It looks like the BIOS is using Crypto to lock the OS. Check out the link. One of the "Custom Features" the BIOS company did was "Boot Security". Sounds like something the XBOX uses. We'll probably have to wait until someone comes up with a mod chip.
I think they are just trying to see what they can get away with. M$ recently talked about pumping up their patient portfolio. Maybe they are starting to flood the patent office and this is one of the more blatenly stupid ideas.
With a company the size of EA, you can be the managers are not getting treated any better than the workers. I'm sure they are pressured into working this type of crunch time as well.
Multi-media support, windowing systems, etc are application or user level programs. They should not be part of the OS, like Windows. Doing so increases security problems and makes the system potentially unstable.
Dinh: There are a number of provisions within the USA Patriot Act that have a tremendous effect on our war against terror. However, they are tools that can be used in general criminal investigations as well. At no time do I think that anybody intentionally sought to elide the difference between the two.
How about the fact that it is called the "Patriot Act"? Who thought it was for use against US citizens? It was sold as a way to combat terrorism, that is why it was given such a "Patriotic" name.
Small companies can't afford to go around patenting every little detail of their software, like some big companies. Lawyers cost money, lots of money. I know.
The real problems is the broadness of the patent law. The people giving out the patents have no idea what makes the patent novel. Patents should be revolutionary, not evolutionary. Crap is getting let through and then it is off to the races with attorneys. Then who wins?
As with most drugs, 13 year olds shouldn't be using them. Do you think a 13 year old who started using alcohol would meet his/her potential?
Also, ask a 13 year old which is easier to get: illegal marijuana or legal beer? Sometimes making something legal helps.
Pop tarts have really gone off the deep end with packaging. The boxes stayed the same size but the pop tarts inside kept getting smaller and smaller. Eventually they got so small, some marketing type said "Let's put in 8!". Now 8 fit in the box and there is still a lot of air in the box. And we the consumer are suppose to feel better now that we have 8. Now I'm not a major environmentalist, but this extra air is wasting the world's limited resources. Yes, manufacturers like Kelloggs and Microsoft can pay to have these oversized boxes shipped but it wastes the worlds finite energy supply to move empty boxes. And for what?
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Duckman's son.
It looks like the BIOS is using Crypto to lock the OS. Check out the link.
One of the "Custom Features" the BIOS company did was "Boot Security". Sounds like something the XBOX uses. We'll probably have to wait until someone comes up with a mod chip.
I think they are just trying to see what they can get away with. M$ recently talked about pumping up their patient portfolio. Maybe they are starting to flood the patent office and this is one of the more blatenly stupid ideas.
Patent only applies to the BASIC language, as best I can tell.
With a company the size of EA, you can be the managers are not getting treated any better than the workers. I'm sure they are pressured into working this type of crunch time as well.
Linux/Unix is an operating system, nothing more.
Multi-media support, windowing systems, etc are application or user level programs. They should not be part of the OS, like Windows. Doing so increases security problems and makes the system potentially unstable.
Dinh: There are a number of provisions within the USA Patriot Act that have a tremendous effect on our war against terror. However, they are tools that can be used in general criminal investigations as well. At no time do I think that anybody intentionally sought to elide the difference between the two.
How about the fact that it is called the "Patriot Act"? Who thought it was for use against US citizens? It was sold as a way to combat terrorism, that is why it was given such a "Patriotic" name.
Many companies use their patents defensively, including IBM. With the amount they spend on R&D, you would expect a lot of patents.
True, they could turn evil and go after everybody. But for now, it looks like they might do some good with them.
Small companies can't afford to go around patenting every little detail of their software, like some big companies. Lawyers cost money, lots of money. I know.
The real problems is the broadness of the patent law. The people giving out the patents have no idea what makes the patent novel. Patents should be revolutionary, not evolutionary. Crap is getting let through and then it is off to the races with attorneys. Then who wins?
As with most drugs, 13 year olds shouldn't be using them. Do you think a 13 year old who started using alcohol would meet his/her potential?
Also, ask a 13 year old which is easier to get: illegal marijuana or legal beer? Sometimes making something legal helps.
Pocket PC is a sub-set of Windows CE. Stupid M$ naming conventions used to confuse the market.
Wired has an article from Feb 1999 about this.
Pop tarts have really gone off the deep end with packaging. The boxes stayed the same size but the pop tarts inside kept getting smaller and smaller. Eventually they got so small, some marketing type said "Let's put in 8!". Now 8 fit in the box and there is still a lot of air in the box. And we the consumer are suppose to feel better now that we have 8. Now I'm not a major environmentalist, but this extra air is wasting the world's limited resources. Yes, manufacturers like Kelloggs and Microsoft can pay to have these oversized boxes shipped but it wastes the worlds finite energy supply to move empty boxes. And for what?