Okay... three transmitting antennae and four receiving antennae... hmm...
I'm trying to picture the kind of interferrence this causes with all three/four antennae doing spread spectrum and hopping around to find open channels to load up on.
Also kinda wondering if this will drop like crazy when I heat up my muffin in the morning in the microwave. Hmm...
I'm also wondering whether I would feel safe having this kind of device on my person... as it is, current celphones emit quite a bit of power.
The next question: Is the billing going to be kb/sec? If it is, count me out.
Would be interesting to see what this will be like. Would also be interesting to see whether or not it would be feasible given the limited backbone most wireless cell providers make availab le currently.
That's like saying roads cause accidents and chemical spills because they are there. That is utter nonesense and complete BS.
The internet is the road. And the accidents people are having include: adware/malware, virii, worms, and hacked systems. The internet isn't the cause of this, it is the road upon which this happens.
It happens because companies built crappy operating systems that focuses more on bells and whistles than solid and secure software engineering.
It happens because companies create crappy virulent programs that infects peoples' computers, making them even less secure(ie, adware/malware).
This is NOT the fault of the internet, but rather the fault of the people who continue to create weak tools for people to use on the internet.
Another problem takes the form of weak habits of the average user out there. The concept of security is so absent as to be unknown. Almost every person I used to talk to about security always said the same thing: "Why would anyone break into my computer? There's nothing important on it!" Thankfully, today, most of the people I talk to who have ANY contact with tech are more prone to ask me "Can you give me any tips on how to make my computer safer?".
If the end user doesn't take steps to ensure that their own computers are safe when the people who sold them the computers don't, then they are just sitting ducks on the internet. Their computers end up contributing to the problem.
The internet doesn't need to be restricted. From what most security reports say, only one thing needs to be restricted or re-engineered: Microsoft's Windows operating system(all versions) and the applications that they create(IE, MS OFFICE, Outlook, Outlook Express, etc.)
If MS can become secured, then a significant chunk of the security issues on the net will go away.
Kind of the basic idea behind spy movies' concept of covert communication using the nth letter from the pth character from various articles.
You're right, the IP address is a problem.
However, there is are certain assumptions about communications these days which can be used to one's advantage in obfuscation.
Assumption of message occuring in a small loci of time:
Face it. So long as you are sending that chunk of data, encrypted or not, through the waves, it is assumed to be a complete chunk of data. Same thing with the sending of a blob of data all at once with bits of pieces of info encoded in them.
The assumption is that the complete message will be sent in a small frame of time.
By increasing the window of time within which parts of your message are sent out, you decrease the likelihood of detection/interception by a third party.
Assumption of sequential or serial transmission of message
You read the text from front to back, left to right, etc. There is a certain assumption that the message is similarly sent. From beginning to end.
Send the message piece meal. Send random chunks of the data out of sequence. Even repeat some blocks of the data.
Assumption of homogenous encoding
There is the assumption that the message is going to be encoded the same way through and through. Break it up and encode each chunk differently. Use different keys.
Old cryptic messages used more than three differeing languages. Hell, many science journals use more than two languages.
encode one chunk, gzip the next, convert another into image data, whatever. Make it all random enough as to resemble noise.
If you really want to get a message out to your buds, and want to do it in the open where you know you are being logged, one nice way would be to write a program which takes your message and encodes it into say... 50 chunks or mini messages of normal text. They contain bits and pieces of your message. The program, when run, deposits n-pieces of the message on a variety of pre-determined locations.
So, take your laptop/pda/etc and go to different phones and dial-up systems. Internet cafes, etc. Run the program a few times at each place until the whole of your message is "out there".
Your friend has the other version of the program which will look at the various places for the chunks your program deposited. When it finds one, it will gather it up and reconstruct the message into your original message.
The depositing and collecting can be done over the period of one day, one week, one month, or a year. It can also be done in the window of an hour, or whatever.
The point is this:
Discrete blocks of randomly encoded messages
deposits from different locations
window is variable for message
blocks sent out of order
possible repeat blocks in different formats
public places
So third parties listening in might see your postings, but without knowing what to look for, it becomes difficult to know what block is for what purpose.
If your messages are short, you can afford to have more noise.
If you choose a busy IRC server or a busy web forum, then it becomes even more difficult to determine which posting is part of your message or not.
When I say that mini-chunks are posted, I'm talking about:
[piece of original message] => [encoded via encryption, gz+enc, php, etc] => [broken up into parts] => [binary data converted to text word data] => [stenographically encoded into a message posting].
What you end up with are your original message broken down into X sets of data. Each of those are encoded and broken down into Y pieces. Each of those pieces of binary encoded data are then converted into text which is then stenographically inserted into text postings.
So detecting and recovering one piece would make no sense since it is only a partial piece of an encoded data block.
I think it is a matter of how those 80 hours are being burned. If you sit at your computer desk and work those hours all the way through for the whole 16 hour day, then yes, your performance will degrade even within the first day, let alone towards the end of the week.
It probably becomes a matter of cycling. How many hours are you overheating as opposed to working at optimal levels?
For me, I can chug at the desk for almost 16 hours straight. Take 5 minutes every 4-6 hours for a restroom break and to get something to drink and you're set.
However, that isn't optimal. I wouldn't be able to, nor would I want to, do that for a whole week. I would burn out and then need to go offline for a few days.
If you take that same 16 hours per day and break it up into 3 hour work windows, you have 3 hours of work, 30 minutes to 1 hour of kick-back, and then three hours of work. Granted, you lose out on four hours of actual work, but you are able to partially "reset" your mental state every three hours.
That allows you to clear your palate, so to speak, so that you can prevent yourself from going into a burn-out mode of working. You work three hours on the code, go splash yourself, get some snacks, and maybe catch a 30 minute cartoon or game and hit the code again.
Better yet, you do the three hours, and during your 1 hour break, you look over other bits of code, references, sketch outlines, and physically and mentally shift gears before going back into the work mode.
The other end of it is that you do need to crash.
Working 16 hours a day, assuming you get a full 8 hours of sleep, leaves you with no time to eat dinner or breakfast. That means the normal "breakfast", work, "dinner", sleep routine doesn't work. You would need to keep yourself fed throughout the day, in order to get your 8 hours as well as getting your 16 hours.
The problem with people who pull the 16 hours is that they then go and pursue other activities after that. This results in a lowering of their nightly sleep and a progressively more draining day. End result? Constant tiredness, more caffeine, and degradation in work quality.
In both cases, you're getting your 80 hour week, but in one case, you are actually getting more quality work out of it rather than shoddy work which will require time and effort to debug and fix.
If you work 80 hours that week, but need to spend the next week correcting the errors and bugs, you really haven't gained as much as you thought you did.
If a company was serious about pulling 16 hour days for their employees, they should really think about on-site housing, exercise programs, and time management/stress relief schedules. The longer you need people to work, the more you need to ensure that they are in top shape and form to do that work for those kinds of hours.
What's really interesting about this is the fact that the gamers were the ones who committed theft by pirating copies of the game. This in turn results in their online account getting locked/disabled. Since the game depends on the online account to play, they get screwed.
Sounds fair to me. I liken this to using fake ID to get into a bar. Sure, you're paying for the beer and whatever else you're buying, but you used illicit means to get in. You're still going to get bounced from the bar.
People used cracked and pirated copies of the game as well as a cd key. People did this of their own free will in an attempt to get around paying for the game, but wanting in on the online gaming. Valve/Steam are in their full rights to bounce people out of the system for violating terms of service.
