Matt's Favorites: Circle That Calendar Now For LTU, Military Drones, March Comet, Google Billionaire?
After a wonderful weekend, what do you think is up with the fantastic world of high technology? Well, let me share it with you.
* Here's another reminder of the upcoming Last Thursdays Unwired @ Lawrence Technological University program at LTU Thursday, Feb. 28. We're covering the increasing prevalence of BYOD -- That's Bring Your Own Device. Employees have all kinds of smartphones, iPads, Kindle Fires and other tablets -- and they all want to bring them to work and use them on the corporate network. How do you manage this? There are advantages, after all -- your employees can easily work on these devices while they're on the road or after normal business hours. But there are risks, too -- the security of sensitive information you don't want getting out into the wild though all these different devices, each of which has its own security system. Learn how to balance security and flexibility in this informative event. For more information or to register, visit this link.
* Since military drones are so much in the news, here's a look at how they're changing military strategy.
* Here's a comet that could put a nice sky show on for us in March.
* Google Inc. Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt is selling roughly 42 percent of his stake in the Internet search company, a move that could potentially net the former chief executive a $2.51 billion windfall.
* An electrical device that had been installed expressly to prevent a power outage caused the Super Bowl blackout, the stadium's power company said Friday as it took the blame for the outage that brought the game to a halt for more than a half-hour.
* Dell Inc.'s decision to sell itself for $24.4 billion to a group led by its founder and CEO is being ridiculed as a rotten deal by a major shareholder who estimates the slumping personal computer maker is really worth $42 billion.
* And all of us in the Detroit area are within 100 miles of the Canadian border, which supposedly means the federales can seize any of our electronics, at any time, for any reason, and they don't need no stinkin' warrant. Wow.
* A nationwide corn shortage brought on by last year's drought has started to curtail ethanol production.
* This kid's got a real future in broadcasting.
* I'm one of those perverse people who actually likes winter, cold, snow, etc. So in that spirit I'll share this little photo gallery of New York City made much more lovely by a foot of snow.
* Well, here's hope that when we mess up the environment, we can also turn it around -- that hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica is getting smaller.
* A well funded patent holding company is seeking a royalty from Facebook for the idea of a "like" button.
* In other patent news, a judge invalidates 13 Motorola patent claims against Microsoft.
* The TSA is trying to sell off what I've heard called the "pornoscope" backscatter X-ray machines now that it's removing them from airports.
* Here's a harrowing account of being blackmailed by a Chinese hacker.
