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User: bleh-of-the-huns

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  1. Re:Confusion? Really? on Ikea Sends IkeaHackers Blog a C&D Order · · Score: 1

    Your response is a little angry to a generic statement. That said, regardless of the percentage, or how small it is, that is still an additional sale.

    While I shop at ikea (okay so I am forced to by my wife) for some things, a move like this will actually make me think twice about it. Now they will have to generate stats on lost sales due to their handling of this situation.

    An example was the Lack series of products, conveniently 19 inches between the legs, perfect for a rack mount server (after beefing up the legs a little). Had it not been for that hack, I would never have even considered purchasing that series of item.

  2. Re:I have both on Netflix Trash-Talks Verizon's Network; Verizon Threatens To Sue · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I disagree, I do have FIOS, and I get shitty quality streaming for Netflix, HD streams keep buffering or falling back to SD quality.

    When I change my fios gateway VPN connection to force all traffic over my VPS, suddenly everything works just peachy (except my xbox live since I do not run miniupnpd on my vpn gateway).

    I have a perpetual VPN connection open, that only routes traffic to certain countries through my VPN, all other traffic defaults through my verizon connection (unless I change the config and disable split tunneling)

  3. Re:Real Comments on FCC Website Hobbled By Comment Trolls Incited By Comedian John Oliver · · Score: 0, Redundant

    The problem, is that if you look at the comments (I posted this earlier, so this will be redundant), the posters are in alphabetical order, but the default sort order is by posted date, which means a poorly coded script did the posting, and did not even randomize the names.

    It makes no difference if it was a Website setup so people can just fill in there info and the system will automatically post to the FCC site, the fact is, the FCC will look at those comments, and possibly invalidate all of them.

    Also, each and every one of those comments has a very similar tone, as if the same person wrote many of them and tried to pretend to be a different person.

  4. Re:They're not trolls on FCC Website Hobbled By Comment Trolls Incited By Comedian John Oliver · · Score: 2

    Unfortunately, I feel that the current selection of comments are doing more harm then good.

    A recent search for 14-28 shows many similar letters, and what appears to names in an alphabetical order. The FCC site does not sort by alpha, but rather by date posted.

    Some wrote a very bad script to auto post a very similar collection of statements. The FCC is only going to see that, and ignore them, and worse, the ISP's who are dead set against NT or Title II will use that as cannon fodder to sway peoples opinion, and make us look like a bunch of idiots.

  5. Re:Automotive on Ask Slashdot: In What Other Occupations Are IT Skills and Background Useful? · · Score: 1

    I completely agree.

    2 weeks ago, I changed my oil (any tool can do that), changed my transmission fluid (not so easy anymore, requires diagnostics software, and not just a code reader, and some wrenching know how, at least on MB current models), Diagnosed secondary air injection failure (requires lots of mechanical know how, fix coming later when I get the parts), replacing AC blower (somewhat easy).

    Point being, most IT, assuming they are analytical in thinking, can easily transition to pretty much any job. Cars are just a giant puzzle, find the broken widget, replace and assemble in opposite order of dis assembly.

    And if you think I am tinkering around on a cheap beige mobile, you would be wrong. I have ripped apart half the engine on my AMG C63. The worst part is the cost of the tools though, that shit is pricey.

  6. Re:The Democrats killed Net Neutrality !! on FCC Votes To Consider Next Round of 'Net Neutrality' Rules · · Score: 2

    No, the R's voted no because the D's voted yes. Had the D's voted no, the R's would have voted yes.

  7. Re:Editorial on Comcast Predicts Usage Cap Within 5 Years · · Score: 2

    This is way too reasonable.. you must be new here :)

    But I completely agree with you. I suspect 2 through 4 will eventually happen (in the next 10 years of so, not immediate), 1, not so much.

  8. Re:Separate Hardware from Services on Major ISPs Threaten To Throttle Innovation and Slow Network Upgrades · · Score: 2

    I have always like this idea.

    Or to take it a little further, the local gov wires from a main switching hub/CO to all the residences in the area, then ISP's wire up to the hubs/CO's, and lease access to the residences. That similar to DSL style, but with fiber instead of copper, and the telco's do not own the last mile.

    That last mile is what allows companies to hold us hostage. They can argue all they want that they paid to wire of the streets, poles and houses, but the reality is, they all received massive tax breaks and subsidies from the local and state governments to do that in the first place, and it has already paid itself off.

