By nep on August 16, 2005 - 2:07am
I signed into my Royal Bank account on July 22, and got this notice:
To: HOP STUDIOS
Subject: Please Prepare Now for Upcoming Changes to the Sign-In Page
Effective August 17, 2005, client card numbers and passwords will no longer be automatically displayed when signing in to Online Banking.... The AutoComplete feature, which automatically displayed your client card numbers and passwords, will no longer be available. After this date, you will need to type your full client card numbers and passwords into the provided fields in order to enter Online Banking.
To me, this means that they're probably also going to break the Mac Keychain, probably by randomizing field names so that autofill tools won't be able to repopulate form fields.
If these built-in features of both the Mac and Windows operating system, features that are available in every major browser, are such a big security hole that the Royal Bank needs to disable them, don't you think they'd have been removed from the software by now because of the hue and cry of security conscious advocates?
And, if Royal Bank is suffering a rash of break-ins relating to the use of autofill, why haven't we heard reports about this in other media? Pointing out flaws in operating systems is practically a media sport these days, and anything that points out the flaws of online banking would be gret grist for the mill.
By nep on July 15, 2005 - 2:09am
I happened across the new Vancouver Electric Trolley Bus, and made a a photoset on Flickr.
Here's one shot, click for the rest:
Any one know when training will be done, and we can ride these new zippy contraptions?
By nep on June 14, 2005 - 9:02pm
LATimes.com says there's a tsunami warning along the Pacific coast, reaching all the way up to Vancouver island.
It's because of a 7.0 earthquake off the Northern California coast that rocked the waters at about 7:50 p.m. tonight.
On the slim possibility that we only have a little while left before the end of the city, I'm definitely going to stop doing my homework tonight.
More info: USGS Earthquake hazards program
Update: I guess the PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER only released a TSUNAMI INFORMATION BULLETIN, not a warning or a watch. Darn that LATimes.com; back to homework for me.
Update2: I guess the West Coast & Alaska Tsunami Warning Center was the one issuing the warning, and it's the folks in Hawaii and Japan that don't have to worry, while I can go back to slacking. The wave may or may not reach Tofino at 9:57 p.m. PDT.
Boy, figuring out impending doom is tricky!
Update3: Warning cancelled. Whew. But don't miss the
By nep on May 13, 2005 - 3:13am
There's a charming flower seller who works just up the street from where I live. She sells great tulips for a great price: 3 bundles for $5.
Today, though, there was a sign on Anya's stall: she'll be gone in about a week, closing her colorful booth.
I asked her why, and she said no reason, she just got tired of being a flower seller.
I asked her what she was doing next, she said she'd gotten a job as a baker, and that she'd be making bread.
So now, instead of making flowers into money, she'll be making flour into bread.
Sorry for the pun. I think I just wanted to point out that changing your life is easier than you think it might be, and also that if you want cheap, beautiful tulips, head to 1050 Pender Street right away.
By nep on March 29, 2005 - 10:06pm
Wednesday, my company (technically just the C-level executives: Susie and I) are going to Techvibes' Massive Vancouver exhibition at the recently renamed "Telusphere." Though I note that the Massive site, and everyone else, still calls it the B.C. Science World.
Any suggestions for what which sessions we should drop in on while there?
Other than, of course, the Bryght booth?
And is anyone going to be eating lunch in the area?
By nep on March 19, 2005 - 7:52pm
You know how once someone gets on your bad side, nothing they can do is right?
Well, Rogers Cellular just pissed me off again. They charged me a late payment of $0.90.
My payment was due March 6. I set Royal Bank to make the payment on March 6. Royal Bank took away that money on March 6....
By nep on March 7, 2005 - 12:57pm
I'm now the legal owner of 92 cars. Well, more like partial owner. I share them with 1736 other people in the Vancouver Cooperative Auto Network.
I signed up last Tuesday, drove my first one Thursday, and have another checked out today.
I'm no expert, but my friends have asked me a lot of questions about the CAN program over the past few days, so let me take a swing at this in Q/A format.
Q: Are the cars nice?
A: Yes, in that they are clean, not beat up, and appropriate for my activity (driving around grocery shopping and taking the cat to the vet). No, in that they don't have power windows, power door locks, CD players, etc. These are get-you-there cars. However, they did just add a Mini to the fleet! Update 3/8: In the comments, I'm told that some cars have power windows, etc. I have only used two cars, and apologize for the inaccuracy. I wasn't criticizing the cars for their spartan nature. The only power accessory I think they should consider is power door locks -- it's super awkward to have to reach across and unlock three doors, and it increases the risk that one door will be left unlocked by accident.
Q: Are the cars parked near you, Travis?
A: Yes, not too far away. The closest is about 4 blocks, and there are several within 8 blocks. They're parked in stalls in apartment building lots mostly, but sometimes just on certain streets, like in a certain block. If you can't find parking in the same spot you took it from, you call the CAR office, and tell them where you left it. Or, you just wave at the person who's taking the car out after you and drop it off in a loading zone -- the cars are in pretty constant use.
