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One of my favorite blogs is Modern Mechanix, which posts scans of old articles from the Modern Mechanix magazine.

One of Sunday’s entries reprints a 1933 article on an automatic turn-signaling device for automobiles. If only American automobiles had such devices installed as standard equipment! Turns out some drivers are too lazy to use the signal, according to this 2006 survey. Others want to add adventure to their commute.

Organized crime is big business, so it’s no surprise that phishers have developed their own sets of best practices.

It’s easier to get an unwitting victim to click a URL when that URL is short. ZDnet has a fascinating article that describes how phishers are moving towards shorter URLs in their email messages and on their web pages.

Cnet posted an article in April 2006 with more clues about creating an effective phishing campaign. There are some other good articles about this study at securityfocus.com site and the Register.

However, as I suggested to Larry Rowland’s IS 6000 students last week, it’s a good idea for master’s students to find and read at least one peer-reviewed academic article a week. Why Phishing Works is a good example of such an article.

As reported on Yahoo today, a Philadelphia couple used keys to their neighbors’ apartments and mailboxes to finance a massive travel and shopping spree. Jocelyn Kirsch and Edward K. Anderton were charged last Friday with multiple counts of identity theft, fraud, and other crimes. Computer forensics experts will examine hard drives from four computers found in the apartment.

The couple was arrested after they tried to pick up a parcel they had ordered in a neighbor’s name. Police do not know how the couple obtained the keys for their Rittenhouse Square building. However, a search of the couple’s apartment yielded a wide array of evidence, including photos of their travels. Philadelphia Weekly and the Philadelphia Daily News have posted a sample photo.

Related articles on billso.com

15 July 2008: The Philadelphia grifters