It's quite sad that DRM and "fear of the consumer" has put us in a place that the best way to buy video information uses the postal service as a transport.
There is a large industry waiting to happen. Waiting for the media industry to loosen its grip and allow consumers to download unencumbered media from official sources at reasonable prices/advertisement. The vast majority of people would not bother with saving a couple cents to avoid paying for audio and video, especially if it's hard/slow to find. Just let the consumer loose a little.
But this whole thing about needing a "paper trail" is a bit political and a bit insane.
Are they really saying that if we print out on paper, or punchcards or punch tape then that is safer or more reliable than backing up to a hard drive and/or CD and/or DVD.
Historically, the problem of the disappearance "important" information has always existed, but some do not see the possible connection in a modern, digital world.
Some pieces of information did really exist long ago, but we only have references to the information, not the information itself. This could be from the lack of copies, or from suppression from religion or government.
In our digital world the same could happen with information, including software, books, music, and movies.
In an effort to absolutely control the information, different information industries attempt to control the media, using secrets, encryptions, and government control. These industries intend to profit from this information control as long as possible. The end of this control is assumed and mandated not to exist.
The problem is that at some point in the future the information could become non-valuable to these information industry. But currently, no mechanism exists such that these industries would be required or motivated to reveal the secrets or encryption mechanisms that would make the information useful. One cause could be that other information uses similar encryption or secrets, and the profit possibility of that information may be jeopardized.
The result is that unprofitable information may silently disappear, as whatever backups of the original expire.
Some examples would be:
A software company writes software, selling binaries only to the public. The copyright for the software is 100 years. Far before the end of the 100 years (perhaps 10 years), the original source was no longer kept by the company. So in the future, looking back at the state of software in the year 2000, perhaps there may be some pictures of "Windows XP", but it may be unclear what it did, as no source exists, and it's not really worth reverse engineering. While somethings called Linux and BSD did exist, and the complete information/source about these would still be available. History can really focus only on the known, not the hidden.
Similarly, assume that the recording and music industry come up with the "perfect/unbreakable" encryption. They spend much of there resources hiding anything close to raw digital information from the consumer. But this DRMed songs eventually become unpopular. Obviously the DRM mechanism could still not be revealed as they still use it for other songs. They have essentially subverted any copyright limits, to impose an infinite limit. After the point of dis-interest, the DRM songs/movies may just fade away. I suppose Creative Commons music/movies of the time may survive instead. Obviously these may not represent what was seen at the time.
It seems that we should be able to have a static charge collector, to collect atmosphere/cloud energy, even on a clear day. Is there some reason why this technology stopped with sending a key up a kite string, 200 years ago?
I mean, it's great to have a nice design that does good in the wind tunnel. But we Americans need to transport many big boxes. Therefore a cubic shape is ideal. The Hummer was a little big, and the Scion/Squarion was a little small. But a perfect cube would be the ideal shape. It is obvious how the SUV positively differentiate themselves from Minivans. They are squarer(?).
I have basically stopped buying music for some time. It seems that noone wants to sell a reasonable selection of mp3/ogg music. CD's are not practical. DRM music has no value to me.
emusic is pay-monthly. I just want to buy a few songs now and then.
The only places to find mp3/ogg's to buy with a reasonably selection are Russian sites. But I don't quite trust my credit card floating around there.
Pirates attacked a cruiseliner with machine guns today, killing several people, and demanding that passengers allow them to copy Windows(tm) and OSX(tm) from their laptops. It was tragic story, and should serve as reminder to the rest that DRM and copy protection are nessesary to fight against pirates.
Adding DRM is not about limiting competition and increasing profits. It's about saving lives.
Nowhere in any of the links given was "piracy" given. I would expect the Apple PR to say something like this.
But there is no validity in the statement.
Open source would only perhaps add competition. This does not have anything to do with copy protection.
