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User: DougMelvin

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Comments · 34

  1. Re:No, I will not install Media Player on Microsoft Windows Media Player Encryption Hacked · · Score: 1

    this goole search show that the page you posted is not linked to from anywhere within Apple's site. I do thank you for providing that link, and I will pass it on, however, the average user who goes to apple.com and clicks download will not find the standalone version. period.

  2. No, I will not install Media Player on Microsoft Windows Media Player Encryption Hacked · · Score: 2, Informative

    I can not believe that people are still trying to broadcast streaming media via proprietary and "locked" technology. I, for one, will use this new decrypter to view any streaming broacasts that use this technology. I'd like to also rant a little on Quiktime who now bundles iTunes.. if you are not using a windows 98/me you are forced to install iTunes just to view a .mov file.. That's BS.. I now use Quiktime alternative and Media Player classic which may be download alone, or bundled with the kazza lite mega codec pack.

  3. telus changes it's tune on Hundreds of Sites Blocked By Canadian ISP · · Score: 2, Informative

    Just like to point out this blerb from the front page of the site in question:
    After an out of court settlement today, TELUS acted quickly to remove the restrictions it placed on nearly one million customers. TELUS customers, and other Internet Service Providers who provide ADSL connections through the TELUS network are now able to connect to Voices For Change through its domain name www.voices-for-change.com.

    (Now why the frack are ppl arguing about semantics and host headers? It's not even relevant to the topic.. sheesh)

  4. rss+bittorent? on When RSS Traffic Looks Like a DDoS · · Score: 1, Redundant

    How about combining RSS with Bittorent? The RSS feeder would act more as a BT tracker.. Simply point the client to the nearest dood with a copy of the feed.....

  5. Re:Just one thing on Microsoft Planning on Opening Up More Source · · Score: 5, Interesting

    To name some programs other than windows and office that are not "almost completely useless":

    windows media player
    directx
    various drivers
    IIS
    windows scripting host
    internet explorer
    imagion.. IE with real DOM support
    or how about 100,000 volunteers hunting vulnerabilities?
    outlook express
    visual studio and all it's bits
    regclean
    microsoft management console
    source safe
    msn messenger
    remeber the desktop toys?
    countless more.. but i'm starting to get board with this.. must.. must.. eve..

    bye.



  6. Keyboard shortcuts? on Opera Settles $12.75m Lawsuit, But with Whom? · · Score: 1

    Isn't that why they implemented "Mouse Gestures"?
    One-handed surfing at it's best!!
    It's also a rather fast browser.. just wish the javascript interface was a little better

  7. Re:Just run Spybot on Spyware Becoming Worst Tech Support Problem · · Score: 1

    That's easy.. to block the path the virus's use to enter you rcomputer just follow these 4 easy steps:
    1) unplug your computer from the internet
    2) remove and discard your network card (or modem)
    3) remove and discard your floppy drive
    4) remove and discard your CD rom

    And presto: your computer is now immune to viral infection

  8. Re:Just run Spybot on Spyware Becoming Worst Tech Support Problem · · Score: 1
    Spywareblaster : http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.htm l

    Uses a little-known registry feature called the "kill bit" to prevent various spyware from even getting installed.. currently holds almost 3000 items in it's database.

    BTW: nice job of slashdotting Spybot's website. :-)
    I hope the spywareblaster site can handle it.

    A decent alternative to Spybot is Adaware: http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/

    and as always.. HAVE AN ACTIVE VIRUS SCANNER!!!! (AVG free edition: http://www.grisoft.com/us/us_dwnl_free.php)
    This virus solution is full featured:
    • Automatic updates
    • Integrated Email protection (incomming AND outgoing)
    • Scheduled scans
    • realtime (on-access) protection
    • Oh and, IT'S FREE FOR HOME USE


    I have been using AVG for a couple of years now, I have noticed NO performance hit, even while playing eve-online.. :-)
  9. Win2k3 and DOS on Is DOS Gaming Dead? · · Score: 1

    Windows 2003 actually runs DOS code nativly.

    A good example is Master of Orion 2.
    The DOS version runs nativly on Windows 2003 without even having to set the "run under ___" feature.. AND it runs faster and smoother than the Windows version.

