Here in Europe, people are going out of their way to get out from under M$Windoze. I've found FreeBSD and Linux emmulation and Gnome make a fine desktop -- even at work! Integrated 'office applications' are being developed, but that isn't very interesting since all the features of "NT" and alot more can be found in any Unix. Just that they aren't integrated into lame packages like "Office" and "Outlook". There is no great demand to develop a Unix equivalent of "Exchange" as it will probably fall into dis-use in a fairly short timeframe.
On the server side, there is no excuse not to use Unix. Some customers want "NT" so they can hire low quality, low paid workforces. Firewalls at the provider proxy all input and output, so the end users are actually talking to Unix which is talking to "NT".
The remark in the FreeBSD handbook that it costs 100x more to run a "NT" server is no exageration. It is well justified for providers to charge upto 1000x or so more for "NT" services.
IMO, it would be better business to train people to use computers and pay them. Presently there is a very high turnover in the low paid "NT" office user section. A very large organisation here in NL is actually paying over 100k Euro a month to a provider so they can hire semi-skilled, computer illitterate labour from the street. People who are well paid and given challenging work tend to stay far longer than 'people off the street'. This is a very bad, shortsighted business model and "NT" seems to encourage it and somehow convince managers it is the right move.
*"NT" is a generic term for any Microsoft product, generally Win2k today.
Why not use PGP to generate your next passwd? I find if i take a random 'coredump' (say BINARY for Windoze users) and encrypt it, I can randomly pick out a section of characters and have a typable password. This is particularly handy if you travel alot and must deal with unusual keybds. PGP allways generates typable text.
It may be very boring for psycholigists, but it is quite safe as most modern Unices use very strong encryption. If it is known this method is used, the limited keyspace could allow 'bruteforce' attacks. Windoze users, never mind -- your systems are so insecure you don't need passwords!
While I think the concept of this method is sound, the classic method works well too. Take enough "steel wool" (the real stainless stuff works best) and spread out to about 25^2cm. Finely grind some charcoal and place a couple grammes on the cleaning pad. Place this whole thing on a ceramic surface that can take *extreme* tempatures. Turn the nuker on high (600W is wimpy -- use a dual-magnetron 2000W model for best results) and watch the show. Beware it gets very hot, so when the plasma really gets going, its time to quit.
It is fairly safe, but the oven should be 'expendable'. AFAIK, no toxic fumes are produced as in the case of CD's and if you don't destroy your oven, you can still warm over your food.
TerminatorX is a completely different product. It can surely do things FinalScrach does and FinalScratch certainly does things TerminatorX doesn't. TX is mainly a sampler, FS is viewed as such by many, but it is intended as a way to play your digital files with vinly records. If sampler features are desired, we can incorperate them, otherwise there are alot of samplers out there and FS just makes using your sampler all that much more enjoyable!
Bill Squire
Electrical Engineer
N2IT Development BV
Amsterdam, NL
Our rough unscientific study showed almost nobody uses computers to perform. Of those that do, Mac is a first choice and we take that very seriously. As for the vast majority of performers that don't use computers on stage: Why not start them off right? Most performers fear computers will mess up their act. You only have Micro$oft to blame for that. That it works is important, that it doesn't let you down is most important and it must sound 'real' on a big system. No M$ soundsystem can even produce CD quality audio.
Bill Squire
Electrical Engineer
N2IT Development BV
Amsterdam, NL
No, not really. First, I'm one of the founders of N2IT, the company that developed FinalScratch. We've had a few snags, mostly management related, yet we have pushed on and patented the placing of a timecoce on a fairly ordinary vinyl record.
What Wired, BBC and several news organisations covered was a 'proof of concept' prototype. It used ordinary soundcards and had a simple interface device to control the software. Problems with cueing, noise, high seek latency were so great that a new interface was designed and new code was written to allow the new (USB) interface.
The BeOS version version worked quite well, but BeOS fell and Stanton Magnetics wanted an equally reliable system, so the obvious choice was Linux. The "Mac version" is indeed just 'vapourware', but at worst, Linux can be ran out of Mac in much the same way the commercial version can run Linux out of a Windoze filesystem. (After release, there will be a dedicated Linux version and hopefully the same for Mac.) Anyone who knows Linux can hack it now to play out of the ext2/3 filesystems.
As to "competition" that uses vinyl records, the patent is granted (hardware patent) and is infringing on N2IT. As to latency, you can call anything under 50mS "no latency" as human perception is not all that fast. With a scope and some fancy tricks, we've measured the latency of the Linux and BeOS systems and both are a fraction of what you can call "no latency".
We'd like to stay clear of this debate and the actual measured values are a company secret. Even an analogue record has 'latency', so claims of 'no latency' are false, unless they do use the well established 50mS as the imperceivable point and market as 'no latency'.
