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User: partofthepuzzle

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  1. Applications! on Why Aren't People Abandoning Windows For Linux? (slashgear.com) · · Score: 1

    I need several apps that don't run on Linux: mostly music production applications and plugins. They don't run reliably on Wine, etc..

    That's the only reason for me.

    Maybe Linus could contact Albeton and fund a Linux version? If that happened, Linux might pull in tens of thousands users overnight.

  2. Start with revenue sharing... on Silicon Valley Investors Wants to Fund a 'Good For Society' Facebook Replacement (calacanis.com) · · Score: 1

    Presumably, this new site would have to have some kind of revenue, right? If they implemented some type of revenue sharing with the users, wouldn't that create a massive incentive to switch?

  3. Believe it or not: Win 8.1 is the solution on 'Windows 10 Is Failing Us' (betanews.com) · · Score: 1

    I know, I know, but hang on:

    Once you install Classic Shell or Start8 (my personal preference, well worth $5), which effectively hides the tiled "Metro" side of things, Win 8.1 is an excellent version of Windows. It's much faster and more stable than Win 7. It boots in about 4-5 sec. It's still fully supported with security updates. with Start8 the desktop, start menu, etc. are all just how you want them. The Win 10 crap is nowhere to be found.

    I bought a laptop 3 years ago and fully intended to reformat and install Win 7 but thought I'd try Win 8 for a couple of weeks. Once I install the shell replacement, I was surprised at how good Win 8 was and I haven't had ANY problems with it. It's better that Win 7 in every way and good solution if you want to avoid Win 10.

  4. A plot from ReGenesis on Dormant Diseases Frozen In the Ice Are Waking Up (bbc.co.uk) · · Score: 1

    There was a plot arc in the Canadian Sci-Fi series ReGenesis about a Spanish Flu outbreak coming from a frozen body.

    ReGenesis was a very good series, one of the few TV that included at least some hard science. It's hard to find. I had to Torrent it.

  5. Think of the children! on Proof Daylight Saving Time Is Dumb, Dangerous, and Costly (bloomberg.com) · · Score: 1

    Actually that's not the usual mocking point. Back in 1973, when they ditched DST, the biggest complaint that I remember is that a lot of school kids were waiting for buses or walking to school in the dark. I don't know how applicable that is today?

  6. NCCIC ForensicSecuirty Report on Russian Hacking on US Announces Response To Russian Election Hacking [Update] (reuters.com) · · Score: 1

    There have been many posts in this thread that claim there was no conclusive evidence to support Obama's claims re: the Russian hacking. That is simply not true. Below is a link the the report from the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC) with a detailed forensic analysis that clearly identifies the source as Russian intelligence services. The are planning to release an even more detailed report very soon.

    https://assets.documentcloud.o...

  7. Re:Retaliatory measures based on no evidence. on US Announces Response To Russian Election Hacking [Update] (reuters.com) · · Score: 1

    Did you read the NCIC report about the hacking that was published as part of Obama's press conference?

    The report provides detailed forensic security analysis of the hacking and provides ample evidence that it originated with Russian intelligence agencies. They are going to release more details soon.

    Say what you want about it but there's no doubt about what happened and how did it.

  8. The Big Picture on What's the Best Book You Read This Year? · · Score: 1

    The Big Picture by Sean Carroll

    Excellent overview of theoretical physics as applied to thinking about everyday life.

  9. I checked out the spideroak web site. The only way to find out anything in depth is via "Find Out More" or "Take the Tour", which forces you to *download and install the software*! WTF? Lost me right there.

  10. Problem solved w/ FreeDOS on How (And Why) FreeDOS Keeps DOS Alive (computerworld.com.au) · · Score: 1

    A few years ago, I had gig that involved helping a company sell approx 600 hundred still-useful PCs. The catch was that they all had to be shown to in good working order to the buyers. Of course the drives were all wiped and licensing issues preventing them using Windows, so the easy solution was to install FreeDOS. Super fast install and they could all be shown to be bootable and in good working condition.

