Not to try to side with Intuit, but this is clearly a false statement above. I was able to find the page with their toll free phone support numbers in approximately 1.2 seconds. It's right here on this page.
Just because it says that the phone line is only for installation help, upgrade assistance, and product defects (this update system is surely a defect in my eyes), doesn't mean you can't call them up, ask to talk to a manager and start explaining how much money you've spent on their software, and how you're never going to spend another dime on it again because of this feature. If enough folks were to do that, not just not buy the software, but call the company and let them know why they _might_ actually rethink their strategy. Doubtfull, but you don't know unless you try. So everyone who owns Quickbooks, please call (888) 320-7276 and let them know how you feel. Or even if you were thinking of purchasing quickbooks, but after reading this were inclined not to purchase it, give them a call and let them know why.
Last I checked Corn and Soybean plants can't cross-pollinate. Nor do they have any other means to transfer their genes from one species to another.
I highly doubt that the Corn stalks were 'gettin it on' with the Soybean plants, spreading free love and pollen accross the species barrier. This would be like a pig mating with an elephant, and is thus merely the stuff of dreams and fantasies in a biologist's world.
It's highly likely that what actually happened was wrongly interpreted, and a totally misinformed journalist created a hyped up headline that didn't even begin to convey what actually happened. Most likely the farmers that grew the genetically altered corn used harvesting equipment (combines) which like nearly all combines are unable to be 100% effecient in gathering the crops, and as such allow some of the corn to fall back to the earth and become seed. Next year the farmer goes back in, tills up the land, plants his soybean crops in the same field, and soon enough a couple of corn stalks crop up. You'll see this in many soybean fields in the midwest, a couple of stalks of corn standing up in a vast field of what is otherwise soybeans. Even if there are few to no weeds, you'll still usually see some corn, because the herbicides are designed not to kill corn and soybeans, but everything else. When the soybeans were harvested, a couple of corn stalks were harvested along with it, even though a bean head on a combine is not designed to harvest corn, it usually is able to pull a few kernels off the cobb when plowing through the beans. Low and behold, some genetically altered 2nd generation corn gets into the soybeans. Big deal.
I know from my MUDding experiences that it's not uncommon for folks into games to stay up for more than a few days at a time with nothing but caffiene. In college I use to regularly stay awake for 48 hours straight MUDding.
I also know quite a few people who are heavily into methamphetamines that stay up for over a week at a time. I know quite a few folks who brag about having stayed awak for 9 days straight and lived to tell about it.
The best part about having been awake for more than 3 days isn't necesarily the game you're playing, it's the delusious and hallucinations you get. >3 days awake is better than most hits of LSD you get these days.
I haven't had much of a problem as of yet with elite haX0r speak invading my real world, but I have had a problem with constantly typing 'look' and enter or 'score' and enter or 'inv' and enter while on ICQ or IRC. I guess playing time on Sojourn3 is catching up with me again.
Oh well,
who sort
I guess that's what we get for living online these days.
l
sc
I let my nephew use my sole remaining Windows machine a few weeks ago while he was over for the weekend. I went downstairs to use it and low and behold every web page I went to previously now was barraged by pop-up and pop-under ads.
Sure, I was at first amazed that I could lower my mortgage rates, increase my sexual hunger, and check out hot teen action, but then I realized that I wasn't even browsing pRon sites, and I was still getting that sort of sheer amount of ads.
Digging a little further into it and after checking out the history on the userid I had created for him I found that the nephew likes pRon, and lots of it. He also apparently deemed it necesary to install a bunch of shady software off the net while using my computer, particularly Kazaa.
I proceeded to remove any and all software that wasn't there before he used the computer. After rebooting, low and behold the pop-up ads were still popping up like zits on a teenager's face, marring my desktop with their ugly little existence. Now was the time for definite action, no time to hessitate.
After searching about a bit I recalled Ad-Aware and promptly downloaded and installed it. After running a full scan with this software and rebooting, there was no more pop-up ads. Sure, I may not be able to lower my mortgage rate anymore, but at least I'm not annoyed by 5 pop-up ads every time I open slashdot's homepage.
As for my nephew, he'll no longer be using any of my computers anymore. His taste in pRon was just plain horrid anyways. Not even one good free site did he find.