FinalScratch has been tested by a wide range of DJ styles from some of the biggest names in the business. Even the 'fast scratchers' cannot tell it from vinyl. The only serious fault I find is it sounds 'obviously digital', like all DJ cd players, when ran at super slow speeds.
Bill Squire
Electrical Engineer
N2IT Development BV
Amsterdam, NL
Great. We will be getting alot more American releases here in Europe. We have been able to rent CD (guarenteed to copy or money back) for years. Now that you can now 'buy' a CD, copy it, claim it didn't play in your Windoze IDE drive and get a full refund is great. It is actually cheaper than renting here, because there is ofcourse a rental fee.
As a side benefit, only those that have SCSI drives will be able to rip this 'protected' music. No longer to we have to worry about crappy Windoze rips made on IDE drives while the little shit is burning CD's that disrupt the whole ripping process. In the end, this may actually result in better offerings over IRC.
May I clairify. If you can move fast enough you will not get caught. If you cannot be detected, you will not get caught. I am happy to report that the (US) FCC has warmed to the idea. If you proveably do not cause 'harmful interference' why does anyone tell me I cannot transmit wherever I damn well please?
"My heart goes out to all those poor corperations that litteraly 'bought air' for Billions of dollars" Hehe:) Why do we hack? Don't you just love it? This is not a dirty hack either. It is the absolute best way to use the airwaves. Think 'secure channels' and not 'dial frequencies'.
If you really want to both free the airwaves and make the most efficient use of them, there is one and only technology. It is secure too as you have allready guessed. Governments were really resentful of this and hostile toward even myself that i'd suggest if you can move around fast enough you will not be detected! It should be obvious to anyone that has the least RF technical knowledge (unfortunate, but this is a closed technology) that spreading yourself thin will only slightly increase the background noise.
It's just too bad for those pathetic suits that authorised $Billions to be spent on tiny slices of the microwave spectrum for the 'next generation' wireless phones. So it goes for those that invest unknowingly!
Today we can transmit huge amounts of data and NOT cause any noticable interferrence. In time the world will catch on. There will allways be winners and losers.
Are you confusing this for a European DMCA? Upon close inspection last summer, this very issue seemed to be what people thought was a "European DMCA". I believe in Europe and the fact the individual will allways count above corperate inrerests. Freedom of speech and expression would be unimaginable to lose. USA, sure, nobody knows what freedom is, Europe, NEVER!
I like the scope of this. It starts to resolve the new problem of what a club (or radio station) is to to with the sound that went out to the public. We at N2IT Development (Yes, we do FinalScratch) have allways wondered about this problem. We all agree it isn't fair to pay the artists that can show the 'highest sales' (I'd be really surprised if fewer than 95% of the new Michael Jackson CDs go straight to the shreader.) See in the past, all you had to do was fake good sales and get other's compensation. If you are really good, you don't have to even press the CDs!
Well, here in Europe, artists 'have permission' to place 'copy prevention' techniques on media. This is not to say they will or if they do, how easy it is to crack such crackpot ideas. It also keeps it legal to crack copy prevention: --NO DCMA in EUROPE!--
In a sence, us geeks might actually buy a 'protected' CD just for the sport of it. We all know it is __absolutely impossible __ to protect anything with a key everyone has. This is called the "Broadcast delima" in the accademic circles. I
think players that refuse to play until a certain release time are quite a joke. Ofcourse it is easy to 'spoof' GPS with super-low-power devices and bypass the system. Fortunatey one doesn't have to even bother with a method that may interferre with navigation as the "Broadcast delima" makes for a simpler crack.
I am proud to be in a society that allows the personal freedom to both allow someone a lame way to "protect" their IP and at the same time makes it totally legal to 'crack and tell'. It is **ILLEGAL** in Europe to deny the user a backup. There is nothing in the law that says the 'backup' must be in the clear. (There is a "copy prevention" method that will not work on Windoze and/or IDE drives. It can be shown that it can be easily defeated with SCSI and UNIX systems, using the most popular tools.)
Perhaps it will be mandatory to state it will not work (or copy) from an IDE/Windoze box and perhaps, if they are with it, will require a disclaimer that the latest 'copy prevention' techniques require professional copying. INAL, but in a twisted way, if Windoze cannot cut it, but Unix can, it must be technically legal, as nobody is telling you that you have to use Windoze here!
Sure, I use the things. They are fast compared to
Intel, clock cycle for cycle. They ARE NOT Alphas
like 21264's clock cycle for cycle! I would love
see a really good 64-bit chip that makes a really
good computer and doesn't give a damn for Micro$oft!
Maybe the big challenge is making a good
motherboard? Not much matters when win32 is what
your design is aimed at. Do I really have to pay
$10k for anything that comes close to a modern
computer?
