Meanwhile, back at the/. Batcave, Google continues to crawl every single post, follow every posted link, cache each users profile pages, record date/time stamps, take note of ads blocked or clicked, correlate story usage across sites, cross-reference user posts across topics, etc, etc, ad nauseum.
What the fuck is up with Google? They do everything they CAN to collect data on us all, only to have this guy (their CEO, no less!) pop up and tell us it will ruin our lives? Do they think disclosure brings their actions in line with the mantra "Do no Evil"?
A while back, in a post on a previous thread regarding Julian Assange shortly after the Afghanistan files were leaked, I posited the question, "Why is Julian Assange still alive?".
I had assumed that if he did indeed have dirt on the US military establishment he would be pushing up daisies in some backwoods of Virginia.
Now I know that he is simply a very cautious, very smart player that is using EVERYTHING at his disposal to protect himself and what he does. The people he is aligning himself with are NOT idiots and they themselves are protected by laws that other nations are somewhat obligated to respect (the repercussions of ignoring these protections would probably be worse then any damage leaks might cause--think Barbra Streisand). He now has political AND journalistic protections. And don't forget about the "Insurance" file. Not a fucking clue, and I am not going to begin to guess. ( http://leakmirror.wikileaks.org/file/straw-glass-and-bottle/insurance.aes256 )
"Actually, there's a lot of stuff the server still handles that clients don't."
In layman's terms, the server makes the decisions (die rolls, npc AI, etc), the client comprises the mechanics required to express those decisions to the user.
This is for a very good reason. Given too much control via the client, users invariably exploit these controls/decision making processes.
Not long ago, a game called Darkfall Online came out. It was a 3D rendered emulation of the mechanics of Ultima Online...and they made the exact same mistake that UO developers did--they put too much of the game client-side. Before Darkfall Online even released there were "trainers" and other hacks available for the game, all involving packet replacement--packets that represented decisions that should have been made on the server, out of harm's way.
Also a good reason to beta test with in-house testers. Many of the beta testers were actually compiling data to build those very same hacks.
"I think that on the off-chance the kids aren't faking it (and really, who hasn't done it at some time in their youth) their parents are doing them a disservice by simply trying to blame it on WiFi."
I am surprised that the principals of the schools didn't rule things out by themselves. Start by polling the STUDENTS (specifically NOT the parents) while the Wi-Fi is up and running, then simply shut it off for a month and repeat the poll. Do the students feel better? Do they miss the Wi-Fi? Does school still suck? Are their parents full of shit?
And what about Wi-Fi in the home environment? Was that taken into account? None of these households use wireless? I find that hard to believe.
I get the feeling there is some underlying factor to the debate...like a paranoid mother that got the PTA all worked up, or something to that effect.
"...it ensures that these people will be forever linked to a crime they may or may not have even committed."
Or, they did do it and the reporting agency simply misreported the information. I was arrested (big deal, fuck you) for one thing, but the arrest report (the one that makes it into the state website) was listing a crime I had never even been charged with, let alone committed.
Regardless of whether or not it was accurate, in the minds of John Q. Public, it is not only accurate, but accurate forever because web caches do not take corrections.
But that is OK, because I've come to realize that none of it really matters, except to the people that really don't matter to ME.
I can just see this thing dragging itself around the space station like some half-dead detritus of interstellar war, smoke and ozone wafting from the shattered remains of its lower torso....Groan!!!..Must reach repair module....energy reserves critical....bzzzt! Need...legs. Groan...Zap!
"...The guy died in a plane paid for by Alaska's largest telcom..."
In addition, he was in the company of Jim Morhard, a "connections" man from Alexandria. This person openly sells his influence on Capitol Hill to all with money (enough money, I should say). His company website is a pretty interesting read.
Pay close attention to the wording of the "Why choose Morhard & Associates to serve you?" section at the bottom. Scary shit when you think about it. This is a private entity claiming "We know how to analyze legislation and understand its impacts. We are expert drafters of legislation." Since when do private entities draft legislation?
