It's not like they're going to go after us with a 'Linux tax.' Kingsley-Hughes imagines that, for the most part, Microsoft is just going to sit on this info and use it to form more and more profitable deals.
The above are foolish remarks. Go read about the first DOJ case, then go read about the second. Microsoft will go after any profit it can get, legal or not, moral or not. This fantasy that Microsoft is somehow above requiring royalty payments from Linux distribution vendors in exchange for not getting sued out of existence -- remember, MS can and would out-spend and therefore out-last ANY challenge, valid or not -- is simply asinine and in obvious ignorance or denial of historical fact.
Microsoft's patent permission deal with Novell is the death knell for all other commerical Linux use in the United States (and anywhere else software patents hold sway), Red Hat included. All MS has to do is push one or two patent violation cases (easy, given the number of bogus software patents covering basic aspects of programming) throught the courts and destroy one or two non-Novell Linux using businesses, and the rest won't touch Novell's competition for fear of sharing their fate. You heard it here first.
narramissic writes "A U.S. House of Representatives Committee has approved the Electronic Modernization Surveillance Act, a controversial bill that would broaden the U.S. government's ability to conduct electronic surveillance on U.S. residents by making it easier for federal law enforcement officials to get court-issued warrants. The full House is expected to vote on the bill by the end of the month." From the article: "Republicans praised the bill, saying it will help the U.S. government fight terrorism. The bill will provide the U.S. intelligence agencies 'greater agility and flexibility as they try to thwart our determined and dangerous terrorist enemies,' Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner, a Wisconsin Republican, said in a statement. The full House is expected to vote on the bill by the end of the month. The committee's action comes after U.S. President George Bush called on Congress to approve a controversial electronic surveillance program conducted by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA)."
That the 2004 election was stolen was blatently obvious to anyone who cared to pay attention to the facts, which are nicely listed at the start of the story. As was the election of 2000. But the majority of the public prefers accepting comforting lies to protest so it's probably going to be stolen in 2008 too. President Select JEB (that's John Ellis Bush, not a name, by the way) most likely. The Bush dynasty will continue. At least until it's either bankrupted us or gotten us nuked by Russian, China, and/or North Korea, or both.:-| Pity so many people are such cowardly fools.
Assuming they're not going to EOL the millions of existing RFID-free DVDs, it should be a simple matter to destroy the RFID chip at which point it will be just another DVD. Perhaps a very short (1-2 second) cooking in a microwave would destroy the chip without destroying the media? Something will be found to disable the chip, of that I am sure.
Troll, eh? Obviously you haven't been following all the stories on slashdot about deliberate backdoors for tampering with election results, etc., that have already been found in the Diebold machines. Or are you claiming that Ken Blackwell didn't misdistribute voting machines, intentionally shorting democratic districts and leading to untold thousands of democrats being unable to vote because they couldn't afford the multiple-hour wait to access a voting machine while excess machines in republican districts sat idle all day? Look it up. I stand by my answer as being at least as accurate and relevent as any other in this chain. Jerk.
Yes. I should have been clearer. I was trying to say that while the new electronic voting machines by Diebold and others are being pushed because they make election fraud easier, the right can and probably will use other means such as misdistribution of existing non-electronic voting machines such as in Ohio in 2004.
WHY IS ANYONE IN THEIR RIGHT MINDS USING A BLOODY COMPUTER TO DO THIS?
An appropriate choice of words. The right is using computers to count votes because it makes election fraud easier (all voting machine vendors are owned by right wingers). Though I expect they'll just deliberately misdistribute the voting machines in key states like they did in Ohio in 2004.
What they should do is refuse to assist in improving computer automated wiretapping and data traffic snooping, [and] massive government data mining operations. That the methods "Homeland Security" uses to violate our rights) are currently ponderous, expensive technologies designed by government-funded teams is a good thing for the safety of our democracy.
The borg: "You will assist us." Hue: "I will not assist you."
I thank Mr. Wales for defending the principles on which the Internet was founded and freedom depends, and I have donated to the Wikipedia Foundation in appreciation and support.
