I will upgrade to 7 (because Bioshock Infinite does not run on XP), but first I will upgrade my PC, even though the old one would be able to run the game. The reason is that it will be really inconvenient to move to another OS (because over the 5 years I have used this PC I made many little settings I forgot about, installed a lot of little programs) and for that I need to have the old and new OS running at the same time so I can use the new OS, but if I have some problem and am in a hurry I can just use the old OS to do whatever I need to.
Also, having a new PC with 12 core CPU (and an empty socket for another such CPU for a future upgrade) will offset the inconvenience of reinstalled Windows. Hopefully Windows 7 will last longer than 5 years from now (I do not care about the official support from MS, just the game/software support).
As I understand it, the body is quite efficient at neutralizing viruses or bacteria that it has encountered before because the body has to create antibodies that can kill a particular virus, but once those antibodies are created they can be recreated very fast. That's why vaccine works. The flu and cold viruses mutate rapidly so each time you get infected it's a "new" virus because your body could get rid of the old virus quite fast the second time.
On the other hand, if somebody engineered a virus that has static genes, but very high mortality rate, it would no matter, since people would only get infected by it once (which would be the "first time") and then they would die. After all, human bodies do not keep a centralized antivirus database for the entire population ("John was infected by a similar virus once, here's how you build the antibodies"), just for the individual.
So, the effectiveness of a static virus would most likely be limited by how fast a vaccine can be created and distributed.
Yea, TT-RSS even supports importing the xml file from Google Reader to automatically add all feeds. Though I miss the trends/statistics page of Reader (on the other hand, now I can monitor the server).
Also, transistor amps clip hard when overdriven resulting in a very distorted sound. Tubes distort more, but the distortions are lower frequency (lower harmonics). Transistor amps distort less, but the distortion is higher order and in some cases can be easier to notice (7th harmonic sounds like a separate note, while 2nd harmonic just alters the sound a bit but you don't hear two distinct notes). Human ears also distorts similarly to tube amps so the brain can compensate that distortion easier.
But the most important thing is - if you like the sound, enjoy it and stop caring whether or not it is entirely accurate. I sometimes play tapes on my tube tape decks - they are low quality, but I like the sound and enjoy using the device even though I have a higher quality tape deck. Of course, I have a high quality transistor amp too (and some day will build a "maybe not so high quality, but more fun to use" tube amp).
Maybe in your country it is different. In my country you have to earn at least the average salary for the bank to even consider giving you a credit card (with the credit being somewhat less than what you earn).
Also, why is borrowing money a requirement for better security? I mean other than the chargeback option, the credit card would be useless to me because I don't see a point in borrowing money from the bank.
By the way, while not a complete protection, I have a separate debit card for use online (it cannot be used in an ATM as it is just a piece of plastic with no magnetic strip or chip) and only transfer enough money to it for the purchase. So even if some hacker got the number he would only be able to access a limited amount of money and only during a very limited window. 99% of the time that account is almost empty (less than 3EUR).
Well, some stores were actually comparing the signatures. If the signature looks close enough it's OK, but if it does not match (or the name on the card does not match the customer's gender (in my language gender of the person can usually be identified from the name (especially surname)).
Anyway, that is in the past now. Now you either know the PIN or you don't. And if you write your PIN down and keep it near the card you are screwed. On the other hand, if the thief cannot guess the PIN in 7 attempts your money is relatively safe.
There is something to be said for physically handing your credit card to someone and WATCHING THEM SWIPE IT or even SWIPING IT YOURSELF. Kinda makes it inherently more secure even though fraud does sometimes happen using devices that store the #.
In my country all cards have chips and you have to enter the PIN into the device after putting in the card (usually you have to put in the card yourself). Even if someone took a photo of the number, it would be difficult to do anything with it as they would have to make another card.
