I don't claim to be a DNA expert but I'll bet the people opposing these kinds of exparaments know even less about DNA than I do.
Somewhere I've read that we share most of our DNA with all the other members of the animal kingdom and indeed we share a lot of DNA with every living thing.
Some of these exparaments are "pure research" and others are "applied research." In pure research you do the exparament and then look to see where it took you. In applied research you have a pretty good idea of where you are going and are pretty much conducting the exparament to verify your theory. In either case, there really is a goal to the research and I'll submit that the goal is usually good for humanity.
Without this kind of research we would miss out on opportunities to cure disease, treat birth defects and, all sorts of other good things. But, there is something even better that comes from this research. We gain a greater understanding of the world we live in. We add to humankinds knowlege base. Without doing this we will fail to advance and the next century will look like the last. When that happens there is little doubt that we will have started to slide down the road to extinction becuase we will exhaust vital resources.
I heard that experts say with so many people running for the office it is possible that the victor may win with just twenty percent of the popular vote.
Let's assume for a moment that you won with only 21% of the vote. It is likely there would be some resentment from the constituancy. With such a lack of support from the voters the legislature and even the judicial branch may see you as weak or even wounded.
What would you do your first days in office to gain popular support and show the other politicans that you are really a person of the people, by the people, and for the people?
If Microsoft were a cerial company rather than a software company they would have several lines of cerial targeted at different markets.
At the top end they would have a very bland line of products that would be sold to people who actually knew something about nutrition. Those people would complain - "Its a good product but I wish they could make it taste better."
Their next line would be targeted to a wide audience. It would taste better but it would lack something nutrition-wise. It would also be very expensive. "It costs so much and I still have to add fruit to make it complete."
Finally, they would have a low-end cerial that would totally lack nutrition but it would come in a wide variety of flavors that doesn't really appeal to anyone: "Choco-Blueberry-Tangerine Crunch" Nobody buys this stuff but they keep releasing it hoping to someday find that killer blend. Occasionally they take something from this group and move it up the chain to their other line (like they took clippy from "Bob").
Even this stuff is over-priced but they get shelf space because of their name and they keep it around just to make sure there is no room in the market for anyone else. Frankly they don't care if this line makes money or even sells. It does it's job just by sitting on the shelves. It keeps the competition from sitting there instead.
I see a bar similar to the bridge if the Starship Enterprise. Bartenders staring at a wall sized map of the entire bar with lights blinking at every table. Waitresses scurrying around and Scotty bent over the computer (in that classic plumber's pose) telling the captain that he needs more time to get it fixed.
Frankly when something like this works, it will probably work so well you won't even notice it but over time it will be so integrated that when it failes there will be no backup.
If you are backpacking and spending some time in the U.S. and Canada, sometime between Memorial Day and Labor Day please take a week or two to visit America's most inaccessible national park.
Isle Royale is located in the middle of Lake Superior. It has very little habitation on it and many many miles of hiking trails and lots and lots of nature. You will probably see moose and if you are lucky you may see a timber wolf.
Please note this trip will involve either a flight by float plane or by boat. It isn't geeky in the least beyond that but I promise you that if you take the trip, it is something that you will cherish.
Oh, and don't try to wrestle the moose or the wolves. We don't do that here.
Frankly, couldn't you expect someone to write something like this? I mean Google is good yet it depends on rules to calculate results. These rules are about as good as they get but there are still ways to make the results come out weird. Someone found a few examples. Big deal.
If your first search criteria did not find what you are looking for, then use slightly different criteria. I usually do a couple of searches just to make sure my first one did not miss anything interesting anyhow. Really that is best practice when using search engines.
Yes researchers use Google and I suppose the lack of books on the web may skew reseach results there but how on earth is that Googles problem? It is a web search engine! It doesn't do books (until they are published on the web at least)! This would seem to be more a flaw of researchers and less a Google flaw.