I don't like those who sell pirated versions of software. They deserve to be heavily fined and driven out of business. However, in a world in which the man who started a war in the middle east based on pretenses continues to roam free and unpunished, I think condeming them to seven years of being imprisoned, subject to the whims of power tripping bureaucratic thugs and regular anal raping is a bit disproportionate. I'm sure this will be mod'd off-topic, but it really isn't.
As this is the second time I've read the false claim that Professor Nakamura invented green leds -- green leds having existed since the 70s -- I looked into it and discovered it's another case of sloppy (read inaccurate) reporting. He invented the GaN-based green led, not green leds in general. Technical reporters need to stop omitting words because they're too ignorant to know they're important. I can only guess how many people are now misinformed as a result of said sloppy reporting. Grumble.
b. Purchased Digital Content. Upon your payment of the license fee, Amazon grants you a non-exclusive, non-transferable, limited right and license to retain a permanent copy of Purchased Digital Content and to view, use, and privately display the Purchased Digital Content in your Residence or for Permitted Non-Residential Use as specified on the detail pages of the Purchased Digital Content or other help or informational pages of the Service at the time of your payment. You may exercise these rights on up to 2 (two) non-portable Authorized Devices (e.g. laptop or desktop computers) and two (2) portable Authorized Devices as specifically designated by Amazon from time to time. There can only be 1 (one) account for the Service on an Authorized Device. You may make a back-up copy of Purchased Digital Content on removable media (e.g. recordable DVD) or on an external hard drive in the same format as the original downloaded file to play on your permitted Authorized Devices. Any back-up copy of the Purchased Digital Content on a DVD will not be playable on a traditional DVD player, but only on a permitted Authorized Device.
. ..
In order to download and view Digital Content using the Service, you will need to install the Unbox Video Player (the "Software") on an Authorized Device and agree to the Microsoft Software Supplemental License Terms set forth as an Addendum below these Terms of Use (the "Software License"). The Software may operate on your Authorized Device continuously for a variety of reasons, including the management of your Digital Content. The Software also will access the Internet in order to perform a number of functions including as described below:
a. Software Upgrades. The Software automatically checks for upgrades, but the Software will not automatically upgrade without your consent, except as provided herein. If you do not consent to an upgrade that we make subject to your consent, the Digital Content may no longer be viewed on your Authorized Device. You must keep the Software on your Authorized Device current in order to continue to use the Service. We may automatically upgrade the Software when we believe such upgrade is appropriate to comply with law, enforce this Agreement, or protect the rights, safety or property of Amazon, our content providers, users, or others.
b. Information Provided. Amazon respects your privacy, and the Software will not access computer files or other information on your computer that are not used by or otherwise related to the Service. Among other things, the Software will provide Amazon with information related to the Digital Content on your Authorized Device and your use of it and information regarding your Authorized Device and its interaction with the Service. This information will enable Amazon to manage rights associated with the Digital Content, allow Amazon to help you use the Service more effectively and otherwise help Amazon to enhance and improve the Service. For example, the Software may provide Amazon with information about the Digital Content from the Service on your Authorized Device, whether it has been deleted and whether it has been viewed. The Software may also provide Amazon with information about your Authorized Device's operating system, software, amount of available disk space and Internet connectivity, such as whether your computer or other device is available online. This information will, among other things, help us deliver Digital Content to you more efficiently and effectively. The Software may also provide Amazon with information about the transfer of Digital Content to portable devices to help us ensure compliance with our rules concerning portable devices.
The issue remains, though. If you want to fire with your left hand and move with your right, like many lefties do, then you have to turn the unit upside down which destroys the aethestics if not the playability of the game. Even with an invert screen option, the controls would be on the sides of the top window, not the bottom window.
I indeed forgot about the touchscreen issue, which does make it a need. But sadly I don't think that will change Microsoft's level of interest. I am left handed and have gotten used to the problem with the Pocket PC and its stylus, but it would be much worse on a full-side tablet.
