Minnov8 Gang 339 – Your Cat Will Love It

Another round of great stories this week along with Phil’s Cool Thing of the Week: the BB-8™ Droid by Sphero and yes, cats love it!

Hosts: Steve Borsch, Tim Elliott and Phil Wilson (Graeme Thickins is off).
Music: OMFG-Hello by Argofox under a Creative Commons License

The Podcast

Podcast: Download (Duration: 45:23 — 26.5MB)

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Story Links

Past Week’s Top MN Stories

• Mobcon review (Phil)
• Local companies, others win Tekne tech and science prizes
• Comcast is mystery employer seeking $1.4M in job subsidies
• Best Buy Joins Chorus Of Weary Retail Outlook For Holiday Season
  • Best Buy dragged down by declining sales of some devices
• Target Posts Strong Q3 Amid Faltering Retail Market (i.e., online sales)

Other Top Tech Stories

• The Shady World of Repair Manuals: Copyrighting for Planned Obsolescence  (hat tip to Alex Haar from this tweet)
• Encrypted Messaging Apps Face New Scrutiny Over Possible Role in Paris Attacks
  • Is Congress Really Gearing Up for an Encryption Battle?
• Apple News:
  • Tim Cook: Apple won’t create ‘converged’ MacBook and iPad
  • Renderings show spectacular plans for new Frank Lloyd Wright-style Apple Store on the Chicago River
• Introducing the new Google+
• Oxford Dictionaries Selects an Emoji as Word of the Year
• Mentions:
  • Honey – a Chrome browser extension to find coupons
  • Bloomberg West

Steve’s Security Tip of the Week

TIP: Use encryption now, even though Congress, Parliament, and other western governmental leaders are rattling their sabers, hoping they can build support for outlawing encryption (or at least putting in a backdoor).

1. Get a password manager and use STRONG, encrypted passwords
2. Use a VPN
3. Don’t enter sensitive information on a website unless it’s https (SSL) and you are connected via a VPN if on public Wifi.
4. Encrypt your Windows (BitLocker) or OS X (FileVault) hard drive or the open source TrueCrypt. Include external drives you take with you (e.g., thumb, or USB spinning drives) in your encryption regimen
5. Use Signal app on your iPhone or Android device (encrypted text AND voice calls to other Signal users)

• Articles about encryption:
  • Bruce Schneier: Why We Encrypt
  • How To Use Encryption In A Small Business
  • After Endless Demonization Of Encryption, Police Find Paris Attackers Coordinated Via Unencrypted SMS

Cool Thing of the Week

• Phil: BB8 Drone from Sphero
• Tim: Microsoft Windows turns 30 
• Steve: The LapPad – Mobile Desk for Laptops, Tablets, and Smartphones = $79

Upcoming Events

• Mobile Twin Cities event: IoT for the Holidays, Tuesday, Dec. 1st, 6:00pm BuzzFeed Office.
• MinneAnalytics does Marketing Analytics – again! (MAMA2), January 22, Medtronic Mounds View Campus
• Star Wars – The Force Awakens opens Friday Dec. 18th