  9. Wired and Wireless build out issues on Major ISPs Threaten To Throttle Innovation and Slow Network Upgrades · · Score: 1

    All of the major telco's have been scaling back their investment, especially in wireline services. Trying to dump copper, no longer building out new fiber (Verizon), and trying to convince people to switch to more profitable wireless.

    They claim that Wireless is a perfectly acceptable alternative to cable/wire based broadband. Verizon used that exact claim to get out of paying New Jersey billions of dollars when they failed to meet the promise of broadband to the entire state.

    At the same time, they then lobby the crap out of the regulators to explicitly exclude wireless from regulation, specifically the Net Neutrality rules.

    They cannot have it both ways.

    Here's the thing, if "broadband" was classified as Title II, would that not also include Wireless, which the telco's have lobbied hard to be excluded from pretty much any regulation that would protect consumers.

    As for wired services, they can threaten all they want, as someone noted earlier, the scene from Blazing Saddles, threatening to shoot yourself in the head if the Feds don't leave them alone, is an empty threat. We already know they have scaled back capital expenditures. And sure, at the beginning, they might go through with their threats, but what will happen, is people will start to migrate from one crappy provider, to the next slightly less crappy provider, resulting in significant losses for the companies losing people. That will then spur the next upgrade wars, where they will have no choice but to upgrade to get customers back. It might be slow going to get to any speedy service like they have in pretty much every other country that has cheap quality broadband, but it will happen.

  10. Re:Pron on Shunting the FCC To the Slow Lane · · Score: 1, Insightful

    You do realize that the FCC has thousands of employees. And that you just called them all dipshits, over the rules created by the FCC leadership, which was appointed and installed by various politicians...

    That makes you a asshole. How about you tone down on the generalizations. I'm all for throttling the FCC, but direct the anger where it is due

  11. Re:Apocalypse, Really? on The Upcoming Windows 8.1 Apocalypse · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Shill or not, he does has a valid point (I have not looked at the other comments).
    As much as I personally hate automatic updates, as I decide when I want to update shit, for the vast unwashed masses, it is not a bad idea. Too many of my friends and family (I no longer play tech support except for direct family.. aka my wife) have had machines with years of missing patches, and they wonder why their machines are up shits creek.

    I on the other hand, have a windows 8.1 slate I used for my car (runs vehicle diagnostic software, not the std odb reader crap), I cannot get update 1, I get the failure many others are getting. I cannot go back to Windows 7 because too many missing drivers, and very unreliable touchscreen experience. I have tried the windows 8 drivers on 7 with no luck. So for me, I will no longer have support (I do not need technical support, I would like security updates at least).

    Good thing I do not use that for anything other than car diagnostics... At least my car won't give my computer herpes :P

  12. Re:Gun nuts on "Smart" Gun Seller Gets the Wrong Kind of Online Attention · · Score: 1

    Not sure why you were modded flamebait. I completely agree with you. Part of responsible gun ownership is knowing how to handle, and how to react to situations. If a persons knee jerk reaction is to threaten someone with death, even if it is an empty threat, I do not believe they should be permitted to own any weapon.

  13. Re:Gun nuts on "Smart" Gun Seller Gets the Wrong Kind of Online Attention · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I'll play devils advocate here.

    Yes, I'm willing to bet the guns that were used against you were purchased legally at one point.

    That said, I am not against gun ownership. However, I am for stricter controls on who can purchase weapons, especially the resale market. The 2nd Amendment says you have the right to bear arms. There is no restriction in place however on how easy or hard that should be.

  14. They did not specify the medium in the original contract. They merely specified 45mbit as broadband.. which they weaseled out of by a technicality since LTE does support that speed... but at a cost.

  15. Re:Conflict of Interest vs Right to Work on DC Revolving Door: Ex-FCC Commissioner Is Now Head CTIA Lobbyist · · Score: 3, Interesting

    You are correct, she did not go directly to the CTA..

    Even worse, she jumped to Comcast 3 months after pushing for the Comcast NBC merger. Bought and paid for by your tax dollars.

    This was the restriction placed on her (came from wikipedia, so take with a grain of salt.)

    "While Baker may immediately lobby Congress and supervise employees who directly lobby the FCC, to comply with President Barack Obama's ethics pledge, she may not personally lobby any executive branch political appointee (including the FCC) while Obama is in office. However after two years, she may lobby non-political appointees at the FCC. Additionally she may never personally lobby anyone on the Comcast/NBC merger agreement"

  16. Lets not forget Tom Wheeler on DC Revolving Door: Ex-FCC Commissioner Is Now Head CTIA Lobbyist · · Score: 4, Informative

    The current FCC Chairman was a paid lobbyist for the Telecommunications industry before he became the FCC chair....