I can think of a couple of things that would make obtaining your CD's in this manner more palatable.
First, a "custom tool" that would take _all_ the hassle out of making the CD would be very nice. You download an executable, insert a blank CD and double-click to make the CD. Once the CD is done burning, you are prompted to insert your CD label in the printer and finally the jewel case insert is printed.
Second, I always like a little "added value" to my purchases. When someone actually buys the music it would be a nice touch to give them access to a "members-only" area of the website where there could be interaction with other fans, the musicians, and perhaps special offers or discounts on merchandise or whatever. Maybe even a "bonus track" or two could be out here.
Finally, make sure that you have "technical support" available. Even the easiest things can get messed up and having access to someone who can help is vital. In this case, I would recommend emailing the people who buy the CD a day or two afterwards asking them if everything came out okay. If it did not, obtain their address and mail them a physical CD with the label and the jewel case and everything. This kind of customer service "converts" a frustrated customer who feels like they are getting "ripped-off" into a true supporter and repeat customer. They will tell others how well they have been treated!
This stuff all already exists in various components. It is just being pieced together a little differently. It is another tool developed from existing components. Like most tools it can be used for good or evil. Even a hammer can be used for evil but nobody would consider outlawing hammers.
Like most people, I value my privacy. Matter of fact, I place a high value on my privacy. But when I am in public, I behave like I am in public. By doing so, when I am out and about I attract very little attention and I remain more private than if I were to draw attention to myself.
I can see this tool being used for good, to catch criminals, to determine where stashes of drugs are hidden and so on. But just as importantly, I can see how it can invade privacy of innocent people.
Hopefully it will never be used for anything outside of the battlefield. If it is hopefully the courts will see it as an invasion of privacy and require law enforcement to have a warrant to employ it and place significant restrictions on the data it gathers! By that I mean the courts should require all data gathered that does not lead to criminal prosicution to be destroyed.
I can see how this tool can be used for good but I can also see it's evil nature. Let's make sure it is very tame before we let ot out of the coral. If we don't we as a society will be living under the thumb of as society no better than the Nazis
I think we are on to something here. Frankly, I wonder if anyone at the Walmart (and etc.) corporate levels ever considered the ecological impact of these tiny, easily concealed tags.
Yet it is a real concern. And with the "cradle to grave" toxic waste laws that exist, it is something they could be liable for.
Just because they are "WORM" does not mean they can not be reused. They only contain data (usually a serial number or unique id number). Re-associating this number with a new product is no harder than making a change in a database.
Even that is overkill for what the retailers want it for. There is only a need to identify the product (like a bar-code does) and perhaps it's point-of-sale (to prove it was purchased or perhaps stolen from a particular retailer).
In that sense, it could be attached to the product like anti-theft tags currently are and it could be recycled many, many times.
RFID is a tool. Tools can be used, tools can be abused. We can legislate controls that law abiding retailers will have to follow.
But each RFID tag is a disposable piece of electonics. To manufacture this product, a wide variety of chemicals (including powerful acids and so on) have to be used. By employing them in such a ubiquitious manner aren't we polluting the environment needlessly? I have to imagine if 50% of all products sold had RFID tags in them that we would add hundreds of tons of dangerous chemicals into the environment every year!
Perhaps the RFID tags should be obvious and recoverable so that they can be recycled! Maybe a deposit could be put on them so that the consumer can return them and get a few cents per unit back.
How different this software is from the stuff deartment stores use in their security systems to identify and track shoplifers?
I have a friend who is developing software for a major chain that ties into the security cameras and looks for certain behaviors that indicate potential shoplifters. Once the software identifies an individual exhibiting this behavior, it locks on to them and tracks them through the store. He says it works quite well.
One half of me sees this as no problem. When in public, behave like you are in public and you will have no problem. Another part of me says that it is uncomfortable to be spied on for any reason whatsoever and that it is an invasion of privacy. If the object of the software is legitamate, why should it be a problem?
