Slashdot Mirror

This a moron alert for the previous comment.

Baloroth has apparently forgotten to include any other science other than what he/she/it picked up in 5th grade.

Please see fine scholarly articles such as this one for further details:

http://home.comcast.net/~pdnoerd/NoerdlingerBrower.pdf

If you're unsatisfied, don't stop your research there.

. . . recreating model rockets which I saw in a catalog forty years ago but could never afford.

(And sometimes even older stuff

. . . recreating model rockets which I saw in a catalog forty years ago but could never afford.

(And sometimes even older stuff

IBM invented the name? are you sure?

I did this NES emulator for fun the other weekend.

It's running DK, renders in WebGL for fun.. Leans heavily on typed arrays, so you'll need the latest FF or Chrome (Chrome seems to run a tad faster). It's nowhere near fully optimized or playable. It'll probably crash your browser . Was more of a test of JS under load than anything else.

Assuming they're pitting their Pac-Man bots against the logic of the original arcade game, there isn't a whole lot of complexity to deal with. All four of the ghosts behave in different, but very predictable fashion. In a nutshell, every ghost chooses its target space on the board differently, but they all close in on their respective target space in exactly the same manner. Knowing how these target spaces are chosen, one could probably write a reasonably effective AI player only needing to "think" a few hundred frames in advance. This is difficult for a human player to do in real time, of course

There are a couple of interesting articles about how the game works. If you've played the game and know how unpredictable the ghosts can seem at times, it's remarkable to find out that the algorithms behind their behavior are so incredibly simple. I used to wonder if the game employed some kind of sophisticated path-finding algorithm like A*, but it's actually nowhere near that level of complexity.

• A brief summary of the ghosts' behavior
• "The Pac-Man Dossier" - a much more in-depth look at many aspects of the game

Anyway, this seems like it would make a cool undergrad project for an AI class.

There's a fairly useful test at:

http://test-ipv6.comcast.net/

to see if your system is IPv6 compatible.

I thought the online affiliates of the major scripted cable TV networks allowed only subscribers to watch. HBO sure does.

That's because HBO costs ~$10 a month, so only subscribers may watch, whereas SyFy is ad-supported and "free" to anyone with a cable connection

Cartoon Network is also ad-supported, yet Cartoon Network shows on XfinityTV (formerly Fancast) such as this one require subscription.

I have to agree with the parent post, but to back up the statement, here's the list of modems comcast supports: http://mydeviceinfo.comcast.net/

Note that only 4 of the 70 on there have IPv6 support.

I have one of them (SB6120), and the IPv6 functionality is disabled remotely by comcast.

----
MDD IP Mode Override (MIMO) IPv4 Only
Modem's IP Mode IPv4 Only
----

Anybody else want to post what their ISP supports?

You mean like they had back in the 1970s?

I for one think these two cubes do look similar: http://home.comcast.net/~mjmahon/CrateII.jpg http://www.startrek.com/legacy_media/images/200508/tng-142-j25-borg-cube/320x240.jpg

Any ISP that has a bandwidth cap should also have a page where the customer can check on their usage. Even Comcast does.

Note that the number given by Tomato seems to be somewhat different from that given by the Comcast page, but they are close (within a few percent). Certainly close enough to know when you are approaching the cap.

The linked article is in error. The cap is 250 gigabytes per month.

http://xfinity.comcast.net/terms/network/amendment/

Comcast is already doing IPV6 and unrelated but also DNSSEC in certain areas.

http://www.comcast6.net/
http://www.dnssec.comcast.net/

A direct link to the actual Dossier page can be found here here.

        -dZ.

Did you read the Pacman Dossier linked from TFA? They specifically say how the best player in the world doesn't play by memorising a pattern, because that's too inflexible. If you make a mistake while executing the pattern, memorisers are at loss to how to recover from that mistake. On the other hand, learning ghost behaviour allows you to adapt much better and removes that inflexibility, and this is how the best player in the world racked up a perfect score.

Yawn... This stuff that already been posted on the Pacman Dossier for years. Not really "news for nerds".