    As long as our politicians are bought and paid for, things will never change for the better.

    I mean the recent issue with Verizon and the state of NJ, NJ let them off the hook for not building out the infrastructure promised in the early 90's by a mere technicality by considering heavily capped LTE as an alternative to wiring the entire state. Then stating that they would wire areas that do not have wireless service, only if 35 or more people request it.. except they know that wireless reaches every spot in NJ where there is no VZ service, so it is a cop out, they know, the PUC knows it, and how anyone in their right mind could possibly think that this is good for consumers. This only benefits the telecoms.

    This is what we have in stall for our FCC chairs of the future.. not exactly this scenario, but people that would vote in a similar vein under the pretense it is good for the consumer.

  17. This would never work on You Might Rent Features & Options On Cars In the Future · · Score: 1

    Cars are sold for a profit (regardless of how thin it is). If they want to use this business model, they would have to sell a loaded vehicle at a loss, and hope that customers would then pay for the features at a cost point to make the sale eventually profitable for the manufacturers.

    Then there is the used vehicle, sure I might sign an agreement that says I will pay for whatever features I want on a rental basis, but I still bought the car, I can sell the car to anyone I want, and there is no way that the manufacturer can enforce any contract on the second owner, which means he could in theory use alternate methods of reactivating all the disabled options...

    Hell, in theory, once I own the car I could just make the features work, this is not a lease, (unless they restrict the rental options to leases only), at most they could void the warranty.. who knows.

  18. The issue I have with patents.... on Notorious Patent Troll Sues Federal Trade Commission · · Score: 1

    Is not the patent itself, or even patent holding companies (to some extent).

    What I do have an issue with is those holding companies going after the end users. To me that is double dipping. I purchase a product that does "X" made by "Company Y". Y purchases components and licenses the technology needed to manufacture/perform X, that is the end of it, the patent holder has received his/her pound of flesh.

    Going after End users is essentially asking to be paid multiple times for the same product/technology instance.

  19. Well...... on Federal Court Kills Net Neutrality, Says FCC Lacks Authority. · · Score: 1

    The Internet was fun while it lasted....

  20. Re:This just in, spy wants spy rules to stay on Former Head of NSA Calls For Obama To Reject NSA Commission Recommendations · · Score: 1

    Well, hence my ( ) statement, yes they are operating in the US, but my response was to the poster who rattled off a list of US locations. Once the NSA became aware of a domestic issue, they are supposed to/should have notified the FBI and let the FBI do their thing. The ineptitude of the FBI is also a topic for another time.

    As I said earlier, my point was strictly about jurisdiction, not about methods, and who was breaking what laws.

  21. Re:NSA vs FBI on Former Head of NSA Calls For Obama To Reject NSA Commission Recommendations · · Score: 1

    Where did I say that, where did I even imply that. My statement was simply about jurisdiction, not about methods.

  22. Re:This just in, spy wants spy rules to stay on Former Head of NSA Calls For Obama To Reject NSA Commission Recommendations · · Score: 1

    And in every one of those places, the NSA has no (well is not supposed to anyways) purview. Domestic issues are meant to be handled by the FBI.

    The NSA and CIA mandates are to operate outside the US, so yes, I have no issues whatsoever with the NSA spying on everyone and there mother outside the US, just like those same countries spy on everyone else. We just got caught with our hands in the cookie jar. Operating within the US is supposed to be illegal, although it appears no one in power wants to enforce the mandates.

  23. Re:Moral of the story on USB Sticks Used In Robbery of ATMs · · Score: 1

    My bad, I posted before I read the article. I was thinking that they used keys.

  24. Re:Moral of the story on USB Sticks Used In Robbery of ATMs · · Score: 1

    There is no need to drill the outer shell, apparently it is not difficult to buy keys for ATM machines online, dress as a repair man and no one thinks twice. Failure by some institutions to utilize maintenance logs and scheduling for ATM repairs.

  25. Barnaby jack jackpotting ATMS on USB Sticks Used In Robbery of ATMs · · Score: 4, Informative

    Google the subject, he performed this attack live at both Blackhat and Defcon 18. It was definately an eye opener, and one of the reasons I tend to avoid those rental ATM's you see in mom and pop stores, and restaurants/bars...

    yes I realize that even the major Bank ATM's are susceptible, but at least with a major bank you have some recourse if you have issues.