>I can't imagine why. Just another proprietary encoding method. And no harder to break than DSS.
My personal guess? DigiCipher is used by major companies (Disney, Paramount, etc) to distribute all sorts of "goodies":-). Cracking it doesn't just get the wrath of a satellite company that's probabaly up to its eyeballs into debt on you -- it gets companies that can do all sorts of things... like buy laws to keep you in jail for a very good long time... angry at you.
>The big dishes have been using a system that has been uncrackable since the day it was introduced with much noise from the underground claiming it'll be cracked in days... weeks... months... um... someone??
I thought VC was cracked surprisingly fast -- seems to me it was something like a year after it was released, maybe less (I wasn't doing any of this stuff then -- too young). I have a few 018 rev boxes with the extra work done to them sitting about the house... Not that I'm allowed to use the damn things.;-) stupid supreme court...
VC-II+ is cracked too, but the people who did it have no interest in releasing any product or plans (yes, feel free to call BS on that one -- it really doesn't matter much anymore).
Anyways, VC was never popular with most consumers (probably due to the fact that nobody wanted a BUD in their backyard). I think about 1-million boxes were sold, which isn't much considering that was for all of North America.
Anyways, the satellite piracy industry has matured, IMHO, to the point where there's very little chance a worthwhile signal will go uncracked. The money to be made is simply too high for the top-tier people to just tuck tail and go home...
The only consumer signal I know of in North America that remains untouched is StarChoice's, since they use DigiCipher... It seems like pirates don't want to touch that with a 10 ft. pole (probably for VERY good reasons:) It still isn't particularly popular, though.
For some reason, using written language to self-teach people to read reminds me of those safety labels that say "If you are unable to read this label, please ask for assistance prior to usage."
>Suv's with their horrible gas consumption and emissions
This is the funny thing about those blanket statements. They aren't exactly true.
Which has fewer emissions... Reliant K-Car or modern SUV? This applies to about all older vehicles. Today's SUVs really aren't the problem. It's the coal power stations, and countries like Cuba, which, due to American suppression, drive cars that cause so much pollution, it makes NYC a nice place to be in.
If everywhere was like America, Japan, Canada, the EU, Australia, and other 1st world countries I've missed, everything would be OK. But everywhere ain't like it is here...
>The RCMP may not be knocking on your door at the moment, but just as soon as they get through with all the dealers in your area they just may divert their focus. I sure hope you don't have a DirectTV silkscreen on your dish.
From what I've seen, if the RCMP actually bothers with it (which they very rarely do for individuals) the courts usually fine individuals (not businesses) about $1,000 with a very small amount of community service. It's taken about as serious as shoplifting a dozen DVDs, from what I've seen.
The maximum sentence is something like 30 days of jail per day they can prove you were breaking the law (which will probably only be the day they raid your house, because it ain't worth trying to spy on houses) and a $10,000 fine per day. Hey, it's a lot less than the US's cool quarter-mil + 5 years!:-)
It will never be taken seriously by the courts as long as 10% of all Canadians households are breaking the law (My rough estimate based on the number of people on lists of raided companies. The actual number is likely more about 25%, from my personal experience). I expect this re-reading of 9(c) will be struck down in a 1984 betamax-like decision if the RCMP were to start a-knockin' on doors of individuals.
>But on another note, Yes, you can subscribe to DirecTV. People do it all the time from Canada. In the past I've called from Canada and billed it directly to my Canadain credit card. Sure the first phone bozo wouldn't let me do it, but i called back a second time and it all went through ok. There are a few companies who will set up an American Address Post Office box for you so you can subscribe even easier.
I guess it all depends if you feel it immoral to watch satellite signals for free. I don't, so if I have to break the law (and paying for it is still illegal in Canada), why the hell not do it for free?
>What is it about the P4 cards that makes them so special?
They're DirecTV's very first attempt at making their own CAM, instead of buying them from NDS. DirecTV thinks this will keep them safe from hackers. Only time will tell, but I highly doubt it. There's never been a popular TV system that's remained uncracked, AFAIK. [Keyword: Popular:-) ].
