Set them up with routers that also do IPSec. This gives them a firewall layer, and allows VPN among the sites (and, potentially client VPN remote access into the sites).
I put a Linksys WRV54G at my parents home for just this sort of thing. Although it took a pretty good amount of tweaking to get everything right, it works well now. It provides NAT firewall service for their network, wireless access for their home, and VPN remote access for me (so I can VNC into their system to provide tech support).
If you have a bigger budget, a cheap sonicwall, netscreen, or Check Point gateway might offer better usability and more features. The Check Point Safe@Office 500W looks like a good candidate.
Whether it's a goal for all distro's is arguable. Whether they succeed, and actually create an easy to install and use system is not. Check out OpenBSD or Gentoo Linux for proof of this.
Also, corporate-like marketing could really benefit many open source projects. I don't know how many times I've found an open source project, and the main project page thoroughly describes the bugs fixed between versions 0.1.1.3 and 0.1.1.4, but has no high level description about what the package does in the first place.
The developers are so concerned about the details they're dealing with, they don't step back and think about what a new user should know (like a corporate marketing team would).
Microsoft keeps pushing the boundaries of innovation. During the anti-trust case, Ballmer called for the government to back off and "let us innovate".
Well, after the Bush administration came in and absolved them we're seeing the fruits of those efforts. Microsoft's licensing and revenue generation innovation is second to none. They have really demonstrated how a monopoly can be milked at unprecedented levels.
I spent a couple minutes checking out the MacBook at my local Apple store.. It looks good. I think it will do well at that price point.
But, I did not like the keyboard. Compared to the keyboard on my PowerBook, or the MacBook Pro's, it didn't feel nearly as good. Maybe it's something you could get used to. But, I really like the old PowerBook keyboard..
The article was right on.. Noone will justify the extra expense in comparison to first generation Blue-Ray DVD players. 99% of the market will ignore the first generation BR DVD players, waiting for the standard price drop as manufacturing/components improve.
I am very much into HDTV, but I wouldn't consider buying a $600+ player (just as I did not buy the first generation CD or DVD players).
I'm not really much of a gamer (I don't have an XBox 360), but from what I've seen of the 'Wii', I would pick one of them up for $200, just to check it out.
This new laptop is much closer to the MacBook Pro than I expected. I thought they might only do Core Solo processors, to create more distinction between the two levels.
I had been planning on getting the 15 or 17" Pro, but looking at the specs on these - and the price, I might go for the MacBook.
The biggest difference I see is the display resolution.. 1280x800, like the older PowerBooks.
Yes, that's true. having reasonable time sync is also useful in IPsec for timers, certificate validation, etc.
But, the original post mentioned time accuracy to the "within a few millionths of a second".. Is there any real security need for something near that level of accuracy? In my experience, the vast majority of security applications only need accuracy to within a second, or tenth of a second type levels.
I suppose distributed IDS systems could use extreme accuracy for piecing together attacks. But, in that case, network latency differences would make accuracy to the millionth of a second meaningless.
Actually, if a normal user tries to view a video file, and it doesn't open in Windows Media Player, they are going to curse their computer and move on to something else. Your starting point assumes the user knows what codecs are, that different media players exist and have different capabilities, etc. (it's not as if this is easy in Linux either.. do I use VLC or mplayer or xine?? What is WMV3 codec? What is DRM and why won't this file play? MacOS isn't much better when you venture outside Quicktime compatible formats.)
Windows and MacOS were designed with ease of use in mind. Sometimes they over-simplify things, making it more difficult for advanced users to do what is desired. But, for most users, they accomplish their goals more easily.
Regardless.. Even if the reason Linux is harder is because people are familiar with Windows, it still doesn't change the fact that Linux is harder for most people to use. As others have replied: either change Linux to match the user's level, or change the users to match Linux's level. Which is more feasible?
No, it's harder. In Windows, everything is dumbed down into a graphical interface, and the vast majority of configuration is either already chosen for the user, or available as a simple installation. (Personally, I also feel Linux is easier to setup, debug, and maintain. But, that is because of the years I have spent using Unix/Linux, a CompSci degree, and a general interest in understanding what's going on in the system. These things don't apply to average users.)
