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User: BoneFlower

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  1. Quantity != Quality on Microsoft Says IE9 Blocks More Malware Than Chrome · · Score: 1

    Ok, sure, more exploits in Chrome. I suppose that could be the case.

    But a very important thing is how big? 15 exploits that let you crash the browser, compared to 1 that lets you root the target... I'd rather take the first option on the user end.

  2. Re:No attempts at finding other sources? on Google Wins Injunction Against Agency Using Microsoft Cloud · · Score: 2

    It's not so much that milspec stuff is better, it's that the extensive testing is supposed to ensure a level of quality to a high level of confidence.

    Sure, the regular civilian stuff might be superior in nearly all situations, but you don't want to be finding the one situation where it is not while on the battlefield with people trying to kill you. Sure, the odds of finding that situation at all might be smal, but knowing the odds, which those test seek to ensure, is a huge help in managing the risks.

  3. Not a bad idea. on Reverse Engineering Doctor Who Into Color · · Score: 1

    At least, if they restrict this to those serials that were originally shot in color. I would be a bit uncomfortable if the older, black and white originally, serials were colorized.

  4. Re:Windows 7 on Windows 7 Trumps Vista By Reaching 20% Share · · Score: 1

    Windows Service packs, at least cumulatively over the course of a major version, are pretty close to equivalent to Mac OS X new versions. And they are free upgrades. Even if you buy the Professional Edition full install, your wallet will probably come out ahead of a Mac users over the same timeframe, even if you both got your hardware free. Of course, value for your dollar is another matter, and different people will call this different ways and that's fine.

    Windows needs an infrastructure focused release too. Like OS X up through Leopard, there's some ugly that has collected and they need to focus on that. Windows needs a Snow Leopard style infrastructure update. Windows 7 service packs should probably focus on this, and hand out new user facing features when Windows 8 ships.

  5. Re:FUD on FBI May Get Easier Access To Internet Activity · · Score: 1

    Exactly.

    I buy that post-9/11, a review of the balance we have struck between freedom and security was warranted.

    However, the freedom side of that is vital. Yes, if we don't look after security, anyone will be able to come in and take any freedoms we theoretically have. But without freedom, all that security has exactly no point whatsoever.

    Reviewing the balance is fine. But it must be an open, public debate with equal weight given to both sides. Working from an assumption, made before the review, that security must improve, is ridiculous and dangerous.

  6. Re:Does this apply to everything? on Court Rules That Bypassing Dongle Is Not a DMCA Violation · · Score: 1

    At least as applies to simply using the protected work.

    I wouldn't be shocked if it reaches the Supreme Court and they uphold the ruling in the most narrow manner possible, leaving fair use copying uncovered while permitting simple use and viewing.

    That doesn't necessarily mean the Court says fair use shouldn't be covered, just that it was not explicitly part of the original case so it does not get answered in their ruling.

  7. Re:Too bad we don't have rules to deal with this on Midwest Seeing Red Over 'Green' Traffic Lights · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The problem is, this doesn't just cover the light,it apparently also can make a signal appear to be something it is not.

    This is a severe problem. If they were simply obscured, you are right, fairly easy to deal with. But if they appear to not be obscured, but the snow causes misinterpretation as apparently has happened, bad things will happen that are not the fault of the drivers, but the idiots who installed these systems without the manufacturers option for a heating element.

  8. I've seen this done very badly on Attack of the PowerPoint-Wielding Professors · · Score: 1

    I've also seen it done very well.

    My History professor, the power points are brief talking points. It's the stuff a good professor would have on index cards in the days before power point. Well, what most would have as the title for the index card. They help keep the lectures and peoples notes organized, but do not come close to substituting for either. If you expect to pass by copying and studying the power points, you'll fail hard.

    The lesson is presented in the lecture. If he needs to present any substantial information visually, he'll go to the whiteboard, though he does often put useful charts up on the power point, and has used his image choices as starting points for class discussion. His lessons are better with the power points, but there was one time in his Western Civ class where he left his flash drive at home. He went on and presented the lecture pretty much as he would any other day, we just didn't have convenient headers for different sections of our notes that day.

    I'm really impressed with how he handles Power Point. It is a tool that definitely improves his ability to teach the class, but he uses other tools as well in a well integrated way. And he can function pretty well without it should he need to. The tool is strictly subordinate to the goal. This makes it both more useful and less necesary.

    Most others though, they try to cram all the material in the power point and read it nearly verbatim. I have trouble seeing the point in even attending class, just download the power points and read them myself.

