Unlike exverything else MS has tried to tie into their OS (GUI, browsers, media players, etc.) - I would REALLY like to see them build SECURITY into their OS. There's really no excuse to all the vulnerabilities to viruses, spyware, trojans, and other forms of malware. After stability, security should be MS's highest priority.
My family used to buy about a dozen CD's per year. I'd take the CD's - convert it to MP3's - put it on my home server for listening at home, and download individual MP3's to my MP3 player for music on the go and in my car. First time I bought a CD that was DRM'ed and couldn't be extracted - I stopped buying CD's. Haven't bought one in over two years. If the studios load up DVD's with DRM to the point that they can't be used - DON'T BUY THEM! Abusing your customers is not a viable long term business strategy.
I just checked the numbers over at Instapundit and they work out to about 3.8 million visitors per month. So, Microsoft + "professional" journalists = 4.8 million visitors. One law prof + laptop + WiFi = 3.8 million.
Tandem had a FT Unix division in Austin. One of the teams I managed that was responsible for an embedded expert system that monitored faults in the redundant components of the system. Every component was replicated. Each logical CPU actually consisted of four processors - two pairs running in lock-step. If one CPU in a pair disagreed with it's counter-part, the pair would be taken out of service. The expert system monitored transient faults and would "predict" that a component was going to fail, and could take it out of service. The system had a modem that would "phone home" in the event of a component failure, and a service tech would be dispatched with a part - often before the customer knew there was a problem.
The machines used MIPS processors (supporting SMP) and ran a Tandem variant of System V UNIX. Combine this with a decent transactional database, and application software capable of check-pointing itself, and you have a very robust system. Albeit a very expensive one.
Tandem was bought out by Compaq, and then by HP. When I left, Tandem had quite a few interesting ideas they were working on, but near as I can tell, they never saw the light of day.
Biometrics could be used, but certainly not in the event that the owner of the biometric was dead. Which reminds me of a science fiction story:
(From "Red Dwarf" episode; "The Inquisitor")
Lister and the android Kryten come to a door. The door is keyed to the hand print of the (now deceased) other Lister (don't ask).
KRYTEN: Uh-oh, a door. We'd better use an air vent. LISTER: No need. KRYTEN: Sir? LISTER: Look, I'm gonna do something now, Kryten, that's totally, totally gross. I don't want you to look. Turn around. KRYTEN: What? LISTER: Trust me, you don't wanna know!
The door opens.
KRYTEN: Logically, sir, there is only one way you could have possibly have opened that door. I feel quite nauseous. Where is it? LISTER: Where's what? KRYTEN: Oh, sir!! You've got it in your jacket!! LISTER: I got us out of the hold, didn't I? KRYTEN: Sir, you are sick! You are a sick, sick person! How can you possibly even conceive of such an idea? LISTER: Cheer up! Or I'll beat you to death with the wet end! KRYTEN: Sir, if mechanoids could barf, I'd be onto my fifth bag by now. You're a sick person! Sick! Sick! LISTER: (Overlapping) C'mon, Kryten, let's go! C'mon!
Set-up a cron job on your desktop machine that periodically queries Google and looks for your obit. If found, it connects to your bank and sends a check for $1000 to your worst enemy. It then mails said enemy a (pre-dated) message (CC'ing yourself) saying: "I'm sending you the last FINAL payment. Don't try to blackmail me again!". Next it e-mails your mail ID and password to your family and finally the script erases itself.:-)
The biggest problem with programming in JavaScript is the incompatiblity of JavaScript among browsers and even across versions of browsers. If you're writing an application in which the end-user is using one type and version of browser, it's not a problem. If you're writing for the mass market - major headaches. To make matters worse, there are major incompatibilities between versions of IE - IE4 is very different from IE5 and IE6. And you can't count on end-users having the latest browser. When I write JavaScript: much of the code is redundant - having to deal with browser specific dependencies. This makes JavaScript one of my least favorite languages (and I was one of the authors of an early book on JavaScript)!
Oh my god! OH MY GOD! The artic ice cap is going to melt! The tidal wave is going to flood New York! A new ice age is coming! And the wolves are going to eat us! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeee!!... or not
The ITAA is a lobbying arm of the big hardware/software corporations. They're the ones that keep issuing studies saying that there's a 'shortage' of American IT workers so the U.S. needs to bring in more H-1B's and outsource more. I'd say they have about as much credibility as certain other more well known *AA's.
Bought a box of credit card size CD-R's (capacity about 50 MB w. plastic sleeve). I keep one in my wallet w. useful utilities. I also keep a USB flash drive on my key chain.
I've never tried this (already married) - but it makes a lot of sense. It's originally from a radio talk show host.
