Domain: zdnet.com
Stories and comments across the archive that link to zdnet.com.
Comments · 5,181
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Re:Great, even more ways for MS to kill it
The
NO. Microsoft has made it abundantly clear that when you implement the the ECMA stuff, and your own CLR, you are entering into a RAND agreement with Microsoft, and they have patents essential to the running of it: .NET Framework is divided in two parts: the ECMA/ISO covered technologies and the other technologies developed on top of it like ADO.NET, ASP.NET and Windows.Forms.
http://techupdate.zdnet.com/techupdate/stories/mai n/0,14179,2887217,00.html
This was pointed out years ago. No, how long does this agreement last? The answer is, as long as Microsoft wants it to. Should Microsoft revoke this agreement, or initiate a revocation, then the worst that will happen is that the ECMA standards will be revoked. The ECMA wording on this is pathetically weak and under no circumstances gives a legally binding long-term guarantee. This is why we had all that rubbish about a 'letter from Microsoft' that didn't materialise some time back:
http://www.ecma-international.org/memento/codeofco nduct.htm
The whole 'ECMA is safe' thing is what the Mono people would have you believe. It isn't. The RAND stuff is double speak, because Microsoft do have patents that are specific to implementing .Net, CLR, the ECMA stuff etc. Not Java or anything else - just .Net. The e-mail quoted above basically means nothing.
It's actually more likely that the Microsoft specific stuff like ADO.Net, ASP.Net and Windows.Forms are safer since these are only namespaces in an API, although their patents basically say that if you're implementing .Net stuff and running it in a CLR then it applies. Fairly clever actually. They're saying that if you want to implement some of the stuff in a JVM or something, then that's OK, but if you're cloning a Microsoft compatible .Net then it applies to you. -
The link is there
Roland's blogging on ZDNet's payroll now.
I wonder if he used "250+ submissions accepted on Slashdot" as a bullet point on his resume...
And for those who don't know the backstory, Roland Piquepaille and Slashdot will fill you in. -
Malthusian Error: Other Factors Are IgnoredThe analysis assumes that all factors remain unchanged. This is the same error that led to Malthus' very incorrect prediction of overpopulation.
The major contravening factor is innovative technology. By 2048 there will be improved methods of producing fish. For example as profitability increases fish, beef, pork and other foods will increasingly be farmed and farming techniques will improve. It is likely that by 2030 or earlier all fish and meat shall be "grown" under controlled circumstances in factories. Once such a process is proven economical, the ocean-based fishing industry will collapse, the oceans will quickly recover and we'll be hearing the same people complaining about an "overpopulation of fish" and suggesting that we perform birth-control on sea bass.
In any case a prognostication to the year 2048 using the same maths (and undoubtedly done by some of the same people) who cannot accurately predict the economy 5 years hence, is sheer lunacy.
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Re:Er..
It seems you didn't read the Thurrott's article on the subject...
The license was always clear on the subject, only some "online pundits" did see a change in Vista's license...
</sarcasm> -
Re:Isn't it funny..
Telestream Inc. shows it is possible to add WMV codec to Quicktime on OS X. In fact, my Quicktime also have
.ogg and those open video support via codecs too. It also validates people's claims that Microsoft does use WMV Technology to drive people to their OS. Why? While Telestream is a great company and their codec works, it can't be a replacement for MS Wmedia Player for OS X update which will NEVER ship.
There is open, documented and (only needing coders) MPEG-4 H264. It is already supported in some opensource programs I guess. The company matters.
If there was enough people wanting Quicktime , Apple could ship quicktime for Linux along with framework. The issue is: Will Linux/FreeBSD community accept getting closed source DRM? That was what Real Networks dared to mention and we have seen the result at Slashdot.