  9. Re:WOW from a Visually Impaired Person's point... on Visually Impaired Gamer Sues Sony · · Score: 1

    WoW has that feature, but F1-F5 don't cut it when you have a mess of 10 or 25 people in the raid.

    Properly balancing the 5 man groups that make up the raid can mitigate this, but it won't always help.

  10. Not as bad as the summary makes it sound on Visually Impaired Gamer Sues Sony · · Score: 2, Informative

    It's actually got a point.

    The main issue appears to be Everquest and the other MMOs they make. These games do not feature reasonable accomodation for visually impaired users. There is only so far you can accomodate visually impaired people in a visual medium, but it's good to go as far as you can without damaging the experience for those with normal vision.

    The lawsuit refers to World of Warcraft and some other games to show that such accomodation is in fact possible in an online video game context at a reasonable cost.

    I'm not sure the ADA actually applies to online games, but if they can convince the court that it does, they seem to have a solid argument for trial.

  11. Re:Can't say I'm surprised, unfortunately. on Toyotas Suddenly Accelerate; Owners Up In Arms · · Score: 1

    I'd love to be able to make flat decisions on cars like that.

    Unfortunately, I'm fairly harshly limited on costs. The most expensive car I've owned is my current Sunbird which I paid $800 for, and it was a stretch to afford that much. But, as might be expected, this being the most I've paid, has also gotten me the most mechanically reliable of any of them.

    I've pretty much got to go with whatever is cheap. But since getting the Sunbird and driving it in New England weather, I'm going to go out of my way to find something affordable that has ABS. ABS is no replacement for being a decent driver, but it can certainly help when other people start being dumb in the snow.

  12. Re:Same thing happend to Audi a few years ago on Toyotas Suddenly Accelerate; Owners Up In Arms · · Score: 1

    In switch statements, it's interesting how enlightening putting this in the default case can be:

    cout "This should never be seen\n";

    And by all apparent logic, it shouldn't. Should be impossible to get the right value into the right variable.

    Of course, there is always some silly error, or "this will work ok" shortcut, or maybe "screw it, I'll fix it later I'm on a deadline", and those messages get seen.

    I do find defaults like this to be very useful though, if I don't need the default for something else it can be a very fast way to find subtle but serious bugs in the code. I'll use the default for something else if the problem warrants, but "impossible" values get assigned often enough that I find this to be a good "default default".

  13. Re:Floor mat, really? on Toyotas Suddenly Accelerate; Owners Up In Arms · · Score: 1

    My car was fairly difficult. I was able to get home without a problem, but it was one of the more difficult driving situations I've been in.

    Then again, I really can't rule out a more complicated failure than just power steering. It was close to 20 years old, over 200k miles, and the previous owners had not taken very good care of it at all. I sometimes marveled that it could move under its own power.

    I got it home and my brother did something with it and steering was good again, but the car did not last much longer before an oil pump failure killed the engine.

    At least I only paid $275US for the thing.

  14. Re:Brakes on Toyotas Suddenly Accelerate; Owners Up In Arms · · Score: 1

    If your engine is going full out and you are in gear, your brakes will be stressed far harder than they are meant to ever be stressed.

    Now, under normal circumstances your engine will not be going full out when you are braking, but we are not discussing normal circumstances here.

  15. Re:Can't say I'm surprised, unfortunately. on Toyotas Suddenly Accelerate; Owners Up In Arms · · Score: 1

    This event you describe really has nothing to do with car computers such as those that are alleged to be the cause of these runaway cars.

    All it takes is a fault in the fuel system allowing fuel vapors to reach a faulty electrical line. Then the car draws power across that line, a spark is generated, and the vapors ignite. There are also some situations where car batteries can emit hydrogen gas which can then be ignited by a spark.

    My 93 Sunbird is probably just as vulnerable to such a random fire event as that Escalade was. It's not something to really worry about... the chances of this sort of fuel system fault happening at the same time as this sort of electrical fault are extremely small, and even then you need fairly precise vapor concentrations for it to actually result in fire. But it is entirely the result of simple failures in systems that all cars have had... well pretty much since cars existed.

  16. Re:PEBAAC on Toyotas Suddenly Accelerate; Owners Up In Arms · · Score: 1

    Responsive when it is designed and implemented correctly.

    Mechanical and hydraulic systems are much better understood. While drive by wire certainly has potential advantages, and if done well reliability and durability can be included, it is a more complicated and less mature technology. It is certainly possible for a drive by wire system to be flat out superior to mechanical and hydraulic systems, but if you want a safe bet that it will all work as designed, regardless of manufacturer, go with the traditional systems.

