And just pray that you are not on a shared network and that your dorm/apartment mates find out that your the p2p fiend that is eating all the bandwidth. I just moved out of an college apartment complex that had shared interent. Someone was always using P2P. If you were found to be doing P2P it would seriously get you a beat down -- not because people cared about you doing P2P -- it was because people couldn't get on the internet. If you . On a shared internet that does not implement quality of service controls, P2P protocolls will destroy the ability for people to do simple things online. There were times that I could't even shoot off an email. One guy was downloading DVD's for like a week straight and made the mistake of bragging about it. While, after about I found out he had plans to down load a whole bunch more, I fired up my BSD box, launched Ethereal and ettercap, and within about twenty minutes one of my roomates yelled in glee, the internet's up. Then the guy that was doing the downloading of the DVD's came down and asked if our internet was up. We left him isolated for about a week from the network.
But to post in response to the parent -- that is exactly what I am doing right now. I am running VMWare with several Windows XP clones based off a clean bases system that only has updates and a few basic software packages installed in it. I run VMWare on top of Linux. I booted Windows off as my primary OS nearly two months ago and frankly I am extremely happy about doing it. I have found that I rarely use Windows since doing so. But now when I do, I can choose which installation of Windows I use when want to do something. I have Windows XP installations (Personal, Work, School, School SQL Enviroment [includes Oracle 10g release 2, and Oracle 10g 2 Express]), Windows 2003 Enterprise Edition, Windows 98, FreeBSD, SuSE, Fedora Core 4, and Solaris. What I have found with having VMware is that if I want to install a dangerous or potentially dangerous software, I can. I can clone whatever installation I want, and then play with it. For example, the Sony root kit. I think most peope running Windows didn't want that root kit near there their computer, but I was looking for a CD. If I _was_ to run P2P, I would be running it inside of a VMWare inside of dedicated virtual machine.
But something that I was thinking of yesterday is whether or not we are going to start seeing VMware Firewalls -- the idea is this: A VMware based Honeypot. Since people are going to try and break into a system, why not develop a firewall which, if there is a suspicion of malicious behavior, i.e. port scanning, and then an attempt to connect to a service, forwards the service transparently to a VMware virtual machine on the target host. The downside I could see is that you would end up having a firewall that would be extremely memory intensive, but at the same time it would be a firewire that instead be breakable, it would be flexable. If it looked as if it was to be compromised, it would flex and deflect the damage from a legitimate service towards a cloned service. It probably wouldn't stop the hard-core, serious hacker. The other great thing, is that VMware has an option where changes to the hard drive are undone at reboot. So the hacker thinks that they have redone everything, installed a back door, then they reboot, only to be frustrated.
However, if you read the PDF application, the reason for requesting the exception was so that security researchers would be able to help protect consumers. The researchers were extremely critical of Sony BMG's actions, and pretty much argued several points. They stated that circumvention was nessasary mainly security, archiving, and fair use, and consumer's quality. One of the interesting arguments is that the researchers feel that DRM protections unfairly prohibit users from using portable music players like the iPod (mentioned specifically by name).
In this case, if we can't get it because Congress is getting bought out, then maybe we can get it because of a public threat. And after having the DMCA for way too long, RIAA may have finally done themselves in. They have proven they don't care about the consumer, and they have acted illresponsably by using the root kit and waiting till it went public.
Frankly, I want to see their own arguement used against them. The MPAA argued MGM v Grokster, I think, that if technology is used for an illegal intent then the maker is responsable. I want to see the same arguement used against RIAA -- in this case, I want to see Sony BMG taken down with it. Sure, they didn't _intend_ that Virii and other Malware be used, but they argued for that rope. And they supported the MPAA in that lynching. So now that Sony finds itself at the gallows, I for one, am not feeling the slightest bit sorry. The primary use may be to protect music, but it looks like the primary use is shift for virii and malware. Especially with the disc recall.
I use both -- KDE on my Desktop and Gnome in my VMware virtual machines. Helps me to keep them straight. Gnome is a lot cleaner. But I really like KDE. I think that KDE is what is going to get a lot of the Windows folks over to Linux. KDE is what part of what got me off of Windows. (Don't you love how people talk about droping Windows like they talk about dropping a drug habit?) Gnome reminds me too much of a Mac. But for a virtual machine it works great.