This guy and Stevie were backroom-dealers if there ever was one, and GCI was footing the "expenses".
"If you're that concerned, you need to kill the RFID tags. I'm not sure how you'd do that, as a tire in the microwave is not exactly feasible."
A General Motors 1980's HEI ignition module (with no primary wiring hooked up) laid on the tire, then momentarily powered up and cycled for a few seconds will do the trick. Point the primary circuit connector (that shiny circle of metal on the flat face of the coil) directly at the RFID chip. Collapsing the field will induce current in the RFID antenna of sufficient voltage to fry the chip.
Locating the chips can be a bitch. There is usually a raised area over the chip, about 1" x 3/8".
Also, if your car is equipped with PRESSURE sensing RFID monitors, these are different then the RFID TAGS used by the manufacturers of tires. The tire ID chips are INSIDE the rubber of the tire. The pressure sensors are mounted outside the rubber. Do NOT kill the pressure sensors. You WILL have a dashboard of warning lights screaming at you until you replace them and clear trouble codes.
Be sure to have hands clear when powering up the coil. With no primary circuitry hooked up, that coil will reach out up to six inches to find a friend. HEI coils will put out 60-70KV easily.
"Plus, someone covertly tracking you is going to be really upset if they can't read your tyre pressure."
I think you fail to recognize the seriousness of the capabilities of a simple RFID system.
Most people do not think much about the RFID chips in their tires until they realize (are told) that EVERY stoplight out there has multiple sensor grids built right into the roadbed (to sense the presence of cars and be able to control the lights accordingly). The looks on their faces usually change the moment comprehension dawns on them.
Those very same grids can be used to detect the RFID chips in your tires. In short, any car with tires made since 2000 can be tracked by the very roadbeds they ride upon.
Seriously. All this technology to check your TIRE PRESSURE? Who the fuck is kidding who?
Go try and buy new tires and see how far you get when you refuse to tell the dealer your name. He (or rather, the government) wants a name associated with the tires RFID chips, and usually ask for all sorts of additional info--for "warranty reasons". Even paying with cash, they will argue with you about not giving them a name (but usually crumble when you say you'll just shop elsewhere). Why is it SO important they have a name? So they can help you join the next class-action against a tire manufacturer?
Media jumped all over the Firestone story, fear-mongered it into something bigger and we end up with this. Tracking tags in our cars. More security theater. Yay.
"Our entire economy is built around earning what you want by pleasing your fellow man. That is what keeps us all productive."
Unfortunately, that is not what these shows are about.
This show, and others like it (Ice Road Truckers, American Loggers, etc.), are all PR tools for the industries that support them. For the most part, these industries live and die by the whim of opinion of the American public. Often, these shows are about non-sustainable, hotly-debated practices yet fail to address the pros/cons of the topics. They only show what the industry wants to be shown.
It really IS all about the money...and image.
I remember going to the Weyerheuser Lumber Museum up by Mt. St. Helens one time (just outside the park they have a PR museum that explains how they "rescued" all the trees knocked over by the eruption) and shortly after entering asked (loud enough for the guy behind the counter to hear), "I wonder where they keep all the propaganda literature?".
I was rewarded with a dedicated "follower", some guy that shadowed me through the entire place for over an hour.
This is sort of like robbing Fort Knox with a nuclear weapon.
The idea isn't so much to take the loot, but to destroy it and in the process make your OWN all that more valuable.
If Viktor and slickdog are PLEX dealers, this might actually work in their favor. Well...judging by their mugshots, they probably just blew up the most money they will ever see.
Or...maybe slick and vik are CCP employees with a specific task. Gives the term "corporate raiders" a whole new meaning.
Ah! The wonders of Alternate Universes! The Drama!
In his economics class, my son had an interesting assignment. The instructor gave each student 10,000 "dollars" (it was a simulation) to invest in any stock(s) they wished.
