There's a thoughtful and entertaining podcast called Skeptoid that offers a skeptical view of pop culture phenomena; but more to the point, there are episodes that teach critical thinking skills.
When you double click a document that tries to open an app that has never been run, you'll get a warning. Double clicking the app itself will happily run it the first time, no questions asked.
A file with this exploit will contain a hard coded path to Terminal.app (/Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app) in a 'usro' resource in its resource fork.
For a temporary fix, renaming (or moving) Terminal.app will cause the file to be opened in it's default app (Preview, in my case) and present an error that the file is corrupt. Much better than opening Terminal. This includes opening it from Mail.
Oddly, before renaming the file, control-clicking it in the Finder and looking at Open With... shows Terminal at the top, but still has Preview listed as the default app. This changes if Terminal is renamed; Preview moves to the top and Terminal disappears.
Terminal.app should be given its proper name and location before using Software Update or running Repair Permissions in Disk Utility. These require paths to match their Receipts.
I've done this at all of my click-happy clients with no ill effects. They aren't command line kind of people.
It looks like there's an OS X version as well, but from a different source. Here's a reader comment from macintouch.com...
Darren Dittrich followed up on the discovery that Sony was playing a dirty trick on its customers, secretly installing a malware-style "root kit" on their computers via audio CDs:
I recently purchased Imogen Heap's new CD (Speak for Yourself), an RCA Victor release, but with distribution credited to Sony/BMG. Reading recent reports of a Sony rootkit, I decided to poke around. In addition to the standard volume for AIFF files, there's a smaller extra partition for "enhanced" content. I was surprised to find a "Start.app" Mac application in addition to the expected Windows-related files. Running this app brings up a long legal agreement, clicking Continue prompts you for your username/password (uh-oh!), and then promptly exits. Digging around a bit, I find that Start.app actually installs 2 files: PhoenixNub1.kext and PhoenixNub12.kext.
Personally, I'm not a big fan of anyone installing kernel extensions on my Mac. In Sony's defense, upon closer reading of the EULA, they essentially tell you that they will be installing software. Also, this is apparently not the same technology used in the recent Windows rootkits (made by XCP), but rather a DRM codebase developed by SunnComm, who promotes their Mac-aware DRM technology on their site.
IMO, not as impressive as a video I saw, where there was a desk that had virtual (i.e. you could put your hand through them) objects moving around and interacting with some real objects (a plug outlet). Also had a guy turning his mic into a rose. I forget the link.
The company is Total Immersion. The video you're talking about can be seen here.
There's a decentralized simulator called Breve that includes a module called Gatherers that will demonstrate the behavior of the U-Bots. There's a few other canned demos, or you can write your own. Lots of eye candy.
A couple of weeks ago, the following clause was added to Apple's developer program agreement:
11. Apple Independent Development. You understand and agree that Apple may acquire, license, develop for itself or have others develop for it, and market and/or distribute similar hardware or software to that which you may develop. In the absence of a separate written agreement to the contrary, Apple will be free to use any information you provide to Apple for any purpose, subject to any applicable patents or copyrights.
You can view the full agreement by going to connect.apple.com and clicking Join ADC.
The choice of microphones and their placement is at the heart of getting the sound you want. A closely placed directional microphone tends to pick up only a part of the sound of an instrument instead of the instrument as a whole. Listen to someone playing the guitar from 3 inches away and it will sound brittle with Van Halen like string and fret noise.
Same with vocals. Get close to a directional mic and you'll sound like a dj. And you'll hear every startling sound your mouth makes.
And sometimes you want the sound of the room. The echos and reverberation helps things sound natural, since that's what we're used to hearing.
Of course, we're taking art, and it's all subjective.
Unless your sequencer pegs the cpu at 100% just iding away, and if you're a one man show laying down one track at a time, try this:
Bounce your tracks down to a single two channel mix for overdubbing, then mute all the others. Record the output of any software samplers to these tracks and mix in effects and eq so you won't have to tax the cpu with them during playback.
I use Digital Performer. It has pretty low cpu requirements, except, oddly, for the time counter. I move the fractional beats part of the counter winodw off screen, since it just counts to 480 every second.
Use the Activity Monitor cpu history icon in the dock to see how you're doing.
We developed a fairly large (~80,000 lines of executable code) WebObjects application. Our dev machines are all 15" PowerBooks in the 800 to 1GHz range.
Compile performance is fine, but more importantly, it's always improving. It's 50% faster that it was a year ago on the same machine. Xcode's predictive compiling only works with GCC for now, but if there's a way to stick it on javac or jikes, Apple will do it.
Apple likes Java. They have a vested interest in it via WebObjects - which is the back end for iTunes and the whole Apple online store. 100% Java. They're also getting into JBoss and other Java related open source projects.
The development tools are really nice, and you *will* get hooked on the PowerBook. We've got two 2.8 GHz Windows boxen available. Nobody uses 'em... except SETI.
For her birthday, I purchased a rack enclosure for my girlfriend, and it came with built in underwires. Haven't tried it, but I'm sure you could use those.