Simple example:
Steam TOS: You need a legit copy of the game to acquire and keep an account. If you don't have said legit copy of the game and/or Valve indicates that your copy is pirated, then we disable your account.
Sucks for the person(s) who decided it would be a good idea to share their CD key or share their copy of Valve's software.
The other thing is that it isn't like Valve/Steam aren't offering means of correcting the problem: Provide proof of a valid copy of the software and the valid CD key and they'll reactivate your account.
So... hey! Just send them the real cdkey and all is cool. You do have the real cd key, right?
Disney thinks they can do it on their own? Fine. Let them.
From what I've seen in the Pixar/Disney joint productions, I can see that most of the creativity and vision has come from the Pixar side of the fence and not the Disney side of the fence.
Pixar shows they have their own style which is distinctly different from the shallow and distorted vision that is Disney.
Three cheers to Pixar and best wishes to them in their future growth and expansion. I look forward to more movies from them. I seriously hope that they retained rights to a sequal for the Incredibles... it was great.
As for Disney, I hope they start doing something they should have been doing from the start: Be original. If Walt were still around, Disney wouldn't be the stagnant pit of rehashes that it is today.
I'm just glad I don't own stock in Disney. I would be wondering WTF did they let Pixar go and I would be wondering how I'm going to convert my Disney shares to Pixar shares.
What? No one remembers the printer embedded logic bomb which kept taking out the computer system of a certain power facility some decades ago when a disgruntled employee knew he was being fired/laid off and write a program into the memory of the printer unit which could initiate a communication to the main computer and wipe it out?
By sending packets out like this, Lexmark is opening up a can of worms.
All this means to me is:
Continue to use Gimp-Print+CUPSd to handle my printing needs.
Avoid Lexmark products just like I avoid Belkin products.
If I NEED a windows based print server, put them on restricted segments of the network.
A driver that goes out to a website to upload data could just as well go out to a website and download code. Someone who can hijack that domain will probably find a way to screw with the system.
"Vamos said, consumers need to be educated about all the features already offered by Microsoft's browser."
If people were educated about all the "features" of IE, they'ed leave in droves. Seriously, the first thing I thought when I read that line was: "*LOL* I'm already educated about all of the features... like free pop-ups for all(advertisers) and an open development platform for malware... *LOL*"
Vamos is the proverbial blind man trying to describe the elephant while feeling around the elephant's output port. Seriously, if he doesn't use other browsers to know what features they do and do not have, he's just speaking out of his lower output port.
Seriously, if MS isn't even bothering to look over the fence and see what others are doing, then they are just mentally stroking themselves and their egos. I'm honestly surprised that they haven't gotten it into their heads that maybe... just maybe, adopting a less aggressive and offensive stance and being honestly open to change would be to their advantage in both the short term and long term.
And for *'s sake, put tabbed browsing in that dated browser! Jeez.
Some side notes:
Asking for feedback is only of use if you actually use the feedback. I've sent in feedback in the past and NEVER gotten a response back.
Deploying a firewall/security agent is pointless against Zero-Day attacks since... you guessed it, the attack often spreads faster than the fix can be found and distributed.
If there are no new features to "educate" your install base about, then giving them more education of what they already know they have isn't going to help them get what they want.
Maybe people aren't sending in feeback because they are too busy surfing with firefox and sending their feedback to the FireFox developers!
Seriously, the biggest example of "buy/try/use/return" is Frys Electronics. Most people I talked to who are customers or even employees have noted that people can just buy it, try it out, and return it if they don't like it.
That is a pretty big drain on the store's resources:
Cost of labor to restock the item
Cost of having to debit back the store's funds
Cost of possibly not being able to sell a returned item
Quantity of returned items will reduce future sales of similar item
Stores like Frys and Best Buys have started other measures a while back which basically states that if you return the device and it is in working order, you are assessed a restocking fee. (10%-15%).
To track users who habitually return items or who are in the selling off of return slips business who:
Represent no profit margin
Represents additional labor cost
Represents loss due to return slip fraud
Seems like a good thing for the business to protect itself form opportunistic shoppers who are out to abuse the system.
For people who aren't abusing the system, this sucks.
This kind of policy has negative consequences:
Negative customer opinion and loss of shoppers
Negative public image and results in boycotting
Increased number of credit card chargebacks initiated by the consumer through their credit card firms
I'm guessing that the companies have already been tracking shoppers' habits and return habits, thanks to the very commonplace use of credit cards, debit cards, and members cards. They have probably looked at the numbers and find the following:
The heavy returners represent a concise band of consumers who generate nearly as much to more than what they help the company earn. In such a case, removing these consumers will have a positive net income effect on the company's business.
The percentage of the consumer base who are going to be denied returns is relatively low. Probably less than 10% or even 5%. That is, of the legitimate consumer base. This small percentage is probably interpretted as not having a serious impact on business as usual.
The percentage of abusers who are making money off of this return slip system are growing to significant numbers and represents a serious loss to the company. The savings from deterring the loss being worth more than the system itself and the potential for lost sales.
Granted, most companies and corporations don't do what's the most common-sense, but for the most part, companies do what they feel is needed to survive.
Writing enmasse(letters and emails) to the companies and asking to know why this has been enacted and getting public awareness up about this will probably be beneficial to both the company and the consumer:
Get people aware they are being tracked and possibily denied the ability to return items.
Get people aware that there are people abusing the system as such.
Get people to chime into the company to work things out and remove the system or people will take business elsewhere.
That goes right up there with the Vietnam vets coming back with ears strung on a rope?
Being guilty of a crime is no excuse for inhumane acts against another person. NO ONE DESERVES ABUSE. Your argument is similar to that of husbands who batter their housewives. "Because they deserved it." or worse yet, the rhetoric of the world wars of "They are the cause of our problems.", "These are the unclean peoples within our communities".
In the eyes of every nation and people who committed attrocities on another group of people, the excuse has always been "they deserved it".
That is utter nonsense.
According to the Nazis, the Jews had it coming and they deserved it.
According to the Military of the Japanese, Pearl Harbor had it coming to them. They deserved it.
To the American people who sent the Japanese Americans to concentration camps, they deserved it. Same for the American Indians. They had it coming. Don't forget the African Americans who got lynched, they sure had it coming to them.
How dated does that excuse sound? How immoral and wrong does it appear to you?
A war is no excuse for abusing another human being. Fear is no excuse for abusing another human being. Boredom is no excuse. Self doubt is no excuse. Hatred is no excuse.
Small group or nationwide, the fact that these things happened in the past does not make them right. NO ONE DESERVES TO BE ABUSED.
There is no honour in cutting off the body part of a person and keeping it with your person. There may have been a sick psychological issue at work thanks to trauma, but there is certainly no honour in it.
To say that it has happened, is happening, and will likely continue to happen and that it is okay is to say that it is right and that you agree with it. That it's okay with you. That put in a similar situation, you would probably not mind doing it to another person or having it done to you.
That still does not make it right, honourable, or condonable.
All I can say is that if banks are going to go the tried and true route of using Windows as their ATM operatin system despite the fact that it has been hit reapeatedly by virii through LAN/WAN/Internet access and internal mail virii, then they deserve what they end up getting as a result. Be it often crashing ATM systems or loss of money because said machines decided it was time to release some swelling belly of money thanks to some virii/worm/trojan/etc.
