Booby-Trapped PDFs

Back in February,I posted a note here about a study showing that the most popular vehicle for Web-based malicious software was Adobe's PDF document format.

Thoughts on the Health Care Bill in Its Final Form

Friends have been asking lately what I think of the health care bill, now that it has passed (and bears no resemblance to my own health care reform plan). Of course, like the legislators who voted it into law, I have not read the 1000 pages and truly have no idea what the intended and unintended implications might be. But I do get the main point: as a society we will be spending an extra $1 trillion on health care that we wouldn't have spent previously.

Balancing Need and Technology

Conventional wisdom tells us that we design technological artifacts in response to perceived needs; that is, needs drive technology. The formidable Don Norman recently wrote a web article suggesting that, contrary to convention, technology can drive needs.

Taco Bell Comes to India

The popular Mexican fast food giant Taco Bell is now in India and has opened its first outlet in Bangalore. They plan to open more outlets in other locations in India in the coming months.

Glenn Beck Wants to Take Up the Hammer of Nonviolence

Apparently Glenn Beck has taken a fancy to nonviolence. "Get God on your side, and then pick up a hammer," Beck said Saturday at a tent-revival-meets-politics rally that nearly packed the University of Central Florida basketball arena. Quoting Gandhi, he took the hammer to an anvil onstage and said: "With nonviolence, take your hammer and pound that truth every day, and everything that doesn't fit, toss it out! We have the truth . . . With nonviolence, be the anvil of truth every single day!"

North Carolina Supreme Court Debates Zero-Tolerance Policy in Schools

Recent HLS graduate Jim Freeman (‘03), and the organization he works for, the Advancement Project, were included in a recent New York Times article about the debate occurring on the zero tolerance policies that have been implemented in many schools across the country.

More Cores Require OS Redesign?

Last week, there was a report in Network World on a presentation given by Dave Probert, who works on Windows kernel architecture at Microsoft, on the implications of multiple-core processors for operating system design. I don't really see how the kind of approach that Mr. Probert is suggesting helps in any meaningful way.

On Power, Balance, Shifting and Disruption

What is this stuff we call power? This question came to mind when I read about Digital Power and Its Discontents, a conference coming up on 21 April at Georgetown. In it (says that link) they will be "exploring the ways digital technologies disrupt the balance of power between and among states, their citizens and the private sector."

Online Gaming Sites Sued in French Court

It seems like online gambling circles are facing stiff resistance from various corners of the world. There was a time when online gambling or casino games were seen as a revolution, bringing casinos at your door steps.

Chevy Unveils 40-mpg Eco Model

Chevrolet will use the 2010 New York Auto Show to reveal a few more details about the production Cruze sedan going on sale this fall. Specifically, the Big Apple is where Chevy will formally unveil the high-mileage Cruze Eco model and RS trim package.