At the start of this week, I had different topics in mind for each of these two columns, and then things happened. I also made a quick run up to New York Thursday for a few tech events, then wrapped up the visit with a pilgrimage to the top of One World Trade Center. I’ll repeat the D.C.-NYC trip tomorrow but will stick around longer–CE Week runs Tuesday through Thursday.
6/16/2015: My Password-Manager Service Got Hacked. Things Could Be Much Worse., Yahoo Tech
I had filed a different column by the time my editor and I separately decided: Hey, this news about a password-manager service’s security breach is column-worthy. After this piece went up, LastPass updated its original blog post with a clearer explanation that’s worth reading.
6/21/2015: Wonky Wi-Fi on one device? Take it to the bridge, USA Today
In this case, I hadn’t filed anything–I couldn’t, because I was waiting for an answer to a reasonably simple technical query from a company that had already exhibited… let’s say, a slow PR metabolism. Fortunately, a reader had e-mailed a question that I could answer without needing any spokespeople to chime in first. It didn’t hurt that the headline came to mind almost instantly.
Rob Pegoraro 
Rob,
Whenever I see reference to 802.11b as something “only the oldest of computers require”, I’m reminded of the problems I had getting my new Fitbit Aria wi-fi scale operating. After poking around the web, I finally retrieved the box and noticed in the fine print that it operates (only) on 802.11b.
You might want to throw that in as a parenthetical on your next mention of 11b just so folks are aware of the only exception I know of.
Wow. Where would you even buy an 802.11b-only chipset these days?