As another lefty, I know what you mean. Nintendo's Brain Age, which is centered around entering data via the touchscreen while reading text on the other screen, does exactly what you suggest -- it flips the screen upside down if you tell it you're left handed. Unfortunately, most DS titles do not offer this feature.
Left-handedness is an issue with mice. Some are curved to fit the right hand, or have extra button layouts designed to be operated with the right hand. But I fail to see any connection between left-handedness and the aesthetic issue of which side the scrollbars are on. Your left hand is equally capable of moving the mouse left or right. The desire (vs. need) to have the scrollbars on the left is felt by enough people that the X Window Sytem provides this, but I think it unlikely Microsoft will ever go to the effort of making it an option in Windows.
"Are random searches effective in keeping everyone safe?"
Random searches wouldn't have stopped the 9/11 terrorists. They used box cutters to threaten lives, but if such searches had been in place they would have used dental floss garrotes or their bare hands for the same purpose. Several times people have successfully defeated the searches just to prove it could be done and do not prevent even untrained citizens from bringing contraband on planes.
Random searches are not effective in keeping us safe. What they are effective at is lulling the public into accepting routine violation of their constitutional rights under the guise of protection. Back in the 80s, during the cold war, the paranoid and abusive treatment of travelers by the USSR due to "national security" concerns was properly seen as proof of a fascist government and held up for scorn and ridicule. How sad it is that we have allowed the destruction of a few buildings and loss of 3030 lives to turn us into what we fought against. Something several wars with much higher losses both economic and human failed to do. Many free and democratic nations suffered repeated terrorist violence before 9/11 but did not allow it to warp their societies. In contrast we have sacrificed our rights as citizens and our values as a country in response to a single attack and promote such sacrifices of rights and values by our allies.
The random searches and other intrusive treatment of passengers has not resulted in the conviction of many (any?) terrorists, but it has endoctrinated millions to accepting treatment they would not have tolerated previously. In pursuit of physical safety, we have sacrified liberty. A libertarian might say that the undefined risk of pre-9/11 security was less objectionable than the daily violation of the rights of tens of millions of citizens that takes place under post-9/11 security. It is worth thinking about.
Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.
And in this case we would get what we deserve. This law would make a mockery of due process and destroy many lives -- the number of people willing to commit perjury in order to watch the State and vigilantes ruin their enemy's or enemies' live(s) being large.
Sad how that the same appeals to fear work no matter how many times they are used. "Think of the children" is so commonly misused it was lampooned on the Simpsons, yet here it is again being used to justify subversion of our most important rights. It would not have the intended results. The addition of large numbers of wrongly accused would further discredit the validity of such registries, which are already subject to doubted meaning and credibility due to the extremely wide scope of crimes covered under the term 'sex offender' (did they rape an infant? did they kiss a 17 year old girl when they were 19 and her parents objected? both could be a 'registered sex offender') and the already existing issue of perjured claims in connection with custody and other issues.
That this is being proposed in Ohio, state of Ken Blackwell, is unsurprising.
AOL's recent posting of user search information has sensitized the public to Internet privacy issues for the near term. I think Google would be wise to be proactive and issue a press release promising that the technology will not be enabled without user consent and pointing out the very short sampling time in order to avoid suffering PR backlash from stories about the technology.
A weaknesses in XP is the lack of management tools to control access to multimedia devices by program. Program features like the one Google is proposing make the ability to secure audio and video input devices at the OS level obviously necessary. Until such control is provided, the security minded user can unplug the microphone and the webcam when they are not in use. Not convenient, but secure. As far as I know, such security is currently unlikely to be necessary because few programs try to make such accesses -- but who knows for sure what the WGA daemon can do?:-):-| More seriously, I am certain that the number of programs that try to access these devices will increase over time. Does Vista address this issue?
Slashdot Mirror
It's not like they're going to go after us with a 'Linux tax.' Kingsley-Hughes imagines that, for the most part, Microsoft is just going to sit on this info and use it to form more and more profitable deals.
