Blackberry can be run without the dedicated server. Usually an Internet email account is used. But you are not reliant on the email account. Blackberry can send messages directly from one unit to another. Running with the dedicated server is more secure if that matters. For details read the white papers from RIM
That said I don't think that Blackberries for all the family is the best solution. As they use the Mobitex network they are less prone to saturation then cell phones. However Blackberry is still reliant on a mobitex tower. A single point of failure. Unless you can get a super deal on the units and a monthly plan I can't imagine that Blackberry is the most affordable option either.
The best most reliable solution is probably HAM radios. A 50w mobile (installed in the cars, and at a home base) can probably give you the coverage you need even if all of the many repeaters in your area fail, and become saturated. A tiny little handheld (yeasu vx5r) would be enough to reach a repeater in most cities. There is a downside. You and your family must be good radio citizens and know how to operate your radios, and how to communicate with other radio operators. In a true crisis you will require the good will and assistance of other radio operators.
A lot of modern hardware, primarily oem mainboards from asia, does not respond well if the PS/2 mouse is unplugged. The PS/2 controller will reset and both keyboard and mouse will become unusable.
If you didn't have a bank account, wouldn't you be paying to cash your pay cheque anyway? Honest question. That is generally how it is done in North America.
This is an interesting view of the events in Florida/2000. Saying that the Courts put Bush into power is too simplistict, and an easy scapegoat. It is worth noteing that unless a count is very close, few recounts change the outcome of a vote. This is true is most Western countries.
You brits are so lucky to have products like this. In North America we will be lucky to even get DVB, let along a product that lets you record the raw mpeg without hacking to bypass annoying anticonsumer controls.
so my guess is that even US washing machines would have a heater and thermostat built in
They don't. For what it is worth North American hotwater tanks are typically set to about 58C.
I will add that in some ways I prefer the European style washer. It controls the temperature of the water. Only recently have washers in North America come with thermostats. Teperature control is now performed by adding more hot or more cold water.
There is definately the question of how literacy is tested. It dosen't help that the standards between contries have to be different due to the different character sets.
University proffessors (amongst others) have been complaining for some time that some of their students have a very poor grasp of the english language. Census numbers aren't the best source either as people who are functionally illiterate are the least likely to fill out the forms. They are probably not going to check the "I am illiterate" box either. 3% illiteracy is still very high. That is not 3% of people have a hard time reading the paper. That is 3% of people who don't understand a MacDonalds menu. It would not surprise me if 20% of people are functionally illiterate. Based on the 56% newspaper readership it would not surprise me if the number of functionally illiterates was closer to 40%.;-)
Reading newspapers is not a sign of your personal literacy. Rather it might be possible to use those numbers as an indication of the national rate of literacy. Clearly not everyone who is literate reads the paper. I don't read the paper for the same reasons you list. Conversely not everyone who reads the paper is properly literate.
No it dosen't. I am in the same boat, so don't take this as a personal slam./. dosen't count due to the awfull english that is used. The majority of/. posters are functionally illiterate. The story submissions more often then not, would recieve Ds and Fs from a six grade teacher. Reading/. is probably draggin down your literacy not improveing it./. is not the only culprit. Many online only publications don't take the time to proof read.
But those numbers are pretty meaningless being a generation out of date. Even if those numbers are accurate a difference of 2% is no difference at all. More interesting figures would be the number of people who read the newspaper daily, or who read outside of work. I suspect those numbers are quite low in North America.
This attitute is a big part of the problem. You are basically saying:
"Anyone can learn to use this software. If that can't they are stupid."
This is the reason we have "wizards" and other useless unuseability features. When users complained that the software was hard to use the designers did not ask way. Instead the designers concluded that "users are stupid." So the UI was not improved. Instead "wizards for stupid users" were added. Users read the message load and clear: "The software designers think I am stupid." No body likes to be called stupid.
the theorists should include example source in their papers
There is no need. In the mathematical world the paper is the "proof of concept." The problems hinted at in the paper go far beyond source code. It is implementation problems such as algorithms requireing a trusted channel for the initial key exchange, and tying a public key to a real person. Other problems are processor issues. Algorithms that are only practical with non existant processors such are requireing 512bit registers, or unrealistic numbers of registers. Source code would not solve these types of issues as math lib can use arbitrary persision. If the source code is slow it will be explained as "it is only sample code." Finally Cryptologists are theoritical mathematicians, not computer scientists. Many modern crypto designs require a real Computer Scientist to implement, not a passing knowledge of C. This is probably the way it should be. Let the cryptologist concentrate on what they are good at.