While we are all upset, at the time that F-Secure told Sony it was an unproven vulnerability at the time. The vulnerabilty was only proven in the lab and not in the public. My speculation is if F-Secure had introduced the root-kit to their detection files then they would have pulled the wrath of Sony in the form of a DMCA circumvention suit. So while F-Secure may have lost some credit in your book, I actually have to give them some credit. They gave Sony the rope to hang themselves on, while giving them the latitude to add the rootkit later with out legal reprocutions when the root kit would go public. F-Secure was wise to wait for the public, and the media to demand that Sony be punished for thier actions. Now, any antivirus and mal-ware firm can add them to their detection schemes without reprocutions. Sony hung themselves. And F-Secure protected themselves by being patient. None of their customers were harmed by waiting, since there were no known exploits. Had there been a known exploit I think I would agree with your assestment.
The worst thing about the voice recognition is if you are angry. Because then the voice reconigtion software doesn't do the greatest job. Nothing like Sprints. "LET ME TALK TO SOME @#$@#$ PERSON! NOW !#E!#$ IT." And then the computer says, "Hang, on while I connect you to 'automated bill payment'."
Since I am running VMware under Linux, I actually am wanting to get my hands on one of these CD's and infect a cloned copy of Windows to play with this root kit. Of course I would lock that VM down so tight that it could only talk to it's self, but that's beside's the point. This is one of those times that I am really, really glad that I switched over to Linux. However, does anybody know where I get a copy of the root kit with out buying the CD?
However, it might not protect them from a product liability suit. Simply put, if that had happened to me, I would have bought a new hard drive, reinstalled everything and then copied the data that I needed over, and then filed a product liability suit. I would claimed everything from illegal computer trespass, product liability, vandalism, and anything else that might have sounded half-way reasonable. The fact that a root-kit was installed on the computer to protect music shows that privacy now takes a second place seat to some one-else's property rights, when that person isn't even present. In this case one the music industry, if allowed to get away with it is violating privacy and property rights of another person in order to protect their property rights.
Agreed. I actually, dropped MS this past weekend in favor of SUSE 10 (which, I might add is a major, major step, considering the fact that I am a huge FreeBSD fan, but FreeBSD doesn't have the software support base for the desktop). I got feed up with the six month reinstall cycle of Windows. And frankly, I am far happier than I ever was with Windows. Sure I am a little frustrated that my wifi card in my laptop doesn't work. However, the stability and the fact that I don't have to worry about half the problems that I had to worry about with Microsoft Windows is enough to live with out the inconvience of a wifi card. Besides, if I really want wifi connectivity, then I will simply fork out a little extra money for a wireless ethernet to wifi bridge and call it good.At least for me, the software aspects are more important than the the convenience. I would rather be tethered to a wall and have stability than be free roaming and crashing all the time. That is why I made the leap over to SUSE 10. Also, the other thing that finalized the switch, was that VMware is having a Workstation 5.5 RC 1 Beta testing for FREE right now. So I figured why not. I gave it a shot. I have learned two things from running SUSE. 1.) VMware under Linux on an AMD 64 runs Windows XP faster than native hardware, and 2.) I am not using Windows at all. Anyway, for anyone who is thinking about making a switch, go ahead and wonder over to the VMware website, and download the beta. Normally I wouldn't touch a release candiate. However, it is extremely stable, and I haven't noticed any bugs. And I have learned that I Linux has everything that I need in order to be happy in OSS. In fact I am wondering right now why it took me this long to make the jump.
Re:The Feds Have Taken The First Step
on
PCs Posted No Trespass
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
Although it does make things interesting. Imagine if you will if someone marks all their ports with a notice stating that trespasser acknowledge that they might invite a hostile counter-attack, i.e. you attack the system that it is phoning-home to. Also, could you mark all your ports that you might "shoot" trespassers? Further, does a sticky note on the screen constitute notice against trespass? That would be interesting. By applying the common law ideal of trespass, now it will be interesting if all the common law ideas of self-defense apply to. Just because the person is not physically present on your computer, does that mean that you can launch a counter-attack which "kills" or "impairs" his intellectual property, or his ability to use that which has been licensed to him?
The law of which I was referring to is the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act. This law requires any pacakge which bears a label to be statistically accurate. http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fplajump.html
However, you raise an interesting point. According to the FTC website, your PVC pipe is not covered by the FPLA. It would be considered a durable good. But most likely would be governeted by the wieghts and measures laws of whatever state you live in.
