Every care I have ever driven has a steering real that automatically "locks" if the key turns the engine off. This is presumably a security "feature". I am not sure how many potential car thefts this has prevented.
Anyway, if someone could simply turn the key, and turn the engine off, and maintain steering (abit ArmStrong steering and not power), the problem is solved. So long as the car is moving, no power steering shouldn't matter anyway. As someone grew up using standard steering, it was only a pain in the ass when you were stopped, for parking or something.
Of course this might shut down the breaks as well. Perhaps these guys need to make Redundant/Secondary/Axillary systems not dependent on power.
Either that or attach an Anchor and chain to the frame, and just have a button to "Drop Anchor"...
One day I was commenting on technology, and this sort of thing, and at the same time the inability of me to remember my Social Insurance Number when ever I needed it. I also could not think a a cool significant thing to get a tattoo of that wasn't lame, that I would likely regret in later years.
Anyway musing aloud, I said, maybe I should just get my SIN tattooed on my arm, as it isn't ever going to change, and it would be useful, particularity as an identifying mark in case something ever happened to me.
Well it just happened that one of the friends I was describing this too was Jewish. He actually looked at me like I was the stupidest most inconsiderate person in the world and with utter contempt. He drew the analogy of Germans tattooing numbers on Jews in concentration camps in WW2.
Anyway I can sort of see where he is coming from, but at the same time, that was a long time ago, I am not Jewish, it would be voluntary, I don't really see the big deal. Of course as mentioned neither am I Jewish either.
This is essentially the same thing the only difference being that the "number" is hidden as an RF signal. So I could see some outrage out there from some people.
That said this technology is becoming more and more mature, as this exact method has been used for Fluffy the cat and Spike the dog for several years now.
Just trying to put it in units that would have been appropriate for the last time anyone was on the moon. I am somewhat surprised there wasn't a smoking apparatus of some kind for the inside of spacesuits!
All this means is that the standard for corporations and government are even farther apart.
Sure it protects personal privacy, but this protects corporations from lawsuits, and their bottom line even more.
I was having a conversation with a consultant on Risk/Threat assessment of an IMS project we are working on. The difference in retention is amazing. Because I work in government, we are expected to keep stuff around for YEARS, usually 5 to 7 locally, and then maybe decades in an archive. This is for transparency, and to keep records of exactly of what was done, when, by whom. We get sued, and this material gets dredged up and used against us in court. However in the private sector, the retention is measured in Days, usually 5 to 7, and then Deleted/Destroyed. This is for liability, so people cannot use this information against them in court.
So next time you are thinking of making fun about how much waste is in government, or how much more it costs, or how much longer it takes to develop in government, understand this is but ONE of many differences of extra things we HAVE to do by LAW for ALL of our systems, and the reason behind it is accountability. Government is accountable for their actions and people have a right to know about it. Corporations have to be accountable to their shareholders in that they must produce as much profit in the least time possible. The two are radically different enviroments and so it should be no surprise that the procedures used to do anything are vastly different also.
That said, there is waste in government, just like there is in corporations. Much of ours seems to be based on past actions being penalized. Basically some arm of the government many years ago, will have done something bad. Rather than punish directly those involved, they punish everyone else by subjecting them to policies that will supposedly "prevent this from happening in the future". Thus we end up with standards about how many foundation documents above and beyond reason, and when looking for vendors, you have to go through a long process, etc... And while it might prevent people from wasting money, it generally makes the project twice as long and twice as expensive, which essentially means you are sort of wasting money and time anyway, and limits the kinds of projects you can do, as some are just too expensive now.
Anyway that is my government/corporate rant including retention.... Vent!
I love how "Step #1" is social engineering. Which can be translated to simply, find some stupid sucker that you can convince to do something they shouldn't be doing.
You cannot solve stupid.
No amount of security will prevent intrusion if all you have to do is call up some idiot and get him to turn it off for you.
The only solution to this is A) Training, or B) Don't hire freaking idiots.
Difficulty is that idiots are usually cheap labour, and don't particularly care one way or another. One might argue you can still hire idiots, just don't give them access to anything critical. However it today's world that can mean pretty much any network access, which means why bother hiring them as they won't be able to do anything (or even less than before).