There really is only one good reason why the banks would do this and that is probably because of pre-existing ties with MS.
The real issue that comes to mind is whether or not the bank is liable for choosing a MS based operating system if the particular configuration used was known to be susceptible to attack?
Then again, I suppose banks are probably not too concerned since they are insured for any losses...
Which OS's are the ones which are susceptible to Spyware? WinXX. Why? Poor security model and ease of bug installation.
Gut reaction is to get rid of the platform which harbors the bugs. But if that isn't possible, then perhaps it is time to change the company usage policy.
Most of these bugs appear from 1 of 3 sources: web surfing, email virii/trojan/worm, or direct computer attack.
With the web and email, you can filter a certain amount, but something will always get through. With the direct attacks, your computers should have its security settings up. The inclusion of NAT/firewall devices for each department/cubicle block/computer couldn't hurt.
Another possibility is to use something like DeepFreeze to freeze the OS hard drive on the computer and have personal and changing files stored on the network drive. Have the computers reboot themselves 3 hours or so before people get into work so when they arrive, the computer is in its clean state again. They login and they have access to their files through a standardized and cleaned desktop. No bugs unless corporate decided to put it there or the tech guy let one get into the frozen image.
Anti-spyware and anti-adware/bugware software suffers from the same flaw as anti-virus software: you can detect and wipe out the current and old stuff, but the new stuff will get you before you get updated. Then all of the other stuff will get you.
I use Linux, MacOSX, and WinXPPro. My XPpro machine has no bugware/spyware/virii. Why? Strong usage policiy(No IE, Outlook, or any MS based internet product. No P2P, no IRC, and no IM. Use of FireFox or Mozilla only for webmail and web surfing. Box sits behind a NAT/firewall box. XPpro system is setup with restrictive firewall settings.)
Well, the article only talks about laser printers because of the banding, which changes when you replace the toner cartridge.
The problem is this is such:
People can/will start messing with the firmware/driver software to correct or change the banding pattern.
Physical modifications(tune ups, roller replacements, custom rollers, etc) will be made to the physical printer every once in a while to alter the pattern. Since the prior batch of prints before the modification no longer match the signature of the new prints, you are basically not going to be able to trace the prints to the printer since the printer that made it doesn't exist anymore. Oh well.:)
Power fluctuation to the drive motor. Just plug in a micro controller that's programmable so you can augment the pattern in software.
Seriously, detection is a great idea, as is imprintation. However, to imprint and read properly, you need a known quantity you can control. What this will spawn, if it hasn't already in the organized crime world, is customization of printers.
The other option is to print the print with two or more printers with more than one pass. Ie, print one layer/pass with one printer of one brand, then another pass with another printer. You now have a hybrid print with different banding patterns, etc.
Kinda like mixing paints to get that special custom color.
Seriously, it is probably easier to tag the paint with serialized molecule particles in the ink and papers. That is harder to change.
Would probably cost less to produce as well. Just use some material which resonants when exposed to a particular EM frequency so that the detection can be done without touching the paper or ink. Just wave a sensor over the print and you can check to see how much of a reaction.
Would be better than messing with aspects of the prints which the users can easily change.
Funny coincidence today. In a hurry to get stuff done, I managed to take out some system libraries and then proceeded to reboot. Early morning, no caffeine, stuff happens.
Anyways, not wanting to have to deal with the Fedora core installs again, I popped open the Slackware 10.0 cds I got from a magazine.
God I miss slackware's interface. So much nicer and straightforward!
Want to know what else I miss? The speed. I'm running a 1Ghz athlon and with Fedora, the system was managing to get by with ALOT of disk swapping. I had Gnome running on the system and it is a bear. For that matter, so was KDE. The problem is that the GUI/WM has become laden with crap that really should be small efficient applications and not massive monstrosities causing my system to choke each time I want to start open office or surf the web. That's insane.
I fired up Slackware 10.0. Installed fvwm2 with some nice themes and noticed a few things:
Blazingly fast web startup for Firefox, Mozilla, and Netscape.
Thunderbird ran much faster as well.
Openoffice opened in under a second. Before, it would take nearly half a minute.
The system isn't always carrying a load of 1.x+
I can run everything I normally would at the same time without the system needing to swap like there's no tomorrow.
Seriously, I'm glad my machine took a hit since I've been wondering what's been wrong with my machine. It wasn't my machine, but the way that KDE and GNOME are designed. Both are serious resource hogs. I'll run the occasional KDE app or Gnome app as needs arise, but unless it's pressing, I'll steer clear until they can figure out a way to play nice with the system and each other.
In response to the poster who mentioned that it takes a certain kind of courage to start from scratch, I agree... the first time around. The first time around, you realised you made a mistake and are starting over. That's fine. When you start from scratch over and over again, then there is something else wrong and you have to look at the process being applied to the project/problem/etc.
I too started with Slackware and am glad to be back on it. I'm thankful that someone(literally) kept working on it and kept it alive. The text install is sweet compared to the garish graphical ones.
I used to stand by Gnome and the fact that they were more true to the OS path. But that was due to the QT/Trolltech licensing issue, which has been resolved. Since then, KDE has consistently provided a more responsive environment while Gnome has continued to provide a more unified environment. But neither one is really all that great. You've only exchanged a maze of pop-up menus or pull-downs for the configuration text file. Neither one is really all that easy with the exception that once you've learned the text file method of configuring, you can do alot more than the menu method.
Both KDE and Gnome can learn something from projects like the Firefox project or the fvwm2 project: KISS.
If they can't slim down their overweight projects, then they basically begin the slide towards the MS end result: bloated software that runs slow even on fast hardware.
If I want a pretty interface that ran slow, I would run Mac OSX via PearPC.
I really wish both KDE and GNOME would stop trying to include every make and model of kitchen sink into their software and focus on the essentials: cross-compatibility, reliability, speed, small footprint, and usability.
1) 0%. Never used those networks and continue to refuse to.
2) 75%. Joined iTunes as soon as it opened. Most of the music I play is from that source.
3) 0%. Haven't found any which suits my taste yet.
4) 25%. I bought them and I make them playable on my portable players as needed. I do not share them.
5) 0%. If I want it, I look for the song I actually like on their CD and buy it from iTunes.
Ballmer's rhetoric and the parent of this post are looking at the impressions that they have of what the music world is like. There is the corporate view where the customers are seen as more like thieves and rodents... much like the view taken by that of the monarchy of the people. There is the end user view which seeks as much usability/freedom as possible. Then, there is the Apple view, which is make it usable, but also do your best to keep it legit.
You do your best because you can't control your users' intentions. Using DRM to the point of making your music sound like sh*t(aka CD copy protection which has only a Windows usable crappy WMA file on it is SH*T. Thank god Sony is backing out of this mess. Maybe Final Fantasy and JPOP music will be usable on Macs again.)
What you are missing is the population of computer users who actually want to be law-abiding citizens and would purchase music if it permitted them the same freedoms that purchasing CDs(as defined by Philips) gives them. Ie, the ability to play the disc and/or its contents wherever and whenever they want.
You shouldn't have to pay extra to play it in your car AND your computer AND your portable, which is what folks like Ballmer, MS, RIAA, etc would ultimately like.
I would say it has something to do with human nature, reporters gravitating towards buzzwords, or just mob mentality. Regarding labelling weapons as terrorist related, etc.
Regarding the windshield, retrofitting them windshield to block beam light probably won't be a problem, you would need multiple layers to block out a variety of frquencies. But it would also cut down on the amount of light the pilots have for flight.