It seems Netcraft has a very hard job to do. Yes, I eagerly check them every month to see that my favourite web server (Apache ofcourse) is well on top. I'm also glad BSD isn't dying as some troll reported. 6% BSD on the web could mean many more times that in market share. 50% Windoze appears to count for only a tiny proportion of the computing power on the web. A good point was made that in this tabulation, a $1k "el cheapo" counts the same as a $1M top-of-the-line Sun!
For starters, maybe research should be done to determine which servers and platforms serve the most actual pages on the web. It is very reasonable to state the very same hardware will serve twice the volume with Apache Unix than IIS-win. The type of Unix may matter too. Large sites tend to use Linux, very large sites tend to use BSD. Moderate sites use Solaris (and only the smallest use IIS) in general. If security is of any concern, Windoze is a joke. Apache makes a Windoze version, but warns it should never be used in a production setting - just for a quick prototype. (to show management)
More interesting is which system serves the most data overall? The people that work on the 'big iron' say it is Linux by far, then a toss-up between Solaris and BSD. With a paltry 5%, comes the combined power of all Microsoft PC's.
The point is clear and we have all heard it: "You can prove or dis-prove anything by how you manipulate statistics". So M$ is the best from their prospective, and so is Linux from theirs and the same for Sun, BSD and all the others. BSD does make a good point that they can serve 100x the data for the same cost as Microsoft, and that assumes you *pirated the Microsoft software* and does not include 'down time' so many Microsoft users can relate to, nevermind all the email worms and Trojans either!
It seems to me it is those that own cheap computers with M$ operating systems and IDE drives might get a headache or two making a copy. Using SCSI drives with flashable rom, Unix(like) OS's and quality applications like 'cdparanoia', 'cdrdao' and 'cdrecord' will circumvent all possible problems.
Secondly, i would like to see mandatory labeling if there is any attempt to protect a CD. It would give me assurance my equipment is up-to-date. If i could not make a backup for any reason, i would exchange it for another from another lot. If the problem persisted, it would be time for a hack. Seriously, i believe every method of "copy prevention" has been broken before it was ever used on the open market. This is software, CSS and CDDA. This is simply the 'broadcast phenomonom' that states you cannot distribute "secrets", all the same to all the public!
Finally, it seems a bit distressing that SCSI drives that are flashable have moved into the seriously expensive "professional" market. I happen to have several players and burners that have suddenly become 10x more expensive! I think even the hardware makers see a quick buck here, while the situation lasts.
Oposition to anything like the DMCA here in Europe is quite fierce. It is a basic right to reverse-engineer any device and create more technical jobs. It is an obligation to publish all details for general use.
Indeed, there is quite some 'leeching' activity
here in Amsterdam. I was going to set up a system,
but realised when my reccomendation to 'spread' in
a cryptographic way was not taken, interest was
lost.
Understandably, governments are scared of losing
their ability to 'license' the airwaves. However,
in the USA, there is an effort to get the FCC to
go along. Too bad for those that paid $Billions
to get their third generation phones some
spectrum. It is because of this, it will flop.
As far as WEP goes, it was an obvious joke from
its inception. We call it "Weak Encryption
Protocol" here in A'dam. The bandwidth of 802.11b
is only 11Mbit/s half duplex max, so it wouldn't
be all that bad to set up something. I am mostly
concerned with the privacy of those that use the
systems I maintain.
As far as people using parts of the Internet, I
feel that "surfing the web" and getting mail and
all "Internet" cafe functions should be free. Here
you just need to go to the public library if you
need access. You get a Windoze box, but you can
download "Putty" or a similar SSH program and have
use of your own box. Bandwidth is fair and better
than ADSL or cable at the library.
Furthermore, if i travel anywhere and school is in
session, no university has ever denied me use of
their Internet, and often, I get a Unix terminal!
I compiled 4.02 and then there was 4.03 and it promised features that made it worth compiling. Sure I got reasonably fast computers (an alpha and an A1200 among others) but even on a fast machine it takes almost an hour! That could several hours for PC users. What gives?
That's not alot of money. Ever heard of dealing drugs? Someone like this person could make them! It only costs about $25 a kilo to make methamphetamine and about $10 a gram to make a single run of LSD. Aren't drug laws great for raising funds?
230V certainly makes more sence for delivering
more power to the end user. Simple arithmetic will
tell you 230V x 16A is alot more than 117V x 15A.
The 50Hz issue is an interesting one. There has
been talk of taking it to 60Hz here in Europe. By
doing just that, you get a few percent more
capacity from the power system and don't yet need
those expensive super-conducting cables for a
while longer. Except for a few obsolete clocks,
there would be little or no side effects in going
to 60Hz.
As for the higher voltage, the handling is done in
a much more safe manner. You cannot touch 230V by
plugging something in as you can with the North
American plugs. They are alot larger here however.
