What I don't get is why can't the people who manufacture the hardware just tell the MPAA/RIAA to just get fucked. I'm certain that the manufactures know DRM is a dead end and know customers like me hate this crap. When I buy a new player/recorder I want it to do something that adds value to my music/movie experience; not hobble it with restrictions (reduced resolution or forced hardware upgrades etc).
"I hope they ban family portraits next. All it does is show children dolled up like they're trying to look good for adults. Who knows how many less pedophiles we'd have if they were never exposed to the Sears Portrait Center advertisements?"
While we're at it, might as well ban all children from the Sears, JC Penny, Wall-Mart catalogs and other ads containing children's clothing. You never know how many pedophiles get these things and jack off to the pictures. Do the world a favor, shoot a politician.
"And as an individual, you can spread the word that sharing is stealing."
Uh, OK. So all those years as a kid growing up are you saying that the kids I shared my toys with; were actually stealing the privilege to play with them because their parents didn't buy them. Are you saying I should tell my children to not share their their toys with others because the toy manufactures might sue me? Take your self righteous bullshit and shove it up your ass.
BOWP - Broadband over water pipe BOS - Broadband over sewer BOU - Broadband over ultrasonics BOLP - Broadband over laser pointers BOTCs - Broadband over tin cans and string
This broadband over gas pipes was kind of a running joke on eham.net. One wouldn't think they would actually try this.
You know, with Microsoft's vast fortune; you think they would be in a position to dictate terms to the MPAA / RIAA, just like they do with computer and hardware manufactures.
MPAA/RIAA: You will provide DRM (digital restrictions management) in your OS and ANY hardware we see fit. People are ripping us off left and right! Piracy is so rampant, we are going broke paying off politicians and lawyers to ram DRM down everyones throat.
MICROSOFT: (with me in charge) Fuck you guys, our customers don't want this DRM shit. It crates enormous overhead and will require everyone to buy all new hardware. Our customers are getting tired of this draconian and Stalinist attitude of yours. You are going to be MY bitch, and do EXACTLY what I tell you to do.
MPAA/RIAA: How dare you speak to us that way we'll sue!
MICROSOFT: (with me in charge) Bring it on bitch! We have been sued by governments, you'll pose no challenge at all.
Yeah, kind of like how back in 2000 Verizon said by 2006, 80+% of US households would have 45+ M/bit synchronous fiber connection. All the while bilking customers for all they're worth; on top of all the government grants they got that seemed to go nowhere except into the shareholders and CEO's pockets.
I have some of these lights in my house, and for the most part they are fairly good. However, the manufactures need to make sure they don't cut corners and prevent these things from generating RFI (radio frequency interference). I have several CFL's and for the most part, don't generate any noticeable RFI. But I have one in my laundry room and it generates huge amounts of RFI. This may be of no concern to most/.'ers but it's a BIG deal to me. As long as they don't cut corners on the driver circuitry things are just fine.
Being a ham radio operator, I am constantly fighting RFI from all sorts of consumer electronics; especially the shitty switching wall warts that come with most consumer electronic devices.
I don't use HP Inkjet printers any more. I used to have a HP 712C, every time I would print something the CPU resources would stay at 100% till the print job was done. Also I always seemed to run out of ink half way through the print job. Now I use an old HP Laserjet 4+, a good old reliable work horse. Plus a new toner cartridge is about the same price as HP's over priced ink and prints about 20 times more pages between toner cartridge changes.
If I need something printed in color I just print it out at work on a color laser printer or take it to Office Depot.
I recently bought a new TV (Proton 26" LCD), I had mulled over the purchase of a DLP or LCD. Being a Ham Radio Operator, radio interference is priority one for me. You would be amazed just how much radio interference is caused by poorly designed consumer electronics. Plasma TVs are notorious for generating enormous amounts of radio interference. My new Proton LCD TV generates no decernable interference, even the internal switching power supply is quiet.
I have heard reports from other HAMS who have problems with their neighbors plasma TVs causing broadband interference. I recently resolved severe radio interference in my area that was coming from a modified sine wave switching DC-AC power inverter and a switching mode battery charger. The DC-AC power inverter generated interference spanning 1600kHz to 56500kHz. The battery charger generated interference from 550kHz all the way to 6000kHz. The difference was like night and day, I'm so glad it's gone; because these devices certainly didn't comply with Part 15 of the FCC rules.
