That problem was solved a while back by the Swiss company SecureSafe. You can store passwords and files there, and it (a) delivers a recovery mechanism in case you blank out on the password and (b) a data inheritance mechanism where someone can get access to your data by means of a separate mechanism - with a timer.
The idea is that 3rd party access by a party you designated should be because something happened to you, so the first thing that happens when someone starts the 3rd party process is a timeout period (which you set yourself) is that the company will fire off a warning to all contact methods it has on file for you, so you can stop this access.
If they don't hear from you and the time expires, access will be granted.
I think it's a good system, and it is hosted in Switzerland under conditions compliant with their banking law.
Hmm, I disagree. I'd wear flame proof clothing with an iPhone 4 or a Dell laptop because of the batteries, but I digress.
40.000 still means 40k opportunities to get into serious problems - it is important not to rely on myth, but on hard facts. I tend to upset Linux people with that question too when they tell em proudly they do not have a virus: how do you KNOW?
Even when you do everything right, the fact remains that you have no *evidence* to prove that your efforts have worked - unless you have a way to scan the machine, a sort of independent 3rd party assessment. It doesn't matter how good you are as a sysadmin - I am happy to believe you, but there is no way you can be sure unless you scan the platform.
For the record, I've been using Linux since Slackware came on floppies, so I'm not having a go at people using a different platform (I've only been using OSX for 2 years) - we are simply talking about following good processes but STILL do an audit to make sure those processes are actually effective. Belief doesn't cut it:).
I suspect the sale of Chinese GSM jammers will go through the roof now this spyware is mandatory. The problem with such kit is that without proper rules (and hard, transparent evidence to show that such rules are actually being followed) it WILL be abused for other things - it's a given.
Ah, yes - of course those jammers will be made illegal too - after all, you need to keep the prices high..
I never believed that anyway. What IS interesting, however, is that every AV vendor now actively prevents analysis of how many virus infections exits per platform, which is actually a very significant bit of data.
Windows malware numbers in the millions (30M, last time I was able to get a figure), whereas OSX malware numbers somewhere in the 40K by now. That's a shade over 1% of the exposure that Windows platforms have - which still makes it a heck of a lot less risky.
The only drive-by infection (Java based) has now been addressed, so I'd say that if you don't install stuff you don't know you're still better off using OSX (or Linux, I'm hoping someone who actually understands usability will get involved on that platform).
But there is no excuse not to install anti virus software on OSX - facts are still better than myth..
At least this time it's mentioned before the product hits the shelves. I distinctly recall all the glorious reviews about innovative Windows Vista and how it would change our lives bla bla bla..
The reality was that it was such a dog it was the best thing that ever happened - for Apple.
The latest iPhone has an IR filter built in (hence its ability to take decent shots with the sun in the picture). I would assume it will ignore attempts to generate overexposure through IR.
What strikes me as ironic is that the organisations fighting transparency in how they exercise their privileges are the same that tell you you should have nothing to hide..
IMHO, there is never a valid argument not to supervise police activity, even when the recordings are not immediately made public. Not only can it highlight abuse, it can also show where they've done everything right. That too is important.
AFAIK, one of the drivers behind the man on the moon mission was because Russia was busy with the same thing, so this may actually restart the NASA funding.
However, I'm concerned because every nation "up there" has been amusing itself with saturating the place with satellites for various purposes (not in the least military), and now another club is joining - one that now holds all the cash.
It's getting uncomfortably crowded up there, and if something gets out of orbit a hard hat won't exactly be enough. That "out of orbit" could be accidental or deliberate.
1 - Don't consider the salary discussion closed. You are taking on a higher responsibility, and part of that is to distribute your talent over more people. Do some research, and argue your case. There is, however, a barrier here: if the gap between what you are paid and the industry is too big, you will never get that corrected. Once you have the gap, your only option is to move to another company. It is thus in your interest to keep it small - and try not to fall for the trick where a new company asks you what you earn at the moment. However, be prepared to just accept a status quo or max 5% up in salary - see point 2 why.
2 - Accept, but start looking elsewhere as well. Not immediately, give it half a year months so you're comfortable in the position and know what it entails. The reason for this is simple: you are paid what you are prepared to accept. If you start looking for work BEFORE the promotion you will have to break that promotion barrier again elsewhere. Instead, take the promotion which gives you the rank, then move to another company which will give you the money.