A month later, the class did all the math and found out how everyone fared. My son was the only student that had returns on his investment.
He simply looked at the market as a whole, then made a single decision. The market was in a long slump (the beginnings of the current recession) and he invested every single dollar into Anheuser-Busch. Beer. My son described it as the "Woe-is-me Effect"--often, when people have money problems, the first thing they do is drink. He also pointed out that this is exactly how the wife of Senator John McCain makes her money--moving it in and out of her own beer distributorships as the market fluctuates (moving her money back into her own companies stocks when the rest of the market is hurting--Beer for everyone!).
The only other student that didn't lose his pants was a student that spread his investment money across as many stocks as possible. He was just short of breaking even. The losses almost averaged out the gains, but not quite (makes sense in a declining market).
While algorithms may help in ways, they do not come close to basic HUMAN intuition. We see things computers do not.
"So, in an effort to provide a superior product that can charge twice as fast from a wall charger, but won't fry your computer by drawing too much power from it's computer port, Apple put some logic in the iPhone and some corresponding resistors in their charger."
My Kindle has this handy cord (just one!) that is both a 110v charger (no apparent transformer) and, with the removal of a rather small adapter cap, a USB charger. The charge rates differ dramatically between the two connections. I received a full charge in the time it took to download a book--plugged it in, started download, battery charged, download finished--elapsed time, less then 5 minutes. It took about 15 minutes via USB.
I suspect the removable end-cap has not only jumpers, but similar circuitry as discussed in TFA.
While "Profit!" may have something to do with it, I am perfectly willing to fork over some "Profit!" for the extreme convenience of being able to charge my Kindle pretty much anywhere. All I need now is a solar-cell cover for it.
"The goal of the NASA supersonic research program is to find aircraft designs that will significantly reduce noise, nitrogen oxide emissions, fuel burn and air traffic congestion by the year 2035."
Reduce air traffic congestion?
What? Are they solar powered and only fly on the sunny side o' Earth?
The article mentioned both air-speed decreases and fueling/loading times lowered. Both of those mean more airtime, which in turn means more planes in the air at any given time. How does that equate to "reduced air traffic congestion"?
Or, is this a more meaningful of example of "whoosh!"?
Blizzard goes Facebook, China goes Facebook(-ish and pulls the same thing Blizzard did--Real Names>Anonymity...WTF is UP with that?), ICQ purchased by shady, Russian outfit(Digital Sky Technologies), now this...another 16 million users data changing hands.
Why do I get the feeling that this is all somehow connected?
EACH of these transactions (don't even get started on the China thing) involve tens of millions of users. Some, hundreds of millions.
The thing that bothers me is the numbers. They appear to be growing larger and larger with each transaction(sales--partnerships peaked with the Blizzard/Facebook deal).
Are these guys actually trading in data, then selling it again to other customers? Wouldn't that have the effect of "stacking" databases, a sort of cross-pollination that artificially inflates the total "pool" of data available for sale? If this data is being SOLD, this artificial "inflation", the repeated selling of a single product--data--could be analogous to flooding a market with counterfeit cash.
In short, this market might be a pyramid scheme of Grand Proportions.
Or maybe I spent too much time in the sun today...
That would mean that any successful attack on the system would have to include the kidnapping/assassination of at least six of these people. Plan for seven hits--the attackers could completely botch one attempt and still be successful. Pretty good odds.
I'm no physicist, but the first thing that came to mind--without having any idea how they actually track this stuff--is doping.
One would think that the places that produced this stuff would automatically fingerprint it by doping the material with rare elements, stuff that can only be produced in expensive labs or the nuclear plants themselves--such as Neptunium and Protactinium. Just enough of the elements, and in proportions specific to the place of origin, to ID the source of the product.
Whether or not this stuff would be intact and usable for identification purposes after a detonation, no idea, but it would at least allow for confirmation-of-source on materials before they are actually incorporated into a device. And, lets face it, this is the time we want to be identifying sources--not when we are taking ground-zero samples.
