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User: DigiShaman

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  1. Re: Wasn't this a movie? on Now On Video: GCHQ Destroying Laptop Full of Snowden Disclosures · · Score: 1

    Keep in mind that 'writes' are already dirty on a new and fully functional drive. Serious error correction schemes are fully factored in due to drive density when engineering these units. I forgot what the percentage is, but the amount of bits used in error correction alone is substantial. That all said, a simple zero-write overpass is all that's required nowadays. And just to be sure that an entire nation state can't get to the data, drop it into magma or some crucible of molten metal. Not that it's needed, just peace of mind for the truly paranoid.

  2. Re: Using encryption is the better option on Where Old Hard Disks (with Digital Secrets) Go To Die · · Score: 2
  3. Re:sounds like poor engineering? on World's First Magma-Based Geothermal Energy System · · Score: 1

    I can only imagine. The intense heat, highly corrosive environment will fail many valves that aren't stainless steel. Perhaps this one was? I don't know.

  4. Re:Remember MCSE Bootcamps? on California Regulator Seeks To Shut Down 'Learn To Code' Bootcamps · · Score: 1

    I went to an MSCE "bootcamp" to get mine in Windows 2000 (back in 2001). It was provided by a real university (I will not name to preserve my anonymity). I would say your assessment is correct; in that half of the people there either had no experience at all, or they just wanted something to pad their resume with and learn a few new things on the side. The later was me. An MSCE is really best for those that already have a strong troubleshooting background that's also tasked in the role of system administration of existing Windows networks. At the very least, an MSCE holder with little experience is best taking a job where a new network is being built from the ground up. At least best practices would be adhered too, and generally the network would be small to begin with. As the network becomes more complex as required, the employee can grow with it.

  5. Re: I'm somewhat disturbed... on Federal Agency Data-Mining Hundreds of Millions of Credit Card Accounts · · Score: 1

    Your credit score is based on several factors. But here is the short version:

    1. Don't open up too many lines of credit. It's best to keep it under four credit cards. Ideally, stay with just three if you're still paying off a car loan.

    2. Don't ride your credit accounts to the max and pay off just the minimum. OTOH, don't pay off the card each month. There is zen to this. Keep your revolving credit low, but stay in minimum debt so as to prove being responsible.

    3. Never be late on your payments.

    4. I repeat myself. NEVER be late on payments.

    Do all this, and you can maintain a credit score of the top 1% of Americans even if you only pull 50k a year.

  6. Re: $136? on Would Linus Torvalds Please Collect His Bitcoin Tips? · · Score: 1

    I'm sorry, but there's a disconnect I'm not getting from your comment. Printing money is what causes both national debt and inflation. The two effects are one-in-the-same

  7. Re: $136? on Would Linus Torvalds Please Collect His Bitcoin Tips? · · Score: 0

    Actually, developing nations are headed towards deflation. The US might not be far behind. That would definitely break our back with another recession. No question about it. (deflation worse than inflation when saddled with debt). Also, you couldn't even begin to form a new nation at the same rate you can spawn a new virtual currency online. Not even close.

  8. Re: $136? on Would Linus Torvalds Please Collect His Bitcoin Tips? · · Score: 0

    Bitcoin is its own worst enemy. Eventually, you'll be dealing with sovereign backed currency anyways. Why not save the hassle and deal with it exclusively to begin with? Abstracted virtual currency values are too unstable anyways. That, and anyone can create a new standard which effectively creates wide-band inflation for all of them combined.

  9. Re: Why wait? on How the Web Makes a Real-Life Breaking Bad Possible · · Score: 1

    You can't will the laws of physics to go away anymore than you can will the neurological effects of chemistry to provide complete sanity. If you think doing bath-salts in public is ok, then so is the expectation of law enforcement putting a round through your zombified sorry ass. Normal folk should have to suffer because of your bad decisions.

  10. Re:I think Cubans have bigger worries... on US Forces Coursera To Ban Students From Cuba, Iran, Sudan, and Syria · · Score: 1

    Castro will soon pass away. That, and there's already a generation change. Things will get better for Cuba, but it will take some time for the grip of fear to be released. Similar to how the Iraqis felt the psychological weight drop once Saddam was dead.

