Robo Calls and Personal Information
I received an automated call today from my pharmacy calling to remind me to pick up a prescription refill. The robot voice asked for personal information to verify my identity.
Huh!? People, do not give out personal information to someone who calls you. You have no way to verify they are who they say.
When my credit card company calls about a potential fraud, I politely decline the call, and then call back on the published number on the back of the card.
Same goes for email. If an email says there is an “alert” on your bank account, don’t click the links in the email. Delete the email, then open your browser (IE, Firefox, Chrome) and log in to the bank the way you always do. they usually have a prominent section for alerts and messages.
Trust, but verify. Be smart and take a few extra seconds to prevent this type of scam, called phishing, from causing you hours of trouble.
Another casualty of the rise of the mobile device. Dell changes strategy.
This article from Hal Berenson has an interesting take on Windows development of the new UI, programming model, and ARM support up to Windows 8.
The way I think people should interpret Windows 8 is that the Windows business was at the precipice, about to start a prolonged decline. Microsoft decided it was time to go big or go home.
I agree. If Windows 8 is not a big hit, then Microsoft goes the way of IBM in the early 90s. If it is a hit, we will have a very business-worthy platform with modern technology.
TechCrunch guest author Keith Teare reports on Apple’s 1Q win and Google’s 1Q loss are due to trends in mobile. I don’t know that the title is fair, given that Apple Passed Google’s Market Cap in 2010, but the article points out another symptom of a big change. It also links to another interesting piece Smart Mobile and Thin Cloud by the same author.
First Raspberry Pi’s being auctioned on Ebay
The inexpensive tablet market is getting some traction this year. The first ten Raspberry Pi’s are being auctioned off on ebay. Click the link and then click through to ebay to see what they are going for: http://www.raspberrypi.org/archives/489
A tablet designed primarily for student needs is being subsidized by the Indian government.
Read the article in Venture Beat, or go to http://www.akashtablet.com/ to pre-order the next version.
Breakfast at Sojourn (Taken with instagram)
A tale of the smartphone and tablet market through the lens of the falling-out-of fashion blackberry. From Horace Deidu at Asymco.com.
A charitable organisation in the UK is developing a credit-card-sized computer that will cost around $35. It should be available later this year. Plug in a keyboard, mouse, and hook it up to your television and you’re good to go!