Using the magnetic strip in stores is illegal since a couple of years ago (because nobody was checking the signature as they were supposed to - now you have to know the PIN to be able to use the card). Oh, and even when using the magnetic strip was legal, you couldn't just type the card number - you had to swipe the card (and if the magnetic strip was defective you had to pay cash or use another card).
While I agree that everything that happened to you was unfortunate, it all could have been easily avoided by using the cardinal rule of plastic, don't use it online if it's tied to YOUR money.
It's not like everyone earns enough to be able to get a credit card.
I, on the other and, like old hardware. Why emulate a DOS game if I can play it on a 286 (or, for newer games, on a PC with 900MHz CPU)? Why patch the game to run on Windows XP or 7 if I can play it on an older PC with Windows 98?
I like the hardware that I can repair without buying really expensive tools, like a 1GHz scope. I listen to music played on a record player, or a reel to reel tape deck, or a cassette deck, or laserdisc player (that can also play CDs) or MD or my PC... To me, playing a tape on an old tube tape deck adds to the enjoyment, even though the sound quality is worse than what I would get playing the tape on a newer tape deck.
However, if you apply the same processing etc to a dedicated camera that has a better lens and a bigger sensor (and more space for a bigger processor and battery) you would get an even better picture.
I will also explore self-hosted solutions. I started using Google Reader so that I could read the same fees from multiple computers without losing the "read" marks. I guess a self-hosted solution will be just as useful.
TT RSS looks interesting, I will try it out first, unless someone suggest something else.
I don't know how easy it'd be to set up, but it is clearly possible to allow the ads images through but block any kind of tracking cookies.
IP could be used for tracking just as well. Each site has a unique link to the ad provider (otherwise how would the ad provider know which site is displaying the ad) and the logs would show my IP accessing "ad.php?site=example.com" and "ad.php?site=example2.com".
Now, this is not as precise as with cookies (since it could be someone else behind my NAT accessing the other site, but at least it narrows it down to the internet connection, if it doesn't point to a specific person. It also does not work if you are behind carrier grade NAT, but those are uncommon (at least in my country only the cell phone providers use it, all wired ones and some wireless ones provide external IPs).
Now with broadband the way it is, you can't be your own provider.
Well, at some point you need to connect to the internet and you most likely will have to pay whoever connects you, but you can (if you have the $$$) get the connection from the upstream providers like level3 or whatever, though you will have a problem getting IPs now - since as I understand it, all IPv4 address space is allocated.
And you can set up a VPN for the "community system" - yes, you will still have to pay for the internet connection, but you had to pay for the land lines anyway.
Oh, and the old modems still work, so you can use them if you want...
Ad blockers are opt-in by default. The user has to be annoyed by the ads enough to go to a web site, download and install the ad blocker. Then it becomes opt-out by default, which is great for the annoyed user because now he won't be annoyed by the ads or prompts to enable ads.
Noscript is even more annoying at first (before all the main sites I visit were added to white or black lists), but that only means that I was annoyed enough to to use NS in the first place.
The ads on a newspaper are targeted (since nobody would advertise on a newspaper in a different city than the business is) and text or static picture only. No animation, no blinking, no flash that loads the CPU and most importantly - no sound and no malware.
Also, the websites have too many ads. In some sites there's like 10 or more ads in a single page and the article is split to 10 pages (even though it would take 4 A4 pages at most if printed) that take forever to load because of the ads and the fact that the ads are hosted on a different server.
I don't watch broadcast TV, mainly because there's nothing interesting, but when I find something interesting, I first record it to tape, then I can fast forward the commercials.
There's nothing stopping you from conducting a Bitcoin transaction in person, aside from the other party needing to hold and/or be able to receive BTC as well.
Yes, but if the transaction is in person, I might as well use cash. Neither me nor him would need an internet connected device to send/receive money and no need to wait for confirmations.
One day Bitcoin may be really convenient, but right now it is too much like cash for online use and too much like a wire transfer (or paypal) for in person use.
