Pet Peeves #5: Plain-text passwords in emails

Passwords, as essential as they are to our online security, should never appear in plain-text. It is the worst way to store a password, and compromises the essential security function of a password. Unfortunately, there are some unscrupulous web services out there that do exactly that. Too many times I have clicked the “Forgot your password?” button on a site, and …

Misconceptions about bandwidth: Faster Internet does NOT equal faster downloads

Very recently, an Internet service run by no other than Google came to Provo, Utah. With this new service, dubbed Google Fiber, customers can get up to a 1,000 Mbits per second connection, putting all other Internet providers to shame. Google proudly touts the advantages, from downloading hundreds of photos in less than 5 seconds to streaming pixel-perfect HD video …