On the other hand, I see very valid criticism. For instance, according to TFA, gPC defaults to 1280x800, and will revert back to it after rebooting even if the user manually sets it to 1280x1024. I think that's something inexcusable - defaulting to an inordinary screen resolution, and somehow mysteriously insisting on it.
Please note that that PC did not come with a monitor, so it does not make sense to hardcode the display resolution in the default configuration. I suspect that the graphics driver uses EDID data supplied by the monitor to determine the resolution and that a different monitor might have resulted in a different screen resolution.
In physics, certain systems can achieve negative temperatures; that is, their thermodynamic temperature can be of a negative quantity. Negative temperatures can be expressed as negative numbers on the kelvin scale.
Temperatures that are expressed as negative numbers on the familiar Celsius or Fahrenheit scales are simply colder than the zero points of those scales. By contrast, a system with a truly negative temperature is not colder than absolute zero; in fact, temperatures colder than absolute zero are impossible. Rather, a system with a negative temperature is hotter than the same system with an infinite temperature.
Open source: Yes
GPL: No
Moreover, the truecrypt license does not comply with the DFSG due to an advertising clause:
From Section III.1
Phrase "Based on TrueCrypt, freely available at
http://www.truecrypt.org/" must be displayed by Your Product (if
technically feasible) and contained in its documentation. Alternatively, if
This Product or its portion You included in Your Product comprises only a
minor portion of Your Product, phrase "Portions of this product are based
in part on TrueCrypt, freely available at http://www.truecrypt.org/" may be
displayed instead. In each of the cases mentioned above in this paragraph,
"http://www.truecrypt.org/" must be a hyperlink (if technically feasible)
pointing to http://www.truecrypt.org/ and you may freely choose the
location within the user interface (if there is any) of Your Product (e.g.,
an "About" window, etc.) and the way in which Your Product will display the
respective phrase.
Your Product (and any associated materials, e.g., the documentation, the
content of the official web site of Your Product, etc.) must not present
any Internet address containing the domain name truecrypt.org (or any
domain name that forwards to the domain name truecrypt.org) in a manner
that suggests that it is where information about Your Product may be
obtained or where bugs found in Your Product may be reported or where
support for Your Product may be available or otherwise attempt to indicate
that the domain name truecrypt.org is associated with Your Product.
With the site URL, Google will know the server and exact page.
With only the IP address, they would only know the server.
And given that most of these phishing sites seemed to be an PC on a broadband connection (botnet?), they only really need to know the IP address.
While just the IP address may be sufficient to identify most phishing sites, there are some cases where the complete url would be required to identify a potential threat. An example that readily comes to my mind is a cross site scripting attack that would appear to come from a legitimate site. A url like https://www.myoriginalbank.com/account.jsp?message=Welcome%5Bsome hex characters containing an xss payload]. For the unsuspecting user, the url would appear rather innocent and any antiphishing tool relying on just the IP address would not be able to detect the threat.
On the other hand, checking for this type of xss attacks should be built into web browsers rather than compromising privacy by sending the complete url to antiphishing sites. In firefox, the noscript extension does a good job of blocking xss attacks even if scripts are globally allowed.
People should be smart enough to know not to go wandering around with that kinda stuff like that. She caused an incident that could have been avoided by leaving that crap at home. Anyone with half a brain should know that walking around with bombish looking stuff in an airport is gonna cause problems. I think we can be fairly certain that the girl in question is not one with "half a brain". This is simply a case of overreaction by the police. They should have let her go when it was clear that she posed no threat.
The reason it is and should be a crime is because you simply cannot have a policy where people toting things that look like bombs can board aircraft. Should it really be the TSA's responibility to determine that something is a fake? Is it reasonable to expect security personnel to accurately analyze suspicious items on the fly in a check-in line?
From TFA,
Star was an intern at Squid Labs this summer, and is an all-around awesome geek who loves to build things. FYI, friends at MIT say she wears the hoodie on a regular basis- it's just unfortunate that she had it on while trying to pick a friend up at the airport. MIT students don't really do mornings, or worry about what they're wearing, so I can't imagine she'd even think about her clothes before heading out to pick up a friend at the airport before 8am.
She was NOT attempting to board an aircraft. She was there to pick up a friend.
shouldn't this count for a Flamebait at this point, that Java is Free Sourced?