  11. Re:It'll work if you want to suceed on The "Triple Package" Explains Why Some Cultural Groups Are More Successful · · Score: 1

    You bring up a valid point. An IQ test gauges two primary aspects of the mind; existing knowledge, and problem solving. Of course, some of that problem solving is predicated on knowing existing knowledge. However, perhaps blacks in sub-saharan don't need and IQ of 70 or in fact can't benefit from it. That it not to say they can't have an average IQ of 100 if they applied themselves to a Western developed culture. We know in fact they can through a history of immigration. At the end of the day it's rooted in culture. I have yet to find any evidence that genetics of certain racial haritage plays a part what-so-ever.

  12. Re:Thought Experiment on Nissan Unveils 88 Pound 400-HP Race Car Engine · · Score: 1

    A turbo work by recapturing as much energy from the exhaust to spin the intake compressor. It's why turbo chargers are more efficient than superchargers when in use and under load. Though both have bypass systems that let an engine run naturally aspirated if/when possible on modern vehicles, but I digress. However, you can create too much back-pressure in the exhaust as to cause a problem. Too much back-pressure and the engine runs extremely inefficient or outright dies. Either way, storing exhaust gasses takes a lot of energy to compress it at the level as to be used again for later use. I don't think energy loss nor volume of tank necessary to me it useful is worth both the time and energy to be of any benefit. It's like taking a step forward, but two steps back.

  13. Re:Samzenpus headline on Nissan Unveils 88 Pound 400-HP Race Car Engine · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Top fuel crankshafts are 'pre-twisted' 20 degrees in advance from end-to-end. It's only when running at full throttle does all that torque twist it back 20 degrees and thus putting things back into alignment with regards to piston position and valve timing. That's why the engines sounds like shit when idling, but run in perfect harmony under load. That kind of engineering blows my mind!

  14. Re: Runtime... on 23-Year-Old Chess Grandmaster Whips Bill Gates In 71 Seconds · · Score: 1

    Even a Core i3 will hold its own for most users. Through due to the AV/ Malware arms-race, it's best to spec out an i5 for future anticipation (eats more CPU cycles over time). But the biggest gain is to install 8GB of RAM and a hybrid disk.

    An i5, 8GB, and hybrid drive is the sweet spot I recommend for my clients. Specifically OptiPlex 7010 or 9020 units that support dual-monitors.

  15. Re: Runtime... on 23-Year-Old Chess Grandmaster Whips Bill Gates In 71 Seconds · · Score: 2

    I'm a Windows server administrator that monitors and performs proactive maintenance on both Dell and HP servers. In all my eight years at my current job, I've only had one out of 60+ throw a BSOD. And that was because of a known bug in a USB 3 card driver.

    If your server is throwing a BSOD, check the hardware first.

  16. Re: microwave on 23-Year-Old Chess Grandmaster Whips Bill Gates In 71 Seconds · · Score: 1

    Since when did those fancy features work anyways? Do most advanced microwaves include feedback logic (heat, resistive, auditory), or is it all timing based on a lookup table of predefined calculation of the selections you choose? Because if it's the later (which I believe they are), they don't work with a damn. The food doesn't defrost well, the chicken still turns to rubber, and the popcorn button either under pops the bag or burns the hell out of it. No, a cheap unit with a timer knob does the job for the most basic of needs for me. No false expectations to get angry over.

  17. Re:So how is this a win on Tesla Wins One Over Chinese Trademark Troll · · Score: 1

    Like I said, "knowing extremely powerful people". You do realize that most (if not all) major industries and the companies that run them are state sponsored right? Therefore, they answer directly to the CCP. It's corrupt as hell. Even high ranking officials can get you arrested for any excuse. The law only applies when someone of higher political stature says so. Equality is nonexistent in that country. The whole system is a fucking joke!