"The group organizing the contest has established a strict set of rules to ensure participants don't violate any laws. "
I think what REALLY scares these guys (the Feds and the Banks) is that they know damn well that MOST hackers out there do not limit themselves with any silly, self-imposed rules.
Just imagine what the contestants could do without legality/illegality issues hindering them. Anything learned here will simply be repeated, by someone, with no such hindrances in place.
That is because Stoobalou wanted you to go to think.co.uk to read the story, spend 30-60 seconds looking for a link to the original source(viewing ads the whole time, he hopes)...kind of like EVERY other story he has posted.
I agree. He could at least provide the link somewhere. What a tease.
"And therefore it's pointless, because I don't want to spend that much time online with random people."
Then do it with people you know.
A friend, my wife and myself play "Baldur's Gate 2:Throne of Bhaal" together using Hamachi2(free!) to create a virtual network. It "just fucking works", as advertised, and took the headache out of playing LAN/WAN enabled games over the Internet. Instant connection between 3 computers (two in the same room and one in Alaska, 3000 miles away). We could have 6 different people all playing in one group, if we wished. It may be an old game, but it beats a lot of newer ones in terms of content. Even replayability is there--try playing the game with an entirely Chaotic Evil party. Lots of fun. The difference is that it is cooperative play, not competitive (although it is entirely possible to duel to the death, but this isn't very helpful as a group).
Do I mind not playing competitively? Nope. It is worth not having to deal with all the dicks common to MMOs.
It is also the closest I get to PnP Dungeons and Dragons these days. Combined with my Ventrilo server, it feels like those old D&D parties, intoxicants and swearing not only allowed, but encouraged.
Considering the Microtransactioning/Data-mining ways of the current MMO scene, I can honestly say I was better off regressing in my gaming, as opposed to progressing to some new product.
"The average consumer just thinks "bigger is better"..."
I've had a couple of people comment on the stability and speed of my PC when they are watching me play a game or something similar. All were shocked when I show them I am using a 5 year-old P4 at just over 3Ghz.
Seriously, I sort of fell for the media hype, but still waited for more input from users in reviews. I saw very few comments on the web from people saying just how much of a difference multiple cores makes, aside from benchmarks. I didn't want benchmarks, I wanted to know if anyone was actually realizing any real benefit from multiple cores. Aside from people using their computers for graphics editing, very few people really made noise about perceived improvements, so I stuck with my P4 and WinXP w/modified SP2.
To this day, I am glad I did.
Capping out RAM and simply keeping a moderately updated video card in the case has pretty much kept me up to speed on everything but graphics editing (don't do much) and DX10 games, none of which I was interested in anyways.
Every single piece of open-source software I have tried works and I haven't really felt the need to upgrade anything. I've played pretty much all the big name MMO's, play WAN games with friends, do all my word processing, surfing, studies etc, etc, and it all still works just the way I want it....in short, I don't see what all the fuss is.
The big, fat late-summer mosquitos in central Alaska do exactly that. I have smacked one hard between two flat palms right in front of my face, pulled my hands apart...and it flies away. Happened more times then I can remember.
If it is any consolation, I usually save 5 of my 15 points specifically to spend offsetting points people spent in the name of fuckery--that is to say that if I think someone is unfairly targeting somebody, I will spend a point to negate their moderation.
Say what you will, but I THINK that was the intent.
Slashdot Mirror
Meanwhile, back at the /. Batcave, Google continues to crawl every single post, follow every posted link, cache each users profile pages, record date/time stamps, take note of ads blocked or clicked, correlate story usage across sites, cross-reference user posts across topics, etc, etc, ad nauseum.
What the fuck is up with Google? They do everything they CAN to collect data on us all, only to have this guy (their CEO, no less!) pop up and tell us it will ruin our lives? Do they think disclosure brings their actions in line with the mantra "Do no Evil"?
Am I the only one confused by this?
