Another vulnerability on the heels of Lenovo’s Superfish, there is a somewhat serious issue with Dell’s System Detect Utility reported by F-Secure (via Fierce IT Security). At least this wasn’t specifically a Malware-like application, but still makes one pause about the amount of pre-installed software on modern Windows PCs, and the difficulty of doing a clean OS install.
A came across an article in Medium on the author’s move to avoid Apple, Google, and Microsoft products. It’s an interesting discussion on the power of these companies, and the compromises users submit to for the sake of convenience.
I myself can completely understand, using Google Apps for the email of this domain. Google has an easier time tracking me with the amount of services I use from them. However, I think the cultivation of serviceable options, as well as “…encouraging as many people as possible to find ways to take control for themselves…” is a good idea to keep in the forefront of the public mind.
Vagrant is one of the most useful tools for automating the build of Virtual environments for testing and development purposes. I’m usually a Linux/Unix type guy, but on occasion it would be nice to be able to test Windows. I just came across this post that indicates the modern.ie has provided a set of base boxes that are usable for Vagrant. I haven’t had a chance to test them yet, but plan to do so soon.
I really do like Google Apps overall. But when outages like this occur, it’s hard to stay optimistic. I know my personal Drive services are free, but my company, which pays for Google support, is also not operational. It only takes a few of these outages before people go back to local storage.
The idea of using Google+ as a blogging platform is tempting. Built-in user verification, an easy ability to export all posts if I wish, a built-in audience (of sorts…)
Why I Blog On Google
However, several others have made good points that essential you become a digital sharecropper, beholden to whatever policies Google puts into place.
Why You Shouldn’t Use Google+ For Blogging
8 Reasons You Should Never Give Up Your Own Blog for Google+