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Buzz Out Loud 1370: The Hamburglar stole your data (podcast)

On today's show, McDonald's has a data breach, although it's not as bad as the one from the Mesa County, CO, sheriff's office, which apparently keeps its lists of victims, suspects, and informants in a nice, big, unprotected plain-text database. So, that's a few informants running for safe houses, then. Also, the Comcast Death Star turns its rays on Roku, Apple TV, and the like; and the Nook Color goes from awesome to officially awesome. --Molly

Molly Wood Former Executive Editor
Molly Wood was an executive editor at CNET, author of the Molly Rants blog, and host of the tech show, Always On. When she's not enraging fanboys of all stripes, she can be found offering tech opinions on CBS and elsewhere, and offering opinions on everything else to anyone who will listen.
Molly Wood
4 min read

On today's show, McDonald's has a data breach, although it's not as bad as the one from the Mesa County, CO, sheriff's office, which apparently keeps its lists of victims, suspects, and informants in a nice, big, unprotected plain-text database. So, that's a few informants running for safe houses, then. Also, the Comcast Death Star turns its rays on Roku, Apple TV, and the like; and the Nook Color goes from awesome to officially awesome. --Molly

Watch this: Ep. 1370: The Hamburglar stole your data

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EPISODE 1370

NEWS

Microsoft to Announce New Slates Aimed at the iPad
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/13/microsoft-to-announce-new-slates-targeting-ipad/

Goldman Sachs predicts tough times ahead for Microsoft
http://www.techflash.com/seattle/2010/12/goldman-sachs-predicts-tough-times.html

Nokia to cut about 800 jobs in Finland
https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6BD2VK20101214

Data leak embarrasses Colorado sheriff, terrifies informants
http://arstechnica.com/security/news/2010/12/informants-suspects-outed-in-accidental-database-leak.ars
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=131970302
AD BREAK

Comcast tests combo Internet-cable device
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704091204576017921595179398.html

Survey: Internet now as popular as TV
http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2010/12/13/internet-now-as-popular-as-tv-survey-shows/

Nook Color getting Android 2.2 and Market in January, current hacks could make it blow up [updated]
http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/14/nook-color-getting-android-2-2-and-market-in-january-current-ha/

Report: Apple invests in Toshiba LCD plant
http://news.cnet.com/8301-31021_3-20025524-260.html

Infinity Blade is fastest grossing iPhone app
http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=280209

QUICK HITS

Google adds to NFC with Zetawire
http://blogs.the451group.com/techdeals/ma/google-adds-to-nfc-with-zetawire/

McDonald’s hacked, customer data stolen
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/data-279937-mcdonald-personal.html

Apple Quietly Removed the Stealthy Jailbreak Detection in iOS 4.2.1
http://www.iphonedownloadblog.com/2010/12/13/apple-quietly-removed-the-stealthy-jailbreak-detection-in-ios-4-2-1/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+iphonedlb+%28iPhone+Download+Blog%29&utm_content=Twitter

Amazon MP3 Arrives for BlackBerry Smartphones
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/amazon_mp3_arrives_for_blackberry_smartphones.php

Google Voice released for iPad and iPod touch
http://googlevoiceblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/google-voice-app-now-supports-ipad-ipod.html

Super Mario Bros turns 25 with “All Stars Limited Edition”
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2374284,00.asp

GADGETS
Want the Nexus S? Get in line Thursday — early!
http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/14/best-buy-tells-the-nexus-s-retail-story-8am/

SCIENCE NEWS

EPA knowingly allowed use of pesticide that kills honey bees
http://www.fastcompany.com/1708896/wiki-bee-leaks-epa-document-reveals-agency-knowingly-allowed-use-of-bee-toxic-pesticide

Geminid meteor showers light up the sky
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/cambridgeshire/hi/people_and_places/nature/newsid_9284000/9284136.stm

HAPPY ENDING
The World's Facebook Relationships Visualized
http://mashable.com/2010/12/13/facebook-members-visualization/

The Top 50 Gawker media passwords (hint: 123456)
http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2010/12/13/the-top-50-gawker-media-passwords/

Voicemail (800-616-2638)

Sprint, remember them? Sprint?

Email (buzz@cnet.com)

Isn’t that fact that you are afraid to offend 4Chan proof that they are nothing but a gang getting their jollies terrorizing innocent people. Is attacking any site that makes a statement that you don’t agree with an attack on civil liberties?
Thanks 4Chan you have now shown that the government does need to find and throw you in jail. Bunch of creepy thugs.
Bring it on chumps I will even give you my servers IP address.
127.0.0.1 Try and trash my system!
David the Programmer.
Love the new look Molly.

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BOL Folks

With all this news about the Chrome OS and the Cr-48 lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about what the heck the purpose of this actually is.
There is a good use for it though that I haven’t really heard much about. I worked for 5 or 6 years developing technology insertions for classes (i.e. Giving kids buttons to click so they don’t fall asleep).
The major problem we always had were kids finding ways to get around doing what they were supposed to be doing with the computers and playing games instead. We put a whole lot of effort into figuring out how to lock down a windows computer, and we still weren’t very successful.

Chrome OS poses an interesting use in this case. Network traffic is much easier to filter and monitor than application usage is when you’re looking at huge groups of students (say, an entire school which could be be a few hundred + students). If you put Chrome OS computers in the classrooms you could filter out network traffic and develop Chrome apps or web pages so you could use more tech in the classrooms.
Not to get on a rant about our education system, but our schools are pathetically behind the curve in technology education. Cheap computers with a limited operating system like this could be great opportunity for our kids.

Love the show.
Nathan
Clinton, NY

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Not a fan of metered Internet. I have a Mac and PC and I don’t want to know how much Patch Tuesday and iTunes updates would cost me. Security updates are going to become the leaky toilet of a metered internet.

Joey

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bol.cnet.com – buzz@cnet.com – 800-616-2638

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