True - but MS is trying to change this. Move up into the BWM market and offer that Premium experience. If they don't - Apple will own it. Dell had that failed premium laptop named after (for/appeal to?) a woman - cool form-factor but low-end specs for the price.
That said - regular folks still need a computer. Will they buy an iPad or a Windows thingy? Fighting for Mindshare - MS wants "you" to by a Windows thingy.
I think the phablet will win out in the mid-to-lower end. People need a phone and a computer - the phablet is a merger of the two...plus it has Internet access. So for the person who only needs to read the newspaper/FB/email at home - why buy two devices? Just buy a big phone w/ Internet !
I still have a PC - but I make my living using one. So it is my personal skill-sharpening device at home. But my iPad gets way more daily use than the PC.
ha ha ha!! Click and Clack always suggested carrying a broomstick for just that purpose!! Just shove it under and give it a whack.
I had a full size 4x4 pickup with a bare spot on the teeth. Thankfully it was standard shift - so I would get out and rock the $%^@# in low gear to move the crank to a spot with teeth and it would start up.
Roll starting a 3ton truck on flat was out of the question - couldn't get my date to push fast enough. !!
We all have different reasons why to use adblocker - historically it was we didn't want to see ads or they made the viewing experience slower, and now malware.
And of course the content owner needs to pay the bills.
Previously many sites didn't have the option to allow viewers to pay a subscription fee. This seems completely fair trade. Another model is "pay what you want" (kind of the Public Radio/TV model in the USA).
I thought the same thing years ago when MS first made the announcement. But then I realized that none of the MS OEMs were building equipment to compete with Apple. MS wanted to build the OS and User experience - but nobody was building an "iPad" or "MacBook Air".... so MS had to do it.
Now folks are talking about the Surface & Surface Pro and stating how Apple and others are beginning to imitate MS. MS may have actually gotten this form factor right. But they had to push the Innovation and not rely upon OEMS to invest in this space.
Imagine the conversation: "Dear Dell/HP - we know PC sales are falling. Please spend money in this risky area and build a decent future tablet/laptop thingy" MS had, up to this point, been placing its hope for hw in the hands of others. With consumers flocking to Apple in this "new" mobile space MS had to stop it. But the OEMs were trying their own things to combat market slide. OEMs and MS were competitors - they wanted more features in Windows too (HP went to Linux for awhile).
I believe this was a good plan for MS - own the direction and put their money where their mouth was. Still plenty of work to do - but now I think more people are starting to consider Windows Hardware again. Apple is building a Pro tablet, and OEMs are jumping in too.
Once upon a time I locked myself out of a running car and needed to stall it while I walked home to get the spare (pre-cell phone era). I reached under the bumper - unlatched the hood - removed the airfilter - and using a large glove in the carb slowly smothered it (and no - it didn't suck it in - but that was a worry along with a backfire). Neither happened and the car quietly died.
I've also started a car using only a screw driver.
My 8 year old VW GTI has a similar feature - albeit it doesn't have a flashy name. There are cabin filters which can keep out most everything - and if the car detects Automatically!!! air quality issues it turns on the air recirculation feature. Driving down a road through smoke the system will turn on - as well as dusty dirt roads. Even keeps out the smell of dead skunks (although system doesn't auto detect this air quality situation - requires Manual override). Problems those of us in the country deal with. To think I used to drive with the Windows Open!
Even putting the car in reverse engages this mode - because what - you're backing up through your exhaust (feature probably coded by the Clean Diesel group because they knew otherwise).
So Tesla is just good at the Reality Distortion Field and making you want something because it is shiny. And they built it. And Mr Musk is wearing a black t-shirt while saying "one more thing."
I can't wait for somebody to make an electric car I want - and can afford (or at least willing to afford). Quiet, Clean. Except for the burning ozone from the motors.:-P
I've noticed that many websites that link from FB in the mobile app are overtaken by the ads they serve. I tried reading a newsy item and each time the site came up briefly before auto-forwarding to some spamy ad site instead. Pressing the Back button didn't work - the original site was unusable.