  10. Re:I want the opposite... uh.. on Dual User Windows PC · · Score: 1

    Cluster?
    Or *gasp* slashdot? (1 client + 1 server + any number of internet routers...)

  11. My memories of the blackout? on Task Force Finds Blackout Was Preventable · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Blistering hot (No fan or A/C)
    Hungry (resturants closed, stove don't work, only corner stores open, and only non-parishables available - chips do not a meal make)
    Poor (Lost many hours of work - cost me about $365 canadian)
    Bored (Tv, Computer, internet.. ect.)
    Eyes hurt (reading by candle light is quite hard on the eyes)
    Scared (within minutes of the blackout, I heard about 15 car alarms, and started hearing on my wind-up radio that ppl were rioting in some cities)
    REALLY ANNOYED (I could see the lights at my office come on from my home.. whent in to get news via internet and do some work, then the lights when on across the street, and off on my side, then on, then off, then on.....)

  12. Privacy Policy? on Browsing the Web, One Sentence at a Time · · Score: 2, Insightful

    1)dynamic display of an image pulled off the web based on keywords
    2)show an Amazon product related to the sentence you're reading

    I am always nervous of any IE plugin (especially search bars) that do not come with a privacy policy.

    Seeing as it is most certain that some information must be sent from your computer in order to perform the above tasks, I would think some sort of privacy policy is in order.

  13. All good up here, eh? on 235,000 Fewer Programmers by 2015 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Through first hand experience I have learned that quite a few US firms consider Canada as a viable "off-shore" source of tech work.

    I amaware of several small-time IT consulting firms which have been bought out by US firms as the average salary here(when converted to US dollars) is damn near half of what the same person would demand in the US. Add to that free health-care and a government which loves to hand out billion dollar contracts Canada is fast become the "off-shore" location of choice.

  14. Rogers High Speed cable internet on Have You Fought Your ISP Over Bandwidth Limits? · · Score: 1

    For a while Rogers here in Ottawa (Canada) attempted the same taktics, from "random" port probing to catch those running servers to calling and harassing high usage customers.

    Then they had a "brilliant" solution.

    They cut EVERYONE to half the previous max throughput.

    As you may well imagine the users of Rogers started dropping off in droves until several days ago I received a call from Rogers asking:
    "Have you noticed the increases in speed?"
    Having noticed that their customer base was drying up, Rogers chose to restore the original bandwidth (3.5m down and .4m up) Although the sales person calling me (he immediately tried so sell me some more cable services of course) was quite flustered when I told him that the "amazing new speed increase" was simply restoring the status quo of last year..

    As for harassing phone calls, they now only call you (besides for sales) when you use the "Cable modem uncap tool" that one may find on the Internet.

    Seems they want us to believe their story that 3.5m download was the best that their network can do. (We saw over 620kps before they called and threatened to shut me down. Giggle.)

    Cheers!

  15. Re:Yay... on Radiofrequency Weapons · · Score: 2, Informative

    in not-so-technical terms:

    The coil is charged with electricity.
    The explosion is a controlled one which runs from one end of the coil to the other.
    The result is to "compress" the current, and thus the Magnetic field around the charged coil.
    the result is to eject a very intense Magnetic field in the given direction.

    Side Note:
    The magnetic field ejected by the warhead causes the electrons in any metal to move extreamly fast in one direction.
    this surge of electrons is what overload power grids and nuke computers, ect.

  16. Re:Troll? on Radiofrequency Weapons · · Score: -1, Troll

    That was the point. Troll.

  17. Re:Yeah, I've done this. on Spammed by Bluetooth · · Score: 1

    Now taking bets as to when the first bluetooth spam worm is discovered

  18. Googlesoft? or MicroGoogle? on Google Considering Merger With Microsoft · · Score: 1

    [Spoof Mode On]
    Your search - Linux - did not match any documents.
    No pages were found containing "Linux".

    Suggestions:
    - Make sure all words are spelled correctly.
    - Try different keywords.
    - Try more general keywords.
    Also, you can try Google Answers for expert help with your search.

  19. Re:say no to cars? on 4 Tons Of Plants per Mile to Ride In Your Car · · Score: 1

    Short life expentancy??

