Out of the blue, I got an email from Microsoft Online Services containing a verification code. Within a few seconds, I got two more. All three messages are in Portuguese. Someone is trying to verify my email address through Microsoft for CPFL Energia, a power company in Brazil.…
Read the rest “Microsoft Account Recovery Makes No Sense”
For the last few months I have been seeing an annoying behavior from spammers. At it’s core it is the use of pairs of emails coming in with a time gap to give the impression of validity. The second email gives the impression of a co-worker or supervisor following up on the communication.…
Read the rest “Spam Pairs”
I’m really getting tired of this false equivalency between identity and a persons means of communication. I had another case today where a service that I’ve used for years now denies my access to that service unless I prove to them that I have the financial resources to pay a phone company every month.…
Read the rest “Meta Requires SMS”
I used to keep an older cell phone around to use when traveling. When I got to my destination, I would find a local sim with prepaid service and insert it into my unlocked phone. A few years ago with the advent of eSims I was looking for a pre-paid carrier that did not need a physical sim.…
Read the rest “Airalo Data Plan for Travel (and Home)”
I was recently trying to renew my car’s registration. I was given the option of using the “Classic Online Renewal” or the new “Texas by Texas (TxT)” system.
The old system is probably over two decades old and appears to be using Java servlets.…
Read the rest “A Note About Security Questions”
Ⅴisited the SEA Aero Design competition at Thunderbird Field and took a few pictures. These teams came in from universities around the North America from Berkeley to Puerto Rico, as well as Spain and Poland representing Europe. Teams had to build their own aircraft and demonstrate the flight performance.…
Read the rest “SAE Aero Design Competition”
This is a follow-up from a previous post. I really do not understand what is going on here. I thought I had it figured out as a scam with no hope of ever receiving the product or getting the money back.…
Read the rest “Clever Scammer Revisit”
Like many people, I have more than one email address. One of my addresses has gotten out in the wild and become completely useless for actual correspondence. As a side benefit, I can now use it as a canary account to see trends in spam in near real time.…
Read the rest “New Wave of Spam”
This story starts off over a month a go when someone wanted to buy a couple of hand bags from an ad on Facebook. This wasn’t a random google search but a ad that surely was vetted by somebody on social media, right.…
Read the rest “Clever Scammer Website”
Come on guys. You see it don’t you? The new Valor looks like the HK-T form Terminator 2 (1991) — right down to the v-shaped tail. Is Bell just copying Cameron?
Bell Textron V-280 Valor
Skynet HK-T Aerial Transport
Very early on the morning of November 16th, I stood with my camera waiting once again for this rocket to go. This was my second trip to Florida to see this launch. Back in August the first expedition was thwarted by the tiny hydrogen molecule and its unwillingness to behave under unbelievable cryogenic conditions.…
Read the rest “Artemis I Launch”
NASA announced that they are going to leave SLS on the launchpad to stand up to Nicole this week. After the storm passes they will inspect the behemoth and decide whether to start the countdown to return to the barn. There are two windows next week, both offering 2-hours to get the candle lit in the wee hours of Wednesday and Saturday.…
Read the rest “Artemis After the Rain”
I love one new feature on my phone: “Report and Delete Junk”. I do not know if it is a feature of the OS alone or something from my carrier.
Especially on election day where my phone is beeping every hour with yet another political spam message coming from a phone number (not a short code).…
Read the rest “Report and Delete” 