Yup there already is a secure OS that provides great strides in privacy as well. You don't need any special hardware to run it, and it doesn't cost you anything. It doesn't include any DRM garbage and it's called Open BSD.
And had you read the post you would have noted that it was suggested they build their own UPSes. There most definately was a slashdot article on this topic within the last month, but I was unable to find anything in/.'s search utility any relevant information.
How are these companies and countries going to grow without a little innovation and trying to do things through other means. If you can't afford to buy something, build it yourself. They couldn't afford to use the country's Telco to provide them with internet service, so they brewed their own satellite link. Keeping in the same spirit I don't think it would be all that tough to build their own battery backup. Sure it might not be able to line filter as well as something from APC or whatnot, but at least it would work.
And no, if you had read the article you'd notice that this particular internet cafe is using computers with P4 1.4ghz CPUs in them, not P133s with Win95. And I quote,
The operation has a dozen PCs powered by 1.4-gigahertz Intel processors and loaded with memory. Rather than reach its Internet service provider through the city's balky phone lines, Cyberia transfers data through a sophisticated wireless modem, which also increases network speed.
If they can afford P4 1.4ghz computers for a internet cafe to run simple web browsers and email clients, then they probably can afford to build their own UPS, or buy small models that are capable of holding the computers up until he can run downstairs and switch the generator on.
Also you mis-quoted the article to ineptly prove your point by saying "I read this as "they want a UPS that can handle swapping to the generator and back by itself, but can't afford one"." But the article actually says, "Amaning wants Cyberia to automate the process of switching to and from the generator, but the café can't afford the required equipment." There's really no need to automate the process is what I'm saying here. Basically they only need a UPS capable of holding the systems up for as long as it takes the proprietor to run downstairs and fire up the generator, maybe 5 minutes. One large UPS could do this for several PCs, or several small UPSes could do this also.
Also I find it odd that this guy could afford to purchase computers with Intel Pentium 4 1.4ghz CPUs in them, loaded with RAM, but can't afford a UPS. I simply refuse to run any of my computers without one due to sub-par power in my city (which isn't even remotely close to as bad as it sounds like it is in Ghana). If this guy had outfitted his cybercafe with some computers running AMD Durons and an Open Source operating system running an Open Source browser these people would be just as easily able to browse the web, and use webmail which is what the majority of these cybercafes are used for if I understand them properly. If he had gone with cheaper but nearly equally as powerfull PCs with free software he'd definately have had enough cash left over to build or buy a couple of UPSes, and been able to boast being the only cybercafe in Ghana that isn't bothered by the frequent power outages!
Power Outages, Generators and UPS, Oh my!
on
Ghana's Digital Dilemma
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
But one afternoon, as Amaning helps a customer print a document, all of Cyberia's whiz-bang technology vanishes--when the electricity goes out. He tells the customers to be patient, and to stay at their computers. Then he runs down a long flight of stairs to the basement, kicks on a backup generator, dashes back upstairs and reboots all the PCs, one after another. That's not the end of it, though. Since the generator is too costly to run any longer than necessary, Amaning must constantly check on neighboring shops to see when their lights return. When power is restored, he tells his customers to halt their work again and shut down, while he goes back to the basement, turns off the generator and switches the café back to public electricity.
I'd think with the frequency of power outages that they seem to have, it'd certainly be in their best interests to purchase or build their own(I believe there was a slashdot article on this recently, but the search utility here blows). They already have a generator as far as I can tell. If every computer were wired up to a UPS they could switch from line power to generator relatively seamlessly and limit the amount of damage done to PCs and OSes by improper shutdowns and power spikes/surges from their crappy power company's power.
I'd rather have a moderately-priced PC with high quality components than a cheap PC composed of bargain-bin parts. The manufacturers of the higher quality components are going to stand behind their product by continually updating and fixing drivers and firmware and promptly replacing the component if it goes bad. You just aren't going to get this from super cheap components.
The store I work at builds our own PCs using components from Asus, Toshiba, Intel, AMD, IBM, Nvidia, and Seagate. We never go for the cheapest product and we always watch for which companies will stand by their warranties and provide up to date driver support.