"It might be time to add a mandatory "History of Computers" class to the computer science curriculum so as to give new practitioners this much needed sense of history.'"
I have shown people the 90 minute 1968 demo with Douglas C. Engelbart and company showing a graphical interface and video conferencing; they were to say the least, shocked. They all assumed that Microsoft was the inventor of the GUI and the Internet. Back when I was taking computer courses in college; there was not one course that covered the development of the UI, let alone a 'History of Computers'.
People need to know that it wasn't Bill Gates or Steve Jobs that invented the UI. They simply 'stole' the concept after paying a visit to Xerox PARC.
Isn't it possible that Voyager 1 will eventually come back? It would tend to make sense that space craft would have to achieve some sort of 'escape velocity' to get into 'interstellar space'. I would hazard to guess that Voyager 1 is basically in one highly elliptical orbit; and may come back in say 50 years or so. But this time not as VGER:)
To me this is certainly encouraging news, I use Real Player on my Sun and x86 Linux boxen quite often. Now let's get them to take the next step and include a DVD player that will play ACSS/CSS disks.
"Why has Google bought all the dark fibre that they can? Easy! When telcos start clamping down on 'Net connections, we'll all be on the GoogleNet."
And I for one welcome our new GoogleNet overlords; I would like to remind them as a trusted 'whitehat' hacker, I can help round up others to toil in their underground IT caves.
And here in America, we STILL fall further and further behind in broadband. Where is this 45+ M/bit sync fiber connection the telcos promised 80%+ of Americans were supposed to have by now?
Until the telcos deliver on their 6+ year old promise that I was supposed to have a 45+M/bit sync fiber connection by now; I think I'll pass and just drive to the store and buy the movie instead (it would be quicker). It would be nice however to be able to download some old movies like 'Quatermas and The Pit'. But if Hollywood still insists on crippling it with DRM/CSS I'll just go somewhere else.
When I got a DVD player for the first time, it took me some time to NOT rewind the movie I watched. I went through the same adjustment when I got a CD player back in the early 80's.
Until the big telcos are going to make good on their 6 year old promise of 45+ M/bit sync fiber connection; this idea won't even get off the ground. The thin client idea may be good for some, but not all people. I prefer running server grade hardware, not the consumer grade POS stuff you can buy at Frys. I want my power and files at home, not someone else's server.
As long as we have commissioners at the highest level of the FCC who are so easily dazzled by smoke and mirrors and baffled by bull shit; we are ALWAYS going to have problems like this. When confronted by the technical facts their response is that 'there is no problem'; 'your technical facts are flawed and open to debate and interpretation'. The simple fact is that BPL is an IP delivery method over the WRONG medium. You don't see the cable television company's wanting to deliver TV over power lines. You don't see the phone company's wanting to deliver POTS service over power lines. Power lines were designed to deliver one thing and one thing only, POWER.
Ever since such notable figures like: Robert Livingston, former Speaker of the House; Terry McAullife, DNC Chairman, leading Democratic fund-raiser and close friend of then-President Clinton; Admiral James Carey, former chair of the Federal Maritime Commission Michael Powell, then chairman of the FCC attended a presentation held by Media Fusion's William 'Luke' Stewart, were dazzled by unprecedented levels of bull shit.
Mr. Stewart claimed his company (Media Fusion) could deliver the Internet over ordinary power wires at exobit plus (billion gigabit) speeds, with end users getting 2+ gigabit connections. The technology was never delivered or demonstrated, and Mr. Stewart was later convicted on money laundering and wire fraud charges. But for some reason, our congress critters rammed legislation through to push deployment of this technology anyway. So, it's been what, several years now. BPL is at it's best, what, 1 to 2 mega bits; has the interference potential equal or greater than ordinary power line interference.
The hams that live in BPL serviced areas are STILL being pummeled by interference; even though the FCC gave endless assurance that interference mitigation would be swift and efficient. As I have stated all along, when we have such gullible and ignorant officials; we will always have ill conceived ventures like this. Do a google on 'William Luke Stewart' and find out for yourself.
Slashdot Mirror
All this from a company that paid for studies that declared smoking couldn't be linked to causing cancer.
What I don't get is why can't the people who manufacture the hardware just tell the MPAA/RIAA to just get fucked. I'm certain that the manufactures know DRM is a dead end and know customers like me hate this crap. When I buy a new player/recorder I want it to do something that adds value to my music/movie experience; not hobble it with restrictions (reduced resolution or forced hardware upgrades etc).
