Bloglander

Kidnapped
Remember how electronic medical records were going to solve so many problems? Now, in addition to sometimes driving your doctor crazy, electronic medical records systems are being “kidnapped” by hackers, who will only restore access after being paid a ransom. Three California hospitals owned by Prime Healthcare Services were hit in March. Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in Los Angeles paid a $17,000 ransom in Bitcoin to regain access to its system after 10 days. Just this week, the University of Calgary, in a desperate bid to regain access to faculty research, paid hackers over $16,000 in a ransomware attack. "The last thing we want to do is lose someone's life's work," said one university official. Read more here. 

Vision Quest
Aching neck? Burning eyes? Blame your computer. Spending three or more hours a day staring at a screen can give you “computer vision syndrome.” Up to 90 percent of people who use computers extensively have one or more symptoms, including not just eye problems, but chronic headaches, neck and back pain. Part of the problem is the inherently blurry nature of typeface as it's presented on a computer screen, forcing your eyes to constantly readjust focus and reducing the frequency of blinking. Tips to reduce computer vision syndrome include positioning your monitor so that its top is at the level of your eyes and keeping the screen about two feet away from your face. Read more here. 

Free Parking
Washington State Parks and Recreation is offering up free access to all state parks without a Discover Pass on Saturday, June 11. That means you can finally go see the Palouse Falls—for free! Or take a pleasant hike on Mt. Spokane. Or enjoy a picnic at Riverside State Park. Other free days are Aug. 25 and September 24. If you have a great time, the fee for an annual Discover Pass is $30-$35 (some vendors charge a fee.) For more info, go here.