I've built and rebuilt/upgraded at least 20 computers for myself and maintain 7 computers in my home alone running various OSes and flavours of them. If you want a PC that will run any OS out there you need to build it yourself, because the big OEM builders won't check every item to make sure there's a Linux or *BSD driver available for it, not a chance.
We're a small tier OEM, and myself and another tech have convinced 'those that be' within our company to include Open Office on our low end systems instead of MS Worksuite 2002 OEM.
Unfortunately the systems still come with MS Windows XP Home on them, but at least it's a step in the right direction. All of us techs now have Open Office installed on our computers and use it for pretty much all of our office app needs except for a few Excel quote sheets that have embedded macros that don't seem to function properly.
So far we've had no complaints from any customers that have purchased these systems, but then again we've gotten no rave reviews either. I would definately say that it is an option though, at least for people who aren't tied directly into the MS specifics of the different file formats. Anyone who just wants to use a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation software and do thier work from scratch should be more than happy with this software.
Not only does this sound like a pretty bad idea from the radiation/cancer standpoint, but think of the privacy problems here also.
Sure it's nice because nobody can overhear your conversation because the conversation is in your head. What about tracking you though? It's getting easier and easier for the cell phone companies and government agencies to track and triangulate the position of cell phones. It's not a big deal right now because if you don't want to be tracked, just don't bring your cell phone, or turn it off.
Now if the cell phone is implanted in your teeth or jaw, you can't just leave it behind, and what sort of switch mechanism are they going to have for this so you can turn it off? I may not be doing anything illegal or even be giving anyone a reason to track my where-abouts, but do I really want people to be able to do so?
Also it's still really not all that hard to intercept cell phone conversations if you have the proper equipment and the knowledge to use it. Even digital calls can be intercepted. Now if some flaw existed in the firmware on the implanted phone, a spy could turn your microphone on remotely and listen to everything you say and hear.
I know I for one won't be getting any electronics implanted inside my person anytime soon, unless someone invents a miniturized beer distillery that replenishes itself automatically and constantly keeps me supplied with a beer.
Redhat is using this partnership to increase their revenues and clean up their profit margin according to this article on the Register, which coincides with this Yahoo News item.
Redhat may or may not be your favorite distro, but at least they're doing something to increase Linux marketshare, and apparently are doing it successfully.
While this is true, I doubt that the Navy ship that was coerced by faulty software to shoot down a civilian aircraft was running Microsoft software. And the operating system still wouldn't be at fault here. This type of thing would be due to faulty design and coding on the part of the weapons targetting systems. This software that probably runs on some sort of Unix system--Software that is most likely unique and proprietary to this ship.
While Microsoft is undoubtedly the most highly publicized proprietor of poorly written bloatware, there are many others to be held acountable here. This isn't just about operating systems, or office applications. This is a fundamental problem that I'm beginning to see in all software created recently. From game publishers, to shareware, to P2P clients, to proprietary data systems there is a lot of poorly written, and even more dangerous, poorly planned out code.
Game developers are frequently rushed to the point of putting out a sub-par error-riddled game because the publisher wants the game out on schedule, not when it's ready. We've all seen numerous stories about how the majority of the P2P file-sharing clients are filled up with bloat and spyware. A lot of us have worked for companies that have their own IS department that writes proprietary code for many of the business's apps, and I think a good chunk of us can agree that many of those apps are poorly written and not very well designed.
I don't know what the solution is myself to this problem, and I don't think Bill Gates's plan to create a programming language and compiler that will resolve all these errors will work either. I think that this will only lend towards more reliance on the compiler to do the coding for you. Only a good Software Engineer is going to know which search routine to use in different instances, or how to write a proper algorithm for the proper circumstance. Software compilers, until they develop intelligence on par with humans, will not be able to do this for us.
I think the only solution is to go back to our roots and examine the way we teach and train the upcomming batch of computer science students. Teach them not to rely on the compiler to fix their mistakes for them, but instead to thoroughly plan out the code they're about to write (on more than a napkin preferably), use the fundamentals of programming to pick the proper routines, use modular design to produce a better product, and also to write code correctly the first time. Think of it like this (if any of you hunt that is), when aproaching your prey in the wild with a bow and arrow as your weapon of choice you must be sure of your shot, and be sure that your first shot counts or you may not get a second one. I think software designers need work towards making sure their first shot counts. Do it right the first time, and don't rely on the equipment to do it for you as only skill will prevail.