The above are foolish remarks. Go read about the first DOJ case, then go read about the second. Microsoft will go after any profit it can get, legal or not, moral or not. This fantasy that Microsoft is somehow above requiring royalty payments from Linux distribution vendors in exchange for not getting sued out of existence -- remember, MS can and would out-spend and therefore out-last ANY challenge, valid or not -- is simply asinine and in obvious ignorance or denial of historical fact.
Microsoft's patent permission deal with Novell is the death knell for all other commerical Linux use in the United States (and anywhere else software patents hold sway), Red Hat included. All MS has to do is push one or two patent violation cases (easy, given the number of bogus software patents covering basic aspects of programming) throught the courts and destroy one or two non-Novell Linux using businesses, and the rest won't touch Novell's competition for fear of sharing their fate. You heard it here first.
Some of us said as much at the time. It was rather obvious.
So where are the t-rex clones? Soft tissue == DNA available.
narramissic writes "A U.S. House of Representatives Committee has approved the Electronic Modernization Surveillance Act, a controversial bill that would broaden the U.S. government's ability to conduct electronic surveillance on U.S. residents by making it easier for federal law enforcement officials to get court-issued warrants. The full House is expected to vote on the bill by the end of the month." From the article: "Republicans praised the bill, saying it will help the U.S. government fight terrorism. The bill will provide the U.S. intelligence agencies 'greater agility and flexibility as they try to thwart our determined and dangerous terrorist enemies,' Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner, a Wisconsin Republican, said in a statement. The full House is expected to vote on the bill by the end of the month. The committee's action comes after U.S. President George Bush called on Congress to approve a controversial electronic surveillance program conducted by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA)."
An appeal to fear (also called argumentum ad metam or argumentum in terrorem) is a logical fallacy in which a person attempts to create support for her or his idea by increasing fear and prejudice toward a competitor. The appeal to fear is extremely common in marketing, and politics.
I rest my case.
That the 2004 election was stolen was blatently obvious to anyone who cared to pay attention to the facts, which are nicely listed at the start of the story. As was the election of 2000. But the majority of the public prefers accepting comforting lies to protest so it's probably going to be stolen in 2008 too. President Select JEB (that's John Ellis Bush, not a name, by the way) most likely. The Bush dynasty will continue. At least until it's either bankrupted us or gotten us nuked by Russian, China, and/or North Korea, or both. :-| Pity so many people are such cowardly fools.
Assuming they're not going to EOL the millions of existing RFID-free DVDs, it should be a simple matter to destroy the RFID chip at which point it will be just another DVD. Perhaps a very short (1-2 second) cooking in a microwave would destroy the chip without destroying the media? Something will be found to disable the chip, of that I am sure.
Troll, eh? Obviously you haven't been following all the stories on slashdot about deliberate backdoors for tampering with election results, etc., that have already been found in the Diebold machines. Or are you claiming that Ken Blackwell didn't misdistribute voting machines, intentionally shorting democratic districts and leading to untold thousands of democrats being unable to vote because they couldn't afford the multiple-hour wait to access a voting machine while excess machines in republican districts sat idle all day? Look it up. I stand by my answer as being at least as accurate and relevent as any other in this chain. Jerk.
Yes. I should have been clearer. I was trying to say that while the new electronic voting machines by Diebold and others are being pushed because they make election fraud easier, the right can and probably will use other means such as misdistribution of existing non-electronic voting machines such as in Ohio in 2004.
WHY IS ANYONE IN THEIR RIGHT MINDS USING A BLOODY COMPUTER TO DO THIS?
An appropriate choice of words. The right is using computers to count votes because it makes election fraud easier (all voting machine vendors are owned by right wingers). Though I expect they'll just deliberately misdistribute the voting machines in key states like they did in Ohio in 2004.
What they should do is refuse to assist in improving computer automated wiretapping and data traffic snooping, [and] massive government data mining operations. That the methods "Homeland Security" uses to violate our rights) are currently ponderous, expensive technologies designed by government-funded teams is a good thing for the safety of our democracy.
The borg: "You will assist us."
Hue: "I will not assist you."
