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User: emddudley

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Comments · 29

  1. Access to the hardware on PIN-Cracking Robot To Be Showed Off At Defcon · · Score: 1

    If you have access to the hardware, then the software security doesn't matter. Encryption aside, of course.

  2. Obligatory XKCD on Federal Magistrate Rules That Fifth Amendment Applies To Encryption Keys · · Score: 5, Funny
  3. Re:GitHub on Ask Slashdot: Where to Host Many Small, Related Projects? · · Score: 4, Informative

    You only have to pay if the repositories are private.

    GitHub offers free bronze plans (10 private repositories) for nonprofits.

  4. Can I view the source code changes? on In Under 10 Hours, Google Patches Chrome To Plug Hole Found At Its Pwnium Event · · Score: 1
    Where can I view the details of this bug, and the patch made to fix it? I am curious what source code changes were made. The issues for this bug are locked... why can't the public view them?
  5. Re:3 types of data: Log, Account and ??? on FTC Releases Google Privacy Audit, Blacks Out the Details · · Score: 1

    Interesting, the report specifies that user data is 1 of 3 types:

    • Log data (user activity)
    • Account data (Users emails, settings, etc)
    • Third type is redacted.. Wonder what it is

    I wonder if it could be something like "derived" or "deduced" data, which is information about the user obtained from other sources.

  6. Re:Requirements do change on New Analyst Report Calls Agile a Scam, Says It's An Easy Out For Lazy Devs · · Score: 1

    If the requirements really are constantly changing, Agile poses a very real risk of never producing a working product. At some point, you have to step back and say, "Okay, we're never going to have a working building if we can't decide whether we're building a house or an office building."

    This is true. In After the Gold Rush Steve McConnell makes the point that "Software Isn't Soft" (p. 19):

    As software systems have become more complex ... [the] notion that software is easy to change has become on of the most pernicious ideas in software development. Several studies have found that requirements changes—attempts to take advantage of software's supposed softness—are among the most common sources of cost and schedule overruns.

    Flexibility costs money up front. Limiting flexibility saves money up front, but typically costs disproportionately more money later. The difficult engineering judgement is weighing the known present need against the possible future need.

  7. Re:Check your Internet Acceptable Use documents on Ask Slashdot: Security Digests For the Home Network Admin? · · Score: 1

    Three words for you: Virtual Private Server.

    All the control you'd need, and none of the hardware maintenance.

  8. Re:Can we short them yet? on Startup Applies For 307 GTLDs · · Score: 1

    In fact I'm struggling to think of even one case where the name of a TLD actually is the best site in it's category?

    When you want to google something where do you go? Google.com!

    And if you want to wiki something? Wikipedia.org!

  9. Look at college math department websites on Ask Slashdot: What To Do With a Math Degree? · · Score: 1

    My university's math department maintains a web page listing careers for math majors: http://www.rit.edu/cos/math/Students/careers.html

  10. Re:Once again proving they are idiots on Windows 8 and Screen Resolution: WXGA Still Most Popular · · Score: 1

    They could have selected any resolution after basing icons and other graphical bits on SVG and it would ALWAYS look as sharp as it needs to look.

    It's true that SVG can scale, but you need tailor them for the intended pixel size. SVG images designed for 256x256 look horrible when scaled to 16x16 or 32x32. The smaller ones need less detail, so you can't just assume that an SVG graphic will work at any resolution.

  11. Re:Video?! on The Problem With Windows 8's Picture Password · · Score: 1

    Just look at the greasy finger marks

    The question of smudges was addressed by Zach Pace in the Building Windows 8 blog entry on picture passwords. He emphasizes that Microsoft's goal was to design a password mechanism that was easier to use than PINs on touch devices, with equal or better security.

    The picture password system is certainly vulnerable to the smudge factor, but it's no worse than existing PIN systems today.