A while back, in a post on a previous thread regarding Julian Assange shortly after the Afghanistan files were leaked, I posited the question, "Why is Julian Assange still alive?".
I had assumed that if he did indeed have dirt on the US military establishment he would be pushing up daisies in some backwoods of Virginia.
Now I know that he is simply a very cautious, very smart player that is using EVERYTHING at his disposal to protect himself and what he does. The people he is aligning himself with are NOT idiots and they themselves are protected by laws that other nations are somewhat obligated to respect (the repercussions of ignoring these protections would probably be worse then any damage leaks might cause--think Barbra Streisand). He now has political AND journalistic protections. And don't forget about the "Insurance" file. Not a fucking clue, and I am not going to begin to guess.
( http://leakmirror.wikileaks.org/file/straw-glass-and-bottle/insurance.aes256 )
I am starting to like this guy.
"Actually, there's a lot of stuff the server still handles that clients don't."
In layman's terms, the server makes the decisions (die rolls, npc AI, etc), the client comprises the mechanics required to express those decisions to the user.
This is for a very good reason. Given too much control via the client, users invariably exploit these controls/decision making processes.
Not long ago, a game called Darkfall Online came out. It was a 3D rendered emulation of the mechanics of Ultima Online...and they made the exact same mistake that UO developers did--they put too much of the game client-side. Before Darkfall Online even released there were "trainers" and other hacks available for the game, all involving packet replacement--packets that represented decisions that should have been made on the server, out of harm's way.
Also a good reason to beta test with in-house testers. Many of the beta testers were actually compiling data to build those very same hacks.
"I think that on the off-chance the kids aren't faking it (and really, who hasn't done it at some time in their youth) their parents are doing them a disservice by simply trying to blame it on WiFi."
I am surprised that the principals of the schools didn't rule things out by themselves. Start by polling the STUDENTS (specifically NOT the parents) while the Wi-Fi is up and running, then simply shut it off for a month and repeat the poll. Do the students feel better? Do they miss the Wi-Fi? Does school still suck? Are their parents full of shit?
And what about Wi-Fi in the home environment? Was that taken into account? None of these households use wireless? I find that hard to believe.
I get the feeling there is some underlying factor to the debate...like a paranoid mother that got the PTA all worked up, or something to that effect.
"...it ensures that these people will be forever linked to a crime they may or may not have even committed."
Or, they did do it and the reporting agency simply misreported the information. I was arrested (big deal, fuck you) for one thing, but the arrest report (the one that makes it into the state website) was listing a crime I had never even been charged with, let alone committed.
Regardless of whether or not it was accurate, in the minds of John Q. Public, it is not only accurate, but accurate forever because web caches do not take corrections.
But that is OK, because I've come to realize that none of it really matters, except to the people that really don't matter to ME.
"The gold visored helmet. WANT "
Visor? How about some fucking legs?
I can just see this thing dragging itself around the space station like some half-dead detritus of interstellar war, smoke and ozone wafting from the shattered remains of its lower torso....Groan!!!..Must reach repair module....energy reserves critical....bzzzt! Need...legs. Groan...Zap!
Oh. Right. No gravity.
Neat gun though!
Zap!...must reach self-destruct sequence activator...Fzzzt! Legs...destroyed...all...is...Zzzzzt! Zap!...lost!...Ssssss..
"...The guy died in a plane paid for by Alaska's largest telcom..."
In addition, he was in the company of Jim Morhard, a "connections" man from Alexandria. This person openly sells his influence on Capitol Hill to all with money (enough money, I should say). His company website is a pretty interesting read.
http://www.morhard.us/about.asp
Pay close attention to the wording of the "Why choose Morhard & Associates to serve you?" section at the bottom. Scary shit when you think about it. This is a private entity claiming "We know how to analyze legislation and understand its impacts. We are expert drafters of legislation." Since when do private entities draft legislation?
This guy and Stevie were backroom-dealers if there ever was one, and GCI was footing the "expenses".
Just fucking lovely. Shame about the kids though.