As a society should we not welcome things that help put criminals behind bars or help our solders stay alive? On the otherside, should we not protect our right to privacy?
These systems are tools, they are very similar to hammers, saws, and wrenches. They can be used for good or for bad. It is not the tool but their use that concerns me. Thus far, most of the applications really have been for good and I sincerely hope that it continues to be that way.
To my way of thinking, these kinds of tools can be used to build a better, safer, more efficient society just as easily as they can be used to opress. Imagine a freeway control system that is tied together with this kind of software and in-car systems that provide the driver with up-to-the-second driving directions to provide the best use of the infrastructure. Think of the kind of things that this software could do to help air traffic controllers - it could recognize patterns long before they are obvious to humans. In the same vein, perhaps it could be used to help forecast weather.
At it's most basic level, this is just pattern recognition software that is tweaked to perform a specific task.
Perhaps laws making the creation and distribution of viruses aren't enough. Perhaps we need laws that also outlaw the exploitation for profit of viruses. While we are at it, we can outlaw exploitation of other people's internet connections.
Call it "virtual trespass" if you will. Maybe it could be used againt those applications that hijack your browser as well!
This is a terrible idea. Broadcast reaches places where cable doesn't. Sattelite requires too much hardware and is hard to use in obstructed areas. For example, at my cabin (where broadcast works - usually).
For a very long time the FCC was criticized that it was unresponsive, too deliberative, and an example of a staid, entrenched beauacracy that did very little good for the people. Somewhere that was turned around and now they are overboard in almost exactly the opposite direction! Frankly, I'd prefeer an FCC that took lonmger to deliberate.
The airwaves require regulation, they are an extremely valuable, very public resource. They are crowded and need to be managed in the public's best interest. The FCC does not exist to make mega-media companies rich, it exists to protect a resource - in much the same way that the National Park Service exists to protect our national parks!
Unfortunately, somewhere along the line, the mega-media has gained an inordinate amount of influence over their regulators. Somewhere along the line, the FCC started to manage markets more than resources. We the little people are shut out of the process and even when we complain loud and long, we are ignored.
The FCC has finally become what everyone said it was - an example of a staid, entrenched beauacracy that does very little good for the people.
Let's start a company to buy this thing. Name it S.S. Tux. I'll buy $1000.00 worth of stock. There has to be real market potential for a commercial aircraft carrier!
Re-fit the ship so she can carry passengers and make ports of call in the Bahamas or wherever. Ferry people on and off the ship using helocopters (I doubt you could get insurance for other landing methods). Market it as a unique "adventure vacation package."
I also think that it would be important to paint it some non-military color to avoid any possibility of confusion. Perhaps, we could sell sponsorship to Target? The bullseye would be a great place to land the helocoptors!
Off-season we could sail it to Antartica and see some penguins. Or go the the Panama Canal and up the West Coast and sit off of Redmund and moon Bill Gates!
Crooks have creative minds. Some crook somewhere will figure out that they can read the card while it is still in the wallet and then find a way to steal hundreds or thousands of credit card numbers.
I no longer use my credit card number over the telephone. I made a $9.95 purchase from an 800# on a TV ad and ended up being charged $99.95 three months later. In order to get credit for this charge, I had to report the fraud, cancel the credit card and have a new one issued and then contact all of my automated payments and change the card number.
It was a hassle I would rather not go through again. My boss was also hit by credit card thiefs and had a very similar experience. Two women I know had their identity stolen. It is NOT an uncommon crime and it can screw up people's lives pretty badly. I hate to think what would happen if the process were "automated" through the use of hidden electronic readers!
I have to say I know I am in the minority here but elsewhere I think more people will agree than disagree...
Most (but not all) laptops start life in the business world, they are a tool like a car, truck, or wrench. The person uses the tool to do their job. Unfortunately, the fact is anything that has value is subject to theft. It doesn't matter much that the value to the thief is much lower than the value the real owner places on it. Most thiefs will steal anything valuable enough to help them get their next high.
