It's not iTunes compatible! What Sony and other companies just don't get is that the software behind the iPod hardware is what drives the sales. iTunes is an excellent player. The only problem is, if you use it you can't sync with any hardware except Apple iPod hardware. For millions of people this isn't an issue, and it's a small but very important point that Sony and others forget.
The full story for this was written several days ago by Mark Rasch on SecurityFocus, and it goes into much more detail than the CNet article. Mark Rasch is a former head of the Justice Department's computer crime unit.
Disappointing to see Slashdot is mostly just mainstream big media news now.
Yes I would agree that it makes for a great, tiny network storage device. Accessing the WiFi on the drive in promiscuous mode (the good 'ole Prism chipsets) anyone could get access.
I am surprised that they only added USB 2.0, however. Previous versions had just 10/100 Ethernet, and adding Firewire would have been very useful instead of having to buy one of those cool Firewire/USB drive enclosures (some are sleek 2.5" aluminum, and powered the Firewire/USB bus).
Either way, I'm checking tomorrow to see if I can buy one of these locally.:P)
Can you please remove the above post, which is a cut & paste of the article on our site. Sorry, but that's a copyright infringement and contrary to the nature of Slashdot. We always LOVE it when our articles get slashdotted, but not posts like this.
Instead, just follow the link to the article like usual.
Thanks,
Kelly Martin
Content Editor, SecurityFocus
kel@securityfocus.com
This sounds like the ideal device for handheld wardriving or 'war-walking'. With some open source software from handhelds.org for the PocketPC, thanks to Jim Gettys and his team, the Kismet wireless and a host of open source tools, you've got the basics. The integrated GPS and the laser distance meter then give you almost everything you'd need to start finding wireless networks, map then, and publish the results on the Internet. Wait! See someone suspicious coming towards you? Just put the device into your pocket and walk away, or enjoy the sight of birds on the rooftops or the shape of the fluffy clouds.
Aside from the included hardware, just add a WiFI card with the Prism II chipset and the homemade antenna of your choice, and you're off to the races. This is the first all-in-one handheld wardriving unit I've heard of.
Agreed, I've had my attention snagged by some relevant Google ads as well, which resulted in me discovering a product that I didn't know was available. One that I discovered in recent memory was, of course, a commercial software offering, and as someone who purchases software for my own business I appreciate the discovery.
On a major site for which I am an editor, we have about 18 million visitors a year. I've found so far that the Google ads are highly relevant to the article content that we offer... I only wish we could capture more than $0.25 revenue per click.:-) (Actually, we're quite happy with the revenue received thus far, and as I don't personally see any of it myself I'm rather ambivalent. I just think it's a useful sort of ad network.)
I agree, Google Adwords are an excellent resource for any business whose goal is to sell something. In addition to that however, the Adwords are also useful to Webmasters particularly because they are always context-sensitive when they appear on a web page.
In other words, if your webpage text contains a discussion about "intrusion detection systems" it is highly likely that your Google ad banner will have up to four different companies that sell such devices or software. The advantage is that the Webmaster can offer valid commercial links to his free discussion and often make 25-cents per click; the advantage to the retailer is that they have higher exposure and a greater chance of selling their product. The disadvantage to all of us, unfortunately, is that we're still stuck with banner ads long into the forseeable future.
Note that this NY Times article came about as a result of the reporter reading Scott Granneman's most recent column, discussed on Slashdot, which first appeared on SecurityFocus. The FBI article, in turn, was a result of an FBI agent who contacted Scott in response to yet another SecurityFocus article, Joe Average User is in Trouble.
Interestingly, this entire discussion stems from the limitations of semi-literate (read: average computer users) that many of us forget about when we discuss the latest trends and technologies. My concern is that the gap between the computer literate and the semi-literate could possibly be greater now than it was in the mid 1980s, when computers were quirky and used mostly by hobbyists and very specific business-related activities, and few people owned them for home use in the public at large.
The frustration seems to stem from not just the myriad of viruses, but also the necessity of weekly anti-virus updates, spyware, and the absolutely requirement for some type of firwall on Windows-based computers. I dare say that the level of technical knowledge to maintain a computer today is higher than it was twenty years ago. People seem to gloss over ideas like this but having been involved with computers for more than twenty years, I think it's important to reflect on this once and a while.
Regards,
Goalive - who was given 'bad karma' on Slashdot because not everyone shares his sense of humor:-/
What happened to the flash memory on Spirit? I am curious if it needed to be completely purged/formatted or if NASA was able to salvage some of the files. Also, I am wondering if the flash memory on board both Spirit and Opportunity are radiation-hardened, similar to the processor and other components on board.
When disaster happened and Spirit started spontaneous rebooting, it became obvious that NASA engineers had thought this out well in advance and had a contingency plan that allowed for the upload of new software. Very cool. This is exactly the kind of robust programming and forward thinking that should be extended to our areas of modern computing. Reliability when you're a million miles from home is key!
Yes, and SecurityFocus published this story more than a week ago (on January 21, as the article indicates). The two organizations have a content sharing deal that indicates the source of the article (sf).
Hey, I thought just *one* Mac was supposed to be a 'super computer', as opposed to the 1,100 Virginia Tech Macs required to meld the concept into a 'supercomputer'.