"A General Motors 1980's HEI ignition module..."
HEI Ignition COIL.
Sorry.
"If you're that concerned, you need to kill the RFID tags. I'm not sure how you'd do that, as a tire in the microwave is not exactly feasible."
A General Motors 1980's HEI ignition module (with no primary wiring hooked up) laid on the tire, then momentarily powered up and cycled for a few seconds will do the trick. Point the primary circuit connector (that shiny circle of metal on the flat face of the coil) directly at the RFID chip. Collapsing the field will induce current in the RFID antenna of sufficient voltage to fry the chip.
Locating the chips can be a bitch. There is usually a raised area over the chip, about 1" x 3/8".
Also, if your car is equipped with PRESSURE sensing RFID monitors, these are different then the RFID TAGS used by the manufacturers of tires. The tire ID chips are INSIDE the rubber of the tire. The pressure sensors are mounted outside the rubber. Do NOT kill the pressure sensors. You WILL have a dashboard of warning lights screaming at you until you replace them and clear trouble codes.
Be sure to have hands clear when powering up the coil. With no primary circuitry hooked up, that coil will reach out up to six inches to find a friend. HEI coils will put out 60-70KV easily.
"Plus, someone covertly tracking you is going to be really upset if they can't read your tyre pressure."
I think you fail to recognize the seriousness of the capabilities of a simple RFID system.
Most people do not think much about the RFID chips in their tires until they realize (are told) that EVERY stoplight out there has multiple sensor grids built right into the roadbed (to sense the presence of cars and be able to control the lights accordingly). The looks on their faces usually change the moment comprehension dawns on them.
Those very same grids can be used to detect the RFID chips in your tires. In short, any car with tires made since 2000 can be tracked by the very roadbeds they ride upon.
Seriously. All this technology to check your TIRE PRESSURE? Who the fuck is kidding who?
Go try and buy new tires and see how far you get when you refuse to tell the dealer your name. He (or rather, the government) wants a name associated with the tires RFID chips, and usually ask for all sorts of additional info--for "warranty reasons". Even paying with cash, they will argue with you about not giving them a name (but usually crumble when you say you'll just shop elsewhere). Why is it SO important they have a name? So they can help you join the next class-action against a tire manufacturer?
Media jumped all over the Firestone story, fear-mongered it into something bigger and we end up with this. Tracking tags in our cars. More security theater. Yay.
"Our entire economy is built around earning what you want by pleasing your fellow man. That is what keeps us all productive."
Unfortunately, that is not what these shows are about.
This show, and others like it (Ice Road Truckers, American Loggers, etc.), are all PR tools for the industries that support them. For the most part, these industries live and die by the whim of opinion of the American public. Often, these shows are about non-sustainable, hotly-debated practices yet fail to address the pros/cons of the topics. They only show what the industry wants to be shown.
It really IS all about the money...and image.
I remember going to the Weyerheuser Lumber Museum up by Mt. St. Helens one time (just outside the park they have a PR museum that explains how they "rescued" all the trees knocked over by the eruption) and shortly after entering asked (loud enough for the guy behind the counter to hear), "I wonder where they keep all the propaganda literature?".
I was rewarded with a dedicated "follower", some guy that shadowed me through the entire place for over an hour.
They REALLY care about image.
Sounds familiar. Bond movie plot?
This is sort of like robbing Fort Knox with a nuclear weapon.
The idea isn't so much to take the loot, but to destroy it and in the process make your OWN all that more valuable.
If Viktor and slickdog are PLEX dealers, this might actually work in their favor. Well...judging by their mugshots, they probably just blew up the most money they will ever see.
Or...maybe slick and vik are CCP employees with a specific task. Gives the term "corporate raiders" a whole new meaning.
Ah! The wonders of Alternate Universes! The Drama!
In his economics class, my son had an interesting assignment. The instructor gave each student 10,000 "dollars" (it was a simulation) to invest in any stock(s) they wished.
