Dwayne Phillips ' Day Book

Items I happen to view each day. Science, Techonology, Management, Culture, and of course Writing

This is my day book for this week. I have modeled this after science fiction and computer writer Jerry Pournelle's view, or as he calls it, his Day Book. I encourage you to see Jerry Pournelle's site and subscribe to his services.

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This week: September 19-25, 2016

Summary of this week:

Monday - Tuesday - Wednesday - Thursday - Friday - Saturday - Sunday

Monday September 19, 2016

The NYPD can't account for siezed evidence because that would crash its computers. What?

Another call for a Presidential pardon for Edward Snowden.

And another such call—this time "give him a medal." Let's not confuse reality with Oliver Stone movies.

"Game of Thrones" wins everything for HBO at the Emmy Awards.

Jeb Bush and Jimmy Kimmel appear in an Uber ad. Yes, that Jeb Bush. Is Hillary next?

What is that hissing noise coming from the iPhone 7?

Hollywood, education, talent scouts, the failure of MOOC, and all such mixed together. The tipping point hasn't happened.

Over the weekend, bombs injure dozens in NYC, and more bombs are found in the area.

Some less-expensive ways to get those IT certifications.

Interesting report on the post-post-post-modern workforce. No surprise as persons still feel disconnected from the larger group.

Big news in the world of ASCII text editors. A new version of VIM is released. A new version of EMACS is released.

Oracle jumps into the cloud market to battle Amazon.

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Tuesday September 20, 2016

Google acquires api.ai—makers of tools tha make computers converse in loose language.

The Chevy Bolt—only $30,000 for a compact car after an $8K gift from the taxpayers. Government motors at its best.

The Opera browser comes with a built-in VPN; the first of its kind.

Google "concept movies" automatically combines your photos into themed videos.

Shocking news (not): Asian government demands $400million in taxes from American company.

GoPro releases a drone that folds and fits in a backpack.

Algorithm-approved speech is here from Google. Who controls the algorith controls what used to called Free Speech.

A good infographic on one day in the life of YouTube.

Photos, 3D analysis, robot sculpting, etc. allow us to recreate destroyed objects.

SanDisk has built a 1TeraByte SD memory card. Let the games begin.

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Wednesday September 21, 2016

The Washington Post, Edward Snowden, Pulitzer Prizes, and around and around we go.

Microsoft and IBM are aiming their AI machinery at cancer. Maybe something will come of this.

North Korea has 28 domain names—total. How does the world allow that place to exist?

Google launches Allo—its mobile message app. It is better than the rest, but too far behind?

Google adds voice search to Drive.

Apple updates its office product line with more real-time collaboration.

Apple hires DocMikeEvans to work on a health care project. He is a superb communicator.

AT&T reveals information about its project AirGig: RF-based gigabit Internet with transceivers on top of telephone poles.

How Oracle built its cloud computing platform by hiring talent away from everyone else.

macOS Sierra is now ready for download. Let the early crashes begin.

The sham of E-waste recycling is revealed. The stuff is dumped in the ground. Tax breaks pay for this nonsense.

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Thursday September 22, 2016

We have gone terribly wrong with how WE hire and train law enforecement employees in our country.

Free speech takes a hit in court.

Scientists virtually unroll an ancient scroll and read its text.

The $30 epiPen. How much of the $600 model is regulatory compliance?

Tumblr is adding the capability of Apple's Live Photos (motion and still imagery).

The Zuckerbergs will spend $3billion over the next decade to fight disease. Let's hope something comes of this. Recall his efforts at fixing a public school district with money.

Apple may or may not be trying to buy race car maker McLaren.

It is reality: Mercedes-Benz shows its first all-electric truck.

Reddit users knock out the North Korean Internet out of curiosity.

Hillary Clinton reveals her sheer ignorance of technology, the Internet, and free speech. At least Trump kept his  mouth shut this time.

PC makers have worked with Microsoft so that Linux installs are impossible.

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Friday September 23, 2016

Yahoo confirms what may be the biggest hack-leak ever with 500million users compromised.

Google releases its TensorFlow that creates captions for photos. Impressive performance in both image understanding a natural language.

"ooops" Facebook inflated the numbers of video viewing on their site. Honest mistake?

Amazon enters the photo printing market. Send them you digital images, they deliver prints.

LinkedIn introduces LinkedIn Learning to train your workforce or yourself (if you are also unemployed).

Amazon's "value" hits an all-time high.

Tesla decides they are expert at energy and will introduce a solar roof product.

The Legos drone kit. Why not?

Product makers continue to fool government testers. Seems like some of the government testers would be fired, but instead people scream at the product makers.

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Saturday September 24, 2016

SnapChat introduces glasses with a video camera. Odd look; so odd that this product might sell.

A Google self-driving car is smashed in the side by a van. The can driver was at fault.

EpiPen CEO blathers in a Congressional hearing. Obamacare? Lower health care costs?

Novum Pharma raises the prices of an old acne cream 3,900%. Obamacare? Lower health care costs?

Great video from cameras stuck to the back of a whale.

Why is everyone being hacked? Because IT departments are storing passwords in Word files and such.

This is a JOKE! You can't install a headphone jack in an iPhone7 by drilling a hole in it!

The price of pay TV has risen 40% in the last five years.

ooops The cost of being hacked is lower than the cost of preventing hacks. The cost of hacks has been grossly overestimated.

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Sunday September 25, 2016

Formal methods in software development are touted as the cure for insecure software.

IP addresses: yet another part of forensic science that is proven unreliable, but police still use.

Everyone is reporting on the Snap Spectacles. Is this the Beany Baby or the iPad?

Google's new Allo already has a million downloads. The definition of success has changed.

A lot of our politicians are acusing the Russians of bugging our election. How about demanding simple election systems that can't be hacked by foreign governments.

Like to read? Want to write? Here are some questions to consider.

Life lessons from a writer who has written five books in six years. Luck and perseverance.

So, we being a lot of sentences with "so." So, what? So.

Stuck? Some fundamentals to start again.

For those of us who like grammar rules...here is the rule for how to place adjectives in order...opinion-size-age-shape-colour-origin-material-purpose Noun.

Tips on pricing from the best author and freelancer I know, Jerry Weinberg.

Asking why why why and why to find the details of characters that make them readable.

Editing a novel or editing anything: first understand what you want to convey.

The ten-scene chart and writing a novel.

One writer's experience with writing the next book and the next one and the next one.

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