"I hope they ban family portraits next. All it does is show children dolled up like they're trying to look good for adults. Who knows how many less pedophiles we'd have if they were never exposed to the Sears Portrait Center advertisements?"
While we're at it, might as well ban all children from the Sears, JC Penny, Wall-Mart catalogs and other ads containing children's clothing. You never know how many pedophiles get these things and jack off to the pictures. Do the world a favor, shoot a politician.
"And as an individual, you can spread the word that sharing is stealing."
Uh, OK. So all those years as a kid growing up are you saying that the kids I shared my toys with; were actually stealing the privilege to play with them because their parents didn't buy them. Are you saying I should tell my children to not share their their toys with others because the toy manufactures might sue me? Take your self righteous bullshit and shove it up your ass.
BOWP - Broadband over water pipe
BOS - Broadband over sewer
BOU - Broadband over ultrasonics
BOLP - Broadband over laser pointers
BOTCs - Broadband over tin cans and string
This broadband over gas pipes was kind of a running joke on eham.net. One wouldn't think they would actually try this.
I guess in gym class Steve Balmer will be teaching the fine art of chair throwing and using expletives.
You said Peter...heheheheheh.. you said Dicks...hahahaheheheheh
You know, with Microsoft's vast fortune; you think they would be in a position to dictate terms to the MPAA / RIAA, just like they do with computer and hardware manufactures.
MPAA/RIAA: You will provide DRM (digital restrictions management) in your OS and ANY hardware we see fit. People are ripping us off left and right! Piracy is so rampant, we are going broke paying off politicians and lawyers to ram DRM down everyones throat.
MICROSOFT: (with me in charge) Fuck you guys, our customers don't want this DRM shit. It crates enormous overhead and will require everyone to buy all new hardware. Our customers are getting tired of this draconian and Stalinist attitude of yours. You are going to be MY bitch, and do EXACTLY what I tell you to do.
MPAA/RIAA: How dare you speak to us that way we'll sue!
MICROSOFT: (with me in charge) Bring it on bitch! We have been sued by governments, you'll pose no challenge at all.
Yeah, kind of like how back in 2000 Verizon said by 2006, 80+% of US households would have 45+ M/bit synchronous fiber connection. All the while bilking customers for all they're worth; on top of all the government grants they got that seemed to go nowhere except into the shareholders and CEO's pockets.
I have some of these lights in my house, and for the most part they are fairly good. However, the manufactures need to make sure they don't cut corners and prevent these things from generating RFI (radio frequency interference). I have several CFL's and for the most part, don't generate any noticeable RFI. But I have one in my laundry room and it generates huge amounts of RFI. This may be of no concern to most /.'ers but it's a BIG deal to me. As long as they don't cut corners on the driver circuitry things are just fine.
Being a ham radio operator, I am constantly fighting RFI from all sorts of consumer electronics; especially the shitty switching wall warts that come with most consumer electronic devices.
I don't use HP Inkjet printers any more. I used to have a HP 712C, every time I would print something the CPU resources would stay at 100% till the print job was done. Also I always seemed to run out of ink half way through the print job. Now I use an old HP Laserjet 4+, a good old reliable work horse. Plus a new toner cartridge is about the same price as HP's over priced ink and prints about 20 times more pages between toner cartridge changes.
If I need something printed in color I just print it out at work on a color laser printer or take it to Office Depot.
I recently bought a new TV (Proton 26" LCD), I had mulled over the purchase of a DLP or LCD. Being a Ham Radio Operator, radio interference is priority one for me. You would be amazed just how much radio interference is caused by poorly designed consumer electronics. Plasma TVs are notorious for generating enormous amounts of radio interference. My new Proton LCD TV generates no decernable interference, even the internal switching power supply is quiet.
I have heard reports from other HAMS who have problems with their neighbors plasma TVs causing broadband interference. I recently resolved severe radio interference in my area that was coming from a modified sine wave switching DC-AC power inverter and a switching mode battery charger. The DC-AC power inverter generated interference spanning 1600kHz to 56500kHz. The battery charger generated interference from 550kHz all the way to 6000kHz. The difference was like night and day, I'm so glad it's gone; because these devices certainly didn't comply with Part 15 of the FCC rules.
"It might be time to add a mandatory "History of Computers" class to the computer science curriculum so as to give new practitioners this much needed sense of history.'"
