The only effective copy protection I've ever seen is to make a compelling online-only game such as Counter-Strike.
Once you have the gamers online you can weave in connections to a centralized server where you can pull all sorts of tricks to insure that they are using a CDKEY that you issued, only once, with software that matches MD5 checksums/etc.
It's still possible to crack this, but AFAIK there is no effective multiplayer counterstrike crack, and given that the game has been out as long as it has been you would figure someone would have come up with SOMETHING by now. Even if they do, Valve would just issue a systemwide patch to combat it.
Same goes with MMORPGs and XBOX live/etc.
Every other form of copy protection is a plague on gamers. Granted Counter-Strike's cd key system has its own problems, but it's not as harsh as say, disabling the use of daemon tools or requiring a dongle or whatever. I predict that when net access becomes ubiquitous enough you'll see every game/application hit the net for authorization before running, on PC or consoles. Sad but true.
Thanks for the reply.. This is a cool dialog we got going here.
IANAengineer but the way you are describing it to me seems different then I am imagining it.
Using a 14.4k modem I was able to transfer JPEG and GIF images using ZMODEM through my telephone line back in the days of BBS. I don't understand why we can't encode the sounds the modem made into an MP3 and then play them back through the iPod into a device that decodes the sounds the modem makes into something that can then be understood by a television much the same way my computer was able to take audio from the telephone line and transform it into a picture on my computer screen when I downloaded pictures off of BBSes with my modem back in the 80s.
In the parent post I linked to people who were using records, audio cassettes and television broadcasts to deliver full PROGRAMS to people with data encoded in audio. I think with the proper equipment this is still doable.
To address your point specifically, 44KHz audio that contained data that could be REENCODED into 3-4MHz signals is possible right?
Makes me wanna mod my iTrip so bad. If anything just for the larger antenna.. the amp is nice but I think it introduces an unneccesary level of complexity. Or maybe the mod is useless without the amp??
I guess the easiest answer is can they listen to your analog portable phone without a court order? I'm sure the same would apply to this and that other thing where they can decode whats on your computer monitor remotely through the radiation it emits. Can't remember the name of that technology though I've always wanted to see it in action:)
The biggest problem with BPL for Amateur Radio is that it basically adds so much noise to the radio spectrum that receiving signals becomes a problem. BPL causes the same problem with law enforcement radios, military radios and even (I've heard) HDTV reception.
Second to that, ham radio operators would prefer NOT to interfere with other peoples' telecommunications, BPL or not, so the fact that ham radio CAN interfere with BPL is also a problem for both BPL users and hams. Course the FCC says BPL users have to accept interference as they should:P
Then again, it will never get "fixed" until its first "allowed to be deployed" so perhaps this will put the impetus on the power companies to get their act together on this, though I'm sure its no easy task. I'm all for alternative broadband delivery vehicles, so I hope they fix it.
Believe me, the main reason amateur radio operators perform as well as they do in providing emergency services is because they practice, practice, practice. Practicing this is so important that there is an international multi-day emergency communications simulation drill that is run every year called field day.
This year the International Space Station was involved in field day! My local Ham Club had the use of BOTH the county fire department's mobile operation center AND the sheriff's mobile operation center as well on site for field day this year! And this is a county with 1.2 million people in it! This goes to show you how important just PRACTICING emergency preparedness is.
In truth I'm not really that worried about BPL. It's interference properties goes both ways, amateur radio can interfere with BPL just like BPL can interfere with amateur radio. I've also heard that BPL can interfere HDTV reception as well but I'm having problems pulling up the articles. In other words, until they fix the interference problem, consumers won't accept internet service that gets interrupted everytime their local ham fires up their kilowatt amplifier to talk to someone in Russia.
It's also a problem that has affected Gates personally. He said his home PCs have had malware, although he has personally never been affected by a virus.
"I have had malware, (adware), that crap" on some home machines, he said.
Seriously you've hit it dead on. Condoms do not prevent STDs that live on parts of the genitals not covered by the condom! Thats why they want to put warning labels on condoms because people think its a 100% safety thing. Plus they can break/etc.
But its better then nothing. I would be VERY curious to see the incidence rates of STDs in sex eds where condom use is explained versus not explained, abstinence being the focus here.
Well from my understanding we are able to compress atleast 56kbps into audio form so I think your underestimating the potential bandwidth in that speakerjack.
I agree with you that there should be a proper output jack on the next gen, but this idea is relatively simple and could be implemented on the current gen.
I saw 2 really smart comments on fixing 911 so it calls your local 911 center (One getting the bare minumum free phoneline that only dials 911 (by law you are allowed to have this) and Two just keeping around an old cellphone [again, they by law must atleast be able to dial 911]).
