Take the Wheel, Somebody

Not my typical blog post, but one that does indeed have a lot to do with technology advances, and one that will affect many of you out there, although I doubt I'll be around to see it. However, this is about driverless cars, and this is something that is happening right now, so people get ready and enjoy this article from, of all places, The National Review. I enjoyed it top to bottom.

By Jonah Goldberg

"There’s a great scene in the movie The Right Stuff where the original Mercury astronauts are checking out the capsule for their first trips to space. They’re horrified to discover that the German scientists in charge of the program see the astronauts as nothing more than living props.

There is no window, the scientists explain. There’s no emergency hatch or even controls for the astronauts to use. It’s all automated. “We want a window,” the astronauts demand.

The white-frocked experts reluctantly agree to give the astronauts a window and piloting controls because they know the American people would hate to see the nation’s greatest pilots treated like lab monkeys with no say in their fate.

I can’t help but wonder whether in 20 years the American people will have the right stuff to demand a steering wheel in their cars."

Take the Wheel, Somebody 

Apple's new iPad: Hands-on

You can't go anywhere on the web without running into the new iPad announcement, but I found this review, including videos, among the best coverage on the web. It's from cnet.com. I still say I would love to have one to play with, but it is a pretty expensive toy. If I were to buy one, I'd buy only the WiFi model. I just don't see the need for the 4G model that also includes a rather large ongoing monthly fee in addition to its high purchase price.

"Apple announces the new iPad at an event in San Francisco, and CNET gets some hands-on time with the third-generation device.

The iPad's new screen is a stunner. That's really all you need to know about the new iPad (yes, that's the name). That, and a reminder that pricing still starts at $499 for a 16GB Wi-Fi model, with 4G starting at $629."

Read much more if you are so inclined here.

Wipe your data without removing Windows

This is a really good tip I found on the Kim Komando web site. As noted many times before, I take a look at Kim's site every day, and mostly I am looking for what her Tip of the Day is. This is today's, and I found it very useful. It contains information on some programs I know but also some I hadn't heard of before. Even if the subject doesn't interest you, you may still find some useful information contained within the tip. This will be especially useful to those of you who may be transferring ownership of your computer to someone else, be it a charity or a friend or a family member. I actually get the question quite frequently about the best way to clean up your system before the transfer. This one tip of Kim's seems to cover all of the bases.

Wipe your data without removing Windows

World's Most Wanted Hacker

This is good news for us all! This comes from foxnews.com.

From foxnews.com

"His name is Hector Xavier Monsegur, aka 'Sabu,' described as a 'lazy,' jobless 28-year-old computer genius living on welfare with two young wards in a New York City housing project that served as the nerve center for the infamous hacking group LulzSec — and with his help, law enforcement on two continents this morning swooped in and took them down."

See story here