My '97 Starun SC2 had an electrical problem a little while ago, something called the RKE module fried. OK not a big deal I thought to myself, it's a machine and things fail. What caught my attention was the fact that I always ask for the old parts back. I think there is a california state law about it or something, and just to make sure I am not getting ripped off. The funny thing is the dealership refused to let me have it. Some BS about security and the car alarm ( At the time I thought the mechanic I was talking to just made this up for whatever reason) so I didn't argue as the car worked.
But now I read this and am wondering... is the standard GM "black box" contained in the RKE module? Does anyone know what exactly goes on in the RKE besides car alarm functions. Seems like a rather big box for just an alarm, even factoring in GM's bloated-lo-tech way of doing things.
You still have effective brakes if ABS is switched off. In fact, you have brakes which are MORE effective in the hands of a very competent driver.
Hmmm... What about the air bag? I remember reading a warning on something I own about possible accidential deployment of the air bag. That could be a bad thing.
Thinking about it...
Pacemakers
CompUSA, Circut City, Best buy, etc.
Car dealership
Hosipital
annoying cell phone
Colo center
Telco CO (might be nuclear/EMP shielded)
Traffic Signal box
Traffic camera box
Cell phone tower
Power distribution center
[evil_grin]MS HQ[/evil_grin]
This thing could be nasty. Doing a drive-by has a whole new meaning...
Yeah, me too. But I have started doing something a little more sporting. Break the "you cant touch this computer. You gotta watch this demo" protection on the l4me b0x3n down at the local CompUSA/Best Buy/whatever and trying to get a copy of UD a distributed computing client running. Fun and useful. More useful than wasteing clocks on demos. I have tryed to get them to run this stuff on their own, but all I got was blank looks... and they are supposed to be a computer store. Cracks me up... So I help 'em along.
I have had a major problem with dust in the air at my place. A new shopping mall is going in back of my place and the construction is hell. Earth movers, graters, if it's big n yellow is there. I finally got pissed and did something...
1 Old cardboard box
3 scrap box fans
1 "filtree" by 3M furnace filter.
Blend with duct tape and let simmer for 24 hours over lo heat and volia! Big reduction in dust
Best of all clean up was a snap! The whole damn thing cost me less that 5 bucks so I just tosses it when I was done. With a little more work you could build a larger, more permanate version. Not a $500 ionizer (I have a good idea of what is in there and it ain't 500 bucks worth. More like 10-20, but you know market forces good marketing, what have you.)
Looks more usefull then finding the odd alien out there:P
Now if they could come up with a Distributed Computing Project to help with a socially dibilitating disease affecting millions of geeks and/.ers called CIC.
Liebeck, who also underwent debridement treatments, sought to settle her claim for $20,000, but McDonalds refused.
Irrelevent, again like the fact she was not driving or the car was not in motion. I fail to see how any of these facts make McDodalds any more or less guilty. Now if McDonalds threw the coffee at her I can see a case, but if she had possesion of said coffee and then spilled it on her self, no. Sorry you are not a winner. Please try again.
My point is that life is full of hazzards, known and unknown. Dems the breaks, get over it. Shit happens - to all of us at one time or another. You look at what happened, pick yourself up and move on. If you can find some good that came of it then good for you, if not try to prevent it from happening again. You can not legislate risk out of life, if you try all we will end up with are fireproof matches (to prevent burns) that cost 100 bucks a book for product liability insurance for those few supreme idiots that still manage to hurt thenselves somehow and sue the manfacturer, merchant, distrubuter, clerk, fire department (for not being there to save them from themselves), and mothers for bringing them into such a dangerous and hurtful world, because that lack the ethics and/or spine to accept that fact that they fucked up and there is no one to blame but themselves.
SURGEON GENERALS WARNING
Living life can be hazardous to your health
If you do not accept these terms please self abort now.
They are now trying to hit the jackpot by winning just one case which will assure them enough money for a couple of generations ahead...
