The Brooks Review

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Casio Duro MDV-106 Re-ReviewDecember 15, 2022
The Hype: Yoshida & Co’s Porter BagsAugust 26, 2025
Grand Seiko SBGX261February 23, 2023

Recent Articles

  • A Note About Old Pictures

    In March of 2012 I switched cloud providers for hosting images on TBR. I moved from the ubiquitous Amazon S3 to [Rackspace Cloud Files][1]. I made the move for two reasons: 1. I couldn’t easily upload an image to S3, set it public, and grab the URL from my iPad. I could do that from…

    In March of 2012 I switched cloud providers for hosting images on TBR. I moved from the ubiquitous Amazon S3 to [Rackspace Cloud Files][1]. I made the move for two reasons:

    1. I couldn’t easily upload an image to S3, set it public, and grab the URL from my iPad. I could do that from Rackspace though.
    2. In my rudimentary testing Rackspace was just a touch faster than S3.

    With the cost being a negligible factor, I made the move. Instead of doing the wise thing an porting over all my old images to Rackspace and updating the linking at that time, I just left it be. So every image pre-March-2012 was still on S3.

    I never foresaw an issue with this and on my left went. ((I should have. Fuck.))

    About two months ago I got a fraud call from my credit card company telling me that there was a pending charge from Amazon for $30,000+ — and was I ok with that? WHAT!

    This lead to an afternoon of my life that is rather blurry. I got in contact with Amazon support and we tracked it down to someone hacking into my AWS account in the middle of the night and spinning up a lot of EC2 instances (I had EC2 on for VPN usage, but never used it). So while my S3 bill was still only $4, there was more than thirty thousand dollars being billed with EC2.

    I was frantic, but confident that I could prove in court it wasn’t me and it was a hack, but still didn’t want to have to go that far as it would likely cost my a lot of time *and* money.

    Still it took hours that day, and weeks of waiting, to fully resolve the issue.

    It is resolved now. To Amazon’s credit their support staff was smart, well trained, helpful, and felt on “my side” the entire time. In fact, from almost the outset of the call, the support rep told me “we will work to get these charges removed for me”. She said that often and I’d be lying to say that wasn’t what I needed to hear at that time.

    During that fiasco (while on the phone with Amazon) I downloaded a backup of my S3 data (not much) with the intention of porting over the data to Rackspace because Amazon told me on the phone I had (maybe they strongly urged me, I can’t recall) to delete my AWS account and the S3 data would be nuked.

    I never got around to uploading that backup S3 data, but now many of you are pinging me to let me know that old image links are broken (I know, believe me, I know).

    Today I set out to repair those images, but I can’t find the backup file. ((Fuck!)) At this point I fear it was overwritten on a USB drive, so as it stands old images are just going to be broken. If I find the backup file I will update the images as quickly as I can — but it is truly not looking hopeful.

    I apologize for this and am a bit red in the face over the matter.

    [1]: http://www.rackspace.com/cloud/files/

  • The Goruck GR1 Pictures

    After I added pictures to the GR1 field pocket post I literally had halve-dozens of emails asking for GR1 pictures. Here you are.

    After I added pictures to the GR1 field pocket post I literally had halve-dozens of emails asking for GR1 pictures. Here you are.

  • Reform Government Surveillance

    It seems to me a more effective solution than an open letter for tech giants would be one, or all, of the following: + Refuse to give any money to any political candidate. + Refuse to sell your products to any governmental agency. Including SaaS products. (Never going to happen, but would be great.) +…

    It seems to me a more effective solution than an open letter for tech giants would be one, or all, of the following:

    + Refuse to give any money to any political candidate.
    + Refuse to sell your products to any governmental agency. Including SaaS products. (Never going to happen, but would be great.)
    + Create a pooled ad budget (like the one to promote this letter) to run ads (video and print) demanding reform.

    This will never happen, but I still occasionally dream.

  • ‘Meet Jack. Or, What The Government Could Do With All That Location Data’

    Great look at the practical downside of automated government spying. (via Keith H.)

    Great look at the practical downside of automated government spying.

    (via Keith H.)

  • Let It Full-Bleed

    MG Siegler: > Think about how ridiculous that is for a second. A web browser needs a feature to make it easier to actually read on the web.

    MG Siegler:

    > Think about how ridiculous that is for a second. A web browser needs a feature to make it easier to actually read on the web.