  11. A different view...of Windows 8.1 on Ask Slashdot: Would You Recommend Updating To Windows 10? · · Score: 1

    OK, so this is a bit OT. I bought a laptop (ASUS 15" Zenbook UX51VZ) a couple of years ago that came with Win 8. I fully intended to reformat it and install Win 7 but I got a bit lazy and thought I'd give Win 8 a try for a couple of weeks. No surprise, the tiled "Metro" side of Win 8 was as bad, or worse, than I expected it to be, so I tried a couple of the utilities that restore the Win 7 style start menu, finally settling Start 8 from Stardock which was well worth $5. Once I had that installed and configured, it thoroughly changed my experience of Windows 8. I had fully functioning Start menu and the desktop worked just like Win 7. The result: I NEVER have to even look at the Metro UI - it effectively doesn't exist.

    The best part is that Win 8 is considerably faster that 7, boots from a cold start in about 6 sec. and it's light years more stable than 7. I work it pretty hard: everything from coding and dev environments to 32 track music production and live DJing and it hasn't hiccuped once .How much of this experience could be replicated in Win 10? Hard to say. the telemetry reporting to MS and their desperate push for the Windows Store are major concerns. If all of that and the other issues with win 10 can be dealt with (with or without help from MS), it could be worth a look but I'm with those that don't find any compelling reason to to upgrade and for now I'm very content with Win 8.1

  12. Sanders at the top will inspire more local activism.

  13. I'm 65 and I'm also living on SS and a few short term freelance IT gigs. I'm barely getting by but I'm blessed with good health (physically and mentally). I started to get depressed but what turned everything around for me was finding something I could do to help other people. There are a LOT of people and organizations that are suffering or just need help. For me, it was volunteering at the senior center a couple of time a week, mostly with computer related stuff. You know. when your out there in the real world (low income, public transportation, generalized fear and anxiety) acts of kindness and compassion are few and far between and people are immensely grateful for help. You want a dopamine and serotonin rush? Help others will fix you up just fine, without loading up your body with system prescriptions.

  14. NSA Compliance has always been a problem on Court Troubled By Surveillance Excesses At FBI, NSA (politico.com) · · Score: 1

    When the Snowden "papers" were leaked, I took the time to read through a very lengthy report by FISA on their court on their proceedings with the NSA which included a lot of transcriptions of the proceedings. There were multiple confrontations over the NSA's failure to comply with FISA mandated restrictions on the surveillance, including the overly broad reach of some of the programs. Some of these transcriptions included laughable excuses from the NSA: "x program is complicated, we haven't had time to figure it out" - [six months later] "x program is so complicated that we gave up trying to figure it out", "we complied but then x program reverted mysteriously to collecting unauthorized data - we don't know why". The FISA court seemed very patient for a while but finally gave the NSA an ultimatum that it would have to comply with restrictions by the next meeting or face forced termination of some of the programs but the NSA just stonewalled them again. Then there was the ruling that FISA court handed down that one of the email surveillance programs that was consistently over broad in capturing U.S. citizens email meta data was in violation of the 4th Amendment. The NSA just ignored it. Though not completely surprising, it was bizarre and infuriating to me to read this playing out.

  15. New insights into North Korea via Photo Journalist on US: North Korean Missile Launch a 'Catastrophic' Failure (washingtonpost.com) · · Score: 1

    This is a snippet from a book published (and translated directly from Korean to English) in North Korea that was purchased in Pyongyang from the Foreign Languages Bookshop. The book was named; “Kim Jong-Il – The Great Man”:

    As to a successful nuclear test in the DPRK, the fellow countrymen in South Korea said with pride, "Great the great north Korea! The pride of our nation! The nuclear test is the exercise of great self-defense right of the north as a sovereign state with Juche character. Isn't it stately and above board national defence, not subservient and cowardly to any outside forces? Chairman Kim Jong Il of the National Defence Commission is really a man of gut. I congratulate north Korea on possessing nuclear weapon. How wonderful it is for the north, though small in territory to live with dignity, fighting squarely against the US, not losing national pride and sovereignty. Chairman Kim Jong Il0 had done really well. Great north Korea! Brace up! And win! I hope you will do what others cannot. It is the most thrilling, monumental deed since King Tangun founded Korea,"

    This is part of a great series of photo essays by by an American travelling North Korea:

    http://www.earthnutshell.com/1...
    http://www.earthnutshell.com/1...
    http://www.earthnutshell.com/n...