Apple will also keep some of Quicktime closed source. They have a technology in hand which is chosen by Industry giants like AVID Inc. to be used in their high profile applications. Some guys (MSFT) even spoke about "Knife the baby"
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9595_22-512634.html?leg acy=zdnn
Well, there is a good option if you ask me. 3ivx, one of the very advanced companies/coders in business explains at their download page:
http://www.3ivx.com/download/unix.html
Note that their codec is the choice for industry for mpeg 4. -
Re:I call Bullshit
Thats an inflated price, Dell et al pay about $30 a copy and thats the price you pay in the total cost of the machine. See http://blogs.zdnet.com/Bott/?p=118
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Outdated
The article is outdated. Microsoft changed the Vista EULA today. It now allows an unlimited number of transfers of the retail copy from one computer to another, instead of just one as the article still says. You can read more about this change at http://blogs.zdnet.com/Bott/?p=166 Or download the full EULA from http://www.microsoft.com/about/legal/useterms/def
a ult.aspx I am glad that the pressure on Microsoft worked and they changed that license term! -
multiple install limitation reversed!
FYI, according to some http://news.zdnet.com/2100-3513_22-6131900.html?t
a g=nl.e589 news sites, MS has now reversed their minds about the restriction about transfering licenses between PCs. -
Re:Why is the delay such a big deal?
Windows XP Service Pack 2 is practically a new operating system. This patch replaced everything with new binaries. The decision not to call it a new operating system was Jim Allchin's. He talks about it in an interview with Mary Jo Foley here http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=65/.
I guess they didn't add anything different to the look and feel though. It's always a pain when you've been working on a huge backend, but when the boss has a look the GUI guys get all the credit for adding cornflower blue buttons to use your backend. Consumers are like that too.
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Re:Elephants? Landscape?
Adobe will never go up against Microsoft, Google or others in developing their own "web convergence" applications (word processors, calendars, whatever). Adobe is in the business of enabling communication.
They won't make word processors and calendars because there's little profit to be had in that unless you can couple it with a context-sensitive ad network (like google's), which adobe doesn't have. But they are most definitely going head to head with microsoft.
Adobe is readying a flash-based platform for desktop app development that will compete with .net currently code-named Apollo. They intend to distribute a runtime like the .net runtime, that will provide a platform for running apps that are a mixture of HTML, javascript, flash and actionscript, with API's to access the local system's capabilities but still platform independent. They're even integrating a KHTML-based browser engine so you can integrate web content directly into your apollo app (and apply all of flash's graphical effects to it).
I also expect them to bundle this with the pdf reader, so that everyone will have it installed. -
Not exactly news
This is really funny but not really news knowing MS.
See this: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/10/29/microsoft_ vista_eula_analysis/
and this: http://www.gripe2ed.com/scoop/story/2006/10/24/045 6/5625
and this: http://blogs.zdnet.com/Bott/?p=158
MS is doing their best to kill Vista when/where they can. I wonder if they have OS/2'itis. -
Re:Why would Red Hat fork Red Hat?
...customize it and not distribute it. This is what companies like Google and Amazon do...And under GPL v3, they would have to release their changes. So there goes that loophole. A key reason why we're looking at dumping GPL code - if that kicks in, we have a lot of rewriting to do.
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Re:Fanbois and their fantasies
I know this is an older link, but mod the parent up: (a bit of proof)
He's exactly right. You might argue they make their money from their investors...but most specifically it's received by getting companies like Dell and HPQ (notice the text: "HP recommends Windows® XP Professional!") to purchase boatloads of licenses...
On a related note: try to build your own PC on the Dell or HPQ websites (see above links). You won't even be given the option for "no OS," let alone Linux, you MUST buy Windows! -
Re:Why are we upgrading again? THEY DO...
Speaking of past and future predictions, how about we all step back in time a bit down digital memory lane...
Tokyo train station gets facial scan payment systems
http://www.engadget.com/2006/04/27/tokyo-train-sta tion-gets-facial-scan-payment-systems/
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RFID subway pass? Sure, New York says
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1035_22-6033364.html
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Radio-Frequenci ID: Asian Impediments
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/oct 2006/tc20061009_971601.htm
(page was ALL jacked up in my Konqueror browser....)
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Suica
http://www.answers.com/topic/suica
Suica stands for "Super Urban Intelligent CArd"
"a rechargeable contactless smart card used as a fare card on train lines in Japan. Launched in November 2001,..."