Now, what would really be "news for nerds" is the analysis of the ghosts' behavior in Google Pacman, which is very similar, but subtly different.

Of course, since Google Pacman's source is available, this can theoretically be deduced straight from the source, but it's more fun to figure it out by trial and error. Great timekiller. There are definitely notable differences -- like certain directions the ghosts will never turn to if they enter the intersection from one direction, but will if they enter the same intersection from the opposite direction.

Yes, but burst speed or sustained 24/7 speed? You do realize that Comcast will cut you off after 250 GB/month, right? That's a sustained download speed of 96 kB, or less than a Mbit/s under constant use.

That would depend on how the ISP is selling the service at. Some advertise based on burst speed and other's do not.

In all cases you will have a top speed the provider is advertising. Concast (for instance) offers various tiers including 3/6/8/10 and so on up to I believe 100 Meg speeds today.

I'm aware about the 250 gig limit btw. The contract I signed with them 8 years ago was 'unlimited use for a flat monthly fee'. Today they don't provide that service anymore. Especially since they did cut off my family and several other's on my street for using 'unlimited' too much.

Good riddance.

4 years Concast free :-)

Yes, but burst speed or sustained 24/7 speed? You do realize that Comcast will cut you off after 250 GB/month, right? That's a sustained download speed of 96 kB, or less than a Mbit/s under constant use.

Or Norton Security Suite, which is available for free for Comcast subscribers?

OK, so it's not mandatory, but at least it's free, and you gave me the opening to mention it for any Comcast users who might not be running current AntiVirus to save money (or might be wasting money buying a Norton subscription when a FREE one is readily available to them).

No more excuses, my fellow Comcasters, it's FREE (*).

http://security.comcast.net/norton/resi/?cid=NET_33_258

(*) "FREE" means "included with your overpriced, overthrottled Comcast connection". But you're dropping the big bucks on your craptastic connection anyway, you might as well take full advantage of the stuff they want to throw at you as part of it. Say what you will about Norton, but it's a shitload better than nothing, which is what most people are currently using. So if you know someone on Comcast who is running unprotected, send them this link and tell them to install it. Now.

Most ISPs offer some form of free or discounted AntiVirus.

Hypothesis: Mysterious trail is from scheduled flight.

By definition, the hypothesis is a contradiction: Something that is scheduled could not be mysterious and appear in the headlines.

That's because you have misstated the hypothesis.

Hypothesis: Trail that is mysterious to some observers is from scheduled flight.

If it's a scheduled flight then people would have probably seen it before.

Please keep in mind that people have identified the moon as a freaking UFO. (And this is not an isolated case.)

Venus has often been mistaken for an airplane or UFO -- during WWII, there were cases where anti-aircraft batteries tried to shoot it down.

The fact that people have seen a thing before, even hundreds of times, does not mean that they can't look at it later and go, "WTF is that?!" We are an unreliable bunch of observers.

Defaulting to cautionary surprise is evolution in action: if you're not sure if you've seen something before, assume you don't know what it is, that it's strange and dangerous, that it might eat you. This improves your chances of surviving to have offspring. But it's not really good behavior for a technological culture. Resolving this conundrum is left as an exercise for the species.

http://dns-opt-out.comcast.net/help-index.php

I'm in a Chicago suburb and got this today:

This is a courtesy email to let you know that Comcast's DNS servers are changing to servers that use DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC), as part of an evolving suite of security protections that are part of Comcast Constant Guard. These changes, which have started today in some markets, will be completed within the next sixty days or so. You do not need to take any action and you should not notice any changes to your service, though behind-the-scenes your service will be more secure.

Watch a short video about this change at http://www.dnssec.comcast.net/dnssec-video.htm.

Additional Details:
We know you have previously opted out of Comcast Domain Helper, which redirects you if you mistype a website address to a Comcast search page. Your opt-out preference will of course continue to be honored as you migrate to the new DNSSEC servers.

