WyzGuys Tech Talk

The unconstitutional and oxymoronic Department of Homeland Security made a $1000 bet with researchers at the University of Texas at Austin that the security for flying drones was “unhackable” – and lost!  Full article on Sophos.  They took control of the drone with a homemade spoofer that cost $100 to build.  Fortunately, this puts a crimp in the plans of DHS to fly drones over American soil, since this technology would allow a drone to be turned into ...

There are basically two ways to read and store your emails, and the way you choose will tend to lock you into a method over a long stretch of time.  The main difference between web mail and software clients is where the mail is read and stored.  Web mail is read using a web browser such as Internet Explorer or Chrome.  Software or “client-based” email is read using an email reading program such as Windows Live Mail, Microsoft Outlook, or ...

Good news Boomers – this is something you are better at than your younger, more technically savvy friends, family and coworkers.  This information came from the ZoneAlarm blog.  Basically, the study shows that as you get older and more experienced, you tend to place a higher priority on computer and network security issues.  This makes a certain amount of sense, since the older you are the more likely you are to have sustained some sort of loss, and ...

Have you ever wondered what happens to credit card information that is stolen online?  Sure the card numbers get resold on cyber-crime web sites and discussion boards, but a recent FBI sting operation has resulting in the arrest of 24 “carders” from the US and elsewhere, and provides a detailed look at the financial endgame of these cyber crooks.  You can read the entire story on Sophos, but I am quoting pieces of the article below.

“Charges against a ...

In discussions with students in the computer classes that I teach for the seven Community Education programs that I am involved with, the subject comes up all the time whether copying content from the web isn’t “stealing.”  This is a long discussion, but my point always is this:  the Internet changes everything.  The Internet levels the playing field so anyone can be a published author, musician, or artist, or own a software company, or a birdhouse factory, or whatever.  The ...

It has been several years since I took a ride on the “Piracy” rollercoaster, but here is a compelling article from TechDirt Daily that points out once again that file sharing, illegal or otherwise, can be a good thing for musicians.  A sad but very true fact is that musical groups including big name rock bands rarely see any money other than the advance on a recording, the clever accountants at the music labels find a way to tie all ...