"Technology
The card incorporates contactless radio frequency identification RFID technology developed by Sony, called FeliCa. The same technology is also deployed in the Edy electronic cash cards used in Japan, the Octopus card in Hong Kong, and the ezlink Card in Singapore."
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RFID in Japan
http://ubiks.net/local/blog/jmt/archives3/2005/02/ index.php?page=all
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RFID Cards Big in Tokyo
http://www.smartmobs.com/archive/2003/03/15/rfid_c ards_big_....html
"Pockets in Japan, however, are getting lighter with the growing use of integrated-circuit smart cards. The size of a credit card, they are packed with thin antennas and an encrypted integrated chip that can be used thousands of times to pay for train fares, meals at restaurants and snacks at convenience stores. In less than two years, nearly seven million people in Japan have started using one of two types of cards, both based on technology developed by Sony.
So far, the main client for the cards is JR East, the largest railway company in Japan. Nearly six million train and bus commuters have started using the first of the two types, known as Suica cards, since they were introduced 18 months ago."
For those interested in similar devices (well, actually key fob) in the US, read 5-Peter Davidson's post about "Speedpass"
BUT, be sure to read # 7- "SUICA IS NOT RFID"
http://www.eurotechnology.com/store/suica/
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heheh, slash image word: "rescuing"... -
Come back to the 5 & Dime, Brian Reid, Brian R
There is irony in Google's admission that it needs the very type
of personnel for whom they have been alleged to treat shabbily,
such as Brian Reid, whose age discrimination case is on appeal:
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-3513_22-5283653.html
As part of the suggested settlement for the Reid v. Google suit,
Google was admonished to bring about a drastic overhaul
of hiring practices biased toward creating disparate impact.
Reid's eye-opening comments are in the public Santa Clara
County case documents, as well as in John Battelle's "The Search".
(At Amazon, one would do well to "search inside the book"
[using A9 technology, not Google's!] to land on pages
223 and 233 or thereabouts.) -
Forbes/Daniel Lyons have no credibility wrt Linux.
Early on in the lawsuit, Daniel Lyons writing for Forbes heavily backed SCO against IBM, however like SCO they cited no evidence to back up the claim that Linux developers stole code from Unix and put it into Linux. They simply assumed that since the people behind the SCO suit were successful with lawsuits in the past they would be successful again.
And of course like many of us called it back in 2003, SCO's stock first skyrocketed on the hype from articles like Forbes' and then plummeted as it has become public knowledge that their case is completely without merit. Naturally those people in on the action early cashed out early and big, leaving the pointy hairs' who listened to Forbes holding the bag. So they may well have had some level of credibility in 2003, but the zealots wearing the blinders at Forbes called it wrong, and they didn't miss by a hair, they missed by a mile. -
Pics here
There is more info and pics of this badboy here:
http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=3790 -
Microsoft has NO CLUE AT all regarding security.
And I will tell you why. I actually like the NT kernel and architecture. I think it is well designed, and works great when built upon properly. I think Windows 2000 is the probably the best consumer OS ever made, even though Microsoft pointed it at business users. It's what I run, and likely will not switch from, except for (maybe) running XP in a VM to run some games.
But even with 2000, MS had to insert their boneheaded ideas in it. For example, with "Windows File Protection," which is really the sfc.exe ("System FIle Checker") and sfcfiles.dll (The actual list of files to be protected, stuck in a DLL) it gives an Admin NO WAY to add to or change which files are protected. And it includes things like PINBALL.EXE!!! in the list of protected, undeletable system files. And creates stupid things like "C:\Program Files\microsoft frontpage" when I DO NOT even have Frontpage or IIS installed. And unless you disable SFC (which I did) it will re-create the stupid directory on every re-boot. So what COULD HAVE BEEN a useful feature is more like a "let MS Admin your computer for you" feature, because there is no way for the owner of the computer to manage which files are protected under "Windows File Protection." And guess what, on COMPUTERS I OWN, **I** like to control what directories are created and where they are placed. It's MY computer!!!
