I hardly call 7 million dollars a shit load of money, when you're talking about a billion dollar spend. With hundreds or thousands of employees, you can easily lose 7 million just to lost productivity due to low morale. Not to mention that thousands of people who lose their jobs won't be spending money which hurts the economy which further aggravates companies' bad situations.
Large scale offshore outsourcing is bad for the country. The government needs to step in and put limits on it, just as cars need to be made with a certain percentage of domestic parts of labour, so should it be in the tech industry.
He recognizes the fatal user flaw of not applying patches and introduced an educational plan to help correct this.
I think Windows users already know what happens when they blindly install patches without proper testing. See here:
Anyway, I got to wondering whether or not anyone at Microsoft or anywhere else actually knows how these patches work. Are these fixes just huge blocks of code that replace other huge blocks of code? Are they true patches or are they module replacements? The size tends to be formidable. I have to assume entire chunks of the OS are replaced with recompiled code giving us new anomalies each time. Why is this? The worst part about all this is that the new anomalies always seem to be a form of OS deterioration or XP decay--never improvement. You dread each patch. You never look forward to one. Bad things always happen.
One problem with Microsoft's patches is that they are sometimes used to further their own agenda. Take NT 4 Service Pack 4. What's with the Active Desktop crap? Or Outlook updates? Stupid, just stupid. I shouldn't have to patch Outlook to secure my computer... but wait, it's part of the OS. Maybe that's the problem.
Google's count of all pages that matches is just an approximation (obviously - they use the word "about"). I've noticed results with say 4 pages of results and when I click to the 4th, I get the same results as the 3rd page because there really *isn't* a next page.
The results reported in this story are really bad, though - never seen anything like it myself! I'd have to guess that they're tweaking their algorithm and it's not handling some of the cases properly. No time to RTFA - gotta go!;)
"...a person is not entitled to a patent if the invention was "known or used by others in this country, or was patented or described in a printed publication in this or a foreign country" before the date of invention by the applicant for the patent. If, for example, an invention is known or is being used by someone in the United States, another person who makes the same invention at a later date may not obtain a patent. Prior knowledge or use in a different country, however, is not a bar to a patent application in the United States. In contrast, a prior patent or a printed publication anywhere in the world will bar an applicant for patent in the United States if it appeared before the date of the applicant's invention."
So can't we just throw together an application, distribute it, and be safe? Probably not, but I'm unclear on why.
RED is best for faxes, copies, scanning, etc. It shows up as black.
Ah, yes. I remember the old gaming manuals' copy protection schemes which took advantage of red scanning as black. They would cover the game codes (which you needed to type in to start the game) with a red square so that if you photo-copied them, all you'd end up with is a black square -- useless. You could hand-write the codes, but then manuals started using very exotic symbols which you had to compare to what was shown on-screen. Very hard to hand-write.
The market has a solution for this. Buy Canon printers instead of Lexmarks.
Lexmark deserves to be boycotted forever. I threw my Lexmark out about 6 months ago when they failed to reply to a complaint I filed regarding refills.
I now use online services exclusively for printing photos (it is *much* cheaper). I guess they must be allowed to use refills.;)
Even though we have options, though, it still unsettles me that the court ruled in Lexmark's favour. I don't know what judges are smoking today - $50's or $100's.
"Fluoride is one of the most toxic inorganic chemicals in the Earth's crust, but it is believed that at a concentration of 1ppm, or 1m g/mL in public water supplies, and at the concentrations used in dental preparations, it is both safe and beneficial to teeth. However, with increasing experience, doubts about both safety and efficacy have arisen."
"Exposure to high fluoride concentrations in drinking water is associated with decreased birth rates."
"The results obtained indicate that a fluoride exposure of 3-27 mg/day induces a subclinical reproductive effect that can be explained by a fluoride-induced toxic effect in both Sertoli cells and gonadotrophs."
"...fluoride toxicity may cause adverse effects in the reproductive system of males living in fluorosis endemic areas."