Hmmm... Thinking about this... These are punitive damages, right? IANAL but dosen't the court get the money when is it ment as a punisment? I think the national debt is 2.8e12 bucks... so could Napster mean no taxes for a few decades?
I'm not claiming she was lacking personal responsibility, I am claiming she was an opprunistic, money grubbing, self-centered, ego-centric, bitch. Much like the RIAA/record lable of your choice/MPAA. Coffee is hot. It is common knowledge. Any coffee that could be described by a reasonable person as hot coffee Will burn the hell out of you. People buy hot coffee. People bitch if the coffee is not hot, no one wants warm/spill safe coffee.
Driving is irrelevent. Responsibility is irrelevent. Money is relevent.
In the artical at news.com it read that the record label was suing for 150,000 per infringment and that Napster was guilty of "billions" of acts?!
By the time of its close, Napster had contributed to billions of separate acts of copyright infringement, according to Monday's complaint. The record labels are seeking punitive damages of no less than $150,000 per violation of copyright, among other awards.
Assuming 1 billion violations * 150k$ = 150e12 bucks? Am I doing the math right here? Is this a Guiness World Record here or what...
and I thought that woman suing McDonalds was funny...
I know the screen shots are a little dull, but the UI will improve. I did like some of the feature set I saw but it will have to come a long way to be a real threat to LookOut/Exchange. Does anyone know why they chose a peer to peer arrangement instead of a dedicated server? It would seem that a dedicated server would make administration and backups easier...
I made a few screenshots. If anyone would mind mirroring them please. My little server is made from trashcan pickings (only the primo stuff:) ) and a crappy 128Kb pipe. It'll get crushed pronto...
Its not a troll. I was just suggesting a very modest mark that one could legitmately say *is* broadband. And yes it is very modest. As for the whole EE IEEE thing... we are talking about the marketing department and the customers. Since when has a marketing dept ever conveyed technical information properly. I mean I suppose it does happen I just have not seen it in this industry in recient memory.
Ever hear this one... Unlimited Internet Connection! Only to find it is a PPPoE, xGB capacity limit, port filtered, special browser required 50 buck a month waster of my time when one of their customers calls me to get the thing working...
And on that note when has a non-geek ever properly understood technical info... Hmmm...
Sorry this started out as a reply and turned into a rant. Not directed at you (or anyone really) Im just crankey at how things are going in the industry.
I was working in something similar and the "computer guy" in the office wanted things done in a certian way. (Now if he was worth anything why am I here? And why is he running AOL over their xDSL?!) but after trying to get the point across that what they were asking for was basicly to get raped online and not getting anywhere I shrugged and did what they wanted. "Customers always right" hahahah NO. A few weeks later they were mad as hell demanding that I fix this mess (after all I was the "expert" in spite of the fact I was forced to do what this idiot "in office computer guy" demanded) and was told if I did not I would be "held responsible for losses incurred". I took that as a law suit.
From that point on I just walk if in a situation similar and have re written the terms of agreement they have to sign. Not that will prevent a suit from being filed but it might help.
Sometimes you can't reason with people. Money or no money, do your job right. In the short term you might loose a client or 2 but in the long term you will be better off and your reputation will shine like a knight in armor. That is your best sales pitch as well, a fab reputation and word of mouth.
I can see a Jerry Bruckheimer production coming A John Woo film. Apocolypse in LA.
Starring Bruce willis mabey? Only this time as a coal miner, yeah thats it. And... ummm... J-Lo as the geologist/recovering p0rn addict assigned to the team. Mini Me could be the stow away orphan that gets into trouble/comic relief and Michael Ironside as the mission director/govt goon/bad guy that hasen't told them the whole story until they are on there way...Sarah machelle Geller as the intellegent tech that is in over her head and needs constant rescuing... annnnnd falls in love with Ben affleck! Yeah thats it. And they are the only 2 to survive.