It is sad, but the only way to ensure your salary remains matched with industry values is moving frequently. HR departments know that people don't like to move, and thus try to keep your salary static - they work for the company, not for you, so keeping staff expenditure down is one of their goals. That they thus chase off the talent and keep the dross seems to be sadly immaterial, regardless of the damage that causes to the long term viability of the company..
I just got the latest Flash update, and the process to get to the license was so horrific that I have sent it off to the lawyers to go through it with a fine comb - I really don't trust any organisation that makes it so hard to find the terms you agree to.
When you receive the update and you want to see the license you have to:-
1 - click a link which leads you to an external page. The relevant license is not embedded in the package you download, so there is a risk of disconnect between product and license. 2 - find the product, because the page you land on is an Adobe page with EVERY PRODUCT LICENSE EVER WRITTEN. Sure, it has a hash link which may land you in the right spot, but that's not where the tortuous journey ends 3 - identify the right version for the software as every version comes with its own license 4 - find your own language in the PDF you get, because Adobe produces one massive file with the license translated in all languages of the planet. I'm not sure if the index is enabled in Adobe Reader (I don't use it), but the reader I used the index was off. Adobe has sorted the languages alphabetically, but spelled in English (so Deutsch - which comes before English alphabetically - would actually be found as "German"). This means, the first thing you see when you open the PDF is Arabic.
As far as I am aware there is actually a serious issue with making it so hard to find what you agree to - it may render their license invalid in a number of countries.
Whatever the legality, the first thing that you get when you have to do this sort of digging is a feeling they really, really do not want you to look at it - i.e. you become suspicious. I actually hope the lawyers find something objectionable..
Biometrics are not just fingerprints: Apple's Siri and whatever imitation was made available for Android do one thing very well: they export a pristine, digital quality voiceprint with owner details to the US every time they are used.
It's the second largest successful intelligence intercept ever - the first one being WhatsApp and iMessage tapping what was formerly harder-to-get SMS traffic..
The naked stuff doesn't work, it's automated (as a matter of fact, it would be safe to take a look in automatic mode:) ). However, I can see bags of trouble in the wireless connection that is required to make this work.
Personally, I'd use optics to couple - as the cars are that close, it's relatively easy to do, the angle of sight is not going to change that much and you have distance measurements sorted out in one go as well.
Copyright law happens to be the only handle you have on people who misappropriate email as well as it doesn't require a mutually agree acceptance of conditions.
Email disclaimers have close to nil value, but a copyright notice is a kicker that gives leverage. Unless you're using Google, that is - read the T&Cs..
LOL, I like it. Nice spin. Do you work for a Government?:)
I think the real definition would be "the man too boneheaded to recognise inflammatory language doesn't exactly help when the target nation already has a riot and hooligan problem".
I guess he needs this language to sell (marketing is everything), but I can see the point of the authorities as they simply go by what happened the last time he was over. I'd call this an own goal, but as you pointed out, he could turn this one around - clever idea:)
Th problem with your solution is that it is only built in, but not integrated. Especially GPS is in serious need of some standardisation so that the device can take advantage of rotational information from the wheels (AFAIK from the ABS sensors). Combined with magnetic compass data, this allows a GPS to continue showing position, even when it cannot see the required satellites (typically in a tunnel).
If a government (EU, USA, wherever) *really* wanted to promote competition, they should mandate a standard connector which provides all the relevant signals and power lines. Ditto for car stereos, but that may exist already (haven't been behind a dashboard in years - I just note that in-car GPS simply remains ludicrously expense for what it is).
8. Randomisation is important and is for everyone. Even if you're a politician (which supports your point 6) or airport staff.
9. Transparency and accountability are a MUST. Any organisation which absorbs gazillions of tax dollars should be held accountable for every dollar spent, and should be easy to audit, even if the results have to be delayed by a year to prevent harm to operational security. "National security" should NEVER be a cop-out for accountability.
Having said that, where do you find "sensible people"? All recruitment is now either done via tick box recruiters (who do not know the business) or via outsourcing (which adds simply a layer between the need and the aforementioned braindamaged recruitment process..
OK, this may be a bit luddite, but I still prefer a pen to take notes.