No, it shouldn't, because that comment was made way before Sun decided to free java.
From http://www.annoyances.org/exec/show/article09-121
Microsoft Announces Beta Release Of Windows TP
REDMOND WA (JAN 13) BUSINESS WIRE - Microsoft Corp announced Thursday that a beta release of Windows TP, the telepathic operating system, was released to 1,500 test sites worldwide.
Developed using the soon-to-be released Microsoft C for Neurons, Windows TP bypasses awkward user interfaces by interacting directly with the user's brain. Using Microsoft MindMouse, users can visualize images in their mind, and the application associated with that image (or "thought icon") is executed. Users can visualize pictures to create Windows Bitmap images, or think text directly into Windows applications. Windows TP is fully compatible with all previous versions of Windows.
Data stored under Windows TP can be copied into the user's short-term memory (the Windows TP Clipboard), or transferred directly into the user's long-term memory using Windows' new 32-bit Direct Neuron Access technology. Users can then plug into other Windows TP systems to transfer data.
Microsoft also announced the first application developed exclusively for Windows TP. CyberMail is a mental mail system designed to transfer messages by thought. Users visualize the person or company logo they want to send a message to, followed by the message to send. Microsoft has had a beta version of the application in use for several months.
CONTACT: Microsoft Corporation, Liz Wagthor, 206-555-8080 (CyberMail address: A shorth dumpy lady with shiny red hair and a really gross mole growing on the right side of her lip). A blue tattoo on her right arm that says "Billy G.'s the Man for Me"
Testers Report Problems With Windows TP Beta
NEW YORK, Apr 1, Reuter - Microsoft's new Windows TP has a long way to go before final release, say beta testers of the product.
Testers report numerous problems with the thought icons included with the product. "I can see a fish tail representing some useful things, but the Program Manager? It's just not intuitive", says Clyde Revlon, an MIS specialist with McBalmy, Crain, and Larch. "Whoever came up with these thought icons needs therapy. I'm sure the guy's Yorkshire terrier is wonderful, but as the File Manager? A golden retriever I could understand. And that sweater the terrier is wearing, it's just too loud. Let me control the sweater."
Testers also report dangerous corruption problems with the Direct Neuron Access technology. "Colors, I smell colors. Dog, good dog, go to the light mom", said Maggie Ferreaux, a consultant with Sharp, Trenchant, and Blunt Computer Services.
Other testers were less understanding. "I'm working on a presentation, and suddenly, all I can think about is pages "A" through "C" of the Miami telephone directory. It took me three hours to get it out of my mind. That blows my productivity right out of the water", says Max Pirenich, a salesman for Carp Technology. "Just thinking about Excel scares the crap out of me."
Microsoft officials acknowledged the issues, citing that no beta release of a product is perfect, and vowed to provide testers with the services of the same Neurologist that helped Microsoft Quality Assurance recover from testing the product in its early stages. Many Microsoft QA engineers are expected to live long, productive lives.
Bugs Found During Testing Of Windows TP (In No Particular Order)
* There's a HUGE problem with DOUBLESPACE.
The left and right sides of the brain can no longer communicate with each other, and the Corpus Collusum (the part connecting the two brain hemispheres) begins to deteriorate.
* Users of Windows TP at IBM are being admitted to local asylum for treatment - prognosis is not promising.
An unknown virus is suspected, and doctor's are baffled by it's mutigenic characterisitcs and the fact that the individuals keep writing "Your system is not stoned. Legalize Marijuana."
A screenshot of limewire running on the RIAA's computer showing some files being shared from some IP address? Can that be sufficient evidence? Cannot such a screenshot be artificially generated?
If I manage to capture a screenshot of the RIAA homepage containing false adverse remarks about me, can I sue them for defamation, given that it is trivial to produce such an image?
Suppose RIAA victims who are being subjected to blackmail just reformat their hardisks, destroy any cd's they might be possessing containing any infringing material and claim they never had anything to do with any p2p downloads, what then? What evidence is there to incriminate them?
A screenshot of limewire running on the RIAA's computer showing some files being shared from some IP address? Can that be sufficient evidence? Cannot such a screenshot be artificially generated?
If I manage to capture a screenshot of the RIAA homepage containing false adverse remarks about me, can I sue them for defamation, given that it is trivial to produce such an image?