Sadly many times it is the older people closer to retirement, or the very young temporary workers who are most vulnerable. I have personally worked with some people that A) I wonder how they hell they got that job, and B) how the hell they can get ANY job not directly associated with shovels (not including managers). I think a good litmus test is if the jerk at Bestbuy or Futureshop can Con you, then slowly step away from my computer console, as you are a danger to yourself and others. I find it hard to believe someone could be found without raising suspicion in a company like Google, but I guess every corporate structure has its flaws.
It also takes a bit of a suspicious mind, critical thinking, and a dash of paranoia. Both my Dad and my Sister fell for that malware that you get by clicking on the website that makes it look like your desktop, and it has an error. It actually took me a few moments to realize that the "error" they were talking about was really that phishing website. I was at somewhat a loss at what to tell them when they asked me how to prevent this in the future. I couldn't exactly tell them not to be suckers. In the end just telling them to pay attention to what they are doing and to be very suspicious of any new website you do not trust.
(Firmly adjusts tinfoil hat with pride)
With the amount of jerks out there trying to screw with you, as amazing as it sounds, a tinfoil hat is your best defense. (I mean that figuratively, not literally, though it is fashionable...)
I am tired, and of limited brain power right now, but couldn't time be described as a series of linear states, continually changing, but never repeating in a deterministic way?
Then if we go on to say what we know of Quantum Theory is correct, that things may exist in more than one state and any point in its existence, might this not prove (in a limited way) that time at least in the physical manifestation of "states" does not exist, at least at a certain level. Perhaps that is the "problem" with Quantum theory and its multiple alive/dead cat states, is that at the quantum level time ceases to exist, and we as humans are trying to describe that relationship through the lens of perception that is the human experience with time.
Or what I said, makes no sense to someone who knows what they are talking about. Pass me the hydro spanner...
Also we all know that Canadian Sir Sanford Fleming invented time, at least the standard kind.
In other news this REVELATION: It was JUST determined in a study that most video games based on Movies are not very good.
O.M.G.
In a further story:
Our in depth coverage continues over at EA Sports, and it appears, at least initially so that when you increment a sports game by one, either be increasing the year in which it was produced (say from 2009 to 2010), or just tacking another number on it (say 12 to 13), that it doesn't really mean there will be any improvement on the game itself, and may really only contain some of the roster changes from the year before.... If we have any new details we will break them as the become known to us...
This just in:
When you take user anonymity add a 12 year old, and a microphone and an audience, you will get a racial swearing, cursing asshat.
Also...
Fire hot, scissors sharp.
Also...
sometime cheating occurs online...
Also...
if you ever played more than 3 video games in your entire life, you are probably aware of all the above and more.
if you haven't, the likelihood of you being interested in any of these things is inversely proportional to your hat size minus the colour yellow.
This had nothing to do with MagicJack as a product, nor was anyone saying that it was inherently bad, a ripoff, or a scam.
This was simply BOING BOING pointing out, that like MANY corporations, their EULA is ridiculous. Like so many others, it is A) almost impossible to find, and B) absolutely ridiculous in its content. You have to promise your first born son for sacrifice to the telecommunication gods by buying their product, and you don't really find this out, until you have already bought their product. Move along, nothing to see here. The demands corporations TYPICALLY put in EULA's are above and beyond reasonable and are pretty much crazy. IANAL however I would bet MOST of these EULA's would not stand up in court as binding (though they may give weight for intent or something of that nature).
Having said all that, MagicJack could have easily amended their stupid EULA to something a bit nicer, or tried to appease their POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS another way. However in true corporate form they would rather hire a bunch of lawyers and duke it out in court to avoid giving consumers what they want. Re-read that statement. Crazy. Not only that, I bet if you pulled the stats as to how many times a EULA like this would even be USED, particularly for a 50$ product with a 3$ subscription fee, it would be minute to the point of non-existence. As we all know while some people may put up a big stink about this sort of thing (and they should) most if faced with the actual situation either are too lazy or don't care enough about it to make any kind of stand anyway.