These bad-ads are affecting "legitimate" content sites.
I haven't seen this behavior in mobile Chrome. But whatever browser FB uses isn't all that secure. I've wondered how much extra tracking happen in that browser? (e.g. where do I clear my cookies?)
Yeah - as a long time VW owner I'm dismayed by this news. This is the second time in recent years that something like this has happened. Just a few months ago it was revealed that they "discouraged" security researchers from telling the world that the VW keyfob was easily defeated.
Now this --- seems to set (or suggest) a precedence for how VW operates. Secrets.
I have a few strange problems with my Mk5 GTI (with independent rear suspension:-P ) --- and now I wonder how much VW knows and isn't sharing.
Yes - exactly. They may not have reverse engineered anything.
I posted this elsewhere - but there was a fuel pump fraud at certain stations once upon a time. The pump under delivered the stated amount of fuel - thus overcharging consumers. Of course the Official Measurement folks go around and test these pumps - using defined bottles --- say 5 gallons. So they fill the jug with 5 gallons and declare the pump working.
However - the pump was rigged to produce 5 gallons only when 5 gallons was requested (pumped). So at 4.5 it had only produced 4.25...but as you got closer to 5 it would speed up the delivery rate - and be exact at 5. Then slow down again.
Without reverse engineering anything --- somebody showed up with a 6 gallon bottle and showed it was only filled to the 5.5 gallon mark !!!!
I suspect the same thing here. They put the probes on the car and drove it around without the test jig enabled (6 gallon bottle). Confused by the results they connected it to the 5 gallon bottle... and then began digging deeper.
Geez wiz. Some company caught beating the performance test. How many video card and CPU manufacturers have added code to produce better results in the benchmarks?
Of course - it wasn't a single person who did this. Some management level of the company had to work together to do this. Probably not from the top (that would be wild) - more likely some goal set from above and willing middle managers achieving the goal.
By hook or by crook.
Reminds me of the Fuel pump conspiracy years ago - the pumps produced variable output. The govt goes around and verify the pumps deliver proper amounts of fuel - and tested (something like) 2.5 and 5 gallons. And the pump delivered 2.5 & 5 gallons exactly/properly. All other amounts it under delivered - thus charging consumers more money (e.g. the pump would show 7 gallons but in fact only gave you 6.5). Always buy gas in amounts used by the test jig.
I wiped my iPhone once (OS update didn't go according to plan). I restored to the last backup (previous night). It worked, everything synced and life went back to normal in an hour.
However - if my previous backup had had the bad-actor already on it I'm not sure this plan would have worked. One might need a Restore from Day X feature.
I had other concerns such as - were my photos safe? Most content is pull (podcasts, movies, music) and I'm not worried about that - download again. Content created on my device is what I'm never sure will be restored. If you asked Andriod/iPhone users "Will your data be restored after a wipe?" I'm sure you'd get several answers - all due to confusion over the feature. iPhone for instance requires you to sync with a Mac/PC in order to (safely) delete them from phone storage (which I do, like, twice a year). Sure they are "in the cloud" - but that ain't considered the same thing.
But I will say - restoring my phone & tablet was much easier than say - restoring my PC.
How can 200 million be affected by the web interface? I don't know what WhatsApp is (heard of it - never used it) I assume that "web" means web-server...and I thought that the power of the web was all clients are using the latest and greatest version all of the time.
To upgrade 200 million users - wouldn't I upgrade the web-server?
TV? Why not a whitehat hack. Post a message to the baby monitors saying "this device was easy to hack - please visit this website to learn more about how to patch/configure your device"
Or...patch them for people.
Or...encrypt it and demand $50 to unlock it. Oh wait - PC users are having to deal with this already:-P
Yes - that was my reading too. The Radio must operated within its class and originally licensed / tested parameters.
However - the basic software of the router can be modified. Those features that boost signal or change it beyond that allowed is what (will need) to be controlled.
