Industry spokesman: "... but this will stop those evil hackers taking over your system. Surely this is what you want? Oh, well yes, it CAN be used to restrict the way you use your legitimately purchased software, but don't you think that's a small price to pay?"
what I don't like about this concept is that the problems that mainly affect the lower end (non-tech users who can't secure their PCs) will result in more restrictions on the top end (tech users who can 'creatively' use products for a purpose outside their original design parameters). the punters won't notice.
now THIS is new to me. Of course I probably won't be able to sneak it onto the work laptop (PowerDVD or death, I suspect) but this could be good if it'll run on my personal machines.
for anyone else reading and wondering, VLC is here, and I'll be testing it out tonight.
1. can I get a region free DVD drive for my Dell laptops? no. 2. what about my compaq desktop? maybe. 3. shall I just replace the set-top player I've already bought? considering it.
I watch DVDs on my laptop(s) quite a bit, and it's my laptops I travel with, meaning I'd much rather have region-free there, where there's a more pressing need.
Damn straight. The customer should be the number one priority for pretty much any corporate entity, though sometimes they do seem to lose the plot a little.
Now if only it was easier to buy a DVD disc without region encoding, I'd be happy. As a Brit living in Australia, I'm pretty hacked off with the hassle of playing UK bought DVDs in AU and vice versa. And I thought this was if-not-illegal-then-definitely-dodgy restraint of trade?
Nah. That'd too much hassle to sway many consumers. technically adept folks perhaps, but our purchasing priorities may be a tad different
I'd go for an OGG-capable player, but I'd like it if it could also do MP3, simply because of inertia (I have quite a few mp3 tracks already and converting, while possible, isn't something I'd be bothered to do. And I'm a geek. imagine what Joe Sixpack would think.
I mean, this is the most secretive, control freak administration since Nixon. And on a similar vein, does anyone think Bush and Kerry will have a real debate?
The lawyers have given them a string of things to talk about and a string of things not to. The whole thing might as well be as scripted as the Iraqi stooge^H^H^H^H^H^HPrime Minister's speech.
please vote the right way, it affects the rest of world too.
> Speaking of which, I don't get it. AOL owns Netscape, what possible reason could they have not to use their own product and use a competitor's instead?! It makes absolutely no sense!
If they use IE, they get an icon on every OEM windows install. that's a LOT of new customers.
> Will Disney also get your address and phone number somehow?
yup, if you shop online at a site owned by Disney (or a subsidiary, don't forget it's a BIG company), they'll have your delivery address. they'll probably ask for your phone number too, and they'll correlate that to your CC number.
or if you sign your ankle-biters up for a by-mail "kids' club", same thing. Or if you pre-order tickets.
Corporate entities have access to a stunning amount of information about you. If they choose to mine it, that is.
of 282977 objects scanned, 14163 are spyware. that's almost exactly 5% of items
5%? hell I'm glad that machine wasn't my responsibility. And Adaware doesn't even get everything (I usually run S & D as well if I'm being thorough)
even taking into account that many would be cookies, this guy's been really unsafe in his surfing habits. Record at my last place something like 400. Now I work somewhere a bit more savvy.
That's one argument I've heard advanced a lot, but I don't think it's necessarily a valid one. tighter targeting like that just increases the cost/benefit ratio of running a given campaign, right? More bang for their buck?
So it's cheaper, right? and what happens when the price goes down?
Demand (and volume) go up.
So the marketing may be more relevant, but there'd be a load more of it. The savings certainly wouldn't go to anything as crass as lowering the price of the product or (god forbid) improving it - that's not what marketing is for.
ooh, there's a good point. It significantly lowers the skill level required to be an active stalker. Hooray for technology, making everyone's life easier, even the creepier ones among us.
yeah, but (as I've noted in an earlier reply) what if the tag ID is linked to the visa account you paid with.
Let's say you go into the park, pay by credit card, wander round a bit and the system tracks you and your activities. Now if the company in question (lets say Disney) can link the ID to your CC number, and if they retain the data, then they'll be able to tightly market to you later based on what you did at the park.