I pay for everything in cash or debit card, but the card is only for convenience - my salary is wired to the bank account, so to have cash I have to go to an ATM and take it. Also, since I also buy stuff online, I have to have money in my bank account (since I can't pay an online store in cash).
Bitcoin has some problems though. When I pay in cash, I am physically in the store, I can inspect the item etc and if the store does something wrong, I know where it is and can complain to the authorities. Online purchases are quite risky, since I am not there (maybe not even in the country where the seller is) when I pay - the seller might ship the wrong item or not ship at all and without the added protection of paypal and similar services it would be impossible to prove that the seller did something wrong or reverse the transaction.
And yet, Windows 8 still has IE (most likely integrated just as deeply as it was in XP). If Microsoft really does not make a penny on the browser, then why didn't it just comply with the court ruling and provide the choice screen (or even better, release Win8 without IE and let the user install whatever browser they want via the choice screen).
Yes, it is too much work to remove IE from an old OS such as XP, but Win8 was not even complete at the time EU first told MS to remove IE and/or offer choice.
IE6 was so broken that even Microsoft could not make a newer browser 100% compatible with it. IE6 lock-in worked so great it prevented a lot of companies from upgrading to a newer version of Windows that no longer has IE6.
The software will become even more of a resource hog than now and you will need the new CPU. There was a time when it was possible to run the latest Firefox or Opera on a PC with a 486 and 16MB of RAM. Try that with the current versions.
SSDs are still more expensive per gigabyte. I doubt that even Google uses SSDs for all the data storage. Using SSDs for system drives, in some laptops or for virtualization (where SSD really outperforms HDD), sure, but not for a 20TB data storage, not even for a 5TB data storage. Or 2TB data storage.
Also, for the price of a single SSD, you can buy multiple hard drives and have offsite backups.
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I will upgrade to 7 (because Bioshock Infinite does not run on XP), but first I will upgrade my PC, even though the old one would be able to run the game. The reason is that it will be really inconvenient to move to another OS (because over the 5 years I have used this PC I made many little settings I forgot about, installed a lot of little programs) and for that I need to have the old and new OS running at the same time so I can use the new OS, but if I have some problem and am in a hurry I can just use the old OS to do whatever I need to.
Also, having a new PC with 12 core CPU (and an empty socket for another such CPU for a future upgrade) will offset the inconvenience of reinstalled Windows. Hopefully Windows 7 will last longer than 5 years from now (I do not care about the official support from MS, just the game/software support).
Now I know. Thanks for the explanation.
As I understand it, the body is quite efficient at neutralizing viruses or bacteria that it has encountered before because the body has to create antibodies that can kill a particular virus, but once those antibodies are created they can be recreated very fast. That's why vaccine works. The flu and cold viruses mutate rapidly so each time you get infected it's a "new" virus because your body could get rid of the old virus quite fast the second time.
On the other hand, if somebody engineered a virus that has static genes, but very high mortality rate, it would no matter, since people would only get infected by it once (which would be the "first time") and then they would die. After all, human bodies do not keep a centralized antivirus database for the entire population ("John was infected by a similar virus once, here's how you build the antibodies"), just for the individual.
So, the effectiveness of a static virus would most likely be limited by how fast a vaccine can be created and distributed.
Of course they do. It sucks for the one being raped, but the 9 rapists most likely enjoy it or they would do it.
Oh well, I'll play it when I upgrade my PC.
Yea, TT-RSS even supports importing the xml file from Google Reader to automatically add all feeds.
Though I miss the trends/statistics page of Reader (on the other hand, now I can monitor the server).
Also, transistor amps clip hard when overdriven resulting in a very distorted sound.
Tubes distort more, but the distortions are lower frequency (lower harmonics). Transistor amps distort less, but the distortion is higher order and in some cases can be easier to notice (7th harmonic sounds like a separate note, while 2nd harmonic just alters the sound a bit but you don't hear two distinct notes). Human ears also distorts similarly to tube amps so the brain can compensate that distortion easier.
