Topic: Gyroscope

John Dvorak provides a "Tip of the Day" regarding affordable $25 fitness trackers that monitor sleep and blood oxygen using Chinese sensors. The show concludes with a classic "End of Show Mix" by Darren O'Neill, featuring a song about Dvorak's famously squeaky chair. The hosts sign off from Fredericksburg and Northern Silicon Valley, promising to return for the next episode.

John Dvorak describes seeing a person on a high-speed electric unicycle zipping through an intersection at an estimated 40 miles per hour. Adam Curry explains that these devices use gyroscopes for balance, similar to a Segway, and are controlled by leaning. They debate the safety and difficulty of riding such "hands-free" transportation devices in urban environments.

Researchers at Northeastern University demonstrated "side channel attacks" that use a smartphone's accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer to track a user's location without GPS permission. These sensors can be accessed by malicious apps, such as a simple flashlight app, to guess where a user lives or works. The researchers note that there is currently no way for users to turn these sensors off.