I don't see what the problem here is. AOL is well within their rights to produce and sell the monitoring software. Your employers are well within their rights to purchase and use the monitoring software. You, as an employee, have probably agreed at some point to have your network activity monitored to ensure you aren't wasting company resources, time, and money. In fact, encrypting your IMs could very well put you in violation of your company's computer usage policies and lead to some rather unpleasant consequences.
Of course, I'll be curious to see if M$ signs up for a copy to keep an eye on their own employees.
Making Windows free-as-in-beer doesn't necessarily mean making Windows free-as-in-speech.
Just imagine...Microsoft makes the latest-and-greatest version of Windows available for download free of charge. Joe User has purchased a copy of the previous Windows version because MS had him believing that it was a valid and good business transaction and that he was getting something concrete for his money. Now that he can get the newest OS free, he starts eyeing the latest version of Office, with the dandy new features that only work with the new OS. Since the new OS was free, the new Office package isn't just a good business transaction, it's a really good deal.
They're already following the Gillette business model of give away the razors and make your money on the blades with the XBox. Granted, that actually discourage them from trying the same thing with their OS/Apps.
I can almost see MS giving away the OS and charging for bug fixes.
I believe when the mention the series of six bets they're refering to the fact that he placed a single $12 bet, which is equivalent to 6 (six) $2 bets ($2 being the minimum you can bet on a ticket).
I find it somewhat offensive that you're suggesting the guy involved in the scam will be getting a visit from someone of Italian descent.
He could just as easily be visited by a representative of the Russian mob or even the Yakuza. Considering how the scam was executed, the poor fellow might even find himself at the business end of a vicious/.ing.
I believe that's exactly what the article is implying. The man called in and placed his bet prior to the first race. His friend on the inside then altered the ticket just after the fourth race.
Maybe I need to read the article again, though. I'm pretty sure the only vulnerability in the system they discussed was the ability of someon to change the timestamp on a ticket, so something's not adding up. The initial bet could not have been made after the first race was run, but the article doesn't mention being able to change the horses a person bet on, only when the bet was placed.
It's nice to see schools offering a more in-depth computer course to non-CS/CompE/EE types. Students in many of the programs at "America's Next Great University" are required to take CS 101, which is mostly a mind-numbingly simple introduction to Micro$oft Office. The first lab assignment in that class consisted of finding the power button and learning how to operate it.
The simple fact is that computers and computer-related issues are playing a larger role in the day-to-day life of the average American citizen. I'd rather have someone who's been through this course writing the next DMCA than some octogenarian senator from the deep south who has never been within 10 feet of a computer.
What happens if someone just gets a really really big mirror?
I think it would really depend on the quality of the mirror. Granted, I'm not an optics expert, but I believe any mirror constructed to deflect the laser is still going to absorb some of the energy. I doubt if your everyday bathroom mirror is going to save you from more than one hit from the kind of laser weapon being discussed, if it even saves you from the first hit. How many nations do you think would be willing and able to equip their military with Hubble quality mirrors?
At least now all the gearheads who raised such a fuss when Porsche moved away from air-cooled engines in the 90's have something to cheer about.
Heaven help the first person who tries to put an alternative cooling device on their new Porsche laptop. Just finding the parts has got to be a pain since most domestic computer dealerships won't have 'em.
I swear when I was halfway through the whitepaper I could actually hear 31,337,000 script kiddies begin to salivate.
Meanwhile, in another part of the city, H.A. Rey begins work on on a cautionary tale about what happened when The Man in the Yellow Hat doesn't download the latest patches.
If they're lumping all the White and Black Hat hackers together on the "bad" side, what will the new "good" hackers be called?
Coming soon to a movie studio or record label near you... Green Hat hackers, protecting the bottom line.
Slashdot Mirror
I don't see what the problem here is. AOL is well within their rights to produce and sell the monitoring software. Your employers are well within their rights to purchase and use the monitoring software. You, as an employee, have probably agreed at some point to have your network activity monitored to ensure you aren't wasting company resources, time, and money. In fact, encrypting your IMs could very well put you in violation of your company's computer usage policies and lead to some rather unpleasant consequences.
