A masked thief enters a convenience store. The cashier tells him to take whatever he wants, but is surprised when he opens the ATM, removes a hard disk drive, and runs up to the cashier. He shouts, "I own you!"
The cashier says, "No! I meant that you could take anything but me!"
Is it me, or is Vista just becoming less and less relevant?
Look at it this way. Although some may not consider Vista relevant now, they will several years after it has launched. Like Windows XP and Windows 2000 before it, Vista will be preinstalled on all new computers, and vendors will slowly deprecate their support for older Microsoft operating systems.
As long as the executives at Microsoft are capable of maintaining their OEM agreements with the popular brand name manufacturers, Windows will always be relevant.
Has the great and prestidgeous institute known as the Mercedes Marketing department come to stoop so low as this?
I know that you were probably joking, but we really do love our cars. If they had actually been looking for an appeal to Slashdot, they would simply indicate that Mercedes-Benz engineers tend to favor Linux desktops. No, seriously.:-)
Let me just say that I would hate to have just purchased a new PowerBook G4.
Personally, I am looking forward to seeing a benchmark comparison of the Intel iMac, the MacBook, and the current PowerMac G5. I'm especially interested in Rosetta benchmarks taken from these production machines.
Actually, it's simple. There is no scientific evidence that would support Intelligent Design. Intelligent Design is not a valid scientific theory, as it is not even remotely predictable. It's also unlikely that one could validate Intelligent Design through observation.
Meanwhile, the theory of evolution is supported by both strong scientific evidence and observation. It is also predictable.
One is the product of science, and belongs in a science class. The other is not.
Torvalds no longer represents Linux as a whole.
on
Torvalds Says 'Use KDE'
·
· Score: 4, Insightful
From his message:
it has long since reached the point where it simply doesn't do what I need it to do.
Everybody is entitled to his or her opinion, but Linux has grown beyond the scope of "just" Linus Torvalds. The freedom of choice that we enjoy as users of the operating system is among its finest attributes.
Is it possible that Gnome and KDE are simply designed for different audiences? Newbies and other users may enjoy the more straightforward approach that the Gnome developers strive for. Slightly more advanced users such as Linus may prefer a different UI. (I kid, I kid!)
Not surprisingly, the article is light on technical details. I don't believe that a corporation such as Google would seemingly overlook a simple address filter containing IP ranges used by known legitimate crawling agents.
Maybe spam agents were indexing the AIT Web sites in an effort to aggregate data like published e-mail addresses. The article just doesn't tell us much. If that were the case, however, Google wouldn't have many options. They could add end-user validation to each advertisement (i.e., "Repeat the alphanumeric string so that we know you aren't a robot!"), which would obviously inconvenience the user and ultimately decrease traffic, or they could create ban filters. I would suppose that the latter option might also garner various legal accusations.
It sounds as though AIT could have incurred a legitimate loss, but are pursuing a large corporation whose employees aren't exactly known by most people for their negligent behavior. If my suspicions are true, however, how could Google engineers manage to prevent "click fraud" while balancing the usability of their service? Nobody wants to spend thirty seconds validating themselves as a human to an advertisement. Maybe AIT would have better luck pursuing the (hypothetical) spammers.
It seems that their tactics are already working. I'm already having trouble finding the lyrics for Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. If there are any underground sites still operating, please let me know. Thanks!
RIM said in a statement that it would continue efforts to get the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case. The company also reiterated that it has prepared a software upgrade that can be used to work around the disputed patents.
Several analysts believe that RIM is likely to avoid an injunction by settling, whatever the cost. At the moment, this all certainly makes me glad that I use a Treo.
Later versions tried to fix the problem while keeping the functionality, as if somehow the bad guys would intentionally include the Evil Bit in their code.
If the newer build didn't contain the same functionality, then nobody would upgrade their software. Outlook Express has also served to reinforce the idea that this functionality should exist and be activated by default in all modern e-mail clients. If you were to install a different e-mail client -- Thunderbird, for instance -- on a computer belonging to an individual that had become accustomed to Outlook Express, you would receive complaints due to the more secure behavior.
Good security is transparent to an end-user. The problem is that functionality is not, and end-users often prefer functionality at any cost.