With DNSSEC, a web site name such as www.comcast.net can be signed with a secure key in the Domain Name System. Then, when you try to connect to that website, the Comcast DNS server checks that domain name, and it verifies the special key to ensure that it is valid and has not been tampered with by hackers or other criminals. You will only be connected if this security verification has been passed, which occurs so quickly you won't even notice that it's being done.

We're pleased to enhance Comcast Constant Guard with the addition of DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC), delivering you a more secure Internet experience. As the first major Internet Service Provider (ISP) to move to DNSSEC in the United States, you should know that you are among the first to be getting these new security capabilities and that we continue to push for a more secure Internet experience for you, as well as a more secure global Internet.

You can learn more by:
- Watching this short video: http://www.dnssec.comcast.net/dnssec-video.htm
- Learning about Comcast Constant Guard: http://security.comcast.net/constantguard/
- Diving deeper at our DNSSEC Information Center: http://www.dnssec.comcast.net/

Warm Regards,

Jason Livingood
Internet Systems Engineering
Comcast

This is a service-related email. Comcast will occasionally send you service-related emails to inform you of service upgrades or new benefits to your Comcast High-Speed Internet service.

Copyright 2009. Comcast. All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners.

Comcast respects your privacy. For a complete description of our privacy policy, click this link.

Comcast
One Comcast Center, 10th Floor
1701 JFK Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19103-2838
Attn: CHSI

I'm in a Chicago suburb and got this today:

This is a courtesy email to let you know that Comcast's DNS servers are changing to servers that use DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC), as part of an evolving suite of security protections that are part of Comcast Constant Guard. These changes, which have started today in some markets, will be completed within the next sixty days or so. You do not need to take any action and you should not notice any changes to your service, though behind-the-scenes your service will be more secure.

Watch a short video about this change at http://www.dnssec.comcast.net/dnssec-video.htm.

Additional Details:
We know you have previously opted out of Comcast Domain Helper, which redirects you if you mistype a website address to a Comcast search page. Your opt-out preference will of course continue to be honored as you migrate to the new DNSSEC servers.

With DNSSEC, a web site name such as www.comcast.net can be signed with a secure key in the Domain Name System. Then, when you try to connect to that website, the Comcast DNS server checks that domain name, and it verifies the special key to ensure that it is valid and has not been tampered with by hackers or other criminals. You will only be connected if this security verification has been passed, which occurs so quickly you won't even notice that it's being done.

We're pleased to enhance Comcast Constant Guard with the addition of DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC), delivering you a more secure Internet experience. As the first major Internet Service Provider (ISP) to move to DNSSEC in the United States, you should know that you are among the first to be getting these new security capabilities and that we continue to push for a more secure Internet experience for you, as well as a more secure global Internet.

You can learn more by:
- Watching this short video: http://www.dnssec.comcast.net/dnssec-video.htm
- Learning about Comcast Constant Guard: http://security.comcast.net/constantguard/
- Diving deeper at our DNSSEC Information Center: http://www.dnssec.comcast.net/

Warm Regards,

Jason Livingood
Internet Systems Engineering
Comcast

This is a service-related email. Comcast will occasionally send you service-related emails to inform you of service upgrades or new benefits to your Comcast High-Speed Internet service.

Copyright 2009. Comcast. All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners.

Comcast respects your privacy. For a complete description of our privacy policy, click this link.

Comcast
One Comcast Center, 10th Floor
1701 JFK Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19103-2838
Attn: CHSI

I'm in a Chicago suburb and got this today:

This is a courtesy email to let you know that Comcast's DNS servers are changing to servers that use DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC), as part of an evolving suite of security protections that are part of Comcast Constant Guard. These changes, which have started today in some markets, will be completed within the next sixty days or so. You do not need to take any action and you should not notice any changes to your service, though behind-the-scenes your service will be more secure.

Watch a short video about this change at http://www.dnssec.comcast.net/dnssec-video.htm.

Additional Details:
We know you have previously opted out of Comcast Domain Helper, which redirects you if you mistype a website address to a Comcast search page. Your opt-out preference will of course continue to be honored as you migrate to the new DNSSEC servers.

