Back Talk Far North Dallas

New study shows one-third of IT staffers snoop on coworkers

You might want to think twice before you send that next e-mail on company time. A new study shows that one-third of IT staff are doing more than just troubleshooting their coworkers' computers. They're also snooping through things like e-mails and salary information.
The study, which comes courtesy of Cyber-Ark, also found that privileged passwords are hardly ever changed--which means most IT staffers can still access private company information, even after they no longer work for the company. Which brings us to the bottom line: According to this study, seven out of 10 companies are using outdated security methods when it comes to sensitive data.
So a word to the wise, don't send any nasty e-mails badmouthing the IT guy in your office. Chances are he just might read it.

UTD professors one step closer to making artificial muscles

Hey, eat your heart out MIT. We’ve got our own smarty-pants scientist right here in our neighborhood.
A team of nanotechnologists at UTD worked with Brazilian researchers and discovered that when you stretch sheets of carbon nanotubes, it can trigger some bizarre mechanical properties.
Umm, right. So what’s that mean?
Well, if you really want the full explanation (scientific jargon and all) you can read more about it on the Pegasus News blog—or you can read the team’s detailed findings in the Journal of Science.
Or if you’re right-brained like me, you just want to know why these findings matter. This could help scientists make artificial muscles. Muscles that contract and move just like real muscles—but are about a hundred times stronger.
Just think, some of your neighbors might have a hand in creating a generation of Terminator-esque super buff cyborgs. And who says science isn’t cool?