It sounds like a glorified CMS that runs on the local computer and connects to an external web server. The local application can connect with devices, for example like a digital camera to extract pictures to your picture area within the program. Then you select which pictures to share and who has access. Other functions like movie editing and office suite will follow. I'm guessing that there will be an extension system like Firefox to add functionality and "programs". You still need another OS to run this all on, I think. There's nothing in the article to convince me otherwise.
FTA: ""We all know people...who have all this content that they are not publishing stored on their computers," [Ross] says. "We're trying to persuade them to live their lives online." Why? Because online is how the world, like it or not, increasingly talks. If Ross's mom can't do something as basic as share her recipes or photos with her future grandchildren online, then she gets left behind. In the 21st century, this sort of information isn't passed on at the Thanksgiving table anymore. It's communicated through the Internet."
I think we're giving the Internet too much credence here. I like online communication as much as the next person, but it's good to have the systems separate. The whole social networking thing is leveling off as people realize that having no secrets is sometimes a bad thing. I know plenty of families that still keep "family cookbooks" that are passed down. Shall we start having Thanksgiving on the Internet now as well?
There's nothing particularly groundbreaking about this that couldn't be accomplished by a simple drag and drop helper application to use with a web hosting package. And data you've deemed "unshared" is still being stored on some other computer somewhere, which is held by a corporation? NO. He's trying to leverage his success with Firefox into a product he can sell, but it's a solution in search of a problem. I don't see the point; maybe someone else can enlighten me.
Oops! Grandpa accidentally shared that porn collection! Hope the grandkids didn't see that during the two weeks it was shared!
Dual booting is okay for games, but how about when you want to play music in the background? And all of your music is on your ext3, Reiser, or XFS file system?
Put your "playback often" media like music and video on a big disked media server in the basement? Add a Samba or NFS share? Just get an old box and a couple fast drives. RAID setup for backup is easy enough.
I second this. It did nothing to make me want to buy the console itself. If anything, I was turned off to the product. They can't possibly be trying to gain mindshare at this point, but you never know.
Putting up some videos on youtube or your website is a far cry from putting political ads on TV and radio.
The vast amount of money is mostly for advertising yourself and your stand on the issues, blasting other candidates, and mobilizing a campaign force to put yourself forward as a candidate. I'm sure that the cost of the actual production of those ads is cheap compared to actually getting those ads to potential constituents.
It might just be a tech myth, but Bill Gates was rumored to have seen XBMC in operation on a modded XBox and asked "Why don't we have something like this?" I'm stunned that they haven't created their own version or just tried to hire the XBMC team to make it for the 360. They could sell it on Live Marketplace and make a killing.
Uh...so you supply the hidden volume password when they ask, or even volunteer it in the interest of expediency. There's no way for someone to tell the difference.
Remember back to X-Files, much was of course conspiracy, but there the talk of FEMA being the route to martial law was based on real laws and powers already on the books.
I remember back to Deus Ex (the first one). Had an awesome storyline, with FEMA taking a large role. There was a terrorist attack on the Statue of Liberty in the game's history, and even more weird was the lack of the Twin Towers in the New York background.
Something tells me everyone wouldn't just sit by and watch us nuke ourselves 10,000 times over.
The unlikelihood that nukes would be used in an internal United States insurgency notwithstanding, it is estimated that the United States has fewer than 6,000 active warheads today (out of just under 10,000 total warheads).
I know the difference is rather irrelevant when talking about nuclear weapons, but it is a 40% difference. Especially when you consider that the total US nuclear stockpile peaked in 1966 at 32,193 warheads.
Plausible Denability. With Truecrypt, you can make a hidden volume within a "fake" one on the outside. You provide the "fake" key to the outer volume. At the same time, you keep the real key for the hidden volume to yourself, and never write it down. Using the real key instead of the fake one obviously opens up the real data, but the fake key opens a volume the same apparent size, but with some other data you have put there like financial info or other sensitive stuff. There is no such thing as "too much" encrypted data, because with Truecrypt, the entire volume appears as random noise by design. The only way to tell what is really on the volume is with the real key, or successfully cracking it, which with something like a 20 character key really won't happen.
The biggest threat is probably from ignorant people involved saying, "Well, why are you doing this stuff with encryption if you have nothing to hide?", showing zero real evidence, and ending up just assuming you are guilty, rather than actually judging facts. If an ignorant judge tries to award a default judgment, I'll take my chances with a jury. I'm not advocating massive copyright infringement by any means, only that there's no reason you cannot shield yourself.
You may feel that answering some of the questions asked of you would compromise your right to privacy. If you refuse to answer them, it will probably cost you your chance to serve. Likewise, if you "talk too much"--especially if you admit to knowing your rights and powers as a juror, as explained below, or that you have qualms about the law itself in the case at hand, or reveal that you're bright, educated, or are interested in serving!