Sure floppy swapping was prevelant in the time of floppies, but today with the types of media available there should be little or no reason to ever have to swap CDs or DVDs.
For example, Baldur's Gate came out on I think 6 or 7 CDs (been a while and too lazy to dig my old games out). In that game you had to switch CDs rather often. After I'd finished the game I find, to my dismay, that the game was released later on on DVD. The time I would have saved, not to mention the enormous annoyance factor that could have been prevented if it were available on DVD from the get-go would have been astounding.
Basically I've noticed that most games are released on CD...multiple CDs in most cases. Why do game publishers still do this when the majority of newer PCs come standard with DVD-ROM drives (and if they don't they're less than $50 in most cases). When a game contains 4.5GB of game data wouldn't it just be easier to put it all on one DVD? Besides recordable DVD drives are still semi-expensive so not everyone has one yet. What better way to slow down game piracy than put it out on a media that not everyone can copy....yet.
I'd also like to see a port of Konqueror to win32. Unfortunately I'm stuck using Windows at work and although IE6 isn't the worst browser I've ever used, I'd still rather be using my favorite, which is Konqueror.
Even more important, when searching for the infamous "goatse" you find the results are in favor of Google also!
Google: Results 1 - 10 of about 9,860. Search took 0.05 seconds
AllTheWeb: Displaying results 1-10 of 7,347 web pages found
Not only does Google display the more relevant gay pRon results, it also displays more of them. I think AllTheWeb lies!
What language?
on
Wolframania
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· Score: 0, Redundant
If "GOD" is a software engineer, what language does he use?
I'm guessing he started out with COBOL due to the stability of the world, but around the time the dinosaurs got nuked he was persuaded to switch to Visual BASIC by Satan(last name Gates) and ever since we've had nothing but one general protection fault after another.
Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right A B A B Select Start
I can't think of any other game that wasted more of my youth other than perhaps Pac Man. I'd definately buy a GBA if I could play good old regular Contra on it.
This means that people can drive like idiots, totally ignoring the road and other cars in front of them further away from those ugly base station towers!
Obviously it's too easy to get things patented these days, especially in areas of high technology as few if any patent officer workers are well versed in the areas of technology. Most of the patent office stampers would have little inclination as to how an intigrated circuit works or if an item of software recently designed is any different or unique from any other piece of similar software.
Sure, it's nice to be able to patent and protect your inventions and innovations, but when most of today's patent holders are larger corporations, it's hardly meant to protect the garage inventor anymore.
A company as large as Walmart might be just big enough and have enough bargain-basement customers to make this fly. And at $299 for the Duron 850mhz model, who can't afford one of these.
One problem I can see is that the hardware in these systems might(and probably is) of sub-par level. Instability issues caused by poor hardware quality may undermine the "frugal" consumer's viewpoint of the *nix OS enviroment. Not to mention that they'll have a hard time finding tech support locally considering that most tech shops are generally geared towards MS products and not Linux.
I'm lead tech at a small computer store. The massive onslaught of Klez in the wild makes us techs more money per day than a good, strong lightning storm will in a week with modem replacements. People in the general public that aren't in the "know" on computers are deathly afraid of viruses, and generally have no idea how to protect themselves.
Most of the John Q Publics out there buy a cheap computer from *.mart that has MS Windows pre-loaded on it that has virus protection software that will expire in 3 months, or require the end user to manually update the definitions. Most of them have no idea that their protection will run out, or that they need to update their software in order to keep it up to date and protecting them from the latest greatest virus.
So these folks turn to their cousin's brother who knows a bit about computers, and ends up screwing the computer up worse, or finds that they are unable to remove the virus from the computer. That's when they turn to us, and other techs. And they're generally willing to pay good money to get rid of the virus, have up to date protection that actually works installed, and be shown how to keep it up to date for a very long period of time, not to mention given a quick tutorial on what to open in their email and what to delete immediately.
