5 Things You Should Know – Part 239

Here are 5 things you should know.

1. If you accidentally put your password into the username field and hit enter, click login, or otherwise attempt to authenticate using your password as the username you should change your password.

Many web and application logs will log authentication attempts by username and source (typically IP address). So, a regular authentication attempt might see your email address or username and your origin IP address.

If you accidentally attempt to log in using your password as your username, you’ve now just recorded your password in plain text to whatever is logging with attempts behind the scenes. Many people will see they failed to log in, will try again and succeed. So the next log entry would be a successful auth with a username and the same origin IP. Someone who has access (or gained access) to the logs could put these entries together and now has your username and password.

What can you do about this? For one, use a password manager that can generate unique passwords and keep them for you. Another is enabling multi-factor authentication on services that offer it. In case someone gets your username and password, they would still need access to your second factor (often a top token code) to actually log in as you.

2. Starbucks gives you a discount when you bring your own mug.

By bringing in any personal cup, you qualify for a $.10 off cup discount regardless of the size of the beverage. You will be charged for the closest cup size, but not larger than the size of the personal cup.

3. You can use your iPhone’s camera app to scan QR codes.

This is a new feature with iOS 11 so as long as your phone is up to date it’ll work!

Many people don’t know this and download ad-riddled third-party apps to read QR codes. Now you don’t have to!

Source

4. This is how to safely greet a strange dog.

To prevent dog bites and keep everyone safe and happy, DO:

• Approach a dog and its owner calmly and slowly

• ASK the owner first if you can greet/pet the dog

• Stay outside the dog’s immediate personal space

• Stand slightly sideways to the dog without making direct eye contact and allow it to approach you if it is interesting

• If the dog is friendly and interested and approaches you and makes contact with you first, gently and with no quick movements pet the dog on its cheek first

DO NOT:

• Run up to a dog quickly

• Invade a dog’s personal space

• Stare directly at a strange dog

• Reach your hand towards a dog before it approaches you, even to let it “get your scent” by sniffing your hand

• Hover over a dog or make it feel trapped in any way

• Reach to pet a strange dog on its back, side, or haunches (i.e., anywhere it can’t see what you’re doing)

• Pet a strange dog that appears anxious in any way (cowering, turning its head away from you, giving a side-long stare (the “whale-eye” look), slowly wagging its tail, yawning a lot or licking its lips and muzzle)

• Hug, kiss, or roughly pat/slap the dog; these are generally not normal dog behaviors and can be frightening and uncomfortable for them.

The bottom line always gives a dog its space and allow it to control the pace and intimacy of the greeting process. Dog bites are usually the result of defensive anxiety, and the more you can give a dog a high degree of choice in the interaction, the more positive it will be for everyone.

5. In a courtroom, there is something called “the well”, which is the space between the counsel tables and the bench (where the judge sits). If you attempt to “traverse the well”, you will be confronted by bailiffs.

It’s all for safety. Bailiffs are meant to protect everyone in the courtroom, especially the judge and jury. Even if you and that particular judge are best friends from college, those bailiffs don’t know you from a can of corn, and will only see you as a threat if you attempt to approach the bench without permission.