Now here is the clencher where my argument can fail -- according to the FTC a durable good is not covered by the purvue of the Fair Packaing and Labeling Act. Does a computer qualify as a durable good? I would argue that the life of a computer is less than three years. By definition a non-durable good is one that will have a life that is less than three years. Then to throw in for some real fun, stating that the Mac-Mini is a low-cost, and is not a very powerful computer, therefore has a lower life-time, is a non-durable good. While a high-end computer might become a durable good by virtue of the fact that it is on the bleeding edge of technology and not on the end of production life.
Yes, there might be a problem here. According to labeling laws when you specify contents of a package, you must specify the contents as closely as you can, and when you have to round, you round down. Just recently the nursery industry got in a lot of trouble for selling "gallon" pots that, if you have ever bought a pot know, never could measure much of a gallon. Pretty much what has happened is that the industry is being brought into compliance. While the computer industry may not be regulated quite like the nursery industry, the labeling laws are quite strict, and they apply accross the board. The reason for a labeling law is so consumers can compare like products with a like product. So someone who is looking at a Mac-mini and some eMachine or something like that, the small difference in performance that the faster processor has might make a difference, and it could get them in trouble. The esscense behind the labeling laws is so the consumer can have all the information. You can understate content, but only by a little bit. And the question in computers becomes, what is a little bit.
As a manager in a retail enviroment I can tell you that having the latest and greatest is not the best for retailing. I would love for usability studies to be done on POS systems. The biggest problem that I see with a POS system is the administration of that system. For a mid-size company, it takes three people nearly 15 hours a week to make sure that the system works, and that the information is accurate. As far as the cashiers are concerned (and I cashier from time to time), the eye candy and all the other stuff is just fluff. All a cashier needs is stability and the information quickly. If a DOS 4.1 machine can provide that stability, while providing the information then there is no need to upgrade or worry. The system we use has its quarks, but frankly, the customer never knows because the cashiers have a level of usability that enables them to preform their job efficently and accurately. In fact, we have looked at upgrading and/or switching to another POS, but frankly, while it might give management more information, we view the potential upgrade as a risk to disrupting customer relations. So I guess the point of this, if your local auto parts store has a system that works, why bother to upgrade if it provides the functionality that the customer demands and the cashiers expect. If I had to upgrade the software and hardware on the POS machines ever two to three years, it would have major implications on the customers. Heck, our POS systems are merely Windows 95 machines. And I don't see an upgrade any time soon. The computers we are using to administer the system are pretty slick, but if that rarely affects the customer. Now in an enviroment where the computer systems are defined by when the location is built, then I can see this being a big issue. If you build XXX stores a year, then this becomes a major issue. But that means that the POS and the operating system that you choose has to scale.
Sure you have the trusted computing iniative, but if corparations and governments start to jump ship based on Vista and Microsoft's attempts to force people into using it, then the end result is going to be demand for computers without TC built in. You'll see this especially if a government agency adopts a position counter to TC. If a company is producing a computer with TC built in and one with out for a government, then they most likely sell it to consumers that want it. If, for example, the IRS goes against TC and Vista, and opts for Linux, then you'll see a lot of accounts start to run a linux desktop with a lot of commercial software going for it. The best thing that could happen would be if California adopted Linux as a desktop. With the world's 7th largest economy, a lot of vendors would start to produce for Linux.
True, but if you use a VPN service, like HotspotVPN or even Google's VPN then location based services won't work. I have used Hotspot VPN's service, but switched over to Google's. The main reason for using the VPN is because I live in an apartment complex with a common internet connection, and I don't want my neighbor or the landlord snooping. But with a VPN then the traffic can not be modified unless it is done at the VPN point. Heck, right now my IP address is showing me at being in San Fransico when I am really in Idaho.
While you certainly put forth an interesting, albeit interesting, discussion, I have to disagree. Looking up in Strong's Concordance, the word for fornication comes from the word pornea, which is generally described as "illicit sexual relations." Several Bible Scholars argue that the word pornea included sex of a married person with an unmarried person. For example, a man having sex who is married with an unmarried woman would be guilty of adultery, whereas the woman would be guilty of fornication. An illegal sexual act, according to many of the Biblical scholars meant sexual acts outside of the covenant of marriage. Additionally, the term of adultery was used as an analogy for worshipping false gods in the Old Testament time, and undoubtably, used in the New Testament. While some may have proclaimed Christ as their Savor, going over and worshipping Mars, for example, would have constituted adultery. Compare this idea looking up Christ's words talking about the Bridegroom and the Bride as an analogy of Christ and the Church. When you look at it in this context, the words of Christ speaking about putting a wife away for the cause of fornication, could be construed to mean 1.) putting her away for an illicit sexual act, such as extra-marital, or pre-marital sex (further, looking at the Old Testament it is clear that having sex outside of marriage was not acceptable, 2.) having sex with an unmarried person, or 3.) leaving the gospel covenant for another god. In other words, you could both take the passages on fornication to be either figurative, i.e. leaving the covenant of the gospel for another god, or literial, meaning an illegal sexual act. Relationships in both the New and Old Testaments are about a covenant relationship. Acts are legal within the context of a covenant relationship. Acts are illegal when they violate a covenant or they are without the bounds of a covenant. However, in case these arguments don't hold water, looking at the tradition indicates that at times that the children of Israel were living the law, and those under the Gospel Covenant (aka New Testament times) premaritial, and extra-marital sex were condemened.