In a perfect world un-educated folk wouldn't be given the option to purchase un-educated software, but until that time comes they need to rely on people that do know something about computers, and on software that can help protect them from their own lack of knowledge.
Slashdot Mirror
Not to try to side with Intuit, but this is clearly a false statement above. I was able to find the page with their toll free phone support numbers in approximately 1.2 seconds. It's right here on this page.
Just because it says that the phone line is only for installation help, upgrade assistance, and product defects (this update system is surely a defect in my eyes), doesn't mean you can't call them up, ask to talk to a manager and start explaining how much money you've spent on their software, and how you're never going to spend another dime on it again because of this feature. If enough folks were to do that, not just not buy the software, but call the company and let them know why they _might_ actually rethink their strategy. Doubtfull, but you don't know unless you try. So everyone who owns Quickbooks, please call (888) 320-7276 and let them know how you feel. Or even if you were thinking of purchasing quickbooks, but after reading this were inclined not to purchase it, give them a call and let them know why.
Last I checked Corn and Soybean plants can't cross-pollinate. Nor do they have any other means to transfer their genes from one species to another.
I highly doubt that the Corn stalks were 'gettin it on' with the Soybean plants, spreading free love and pollen accross the species barrier. This would be like a pig mating with an elephant, and is thus merely the stuff of dreams and fantasies in a biologist's world.
It's highly likely that what actually happened was wrongly interpreted, and a totally misinformed journalist created a hyped up headline that didn't even begin to convey what actually happened. Most likely the farmers that grew the genetically altered corn used harvesting equipment (combines) which like nearly all combines are unable to be 100% effecient in gathering the crops, and as such allow some of the corn to fall back to the earth and become seed. Next year the farmer goes back in, tills up the land, plants his soybean crops in the same field, and soon enough a couple of corn stalks crop up. You'll see this in many soybean fields in the midwest, a couple of stalks of corn standing up in a vast field of what is otherwise soybeans. Even if there are few to no weeds, you'll still usually see some corn, because the herbicides are designed not to kill corn and soybeans, but everything else. When the soybeans were harvested, a couple of corn stalks were harvested along with it, even though a bean head on a combine is not designed to harvest corn, it usually is able to pull a few kernels off the cobb when plowing through the beans. Low and behold, some genetically altered 2nd generation corn gets into the soybeans. Big deal.
I know from my MUDding experiences that it's not uncommon for folks into games to stay up for more than a few days at a time with nothing but caffiene. In college I use to regularly stay awake for 48 hours straight MUDding.
I also know quite a few people who are heavily into methamphetamines that stay up for over a week at a time. I know quite a few folks who brag about having stayed awak for 9 days straight and lived to tell about it.
The best part about having been awake for more than 3 days isn't necesarily the game you're playing, it's the delusious and hallucinations you get. >3 days awake is better than most hits of LSD you get these days.
I haven't had much of a problem as of yet with elite haX0r speak invading my real world, but I have had a problem with constantly typing 'look' and enter or 'score' and enter or 'inv' and enter while on ICQ or IRC. I guess playing time on Sojourn3 is catching up with me again.
Oh well,
who sort
I guess that's what we get for living online these days.
l
sc
I let my nephew use my sole remaining Windows machine a few weeks ago while he was over for the weekend. I went downstairs to use it and low and behold every web page I went to previously now was barraged by pop-up and pop-under ads.
Sure, I was at first amazed that I could lower my mortgage rates, increase my sexual hunger, and check out hot teen action, but then I realized that I wasn't even browsing pRon sites, and I was still getting that sort of sheer amount of ads.
Digging a little further into it and after checking out the history on the userid I had created for him I found that the nephew likes pRon, and lots of it. He also apparently deemed it necesary to install a bunch of shady software off the net while using my computer, particularly Kazaa.
I proceeded to remove any and all software that wasn't there before he used the computer. After rebooting, low and behold the pop-up ads were still popping up like zits on a teenager's face, marring my desktop with their ugly little existence. Now was the time for definite action, no time to hessitate.
After searching about a bit I recalled Ad-Aware and promptly downloaded and installed it. After running a full scan with this software and rebooting, there was no more pop-up ads. Sure, I may not be able to lower my mortgage rate anymore, but at least I'm not annoyed by 5 pop-up ads every time I open slashdot's homepage.
