Hill Top Information Technology

The Daily Courier posted an article about the E-mail accounts of a few police officers getting hacked and posted online for the world to see.  While I generally disapprove of crap like Wikileaks or the posting confidential information in any online forum, here’s what caught my eye:

“This leak has names, addresses, phone numbers, passwords, social security numbers, online dating account info, voicemails, chat logs, and seductive girlfriend pictures belonging to a dozen Arizona police officers. We found more internal police reports, cops forwarding racist chain emails, k9 drug unit cops who use percocets, and a convicted sex offender who was part of FOP Maricopa Lodge Five,” the [hacker] group said.

Now technically I don’t think any of that is illegal, but the statement does certainly paint the police in a bad light.  In my personal opinion, the police should hold themselves to the highest standard of morality and ethics and should be ready to stand inspection and be accountable for anything found to be less than exceptional.  However, cops are people too and they have a reasonable expectation to privacy that should not be violated by anyone.

Never the less, this is a lesson and prime example to the rest of us to not trust anything connected to the Internet.  If the cops can get pwned, where does that leave the rest of us?  My personal rule:  If it can transmit, don’t trust it.  Of course, it also helps if one is not a racist drug-abusing sex offender. 

Via: Daily Courier

Intel is building a new $5 billion-plus factory in Arizona (designated Fab 42).  It will be the most advanced, high-volume semi-conductor manufacturing facility in the world.  The effort will create 8,000 construction jobs and 1,000 permanent manufacturing jobs at Intel’s Arizona site.

Even though Fab 42 is being built in Chandler, it’s still welcome news for Arizona and local Prescott area folks.  The more factories Arizona gets, the better it is for everyone in our great state.  Intel’s CEO who is a Republican that has been critical of President Obama was recently named to the President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness.  Obama has also been promoting Intel’s STEM program.  Intel inspires the next generation of innovators with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) curriculum, competitions, and online resources to encourage students’ interest and participation.

“I want to commend the president for his leadership and focus on improving our science, technology, engineering, and math education,” [Intel CEO] Otellini said. “He has taken actions – including key steps like making STEM a priority – in his $4 billion Race to the Top competition and his Educate to Innovate campaign.”

Who’s buttering your bread?  Normally, I’m not brand loyal.  However, I firmly believe in supporting our local economy.  Intel has most of their fabrication facilities in the USA (unlike AMD), and now they’re investing heavily in Arizona.  Intel CEO Otellini believes in what he calls a “Culture of Investment”, which is investing in American education and jobs.  He’s just proved it by putting his money where his mouth is.  I think that should win Intel some serious points in any future AMD versus Intel considerations.

So they want to build an underground city in Arizona.  Why not?  We can do nothing else with the Lavender Pit Mine just outside of Bisbee.  It’s only 900-feet deep and 300-acres wide, so tourists will still go to the Grand Canyon.  Might as well do something useful with it.  Either fill it up with trash or people.  People’s good.  Retired folk is better; it’s warm, no kids, and nobody wants to go there.  Perfect!

For some reason I’m reminded of the legend of the Prescott Tunnels.  They tried to build an underground society too, and they were never heard from again.  Historians have found no evidence they ever existed, and the Government flat out denies it.  What ever happened to all those people?  Don’t let history repeat itself!

Via: Inhabitat

Almost 100-years of awesomeness…

I just discovered the Arizona Centennial Website, and this is the online destination to learn about Arizona’s history, the upcoming Centennial events, and to post your favorite Arizona memories.  It’s definately worth checking out.

So on February 14, 2012 Arizona will celebrate it’s 100-years proudly.  Later that year on December 21, 2012 Arizona will be coming to an end along with the rest of the world (Mayan Event).

A recent article in the Daily Courier has drawn attention to the ongoing Internet gambling debate in Arizona.  In short, it doesn’t “legally” happen (and the legality itself is blurry) but many people are gambling online anyways.  Arizona may be considering taking a different position to allow online gambling withing the state.

There are concerns from local residents that online gambling is an addiction, and at the very least impossible to control.  For example, how to stop children from gambling online.  On the other hand there’s a valid argument supporting people’s freedom of choice while keeping the money spent on gambling from leaving the state.

I’d like to hear from the community.  Should online gambling be legal in Arizona, and why?  Please feel free to comment.

OMG, this is the best Cheesecake on the planet!

This is the best cheesecake I’ve ever had in my entire life.  My wife, my friends, and my colleagues all say the same thing, “best cheesecake I’ve ever had”.  I’ve had good cheesecake, and I’ve sampled cheesecake from San Francisco to New Jersey, and nobody comes even close to Shannon’s cheesecake’s.  I can not describe the pure awesomeness of this cheesecake; but I will try. Continue reading »

How can this window sticker hurt you?

It tells criminals a lot about you.  The pedophile now knows you have three children.  The killer who’s going to break into your house now knows they have to murder two adults, three children, a dog, and a cat.  When I point this out to people, they always respond with “I’ve never thought of it that way before.”  Criminals aren’t necessarily creative, but they do see things differently than most law-abiding citizens.  If they find a weakness, they are likely to exploit it.  The best defense is information security.

The Prescott Daily Courier reports “Phone, web scams clogging local law agencies“.  The article contains a laundry list of stories about local people getting scammed, and they’re in good company.  Everybody gets fooled, even multi-million-dollar corporations.

Here are some things you can do to protect yourself. Continue reading »