But the most important thing is - if you like the sound, enjoy it and stop caring whether or not it is entirely accurate. I sometimes play tapes on my tube tape decks - they are low quality, but I like the sound and enjoy using the device even though I have a higher quality tape deck. Of course, I have a high quality transistor amp too (and some day will build a "maybe not so high quality, but more fun to use" tube amp).
Maybe in your country it is different. In my country you have to earn at least the average salary for the bank to even consider giving you a credit card (with the credit being somewhat less than what you earn).
Also, why is borrowing money a requirement for better security? I mean other than the chargeback option, the credit card would be useless to me because I don't see a point in borrowing money from the bank.
By the way, while not a complete protection, I have a separate debit card for use online (it cannot be used in an ATM as it is just a piece of plastic with no magnetic strip or chip) and only transfer enough money to it for the purchase. So even if some hacker got the number he would only be able to access a limited amount of money and only during a very limited window. 99% of the time that account is almost empty (less than 3EUR).
Well, some stores were actually comparing the signatures. If the signature looks close enough it's OK, but if it does not match (or the name on the card does not match the customer's gender (in my language gender of the person can usually be identified from the name (especially surname)).
Anyway, that is in the past now. Now you either know the PIN or you don't. And if you write your PIN down and keep it near the card you are screwed. On the other hand, if the thief cannot guess the PIN in 7 attempts your money is relatively safe.
There is something to be said for physically handing your credit card to someone and WATCHING THEM SWIPE IT or even SWIPING IT YOURSELF. Kinda makes it inherently more secure even though fraud does sometimes happen using devices that store the #.
In my country all cards have chips and you have to enter the PIN into the device after putting in the card (usually you have to put in the card yourself). Even if someone took a photo of the number, it would be difficult to do anything with it as they would have to make another card.
Using the magnetic strip in stores is illegal since a couple of years ago (because nobody was checking the signature as they were supposed to - now you have to know the PIN to be able to use the card). Oh, and even when using the magnetic strip was legal, you couldn't just type the card number - you had to swipe the card (and if the magnetic strip was defective you had to pay cash or use another card).
While I agree that everything that happened to you was unfortunate, it all could have been easily avoided by using the cardinal rule of plastic, don't use it online if it's tied to YOUR money.
It's not like everyone earns enough to be able to get a credit card.
I, on the other and, like old hardware. Why emulate a DOS game if I can play it on a 286 (or, for newer games, on a PC with 900MHz CPU)? Why patch the game to run on Windows XP or 7 if I can play it on an older PC with Windows 98?
I like the hardware that I can repair without buying really expensive tools, like a 1GHz scope. I listen to music played on a record player, or a reel to reel tape deck, or a cassette deck, or laserdisc player (that can also play CDs) or MD or my PC... To me, playing a tape on an old tube tape deck adds to the enjoyment, even though the sound quality is worse than what I would get playing the tape on a newer tape deck.
However, if you apply the same processing etc to a dedicated camera that has a better lens and a bigger sensor (and more space for a bigger processor and battery) you would get an even better picture.
I will also explore self-hosted solutions. I started using Google Reader so that I could read the same fees from multiple computers without losing the "read" marks. I guess a self-hosted solution will be just as useful.
TT RSS looks interesting, I will try it out first, unless someone suggest something else.
I don't know how easy it'd be to set up, but it is clearly possible to allow the ads images through but block any kind of tracking cookies.
IP could be used for tracking just as well. Each site has a unique link to the ad provider (otherwise how would the ad provider know which site is displaying the ad) and the logs would show my IP accessing "ad.php?site=example.com" and "ad.php?site=example2.com".
Now, this is not as precise as with cookies (since it could be someone else behind my NAT accessing the other site, but at least it narrows it down to the internet connection, if it doesn't point to a specific person. It also does not work if you are behind carrier grade NAT, but those are uncommon (at least in my country only the cell phone providers use it, all wired ones and some wireless ones provide external IPs).
