Fuck direct democracy and fuck California ballot measures.
This kind of stuff is what gets us into such a mess in the first place, where policymakers and regulators get their hands tied by people voting (or being asked to vote) on things that are beyond their level of knowledge to make a judgement call on, even if you're super informed about the issues.
In the next June election, we have the following ballot measures:
1. Authorizing a $4 billion bond (yes $4 Billion loan) for environmental / parks projects 2. Putting various procedural requirements on the decision to use cap-and-trade funds (what does that even mean/imply) 3. Including rain capture systems in property taxes etc.etc.etc.
Why am I being asked to decide on these hugely consequential things (#1 + 2)? Why is the public being asked whether it's good to take out a $4B loan? Of course they're going to say yes, without a care in the world! Why is #3 even in the same category as the rest? A few years ago, there was even the ballot measure addressing disease testing of porn actors.
This is fucking ridiculous. It's time to stop believing the public has the knowledge and the attention span and more importantly the informed judgement to make these kinds of calls. Stop believing that you're qualified to decide things that aren't your job, and believe in effective government -- and give that government the tools and power to do so.
Democracy will be the death of democracy otherwise.
What's the point of bothering to encode names on a fucking microchip so small that no one can read it? At that point, I'm sure that any piece of matter has atoms arranged in a random pattern such that my name (and any number of other people's names) appears represented on it somewhere in the sequence....
It's unfortunate that Apple didn't make a bigger deal / better known publicity of the feature set of its Airports. Did you know that they have the ability to create extended mesh networks by linking up multiple units, just like overpriced overhyped stuff that some startups are hawking in the last 2 years? It has covered my home like a charm, and you can find used ones for ~$30.
I don't think the headphone jack actually matters much for people who buy the SE. If you're targeting an older, more conservative crowd, how many of them are listening to music via headphones anyway, or taking calls on a headset?
This is to waterproof the thing, which is probably good for that crowd.
There's an interesting Youtube video where a server admin screams directly into a rack of spinning drives, and shows the latency / error rate spiking on the screen as he does that. I forget where it is but it's interesting.
It was silly for the card networks and banks to chicken out on implementing Chip + PIN. People will have to face the (relatively small) pain of learning how to use it at some time, and better to just rip the bandaid off all at once.
All of Europe, rest of world can deal with using a PIN. What's so special about the US? Just do it, save us all from having to subsidize fraud.
The shop agreed to be licensed as an Apple Authorized repair center. That doesn't come for free -- they agree to use real Apple supplied parts, etc, etc. The guy was importing possibly mislabeled / counterfeit parts (in that they bear the Apple logo but are no longer valid Apple refurbed parts).
Regardless of what you believe is the right to repair, this is about the repair company representing itself as repairing your stuff with real OEM parts. They got identified as not doing so, probably defrauding consumers all the meanwhile. What's the problem? Why be happy that they won this case?
Graphic designers can fall into the trap of thinking that their work can somehow change the world through good design, so they get tempted to try to apply that to everything.... Yet not realize when it didn't work or that (amount of effort) != (amount of good).
In this case Google's designers have gone crazy. I am absolutely incensed with them for rolling out this ridiculous tile-laden, cluttered redesign of Google Flights, for example: https://www.google.com/flights
when the old version was clean, functional, and unconfusing: https://www.google.com/flights... (by the way, you can revert to the old version by clicking the "running man" in th lower left of the window).
Graphic designers -- please moderate yourselves and realize when too far is too far!
Maybe we should heed the signals that thousands, if not millions of years of evolution have given some plants/animals the capability to send, and us the benefit of being able to receive?
I wonder, have we reached the point in cell phone evolution where in your next phone, you ask not "what's the next marginally cool feature", but instead, "to what extent does this equipment and OS protect my info and perform they way I think it should"?
To me, it seems like the industry, and more importantly, we as consumers (well, the ones who have owned a few smartphones by now), are reaching this point of maturity.
So, you're saying if the Feds with probable cause and warrants raid some organized crime's money-laundering front company, that company should be allowed to keep on operating until the case has gone to trial and the responsible individuals are found guilty?
I don't think Due Process means what you think it means.
How should we look at this problem? Do we look at it as:
We have now reached the era where students, when appropriate for their age and learning needs, now have access to equipment that's: - more computationally capable than they ever had before, - squeezed into a package smaller and longer lasting than ever before, - available at a price undreamt of years ago, - able to be connected to more resources than ever before?
Or is it just, "why is this thing so hard to fix?"
Now, whether they're appropriate for kids at a certain age of school is for a separate discussion.