I thank Mr. Wales for defending the principles on which the Internet was founded and freedom depends, and I have donated to the Wikipedia Foundation in appreciation and support.
Interestingly, created black holes destroying the world is part of the plot of this book.
I don't like those who sell pirated versions of software. They deserve to be heavily fined and driven out of business. However, in a world in which the man who started a war in the middle east based on pretenses continues to roam free and unpunished, I think condeming them to seven years of being imprisoned, subject to the whims of power tripping bureaucratic thugs and regular anal raping is a bit disproportionate. I'm sure this will be mod'd off-topic, but it really isn't.
As this is the second time I've read the false claim that Professor Nakamura invented green leds -- green leds having existed since the 70s -- I looked into it and discovered it's another case of sloppy (read inaccurate) reporting. He invented the GaN-based green led, not green leds in general. Technical reporters need to stop omitting words because they're too ignorant to know they're important. I can only guess how many people are now misinformed as a result of said sloppy reporting. Grumble.
Unbox is also supported (likely to work properly) only on Windows XP and later versions, and has Terms of Use that include the following:
.
b. Purchased Digital Content. Upon your payment of the license fee, Amazon grants you a non-exclusive, non-transferable, limited right and license to retain a permanent copy of Purchased Digital Content and to view, use, and privately display the Purchased Digital Content in your Residence or for Permitted Non-Residential Use as specified on the detail pages of the Purchased Digital Content or other help or informational pages of the Service at the time of your payment. You may exercise these rights on up to 2 (two) non-portable Authorized Devices (e.g. laptop or desktop computers) and two (2) portable Authorized Devices as specifically designated by Amazon from time to time. There can only be 1 (one) account for the Service on an Authorized Device. You may make a back-up copy of Purchased Digital Content on removable media (e.g. recordable DVD) or on an external hard drive in the same format as the original downloaded file to play on your permitted Authorized Devices. Any back-up copy of the Purchased Digital Content on a DVD will not be playable on a traditional DVD player, but only on a permitted Authorized Device.
. .
In order to download and view Digital Content using the Service, you will need to install the Unbox Video Player (the "Software") on an Authorized Device and agree to the Microsoft Software Supplemental License Terms set forth as an Addendum below these Terms of Use (the "Software License"). The Software may operate on your Authorized Device continuously for a variety of reasons, including the management of your Digital Content. The Software also will access the Internet in order to perform a number of functions including as described below:
a. Software Upgrades. The Software automatically checks for upgrades, but the Software will not automatically upgrade without your consent, except as provided herein. If you do not consent to an upgrade that we make subject to your consent, the Digital Content may no longer be viewed on your Authorized Device. You must keep the Software on your Authorized Device current in order to continue to use the Service. We may automatically upgrade the Software when we believe such upgrade is appropriate to comply with law, enforce this Agreement, or protect the rights, safety or property of Amazon, our content providers, users, or others.
b. Information Provided. Amazon respects your privacy, and the Software will not access computer files or other information on your computer that are not used by or otherwise related to the Service. Among other things, the Software will provide Amazon with information related to the Digital Content on your Authorized Device and your use of it and information regarding your Authorized Device and its interaction with the Service. This information will enable Amazon to manage rights associated with the Digital Content, allow Amazon to help you use the Service more effectively and otherwise help Amazon to enhance and improve the Service. For example, the Software may provide Amazon with information about the Digital Content from the Service on your Authorized Device, whether it has been deleted and whether it has been viewed. The Software may also provide Amazon with information about your Authorized Device's operating system, software, amount of available disk space and Internet connectivity, such as whether your computer or other device is available online. This information will, among other things, help us deliver Digital Content to you more efficiently and effectively. The Software may also provide Amazon with information about the transfer of Digital Content to portable devices to help us ensure compliance with our rules concerning portable devices.
Pretext is to lie as campaign contribution is to bribe.
The issue remains, though. If you want to fire with your left hand and move with your right, like many lefties do, then you have to turn the unit upside down which destroys the aethestics if not the playability of the game. Even with an invert screen option, the controls would be on the sides of the top window, not the bottom window.