When it is hard to sell something the thief will pass on it and pick a riper plum. We aren't dealing with rocket scientists here so it won't always work that way but every little bit helps. That is why this is a good thing.
I would like to see a system that goes even further, a system that would be like On-Star (tm) for computers. Being a support person for numerous laptop users I'd love for them to be able to have the ability to track the stolen computer in real time to an IP address, telephone number and ultimately a physical address in real time. They could also lift some of my support burden by answering basic computer questions and be available 24/7!
To me, it is all about how-it-works or perhaps, how I can make it work.
For years, I've read everything that talks about how things work, how to build things, or what makes something tick. My interests run from chemistry to electronics, to woodworking. I have a full woodshop, I do most of my own mechnanical work, and I just love to fix things - my own way. It gives me a greater understanding of how things tick.
A hacker is a hacker, the medium you choose to practice in be it wood or virtual bits doesn't really matter much. What matters is knowing how it works!
This morning I heard a local shock-jock lament that we should treat gang-members as terrorists after all, they hurt far more people than terrorists do... I understand and to some degree agree with this logic.
Seems to me that we could put webcams through-out the city and use untrained people to filter the cams and pass suspicious activity along to the police. Of course every once in a while a pizza delivery dude would be mistaken for a drug dealer and once in a while a lady waiting for a bus would be mistaken for a prostitute.
But what the heck, what are a few civil liberties compared to safety? Everything - ask the few Jews that survived Nazi Germany.
I agree, it does sound like a criminal conspiracy. Unfortunately, I doubt that means that it could be prosicuted as such.
There are a couple of things in the way. First, the RIAA has a bunch of lawyers. They would vigerously defend their clients and they have "deep pockets." This means that the prosicution would be very expensive.
Second, the politics play against it. The music industry is centered in two places in the U.S. California and New York. This means that the RIAA only needs good political connections in two places to ensure that this kind of prosicution doesn't take place. Believe me, they have good connections in these places.
There are other reasons too. It could be argued that they have the right to defend their IP. When a person engages in theft, they lose certain rights. In the cyber-world this may indeed mean that they give up their rights to privacy and allow the RIAA access to their computer to allow the recovery of the stolen property. Much like a store owner may be allowed go into someone's car to recover a shoplifted item.
IANAL but I can see both side of the issue and when I look at the arguements that the RIAA would put up, these are the things that I see.
Perhaps we should outlaw wrenches because without wrenches you could not build a car, a car that ultimately could be used as a car-bomb.
Software is a tool, much like a wrench or screwdriver. It has no morality, it is neither good or bad (in the moral sense, we all know there is bad software out there). The people that use it determine wether it is being used for good or evil. If product "A" is not available, they will simply move to product "B" and get the same results.
I know I am stepping slightly away from the article here but...
Frankly, I suspect that it was only a matter of time before someone started to equate terrorisim and open-source software. Not because they are related at all but simply because the P.R. budget for open source software does not have the funds available to defend against the allegation.
It is up to individual orginizations (be they governments, companies, schools, or rotary clubs) to determine what they want to fund. If they conclude that they may be funding something an orginization that they fundamentally oppose could profit from the project they are funding, it is certainaly their right to pull the funding.
I have to wonder how the seeds of this decision were planted. Did a company approach them and say "Look, you are builing something that you have no idea how it will be used and are placing it in the hands of your enemy?" If so, perhaps the company's motive wasn't so pure. Perhaps there is a profit motive that influenced the decision? That I may have a problem with and from where I sit, it seems likely.
Slashdot Mirror
I don't claim to be a DNA expert but I'll bet the people opposing these kinds of exparaments know even less about DNA than I do.
Somewhere I've read that we share most of our DNA with all the other members of the animal kingdom and indeed we share a lot of DNA with every living thing.