A month later, the class did all the math and found out how everyone fared. My son was the only student that had returns on his investment.
He simply looked at the market as a whole, then made a single decision. The market was in a long slump (the beginnings of the current recession) and he invested every single dollar into Anheuser-Busch. Beer. My son described it as the "Woe-is-me Effect"--often, when people have money problems, the first thing they do is drink. He also pointed out that this is exactly how the wife of Senator John McCain makes her money--moving it in and out of her own beer distributorships as the market fluctuates (moving her money back into her own companies stocks when the rest of the market is hurting--Beer for everyone!).
The only other student that didn't lose his pants was a student that spread his investment money across as many stocks as possible. He was just short of breaking even. The losses almost averaged out the gains, but not quite (makes sense in a declining market).
While algorithms may help in ways, they do not come close to basic HUMAN intuition. We see things computers do not.
"So, in an effort to provide a superior product that can charge twice as fast from a wall charger, but won't fry your computer by drawing too much power from it's computer port, Apple put some logic in the iPhone and some corresponding resistors in their charger."
My Kindle has this handy cord (just one!) that is both a 110v charger (no apparent transformer) and, with the removal of a rather small adapter cap, a USB charger. The charge rates differ dramatically between the two connections. I received a full charge in the time it took to download a book--plugged it in, started download, battery charged, download finished--elapsed time, less then 5 minutes. It took about 15 minutes via USB.
I suspect the removable end-cap has not only jumpers, but similar circuitry as discussed in TFA.
While "Profit!" may have something to do with it, I am perfectly willing to fork over some "Profit!" for the extreme convenience of being able to charge my Kindle pretty much anywhere. All I need now is a solar-cell cover for it.
"The goal of the NASA supersonic research program is to find aircraft designs that will significantly reduce noise, nitrogen oxide emissions, fuel burn and air traffic congestion by the year 2035."
Reduce air traffic congestion?
What? Are they solar powered and only fly on the sunny side o' Earth?
The article mentioned both air-speed decreases and fueling/loading times lowered. Both of those mean more airtime, which in turn means more planes in the air at any given time. How does that equate to "reduced air traffic congestion"?
Or, is this a more meaningful of example of "whoosh!"?
Sneaking, sinking feeling...and I can't shake it.
Blizzard goes Facebook, China goes Facebook(-ish and pulls the same thing Blizzard did--Real Names>Anonymity...WTF is UP with that?), ICQ purchased by shady, Russian outfit(Digital Sky Technologies), now this...another 16 million users data changing hands.
Why do I get the feeling that this is all somehow connected?
EACH of these transactions (don't even get started on the China thing) involve tens of millions of users. Some, hundreds of millions.
The thing that bothers me is the numbers. They appear to be growing larger and larger with each transaction(sales--partnerships peaked with the Blizzard/Facebook deal).
Are these guys actually trading in data, then selling it again to other customers? Wouldn't that have the effect of "stacking" databases, a sort of cross-pollination that artificially inflates the total "pool" of data available for sale? If this data is being SOLD, this artificial "inflation", the repeated selling of a single product--data--could be analogous to flooding a market with counterfeit cash.
In short, this market might be a pyramid scheme of Grand Proportions.
Or maybe I spent too much time in the sun today...
That would mean that any successful attack on the system would have to include the kidnapping/assassination of at least six of these people. Plan for seven hits--the attackers could completely botch one attempt and still be successful. Pretty good odds.
Nice of them to provide names.
I was playing Baldur's Gate last night and just learned the Oracle spell on my Chaotic Evil Mage.
As far as I can tell, it does absolutely nothing. Not a god-damned thing.
I feel like suing too. I'd shoot the Orc Mage I got it from, right in the head with a crossbow, but I already did.
I'm no physicist, but the first thing that came to mind--without having any idea how they actually track this stuff--is doping.
One would think that the places that produced this stuff would automatically fingerprint it by doping the material with rare elements, stuff that can only be produced in expensive labs or the nuclear plants themselves--such as Neptunium and Protactinium. Just enough of the elements, and in proportions specific to the place of origin, to ID the source of the product.
