April 28, 2011 
Holy hack Batman! After blasting away at Apple earlier this week, it took exactly one day for my privacy concerns in the age of technology to blaze back onto the front page. It appears Sony has suffered one of the biggest data thefts ever. Somebody hacked their servers and stole personal information of their online users. This includes credit cards, addresses, sexual preference (okay I made that one up). Sony has no idea how many people were affected but they are not ruling out the possibility it is everyone. That means 77 million people.
The hack was so bad that Sony actually shut down their online services this week. This is a big deal. Everyday they are shut down they are bleeding money. As one of the people whose name is on that server I am thankful this time I don’t have to worry about it because my credit card on file was expired. If it turns out they got to everyone’s information this will be one of the biggest data thefts ever (if not the biggest).
It is a little disappointing because when you hand over your credit card number and personal information to companies you are doing so with the idea your data will be protected and private. It is a silly way to feel because hacks and data theft happens all the time. This was a big one though. Makes you wonder if anyone is safe. What happens when someone hacks into the IRS? It does make you think twice about all the information we hand over so willingly.
Speaking of handing over information. To further prove that our gadgets are completely watching us, you’ll love this next one. GPS company Tom Tom collects data from the cars that use it. Part of the data it collects is how fast you are driving and where. Tom Tom looking to make a few extra dollars sold this information to police departments. The police departments (the report I read was from Norway but I am going to go out on a limb and say they were probably not the only ones) then took the speed information and set up speed traps and cameras.
Don’t get me wrong I have no sympathy for people who speed. If you are pulled over for speeding you deserve the ticket. It is a law after all. However, I doubt anyone using a GPS really wants their information being turned over without their permission. It also leads you to the next question of do you really want companies knowing exactly where you are going everyday because right now many of them do.
Privacy is a thing of the past right now. I have to wonder where the tipping point is? Is there a tipping point? Maybe most people don’t give a shit that their every move is being recorded. I know I am somewhere in the middle. Don’t really care that Amazon tracks what I buy. Care a lot that some idiot GPS system is keeping track of my movements and selling it. Tom Tom, of course, came out today and apologized. Promising to be better behaved in the future but we shall see. The whole privacy thing is hurting my brain.
The Pleonastic Rants of C.S. Daley 
I seriously agree with you on this one. I read a science article online about sewer testing for concentrated amounts of meth, cocaine, etc. “For science” of course, but then they talked about the neighborhoods that the information on the test showed the most concentration where high crime, high drug population and so on, blah blah blah. Basically, if they are willing to test the sewer for concentrated drugs so snoop out the druggies, then it doesn’t surprise me that our information is being sold for the benefit of “THE MAN” and other non-important people.
P.S. I noticed you gave “The forest of Hands and Teeth” 5 stars. . . So you were the one getting Kenny into Zombie books. I knew it was only a matter of time, but I enjoyed this book too. Glad to see you and I do have a little something in common other than my goofy kid.
I had nothing to do with it. Either the zombies or the fact your kid is goofy. (The 1st statement is a lie. The 2nd I will have to take the 5th)
LOL…(after translating your response)
I see said the blind man!