“According to FOIA documents obtained by EPIC new Postal Service self-service postage machines take portrait-style photographs of customers and retain them for 30 days.” IBM is the contractor behind the kiosks. Note that the kiosk is supposed to not complete the transaction if it determines the photograph has been compromised, so simply covering the camera is unlikely to work. As the cost of cameras and digital storage approaches zero, is it inevitable that every machine you interact with will take your photograph and store it? Via Slashdot.
DC Politicians Display Smarts in Their Baseball Stadium Deal
Interesting contrast to the Miller Park scheme hatched in Milwaukee & Madison some years ago, DC Common Council Chairman Linda Cropp has added some reality to the District’s deal with Major League Baseball:
At the John A. Wilson Building, anxiety over the future of baseball in Washington was evident all day. Mayor Anthony A. Williams (D) pronounced during his morning news conference that the deal was “in great, great jeopardy.” Council Chairman Linda W. Cropp (D), the architect of the legislative amendment that required private funding, said she was “looking to reduce the cost and risk for the District.”
“I keep hearing that we had a deal with baseball,” Cropp said. “Well, I have had a 30-year-plus deal with the citizens of this city. That deal trumps any other consideration with Major League Baseball.”
Safe Personal Computing
Security expert Bruce Schneier summarizes sensible personal computing safety tips here.
Duke’s 2 minute short copyright movies
Duke’s law school recently ran a contest that asked entrants to create short films demonstrating some of the tensions between art and intellectual property law, and the intellectual property issues artists face, focusing on either music or documentary film. Take a look here. Via Cory Doctorow.
2005 Mercury Montego Review
Dan Neil pens one of the more brutal car reviews I’ve seen: The 2005 Mercury Montego: “Mercury’s throwback makes everything new feel old again”.
Overture Center & The Madison Economy
Megan Krug continues her series on the economic impact of the Overture Center.
TABOR changes (Taxpayer Bill of Rights)
Kira Sparks has an update on the proposed TABOR legislation.
Car Review: Chrysler Town & Country Minivan
I recently drove a couple of versions of the latest Chrysler Minivans: a basic short body length car and a longer Town & Country version (rentals). My quick thoughts:
- They work, and includes some very useful design items. The dashboard controls are easy to use (with the exception of the strange shifter) and the radio is not bad.
- Air circulation on the short version is not great (for the people in the last row), while the longer version has adjustable air ducts throughout the mini-van.
- Reasonable power, though they really should have a 5 speed automatic like the 2005 Honda Odyssey.
- Handling: Low marks as the ride is rather soft, especially when the minivan has 6 passengers. The 2005 Honda Odyssey feels more sure footed.
Marquette Interchange Website
Today the Milwaukee Journal has a story about the state’s no bid
website for the Marquette Interchange project. $685,000!!!!?
Barnes to Move
Philadelphia’s fascinating Barnes Foundation is set to move downtown (from the Main Line) to Museum Row. Virtual Properties has a VR scene of the exterior here. Founder Albert C. Barnes, a patent medicine millionaire, never wanted this – he loathed the downtown art crowd. Visit the Barnes before it moves… Carol Vogel has more. Background links: Alltheweb Clusty Google MSN TeomaYahoo Search
“Everything these days doesn’t have to be a tourist trap.”