However, all of this discussion is moot, unless you have a common agreement on which translation to choose, or for that matter, which Biblical Scholars you are going to accept. When it boils down to it, the issues presented by the parent are semantic, and whether you subsribe to liberal or conservative interpetations of the Bible. Obviously, the parent is of a liberal interpetation, whereas I am of a conservative interpetation.
One thing, however, is if you suscribe to the world view of the parent, then looking at sexual acts if you are married, if the parties enagaging in those acts are married, or having sex with an animal, then it clearly falls within the scope of biblical prohibitions. Further, looking into the looking clause of Matt 5:28, it is clear that looking with lust is clearly adultery. So anyway you look at it, at least within the bounds of this discussion, Biblicaly speaking, pornography is against the Word.
The only thing that I had problems with when reading this article, is the forthcoming system requirements for Vista. If it was designed from 'scratch' and made to be clean code, then why is the system such a resource hog? With a full featured Linux distro, the system requirements are not that heavy. So while they may be trying to compete with the development processes of Linux, Mac and Google, the fact remains that there is an efficency cost that they have not worked out yet. OS X Tiger asks for a minium of 256mb of RAM. Many of the FOSS operating systems have a memory requirement sitting between 64 and 128mb of RAM, and that is running X Windows. Granted, they may not be the fastest, but at least they run. While Microsoft may be clammering for a smooth experience by hyping up the hardware specs, thus eliminating some nut from running Vista on a Pentium 100, Vista is going to push people to accelerate their upgrade cycle. Us computer nuts have a more frequent upgrade cycle then most people. Mine is every two years. However, I have many friends, and family, that expect to get at least three to five years out of a computer. So I guess the point of this, it is a nice first step for Microsoft to change development, but let's see some efficency in the code. At least with the FOSS OSes you get the ability to scale the OS to your needs. If you have an old laptop that you want to run Linux or a BSD on, you can do it. And you can run, for the most part, the latest and greatest. While with Vista, the scalability is completely shot, since you can not install it on older equipment. Heck, my laptop is pretty speced out, but it doesn't hold a candle to the minium requirements of Vista, and I think a lot of people are going to turn because of economics. I am sure that there are many people who would otherwise upgrade, but won't because they don't want to buy a whole new computer, and for that matter, a monitor.
Better yet, if they are using WiFi, I could just see the advent of WarFlying -- hacking the wireless signal on the plane. That would be a great idea. Instead of using the WiFi band, why not use one that is only approved for use on a plane, that way some nut with a laptop can't screw around with the signal. I just see someone hacking the signal, signalling a hijack, and then screwing up people's travel plans.
Better yet, I wonder how merely shifting your hands to the left or to the right by one character, then you could effectively defeat this method. The same typing pattern would be used as on other parts of the keyboard. The only way to defeat this method would to intitively guess that the person was shifting their hands.
Maybe...or it may just turn out that M$ is releasing another ME. I just bought a laptop, and frankly, the idea of having to buy another laptop with specs like that, is not very appealling. M$ hasn't released a new operating system in years, and now they are releasing one that is going to break everyone. 1gig of Ram? SATA2 hard drives? I have to say, I won't be upgrading. I don't see the benefit. All the reasons why I would, including WinFS have been taken out. I more likely to switch to WinXP64 first. But more than that I will probably end up switching to a Linux distro. The idea of forking out that much money just to be able to run an operating system is assinine.
More interesting is what type of platform is it? Is it 64bit? x86? Alot of good these numbers mean if you don't have any information about what type of chip it is. Is it a new type? More info please.