Suppose a student who is being subjected to this blackmail just reformats his hardisk, destroys any cd's he might be possessing containing any infringing material and claims he never had anything to do with any p2p downloads, what then? What evidence is there to incriminate the student?
As long as every bit of the hardware is supported, there should not be any problems.
From TFA,
We use partial open-source or closed source ("restricted" in Ubuntu terms) drivers where there is no equivalent open-source driver. This includes Intel wireless cards and Conexant modems.
I hope that the "restricted" drivers work along the lines of the nvidia driver where the source of the kernel module would be available which would provide an interface to the binary driver. That way, users would be free install a different distro/kernel of their choice. A purely binary driver that would only work with the specific kernel version shipped by Dell might not be very helpful.
BTW, in India, Dell is offering laptops with the option of having no OS pre-installed. My colleague got one a few months back and saved about Rs. 3,000 (about 75 US$)
and you can't really move to Linux because not every Windows app is compatible with Linux.:\
Not really. Microsoft just has to push harder and actually *MAKE* people pay for windows/office. That would be enough for the average Indian to give up on Microsoft software.
It is pricing that drives the Indian market. The only reason why people in India use Microsoft software is because it is effectively free. An unbranded, entry level desktop costs about 20,000 rupees (about 500 US$).
Most home computers are used for multimedia entertainment, games, programming and document preparation (by grad students) and internet. If one had to use exclusively Microsoft software (the so called genuine version of it), it would easily cost an additional 30,000 rupees (about 750 US$). That is significantly higher that the price of hardware and people would just spend *a little time* learning linux (which is pretty popular in India) rather than spending *a lot of money* buying that software.
Compatibility is a non-issue if everybody switches to linux.
I stay in Hyderabad and about 8-10 months ago, I have begun seeing large advertisements all over the city by Microsoft, urging people to insist on "Original Microsoft Software". Interestingly, I don't see them anymore these days. I guess Microsoft's toll free call centers would have been flooded with calls from Indians asking them to explain what "genuine software" is, and how it would make their life better:)
My guess is that people would consider "purchasing" software if and only if it is significantly cheaper than the hardware. Something like 2000 rupees (40 US$) or so for the OS, office applications, compilers and a couple of high-end games all put together.
when one hears the word pirate, the image that comes to the mind is that of a wicked looking man with a gun and a cutlass exhorting money from a miserable looking woman with a child in one hand (the victim).
Today, that image seems to have been reversed. With RIAA/MPAA with their arsenal of lawyers being the "victims" of piracy whose existence is threatened by school kid "pirates"
So if Microsoft ever sued Linux distributor Red Hat for patent infringement, for instance, OIN might sue Microsoft in retaliation, trying to enjoin distribution of Windows. It's a cold war, and what keeps the peace is the threat of mutually assured destruction: patent Armageddon
While a patent war would probably destroy Microsoft, I doubt it would do an equal damage to FOSS. FOSS could continue to be developed in countries which don't give a damn to software patents.
Slashdot Mirror
Please note that that PC did not come with a monitor, so it does not make sense to hardcode the display resolution in the default configuration. I suspect that the graphics driver uses EDID data supplied by the monitor to determine the resolution and that a different monitor might have resulted in a different screen resolution.
The concept of negative temperature has been around for quite a while:
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negative_temperature
In physics, certain systems can achieve negative temperatures; that is, their thermodynamic temperature can be of a negative quantity. Negative temperatures can be expressed as negative numbers on the kelvin scale.
Temperatures that are expressed as negative numbers on the familiar Celsius or Fahrenheit scales are simply colder than the zero points of those scales. By contrast, a system with a truly negative temperature is not colder than absolute zero; in fact, temperatures colder than absolute zero are impossible. Rather, a system with a negative temperature is hotter than the same system with an infinite temperature.
Put some numbers and your will find out.
Imagine a cluster of a billion billion machines
checking a billion billion keys every second.
How many years do you think it will take to break a 2048bit key?
Or 1024 bit?
Or 512bit?
Or 256 bit?