  18. Re:So how is this a win on Tesla Wins One Over Chinese Trademark Troll · · Score: 1

    Pretty much. That goes for any country. But in China at least, knowing the right people in the CCP can get you far. But, unless you know some extremely powerful people, that kind of pull only works for small to medium business. Companies that are already heavily international or have deep pockets do tend to catch the eye of the diplomates. At that level, international politics can come into play. You don't hear about it in the news, but you can be sure there's a few phone calls that happen behind the scenes. You won't get that kind of support for your own piss-ant LLC, but you will if you're somebody like Google or Apple.

  19. Re:Define supported on Microsoft Reports Record Revenue · · Score: 1

    It's not supported by Microsoft. Does it work? Sure. But you're on your own. I sure hate to be the IT Director that deployed this on thousands of machines, only to later explain to users that it...umm, has some problem. But if you uninstall Classic Shell, it works. Oh, don't like it? Well, no Classic Shell is really how Windows 8 is supposed to be. Yea, raising expectations only to take it away later is a real bad thing in IT. You need to establish base supported functionality that's vendor friendly. Having to get fingers pointed at each other is not my idea of a fun time, and the end-users shouldn't be caught in the middle of it.

  20. Re:Dont do anyone any favors on Court Says Craigslist Sperm Donor Must Pay Child Support · · Score: 2

    I just want to chime in on that comment. While I don't know what the Republican party stands for these days, it used to be conservatism. It's not that conservative want people to suffer, quite the opposite in fact. Conservatives don't want people to depend on the government as it feeds the beast. To feed the beast means putting poor people deeper and deeper into indentured servitude. Rather, conservatives want people to become self-sufficient and confident of their own future of their own aspirations in life. It's because of overbearing government regulations and pork that aims to stifle independence. It's a sound argument to be made. Unfortunately when that person is already bent over taking it up the ass and depending on the government for scraps, logic and reason goes right out the window. Honestly, just look at the political trends over the last 30 years. There's just no way the beast will stop enslaving us all. Short of a revolution. And we all know how ugly and unpredictable that goes.

  21. Re:Dont do anyone any favors on Court Says Craigslist Sperm Donor Must Pay Child Support · · Score: 1

    The solution is obvious. Get a sex change before the legal shit hits the fan. Duh!

    j/k

  22. Re:Nobody wants Windows 8 on Microsoft Reports Record Revenue · · Score: 2

    Not in a corporate environment you sure as hell don't! It's one Windows Update way from being broken (or intentionally disabled).

    I've even see Classic Shell lock up a laptop with a secondary monitor. Unless it's native, you don't modify core OS behavior in a corporate environment that's not officially supported. Even if it was supported, best-practice would be not to do it anyways to ensure broad app and environmental compatibility.

    Hopefully Win9 will combine the GUI of Win7 with the engine of Win8. Hopefully...

  23. Re:Shut Up and Take My Money! on Online Streaming As Profitable As TV, Disc Sales By Charging Just a $15 Flat Fee · · Score: 1

    No doubt! That's like buying a DVD / BD once a month. Most people don't do that. Now add in how expensive a Cable TV / Sat subscription costs, and $15 bucks a month is a drop in the bucket.

    I can only speak for myself, but I find in my -limited- spare time watching TV going towards two genres. Movies, and documentaries. News I can get online, and I prefer to binge watch TV series. So if Netflix can offer all this for $15 a month, and I pay my cable provider $50 a month for decent bandwidth, that equals $65 of primeTV watching experience on my time and schedule.

  24. Re:Waste of money on More Bad News For the F-35 · · Score: 2

    I'm not an expert on drone tech. However, the drones you speak of sound more like your standard surveillance variety. For predator drones and ones that carry heavy munitions, I don't think they can circle the globe. In fact, those might still require an aircraft carrier to launch from. BTW, aircraft carriers if anything is a method of projecting both military and political power. They're not obsolete yet. If those get sunk, I'd wager the ante has been bumped up to using tactical nukes. By then, it be a really bad day for everyone.

  25. Re:"First?" on CES 2014: Stefan Lindsay Demonstrates the gTar (Video) · · Score: 1

    It does include a discounted upgrade path. It's called EBay, Craigslist, etc. Besides, there are countless musical instruments to be found in pawn shops. Selling and trading of musical instruments is part of the scene for most people as I know it.