I know how this is being done, our local Walmart has a big problem with this over the last holiday, and after some investigation they figured out how it was being done. Here's the know-how:
Quick background:
-None of the "amount data" is stored on the gift card. It's all server side, interfaced by the cash registers when swiped. All the card has is a unique ID number to identify itself to the register when swiped.
-The cards used have credit card type stripes on the back, easily readable by *many* cheap swipe readers. http://www.barcodediscount.com/cats/credit-card-re aders/
You can also by rather cheap swipe formatters/programmers with a quick google.
-The cards are also sold on shells that anyone can get to, and they are on cardboard backing packaging where is it *very* easy to just bend the package and have full access to swiping the card.
The procedure:
-First the criminal buys a bunch of cards for the lowest possible amount. I think this is $5. They now have valid cards.
-Next the criminal takes a small Credit Card swiper into the store, grabs a hand full of the cards and swipes a ton of them..stores the card info into memory on the device or a small laptop/pda in their pocket or purse. then they place the card back on the shelf and go home.
-They go home and use the numbers they have taken from cards at the store and program them over the valid $5 card they had bought.
-A few days later, under the assumption that the cards they had copied have been legitimately sold and not yet used they go into the store with their copies and use them. All it takes to verify the card is working is to find a stupid wal-mart drone and ask them to scan it and tell you the worth of the card. As far as the cash register system is concerned the card is valid because it has a valid ID number. If it comes back with more than $5 on the card available for spending, they criminal wins. Spend the card and go on their way.
-Now when the actual owner of the card comes in it will appear to have been spent, as its ID number is the same as the one used by the criminal has been used, even though the card technically has not.
Its rather ingenious actually, and works best at Xmas. You scan cards the 15-23 assuming they will be activated and you will have a few days until they are spent (at least until the 25th) as they are popular Xmas gifts. It's also hard but not impossible to track the criminal, as you have to find the time of the transaction and dig up video of the transaction taking place...and most walmarts have rather shotty video quality at the registers, but the chance of getting caught in the act are slim and none. But if you do it, don't be surprised if cops show up at your door a week later. Snoogins.
Just two years ago most people despised ATI's Windows drivers as well, at least in comparison to Nvidia's. Give them time to come around, I'm sure they will.
A 2mbps to 5mbps Fios connection will cost $35 a month if purchased along with Verizon's local and long-distance telephone service. The service will cost $40 if purchased alone. A connection of up to 15mbps is available for $45 a month if purchased as part of the same telephone service bundle, or $50 alone. The company did not reveal pricing for the 30mbps plans....misleading headlines. *sigh*
I would love to do this, but with only 2 users instead of 4. Anyone know of a good guide that shows how the configuration of a second desktop would be done? I can see this as being an Xfree86 configuration nightmare.
You've got to be kidding me. XP is CRAZY slower than 2k. I suppose thats what happens when you add a Microsoft+ package to Windows 2000. Wanna make it faster? Disable all the useless services and shut off the ugly eye candy. *sigh*.
Yea, I'm still learning a lot about mic placement. I will be able to thicken up some of the sound on those tracks with effects in Cool Edit Pro when I do the final mixes, but I still need some help with good sounding mixes. I don;t have two of the same mics for dual guitar mic'ing, what I will do in the mix to get that effect is make a duplicate of the track, and setup the second track with a slightly different EQ range, and perhaps a tad of reverb..then shift one of the guitar tracks to the right and one to the left. But any ways, like I said...still learning.
Any other tips would be greatly appreciated. Any other tips would be greatly appriciated.
These people are nuts. IF you have the PC in the same room as the MIC's you don't have high enough quality MIC's for the PC noise to make a difference, and if you do have MIC's that are picking up HARDDRIVE noise you need to build yourself a control room for the PC to sit in. I have a one room studio right now, and I get amazing quality with $200 of mics and a Duron 1200 based system running Cool Edit Pro and a soundblaster live. Go listen to what I've recorded - here (Download 'Bessy the Cheeseburger' or 'Justic Le Pig'..they are the cleanest things we have up.) These are currently just rough mixes and not mastered. Thats comming when we are done tracking. Anyways, tell me you can hear the harddrive in those recordings. Yea right. The computer is sitting RIGHT NEXT to the mics. For gods sake, my power supply fan is louder than the harddisk.