As for my nephew, he'll no longer be using any of my computers anymore. His taste in pRon was just plain horrid anyways. Not even one good free site did he find.
Yup there already is a secure OS that provides great strides in privacy as well. You don't need any special hardware to run it, and it doesn't cost you anything. It doesn't include any DRM garbage and it's called Open BSD.
And had you read the post you would have noted that it was suggested they build their own UPSes. There most definately was a slashdot article on this topic within the last month, but I was unable to find anything in /.'s search utility any relevant information.
How are these companies and countries going to grow without a little innovation and trying to do things through other means. If you can't afford to buy something, build it yourself. They couldn't afford to use the country's Telco to provide them with internet service, so they brewed their own satellite link. Keeping in the same spirit I don't think it would be all that tough to build their own battery backup. Sure it might not be able to line filter as well as something from APC or whatnot, but at least it would work.
And no, if you had read the article you'd notice that this particular internet cafe is using computers with P4 1.4ghz CPUs in them, not P133s with Win95. And I quote,
If they can afford P4 1.4ghz computers for a internet cafe to run simple web browsers and email clients, then they probably can afford to build their own UPS, or buy small models that are capable of holding the computers up until he can run downstairs and switch the generator on.Also you mis-quoted the article to ineptly prove your point by saying "I read this as "they want a UPS that can handle swapping to the generator and back by itself, but can't afford one"." But the article actually says, "Amaning wants Cyberia to automate the process of switching to and from the generator, but the café can't afford the required equipment." There's really no need to automate the process is what I'm saying here. Basically they only need a UPS capable of holding the systems up for as long as it takes the proprietor to run downstairs and fire up the generator, maybe 5 minutes. One large UPS could do this for several PCs, or several small UPSes could do this also.
Also I find it odd that this guy could afford to purchase computers with Intel Pentium 4 1.4ghz CPUs in them, loaded with RAM, but can't afford a UPS. I simply refuse to run any of my computers without one due to sub-par power in my city (which isn't even remotely close to as bad as it sounds like it is in Ghana). If this guy had outfitted his cybercafe with some computers running AMD Durons and an Open Source operating system running an Open Source browser these people would be just as easily able to browse the web, and use webmail which is what the majority of these cybercafes are used for if I understand them properly. If he had gone with cheaper but nearly equally as powerfull PCs with free software he'd definately have had enough cash left over to build or buy a couple of UPSes, and been able to boast being the only cybercafe in Ghana that isn't bothered by the frequent power outages!
I'd think with the frequency of power outages that they seem to have, it'd certainly be in their best interests to purchase or build their own(I believe there was a slashdot article on this recently, but the search utility here blows). They already have a generator as far as I can tell. If every computer were wired up to a UPS they could switch from line power to generator relatively seamlessly and limit the amount of damage done to PCs and OSes by improper shutdowns and power spikes/surges from their crappy power company's power.
I'd rather have a moderately-priced PC with high quality components than a cheap PC composed of bargain-bin parts. The manufacturers of the higher quality components are going to stand behind their product by continually updating and fixing drivers and firmware and promptly replacing the component if it goes bad. You just aren't going to get this from super cheap components.
The store I work at builds our own PCs using components from Asus, Toshiba, Intel, AMD, IBM, Nvidia, and Seagate. We never go for the cheapest product and we always watch for which companies will stand by their warranties and provide up to date driver support.
I've built and rebuilt/upgraded at least 20 computers for myself and maintain 7 computers in my home alone running various OSes and flavours of them. If you want a PC that will run any OS out there you need to build it yourself, because the big OEM builders won't check every item to make sure there's a Linux or *BSD driver available for it, not a chance.
We're a small tier OEM, and myself and another tech have convinced 'those that be' within our company to include Open Office on our low end systems instead of MS Worksuite 2002 OEM.
Unfortunately the systems still come with MS Windows XP Home on them, but at least it's a step in the right direction. All of us techs now have Open Office installed on our computers and use it for pretty much all of our office app needs except for a few Excel quote sheets that have embedded macros that don't seem to function properly.