So all we have left are the easily lead sheep and a couple of people vying to be the better shepherd? How comforting.
Guess if I'm ever called to be on a jury I'll just play dumb and say, "I know nothing about this case and nothing about the laws allegedly broken, but I guess I can help out by serving on the jury. I'll learn as I go. By the way, when is lunch?"
Re:And like feng shui, IT'S BULLSHIT!
on
Slashdot's Vastu
·
· Score: 1
Me an' me bro...uh...Cletus went thar' an' won that thar' lottury.
Momma, she says, "Boys, you best git on' them thar' web saytes up an' stuff."
So, I'd a' like to...uh...su..sub..subsc...git that thar' newslittur your have.
If there was an "Iced Tea" mod that put beastiality into the game, would it be Rockstar's fault for not notifying the ESRB that their game might, at some point in the future, depending on what internet modders do, contain beastiality?
"This game may be altered by mods. It is therefore an existential paradox, in that it may possibly contain our entire existence, perceived reality, and infinite time, and/or possibly consisting of an utter nothingness devoid of matter, energy, and measurement."
I believe that according to Fair Use rights in the USA, the entity that purchased your piece of furniture has the right to use it in any way they see fit, including dismantling it. You have no say in usage. If the erotic depictions fall under the accepted definition of pornography, then yeah, you might be selling porn. (Although intent might play a role.)
The difference may be in the fact that when you buy Software (according to the EULA), you are purchasing a license to use the software, and are granted certain rights to the Software. If the EULAs are to be believed (and enforceable), your rights still apply, but not directly to the Software. The Software has now become a separate entity from the transaction. You may do whatever you like with your usage, but from the definitions, it means either using the software according to how the manufacturer decides, or not using it at all. We don't get to deconstruct and re-define what "usage" means, because if we do, we are (in theory) restricted from usage of the Software at all, since we in no way have purchased it.
Video games have no standard "click OK to agree" EULA, though I imagine it is implied. The consoles themselves contain software which the manufacturers may try to argue falls under the same sort of thing when people try to mod them. So in the case of GTA:San Andreas, if Take-Two has only sold the usage of the product, the application of a mod goes beyond the scope of their intended usage. But seeing as EULAs are in a grey area, they probably won't want to use it as a defense. But if the person that bought it was just exercising Fair Use rights, then Take-Two may very well be at fault.
Comparing physical and intangible objects is pretty silly anyway. We could try to reverse the argument to a Chair. A person could only sit in the Chair upright, with both feet flat on the floor, could not in any way modify the Chair, does not actually own the chair, and especially could not have two or more people in the chair at one time. The person would have the ability to easily make one copy of the Chair, but only to put in the basement for storage, and may not be used. It becomes absurd.
No doubt I've got a bunch of holes in my crazy logic, but maybe copyright law is crazy.
For that matter, the Dreamcast isn't really dead either--only from a commercial perspective--because of the homebrew scene.
In the same way, the XBox will probably not die for a long while either. The absolutely fantastic XBMC and the various homebrew apps available in tandem with it will ensure the XBox stays alive. I'm actually looking to get a second XBox (used), slap XBMC on it, and put it in the living room to stream ripped DVDs (DIVX/XVID) and play music (OGG). They will probably stay in place for years to come. I'm still stunned that Microsoft doesn't create an app like XBMC for the 360 and release it on Live Marketplace for 30 or 40 bucks. Properly licensing codecs? Pressure from media companies to integrate DRM? Stupidly clinging to the whole Media Center thing? If Microsoft released a real software app that duplicated all the functions of XBMC for the 360, I would likely buy the console tomorrow and pass on a PS3.
With the subjectively important exception of "real" HD, Microsoft's Media Center Extender is like a crippled dog compared to XBMC. WMV/MPEG only and no DIVX? I can't add more codecs? XP Media Center Edition only? You fail it, Microsoft. Try again, but don't take too long. Even with all the bad press, if the PS3 will play all my media through a Samba or NFS share, I probably won't get your console.
Unfortunately, reality will probably be that everyone screws it up, and we'll need to rely on the mod community and homebrew devs to deliver something better.
Slashdot Mirror
It sounds like a glorified CMS that runs on the local computer and connects to an external web server. The local application can connect with devices, for example like a digital camera to extract pictures to your picture area within the program. Then you select which pictures to share and who has access. Other functions like movie editing and office suite will follow. I'm guessing that there will be an extension system like Firefox to add functionality and "programs". You still need another OS to run this all on, I think. There's nothing in the article to convince me otherwise.