And finally:
"All recent large-scale surveys have shown minimal benefits to teeth from fluoridation programs. On the other hand, chronic exposure to fluoride at 1ppm could have a long-term detrimental effect on the general health of the population. Over the past 20 to 30 years there has been a substantial and unexplained rise in a number of conditions such as allergy, auto-immune diseases and the post viral fatigue syndrome. The common factor in these conditions is an alteration in the efficiency of the immune system."
There is enough evidence in these studies for me to be wary of drinking fluorinated water. If the 10% or whatever uncertainty factor is enough for you to want to take the risk, go for it. As for me, I'll stick to using the fluoride in my toothpaste which I don't have to swallow to get the benefits from. The thought of additives in our water is just ludicrous.
"You too can join the ranks of elite hax0rz and install trojans and viruses in our software. Your friends will fear you when you threaten to use the information you gathered using spyware against them. Send millions of unsolicited emails using not 100 copies, not 10 copies, but only ONE copy of Windows! That's right friends, you can take control of Windows boxes around the world and command them at will to send millions of junk to unwilling users.
What are you waiting for? Pick up the phone and call 1-800-PIR8 which has been retooled to be a hacker-friendly hotline. Don't delay! Call today!"
if fluoride is so bad why do americans have good teeth and just about every other nation seems to have really nasty teeth? I always heard it was the fluoride
Yeah, I'm pretty sure it does help people's teeth. But, what are the side effects? Cigarettes help people feel more relaxed, but they cause cancer. Not everything that is good for you in one way is good for you in the long run. Just a thought.
"Humans may have come close to extinction about 70,000 years ago... The study suggests that at one point there may have been only 2,000 individuals alive as our species teetered on the brink."
"The predicted effects of a Yellowstone eruption are the immediate devastation of North America followed by several years of freezing weather for the whole world."
No really, what a total joke. Would you trust someone who showed you what they *claim* is the source code, and then provided you with *their* binaries? If you don't compile it yourself, how do you really know? And even then, that's not an absolute guarantee that what you see is what you get (eg. if someone tampered with the compiler).
...when curiousity or questioning turns to psychotic paranoia where every dot on the wall is a secretly installed camera...
Uh, I think you're taking this a wee bit too far. The comments you are referring to are completely valid *and* have proof or are at least very possible (not some spy vs. spy fiction).
Truth is, as I understand it, Microsoft DID plant an NSA key. Microsoft HAS provided patches that do more than what they say. Microsoft would LIKE to see DRM everywhere and therefore have complete control over what we can do with our files. Microsoft IS a convicted monopolist. Gates DID lie during the court case.
MODERATORS: Before moderating parent down for being redundant, check the timestamp. It comes before any other post on a related subject. Just because Slashcode sorts the posts in a different order later, doesn't change WHEN it was posted.
...when curiousity or questioning turns to psychotic paranoia where every dot on the wall is a secretly installed camera...
Uh, I think you're taking this a wee bit too far. The comments you are referring to are completely valid *and* have proof or are at least very possible (not some spy vs. spy fiction).
Truth is, as I understand it, Microsoft DID plant an NSA key. Microsoft HAS provided patches that do more than what they say. Microsoft would LIKE to see DRM everywhere and therefore have complete control over what we can do with our files. Microsoft IS a convicted monopolist. Gates DID lie during the court case.
No really, what a total joke. Would you trust someone who showed you what they *claim* is the source code, and then provided you with *their* binaries? If you don't compile it yourself, how do you really know? And even then, that's not an absolute guarantee that what you see is what you get (eg. if someone tampered with the compiler).
Patent#kj5k423: Machine or method to create enterprise class starship capable of exploring the galaxy and beyond.
Patent#34kjkdd: Machine or method to terraform a planet and make it suitable for unaided human living.
So, since I'm obviously going to extort the sh-t out of anybody who actually *builds* one of these things, I guess there's no point in anybody investing any money in these areas!
Slashdot Mirror
No kidding. They've already put the first nail in their coffin and they just started. Nice market research there guys.
I hardly call 7 million dollars a shit load of money, when you're talking about a billion dollar spend. With hundreds or thousands of employees, you can easily lose 7 million just to lost productivity due to low morale. Not to mention that thousands of people who lose their jobs won't be spending money which hurts the economy which further aggravates companies' bad situations.