Adding software in Windows is simple. Download the installer, and double click on it. In Linux, there are many ways to install software, depending on what flavor you're using, and configuration is another matter.
MacOS is the example of how Unix can be made simple for average users. Linux falls far short of this.
I would like to replace my parents' or sisters' computers with Linux boxes. But, when they have problems with them, they call me for support. So, out of self preservation, I have my family running Windows and MacOS.
> How do you reward Google for letting your CEO buy stock for six cents a share?
Either this is an intentional troll, or you have no clue about financial matters.
Bezos was an early investor in Google, when they were just getting off the ground. He gave them money ('angel funding') to allow them to expand. The agreement in that situation is that Mr. Bezos then owns a percentage of the company, giving him stock at a low price after an IPO.
Google didn't "let him buy" stock. Bezos invested in Google very early on, and he got big $$ when Google's stock went through the roof.
Sure, there is probably some of that.. the guy with the Rolex watch and Mont Blanc pen, who wants everyone to know he spent a lot.
But, for golf I don't think that's the primary driver. Golf is such a frustrating and addicting sport (which is a very bad combination). Addicted golfers will do or pay just about anything to improve their game.
Ben Hogan said there is no reason an average person can't hit "in the 70s", i.e. they should be able to break 80. Breaking 70 is quite a bit more difficult than breaking 80.
Why does the Mac world have so many crackpots with outlandish theories? Every little action by Apple is overanalyzed and taken to baseless conclusions.
Why would Apple working with a benchmarking organization mean that they are 'supporting Windows'? Why would they not just be getting apps benchmarked on MacOS?
"Logic" of the Mac rumors crowd: Oh look, there are some hoofprints.. there must be unicorns around here.
This looks like it could potentially be a good card for Home Theater PC (HTPC) use. The picture showed a passive heat sink, which is nice for quiet HTPC use. It talks about H.264 acceleration available in the "PureVideo" feature, which is obviously a big deal for HTPC use..
I basically don't care about 3D features/performance. The questions I have are:
- AGP Version Available? - "PureVideo" features available in Linux?
MacOS includes this functionality, in what sounds like a very similar manner. It can create a disk file, which is AES encrypted, and you can mount like any other disk. They also have the option of encrypting your whole home directory, but I've heard of people having problems with that..
Which, if any, encrypted Linux filesystems are compatible with MacOS's filevault?
There was an interesting article in Newsweek this week, describing how the 9/11 commission recommended an oversight board to make sure the government was protecting our civil liberties.
It was set up in December 2004, but the board has never hired a staff or had a meeting.
So, yeah.. Our government really takes civil liberties seriously..
I have a work-issued (or at least reimbursed for) PowerBook. I sometimes use 'srm' to securely delete files (write over them with random data before deleting them).
But, most work-related files I save are in an encrypted filesystem. The system mounts that virtual filesystem, just like it's another drive (like mounting an ISO image in Linux). But, the data is actually in a single file saved AES encrypted on the hard drive (again, like an ISO cd image).
Without the password to unlock/decrypt the AES encrypted data, it's just an opaque file. If I quit, and either don't give them the password or delete that one file, it's a similar situation to the original post.
Any rules for relinquishing your passwords when leaving a company?
- Long lines, waiting to buy a ticket. If it's a popular new release, multiply the crowds and waits by 5. - Ridiculously expensive food and drink at the theater. - Along with all of the movie trailers, we now get several minutes of product advertisements before the movies. - People talking all around me, walking back and forth in front of me, kicking my chair behind me. - Loud eaters around me. (I have a thing about loud eaters.. it bugs me a lot more than it should. I always end up near a very loud eater of popcorn, nachos, or something like that).
Yeah, that 'silver screen' experience is great..
I think I'll wait for the DVD release, and see it in my home theater.. with surround sound and HDTV, and a pause button.
The RIAA can't introduce bills, only our elected representatives can do that. The RIAA can give the congressmen money, and write legislation for them. But, it's the representative that must own up to this.
So, don't waste time moaning about the RIAA. This is their business, you should expect nothing less from them. They want to extract the most money possible from as many people as possible.