Of course, I'll be curious to see if M$ signs up for a copy to keep an eye on their own employees.
Making Windows free-as-in-beer doesn't necessarily mean making Windows free-as-in-speech.
Just imagine...Microsoft makes the latest-and-greatest version of Windows available for download free of charge. Joe User has purchased a copy of the previous Windows version because MS had him believing that it was a valid and good business transaction and that he was getting something concrete for his money. Now that he can get the newest OS free, he starts eyeing the latest version of Office, with the dandy new features that only work with the new OS. Since the new OS was free, the new Office package isn't just a good business transaction, it's a really good deal.
They're already following the Gillette business model of give away the razors and make your money on the blades with the XBox. Granted, that actually discourage them from trying the same thing with their OS/Apps.
I can almost see MS giving away the OS and charging for bug fixes.
Up $0.68 15 minutes later...
Shouldn't it be crashing right now?
Is /. allowed to post a story before even Matt Drudge gets his grubby little hands on it?
I believe when the mention the series of six bets they're refering to the fact that he placed a single $12 bet, which is equivalent to 6 (six) $2 bets ($2 being the minimum you can bet on a ticket).
I find it somewhat offensive that you're suggesting the guy involved in the scam will be getting a visit from someone of Italian descent.
/.ing.
He could just as easily be visited by a representative of the Russian mob or even the Yakuza. Considering how the scam was executed, the poor fellow might even find himself at the business end of a vicious
I believe that's exactly what the article is implying. The man called in and placed his bet prior to the first race. His friend on the inside then altered the ticket just after the fourth race.
Maybe I need to read the article again, though. I'm pretty sure the only vulnerability in the system they discussed was the ability of someon to change the timestamp on a ticket, so something's not adding up. The initial bet could not have been made after the first race was run, but the article doesn't mention being able to change the horses a person bet on, only when the bet was placed.
It's nice to see schools offering a more in-depth computer course to non-CS/CompE/EE types. Students in many of the programs at "America's Next Great University" are required to take CS 101, which is mostly a mind-numbingly simple introduction to Micro$oft Office. The first lab assignment in that class consisted of finding the power button and learning how to operate it.
The simple fact is that computers and computer-related issues are playing a larger role in the day-to-day life of the average American citizen. I'd rather have someone who's been through this course writing the next DMCA than some octogenarian senator from the deep south who has never been within 10 feet of a computer.
Will I be able to get JLH in my computer just like they show here?
Or does that require setting up a cluster?
What happens if someone just gets a really really big mirror?
I think it would really depend on the quality of the mirror. Granted, I'm not an optics expert, but I believe any mirror constructed to deflect the laser is still going to absorb some of the energy. I doubt if your everyday bathroom mirror is going to save you from more than one hit from the kind of laser weapon being discussed, if it even saves you from the first hit. How many nations do you think would be willing and able to equip their military with Hubble quality mirrors?
As long as the change doesn't cause me to lose the lead in my fantasy hockey league, Yahoo can do whatever it pleases.
And, if I do happen to lose the lead in my fantasy hockey league, I now have something to blame it on.
Heaven help the crew of the first tank to have its nano-tech coating go BSOD.
or does anyone else think it's a bit much for some of these bloggers to be comparing the hack to 9/11?
I have to wonder what kind of life someone must lead when an attack on their favorite website is as traumatic as the events of that day.
At least now all the gearheads who raised such a fuss when Porsche moved away from air-cooled engines in the 90's have something to cheer about.
Heaven help the first person who tries to put an alternative cooling device on their new Porsche laptop. Just finding the parts has got to be a pain since most domestic computer dealerships won't have 'em.
I swear when I was halfway through the whitepaper I could actually hear 31,337,000 script kiddies begin to salivate.
Meanwhile, in another part of the city, H.A. Rey begins work on on a cautionary tale about what happened when The Man in the Yellow Hat doesn't download the latest patches.
30-40 guys and gals in butterfly suits
They're not butterflies...they're moths.
And they're on their way to fight the Uncommon Cold.
If they're lumping all the White and Black Hat hackers together on the "bad" side, what will the new "good" hackers be called? Coming soon to a movie studio or record label near you ... Green Hat hackers, protecting the bottom line.