  16. Cable companies could do the same thing faster on Google Fiber Wants To Beam Wireless Internet To Your Home (yahoo.com) · · Score: 1

    The cable companies could do the same thing themselves with a huge added advantage over Google: the wired infrastructure needed to feed the last-mile wireless transmitters is already in place. If Google's main objective is to pressure the existing cable/ISP monopolies into upping their game and lowering their prices, then it's a great idea, as is their gigagit fiber program. Otherwise it seems like a vanity/marketing project.

  17. What about international shipping? on Fossil Fuels Could Be Phased Out Worldwide In a Decade, Says Study (phys.org) · · Score: 1

    One of the biggest consumers of fossil fuels is international shipping via container ships. They use massive amounts of crude diesel fuel and emit large amounts of untreated, highly polluting emissions, with very limited oversight while the ships are in international waters. When we consider how much of the world economy is dependent on it, it will take a massive overhaul of the worlds supply of goods and the related economic system to change the shipping industry. It will eventually happen but it's hard to imagine that we'll see it in the next decade.

  18. Religious beliefs may have influenced that origin of various drug prohibitions but financial gain is what sustains it now: prisons that are run by private for-profit companies, law enforcement staff and salaries, corruption of law enforcement and politicians fueled by the black market drug suppliers. They need full prisons and everything to stay the way it is and they will fight any common sense efforts to legalize and regulate drugs.

  19. - In many states the prison system is now being a run as a for-profit business by private companies.
    - A large number of federal, state, county and municipal salaries depend on the existence of a FULL and OVERFLOWING prison population.
    - Large amounts of money are involved in the black market drug supply business, which fuels corruption of federal, state, county and municipal drug enforcement.

    All of the above results in a massive incentive to maintain the status quo for the Drug War, no matter how stupid, damaging or irrational it may be.

  20. For those that don't appreciate it, I suggest seeing the movie "Pollack", esp. on a large screen. Putting aside all of the personal bio aspects of the movie (yes, he was a major asshole), I think it does a great job depicting the beauty and enhancing the appreciation of some of his work.

  21. Re:Standard tactics on Seattle Police Raid Tor-Using Privacy Activists (thestranger.com) · · Score: 1

    > Does the fact they run TOR mean that the cops cannot investigate?

    That is backwards. There is NOTHING illegal about running a TOR exit node. So, NO they cannot investigate based on that alone. They needed specific evidence or probable cause that there was a crime being committed or likely to be committed by these individuals and that the evidence was on the premises for which they requested the search warrant. Simply running a TOR exit node doesn't fir the bill. The couple could sue and would very likely win.

  22. Re:What are the chances on Electric Fork Simulates a Salty Flavor By Shocking Your Tongue (med.news.am) · · Score: 1

    Or you you could just hit 'em on the head with XKCD wrench? Note the absence of the link!

  23. Re:If ever a company and its people deserved to di on Anti-Piracy Firm Rightscorp Will Hijack Pirates' Browsers Until a Fine is Paid (torrentfreak.com) · · Score: 1

    AT&T does this when you're behind in your account and puts up a web page about it, telling you how to contact them to get your service restored, etc.

  24. Re:If ever a company and its people deserved to di on Anti-Piracy Firm Rightscorp Will Hijack Pirates' Browsers Until a Fine is Paid (torrentfreak.com) · · Score: 1

    The ISP can grab you're initial connection to their servers (before you connect to the VPN servers) and inject anything they want. This has nothing to with packet inspection or whether you're torrenting.

  25. Re:If ever a company and its people deserved to di on Anti-Piracy Firm Rightscorp Will Hijack Pirates' Browsers Until a Fine is Paid (torrentfreak.com) · · Score: 1

    >They lock my browser (how, I have no clue)

    The ISP hijacks the browser (after being bullied or bribed by Rightscorp). I've seen AT&T do this if you get behind on your service payments. Rightscorp could work out a kickback (er, revenue sharing) scheme with the ISP.