The LivescribeEcho pen takes notes on special paper, which you then play into a program on your PC (Mac or Windows). The killer is that you can:
a - do keyword searches in your HAND WRITTEN notes. Amazingly, it can even deal with my handwriting..
b - record sound at the same time as taking notes. When you listen to the recording, you can see your notes being taken at the same time. In reverse, if you wonder why you wrote something down, just click on the notes and the accompanying audio will be played back. Please note, however, that such recordings may be illegal in some circumstances, so be careful with that.
Naturally you can also dump PDFs of your notes to send them to others.
1 - Privacy is a right. Yes, that's right - a Human Right. Quite a lot of expensive people sat around a large table for quite some time working this stuff out, and if they didn't think it was important I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be in their list.
2 - Laws are made to be followed. Excuses such as "too big to comply", "we're from abroad" or "too costly to comply" (Google Streetview) are not acceptable.
3 - Law enforcement gets a privilege to break the laws to fight crime. It has to be kept VERY clear, that this is a PRIVILEGE, and absolutely NOT a right.
Forget about the small fee approach, because that small provider puts the large one in pretty much the same position as the RIAA members: it nukes their business model. The benefit of a non-proprietary device is that it also does other things, added value for which you do not have to do anything extra.
The Big Fat Company (BFC) has no choice. If they don't act, they will lose their business. If they do act, they will get a lot of bad press for a while, but their audience is captive and thus cannot escape..
The smartest move for the BFC would be to buy the small one and sell the product, maybe more expensive. These days, you need either a captive market of do something seriously special to defend the margins on a solution based on proprietary computing resources.
Yup - plus bent arms give you more feeling and control over the wheel in general.
If you're into racing, you also know that you drive with your thumbs outside the steering wheel, not inside (which helps with the airbag deployment).
The rationale behind that is that it's easier to recover from a broken wrist than it is to recover from a broken thumb - has apparently something to do with the complexities in the thumb joint.
Slashdot Mirror
That problem was solved a while back by the Swiss company SecureSafe. You can store passwords and files there, and it (a) delivers a recovery mechanism in case you blank out on the password and (b) a data inheritance mechanism where someone can get access to your data by means of a separate mechanism - with a timer.
The idea is that 3rd party access by a party you designated should be because something happened to you, so the first thing that happens when someone starts the 3rd party process is a timeout period (which you set yourself) is that the company will fire off a warning to all contact methods it has on file for you, so you can stop this access.
If they don't hear from you and the time expires, access will be granted.
I think it's a good system, and it is hosted in Switzerland under conditions compliant with their banking law.
Hmm, I disagree. I'd wear flame proof clothing with an iPhone 4 or a Dell laptop because of the batteries, but I digress.
40.000 still means 40k opportunities to get into serious problems - it is important not to rely on myth, but on hard facts. I tend to upset Linux people with that question too when they tell em proudly they do not have a virus: how do you KNOW?
Even when you do everything right, the fact remains that you have no *evidence* to prove that your efforts have worked - unless you have a way to scan the machine, a sort of independent 3rd party assessment. It doesn't matter how good you are as a sysadmin - I am happy to believe you, but there is no way you can be sure unless you scan the platform.
For the record, I've been using Linux since Slackware came on floppies, so I'm not having a go at people using a different platform (I've only been using OSX for 2 years) - we are simply talking about following good processes but STILL do an audit to make sure those processes are actually effective. Belief doesn't cut it :).
I suspect the sale of Chinese GSM jammers will go through the roof now this spyware is mandatory. The problem with such kit is that without proper rules (and hard, transparent evidence to show that such rules are actually being followed) it WILL be abused for other things - it's a given.
Ah, yes - of course those jammers will be made illegal too - after all, you need to keep the prices high..
Only for Dell, but that has to do with the batteries they use :)
I never believed that anyway. What IS interesting, however, is that every AV vendor now actively prevents analysis of how many virus infections exits per platform, which is actually a very significant bit of data.
Windows malware numbers in the millions (30M, last time I was able to get a figure), whereas OSX malware numbers somewhere in the 40K by now. That's a shade over 1% of the exposure that Windows platforms have - which still makes it a heck of a lot less risky.
The only drive-by infection (Java based) has now been addressed, so I'd say that if you don't install stuff you don't know you're still better off using OSX (or Linux, I'm hoping someone who actually understands usability will get involved on that platform).