Ladies and gentlemen, what we have here is a supply problem. The world is oversupplied with labor (people) for the amount of work demanded, thanks to productivity, automation, and the gradual end of the baby boomer growth era that fueled jobs and pay for everyone without a college degree.
No amount of hand-wringing or puzzling over the edges of the gig economy, or living wages, the decline of manufacturing, or working conditions, are going to overcome the fundamental pressure of demographics.
There are too many workers for companies to feel any pressure to raise wages, provide better benefits, or do anything that they don't need to, to keep sufficient workers on staff. (in general).
Welcome to what it feels like when growth stalls -- everyone yells at everyone else thinking that someone caused / can fix the problem, when in fact it's mostly out of our hands. Don't worry, it'll work itself out -- in about 10-15 years... just wait a while.
Government has the problem that they feel (or are pressured) to make everything be treated equally. When everything is a carcinogen, who cares then?
Risks, issues, problems are not all equal. It's important to have a sense of proportion.
This plagues our discourse these days. Small symbolic issues advocated by some enthusiast dominate the headlines and attention, at the cost of everyday problems that all of us face (but are not sexy) don't get any proper handling.
Focus on the important problems, people -- and have a sense of proportion.
As much as I loathe Apple fanboy-ship, I have to admit that if there are a handful of companies that I trust relatively more about my privacy and data, it's Apple. They actually go out of their way to separate what lives on your phone versus is uploaded to cloud (and they don't want to be in the business of uploading certain data).
Makes me think that they at least have a team on it, versus like a goddamn Verizon-built phone, or HTC, Huawei, or even a Google Pixel or Samsung (and their wild-west-it's-all-good use of Android).
Slashdot Mirror
Seems like everything worked itself out for the best.
You know what?
Fuck direct democracy and fuck California ballot measures.
This kind of stuff is what gets us into such a mess in the first place, where policymakers and regulators get their hands tied by people voting (or being asked to vote) on things that are beyond their level of knowledge to make a judgement call on, even if you're super informed about the issues.
In the next June election, we have the following ballot measures:
1. Authorizing a $4 billion bond (yes $4 Billion loan) for environmental / parks projects
2. Putting various procedural requirements on the decision to use cap-and-trade funds (what does that even mean/imply)
3. Including rain capture systems in property taxes
etc.etc.etc.
Why am I being asked to decide on these hugely consequential things (#1 + 2)? Why is the public being asked whether it's good to take out a $4B loan? Of course they're going to say yes, without a care in the world! Why is #3 even in the same category as the rest? A few years ago, there was even the ballot measure addressing disease testing of porn actors.
This is fucking ridiculous. It's time to stop believing the public has the knowledge and the attention span and more importantly the informed judgement to make these kinds of calls. Stop believing that you're qualified to decide things that aren't your job, and believe in effective government -- and give that government the tools and power to do so.
Democracy will be the death of democracy otherwise.
What's the point of bothering to encode names on a fucking microchip so small that no one can read it? At that point, I'm sure that any piece of matter has atoms arranged in a random pattern such that my name (and any number of other people's names) appears represented on it somewhere in the sequence....
It's unfortunate that Apple didn't make a bigger deal / better known publicity of the feature set of its Airports. Did you know that they have the ability to create extended mesh networks by linking up multiple units, just like overpriced overhyped stuff that some startups are hawking in the last 2 years? It has covered my home like a charm, and you can find used ones for ~$30.
I don't think the headphone jack actually matters much for people who buy the SE. If you're targeting an older, more conservative crowd, how many of them are listening to music via headphones anyway, or taking calls on a headset?
This is to waterproof the thing, which is probably good for that crowd.
There's an interesting Youtube video where a server admin screams directly into a rack of spinning drives, and shows the latency / error rate spiking on the screen as he does that. I forget where it is but it's interesting.
True. More vacation, but also much more pressure not to take vacation because of your responsibilities.
It was silly for the card networks and banks to chicken out on implementing Chip + PIN. People will have to face the (relatively small) pain of learning how to use it at some time, and better to just rip the bandaid off all at once.
All of Europe, rest of world can deal with using a PIN. What's so special about the US? Just do it, save us all from having to subsidize fraud.
The shop agreed to be licensed as an Apple Authorized repair center. That doesn't come for free -- they agree to use real Apple supplied parts, etc, etc. The guy was importing possibly mislabeled / counterfeit parts (in that they bear the Apple logo but are no longer valid Apple refurbed parts).