It should be noted that Linux software for computer operating systems is also based on designs which are around three decades old (with some upgrades). Ditto BSD software.
Got a delivery today from Beta-13! It's a surveillance video showing a mailroom guy pushing a cart by some cubicles when all of a sudden this guy runs into frame and tackles the mail guy! He does a little victory dance, just like I did and then passes out. I recognized the tackler from the beta test, so I knew it was for real.
Hey, I think I recognized the tackler too. Could anybody else dance like that? He's like a monkey, man!
Slashdot Mirror
There's a thoughtful and entertaining podcast called Skeptoid that offers a skeptical view of pop culture phenomena; but more to the point, there are episodes that teach critical thinking skills.
The host, Brian Dunning, and friends also made a movie called Here Be Dragons: An Introduction to Critical Thinking, offering a nice intro to distinguishing pseudoscience from science. Here's a torrent of the movie in HD in case the site gets creamed.
Good stuff. I recommend both for audiences of any age
Chungian Motion?
Thirty to 40 years ago, there was a watchmaker at every jewelry store. That's not the case today.
Maybe this will help explain why.
Not quite.
When you double click a document that tries to open an app that has never been run, you'll get a warning. Double clicking the app itself will happily run it the first time, no questions asked.
Not as scary as Klaatu Barada Nikto.
Here is the full size logo from the installer...
A file with this exploit will contain a hard coded path to Terminal.app (/Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app) in a 'usro' resource in its resource fork.
For a temporary fix, renaming (or moving) Terminal.app will cause the file to be opened in it's default app (Preview, in my case) and present an error that the file is corrupt. Much better than opening Terminal. This includes opening it from Mail.
Oddly, before renaming the file, control-clicking it in the Finder and looking at Open With... shows Terminal at the top, but still has Preview listed as the default app. This changes if Terminal is renamed; Preview moves to the top and Terminal disappears.
Terminal.app should be given its proper name and location before using Software Update or running Repair Permissions in Disk Utility. These require paths to match their Receipts.
I've done this at all of my click-happy clients with no ill effects. They aren't command line kind of people.
In QuickTime player, Command-left arrow (mac) or Control-left arrow (windows) will do it.
The company is Total Immersion. The video you're talking about can be seen here.
There's a decentralized simulator called Breve that includes a module called Gatherers that will demonstrate the behavior of the U-Bots. There's a few other canned demos, or you can write your own. Lots of eye candy.
Runs on Linux, OS X, and Windows.
I couldn't help but notice that they are not able satisfactorily to explain what a Hrung is, nor why it should choose to collapse on Betelgeuse Seven.
Must be the babelfish translation.
A couple of weeks ago, the following clause was added to Apple's developer program agreement:
You can view the full agreement by going to connect.apple.com and clicking Join ADC.
A couple of pictures from the funeral.
It's not that simple.
The choice of microphones and their placement is at the heart of getting the sound you want. A closely placed directional microphone tends to pick up only a part of the sound of an instrument instead of the instrument as a whole. Listen to someone playing the guitar from 3 inches away and it will sound brittle with Van Halen like string and fret noise.
Same with vocals. Get close to a directional mic and you'll sound like a dj. And you'll hear every startling sound your mouth makes.
And sometimes you want the sound of the room. The echos and reverberation helps things sound natural, since that's what we're used to hearing.
Of course, we're taking art, and it's all subjective.
Unless your sequencer pegs the cpu at 100% just iding away, and if you're a one man show laying down one track at a time, try this:
Bounce your tracks down to a single two channel mix for overdubbing, then mute all the others. Record the output of any software samplers to these tracks and mix in effects and eq so you won't have to tax the cpu with them during playback.
I use Digital Performer. It has pretty low cpu requirements, except, oddly, for the time counter. I move the fractional beats part of the counter winodw off screen, since it just counts to 480 every second.
Use the Activity Monitor cpu history icon in the dock to see how you're doing.
We developed a fairly large (~80,000 lines of executable code) WebObjects application. Our dev machines are all 15" PowerBooks in the 800 to 1GHz range.
Compile performance is fine, but more importantly, it's always improving. It's 50% faster that it was a year ago on the same machine. Xcode's predictive compiling only works with GCC for now, but if there's a way to stick it on javac or jikes, Apple will do it.
Apple likes Java. They have a vested interest in it via WebObjects - which is the back end for iTunes and the whole Apple online store. 100% Java. They're also getting into JBoss and other Java related open source projects.
The development tools are really nice, and you *will* get hooked on the PowerBook. We've got two 2.8 GHz Windows boxen available. Nobody uses 'em... except SETI.
For her birthday, I purchased a rack enclosure for my girlfriend, and it came with built in underwires. Haven't tried it, but I'm sure you could use those.
It should be noted that Linux software for computer operating systems is also based on designs which are around three decades old (with some upgrades).
Ditto BSD software.
Rule 30: There is Noooooooo... Rule 30.
Apple sues Monitor Man for patent infringement, citing prior art.
Dennis Ricthie has been noting products with the Unix name on his pages at Bell Labs.
MeetUp does this.
You can search by zip code, topic, area, etc., add your own stuff, and it is apparently free.