I suspect they probably aren't losing money, that would be kind of silly, though they may not be making much.
Now, just imagine how cheaply the major dealers in the U.S. are getting them when they buy thousands at a time. Then look at what they are selling them for.
Actually, I proved my point. There have been no WRT fires that I've heard of. I haven't heard of a lot of server fires either even though the fan control wasn't protected from frobbing. I actually reduced their liability slightly by expediently fixing the problem because it was easier for everyone than sending them back.
The server had no protection from things like physically disconnecting the fans or other bad ideas. When the WRT-54G was "updated" and the new version could no longer run Linux, they saw a sufficient drop-off in sales that they brought it back in the form of the WRT-54GL. Clearly, they saw more benefit than risk.
I'm fine with them not taking the liability (as long as their hardware doesn't defy reasonable expectations). I am not fine with them 'selling' a device that is designed to actively defy my attempts to do what I want with it.
The next logical step should make the outsourcer's blood run cold. That is, individuals gain access to the cheap container shipping.
What do they plan to do when a typical consumer figures out how to go direct and get a new wardrobe for $20? Right nbow, you can order from China but the shipping costs more than the goods you have shipped. That's the real reason U.S. corporations are going crazy over trademarks and clones. They know the day is coming when we can get the same thing they're selling for pennies on the dollar. Right now they're in an elaborate scheme that boils down to rent (in the economic sense, not leasing though they do that too).
It's not a matter of not having a small enough ruler. The problem is that there can be no measurement smaller. There can be no way to infer anything smaller. It's the absolute smallest.
Extremely unlikely. You're just throwing darts blindfolded, aren't you?
By far, the most probable (by an order of magnitude or two) failure that can be caused by software is that a component of the radio operates at a higher than normal duty cycle and simply fails. Most likely, leaving the CPU running and accessible through the LAN.
An note that the trace suggestion can either physically block flashing, or can logically block unsigned flashing unless cut. The latter would be perfectly fine.
If the chip is actually a pile of slag, then the router will likely burn someone's house down and so the product should never have been sold. If OTOH, you mean the radio hardware failed, then it should be no problem to dump the flash.
Nonsense. Just dump the firmware out of the flash chip. It's pretty easy to do. Or make it tamper evident. For example, put a trace on the board that disables flashing. Document that to flash it, just cut the trace. Note that doing so voids the warranty.
Yes, and I've had to frob those sooper seekrit registers from time to time to get reliable operation out of hardware when the OEM screwed it up by not running the fans fast enough for proper thermal management.
I've seen plenty of hardware that turns out to be pretty decent when run with a decent open source driver (the result of reverse engineering) but looks like crap when run by the blob provided by the manufacturer.
Did you know that the WRT54 could support VLANs? Apparently Linksys didn't.
You seem to think you're the smartest programmer in the world. You're not likely even the smartest programmer on this site. Get over yourself.
Other than developers making it sloppy because they believe the ugly will be hidden under the rug, it's not really so different from drivers or other kernel code.
Perhaps you are unaware of the thriving community of open source firmware developers that make wireless APs much more useful just by replacing the dane brammaged OEM firmware. It's been going on for years and so far, none of the doom and gloom you forecast has come to pass. Not even a rise in incidence of paper cuts.
The barrier for CB radio was never very high. A cheap radio from the shack and an illegal booster mail ordered from the back of a magazine and there you go.
Locking the device constructively prevents modifying the software. Sorta like if I say you have the right to free speech but only when you're alone in a sound proof box, you have the right to bear arms, but ammo is banned, etc. It's really not that hard to understand.
If they really believed in the value of the subliminal, they'd be more careful choosing music for their commercials. Unless, of course, ad agencies secretly hate their clients.
Imagine if you had literally no choice but to live is a tiny apartment. Some people like living in a high population density. Others in that environment will slowly go insane from the stress.
Deals with the devil are like that. The time to say no is when such a contract is offered. That;'s the only way to keep them from having power over you.
In more civilized times, those sales people would be soundly thrashed and then literally thrown into the street. Their behavior is unacceptable. Since that sort of direct feedback is now discouraged, perhaps there should be legal limits on their behavior.
As for me, I just stay the hell away from Oracle. I have better things to do with my life than deal with crap like that.
Be careful with that claim. Many people routinely run GUI probrams on remote machines that don't even have their own display. Most commonly, they use ssh's x11 forwarding.
So if I dump toxic waste in the park next to your house and point out all you need to do is clean it up if you don't like the stench, you're cool with that?
I find that small business is more friendly to someone who wants to stay involved in the technical side though even there an older person will have better luck being a hands on manager than a tech with no management role.
I'm doing the small business thing now, which is to say I am at the "2: ???" stage.
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I suspect they probably aren't losing money, that would be kind of silly, though they may not be making much.
Now, just imagine how cheaply the major dealers in the U.S. are getting them when they buy thousands at a time. Then look at what they are selling them for.
You mean with the shipping charge built in. Still a decent deal often enough.
Actually, I proved my point. There have been no WRT fires that I've heard of. I haven't heard of a lot of server fires either even though the fan control wasn't protected from frobbing. I actually reduced their liability slightly by expediently fixing the problem because it was easier for everyone than sending them back.