Now I have read, from a recent article by Mary Jo Foley, ZDNET, that some of the new security in Vista will come from "Code protection technologies such as tamper resistance, code obfuscation, and anti-reverse engineering measures..." THIS IS NOT SECURITY. This is HIDING YOUR BUGS. Instead of actually fixing the bugs, or not having them to begin with, they are actively trying to just make them harder to find. But they are still IN THERE!! This is just simply boneheaded. This is not the way to develop an OS.
With this new WGA crap, they are trying to FORCE users to install (and keep installed) components that NO ONE WANTS (except MS, of course). But guess what, any decent computer Admin **MUST** have the ability to accept or deny ANY update to the OS and have the ability to rollback changes if they cause problems. Just Google for wgatray.exe for many fine examples of the horrible problems their crap is causing.
With Win 2000 at least, MS created a good OS, once you fix the initial problems. But for me at least, there is NO WAY I will "upgrade" to this Vista shit with requiring signed drivers (what about independent hardware hackers/developers?) or XP with "Activation" (what, I can't swap out my motherboard without CALLING and RE-ACTIVATING?) They have just gone too far with this DRM and Anti-Piracy shit. NOT IN MY OPERATING SYSTEM.
I need to move to Linux. Kubuntu is looking really good now. If I can just get the couple of games I like working under WINE or Cedega, then F*** MS. It's just too much. I've had enough.
Crax
P.S. The Mary Jo Foley article I quoted from is located at:
http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?cat=18 -
Re:Yes.
> configure it for text-only
didn't work, since I easily tracked this text only email back to zdnet.
:^)
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Usual FUD
Outlook is doing exactly what it needs to do, blocking download of images. If it lacks the specialization of countering these "bugs" that's too bad for corporate sleuths and leakers, but it does not expose the user to anything, this is not a vulnerability and the "patch" mentioned will simply give you an additional option regarding image handling. I wouldn't think the "let me forward this mail with the secret tracking device turned off" functionality was high on Microsoft's feature list when they released OLK2003.
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Re:My options
You forgot #6 - Pirate a DRM-less, restrictionless, non-phoning-home VLK version, just like we all have for every version (that didn't come with the machine) since Win 95.
That's not an option any longer thanks to Volume Licensing 2.0. Even large companies with expensive agreements and VLKs will have to activate their products.
I plan on giving our MS TAM an earful about this when he gets back from vacation. -
Re:Thanks for the heads up
I've read that vista ultimate will have no corporate/vlk keys. every copy will have it's own key.
whether or not it's true I don't know.
http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=26 -
Re:Coercion?
So they can eventually turn it off.
From the article:
On 64-bit x64 platforms, all kernel mode code must be signed and the identify of all kernel mode binaries is verified.
So on 64 bit systems, it is already this way. -
Good job, Microsoft.
Too bad you broke the patching mechanism in the process!
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Re:Ps2
Wasn't the PS2 supposed to do this?
I know that PS2s have been hooked into neuro-feedback systems designed to do this.
"Smart BrainGames"
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1040_22-5940181.html
It's for AD(H)D kids & the example I remember was Burnout. Your brain waves controlled the accelerator. When you lost focus, you started slowing down (losing) when your brain waves were doing what the doctors wanted, you kept going full speed.
Your Brain + PS2 = behavioral therapy -
Re:So...Hmmm....are you running Vista already?
According to what I've read here http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=26, that's not necessarily going to be the case. Even if http://www.activewin.com/awin/comments.asp?Headlin eIndex=36404&Group=1 is more accurate, one of the commentors still had some reasonable concerns about the new plan:As I work for a company that deals with Volume licensing exclusively, as #1 said, this is not going to go over well. I can see it now, you purchase the license, have to go here, have to activate it here, then install and activate it. But the vendor hasn't updated MS yet, so it doesn't show your agreement, then the install reports your install isn't legit and knocks you out.. GREAT.. Nice especially if you have to reinstall to get a critical server back up, etc.
I stand by my original assertion: Microsoft is shooting itself in the foot in its attempt to curtail piracy, and will only annoy its legitimate users--not, generally speaking, a good business tactic. -
Re:This is good.
By the time this gets to court, either or both houses of Congress will be controlled by Democrats. Which means that Congress can and will investigate this.
People who trust Democrats to uphold the constitution have a very short memory. I shouldn't even have to look up FDR, LBJ, etc.