Some of these exparaments are "pure research" and others are "applied research." In pure research you do the exparament and then look to see where it took you. In applied research you have a pretty good idea of where you are going and are pretty much conducting the exparament to verify your theory. In either case, there really is a goal to the research and I'll submit that the goal is usually good for humanity.
Without this kind of research we would miss out on opportunities to cure disease, treat birth defects and, all sorts of other good things. But, there is something even better that comes from this research. We gain a greater understanding of the world we live in. We add to humankinds knowlege base. Without doing this we will fail to advance and the next century will look like the last. When that happens there is little doubt that we will have started to slide down the road to extinction becuase we will exhaust vital resources.
I heard that experts say with so many people running for the office it is possible that the victor may win with just twenty percent of the popular vote.
Let's assume for a moment that you won with only 21% of the vote. It is likely there would be some resentment from the constituancy. With such a lack of support from the voters the legislature and even the judicial branch may see you as weak or even wounded.
What would you do your first days in office to gain popular support and show the other politicans that you are really a person of the people, by the people, and for the people?
If Microsoft were a cerial company rather than a software company they would have several lines of cerial targeted at different markets.
At the top end they would have a very bland line of products that would be sold to people who actually knew something about nutrition. Those people would complain - "Its a good product but I wish they could make it taste better."
Their next line would be targeted to a wide audience. It would taste better but it would lack something nutrition-wise. It would also be very expensive. "It costs so much and I still have to add fruit to make it complete."
Finally, they would have a low-end cerial that would totally lack nutrition but it would come in a wide variety of flavors that doesn't really appeal to anyone: "Choco-Blueberry-Tangerine Crunch" Nobody buys this stuff but they keep releasing it hoping to someday find that killer blend. Occasionally they take something from this group and move it up the chain to their other line (like they took clippy from "Bob").
Even this stuff is over-priced but they get shelf space because of their name and they keep it around just to make sure there is no room in the market for anyone else. Frankly they don't care if this line makes money or even sells. It does it's job just by sitting on the shelves. It keeps the competition from sitting there instead.
I see a bar similar to the bridge if the Starship Enterprise. Bartenders staring at a wall sized map of the entire bar with lights blinking at every table. Waitresses scurrying around and Scotty bent over the computer (in that classic plumber's pose) telling the captain that he needs more time to get it fixed.
Frankly when something like this works, it will probably work so well you won't even notice it but over time it will be so integrated that when it failes there will be no backup.
If you are backpacking and spending some time in the U.S. and Canada, sometime between Memorial Day and Labor Day please take a week or two to visit America's most inaccessible national park.
Isle Royale is located in the middle of Lake Superior. It has very little habitation on it and many many miles of hiking trails and lots and lots of nature. You will probably see moose and if you are lucky you may see a timber wolf.
Please note this trip will involve either a flight by float plane or by boat. It isn't geeky in the least beyond that but I promise you that if you take the trip, it is something that you will cherish.
Oh, and don't try to wrestle the moose or the wolves. We don't do that here.
Frankly, couldn't you expect someone to write something like this? I mean Google is good yet it depends on rules to calculate results. These rules are about as good as they get but there are still ways to make the results come out weird. Someone found a few examples. Big deal.
If your first search criteria did not find what you are looking for, then use slightly different criteria. I usually do a couple of searches just to make sure my first one did not miss anything interesting anyhow. Really that is best practice when using search engines.
Yes researchers use Google and I suppose the lack of books on the web may skew reseach results there but how on earth is that Googles problem? It is a web search engine! It doesn't do books (until they are published on the web at least)! This would seem to be more a flaw of researchers and less a Google flaw.
I can think of a couple of things that would make obtaining your CD's in this manner more palatable.
First, a "custom tool" that would take _all_ the hassle out of making the CD would be very nice. You download an executable, insert a blank CD and double-click to make the CD. Once the CD is done burning, you are prompted to insert your CD label in the printer and finally the jewel case insert is printed.
