Mistakes and annoyances; DSL techs and favorite tools

* Backspin: Mistakes and annoyances * Gearhead: DSL techs and favorite tools * The past 7 days on Gibbsblog

Backspin: Mistakes and annoyances

Last week I screwed up when I cited problems Bill Gates had with an onstage demo at the International Consumer Electronics Show. Turns out that happened in 2005, not at the recent CES. As I now understand it, Gates’ latest demo went off without a hitch. My apologies. I’ll beat myself with a wet copy of Network World as soon as I stop typing.

To read this week’s Backspin in full, please go to: http://www.networkworld.com/columnists/2006/011606backspin.html?nl

Gearhead: DSL techs and favorite tools

If you have followed our travails with our DSL connection, we have an update for you: We asked for a technician to come and check out the DSL line, and last week an SBC DSL engineer, Todd 370, showed up.

To read this week’s Gearhead in full, please go to: http://www.networkworld.com/columnists/2006/011606gearhead.html?nl

The past 7 days on Gibbsblog:

DSL woes

You’d think in 2006, diagnosing and fixing DSL problems would be easy. You’d think wrong, as I write this week in Backspin. So what have your experiences been?

http://www.networkworld.com/community/?q=node/4169

Core principles of personal data security

From the “Something must be done about this” Department: The problem of companies being sloppy with your personal data was a big issue in 2005 and this year will become even more visible.

The last big du’oh in this area came to light on December 27th when Marriott International Inc.’s time-share division admitted that it had no idea where backup tapes containing credit card account information and Social Security numbers of about 206,000 time-share owners, customers, and company employees had gone.

And when I say Marriott had no idea, I mean they didn’t know whether the tapes, which went AWOL sometime in mid-November, were stolen or lost!

Since then it seems Marriott have got a little nearer to the truth — according to a TechTarget article it now appears that it was an internal loss or internal theft.

Of course Marriott isn’t the only company goofing in this way …

http://www.networkworld.com/community/?q=node/4127

The myth of the digital lifestyle

This week in Backspin, I explain why Bill Gates’s “digital lifestyle” keynote at CES had me yawning. Read why, then come back and discuss.

http://www.networkworld.com/community/?q=node/4079

A new use for patent infringement lawsuits

An interesting article on Tech Dirt discusses how the holder of a lapsed patent for Bluetooth enabled sunglasses has filed a suit against Oakley and Motorola for violating the patent he no longer owns. The story is actually quite complex and the conclusion is …

http://www.networkworld.com/community/?q=node/4078