1) Purchase a stack of women's magazines 2) Read articles in the magazine about the best place to go to meet a guy. 3) When the women readers follow that advice, be there.
Latest values on site show Kerry WAY out front in every country INCLUDING the U.S. So, looks like it's in the bag for Kerry. Yup, he's got it made. It's a done deal. Slam-dunk. Touch-down. Game-over. Might as well start planning the inauguration. Or running for re-election.
A fellow boomer gave me pertinent advice that I feel obliged to share. Given the state of Social Security, corporate retirement plans, and post-dotcom bust 401K's, he recommends the following strategy: "Once a week eat a can of cat food. That way, by the time you retire, you'll be used to the taste".
Many US cities and states (like a Canton with less legislative power) require US gun owners to keep the guns either locked up or equiped with trigger locks. Most (not all) US cities and states require guns owners to have permits and go through safety training. Carrying a gun on your person is restricted to special permits in most states and prohibited altogether in others.
I agree with you that the causes of crime are complex. Certainly in the US, it's influenced by gang membership, drug use, economic factors, and yes, culture. That said, crime rates in the US have been dropping steadily.
Yes, that certainly explains the low crime rate in Switzerland where every male between 20 and 55 (as a member of the Swiss Army) is required to keep an assault weapon and a case of ammo at home.
It also explains Britain, which recently instituted draconian gun control laws, only to watch the crime rate rise dramatically. Curiously, British criminals seem to have no problem with violating gun laws.
Realize that no nation would risk its own destruction by using a nuclear weapon against another nuclear power (Formerly known as M.A.D), and help the North Korean economy as much as possible (by supporting capitalistic experiments such as the Kaesong Industrial Region), therefore helping the nation become self sufficient.
Just three problems with that:
1) The leader of North Korea is a nut-job. 2) North Korea can't be trusted (see ref to 1994 Carter negotiation). 3) The leader of North Korea is a nut-job (I know I'm repeating #1 - but it's important).
Slashdot Mirror
Unlike exverything else MS has tried to tie into their OS (GUI, browsers, media players, etc.) - I would REALLY like to see them build SECURITY into their OS. There's really no excuse to all the vulnerabilities to viruses, spyware, trojans, and other forms of malware. After stability, security should be MS's highest priority.
Oh no - they're going to sue Strong Bad!
My family used to buy about a dozen CD's per year. I'd take the CD's - convert it to MP3's - put it on my home server for listening at home, and download individual MP3's to my MP3 player for music on the go and in my car. First time I bought a CD that was DRM'ed and couldn't be extracted - I stopped buying CD's. Haven't bought one in over two years. If the studios load up DVD's with DRM to the point that they can't be used - DON'T BUY THEM! Abusing your customers is not a viable long term business strategy.
I just checked the numbers over at Instapundit and they work out to about 3.8 million visitors per month. So, Microsoft + "professional" journalists = 4.8 million visitors. One law prof + laptop + WiFi = 3.8 million.
Tandem had a FT Unix division in Austin. One of the teams I managed that was responsible for an embedded expert system that monitored faults in the redundant components of the system. Every component was replicated. Each logical CPU actually consisted of four processors - two pairs running in lock-step. If one CPU in a pair disagreed with it's counter-part, the pair would be taken out of service. The expert system monitored transient faults and would "predict" that a component was going to fail, and could take it out of service. The system had a modem that would "phone home" in the event of a component failure, and a service tech would be dispatched with a part - often before the customer knew there was a problem.
The machines used MIPS processors (supporting SMP) and ran a Tandem variant of System V UNIX. Combine this with a decent transactional database, and application software capable of check-pointing itself, and you have a very robust system. Albeit a very expensive one.
Tandem was bought out by Compaq, and then by HP. When I left, Tandem had quite a few interesting ideas they were working on, but near as I can tell, they never saw the light of day.
Is that you Dan Rather?
Biometrics could be used, but certainly not in the event that the owner of the biometric was dead. Which reminds me of a science fiction story:
(From "Red Dwarf" episode; "The Inquisitor")
Lister and the android Kryten come to a door. The door is keyed to the hand print of the (now deceased) other Lister (don't ask).
KRYTEN: Uh-oh, a door. We'd better use an air vent.
LISTER: No need.
KRYTEN: Sir?
LISTER: Look, I'm gonna do something now, Kryten, that's totally, totally gross. I don't want you to look. Turn around.
KRYTEN: What?
LISTER: Trust me, you don't wanna know!
The door opens.
KRYTEN: Logically, sir, there is only one way you could have possibly have opened that door. I feel quite nauseous. Where is it?
LISTER: Where's what?
KRYTEN: Oh, sir!! You've got it in your jacket!!
LISTER: I got us out of the hold, didn't I?
KRYTEN: Sir, you are sick! You are a sick, sick person! How can you possibly even conceive of such an idea?