I know in America they only have round pennies, but in Canada, pennies are a mixture of 12 sided coins, and perfectly round coins. While our nickels are also available in round and non-round styles, the round style strongly dominates.
IIRC, IBM keyboards have a 70/30 stroke. But I could be wrong. I do know they fire before bottoming out.:-)
The best boards for early firing switches, though, are the ergo-force Keytronic keyboards. If that's your thing, I strong suggest getting your hands on one of those boards. Some of the keys will fire at about the 10% mark, or so I've found.
Well, that's simple. Buy a Model-M. Problem solved. Plus the heavy resistance keystroke and buckling spring mechanism provide the typewriter feel so sorely needed.
This reminds me of something else you can do for fun, with chemistry.
Develop your own photographs (fun, but not tedious enough). Better yet, create your own PCBs (fun, and very tedious). As with the mirrors, you end up with something worthwhile when you're done.
If you're just looking for some pointless fun, drop round pennies in Tinning solution. See how many people you can trick into thinking it's a nickel.
Re:I wonder if the framers of the constitution...
on
Dow vs. Parody
·
· Score: 1
>In a free society, you are allowed to do pretty much whatever you like, and the rest of us take responsibility for picking up the pieces afterwards.
Isn't that the definition of an Anarchist society?
In all free societies I know of, I always thought one's freedom extended up until you step on my property, or got within an arms length of my person.
>Actually - as a proud owner of both a Geo Prizm and Toyota Corolla (BTW they are the same car)
I hope you're happy. You've just ruined my day.:-)
I have a Corolla, and I always insulted the Geo (just out of fun, not experience). Now I am in a state of confusion. OEM cars... what'll be next? All latoptops made by two or three manufacturers? (I already know about that one...)
>Sorry, You might want to check your sources, as NO virus to knowledge has nor will be able to destroy a Hard Drive or BIOS on the physical level.
Fortunately, (thank God), most virus authors were too dumb to run debug and play about with the code at G=C800:5. And, still fortunately, they're too dumb to try to find a way to rewrite the firmware on modern drives (HDD, CD, and others).
Fortunately. But you know what they say: "Never say die".
(And it isn't hard to destroy anything with flash firmware, like drives and BIOSes. Just have the virus constantly rewrite a sector forever. It'll wear out eventually (an hour or two, maybe)...)
It's more expensive to buy a TV without an RF jack.
Because it's specialzed equipment at that point that fewer people buy (since not everyone has DVI, but everyone [excepting the occasional Mac user, and specialised PC user] has VGA). Becuase fewer people buy it, prices are higher, ergo, it costs more to have fewer features. Stupid, but true.:-)
Re:I am sooooooo tired of plastic!!!
on
Waterproof Books
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
You do know that not a while ago Reader's Digest had an interesting article about recycling, and how the amount of energy put into recycling certain materials (they covered pop cans and milk bottles, but I'm sure it applies to plastic) comes from places that, when worked out, pollute more per item recycled than the original manufacturer did making it.
So, next time you throw all your stuff into the recycling bin, think not only of how great it will be that the landfill is half the size, but of much smog you might, or might not produce.
>Every time you throw away something made of plastic or metal or anything else non-biodegradable, you are demonstrating your ignorance.
Dude, it's really not a good way to get people on your side to call them ignorant. As you can see, I've reasearched this issue, and, depending on how the city gets its power, sometimes I'd rather just crush the can and throw it in the trash.
It all depends on what the source of energy is and the efficiency level of the recycling plant as to wether it's worth it or not. And sometimes it isn't. Although aluminum recycling isn't a bad bet, sometimes plastics and glass aren't worth the effort.
FWIW, recycling aluminum is about 95% efficient (always worth the effort), plastic between 30% and 80% efficienct (I suppose the tech. is still pretty new for this), glass about 20% to 30% efficient, and paper about the same.