I'm going to make a bundle on this one. (c) 2003 By Lord Prox.
It is amazing how passionate some people are about science (especially astronomy). It takes a brave and inquisitive person to take the time to not only develop such a vessel, but to also test it.
I wonder if this guy filled out his organ donor card... He has got more than his fair share of balls and it would be a shame to waste em when some poor/.er could use em!:)
Here is another stunning example of why we need true e-cash. Anonymous E-cash, just like good ol greenbacks but useable in the new (and still under constant development) E-conomy.
Sure they say they will only use systems and tracking and cataloging and databases for limited uses and data types. Yeah right! Since when has the govt ever been handed a power and has handed it back after its orignal purpose has been fulfilled. I can't think of one sitting here writing this post. Once the system is built and limited powers have been granted, kiss off the rest 'cuz it is only a matter of time before the system/govt gets its fingers in the whole pie...
I run a small computer consulting business and every machine that goes out the door has Mozilla and OpenOffice.org.
Every costomer I visit gets an introduction to Mozilla and OpenOffice.org.
Every support call I get about an "email" virus gets the "it's not an email virus is't an outlook virus" lecture. try Mozilla.
About 1/3 of the people I talk to blow me off for one reason or another. Ya know familar with IE+LookOut. Don't like change. Hit a website/use software that needs IE+LookOut.
But the next 1/3 (approx) at least use Mozilla or OOo on a semi regular basis with MSoffice and IE+Lookout.
The last 1/3 uses either Mozilla or OOo as their primary tools.:)
I have found that Home/small office users are the most convertable, for easy reasons. If it is a larger office they have funny, industry specific software that needs IE+LookOut or have dropped big $$$ for several copies of MSoffice and don't want to abandon the "investment".
So for all you evangelists out there your best bet for conversion are SOHO/Home users. Get em before they are brought into the fold.
OK so not exactly earth shattering statistics, but at least helpful, I hope. If anyone has further info pls post back.
It is underappreciated because as far as I can tell only geeks can quote that movie. I have talked about that flick to some non-geek regular type people and damn near noone I know (non-geek) has ever seen/heard of that fine piece of cinima.
damn shame too...
I'd also like to make note of an under-appreciated film. Star Trek X. IMHO it was on par with II (Wrath o' Kahn) but if I remember corectly it cost them 55mil to make and grossed after 2 weeks 22 mil. This could be the first Star Trek flick to post a loss. (If I have my numbers wrong please let me know, Im trying to do this from memory and could not find em on short order)
I think it was the crappy release date, 1 week different from LOTR:TT. Fucking stupid on the part of the studio. Nothing (not even titianic IMHO) could compete in that release slot.
Yeah. Thinking about it now that I am awake, you are right. I was just a little miffed about what I was hearing, got emotional, and let rip. I shoulda thought first.
If I ever meet you in the street, you can smack me with a rolled up news paper.
A couple of things here...
1. By not standing up and trying you are just lying down and saying "OK MS whatever you want"
2. Most of the Distributed Computing Projects I have looked at use redundancy to ensure "SunSpots" don't pollute data. MS might be able to poison a result but can not know where the other processing blocks were sent or when.
3. RSA is funny in how it does what it does (from what I understand) and that not all of the 2^2048 keyspace are useable keys. Something about useing prime numbers... A 1024 RSA key is like a 128 bit symetrical cypher. note: IANAC I am not a cryptologist
Slashdot Mirror
My '97 Starun SC2 had an electrical problem a little while ago, something called the RKE module fried. OK not a big deal I thought to myself, it's a machine and things fail. What caught my attention was the fact that I always ask for the old parts back. I think there is a california state law about it or something, and just to make sure I am not getting ripped off. The funny thing is the dealership refused to let me have it. Some BS about security and the car alarm ( At the time I thought the mechanic I was talking to just made this up for whatever reason) so I didn't argue as the car worked.