Second, I always like a little "added value" to my purchases. When someone actually buys the music it would be a nice touch to give them access to a "members-only" area of the website where there could be interaction with other fans, the musicians, and perhaps special offers or discounts on merchandise or whatever. Maybe even a "bonus track" or two could be out here.
Finally, make sure that you have "technical support" available. Even the easiest things can get messed up and having access to someone who can help is vital. In this case, I would recommend emailing the people who buy the CD a day or two afterwards asking them if everything came out okay. If it did not, obtain their address and mail them a physical CD with the label and the jewel case and everything. This kind of customer service "converts" a frustrated customer who feels like they are getting "ripped-off" into a true supporter and repeat customer. They will tell others how well they have been treated!
This stuff all already exists in various components. It is just being pieced together a little differently. It is another tool developed from existing components. Like most tools it can be used for good or evil. Even a hammer can be used for evil but nobody would consider outlawing hammers.
Like most people, I value my privacy. Matter of fact, I place a high value on my privacy. But when I am in public, I behave like I am in public. By doing so, when I am out and about I attract very little attention and I remain more private than if I were to draw attention to myself.
I can see this tool being used for good, to catch criminals, to determine where stashes of drugs are hidden and so on. But just as importantly, I can see how it can invade privacy of innocent people.
Hopefully it will never be used for anything outside of the battlefield. If it is hopefully the courts will see it as an invasion of privacy and require law enforcement to have a warrant to employ it and place significant restrictions on the data it gathers! By that I mean the courts should require all data gathered that does not lead to criminal prosicution to be destroyed.
I can see how this tool can be used for good but I can also see it's evil nature. Let's make sure it is very tame before we let ot out of the coral. If we don't we as a society will be living under the thumb of as society no better than the Nazis
I think we are on to something here. Frankly, I wonder if anyone at the Walmart (and etc.) corporate levels ever considered the ecological impact of these tiny, easily concealed tags.
Yet it is a real concern. And with the "cradle to grave" toxic waste laws that exist, it is something they could be liable for.
Just because they are "WORM" does not mean they can not be reused. They only contain data (usually a serial number or unique id number). Re-associating this number with a new product is no harder than making a change in a database.
Even that is overkill for what the retailers want it for. There is only a need to identify the product (like a bar-code does) and perhaps it's point-of-sale (to prove it was purchased or perhaps stolen from a particular retailer).
In that sense, it could be attached to the product like anti-theft tags currently are and it could be recycled many, many times.
RFID is a tool. Tools can be used, tools can be abused. We can legislate controls that law abiding retailers will have to follow.
But each RFID tag is a disposable piece of electonics. To manufacture this product, a wide variety of chemicals (including powerful acids and so on) have to be used. By employing them in such a ubiquitious manner aren't we polluting the environment needlessly? I have to imagine if 50% of all products sold had RFID tags in them that we would add hundreds of tons of dangerous chemicals into the environment every year!
Perhaps the RFID tags should be obvious and recoverable so that they can be recycled! Maybe a deposit could be put on them so that the consumer can return them and get a few cents per unit back.
How different this software is from the stuff deartment stores use in their security systems to identify and track shoplifers?
I have a friend who is developing software for a major chain that ties into the security cameras and looks for certain behaviors that indicate potential shoplifters. Once the software identifies an individual exhibiting this behavior, it locks on to them and tracks them through the store. He says it works quite well.
One half of me sees this as no problem. When in public, behave like you are in public and you will have no problem. Another part of me says that it is uncomfortable to be spied on for any reason whatsoever and that it is an invasion of privacy. If the object of the software is legitamate, why should it be a problem?
As a society should we not welcome things that help put criminals behind bars or help our solders stay alive? On the otherside, should we not protect our right to privacy?
These systems are tools, they are very similar to hammers, saws, and wrenches. They can be used for good or for bad. It is not the tool but their use that concerns me. Thus far, most of the applications really have been for good and I sincerely hope that it continues to be that way.