Now with broadband the way it is, you can't be your own provider.
Well, at some point you need to connect to the internet and you most likely will have to pay whoever connects you, but you can (if you have the $$$) get the connection from the upstream providers like level3 or whatever, though you will have a problem getting IPs now - since as I understand it, all IPv4 address space is allocated.
And you can set up a VPN for the "community system" - yes, you will still have to pay for the internet connection, but you had to pay for the land lines anyway.
Oh, and the old modems still work, so you can use them if you want...
Ad blockers are opt-in by default. The user has to be annoyed by the ads enough to go to a web site, download and install the ad blocker. Then it becomes opt-out by default, which is great for the annoyed user because now he won't be annoyed by the ads or prompts to enable ads.
Noscript is even more annoying at first (before all the main sites I visit were added to white or black lists), but that only means that I was annoyed enough to to use NS in the first place.
The ads on a newspaper are targeted (since nobody would advertise on a newspaper in a different city than the business is) and text or static picture only. No animation, no blinking, no flash that loads the CPU and most importantly - no sound and no malware.
Also, the websites have too many ads. In some sites there's like 10 or more ads in a single page and the article is split to 10 pages (even though it would take 4 A4 pages at most if printed) that take forever to load because of the ads and the fact that the ads are hosted on a different server.
I don't watch broadcast TV, mainly because there's nothing interesting, but when I find something interesting, I first record it to tape, then I can fast forward the commercials.
There's nothing stopping you from conducting a Bitcoin transaction in person, aside from the other party needing to hold and/or be able to receive BTC as well.
Yes, but if the transaction is in person, I might as well use cash. Neither me nor him would need an internet connected device to send/receive money and no need to wait for confirmations.
One day Bitcoin may be really convenient, but right now it is too much like cash for online use and too much like a wire transfer (or paypal) for in person use.
I pay for everything in cash or debit card, but the card is only for convenience - my salary is wired to the bank account, so to have cash I have to go to an ATM and take it. Also, since I also buy stuff online, I have to have money in my bank account (since I can't pay an online store in cash).
Bitcoin has some problems though. When I pay in cash, I am physically in the store, I can inspect the item etc and if the store does something wrong, I know where it is and can complain to the authorities. Online purchases are quite risky, since I am not there (maybe not even in the country where the seller is) when I pay - the seller might ship the wrong item or not ship at all and without the added protection of paypal and similar services it would be impossible to prove that the seller did something wrong or reverse the transaction.
I do lie the anonymity though.
And yet, Windows 8 still has IE (most likely integrated just as deeply as it was in XP). If Microsoft really does not make a penny on the browser, then why didn't it just comply with the court ruling and provide the choice screen (or even better, release Win8 without IE and let the user install whatever browser they want via the choice screen).
Yes, it is too much work to remove IE from an old OS such as XP, but Win8 was not even complete at the time EU first told MS to remove IE and/or offer choice.
IE6 was so broken that even Microsoft could not make a newer browser 100% compatible with it. IE6 lock-in worked so great it prevented a lot of companies from upgrading to a newer version of Windows that no longer has IE6.
Yea, a user once called saying that "the internet disappeared". And by that he meant the blue "e" disappeared from the desktop.
The software will become even more of a resource hog than now and you will need the new CPU. There was a time when it was possible to run the latest Firefox or Opera on a PC with a 486 and 16MB of RAM. Try that with the current versions.
SSDs are still more expensive per gigabyte. I doubt that even Google uses SSDs for all the data storage. Using SSDs for system drives, in some laptops or for virtualization (where SSD really outperforms HDD), sure, but not for a 20TB data storage, not even for a 5TB data storage. Or 2TB data storage.
Also, for the price of a single SSD, you can buy multiple hard drives and have offsite backups.