Best of all, most Slashdotters who aren't Indian could show up in Bombay and easily get paid to be an extra in a movie. Or several movies. If they like your look they might offer you a monthly contract. Tell them you use Kazaa and support their industry and they'll be foaming at the mouth. The movie culture in India is very different than Hollywood!
Actually take a look at PivX, they have released the free utility "QuikFix" that patches all the unpatched IE vulnerabilities to date, including some which have been out for more than six months. For some reason MS doesn't see these as critical, yet the exploits exist and are being used all the time.
Slashdot Mirror
It's not iTunes compatible! What Sony and other companies just don't get is that the software behind the iPod hardware is what drives the sales. iTunes is an excellent player. The only problem is, if you use it you can't sync with any hardware except Apple iPod hardware. For millions of people this isn't an issue, and it's a small but very important point that Sony and others forget.
Well, I guess this will help decide once and for all if open-source software really is more secure than closed source. :-)
Disappointing to see Slashdot is mostly just mainstream big media news now.
Yes I would agree that it makes for a great, tiny network storage device. Accessing the WiFi on the drive in promiscuous mode (the good 'ole Prism chipsets) anyone could get access. I am surprised that they only added USB 2.0, however. Previous versions had just 10/100 Ethernet, and adding Firewire would have been very useful instead of having to buy one of those cool Firewire/USB drive enclosures (some are sleek 2.5" aluminum, and powered the Firewire/USB bus). Either way, I'm checking tomorrow to see if I can buy one of these locally. :P)
Can you please remove the above post, which is a cut & paste of the article on our site. Sorry, but that's a copyright infringement and contrary to the nature of Slashdot. We always LOVE it when our articles get slashdotted, but not posts like this. Instead, just follow the link to the article like usual. Thanks, Kelly Martin Content Editor, SecurityFocus kel@securityfocus.com
Aside from the included hardware, just add a WiFI card with the Prism II chipset and the homemade antenna of your choice, and you're off to the races. This is the first all-in-one handheld wardriving unit I've heard of.
Agreed, I've had my attention snagged by some relevant Google ads as well, which resulted in me discovering a product that I didn't know was available. One that I discovered in recent memory was, of course, a commercial software offering, and as someone who purchases software for my own business I appreciate the discovery. On a major site for which I am an editor, we have about 18 million visitors a year. I've found so far that the Google ads are highly relevant to the article content that we offer... I only wish we could capture more than $0.25 revenue per click. :-) (Actually, we're quite happy with the revenue received thus far, and as I don't personally see any of it myself I'm rather ambivalent. I just think it's a useful sort of ad network.)
In other words, if your webpage text contains a discussion about "intrusion detection systems" it is highly likely that your Google ad banner will have up to four different companies that sell such devices or software. The advantage is that the Webmaster can offer valid commercial links to his free discussion and often make 25-cents per click; the advantage to the retailer is that they have higher exposure and a greater chance of selling their product. The disadvantage to all of us, unfortunately, is that we're still stuck with banner ads long into the forseeable future.
Regards,
Interestingly, this entire discussion stems from the limitations of semi-literate (read: average computer users) that many of us forget about when we discuss the latest trends and technologies. My concern is that the gap between the computer literate and the semi-literate could possibly be greater now than it was in the mid 1980s, when computers were quirky and used mostly by hobbyists and very specific business-related activities, and few people owned them for home use in the public at large.
The frustration seems to stem from not just the myriad of viruses, but also the necessity of weekly anti-virus updates, spyware, and the absolutely requirement for some type of firwall on Windows-based computers. I dare say that the level of technical knowledge to maintain a computer today is higher than it was twenty years ago. People seem to gloss over ideas like this but having been involved with computers for more than twenty years, I think it's important to reflect on this once and a while. Regards, Goalive - who was given 'bad karma' on Slashdot because not everyone shares his sense of humor :-/
What happened to the flash memory on Spirit? I am curious if it needed to be completely purged/formatted or if NASA was able to salvage some of the files. Also, I am wondering if the flash memory on board both Spirit and Opportunity are radiation-hardened, similar to the processor and other components on board. When disaster happened and Spirit started spontaneous rebooting, it became obvious that NASA engineers had thought this out well in advance and had a contingency plan that allowed for the upload of new software. Very cool. This is exactly the kind of robust programming and forward thinking that should be extended to our areas of modern computing. Reliability when you're a million miles from home is key!
Yes, and SecurityFocus published this story more than a week ago (on January 21, as the article indicates). The two organizations have a content sharing deal that indicates the source of the article (sf).
Hey, I thought just *one* Mac was supposed to be a 'super computer', as opposed to the 1,100 Virginia Tech Macs required to meld the concept into a 'supercomputer'.
Best of all, most Slashdotters who aren't Indian could show up in Bombay and easily get paid to be an extra in a movie. Or several movies. If they like your look they might offer you a monthly contract. Tell them you use Kazaa and support their industry and they'll be foaming at the mouth. The movie culture in India is very different than Hollywood!
Actually take a look at PivX, they have released the free utility "QuikFix" that patches all the unpatched IE vulnerabilities to date, including some which have been out for more than six months. For some reason MS doesn't see these as critical, yet the exploits exist and are being used all the time.
Stganography makes you look at all those nude erotica pictures you downloaded ever more closely now... look for the hidden message, Luke...