  17. Re:Floor mat, really? on Toyotas Suddenly Accelerate; Owners Up In Arms · · Score: 2, Informative

    Clicking through a couple links on the article gets you to a video on what to do.

    Put the car into neutral first. Then apply the brakes and come to a stop as you would for any other serious problem with your car. Do not turn off the engine until you have come to a complete stop, or else you lose all your power assists and that is kind of bad. I've had power steering suddenly fail on me. It is not easy to drive a car in that condition, and trying to drive it in an emergency situation? Yeah, not something I'd recommend if you can help it.

    Even automatics can do this. The video did note that neutral isn't used often, so people might not be familiar enough with their transmission controls to quickly find it, so check the control, find where it is and how to shift to it quickly.

    Turning off the engine should basically be a last resort to be used only if the transmission won't go to neutral. You're probably out a few grand if your car is fucked this badly.

  18. No fault? on Toyotas Suddenly Accelerate; Owners Up In Arms · · Score: 1

    What exactly were they testing?

    Were they testing implementation of the design and build quality issues, or were they reviewing the design itself?

    Passing the former by no means guarantees you'll pass the latter.

    That said, are there any reports of this happening in vehicles that for whatever reason lack floor mats?

  19. That is the programmer sucking on Why Computers Suck At Math · · Score: 1

    Any first year compsci student should know that this happens, and should know to choose data types that can represent the data to the needed degree of accuracy.

    A simple struct {int integral_part, int decimal_part}; would do the job for this. Or since you care exactly about .1 second increments, you could even use integral values in the first place. With 24 bits, you can cover 19 days before it overflows, and almost half a day on top of that to provide a buffer if bad guys show up right as the scheduled reset comes up.

    100 hours = 3,600,000 ticks? Wait, summary math is wrong. One hour = 60 minutes. Each of those 60 minutes is 60 seconds. 60 sets of 60 seconds is 60 * 60 = 3,600 seconds per hour. 100 hours means 100*3,600 = 360,000. Either they missed a digit and the system was online for 1,000 hours straight or they added one to the final result.

  20. Re:the Discovery channel on "2012" a Miscalculation; Actual Calendar Ends 2220 · · Score: 1

    Mostly I agree, though Discovery has gotten better as History gets worse.

    I did like an Ancient Astronaut one History ran a few months ago.

    For most of the hour, they let the nutters run wild with all sorts of ridiculous crap.

    And proceeded to demolish all of the nutters arguments in the last five minutes. It was a beautiful piece of debunking the way they did it. I wish I rememberd the exact title or what exactly was said, I really only remember my impressions of it.

  21. Re:With SSDs, who needs it? on Apple Discontinues ZFS Project · · Score: 1

    For simple image quality, especially fast animation, yes, CRTs are superior.

    The desk space advantage of an LCD can be very significant though. It's enough space to fit stuff like books that you wouldn't be able to put in a convenient place otherwise. This is the primary reason I'm a fan of LCDs.

    Granted, if I was more of a gamer or used the computer mainly as a media center, I'd give CRTs a closer look. But for many real world tasks, the desk space advantage can be a big practical benefit to LCDs.

  22. Re:Yeah - so unlike Microsoft... on Apple Discontinues ZFS Project · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Well, technically, they do, I don't think WinFS has been nuked yet.

    It might as well be. Better odds of seeing Duke Nukem Forever.

  23. Re:With SSDs, who needs it? on Apple Discontinues ZFS Project · · Score: 4, Insightful

    When SSDs come down A LOT in price, and up in size, maybe.

    Go do a search on Newegg. Biggest they've got is 256GB, of those, the cheapest is $595. You can get several terabytes for that price with a magnetic hard drives.

    SSDs have a place, but as a general replacement for magnetic hard drives they are too expensive with too little capacity.

    There is also more to the file system than access speed.

  24. Re:It's about damn time. on Alan Turing Gets an Apology From Prime Minister Brown · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Gordon Brown bears no personal responsibility for Alan Turings treatment.

    However, he leads an organization which does bear responsibility for it. That organization owed an apology, and due to his leadership position, Gordon Brown was the correct one to deliver it on behalf of that organization.

  25. Re:hire a lawyer IS a practicle step. on How To Survive a Patent Challenge? · · Score: 1

    It can prove that the invention was created no later than the date of the postmark.

    This might not be enough in all cases to survive a challenge. But if the deciding factor is date of invention, it can prove your case. Or destroy it. Either way, it can provide reliable information to decide the issue.