With DNSSEC, a web site name such as www.comcast.net can be signed with a secure key in the Domain Name System. Then, when you try to connect to that website, the Comcast DNS server checks that domain name, and it verifies the special key to ensure that it is valid and has not been tampered with by hackers or other criminals. You will only be connected if this security verification has been passed, which occurs so quickly you won't even notice that it's being done.

We're pleased to enhance Comcast Constant Guard with the addition of DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC), delivering you a more secure Internet experience. As the first major Internet Service Provider (ISP) to move to DNSSEC in the United States, you should know that you are among the first to be getting these new security capabilities and that we continue to push for a more secure Internet experience for you, as well as a more secure global Internet.

You can learn more by:
- Watching this short video: http://www.dnssec.comcast.net/dnssec-video.htm
- Learning about Comcast Constant Guard: http://security.comcast.net/constantguard/
- Diving deeper at our DNSSEC Information Center: http://www.dnssec.comcast.net/

Warm Regards,

Jason Livingood
Internet Systems Engineering
Comcast

This is a service-related email. Comcast will occasionally send you service-related emails to inform you of service upgrades or new benefits to your Comcast High-Speed Internet service.

Copyright 2009. Comcast. All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners.

Comcast respects your privacy. For a complete description of our privacy policy, click this link.

Comcast
One Comcast Center, 10th Floor
1701 JFK Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19103-2838
Attn: CHSI

I'm in a Chicago suburb and got this today:

This is a courtesy email to let you know that Comcast's DNS servers are changing to servers that use DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC), as part of an evolving suite of security protections that are part of Comcast Constant Guard. These changes, which have started today in some markets, will be completed within the next sixty days or so. You do not need to take any action and you should not notice any changes to your service, though behind-the-scenes your service will be more secure.

Watch a short video about this change at http://www.dnssec.comcast.net/dnssec-video.htm.

Additional Details:
We know you have previously opted out of Comcast Domain Helper, which redirects you if you mistype a website address to a Comcast search page. Your opt-out preference will of course continue to be honored as you migrate to the new DNSSEC servers.

With DNSSEC, a web site name such as www.comcast.net can be signed with a secure key in the Domain Name System. Then, when you try to connect to that website, the Comcast DNS server checks that domain name, and it verifies the special key to ensure that it is valid and has not been tampered with by hackers or other criminals. You will only be connected if this security verification has been passed, which occurs so quickly you won't even notice that it's being done.

We're pleased to enhance Comcast Constant Guard with the addition of DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC), delivering you a more secure Internet experience. As the first major Internet Service Provider (ISP) to move to DNSSEC in the United States, you should know that you are among the first to be getting these new security capabilities and that we continue to push for a more secure Internet experience for you, as well as a more secure global Internet.

You can learn more by:
- Watching this short video: http://www.dnssec.comcast.net/dnssec-video.htm
- Learning about Comcast Constant Guard: http://security.comcast.net/constantguard/
- Diving deeper at our DNSSEC Information Center: http://www.dnssec.comcast.net/

Warm Regards,

Jason Livingood
Internet Systems Engineering
Comcast

This is a service-related email. Comcast will occasionally send you service-related emails to inform you of service upgrades or new benefits to your Comcast High-Speed Internet service.

Copyright 2009. Comcast. All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners.

Comcast respects your privacy. For a complete description of our privacy policy, click this link.

Comcast
One Comcast Center, 10th Floor
1701 JFK Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19103-2838
Attn: CHSI

After reading their FAQ, looks like Comcast is doing the right thing and also admitting the DNS Redirector/Helper wasn't the right solution.

Are customers who have opted in to or out of Comcast Domain Helper impacted by this?

        * When DNSSEC is deployed on all of our DNS servers, the web error redirect function at the core of Comcast Domain Helper will be disabled, as this is not technically compatible with DNSSEC.
        * Customers that have opted out of Domain Helper will be the first customers that we migrate to the new DNSSEC servers. Domain Helper will not be active.
        * Comcast does plan to turn off Domain Helper when DNSSEC is fully implemented.