The server had no protection from things like physically disconnecting the fans or other bad ideas. When the WRT-54G was "updated" and the new version could no longer run Linux, they saw a sufficient drop-off in sales that they brought it back in the form of the WRT-54GL. Clearly, they saw more benefit than risk.
I'm fine with them not taking the liability (as long as their hardware doesn't defy reasonable expectations). I am not fine with them 'selling' a device that is designed to actively defy my attempts to do what I want with it.
The next logical step should make the outsourcer's blood run cold. That is, individuals gain access to the cheap container shipping.
What do they plan to do when a typical consumer figures out how to go direct and get a new wardrobe for $20? Right nbow, you can order from China but the shipping costs more than the goods you have shipped. That's the real reason U.S. corporations are going crazy over trademarks and clones. They know the day is coming when we can get the same thing they're selling for pennies on the dollar. Right now they're in an elaborate scheme that boils down to rent (in the economic sense, not leasing though they do that too).
It's not a matter of not having a small enough ruler. The problem is that there can be no measurement smaller. There can be no way to infer anything smaller. It's the absolute smallest.
Extremely unlikely. You're just throwing darts blindfolded, aren't you?
By far, the most probable (by an order of magnitude or two) failure that can be caused by software is that a component of the radio operates at a higher than normal duty cycle and simply fails. Most likely, leaving the CPU running and accessible through the LAN.
An note that the trace suggestion can either physically block flashing, or can logically block unsigned flashing unless cut. The latter would be perfectly fine.
Even if it is given to a 3rd party, it then becomes "their" property.
That is the current convenient interpretation. But I note that when I rent something and it goes to my house, it doesn't become my property.
When my car goes to the mechanic's for a day, it doesn't become his property.
Difficult if the chip is a pile of slag.
If the chip is actually a pile of slag, then the router will likely burn someone's house down and so the product should never have been sold. If OTOH, you mean the radio hardware failed, then it should be no problem to dump the flash.
Nonsense. Just dump the firmware out of the flash chip. It's pretty easy to do. Or make it tamper evident. For example, put a trace on the board that disables flashing. Document that to flash it, just cut the trace. Note that doing so voids the warranty.
Yes, and I've had to frob those sooper seekrit registers from time to time to get reliable operation out of hardware when the OEM screwed it up by not running the fans fast enough for proper thermal management.
I've seen plenty of hardware that turns out to be pretty decent when run with a decent open source driver (the result of reverse engineering) but looks like crap when run by the blob provided by the manufacturer.
Did you know that the WRT54 could support VLANs? Apparently Linksys didn't.
You seem to think you're the smartest programmer in the world. You're not likely even the smartest programmer on this site. Get over yourself.
Perhaps you'be never run across CoreBoot. A project to replace ugly and buggy BIOS with a clean implementation.
It turns out the old binary blobs weren't full of wizardry and awesome at all. Just a bunch of poorly understood (by the developers) crap code.
Kindly stop treating others like children and drop the head patting routine.
Other than developers making it sloppy because they believe the ugly will be hidden under the rug, it's not really so different from drivers or other kernel code.
Perhaps you are unaware of the thriving community of open source firmware developers that make wireless APs much more useful just by replacing the dane brammaged OEM firmware. It's been going on for years and so far, none of the doom and gloom you forecast has come to pass. Not even a rise in incidence of paper cuts.
The barrier for CB radio was never very high. A cheap radio from the shack and an illegal booster mail ordered from the back of a magazine and there you go.
Locking the device constructively prevents modifying the software. Sorta like if I say you have the right to free speech but only when you're alone in a sound proof box, you have the right to bear arms, but ammo is banned, etc. It's really not that hard to understand.
If they really believed in the value of the subliminal, they'd be more careful choosing music for their commercials. Unless, of course, ad agencies secretly hate their clients.
Here.
Imagine if you had literally no choice but to live is a tiny apartment. Some people like living in a high population density. Others in that environment will slowly go insane from the stress.
Or remove some cops and bring back the thrashing.
Deals with the devil are like that. The time to say no is when such a contract is offered. That;'s the only way to keep them from having power over you.
In more civilized times, those sales people would be soundly thrashed and then literally thrown into the street. Their behavior is unacceptable. Since that sort of direct feedback is now discouraged, perhaps there should be legal limits on their behavior.
As for me, I just stay the hell away from Oracle. I have better things to do with my life than deal with crap like that.
There is shielding, but to protect the hardware adequately to use regular server parts, it would be huge and heavy.
WRONG! I have never seen an X application that won't run over a network connection to the X server on another machine.
There's that FUD thing again.
Be careful with that claim. Many people routinely run GUI probrams on remote machines that don't even have their own display. Most commonly, they use ssh's x11 forwarding.
So if I dump toxic waste in the park next to your house and point out all you need to do is clean it up if you don't like the stench, you're cool with that?
I find that small business is more friendly to someone who wants to stay involved in the technical side though even there an older person will have better luck being a hands on manager than a tech with no management role.
I'm doing the small business thing now, which is to say I am at the "2: ???" stage.