FTA: ""We all know people...who have all this content that they are not publishing stored on their computers," [Ross] says. "We're trying to persuade them to live their lives online." Why? Because online is how the world, like it or not, increasingly talks. If Ross's mom can't do something as basic as share her recipes or photos with her future grandchildren online, then she gets left behind. In the 21st century, this sort of information isn't passed on at the Thanksgiving table anymore. It's communicated through the Internet."
I think we're giving the Internet too much credence here. I like online communication as much as the next person, but it's good to have the systems separate. The whole social networking thing is leveling off as people realize that having no secrets is sometimes a bad thing. I know plenty of families that still keep "family cookbooks" that are passed down. Shall we start having Thanksgiving on the Internet now as well?
There's nothing particularly groundbreaking about this that couldn't be accomplished by a simple drag and drop helper application to use with a web hosting package. And data you've deemed "unshared" is still being stored on some other computer somewhere, which is held by a corporation? NO. He's trying to leverage his success with Firefox into a product he can sell, but it's a solution in search of a problem. I don't see the point; maybe someone else can enlighten me.
Oops! Grandpa accidentally shared that porn collection! Hope the grandkids didn't see that during the two weeks it was shared!
We'll find you. You won't know how, but we'll find you.
The Libyans
Dual booting is okay for games, but how about when you want to play music in the background? And all of your music is on your ext3, Reiser, or XFS file system?
Put your "playback often" media like music and video on a big disked media server in the basement? Add a Samba or NFS share? Just get an old box and a couple fast drives. RAID setup for backup is easy enough.
I don't know, that doll was pretty creepy.
I second this. It did nothing to make me want to buy the console itself. If anything, I was turned off to the product. They can't possibly be trying to gain mindshare at this point, but you never know.
So basically, anywhere/anytime you choose to live on this planet is bad, but it's relative.
Wherever/whenever you land, you'll always deal with people that have both stupid ideas and good ideas, in varying quantities.
As for me WMP9 is more than enough.
Same here, but I don't have a choice; I'm still using Win 2000. Guess I'm just old fashioned.
Putting up some videos on youtube or your website is a far cry from putting political ads on TV and radio.
The vast amount of money is mostly for advertising yourself and your stand on the issues, blasting other candidates, and mobilizing a campaign force to put yourself forward as a candidate. I'm sure that the cost of the actual production of those ads is cheap compared to actually getting those ads to potential constituents.
It might just be a tech myth, but Bill Gates was rumored to have seen XBMC in operation on a modded XBox and asked "Why don't we have something like this?" I'm stunned that they haven't created their own version or just tried to hire the XBMC team to make it for the 360. They could sell it on Live Marketplace and make a killing.
And yes, without DivX support, it is useless.
Personally, I'd be happy with connectivity to Windows/Samba shares and useful codecs like ogg and divx. But that's probably expecting too much.
The full list of changes can be found here.
Obviously, it's the only reason to use something like that in the US.
Maybe it's time to start using I2P or similar?
Uh...so you supply the hidden volume password when they ask, or even volunteer it in the interest of expediency. There's no way for someone to tell the difference.
Remember back to X-Files, much was of course conspiracy, but there the talk of FEMA being the route to martial law was based on real laws and powers already on the books.
I remember back to Deus Ex (the first one). Had an awesome storyline, with FEMA taking a large role. There was a terrorist attack on the Statue of Liberty in the game's history, and even more weird was the lack of the Twin Towers in the New York background.
Something tells me everyone wouldn't just sit by and watch us nuke ourselves 10,000 times over.
The unlikelihood that nukes would be used in an internal United States insurgency notwithstanding, it is estimated that the United States has fewer than 6,000 active warheads today (out of just under 10,000 total warheads).
I know the difference is rather irrelevant when talking about nuclear weapons, but it is a 40% difference. Especially when you consider that the total US nuclear stockpile peaked in 1966 at 32,193 warheads.
We'll deal with our own shit. Our nukes are remote control.
Love, the Federal US Government
massacre a few selected groups (probably only one or two) and the vast majority of the population would find their resolve melt away,
Or steel their resolve. Don't fool yourself into thinking that the American population is necessarily "weak".
Plausible Denability. With Truecrypt, you can make a hidden volume within a "fake" one on the outside. You provide the "fake" key to the outer volume. At the same time, you keep the real key for the hidden volume to yourself, and never write it down. Using the real key instead of the fake one obviously opens up the real data, but the fake key opens a volume the same apparent size, but with some other data you have put there like financial info or other sensitive stuff. There is no such thing as "too much" encrypted data, because with Truecrypt, the entire volume appears as random noise by design. The only way to tell what is really on the volume is with the real key, or successfully cracking it, which with something like a 20 character key really won't happen.
