New "Old" Technology

There is now talk about the iPhone 5 coming out this Fall or early Winter. Don't get me wrong, I am a Mac/Apple lover, but honestly, my interest in getting an iPhone hasn't changed since the first iPhone came out... I don't want one. Isn't it essentially just the same technology rereleased with a couple extra features? Once one is released, there is immediate talks about the next version coming out. It's starting to prove a point of just how much we are controlled by technology.
I love technology... I hate going without my phone, not having internet when I want it, etc., but there are some things that are getting out of control.
We need the newest gadget and will do whatever we have to to get it, even if it costs $400 and we have to wait in line for 16 hours to get it...

Flickr Updates Privacy Settings

Flickr now lets you secure private location info
click on the link above to view news story


Internet security isn't as secure as we may think. There are ways to get around barriers and blocks all over the internet. We all remember how we learned to get music without paying for it when Netscape and Limewire came out, right? Now, even though those particular programs have been shut down, there are still so many ways to get music for free. Movies and software are the same way, and we hear about it all of the time.
But what about personal information that we put on the internet? Just like other files, information can be discovered in different ways. Flickr, the photo posting site, has updated their privacy settings so that the user can keep their location private if they choose to do so... maybe. Flickr has a new setting that uses what they call "geofences". These allow the user to choose which groups of people can see location tags attached to an uploaded photo. Geofences are apparently pretty easy to use... the Flickr user highlights a specific area on a map, and then any photos taken within that radius are accessible to a certain group of people. That's great, but I'm sure there are plenty of ways for outsiders to get around that. Maybe it won't be imminent, but given a little bit of time, and people will figure it out.
It is so important to be careful what we put on the internet because, well, in reality it is there for anyone to see whether you realize it or not. Technology is great. To a point.