blog dds: funny

2009.04.26

Dual-Use Technology

Lego sells lovely toys with a great educational potential. No peace-loving father would have a problem giving them as a gift (especially, if he can also occasionally take part in the action). Unfortunately, children seem to have their own (genetically preprogrammed?) ideas of what is interesting to build. I still love Lego, but I'm a bit worried about human nature.

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Last modified: Sunday, April 26, 2009 3:17 pm

2008.10.16

Missing the Point

A number of Greek web sites offer for download a very strange Excel form.

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Last modified: Thursday, October 16, 2008 5:36 pm

2008.09.06

Daring Youth: Then and Now

My friend and colleague Stephanos Androutsellis-Theotokis pointed me to two amazing YouTube videos (here and here) of Parkour and Free running. He commented that it's crazy what these people can do, and with how much flow and speed.

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Last modified: Saturday, September 6, 2008 2:16 pm

2008.08.05

A Child's Crontab

When the time to go to sleep is approaching, all children seem to be configured with the same crontab.

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Last modified: Tuesday, August 5, 2008 9:35 am

2006.11.28

Internet Explorer's Cleaner Look

Today the Microsoft update on my Windows machine asked me to upgrade the Internet Explorer to version 7.0. My bank refuses to work with any browser other than IE, so, although I'm using SeaMonkey as my everyday browser, I'm also forced to keep a current copy of IE. The installation's banner reinforced some of the fears I have regarding Microsoft's technical prowess.

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Last modified: Friday, December 15, 2006 4:10 pm

2006.07.11

Boot Lock

I first admired this ingenious method of locking a car in Rowan Atkinson's Mr. Bean series. A few days ago I saw it in real life.

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Last modified: Tuesday, July 11, 2006 11:15 am

2006.05.24

Security is a Problem of the Weakest Link

While attending the ICSE 2006 conference I stayed at the Tong Mao hotel. My room featured an impressive-looking safe: thick steel, two bolts, and a digital lock.

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Last modified: Wednesday, May 24, 2006 4:49 am

2006.02.22

Management Support Technologies

My academic title contains the words management support technologies. I therefore considered the new and efficient document management and dispatch system I saw in use at my health insurance provider a rare gem, worthy of inclusion in this blog.

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Last modified: Wednesday, February 22, 2006 0:46 am

2005.09.15

Information Kiosk

The inclined panel is indeed a computer screen, and, of course, it is not working. Another, more reliable, technology has prevailed.

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Last modified: Thursday, September 15, 2005 0:47 am

2005.09.05

Preparing for the Exams

The (retake) exam period has started. At the metro the passenger sitting opposite me is obviously a student frantically sorting the cards containing a 6%-reduced photocopy of her forensic psychology textbook.

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Last modified: Tuesday, September 6, 2005 0:23 am

2005.05.19

Cats and Cigarette Lighters

On April 14th, the US Transportation Security Administration started enforcing a new ban on cigarette lighters. A month later, I saw the corresponding announcement posted on a check-in desk at the Samos international airport. At the same airport I also saw a free-roaming cat getting its food delivered directly on the tarmac. I entered my flight feeling a lot safer.

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Last modified: Thursday, May 19, 2005 3:06 pm

2004.01.20

Writing, GUIs, and 4000 Years of Progress

The images speak for themselves.

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Last modified: Tuesday, January 20, 2004 2:13 pm

2003.07.12

An Interesting Remote Control

The garage remote control at the place where I work is really interesting.

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Last modified: Thursday, August 25, 2005 12:47 am

2003.06.28

Security researcher beguiled by email spoof

One would expect someone who is reading and contributing to comp.risks since 1990 to know better, especially if he is also lecturing courses on IT security, and has written a couple of papers in the area. Maybe it was also a well deserved punishment for laughing at emails titled "Valuable business proposition" and "Renew your e-bay account" (who is so dumb so as to fall for these schemes?)

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Last modified: Friday, September 26, 2003 11:17 am