People seem amazed when they learn what DRM technology is capable of. Interestingly, I'm afraid that most casual readers wouldn't understand the implications of DRM, even if it actually received a substantial amount of press. I know that "rootkit" isn't the most commonly used term.
In fact, to a casual reader, it would almost seem as though anything with an acronym such as "Digital Rights Management" would be designed to protect your digital rights. It's entirely misleading.
If all else fails, Sony can always use a scapegoat and proclaim that the managers had no idea any of this was happening. An unknown malicious programmer must have done it all!
IE 7 (beta) still has some pretty sweet features that this version of Firefox doesn't. One of the coolest is the feature that lets you quickly see an image of all open tabs.
Firefox is ultimately a lightweight browser that can be easily expanded to suit an end-user's individual preferences. There are freely available extensions that will convert Firefox into the most feature-rich browser imaginable.
For the common end user, another is the phishing filter, which is pretty good.
It's funny that you would mention it. The current development builds of Mozilla Thunderbird actually have a "scam detection" filter, even though I feel that such technology does often add a false sense of security to the equation. Maybe it will be shared with an upcoming Firefox build.
I wish Firefox added more cutting edge stuff.
This subject has been beaten to death here at Slashdot, but I'm afraid that the Trident rendering engine is still many miles behind the competition. Gecko is definitely cutting edge by comparison, even though I understand that the Microsoft team is striving to improve their engine.
MS will win the war if this is what is going to compete against IE 7.
If there is indeed a browser war happening, Microsoft certainly has the advantage. For most people, after all, the preinstalled Internet Explorer is synonymous with "the Internet." However, I don't believe that Firefox 1.5 will be up against Internet Explorer 7.0. Instead, it's likely that Firefox 2.0 ("The Ocho") will be released alongside Vista, and that they will directly compete for the market.
I think IRC is worse than ever. More and more jerks! People are so arrogant and far from being without ego. I think you need to be pretty well advanced in your skill-set in order to use IRC properly. Newbies be warned: you'll just be flamed on IRC if you ask for help.
The wonderful thing about IRC is that there are many networks out there, and many of the smaller ones have operators that are actually interested in helping you. I operate one, and I can tell you that we don't turn newbies away, nor will we tell you to press ALT + F4 or CTRL + C to join a secret channel.
The smaller networks also tend to support more advanced features like integrated encryption and niche service commands, including several that might not be possible in a mainstream (i.e., a very large network) environment. They also benefit from having closely knit communities, as many of the network constituents actually do know each other outside of the Internet.
I'd speculate that you're just using the wrong network. If you dedicate a moderate amount of effort to researching the communities available to you, you'll probably find one that matches your taste.:-)
I was going to add a little about the weight (or lack thereof) of this computer. If it isn't sitting on a solid surface (i.e., a table), it will actually sway from side to side as you type. It really is very light.
The chassis itself feels adequately sturdy, and none of the materials used seem like cop-outs. There aren't any doors sticking out that could break in the future. I was surprised that Sony didn't use a door with either the MemoryStick or SD(!) card readers, which sit very low. That seems as though it could prove to be a minor oversight.
The keyboard is extremely responsive, and makes speed typing very easy. It certainly doesn't feel as small as it is.
The machine doesn't have an integrated camera or microphone. I use neither; therefore, those weren't selling points for me. It does feature a dual layer DVD±RW, however, which I've been using to record projects from the network drive and mix CDs. It's definitely quick for a notebook, and the Japanese software is actually very intuitive. Your mileage may vary with the American model.
For the record, I was considering other laptops such as an Apple PowerBook 17", but ultimately decided to import this Sony. I'm very happy to say that the experience has been an exceptionally pleasant one, and that I'd completely recommend both the importer (Dynamism.com, if you're curious) and this particular model.
If any of you are considering one and would like me to answer a question about it, ask away.:-)
I already received a Japanese model (VGN-TX90S) through an importer, although they are no longer in stock.
This machine is extremely fast once you consider its form factor, and has excellent heat dissipation properties. It's a true "laptop" computer.
Being what it is, you won't use it to play many newer games, but the video card actually isn't bad at all.
The integrated wireless capabilities are reasonably strong and never lose synchronization, as one would expect from a higher end Sony product.