Large scale offshore outsourcing is bad for the country. The government needs to step in and put limits on it, just as cars need to be made with a certain percentage of domestic parts of labour, so should it be in the tech industry.
I think Windows users already know what happens when they blindly install patches without proper testing. See here:
One problem with Microsoft's patches is that they are sometimes used to further their own agenda. Take NT 4 Service Pack 4. What's with the Active Desktop crap? Or Outlook updates? Stupid, just stupid. I shouldn't have to patch Outlook to secure my computer... but wait, it's part of the OS. Maybe that's the problem.
Google's count of all pages that matches is just an approximation (obviously - they use the word "about"). I've noticed results with say 4 pages of results and when I click to the 4th, I get the same results as the 3rd page because there really *isn't* a next page.
;)
The results reported in this story are really bad, though - never seen anything like it myself! I'd have to guess that they're tweaking their algorithm and it's not handling some of the cases properly. No time to RTFA - gotta go!
From here:
So can't we just throw together an application, distribute it, and be safe? Probably not, but I'm unclear on why.
RED is best for faxes, copies, scanning, etc. It shows up as black.
Ah, yes. I remember the old gaming manuals' copy protection schemes which took advantage of red scanning as black. They would cover the game codes (which you needed to type in to start the game) with a red square so that if you photo-copied them, all you'd end up with is a black square -- useless. You could hand-write the codes, but then manuals started using very exotic symbols which you had to compare to what was shown on-screen. Very hard to hand-write.
The market has a solution for this. Buy Canon printers instead of Lexmarks.
;)
Lexmark deserves to be boycotted forever. I threw my Lexmark out about 6 months ago when they failed to reply to a complaint I filed regarding refills.
I now use online services exclusively for printing photos (it is *much* cheaper). I guess they must be allowed to use refills.
Even though we have options, though, it still unsettles me that the court ruled in Lexmark's favour. I don't know what judges are smoking today - $50's or $100's.
I sure did. Here are some quotes:
"Fluoride is one of the most toxic inorganic chemicals in the Earth's crust, but it is believed that at a concentration of 1ppm, or 1m g/mL in public water supplies, and at the concentrations used in dental preparations, it is both safe and beneficial to teeth. However, with increasing experience, doubts about both safety and efficacy have arisen."
"Exposure to high fluoride concentrations in drinking water is associated with decreased birth rates."
"The results obtained indicate that a fluoride exposure of 3-27 mg/day induces a subclinical reproductive effect that can be explained by a fluoride-induced toxic effect in both Sertoli cells and gonadotrophs."
"...fluoride toxicity may cause adverse effects in the reproductive system of males living in fluorosis endemic areas."
And finally:
"All recent large-scale surveys have shown minimal benefits to teeth from fluoridation programs. On the other hand, chronic exposure to fluoride at 1ppm could have a long-term detrimental effect on the general health of the population. Over the past 20 to 30 years there has been a substantial and unexplained rise in a number of conditions such as allergy, auto-immune diseases and the post viral fatigue syndrome. The common factor in these conditions is an alteration in the efficiency of the immune system."
There is enough evidence in these studies for me to be wary of drinking fluorinated water. If the 10% or whatever uncertainty factor is enough for you to want to take the risk, go for it. As for me, I'll stick to using the fluoride in my toothpaste which I don't have to swallow to get the benefits from. The thought of additives in our water is just ludicrous.
I'm always happy to see new technology largely because it means current technology prices will drop. Can't wait to finally get a DVD writable.
DivX movies fit onto one or two CDs. This isn't big news in that department.
I can see it now...
"You too can join the ranks of elite hax0rz and install trojans and viruses in our software. Your friends will fear you when you threaten to use the information you gathered using spyware against them. Send millions of unsolicited emails using not 100 copies, not 10 copies, but only ONE copy of Windows! That's right friends, you can take control of Windows boxes around the world and command them at will to send millions of junk to unwilling users.