Limiting open source, and adding DRM as Apple is using it is meant to limit/stop hardware competition/cloning and limit/stop direct OSX competition/cloing.
99% of the market for PC's that run OSX
on
OSx86 Cracked Again
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
Yes, I know, Apple is the good guy.
But try to compete with them, and make a PC that runs OSX.
The mechanisms that they have put in place are designed to limit/stop the competition with their hardware. Yes, this is an artificial monopoly.
Monopoly does not need to be a bad word. Copyrights and patents create temporary monopolies, by there nature. But monopolies do need to be recognized and limited. DRM+Anti-circumvention+Anti-reverse-engineering monopolies are the latest thing in creating monopolies. The Apple PC is an example of the later.
In an ideal world, a company with any monopoly should be required to justify it.
Apple needs a OSX harware monopoly because: 1. It promotes art and science because (?). 2. It helps the customer by (?). 3. Because Microsoft has monopolies, so they need them to compete. 4. for more profits. 5. because we want the boxes to be cool/silver/plasticy.
anti-competitive bundling (OS-PC)
on
OSx86 Cracked Again
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
If microsoft started selling PC hardware, then locked all other PC's out with OS modifications, that would probably be illegal and anti-competitive, and they would be forced to unbundle the two.
But somehow Apple can get away with this, why is this? Because they less of a monopoly?
It's better to have pc's output without hdcp, then lcds/tvs/monitors will have continue to have pressure to support unencrypted "PC" signal. HanDiCaP is bad.
The alternative: Past: video signal is RGB. It is formatted in a standard way, in a specification approved by the government. Future: video signal is encrypted. It is formated in a proprietary way, the format only known by the 2 media companies left.
Go into your closet, and bring enough food and water for 5 years. Now wait...and eat sometimes. 5 years later, exit the closet. You will find that time of the world has advanced from when last remembered by 5 years.
PS. don't forget to setup an auto-pay for your residential rent/payment. Otherwise your travel may be interrupted, and you will not be able to travel the full 5 years.
DRM allows the media industry to keep obsoleting media, similar to the analog model, to trigger consumer re-purchaces of the same media. Expiring media would be even better, but DIVX and fading-ink-DVDs did not work. Expiring by forced obsolecence is the next best thing.
This combined with invinite copyright laws allow media companies to have a constant revenue stream with no new material.
And this does not include stomping out fair-use and any ability to skip annoying commercials in purchased movies.
I will wait for something that I can play in linux.
A new MS company that fixes bugs that the viruses are taking advantage of.
How many here, have had a win-sysadmin, send out messages "please don't open mails with the subjest 'OpenMePlease', it will possibly cause bad things."
Sounds like a serious bug with the mail program. The mail program should not by default run attached programs or open attatche documents that trigger macros.
I'm sure that this study is reassuring to those that have cancer from cell phone usage. They are reassured to know that there is less chance of getting it on the other side of their head.
Yes, I know one person that had a "hot spot" where his cell phone antenna was. And that's where they found and removed a tumor and installed a metal plate.
Slashdot Mirror
"receipt is kept by election officials to act as backup"
Does anyone backup their computer using printer dumps (to reciepts or paper), or punch cards (or punch tape)?
Why is this being discussed?
"If results were public, and everybody got a receipt for their vote, then it would be that much easier for elections to be 'bought'".
Which is why voting receipts cannot be given in general. votes would be sold whether legal or not.
I don't think anyone is seriously asking for vote reciepts. that is more of the view of the mis-informed public of how paper would fit into voting.
Ignoring the we-need-paper-trail histeria, What exactly is the purpose of the paper in this system?
Paper is not a relieable backup mechanism, whether centralized or handed out to voters, for latter re-tally.
It's quite sad that DRM and "fear of the consumer" has put us in a place that the best way to buy video information uses the postal service as a transport.