Anyone moving from the US to Europe that works
with electrical equipment quickly learns to have
a bit more respect for the "low voltage" mains!
It is hard to say which voltage is safer. Tesla
said that 230V was the best compramise between
power deliverable and safety. He also suggested
55Hz while Westinghouse suggested 130Hz. IMO, 60Hz
appears to be the best frequency: A compramise
between transmission distance and transformer
size.
So what if it isn't published in the USA? It would be legal to publish all in the vast majority of countries that haven't been so foolish to adopt a DMCA or other absurd laws. Many sites (including this one) have vast bandwidth and would gladly publish your work and take a/.'ing
I would respect your team if you simply published in a move of civil disobediance against absurd US policies. Publish from your school and dare the US Gov't to take it down. The whole world laughs at the USA these days..... (Do keep a mirror in a safe haven, please) Many of us wish to see the work.
Even in the UK, 99.9% of all drivers will drive the speed safe for the road and conditions. I have personally noted that on major motorways when it is clear and conditions are ideal, people safely drive 90MPH (145km/h) or more.
Isn't it far more reasonable to go after drunks and reckless drivers that make it more dangerous for all? Surely driving 100km/h on a minor city road is reckless driving? Surely laws must evolve more to "You must drive safely at all times" rather than trying to set arbitrary rules that attempt that. I think that would work, even for the poor Brittish folk who have forgotten freedom ever was. Perhaps their 'speed habit' is one very important expression of freedom lost?
The civillian devices use a very inexpensive module built from clearly published specifications. They use only one frequency and since all must use them, the "encryption" can be no better than sattelite TV services or copy-prevention schemes.
Military GPS is far more complex than the ordinary kind. Several frequencies in several bands, plus encryption keys that are only given to authorised users are indeed used. This GPS can be jammed ofcourse, but all military fighters and most missles use INS and that is not affected by outside conditions. (other than a strong explosion)
You got it... I was going to post exactly that. It cannot be too much trouble to spoof GPS with off-the-shelf components from companies like Mini-Circuits. A working knowledge of GPS some analogue knowledge and some basic micro-controller programming skills should do the trick;)
I would like to warn that signalls must be VERY small or you risk causing interference to legitimate users. Putting out a milli-watt is overkill, could cause harmful interference and may be illegal!
Perhaps just destroying the device is a better option? Remove the antenna or just wrap it in aluminium foil are alternatives. Certainly active spoofing is still a hack and companies that use GPS to monitor drivers positions and speeds are blissfully unaware that the technique is actually published.
In my last comment I calculated that if everyone received as much spam as me, it would cost 150Million/year. I am quite sure there has been a mistake in this report. This still doesn't mean it is not a problem. It is atleast a nuicence I can do without!
Perhaps there are costs that are far in excess to the costs of the technical aspect of receiving spam. Perhaps if you count the losses caused by malicious competitors using spam against other companies, making people think a particular company sent it, maybe then it is 1000x more?
Bull Sh*t. Spam costs lots and for those unfortunate enough to only have dialup service, consider the fact that most places charge you per minute to use a phoneline. As bandwidth is VERY poor (upto 64000bit/s max per ISDN line) the cost can mount.
If you have Unix and an Internet connection. (If you have Internet, you almost certainly connect Unix to it) your costs are reduced. Still even if the bulk rate for Internet is $2.00 - $5.00 per GByte (this may be a bit high today) and each Spam eats say 5kB (minimalist Spam) 1Million is going to take 5GB costing between $10.00 and $25.00!
No big deal you say? Allright, consider the dial-up user who uses Windoze and an "easy mailer" and downloads *all* mail at an average speed of perhaps 4kB/s. Maybe 80% still use the phone for "Internet" service and typical cost is about $0.01/min for a local call. (remember most people don't live in N. America in the country!) It is going to take 80% of the Million victims 278 hours to download. That brings the phone cost to $166.67 and the total cost upto $191.67 for a very simple spam. Don't forget some people (particular cablemodem users) pay upto 100x cost. So if just 5% are connected that way, the cost easily shoots past $200.00/Spam!
Conclusion: If everyone received ten spams a day, the estimated cost would be $150Million per year. The EU is very conservative on their estimate. I guess I must get alot more than average and the EU calculations are based on 4 - 5 minimal spams per week. Just wait for 10M "porno previews", junk binaries/Outlook attachments and promotional pictures. When the problem exceeds $1Billion/year, politicians will get off their arses, even in America!
It may be. This is much the way chips have been designed for many years. While it may not be for everyone, it seems to be the solution to a variety of problems at my own company. This encourages teamwork and that is good.
I do however have some doubts if it can work in "Silly Valley" where it is all egos and not much else. Still they manage to develop chips and that demands teamwork!