GPL: No
Moreover, the truecrypt license does not comply with the DFSG due to an advertising clause:
From Section III.1 Phrase "Based on TrueCrypt, freely available at http://www.truecrypt.org/" must be displayed by Your Product (if technically feasible) and contained in its documentation. Alternatively, if This Product or its portion You included in Your Product comprises only a minor portion of Your Product, phrase "Portions of this product are based in part on TrueCrypt, freely available at http://www.truecrypt.org/" may be displayed instead. In each of the cases mentioned above in this paragraph, "http://www.truecrypt.org/" must be a hyperlink (if technically feasible) pointing to http://www.truecrypt.org/ and you may freely choose the location within the user interface (if there is any) of Your Product (e.g., an "About" window, etc.) and the way in which Your Product will display the respective phrase.
Your Product (and any associated materials, e.g., the documentation, the content of the official web site of Your Product, etc.) must not present any Internet address containing the domain name truecrypt.org (or any domain name that forwards to the domain name truecrypt.org) in a manner that suggests that it is where information about Your Product may be obtained or where bugs found in Your Product may be reported or where support for Your Product may be available or otherwise attempt to indicate that the domain name truecrypt.org is associated with Your Product.
How come your post is modded funny and not informative/insightful?
With only the IP address, they would only know the server.
And given that most of these phishing sites seemed to be an PC on a broadband connection (botnet?), they only really need to know the IP address.
While just the IP address may be sufficient to identify most phishing sites, there are some cases where the complete url would be required to identify a potential threat. An example that readily comes to my mind is a cross site scripting attack that would appear to come from a legitimate site. A url like https://www.myoriginalbank.com/account.jsp?message=Welcome%5Bsome hex characters containing an xss payload]. For the unsuspecting user, the url would appear rather innocent and any antiphishing tool relying on just the IP address would not be able to detect the threat.
On the other hand, checking for this type of xss attacks should be built into web browsers rather than compromising privacy by sending the complete url to antiphishing sites. In firefox, the noscript extension does a good job of blocking xss attacks even if scripts are globally allowed.
From TFA,
Star was an intern at Squid Labs this summer, and is an all-around awesome geek who loves to build things. FYI, friends at MIT say she wears the hoodie on a regular basis- it's just unfortunate that she had it on while trying to pick a friend up at the airport. MIT students don't really do mornings, or worry about what they're wearing, so I can't imagine she'd even think about her clothes before heading out to pick up a friend at the airport before 8am.
She was NOT attempting to board an aircraft. She was there to pick up a friend.
No, it shouldn't, because that comment was made way before Sun decided to free java.
From http://www.annoyances.org/exec/show/article09-121
Microsoft Announces Beta Release Of Windows TP
REDMOND WA (JAN 13) BUSINESS WIRE - Microsoft Corp announced Thursday that a beta release of Windows TP, the telepathic operating system, was released to 1,500 test sites worldwide.
Developed using the soon-to-be released Microsoft C for Neurons, Windows TP bypasses awkward user interfaces by interacting directly with the user's brain. Using Microsoft MindMouse, users can visualize images in their mind, and the application associated with that image (or "thought icon") is executed. Users can visualize pictures to create Windows Bitmap images, or think text directly into Windows applications. Windows TP is fully compatible with all previous versions of Windows.
Data stored under Windows TP can be copied into the user's short-term memory (the Windows TP Clipboard), or transferred directly into the user's long-term memory using Windows' new 32-bit Direct Neuron Access technology. Users can then plug into other Windows TP systems to transfer data.
Microsoft also announced the first application developed exclusively for Windows TP. CyberMail is a mental mail system designed to transfer messages by thought. Users visualize the person or company logo they want to send a message to, followed by the message to send. Microsoft has had a beta version of the application in use for several months.
CONTACT: Microsoft Corporation, Liz Wagthor, 206-555-8080 (CyberMail address: A shorth dumpy lady with shiny red hair and a really gross mole growing on the right side of her lip). A blue tattoo on her right arm that says "Billy G.'s the Man for Me"
Testers Report Problems With Windows TP Beta
NEW YORK, Apr 1, Reuter - Microsoft's new Windows TP has a long way to go before final release, say beta testers of the product.
Testers report numerous problems with the thought icons included with the product. "I can see a fish tail representing some useful things, but the Program Manager? It's just not intuitive", says Clyde Revlon, an MIS specialist with McBalmy, Crain, and Larch. "Whoever came up with these thought icons needs therapy. I'm sure the guy's Yorkshire terrier is wonderful, but as the File Manager? A golden retriever I could understand. And that sweater the terrier is wearing, it's just too loud. Let me control the sweater."