The other problem I see with this setup is it has no multitracking ability. I have just recently added a echo Layla sound card to my setup and can track up to 8 channels at one time. It's amazingly awesome. If you are going to spend all that money on recording gear...get a Echo Layla. It's worth it.
I'm also about to build another room onto my house so I can have a control room...not for silencing my PC, but for convenience of being able to mix a drumset on the fly. Anyways, this is just silly.
Dude, of course you need "supported" hardware to run Linux. Most of the hardware is created with the mind set that it will be used on Windows based machines because it holds the market share. Out of the zillions of different hardware configurations out there I'd have to say the developers for Linux are doing a really awesome job at keeping up with supporting new hardware that comes out. There is no way they can write drivers for EVERYTHING without vendor support...which won't come until Linux has a larger market share..(ahem..chicken or egg?). As far as your grip about sound...I have run Creative SB16's, Live!, and Audigys along with a nforce2 based audio chipset without a problem. Perhaps you don't know how to use tools that are at your disposal properly.
If it had WiFi built in I'd buy it in a heartbeat. I know I can add it, but at the cost of one memory slot. Thats a heafty price to pay. Very cool stuff though.
This is how the game backup process works it works. I'm not at home with all my bookmarks right now, otherwise I's supply the names of the programs and links.
-Install broadband adaptor.
-Put in Phatasy Star Online
-Install memory card
-Hook crossover cable from gamecube into a PC, or into a switch/hub on the network.
-Boot gamecube up. Create a new game and character. Set server IP addy in PSO to the IP of the computer you will use to serve your game backups. It's gonna need some decent HDD space..as games are around a gig and a half each.
-You run a program on the PC at this point, that waits for the Gamecube to request server info from it. Once the gamecube makes its request the PC sends a buffer overflow to the gamecube which allows it to write code to the memory card.
-on the PC shutdown the last software package that wrote to the memory card.
-on the PC start another piece of software that again waits for a request from the gamecube, but this time sends it a command to read all the data off the gamecube disc over the network to the PC's harddrive.
-Reboot the gamecube. Load your recently created character and start the "online" game again.
You will now see a process that looks like this
-After 20-30 minutes the game will be on the HDD of the PC.
-Shutdown the software on the PC, and load up the software that is used as a "game loader".
-Reboot the GC, select your character and start a online game. Once again it goes to the PC thinking it is the PSO server and the PC sends it the game you had copied off the GC in the last step, enabling you to play the game without the disc in the GC.
I have gotten all but the last step to work. Sorry it's light on details - but I'm doing this out of my head and havent worked on it in a few weeks. This is, however a idea of how that process works.
Quicktime!? Are you bonkers?! Thats like saying drinking gasoline is better than drinking lighter fluid. They both suck equally, and might kill you. Subjecting yourself to either Real or quicktime codecs both suck, and might kill you too. It's DivX or XviD. mpeg's don't make me want to kill..mov and *ANYTHING* made by real is off limits. Horrid players, horrid codecs.
..are that your credit card number is everywhere. If people want numbers, they will get them. If they get yours - then thats bad luck. All you have to do is keep an eye on your credit card statements and make sure all the charges are yours. If they aren't call the credit card company and tell them. It's easy as pie. I kills me when I see people overly paranoid about thier CC#'s. I mean, comeon...you go to a restraunt and GIVE your waitress or waiter your card to carry across the room away from your eyes and run it through the machine. If they wanted, it wouldnt be hard for them to copy the numbers. Then..up on the net in a flash. Point being...security for this type of thing is nice, but don't let yourself get lazy depending on it. Keep checking those statements!
Slashdot Mirror
I know how this is being done, our local Walmart has a big problem with this over the last holiday, and after some investigation they figured out how it was being done. Here's the know-how:
e aders/
You can also by rather cheap swipe formatters/programmers with a quick google.
Quick background:
-None of the "amount data" is stored on the gift card. It's all server side, interfaced by the cash registers when swiped. All the card has is a unique ID number to identify itself to the register when swiped.
