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I'm add to this argument, as I think the insecurity we see in Windows is part of the Microsoft Mindset.

A large part of all the bugs that causes vulnerabilities can be through good design and good coding standard (starting with NOT using strcpy() ). Most of the vulnerabilities in the Microsoft OS (and almost anywhere else) are buffer overflows. I'm pretty sure most of them could be squashed with good code audits...

What does Microsoft want, as a corporation? Money, profit! There is little insentive to actually correct those bugs BEFORE taken the product to market, because they would MAKE LESS PROFIT!... The only thing they lose with those vulnerabilities is credibility and image... maybe why they started the security thingy to improve their image... The security audit/training program is probably genuine though... (You can't fake that too much)

Think about it...

I though about that when I read this.. and it made me think of this and this.

Of course, I could be all wrong and Windows(R) could simply be too big to maintain....

#3 illustrates why PHB's hate passive-agressive personalities. To which, I have only one thing to say: 0wn3d.

I think he pretty identified the primary reason Linux has been slow to catch on in mainstream business.

Too bad for him that he lost me (and unintentionally made a different point) in the second sentence (emphasis mine):

Simply try to remember, next time you run into users who think Microsoft invented computing, that they got those beliefs from their textbooks -- meaning that they aren't necessarily as moronic as their opinions and that you can hope to reeducate at least some of them.

This is the reason why most bosses are slow to pick up on Linux -- because most IT professionals treat it like a club rather than a serious operating system. If you don't get it, you are one of the morons, and you are excluded.

A manager might see Linux on the same lines as s/he sees this or this, products designed to exclude the general public from the IT fraternity. The IT people think they are cool; the general public just sees nerds with toys.

I think he pretty identified the primary reason Linux has been slow to catch on in mainstream business.

Too bad for him that he lost me (and unintentionally made a different point) in the second sentence (emphasis mine):

Simply try to remember, next time you run into users who think Microsoft invented computing, that they got those beliefs from their textbooks -- meaning that they aren't necessarily as moronic as their opinions and that you can hope to reeducate at least some of them.

This is the reason why most bosses are slow to pick up on Linux -- because most IT professionals treat it like a club rather than a serious operating system. If you don't get it, you are one of the morons, and you are excluded.

A manager might see Linux on the same lines as s/he sees this or this, products designed to exclude the general public from the IT fraternity. The IT people think they are cool; the general public just sees nerds with toys.

noone seemed to notice the ad that says:
NOW SHIPPING
Half-Life 2
Doom 3
Halo 2
Click To Order

OBVIOUSLY an AF joke.

I was wondering if it will work with my USB iGrill.

The geek habitat is warm, cozy, and smells like bawls mixed with sweat, blood, and sorrow. Sometimes you just need to get out to breathe after drowning your memories in brute force.

The geek habitat is warm, cozy, and smells like bawls mixed with sweat, blood, and sorrow. Sometimes you just need to get out to breathe after drowning your memories in brute force.

Sweet, now I can bake myself a celebratory EZ hamster cake, because it looks like HL2, Halo 2, and Doom3 are shipping!!!

Woohoo!

Yes, April Fools Day.

Funny thing about the RC Gastron is that I would actually buy this.

Problem with something like this is that, at some point, you would have to eat something, I've passed out because I didn't eat anything in a 24 hour period. I start to get really tired, dizzy and disoriented after about 10 hours of not eating anything.

And a link to those HTTPanties' which are FOR REAL...

With Customer Action Shot!... I still can't believe they... with a camera.. to... %/%!T2E$"/"/!% BUFFER OVERFLOW

And a link to those HTTPanties' which are FOR REAL...

With Customer Action Shot!... I still can't believe they... with a camera.. to... %/%!T2E$"/"/!% BUFFER OVERFLOW

Almost as good as 2001's USB George Foremans iGrill
The grill is still up at think geeks website

...bastards forgot to make a link for the "Buy Doom 3" graphic in the left column... if there's one thing I want more than an easy-baked ham[p]ster, it's next-generation giblets.

It's bad enough that the rest of the Internet is also posting lame April-fools stories.