Slashdot Mirror
And just pray that you are not on a shared network and that your dorm/apartment mates find out that your the p2p fiend that is eating all the bandwidth. I just moved out of an college apartment complex that had shared interent. Someone was always using P2P. If you were found to be doing P2P it would seriously get you a beat down -- not because people cared about you doing P2P -- it was because people couldn't get on the internet. If you . On a shared internet that does not implement quality of service controls, P2P protocolls will destroy the ability for people to do simple things online. There were times that I could't even shoot off an email. One guy was downloading DVD's for like a week straight and made the mistake of bragging about it. While, after about I found out he had plans to down load a whole bunch more, I fired up my BSD box, launched Ethereal and ettercap, and within about twenty minutes one of my roomates yelled in glee, the internet's up. Then the guy that was doing the downloading of the DVD's came down and asked if our internet was up. We left him isolated for about a week from the network.
But to post in response to the parent -- that is exactly what I am doing right now. I am running VMWare with several Windows XP clones based off a clean bases system that only has updates and a few basic software packages installed in it. I run VMWare on top of Linux. I booted Windows off as my primary OS nearly two months ago and frankly I am extremely happy about doing it. I have found that I rarely use Windows since doing so. But now when I do, I can choose which installation of Windows I use when want to do something. I have Windows XP installations (Personal, Work, School, School SQL Enviroment [includes Oracle 10g release 2, and Oracle 10g 2 Express]), Windows 2003 Enterprise Edition, Windows 98, FreeBSD, SuSE, Fedora Core 4, and Solaris. What I have found with having VMware is that if I want to install a dangerous or potentially dangerous software, I can. I can clone whatever installation I want, and then play with it. For example, the Sony root kit. I think most peope running Windows didn't want that root kit near there their computer, but I was looking for a CD. If I _was_ to run P2P, I would be running it inside of a VMWare inside of dedicated virtual machine.
But something that I was thinking of yesterday is whether or not we are going to start seeing VMware Firewalls -- the idea is this: A VMware based Honeypot. Since people are going to try and break into a system, why not develop a firewall which, if there is a suspicion of malicious behavior, i.e. port scanning, and then an attempt to connect to a service, forwards the service transparently to a VMware virtual machine on the target host. The downside I could see is that you would end up having a firewall that would be extremely memory intensive, but at the same time it would be a firewire that instead be breakable, it would be flexable. If it looked as if it was to be compromised, it would flex and deflect the damage from a legitimate service towards a cloned service. It probably wouldn't stop the hard-core, serious hacker. The other great thing, is that VMware has an option where changes to the hard drive are undone at reboot. So the hacker thinks that they have redone everything, installed a back door, then they reboot, only to be frustrated.
However, if you read the PDF application, the reason for requesting the exception was so that security researchers would be able to help protect consumers. The researchers were extremely critical of Sony BMG's actions, and pretty much argued several points. They stated that circumvention was nessasary mainly security, archiving, and fair use, and consumer's quality. One of the interesting arguments is that the researchers feel that DRM protections unfairly prohibit users from using portable music players like the iPod (mentioned specifically by name).
In this case, if we can't get it because Congress is getting bought out, then maybe we can get it because of a public threat. And after having the DMCA for way too long, RIAA may have finally done themselves in. They have proven they don't care about the consumer, and they have acted illresponsably by using the root kit and waiting till it went public.
Frankly, I want to see their own arguement used against them. The MPAA argued MGM v Grokster, I think, that if technology is used for an illegal intent then the maker is responsable. I want to see the same arguement used against RIAA -- in this case, I want to see Sony BMG taken down with it. Sure, they didn't _intend_ that Virii and other Malware be used, but they argued for that rope. And they supported the MPAA in that lynching. So now that Sony finds itself at the gallows, I for one, am not feeling the slightest bit sorry. The primary use may be to protect music, but it looks like the primary use is shift for virii and malware. Especially with the disc recall.
I use both -- KDE on my Desktop and Gnome in my VMware virtual machines. Helps me to keep them straight. Gnome is a lot cleaner. But I really like KDE. I think that KDE is what is going to get a lot of the Windows folks over to Linux. KDE is what part of what got me off of Windows. (Don't you love how people talk about droping Windows like they talk about dropping a drug habit?) Gnome reminds me too much of a Mac. But for a virtual machine it works great.