Hung around a lot in the little kids park? you likely have small children, so we can market kids stuff to you. Sit in the bar all day while the rest of the party wandered round in bliss? well, there's stuff we can market there too.... that's my only worry.
well, the monitors are throughout the park. you just check monitors as you get closer. if your friends are doing the same then you inevitably get closer.
of course if they hate you and they're deliberately trying to ditch you, then the knife cuts both ways;-)
For a theme park, I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing. One of my least favorite things about theme parks is the potential to lose the rest of your party - resulting in much tedious wandering around. sure, you can call or SMS, but this seems like a genuinely good feature.
Can the park individually track where you are? probably, but it's their right to do so - you've voluntarily entered their private property after all, and paid for the privilege. Can they track your preferences within the park? probably.
will they store any personal identifiers? there's the rub. if their database links your RFID tag to the visa card number you paid with, THEN we're talking problems, and of course the article doesn't make it clear if this can happen or not...
If you're pathologically paranoid, get it sent to a friend's place, or a PO box (or whatever) and wear your tinfoil hat when you pick it up - just patch your machine so it doesn't end up sending me Vi@Gr4 spam when it's 0wn3d
Slashdot Mirror
Industry spokesman: "... but this will stop those evil hackers taking over your system. Surely this is what you want? Oh, well yes, it CAN be used to restrict the way you use your legitimately purchased software, but don't you think that's a small price to pay?"
what I don't like about this concept is that the problems that mainly affect the lower end (non-tech users who can't secure their PCs) will result in more restrictions on the top end (tech users who can 'creatively' use products for a purpose outside their original design parameters). the punters won't notice.
What, all of them? He's got a hell of a lot of them down there. Could take a while.
Hmmmm.... I don't share your optimism on that one I'm afraid. maybe we should ask a non-tech user?
now THIS is new to me. Of course I probably won't be able to sneak it onto the work laptop (PowerDVD or death, I suspect) but this could be good if it'll run on my personal machines.
for anyone else reading and wondering, VLC is here, and I'll be testing it out tonight.
Yeah, I possibly should go buy one, but :
1. can I get a region free DVD drive for my Dell laptops? no.
2. what about my compaq desktop? maybe.
3. shall I just replace the set-top player I've already bought? considering it.
I watch DVDs on my laptop(s) quite a bit, and it's my laptops I travel with, meaning I'd much rather have region-free there, where there's a more pressing need.
Damn straight. The customer should be the number one priority for pretty much any corporate entity, though sometimes they do seem to lose the plot a little.
Now if only it was easier to buy a DVD disc without region encoding, I'd be happy. As a Brit living in Australia, I'm pretty hacked off with the hassle of playing UK bought DVDs in AU and vice versa. And I thought this was if-not-illegal-then-definitely-dodgy restraint of trade?
Nah. That'd too much hassle to sway many consumers. technically adept folks perhaps, but our purchasing priorities may be a tad different
I'd go for an OGG-capable player, but I'd like it if it could also do MP3, simply because of inertia (I have quite a few mp3 tracks already and converting, while possible, isn't something I'd be bothered to do. And I'm a geek. imagine what Joe Sixpack would think.
"many music users' consciousness increased to protection of copyrights"
"We really thought we could sneak this by most users, but it turns out they're more informaed than we thought. Damn you, independent media!"
I mean, this is the most secretive, control freak administration since Nixon. And on a similar vein, does anyone think Bush and Kerry will have a real debate?
The lawyers have given them a string of things to talk about and a string of things not to. The whole thing might as well be as scripted as the Iraqi stooge^H^H^H^H^H^HPrime Minister's speech.
please vote the right way, it affects the rest of world too.
> Speaking of which, I don't get it. AOL owns Netscape, what possible reason could they have not to use their own product and use a competitor's instead?! It makes absolutely no sense!