For a more recent example, just take a look at this article.
They may be better than republicans (personally, I find the pissing contest of 'lesser of two evils' repulsive and therefore I don't vote), but democrats certainly can't be trusted with our liberty.
But this is the wrong audience to be dissing democrats. After all, Slashdot's full of former Dean-ocrats, even though his stance on civil liberties wasn't pretty. -
Re:Accountable Recordkeeping
Sadly, this seems to be the case. Dan Rather spoke about this in an interview recently.
A quote:
Rather pointed to the pre-Irag war coverage as an example of where the press has fallen down. "It's not very good, bordering on abysmal," he said, including himself in the assessment. Reporters didn't ask enough questions. Access journalism ruled the day. Reporters who asked tough questions were cut off from access to key administration officials, making it difficult to compete professionally with those who tried not to ruffle feathers. "Don't underestimate the pressure to get access and the corrosive effect it has on reporters," Rather said.
The press today is "a wee bit less timid today, perhaps because the President's approval ratings are down, but "American journalism is in desparate need of a spine transplant," he said.
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Re:the system will curtail functionality
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Re:Proof?
You're spewing shit too, there was no 'video' of the exploit,
What I wrote:
No, they didn't have a live exploit. The original article is here http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-6121608.html [zdnet.com], not the site linked to by slashdot.
All they had was a video
... no code to display.From the article I link to:
The JavaScript issue appears to be a real vulnerability, Window Snyder, Mozilla's security chief, said after watching a video of the presentation Saturday night. "What they are describing might be a variation on an old attack," she said. "We're going to do some investigating."
So, how am I "spewing shit" if I say all they have is a video, and the article says they only saw a video, and even YOU say "He watched the video of the talk,"
You're the one going for the cheap karma by spewing shit, not me
... especially when I went out of my way to say that there was NO code to display (which would mean not even on the video). -
So I wrote to SixApart
Maybe you want to as well? This is absolutely retarded behavior.
From: [me]
Subject: Responsible disclosure and wreckless behavior
Date: 1 October 2006 14.23.23 GMT-04:00
To: mena@sixapart.com, ben@sixapart.com, brad@danga.com
Cc: mischa@sixapart.com
Hello,
I read this article on ZDNet describing how your employee Mischa Spiegelmock found and revealed a zero-day Firefox flaw:
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-6121608.html
Mischa and his co-researcher Wbeelsoi refuse to reveal specific details on the flaw--or 30 others they found--to the Mozilla Foundation:
"The two hackers laughed off the comment. 'It is a double-edged sword, but what we're doing is really for the greater good of the Internet, we're setting up communication networks for black hats, Wbeelsoi said."
Considering LiveJournal's recent security flaws causing everyone to change their passwords due to browser-based flaws, do you really want someone working for you who makes the problem worse? To be sure, there is merit to the argument that revealing the flaws would allow Mozilla to continue to use a badly buggy implementation; however, there seems to be more to this.
From FireFox's IRC channel, some dialogue from Jesse Ruderman of the Mozilla foundation, who attended (via Slashdot: http://it.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=198519&cid= 16265621 )
" they claim they can make $10,000 or $20,000 selling a vuln in firefox
compared to $500 telling us about it
selling to other blackhats, anonymously, using onion networks, of course"
Is one of your employees looking to profit of vulnerabilities in Firefox? With the large number of huge enterprises using TypePad and SixApart software, do you really want to risk him embedding JavaScript code to activate this flaw in your products? If he's saving these flaws to profit from them, what's to say he won't look for the bigger payouts of actively punching holes in your products?
That's unlikely--but more likely is that your customers will hear about this and refuse to do business with you because you have an employee who is actively seeking to make the Internet a more dangerous place.
If I misunderstood anything in these articles, I apologize completely. However, what was described in the article was so outrageous that I had to write.
Best regards,
[me] -
Re:Proof?
Yes they did have a live exploit.
No, they didn't have a live exploit. The original article is here http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-6121608.html, not the site linked to by slashdot.