But now I read this and am wondering... is the standard GM "black box" contained in the RKE module? Does anyone know what exactly goes on in the RKE besides car alarm functions. Seems like a rather big box for just an alarm, even factoring in GM's bloated-lo-tech way of doing things.
Or am I just paranoid?
Hmmm... What about the air bag? I remember reading a warning on something I own about possible accidential deployment of the air bag. That could be a bad thing.
Thinking about it...
This thing could be nasty. Doing a drive-by has a whole new meaning...
Yeah, me too. But I have started doing something a little more sporting. Break the "you cant touch this computer. You gotta watch this demo" protection on the l4me b0x3n down at the local CompUSA/Best Buy/whatever and trying to get a copy of UD a distributed computing client running. Fun and useful. More useful than wasteing clocks on demos. I have tryed to get them to run this stuff on their own, but all I got was blank looks... and they are supposed to be a computer store. Cracks me up... So I help 'em along.
I have had a major problem with dust in the air at my place. A new shopping mall is going in back of my place and the construction is hell. Earth movers, graters, if it's big n yellow is there. I finally got pissed and did something...
1 Old cardboard box
3 scrap box fans
1 "filtree" by 3M furnace filter.
Blend with duct tape and let simmer for 24 hours over lo heat and volia! Big reduction in dust
Best of all clean up was a snap! The whole damn thing cost me less that 5 bucks so I just tosses it when I was done. With a little more work you could build a larger, more permanate version. Not a $500 ionizer (I have a good idea of what is in there and it ain't 500 bucks worth. More like 10-20, but you know market forces good marketing, what have you.)
Looks more usefull then finding the odd alien out there :P
/.ers called CIC.
Now if they could come up with a Distributed Computing Project to help with a socially dibilitating disease affecting millions of geeks and
Chronic Invoulntary Celebacy.
Liebeck, who also underwent debridement treatments, sought to settle her claim for $20,000, but McDonalds refused.
Irrelevent, again like the fact she was not driving or the car was not in motion. I fail to see how any of these facts make McDodalds any more or less guilty. Now if McDonalds threw the coffee at her I can see a case, but if she had possesion of said coffee and then spilled it on her self, no. Sorry you are not a winner. Please try again.
My point is that life is full of hazzards, known and unknown. Dems the breaks, get over it. Shit happens - to all of us at one time or another. You look at what happened, pick yourself up and move on. If you can find some good that came of it then good for you, if not try to prevent it from happening again. You can not legislate risk out of life, if you try all we will end up with are fireproof matches (to prevent burns) that cost 100 bucks a book for product liability insurance for those few supreme idiots that still manage to hurt thenselves somehow and sue the manfacturer, merchant, distrubuter, clerk, fire department (for not being there to save them from themselves), and mothers for bringing them into such a dangerous and hurtful world, because that lack the ethics and/or spine to accept that fact that they fucked up and there is no one to blame but themselves.
SURGEON GENERALS WARNING
Living life can be hazardous to your health
If you do not accept these terms please self abort now.
They are now trying to hit the jackpot by winning just one case which will assure them enough money for a couple of generations ahead...
Hmmm... Thinking about this... These are punitive damages, right? IANAL but dosen't the court get the money when is it ment as a punisment? I think the national debt is 2.8e12 bucks... so could Napster mean no taxes for a few decades?
Just a random thought...
I'm not claiming she was lacking personal responsibility, I am claiming she was an opprunistic, money grubbing, self-centered, ego-centric, bitch. Much like the RIAA/record lable of your choice/MPAA.
Coffee is hot. It is common knowledge. Any coffee that could be described by a reasonable person as hot coffee Will burn the hell out of you. People buy hot coffee. People bitch if the coffee is not hot, no one wants warm/spill safe coffee.
Driving is irrelevent. Responsibility is irrelevent. Money is relevent.
In the artical at news.com it read that the record label was suing for 150,000 per infringment and that Napster was guilty of "billions" of acts?!
