Lego sells lovely toys with a great educational potential. No peace-loving father would have a problem giving them as a gift (especially, if he can also occasionally take part in the action). Unfortunately, children seem to have their own (genetically preprogrammed?) ideas of what is interesting to build. I still love Lego, but I'm a bit worried about human nature.
Continue reading "Dual-Use Technology"A number of Greek web sites offer for download a very strange Excel form.
Continue reading "Missing the Point"My friend and colleague Stephanos Androutsellis-Theotokis pointed me to two amazing YouTube videos (here and here) of Parkour and Free running. He commented that it's crazy what these people can do, and with how much flow and speed.
Continue reading "Daring Youth: Then and Now"When the time to go to sleep is approaching, all children seem to be configured with the same crontab.
Continue reading "A Child's Crontab"Today the Microsoft update on my Windows machine asked me to upgrade the Internet Explorer to version 7.0. My bank refuses to work with any browser other than IE, so, although I'm using SeaMonkey as my everyday browser, I'm also forced to keep a current copy of IE. The installation's banner reinforced some of the fears I have regarding Microsoft's technical prowess.
Continue reading "Internet Explorer's Cleaner Look"
I first admired this ingenious method of locking a car in
Rowan Atkinson's
Mr. Bean series.
A few days ago I saw it in real life.
While attending the ICSE 2006 conference I stayed at the Tong Mao hotel. My room featured an impressive-looking safe: thick steel, two bolts, and a digital lock.
Continue reading "Security is a Problem of the Weakest Link"My academic title contains the words management support technologies. I therefore considered the new and efficient document management and dispatch system I saw in use at my health insurance provider a rare gem, worthy of inclusion in this blog.
Continue reading "Management Support Technologies"The inclined panel is indeed a computer screen, and, of course, it is not working. Another, more reliable, technology has prevailed.
Continue reading "Information Kiosk"The (retake) exam period has started. At the metro the passenger sitting opposite me is obviously a student frantically sorting the cards containing a 6%-reduced photocopy of her forensic psychology textbook.
Continue reading "Preparing for the Exams"On April 14th, the US Transportation Security Administration started enforcing a new ban on cigarette lighters. A month later, I saw the corresponding announcement posted on a check-in desk at the Samos international airport. At the same airport I also saw a free-roaming cat getting its food delivered directly on the tarmac. I entered my flight feeling a lot safer.
Continue reading "Cats and Cigarette Lighters"The images speak for themselves.
Continue reading "Writing, GUIs, and 4000 Years of Progress"The garage remote control at the place where I work is really interesting.
Continue reading "An Interesting Remote Control"One would expect someone who is reading and contributing to comp.risks since 1990 to know better, especially if he is also lecturing courses on IT security, and has written a couple of papers in the area. Maybe it was also a well deserved punishment for laughing at emails titled "Valuable business proposition" and "Renew your e-bay account" (who is so dumb so as to fall for these schemes?)
Continue reading "Security researcher beguiled by email spoof"
Last update: Wednesday, December 4, 2024 1:52 pm
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