My father is a Ham radio operator. His radio must stay within specs - and so must the Power lines outside. If a power line starts transmitting stray signals he calls the power company and they come to repair their equipment.
Those stickers on the back of our devices that state something like "complies with FCC class C and doesn't interfere with other devices" is the law. So this FCC proposal sounds like they are seeing too many modified devices that are operating outside specs.
but I agree - device manufacturer's might lock the whole device down rather than just the radio chips (esp if they are software radios).
...which I should also point out I realize that is ~35 hours of HD TV (at 1080)..... and I cannot believe I watch that amount. So I question my router.
Comcast used to claim that they had a place to look up usage - but last time I went to the help page the control panel link went to a dead page.
somehow I use 250GB during the busy Netflix season. Plus I purchase current TV shows through iTunes rather than owning/renting a DVR. I'm a cord-cutter and watch TV via antenna as much as possible.
I was surprised how much I use - according to the meter on my router. My child is now starting to watch Saturday morning cartoons on Netflix too. So 300 could be a real value.
My wife uses her iPad for Netflix. And we have an AppleTV for the living room (which gets the main use). I believe my Netflix is streaming 1080 (the test tool suggests that is possible) - and AppleTV is defn 1080.
Aren't those who have Win8 stuck on it? I read that the first Windows tablets (WinRT?) were stuck and had no upgrade path.
Of course - that would sting me. Assuming those devices are useful - I'd probably keep using it until it broke. Then buy something NON-Microsoft that had a history of long term support.
Slashdot Mirror
True - but MS is trying to change this. Move up into the BWM market and offer that Premium experience. If they don't - Apple will own it. Dell had that failed premium laptop named after (for/appeal to?) a woman - cool form-factor but low-end specs for the price.
That said - regular folks still need a computer. Will they buy an iPad or a Windows thingy? Fighting for Mindshare - MS wants "you" to by a Windows thingy.
I think the phablet will win out in the mid-to-lower end. People need a phone and a computer - the phablet is a merger of the two...plus it has Internet access. So for the person who only needs to read the newspaper/FB/email at home - why buy two devices? Just buy a big phone w/ Internet !
I still have a PC - but I make my living using one. So it is my personal skill-sharpening device at home. But my iPad gets way more daily use than the PC.
Damn - now I will have to read it for the articles.
ha ha ha!! Click and Clack always suggested carrying a broomstick for just that purpose!! Just shove it under and give it a whack.
I had a full size 4x4 pickup with a bare spot on the teeth. Thankfully it was standard shift - so I would get out and rock the $%^@# in low gear to move the crank to a spot with teeth and it would start up.
Roll starting a 3ton truck on flat was out of the question - couldn't get my date to push fast enough. !!
We all have different reasons why to use adblocker - historically it was we didn't want to see ads or they made the viewing experience slower, and now malware.
And of course the content owner needs to pay the bills.
Previously many sites didn't have the option to allow viewers to pay a subscription fee. This seems completely fair trade. Another model is "pay what you want" (kind of the Public Radio/TV model in the USA).
I thought the same thing years ago when MS first made the announcement. But then I realized that none of the MS OEMs were building equipment to compete with Apple. MS wanted to build the OS and User experience - but nobody was building an "iPad" or "MacBook Air" .... so MS had to do it.
Now folks are talking about the Surface & Surface Pro and stating how Apple and others are beginning to imitate MS. MS may have actually gotten this form factor right. But they had to push the Innovation and not rely upon OEMS to invest in this space.
Imagine the conversation: "Dear Dell/HP - we know PC sales are falling. Please spend money in this risky area and build a decent future tablet/laptop thingy" MS had, up to this point, been placing its hope for hw in the hands of others. With consumers flocking to Apple in this "new" mobile space MS had to stop it. But the OEMs were trying their own things to combat market slide. OEMs and MS were competitors - they wanted more features in Windows too (HP went to Linux for awhile).
I believe this was a good plan for MS - own the direction and put their money where their mouth was. Still plenty of work to do - but now I think more people are starting to consider Windows Hardware again. Apple is building a Pro tablet, and OEMs are jumping in too.
