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User: JaredOfEuropa

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  1. Re:It's a still a nice PC. on Microsoft Surface Drowning? · · Score: 1, Interesting

    I agree, this is a nice device and I am considering getting one as well to replace my aging laptop. I've had my hands on a model 2 which got me interested... for work-related stuff on the go, I still prefer Windows over OSX, Linux, iOS or Android, despite a few flaws.

    The only thing that comes to mind after seeing those outdoor pictures in the article: please give us a model with a matte display. I dislike glossy screens in general, but on tablets that will probably be used outside in the sun they are positively horrible. In the photos you can hardly see the screen for all the glare.

  2. Re:Direct user consent? on Silent Circle's Blackphone Exploited at Def Con · · Score: 1

    The only factors are how long it's out of your possession and how many obstacles are in the way of compromising it.

    Exactly. So in order to secure your phone, you want to throw as many obstacles in the path of the thief as possible.
    PIN lock? Good.
    PIN lock w/ 3 attempts and automatic wipe after? Better.
    Automatic wipe if the phone has not been unlocked in a certain period of time? Even better.
    Allowing unlock after a certain amount of time only if the phone can contact a certain server (so it can receive and a remote wipe command if one was issued)? Better still.
    Data-at-rest is encrypted? It better be.

    To get past security measures like these, you need a fair amount of skill and sophisticated tools. Casual thieves, law enforcement and probably many intelligence agencies will have a pretty hard time getting at this data. The NSA, who knows. But if there's a root exploit that only relies on the ability to hook up your phone to a PC, all of the above is pointless, and any punk off the street will be able to get at your stuff.

  3. Direct user consent? on Silent Circle's Blackphone Exploited at Def Con · · Score: 1

    I read somewhere else that the remaining vulnerability involved "plugging the phone into a PC". A modified charger might exploit the vulnerability equally well, and it already sounds a lot worse than requiring my direct consent.

    For some people (upper management, dissidents and the like), secure communication is not sufficient, they also need the phone to remain secure if it is lost or stolen. If having posession of the phone is the only thing that stands in the way of rooting it using this exploit, it is a serious flaw indeed.

  4. Re:The DHS Is On The Case on Lionsgate Sues Limetorrents, Played.to, and Others Over Expendables 3 Leak · · Score: 2

    Italian Fascism had very little to do with rounding up and slaughtering of millions. I think you're confusing fascist Italy with nazi Germany.

    With that said, the USA is a far cry from a totalitarian fascist state; they certainly have not taken the underlying ideology to heart. However, there certainly are some aspects that are creeping in the practice if not the ideals of US government, it seems. That was GPs point, I believe.

  5. Re:I know you're trying to be funny, but... on Linus Torvalds: "GCC 4.9.0 Seems To Be Terminally Broken" · · Score: 2

    Your job (most jobs anyway) includes working with others. Yes, fucking up too often will ultimately get you fired, but if you think a sterling reputation as a coder will let you get away with being an a-hole, think again. Abrasive personalities and prima-donna attitudes can ruin a team just as badly as a poor coder, and if you regularly rip into other developers in public for making mistakes, you will likely be the one being called in for a serious conversation with your manager.

    In case of Linux kernel development, Linus doesn't have one of course, he pretty much is the CEO on that endeavor.

  6. Re:I know you're trying to be funny, but... on Linus Torvalds: "GCC 4.9.0 Seems To Be Terminally Broken" · · Score: 3, Insightful

    This has nothing to do with political correctness; this has to do with being polite and professional. A useful attitude when dealing with other people, and that goes double when you are a public figure whose word carries a lot of weight. You and he may think being abusive is fine and gets results, well, more power to you. But it also means people will simply start avoiding you and your projects.

    6 years ago I set myself a goal that I have reached since: to never work for any asshole again, and to set myself up so that I can comfortably walk away from any job. Now I know I can walk away, and it makes a world of difference in the way I approach my work. My managers also know it, and it makes a difference there too, and in my view I enjoy an altogether healthier working relationship with them. The world needs Linus more than it needs most of us, but that doesn't mean any of us have to stand there and take his abuse while kowtowing to him. The guy needs a good dose of humility.