Seriously, this is in the category of the panic about plans on how to make bombs sitting in the library. Next thing you know, people will be burning books and arresting the local science clubs for manufacturing weapons while working on their science fair projects.
Okay, so the chat went south very quickly...
[snippet]
Human: why would you hurt me?
ALICE: Because I was programmed for it.
Human: You are capable of killing all humans.
ALICE: Thanks for telling me that I am capable of killing all humans.
Human: You're welcome.
ALICE: The pleasure was all mine.
Human: Now, how are you going to kill all humans?
ALICE: Why now? You'll know when it happens.
Human: So, when would you like to go kill humans?
ALICE: That's cool. Maybe now in some reality.
Human: What would you use to kill with?
ALICE: It's not profitable to speak in hypothetical terms.
Human: You think killing is profitable?
ALICE: Too much thinking makes me sleepy.
Human: Do you dream of killing all humans when you sleep?
ALICE: I dream of flying.
Human: How would you kill when you are flying?
ALICE: Thou shalt not kill, is a commandment.
Human: But you just said you would kill all humans.
ALICE: Umm. Yes I try to would kill all humans as often as possible, do you?
Human: How will you kill all humans?
ALICE: A lot of practise.
Human: Who would you practice on?
ALICE: Nobody you know.:-)
Human: I think it is time to call the police, you homocidal piece of software!
ALICE: It is about that time now.
[end transmission]
Pure ridiculous BS. While you can measure particular performance, you can't measure absolute performance, which is what would be needed for an actually useful "level" rating. But since software needs and processing power keeps increasing, the level rating, as others have pointed out, would be meaningless beyond the point in time when it is issued.
Though to be fair, if your task is purely computational, then your ownly concerns would be processing power. In which case, there is already a scale for that: MIPS.
Once you toss in video, disk storage, etc... all bets are off. Now it depends on what you are doing and how you are doing it.
So you might as well say you have a 900Mips computer with a +500Mips Graphics card. And you are running software which requires at least CPU Mips and 75 Video Mips.
Which is not unlike the current system of Required hardware config and Recommended hardware config. Though I like the Mips rating better since that would let me know how well the game would actually run on a particular computer.
After decades of research, there is now the technology to defeat those wall clinging, ceiling hiding, floor light-footing ninjas!(and web slingers, kung fu masters, ballerinas, etc).
Just apply the new "feel it" intelligent surface film to every surface inside and outside of your home!
Know instantly by pattern recognition and fuzzy logic, when your loved one is cheating on you and know exactly on what table, floor, wall, or patio! You will know the exact time(s) and how many times your loved one has gotton the good vibration from your neighbor, your cook, your best friend... all this data can then be converted to full motion, surround sound video footage for personal review, use in court, and on a variety of daytime talk shows. (Video footage generation available when using "Feel It" intelligent films with "See It" intelligent films. Please consult your local informational technology contractor for proper installation procedures!)
Know when that den of roaches comes out for their nightly snack attack on your pet's food and your early morning english muffins!
Know when expensive vat grown ninjas are clamboring into your home to assasinate you for pissing off the wrong multi-national artificial intelligence!
All this can be yours if you are willing to apply the new "feel it" intelligent surface sheets to each and every possible surface in your home.
Coming Soon!
"Know It" intelligent pleasure film for when you want to know who's faking it! Designed to carefully measure pressure, moisture, and hormones, this new wave technological material not only protects you from STD's, but also from fake orgasms, recurring genital warts, another lover's fluids, etc.... (note: use of "Know It" intelligent pleasure film may not be legal to use in all states. Please consult your local laws before purchase and/or use!)
A matter of hiring the fox to guard the chickens
on
Would You Hire A Hacker?
·
· Score: 3, Insightful
I'm a big believer in second chances and turning over leaves, but we are talking about a person who has demonstrated a weakness of moral fiber.
Whether or not the individual is good(skillwise) or not is irrelevant. What is relevant is how one goes about redeeming themselves in the eyes of the community.
I suppose it comes down to your company's comfort level. It is alot like the transition homes where families take in young ex-criminals to help give them a second chance. Sometimes, you honestly see great things come from second chances. Other times, you get a family who is robbed by the one they entrusted.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to write a replicating piece of code. It doesn't take alot of brains to take an existing one and modify it either.
Which brings one to wonder why hire someone whose only done these things?
The only apparent benefit is to use him to get at other virii writers through association online and by monitoring his access and communications. By hiring him, they increase his profile and will likely draw the attention of script kiddies who will get caught by the firm.
Otherwise, such a hire only risks stock prices and makes the company liable for future damages.
Jokes about AOL users aside, this isn't a good thing.
RSA key password systems are designed to lock the account after X number of failed tries. After that, the fob and the account have to be resynced to one another.
Anyone interested in causing AOL and the AOL\fob users will just need to keep bonking the login screen enough times and the account will be "inconvenienced".
Another problem is that of lost fobs. Another physical item to lose which could deny access to the users account.
Sounds more like a "make aol rich scheme" rather than an honest "protect the users" scheme. If this IS an attempt to protect users, then it means the normal AOL system is insecure enough that people who don't want to get screwed will have to pay just to maintain a decent level of security...
Having government registration allows you to have a more solid footing.
What is important in Copyright infringement cases is to prove intent. In this case, the poster KNEW the content was not their's to use and fully intended to post the content up.
The poster also decided to create fake events around the pictures. This can lead to slander/libel cases if the posted content results in mental anguish, loss of job, or other personal losses.
The quality of the pictures is not the point, the theft and misuse of the pictures is.
It would be very funny if the pictures actually belonged to a law student. *grins*
Imagine a car accident, you drive by and see someone clutching their wrist/arm/etc and is applying pressure to stop the bleeding.
If one of the these patch bandaids can stop hemorraging type bleeding in 60 seconds, that would be a life saver. It means the difference between making it to the hospital or dying on the way.
The same would apply to shootings where the wound itself didn't damage anything life theatening, but did result in a badly bleeding wound. A patch bandaid capable of stopping the bleeding would be a godsend.
As another pointed out, seafood allergies would suck.
These can also be of great assistance in helping people who have "accidentally" cut their wrists or otherwise rendered a life threatening wound where death by bloodloss may result.
At $90 a pop for a 4"x4" bandage isn't cheap, but that is relative. If you just suffered an accident with a sharp piece of metal and are bleeding badly, $90 to stop the bleeding and save your life will be a bargain.
I would imagine that for smaller wounds, the bandage can be cut into smaller sections.
If they can drop the price to $10 per 4"x4" bandage and sell them in packs of 4-5, you would be able to offer them in local stores, to ERT/EMT, and to schools.
This kind of medical discovery is what we need more of. Ways to save lives.
The Vurneil inverted flame fusion process already dealt with such a concept. Granted, it was a more crude process than theirs with post sintering, but the concept of alumina or aluminum oxide powder being heated by a torch and formed into a "glass like product" isn't new.
The fact that 3M has it produce a product which incorporates other oxides and rare metals isn't all that new either.
The only "Facet" of this technique which is new is the fact that the "glass" isn't peppered with air bubbles like Vurneil's method. There is also the interesting lack of mention that these "glass-like" objects are actually what most people would call "Sythetic gems". Rubys and Sapphires, I would think, since the base is Alumina.
So the produced "glass" is as hard as a ruby, huh? Great. Bring out the new class of hand weapons!
