1-12-2013 Things missed this past week.

A list of this week's news and events that I had been following but hadn't written about:

• It was reported that Adobe's CS2 was available to download for free; Adobe said it really wasn't; but now, Adobe doesn't seem to mind it, if people download it for free -- think of it as training tools for people who will want to subscribe to their Creative Cloud.
• RE: The debt ceiling.  The Treasury should mint platinum coins.  The Treasury can't mint platinum coins.  Yes it can.  No it can't.  Yes it can.  Maybe we shouldn't.  We don't have an opinion.  No, we won't.  No links, because let's be honest here, this discussion isn't over by a long shot.  I'd previously written about it, and nothing has changed -- Congress has not yet taken any votes to raise the debt ceiling, or figure out what it's going to do.  Likewise, I don't think the platinum coin is a good idea anyway, because it shirks the meaningful assignment of blame for bringing us to this regularly scheduled debt ceiling crisis.
• A Java exploit is so bad, it will allow rogue (unknown to you which ones are and aren't) websites to surreptitiously install malware and control your computer.  So severe is this exploit, that Mozilla has updated Firefox to require "Click to Play", to stop automatic Java operation, while Apple has blocked the Java plugin.  In any case, and regardless of which browser you use, you might want to disable the Java plugin (instructions are here).  If you're using Chrome, type, "about:plugins" into the address bar, and scroll down to the Java plugin and select the "disable" button.
• Flu.  Achoo!  Flu?!?  Panic, panic, panic!!!  Fox News asks, "Why are so many not getting vaccinated?"  WaPo's Wonkblog asks, "Why 64.8 percent of Americans didn’t get a flu shot?"  Oh, I don't know...maybe it's because, as the CDC notes, there are just 128M doses available this season, while there are 311.6M Americans?  In other words, only 41% of Americans would have been able to receive a vaccine this year.
• CES 2013 was all about big, curved glass screens, flexible OLED smartphone screens and 3D printers, but I cannot help to feel that there was little enthusiasm this year.  I believe Google I|O, Apple's WWDC and Mobile World Congress have displaced CES as the most exciting events in tech, for the time being.  Either that, or 2013 will be a dull year.
• Nate Silver predicts the 2013 Super Bowl matchup: New England vs. Seattle.  I'd written previously, Seattle is peaking at the right time to make a run in the playoffs, and look very close to unstoppable.  They came from behind to beat Washington on the road, and now look to beat the Falcons in Atlanta.