Once upon a time I locked myself out of a running car and needed to stall it while I walked home to get the spare (pre-cell phone era). I reached under the bumper - unlatched the hood - removed the airfilter - and using a large glove in the carb slowly smothered it (and no - it didn't suck it in - but that was a worry along with a backfire). Neither happened and the car quietly died.
I've also started a car using only a screw driver.
yeah. or eh. Will I care about this app? No. Feedback is good and I confront it head on. Those who speak behind my back are ignored.
By the way my name is John Smith.
(covering all the bases).
Yeah - I had a similar thought later. Maybe MS is coding special features for gov't computers - maybe a honeypot monitoring service to catch hackers.
Or patching a known vulnerability for just Gov computers because the NSA asked it to be left open for the general public.
Then I turned on the TV and stopped thinking.
yeah - turns out to be a mistake. We can delete this post and all conversation after it.
My 8 year old VW GTI has a similar feature - albeit it doesn't have a flashy name. There are cabin filters which can keep out most everything - and if the car detects Automatically!!! air quality issues it turns on the air recirculation feature. Driving down a road through smoke the system will turn on - as well as dusty dirt roads. Even keeps out the smell of dead skunks (although system doesn't auto detect this air quality situation - requires Manual override). Problems those of us in the country deal with. To think I used to drive with the Windows Open!
Even putting the car in reverse engages this mode - because what - you're backing up through your exhaust (feature probably coded by the Clean Diesel group because they knew otherwise).
So Tesla is just good at the Reality Distortion Field and making you want something because it is shiny. And they built it. And Mr Musk is wearing a black t-shirt while saying "one more thing."
I can't wait for somebody to make an electric car I want - and can afford (or at least willing to afford). Quiet, Clean. Except for the burning ozone from the motors. :-P
Yes - right on.
I've noticed that many websites that link from FB in the mobile app are overtaken by the ads they serve. I tried reading a newsy item and each time the site came up briefly before auto-forwarding to some spamy ad site instead. Pressing the Back button didn't work - the original site was unusable.
These bad-ads are affecting "legitimate" content sites.
I haven't seen this behavior in mobile Chrome. But whatever browser FB uses isn't all that secure. I've wondered how much extra tracking happen in that browser? (e.g. where do I clear my cookies?)
an Article on CNN stated that the probe has widened and now may include 11 million cars worldwide.
500k in the USA - but 11 million globally? New York Times has a better article. Wow - they tried to fool the world.
sorry - clarification: the problem is with the DSG, not the suspension.
Yeah - as a long time VW owner I'm dismayed by this news. This is the second time in recent years that something like this has happened. Just a few months ago it was revealed that they "discouraged" security researchers from telling the world that the VW keyfob was easily defeated.
Now this --- seems to set (or suggest) a precedence for how VW operates. Secrets.
I have a few strange problems with my Mk5 GTI (with independent rear suspension :-P ) --- and now I wonder how much VW knows and isn't sharing.
Yes - exactly. They may not have reverse engineered anything.
I posted this elsewhere - but there was a fuel pump fraud at certain stations once upon a time. The pump under delivered the stated amount of fuel - thus overcharging consumers. Of course the Official Measurement folks go around and test these pumps - using defined bottles --- say 5 gallons. So they fill the jug with 5 gallons and declare the pump working.
However - the pump was rigged to produce 5 gallons only when 5 gallons was requested (pumped). So at 4.5 it had only produced 4.25...but as you got closer to 5 it would speed up the delivery rate - and be exact at 5. Then slow down again.
Without reverse engineering anything --- somebody showed up with a 6 gallon bottle and showed it was only filled to the 5.5 gallon mark !!!!
I suspect the same thing here. They put the probes on the car and drove it around without the test jig enabled (6 gallon bottle). Confused by the results they connected it to the 5 gallon bottle... and then began digging deeper.
Geez wiz. Some company caught beating the performance test. How many video card and CPU manufacturers have added code to produce better results in the benchmarks?