You're all probably wondering about the battery life. Mine shipped with the standard battery, although I'm expecting to receive my supplemental extended battery today. I was able to run productivity applications all afternoon at a Starbucks with a fully charged standard battery, and I left with a 50% charge. Several people were quick to inquire about the computer itself, which is something I don't often experience. The design seems to have universal appeal. I should add that disabling the integrated Bluetooth adapter certainly did extend battery life.
The display is also excellent, and the 16 x 9 (1366 x 768) size really is perfect for watching a movie. I used Lost in Translation as a slightly ironic cinematic benchmark. Har, har. For this kind of machine, it renders color beautifully.
Oracle has just announced that they are open sourcing their famous database platform. Long live free software.
The above post is factually incorrect. Oracle acquired Innobase Oy, the firm responsible for InnoDB, a database engine commonly used with MySQL. Many people are obviously skeptical of this acquisition.
It's highly unlikely that they would ever donate their enterprise product to the open-source community. Suffice it to say that the shareholders would not be pleased with a bankruptcy filing.
Interestingly, I've noticed that spyware developers only tend to change once they've developed a "better" idea, and rumor has it that a couple of original equipment manufacturers are now installing MyWebSearch by default.
Could it be that some spyware manufacturers are taking the good press while they can, knowing that their current method of installation won't really last? Could they be looking to bypass end-user installation altogether?
I'd say that is perfectly reasonable. It would be simply unethical for them to ship packaging with specifications reflecting a more powerful machine unless they were capable of providing one in every shipment.
This method allows them to ethically clear unused inventory and provide additional value to the customer.
The Chinese government will certainly benefit from this. If the hardware sold in China is no longer capable of playing foreign discs, then the Chinese government will have absolute control of what can be viewed by most of the Chinese people.
If the Chinese government doesn't like a political documentary, they can simply refuse to release it domestically. The Great Firewall will prevent you from downloading a copy, and smuggling a foreign copy in will no longer be an option. You won't be able to play it, after all.
Slashdot Mirror
enter a Social Security number on a touch screen.
A masked thief enters a convenience store. The cashier tells him to take whatever he wants, but is surprised when he opens the ATM, removes a hard disk drive, and runs up to the cashier. He shouts, "I own you!"
The cashier says, "No! I meant that you could take anything but me!"
So, would you say that the Sun Grid should now be considered "off the grid?"
Don't worry, I'll be here all week.
Is it me, or is Vista just becoming less and less relevant?
Look at it this way. Although some may not consider Vista relevant now, they will several years after it has launched. Like Windows XP and Windows 2000 before it, Vista will be preinstalled on all new computers, and vendors will slowly deprecate their support for older Microsoft operating systems.
As long as the executives at Microsoft are capable of maintaining their OEM agreements with the popular brand name manufacturers, Windows will always be relevant.
Has the great and prestidgeous institute known as the Mercedes Marketing department come to stoop so low as this?
:-)
I know that you were probably joking, but we really do love our cars. If they had actually been looking for an appeal to Slashdot, they would simply indicate that Mercedes-Benz engineers tend to favor Linux desktops. No, seriously.
A recent test in Germany showed that the system can fail.
Fortunately, that test was a fake, according to MotorTorque.
Let me just say that I would hate to have just purchased a new PowerBook G4.
Personally, I am looking forward to seeing a benchmark comparison of the Intel iMac, the MacBook, and the current PowerMac G5. I'm especially interested in Rosetta benchmarks taken from these production machines.
Yes, you're right. It has been a long day.
Actually, it's simple. There is no scientific evidence that would support Intelligent Design. Intelligent Design is not a valid scientific theory, as it is not even remotely predictable. It's also unlikely that one could validate Intelligent Design through observation.
Meanwhile, the theory of evolution is supported by both strong scientific evidence and observation. It is also predictable.
One is the product of science, and belongs in a science class. The other is not.
Emacs.
With an ASCII desktop background.
From his message:
it has long since reached the point where it simply doesn't do what I need it to do.
Everybody is entitled to his or her opinion, but Linux has grown beyond the scope of "just" Linus Torvalds. The freedom of choice that we enjoy as users of the operating system is among its finest attributes.
Is it possible that Gnome and KDE are simply designed for different audiences? Newbies and other users may enjoy the more straightforward approach that the Gnome developers strive for. Slightly more advanced users such as Linus may prefer a different UI. (I kid, I kid!)
