Several years after the first smart speakers were released, I have one. It wasn't my idea, but it was free and it seems to be useful. In Short Circuits: You hear my spiel about the importance of backup occasionally. This time I have a story that illustrates clearly why it is so important. • Lies are endemic on the internet and particularly in social media. Those who are interested in truth can find it. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Windows 7 is no longer viable, but you might not have to pay for an update to Windows 10. • A school district in suburban Austin has lost more than $2 million to scammers. • Twenty years ago: The MP3 music format, which had been invented 3 years earlier, was beginning to take off.