But my question is, does throwing your VOIP box and DSL/Cable modem on a UPS solve the power problem? I recall that power has gone out and I've been able to remain on the internet with a UPS on my cable modem and PC but is VOIP more susceptible to problems during powerouttages? I haven't seen a specific post confirming this one way or the other.
Course BPL users would lose voice, internet AND power all in one fell swoop if they did VOIP over BPL:P
Anyways, I "bumped" that post for three reasons: to get the idea more attention, to relate that I discovered a steganography program that could be useful for this project and also to plea for help in finding a program that can generate modem audio. Unfortunately google has yet to produce anything useful, besides this funny site. I think the people discussed in this article would probably be a good resource for it, but I think, for example, that the members of the band Information Society would be hard to track down now. So I figured that after Google I should appeal to Slashdot. So anyone got any leads?
Step 1) Find or write software to convert JPEG into audio files
Step 2) Find or create hardware to decode the sounds you get from playing back those files into signals that your TV understands over an RCA cable or what have you
Step 3) Insert iPod in between the product of step 1 and the product of step 2
One of the features brandied about when talking about "the photo iPod" is the ability for the thing to plug into a TV and playback slideshows and hopefully one day video.
I propose that this can already be done. Just look at what these guys have accomplished. Think deeply about this. If we can encode IR signals into audio files, why not encode images into audio files, dump that audio out the headphone jack of the iPod into a device with a decoder and an RCA jack, and plug that sucker into your TV?!
In fact they already have something commercially available that can do part of this, converting digital bits into audio-- its called a MODEM (remember those?). The band Information Society was putting samples of MODEM audio onto records and tapes for you to somehow decode back in the 80s! So this idea is really overdue and I believe we are only a few figurative moments away from this becoming a reality, mod this post up to help make it happen or reply with why it won't work;)
Definetly, DEFINETLY try all of the above mentioned things first and as directed AND THEN if you *STILL* can't get it off (and are sick of my all caps), THEN:
1)Select one of the following spyware removal discussion boards
3)Create an account and post your story along with supporting documents outlined in their FAQ to their board.
4)Wait patiently and a real life antiscumware security expert will help you.
The people on those forums hate scumware more then anyone and devote their spare time to helping rid the world of it. They have created custom tools to remove almost all kinds of spyware and with your help will diagnose your particular infection and send you the proper tools to get rid of it.
These guys are the best so treat them with respect: do your own spyware scans before you bother them. But I think in your case you are qualified to talk to them now:)
So what your saying here is that instead of the usual Sony releases first, followed by a more powerful Nintendo product (Playstation, N64 and PS2/Gamecube)-- we now have Nintendo releasing hardware first followed by SONY'S more powerful product (DS/PSP).
So, will Nintendo's head start here give them the same benefits that Sony had from their head start? Or are the PSP and DS so different from each other that they aren't competing for the same gaming dollars? Or both?
I was going to say, if it were based solely on OVERTURE'S results then the only competition it would have would be Gator/Claria's horrid Searchscout/GAIN system, which is the only "major search engine" I know of that is powered purely by Overture results. Though to be fair when Overture runs out of ads it just dips into the Yahoo/Inktomi pool and runs those listings instead. So I guess its not TOTALLY worthless - try for yourself at http://www.overture.com
By the way, the Gator/Overture partnership has gotten Overture's owner Yahoo in trouble and continues to miff Overture advertisers since Overture does not allow advertisers to "opt out" of their scheme.
Slashdot Mirror
I don't know wtf I'm saying this morning but that one was pretty bad. heh.
Stinkoman:
What's a robot?
You don't know what a robot is? hah hahaha!
You're so dumb!
Hah hahaha!
Dumb!
1936 Homestar:
Oh go soak your fat head!
S:
Are yo asking for a challenge!?! (powers up)
H:
Yes sir, yes sir I am.
S:
Double deuce!!!! (Jumps into air)
H:
Patooei! (1936 Homestar shoots a spitball at Stinkoman)
S:
My eye!
Its like my eye
It hurts so bad!
H:
Well folks you know what that means
Now I'll do a dance (1936 Homestar dances)
S:
Hah hahaha!
That dance cracks me up!
Hah hahaha!
You gotta teach me!
H:
Just watch me shimmy and shake
H:
20x6!
S:
1936! (dances with 1936 Homestar)
Repeat and then watch for yourself
The only effective copy protection I've ever seen is to make a compelling online-only game such as Counter-Strike.
Once you have the gamers online you can weave in connections to a centralized server where you can pull all sorts of tricks to insure that they are using a CDKEY that you issued, only once, with software that matches MD5 checksums/etc.
It's still possible to crack this, but AFAIK there is no effective multiplayer counterstrike crack, and given that the game has been out as long as it has been you would figure someone would have come up with SOMETHING by now. Even if they do, Valve would just issue a systemwide patch to combat it.