In all a stupid move by MagicJack, but one that seems about par for the course for any corporate identity.
I applaud BOING BOING for its work however, as the basic principle is if you don't like it, or agree with it, simply don't buy it. However in this case and many like it, you would never have found out about it until after you bought the product (if then) so it is already too late, they already got your money.
This is why it is important what BOING BOING did (particulary when they didn't really have to, other than feeling slighted for being pushed around by lawyers), and why the SLAPP is a good idea, as it keeps the public informed. It isn't saying that MagicJack must change what it does, or fining them for bad behavior. It is just a decision that says, BOING BOING has a legitimate right to inform people about this information, and that MagicJack doesn't have the right to try and use the courts as its thugs to try and prevent it, thus they can pay for most of BOING BOING's legal fees. Thats all.
Anyway good for BOING BOING, and shame on MagicJack.
It is a two way street. USA might depend on China for cheap crap, however what happens to China if the USA ever stopped buying or being able to afford their cheap crap anymore. What other market could China possibly use? The answer is practically none. Much of China lives in rural poverty, and their growth is unsustainable without US support.
So while one might predict upon current trends that China will become the new economic superpower, one has to realize that this does not happen in a vacuum. So if the US is to decline, and China is to grow, look for a RAPID loss of growth in China's economy once a certain threshold has been hit. If you think that the USA and the rest of the world was hit hard by the finical crisis just wait till China's 30% growth or whatever drops to sub 5% and what happens to their economy as a result, particularly because it is state controlled and the currency is strictly controlled to keep it low so that other countries can afford to buy there cheap crap. Add to that mix that they are likely one of the largest importers of both FOOD and ENERGY, and require capitol to ensure that. Now increase their population by the usual curve between now and then. Add the largest standing army just for paranoia.
Yes and the concern is getting your KIA to do 200mph. Which would you rather be in?
It might be 2 orders of magnitude cheaper, but is it equally safer?
Russian Cosmonaut: "Dey Amerkins 'ave fired a missile at ISS!" Russian Ground Control: "It is just payload, do not worry!" Russian Cosmonaut: "ORLY!"
But seriously good luck to them, at that price it opens up all sorts of options, particularly the participation of private industry in areas that used to only be realistically available to large nations.
Global Warming makes a larger portion of my Country livable! (excluding the bit underwater around the coast)
It also would open up vast natural resources in our North to be shared between Russia, Canada, USA, and Denmark respectively.
The only downside is perhaps a flood of refugees, our current method of getting to the north using "ice roads" might have to be made a bit more permanent, and variable weather conditions effecting farming in the Prairies (though this may be countered by more arable land being made available).
So while on the world as a whole, it is a very bad thing, tell me why this is such a bad thing for me specifically? Before you mention unrest in certain parts of the world, I would say that there currently is that already, has been for decades, and I don't see any change in the foreseeable future.
I am saying all of this half in jest mind you, but there is a small kernel of truth there.
Slashdot Mirror
There is a REAL easy solution here.
Every care I have ever driven has a steering real that automatically "locks" if the key turns the engine off. This is presumably a security "feature". I am not sure how many potential car thefts this has prevented.
Anyway, if someone could simply turn the key, and turn the engine off, and maintain steering (abit ArmStrong steering and not power), the problem is solved. So long as the car is moving, no power steering shouldn't matter anyway. As someone grew up using standard steering, it was only a pain in the ass when you were stopped, for parking or something.
Of course this might shut down the breaks as well. Perhaps these guys need to make Redundant/Secondary/Axillary systems not dependent on power.
Either that or attach an Anchor and chain to the frame, and just have a button to "Drop Anchor"...
Depending how bit it is, if it is covered in "woodchips" you likely are not using it other than to look at it.
If it isn't huge, get rid of it. Replace it with a large Deck or just pave over it and make it a parking lot...
If it isn't a "yard" anymore, it isn't subject to 40% plant coverage.
Personally I am in horror of the amount of water being used for such a trivial purpose. What a waste of resources.
I know it is highly offensive to some people.