But there is no excuse not to install anti virus software on OSX - facts are still better than myth..
At least this time it's mentioned before the product hits the shelves. I distinctly recall all the glorious reviews about innovative Windows Vista and how it would change our lives bla bla bla..
The reality was that it was such a dog it was the best thing that ever happened - for Apple.
I am chuckling at all the comments whizzing around taking that site seriously.
Best joke so far this month...
It's not OK to spy on Americans, but not a problem to spy on foreigners?
Sigh..
The latest iPhone has an IR filter built in (hence its ability to take decent shots with the sun in the picture). I would assume it will ignore attempts to generate overexposure through IR.
What strikes me as ironic is that the organisations fighting transparency in how they exercise their privileges are the same that tell you you should have nothing to hide..
IMHO, there is never a valid argument not to supervise police activity, even when the recordings are not immediately made public. Not only can it highlight abuse, it can also show where they've done everything right. That too is important.
I'd prefer
666 - The Devil/MPAA/RIAA/Government/Censorship is in play.
999 for the Australians..
AFAIK, one of the drivers behind the man on the moon mission was because Russia was busy with the same thing, so this may actually restart the NASA funding.
However, I'm concerned because every nation "up there" has been amusing itself with saturating the place with satellites for various purposes (not in the least military), and now another club is joining - one that now holds all the cash.
It's getting uncomfortably crowded up there, and if something gets out of orbit a hard hat won't exactly be enough. That "out of orbit" could be accidental or deliberate.
*Not* good.
1 - Don't consider the salary discussion closed. You are taking on a higher responsibility, and part of that is to distribute your talent over more people. Do some research, and argue your case. There is, however, a barrier here: if the gap between what you are paid and the industry is too big, you will never get that corrected. Once you have the gap, your only option is to move to another company. It is thus in your interest to keep it small - and try not to fall for the trick where a new company asks you what you earn at the moment. However, be prepared to just accept a status quo or max 5% up in salary - see point 2 why.
2 - Accept, but start looking elsewhere as well. Not immediately, give it half a year months so you're comfortable in the position and know what it entails. The reason for this is simple: you are paid what you are prepared to accept. If you start looking for work BEFORE the promotion you will have to break that promotion barrier again elsewhere. Instead, take the promotion which gives you the rank, then move to another company which will give you the money.
It is sad, but the only way to ensure your salary remains matched with industry values is moving frequently. HR departments know that people don't like to move, and thus try to keep your salary static - they work for the company, not for you, so keeping staff expenditure down is one of their goals. That they thus chase off the talent and keep the dross seems to be sadly immaterial, regardless of the damage that causes to the long term viability of the company..
I just got the latest Flash update, and the process to get to the license was so horrific that I have sent it off to the lawyers to go through it with a fine comb - I really don't trust any organisation that makes it so hard to find the terms you agree to.
When you receive the update and you want to see the license you have to:-
1 - click a link which leads you to an external page. The relevant license is not embedded in the package you download, so there is a risk of disconnect between product and license.
2 - find the product, because the page you land on is an Adobe page with EVERY PRODUCT LICENSE EVER WRITTEN. Sure, it has a hash link which may land you in the right spot, but that's not where the tortuous journey ends
3 - identify the right version for the software as every version comes with its own license
4 - find your own language in the PDF you get, because Adobe produces one massive file with the license translated in all languages of the planet. I'm not sure if the index is enabled in Adobe Reader (I don't use it), but the reader I used the index was off. Adobe has sorted the languages alphabetically, but spelled in English (so Deutsch - which comes before English alphabetically - would actually be found as "German"). This means, the first thing you see when you open the PDF is Arabic.
As far as I am aware there is actually a serious issue with making it so hard to find what you agree to - it may render their license invalid in a number of countries.
Whatever the legality, the first thing that you get when you have to do this sort of digging is a feeling they really, really do not want you to look at it - i.e. you become suspicious. I actually hope the lawyers find something objectionable..
Biometrics are not just fingerprints: Apple's Siri and whatever imitation was made available for Android do one thing very well: they export a pristine, digital quality voiceprint with owner details to the US every time they are used.
It's the second largest successful intelligence intercept ever - the first one being WhatsApp and iMessage tapping what was formerly harder-to-get SMS traffic..