All they had was a video
... no code to display.So, maybe they do, maybe they don't
... but you can't tell just from a video.The JavaScript issue appears to be a real vulnerability, Window Snyder, Mozilla's security chief, said after watching a video of the presentation Saturday night.
Also, what sort of drugs do you have to be on to name your kid "Window"? Brings to mind Frank Zappa naming his kid "Moon Unit".
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Real article
The link in the article is a click-through to the REAL article at http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-6121608.html
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It's part of a trendMicrosoft's tried to own identity by offering 3rd party authentication through Passport, and now shifted towards IDCard/LiveID. Google has already opened up their authentication
Ultimately this comes down to who are users going to flock to as their primary id on the internet - and thus users will use it to log into 3rd party applications which lie outside of microsoft/google/yahoo. The bigger question, though, is how come these companies are going to "own" your id instead of federate it.
BTW, Yahoo has offered authentication services through other apps back in March.
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Old news?
http://www.sciforums.com/showthread.php?t=48 dated 11-22-00, 10:15 PM. Just Google for 'buckyballs Breaks Pentagon Rules'
... ;-]Funny thing is that searching Google News for 'buckyballs Breaks Pentagon Rules' has the link http://blogs.zdnet.com/emergingtech/?p=368 (Slashdotted?) mentioned in the article as its one and only result.
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Holy Plagiarism Batman
I knew this article sounded familiar...it's because I'd already seen it on another site:
http://blogs.zdnet.com/hardware/?p=105
The blog's format is repulsive, but take a minute to compare even the intros of both sites -
XYZ:
"When AM2 was first announced it seemed like it was going to be a guaranteed hit. After all, this platform would be moving the tremendously successful socket 939 into the future with its use of DDR2 memory, a greatly increased memory bandwidth, hardware virtualization, and a number of exciting new CPUs. Despite everything AM2 had going for it, this includes a dedicated enthusiast base and a tremendous amount of pro-AMD spirit at the time, the new platform has largely been dismissed by consumers."
Blog:
"When AMD released the Socket AM2 platform during May of this year, many expected it to be a huge hit - after all, it supported DDR2, sporting a 30% increase memory bandwidth, and introduced new features such as hardware virtualization. The Socket AM2 platform took what AMD had learned from the Socket 939 platform and built upon it.
Now, four months on from launch, and the AM2 platform has been largely sidelined and the Socket 939 platform still dominates mainstream AMD PCs. Why? Where did AMD go wrong with AM2?"
If you go through both articles completely, you'll see that the sections and talking points may differ in order and detail, but there is definitely something up here. My questions is, who copied who? Both are dated the 27th, but the blog shows 2:22am for a timestamp -
Here's the link.
http://blogs.zdnet.com/ip-telephony/?p=1252
Sorry about that. -
They are only going after wrong usages of the term
It seems they're only going after usages that are not "goods and services offered in the podcasting field".
Seems like people shouldn't be too concerned about this right now.
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You're rightThey don't subject to the term "podcasting". I read that somewhere, but didn't check it.
But some problem could be that
/. has a funny understanding of editing. Here's my original submission:While news are out that Apple wants to stop companies from using terms like "podcast" or "pod", Wired has the complete text of Apple's cease-and-desist letter to Podcast Ready. Obviously Apple is under the delusion that people call their iPods not, well "iPod",but instead just "Pod". I suggest all
/.ers write a nice and polite letter to Apple pointing out that iPods are still referred to as iPods.If Zonk didn't like my wording he could have stripped my name too
:-/ -
Quality is hard, MS-shilling is easy
Nice apologist tract. Let's deconstruct this, shall we?
> I appreciate that MS rushed production to get it out a year earlier than the other systems, as I was jonesing for a new system. I also appreciate that this rush is what produced the defective hardware.
So, in other words, Micro$oft is at it again: they rush a product through production, get it to market before it's ready, and -- what a surprise! -- it's got nasty bugs in it. Summary: M$ fucks things up some more.
> Although the delay in compensation for repairs denotes a greedy attitude on the part of MS, I am not surprised.
At this point, I'd be amazed if *anyone* was surprised.
