Romans Used for Toilet Paper

"Ten Things Romans Used for Toilet Paper"

How Much Does Antimatter Weigh?

"How much does antimatter weigh?"

The Revolutionary Effect of the Paperback Book

"The Revolutionary Effect of the Paperback Book"

4 Sisters Photographed Every Year For 36 Years

"These 4 Sisters Were Photographed Every Year For 36 Years"

Convoluted Curves

"Some curves are so convoluted they wiggle free of the one-dimensional world and fill up space"

FBI Claims Right to Read Your E-mail

"FBI claims right to read your e-mail".

Under current law, "law enforcement must get a warrant to access e-mail before it has been opened by the recipient. However, there are no such provisions once the e-mail has been opened or if it has been sitting in an inbox, unopened, for 180 days."

Legitimate Viagra Online

Bloomberg News: "Pfizer Begins Selling Viagra Online to Battle Fake Drugs".

I wonder how many of their ads will be blocked by spam filters?

MRU Course on Great Economists

Marginal Revolution University will be offering an online course on "Great Economists: Classical Economics and its Forerunners".

From their description:

Who were the first economic thinkers? What are the very origins of economic thought? What did earlier economists understand but has been lost to the modern world? Why is Adam Smith the greatest economist of all time? How did the economic issues of the 18th and 19th centuries shape the thoughts of the classical economists? This class, which covers the history of economic thought up until the "Marginal Revolution" in the 1870s, will answer all of these questions and many others.

This course is non-technical and is accessible to a beginner.

Facial Recognition Limitations

"Why facial recognition tech failed in the Boston bombing manhunt"

Acoustic Arms Race

Acoustic Arms Race: "Bats and other animals use sound as a hunting tool -- but their prey has also evolved ways to thwart detection"

Why 3D-Printed Untraceable Guns Could Be Good For America

My latest in Forbes: "Why 3D-Printed Untraceable Guns Could Be Good For America".

(Note to readers: More political than technical.)

Two Videos: Spocks and Ender

These two videos have been making the rounds lately.

First, the "2 Spocks" Audi commercial:



Second, the Ender's Game trailer:

Physical Exam By Smartphone

AP: "Physical by smartphone becoming real possibility"

New Yorker on P=NP

New Yorker on P=NP: "A Most Profound Math Problem". (Via Francisco G.)

Self-Driving Vehicles And Liability Costs

"Self-Driving Vehicles: How Soon and Who Will Bear the Liability Costs?" (Via Rand Simberg.)