Testers also report dangerous corruption problems with the Direct Neuron Access technology. "Colors, I smell colors. Dog, good dog, go to the light mom", said Maggie Ferreaux, a consultant with Sharp, Trenchant, and Blunt Computer Services.
Other testers were less understanding. "I'm working on a presentation, and suddenly, all I can think about is pages "A" through "C" of the Miami telephone directory. It took me three hours to get it out of my mind. That blows my productivity right out of the water", says Max Pirenich, a salesman for Carp Technology. "Just thinking about Excel scares the crap out of me."
Microsoft officials acknowledged the issues, citing that no beta release of a product is perfect, and vowed to provide testers with the services of the same Neurologist that helped Microsoft Quality Assurance recover from testing the product in its early stages. Many Microsoft QA engineers are expected to live long, productive lives.
Bugs Found During Testing Of Windows TP (In No Particular Order)
* There's a HUGE problem with DOUBLESPACE.
The left and right sides of the brain can no longer communicate with each other, and the Corpus Collusum (the part connecting the two brain hemispheres) begins to deteriorate.
* Users of Windows TP at IBM are being admitted to local asylum for treatment - prognosis is not promising.
An unknown virus is suspected, and doctor's are baffled by it's mutigenic characterisitcs and the fact that the individuals keep writing "Your system is not stoned. Legalize Marijuana."
*
If I manage to capture a screenshot of the RIAA homepage containing false adverse remarks about me, can I sue them for defamation, given that it is trivial to produce such an image?
Suppose RIAA victims who are being subjected to blackmail just reformat their hardisks, destroy any cd's they might be possessing containing any infringing material and claim they never had anything to do with any p2p downloads, what then? What evidence is there to incriminate them?
If I manage to capture a screenshot of the RIAA homepage containing false adverse remarks about me, can I sue them for defamation, given that it is trivial to produce such an image?
Suppose a student who is being subjected to this blackmail just reformats his hardisk, destroys any cd's he might be possessing containing any infringing material and claims he never had anything to do with any p2p downloads, what then? What evidence is there to incriminate the student?
From TFA,
I hope that the "restricted" drivers work along the lines of the nvidia driver where the source of the kernel module would be available which would provide an interface to the binary driver. That way, users would be free install a different distro/kernel of their choice. A purely binary driver that would only work with the specific kernel version shipped by Dell might not be very helpful.
BTW, in India, Dell is offering laptops with the option of having no OS pre-installed. My colleague got one a few months back and saved about Rs. 3,000 (about 75 US$)
Here is an alternate URL for the video as the original one seems to be slashdotted.
Not really. Microsoft just has to push harder and actually *MAKE* people pay for windows/office. That would be enough for the average Indian to give up on Microsoft software.
It is pricing that drives the Indian market. The only reason why people in India use Microsoft software is because it is effectively free. An unbranded, entry level desktop costs about 20,000 rupees (about 500 US$).
Most home computers are used for multimedia entertainment, games, programming and document preparation (by grad students) and internet. If one had to use exclusively Microsoft software (the so called genuine version of it), it would easily cost an additional 30,000 rupees (about 750 US$). That is significantly higher that the price of hardware and people would just spend *a little time* learning linux (which is pretty popular in India) rather than spending *a lot of money* buying that software.
Compatibility is a non-issue if everybody switches to linux.
I stay in Hyderabad and about 8-10 months ago, I have begun seeing large advertisements all over the city by Microsoft, urging people to insist on "Original Microsoft Software". Interestingly, I don't see them anymore these days. I guess Microsoft's toll free call centers would have been flooded with calls from Indians asking them to explain what "genuine software" is, and how it would make their life better :)
My guess is that people would consider "purchasing" software if and only if it is significantly cheaper than the hardware. Something like 2000 rupees (40 US$) or so for the OS, office applications, compilers and a couple of high-end games all put together.
when one hears the word pirate, the image that comes to the mind is that of a wicked looking man with a gun and a cutlass exhorting money from a miserable looking woman with a child in one hand (the victim).
Today, that image seems to have been reversed. With RIAA/MPAA with their arsenal of lawyers being the "victims" of piracy whose existence is threatened by school kid "pirates"