One day I was commenting on technology, and this sort of thing, and at the same time the inability of me to remember my Social Insurance Number when ever I needed it. I also could not think a a cool significant thing to get a tattoo of that wasn't lame, that I would likely regret in later years.
Anyway musing aloud, I said, maybe I should just get my SIN tattooed on my arm, as it isn't ever going to change, and it would be useful, particularity as an identifying mark in case something ever happened to me.
Well it just happened that one of the friends I was describing this too was Jewish. He actually looked at me like I was the stupidest most inconsiderate person in the world and with utter contempt. He drew the analogy of Germans tattooing numbers on Jews in concentration camps in WW2.
Anyway I can sort of see where he is coming from, but at the same time, that was a long time ago, I am not Jewish, it would be voluntary, I don't really see the big deal. Of course as mentioned neither am I Jewish either.
This is essentially the same thing the only difference being that the "number" is hidden as an RF signal. So I could see some outrage out there from some people.
That said this technology is becoming more and more mature, as this exact method has been used for Fluffy the cat and Spike the dog for several years now.
My hangovers last like a day. Being unhungover 20min early is not gonna help.
thx k bye.
That's a lot of Harvey Wallbangers!
Just trying to put it in units that would have been appropriate for the last time anyone was on the moon. I am somewhat surprised there wasn't a smoking apparatus of some kind for the inside of spacesuits!
All this means is that the standard for corporations and government are even farther apart.
Sure it protects personal privacy, but this protects corporations from lawsuits, and their bottom line even more.
I was having a conversation with a consultant on Risk/Threat assessment of an IMS project we are working on. The difference in retention is amazing. Because I work in government, we are expected to keep stuff around for YEARS, usually 5 to 7 locally, and then maybe decades in an archive. This is for transparency, and to keep records of exactly of what was done, when, by whom. We get sued, and this material gets dredged up and used against us in court. However in the private sector, the retention is measured in Days, usually 5 to 7, and then Deleted/Destroyed. This is for liability, so people cannot use this information against them in court.
So next time you are thinking of making fun about how much waste is in government, or how much more it costs, or how much longer it takes to develop in government, understand this is but ONE of many differences of extra things we HAVE to do by LAW for ALL of our systems, and the reason behind it is accountability. Government is accountable for their actions and people have a right to know about it. Corporations have to be accountable to their shareholders in that they must produce as much profit in the least time possible. The two are radically different enviroments and so it should be no surprise that the procedures used to do anything are vastly different also.
That said, there is waste in government, just like there is in corporations. Much of ours seems to be based on past actions being penalized. Basically some arm of the government many years ago, will have done something bad. Rather than punish directly those involved, they punish everyone else by subjecting them to policies that will supposedly "prevent this from happening in the future". Thus we end up with standards about how many foundation documents above and beyond reason, and when looking for vendors, you have to go through a long process, etc... And while it might prevent people from wasting money, it generally makes the project twice as long and twice as expensive, which essentially means you are sort of wasting money and time anyway, and limits the kinds of projects you can do, as some are just too expensive now.
Anyway that is my government/corporate rant including retention.... Vent!
So what your saying, is that perhaps we should put our hands up in the air, conceivably waving them around, like we just don't care?
I love how "Step #1" is social engineering. Which can be translated to simply, find some stupid sucker that you can convince to do something they shouldn't be doing.
You cannot solve stupid.
No amount of security will prevent intrusion if all you have to do is call up some idiot and get him to turn it off for you.
The only solution to this is A) Training, or B) Don't hire freaking idiots.
Difficulty is that idiots are usually cheap labour, and don't particularly care one way or another. One might argue you can still hire idiots, just don't give them access to anything critical. However it today's world that can mean pretty much any network access, which means why bother hiring them as they won't be able to do anything (or even less than before).
Sadly many times it is the older people closer to retirement, or the very young temporary workers who are most vulnerable. I have personally worked with some people that A) I wonder how they hell they got that job, and B) how the hell they can get ANY job not directly associated with shovels (not including managers). I think a good litmus test is if the jerk at Bestbuy or Futureshop can Con you, then slowly step away from my computer console, as you are a danger to yourself and others. I find it hard to believe someone could be found without raising suspicion in a company like Google, but I guess every corporate structure has its flaws.