The people that need to be held responsible are:
Main Sponsor: Mike Ferguson (R) New Jersey Co-Sponsor: Mary Bono (R) California
Those are the only two listed in the article, the other co-sponsors are not listed. But, in previous actions, it has been endorsed by:
Eliot Engel (D-NY) Greg Walden (R-OR) Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)
The TV version of the broadcast flag was quickly withdrawn after it was clear that American citizens were overwhelmingly against it. It's a bit surprising that these rep's are sticking their necks out on this issue.
We need to let them know this is a bad idea, and let their constituents know that their representatives are pushing this stuff despite their disapproval.
I'm not sure if it's Linux friendly. But, MythTV is MacOS friendly.
I've been using the new 0.19 release of MythTV on my 1.42GHz G4 Mac Mini. It works great for SD video. But, obviously don't have the horsepower for HD video.
This new mini should handle HD video easily. I just ordered the dual core version, to use as my MythTV frontend (with my Athlon64 Linux box as the backend with two HD and two SD tuners).
Actually, the previous model had superior MPEG2 capabilities.
'Hardware Motion Compensation' is one part of the MPEG2 acceleration capabilities available in GPU hardware (same as used with DxVA in Windows and XvMC in Linux). But, MC actually provides relatively little CPU offload.
The other portion, iDCT (inverse Discrete Cosine Transform) offloads a LOT more CPU.
The Radeon in the old Mini could do both iDCT and MC (as can all Radeons, dating way back to when, the early 90's?).
But, neither matter anyway.. Apple does not expose an open API to use the video acceleration capabilities in GPU hardware. Only their DVD player can use it. So, all video decoding is done on the CPU -- which makes the new Mini a big improvement with a faster CPU & optional dual core.
Yeah, right.. because it's not possible that something was actually designed well, and has a much better user interface than the competition.. Do you only believe negative reviews?
I'm in much the same position as the original poster, I bought a cheap MP3 player, then later moved to an iPod. The difference is night and day, Apple did it right.. Not only the iPod user interface, which is good, but the iTunes application for managing your music is leaps and bounds better than the alternatives.
I'm also a longtime Linux user. But, I moved from Linux on a Thinkpad to MacOS on a PowerBook for similar reasons. MacOS is just well done, as are the included apps, while still giving me the normal Unix capabilities under the hood.
And on the astroturf thing -- an "astroturfer" would be a newly created user account to be thrown away, or an AC, not an account created ~6 years ago (5 digit uid).
I went out and bought my Athlon 64 3200+ when they first came out. It's the original Socket 754 variet. AMD has long since moved on from that socket, and have stopped upgrading those chips.
So, the Socket 754 mobile chips might be another upgrade path for those of us that don't want to swap out the whole motherboard.
They would have the added benefit of lower power/heat characteristics. This would be nice, since I'm using my current A64 in a MythTV HTPC.
You're mostly right. But, especially in the VIA C3 world, there are more capable options. The VIA/S3 Unichrome video chips include full MPEG2 Decoders. So, it goes beyond the MPEG2 acceleration, and does almost all the MPEG2 processing in hardware.
This can allow a very slow processor, like the VIA C3, to be used in a HDTV PVR, like MythTV.
But, for the mainstream NVidia or ATI GPUs, you're right.. they do iDCT+MC offload, not full MPEG2 processing.
DIY still has the Over The Air channels..
on
CableCARD In-Depth
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
My MythTV box does a great job recording / timeshifting / removing commercials / transcoding broadcast HDTV stations. So, I think the DIY PVR boxes have a life left for the immediate future.. I can still record Lost, and The West Wing, along with many sporting events.
The biggest hurdle I have seen developing is with more sporting events. Events that would have been on broadcast TV in the past are often on ESPN ( e.g. next year Monday Night Football is on ESPN-HD, not ABC). If that trend continues, I have to decide whether to stop watching that program/event, or to go to a commercial PVR. Most shows I can easily live without.. the exception being ESPN-HD... when my MSU Spartans are playing basketball in HD, I am very tempted to go to the cable companies crappy PVR.