Slashdot Mirror
Here in Europe, people are going out of their way to get out from under M$Windoze. I've found FreeBSD and Linux emmulation and Gnome make a fine desktop -- even at work! Integrated 'office applications' are being developed, but that isn't very interesting since all the features of "NT" and alot more can be found in any Unix. Just that they aren't integrated into lame packages like "Office" and "Outlook". There is no great demand to develop a Unix equivalent of "Exchange" as it will probably fall into dis-use in a fairly short timeframe.
On the server side, there is no excuse not to use Unix. Some customers want "NT" so they can hire low quality, low paid workforces. Firewalls at the provider proxy all input and output, so the end users are actually talking to Unix which is talking to "NT".
The remark in the FreeBSD handbook that it costs 100x more to run a "NT" server is no exageration. It is well justified for providers to charge upto 1000x or so more for "NT" services.
IMO, it would be better business to train people to use computers and pay them. Presently there is a very high turnover in the low paid "NT" office user section. A very large organisation here in NL is actually paying over 100k Euro a month to a provider so they can hire semi-skilled, computer illitterate labour from the street. People who are well paid and given challenging work tend to stay far longer than 'people off the street'. This is a very bad, shortsighted business model and "NT" seems to encourage it and somehow convince managers it is the right move.
*"NT" is a generic term for any Microsoft product, generally Win2k today.
Why not use PGP to generate your next passwd? I find if i take a random 'coredump' (say BINARY for Windoze users) and encrypt it, I can randomly pick out a section of characters and have a typable password. This is particularly handy if you travel alot and must deal with unusual keybds. PGP allways generates typable text.
It may be very boring for psycholigists, but it is quite safe as most modern Unices use very strong encryption. If it is known this method is used, the limited keyspace could allow 'bruteforce' attacks. Windoze users, never mind -- your systems are so insecure you don't need passwords!
While I think the concept of this method is sound, the classic method works well too. Take enough "steel wool" (the real stainless stuff works best) and spread out to about 25^2cm. Finely grind some charcoal and place a couple grammes on the cleaning pad. Place this whole thing on a ceramic surface that can take *extreme* tempatures. Turn the nuker on high (600W is wimpy -- use a dual-magnetron 2000W model for best results) and watch the show. Beware it gets very hot, so when the plasma really gets going, its time to quit.
It is fairly safe, but the oven should be 'expendable'. AFAIK, no toxic fumes are produced as in the case of CD's and if you don't destroy your oven, you can still warm over your food.
TerminatorX is a completely different product. It can surely do things FinalScrach does and FinalScratch certainly does things TerminatorX doesn't. TX is mainly a sampler, FS is viewed as such by many, but it is intended as a way to play your digital files with vinly records. If sampler features are desired, we can incorperate them, otherwise there are alot of samplers out there and FS just makes using your sampler all that much more enjoyable!
Bill Squire
Electrical Engineer
N2IT Development BV
Amsterdam, NL
Our rough unscientific study showed almost nobody uses computers to perform. Of those that do, Mac is a first choice and we take that very seriously. As for the vast majority of performers that don't use computers on stage: Why not start them off right? Most performers fear computers will mess up their act. You only have Micro$oft to blame for that. That it works is important, that it doesn't let you down is most important and it must sound 'real' on a big system. No M$ soundsystem can even produce CD quality audio.
Bill Squire
Electrical Engineer
N2IT Development BV
Amsterdam, NL
No, not really. First, I'm one of the founders of N2IT, the company that developed FinalScratch. We've had a few snags, mostly management related, yet we have pushed on and patented the placing of a timecoce on a fairly ordinary vinyl record.
What Wired, BBC and several news organisations covered was a 'proof of concept' prototype. It used ordinary soundcards and had a simple interface device to control the software. Problems with cueing, noise, high seek latency were so great that a new interface was designed and new code was written to allow the new (USB) interface.
The BeOS version version worked quite well, but BeOS fell and Stanton Magnetics wanted an equally reliable system, so the obvious choice was Linux. The "Mac version" is indeed just 'vapourware', but at worst, Linux can be ran out of Mac in much the same way the commercial version can run Linux out of a Windoze filesystem. (After release, there will be a dedicated Linux version and hopefully the same for Mac.) Anyone who knows Linux can hack it now to play out of the ext2/3 filesystems.
As to "competition" that uses vinyl records, the patent is granted (hardware patent) and is infringing on N2IT. As to latency, you can call anything under 50mS "no latency" as human perception is not all that fast. With a scope and some fancy tricks, we've measured the latency of the Linux and BeOS systems and both are a fraction of what you can call "no latency".
We'd like to stay clear of this debate and the actual measured values are a company secret. Even an analogue record has 'latency', so claims of 'no latency' are false, unless they do use the well established 50mS as the imperceivable point and market as 'no latency'.