There is a large industry waiting to happen. Waiting for the media industry to loosen its grip and allow consumers to download unencumbered media from official sources at reasonable prices/advertisement. The vast majority of people would not bother with saving a couple cents to avoid paying for audio and video, especially if it's hard/slow to find. Just let the consumer loose a little.
Yes, verfiable backups are good.
But this whole thing about needing a "paper trail" is a bit political and a bit insane.
Are they really saying that if we print out on paper, or punchcards or punch tape then that is safer or more reliable than backing up to a hard drive and/or CD and/or DVD.
Some people are minds are thinking 50 years ago.
Historically, the problem of the disappearance "important" information has always existed, but some do not see the possible connection in a modern, digital world.
Some pieces of information did really exist long ago, but we only have references to the information, not the information itself. This could be from the lack of copies, or from suppression from religion or government.
In our digital world the same could happen with information, including software, books, music, and movies.
In an effort to absolutely control the information, different information industries attempt to control the media, using secrets, encryptions, and government control. These industries intend to profit from this information control as long as possible. The end of this control is assumed and mandated not to exist.
The problem is that at some point in the future the information could become non-valuable to these information industry. But currently, no mechanism exists such that these industries would be required or motivated to reveal the secrets or encryption mechanisms that would make the information useful. One cause could be that other information uses similar encryption or secrets, and the profit possibility of that information may be jeopardized.
The result is that unprofitable information may silently disappear, as whatever backups of the original expire.
Some examples would be:
A software company writes software, selling binaries only to the public. The copyright for the software is 100 years. Far before the end of the 100 years (perhaps 10 years),
the original source was no longer kept by the company. So in the future, looking back at the state of software in the year 2000, perhaps there may be some pictures of "Windows XP", but it may be unclear what it did, as no source exists, and it's not really worth reverse engineering. While somethings called Linux and BSD did exist, and the complete information/source about these would still be available. History can really focus only on the known, not the hidden.
Similarly, assume that the recording and music industry come up with the "perfect/unbreakable" encryption. They spend much of there resources hiding anything close to raw digital information from the consumer. But this DRMed songs eventually become unpopular. Obviously the DRM mechanism could still not be revealed as they still use it for other songs. They have essentially subverted any copyright limits, to impose an infinite limit. After the point of dis-interest, the DRM songs/movies may just fade away. I suppose Creative Commons music/movies of the time may survive instead. Obviously these may not represent what was seen at the time.
It seems that we should be able to have a static charge collector, to collect atmosphere/cloud energy, even on a clear day.
Is there some reason why this technology stopped with sending a key up a kite string, 200 years ago?
Which is where?
I mean, it's great to have a nice design that does good in the wind tunnel.
But we Americans need to transport many big boxes. Therefore a cubic shape is ideal. The Hummer was a little big, and the Scion/Squarion was a little small. But a perfect cube would be the ideal shape. It is obvious how the SUV positively differentiate themselves from Minivans. They are squarer(?).
Ok, the picture that they show perhaps is the ppc mini.
I wonder if they fixed another couple anoyancesL:
- power switch in back - should be in front
- no USB plug in front - a big anoyance if you use usb-keys or simlar short-term plug-in devices.
please correct me...
They let you use DVI to hook up digital video, but to hook up the audio, you use the analog headphone plug?
No spdif?
I have basically stopped buying music for some time. It seems that noone wants to sell a reasonable selection of mp3/ogg music.
CD's are not practical. DRM music has no value to me.
emusic is pay-monthly. I just want to buy a few songs now and then.
The only places to find mp3/ogg's to buy with a reasonably selection are Russian sites. But I don't quite trust my credit card floating around there.
I saw this on CNN recently.
Pirates attacked a cruiseliner with machine guns today, killing several people, and demanding that passengers allow them to copy Windows(tm) and OSX(tm) from their laptops. It was tragic story, and should serve as reminder to the rest that DRM and copy protection are nessesary to fight against pirates.
Adding DRM is not about limiting competition and increasing profits. It's about saving lives.