The naked stuff doesn't work, it's automated (as a matter of fact, it would be safe to take a look in automatic mode :) ). However, I can see bags of trouble in the wireless connection that is required to make this work.
Personally, I'd use optics to couple - as the cars are that close, it's relatively easy to do, the angle of sight is not going to change that much and you have distance measurements sorted out in one go as well.
Copyright law happens to be the only handle you have on people who misappropriate email as well as it doesn't require a mutually agree acceptance of conditions.
Email disclaimers have close to nil value, but a copyright notice is a kicker that gives leverage. Unless you're using Google, that is - read the T&Cs..
LOL, I like it. Nice spin. Do you work for a Government? :)
I think the real definition would be "the man too boneheaded to recognise inflammatory language doesn't exactly help when the target nation already has a riot and hooligan problem".
I guess he needs this language to sell (marketing is everything), but I can see the point of the authorities as they simply go by what happened the last time he was over. I'd call this an own goal, but as you pointed out, he could turn this one around - clever idea :)
"get him jailed for the rest of his live"
That won't be that long then..
Th problem with your solution is that it is only built in, but not integrated. Especially GPS is in serious need of some standardisation so that the device can take advantage of rotational information from the wheels (AFAIK from the ABS sensors). Combined with magnetic compass data, this allows a GPS to continue showing position, even when it cannot see the required satellites (typically in a tunnel).
If a government (EU, USA, wherever) *really* wanted to promote competition, they should mandate a standard connector which provides all the relevant signals and power lines. Ditto for car stereos, but that may exist already (haven't been behind a dashboard in years - I just note that in-car GPS simply remains ludicrously expense for what it is).
8. Randomisation is important and is for everyone. Even if you're a politician (which supports your point 6) or airport staff.
9. Transparency and accountability are a MUST. Any organisation which absorbs gazillions of tax dollars should be held accountable for every dollar spent, and should be easy to audit, even if the results have to be delayed by a year to prevent harm to operational security. "National security" should NEVER be a cop-out for accountability.
Having said that, where do you find "sensible people"? All recruitment is now either done via tick box recruiters (who do not know the business) or via outsourcing (which adds simply a layer between the need and the aforementioned braindamaged recruitment process..
OK, this may be a bit luddite, but I still prefer a pen to take notes.
The Livescribe Echo pen takes notes on special paper, which you then play into a program on your PC (Mac or Windows). The killer is that you can:
a - do keyword searches in your HAND WRITTEN notes. Amazingly, it can even deal with my handwriting..
b - record sound at the same time as taking notes. When you listen to the recording, you can see your notes being taken at the same time. In reverse, if you wonder why you wrote something down, just click on the notes and the accompanying audio will be played back. Please note, however, that such recordings may be illegal in some circumstances, so be careful with that.
Naturally you can also dump PDFs of your notes to send them to others.
I use this stuff because it simply works..
1 - Privacy is a right. Yes, that's right - a Human Right. Quite a lot of expensive people sat around a large table for quite some time working this stuff out, and if they didn't think it was important I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be in their list.
2 - Laws are made to be followed. Excuses such as "too big to comply", "we're from abroad" or "too costly to comply" (Google Streetview) are not acceptable.
3 - Law enforcement gets a privilege to break the laws to fight crime. It has to be kept VERY clear, that this is a PRIVILEGE, and absolutely NOT a right.
Now, was that so hard?
Forget about the small fee approach, because that small provider puts the large one in pretty much the same position as the RIAA members: it nukes their business model. The benefit of a non-proprietary device is that it also does other things, added value for which you do not have to do anything extra.
The Big Fat Company (BFC) has no choice. If they don't act, they will lose their business. If they do act, they will get a lot of bad press for a while, but their audience is captive and thus cannot escape..
The smartest move for the BFC would be to buy the small one and sell the product, maybe more expensive. These days, you need either a captive market of do something seriously special to defend the margins on a solution based on proprietary computing resources.
Yup - plus bent arms give you more feeling and control over the wheel in general.
If you're into racing, you also know that you drive with your thumbs outside the steering wheel, not inside (which helps with the airbag deployment).
The rationale behind that is that it's easier to recover from a broken wrist than it is to recover from a broken thumb - has apparently something to do with the complexities in the thumb joint.
You should probably just go back to firehoses, pepper spray, and tear gas
Not a chance. The profit margin on their use is MUCH lower..