Category: Consumer
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Security vs Security Theatre; A Lesson for Abbott
Security theater, as defined by Wikipedia, “is the practice of implementing security measures that are considered to provide the feeling of improved security while doing little or nothing to achieve it.” This is a common term used by information security professionals and has been a concept for a long, long time. I recently pointed it…
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The Night I Almost Died
I write a lot. Most recently it has been about information security, movie reviews, so-called AI, and a few other topics. It’s been four years since I blogged about my poor experience with Abbott’s Libre2 glucose sensor technology and all the shortcomings. Since then I have tweeted to them a considerable amount when my continuous…
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YouTube: I Don’t Think You Understand Your Userbase
It’s pretty rare that I use YouTube on a television, typically only if in the mood for specific music. Even then it tends to be a handful of videos as my ‘go to’. Earlier this month I was in the mood for such a concert and loaded it. I am authenticated as my Google account,…
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CenturyLink, Cancellation, and Headache
A few years ago I moved into the mountains outside of Denver. Given the potential for serious adverse weather and the potential not to have service to my cell phone, I thought it prudent to get POTS; plain old telephone service. That’s right, a land line! I know, how retro of me. Almost three years…
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Domain Transfer Confirmation Email? No, It’s Not From ICANN… BUT…
[3/7/2026 Update: So after all this, and me saying such a mail is a scam, it is not. The new hosting provider chosen by Mauvehed, for attrition.org, uses this entity as a “partner registrar”. This new provider demonstrates they are amateur hour at security. First, the mail doesn’t identify the hosting provider, and doesn’t identify…
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Do you want the best cocktail?
Do you want the best cocktail you have probably had in recent years? Assuming you don’t go out too much and partake in all of the drinks? There’s a simple way I have found, that has a near 100% success rate. Even better, it almost always makes the person taking your order, or your bartender,…
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Abbott, the Libre 2 App, and No Common Sense
For those familiar with continuous glucose monitors (CGM), you may be familiar with the Abbott FreeStyle Libre device. It is an extremely popular device that is based on Near-field communication (NFC) where the wearer uses their phone to poll the device attached to their body. NFC is convenient but very low range; it’s the same…
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Review: Console Vault – Installation, Security, and Break-in
Last October I purchased a “Console Vault Jeep Grand Cherokee 2011-2021” which is a drop-in vault for the center console. At the time I paid $269 for it but the price is currently listed at $299. While the vault is a great idea, this model had some strengths and ultimately weaknesses that mean it was…
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Dec 3 – Breckenridge Ski Report
The Good The people on the mountain are mostly good about social distancing in on the lift rides (two people for a four-chair lift), but not so much in line. You get a stark reminder of this when it is 10 degrees and you can see everyone’s breath. While not much of the terrain is…
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Twitter, Companies, and your Complaints
The rise of social media has been interesting to say the least. Many on twitter have found it to give them a type of power as they can voice their complaints directly to a company that has wronged them. Everything from bad customer service, bad prices, minor inconvenience, or even perceived slights that likely never…