  • ‘NSA morale down after Edward Snowden revelations, former U.S. officials say’

    Ellen Nakashima: > Morale has taken a hit at the National Security Agency in the wake of controversy over the agency’s surveillance activities, according to former officials who say they are dismayed that President Obama has not visited the agency to show his support. Maybe if their PowerPoint slides weren’t so fucking bad President Obama…

    Ellen Nakashima:

    > Morale has taken a hit at the National Security Agency in the wake of controversy over the agency’s surveillance activities, according to former officials who say they are dismayed that President Obama has not visited the agency to show his support.

    Maybe if their PowerPoint slides weren’t so fucking bad President Obama would put them up on the fridge and everyone could feel better.

  • The Brooks Review December Membership Special

    For this month only, you can get the yearly membership option on this site for $30 a year. That’s a $10 savings right to your wallet. *(Also, you are welcomed to upgrade from monthly membership to yearly and get the $30 price. Just cancel your membership, stay logged in and go to the join page.…

    For this month only, you can get the yearly membership option on this site for $30 a year. That’s a $10 savings right to your wallet.

    *(Also, you are welcomed to upgrade from monthly membership to yearly and get the $30 price. Just cancel your membership, stay logged in and go to the join page. Select the new membership and enter the info asked. You should now be rolled over. However you won’t get a refund for any partial month stuff.)*

  • ‘Cellphone data spying: It’s not just the NSA’

    [John Kelly](http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/12/08/cellphone-data-spying-nsa-police/3902809/): > Armed with new technologies, including mobile devices that tap into cellphone data in real time, dozens of local and state police agencies are capturing information about thousands of cellphone users at a time, whether they are targets of an investigation or not, according to public records obtained by USA TODAY and Gannett…

    [John Kelly](http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/12/08/cellphone-data-spying-nsa-police/3902809/):

    > Armed with new technologies, including mobile devices that tap into cellphone data in real time, dozens of local and state police agencies are capturing information about thousands of cellphone users at a time, whether they are targets of an investigation or not, according to public records obtained by USA TODAY and Gannett newspapers and TV stations.

    This article is exactly what you expect, exactly what is stated in the above quote. What it points out though is that once you make it “ok” for one government agency to spy on people, it starts to trickle down and be “ok” for all policing agencies to spy on people.

    Now it’s not just about finding terrorists — it’s about finding kidnappers, murderers, and the guy who broke into the Sheriff’s car last night. And while most of those are noble causes, unchecked, the majority of use cases become personal vendettas and lines are blurred in the name of justice.

  • Quote of the Day: Wil Wheaton

    “Consider this, about having perspective on criticism: If you enjoyed making a thing, and you’re proud of the thing you made, that’s enough.” — Wil Wheaton

    “Consider this, about having perspective on criticism: If you enjoyed making a thing, and you’re proud of the thing you made, that’s enough.”

  • ‘Your iPhone Will Talk to Stores While You Shop’

    Lex Berko: > What Apple has said with certainty is that it will not be storing the Beacon-collected data for itself. But in an age where data is among the most coveted of possessions, it’s not a huge escalation to imagine that someone will in the very near future. I think this is the real…

    Lex Berko:

    > What Apple has said with certainty is that it will not be storing the Beacon-collected data for itself. But in an age where data is among the most coveted of possessions, it’s not a huge escalation to imagine that someone will in the very near future.

    I think this is the real concern. Not that Apple will collect the data, but that others will — and they *will*. It would have been great for Apple to have designed the system in a way that doesn’t allow people to collect any data. ((Maybe they have, I don’t know one way or another.))

  • ‘Someone’s Been Siphoning Data Through a Huge Security Hole in the Internet’

    Kim Zetter: > Earlier this year, researchers say, someone mysteriously hijacked internet traffic headed to government agencies, corporate offices and other recipients in the U.S. and elsewhere and redirected it to Belarus and Iceland, before sending it on its way to its legitimate destinations. They did so repeatedly over several months. But luckily someone did…

    Kim Zetter:

    > Earlier this year, researchers say, someone mysteriously hijacked internet traffic headed to government agencies, corporate offices and other recipients in the U.S. and elsewhere and redirected it to Belarus and Iceland, before sending it on its way to its legitimate destinations. They did so repeatedly over several months. But luckily someone did notice.

  • ‘The simple fix that could heal the patent system.’

    James Bessen: > But this ignores a peculiar feature of U.S. patent law: The Patent Office cannot actually reject any patent application. Oh, a patent examiner can issue a “rejection” letter, but the applicant can keep an application alive simply by filing a response. In turn, the patent examiner can then issue a “final rejection.”…

    James Bessen:

    > But this ignores a peculiar feature of U.S. patent law: The Patent Office cannot actually reject any patent application. Oh, a patent examiner can issue a “rejection” letter, but the applicant can keep an application alive simply by filing a response. In turn, the patent examiner can then issue a “final rejection.” But this, too, is doublespeak: All the patent applicant has to do is file a “continuation” under one of several possible procedures in order to keep the patent application pending for as long as 20 years.