It also takes a bit of a suspicious mind, critical thinking, and a dash of paranoia. Both my Dad and my Sister fell for that malware that you get by clicking on the website that makes it look like your desktop, and it has an error. It actually took me a few moments to realize that the "error" they were talking about was really that phishing website. I was at somewhat a loss at what to tell them when they asked me how to prevent this in the future. I couldn't exactly tell them not to be suckers. In the end just telling them to pay attention to what they are doing and to be very suspicious of any new website you do not trust.
(Firmly adjusts tinfoil hat with pride)
With the amount of jerks out there trying to screw with you, as amazing as it sounds, a tinfoil hat is your best defense. (I mean that figuratively, not literally, though it is fashionable...)
Actually its the exact opposite of what this study says.
Game actually protect people.
You see a leprechaun in my head tells me to "burn the world" and to generally go on a murderous rampage.
Video games keep me occupied where otherwise I would be off stalking the countryside or up to nefarious deeds.
Tuesdays are not a good day, at least for anyone that lives withing stabbing distance...
I am tired, and of limited brain power right now, but couldn't time be described as a series of linear states, continually changing, but never repeating in a deterministic way?
Then if we go on to say what we know of Quantum Theory is correct, that things may exist in more than one state and any point in its existence, might this not prove (in a limited way) that time at least in the physical manifestation of "states" does not exist, at least at a certain level. Perhaps that is the "problem" with Quantum theory and its multiple alive/dead cat states, is that at the quantum level time ceases to exist, and we as humans are trying to describe that relationship through the lens of perception that is the human experience with time.
Or what I said, makes no sense to someone who knows what they are talking about. Pass me the hydro spanner...
Also we all know that Canadian Sir Sanford Fleming invented time, at least the standard kind.
Video game ports are BAD?
No! Get out! Really?
News at 11! Exactly how is this news...
In other news this REVELATION: It was JUST determined in a study that most video games based on Movies are not very good.
O.M.G.
In a further story:
Our in depth coverage continues over at EA Sports, and it appears, at least initially so that when you increment a sports game by one, either be increasing the year in which it was produced (say from 2009 to 2010), or just tacking another number on it (say 12 to 13), that it doesn't really mean there will be any improvement on the game itself, and may really only contain some of the roster changes from the year before.... If we have any new details we will break them as the become known to us...
This just in:
When you take user anonymity add a 12 year old, and a microphone and an audience, you will get a racial swearing, cursing asshat.
Also...
Fire hot, scissors sharp.
Also...
sometime cheating occurs online...
Also...
if you ever played more than 3 video games in your entire life, you are probably aware of all the above and more.
if you haven't, the likelihood of you being interested in any of these things is inversely proportional to your hat size minus the colour yellow.
Just be careful when you change the programming as there is a slight chance you may get kicked out of Star Fleet...
"This isn't the netbooks you are looking for. Move along."
Could look a a planet that is venting water into space around "warm" spots of -100 as "hospitable" to life.
Sure its no vacuum in space, but it sure is hell ain't the forest moon of Endor either.
Let me know when you find care bears and I'll get interested.
Honestly I don't think Blackbeard cared all that much about copyright law...
It was all about the rapin' and the pillagin' for him...
Of course that is exactly like making a copy of Tik Tok off the internet for your personal use.
I am not sayin' that Blackbeard wouldn't be rockin' out to Tik Tok, I am just sayin' that isn't what he was all about.
Ya? Just wait til we put the Space Shuttle on blocks on our front lawn...
Then the Universe will know just what kind of neighborhood we have over here.
Latvia has banks? :) sry.
This had nothing to do with MagicJack as a product, nor was anyone saying that it was inherently bad, a ripoff, or a scam.
This was simply BOING BOING pointing out, that like MANY corporations, their EULA is ridiculous. Like so many others, it is A) almost impossible to find, and B) absolutely ridiculous in its content. You have to promise your first born son for sacrifice to the telecommunication gods by buying their product, and you don't really find this out, until you have already bought their product. Move along, nothing to see here. The demands corporations TYPICALLY put in EULA's are above and beyond reasonable and are pretty much crazy. IANAL however I would bet MOST of these EULA's would not stand up in court as binding (though they may give weight for intent or something of that nature).