What are you waiting for? Pick up the phone and call 1-800-PIR8 which has been retooled to be a hacker-friendly hotline. Don't delay! Call today!"
if fluoride is so bad why do americans have good teeth and just about every other nation seems to have really nasty teeth? I always heard it was the fluoride
Yeah, I'm pretty sure it does help people's teeth. But, what are the side effects? Cigarettes help people feel more relaxed, but they cause cancer. Not everything that is good for you in one way is good for you in the long run. Just a thought.
Heh, just wait until people start bringing this thing to wave pools! Friggen Jetsons, LOL.
Two comments:
1) I guess it's goodbye Trustworth Computing and Hello DRM!
2) How responsible of Microsoft to take away some of our freedom of choice and innovation. That oughtta jumpstart the economy.
Guess I'm holding onto my current hardware for a good long time. Good time to buy, m8e's.
Break up the company. Let whatever stands on its own live, and whatever falls... die.
Links and tidbits:
BRITISH SCIENTIST PUTS ODDS FOR APOCALYPSE AT 50-50
"Humans may have come close to extinction about 70,000 years ago... The study suggests that at one point there may have been only 2,000 individuals alive as our species teetered on the brink."
Try to imagine 1000 volcanoes erupting in the same place at the same time.
"The predicted effects of a Yellowstone eruption are the immediate devastation of North America followed by several years of freezing weather for the whole world."
Coupons, that's easy. What about AOL CD's?
No really, what a total joke. Would you trust someone who showed you what they *claim* is the source code, and then provided you with *their* binaries? If you don't compile it yourself, how do you really know? And even then, that's not an absolute guarantee that what you see is what you get (eg. if someone tampered with the compiler).
...when curiousity or questioning turns to psychotic paranoia where every dot on the wall is a secretly installed camera...
Uh, I think you're taking this a wee bit too far. The comments you are referring to are completely valid *and* have proof or are at least very possible (not some spy vs. spy fiction).
Truth is, as I understand it, Microsoft DID plant an NSA key. Microsoft HAS provided patches that do more than what they say. Microsoft would LIKE to see DRM everywhere and therefore have complete control over what we can do with our files. Microsoft IS a convicted monopolist. Gates DID lie during the court case.
So what's your problem again?
MODERATORS: Before moderating parent down for being redundant, check the timestamp. It comes before any other post on a related subject. Just because Slashcode sorts the posts in a different order later, doesn't change WHEN it was posted.
...when curiousity or questioning turns to psychotic paranoia where every dot on the wall is a secretly installed camera...
Uh, I think you're taking this a wee bit too far. The comments you are referring to are completely valid *and* have proof or are at least very possible (not some spy vs. spy fiction).
Truth is, as I understand it, Microsoft DID plant an NSA key. Microsoft HAS provided patches that do more than what they say. Microsoft would LIKE to see DRM everywhere and therefore have complete control over what we can do with our files. Microsoft IS a convicted monopolist. Gates DID lie during the court case.
So what's your problem again?
No really, what a total joke. Would you trust someone who showed you what they *claim* is the source code, and then provided you with *their* binaries? If you don't compile it yourself, how do you really know? And even then, that's not an absolute guarantee that what you see is what you get (eg. if someone tampered with the compiler).
Given that India's form of government is clearly different, this is much more chilling.
Actually, this feels a lot better than forcing Yahoo to take it down. At least Yahoo is still free to host (almost) whatever they want.
Now if I was a citizen of India, I'd be pissed.
Aha! Well I'm glad there is a way to prevent the hypothetical situation I described.
Then again, Disney's patents get extended routinely.
I've already patented these:
Patent#kj5k423: Machine or method to create enterprise class starship capable of exploring the galaxy and beyond.
Patent#34kjkdd: Machine or method to terraform a planet and make it suitable for unaided human living.
So, since I'm obviously going to extort the sh-t out of anybody who actually *builds* one of these things, I guess there's no point in anybody investing any money in these areas!
only thing certain is that it is just marketing at this point.
Yep, just vaporware until it is demonstrated. Reminds me of the old Windows vs. OS/2 debates, hehe. The gloves are off!