Book Review: The writers of code guide modern life
In the early 1990s, the young men and women who would become known as coders reveled in systems. They wrote notes to each other in binary, the language of…
Author: The Smart Reader Staff
Briefs and quick reads selected and edited by The Smart Reader's editorial team.
Securing internet of things
You are on vacation; wouldn’t it be nice to check in on the family pet? Or you are at work; it would be nice to check to see if the baby is down for a…
Sweet Success: The impossible little treat that made a fortune
The Eskimo Pie–or chocolate covered ice cream bar–is something we take for granted, but think about it for a second: Why does it even work? How do you…
Business Book Review: How crazy ideas sometimes change the world
Loonshots: How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas That Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries By Safi Bachall St. Martin’s Press 368 pages In 2004, a…
Good guy hacking wins
In March, a suspect who allegedly ran a ring of child pornography sites was extradicted to the U.S., thanks to a browser hack by the FBI in 2013….
Don’t tell Twitter you are 12
A cyber-prank tricked so many Twitter users that the company felt compelled to issue a warning. The prankster told users that they could pick any color…
Android anti-virus apps fail
AV Comparatives found only 80 of the 250 anti-virus apps on Google Play are capable of detecting the most common viruses. The company found that many of…
Looming security threat: Your phone number may be vulnerable
Suppose for some reason you lose your phone number. Then suppose it is recycled to people with bad intent. Could the number be used to fetch passwords?…
How to fund your small business
To start a small business, most entrepreneurs tap into their funds first, even when they also plan to procure debt financing in the form of a small…
Customer Service: What to do when the customer is lying
The customer says the pizza tastes bad, but the customer ate half of it. The shopper asks for a refund for a shirt that has clearly been worn and worn…