FinalScratch has been tested by a wide range of DJ styles from some of the biggest names in the business. Even the 'fast scratchers' cannot tell it from vinyl. The only serious fault I find is it sounds 'obviously digital', like all DJ cd players, when ran at super slow speeds.
Bill Squire
Electrical Engineer
N2IT Development BV
Amsterdam, NL
Great. We will be getting alot more American releases here in Europe. We have been able to rent CD (guarenteed to copy or money back) for years. Now that you can now 'buy' a CD, copy it, claim it didn't play in your Windoze IDE drive and get a full refund is great. It is actually cheaper than renting here, because there is ofcourse a rental fee.
As a side benefit, only those that have SCSI drives will be able to rip this 'protected' music. No longer to we have to worry about crappy Windoze rips made on IDE drives while the little shit is burning CD's that disrupt the whole ripping process. In the end, this may actually result in better offerings over IRC.
May I clairify. If you can move fast enough you will not get caught. If you cannot be detected, you will not get caught. I am happy to report that the (US) FCC has warmed to the idea. If you proveably do not cause 'harmful interference' why does anyone tell me I cannot transmit wherever I damn well please?
:) Why do we hack? Don't you just love it? This is not a dirty hack either. It is the absolute best way to use the airwaves. Think 'secure channels' and not 'dial frequencies'.
"My heart goes out to all those poor corperations that litteraly 'bought air' for Billions of dollars" Hehe
If you really want to both free the airwaves and make the most efficient use of them, there is one and only technology. It is secure too as you have allready guessed. Governments were really resentful of this and hostile toward even myself that i'd suggest if you can move around fast enough you will not be detected! It should be obvious to anyone that has the least RF technical knowledge (unfortunate, but this is a closed technology) that spreading yourself thin will only slightly increase the background noise.
It's just too bad for those pathetic suits that authorised $Billions to be spent on tiny slices of the microwave spectrum for the 'next generation' wireless phones. So it goes for those that invest unknowingly!
Today we can transmit huge amounts of data and NOT cause any noticable interferrence. In time the world will catch on. There will allways be winners and losers.
Are you confusing this for a European DMCA? Upon close inspection last summer, this very issue seemed to be what people thought was a "European DMCA". I believe in Europe and the fact the individual will allways count above corperate inrerests. Freedom of speech and expression would be unimaginable to lose. USA, sure, nobody knows what freedom is, Europe, NEVER!
I like the scope of this. It starts to resolve the new problem of what a club (or radio station) is to to with the sound that went out to the public. We at N2IT Development (Yes, we do FinalScratch) have allways wondered about this problem. We all agree it isn't fair to pay the artists that can show the 'highest sales' (I'd be really surprised if fewer than 95% of the new Michael Jackson CDs go straight to the shreader.) See in the past, all you had to do was fake good sales and get other's compensation. If you are really good, you don't have to even press the CDs!
Well, here in Europe, artists 'have permission' to place 'copy prevention' techniques on media. This is not to say they will or if they do, how easy it is to crack such crackpot ideas. It also keeps it legal to crack copy prevention: --NO DCMA in EUROPE!--
In a sence, us geeks might actually buy a 'protected' CD just for the sport of it. We all know it is __absolutely impossible __ to protect anything with a key everyone has. This is called the "Broadcast delima" in the accademic circles. I
think players that refuse to play until a certain release time are quite a joke. Ofcourse it is easy to 'spoof' GPS with super-low-power devices and bypass the system. Fortunatey one doesn't have to even bother with a method that may interferre with navigation as the "Broadcast delima" makes for a simpler crack.
I am proud to be in a society that allows the personal freedom to both allow someone a lame way to "protect" their IP and at the same time makes it totally legal to 'crack and tell'. It is **ILLEGAL** in Europe to deny the user a backup. There is nothing in the law that says the 'backup' must be in the clear. (There is a "copy prevention" method that will not work on Windoze and/or IDE drives. It can be shown that it can be easily defeated with SCSI and UNIX systems, using the most popular tools.)
Perhaps it will be mandatory to state it will not work (or copy) from an IDE/Windoze box and perhaps, if they are with it, will require a disclaimer that the latest 'copy prevention' techniques require professional copying. INAL, but in a twisted way, if Windoze cannot cut it, but Unix can, it must be technically legal, as nobody is telling you that you have to use Windoze here!
Sure, I use the things. They are fast compared to
Intel, clock cycle for cycle. They ARE NOT Alphas
like 21264's clock cycle for cycle! I would love
see a really good 64-bit chip that makes a really
good computer and doesn't give a damn for Micro$oft!
Maybe the big challenge is making a good
motherboard? Not much matters when win32 is what
your design is aimed at. Do I really have to pay
$10k for anything that comes close to a modern
computer?