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Set them up with routers that also do IPSec. This gives them a firewall layer, and allows VPN among the sites (and, potentially client VPN remote access into the sites).
I put a Linksys WRV54G at my parents home for just this sort of thing. Although it took a pretty good amount of tweaking to get everything right, it works well now. It provides NAT firewall service for their network, wireless access for their home, and VPN remote access for me (so I can VNC into their system to provide tech support).
If you have a bigger budget, a cheap sonicwall, netscreen, or Check Point gateway might offer better usability and more features. The Check Point Safe@Office 500W looks like a good candidate.
Whether it's a goal for all distro's is arguable. Whether they succeed, and actually create an easy to install and use system is not. Check out OpenBSD or Gentoo Linux for proof of this.
Also, corporate-like marketing could really benefit many open source projects. I don't know how many times I've found an open source project, and the main project page thoroughly describes the bugs fixed between versions 0.1.1.3 and 0.1.1.4, but has no high level description about what the package does in the first place.
The developers are so concerned about the details they're dealing with, they don't step back and think about what a new user should know (like a corporate marketing team would).
Microsoft keeps pushing the boundaries of innovation. During the anti-trust case, Ballmer called for the government to back off and "let us innovate".
Well, after the Bush administration came in and absolved them we're seeing the fruits of those efforts. Microsoft's licensing and revenue generation innovation is second to none. They have really demonstrated how a monopoly can be milked at unprecedented levels.
Thanks, but I'll stick to MacOS and Linux.
I spent a couple minutes checking out the MacBook at my local Apple store.. It looks good. I think it will do well at that price point.
But, I did not like the keyboard. Compared to the keyboard on my PowerBook, or the MacBook Pro's, it didn't feel nearly as good. Maybe it's something you could get used to. But, I really like the old PowerBook keyboard..
The article was right on.. Noone will justify the extra expense in comparison to first generation Blue-Ray DVD players. 99% of the market will ignore the first generation BR DVD players, waiting for the standard price drop as manufacturing/components improve.
I am very much into HDTV, but I wouldn't consider buying a $600+ player (just as I did not buy the first generation CD or DVD players).
I'm not really much of a gamer (I don't have an XBox 360), but from what I've seen of the 'Wii', I would pick one of them up for $200, just to check it out.
This new laptop is much closer to the MacBook Pro than I expected. I thought they might only do Core Solo processors, to create more distinction between the two levels.
I had been planning on getting the 15 or 17" Pro, but looking at the specs on these - and the price, I might go for the MacBook.
The biggest difference I see is the display resolution.. 1280x800, like the older PowerBooks.
Yes, that's true. having reasonable time sync is also useful in IPsec for timers, certificate validation, etc.
But, the original post mentioned time accuracy to the "within a few millionths of a second".. Is there any real security need for something near that level of accuracy? In my experience, the vast majority of security applications only need accuracy to within a second, or tenth of a second type levels.
I suppose distributed IDS systems could use extreme accuracy for piecing together attacks. But, in that case, network latency differences would make accuracy to the millionth of a second meaningless.
Actually, if a normal user tries to view a video file, and it doesn't open in Windows Media Player, they are going to curse their computer and move on to something else. Your starting point assumes the user knows what codecs are, that different media players exist and have different capabilities, etc. (it's not as if this is easy in Linux either.. do I use VLC or mplayer or xine?? What is WMV3 codec? What is DRM and why won't this file play? MacOS isn't much better when you venture outside Quicktime compatible formats.)
Windows and MacOS were designed with ease of use in mind. Sometimes they over-simplify things, making it more difficult for advanced users to do what is desired. But, for most users, they accomplish their goals more easily.
Regardless.. Even if the reason Linux is harder is because people are familiar with Windows, it still doesn't change the fact that Linux is harder for most people to use. As others have replied: either change Linux to match the user's level, or change the users to match Linux's level. Which is more feasible?
No, it's harder. In Windows, everything is dumbed down into a graphical interface, and the vast majority of configuration is either already chosen for the user, or available as a simple installation. (Personally, I also feel Linux is easier to setup, debug, and maintain. But, that is because of the years I have spent using Unix/Linux, a CompSci degree, and a general interest in understanding what's going on in the system. These things don't apply to average users.)
