Tag: health

  • Links of the week: Evil tech, hot stuff, good posture

    Links of the week: Evil tech, hot stuff, good posture

    A while ago I bought a health tech device; Upright Go. It’s meant to correct your posture by giving you a little nudge when you’ve been hunched over too long.

    Last time I used it, all was going well until I messed up my back playing football and then I put the device in the cupboard and forgot about it until this week.

    After seeing Emma make an appearance on television – the human mannequin that predicts what your average office worker will look like – I figured it was a good time to give it another shot… because I hunch. A lot.


    There hasn’t been much else going on in my life this week, but here’s a round-up of some of the more interesting things that I’ve read:


    An illustration of lots of symbols of tech companies in a desert landscape

    Which companies are most evil?

    Time to place your bets! The website Slate sent a ballot to a wide range of journalists, scholars, tech geeks and others to come up with The Evil List. It’s an interesting read and, unsurprisingly, the Top 10 is dominated by US-based tech giants.

    What’s also interesting is that “Almost everyone distrusts Peter Thiel“.


    Three deck chairs on a beach

    Things are hotting up.

    2019 was the second-warmest year on record and the 2010s were the hottest decade. According to a joint report from NASA (the space people) and the NOAA (the ocean people), greenhouse gas emissions from human activity are the primary cause.

    Things will get worse. The world as a whole has continued to pump out more carbon pollution. Since carbon dioxide takes about 10 years to reach its full warming effect, we’ve already locked in much more warming to come.


    Bitcoin records higher lows year on year.

    Well, except for 2015 where the price reached a low just $15 less than in 2014. But generally the base price has just gone up year on year since 2010.

    If you bought Bitcoin at the highest point in December 2017, then you are unlucky. But for those that got in earlier, or after the great crypto crash, it’s looking to be a good long-term investment.

    If you want to get into crypto, a good place to start is Coinbase. Also, Dapper is a really nice app (for Android and Google Chrome) to store Ether.


    Microsoft Windows loading screen on a large monitor

    Update your copy of Windows right now.

    In a bizarre twist, the US National Security Agency warned Microsoft of a security issue in Windows. Microsoft released a fix for the wormhole immediately.

    To stay up to date, click the Start button > Settings  > Update & Security  > Windows Update, and then select Check for updates.

    Major updates to Windows are a pain in the ass, but you should do them.


    I’m dedicating this post to my Ukrainian friend Hlib. He emailed me recently to ask when he could expect the next update of the privacy newsletter that I used to write.

    The answer to that is never. I am lazy and forgot about the privacy newsletter after a mere four or five updates. However, subscribe to my blog for online privacy tips, security news and similar nonsense.


    Bye.

  • How I injured myself

    How I injured myself

    I have to admit to having an aversion to exercise. Once I get into a regular routine of going to the gym or playing football, things are fine. But getting into that routine is tough.

    Recently, I started to play Cageball again. It’s a game of four-a-side football on a small, indoor pitch and fun to do with friends or colleagues. When I worked at Opera Software, we played almost every week.

    Over the past four years, I have only played a handfull of times. Coming back to football after not doing much exercise can be tough on the body. I experienced that this Wednesday.

    A photo of a small indoor football pitch with a group of boys mid-game, kicking a ball around the surface of the artificial grass.

    After playing for about 30 minutes, I ran the ball down the side of the pitch and got into a tough spot with the defence. Two of their players rushed me and I fell to ground in what felt like a harmless challenge. But, when I rose to my feet, I felt a slight pain in my lower back.

    I stayed on the pitch for about 2 more minutes, but couldn’t run. It hurt to walk, nevermind run, so sat out the rest of the game due to the back injury.

    Later that evening, the pain got so bad that shortly before bedtime, I decided to go to legevakt (hospital). The emergency room was quiet, but we spent from around 12:40am – 3:30am in the hospital. During that time, the doctor examined me and gave me an injection of painkillers. He determined it wasn’t anything that needed immediate treatment.

    The next day I was in so much pain. Sitting was tough, standing was tough, walking was tough. Everything was painful – even with painkillers. I took the day off work and stayed at home.

    A packet of medicine on a table top, alongside a cup of tea. The medicine packet is in Norwegian language and reads

    Friday, day 2 of the injury, was also bad. From the minute I woke up I was in pain. I could hobble out of bed and to the bathroom, then back again. From the couch to the kitchen, and back again. But sitting hurt, standing hurt, walking hurt.

    The NHS website recommends that if you have a muscular injury that you must remain active. Or, not “active” – but in motion. Lying in bed all day can cause more harm than good. I definitely wasn’t able to stay still for more than 10 minutes though before the pain increased. It was all too much.

    That morning, I called Torp&Co – a local business who do massage treatments at companies around Oslo. Trained chiropractors, physiotherapists and specialists in muscle and joint disorders. They booked me in for an appointment later that afternoon.

    A photo of a reception area showing a computer perched on the reception desk alongside the company logo which reads

    After a thorough examination, they determined that I have muscle damage. Yet, it’s also possible I have a trapped nerve at the bottom of my spine. If that is the case, I’ll need an MRI scan and things are a bit more serious.

    Today is Sunday – day 4 since the injury. I’m still taking the painkillers and most of the muscle pain has subsided. Sitting still or moving into different positions results in shooting pains up from my leg to my lower back – not a good sign. The pain seems to be easing off though.

    Tomorrow morning, I’ll try to go to work. I also have another follow-up assessment with Torp&Co to check progress since Friday.

    Fingers crossed everything will be okay.

    🤞