  7. Re:Dang... on Siberian Discovery Suggests Almost All Dinosaurs Were Feathered · · Score: 5, Funny

    Not to mention the modifications we have to make to the creationist parks.

  8. Re:Hardened electronics on How a Solar Storm Two Years Ago Nearly Caused a Catastrophe On Earth · · Score: 1

    From what I understand of the effects of solar flare, there's no point in hardening electronics against them as the effects caused in short conductor runs are minimal. It affects power grids because of the length of conductors involved. Regular surge protection will protect plugged-in electronics against secondary effects on the grid.

  9. Re:Outstanding... on "Magic Helmet" For F-35 Ready For Delivery · · Score: 1

    What I mean is that the plane isn't even in service yet.

    That's the problem. My country decided to buy these things and participate in the development as a level 2 partner. That has some advantages, and at the time was cheaper than buying off the shelf, plus we got a good deal of offset orders for our own aerospace industry. However, the projected cost per plane has already increased by 45%, and it's still not clear how much the final sticker price will be, or how the plane will perform.

    The one big advantage of buying off the shelf is: you know what you're getting and at what price. However I also know how the Dutch military likes to buy stuff: off the shelf is never good enough, and every design needs "to be peed on", as the expression goes, meaning everyone must be allowed to give input as if marking their territory.

  10. Re:I guess the dimples are ok on Will Your Next Car Be Covered In Morphing Dimples? · · Score: 2

    I read "morphine dimples" at first. Then I got disappointed.

  11. Outstanding... on "Magic Helmet" For F-35 Ready For Delivery · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Now all we need is a functional aircraft...

  12. Re:The games on Sony Agrees To $17.75m Settlement For 2011 PSN Attack · · Score: 1

    Typical for a class action suit: millions for the lawyers, gift certificates for the claimants.

  13. Re:Code the way you want... on 'Just Let Me Code!' · · Score: 1

    An interesting view. I don't agree that there are no consultants who understand the use of project management, in fact, more and more consultants come trained in formal methodologies for project management, change management, requirements capture, architecture, etc. And consultants increasingly come in to do more than code: they understand they need to know the business, and that means talking to people and attending meetings instead of coding all day.

    Interestingly, I got some gigs as a consultant because I didn't care for project management and following "proper process", but with an understanding of when it's important to document, get agreement, stick to the rules, and think things through. I got hired to do emergency work and innovative (highly volatile) pilot projects that teams of employees or consultants with compartimentalized skillsets and training to follow procedures simply could not complete in a satisfactory manner. Nice work if you can get it...

  14. Re:dealing with the unknown on Researchers Design Bot To Conduct National Security Clearance Interviews · · Score: 1

    "We're willing to wipe the slate clean, give you a fresh start. But tell me mr. Anderson, what good is a job if you're unable to speak...?"

  15. Re:Another step to the T-800 Terminator on Robot With Broken Leg Learns To Walk Again In Under 2 Minutes · · Score: 2

    I for one welcome our self-compensating robotic overlords. Break a leg!

  16. Re:I guess they won't need any more foreign Visas? on Microsoft CEO To Slash 18,000 Jobs, 12,500 From Nokia To Go · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "In order to ensure continued access to scarce skillsets that are key to our ability to innovate, we need to be able to draw flexibly from a global pool of professionals."

    (Oh, and we also resent having to pay those scarce and valuable individuals more than $15 / hour. So we'll still need some foreign worker visas, thanks).

  17. Re:ZigBee flaws on Led By Nest, 'Thread' Might Be Most Promising IoT Initiative Yet · · Score: 1

    One flaw is the lack of standards on the device level: how do light switches, dimmers, thermostats, locks, etc work together? Z-Wave defines a high level protocol for this and has a certification programme to ensure that devices work nicely together, but even so, interoperability is still hit and miss, especially for anything that goes beyond basic on/off stuff. ZigBee is starting to address this shortcoming, with the LightLink standard for instance, but there's still a long way to go.