-The cards used have credit card type stripes on the back, easily readable by *many* cheap swipe readers. http://www.barcodediscount.com/cats/credit-card-r
-The cards are also sold on shells that anyone can get to, and they are on cardboard backing packaging where is it *very* easy to just bend the package and have full access to swiping the card.
The procedure:
-First the criminal buys a bunch of cards for the lowest possible amount. I think this is $5. They now have valid cards.
-Next the criminal takes a small Credit Card swiper into the store, grabs a hand full of the cards and swipes a ton of them..stores the card info into memory on the device or a small laptop/pda in their pocket or purse. then they place the card back on the shelf and go home.
-They go home and use the numbers they have taken from cards at the store and program them over the valid $5 card they had bought.
-A few days later, under the assumption that the cards they had copied have been legitimately sold and not yet used they go into the store with their copies and use them. All it takes to verify the card is working is to find a stupid wal-mart drone and ask them to scan it and tell you the worth of the card. As far as the cash register system is concerned the card is valid because it has a valid ID number. If it comes back with more than $5 on the card available for spending, they criminal wins. Spend the card and go on their way.
-Now when the actual owner of the card comes in it will appear to have been spent, as its ID number is the same as the one used by the criminal has been used, even though the card technically has not.
Its rather ingenious actually, and works best at Xmas. You scan cards the 15-23 assuming they will be activated and you will have a few days until they are spent (at least until the 25th) as they are popular Xmas gifts. It's also hard but not impossible to track the criminal, as you have to find the time of the transaction and dig up video of the transaction taking place...and most walmarts have rather shotty video quality at the registers, but the chance of getting caught in the act are slim and none. But if you do it, don't be surprised if cops show up at your door a week later. Snoogins.
Just two years ago most people despised ATI's Windows drivers as well, at least in comparison to Nvidia's. Give them time to come around, I'm sure they will.
quoth the artical:
...misleading headlines. *sigh*
A 2mbps to 5mbps Fios connection will cost $35 a month if purchased along with Verizon's local and long-distance telephone service. The service will cost $40 if purchased alone. A connection of up to 15mbps is available for $45 a month if purchased as part of the same telephone service bundle, or $50 alone. The company did not reveal pricing for the 30mbps plans.
I would love to do this, but with only 2 users instead of 4. Anyone know of a good guide that shows how the configuration of a second desktop would be done? I can see this as being an Xfree86 configuration nightmare.
Want to re-live that video? Here it is:
Dont Copy That Floppy
(18megs)
Right Click->save as
You've got to be kidding me. XP is CRAZY slower than 2k. I suppose thats what happens when you add a Microsoft+ package to Windows 2000. Wanna make it faster? Disable all the useless services and shut off the ugly eye candy. *sigh*.
I'm eric.
"Any other tips would be greatly appriciated."
Two times even. Doh.
Yea, I'm still learning a lot about mic placement. I will be able to thicken up some of the sound on those tracks with effects in Cool Edit Pro when I do the final mixes, but I still need some help with good sounding mixes. I don;t have two of the same mics for dual guitar mic'ing, what I will do in the mix to get that effect is make a duplicate of the track, and setup the second track with a slightly different EQ range, and perhaps a tad of reverb..then shift one of the guitar tracks to the right and one to the left. But any ways, like I said...still learning.
Any other tips would be greatly appreciated.
Any other tips would be greatly appriciated.
These people are nuts. IF you have the PC in the same room as the MIC's you don't have high enough quality MIC's for the PC noise to make a difference, and if you do have MIC's that are picking up HARDDRIVE noise you need to build yourself a control room for the PC to sit in. I have a one room studio right now, and I get amazing quality with $200 of mics and a Duron 1200 based system running Cool Edit Pro and a soundblaster live. Go listen to what I've recorded - here (Download 'Bessy the Cheeseburger' or 'Justic Le Pig'..they are the cleanest things we have up.) These are currently just rough mixes and not mastered. Thats comming when we are done tracking. Anyways, tell me you can hear the harddrive in those recordings. Yea right. The computer is sitting RIGHT NEXT to the mics. For gods sake, my power supply fan is louder than the harddisk.
The other problem I see with this setup is it has no multitracking ability. I have just recently added a echo Layla sound card to my setup and can track up to 8 channels at one time. It's amazingly awesome. If you are going to spend all that money on recording gear...get a Echo Layla. It's worth it.
