Interesting reads, 28 May 2018

Interesting things I read on the Internet this week

• Getting Google to ban our entire company while on the toilet — If this is true, the activity of one team member can bring down a whole organisation’s G-Suite account. That’s the terrifying thing about outsourcing your … everything.

• Electric Scooter Charger Culture Is Out of Control — Love the way Bird have gamified finding, charging and returning their rental scooters. Skipping the need for centralised infrastructure is smart.

• Siempo Beta - The Phone for Humans — I’ve been trying out this custom Android home screen which aims to reduce distractions and simplify the phone. It has definitely reduced my compulsive checking of certain apps, so positive reviews so far.

• My favorite principle for code quality — I really like how James Koppel thinks so deeply about the design of software.

• Applying for a Visa — An eerie view into the unaccountable data-collecting-and-sharing mess that is applying for a foreign visa. If you haven’t encountered Tactical Tech before, take a look at their great work.

• Bitcoin Gold Hit by Double Spend Attack, Exchanges Lose Millions — This is the theoretical 51% attack put into practice. One organisation was able to get the majority of the mining power, and rewrite history.

• Woman says her Amazon device recorded private conversation, sent it out to random contact — Another great reason to put someone else’s internet-connected microphone in your home. You couldn’t make this up.

• The Importance of Deep Work & The 30-Hour Method for Learning a New Skill — Important thoughts about how to think. This is striking in a distraction filled world: “The rule of thumb is that it takes approximately 25 minutes of focus without distraction to reach a state of flow.”