    One thing I am extremely suspicious about is the remark about the need for a central hub being a weakness. For one, you need a hub in order to add any sort of intelligence to your home automation setup. Without a hub you are not building a smart home, you're just doing remote control. Then, they mention the fact that existing technologies such as Zigbee and Z-wave are not easily married to the Internet. Well, with a hub you do not really need them to; for remote access, you tunnel into the hub or you use a gateway service that you can more or less trust.
    Having/needing a hub is not a weakness, it ensures that you retain control over your local network. My fear is that for Thread there somehow will not be a local hub; it'll be in the Cloud, and subject to being raped for data 6 ways from Sunday.

  18. Re:Signals on Physicists Spot Potential Source of 'Oh-My-God' Particles · · Score: 1

    The question is: does it matter if causality is violated? The models do not preclude such a violation IIRC. And the fact that we haven't yet observed such a thing happening certainly doesn't mean that it can't.

  19. Re:Changing the shape is meaningless on BlackBerry's Innovation: Square-Screened Smartphones · · Score: 1

    These days it's all about BYOD in the enterprise. Blackberry was (and still is?) a leader when it comes to devices and a secure infrastructure geared for corporate use, but it's been ages since I have come across anyone still willing to carry 2 devices for personal and business use, now that we've given people access to their corporate email, calendar and address lists on their personal devices. A phone maker who wants to sell phones to businessmen needs to appeal to two markets: business use (including the infrastructure) and the consumer stuff, since people will want to use their one phone for both.

    Blackberry is strong in the area of business use, security, and the tools and infrastructure needed to manage these phones. But they fail to appeal to the consumer market, and they are fast losing the fight for the ecosystem (app store / developers) in that space. I don't see the deal maker in the Passport, or any other BB phone, unless it is the physical keyboard which some people prefer, or situations where the need for security is paramount.

  20. Re:It's like we've learned nothing in 5000 years on BlackBerry's Innovation: Square-Screened Smartphones · · Score: 1

    Those un-rounded corners are going to be murder on the inner lining of pockets of any size. That thing looks decidedly sharp, and I don't mean in a fashionable sense.

  21. Re:Another materials article on Researchers Create Walking, Muscle-Powered Biobots · · Score: 1

    Presumably it would eat our food rather than us. "Hey, who ate all the chocolate chip cookies?" "sorry-master-need-more-power"

  22. Re:why? on Goldman Sachs Demands Google Unsend One of Its E-mails · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The real question is: should the court order such an action, and under what conditions?

    Analogy alert: GS mistakenly sends me a letter by physical mail, then asks the post office (or asks a judge to order the post office) to send a mailman round, break into my house, and retrieve the letter. That clearly won't happen; worst case is that the judge would order me to surrender the letter. In case of email, is Google (under their terms & conditions and the letter of the law) allowed to "break into" my mailbox and remove the offending letter? And should they be?

  23. Re:PoE for Lighting on Philips Ethernet-Powered Lighting Transmits Data To Mobile Devices Via Light · · Score: 1

    Seems easier to run mains or even a dedicated 12v line for the LEDs. PoE goes up to 25W I believe, good for 3/4 brightish LEDs, while a single mains cable will power hundreds.

  24. Re:What I've seen at some intersections... on Unintended Consequences For Traffic Safety Feature · · Score: 1

    In a lot of European countries, that is more or less the default. Most lights do not have a counter, but the green light (for pedestrians) will start to flash for about 15 seconds before the light will switch to red. Then there is a further delay of a few seconds, and only then will the lights for motor traffic go green. In general, there is always a few seconds delay before traffic lights move from one phase to the next, so drivers learn to always look at the traffic lights for their own lane. Hit the gas when the pedestrian light goes to red,and you'll be running a red light.

  25. Re:Gimme a keyboard on Ars Takes an Early Look At the Privacy-Centric Blackphone · · Score: 1

    Gimme a break. Cell phone makers target most of the market, which ranges from 8 year old brats to serious business users. And now that we have decent touch screens, many people seem to prefer those over physical keyboards that take up a lot of space ("you're kidding me, where's the other half of my phone?"). The idea that serious people want a physical keyboard is something that even people in the Blackberry boardroom no longer believe in. At our firm, BBs disappeared almost overnight as soon as corporate mail was made available on iPhone and Android.

    Most people manage typing on virtual keyboards just fine. Those who prefer physical keyboards just buy one of many available bluetooth ones and use that.