Privacy

Maybe I'm a bit paranoid, but I've been trying to pay more attention to the app permission requests now flooding phones and laptops. For example, I was going to install Amazon's Wishlist Browser Button, but was informed by Chrome that it needs permission to access all my "data on all websites."

What scares me (besides the fact that Google knows everything about me) is the horde of people out there installing these sorts of apps, giving full legal permission to a company like Amazon to look over their shoulder as they read their bank statements and compose personal emails.

Meanwhile, phone carriers actively monitor their user's keystrokes. Okay, so there may be not "threat" to security or privacy there, but I'm sure there's certain concern brewing.

I'm a huge fan of Pandora (sadly not available outside the US), but raised an eyebrow when their app wanted access to all of my contacts. On one hand, playing radio does not require knowing who my friends are. On the other hand, this is probably a large part of why Pandora is still free to use because they can sell this info to third parties, which they certainly do.

So here I am, questioning my new friends, Google, Amazon, and probably a slew of nameless demographic analytics companies ("Consumer Recreation Services," heh). They likely know more about me than my closest friends and relatives. It's scary, but I'm an optimist that this will make my life more enjoyable. Someday. I just need to get over the paranoia and install that wishlist button...

Right Triangles && Integers

Now that I'm in the world of creating exams, I find that it is helpful to keep as many integers involved as possible so that students don't get hung up on significant figures and rounding. In the end, more integers means easier grading.

Also, the problems (it's a statics class at the moment ... stupid pun) involve lots of right triangles, and one can use a 3-4-5 triangle only so many times before it becomes passé.

A little ruby spits out leg dimensions of uniquely proportioned right triangles with integer legs:

http://codepad.org/O43BQ0H0

(lookUp marks legs that are a multiple)

Output:

4 x 3 12 x 5 15 x 8 21 x 20 35 x 12 40 x 9 45 x 28 55 x 48 60 x 11 72 x 65 80 x 39 91 x 60 99 x 20 105 x 88 112 x 15 132 x 85 *** 140 x 51 *** 165 x 52 168 x 95 180 x 19 195 x 28