Oh, I don't know, that Google Lunar Complex was damn funny, as was UserFriendly and Thinkgeek's coverpage. Pay close attention to the geek points for each item on the front page:-D

You can slap these all over yourself instead!

Coat your entire body with these ;)

OT. I hope everyone has seen the rest of the AF items at Think Geek too. If not, check it out!!

Coat your entire body with these ;)

OT. I hope everyone has seen the rest of the AF items at Think Geek too. If not, check it out!!

Coat your entire body with these ;)

OT. I hope everyone has seen the rest of the AF items at Think Geek too. If not, check it out!!

For those not l33t enough to translate the cryptic binary message on this April Fool's Day Thinkgeek T-Shirt, I've saved you the trouble of decyphering it:

"I shopped at ThinkGeek on April Fools Day, and all I got was this lousy shirt!"

Even better, ThinkGeek.com is now shipping Half Life 2 and Doom 3! Check the left side of the screen. No mention of Duke Nukem Forever.

ThinkGeek

I'm trying to keep a list of all the sites pulling pranks for 2004. Visit the site to see the up to the minute list and to submit new ones.

Current list:

www.urgo.org
mrtwig.net
southparkx.net
www.suprnova.org
www.cowsponge.com
Google
Slashdot
fark.com
www.thinkgeek.com
www.pimpworks.org
www.whirlpool.net.au
planetnintendo.com
Google Job
evercrest.com
www.heise.de (not sure if its a joke.. german)
www.homestarrunner.com
Weekly World News

Some of them (ok the media ones usually aren't that good) are pretty good. Google's made me laugh a bit (click the link below the search field, "want a job..") and Thinkgeeks nifty products always make me laugh too.

thinkgeek

If you decide to use a computer for it, you might want to have something like PcAnywhere (or something similar) running so you could remote into it if there is a problem. You'd probably want something like this to automate your keystrokes/mouse clicks. And something like this might work for daily maintenance and scheduled shutdowns.

I imagine you could pretty easily take apart the mouse and take the wires hooked to left click and wire them to a door bell, then record the macro in that program mentioned above to do whatever you need to start the video/flash/ppt presentation.

Yeah, because we all know that realgeeks never spend money on stuff they don't need

While it's not quite what you asked for, thinkgeek.com has the 10-in-1 Atari controller and the 5-in-1 Namco controller. Both are reasonably priced.

If that's not to your liking, it would be fairly easy to custom build a cabinet (perhaps out of old stereo parts) with a cheap mobo with built-in video, audio, usb and game controller socket. That and an internal hard drive. I'll bet you could even approach your $25 mark if you shop carefully and scrounge thoroughly for free/discarded items.

so when is the disclaimer going up at thinkgeek?

http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/electronic/5a05/

disclaimer: please do not buy this product and use it for what you think you were going to use it for, thank you... same with that x10 camera you were thinking about too, while we're at it

Yeah cause we all know that geeks never spend money stuff they don't need

Well, think geek is ready
There's No Place like ::1 shirt

This hardware encrypted hard drive might be part of what you're looking for.

Check out the Securikey on ThinkGeek. I'm not sure if someone's written Linux drivers for it, but there's your hardware level -- and it's two-factor.

This is your brain, 7h1s 15 y0uR 8r41n 0n 1337. Any questions?

Why don't they just ban cameras? A ban on camera phones doesn't keep someone from sneaking in a small camera. What ignorance.

The reason I would love DRM, is that I can go to a friends house, and use his computer, without having to worry if he has started a keylogger.

I've got this, a cable modem, and a router next to me. Sounds like what your looking for, although if my desk takes a hit they'll all explode in my face...

I think you might be able to take your pick from Thinkgeek today, if you're so inclined.

You know I am pretty sure creating such a beast shouldn't be a problem. Watch.

Step 1: Get yourself a small form factor PC, like the ThinkGeek Cappucino or The Open Brick or build your own cool looking mini PC.

