GM comes out of bankruptcy

Wow that was quick... So quick I guess most of you didn't even see GM and government pull the wool over the eyes of GM's creditors. Basically GM sold its assets to the a new GM owned by the union and the government and totaly f'ed any creditor the old GM owed money to.

This will be strange bedfellows. A leaner meaner General Motors Company (new name), will be owned by the Gov'ment and the UAW. Watch this combination... We might as well change the classification the new GM to not for profit. They will make cars for the people by union labor that is overpaid and inefficient, for owners that don't really know that they own the company (taxpayers).

Here are my predictions. In addition to selling cars on ebay, Each model will have it's own Facebook page. 'B' lite specials will go out via twitter (sorry Kmart). After profits suck for a while the government will pass legislation for tax breaks if you buy a bailoutmobile.

Just goes to show you, Truth is stranger than fiction

My Top Ten iPhone killer apps

The iPhone is democratizing app development and distribution... Here are my top 10 favorite application yet to be written

10. The guy who wrote this is rich iPhone app. Basically an 'I am Rich' redux.
9. The iPhone Pocket Fisherman.
8. The iPhone taser.
7. Cougar on the Prowl for iPhone (I think some already has created this).
6. The Staples Easy Button for iPhone.
5. The History Eraser Button for iPhone (props to Ren and Stimpy).
4. Liar,Liar for iPhone (polygraph).
3. HeadOn for iPhone.
2. Scratchers tickets for IPhone.
1. The iPhone pregnacy test.

Seriously, If I can get someone to rub their iPhone on their forehead or pee on it then my job is done...

PIN for Credit Cards... NOW!

Within the last ten years the infrastructure to support Credit Card PINs has been installed. The rush to allow debit cards to be accepted in the marketplace has paved the way to apply the PIN concept to the credit card. Many millions of POS terminals have been added into locations across the world. These POS terminals can be made to ask for a PIN on credit transactions.

In reality, the introduction of the POS terminal and phone transactions have bypassed the original intended purpose for a credit card transaction. The credit card is supposed to be a presentment system. The fact that I present the card to the seller says something about the legitimacy of me as the owner. With the advent of mail order, and phone transactions the need to have the card has dried up. The POS system does much the same. Now I don't have to present my card to the cashier, I swipe and control the transaction myself. If I am a crook using a stolen card, the cashier doesn't even know. Obviously with a phone or a mail order transaction the PIN concept does not work, however, the crook would leave a trail (shipping address) to follow. At a POS terminal there is no trail to follow. Once the crook is out of the store it is done.

By implementing a PIN system for the CC transaction you will be cutting down on the crooks ability to do a non traceable transaction. Use of stolen cards, duplicated cards would all be hindered by adding a PIN to the card present transaction.

Security at my bank

I went to the drive through the other day to deposit some checks... Now this is a typical drive through except the bank had removed the teller window and replaced it with a monitor in a weatherproof steel box. While filling out my deposit slip I looked up and noticed that the screen saver on the monitor was the Microsoft Windows 2000 logo. As a web developer I go through pains to remove all traces of OS version, server version etc. to give attackers less info on what is in the black box. So is this a vulnerability or just a comment on the state of the technology at that particular branch?