While Facebook and Onavo include some details in their license agreement, I’m 100% sure no one realizes that Facebook is using Onavo to learn what apps users are using, and what sites they’re visiting. The whole point of a privacy VPN is to have privacy, not to expose everything to Facebook.

I’m not one for regulation, but it sure feels like this is dirty pool – killing competing apps in the cradle by knowing when they are getting traction, and then adding the functionality to Facebook so that they can take the market from the startup.

Read the TechCrunch article about it.

This is fascinating stuff.  While this particular test is focused on women, no doubt there will be tests that are for men, and gender neutral ones as well.

Are you a Todoist user?  If so, these two blog entries may help you get more out of your investment (either time or money)

https://blog.todoist.com/2015/09/03/10-hidden-features-of-todoist/

https://blog.todoist.com/2014/06/10/a-comprehensive-guide-to-todoist/

I received this link through Brent Ozar Unlimited’s weekly mailing list (if you’re a SQL geek at all, sign up for it by registering for their SQL First Responder Kit!).

The short version of Justin’s blog post is that Google is simply miles (kilometers for those of us not using Freedom Units) ahead of Apple maps, and everyone else. He delves into the level of data and derived information that Google has access too, which really shows how far ahead they are versus the competition.

Definitely worth the read, especially if you want to feel inadequate about your own data collection and analysis skills and systems.

https://www.justinobeirne.com/google-maps-moat

Adron Hall (blogging as The Transit Slueth) has written up his first person perspective of the recent train derailment. It’s definitely worth a read.

The Story on Amtrak Cascades Train 501 Derailment

It’s a fascinating view into the environment leading up to, during, and after the derailment. Definitely worth a read.

As he points out, rail is safer than driving and this accident doesn’t change that. Personally, I’ve never travelled on Amtrak for anything except maybe some NYC to surrounding states when I was a kid.  I did used to commute via Metra from Chicago to Lake Forest for work.  Loved the overall serenity of it, but hated being tied to a schedule.  Deb and I have talked about doing some sort of high-class regional trip, just need time to get around to it.

The only disappointing thing is that he makes a reference to a Trump tweet at the end, and that has completely derailed (ha!) the comments section. I guess that’s just the state of the world today.  I think it’s okay for someone to call a President out for saying false things, but some Trump supporters do not react well to that.  I’m sure it was the same way with Obama’s tweets… oh wait, not it wasn’t – he never tweeted!

Anyway, go read the post, it’s a good one.  And if you don’t want to get your blood pressure up, you should probably skip the comments.

I am quite impressed with the way eBook pricing works.  In this case, I’m using Amazon’s pricing as an example, but it’s not much different on Barnes and Noble’s site.

In this case, I’m interested in the book Artemis, by Andy Weir – author of The Martian.

When I went to purchase the Kindle edition of the book I found that it’s actually priced *higher* than the hardcover edition!  On what planet is it more expensive to ship some bits around than it is to print a hardcover novel and ship it across the country several times?  This is why I keep a ‘Kindle over $10’ shopping list.  If there’s an eBook priced over $10, and I can wait to buy it, I put it on that list.  Periodically I sweep through and find those where their price has dropped below $10.  If they have, and I still want it, I’ll jump on it.

In this case, I have something like 50 unread books, and Artemis can wait a bit while I work my way through the backlog.  Sorry Andy, you’ll have to wait to get my $1.

This is a fascinating article on The Atlantic.  Who knew something as ‘simple’ as a scallop could have such a fascinatingly complex eye.

https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/11/scallops-have-eyes-and-each-one-builds-a-beautiful-living-mirror/547115/

This page gives a simple, but very slick, visual representation of wind patterns and speed. It’s pretty interesting, and is really neat when looking around during hurricane season. Be sure to click / drag, and zoom in and out. Also, when you click somewhere it shows the wind speed and direction.

It works well on the desktop, but I’ve had issues on an iPad.  YMMV.