> Corporations do not exist to serve the public good, and if you find this objectionable, then please avail yourself of a microeconomics textbook. You can't expect good intentions from corporations (and from people in general). You should be satisfied that they do the right thing, even if for the wrong reasons.
Translation: what the corporations offer the public is all they deserve, and if they don't like it they can go fuck themselves. Wonder if this 'primeval_badger' character is a Republican or a Libertarian -- what's his view on public oversight or government regulation of business? That should be good for a cheap laugh....
> Having worked for several years, I understand how difficult it is to design products, let alone systems.
Then you understand the importance of "defensive design" and "quality control", right? Because M$ apparently doesn't, seeing that they repeatedly and consistently release products that are Not Ready For Prime Time. Hell, it's no wonder my first software engineering professor got so pissed off at fuckheads like this, for creating sloppy design and shoddy quality, that it made him "want to get a baseball bat and start bashing in heads."
> Put another way, would you rather wait an extra year for a rock-solid 360, or get one a year earlier, which will probably work fine
-- unless the power supply unit undergoes a meltdown, explodes and sets fire to the carpet, which burns down the house and potentially nearby houses as well. Think I'm being over the top? Remember that little fuss a short while ago over laptop batteries? You know ...over some of them EXPLODING?
http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/22/another-thinkpa d-battery-explodes/
But hey, what's a few exploding laptops, right? I mean, the user escaped with only minor burns and a ruined LCD monitor (other than the laptop screen itself), plus the firefighters came in time, so he should count himself lucky! Hell, he's even got backups of his data, so he should be *satisfied* that things turned out the way they did!! /end sarcasm/
> MS is a decent corporation with decent products.
Ahem... You seem to have contradicted your earlier statement about the nature of corporate business. More importantly, it flies in the face of the public record:
http://www.microsuck.com/content/whatsbad.shtml
http://blogs.zdnet.com/Murphy/?p=640
http://www.inlumineconsulting.com:8080/website/msf t.shilling.html
> Don't criticize a man until you've walked a mile in his shoes.
You forgot to add, "or unless you can outdo him."
Remember Bill Gates' infamous letter to the Homebrew Computer Club? The one in which he said to the club that "most of you steal your software"? What he neglected to mention in that letter was:
- Altair BASIC was released way behind schedule (dude, talk about foreshadowing!)
- Many Altair computer users had paid in advance for pre-ordered copies of Altair BASIC, yet had never received it
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Re:Tracking Software?
The press has reported this:
Regarding the false email tips, Fried and Kerstetter reported:
A later e-mail from that same address included an attachment believed to have contained marketing information about a new HP product. That attachment, government investigators told Kawamoto, is believed to have had the ability to track the e-mail, notify the sender if it was opened, and tell the sender if the e-mail was forwarded and to which IP address it had been forwarded. Sending Kawamoto an attachment like that would not have been illegal, government investigators said, noting that the technology used was not believed to have been a keylogger loaded onto the computer.
http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/wp-mobile.php?p=3640&mo re=1 -
Re:Tracking Software?
The press has reported this:
Regarding the false email tips, Fried and Kerstetter reported:
A later e-mail from that same address included an attachment believed to have contained marketing information about a new HP product. That attachment, government investigators told Kawamoto, is believed to have had the ability to track the e-mail, notify the sender if it was opened, and tell the sender if the e-mail was forwarded and to which IP address it had been forwarded. Sending Kawamoto an attachment like that would not have been illegal, government investigators said, noting that the technology used was not believed to have been a keylogger loaded onto the computer.
http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/wp-mobile.php?p=3640&mo re=1 -
Re:Spyware Thursday
Is anybody reading slashdot truly stupid enough to believe that if Firefox had an 80% market share it wouldn't be just as readily targetted and exploited? It is really easy to wagon jump, and thats fine based on performance and features, especially if a feature is security. But rest assured that magic guaranteed security is itself a feature of low adoption, and an illusion. Firefox is definitely getting popular, it doesn't even hang or die much anymore. Keep in mind that it only takes 1 exploit to destroy a user's machine and either destroy or steal their data. Would you rather have a gun to your head with 1 bullet in it, or with 15? Can you answer that seriously?