    No way we could have foreseen that being a problem later on. *No way* I say.

  • Update to Goruck GR1 Field Pocket Post

    A sharp-eyed reader reminded me that I have gotten lazy about adding photos to my post. I just updated the Field Pocket post with some photos. Apologies.

    A sharp-eyed reader reminded me that I have gotten lazy about adding photos to my post. I just updated the Field Pocket post with some photos.

    Apologies.

  • ‘Apple’s Star Chamber’

    WSJ: > The arrangement is flatly unconstitutional. *Popcorn.* (via DF)

    WSJ:

    > The arrangement is flatly unconstitutional.

    *Popcorn.*

    (via DF)

  • Cano to Mariners for $240 Million Over Ten Years

    Thank God for baseball season again. Dave Cameron: > It could also be a total disaster, though. If the other moves don’t come together, or simply aren’t enough to turn a bad team into a good team, the Mariners could easily have the best second baseman in baseball surrounded by a supporting cast that still…

    Thank God for baseball season again. Dave Cameron:

    > It could also be a total disaster, though. If the other moves don’t come together, or simply aren’t enough to turn a bad team into a good team, the Mariners could easily have the best second baseman in baseball surrounded by a supporting cast that still doesn’t leave them with a better than .500 club. And this team is very vulnerable to injuries, especially to either Cano or Hernandez, who represent a huge chunk of the team’s chances of contention. A prolonged DL stint by either one probably sinks their season.

    I hate long contracts. Five years seems like far too long for baseball. (But salary and contract lengths have gotten crazy.) I hope this works out, but then again, Mariners.

    Go Ms?

  • ‘BitTorrent Sync Hits 2 Million User Mark’

    Eric Klinker on the BitTorrent Sync blog: > Today, Sync is moving over 20 gigabytes per person. And that’s a pretty powerful thing. Dropbox’s cloud-based platform stores less than 0.42 gigabytes per user. Wow. It really is a fantastic service. I’d love to see more iOS developer support though.

    Eric Klinker on the BitTorrent Sync blog:

    > Today, Sync is moving over 20 gigabytes per person. And that’s a pretty powerful thing. Dropbox’s cloud-based platform stores less than 0.42 gigabytes per user.

    Wow. It really is a fantastic service. I’d love to see more iOS developer support though.

  • ‘The Value of Content’

    Simply fantastic post from Andy Beaumont: > The web has seemingly evolved into something that actively antagonises people — why would anyone in their right mind hide the content that visitors are there to see? (via DF)

    Simply fantastic post from Andy Beaumont:

    > The web has seemingly evolved into something that actively antagonises people — why would anyone in their right mind hide the content that visitors are there to see?

    (via DF)

  • ‘Fascinating Historical Events That Happened Around The Same Time’

    Lives up to the title.

    Lives up to the title.

  • ‘NSA tracking cellphone locations worldwide, Snowden documents show’

    Barton Gellman and Ashkan Soltani: > The National Security Agency is gathering nearly 5 billion records a day on the whereabouts of cellphones around the world, according to top-secret documents and interviews with U.S. intelligence officials, enabling the agency to track the movements of individuals — and map their relationships — in ways that would have…

    Barton Gellman and Ashkan Soltani:

    > The National Security Agency is gathering nearly 5 billion records a day on the whereabouts of cellphones around the world, according to top-secret documents and interviews with U.S. intelligence officials, enabling the agency to track the movements of individuals — and map their relationships — in ways that would have been previously unimaginable.

    Here’s the fun part:

    > NSA Director Keith Alexander disclosed in Senate testimony in October that the NSA had run a pilot project in 2010 and 2011 to collect “samples” of U.S. cellphone location data. The data collected were never available for intelligence analysis purposes, and the project was discontinued because it had no “operational value,” he said.

  • ‘FCC Chair: ISPs Should Be Able to Charge Netflix for Internet Fast Lane’

    Jon Brodkin: > Newly anointed Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler said this week that it would be OK for Internet service providers to charge Netflix and other companies for a faster lane to consumers. [If only we could have seen that coming](http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/04/new-fcc-chairman-is-former-lobbyist-for-cable-and-wireless-industries/).

    Jon Brodkin:

    > Newly anointed Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler said this week that it would be OK for Internet service providers to charge Netflix and other companies for a faster lane to consumers.

    [If only we could have seen that coming](http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/04/new-fcc-chairman-is-former-lobbyist-for-cable-and-wireless-industries/).