It seems Netcraft has a very hard job to do. Yes, I eagerly check them every month to see that my favourite web server (Apache ofcourse) is well on top. I'm also glad BSD isn't dying as some troll reported. 6% BSD on the web could mean many more times that in market share. 50% Windoze appears to count for only a tiny proportion of the computing power on the web. A good point was made that in this tabulation, a $1k "el cheapo" counts the same as a $1M top-of-the-line Sun!
For starters, maybe research should be done to determine which servers and platforms serve the most actual pages on the web. It is very reasonable to state the very same hardware will serve twice the volume with Apache Unix than IIS-win. The type of Unix may matter too. Large sites tend to use Linux, very large sites tend to use BSD. Moderate sites use Solaris (and only the smallest use IIS) in general. If security is of any concern, Windoze is a joke. Apache makes a Windoze version, but warns it should never be used in a production setting - just for a quick prototype. (to show management)
More interesting is which system serves the most data overall? The people that work on the 'big iron' say it is Linux by far, then a toss-up between Solaris and BSD. With a paltry 5%, comes the combined power of all Microsoft PC's.
The point is clear and we have all heard it: "You can prove or dis-prove anything by how you manipulate statistics". So M$ is the best from their prospective, and so is Linux from theirs and the same for Sun, BSD and all the others. BSD does make a good point that they can serve 100x the data for the same cost as Microsoft, and that assumes you *pirated the Microsoft software* and does not include 'down time' so many Microsoft users can relate to, nevermind all the email worms and Trojans either!
It seems to me it is those that own cheap computers with M$ operating systems and IDE drives might get a headache or two making a copy. Using SCSI drives with flashable rom, Unix(like) OS's and quality applications like 'cdparanoia', 'cdrdao' and 'cdrecord' will circumvent all possible problems.
Secondly, i would like to see mandatory labeling if there is any attempt to protect a CD. It would give me assurance my equipment is up-to-date. If i could not make a backup for any reason, i would exchange it for another from another lot. If the problem persisted, it would be time for a hack. Seriously, i believe every method of "copy prevention" has been broken before it was ever used on the open market. This is software, CSS and CDDA. This is simply the 'broadcast phenomonom' that states you cannot distribute "secrets", all the same to all the public!
Finally, it seems a bit distressing that SCSI drives that are flashable have moved into the seriously expensive "professional" market. I happen to have several players and burners that have suddenly become 10x more expensive! I think even the hardware makers see a quick buck here, while the situation lasts.
Oposition to anything like the DMCA here in Europe is quite fierce. It is a basic right to reverse-engineer any device and create more technical jobs. It is an obligation to publish all details for general use.
Indeed, there is quite some 'leeching' activity
here in Amsterdam. I was going to set up a system,
but realised when my reccomendation to 'spread' in
a cryptographic way was not taken, interest was
lost.
Understandably, governments are scared of losing
their ability to 'license' the airwaves. However,
in the USA, there is an effort to get the FCC to
go along. Too bad for those that paid $Billions
to get their third generation phones some
spectrum. It is because of this, it will flop.
As far as WEP goes, it was an obvious joke from
its inception. We call it "Weak Encryption
Protocol" here in A'dam. The bandwidth of 802.11b
is only 11Mbit/s half duplex max, so it wouldn't
be all that bad to set up something. I am mostly
concerned with the privacy of those that use the
systems I maintain.
As far as people using parts of the Internet, I
feel that "surfing the web" and getting mail and
all "Internet" cafe functions should be free. Here
you just need to go to the public library if you
need access. You get a Windoze box, but you can
download "Putty" or a similar SSH program and have
use of your own box. Bandwidth is fair and better
than ADSL or cable at the library.
Furthermore, if i travel anywhere and school is in
session, no university has ever denied me use of
their Internet, and often, I get a Unix terminal!
I compiled 4.02 and then there was 4.03 and it promised features that made it worth compiling. Sure I got reasonably fast computers (an alpha and an A1200 among others) but even on a fast machine it takes almost an hour! That could several hours for PC users. What gives?
That's not alot of money. Ever heard of dealing drugs? Someone like this person could make them! It only costs about $25 a kilo to make methamphetamine and about $10 a gram to make a single run of LSD. Aren't drug laws great for raising funds?
230V certainly makes more sence for delivering
more power to the end user. Simple arithmetic will
tell you 230V x 16A is alot more than 117V x 15A.
The 50Hz issue is an interesting one. There has
been talk of taking it to 60Hz here in Europe. By
doing just that, you get a few percent more
capacity from the power system and don't yet need
those expensive super-conducting cables for a
while longer. Except for a few obsolete clocks,
there would be little or no side effects in going
to 60Hz.
As for the higher voltage, the handling is done in
a much more safe manner. You cannot touch 230V by
plugging something in as you can with the North
American plugs. They are alot larger here however.