I have shown people the 90 minute 1968 demo with Douglas C. Engelbart and company showing a graphical interface and video conferencing; they were to say the least, shocked. They all assumed that Microsoft was the inventor of the GUI and the Internet. Back when I was taking computer courses in college; there was not one course that covered the development of the UI, let alone a 'History of Computers'.
People need to know that it wasn't Bill Gates or Steve Jobs that invented the UI. They simply 'stole' the concept after paying a visit to Xerox PARC.
Isn't it possible that Voyager 1 will eventually come back? It would tend to make sense that space craft would have to achieve some sort of 'escape velocity' to get into 'interstellar space'. I would hazard to guess that Voyager 1 is basically in one highly elliptical orbit; and may come back in say 50 years or so. But this time not as VGER :)
To me this is certainly encouraging news, I use Real Player on my Sun and x86 Linux boxen quite often. Now let's get them to take the next step and include a DVD player that will play ACSS/CSS disks.
A real life 'Bigweld'
Robpoe wrote...
"Why has Google bought all the dark fibre that they can? Easy! When telcos start clamping down on 'Net connections, we'll all be on the GoogleNet."
And I for one welcome our new GoogleNet overlords; I would like to remind them as a trusted 'whitehat' hacker, I can help round up others to toil in their underground IT caves.
And here in America, we STILL fall further and further behind in broadband. Where is this 45+ M/bit sync fiber connection the telcos promised 80%+ of Americans were supposed to have by now?
Until the telcos deliver on their 6+ year old promise that I was supposed to have a 45+M/bit sync fiber connection by now; I think I'll pass and just drive to the store and buy the movie instead (it would be quicker). It would be nice however to be able to download some old movies like 'Quatermas and The Pit'. But if Hollywood still insists on crippling it with DRM/CSS I'll just go somewhere else.
When I got a DVD player for the first time, it took me some time to NOT rewind the movie I watched. I went through the same adjustment when I got a CD player back in the early 80's.
Does this mean I will be getting some of my money back from Crucial on the $1,000+ dollars I spent on a gigabyte of RAM back in 2002?
Pffffft, yeah, right.
Until the big telcos are going to make good on their 6 year old promise of 45+ M/bit sync fiber connection; this idea won't even get off the ground. The thin client idea may be good for some, but not all people. I prefer running server grade hardware, not the consumer grade POS stuff you can buy at Frys. I want my power and files at home, not someone else's server.
Did you see the size of the head on that beer???? And the precious beer spilled on the table!!!! That's alcohol abuse!
That's it! I'm calling PFTETOB (People for the ethical treatment of beer)
So.... You're telling me I'll have to finally upgrade my 10MHz 286 1Meg RAM 40Meg HD and 256kb video RAM and Windows 3.1 to run Vista?
As long as we have commissioners at the highest level of the FCC who are so easily dazzled by smoke and mirrors and baffled by bull shit; we are ALWAYS going to have problems like this. When confronted by the technical facts their response is that 'there is no problem'; 'your technical facts are flawed and open to debate and interpretation'. The simple fact is that BPL is an IP delivery method over the WRONG medium. You don't see the cable television company's wanting to deliver TV over power lines. You don't see the phone company's wanting to deliver POTS service over power lines. Power lines were designed to deliver one thing and one thing only, POWER.
Ever since such notable figures like: Robert Livingston, former Speaker of the House; Terry McAullife, DNC Chairman, leading Democratic fund-raiser and close friend of then-President Clinton; Admiral James Carey, former chair of the Federal Maritime Commission Michael Powell, then chairman of the FCC attended a presentation held by Media Fusion's William 'Luke' Stewart, were dazzled by unprecedented levels of bull shit.
Mr. Stewart claimed his company (Media Fusion) could deliver the Internet over ordinary power wires at exobit plus (billion gigabit) speeds, with end users getting 2+ gigabit connections. The technology was never delivered or demonstrated, and Mr. Stewart was later convicted on money laundering and wire fraud charges. But for some reason, our congress critters rammed legislation through to push deployment of this technology anyway. So, it's been what, several years now. BPL is at it's best, what, 1 to 2 mega bits; has the interference potential equal or greater than ordinary power line interference.
The hams that live in BPL serviced areas are STILL being pummeled by interference; even though the FCC gave endless assurance that interference mitigation would be swift and efficient. As I have stated all along, when we have such gullible and ignorant officials; we will always have ill conceived ventures like this. Do a google on 'William Luke Stewart' and find out for yourself.