In other words, if that plastic bottle was made by hydro-power, or another "good" source of power, yet your city runs on coal/gas power, do your lungs a favour and throw the thing away.
>Or perhaps you couldn't care less, but you're too lazy and ignorant to think about what you're typing, in which case why should we care about whatever you've got to say?
Read my last flame on someone who said this before. It is ambiguous either way you say it. Unless you mean to say that he couldn't care less, or, in other words, he wouldn't want to violate his principle that it is so important that caring less would be a great loss for him.
HTH. And next time quit being a prick. It doesn't look good on you.
[ Hey, wait a minute, it seems that telling people your misnomers for what is barely a speedbump in the english language is your new passtime. Maybe mine should be correcting you each time! Fun, fun, fun! Because I hate grammarians! Especially when they can be corrected! ]
[ Hey, wait another minute. You never bothered to reply to me last time! Could you care less? Or not? ]
>I'll see if I can find an online version of the law.
Please do, if you can. I've work with employers that refuse to pay for lunch, but also expect you to do things like answer phones, etc. during lunch. It would be nice to print it out for them...:-)
[ Then again, I already quit one job where they started stiffing me for lunch. I'm _very_ picky about that... Especially when the job is less than 8 hours a day anyways. ]
Apple got a clue a while ago and decided to bring their prices just that much closer to PC prices by thinking similar (finally). They use IDE for pretty much everything now.
Perhaps they'll start making iMacs with optional monitors next (wow!).
Slashdot Mirror
>I can't imagine why. Just another proprietary encoding method. And no harder to break than DSS.
:-). Cracking it doesn't just get the wrath of a satellite company that's probabaly up to its eyeballs into debt on you -- it gets companies that can do all sorts of things... like buy laws to keep you in jail for a very good long time... angry at you.
My personal guess? DigiCipher is used by major companies (Disney, Paramount, etc) to distribute all sorts of "goodies"
Just my best guess...
>The big dishes have been using a system that has been uncrackable since the day it was introduced with much noise from the underground claiming it'll be cracked in days... weeks... months... um... someone??
;-) stupid supreme court...
:) It still isn't particularly popular, though.
I thought VC was cracked surprisingly fast -- seems to me it was something like a year after it was released, maybe less (I wasn't doing any of this stuff then -- too young). I have a few 018 rev boxes with the extra work done to them sitting about the house... Not that I'm allowed to use the damn things.
VC-II+ is cracked too, but the people who did it have no interest in releasing any product or plans (yes, feel free to call BS on that one -- it really doesn't matter much anymore).
Anyways, VC was never popular with most consumers (probably due to the fact that nobody wanted a BUD in their backyard). I think about 1-million boxes were sold, which isn't much considering that was for all of North America.
Anyways, the satellite piracy industry has matured, IMHO, to the point where there's very little chance a worthwhile signal will go uncracked. The money to be made is simply too high for the top-tier people to just tuck tail and go home...
The only consumer signal I know of in North America that remains untouched is StarChoice's, since they use DigiCipher... It seems like pirates don't want to touch that with a 10 ft. pole (probably for VERY good reasons
For some reason, using written language to self-teach people to read reminds me of those safety labels that say "If you are unable to read this label, please ask for assistance prior to usage."
>Suv's with their horrible gas consumption and emissions
This is the funny thing about those blanket statements. They aren't exactly true.
Which has fewer emissions... Reliant K-Car or modern SUV? This applies to about all older vehicles. Today's SUVs really aren't the problem. It's the coal power stations, and countries like Cuba, which, due to American suppression, drive cars that cause so much pollution, it makes NYC a nice place to be in.
If everywhere was like America, Japan, Canada, the EU, Australia, and other 1st world countries I've missed, everything would be OK. But everywhere ain't like it is here...
>The RCMP may not be knocking on your door at the moment, but just as soon as they get through with all the dealers in your area they just may divert their focus. I sure hope you don't have a DirectTV silkscreen on your dish.