By the time of its close, Napster had contributed to billions of separate acts of copyright infringement, according to Monday's complaint. The record labels are seeking punitive damages of no less than $150,000 per violation of copyright, among other awards.
Assuming 1 billion violations * 150k$ = 150e12 bucks? Am I doing the math right here? Is this a Guiness World Record here or what...
and I thought that woman suing McDonalds was funny...
Right, wrong, irrelevent. What is, is.
Thanks for the mirror! Ya just earned a fan.
I know the screen shots are a little dull, but the UI will improve. I did like some of the feature set I saw but it will have to come a long way to be a real threat to LookOut/Exchange. Does anyone know why they chose a peer to peer arrangement instead of a dedicated server? It would seem that a dedicated server would make administration and backups easier...
Or is it just me?
Damn! It took less than 60 seconds to fill my pipe and smoke it too :)
Be kind and mirror...
I'll keep the files up till morning then the server has to go back to its usual, boring job. Enjoy.
Kinda fun watching a Slashdot effect in progress... blinkin litzen going like hell
I made a few screenshots. If anyone would mind mirroring them please. My little server is made from trashcan pickings (only the primo stuff :) ) and a crappy 128Kb pipe. It'll get crushed pronto...
Its not a troll. I was just suggesting a very modest mark that one could legitmately say *is* broadband. And yes it is very modest. As for the whole EE IEEE thing... we are talking about the marketing department and the customers. Since when has a marketing dept ever conveyed technical information properly. I mean I suppose it does happen I just have not seen it in this industry in recient memory.
Ever hear this one... Unlimited Internet Connection! Only to find it is a PPPoE, xGB capacity limit, port filtered, special browser required 50 buck a month waster of my time when one of their customers calls me to get the thing working...
And on that note when has a non-geek ever properly understood technical info... Hmmm...
Sorry this started out as a reply and turned into a rant. Not directed at you (or anyone really) Im just crankey at how things are going in the industry.
Well, just to start things off how about this for a definition...
More that a single channel on a T-1 ie, greater than 64kbps. Any takers? Better suggestions?
I was working in something similar and the "computer guy" in the office wanted things done in a certian way. (Now if he was worth anything why am I here? And why is he running AOL over their xDSL?!) but after trying to get the point across that what they were asking for was basicly to get raped online and not getting anywhere I shrugged and did what they wanted. "Customers always right" hahahah NO. A few weeks later they were mad as hell demanding that I fix this mess (after all I was the "expert" in spite of the fact I was forced to do what this idiot "in office computer guy" demanded) and was told if I did not I would be "held responsible for losses incurred". I took that as a law suit.
From that point on I just walk if in a situation similar and have re written the terms of agreement they have to sign. Not that will prevent a suit from being filed but it might help.
Sometimes you can't reason with people. Money or no money, do your job right. In the short term you might loose a client or 2 but in the long term you will be better off and your reputation will shine like a knight in armor. That is your best sales pitch as well, a fab reputation and word of mouth.
Right, wrong, irrelevent. What is, is.
I can see a Jerry Bruckheimer production coming
A John Woo film.
Apocolypse in LA.
Starring Bruce willis mabey? Only this time as a coal miner, yeah thats it. And... ummm... J-Lo as the geologist/recovering p0rn addict assigned to the team. Mini Me could be the stow away orphan that gets into trouble/comic relief and Michael Ironside as the mission director/govt goon/bad guy that hasen't told them the whole story until they are on there way...Sarah machelle Geller as the intellegent tech that is in over her head and needs constant rescuing... annnnnd falls in love with Ben affleck! Yeah thats it. And they are the only 2 to survive.
I'm going to make a bundle on this one.
(c) 2003 By Lord Prox.
It is amazing how passionate some people are about science (especially astronomy). It takes a brave and inquisitive person to take the time to not only develop such a vessel, but to also test it.