So far we've had no complaints from any customers that have purchased these systems, but then again we've gotten no rave reviews either. I would definately say that it is an option though, at least for people who aren't tied directly into the MS specifics of the different file formats. Anyone who just wants to use a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation software and do thier work from scratch should be more than happy with this software.
Not only does this sound like a pretty bad idea from the radiation/cancer standpoint, but think of the privacy problems here also.
Sure it's nice because nobody can overhear your conversation because the conversation is in your head. What about tracking you though? It's getting easier and easier for the cell phone companies and government agencies to track and triangulate the position of cell phones. It's not a big deal right now because if you don't want to be tracked, just don't bring your cell phone, or turn it off.
Now if the cell phone is implanted in your teeth or jaw, you can't just leave it behind, and what sort of switch mechanism are they going to have for this so you can turn it off? I may not be doing anything illegal or even be giving anyone a reason to track my where-abouts, but do I really want people to be able to do so?
Also it's still really not all that hard to intercept cell phone conversations if you have the proper equipment and the knowledge to use it. Even digital calls can be intercepted. Now if some flaw existed in the firmware on the implanted phone, a spy could turn your microphone on remotely and listen to everything you say and hear.
I know I for one won't be getting any electronics implanted inside my person anytime soon, unless someone invents a miniturized beer distillery that replenishes itself automatically and constantly keeps me supplied with a beer.
Redhat is using this partnership to increase their revenues and clean up their profit margin according to this article on the Register, which coincides with this Yahoo News item.
Redhat may or may not be your favorite distro, but at least they're doing something to increase Linux marketshare, and apparently are doing it successfully.
While this is true, I doubt that the Navy ship that was coerced by faulty software to shoot down a civilian aircraft was running Microsoft software. And the operating system still wouldn't be at fault here. This type of thing would be due to faulty design and coding on the part of the weapons targetting systems. This software that probably runs on some sort of Unix system--Software that is most likely unique and proprietary to this ship.
While Microsoft is undoubtedly the most highly publicized proprietor of poorly written bloatware, there are many others to be held acountable here. This isn't just about operating systems, or office applications. This is a fundamental problem that I'm beginning to see in all software created recently. From game publishers, to shareware, to P2P clients, to proprietary data systems there is a lot of poorly written, and even more dangerous, poorly planned out code.
Game developers are frequently rushed to the point of putting out a sub-par error-riddled game because the publisher wants the game out on schedule, not when it's ready. We've all seen numerous stories about how the majority of the P2P file-sharing clients are filled up with bloat and spyware. A lot of us have worked for companies that have their own IS department that writes proprietary code for many of the business's apps, and I think a good chunk of us can agree that many of those apps are poorly written and not very well designed.
I don't know what the solution is myself to this problem, and I don't think Bill Gates's plan to create a programming language and compiler that will resolve all these errors will work either. I think that this will only lend towards more reliance on the compiler to do the coding for you. Only a good Software Engineer is going to know which search routine to use in different instances, or how to write a proper algorithm for the proper circumstance. Software compilers, until they develop intelligence on par with humans, will not be able to do this for us.
I think the only solution is to go back to our roots and examine the way we teach and train the upcomming batch of computer science students. Teach them not to rely on the compiler to fix their mistakes for them, but instead to thoroughly plan out the code they're about to write (on more than a napkin preferably), use the fundamentals of programming to pick the proper routines, use modular design to produce a better product, and also to write code correctly the first time. Think of it like this (if any of you hunt that is), when aproaching your prey in the wild with a bow and arrow as your weapon of choice you must be sure of your shot, and be sure that your first shot counts or you may not get a second one. I think software designers need work towards making sure their first shot counts. Do it right the first time, and don't rely on the equipment to do it for you as only skill will prevail.
Sure floppy swapping was prevelant in the time of floppies, but today with the types of media available there should be little or no reason to ever have to swap CDs or DVDs.
For example, Baldur's Gate came out on I think 6 or 7 CDs (been a while and too lazy to dig my old games out). In that game you had to switch CDs rather often. After I'd finished the game I find, to my dismay, that the game was released later on on DVD. The time I would have saved, not to mention the enormous annoyance factor that could have been prevented if it were available on DVD from the get-go would have been astounding.