LISTER: Cheer up! Or I'll beat you to death with the wet end!
KRYTEN: Sir, if mechanoids could barf, I'd be onto my fifth bag by now. You're a sick person! Sick! Sick!
LISTER: (Overlapping) C'mon, Kryten, let's go! C'mon!
Set-up a cron job on your desktop machine that periodically queries Google and looks for your obit. If found, it connects to your bank and sends a check for $1000 to your worst enemy. It then mails said enemy a (pre-dated) message (CC'ing yourself) saying: "I'm sending you the last FINAL payment. Don't try to blackmail me again!". Next it e-mails your mail ID and password to your family and finally the script erases itself. :-)
The government just needs to announce that terrorists are illegally trading copyrighted music and movies ...
The biggest problem with programming in JavaScript is the incompatiblity of JavaScript among browsers and even across versions of browsers. If you're writing an application in which the end-user is using one type and version of browser, it's not a problem. If you're writing for the mass market - major headaches. To make matters worse, there are major incompatibilities between versions of IE - IE4 is very different from IE5 and IE6. And you can't count on end-users having the latest browser. When I write JavaScript: much of the code is redundant - having to deal with browser specific dependencies. This makes JavaScript one of my least favorite languages (and I was one of the authors of an early book on JavaScript)!
...
P.S. If anyone could spare a Gmail invite
Oh my god! OH MY GOD! The artic ice cap is going to melt! The tidal wave is going to flood New York! A new ice age is coming! And the wolves are going to eat us! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeee!! ... or not
Hey won't the nuclear explosions cause some global warming?. Nope, the debris will cause "nuclear winter".
Which location will make a better video game when it all goes sour and opens a spiraling portal to Dark Aether?
Than the best place to build ITER would be on Phobos.
Step two - enclose it in an inverted trashcan on wheels, equip with weaponry and teach it to yell 'exterminate'.
The ITAA is a lobbying arm of the big hardware/software corporations. They're the ones that keep issuing studies saying that there's a 'shortage' of American IT workers so the U.S. needs to bring in more H-1B's and outsource more. I'd say they have about as much credibility as certain other more well known *AA's.
Life imitates science fiction.
Bought a box of credit card size CD-R's (capacity about 50 MB w. plastic sleeve). I keep one in my wallet w. useful utilities. I also keep a USB flash drive on my key chain.
I've never tried this (already married) - but it makes a lot of sense. It's originally from a radio talk show host.
1) Purchase a stack of women's magazines
2) Read articles in the magazine about the best place to go to meet a guy.
3) When the women readers follow that advice, be there.
So far Kerry has 100% of the Cambodia vote. Must of made a really big impression during his Christmas visit there.
Latest values on site show Kerry WAY out front in every country INCLUDING the U.S. So, looks like it's in the bag for Kerry. Yup, he's got it made. It's a done deal. Slam-dunk. Touch-down. Game-over. Might as well start planning the inauguration. Or running for re-election.
...
See ya on November 3rd
A fellow boomer gave me pertinent advice that I feel obliged to share. Given the state of Social Security, corporate retirement plans, and post-dotcom bust 401K's, he recommends the following strategy: "Once a week eat a can of cat food. That way, by the time you retire, you'll be used to the taste".
Many US cities and states (like a Canton with less legislative power) require US gun owners to keep the guns either locked up or equiped with trigger locks. Most (not all) US cities and states require guns owners to have permits and go through safety training. Carrying a gun on your person is restricted to special permits in most states and prohibited altogether in others.
I agree with you that the causes of crime are complex. Certainly in the US, it's influenced by gang membership, drug use, economic factors, and yes, culture. That said, crime rates in the US have been dropping steadily.
BBC - right. You mean BBC articles like this.
BTW - before you call 'NRA FUD' - I'm not an NRA member and I don't own a gun.
Yes, that certainly explains the low crime rate in Switzerland where every male between 20 and 55 (as a member of the Swiss Army) is required to keep an assault weapon and a case of ammo at home.
It also explains Britain, which recently instituted draconian gun control laws, only to watch the crime rate rise dramatically. Curiously, British criminals seem to have no problem with violating gun laws.
Realize that no nation would risk its own destruction by using a nuclear weapon against another nuclear power (Formerly known as M.A.D), and help the North Korean economy as much as possible (by supporting capitalistic experiments such as the Kaesong Industrial Region), therefore helping the nation become self sufficient.
Just three problems with that:
1) The leader of North Korea is a nut-job.
2) North Korea can't be trusted (see ref to 1994 Carter negotiation).
3) The leader of North Korea is a nut-job (I know I'm repeating #1 - but it's important).
Still don't believe me - read about the Ryugyong Hotel.