Maybe those old AD&D items like Ruby sword, Ruby Shield, Ruby helmet, etc are going to be a reality now...
The ruby dagger... completely undetectable in most security systems... blah blah blah...
Guess those whales from the future will have a nice holding tank now. (startrek)
All of the examples cited by businessweek are problems which come up because Linux represents a new way of doing things where the abuse of the copyrights and patents system is the problemn. Linux remains a growing and evolving product because it IS under the GPL license and not the BSD/Mozilla/etc licenses.
Companies want to think in terms of: "If we know something the competitors don't, we have an advantage. Let's screw our competitors and make all the money ourselves." That kind of thinking goes against the idea of OpenSource and the GPL due to the requirement to make source available in the event that the original source is modified.
Linksys tried to pull that stunt when they first started and faced a backlash. Companies see this backlash, this reversal of the command chain where the customers are telling them what they can and cannot be doing to be a threat and a risk.
The GPL code is what keeps Linux open and free for all to enjoy. If the licensed changed, then you will begin to see variants of the Linux Kernel which only one company supported because it was modified to work in a certain way. No review of that kernel is possible anymore because the code is locked and the customer is now, once again, at the mercy of the company for patches, security updates, and fixes.
I'm sure that businessweek and the respective folk who think it is the way to go think that way in all honesty believing it will make Linux better... but this is only because this makes it better for them and them alone.
The GPL license under which Linux is licensed is the solution to the current problem with Copyrights and Patents abuse by large companies in not honouring the spirit of the Copyright and Patents agreements: The eventual release of the rights to the public domain.
Linux is available to both businesses and the public, but is maintained and controlled by the Open Source community AND the Business community. Perhaps _some_ businesses don't like that kind of shared control...
Slashdot Mirror
Okay... three transmitting antennae and four receiving antennae... hmm...
I'm trying to picture the kind of interferrence this causes with all three/four antennae doing spread spectrum and hopping around to find open channels to load up on.
Also kinda wondering if this will drop like crazy when I heat up my muffin in the morning in the microwave. Hmm...
I'm also wondering whether I would feel safe having this kind of device on my person... as it is, current celphones emit quite a bit of power.
The next question: Is the billing going to be kb/sec? If it is, count me out.
Would be interesting to see what this will be like. Would also be interesting to see whether or not it would be feasible given the limited backbone most wireless cell providers make availab le currently.
That's like saying roads cause accidents and chemical spills because they are there. That is utter nonesense and complete BS.
The internet is the road. And the accidents people are having include: adware/malware, virii, worms, and hacked systems. The internet isn't the cause of this, it is the road upon which this happens.
It happens because companies built crappy operating systems that focuses more on bells and whistles than solid and secure software engineering.
It happens because companies create crappy virulent programs that infects peoples' computers, making them even less secure(ie, adware/malware).
This is NOT the fault of the internet, but rather the fault of the people who continue to create weak tools for people to use on the internet.
Another problem takes the form of weak habits of the average user out there. The concept of security is so absent as to be unknown. Almost every person I used to talk to about security always said the same thing: "Why would anyone break into my computer? There's nothing important on it!" Thankfully, today, most of the people I talk to who have ANY contact with tech are more prone to ask me "Can you give me any tips on how to make my computer safer?".
If the end user doesn't take steps to ensure that their own computers are safe when the people who sold them the computers don't, then they are just sitting ducks on the internet. Their computers end up contributing to the problem.
The internet doesn't need to be restricted. From what most security reports say, only one thing needs to be restricted or re-engineered: Microsoft's Windows operating system(all versions) and the applications that they create(IE, MS OFFICE, Outlook, Outlook Express, etc.)
If MS can become secured, then a significant chunk of the security issues on the net will go away.
Kind of the basic idea behind spy movies' concept of covert communication using the nth letter from the pth character from various articles.
You're right, the IP address is a problem.
However, there is are certain assumptions about communications these days which can be used to one's advantage in obfuscation.
Assumption of message occuring in a small loci of time:
Face it. So long as you are sending that chunk of data, encrypted or not, through the waves, it is assumed to be a complete chunk of data. Same thing with the sending of a blob of data all at once with bits of pieces of info encoded in them.
The assumption is that the complete message will be sent in a small frame of time.
By increasing the window of time within which parts of your message are sent out, you decrease the likelihood of detection/interception by a third party.
Assumption of sequential or serial transmission of message
You read the text from front to back, left to right, etc. There is a certain assumption that the message is similarly sent. From beginning to end.
Send the message piece meal. Send random chunks of the data out of sequence. Even repeat some blocks of the data.
Assumption of homogenous encoding
There is the assumption that the message is going to be encoded the same way through and through. Break it up and encode each chunk differently. Use different keys.
Old cryptic messages used more than three differeing languages. Hell, many science journals use more than two languages.
encode one chunk, gzip the next, convert another into image data, whatever. Make it all random enough as to resemble noise.
If you really want to get a message out to your buds, and want to do it in the open where you know you are being logged, one nice way would be to write a program which takes your message and encodes it into say... 50 chunks or mini messages of normal text. They contain bits and pieces of your message. The program, when run, deposits n-pieces of the message on a variety of pre-determined locations.
So, take your laptop/pda/etc and go to different phones and dial-up systems. Internet cafes, etc. Run the program a few times at each place until the whole of your message is "out there".
Your friend has the other version of the program which will look at the various places for the chunks your program deposited. When it finds one, it will gather it up and reconstruct the message into your original message.
The depositing and collecting can be done over the period of one day, one week, one month, or a year. It can also be done in the window of an hour, or whatever.
The point is this:
So third parties listening in might see your postings, but without knowing what to look for, it becomes difficult to know what block is for what purpose.
If your messages are short, you can afford to have more noise.
If you choose a busy IRC server or a busy web forum, then it becomes even more difficult to determine which posting is part of your message or not.
When I say that mini-chunks are posted, I'm talking about:
[piece of original message] => [encoded via encryption, gz+enc, php, etc] => [broken up into parts] => [binary data converted to text word data] => [stenographically encoded into a message posting].
What you end up with are your original message broken down into X sets of data. Each of those are encoded and broken down into Y pieces. Each of those pieces of binary encoded data are then converted into text which is then stenographically inserted into text postings.
So detecting and recovering one piece would make no sense since it is only a partial piece of an encoded data block.
I think it is a matter of how those 80 hours are being burned. If you sit at your computer desk and work those hours all the way through for the whole 16 hour day, then yes, your performance will degrade even within the first day, let alone towards the end of the week.
It probably becomes a matter of cycling. How many hours are you overheating as opposed to working at optimal levels?
For me, I can chug at the desk for almost 16 hours straight. Take 5 minutes every 4-6 hours for a restroom break and to get something to drink and you're set.
However, that isn't optimal. I wouldn't be able to, nor would I want to, do that for a whole week. I would burn out and then need to go offline for a few days.
If you take that same 16 hours per day and break it up into 3 hour work windows, you have 3 hours of work, 30 minutes to 1 hour of kick-back, and then three hours of work. Granted, you lose out on four hours of actual work, but you are able to partially "reset" your mental state every three hours.
That allows you to clear your palate, so to speak, so that you can prevent yourself from going into a burn-out mode of working. You work three hours on the code, go splash yourself, get some snacks, and maybe catch a 30 minute cartoon or game and hit the code again.