If they use IE, they get an icon on every OEM windows install. that's a LOT of new customers.
> Will Disney also get your address and phone number somehow?
yup, if you shop online at a site owned by Disney (or a subsidiary, don't forget it's a BIG company), they'll have your delivery address. they'll probably ask for your phone number too, and they'll correlate that to your CC number.
or if you sign your ankle-biters up for a by-mail "kids' club", same thing. Or if you pre-order tickets.
Corporate entities have access to a stunning amount of information about you. If they choose to mine it, that is.
of 282977 objects scanned, 14163 are spyware. that's almost exactly 5% of items
5%? hell I'm glad that machine wasn't my responsibility. And Adaware doesn't even get everything (I usually run S & D as well if I'm being thorough)
even taking into account that many would be cookies, this guy's been really unsafe in his surfing habits. Record at my last place something like 400. Now I work somewhere a bit more savvy.
Errr.... where does it say anything about your CC number being stored on the chip?
That's one argument I've heard advanced a lot, but I don't think it's necessarily a valid one. tighter targeting like that just increases the cost/benefit ratio of running a given campaign, right? More bang for their buck?
So it's cheaper, right? and what happens when the price goes down?
Demand (and volume) go up.
So the marketing may be more relevant, but there'd be a load more of it. The savings certainly wouldn't go to anything as crass as lowering the price of the product or (god forbid) improving it - that's not what marketing is for.
at least, that's one theory
> ... for stalkers
ooh, there's a good point. It significantly lowers the skill level required to be an active stalker. Hooray for technology, making everyone's life easier, even the creepier ones among us.
now, where are my trenchcoat and dark glasses?
> it is nothing to do with peoples rights being violated online
You must be new here. Welcome to Slashdot, simonharvey!
yeah, but (as I've noted in an earlier reply) what if the tag ID is linked to the visa account you paid with.
Let's say you go into the park, pay by credit card, wander round a bit and the system tracks you and your activities. Now if the company in question (lets say Disney) can link the ID to your CC number, and if they retain the data, then they'll be able to tightly market to you later based on what you did at the park.
Hung around a lot in the little kids park? you likely have small children, so we can market kids stuff to you. Sit in the bar all day while the rest of the party wandered round in bliss? well, there's stuff we can market there too.... that's my only worry.
well, the monitors are throughout the park. you just check monitors as you get closer. if your friends are doing the same then you inevitably get closer.
;-)
of course if they hate you and they're deliberately trying to ditch you, then the knife cuts both ways
For a theme park, I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing. One of my least favorite things about theme parks is the potential to lose the rest of your party - resulting in much tedious wandering around. sure, you can call or SMS, but this seems like a genuinely good feature.
Can the park individually track where you are? probably, but it's their right to do so - you've voluntarily entered their private property after all, and paid for the privilege. Can they track your preferences within the park? probably.
will they store any personal identifiers? there's the rub. if their database links your RFID tag to the visa card number you paid with, THEN we're talking problems, and of course the article doesn't make it clear if this can happen or not...
How will they find out?
If you're pathologically paranoid, get it sent to a friend's place, or a PO box (or whatever) and wear your tinfoil hat when you pick it up - just patch your machine so it doesn't end up sending me Vi@Gr4 spam when it's 0wn3d
Not that Slashdot readers are ever 0wn3d, right?
> 1. user buys shareware
You lost me right about there. you mean people actually pay? Wow.
Microsoft will ship the [XP SP2] CD to you free of charge.
use the postal service's bandwidth
> Go for it George Lucas. Ruin all of your movies.
Howard The Duck, Special Edition!
(although he only produced that, so Maybe...)
Ewoks! Special Edition: Caravan of High-Definition Courage
No no. you're clearly wrong. The Moon is entirely stationary - the rest of the Universe just orbits it in a way that makes it appear to rotate.
> Well, it's nice to see IE is finally catching up
yeah, but it's not IE catching up. it's a third-party addon, not the IE team suddenly adding a (very useful hassle saving) feature.