Don't knock it till you tried it. My Dual G4 puts out quite a bit of heat, making 3AM Warcraft sessions pleasant in the buff.
Not that I get in the buff to play WCIII, I usually hop out of the shower at 11PM or 12AM, and plop down in front of the computer wearing nothing more than a towel. Next thing you know, I'm playing WCIII and its 3 in the morning.
Advancing the clock got rid of the nag screens altogether.
I discovered that trick in a Usenet posting when I was looking for a way of minimizing these screens. I have had several machines and OS's from Win 98SE to Win2k, and all of them showed the nag screen once a day.
My newest machine, an Apple Quicksilver, displayed the nag screens as well, but I registered QT 5 shortly after getting it (part of Final Cut Pro pkg), so I do not recall how often it displayed the message.
I have always seen the nag being a "once a day" thing.
Ah yes, but with all the DRM, piracy will become nonexistent, and all those lost billions of dollars will come flowing into the software firms that are otherwise lost to piracy.
Therefore we should be looking forward to the days where Microsoft will sell WinXP and Office bundled together for a pittance and other software prices come crashing down due to the lack of piracy.
It's what the industry has been claiming is one of the reasons why software costs are high, isn't it?
But then again, I would more likely expect the prices to increase dramatically. The cynic in me says so.
Yes, if DRM is enforced, then there is no longer any argument for fighting piracy, conducting audits, airing threatening radio ads and enticing employees to squeal on their employers.
We have a corporate entity now facing their entire business model becoming obsolete. Observing how the RIAA reacted to this kind of scenario, this fight should prove interesting to watch
I am perfectly aware that the added functionality and features of later releases should be compensated in some fashion, whether its built into inflated hardware costs and updates are 'free', or a nominal fee. In Apple's case, I tend to believe the apps are built into the hardware cost even though I don't find the upgrade fee to be back-breaking. The iTools to.mac situation is overpriced IMHO, and I chose to vote with my wallet and not get that product.
I don't find the $50 charged for upgrading iDVD, iMovie, and iPhoto all that much, and I use iPhoto occasionally, and the other two all the time. Would I pay? Yes I would. I would be even more happy if iDVD had more customization features, when they add chapter stops and a few other minor features, I'd pay $50 for that alone.
Apps I like and use every day get first choice when it comes to my upgrade dollars. That's why OS X, iDVD2, Office X, Final Cut Pro and Photoshop will get my $$$. Graphic Converter OTOH, while useful, didn't. So when the author decided to start charging for updates after several years of not doing so, I chose not to upgrade. The fact that I missed free the upgrade window from purchasing my license by about a month and a half didn't give me great feelings either yet I still might after a while.
You obviously never upgraded from either Win98 or WinNT to Windows 2000 have you?
Win2k as an OS was way better than the predecessors, but it broke drivers and some apps, and vendors were dragging their feet coming out with new ones.
Why the hell would I need to pay a licensing fee to encode media to a DVD again for an upgrade after I already paid for the ability with the software I have?
Additionally, iDVD2 is available for a $20 or $30 fee from the Apple website, you are just limited to using it with internal drives only. I know it is available because they announced it less than a day after I ordered my new PowerMac and they insisted I pay for it. I do believe an Pioneer drive hooked up to the IDE bus will also work with iDVD2 AFAIR, it's just those who want to use firewire or other external drives who are prevented from using the software.
I preordered a week after the announcement of 10.2 was made. Got the educational price of $70, and had it delivered on my doorstep the day before they released it in the Apple Store Jaguar event.
I still went to the event just to watch the crowd. Got my 10% off some misc. purchases and a free T-shirt by bringing my iBook and install discs.
OTOH, this trend of charging for what was free in the Mac world is distressing, first iTools, then the ever-popular Graphic Converter went from free upgrades to a pay per upgrade model, and now the iApps.
Someone has seriously been neglecting their lobbying duties.
Whoever is watching over the cash mill at the USPTO has been sleeping and not yet realized they could/should play these same shenanigans with patents. How about life of the inventor + 70 years, or more?
