Is Starbucks a Sweet Spot for Hackers Looking to Steal Identities?

Cafes may be unintentionally hosting a new bastion of Internet lawlessness. At least, that’s what one politician is saying. Seems hacking’s so easy, even a Senator’s aide can do it (and did, yesterday, at a press conference in a Manhattan coffee shop.)

Ah, the cafe. That charming European idea, a place for a stimulating brew, a nice pastry, a place for work, for leisure–and, increasingly, for the shared camaraderie of your fellow laptop-wielders.

The only problem: That girl sitting next to you–the one who politely let you go ahead of her as you ordered your venti latte? Yeah, well, she just stole your identity. [read]

Burnout is Beautiful

Still processing this, but I thought I’d share it, regardless ::

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Melissa Gorzelanczyk of Peace & Projects.
Everyone experiences burnout.

Maybe you feel overworked, sick of your marriage or stressed about money. Maybe you’re living a daily cliché: one step forward, two steps back. Life can be tricky like that.

Believe it or not, burnout can be a beautiful thing. Instead of surrendering to burnout, what if you could use it to transform your life? Just like the story of the Phoenix, what if burnout was a chance for rebirth?

Four years ago I was overworked, stressed and a bit burned out. [read]

The Art of Decision Making In Social Media

The way people approach decisions is fascinating. Not all decisions are created equal of course; there are those that require immediate action or opportunity will be lost, while others are best decided after careful consideration and research. The weight of each type of decision varies, as do the repercussions for acting quickly or being too slow. In business, the majority of people tend to flip-flop the decision process. Sometimes easy questions or calls to action come about, and usually they can be handled simply by giving it a little thought and making a decision. [read]

What you need to know about Thunderbolt [Mac]

The arrival of Apple’s latest MacBook Pro models brings with it a brand-new connection technology called Thunderbolt. And by brand-new, we mean “just announced Thursday morning,” which raises lots of questions about what, exactly, Thunderbolt is and why Apple has chosen to make it a flagship feature of the company’s newest notebooks. Here’s what you need to know about the industry’s latest connection standard. [read]

Here Comes Apple’s Cloud-Based Streaming Service for iTunes

iTunes music streaming has been rumored for a long while, but has never actually surfaced… But if you read between the lines of two pieces of news at the moment, it seems the time is finally ripe.

Apple settles record industry nerves

We think, from previous inside information leaks, that one of the big hold-ups to a streaming iTunes music service was the recording industry–it had been caught on the hop when Apple revolutionized the digital music industry and then stole control of huge chunks of the business right out from under the feet of those who thought they were in charge. [read]

DS214 Headphone Amp, Meter, AGC Disable for DSLR

Like the idea but it’s missing the xlr input.

The juicedLink DS214 is a low-noise preamplifier with a 3.5mm stereo minijack input. There are high/low gain settings, and each channel (left and right) have individual potentiometer control. The output is an amplified mic level suitable for driving the mic inputs on cameras and recorders. Each channel (right and left) has its own dedicated meter with the ability to calibrate them (as different cameras and settings will require different calibration set points). The right and left channels combine for a mono headphone amplifier. For the Canon 7D and T2i cameras which do not have manual audio control, the DS214 AGC Disable feature will force the camera to throttle back its noisy amplifiers, to be able to achieve better signal-to-noise performance from the camera. [read]

Canon T3i/600D IS HERE

Canon T3i/600D

The Canon T3i has arrived

Canon has unveiled the EOS T3i (known in Europe as the EOS 600D) upper entry-level DSLR. It continues to use the 18MP CMOS sensor seen in the Rebel T2i (550D) but gains a tilt and swivel 1,040k dot LCD monitor like the one offered on the more expensive 60D. It also gains the ability to remotely control flashguns using its internal flash, a feature previously only featured on higher-end models. Alongside the camera, Canon is also launching the 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 IS II, a cosmetically revised version of its optically stabilized kit lens.

Buy it now from AMAZON: Canon EOS Rebel T3i 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera and DIGIC 4 Imaging with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens

Audio Metering Introduction

A while ago James commented on the podcast and asked for a segment explaining some of the metering tools we have available in DAWs. If you follow the podcast you may have already heard this info.

Before we get into the DAW let’s briefly go over the way analog equipment is calibrated.

VU

Mic preamps, converters, hardware effect processors are all designed to work optimally at 0 VU. They can usually handle more than that before distorting, but 0 VU is where the signal to noise is best. VU stands for Volume Unit and is the oldest analog metering system. VU meters are relatively slow moving with at 300ms response time. This slow response of a VU meter better represents an averaged volume level close to how our hears work. 0VU is equal to +4dBu or professional line level. [read]

Can’t Find a Dream Job? Create Your Own

Zen Habits – I was once unemployed, and I know the debilitating depression and the feelings of frustration and helplessness that can come with that. I’ve been stuck in a job I hate, and I felt imprisoned, trapped doing work that bored me while following orders of others and helping them achieve their goals.

Those times were … less than ideal. In fact, those were some of the worst periods in the story of my life.

Luckily I rose above those traps, but I have to admit it wasn’t easy. The solution has been one of the most liberating, empowering, joyous things in my life. [read]

How to Delete That Negative Voice in Your Brain

Even the most positive, well-adjusted person in the world still falls victim to his or her own negative thoughts now and again. It’s human nature. It’s The Saboteur. It’s the price we pay for all that amazing human intelligence. But that doesn’t make it right.

Stop for a minute and listen to the voices in your head. Most of us have at least one or two on a constant loop, repeating the same negative —and often untrue— drivel day in and day out.

It’s such an unconscious pattern that many people hardly even notice it. They certainly don’t have to think about it. But it’s there, swirling around, causing all kinds of unspoken damage —things like stress, low self-confidence and fear of taking risks to name a few. [read]