Firefox, god's answer to the internet, shoots lightning bolts outta its arse. Safe beyond safe, if you're a sucker.
2005
http://blogs.zdnet.com/Ou/index.php?p=103
2006
http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jh tml?articleID=179101966
http://sunbeltblog.blogspot.com/2006/04/pssstyou-w anna-see-firefox-exploit-in.html
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1814056,00.as p
http://www.xatrix.org/article.php?s=4447
http://www.techworld.com/security/news/index.cfm?n ewsID=6554&pagtype=all
http://hackcraft.wordpress.com/2006/08/02/firefox- exploit-exposed-by-hackers/ -
Other significant Google Earth recent news...
that were rejected by the
/. editors :-)
[ok, I'm too lazy, here's a direct copy of slashgeo's stories]
Following yesterday stories, izo writes "It's here. Fresh, crispy and shiny — Google Earth ver 4.0.2080 . There is new timeline interface and few new kml tags. [Although there is no demo to test it] My personal winner with this release is .dae caching and fixed refreshing. Now you can create simple "animations" with "moving" 3d objects using Update kml tag. P.S. To avoid problems with flickering mouse cursor uninstall your old GE before installing new one." Update: 09/14 13:49 GMT by S : The Google Earth Blog offers additional information including: "doing a "Check for Update" in the application will NOT get you the new version - you have to download from Google as if it were your first time for GE 4". Read Ogle Earth on the release too.
Ogle Earth was the first to share the news about today's major content update for Google Earth. OE links to a ZDNet article. While the Google Earth Blog tells us about the addition of 3D buildings in cities all over Japan. From the article: "Google Earth will include before and after satellite images of environmentally endangered locations originally published by the U.N. Environment Program as a coffee-table book." and from the Ogle Earth blog: "New stuff in the "Featured content" folder in the Layers sidebar. Some of it's been there for a while, but brand new is a layer by the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP), a layer by the US National Park service, and expanded global content by the Discovery Channel."
All Points Blog links to a ZDNet article where we learn the time tracking tool in Google Earth Pro will now be available in Google Earth Free (and GE Plus, of course!). From the article: "The feature in which a slider is used to scroll through time [...] now features a simplified interface. [...] showing how scientists, who had tracked the movements of a whale shark using GPS, had then mapped the creature's path using the application. Business uses could include fleet tracking or mapping the movements of transport infrastructure according to Google. Jones also described how the new version would enable users to track all of the geostationary satellites orbiting the earth." Ed Parsons was first to mention this news item.
The Google earth Blog attempts to summarize the September 8th major satellite/photo imagery update for Google Maps and Google Earth. -
Re:You guys don't get it.
Get your facts straight. The reason Microsoft created their own file format is that Adobe tried to sue them when they included "Save as PDF" capabilities in Office 12. Despite being the most requested feature in Office by far, Microsoft was forced to remove it and make it an optional free download.
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Re:Who cares what you think?
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Re:Will anyone care?
"And the guilty members are stepping down"
You misspelled "staying on as a boardmember and continuing the same activities" ;)
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9584_22-6114655.html
"After that point, Dunn will remain on the board as a director." -
Microsoft military ..
"it is a bit worrisome to use a product that is totally open for all the worlds eyes and ears to see"
Most of the worlds governments also have full access to the Windows source code including China.
"MS has worked quite well for most things that the military has needed in the past. At least it was when I was in"
Sunk by Windows NT
was Re:For one, fear of being too open. -
Re:Yahoo Fanboy
Yeah, I think he's a bit more than a fanboy. FWIW, I actually love my Yahoo! Mail account (and I promise you I'm not affiliated with them), but...going to the link above the first heading I see is Yahoo! Tech gets a facelift. That article starts with this text:
We changed the face of Yahoo! Tech front page today
That's a wee bit more than a fanboy speaking. Or you could just do the google thing and find this bio as the first link.
Alex Moskalyuk is a full-time Technical Yahoo!... -
Diagrams
This is slightly off-topic, but what's the point of making a diagram if you're going to make it this complicated? That diagram provides basically no information, which is pretty typical of all the diagrams in Dion Hinchcliffe's articles that I've seen. It hurts.