  12. Download link for en-US on Firefox 9 Released, JavaScript Performance Greatly Improved · · Score: 1
  13. Re:Google doing evil again on Google To Seek Dismissal of Suit Against Google Books · · Score: 1

    So... how do you feel about libraries?

  14. Re:Peh. on Paper On Super Flu Strain May Be Banned From Publication · · Score: 1

    It doesn't affect the obese? (runs)

    I see what you did there.

  15. Slashdot Luddites Unite Against Ribbon on Microsoft 'Ribbonizes' Windows 8 File Manager · · Score: 1

    I, for one, welcome our new ribbon-wielding overlords.

  16. Re:Sounds about right. on 675k Stolen Credit Cards = Ten Years In Jail · · Score: 1

    If I pay for something with a card, my creditor provides additional protections in case what I bought is not as advertised, or if there is some other dispute with the merchant.

    Anecdotal evidence: The local symphony orchestra went bankrupt this past May and cancelled the season, no refunds. I would have been out of luck except for the fact that I had purchased the tickets on my credit card. I contacted my credit issuer and it refunded my money as "service not delivered."

    I had also contacted my local attorney general's office, so I received a letter when the bankruptcy proceedings were complete stating that I would not have received any money from the liquidation of the symphony's assets since I was not a primary creditor.

  17. Re:Heresy on Pastafarian Wins Right To Wear Colander In License Photo · · Score: 2

    Yes, it's all in order, except... why aren't you wearing your confessional pasta strainer today? Go on, you said it's a religious requirement, put it on!

    I've heard that some sects of Pastafarianism only require you to wear the traditional headdress in official government photographs. Convenient!

  18. Re:Upgrade... for what? on Time To Dump XP? · · Score: 1

    What killer new features does Windows 7 have that are worth the time and expense of an upgrade from XP?

    I asked What can be done in Windows 7 that can't be done in Windows XP? on SuperUser. The top response was per-application volume control.

  19. Re:Blue print company on Digitizing and Geocoding Old Maps? · · Score: 1

    It is easy to correct lens distortion. Some of the first results on Google for camera calibration come up with a MATLAB script that will let you undistort images.

  20. Re:Going backwards? on Is Early Childhood Education Technology Moving Backwards? · · Score: 1

    When you buy pencils for your classroom, you have to pay for them out of pocket because the school is too cheap to do so.

    Are you serious?

    Are *you* serious? Teachers regularly buy school supplies for their classrooms that the school does not pay for.

  21. Re:If they thrive on predicatable, monotonous work on Company Trains the Autistic To Test Software · · Score: 1

    Autism is defined as a DISORDER, not a spectrum.

    Just FYI, there is such a thing as the autistic spectrum.

  22. Re:Make darn sure the Feds don't mind! on Best Way To Build A DIY UAV? · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The FAA has a page for the Unmanned Aircraft Program Office. I also found an article from December 2, 2007 about regulations on UAVs. It mentions Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Regulations & Policies which would probably be useful to review.

  23. Re:Copyright The New York Times?!? on Canadian Pirates Sell Spurious Songs — In 1897 · · Score: 1

    Trying to claim copyright on a 112 year old article is insane.

    The article is in the public domain because it was published in the US before 1923. As someone else stated it is just a blanket statement.

    See http://www.copyright.cornell.edu/public_domain/.

  24. Re:It's worse than that on What Web Surfers Can Find Out About You · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Well you seem to have figured out the secure way to answer the security questions: use a psuedo-identity.

    Make up a fake persona and use that as the basis for all of the answers. Even if someone discovers your mother's maiden name, they won't know about the mother that's all in your head.

  25. Re:I don't get it on Vista To XP Upgrade Triples In Price, Now $150 · · Score: 1

    For one, the lack of an integrated desktop search client is a huge productivity loss.

    A few weeks ago an update for Windows XP appeared called "Windows Search 4.0". It indexed all my files and I can search my desktop from the task bar. Isn't that what you're talking about?