It would be a pain in the ass (read expensive) to manufacture. Single sided boards are easier to make, which results in fewer defects, which drives costs down. To put the cpu holder on the opposite side would probably require a new socket design, or that the socket be hand soldered. The manufactureing technique generally does not allow for pin through hole components on both sides of the board.
If you ever wanted to apply for a job as a Solaris admin you may want some Solaris experience. It is different (archaic) enough from FreeBSD and Linux to warrent a look. But that really just qualifies as "knowing another *nix." For a single computer, single user (or few user) system Linux and FreeBSD are more advanced from a users perspective. I am guessing by the ammount of automount and NIS+ junk that keeps getting in my way Solaris works well in multiuser, multi computer environments.
You are bang on. The desktop metaphor was a bad idea that should have been dumped a long time ago. It is scary how easily the fastest Pentium4 runs ancient MSDOS. I can't help but think that this level of backwards compatibility has hurt the architechture and performance. With a few exceptions the entire industry has been re-releaseing the same hardware and software only faster with new pretty colours. Little attempt has been made to truely inovate and make computers easier to use.
BAH! I am just being bitter. I hate computers because I use them everyday. Yet here I am on my own time useing a computer. It is bad drug.
Slashdot Mirror
Blackberry can be run without the dedicated server. Usually an Internet email account is used. But you are not reliant on the email account. Blackberry can send messages directly from one unit to another. Running with the dedicated server is more secure if that matters. For details read the white papers from RIM
That said I don't think that Blackberries for all the family is the best solution. As they use the Mobitex network they are less prone to saturation then cell phones. However Blackberry is still reliant on a mobitex tower. A single point of failure. Unless you can get a super deal on the units and a monthly plan I can't imagine that Blackberry is the most affordable option either.
The best most reliable solution is probably HAM radios. A 50w mobile (installed in the cars, and at a home base) can probably give you the coverage you need even if all of the many repeaters in your area fail, and become saturated. A tiny little handheld (yeasu vx5r) would be enough to reach a repeater in most cities. There is a downside. You and your family must be good radio citizens and know how to operate your radios, and how to communicate with other radio operators. In a true crisis you will require the good will and assistance of other radio operators.
A lot of modern hardware, primarily oem mainboards from asia, does not respond well if the PS/2 mouse is unplugged. The PS/2 controller will reset and both keyboard and mouse will become unusable.
You would think that would be something that the editors would pick up.
I know I know: MOD -1 obvious joke
If you didn't have a bank account, wouldn't you be paying to cash your pay cheque anyway? Honest question. That is generally how it is done in North America.
This is an interesting view of the events in Florida/2000. Saying that the Courts put Bush into power is too simplistict, and an easy scapegoat. It is worth noteing that unless a count is very close, few recounts change the outcome of a vote. This is true is most Western countries.
You brits are so lucky to have products like this. In North America we will be lucky to even get DVB, let along a product that lets you record the raw mpeg without hacking to bypass annoying anticonsumer controls.
so my guess is that even US washing machines would have a heater and thermostat built in
They don't. For what it is worth North American hotwater tanks are typically set to about 58C.
I will add that in some ways I prefer the European style washer. It controls the temperature of the water. Only recently have washers in North America come with thermostats. Teperature control is now performed by adding more hot or more cold water.
The original PGP was a command line tool. GPG initially setout to replace PGP command line.
There is definately the question of how literacy is tested. It dosen't help that the standards between contries have to be different due to the different character sets.
;-)
University proffessors (amongst others) have been complaining for some time that some of their students have a very poor grasp of the english language. Census numbers aren't the best source either as people who are functionally illiterate are the least likely to fill out the forms. They are probably not going to check the "I am illiterate" box either. 3% illiteracy is still very high. That is not 3% of people have a hard time reading the paper. That is 3% of people who don't understand a MacDonalds menu. It would not surprise me if 20% of people are functionally illiterate. Based on the 56% newspaper readership it would not surprise me if the number of functionally illiterates was closer to 40%.