Anyone moving from the US to Europe that works
with electrical equipment quickly learns to have
a bit more respect for the "low voltage" mains!
It is hard to say which voltage is safer. Tesla
said that 230V was the best compramise between
power deliverable and safety. He also suggested
55Hz while Westinghouse suggested 130Hz. IMO, 60Hz
appears to be the best frequency: A compramise
between transmission distance and transformer
size.
So what if it isn't published in the USA? It would be legal to publish all in the vast majority of countries that haven't been so foolish to adopt a DMCA or other absurd laws. Many sites (including this one) have vast bandwidth and would gladly publish your work and take a /.'ing
I would respect your team if you simply published in a move of civil disobediance against absurd US policies. Publish from your school and dare the US Gov't to take it down. The whole world laughs at the USA these days..... (Do keep a mirror in a safe haven, please) Many of us wish to see the work.
Even in the UK, 99.9% of all drivers will drive the speed safe for the road and conditions. I have personally noted that on major motorways when it is clear and conditions are ideal, people safely drive 90MPH (145km/h) or more.
Isn't it far more reasonable to go after drunks and reckless drivers that make it more dangerous for all? Surely driving 100km/h on a minor city road is reckless driving? Surely laws must evolve more to "You must drive safely at all times" rather than trying to set arbitrary rules that attempt that. I think that would work, even for the poor Brittish folk who have forgotten freedom ever was. Perhaps their 'speed habit' is one very important expression of freedom lost?
The civillian devices use a very inexpensive module built from clearly published specifications. They use only one frequency and since all must use them, the "encryption" can be no better than sattelite TV services or copy-prevention schemes.
Military GPS is far more complex than the ordinary kind. Several frequencies in several bands, plus encryption keys that are only given to authorised users are indeed used. This GPS can be jammed ofcourse, but all military fighters and most missles use INS and that is not affected by outside conditions. (other than a strong explosion)
You got it... I was going to post exactly that. It cannot be too much trouble to spoof GPS with off-the-shelf components from companies like Mini-Circuits. A working knowledge of GPS some analogue knowledge and some basic micro-controller programming skills should do the trick ;)
I would like to warn that signalls must be VERY small or you risk causing interference to legitimate users. Putting out a milli-watt is overkill, could cause harmful interference and may be illegal!
Perhaps just destroying the device is a better option? Remove the antenna or just wrap it in aluminium foil are alternatives. Certainly active spoofing is still a hack and companies that use GPS to monitor drivers positions and speeds are blissfully unaware that the technique is actually published.
In my last comment I calculated that if everyone received as much spam as me, it would cost 150Million/year. I am quite sure there has been a mistake in this report. This still doesn't mean it is not a problem. It is atleast a nuicence I can do without!
Perhaps there are costs that are far in excess to the costs of the technical aspect of receiving spam. Perhaps if you count the losses caused by malicious competitors using spam against other companies, making people think a particular company sent it, maybe then it is 1000x more?
Bull Sh*t. Spam costs lots and for those unfortunate enough to only have dialup service, consider the fact that most places charge you per minute to use a phoneline. As bandwidth is VERY poor (upto 64000bit/s max per ISDN line) the cost can mount.
If you have Unix and an Internet connection. (If you have Internet, you almost certainly connect Unix to it) your costs are reduced. Still even if the bulk rate for Internet is $2.00 - $5.00 per GByte (this may be a bit high today) and each Spam eats say 5kB (minimalist Spam) 1Million is going to take 5GB costing between $10.00 and $25.00!
No big deal you say? Allright, consider the dial-up user who uses Windoze and an "easy mailer" and downloads *all* mail at an average speed of perhaps 4kB/s. Maybe 80% still use the phone for "Internet" service and typical cost is about $0.01/min for a local call. (remember most people don't live in N. America in the country!) It is going to take 80% of the Million victims 278 hours to download. That brings the phone cost to $166.67 and the total cost upto $191.67 for a very simple spam. Don't forget some people (particular cablemodem users) pay upto 100x cost. So if just 5% are connected that way, the cost easily shoots past $200.00/Spam!
Conclusion: If everyone received ten spams a day, the estimated cost would be $150Million per year. The EU is very conservative on their estimate. I guess I must get alot more than average and the EU calculations are based on 4 - 5 minimal spams per week. Just wait for 10M "porno previews", junk binaries/Outlook attachments and promotional pictures. When the problem exceeds $1Billion/year, politicians will get off their arses, even in America!
It may be. This is much the way chips have been designed for many years. While it may not be for everyone, it seems to be the solution to a variety of problems at my own company. This encourages teamwork and that is good.
I do however have some doubts if it can work in "Silly Valley" where it is all egos and not much else. Still they manage to develop chips and that demands teamwork!