    Analysys says we may run out of cheaply attained oil in a little as 60 years.

    Seeing as how we get our gasoline from the oil fields.. I would say the liklyhood of "the world running out of gasoline in [your] lifetime" is actually quite high.

    Especially with so many closed-minded people unable, or even, unwilling to consider the near future..

    I am nearing what folks like to call "middle aged" and have started thinking about having kids..

    There's only one problem.. I am quite simply unwilling to bring a new life into a world where they will have to wear 6 million proof suntan lotion and be hooking a horse up to the old Buick as there is no gas, and the gas/car companies ran out of money before the got around to "eventually" providing an alternative to Gas.

  20. Re:Drat on Senate Passes Anti-Spam Bill · · Score: 3, Funny

    Hate to say it, but I think it is time to move beyond email.

    Such as... telepathy??

  21. Yes, I RTFA'd on Microsoft Patents Your Local Weather Report · · Score: 1
    Well.. while this is not at all surprising, this is very scary.

    This means that almost all of my web-enabled applications are in violation of this patent. (And yes, I did read the patent document)

    An example: A session-based survey form.
    1) a user visits the site and starts filling out the form

    2) half way through the form, the user chooses to save the form to the server to complete later

    3) A unique ID is generated as an Index (and password) for the record in the database

    4) The user later returns to the site and now loads the form using their email address and the Unique identifier/password

    5) The HTML form is generated with the saved values in place and displayed to the user.

    So: Customization of network documents (the form) by accessing customization information (the saved form values) on a server computer (my web server) using unique user identifiers (email and unique ID/Key/Password)

    I smell a class-action suite coming on.

    A couple of points:
    • an email address is certainly a "globally unique identifier"
    • A survey form is a network document containing HTML
    • Loading saved values from the database and inserting the values into the HTML form is the Customization of a network document.


    Who did ol' Bill have to sleep with to get this patent?!?!?
  22. What about us, eh? on FCC Still Pushing for Number Portability on Nov. 24 · · Score: 1
    Up here in the frigid north, our CRTC (Like U.S. FCC) is also pushing for Cell number portability.

    This would be a major boon for me, and others like me. You see, I provide corporate and personal computer tech support. About 60% of my business is repeat business, and 40% is word-of-mouth referrals.

    What's the big deal? All of my business is handled via my cell phone. Any past client who wishes to hire me calls my cell phone, and any new referral is given my cell number. If my number suddenly changes, I would stop receiving the bulk of my service calls and referrals, and I would be very poor.

    While it is true, that over time, I would regain my customer base, it is the "meantime" that bothers me. I, like many other people, like to eat regularly you see.

    Why is switching my phone such a big deal? Simple, I am with Rogers/AT&T Pay-As-You Go.
    Negatives?:
    • It costs me 33 cents a minute.
    • I receive weekly text messages and voice mail: This is all fine and good, but I do not actually have those services. All of the messages are advertising (SPAM on my phone?!?)
    • Poor customer support: it seems that if you do not have a "real" contract with Rogers, they could not care less weather you are a "satisfied customer" or not.
    • Finally, I have had it up to my eyeballs with the whole Rogers corporation, I have had nothing but headaches with my Cable TV, Digital Cable TV, and High Speed Cable Internet accounts.

    In short: Cell number portability gives me (and everyone else) the power to choose the service that is truly best for me, and not have to worry about sending 150 "My new number is" letters to all my clientele.

    Not to mention having to re-print all of your letterheads, invoices, and business cards
  23. What blob? on MPAA Ruins Own Films As Anti-Piracy Measure · · Score: 1

    I have watched '28 Days Later,' 'Freddy vs. Jason' and 'Underworld.' on my pc, a various levels of compression, and various codec.. not once have I (or my friends) noticed any "' large reddish brown spots that flash in the middle of the picture,"


    has anyone actually noticed this supposed phenomenon?

  24. Re:Save the environment.. on Rechargeable Batteries - Yes or No? · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Actually the first light bulb used a bamboo filament. So light's in Egypt are not too far-fetched

  25. Doen't this.. on Google To Create "Blog" Search; Potentially Remove From Main · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    Article seem a bit familier?