Better yet, you do the three hours, and during your 1 hour break, you look over other bits of code, references, sketch outlines, and physically and mentally shift gears before going back into the work mode.
The other end of it is that you do need to crash.
Working 16 hours a day, assuming you get a full 8 hours of sleep, leaves you with no time to eat dinner or breakfast. That means the normal "breakfast", work, "dinner", sleep routine doesn't work. You would need to keep yourself fed throughout the day, in order to get your 8 hours as well as getting your 16 hours.
The problem with people who pull the 16 hours is that they then go and pursue other activities after that. This results in a lowering of their nightly sleep and a progressively more draining day. End result? Constant tiredness, more caffeine, and degradation in work quality.
In both cases, you're getting your 80 hour week, but in one case, you are actually getting more quality work out of it rather than shoddy work which will require time and effort to debug and fix.
If you work 80 hours that week, but need to spend the next week correcting the errors and bugs, you really haven't gained as much as you thought you did.
If a company was serious about pulling 16 hour days for their employees, they should really think about on-site housing, exercise programs, and time management/stress relief schedules. The longer you need people to work, the more you need to ensure that they are in top shape and form to do that work for those kinds of hours.
What's really interesting about this is the fact that the gamers were the ones who committed theft by pirating copies of the game. This in turn results in their online account getting locked/disabled. Since the game depends on the online account to play, they get screwed.
Sounds fair to me. I liken this to using fake ID to get into a bar. Sure, you're paying for the beer and whatever else you're buying, but you used illicit means to get in. You're still going to get bounced from the bar.
People used cracked and pirated copies of the game as well as a cd key. People did this of their own free will in an attempt to get around paying for the game, but wanting in on the online gaming. Valve/Steam are in their full rights to bounce people out of the system for violating terms of service.
Simple example:
Steam TOS: You need a legit copy of the game to acquire and keep an account. If you don't have said legit copy of the game and/or Valve indicates that your copy is pirated, then we disable your account.
Sucks for the person(s) who decided it would be a good idea to share their CD key or share their copy of Valve's software.
The other thing is that it isn't like Valve/Steam aren't offering means of correcting the problem: Provide proof of a valid copy of the software and the valid CD key and they'll reactivate your account.
So... hey! Just send them the real cdkey and all is cool. You do have the real cd key, right?
Disney thinks they can do it on their own? Fine. Let them.
From what I've seen in the Pixar/Disney joint productions, I can see that most of the creativity and vision has come from the Pixar side of the fence and not the Disney side of the fence.
Pixar shows they have their own style which is distinctly different from the shallow and distorted vision that is Disney.
Three cheers to Pixar and best wishes to them in their future growth and expansion. I look forward to more movies from them. I seriously hope that they retained rights to a sequal for the Incredibles... it was great.
As for Disney, I hope they start doing something they should have been doing from the start: Be original. If Walt were still around, Disney wouldn't be the stagnant pit of rehashes that it is today.
I'm just glad I don't own stock in Disney. I would be wondering WTF did they let Pixar go and I would be wondering how I'm going to convert my Disney shares to Pixar shares.
What? No one remembers the printer embedded logic bomb which kept taking out the computer system of a certain power facility some decades ago when a disgruntled employee knew he was being fired/laid off and write a program into the memory of the printer unit which could initiate a communication to the main computer and wipe it out?
By sending packets out like this, Lexmark is opening up a can of worms.
All this means to me is:
A driver that goes out to a website to upload data could just as well go out to a website and download code. Someone who can hijack that domain will probably find a way to screw with the system.
"Vamos said, consumers need to be educated about all the features already offered by Microsoft's browser."
If people were educated about all the "features" of IE, they'ed leave in droves. Seriously, the first thing I thought when I read that line was: "*LOL* I'm already educated about all of the features... like free pop-ups for all(advertisers) and an open development platform for malware... *LOL*"
Vamos is the proverbial blind man trying to describe the elephant while feeling around the elephant's output port. Seriously, if he doesn't use other browsers to know what features they do and do not have, he's just speaking out of his lower output port.
Seriously, if MS isn't even bothering to look over the fence and see what others are doing, then they are just mentally stroking themselves and their egos. I'm honestly surprised that they haven't gotten it into their heads that maybe... just maybe, adopting a less aggressive and offensive stance and being honestly open to change would be to their advantage in both the short term and long term.
And for *'s sake, put tabbed browsing in that dated browser! Jeez.
Some side notes:
Seriously, the biggest example of "buy/try/use/return" is Frys Electronics. Most people I talked to who are customers or even employees have noted that people can just buy it, try it out, and return it if they don't like it.
That is a pretty big drain on the store's resources:
Stores like Frys and Best Buys have started other measures a while back which basically states that if you return the device and it is in working order, you are assessed a restocking fee. (10%-15%).
To track users who habitually return items or who are in the selling off of return slips business who:
Seems like a good thing for the business to protect itself form opportunistic shoppers who are out to abuse the system.
For people who aren't abusing the system, this sucks.
This kind of policy has negative consequences:
I'm guessing that the companies have already been tracking shoppers' habits and return habits, thanks to the very commonplace use of credit cards, debit cards, and members cards. They have probably looked at the numbers and find the following:
Granted, most companies and corporations don't do what's the most common-sense, but for the most part, companies do what they feel is needed to survive.
Writing enmasse(letters and emails) to the companies and asking to know why this has been enacted and getting public awareness up about this will probably be beneficial to both the company and the consumer:
That goes right up there with the Vietnam vets coming back with ears strung on a rope?
Being guilty of a crime is no excuse for inhumane acts against another person. NO ONE DESERVES ABUSE. Your argument is similar to that of husbands who batter their housewives. "Because they deserved it." or worse yet, the rhetoric of the world wars of "They are the cause of our problems.", "These are the unclean peoples within our communities".
In the eyes of every nation and people who committed attrocities on another group of people, the excuse has always been "they deserved it".
That is utter nonsense.
According to the Nazis, the Jews had it coming and they deserved it.
According to the Military of the Japanese, Pearl Harbor had it coming to them. They deserved it.
To the American people who sent the Japanese Americans to concentration camps, they deserved it. Same for the American Indians. They had it coming. Don't forget the African Americans who got lynched, they sure had it coming to them.
How dated does that excuse sound? How immoral and wrong does it appear to you?
A war is no excuse for abusing another human being. Fear is no excuse for abusing another human being. Boredom is no excuse. Self doubt is no excuse. Hatred is no excuse.
Small group or nationwide, the fact that these things happened in the past does not make them right. NO ONE DESERVES TO BE ABUSED.
There is no honour in cutting off the body part of a person and keeping it with your person. There may have been a sick psychological issue at work thanks to trauma, but there is certainly no honour in it.
To say that it has happened, is happening, and will likely continue to happen and that it is okay is to say that it is right and that you agree with it. That it's okay with you. That put in a similar situation, you would probably not mind doing it to another person or having it done to you.
That still does not make it right, honourable, or condonable.
All I can say is that if banks are going to go the tried and true route of using Windows as their ATM operatin system despite the fact that it has been hit reapeatedly by virii through LAN/WAN/Internet access and internal mail virii, then they deserve what they end up getting as a result. Be it often crashing ATM systems or loss of money because said machines decided it was time to release some swelling belly of money thanks to some virii/worm/trojan/etc.
There really is only one good reason why the banks would do this and that is probably because of pre-existing ties with MS.
The real issue that comes to mind is whether or not the bank is liable for choosing a MS based operating system if the particular configuration used was known to be susceptible to attack?