I indeed forgot about the touchscreen issue, which does make it a need. But sadly I don't think that will change Microsoft's level of interest. I am left handed and have gotten used to the problem with the Pocket PC and its stylus, but it would be much worse on a full-side tablet.
As another lefty, I know what you mean. Nintendo's Brain Age, which is centered around entering data via the touchscreen while reading text on the other screen, does exactly what you suggest -- it flips the screen upside down if you tell it you're left handed. Unfortunately, most DS titles do not offer this feature.
Left-handedness is an issue with mice. Some are curved to fit the right hand, or have extra button layouts designed to be operated with the right hand. But I fail to see any connection between left-handedness and the aesthetic issue of which side the scrollbars are on. Your left hand is equally capable of moving the mouse left or right. The desire (vs. need) to have the scrollbars on the left is felt by enough people that the X Window Sytem provides this, but I think it unlikely Microsoft will ever go to the effort of making it an option in Windows.
"Are random searches effective in keeping everyone safe?"
Random searches wouldn't have stopped the 9/11 terrorists. They used box cutters to threaten lives, but if such searches had been in place they would have used dental floss garrotes or their bare hands for the same purpose. Several times people have successfully defeated the searches just to prove it could be done and do not prevent even untrained citizens from bringing contraband on planes.
Random searches are not effective in keeping us safe. What they are effective at is lulling the public into accepting routine violation of their constitutional rights under the guise of protection. Back in the 80s, during the cold war, the paranoid and abusive treatment of travelers by the USSR due to "national security" concerns was properly seen as proof of a fascist government and held up for scorn and ridicule. How sad it is that we have allowed the destruction of a few buildings and loss of 3030 lives to turn us into what we fought against. Something several wars with much higher losses both economic and human failed to do. Many free and democratic nations suffered repeated terrorist violence before 9/11 but did not allow it to warp their societies. In contrast we have sacrificed our rights as citizens and our values as a country in response to a single attack and promote such sacrifices of rights and values by our allies.
The random searches and other intrusive treatment of passengers has not resulted in the conviction of many (any?) terrorists, but it has endoctrinated millions to accepting treatment they would not have tolerated previously. In pursuit of physical safety, we have sacrified liberty. A libertarian might say that the undefined risk of pre-9/11 security was less objectionable than the daily violation of the rights of tens of millions of citizens that takes place under post-9/11 security. It is worth thinking about.
To quote Benjiman Franklin:
Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.
And in this case we would get what we deserve. This law would make a mockery of due process and destroy many lives -- the number of people willing to commit perjury in order to watch the State and vigilantes ruin their enemy's or enemies' live(s) being large.
Sad how that the same appeals to fear work no matter how many times they are used. "Think of the children" is so commonly misused it was lampooned on the Simpsons, yet here it is again being used to justify subversion of our most important rights. It would not have the intended results. The addition of large numbers of wrongly accused would further discredit the validity of such registries, which are already subject to doubted meaning and credibility due to the extremely wide scope of crimes covered under the term 'sex offender' (did they rape an infant? did they kiss a 17 year old girl when they were 19 and her parents objected? both could be a 'registered sex offender') and the already existing issue of perjured claims in connection with custody and other issues.
That this is being proposed in Ohio, state of Ken Blackwell, is unsurprising.
AOL's recent posting of user search information has sensitized the public to Internet privacy issues for the near term. I think Google would be wise to be proactive and issue a press release promising that the technology will not be enabled without user consent and pointing out the very short sampling time in order to avoid suffering PR backlash from stories about the technology.
:-) :-| More seriously, I am certain that the number of programs that try to access these devices will increase over time. Does Vista address this issue?
A weaknesses in XP is the lack of management tools to control access to multimedia devices by program. Program features like the one Google is proposing make the ability to secure audio and video input devices at the OS level obviously necessary. Until such control is provided, the security minded user can unplug the microphone and the webcam when they are not in use. Not convenient, but secure. As far as I know, such security is currently unlikely to be necessary because few programs try to make such accesses -- but who knows for sure what the WGA daemon can do?