GPS in Cellphones

Got a question about GPS functionality in cellphones... I don't believe that the GPS circuit is powered if the phone is turned off so I don't believe that a powered-off phone can be "tracked". Beyond that its hard to say because its really up to how the network and phone are configured to work.

Examples:

• my Blackberry has a user option setting to enable and disable the GPS functions, however I believe that the setting gets bypassed during a 911 call, so can probably be bypassed other ways also.
• a couple of years ago when I was working on this it was limited to only while you were on a call because the network needed a "connection" over which to send the location data, but if a service provider wanted to invest some development dollars there would likely be a way to use the "control channels" to transfer the data while the phone was not in a call, but the cost/benefit of this would be questionable since the data bandwidth space available on the control channels is limited so not sure we would waste it on an application that targets individual users (but it is theoretically possible)
• there are less accurate versions that check signal levels received at different towers at the same time from your phone (in a call or idle, during a registration for example) and triangulating your location based on that (this is also done during "assisted GPS" situations where not enough satellites are visible to get an accurate GPS fix)

So, depends why you are asking. Normal commercial operation typically requires an active call and user enable of the service. Can "the man" find you if he really really wants to - probably...

Facebook Info Collection

This is an interesting review of Facebook "founding fathers". A little scary, but not at all unexpected. Actually I would have been very surprised if the article tried to tell me that detailed information gathering wasn't going on...

So the real question becomes, how do you protect yourself? At this point, aside from cutting all e-connections (which I don't really want to do...) all I can think to do is giving as little information as possible, and providing false information if I don't see how the information requested will assist ME in MY use of the internet service I am using.

Recently I asked Monster.ca to remove my information from their site because I wasn't using it very much at all (because it is riddled with intrusive ads and not easy to get what I want). Below is an excerpt from the email response I received:

"If you would like to have your email address and account COMPLETELY deleted from our database, please reply to this email with the following information as it appears on your account:

1. Account USERNAME for login (if known)
2. Street address
3. City
4. State
5. Country
6. Zip Code or Postal Code
7. Phone Number
8. Your Full Name
9. Any former email addresses you may have had on your account
10. A former employer or school that appears on your resume

The information that you provide is ONLY used for verification purposes. Once we verify the information, your account will be deleted."

Given that I had not provided them with most of the info above in the first place, I found it odd that I needed to provide all of this to have my account removed - my username and password, by definition, should be enough to uniquely identify me in their database.

My response? I logged on to my Monster.ca account and filled it with garbage data. After that they can keep it active for as long as they like.

Its just like the spam emails that say "click here to unsubscribe" - as soon as you click that link they know they have a valid email address that they can sell, and the flood gates open. I loved it when I got spam emails advertising CDs with millions of 'guaranteed valid email addresses' - how did they know the addresses were valid? because people had already provided some form of response.

Creating a PowerPoint picture album

A buddy of mine recently asked how to suck a bunch of pictures into PowerPoint to make a "photo album". I remembered doing this for my pictures from our trip to Belize so did some digging and found it again:

In my version of PowerPoint with my configuration (of course, qualifiers):
- select menu item "Insert"
- select "Picture"
- select "New Photo Album"

If you don't have this, it might be an add-in. Search the help file or online for related keywords. I did a Google search on "Powerpoint Insert Picture New Photo Album" and found a bunch of stuff, but there seem to be different things to do depending on the version of Windows and PowerPoint that you have.

Enjoy!

P.S. I think if you save a presentation as format PPS (Power Point Show), people don't need to have Power Point on their computers to see the presentation (I think....)

There they go, the boys in the bright white sports car...

There they go, the boys in the bright white sports car, waving their arms in the air - who do they think they are, and where did they get that car...

Tunes from the ages....

Having recently had a birthday milestone I got a mental image when the song came on the radio of my youth driving off "waving their arms in the air". Not that the image was all bad - my "youth" being represented by....let's say by something likely inspired by Chris' recent on-the-job personnel management issue, but still....

Rube! Buddy...!

This starts as a typical Rube Goldberg machine but soon becomes something near and dear to my heart, a flaming, explosive cornucopia of pyrotechnics!

There are lots of Rube Goldberg machine examples on YouTube worth a look, take a look, and heck, why not make a day of it?

I just saw a bathroom go by me on the highway...?

...cabinets and everything. ...and I think those are bedrooms, closets, and windows.... and that looks like a kitchen...more cabinets and a sink... I guess someone is building a modular home, fairly common I guess, but just funny to see it driving down the street...

Busy Canada Day Weekend

Bathroom is almost done. Dad is coming over to finish the tiling and grouting this week. I installed the light over the vanity, the exhaust fan, and the light in the shower this weekend. Found some additional things that need to be done but not urgent. Also repaired my rain barrel, successfully, and cleaned my gutters (really bad, yuck). Looking forward to a week of vacation next week - reading a book, and playing some golf.

Bathroom Remodel Update - Electrical Snag

Spend the last 2 days in the attic doing wiring for the bathroom. Trying to get a new light over the vanity and another in the shower connected to one switch, and a new fan connected to a timer. Got everything connected and...nothing. BUT before tearing it all apart I remembered that everything is running through a GFI plug - went back into the attic and hit the reset - and got something... The light over the vanity works, but nothing in the shower and the fan doesn't work. Upon further investigation I have found that the fan timer I bought requires connection to the neutral line as well as to the hot wire - but I've setup the wiring in such a way that only allows the timer to connect in line with the hot wire... SO, need to get another model of timer to make the fan work, and hoping that the shower light is just a bad bulb (but can't check since only temp install and still in the attic). I'll get a new timer tomorrow and change the bulb - and I am confident (honest) that it will work....

But, GETTING VERY CLOSE!!!!