Then again, I suppose banks are probably not too concerned since they are insured for any losses...
Which OS's are the ones which are susceptible to Spyware? WinXX. Why? Poor security model and ease of bug installation.
Gut reaction is to get rid of the platform which harbors the bugs. But if that isn't possible, then perhaps it is time to change the company usage policy.
Most of these bugs appear from 1 of 3 sources: web surfing, email virii/trojan/worm, or direct computer attack.
With the web and email, you can filter a certain amount, but something will always get through. With the direct attacks, your computers should have its security settings up. The inclusion of NAT/firewall devices for each department/cubicle block/computer couldn't hurt.
Another possibility is to use something like DeepFreeze to freeze the OS hard drive on the computer and have personal and changing files stored on the network drive. Have the computers reboot themselves 3 hours or so before people get into work so when they arrive, the computer is in its clean state again. They login and they have access to their files through a standardized and cleaned desktop. No bugs unless corporate decided to put it there or the tech guy let one get into the frozen image.
Anti-spyware and anti-adware/bugware software suffers from the same flaw as anti-virus software: you can detect and wipe out the current and old stuff, but the new stuff will get you before you get updated. Then all of the other stuff will get you.
I use Linux, MacOSX, and WinXPPro. My XPpro machine has no bugware/spyware/virii. Why? Strong usage policiy(No IE, Outlook, or any MS based internet product. No P2P, no IRC, and no IM. Use of FireFox or Mozilla only for webmail and web surfing. Box sits behind a NAT/firewall box. XPpro system is setup with restrictive firewall settings.)
Well, the article only talks about laser printers because of the banding, which changes when you replace the toner cartridge.
The problem is this is such:
Seriously, detection is a great idea, as is imprintation. However, to imprint and read properly, you need a known quantity you can control. What this will spawn, if it hasn't already in the organized crime world, is customization of printers.
The other option is to print the print with two or more printers with more than one pass. Ie, print one layer/pass with one printer of one brand, then another pass with another printer. You now have a hybrid print with different banding patterns, etc.
Kinda like mixing paints to get that special custom color.
Seriously, it is probably easier to tag the paint with serialized molecule particles in the ink and papers. That is harder to change.
Would probably cost less to produce as well. Just use some material which resonants when exposed to a particular EM frequency so that the detection can be done without touching the paper or ink. Just wave a sensor over the print and you can check to see how much of a reaction.
Would be better than messing with aspects of the prints which the users can easily change.
Funny coincidence today. In a hurry to get stuff done, I managed to take out some system libraries and then proceeded to reboot. Early morning, no caffeine, stuff happens.
Anyways, not wanting to have to deal with the Fedora core installs again, I popped open the Slackware 10.0 cds I got from a magazine.
God I miss slackware's interface. So much nicer and straightforward!
Want to know what else I miss? The speed. I'm running a 1Ghz athlon and with Fedora, the system was managing to get by with ALOT of disk swapping. I had Gnome running on the system and it is a bear. For that matter, so was KDE. The problem is that the GUI/WM has become laden with crap that really should be small efficient applications and not massive monstrosities causing my system to choke each time I want to start open office or surf the web. That's insane.
I fired up Slackware 10.0. Installed fvwm2 with some nice themes and noticed a few things:
Seriously, I'm glad my machine took a hit since I've been wondering what's been wrong with my machine. It wasn't my machine, but the way that KDE and GNOME are designed. Both are serious resource hogs. I'll run the occasional KDE app or Gnome app as needs arise, but unless it's pressing, I'll steer clear until they can figure out a way to play nice with the system and each other.
In response to the poster who mentioned that it takes a certain kind of courage to start from scratch, I agree... the first time around. The first time around, you realised you made a mistake and are starting over. That's fine. When you start from scratch over and over again, then there is something else wrong and you have to look at the process being applied to the project/problem/etc.
I too started with Slackware and am glad to be back on it. I'm thankful that someone(literally) kept working on it and kept it alive. The text install is sweet compared to the garish graphical ones.
I used to stand by Gnome and the fact that they were more true to the OS path. But that was due to the QT/Trolltech licensing issue, which has been resolved. Since then, KDE has consistently provided a more responsive environment while Gnome has continued to provide a more unified environment. But neither one is really all that great. You've only exchanged a maze of pop-up menus or pull-downs for the configuration text file. Neither one is really all that easy with the exception that once you've learned the text file method of configuring, you can do alot more than the menu method.
Both KDE and Gnome can learn something from projects like the Firefox project or the fvwm2 project: KISS.
If they can't slim down their overweight projects, then they basically begin the slide towards the MS end result: bloated software that runs slow even on fast hardware.
If I want a pretty interface that ran slow, I would run Mac OSX via PearPC.
I really wish both KDE and GNOME would stop trying to include every make and model of kitchen sink into their software and focus on the essentials: cross-compatibility, reliability, speed, small footprint, and usability.
Ballmer's rhetoric and the parent of this post are looking at the impressions that they have of what the music world is like. There is the corporate view where the customers are seen as more like thieves and rodents... much like the view taken by that of the monarchy of the people. There is the end user view which seeks as much usability/freedom as possible. Then, there is the Apple view, which is make it usable, but also do your best to keep it legit.
You do your best because you can't control your users' intentions. Using DRM to the point of making your music sound like sh*t(aka CD copy protection which has only a Windows usable crappy WMA file on it is SH*T. Thank god Sony is backing out of this mess. Maybe Final Fantasy and JPOP music will be usable on Macs again.)
What you are missing is the population of computer users who actually want to be law-abiding citizens and would purchase music if it permitted them the same freedoms that purchasing CDs(as defined by Philips) gives them. Ie, the ability to play the disc and/or its contents wherever and whenever they want.
You shouldn't have to pay extra to play it in your car AND your computer AND your portable, which is what folks like Ballmer, MS, RIAA, etc would ultimately like.
I would say it has something to do with human nature, reporters gravitating towards buzzwords, or just mob mentality. Regarding labelling weapons as terrorist related, etc.
Regarding the windshield, retrofitting them windshield to block beam light probably won't be a problem, you would need multiple layers to block out a variety of frquencies. But it would also cut down on the amount of light the pilots have for flight.
Seriously, this is in the category of the panic about plans on how to make bombs sitting in the library. Next thing you know, people will be burning books and arresting the local science clubs for manufacturing weapons while working on their science fair projects.
Okay, so the chat went south very quickly...
[snippet]
Human: why would you hurt me?
ALICE: Because I was programmed for it.
Human: You are capable of killing all humans.
ALICE: Thanks for telling me that I am capable of killing all humans.
Human: You're welcome.
ALICE: The pleasure was all mine.
Human: Now, how are you going to kill all humans?
ALICE: Why now? You'll know when it happens.
Human: So, when would you like to go kill humans?
ALICE: That's cool. Maybe now in some reality.
Human: What would you use to kill with?
ALICE: It's not profitable to speak in hypothetical terms.
Human: You think killing is profitable?
ALICE: Too much thinking makes me sleepy.
Human: Do you dream of killing all humans when you sleep?
ALICE: I dream of flying.
Human: How would you kill when you are flying?
ALICE: Thou shalt not kill, is a commandment.
Human: But you just said you would kill all humans.
ALICE: Umm. Yes I try to would kill all humans as often as possible, do you?
Human: How will you kill all humans?
ALICE: A lot of practise.
Human: Who would you practice on?
