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User: xxxJonBoyxxx

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  1. Not surprising. Also why we're going all OSS on Microsoft's New Windows Monetization Methods Could Mean 'Subscriptions' · · Score: 1, Troll

    >> The company might adopt a new pricing model for the upcoming operating system, as it looks to shift away from the one-time initial purchase to an ongoing-revenue basis.

    This certainly follows what we've seen out of the Office and Azure product lines already, what developers are used to with MSDN subscriptions and what many enterprise customers are used to with "true-ups" with large CAL and desktop/laptop counts. However, the coming squeeze on customers locked into Microsoft is why I love the fact that my company has gone all in on a multi-year "if it's not open source (or our own customizations), we don't need it" approach to software.

  2. Re:Shakedown on Civil Rights Groups Divided On Net Neutrality · · Score: 2, Insightful

    >> Give Jackson money and he'll go away.

    This. Remember when beer distributorships were harming minority communities by entrenching already dominant companies? And then Jackson's kids mysteriously ended up owning a distributorship or two...and suddenly all was well? http://www.martinlutherking.or...

  3. Rampant wide-spread abuse of this data on Civil Case Uses Fitbit Data To Disprove Insurance Fraud · · Score: 2

    >> doesn't look like there's rampant wide-spread abuse of this sort of data. Yet.

    But there could be. Many IoT company's privacy policies seem to be just a cut/paste of their wide-open web privacy policies. For example, take a look at Lowe's IRIS system. According to the legalese, I think they might be able to scan your home video feeds to look for products you might want...
    http://iotsecuritylab.com/iot-...

  4. Already lost the "complete freedom" argument... on Economist: US Congress Should Hack Digital Millennium Copyright Act · · Score: 4, Interesting

    >> Any rational interpretation would suggest that when people buy or pay off the loan on a piece of equipment—whether a car, a refrigerator or a mobile phone—they own it, and should be free to do what they want with it.

    This argument has already lost in the public square WHEN IT HARMS OTHER PEOPLE. For example:
    * If you own a refrigerator, it's already illegal to just discharge the coolant into the environment
    * If you own a car, it's already illegal to just set it on fire, and in many places you can't store it certain places (like your front lawn)

    If you narrow it down a bit (e.g., "root your phone = legal but proceed at your own risk") I could get behind this guy, but when we're starting to talk about hacking automobile electronics that other drivers and pedestrians depend upon for their own safety...you can probably see where we're developing a slippery slope.

  5. Re:What happens to these at the true end-of-life? on Using Discarded Laptop Batteries To Power Lights · · Score: 1

    >> that'll pollute *their* environment, not ours, right?

    I think you've hit the nail on their head. It sounds like someone's just figured out a way to turn this problem:

    Q) How do we ship all our old batteries to a third-world country and then dump them in local landfills, gullies and rivers?

    into this opportunity:

    A) Repackage the batteries individually and ship them to locals in third-party countries. Then, when they dump the batteries improperly - hey, it's not our fault - we TRIED to give them flashlights! Hell, we might even get some "green" grants for this scheme!

  6. Hackers Are Pampered on In North Korea, Hackers Are a Handpicked, Pampered Elite · · Score: 3, Insightful

    >> In North Korea, Hackers Are a Handpicked, Pampered Elite

    Which means $3K/year, 1600 calories a day?

  7. Re:Are they really that scared? on Why Elon Musk's Batteries Frighten Electric Companies · · Score: 2

    >> every time they try to charge for something, it means they are scared?

    Not sure where you got the "every time". Dig into a few of the articles and you'll see that these changes were specifically aimed at solar. For example: http://milwaukee.gov/milwaukeeshines/GoSolarHowto/EnergyEngagement.htm

  8. Re:Are they really that scared? on Why Elon Musk's Batteries Frighten Electric Companies · · Score: 2

    In Wisconsin, electric companies almost doubled fixed charge "transmission" rates to get more money from people who are shipping electricity back into the grid.

    http://lmgtfy.com/?q=psc+solar+rate+increase

    In other words, they were frightened enough to attack one of the main financial benefits of distributed solar.

  9. Re:Dumb idea on Pizza Hut Tests New "Subconscious Menu" That Reads Your Mind · · Score: 1

    >> Sometimes I'm just reading the menu

    And sometimes I'm reading it - fascinated even - to avoid talking to (or intentionally annoy) my companion(s).

    Oh wait, this isn't passiveagg.org?

  10. Re:Divisions on Interviews: Malcolm Gladwell Answers Your Questions · · Score: 2

    >> How is abortion still an issue?

    It's used both on the right ("pro life") and on the left ("war on women") as a wedge issue.

    >> Who are these people that lay awake at night worrying about whether someone will have an abortion?

    Mostly "base" voters who are almost assuredly going to vote for either the right or left for other reasons, but who are cynically motivated to get off the couch by "pro life" or "war on women" advertisements full of BS. You can call people who buy into this stuff dumb, but it works (or neither side would do it). /karmawhoring>

  11. Re:Malware? Sony? on FBI: Wiper Malware Has Korean Language Packs, Hard Coded Targets · · Score: 5, Funny

    >> Is the irony of Sony being hit by malware lost on people?

    At Sony, we just call it "software."