Same goes with MMORPGs and XBOX live/etc.
Every other form of copy protection is a plague on gamers. Granted Counter-Strike's cd key system has its own problems, but it's not as harsh as say, disabling the use of daemon tools or requiring a dongle or whatever. I predict that when net access becomes ubiquitous enough you'll see every game/application hit the net for authorization before running, on PC or consoles. Sad but true.
Thanks for the reply.. This is a cool dialog we got going here.
IANAengineer but the way you are describing it to me seems different then I am imagining it.
Using a 14.4k modem I was able to transfer JPEG and GIF images using ZMODEM through my telephone line back in the days of BBS. I don't understand why we can't encode the sounds the modem made into an MP3 and then play them back through the iPod into a device that decodes the sounds the modem makes into something that can then be understood by a television much the same way my computer was able to take audio from the telephone line and transform it into a picture on my computer screen when I downloaded pictures off of BBSes with my modem back in the 80s.
In the parent post I linked to people who were using records, audio cassettes and television broadcasts to deliver full PROGRAMS to people with data encoded in audio. I think with the proper equipment this is still doable.
To address your point specifically, 44KHz audio that contained data that could be REENCODED into 3-4MHz signals is possible right?
I remember when these first came out-- kids in my school were using them to turn on/off the televisions in the classroom at inopportune times.
:) It takes no skill, just point and shoot!
:)
I can only imagine what kind of trouble kids will get into with one of THESE in their hands
Here's one of those watches for your personal enjoyment
They took a similar tack here with this iTrip amplifier.
Makes me wanna mod my iTrip so bad. If anything just for the larger antenna.. the amp is nice but I think it introduces an unneccesary level of complexity. Or maybe the mod is useless without the amp??
I guess the easiest answer is can they listen to your analog portable phone without a court order? I'm sure the same would apply to this and that other thing where they can decode whats on your computer monitor remotely through the radiation it emits. Can't remember the name of that technology though I've always wanted to see it in action :)
The biggest problem with BPL for Amateur Radio is that it basically adds so much noise to the radio spectrum that receiving signals becomes a problem. BPL causes the same problem with law enforcement radios, military radios and even (I've heard) HDTV reception.
:P
Second to that, ham radio operators would prefer NOT to interfere with other peoples' telecommunications, BPL or not, so the fact that ham radio CAN interfere with BPL is also a problem for both BPL users and hams. Course the FCC says BPL users have to accept interference as they should
Then again, it will never get "fixed" until its first "allowed to be deployed" so perhaps this will put the impetus on the power companies to get their act together on this, though I'm sure its no easy task. I'm all for alternative broadband delivery vehicles, so I hope they fix it.
Till then, BPL will be dead in the water.
Believe me, the main reason amateur radio operators perform as well as they do in providing emergency services is because they practice, practice, practice. Practicing this is so important that there is an international multi-day emergency communications simulation drill that is run every year called field day.
This year the International Space Station was involved in field day! My local Ham Club had the use of BOTH the county fire department's mobile operation center AND the sheriff's mobile operation center as well on site for field day this year! And this is a county with 1.2 million people in it! This goes to show you how important just PRACTICING emergency preparedness is.
In truth I'm not really that worried about BPL. It's interference properties goes both ways, amateur radio can interfere with BPL just like BPL can interfere with amateur radio. I've also heard that BPL can interfere HDTV reception as well but I'm having problems pulling up the articles. In other words, until they fix the interference problem, consumers won't accept internet service that gets interrupted everytime their local ham fires up their kilowatt amplifier to talk to someone in Russia.
So Bill your saying it was your OWN fault?
It's also a problem that has affected Gates personally. He said his home PCs have had malware, although he has personally never been affected by a virus.
"I have had malware, (adware), that crap" on some home machines, he said.
remember?
VoIP modems with built in UPSs, genius!!!
Good to hear this issue has been addressed by some companies, good show.
Seriously you've hit it dead on. Condoms do not prevent STDs that live on parts of the genitals not covered by the condom! Thats why they want to put warning labels on condoms because people think its a 100% safety thing. Plus they can break/etc.
But its better then nothing. I would be VERY curious to see the incidence rates of STDs in sex eds where condom use is explained versus not explained, abstinence being the focus here.
Well from my understanding we are able to compress atleast 56kbps into audio form so I think your underestimating the potential bandwidth in that speakerjack.
:)
I agree with you that there should be a proper output jack on the next gen, but this idea is relatively simple and could be implemented on the current gen.
Thanks for your reply though!
PS you should create an account
Guppy06's description should be the next soap, ballot, jury, ammo meme for the cellphone century.
How to use your cellphone in a theatre: Vibrate. Caller ID. Voicemail. Go outside and call back. Do this in that order. Starting now!
-
No seriously, it is *very rare* that I've actually heard someone EVER talk on the cellphone in a theatre. Anyone care to share some horror stories?