Adding software in Windows is simple. Download the installer, and double click on it. In Linux, there are many ways to install software, depending on what flavor you're using, and configuration is another matter.
MacOS is the example of how Unix can be made simple for average users. Linux falls far short of this.
I would like to replace my parents' or sisters' computers with Linux boxes. But, when they have problems with them, they call me for support. So, out of self preservation, I have my family running Windows and MacOS.
> How do you reward Google for letting your CEO buy stock for six cents a share?
Either this is an intentional troll, or you have no clue about financial matters.
Bezos was an early investor in Google, when they were just getting off the ground. He gave them money ('angel funding') to allow them to expand. The agreement in that situation is that Mr. Bezos then owns a percentage of the company, giving him stock at a low price after an IPO.
Google didn't "let him buy" stock. Bezos invested in Google very early on, and he got big $$ when Google's stock went through the roof.
Sure, there is probably some of that.. the guy with the Rolex watch and Mont Blanc pen, who wants everyone to know he spent a lot.
But, for golf I don't think that's the primary driver. Golf is such a frustrating and addicting sport (which is a very bad combination). Addicted golfers will do or pay just about anything to improve their game.
Ben Hogan said there is no reason an average person can't hit "in the 70s", i.e. they should be able to break 80. Breaking 70 is quite a bit more difficult than breaking 80.
Why does the Mac world have so many crackpots with outlandish theories? Every little action by Apple is overanalyzed and taken to baseless conclusions.
Why would Apple working with a benchmarking organization mean that they are 'supporting Windows'? Why would they not just be getting apps benchmarked on MacOS?
"Logic" of the Mac rumors crowd:
Oh look, there are some hoofprints.. there must be unicorns around here.
This looks like it could potentially be a good card for Home Theater PC (HTPC) use. The picture showed a passive heat sink, which is nice for quiet HTPC use. It talks about H.264 acceleration available in the "PureVideo" feature, which is obviously a big deal for HTPC use..
I basically don't care about 3D features/performance. The questions I have are:
- AGP Version Available?
- "PureVideo" features available in Linux?
MacOS includes this functionality, in what sounds like a very similar manner. It can create a disk file, which is AES encrypted, and you can mount like any other disk. They also have the option of encrypting your whole home directory, but I've heard of people having problems with that..
Which, if any, encrypted Linux filesystems are compatible with MacOS's filevault?
What a shocker.
k /
There was an interesting article in Newsweek this week, describing how the 9/11 commission recommended an oversight board to make sure the government was protecting our civil liberties.
It was set up in December 2004, but the board has never hired a staff or had a meeting.
So, yeah.. Our government really takes civil liberties seriously..
The article is available at: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11677336/site/newswee
I have a work-issued (or at least reimbursed for) PowerBook. I sometimes use 'srm' to securely delete files (write over them with random data before deleting them).
But, most work-related files I save are in an encrypted filesystem. The system mounts that virtual filesystem, just like it's another drive (like mounting an ISO image in Linux). But, the data is actually in a single file saved AES encrypted on the hard drive (again, like an ISO cd image).
Without the password to unlock/decrypt the AES encrypted data, it's just an opaque file. If I quit, and either don't give them the password or delete that one file, it's a similar situation to the original post.
Any rules for relinquishing your passwords when leaving a company?
- Long lines, waiting to buy a ticket. If it's a popular new release, multiply the crowds and waits by 5.
- Ridiculously expensive food and drink at the theater.
- Along with all of the movie trailers, we now get several minutes of product advertisements before the movies.
- People talking all around me, walking back and forth in front of me, kicking my chair behind me.
- Loud eaters around me. (I have a thing about loud eaters.. it bugs me a lot more than it should. I always end up near a very loud eater of popcorn, nachos, or something like that).
Yeah, that 'silver screen' experience is great..
I think I'll wait for the DVD release, and see it in my home theater.. with surround sound and HDTV, and a pause button.
The RIAA can't introduce bills, only our elected representatives can do that. The RIAA can give the congressmen money, and write legislation for them. But, it's the representative that must own up to this.