  12. As a malware analyst... on FBI: Wiper Malware Has Korean Language Packs, Hard Coded Targets · · Score: 1, Informative

    >> The use of Korean could strengthen theories that the destructive cyber attacks have links to North Korea

    Are you f***ing kidding me? It's just as likely that it was written by an English-speaking American using a pirated copy of Windows he got from a SOUTH Korean warez site.

  13. Setting aside that old Constitution on 18th Century Law Dredged Up To Force Decryption of Devices · · Score: 4, Interesting

    America's modern left often argues that portions of the US Constitution can be safely ignored because it's old and was written by white dudes. Here's a (fairly calm) piece that explores that argument. (Also look up "constitution living document".)

    "Is the Constitution Still Relevant?"
    http://consortiumnews.com/2013...

    Unfortunately, this isn't just a fringe belief: in 2010 a USA Today poll showed that 1 in 4 people no longer though the Constitution was "relevant"
    http://usatoday30.usatoday.com...

  14. Two things on The Life of an ATLAS Physicist At CERN · · Score: 0

    1) Thank you for not using the term "Big Data" in the summary.

    2) How do you permanently disable the crappy "Slashdot Deelz" ad that always appears now, even if you click its "Fuck Off" link?

  15. Even better - Virgin "pick your plan" on How the Rollout of 5G Will Change Everything · · Score: 1

    I just moved my family to the Virgin "pick your plan" - 3 phones sharing a plan for about $30 total per month (with 250 minutes, limited text and data, but since everyone mostly uses wireless anyway...).

  16. Eggbeaters, is that you? on Interviews: Ask the Hampton Creek Team About the Science and Future of Food · · Score: 1

    Eggbeaters, is that you?

  17. A Russian, an American and an Italian all walk... on Multi-National Crew Reaches Space Station · · Score: 1

    A Russian, an American and an Italian all walk into a space station.

    As soon as the shuttle that dropped them off reenters the atmosphere they discover that a fire has started in the living quarters. They crawl into the module with the escape capsules but discover that there are only two of the one-man crafts available. The Russian immediately dives through a door shouting "for the motherland!" The brave American offers the last capsule to the Italian, but the Italian politely refuses. He says, "Nah, let's both take one - I only wish we could be here when the Ruskie gets out of the shitter."

  18. please watch the video (my summary sucks) on CMI Director Alex King Talks About Rare Earth Supplies (Video 2) · · Score: 1

    >> so please watch the video(s)

    Um...the summary makes it sound like some guy's going to read you some Wikipedia pages.

    Quick - can someone find an editor (maybe borrow one from TheRegister) that can make this sound at all interesting? To anyone? (e.g., "Rare Earth Expert Says (Shit You Would Not Believe)" or "Which 3 Rare Earths Will Be Exhausted in 10 Years" or "Is It True that Garbage Dump Mining Is a Good Way to Get Rare Earth" or...)

  19. Re:Worst day on Google Maps Crunches Data, Tells You When To Drive On Thanksgiving · · Score: 1

    >> How would you tell?

    Highest FTW* ratio. * = Finger to window.

  20. Readying Mechanical Turk...FTW? on US Intelligence Unit Launches $50k Speech Recognition Competition · · Score: 1

    Let's see...for $50K...I could probably write up a quick mobile app ($1K) that feeds microphone input into a streaming acceptance service on a server ($3K), that chops it up into wav files for Mechanical Turk processing. Fund that long enough to pass the POC stage ($2K), ride some odds (25%) and cash the check before the tech collapses = $6K for possible $12.5K win = $6.5K possible profit? Er...still no.

  21. Does Lookout use lazy analysts? on Android Botnet Evolves, Could Pose Threat To Corporate Networks · · Score: 1

    >> "encrypts its communications with the C&C servers, making the traffic indistinguishable from legitimate SSL, SSH or VPN traffic"

    Um...if you think simple transport encryption stops a determined analyst (who can hone in on source/destination IPs, initial traffic patterns, traffic volume, local signals or can use an attack proxy for some MITM action)...think again.

  22. What service, exactly, is Nielsen providing? on Nielsen Will Start Tracking Netflix and Amazon Video · · Score: 4, Insightful

    >> they will provide a sense for the first time which Netflix shows are the most popular

    Umm...wouldn't Netflix already have this information at its fingertips in its own logs?

  23. So...a leaf blower? on Martin Jetpack Closer To Takeoff In First Responder Applications · · Score: 2

    >> ducted fans driven by a four cylinder gasoline engine

    Yeah...the guy who blows the leaves off the parking lot has one of these too.

  24. Must be a slow news day on Chrome 39 Launches With 64-bit Version For Mac OS X and New Developer Features · · Score: 0

    Must be a slow news day. Didn't anyone ask BH what he thinks of the number "39"?

  25. IoT Devices...could alter your career...by leaking on The New-ish Technologies That Will Alter Your Career · · Score: 0

    When I read the headline I thought, "IoT Devices...could alter your career...by leaking all kinds of stuff about you to accidentally connected Facebook, Google+ and other social accounts."

    I don't even think people know what they're getting into out there - here's a guy who's at least trying to get his head around what people are thinking about on
    IoT consumer privacy.