Not surprisingly, the article is light on technical details. I don't believe that a corporation such as Google would seemingly overlook a simple address filter containing IP ranges used by known legitimate crawling agents.
Maybe spam agents were indexing the AIT Web sites in an effort to aggregate data like published e-mail addresses. The article just doesn't tell us much. If that were the case, however, Google wouldn't have many options. They could add end-user validation to each advertisement (i.e., "Repeat the alphanumeric string so that we know you aren't a robot!"), which would obviously inconvenience the user and ultimately decrease traffic, or they could create ban filters. I would suppose that the latter option might also garner various legal accusations.
It sounds as though AIT could have incurred a legitimate loss, but are pursuing a large corporation whose employees aren't exactly known by most people for their negligent behavior. If my suspicions are true, however, how could Google engineers manage to prevent "click fraud" while balancing the usability of their service? Nobody wants to spend thirty seconds validating themselves as a human to an advertisement. Maybe AIT would have better luck pursuing the (hypothetical) spammers.
It seems that their tactics are already working. I'm already having trouble finding the lyrics for Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. If there are any underground sites still operating, please let me know. Thanks!
From the relevant Money article:
RIM said in a statement that it would continue efforts to get the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case. The company also reiterated that it has prepared a software upgrade that can be used to work around the disputed patents.
Several analysts believe that RIM is likely to avoid an injunction by settling, whatever the cost. At the moment, this all certainly makes me glad that I use a Treo.
Later versions tried to fix the problem while keeping the functionality, as if somehow the bad guys would intentionally include the Evil Bit in their code.
If the newer build didn't contain the same functionality, then nobody would upgrade their software. Outlook Express has also served to reinforce the idea that this functionality should exist and be activated by default in all modern e-mail clients. If you were to install a different e-mail client -- Thunderbird, for instance -- on a computer belonging to an individual that had become accustomed to Outlook Express, you would receive complaints due to the more secure behavior.
Good security is transparent to an end-user. The problem is that functionality is not, and end-users often prefer functionality at any cost.
People seem amazed when they learn what DRM technology is capable of. Interestingly, I'm afraid that most casual readers wouldn't understand the implications of DRM, even if it actually received a substantial amount of press. I know that "rootkit" isn't the most commonly used term.
In fact, to a casual reader, it would almost seem as though anything with an acronym such as "Digital Rights Management" would be designed to protect your digital rights. It's entirely misleading.
If all else fails, Sony can always use a scapegoat and proclaim that the managers had no idea any of this was happening. An unknown malicious programmer must have done it all!
IE 7 (beta) still has some pretty sweet features that this version of Firefox doesn't. One of the coolest is the feature that lets you quickly see an image of all open tabs.
Firefox is ultimately a lightweight browser that can be easily expanded to suit an end-user's individual preferences. There are freely available extensions that will convert Firefox into the most feature-rich browser imaginable.
For the common end user, another is the phishing filter, which is pretty good.
It's funny that you would mention it. The current development builds of Mozilla Thunderbird actually have a "scam detection" filter, even though I feel that such technology does often add a false sense of security to the equation. Maybe it will be shared with an upcoming Firefox build.
I wish Firefox added more cutting edge stuff.
This subject has been beaten to death here at Slashdot, but I'm afraid that the Trident rendering engine is still many miles behind the competition. Gecko is definitely cutting edge by comparison, even though I understand that the Microsoft team is striving to improve their engine.
MS will win the war if this is what is going to compete against IE 7.
If there is indeed a browser war happening, Microsoft certainly has the advantage. For most people, after all, the preinstalled Internet Explorer is synonymous with "the Internet." However, I don't believe that Firefox 1.5 will be up against Internet Explorer 7.0. Instead, it's likely that Firefox 2.0 ("The Ocho") will be released alongside Vista, and that they will directly compete for the market.
I think IRC is worse than ever. More and more jerks! People are so arrogant and far from being without ego. I think you need to be pretty well advanced in your skill-set in order to use IRC properly. Newbies be warned: you'll just be flamed on IRC if you ask for help.
:-)
The wonderful thing about IRC is that there are many networks out there, and many of the smaller ones have operators that are actually interested in helping you. I operate one, and I can tell you that we don't turn newbies away, nor will we tell you to press ALT + F4 or CTRL + C to join a secret channel.