Step 2: Get yourself a USB DVD drive (brownie points for DVD burners)

Step 3: Get a USB TV Card that runs under Linux (Note: I did a quick google, but I'd bet money you could find one that worked much better. And that page was talking about spotty TV signals in 2002. I bet it's gotten better)

Step 4: Download a copy of MythTV

Bingo! You've now got a PVR which will either look nice in your stereo cabinet (like that ThinkGeek case), or which you can keep hidden, save for the external DVD drive (and since every DVD player has a DVD drive in it, you're not going to find anything with a much smaller footprint). And, it shouldn't be too hard to hide the OpenBrick. And all for under $1500.

You know I am pretty sure creating such a beast shouldn't be a problem. Watch.

Step 1: Get yourself a small form factor PC, like the ThinkGeek Cappucino or The Open Brick or build your own cool looking mini PC.

Step 2: Get yourself a USB DVD drive (brownie points for DVD burners)

Step 3: Get a USB TV Card that runs under Linux (Note: I did a quick google, but I'd bet money you could find one that worked much better. And that page was talking about spotty TV signals in 2002. I bet it's gotten better)

Step 4: Download a copy of MythTV

Bingo! You've now got a PVR which will either look nice in your stereo cabinet (like that ThinkGeek case), or which you can keep hidden, save for the external DVD drive (and since every DVD player has a DVD drive in it, you're not going to find anything with a much smaller footprint). And, it shouldn't be too hard to hide the OpenBrick. And all for under $1500.

...and I really wish Asscroft would let me have my Swiss Army knife back.

My issue seems to be not a declining vision, but fatigue after certain amount of time in front of the computer. It becomes so bad that I need occasionally to leave the room with computer and sit or lie down to relax for 5 to 10 minutes.

Then you, my friend, are obviously not running on your optimum caffeine rating (ocr). Might I suggest some Bawls? Or maybe some Penguin mints?

My issue seems to be not a declining vision, but fatigue after certain amount of time in front of the computer. It becomes so bad that I need occasionally to leave the room with computer and sit or lie down to relax for 5 to 10 minutes.

Then you, my friend, are obviously not running on your optimum caffeine rating (ocr). Might I suggest some Bawls? Or maybe some Penguin mints?

Well, this silly rule doesn't apply in my jurisdiction, but in my network rounds I always carry my trusty CyberTool. Bought mind at an airport in Belguim. Haven't met a machine this knife couldn't take.

Boy Scouts always taught me to carry a pocket knife, either in your car or pocket, you never know how useful it will be.

Hey, Chicks Dig Unix.

Wore that shirt to my parents one time and my mom didn't exactly get it. Unix does not equal Eunuchs. Try explaining that to your mom.

Hey!!
Mate is not a tea.

Tea is an infusion while mate is a maceration (or whatever you english speaking people call it:)

Meaning that tea is supposed to be prepared with boiling water, in a relatively short time, then drank.

Mate is a cup of wet "yerba mate" leaves, where we pour hot (not boiling) water, and keep drinking and refilling, until it tastes like clear water.

It takes some time learning to prepare it, and to drink it (through the bombilla), because it is very hot, and can be very bitter for example if you use boiling water. The good part is that it can keep you awake all night if you want with no side effects, and it is easy on your stomach and your nerves, compared to coffee (I think it might be because we drink it with so much water).
Everybody in Uruguay* drinks it, specially students, and I am drinking it right now, at an evening coding session (this is the good stuff, 2.5 grams of caffeine per kilogram, just like cofee).

*mate is the traditional beverage of Uruguay, which is the biggest consumer of yerba mate, produced in neighbour country Brazil.
South Brazilians, Argentinians and Paraguayans drink it too, but not massively, and they drink a mellower kind of blend, that I dont think has the stimulating properties of yerba, the preferred brand in Uruguay, that is available in the U.S., mostly in Miami and New York, or wherever you can find a uruguayan.

And it's not tea, it's Mate!!!!!!!!!

Just stick one of these to your forehead. I imagine this can be done with *very* low decibels.

Ok - then what about caffiene soap? Will it make my arteries extra squeaky clean?

Thinkgeek has the Forever Flashlight that uses Faraday's Principle of Induction to generate power for superbright LEDs.

Somebody forgot to check the geek's survival store.