So, don't waste time moaning about the RIAA. This is their business, you should expect nothing less from them. They want to extract the most money possible from as many people as possible.
The people that need to be held responsible are:
Main Sponsor: Mike Ferguson (R) New Jersey
Co-Sponsor: Mary Bono (R) California
Those are the only two listed in the article, the other co-sponsors are not listed. But, in previous actions, it has been endorsed by:
Eliot Engel (D-NY)
Greg Walden (R-OR)
Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)
The TV version of the broadcast flag was quickly withdrawn after it was clear that American citizens were overwhelmingly against it. It's a bit surprising that these rep's are sticking their necks out on this issue.
We need to let them know this is a bad idea, and let their constituents know that their representatives are pushing this stuff despite their disapproval.
I'm not sure if it's Linux friendly. But, MythTV is MacOS friendly.
I've been using the new 0.19 release of MythTV on my 1.42GHz G4 Mac Mini. It works great for SD video. But, obviously don't have the horsepower for HD video.
This new mini should handle HD video easily. I just ordered the dual core version, to use as my MythTV frontend (with my Athlon64 Linux box as the backend with two HD and two SD tuners).
Actually, the previous model had superior MPEG2 capabilities.
'Hardware Motion Compensation' is one part of the MPEG2 acceleration capabilities available in GPU hardware (same as used with DxVA in Windows and XvMC in Linux). But, MC actually provides relatively little CPU offload.
The other portion, iDCT (inverse Discrete Cosine Transform) offloads a LOT more CPU.
The Radeon in the old Mini could do both iDCT and MC (as can all Radeons, dating way back to when, the early 90's?).
But, neither matter anyway.. Apple does not expose an open API to use the video acceleration capabilities in GPU hardware. Only their DVD player can use it. So, all video decoding is done on the CPU -- which makes the new Mini a big improvement with a faster CPU & optional dual core.
> Watch this astroturfer get modded up.
Yeah, right.. because it's not possible that something was actually designed well, and has a much better user interface than the competition.. Do you only believe negative reviews?
I'm in much the same position as the original poster, I bought a cheap MP3 player, then later moved to an iPod. The difference is night and day, Apple did it right.. Not only the iPod user interface, which is good, but the iTunes application for managing your music is leaps and bounds better than the alternatives.
I'm also a longtime Linux user. But, I moved from Linux on a Thinkpad to MacOS on a PowerBook for similar reasons. MacOS is just well done, as are the included apps, while still giving me the normal Unix capabilities under the hood.
And on the astroturf thing -- an "astroturfer" would be a newly created user account to be thrown away, or an AC, not an account created ~6 years ago (5 digit uid).
I went out and bought my Athlon 64 3200+ when they first came out. It's the original Socket 754 variet. AMD has long since moved on from that socket, and have stopped upgrading those chips.
So, the Socket 754 mobile chips might be another upgrade path for those of us that don't want to swap out the whole motherboard.
They would have the added benefit of lower power/heat characteristics. This would be nice, since I'm using my current A64 in a MythTV HTPC.
You're mostly right. But, especially in the VIA C3 world, there are more capable options. The VIA/S3 Unichrome video chips include full MPEG2 Decoders. So, it goes beyond the MPEG2 acceleration, and does almost all the MPEG2 processing in hardware.
This can allow a very slow processor, like the VIA C3, to be used in a HDTV PVR, like MythTV.
But, for the mainstream NVidia or ATI GPUs, you're right.. they do iDCT+MC offload, not full MPEG2 processing.
My MythTV box does a great job recording / timeshifting / removing commercials / transcoding broadcast HDTV stations. So, I think the DIY PVR boxes have a life left for the immediate future.. I can still record Lost, and The West Wing, along with many sporting events.
The biggest hurdle I have seen developing is with more sporting events. Events that would have been on broadcast TV in the past are often on ESPN ( e.g. next year Monday Night Football is on ESPN-HD, not ABC). If that trend continues, I have to decide whether to stop watching that program/event, or to go to a commercial PVR. Most shows I can easily live without.. the exception being ESPN-HD... when my MSU Spartans are playing basketball in HD, I am very tempted to go to the cable companies crappy PVR.