I saw 2 really smart comments on fixing 911 so it calls your local 911 center (One getting the bare minumum free phoneline that only dials 911 (by law you are allowed to have this) and Two just keeping around an old cellphone [again, they by law must atleast be able to dial 911]).
:P
But my question is, does throwing your VOIP box and DSL/Cable modem on a UPS solve the power problem? I recall that power has gone out and I've been able to remain on the internet with a UPS on my cable modem and PC but is VOIP more susceptible to problems during powerouttages? I haven't seen a specific post confirming this one way or the other.
Course BPL users would lose voice, internet AND power all in one fell swoop if they did VOIP over BPL
Griffin is incredible, they've come up with so many neat ideas! Actually, I've got another one for them: my idea on how to playback pictures through the iPod onto a television! Quick Griffin, do it before the next gen picture iPod comes out :)
Anyways, I "bumped" that post for three reasons: to get the idea more attention, to relate that I discovered a steganography program that could be useful for this project and also to plea for help in finding a program that can generate modem audio. Unfortunately google has yet to produce anything useful, besides this funny site. I think the people discussed in this article would probably be a good resource for it, but I think, for example, that the members of the band Information Society would be hard to track down now. So I figured that after Google I should appeal to Slashdot. So anyone got any leads?
More thoughts:
Step 1) Find or write software to convert JPEG into audio files
Step 2) Find or create hardware to decode the sounds you get from playing back those files into signals that your TV understands over an RCA cable or what have you
Step 3) Insert iPod in between the product of step 1 and the product of step 2
This time it really applies:
Step 4) ????
Step 5) Profit!
No you are absolutely right but do you think FOX knows about this strange idea?
One of the features brandied about when talking about "the photo iPod" is the ability for the thing to plug into a TV and playback slideshows and hopefully one day video.
;)
I propose that this can already be done. Just look at what these guys have accomplished. Think deeply about this. If we can encode IR signals into audio files, why not encode images into audio files, dump that audio out the headphone jack of the iPod into a device with a decoder and an RCA jack, and plug that sucker into your TV?!
In fact they already have something commercially available that can do part of this, converting digital bits into audio-- its called a MODEM (remember those?). The band Information Society was putting samples of MODEM audio onto records and tapes for you to somehow decode back in the 80s! So this idea is really overdue and I believe we are only a few figurative moments away from this becoming a reality, mod this post up to help make it happen or reply with why it won't work
Definetly, DEFINETLY try all of the above mentioned things first and as directed AND THEN if you *STILL* can't get it off (and are sick of my all caps), THEN:
:)
1)Select one of the following spyware removal discussion boards
http://www.wilderssecurity.com/
http://forums.spywareinfo.com/
http://forums.net-integration.net/
http://www.computercops.biz/forums.html
2)READ THEIR FAQS THOUROUGHLY
3)Create an account and post your story along with supporting documents outlined in their FAQ to their board.
4)Wait patiently and a real life antiscumware security expert will help you.
The people on those forums hate scumware more then anyone and devote their spare time to helping rid the world of it. They have created custom tools to remove almost all kinds of spyware and with your help will diagnose your particular infection and send you the proper tools to get rid of it.
These guys are the best so treat them with respect: do your own spyware scans before you bother them. But I think in your case you are qualified to talk to them now
Good luck!
You will be just as surpised as I when you read this:
Alien vs Predator Domestic Total as of Oct. 5, 2004: $79,690,462, Worldwide total $101,614,954
They've already gone into profit territory on this and in fact it's being called a success: The studio also saw success this year with Regency's "Man on Fire" and "Alien vs. Predator."
So stop all the hate and learn the facts.
Point.
:)
But you know what I mean. Gamecube had better graphics because of the games on it
So what your saying here is that instead of the usual Sony releases first, followed by a more powerful Nintendo product (Playstation, N64 and PS2/Gamecube)-- we now have Nintendo releasing hardware first followed by SONY'S more powerful product (DS/PSP).
So, will Nintendo's head start here give them the same benefits that Sony had from their head start? Or are the PSP and DS so different from each other that they aren't competing for the same gaming dollars? Or both?
I was going to say, if it were based solely on OVERTURE'S results then the only competition it would have would be Gator/Claria's horrid Searchscout/GAIN system, which is the only "major search engine" I know of that is powered purely by Overture results. Though to be fair when Overture runs out of ads it just dips into the Yahoo/Inktomi pool and runs those listings instead. So I guess its not TOTALLY worthless - try for yourself at http://www.overture.com
By the way, the Gator/Overture partnership has gotten Overture's owner Yahoo in trouble and continues to miff Overture advertisers since Overture does not allow advertisers to "opt out" of their scheme.
Perhaps if they had brought back the bunny costu--nahh :P