While we are all upset, at the time that F-Secure told Sony it was an unproven vulnerability at the time. The vulnerabilty was only proven in the lab and not in the public. My speculation is if F-Secure had introduced the root-kit to their detection files then they would have pulled the wrath of Sony in the form of a DMCA circumvention suit. So while F-Secure may have lost some credit in your book, I actually have to give them some credit. They gave Sony the rope to hang themselves on, while giving them the latitude to add the rootkit later with out legal reprocutions when the root kit would go public. F-Secure was wise to wait for the public, and the media to demand that Sony be punished for thier actions. Now, any antivirus and mal-ware firm can add them to their detection schemes without reprocutions. Sony hung themselves. And F-Secure protected themselves by being patient. None of their customers were harmed by waiting, since there were no known exploits. Had there been a known exploit I think I would agree with your assestment.
The worst thing about the voice recognition is if you are angry. Because then the voice reconigtion software doesn't do the greatest job. Nothing like Sprints. "LET ME TALK TO SOME @#$@#$ PERSON! NOW !#E!#$ IT." And then the computer says, "Hang, on while I connect you to 'automated bill payment'."
Since I am running VMware under Linux, I actually am wanting to get my hands on one of these CD's and infect a cloned copy of Windows to play with this root kit. Of course I would lock that VM down so tight that it could only talk to it's self, but that's beside's the point. This is one of those times that I am really, really glad that I switched over to Linux. However, does anybody know where I get a copy of the root kit with out buying the CD?
If it is a Web enterprise, migrate it onto a BSD machine. (/sbin/jail)
And I might _actually_ consider installing Windows on my computer.
However, it might not protect them from a product liability suit. Simply put, if that had happened to me, I would have bought a new hard drive, reinstalled everything and then copied the data that I needed over, and then filed a product liability suit. I would claimed everything from illegal computer trespass, product liability, vandalism, and anything else that might have sounded half-way reasonable. The fact that a root-kit was installed on the computer to protect music shows that privacy now takes a second place seat to some one-else's property rights, when that person isn't even present. In this case one the music industry, if allowed to get away with it is violating privacy and property rights of another person in order to protect their property rights.
Agreed. I actually, dropped MS this past weekend in favor of SUSE 10 (which, I might add is a major, major step, considering the fact that I am a huge FreeBSD fan, but FreeBSD doesn't have the software support base for the desktop). I got feed up with the six month reinstall cycle of Windows. And frankly, I am far happier than I ever was with Windows. Sure I am a little frustrated that my wifi card in my laptop doesn't work. However, the stability and the fact that I don't have to worry about half the problems that I had to worry about with Microsoft Windows is enough to live with out the inconvience of a wifi card. Besides, if I really want wifi connectivity, then I will simply fork out a little extra money for a wireless ethernet to wifi bridge and call it good.At least for me, the software aspects are more important than the the convenience. I would rather be tethered to a wall and have stability than be free roaming and crashing all the time. That is why I made the leap over to SUSE 10. Also, the other thing that finalized the switch, was that VMware is having a Workstation 5.5 RC 1 Beta testing for FREE right now. So I figured why not. I gave it a shot. I have learned two things from running SUSE. 1.) VMware under Linux on an AMD 64 runs Windows XP faster than native hardware, and 2.) I am not using Windows at all. Anyway, for anyone who is thinking about making a switch, go ahead and wonder over to the VMware website, and download the beta. Normally I wouldn't touch a release candiate. However, it is extremely stable, and I haven't noticed any bugs. And I have learned that I Linux has everything that I need in order to be happy in OSS. In fact I am wondering right now why it took me this long to make the jump.
Although it does make things interesting. Imagine if you will if someone marks all their ports with a notice stating that trespasser acknowledge that they might invite a hostile counter-attack, i.e. you attack the system that it is phoning-home to. Also, could you mark all your ports that you might "shoot" trespassers? Further, does a sticky note on the screen constitute notice against trespass? That would be interesting. By applying the common law ideal of trespass, now it will be interesting if all the common law ideas of self-defense apply to. Just because the person is not physically present on your computer, does that mean that you can launch a counter-attack which "kills" or "impairs" his intellectual property, or his ability to use that which has been licensed to him?
The law of which I was referring to is the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act. This law requires any pacakge which bears a label to be statistically accurate. http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fplajump.html
However, you raise an interesting point. According to the FTC website, your PVC pipe is not covered by the FPLA. It would be considered a durable good. But most likely would be governeted by the wieghts and measures laws of whatever state you live in.