:-)
;-) ]
From what I've seen, if the RCMP actually bothers with it (which they very rarely do for individuals) the courts usually fine individuals (not businesses) about $1,000 with a very small amount of community service. It's taken about as serious as shoplifting a dozen DVDs, from what I've seen.
The maximum sentence is something like 30 days of jail per day they can prove you were breaking the law (which will probably only be the day they raid your house, because it ain't worth trying to spy on houses) and a $10,000 fine per day. Hey, it's a lot less than the US's cool quarter-mil + 5 years!
It will never be taken seriously by the courts as long as 10% of all Canadians households are breaking the law (My rough estimate based on the number of people on lists of raided companies. The actual number is likely more about 25%, from my personal experience). I expect this re-reading of 9(c) will be struck down in a 1984 betamax-like decision if the RCMP were to start a-knockin' on doors of individuals.
>But on another note, Yes, you can subscribe to DirecTV. People do it all the time from Canada. In the past I've called from Canada and billed it directly to my Canadain credit card. Sure the first phone bozo wouldn't let me do it, but i called back a second time and it all went through ok. There are a few companies who will set up an American Address Post Office box for you so you can subscribe even easier.
I guess it all depends if you feel it immoral to watch satellite signals for free. I don't, so if I have to break the law (and paying for it is still illegal in Canada), why the hell not do it for free?
[ Not that I am now, of course
>What is it about the P4 cards that makes them so special?
:-) ].
They're DirecTV's very first attempt at making their own CAM, instead of buying them from NDS. DirecTV thinks this will keep them safe from hackers. Only time will tell, but I highly doubt it. There's never been a popular TV system that's remained uncracked, AFAIK. [Keyword: Popular
I know in America they only have round pennies, but in Canada, pennies are a mixture of 12 sided coins, and perfectly round coins. While our nickels are also available in round and non-round styles, the round style strongly dominates.
:-)
HTH!
IIRC, IBM keyboards have a 70/30 stroke. But I could be wrong. I do know they fire before bottoming out. :-)
The best boards for early firing switches, though, are the ergo-force Keytronic keyboards. If that's your thing, I strong suggest getting your hands on one of those boards. Some of the keys will fire at about the 10% mark, or so I've found.
>Which is why I usually remap Caps Lock to an extra Esc. What a useless key...
Useless? Without that key how would we ever be able to differentiate between AOL users and 1337 hax0rz?
Well, that's simple. Buy a Model-M. Problem solved. Plus the heavy resistance keystroke and buckling spring mechanism provide the typewriter feel so sorely needed.
This reminds me of something else you can do for fun, with chemistry.
Develop your own photographs (fun, but not tedious enough). Better yet, create your own PCBs (fun, and very tedious). As with the mirrors, you end up with something worthwhile when you're done.
If you're just looking for some pointless fun, drop round pennies in Tinning solution. See how many people you can trick into thinking it's a nickel.
>In a free society, you are allowed to do pretty much whatever you like, and the rest of us take responsibility for picking up the pieces afterwards.
Isn't that the definition of an Anarchist society?
In all free societies I know of, I always thought one's freedom extended up until you step on my property, or got within an arms length of my person.
>You know, one with no holes barred.
You mean it includes nostrils and ears?
Man, I learn something new everyday on the internet.
But instead I ended up with sunspots in my eyes. :-)
>Actually - as a proud owner of both a Geo Prizm and Toyota Corolla (BTW they are the same car)
:-)
I hope you're happy. You've just ruined my day.
I have a Corolla, and I always insulted the Geo (just out of fun, not experience). Now I am in a state of confusion. OEM cars... what'll be next? All latoptops made by two or three manufacturers? (I already know about that one...)
Master Keys.
:-)
There's only a couple of hundred for each manufacturer.
It's almost just like you say already...
If you find this hard to believe, watch the RepoMen show on TLC next time they repeat it. What I wouldn't give for that box of keys...