To my way of thinking, these kinds of tools can be used to build a better, safer, more efficient society just as easily as they can be used to opress. Imagine a freeway control system that is tied together with this kind of software and in-car systems that provide the driver with up-to-the-second driving directions to provide the best use of the infrastructure. Think of the kind of things that this software could do to help air traffic controllers - it could recognize patterns long before they are obvious to humans. In the same vein, perhaps it could be used to help forecast weather.
At it's most basic level, this is just pattern recognition software that is tweaked to perform a specific task.
Perhaps laws making the creation and distribution of viruses aren't enough. Perhaps we need laws that also outlaw the exploitation for profit of viruses. While we are at it, we can outlaw exploitation of other people's internet connections.
Call it "virtual trespass" if you will. Maybe it could be used againt those applications that hijack your browser as well!
This is a terrible idea. Broadcast reaches places where cable doesn't. Sattelite requires too much hardware and is hard to use in obstructed areas. For example, at my cabin (where broadcast works - usually).
For a very long time the FCC was criticized that it was unresponsive, too deliberative, and an example of a staid, entrenched beauacracy that did very little good for the people. Somewhere that was turned around and now they are overboard in almost exactly the opposite direction! Frankly, I'd prefeer an FCC that took lonmger to deliberate.
The airwaves require regulation, they are an extremely valuable, very public resource. They are crowded and need to be managed in the public's best interest. The FCC does not exist to make mega-media companies rich, it exists to protect a resource - in much the same way that the National Park Service exists to protect our national parks!
Unfortunately, somewhere along the line, the mega-media has gained an inordinate amount of influence over their regulators. Somewhere along the line, the FCC started to manage markets more than resources. We the little people are shut out of the process and even when we complain loud and long, we are ignored.
The FCC has finally become what everyone said it was - an example of a staid, entrenched beauacracy that does very little good for the people.
I am in 100% agreement with you. Wow, you have expressed exactly the things I have noticed and felt about the media.
Since we both live in the same state, I wonder if this is a local thing or if it is more wide-spread. My guess is it is everywhere.
Let's start a company to buy this thing. Name it S.S. Tux. I'll buy $1000.00 worth of stock. There has to be real market potential for a commercial aircraft carrier!
Re-fit the ship so she can carry passengers and make ports of call in the Bahamas or wherever. Ferry people on and off the ship using helocopters (I doubt you could get insurance for other landing methods). Market it as a unique "adventure vacation package."
I also think that it would be important to paint it some non-military color to avoid any possibility of confusion. Perhaps, we could sell sponsorship to Target? The bullseye would be a great place to land the helocoptors!
Off-season we could sail it to Antartica and see some penguins. Or go the the Panama Canal and up the West Coast and sit off of Redmund and moon Bill Gates!
Crooks have creative minds. Some crook somewhere will figure out that they can read the card while it is still in the wallet and then find a way to steal hundreds or thousands of credit card numbers.
I no longer use my credit card number over the telephone. I made a $9.95 purchase from an 800# on a TV ad and ended up being charged $99.95 three months later. In order to get credit for this charge, I had to report the fraud, cancel the credit card and have a new one issued and then contact all of my automated payments and change the card number.
It was a hassle I would rather not go through again. My boss was also hit by credit card thiefs and had a very similar experience. Two women I know had their identity stolen. It is NOT an uncommon crime and it can screw up people's lives pretty badly. I hate to think what would happen if the process were "automated" through the use of hidden electronic readers!
Thanks but no thanks. I like my mag-stripe card.
How do you post on Slashdot without getting on the internet?
I have to say I know I am in the minority here but elsewhere I think more people will agree than disagree...
Most (but not all) laptops start life in the business world, they are a tool like a car, truck, or wrench. The person uses the tool to do their job. Unfortunately, the fact is anything that has value is subject to theft. It doesn't matter much that the value to the thief is much lower than the value the real owner places on it. Most thiefs will steal anything valuable enough to help them get their next high.