Imagine the value of IP that is being placed into the public domain every day after 20 years expire! Now there's some lobbying money that can be put to good use!
And to further enhance the security, get a dog. In the article (slashdot effect is over for now) they found a bag with five pounds of dog feces. I get rid of the bag and just dump the feces into the can with the garbage.
I like to do all I can to help out the garbage pickers that scrounge for recyclables on trash day.
There have been instances of nukes getting dropped (odd, Sandia Labs deleted the link, hrrm thank you Google) and blown out of silos without ever detonating. They are quite hardy devices.
Since I have an XBR set, and usually am a total whore for Sony products, I was going over the manual for my new progressive scan DVD player: the Sony DVP-NS715P.
I was browsing the troubleshooting section and came across this gem:
"Copyright lock" appears and the screen turns blue when playing a DVD-RW disc.
Images taken from digital broadcasts, etc., may contain copy protection signals, such as complete copy protection signals, single copy signals, and restriction-free signals. When images that contain copy protection signals are played, a blue screen may appear instead of the images. It may take a while when looking for playable images.
I really don't know what mechanism they are employing here, I would suspect that it's looking for Macrovision signals and blocking playback of Macrovision-encoded video on consumer-recordable media.
My Sony Digital-8 recorder also has a Macrovision detector in it.
WAIT several days after an update is introduced before you even THINK about installing an update. If there are real problems with the software itself, this problem will show itself from the many trouble reports you'l see on the Internet. In other words, let other more careless people "beta-test" the updates for you in advance.
Yes, for once the people who have the "first post" mentality can actually do some good as a beta tester for software patches.
I mentioned a way the system could work, nothing more. What the interviewee says in the article is only part of what I was claiming.
They mentioned a way in which they archive the original and the enhanced copy. Knoerlein mentions he never sees the suspect's prints and later they mention the same concern I have about altering prints.
I specifically asked for the tech not to know: 1. The case the fingerprint is from 2. The suspect's prints.
The article addresses issue #2, but not issue #1. The article also addresses problems like archiving the originals and enhanced versions.
It's important to do both #1 and #2 to avoid any hanky-panky in the system.
If the tech knows what case he is working on, or the investigators know, it is always possible for them to be influenced by investigators, or be tainted in other ways. Issue #1 is needed to keep the system honest from dishonest or overzealous criminal investigations.
I did RTFA, and the one simple method I described would be all that I (personally) would require to get trust in the system. Is there was a system in place that ensures this is true? Is it truly anonymous from the tech's perspective?
Just because the person interviewed states he doesn't "create" fingerprints does not mean he cannot alter them, or "enhance" an existing print to more closely match a "wanted" print.
"Create" means making a new one to me, "enhance", "change" or "alter" is what he actually does. If he is totally blind to who and what case he is working with, he cannot get the print to match what the prosecutors/investigators are looking for. That way, the system is honest. All he can really do at that point is try to bring out the detain in the print in whatever form it is in. Adding detail as in changing a print would ruin it as evidence. Adding detail knowing the suspect's prints would be manufacturing evidence.
I'm hakujin, where I live, I consider Japanese gaijin. Though the literal meaning of gaijin is "outsider" or "alien" (immigration term, not sci-fi).
But yes, hara-kiri is perfectly acceptable in this case. I doubt there is a second watching over with a katana ready to lop off the head if the participant begins to lose face.
The only way this can be seen as useful is if the person who is "cleaning up" the fingerprint has no idea who the print belongs to and where the print came from. Considering all the prints the law enforcement must deal with, it would be hard to assume the print a tech is working on is for a high profile murder suspect or a car thief.
That way it removes the ability to "doctor" prints to match what the cops want, and it adds a valuable tool to the investigative process.
If this process involves the tech working on a print, with the "target suspect" print available to him, I'd cry foul in an instant.
Slashdot Mirror
Don't knock it till you tried it. My Dual G4 puts out quite a bit of heat, making 3AM Warcraft sessions pleasant in the buff.
Not that I get in the buff to play WCIII, I usually hop out of the shower at 11PM or 12AM, and plop down in front of the computer wearing nothing more than a towel. Next thing you know, I'm playing WCIII and its 3 in the morning.