I'm also about to build another room onto my house so I can have a control room...not for silencing my PC, but for convenience of being able to mix a drumset on the fly. Anyways, this is just silly.
Dude, of course you need "supported" hardware to run Linux. Most of the hardware is created with the mind set that it will be used on Windows based machines because it holds the market share. Out of the zillions of different hardware configurations out there I'd have to say the developers for Linux are doing a really awesome job at keeping up with supporting new hardware that comes out. There is no way they can write drivers for EVERYTHING without vendor support...which won't come until Linux has a larger market share..(ahem..chicken or egg?). As far as your grip about sound...I have run Creative SB16's, Live!, and Audigys along with a nforce2 based audio chipset without a problem. Perhaps you don't know how to use tools that are at your disposal properly.
http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=142059&hi ghlight=
Hahah, well in this light Linux has overcome Mac OS running on the PC by quite a bit.
...Push hard enough and they will fit in any hole. (mod me down)
A very unhappy midget.
If it had WiFi built in I'd buy it in a heartbeat. I know I can add it, but at the cost of one memory slot. Thats a heafty price to pay. Very cool stuff though.
This is how the game backup process works it works. I'm not at home with all my bookmarks right now, otherwise I's supply the names of the programs and links.
-Install broadband adaptor.
-Put in Phatasy Star Online
-Install memory card
-Hook crossover cable from gamecube into a PC, or into a switch/hub on the network.
-Boot gamecube up. Create a new game and character. Set server IP addy in PSO to the IP of the computer you will use to serve your game backups. It's gonna need some decent HDD space..as games are around a gig and a half each.
-You run a program on the PC at this point, that waits for the Gamecube to request server info from it. Once the gamecube makes its request the PC sends a buffer overflow to the gamecube which allows it to write code to the memory card.
-on the PC shutdown the last software package that wrote to the memory card.
-on the PC start another piece of software that again waits for a request from the gamecube, but this time sends it a command to read all the data off the gamecube disc over the network to the PC's harddrive.
-Reboot the gamecube. Load your recently created character and start the "online" game again. You will now see a process that looks like this
-After 20-30 minutes the game will be on the HDD of the PC.
-Shutdown the software on the PC, and load up the software that is used as a "game loader".
-Reboot the GC, select your character and start a online game. Once again it goes to the PC thinking it is the PSO server and the PC sends it the game you had copied off the GC in the last step, enabling you to play the game without the disc in the GC.
I have gotten all but the last step to work. Sorry it's light on details - but I'm doing this out of my head and havent worked on it in a few weeks. This is, however a idea of how that process works.
"No I don't need your over priced warrenty, if it breaks I'll fix it myself."
Thats warr*a*nty, sweetheart.
I had some *BAAAD* music on mp3.com. Grandma killing bad.
Quicktime!? Are you bonkers?! Thats like saying drinking gasoline is better than drinking lighter fluid. They both suck equally, and might kill you. Subjecting yourself to either Real or quicktime codecs both suck, and might kill you too. It's DivX or XviD. mpeg's don't make me want to kill. .mov and *ANYTHING* made by real is off limits. Horrid players, horrid codecs.
oh hell naw.
Ever come across anything like the PS2 to VGA cable for Gamecube? I did a quick google search and came up dry.
I got a full length coat from my mom. Now I can go out in public without wearing anything underneath it. I can;t wait till New Years!! Mwahaahaha!!!!
..are that your credit card number is everywhere. If people want numbers, they will get them. If they get yours - then thats bad luck. All you have to do is keep an eye on your credit card statements and make sure all the charges are yours. If they aren't call the credit card company and tell them. It's easy as pie. I kills me when I see people overly paranoid about thier CC#'s. I mean, comeon...you go to a restraunt and GIVE your waitress or waiter your card to carry across the room away from your eyes and run it through the machine. If they wanted, it wouldnt be hard for them to copy the numbers. Then..up on the net in a flash. Point being...security for this type of thing is nice, but don't let yourself get lazy depending on it. Keep checking those statements!
I coulda swore that we already won that one. I guess it's true, don't belive what you learn in school these days.