Time Warp
Facebook is savvy about time zones and the fact that its users span the globe. But notice this conversation I had with a friend. He sent it at 12:39am on October 21st. I replied 3 hours earlier. 
Now, if you look at our profiles, Roy and I live in the same time zone. Normally this would never happen. But, I happen to be in the UK when this happened. I think I replied a couple hours after his message, but at you’ll see, it’s essentially impossible to know, given what I see. Read more…
Software Testing, Web Stuff
Facebook, localization, Software Testing
I’m in the UK for a couple weeks, so I got a T-Mobile GSM Broadband adapter. (This is the one from ZTE, by the way, apparently they offer several). Rather than hook into the OS in a nice, neat way, they include their own crapware that you have to install. Danger: If you install the software on Snow Leopard, it will ruin your OS and make your system unable to boot. Read on. Read more…
MacOS, Rants, Technical
There are tons of good reasons why so-called “security question” are terrible. As long ago as 2005, Bruce Schneier, for example, wrote about what a stupid idea they are. I’ve resisted setting them as much as I can, but sometimes the dumb site just won’t let you get by without setting them. Ironically, they say the questions make my account MORE secure. But if my password is “8ycAMKin34pNL253″ and my high school mascot was a “hornet,” which is easier to guess? If a would-be impersonator wants to hijack my account and they don’t know my password, they can just stroll over to Facebook and try to figure it out from either my own profile, or one of my friends’ profiles. Figure out which of my friends went to high school with me, and bang, you’ve got it. Figure out that I went to high school in Virginia Beach (by reading my blog, for example) at a time when there were about 12 high schools, and you’ve only got 12 things to try. That’s stupid. That’s the weakest link to taking over my account, not my very secure password. Read more…
Rants, Technical, iPhone