What happens to Comcast Domain Helper, which offers DNS redirect services, when you fully implement DNSSEC?

        * We believe that the web error redirection function of Comcast Domain Helper is technically incompatible with DNSSEC.
        * Comcast has always known this and plans to turn off such redirection when DNSSEC is fully implemented.
        * The production network DNSSEC servers do not have Comcast Domain Helper's DNS redirect functionality enabled.
        * We recently updated our IETF Internet Draft on this subject, available at http://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-livingood-dns-redirect, to reflect this.

Except, of course, that ISPs can block selectively.

Comcast offers me a free subscription to Norton. They could easily send me a warning message with a link to it. If I ignored their warning for a week, they could block all but port 80, and all port 80 requests could be DNS-spoofed to go directly to http://security.comcast.net/norton/resi/?cid=NET_33_258

That way, I can download Norton and install it, let it scan and scrub my machine, and once Comcast sees that I've downloaded Norton they can allow full access unless I start showing signs of bot activity again.

I'd guess Comcast isn't sending an email at least in part because a healthy percentage of their customers don't use Comcast's crappy email service.

I still think this is a gross and intrusive tactic, but so is how they hijack DNS redirects to show you a custom "search" page with ads on it. At least they give you an option of turning that "service" off.

No, because Chelloveck doesn't own the rights to make the update, even if they still had the tools to do so.

That's true, I have neither the rights nor the tools. I tried to finagle a copy of the source code when I got laid off, but they wouldn't let me take it.

However, Pfutz did make an update after I left, and got permission to distribute ROM images of all the Capcom pinball machines. You can find them linked off his home page, at http://home.comcast.net/~pfutz/Capcom/index.htm.

You will lose day, nay, weeks looking through the archives of Triangle and Robert! So compelling! http://home.comcast.net/~pshaughn/tandr.html

This page is a detailed history of Pac Man, including history and information on the different ghosts move algorithms and speed changes... I find it interesting... Read it while you can, its hosted on comcast.....

http://home.comcast.net/~jpittman2/pacman/pacmandossier.html

Capitalism may be the lesser evil, but I just feel like it's running out of control these days.

Really? People who are making your entertainment are having trouble, and you think capitalism is running out of control? No, this this and this are what capitalism looks like when it runs out of control.

There are problems with capitalism, but complaining about the problems with your entertainment getting made just spits on the long history of struggles for workers' rights that we've had, and in some places are still having. Please keep a sense of proportion.

Kinda sorta. I don't like Apple. Why would I buy a phone that supports them? So I waited until a phone came out that had the features I wanted (and a little bit of the good ole' open source movement behind it, partially), and picked it up. At least I didn't buy a CECT SciPhone.

Don't worry, we thought it was a reference to Biff (see: http://home.comcast.net/~ervind/ij3mac.html and the hopelessly incomplete http://indianajones.wikia.com/wiki/Biff ), which is far better for your ./ karma than being a male Australian homosexual.

"What, exactly, constitutes a 'True Data Disaster?"

Hal Draper, MS Fnd in a Lbry, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, December 1961.
http://home.comcast.net/~bcleere/texts/draper.html

Someone seems to have taken a pac man rom and figured out how the game works. How the different ghosts move and follow you to why you can sometimes "miss" a ghost.

Facinating read... oddly hosted on someone's personal comcast account.

http://home.comcast.net/~jpittman2/pacman/pacmandossier.html

Take your time...

Comparison of Monkey Island: IBM vs Amiga Of course, the IBM was using EGA graphics.

From what I remember, Amiga games tended to be "lovingly crafted". Apple IIGS games, on the other hand, were often ports of EGA version-- so the extended color palette was never used.

Compare the screenshots for Pirates! Yes, there was a later remake for VGA, but at the time, the Amiga afforded a distinctly different experience.

I've been using Comcast's DNSSEC test servers for months, without any difficulty. They're leading the pack on implementing DNSSEC. In fact, they're advocating its adoption, even though that means giving up their Comcast Domain Helper service.

See their DNSSEC Trial FAQs.