Now here is the clencher where my argument can fail -- according to the FTC a durable good is not covered by the purvue of the Fair Packaing and Labeling Act. Does a computer qualify as a durable good? I would argue that the life of a computer is less than three years. By definition a non-durable good is one that will have a life that is less than three years. Then to throw in for some real fun, stating that the Mac-Mini is a low-cost, and is not a very powerful computer, therefore has a lower life-time, is a non-durable good. While a high-end computer might become a durable good by virtue of the fact that it is on the bleeding edge of technology and not on the end of production life.
Yes, there might be a problem here. According to labeling laws when you specify contents of a package, you must specify the contents as closely as you can, and when you have to round, you round down. Just recently the nursery industry got in a lot of trouble for selling "gallon" pots that, if you have ever bought a pot know, never could measure much of a gallon. Pretty much what has happened is that the industry is being brought into compliance. While the computer industry may not be regulated quite like the nursery industry, the labeling laws are quite strict, and they apply accross the board. The reason for a labeling law is so consumers can compare like products with a like product. So someone who is looking at a Mac-mini and some eMachine or something like that, the small difference in performance that the faster processor has might make a difference, and it could get them in trouble. The esscense behind the labeling laws is so the consumer can have all the information. You can understate content, but only by a little bit. And the question in computers becomes, what is a little bit.
As a manager in a retail enviroment I can tell you that having the latest and greatest is not the best for retailing. I would love for usability studies to be done on POS systems. The biggest problem that I see with a POS system is the administration of that system. For a mid-size company, it takes three people nearly 15 hours a week to make sure that the system works, and that the information is accurate. As far as the cashiers are concerned (and I cashier from time to time), the eye candy and all the other stuff is just fluff. All a cashier needs is stability and the information quickly. If a DOS 4.1 machine can provide that stability, while providing the information then there is no need to upgrade or worry. The system we use has its quarks, but frankly, the customer never knows because the cashiers have a level of usability that enables them to preform their job efficently and accurately. In fact, we have looked at upgrading and/or switching to another POS, but frankly, while it might give management more information, we view the potential upgrade as a risk to disrupting customer relations. So I guess the point of this, if your local auto parts store has a system that works, why bother to upgrade if it provides the functionality that the customer demands and the cashiers expect. If I had to upgrade the software and hardware on the POS machines ever two to three years, it would have major implications on the customers. Heck, our POS systems are merely Windows 95 machines. And I don't see an upgrade any time soon. The computers we are using to administer the system are pretty slick, but if that rarely affects the customer. Now in an enviroment where the computer systems are defined by when the location is built, then I can see this being a big issue. If you build XXX stores a year, then this becomes a major issue. But that means that the POS and the operating system that you choose has to scale.
Sure you have the trusted computing iniative, but if corparations and governments start to jump ship based on Vista and Microsoft's attempts to force people into using it, then the end result is going to be demand for computers without TC built in. You'll see this especially if a government agency adopts a position counter to TC. If a company is producing a computer with TC built in and one with out for a government, then they most likely sell it to consumers that want it. If, for example, the IRS goes against TC and Vista, and opts for Linux, then you'll see a lot of accounts start to run a linux desktop with a lot of commercial software going for it. The best thing that could happen would be if California adopted Linux as a desktop. With the world's 7th largest economy, a lot of vendors would start to produce for Linux.
True, but if you use a VPN service, like HotspotVPN or even Google's VPN then location based services won't work. I have used Hotspot VPN's service, but switched over to Google's. The main reason for using the VPN is because I live in an apartment complex with a common internet connection, and I don't want my neighbor or the landlord snooping. But with a VPN then the traffic can not be modified unless it is done at the VPN point. Heck, right now my IP address is showing me at being in San Fransico when I am really in Idaho.
While you certainly put forth an interesting, albeit interesting, discussion, I have to disagree. Looking up in Strong's Concordance, the word for fornication comes from the word pornea, which is generally described as "illicit sexual relations." Several Bible Scholars argue that the word pornea included sex of a married person with an unmarried person. For example, a man having sex who is married with an unmarried woman would be guilty of adultery, whereas the woman would be guilty of fornication. An illegal sexual act, according to many of the Biblical scholars meant sexual acts outside of the covenant of marriage. Additionally, the term of adultery was used as an analogy for worshipping false gods in the Old Testament time, and undoubtably, used in the New Testament. While some may have proclaimed Christ as their Savor, going over and worshipping Mars, for example, would have constituted adultery. Compare this idea looking up Christ's words talking about the Bridegroom and the Bride as an analogy of Christ and the Church. When you look at it in this context, the words of Christ speaking about putting a wife away for the cause of fornication, could be construed to mean 1.) putting her away for an illicit sexual act, such as extra-marital, or pre-marital sex (further, looking at the Old Testament it is clear that having sex outside of marriage was not acceptable, 2.) having sex with an unmarried person, or 3.) leaving the gospel covenant for another god. In other words, you could both take the passages on fornication to be either figurative, i.e. leaving the covenant of the gospel for another god, or literial, meaning an illegal sexual act. Relationships in both the New and Old Testaments are about a covenant relationship. Acts are legal within the context of a covenant relationship. Acts are illegal when they violate a covenant or they are without the bounds of a covenant. However, in case these arguments don't hold water, looking at the tradition indicates that at times that the children of Israel were living the law, and those under the Gospel Covenant (aka New Testament times) premaritial, and extra-marital sex were condemened.