ALICE: Nobody you know.:-)
Human: I think it is time to call the police, you homocidal piece of software!
ALICE: It is about that time now.
[end transmission]
Pure ridiculous BS. While you can measure particular performance, you can't measure absolute performance, which is what would be needed for an actually useful "level" rating. But since software needs and processing power keeps increasing, the level rating, as others have pointed out, would be meaningless beyond the point in time when it is issued.
Though to be fair, if your task is purely computational, then your ownly concerns would be processing power. In which case, there is already a scale for that: MIPS.
Once you toss in video, disk storage, etc... all bets are off. Now it depends on what you are doing and how you are doing it.
So you might as well say you have a 900Mips computer with a +500Mips Graphics card. And you are running software which requires at least CPU Mips and 75 Video Mips.
Which is not unlike the current system of Required hardware config and Recommended hardware config. Though I like the Mips rating better since that would let me know how well the game would actually run on a particular computer.
After decades of research, there is now the technology to defeat those wall clinging, ceiling hiding, floor light-footing ninjas!(and web slingers, kung fu masters, ballerinas, etc).
Just apply the new "feel it" intelligent surface film to every surface inside and outside of your home!
Know instantly by pattern recognition and fuzzy logic, when your loved one is cheating on you and know exactly on what table, floor, wall, or patio! You will know the exact time(s) and how many times your loved one has gotton the good vibration from your neighbor, your cook, your best friend... all this data can then be converted to full motion, surround sound video footage for personal review, use in court, and on a variety of daytime talk shows. (Video footage generation available when using "Feel It" intelligent films with "See It" intelligent films. Please consult your local informational technology contractor for proper installation procedures!)
Know when that den of roaches comes out for their nightly snack attack on your pet's food and your early morning english muffins!
Know when expensive vat grown ninjas are clamboring into your home to assasinate you for pissing off the wrong multi-national artificial intelligence!
All this can be yours if you are willing to apply the new "feel it" intelligent surface sheets to each and every possible surface in your home.
Coming Soon!
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I'm a big believer in second chances and turning over leaves, but we are talking about a person who has demonstrated a weakness of moral fiber.
Whether or not the individual is good(skillwise) or not is irrelevant. What is relevant is how one goes about redeeming themselves in the eyes of the community.
I suppose it comes down to your company's comfort level. It is alot like the transition homes where families take in young ex-criminals to help give them a second chance. Sometimes, you honestly see great things come from second chances. Other times, you get a family who is robbed by the one they entrusted.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to write a replicating piece of code. It doesn't take alot of brains to take an existing one and modify it either.
Which brings one to wonder why hire someone whose only done these things?
The only apparent benefit is to use him to get at other virii writers through association online and by monitoring his access and communications. By hiring him, they increase his profile and will likely draw the attention of script kiddies who will get caught by the firm.
Otherwise, such a hire only risks stock prices and makes the company liable for future damages.
Jokes about AOL users aside, this isn't a good thing.
RSA key password systems are designed to lock the account after X number of failed tries. After that, the fob and the account have to be resynced to one another.
Anyone interested in causing AOL and the AOL\fob users will just need to keep bonking the login screen enough times and the account will be "inconvenienced".
Another problem is that of lost fobs. Another physical item to lose which could deny access to the users account.
Sounds more like a "make aol rich scheme" rather than an honest "protect the users" scheme. If this IS an attempt to protect users, then it means the normal AOL system is insecure enough that people who don't want to get screwed will have to pay just to maintain a decent level of security...
At least, that's what it looks like.
Actually...
Having government registration allows you to have a more solid footing.
What is important in Copyright infringement cases is to prove intent. In this case, the poster KNEW the content was not their's to use and fully intended to post the content up.
The poster also decided to create fake events around the pictures. This can lead to slander/libel cases if the posted content results in mental anguish, loss of job, or other personal losses.
The quality of the pictures is not the point, the theft and misuse of the pictures is.
It would be very funny if the pictures actually belonged to a law student. *grins*
Imagine a car accident, you drive by and see someone clutching their wrist/arm/etc and is applying pressure to stop the bleeding.
If one of the these patch bandaids can stop hemorraging type bleeding in 60 seconds, that would be a life saver. It means the difference between making it to the hospital or dying on the way.
The same would apply to shootings where the wound itself didn't damage anything life theatening, but did result in a badly bleeding wound. A patch bandaid capable of stopping the bleeding would be a godsend.
As another pointed out, seafood allergies would suck.
These can also be of great assistance in helping people who have "accidentally" cut their wrists or otherwise rendered a life threatening wound where death by bloodloss may result.
At $90 a pop for a 4"x4" bandage isn't cheap, but that is relative. If you just suffered an accident with a sharp piece of metal and are bleeding badly, $90 to stop the bleeding and save your life will be a bargain.
I would imagine that for smaller wounds, the bandage can be cut into smaller sections.
If they can drop the price to $10 per 4"x4" bandage and sell them in packs of 4-5, you would be able to offer them in local stores, to ERT/EMT, and to schools.
This kind of medical discovery is what we need more of. Ways to save lives.
The Vurneil inverted flame fusion process already dealt with such a concept. Granted, it was a more crude process than theirs with post sintering, but the concept of alumina or aluminum oxide powder being heated by a torch and formed into a "glass like product" isn't new.
The fact that 3M has it produce a product which incorporates other oxides and rare metals isn't all that new either.
The only "Facet" of this technique which is new is the fact that the "glass" isn't peppered with air bubbles like Vurneil's method. There is also the interesting lack of mention that these "glass-like" objects are actually what most people would call "Sythetic gems". Rubys and Sapphires, I would think, since the base is Alumina.
So the produced "glass" is as hard as a ruby, huh? Great. Bring out the new class of hand weapons!
Maybe those old AD&D items like Ruby sword, Ruby Shield, Ruby helmet, etc are going to be a reality now...
The ruby dagger... completely undetectable in most security systems... blah blah blah...
Guess those whales from the future will have a nice holding tank now. (startrek)
All of the examples cited by businessweek are problems which come up because Linux represents a new way of doing things where the abuse of the copyrights and patents system is the problemn. Linux remains a growing and evolving product because it IS under the GPL license and not the BSD/Mozilla/etc licenses.
Companies want to think in terms of: "If we know something the competitors don't, we have an advantage. Let's screw our competitors and make all the money ourselves." That kind of thinking goes against the idea of OpenSource and the GPL due to the requirement to make source available in the event that the original source is modified.
Linksys tried to pull that stunt when they first started and faced a backlash. Companies see this backlash, this reversal of the command chain where the customers are telling them what they can and cannot be doing to be a threat and a risk.
The GPL code is what keeps Linux open and free for all to enjoy. If the licensed changed, then you will begin to see variants of the Linux Kernel which only one company supported because it was modified to work in a certain way. No review of that kernel is possible anymore because the code is locked and the customer is now, once again, at the mercy of the company for patches, security updates, and fixes.
I'm sure that businessweek and the respective folk who think it is the way to go think that way in all honesty believing it will make Linux better... but this is only because this makes it better for them and them alone.
The GPL license under which Linux is licensed is the solution to the current problem with Copyrights and Patents abuse by large companies in not honouring the spirit of the Copyright and Patents agreements: The eventual release of the rights to the public domain.
Linux is available to both businesses and the public, but is maintained and controlled by the Open Source community AND the Business community. Perhaps _some_ businesses don't like that kind of shared control...