Nowhere in any of the links given was "piracy" given.
I would expect the Apple PR to say something like this.
But there is no validity in the statement.
Open source would only perhaps add competition. This does not have anything to do with copy protection.
Limiting open source, and adding DRM as Apple is using it is meant to limit/stop hardware competition/cloning and limit/stop direct OSX competition/cloing.
Yes, I know, Apple is the good guy.
But try to compete with them, and make a PC that runs OSX.
The mechanisms that they have put in place are designed to limit/stop the competition with their hardware. Yes, this is an artificial monopoly.
Monopoly does not need to be a bad word. Copyrights and patents create temporary monopolies, by there nature. But monopolies do need to be recognized and limited. DRM+Anti-circumvention+Anti-reverse-engineering monopolies are the latest thing in creating monopolies. The Apple PC is an example of the later.
In an ideal world, a company with any monopoly should be required to justify it.
Apple needs a OSX harware monopoly because:
1. It promotes art and science because (?).
2. It helps the customer by (?).
3. Because Microsoft has monopolies, so they need them to compete.
4. for more profits.
5. because we want the boxes to be cool/silver/plasticy.
If microsoft started selling PC hardware, then locked all other PC's out with OS modifications, that would probably be illegal and anti-competitive, and they would be forced to unbundle the two.
But somehow Apple can get away with this, why is this? Because they less of a monopoly?
where are these places with sane copyright legislations ( that will not be shortly rewritten for corporate favors)?
It's better to have pc's output without hdcp, then lcds/tvs/monitors will have continue to have pressure to support unencrypted "PC" signal. HanDiCaP is bad.
The alternative:
Past: video signal is RGB. It is formatted in a standard way, in a specification approved by the government.
Future: video signal is encrypted. It is formated in a proprietary way, the format only known by the 2 media companies left.
I'll use fastmail until gmail has IMAP.
Go into your closet, and bring enough food and water for 5 years.
Now wait...and eat sometimes.
5 years later, exit the closet.
You will find that time of the world has advanced from when last remembered by 5 years.
PS. don't forget to setup an auto-pay for your residential rent/payment. Otherwise your travel may be interrupted, and you will not be able to travel the full 5 years.
DRM allows the media industry to keep obsoleting media, similar to the analog model, to trigger consumer re-purchaces of the same media. Expiring media would be even better, but DIVX and fading-ink-DVDs did not work. Expiring by forced obsolecence is the next best thing.
This combined with invinite copyright laws allow media companies to have a constant revenue stream with no new material.
And this does not include stomping out fair-use and any ability to skip annoying commercials in purchased movies.
I will wait for something that I can play in linux.
Race:
1. Decline to state.
2. European American
3. American
4. Texas-American
5. Brownish-Beige
6. Other
Sex:
1. Decline to state
2. Sometimes
3. Other
Only 'safe' files should be opened.
...
A text file is safe, so that can be opened if clicked, right.
An html file is safe, assuming the browser is safe.
A word document is safe, unless it has macros.
Probably, when launching word by association, a special flag should be passed. 'word -nomacros'.
An excel document is safe, unless it has macros.
Probably, when launching word by association, a special flag should be passed. 'excel -nomacros'.
An EXE/BAT file is not safe....
A new MS company that fixes bugs that the viruses are taking advantage of.
How many here, have had a win-sysadmin, send out messages "please don't open mails with the subjest 'OpenMePlease', it will possibly cause bad things."
Sounds like a serious bug with the mail program. The mail program should not by default run attached programs or open attatche documents that trigger macros.
To have a fair comparison, you would need to ask Torvalds what he would do with all the money if he had $XX Billion dollars.
I'm sure that this study is reassuring to those that have cancer from cell phone usage.
They are reassured to know that there is less chance of getting it on the other side of their head.
Yes, I know one person that had a "hot spot" where his cell phone antenna was. And that's where they found and removed a tumor and installed a metal plate.