The biggest threat is probably from ignorant people involved saying, "Well, why are you doing this stuff with encryption if you have nothing to hide?", showing zero real evidence, and ending up just assuming you are guilty, rather than actually judging facts. If an ignorant judge tries to award a default judgment, I'll take my chances with a jury. I'm not advocating massive copyright infringement by any means, only that there's no reason you cannot shield yourself.
From your link:
You may feel that answering some of the questions asked of you would compromise your right to privacy. If you refuse to answer them, it will probably cost you your chance to serve. Likewise, if you "talk too much"--especially if you admit to knowing your rights and powers as a juror, as explained below, or that you have qualms about the law itself in the case at hand, or reveal that you're bright, educated, or are interested in serving!
So all we have left are the easily lead sheep and a couple of people vying to be the better shepherd? How comforting.
Guess if I'm ever called to be on a jury I'll just play dumb and say, "I know nothing about this case and nothing about the laws allegedly broken, but I guess I can help out by serving on the jury. I'll learn as I go. By the way, when is lunch?"
Me an' me bro...uh...Cletus went thar' an' won that thar' lottury.
Momma, she says, "Boys, you best git on' them thar' web saytes up an' stuff."
So, I'd a' like to...uh...su..sub..subsc...git that thar' newslittur your have.
I know "this thread is useless without pics" is a Slashdot faux pas, but calling this chick a dude is pretty harsh.
If there was an "Iced Tea" mod that put beastiality into the game, would it be Rockstar's fault for not notifying the ESRB that their game might, at some point in the future, depending on what internet modders do, contain beastiality?
"This game may be altered by mods. It is therefore an existential paradox, in that it may possibly contain our entire existence, perceived reality, and infinite time, and/or possibly consisting of an utter nothingness devoid of matter, energy, and measurement."
That should cover it, right?
I believe that according to Fair Use rights in the USA, the entity that purchased your piece of furniture has the right to use it in any way they see fit, including dismantling it. You have no say in usage. If the erotic depictions fall under the accepted definition of pornography, then yeah, you might be selling porn. (Although intent might play a role.)
The difference may be in the fact that when you buy Software (according to the EULA), you are purchasing a license to use the software, and are granted certain rights to the Software. If the EULAs are to be believed (and enforceable), your rights still apply, but not directly to the Software. The Software has now become a separate entity from the transaction. You may do whatever you like with your usage, but from the definitions, it means either using the software according to how the manufacturer decides, or not using it at all. We don't get to deconstruct and re-define what "usage" means, because if we do, we are (in theory) restricted from usage of the Software at all, since we in no way have purchased it.
Video games have no standard "click OK to agree" EULA, though I imagine it is implied. The consoles themselves contain software which the manufacturers may try to argue falls under the same sort of thing when people try to mod them. So in the case of GTA:San Andreas, if Take-Two has only sold the usage of the product, the application of a mod goes beyond the scope of their intended usage. But seeing as EULAs are in a grey area, they probably won't want to use it as a defense. But if the person that bought it was just exercising Fair Use rights, then Take-Two may very well be at fault.
Comparing physical and intangible objects is pretty silly anyway. We could try to reverse the argument to a Chair. A person could only sit in the Chair upright, with both feet flat on the floor, could not in any way modify the Chair, does not actually own the chair, and especially could not have two or more people in the chair at one time. The person would have the ability to easily make one copy of the Chair, but only to put in the basement for storage, and may not be used. It becomes absurd.
No doubt I've got a bunch of holes in my crazy logic, but maybe copyright law is crazy.
For that matter, the Dreamcast isn't really dead either--only from a commercial perspective--because of the homebrew scene.
In the same way, the XBox will probably not die for a long while either. The absolutely fantastic XBMC and the various homebrew apps available in tandem with it will ensure the XBox stays alive. I'm actually looking to get a second XBox (used), slap XBMC on it, and put it in the living room to stream ripped DVDs (DIVX/XVID) and play music (OGG). They will probably stay in place for years to come. I'm still stunned that Microsoft doesn't create an app like XBMC for the 360 and release it on Live Marketplace for 30 or 40 bucks. Properly licensing codecs? Pressure from media companies to integrate DRM? Stupidly clinging to the whole Media Center thing? If Microsoft released a real software app that duplicated all the functions of XBMC for the 360, I would likely buy the console tomorrow and pass on a PS3.
With the subjectively important exception of "real" HD, Microsoft's Media Center Extender is like a crippled dog compared to XBMC. WMV/MPEG only and no DIVX? I can't add more codecs? XP Media Center Edition only? You fail it, Microsoft. Try again, but don't take too long. Even with all the bad press, if the PS3 will play all my media through a Samba or NFS share, I probably won't get your console.
Unfortunately, reality will probably be that everyone screws it up, and we'll need to rely on the mod community and homebrew devs to deliver something better.
The person with the biggest stick?
Of course, everyone would just start bragging about how big their stick is.