However, all of this discussion is moot, unless you have a common agreement on which translation to choose, or for that matter, which Biblical Scholars you are going to accept. When it boils down to it, the issues presented by the parent are semantic, and whether you subsribe to liberal or conservative interpetations of the Bible. Obviously, the parent is of a liberal interpetation, whereas I am of a conservative interpetation.
One thing, however, is if you suscribe to the world view of the parent, then looking at sexual acts if you are married, if the parties enagaging in those acts are married, or having sex with an animal, then it clearly falls within the scope of biblical prohibitions. Further, looking into the looking clause of Matt 5:28, it is clear that looking with lust is clearly adultery. So anyway you look at it, at least within the bounds of this discussion, Biblicaly speaking, pornography is against the Word.
The only thing that I had problems with when reading this article, is the forthcoming system requirements for Vista. If it was designed from 'scratch' and made to be clean code, then why is the system such a resource hog? With a full featured Linux distro, the system requirements are not that heavy. So while they may be trying to compete with the development processes of Linux, Mac and Google, the fact remains that there is an efficency cost that they have not worked out yet. OS X Tiger asks for a minium of 256mb of RAM. Many of the FOSS operating systems have a memory requirement sitting between 64 and 128mb of RAM, and that is running X Windows. Granted, they may not be the fastest, but at least they run. While Microsoft may be clammering for a smooth experience by hyping up the hardware specs, thus eliminating some nut from running Vista on a Pentium 100, Vista is going to push people to accelerate their upgrade cycle. Us computer nuts have a more frequent upgrade cycle then most people. Mine is every two years. However, I have many friends, and family, that expect to get at least three to five years out of a computer. So I guess the point of this, it is a nice first step for Microsoft to change development, but let's see some efficency in the code. At least with the FOSS OSes you get the ability to scale the OS to your needs. If you have an old laptop that you want to run Linux or a BSD on, you can do it. And you can run, for the most part, the latest and greatest. While with Vista, the scalability is completely shot, since you can not install it on older equipment. Heck, my laptop is pretty speced out, but it doesn't hold a candle to the minium requirements of Vista, and I think a lot of people are going to turn because of economics. I am sure that there are many people who would otherwise upgrade, but won't because they don't want to buy a whole new computer, and for that matter, a monitor.
Better yet, if they are using WiFi, I could just see the advent of WarFlying -- hacking the wireless signal on the plane. That would be a great idea. Instead of using the WiFi band, why not use one that is only approved for use on a plane, that way some nut with a laptop can't screw around with the signal. I just see someone hacking the signal, signalling a hijack, and then screwing up people's travel plans.
Better yet, I wonder how merely shifting your hands to the left or to the right by one character, then you could effectively defeat this method. The same typing pattern would be used as on other parts of the keyboard. The only way to defeat this method would to intitively guess that the person was shifting their hands.
Maybe...or it may just turn out that M$ is releasing another ME. I just bought a laptop, and frankly, the idea of having to buy another laptop with specs like that, is not very appealling. M$ hasn't released a new operating system in years, and now they are releasing one that is going to break everyone. 1gig of Ram? SATA2 hard drives? I have to say, I won't be upgrading. I don't see the benefit. All the reasons why I would, including WinFS have been taken out. I more likely to switch to WinXP64 first. But more than that I will probably end up switching to a Linux distro. The idea of forking out that much money just to be able to run an operating system is assinine.
More interesting is what type of platform is it? Is it 64bit? x86? Alot of good these numbers mean if you don't have any information about what type of chip it is. Is it a new type? More info please.
Yeah, but only if they provide home addresses for these people...
I am at work, you insensative clod...