Facebook Tool: Who Are You Looking At?

I came across an interesting little tool that tells you who you are searching for most on your facebook.  From the tests that I did the results seem pretty accurate.  I mean, you probably have an idea of who’s name you type in the search bar most, but still its a fun little trick.

Basically, you make sure https browsing is turned off. Then you take this little bookmarklet and drag it up to your toolbar.  It should say “facebook friends”.  Then you go to your facebook page and just click on the link you moved into your toolbar.  Your most searched for friends will be at the top.

http://thekeesh.com/2011/08/who-does-facebook-think-you-are-searching-for/

QR Codes, Why?

At first I thought QR codes were neat.  QR stands for quick response, but in my opinion, they are anything but quick.  They are a hassle. And you don’t know where it may take you.  Hello picture of a _______! (use your imagination)  QR codes were invented back in 1994  in Japan by the Toyota subsidiary Denso Wave to track vehicles during the manufacturing process.

You download a qr code reader program for your smartphone, then with your phone, you align the code, hold it steady, and it will capture the image and then it takes you to a link… sounds neat.  but however as time went on I realized they are a gigantic pain in the butt.

First of all you need a semi decent smart phone with a camera able to get close enough to the code to read it.

• QR codes generally don’t work well or AT ALL if they are printed on glossy paper.  So fail.  I tried 3 different brands of smartphones, 2 programs, none worked.
• QR codes sometimes come on the news or other programming, but only stay on the screen for about 5 seconds, clearly enough time for me to get out my phone, open up my code reading program, and align it with the camera.  Another fail.
• QR codes in places they have no business.  On the inside label of an alcoholic drink.  As if doing anything requiring more than 2 steps was easy when you are drunk, think about the frustration this would cause.. you must get out your phone, open the program, align your camera and hold it steady to the code printed on the back of a label stuck on a clear bottle of booze.  I don’t think a phone would even be able to read through the glass distortion if you got that far. This could be dangerous or cause a bar room brawl.  I don’t advise trying this one intoxicated.

• Why do they put QR codes on vehicles.  Unless you are parked, it’s pointless.
• QR code tattoos.  I’m just going to stay away from that one.
• On highway signs.  I thought it was illegal to text and drive at the same time.  I guess the passenger could do it, but wait, unless you are not moving this really freaking difficult.
• On the roof of a building.  Facebook has one.  Seriously!

Risks include linking to dangerous websites with browser exploits, enabling the microphone/camera/GPS and then streaming those feeds to a remote server, analysis of sensitive data (passwords, files, contacts, transactions), and sending email/SMS/IM messages or DDOS packets as part of a botnet corrupting privacy settings, stealing identity, and even containing malicious logic themselves such as javascript or a virus.  These actions may occur in the background while the user only sees the reader opening a seemingly harmless webpage.

Here is an article if you feel like scanning, that is just disturbing:

make your own qr codes: http://qrcode.kaywa.com/

share your creative uses or where you’ve seen these codes too!  I love feedback.

Related articles

• QR Codes, Why? (wastingtheendtimes.wordpress.com)

infothread.org: Infographics That Are Fun

The internet is so huge sometimes we become overwhelmed at all the information provided.  I found a site awhile back that has given me so much information on many different topics.  It’s great for when you are bored, talking to friends, chatting at a cocktail party,  blah, blah, blah.

It’s called infothread.org informations sorted into categories on random subjects from fashion to military to photoshop to advice to history to paranormal…and everything in between.  It has over 10,000 infographics: A graphic visual representations of information, data or knowledge. These graphics present complex information quickly and clearly, such as in signs, maps, journalism, technical writing, and education.
–Wikipedia

Visit this informative site, I don’t think you will be disappointed.

Related articles

• The Surprising Origins of Infographics (pixelsmithstudios.com)

Army “Accidentally” Drops Hellfire Missile Into Texas Neighborhood

On May 15, 2012  residents of the Trimmier Estates neighborhood in Killeen Texas were evacuated because of the accidental release of a hellfire missile (surface to air missile)  from an AH-64 Apache helicopter.   The missile which was said to be inert landed in a backyard and burrowed 4 feet into the ground. No one wasa injured.  A child of a soldier stationed at the nearby army base, Fort Hood, saw the missile fall from a helicopter around 8:15 p.m.  The child’s father, a soldier, reported the incident and around 100 homes were evacuated.  Residents were able to return at about 9 p.m. the same night.

Fort Hood’s Explosive Ordinance Disposal Team was dispatched and an investigation is underway.  They determined the missile was an M36 training device which has neither a warhead nor a propulsion system and isn’t intended to be launched.

The army does not believe it to be a systemic issue but rather a specific, individual or isolated factor and was not supposed to happen, derp.  However the investigation is incomplete.

Earlier the same day at Fort Hood, rescue teams conducted a “Force Protection Exercise”, a community wide training exercise which simulates the aftermath of a disaster (in this case a tornado sweeps across post, knocking down helicopters and injuring dozens of people).  Volunteers faked injuries, were loaded into ambulances and even taken to hospitals in the area and had fake paper work drawn up.  Firefighters, police, ems, etc, all participated in the exercise.

What a coincidence that these events happened on the same day!  Do you think that the missile drop was a test to see how well they could evacuate an area when people actually had a reason to panic?  What’s really going on here?

http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/Training_Missile_Falls_From_Helicopter_151661065.html

http://www.kcentv.com/story/18429931/local-rescuers-practice-in-case-of-tragedy-on-fort-hood

image: wikipedia