The smaller networks also tend to support more advanced features like integrated encryption and niche service commands, including several that might not be possible in a mainstream (i.e., a very large network) environment. They also benefit from having closely knit communities, as many of the network constituents actually do know each other outside of the Internet.
I'd speculate that you're just using the wrong network. If you dedicate a moderate amount of effort to researching the communities available to you, you'll probably find one that matches your taste.
Give it about ten years.
By then, of course, you'll be drooling over more advanced -- and therefore expensive -- technology!
This is the right thing to do for consumers.
I wonder who leaves Microsoft shareholder gatherings covered in rotten tomatoes!
I pressed Submit instead of Preview, apparently.
:-)
I was going to add a little about the weight (or lack thereof) of this computer. If it isn't sitting on a solid surface (i.e., a table), it will actually sway from side to side as you type. It really is very light.
The chassis itself feels adequately sturdy, and none of the materials used seem like cop-outs. There aren't any doors sticking out that could break in the future. I was surprised that Sony didn't use a door with either the MemoryStick or SD(!) card readers, which sit very low. That seems as though it could prove to be a minor oversight.
The keyboard is extremely responsive, and makes speed typing very easy. It certainly doesn't feel as small as it is.
The machine doesn't have an integrated camera or microphone. I use neither; therefore, those weren't selling points for me. It does feature a dual layer DVD±RW, however, which I've been using to record projects from the network drive and mix CDs. It's definitely quick for a notebook, and the Japanese software is actually very intuitive. Your mileage may vary with the American model.
For the record, I was considering other laptops such as an Apple PowerBook 17", but ultimately decided to import this Sony. I'm very happy to say that the experience has been an exceptionally pleasant one, and that I'd completely recommend both the importer (Dynamism.com, if you're curious) and this particular model.
If any of you are considering one and would like me to answer a question about it, ask away.
I already received a Japanese model (VGN-TX90S) through an importer, although they are no longer in stock.
This machine is extremely fast once you consider its form factor, and has excellent heat dissipation properties. It's a true "laptop" computer.
Being what it is, you won't use it to play many newer games, but the video card actually isn't bad at all.
The integrated wireless capabilities are reasonably strong and never lose synchronization, as one would expect from a higher end Sony product.
You're all probably wondering about the battery life. Mine shipped with the standard battery, although I'm expecting to receive my supplemental extended battery today. I was able to run productivity applications all afternoon at a Starbucks with a fully charged standard battery, and I left with a 50% charge. Several people were quick to inquire about the computer itself, which is something I don't often experience. The design seems to have universal appeal. I should add that disabling the integrated Bluetooth adapter certainly did extend battery life.
The display is also excellent, and the 16 x 9 (1366 x 768) size really is perfect for watching a movie. I used Lost in Translation as a slightly ironic cinematic benchmark. Har, har. For this kind of machine, it renders color beautifully.
Oracle has just announced that they are open sourcing their famous database platform. Long live free software.
The above post is factually incorrect. Oracle acquired Innobase Oy, the firm responsible for InnoDB, a database engine commonly used with MySQL. Many people are obviously skeptical of this acquisition.
It's highly unlikely that they would ever donate their enterprise product to the open-source community. Suffice it to say that the shareholders would not be pleased with a bankruptcy filing.
Interestingly, I've noticed that spyware developers only tend to change once they've developed a "better" idea, and rumor has it that a couple of original equipment manufacturers are now installing MyWebSearch by default.
Could it be that some spyware manufacturers are taking the good press while they can, knowing that their current method of installation won't really last? Could they be looking to bypass end-user installation altogether?
I'd say that is perfectly reasonable. It would be simply unethical for them to ship packaging with specifications reflecting a more powerful machine unless they were capable of providing one in every shipment.
This method allows them to ethically clear unused inventory and provide additional value to the customer.
The Chinese government will certainly benefit from this. If the hardware sold in China is no longer capable of playing foreign discs, then the Chinese government will have absolute control of what can be viewed by most of the Chinese people.
If the Chinese government doesn't like a political documentary, they can simply refuse to release it domestically. The Great Firewall will prevent you from downloading a copy, and smuggling a foreign copy in will no longer be an option. You won't be able to play it, after all.