Having said all that, MagicJack could have easily amended their stupid EULA to something a bit nicer, or tried to appease their POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS another way. However in true corporate form they would rather hire a bunch of lawyers and duke it out in court to avoid giving consumers what they want. Re-read that statement. Crazy. Not only that, I bet if you pulled the stats as to how many times a EULA like this would even be USED, particularly for a 50$ product with a 3$ subscription fee, it would be minute to the point of non-existence. As we all know while some people may put up a big stink about this sort of thing (and they should) most if faced with the actual situation either are too lazy or don't care enough about it to make any kind of stand anyway.
In all a stupid move by MagicJack, but one that seems about par for the course for any corporate identity.
I applaud BOING BOING for its work however, as the basic principle is if you don't like it, or agree with it, simply don't buy it. However in this case and many like it, you would never have found out about it until after you bought the product (if then) so it is already too late, they already got your money.
This is why it is important what BOING BOING did (particulary when they didn't really have to, other than feeling slighted for being pushed around by lawyers), and why the SLAPP is a good idea, as it keeps the public informed. It isn't saying that MagicJack must change what it does, or fining them for bad behavior. It is just a decision that says, BOING BOING has a legitimate right to inform people about this information, and that MagicJack doesn't have the right to try and use the courts as its thugs to try and prevent it, thus they can pay for most of BOING BOING's legal fees. Thats all.
Anyway good for BOING BOING, and shame on MagicJack.
"If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine."
Maybe the active ingredient is Midichlorians...
As someone who downloaded "Free Boobs" you can find more scantily clad women in a sears catalog...
app delete.
Besides, that is what your browser is for you lazy app using sods!
Quote:
"And they laughed at me and called me evil for my proprietary practices!"
"Muhahaha!"
It is a two way street. USA might depend on China for cheap crap, however what happens to China if the USA ever stopped buying or being able to afford their cheap crap anymore. What other market could China possibly use? The answer is practically none. Much of China lives in rural poverty, and their growth is unsustainable without US support.
So while one might predict upon current trends that China will become the new economic superpower, one has to realize that this does not happen in a vacuum. So if the US is to decline, and China is to grow, look for a RAPID loss of growth in China's economy once a certain threshold has been hit. If you think that the USA and the rest of the world was hit hard by the finical crisis just wait till China's 30% growth or whatever drops to sub 5% and what happens to their economy as a result, particularly because it is state controlled and the currency is strictly controlled to keep it low so that other countries can afford to buy there cheap crap. Add to that mix that they are likely one of the largest importers of both FOOD and ENERGY, and require capitol to ensure that. Now increase their population by the usual curve between now and then. Add the largest standing army just for paranoia.
Interesting times.
Yes and the concern is getting your KIA to do 200mph. Which would you rather be in?
It might be 2 orders of magnitude cheaper, but is it equally safer?
Russian Cosmonaut: "Dey Amerkins 'ave fired a missile at ISS!"
Russian Ground Control: "It is just payload, do not worry!"
Russian Cosmonaut: "ORLY!"
But seriously good luck to them, at that price it opens up all sorts of options, particularly the participation of private industry in areas that used to only be realistically available to large nations.
Global Warming makes a larger portion of my Country livable! (excluding the bit underwater around the coast)
It also would open up vast natural resources in our North to be shared between Russia, Canada, USA, and Denmark respectively.
The only downside is perhaps a flood of refugees, our current method of getting to the north using "ice roads" might have to be made a bit more permanent, and variable weather conditions effecting farming in the Prairies (though this may be countered by more arable land being made available).
So while on the world as a whole, it is a very bad thing, tell me why this is such a bad thing for me specifically? Before you mention unrest in certain parts of the world, I would say that there currently is that already, has been for decades, and I don't see any change in the foreseeable future.
I am saying all of this half in jest mind you, but there is a small kernel of truth there.
So what your saying is...
Definition of Theory of Relativity:
Everything is relative to Chuck Norris.