Advancing the clock got rid of the nag screens altogether.
I discovered that trick in a Usenet posting when I was looking for a way of minimizing these screens. I have had several machines and OS's from Win 98SE to Win2k, and all of them showed the nag screen once a day.
My newest machine, an Apple Quicksilver, displayed the nag screens as well, but I registered QT 5 shortly after getting it (part of Final Cut Pro pkg), so I do not recall how often it displayed the message.
I have always seen the nag being a "once a day" thing.
They changed it with Ver 6? I've had a QT Pro since 5.0, and before that I got the popup the first time it ran every single day it was run.
Considering the stellar job Microsoft has done in the past in regard to security, I think they might just have a chance.
Ah yes, but with all the DRM, piracy will become nonexistent, and all those lost billions of dollars will come flowing into the software firms that are otherwise lost to piracy.
Therefore we should be looking forward to the days where Microsoft will sell WinXP and Office bundled together for a pittance and other software prices come crashing down due to the lack of piracy.
It's what the industry has been claiming is one of the reasons why software costs are high, isn't it?
But then again, I would more likely expect the prices to increase dramatically. The cynic in me says so.
You beat me to it.
Yes, if DRM is enforced, then there is no longer any argument for fighting piracy, conducting audits, airing threatening radio ads and enticing employees to squeal on their employers.
We have a corporate entity now facing their entire business model becoming obsolete. Observing how the RIAA reacted to this kind of scenario, this fight should prove interesting to watch
Just trying to be funny, but if I do, I will :-)
I would love to see an "iPorn" listed in VersionTracker.
I never said they should be free.
.mac situation is overpriced IMHO, and I chose to vote with my wallet and not get that product.
I am perfectly aware that the added functionality and features of later releases should be compensated in some fashion, whether its built into inflated hardware costs and updates are 'free', or a nominal fee. In Apple's case, I tend to believe the apps are built into the hardware cost even though I don't find the upgrade fee to be back-breaking. The iTools to
I don't find the $50 charged for upgrading iDVD, iMovie, and iPhoto all that much, and I use iPhoto occasionally, and the other two all the time. Would I pay? Yes I would. I would be even more happy if iDVD had more customization features, when they add chapter stops and a few other minor features, I'd pay $50 for that alone.
Apps I like and use every day get first choice when it comes to my upgrade dollars. That's why OS X, iDVD2, Office X, Final Cut Pro and Photoshop will get my $$$. Graphic Converter OTOH, while useful, didn't. So when the author decided to start charging for updates after several years of not doing so, I chose not to upgrade. The fact that I missed free the upgrade window from purchasing my license by about a month and a half didn't give me great feelings either yet I still might after a while.
You obviously never upgraded from either Win98 or WinNT to Windows 2000 have you?
Win2k as an OS was way better than the predecessors, but it broke drivers and some apps, and vendors were dragging their feet coming out with new ones.
Why the hell would I need to pay a licensing fee to encode media to a DVD again for an upgrade after I already paid for the ability with the software I have?
Additionally, iDVD2 is available for a $20 or $30 fee from the Apple website, you are just limited to using it with internal drives only. I know it is available because they announced it less than a day after I ordered my new PowerMac and they insisted I pay for it. I do believe an Pioneer drive hooked up to the IDE bus will also work with iDVD2 AFAIR, it's just those who want to use firewire or other external drives who are prevented from using the software.
I preordered a week after the announcement of 10.2 was made. Got the educational price of $70, and had it delivered on my doorstep the day before they released it in the Apple Store Jaguar event.
I still went to the event just to watch the crowd. Got my 10% off some misc. purchases and a free T-shirt by bringing my iBook and install discs.
OTOH, this trend of charging for what was free in the Mac world is distressing, first iTools, then the ever-popular Graphic Converter went from free upgrades to a pay per upgrade model, and now the iApps.
You obviously must have saw the movie "Big Daddy".
That and if you don't want to put up with the daily nags to upgrade to Quicktime Pro.