/.er could use em! :)
I wonder if this guy filled out his organ donor card... He has got more than his fair share of balls and it would be a shame to waste em when some poor
Right, wrong, irrelevent. What is, is.
Here is another stunning example of why we need true e-cash. Anonymous E-cash, just like good ol greenbacks but useable in the new (and still under constant development) E-conomy.
Sure they say they will only use systems and tracking and cataloging and databases for limited uses and data types. Yeah right! Since when has the govt ever been handed a power and has handed it back after its orignal purpose has been fulfilled. I can't think of one sitting here writing this post. Once the system is built and limited powers have been granted, kiss off the rest 'cuz it is only a matter of time before the system/govt gets its fingers in the whole pie...
Right, wrong, irrelevent. What is, is.
I run a small computer consulting business and every machine that goes out the door has Mozilla and OpenOffice.org.
:)
Every costomer I visit gets an introduction to Mozilla and OpenOffice.org.
Every support call I get about an "email" virus gets the "it's not an email virus is't an outlook virus" lecture. try Mozilla.
About 1/3 of the people I talk to blow me off for one reason or another. Ya know familar with IE+LookOut. Don't like change. Hit a website/use software that needs IE+LookOut.
But the next 1/3 (approx) at least use Mozilla or OOo on a semi regular basis with MSoffice and IE+Lookout.
The last 1/3 uses either Mozilla or OOo as their primary tools.
I have found that Home/small office users are the most convertable, for easy reasons. If it is a larger office they have funny, industry specific software that needs IE+LookOut or have dropped big $$$ for several copies of MSoffice and don't want to abandon the "investment".
So for all you evangelists out there your best bet for conversion are SOHO/Home users. Get em before they are brought into the fold.
OK so not exactly earth shattering statistics, but at least helpful, I hope. If anyone has further info pls post back.
Doin' my part to restore balance to the force.
Extended DVD Special Gold boxed Directors Cut with signed Leonardo jockstrap.
Yeah. You're right on that one.
Goddamn that was funny. LOL!
It is underappreciated because as far as I can tell only geeks can quote that movie. I have talked about that flick to some non-geek regular type people and damn near noone I know (non-geek) has ever seen/heard of that fine piece of cinima.
damn shame too...
I'd also like to make note of an under-appreciated film. Star Trek X. IMHO it was on par with II (Wrath o' Kahn) but if I remember corectly it cost them 55mil to make and grossed after 2 weeks 22 mil. This could be the first Star Trek flick to post a loss. (If I have my numbers wrong please let me know, Im trying to do this from memory and could not find em on short order)
I think it was the crappy release date, 1 week different from LOTR:TT. Fucking stupid on the part of the studio. Nothing (not even titianic IMHO) could compete in that release slot.
Is it just me or what? But it seems like every time I turn around someone is finding water on mars again for the first time.
Right, wrong, irrelevent. What is, is. Lord Prox
Yeah. Thinking about it now that I am awake, you are right. I was just a little miffed about what I was hearing, got emotional, and let rip. I shoulda thought first.
If I ever meet you in the street, you can smack me with a rolled up news paper.
I could be saying Fuck Lord Prox and his stupid Slashdot username (All bow to Lord Prox), or maybe I am older than the age of 13
Or mabey not...
hahahaha
Right, wrong, irrelevent. What is, is. Lord Prox
A couple of things here...
1. By not standing up and trying you are just lying down and saying "OK MS whatever you want"
2. Most of the Distributed Computing Projects I have looked at use redundancy to ensure "SunSpots" don't pollute data. MS might be able to poison a result but can not know where the other processing blocks were sent or when.
3. RSA is funny in how it does what it does (from what I understand) and that not all of the 2^2048 keyspace are useable keys. Something about useing prime numbers... A 1024 RSA key is like a 128 bit symetrical cypher. note: IANAC I am not a cryptologist
Right, wrong, irrelevent. What is, is.
Lord Prox