(I had opted out of using Domain Helper anyway, as it's the DNS equivalent of "Clippy" -- help I don't want.)

Apparently, from this article, Comcast madea successful argument based on the fact that the FCC fought to keep broadband deregulated in 2005 in the Supreme Court. While spitting on net neutrality basically spits in the face of the intent of that battle, I think the FCC could successfully file this particular incident under, "Lessons on Things Coming Back to Bite You in the Ass."

I believe they mean this: http://security.comcast.net/

I noticed this exciting tidbit on their FAQ page:

What happens to Comcast Domain Helper, which offers DNS redirect services, when you fully implement DNSSEC?

        * We believe that the web error redirection function of Comcast Domain Helper is technically incompatible with DNSSEC.
        * Comcast has always known this and plans to turn off such redirection when DNSSEC is fully implemented.
        * The DNSSEC trial servers we are announcing today do not have Comcast Domain Helper's DNS redirect functionality enabled.
        * We plan to update our IETF Internet Draft on this subject, available at http://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-livingood-dns-redirect, to reflect this in the coming months.

I fully expect the republicans to screw it up thistime too.

Slow down there esse. You mean to tell me with a Democrat President, and Democrat Majorities in *both* houses of congress, that it's the republicans fault it gets screwed up? Try Again

FTA:
Democrats, while reaffirming their commitment to major changes, reacted cautiously, mindful that Obama is asking them to stake their political fortunes in the fall elections.

The real problem here is the congressmen are afraid of being unemployed like >10% of their constituents.

And some other salient responses:

Michael Bristow says:
2010-02-12 at 11:48
I had a machine come across my bench with this issue, first thing Wednesday morning. One of the first things I tried was running SFC form an ERD boot disk. it replaced several files including atapi.sys, but was still would not boot. only way to get the PC back up and running was to remove the patch.

Multiple scans, with no infection detected, and I tried re-installing the patch, only to get right back to Blue Screens.

In short, there is obviously more going on than just a problem with infected atapi.sys files.

  Jim Blizzard says:
2010-02-12 at 12:00
Very nice work Patrick,

We have seen this occur on a few machines at the FAA so I wrote a vbscript to loop through an .xls of machines and record the MD5 Checksum. Thought it may come in handy for yourself and some of your readers..

http://home.comcast.net/~jblizz/Atapi_MD5_Checker.zip

Implicit in that is service to all internet hosts.

I bet if you read the terms of service - which you agreed to - you'll find that it doesn't support that assumption.

For example, from Comcast's terms of service:

Comcast reserves the right to refuse to transmit or post, and to remove or block, any information or materials, in whole or in part, that it, in its sole discretion, deems to be in violation of Sections I or II of this Policy, or otherwise harmful to Comcast's network or customers using the Service, regardless of whether this material or its dissemination is unlawful so long as it violates this Policy.

Interesting speculation, but after reading about Tesla's founder Elon Musk I think you're wrong. He made a fortune on PayPal and could easily have called it quits and retired rich. Instead he doubles down again and again, pouring his own money into Space-X and Tesla. He's an engineer and he what he has accomplished so far, and looks poised to accomplish, is quite amazing.

Pages animate and scroll so smooth you'd swear it was warm honey running down Kiera Knightly's body.

Delightful though Ms. Knightly is, it's probably worth pointing out that said "warm honey" would not have it's path inhibited by breasts or anything -- nope, a completely flat path there!

So in short, Kiera Knightly is way below my standards! :D

A long time ago when I was learning lisp, I worked through an interesting book by Heinrich Taube called Notes from the Metalevel. A very enlightening and interesting work for people interested in both music theory and computer science.

That's crap and you know it. No one forces you to use Comcast's DNS servers which they offer in the DHCP lease. You are free to run your own resolver or use any other public resolver (like opendns.com).

Furthermore, Comcast has an opt out site.

Are you really that stupid or just playing dumb?

You can opt-out of the Comcast rerouting.

https://dns-opt-out.comcast.net/

It's not cookie-based either, it actually disables it for your cablemodem's MAC address.