Though that can be circumvented by setting your clock ahead a few years before opening Quicktime and click "later".
Finally I have a name for the program I've been working on to download images from Usenet newsgroups! Thank you!
Someone has seriously been neglecting their lobbying duties.
Whoever is watching over the cash mill at the USPTO has been sleeping and not yet realized they could/should play these same shenanigans with patents. How about life of the inventor + 70 years, or more?
Imagine the value of IP that is being placed into the public domain every day after 20 years expire! Now there's some lobbying money that can be put to good use!
And to further enhance the security, get a dog. In the article (slashdot effect is over for now) they found a bag with five pounds of dog feces. I get rid of the bag and just dump the feces into the can with the garbage.
I like to do all I can to help out the garbage pickers that scrounge for recyclables on trash day.
The notable exception. Just abou anything else you make in organic chem stinks to high heaven.
People used to know when chem classes were in session just by the smell the lab experients leave on your hair and clothes.
There have been instances of nukes getting dropped (odd, Sandia Labs deleted the link, hrrm thank you Google) and blown out of silos without ever detonating. They are quite hardy devices.
Read This Link for more hair-raising stories.
For a good laugh, search Google for "nuclear bomb silo explosion wrench" and see the helpful ads on the side of the page.
If you read the pdf files where they discuss the efficiency, the efficiency of the two types of devices was 1.5% and 0.5%.
100% or near that efficiency would have increased the force into the megatons.
I was browsing the troubleshooting section and came across this gem:
I really don't know what mechanism they are employing here, I would suspect that it's looking for Macrovision signals and blocking playback of Macrovision-encoded video on consumer-recordable media.
My Sony Digital-8 recorder also has a Macrovision detector in it.
You'd think I'd learn by now...
Yes, for once the people who have the "first post" mentality can actually do some good as a beta tester for software patches.
I mentioned a way the system could work, nothing more. What the interviewee says in the article is only part of what I was claiming.
They mentioned a way in which they archive the original and the enhanced copy. Knoerlein mentions he never sees the suspect's prints and later they mention the same concern I have about altering prints.
I specifically asked for the tech not to know:
1. The case the fingerprint is from
2. The suspect's prints.
The article addresses issue #2, but not issue #1. The article also addresses problems like archiving the originals and enhanced versions.
It's important to do both #1 and #2 to avoid any hanky-panky in the system.
If the tech knows what case he is working on, or the investigators know, it is always possible for them to be influenced by investigators, or be tainted in other ways. Issue #1 is needed to keep the system honest from dishonest or overzealous criminal investigations.
I did RTFA, and the one simple method I described would be all that I (personally) would require to get trust in the system. Is there was a system in place that ensures this is true? Is it truly anonymous from the tech's perspective?
Just because the person interviewed states he doesn't "create" fingerprints does not mean he cannot alter them, or "enhance" an existing print to more closely match a "wanted" print.
"Create" means making a new one to me, "enhance", "change" or "alter" is what he actually does. If he is totally blind to who and what case he is working with, he cannot get the print to match what the prosecutors/investigators are looking for. That way, the system is honest. All he can really do at that point is try to bring out the detain in the print in whatever form it is in. Adding detail as in changing a print would ruin it as evidence. Adding detail knowing the suspect's prints would be manufacturing evidence.
I'm hakujin, where I live, I consider Japanese gaijin. Though the literal meaning of gaijin is "outsider" or "alien" (immigration term, not sci-fi).
But yes, hara-kiri is perfectly acceptable in this case. I doubt there is a second watching over with a katana ready to lop off the head if the participant begins to lose face.
Its too late for that now.
The only way this can be seen as useful is if the person who is "cleaning up" the fingerprint has no idea who the print belongs to and where the print came from. Considering all the prints the law enforcement must deal with, it would be hard to assume the print a tech is working on is for a high profile murder suspect or a car thief.
That way it removes the ability to "doctor" prints to match what the cops want, and it adds a valuable tool to the investigative process.
If this process involves the tech working on a print, with the "target suspect" print available to him, I'd cry foul in an instant.