Information Manager Journal

Hack of Sarah Palin's account shows security questions can be a joke

Those questions so many Web sites ask us to answer -- the ones that let us recover a lost password -- can be a joke. Especially if the person answering them is a public figure. In recent years, at River's suggestion, I've taken to using nonintuitive and/or false answers to as many of those questions as I can.

London Stock Exchange outage blamed on Microsoft

This September 9 story hasn't been fully explored by the press, and with the collapse of Lehman Brothers yesterday, is now in danger of being forgotten. But in the midst of rocky financial times, to have your institution relying on Microsoft technology for high-volume trading has to be seen as risky behavior.

Literacy Bridge: Building a really cheap digital audio device

Cliff Schmidt is leading an effort by Literacy Bridge to build a very inexpensive MP3 player for the developing world. I spoke with him for my latest Opening Move podcast.

Google Chrome: Yep, there's a catch

Maybe Matt Asay makes more of Google's evil intent than he ought to, but for now it'll keep me on Firefox.

Google Chrome shows how bad things have gotten

Three thoughts about Google Chrome:

1. Regarding security and performance, come on! What on earth have the other browser makers been doing for the past five years? This is work they should have done. Especially Microsoft, which had the money to do it. Now Google's done it first and Microsoft will be playing catchup not just in search, but in desktop software -- supposedly its core competence.

2. When I was floundering around trying to finish my book, I jokingly suggested to some that I frame it as a comic book. Turns out that was the right medium to explain the pickle we're in, regarding the future of browsers. Well it wasn't the first time I thought of something first!

3. Chrome sounds pretty good, and although I don't jump to adopt things first the way I used to, I'm going to need some powerful reasons not to try it out once it gets traction. Like some new intrusion into my privacy. But Google's already there (although I didn't let the company index my hard disks.)