Regardless of what you believe is the right to repair, this is about the repair company representing itself as repairing your stuff with real OEM parts. They got identified as not doing so, probably defrauding consumers all the meanwhile. What's the problem? Why be happy that they won this case?
Can someone speak to what the exploit is? Does it have to do with bypassing the 10 PIN entry lockout limit?
Graphic designers can fall into the trap of thinking that their work can somehow change the world through good design, so they get tempted to try to apply that to everything.... Yet not realize when it didn't work or that (amount of effort) != (amount of good).
In this case Google's designers have gone crazy. I am absolutely incensed with them for rolling out this ridiculous tile-laden, cluttered redesign of Google Flights, for example: https://www.google.com/flights
when the old version was clean, functional, and unconfusing: https://www.google.com/flights...
(by the way, you can revert to the old version by clicking the "running man" in th lower left of the window).
Graphic designers -- please moderate yourselves and realize when too far is too far!
Maybe we should heed the signals that thousands, if not millions of years of evolution have given some plants/animals the capability to send, and us the benefit of being able to receive?
I wonder, have we reached the point in cell phone evolution where in your next phone, you ask not "what's the next marginally cool feature", but instead, "to what extent does this equipment and OS protect my info and perform they way I think it should"?
To me, it seems like the industry, and more importantly, we as consumers (well, the ones who have owned a few smartphones by now), are reaching this point of maturity.
So, you're saying if the Feds with probable cause and warrants raid some organized crime's money-laundering front company, that company should be allowed to keep on operating until the case has gone to trial and the responsible individuals are found guilty?
I don't think Due Process means what you think it means.
Per person, duh.
I keep saying, the following penalty scheme will clean up data breaches right quick:
$1 per name, email, physical address
$2 per phone number
$3 per credit card number
$4 per SSN
And multiply for combinations thereof. You'll see how fast companies move to secure their data.
How should we look at this problem? Do we look at it as:
We have now reached the era where students, when appropriate for their age and learning needs, now have access to equipment that's:
- more computationally capable than they ever had before,
- squeezed into a package smaller and longer lasting than ever before,
- available at a price undreamt of years ago,
- able to be connected to more resources than ever before?
Or is it just, "why is this thing so hard to fix?"
Now, whether they're appropriate for kids at a certain age of school is for a separate discussion.
Hey, I just found an even farther star!
*shows picture of a small dot*
I keep saying, the following penalty scheme will clean up data breaches right quick:
$1 per name, email, physical address
$2 per phone number
$3 per credit card number
$4 per SSN
And multiply for combinations thereof. You'll see how fast companies move to secure their data.
Ladies and gentlemen, what we have here is a supply problem. The world is oversupplied with labor (people) for the amount of work demanded, thanks to productivity, automation, and the gradual end of the baby boomer growth era that fueled jobs and pay for everyone without a college degree.
No amount of hand-wringing or puzzling over the edges of the gig economy, or living wages, the decline of manufacturing, or working conditions, are going to overcome the fundamental pressure of demographics.
There are too many workers for companies to feel any pressure to raise wages, provide better benefits, or do anything that they don't need to, to keep sufficient workers on staff. (in general).
Welcome to what it feels like when growth stalls -- everyone yells at everyone else thinking that someone caused / can fix the problem, when in fact it's mostly out of our hands. Don't worry, it'll work itself out -- in about 10-15 years... just wait a while.
The key point.
Government has the problem that they feel (or are pressured) to make everything be treated equally. When everything is a carcinogen, who cares then?
Risks, issues, problems are not all equal. It's important to have a sense of proportion.
This plagues our discourse these days. Small symbolic issues advocated by some enthusiast dominate the headlines and attention, at the cost of everyday problems that all of us face (but are not sexy) don't get any proper handling.
Focus on the important problems, people -- and have a sense of proportion.
What's the value of a worthless request like this? If someone simply says they have no such account, how is the government going to refute him/her?
Great, now Russian operatives know how many times I can squat 75 pounds before needing to treat myself to 3 cookies.
As much as I loathe Apple fanboy-ship, I have to admit that if there are a handful of companies that I trust relatively more about my privacy and data, it's Apple. They actually go out of their way to separate what lives on your phone versus is uploaded to cloud (and they don't want to be in the business of uploading certain data).
Makes me think that they at least have a team on it, versus like a goddamn Verizon-built phone, or HTC, Huawei, or even a Google Pixel or Samsung (and their wild-west-it's-all-good use of Android).
The Wall Street Journal, in researching how easy it is to make their own phone, got one built for $70: https://www.marketplace.org/20...
You can imagine how much care goes into the apps and ecosystem and security when you spend all of $70 on a phone.