>Sorry, You might want to check your sources, as NO virus to knowledge has nor will be able to destroy a Hard Drive or BIOS on the physical level.
Fortunately, (thank God), most virus authors were too dumb to run debug and play about with the code at G=C800:5. And, still fortunately, they're too dumb to try to find a way to rewrite the firmware on modern drives (HDD, CD, and others).
Fortunately. But you know what they say: "Never say die".
(And it isn't hard to destroy anything with flash firmware, like drives and BIOSes. Just have the virus constantly rewrite a sector forever. It'll wear out eventually (an hour or two, maybe)...)
It's more expensive to buy a TV without an RF jack.
:-)
Because it's specialzed equipment at that point that fewer people buy (since not everyone has DVI, but everyone [excepting the occasional Mac user, and specialised PC user] has VGA). Becuase fewer people buy it, prices are higher, ergo, it costs more to have fewer features. Stupid, but true.
You do know that not a while ago Reader's Digest had an interesting article about recycling, and how the amount of energy put into recycling certain materials (they covered pop cans and milk bottles, but I'm sure it applies to plastic) comes from places that, when worked out, pollute more per item recycled than the original manufacturer did making it.
So, next time you throw all your stuff into the recycling bin, think not only of how great it will be that the landfill is half the size, but of much smog you might, or might not produce.
>Every time you throw away something made of plastic or metal or anything else non-biodegradable, you are demonstrating your ignorance.
Dude, it's really not a good way to get people on your side to call them ignorant. As you can see, I've reasearched this issue, and, depending on how the city gets its power, sometimes I'd rather just crush the can and throw it in the trash.
It all depends on what the source of energy is and the efficiency level of the recycling plant as to wether it's worth it or not. And sometimes it isn't. Although aluminum recycling isn't a bad bet, sometimes plastics and glass aren't worth the effort.
FWIW, recycling aluminum is about 95% efficient (always worth the effort), plastic between 30% and 80% efficienct (I suppose the tech. is still pretty new for this), glass about 20% to 30% efficient, and paper about the same.
In other words, if that plastic bottle was made by hydro-power, or another "good" source of power, yet your city runs on coal/gas power, do your lungs a favour and throw the thing away.
Google, link 3. Sometimes it is more intelligent than Anonymous Cowards.
Which is surprising, since it's only a few million lines of code.
>Or perhaps you couldn't care less, but you're too lazy and ignorant to think about what you're typing, in which case why should we care about whatever you've got to say?
Read my last flame on someone who said this before. It is ambiguous either way you say it. Unless you mean to say that he couldn't care less, or, in other words, he wouldn't want to violate his principle that it is so important that caring less would be a great loss for him.
HTH. And next time quit being a prick. It doesn't look good on you.
[ Hey, wait a minute, it seems that telling people your misnomers for what is barely a speedbump in the english language is your new passtime. Maybe mine should be correcting you each time! Fun, fun, fun! Because I hate grammarians! Especially when they can be corrected! ]
[ Hey, wait another minute. You never bothered to reply to me last time! Could you care less? Or not? ]
>I'll see if I can find an online version of the law.
:-)
Please do, if you can. I've work with employers that refuse to pay for lunch, but also expect you to do things like answer phones, etc. during lunch. It would be nice to print it out for them...
[ Then again, I already quit one job where they started stiffing me for lunch. I'm _very_ picky about that... Especially when the job is less than 8 hours a day anyways. ]
Apple got a clue a while ago and decided to bring their prices just that much closer to PC prices by thinking similar (finally). They use IDE for pretty much everything now.
Perhaps they'll start making iMacs with optional monitors next (wow!).
>Is available only for big bulky desktop computers because it draws so much power.
Does your laptop lack a firewire port?
Bummer. Otherwise I would have suggested you buy a Firewire to IDE/SCSI box, and you can hook it up no problem.
A large percentage of their inventory is used for satellite piracy! Com'mon RIAA, can't you help out the poor satellite companies!