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Matt's Favorites: Join Us At Lawrence Tech Jan. 31, and Much More

SOUTHFIELD -- So what's up in the wild wild world of high technology? Hang on to your hats...

* Please join us Jan. 31 at Lawrence Technological University in Southfield as we resume our monthly series of tech events, Last Thursdays Unwired @ LTU. This month we're talking IT security -- how to keep your family's and your business' information safe. Joining me will be a terrific panel of experts, including Detective Jerry DeRosia of the Oakland County Sheriff's Office Computer Crimes Unit; Adam Goslin, COO of Rochester-based High Bit Security LLC; and Paul Chambers, CEO of Core3 Solutions of Birmingham. Bring your security questions. Heck, bring your most vexing security problems! I'm going to try to get them to fix my home computer, which appears to be afflicted with a rootkit virus. Doors open at 7:30 a.m. and the program runs from 8 to 9:15. It's all free; coffee and donuts on us. Register at http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2013/01/08/technology-report-with-matt-roush-last-thursdays-unwired-at-ltu-131/.

* Are you experiencing an AT&T U-verse outage? Haven't heard any complaints about it in Michigan, but apparently they're having problems in Florida  and Texas.

* Speaking of AT&T, it bought the U.S. wireless holdings of Alltel, which operates in largely rural areas, including some in Michigan.

* Oh, goodness. Apple's revenue and iPhone sales figures both disappoint Wall Street in its most recent quarter.

* Netflix, however, sees its shares soar after a surprise profit.

* And I like this. February 1 is Objectify A Male Tech Writer Day. This day encourages everyone to add an extra comment about the appearance of a male tech writer when tweeting or otherwise sharing an article. You know, like so many people do about women writers. (Just to let you know in advance, yes, I know, I'm fat.)

* Here's yet another peek at the future's cool new car technology, from heads-up window-overlay dashboard displays to mood-based audio DJs.

* Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs? We'll see. The movie is scheduled to open April 19.

* Somehow it's reassuring that there's idiocy everywhere, even in the people who design camouflage uniforms for the United States military. Note to the brass: It's called camouflage because it's supposed to help the good guys hide, NOT because it's supposed to look cool. Sheesh.

* Three men from Russia, Romania and Latvia are in custody, charged with spreading the 'Gozi' computer virus.

* British scientists are developing a bomb-resistant commuter train that would foil suicide terrorists.

* A federal appeals court rules Indiana's blanket ban on convicted sex offenders using Facebook under any circumstances is too broad.

* NASA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) have begun practicing satellite refueling in space.

* Ahem, it's not just globalization killing off middle class jobs. It's also high tech.

* And if you'd like to have some fun and do some good, remember that June 1-2 have been designated National Days of Civic Hacking, when hackers are encouraged to use technology to harness publicly available data for the public good.\

* Facebook says it's boosting its efforts at suicide prevention.

* In the ongoing war between CBS and Dish, CBS now claims Dish concealed its AutoHop ad-skipping technology. (Full disclosure dept.: This here Web site and its related newsletter is a teeny tiny insignificant little backwater of the vast CBS media empire.)

* And here's how to build the ultimate high-tech Super Bowl party. (You're not allowed to say Super Bowl in advertising or promotions because it's copyrighted. Only in the news can you say Super Bowl. Super Bowl, Super Bowl, Super Bowl. Nyah nyah.) (Sorry, sometimes I just feel the need to exercise my inner 11-year-old.)

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