Of course - it wasn't a single person who did this. Some management level of the company had to work together to do this. Probably not from the top (that would be wild) - more likely some goal set from above and willing middle managers achieving the goal.
By hook or by crook.
Reminds me of the Fuel pump conspiracy years ago - the pumps produced variable output. The govt goes around and verify the pumps deliver proper amounts of fuel - and tested (something like) 2.5 and 5 gallons. And the pump delivered 2.5 & 5 gallons exactly/properly. All other amounts it under delivered - thus charging consumers more money (e.g. the pump would show 7 gallons but in fact only gave you 6.5). Always buy gas in amounts used by the test jig.
theonion.onion I love it!!!
or is that redundant like slashdot dot org and it should become https://the.onion/ ?
I wiped my iPhone once (OS update didn't go according to plan). I restored to the last backup (previous night). It worked, everything synced and life went back to normal in an hour.
However - if my previous backup had had the bad-actor already on it I'm not sure this plan would have worked. One might need a Restore from Day X feature.
I had other concerns such as - were my photos safe? Most content is pull (podcasts, movies, music) and I'm not worried about that - download again. Content created on my device is what I'm never sure will be restored. If you asked Andriod/iPhone users "Will your data be restored after a wipe?" I'm sure you'd get several answers - all due to confusion over the feature. iPhone for instance requires you to sync with a Mac/PC in order to (safely) delete them from phone storage (which I do, like, twice a year). Sure they are "in the cloud" - but that ain't considered the same thing.
But I will say - restoring my phone & tablet was much easier than say - restoring my PC.
How can 200 million be affected by the web interface? I don't know what WhatsApp is (heard of it - never used it) I assume that "web" means web-server...and I thought that the power of the web was all clients are using the latest and greatest version all of the time.
To upgrade 200 million users - wouldn't I upgrade the web-server?
The article didn't get into the product design.
TV? Why not a whitehat hack. Post a message to the baby monitors saying "this device was easy to hack - please visit this website to learn more about how to patch/configure your device"
Or...patch them for people.
Or...encrypt it and demand $50 to unlock it. Oh wait - PC users are having to deal with this already :-P
hmm... okay - maybe (although in full HD?)
That darn Auto-Play-Next on Netflix ! :-P
Yes - that was my reading too. The Radio must operated within its class and originally licensed / tested parameters.
However - the basic software of the router can be modified. Those features that boost signal or change it beyond that allowed is what (will need) to be controlled.
My father is a Ham radio operator. His radio must stay within specs - and so must the Power lines outside. If a power line starts transmitting stray signals he calls the power company and they come to repair their equipment.
Those stickers on the back of our devices that state something like "complies with FCC class C and doesn't interfere with other devices" is the law. So this FCC proposal sounds like they are seeing too many modified devices that are operating outside specs.
but I agree - device manufacturer's might lock the whole device down rather than just the radio chips (esp if they are software radios).
...which I should also point out I realize that is ~35 hours of HD TV (at 1080)..... and I cannot believe I watch that amount. So I question my router.
Comcast used to claim that they had a place to look up usage - but last time I went to the help page the control panel link went to a dead page.
somehow I use 250GB during the busy Netflix season. Plus I purchase current TV shows through iTunes rather than owning/renting a DVR. I'm a cord-cutter and watch TV via antenna as much as possible.
I was surprised how much I use - according to the meter on my router. My child is now starting to watch Saturday morning cartoons on Netflix too. So 300 could be a real value.
My wife uses her iPad for Netflix. And we have an AppleTV for the living room (which gets the main use). I believe my Netflix is streaming 1080 (the test tool suggests that is possible) - and AppleTV is defn 1080.
Plus all those PluralSight videos ;-)
Aren't those who have Win8 stuck on it? I read that the first Windows tablets (WinRT?) were stuck and had no upgrade path.
Of course - that would sting me. Assuming those devices are useful - I'd probably keep using it until it broke. Then buy something NON-Microsoft that had a history of long term support.