Reading newspapers is not a sign of your personal literacy. Rather it might be possible to use those numbers as an indication of the national rate of literacy. Clearly not everyone who is literate reads the paper. I don't read the paper for the same reasons you list. Conversely not everyone who reads the paper is properly literate.
Does reading /. daily count?
/. dosen't count due to the awfull english that is used. The majority of /. posters are functionally illiterate. The story submissions more often then not, would recieve Ds and Fs from a six grade teacher. Reading /. is probably draggin down your literacy not improveing it. /. is not the only culprit. Many online only publications don't take the time to proof read.
No it dosen't. I am in the same boat, so don't take this as a personal slam.
From the CIA World Factbook
Literacy in Japan: 99% (1970 est)
Literacy in US: 97% (1979 est)
But those numbers are pretty meaningless being a generation out of date. Even if those numbers are accurate a difference of 2% is no difference at all. More interesting figures would be the number of people who read the newspaper daily, or who read outside of work. I suspect those numbers are quite low in North America.
*shudder*
This attitute is a big part of the problem. You are basically saying:
"Anyone can learn to use this software. If that can't they are stupid."
This is the reason we have "wizards" and other useless unuseability features. When users complained that the software was hard to use the designers did not ask way. Instead the designers concluded that "users are stupid." So the UI was not improved. Instead "wizards for stupid users" were added. Users read the message load and clear: "The software designers think I am stupid." No body likes to be called stupid.
From the sig:
The Slashdot default score should be the median score of your last eleven moderated messages.
Why eleven? Is it just an arbitrary number, or is there some thought behind it?
the theorists should include example source in their papers
There is no need. In the mathematical world the paper is the "proof of concept." The problems hinted at in the paper go far beyond source code. It is implementation problems such as algorithms requireing a trusted channel for the initial key exchange, and tying a public key to a real person. Other problems are processor issues. Algorithms that are only practical with non existant processors such are requireing 512bit registers, or unrealistic numbers of registers. Source code would not solve these types of issues as math lib can use arbitrary persision. If the source code is slow it will be explained as "it is only sample code." Finally Cryptologists are theoritical mathematicians, not computer scientists. Many modern crypto designs require a real Computer Scientist to implement, not a passing knowledge of C. This is probably the way it should be. Let the cryptologist concentrate on what they are good at.
It would be a pain in the ass (read expensive) to manufacture. Single sided boards are easier to make, which results in fewer defects, which drives costs down. To put the cpu holder on the opposite side would probably require a new socket design, or that the socket be hand soldered. The manufactureing technique generally does not allow for pin through hole components on both sides of the board.
If you ever wanted to apply for a job as a Solaris admin you may want some Solaris experience. It is different (archaic) enough from FreeBSD and Linux to warrent a look. But that really just qualifies as "knowing another *nix." For a single computer, single user (or few user) system Linux and FreeBSD are more advanced from a users perspective. I am guessing by the ammount of automount and NIS+ junk that keeps getting in my way Solaris works well in multiuser, multi computer environments.
Privilege escalation under Windows is trivial due to a Win32 design flaw.
From FireWire Depot page:
"...offers the military grade protection for your classified data."
Calling DES "military grade protection" is pretty close to a blatant lie.
That said DES and possibly even 3DES should no longer be used.
You are bang on. The desktop metaphor was a bad idea that should have been dumped a long time ago. It is scary how easily the fastest Pentium4 runs ancient MSDOS. I can't help but think that this level of backwards compatibility has hurt the architechture and performance. With a few exceptions the entire industry has been re-releaseing the same hardware and software only faster with new pretty colours. Little attempt has been made to truely inovate and make computers easier to use.
BAH! I am just being bitter. I hate computers because I use them everyday. Yet here I am on my own time useing a computer. It is bad drug.
Differential GPS can easily do 1m accuracy. And short term accuracy is even better.
Agreed. I don't see how this relates to the Ebay case.
Cool.
Do you have any documentation of a strict pkgsrc Linux install?
I was looking to use Open Packages, but that project seems to have stalled. I will give this a try instead. Thank you for the pointer.