When it is hard to sell something the thief will pass on it and pick a riper plum. We aren't dealing with rocket scientists here so it won't always work that way but every little bit helps. That is why this is a good thing.
I would like to see a system that goes even further, a system that would be like On-Star (tm) for computers. Being a support person for numerous laptop users I'd love for them to be able to have the ability to track the stolen computer in real time to an IP address, telephone number and ultimately a physical address in real time. They could also lift some of my support burden by answering basic computer questions and be available 24/7!
To me, it is all about how-it-works or perhaps, how I can make it work.
For years, I've read everything that talks about how things work, how to build things, or what makes something tick. My interests run from chemistry to electronics, to woodworking. I have a full woodshop, I do most of my own mechnanical work, and I just love to fix things - my own way. It gives me a greater understanding of how things tick.
A hacker is a hacker, the medium you choose to practice in be it wood or virtual bits doesn't really matter much. What matters is knowing how it works!
Why do you do it? Because you can!
When spam it outlawed, only outlaws will have spam.
Sounds like cruel and unusual punnishment to me therefore unconstitutional in the U.S.
This morning I heard a local shock-jock lament that we should treat gang-members as terrorists after all, they hurt far more people than terrorists do... I understand and to some degree agree with this logic.
Seems to me that we could put webcams through-out the city and use untrained people to filter the cams and pass suspicious activity along to the police. Of course every once in a while a pizza delivery dude would be mistaken for a drug dealer and once in a while a lady waiting for a bus would be mistaken for a prostitute.
But what the heck, what are a few civil liberties compared to safety? Everything - ask the few Jews that survived Nazi Germany.
I agree. I guess that would be "colatteral damage."
I'm still wondering how they will determine who has a copy of the CD that contains the song simply by examining the computer.
I agree, it does sound like a criminal conspiracy. Unfortunately, I doubt that means that it could be prosicuted as such.
There are a couple of things in the way. First, the RIAA has a bunch of lawyers. They would vigerously defend their clients and they have "deep pockets." This means that the prosicution would be very expensive.
Second, the politics play against it. The music industry is centered in two places in the U.S. California and New York. This means that the RIAA only needs good political connections in two places to ensure that this kind of prosicution doesn't take place. Believe me, they have good connections in these places.
There are other reasons too. It could be argued that they have the right to defend their IP. When a person engages in theft, they lose certain rights. In the cyber-world this may indeed mean that they give up their rights to privacy and allow the RIAA access to their computer to allow the recovery of the stolen property. Much like a store owner may be allowed go into someone's car to recover a shoplifted item.
IANAL but I can see both side of the issue and when I look at the arguements that the RIAA would put up, these are the things that I see.
Perhaps we should outlaw wrenches because without wrenches you could not build a car, a car that ultimately could be used as a car-bomb.
Software is a tool, much like a wrench or screwdriver. It has no morality, it is neither good or bad (in the moral sense, we all know there is bad software out there). The people that use it determine wether it is being used for good or evil. If product "A" is not available, they will simply move to product "B" and get the same results.
I know I am stepping slightly away from the article here but...
Frankly, I suspect that it was only a matter of time before someone started to equate terrorisim and open-source software. Not because they are related at all but simply because the P.R. budget for open source software does not have the funds available to defend against the allegation.
It is up to individual orginizations (be they governments, companies, schools, or rotary clubs) to determine what they want to fund. If they conclude that they may be funding something an orginization that they fundamentally oppose could profit from the project they are funding, it is certainaly their right to pull the funding.
I have to wonder how the seeds of this decision were planted. Did a company approach them and say "Look, you are builing something that you have no idea how it will be used and are placing it in the hands of your enemy?" If so, perhaps the company's motive wasn't so pure. Perhaps there is a profit motive that influenced the decision? That I may have a problem with and from where I sit, it seems likely.