Whether or not this stuff would be intact and usable for identification purposes after a detonation, no idea, but it would at least allow for confirmation-of-source on materials before they are actually incorporated into a device. And, lets face it, this is the time we want to be identifying sources--not when we are taking ground-zero samples.
"The group organizing the contest has established a strict set of rules to ensure participants don't violate any laws. "
I think what REALLY scares these guys (the Feds and the Banks) is that they know damn well that MOST hackers out there do not limit themselves with any silly, self-imposed rules.
Just imagine what the contestants could do without legality/illegality issues hindering them. Anything learned here will simply be repeated, by someone, with no such hindrances in place.
"I'm surprised TFA didn't link to the guy's blog. He has a good writeup there
http://www.skullsecurity.org/blog/?p=887 [skullsecurity.org]"
That is because Stoobalou wanted you to go to think.co.uk to read the story, spend 30-60 seconds looking for a link to the original source(viewing ads the whole time, he hopes)...kind of like EVERY other story he has posted.
I agree. He could at least provide the link somewhere. What a tease.
"And therefore it's pointless, because I don't want to spend that much time online with random people."
Then do it with people you know.
A friend, my wife and myself play "Baldur's Gate 2:Throne of Bhaal" together using Hamachi2(free!) to create a virtual network. It "just fucking works", as advertised, and took the headache out of playing LAN/WAN enabled games over the Internet. Instant connection between 3 computers (two in the same room and one in Alaska, 3000 miles away). We could have 6 different people all playing in one group, if we wished. It may be an old game, but it beats a lot of newer ones in terms of content. Even replayability is there--try playing the game with an entirely Chaotic Evil party. Lots of fun. The difference is that it is cooperative play, not competitive (although it is entirely possible to duel to the death, but this isn't very helpful as a group).
Do I mind not playing competitively? Nope. It is worth not having to deal with all the dicks common to MMOs.
It is also the closest I get to PnP Dungeons and Dragons these days. Combined with my Ventrilo server, it feels like those old D&D parties, intoxicants and swearing not only allowed, but encouraged.
Considering the Microtransactioning/Data-mining ways of the current MMO scene, I can honestly say I was better off regressing in my gaming, as opposed to progressing to some new product.
(Hint: Never throw old game discs away!)
"The average consumer just thinks "bigger is better"..."
I've had a couple of people comment on the stability and speed of my PC when they are watching me play a game or something similar. All were shocked when I show them I am using a 5 year-old P4 at just over 3Ghz.
Seriously, I sort of fell for the media hype, but still waited for more input from users in reviews. I saw very few comments on the web from people saying just how much of a difference multiple cores makes, aside from benchmarks. I didn't want benchmarks, I wanted to know if anyone was actually realizing any real benefit from multiple cores. Aside from people using their computers for graphics editing, very few people really made noise about perceived improvements, so I stuck with my P4 and WinXP w/modified SP2.
To this day, I am glad I did.
Capping out RAM and simply keeping a moderately updated video card in the case has pretty much kept me up to speed on everything but graphics editing (don't do much) and DX10 games, none of which I was interested in anyways.
Every single piece of open-source software I have tried works and I haven't really felt the need to upgrade anything. I've played pretty much all the big name MMO's, play WAN games with friends, do all my word processing, surfing, studies etc, etc, and it all still works just the way I want it. ...in short, I don't see what all the fuss is.
"...Swat 'em and they come back..."
The big, fat late-summer mosquitos in central Alaska do exactly that. I have smacked one hard between two flat palms right in front of my face, pulled my hands apart...and it flies away. Happened more times then I can remember.
If it is any consolation, I usually save 5 of my 15 points specifically to spend offsetting points people spent in the name of fuckery--that is to say that if I think someone is unfairly targeting somebody, I will spend a point to negate their moderation.
Say what you will, but I THINK that was the intent.