Basically I've noticed that most games are released on CD...multiple CDs in most cases. Why do game publishers still do this when the majority of newer PCs come standard with DVD-ROM drives (and if they don't they're less than $50 in most cases). When a game contains 4.5GB of game data wouldn't it just be easier to put it all on one DVD? Besides recordable DVD drives are still semi-expensive so not everyone has one yet. What better way to slow down game piracy than put it out on a media that not everyone can copy....yet.
I hope the PC version of this comes available on DVD-ROM. I'd sure hate to swap through 4.5GB worth of CD-ROMs to install it.
7+ CDs is a lot of swapping.
My Plextor CDRW drives coupled up with CloneCD has yet to fail me in making "personal backups" of any Audio of Game CD that I've purchased.
I'd also like to see a port of Konqueror to win32. Unfortunately I'm stuck using Windows at work and although IE6 isn't the worst browser I've ever used, I'd still rather be using my favorite, which is Konqueror.
Even more important, when searching for the infamous "goatse" you find the results are in favor of Google also!
Google: Results 1 - 10 of about 9,860. Search took 0.05 seconds
AllTheWeb: Displaying results 1-10 of 7,347 web pages found
Not only does Google display the more relevant gay pRon results, it also displays more of them. I think AllTheWeb lies!
If "GOD" is a software engineer, what language does he use?
I'm guessing he started out with COBOL due to the stability of the world, but around the time the dinosaurs got nuked he was persuaded to switch to Visual BASIC by Satan(last name Gates) and ever since we've had nothing but one general protection fault after another.
Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right A B A B Select Start
I can't think of any other game that wasted more of my youth other than perhaps Pac Man. I'd definately buy a GBA if I could play good old regular Contra on it.
This means that people can drive like idiots, totally ignoring the road and other cars in front of them further away from those ugly base station towers!
I feel safer already!
Last year in a show of how easy it was to disrupt and abuse the patent process by registering a common, every-day idea a Melbourne lawyer patented a "circular transportation facilitation device" with more info on the story here, here(pdf file), and here
Obviously it's too easy to get things patented these days, especially in areas of high technology as few if any patent officer workers are well versed in the areas of technology. Most of the patent office stampers would have little inclination as to how an intigrated circuit works or if an item of software recently designed is any different or unique from any other piece of similar software.
Sure, it's nice to be able to patent and protect your inventions and innovations, but when most of today's patent holders are larger corporations, it's hardly meant to protect the garage inventor anymore.
A company as large as Walmart might be just big enough and have enough bargain-basement customers to make this fly. And at $299 for the Duron 850mhz model, who can't afford one of these.
One problem I can see is that the hardware in these systems might(and probably is) of sub-par level. Instability issues caused by poor hardware quality may undermine the "frugal" consumer's viewpoint of the *nix OS enviroment. Not to mention that they'll have a hard time finding tech support locally considering that most tech shops are generally geared towards MS products and not Linux.
There is a program that detects and turns off virus protection programs. It's called klez.h and you can get it from your dumb friend's email.
I'm lead tech at a small computer store. The massive onslaught of Klez in the wild makes us techs more money per day than a good, strong lightning storm will in a week with modem replacements. People in the general public that aren't in the "know" on computers are deathly afraid of viruses, and generally have no idea how to protect themselves.
Most of the John Q Publics out there buy a cheap computer from *.mart that has MS Windows pre-loaded on it that has virus protection software that will expire in 3 months, or require the end user to manually update the definitions. Most of them have no idea that their protection will run out, or that they need to update their software in order to keep it up to date and protecting them from the latest greatest virus.
So these folks turn to their cousin's brother who knows a bit about computers, and ends up screwing the computer up worse, or finds that they are unable to remove the virus from the computer. That's when they turn to us, and other techs. And they're generally willing to pay good money to get rid of the virus, have up to date protection that actually works installed, and be shown how to keep it up to date for a very long period of time, not to mention given a quick tutorial on what to open in their email and what to delete immediately.
In a perfect world un-educated folk wouldn't be given the option to purchase un-educated software, but until that time comes they need to rely on people that do know something about computers, and on software that can help protect them from their own lack of knowledge.