Here we are, starting another year. A moment when people typically contemplate and reminisce about the past 12 months, and ponder the upcoming 12 months. A time when resolutions to improve oneself are common, a few of which may actually happen. I’m optimistic about 2013. For me 2012 was a good year, with lots of positive change. I think 2013 will continue that trend. So here’s to a great 2012, and excitement for the coming year.

Let’s face it: these days it’s pretty tough to get things done without the Internet. Most people have at least one computer, and an increasing number of people have smartphones and tablets. Most of these devices become pretty useless without Internet connectivity, yet despite the massive proliferation of Wifi and 3G/4G, it can be difficult to find wireless access outside of your usual stomping grounds - especially if you don’t have a data plan with a cell carrier.

The Westboro Baptist Church has announced that they will be protesting in Annapolis on January 2, 2013 from 8-9am: The Westboro Baptist Church’s entry on their schedule for Annapolis on January 2, 2013. I have provided a screenshot instead of a link to their site as I’ve been informed that they get money from donors for every hit their site receives. Their protest is in response to the homosexual couples who will be at the court house to get married.

Last week I wrote a post about my issue with the notion that there’s no point in voting because votes don’t count. The right to vote as a citizen of the United States is one of the most incredible aspects of our system of government. Not only do we get to have a voice in our governance, but the collective decisions made by the People with said voice is acted upon, without prejudice, by our elected officials.

I’ve started posting here with greater frequency as of late, which has made me remember how much I enjoy doing so. I’ve also started reading more personal blogs of friends and online acquaintances, and I’ve noticed something that hadn’t really dawned on me before: shorter posts are better. Part of the problem I’ve had with writing regularly is the amount of time and effort involved in crafting a full blog post.

I doubt anyone thinks that this is a throwaway election with nothing at stake. No matter where you fall on the political spectrum, the stakes are high and the arguments heated. Yet as with every election, there’s a segment of the electorate who isn’t going to vote, for a variety of reasons. What seems - especially recently - to be the most cited reason is that individual votes don’t matter (unless you’re in a swing state, perhaps).

This is a first for me on this blog: a post about a phone. I’ve written posts about specific devices (even ones that don’t yet exist) before, but I haven’t gone down the smartphone rabbit trail. I’m breaking that pattern. On Monday Google announced their latest additions to the Nexus line. I already have a Nexus 7, so their update to that product wasn’t very interesting to me. Nor was the Nexus 10, despite its impressive specs, since I’m just not looking for a tablet that big (part of the reason I’ve not bothered with an iPad).

The Mid Atlantic region is getting ready for this season’s hurricane: Sandy. As of Friday morning (26 October, 2012) the storm is projected to make landfall on the east coast of the United States somewhere between the Chesapeake Bay and Long Island. Meteorologists are also suggesting that Sandy may combine with a nor’easter currently developing to create a much more powerful hybrid storm. Extensive damage, power outages and flooding are expected, with high winds, hurricane-force gusts and torrential rainfall that could last as much as a couple of days.

Kevin Mitnick, the infamous hacker and social engineer turned security consultant, gave a presentation at this year’s History Conference at the Naval Academy today. He gave numerous examples of extracting information from people and companies by using their own trust and knowledge against them. His demonstrations likely startled many of the audience members with the range of methodologies and, more importantly, the success rate. Some may look at the seemingly endless list of ways attackers can obtain what they’re looking for and throw their hands up in despair.

My office ordered a Nexus 7 tablet, which I’ll be using. It arrived this week, and so far I’m pretty blown away by it. I’m not going to go into too many details about features and day-to-day with it yet, but I figured I’d provide some pictures.