Reminds me of a local news story several years ago about a guy who worked in a supermarket suing his employer for creating a hostile workplace by "excessive flatulence"
One more thing.... all spammers MUST be on the DO-SPAM list, and it shall be illegal for their computers to reject ANY spam. They shall be required to READ and RESPOND to every single piece of spam they receive.
What we need is an opt-in, DO-SPAM list. That way, those people who really don't mind getting spam can selectively do so. Then we make it illegal to spam anyone NOT on the list.
So... if DirecTV sues me for interception and theft of their broadcast signal, can I countersue them for trespassing?
After all, their signal is entering my property without permission.
OK, so maybe that's a bit far-fetched. Nonetheless, their signal is broadcast, I cannot help but intercept it. Anytime I stand outside, their signal is bombarding my body. Why should it be illegal for me to interpret a signal that I am receiving?
Now what would be cool is a copper, brass, or bronze laptop. A skilled machinist could make such a case, modeled after one of the titanium or aluminum ones. Of course, you'd sacrifice weight, but it would at least look cool. Could be coated to maintain its rich lustre, or given a nice patina.
The main advantages of titanium and aluminum are durability, lightweightness, and ability to transfer heat well. Aluminum tends to be preferred due to lower cost and easier machinability. Another metal that would be interesting for a laptop case is magnesium, but there may some issue with that that I'm missing. Platimum could be interesting, if you could afford it.
Other metals such as gold and silver tend to be too soft. Cast iron would not be good choices due to its weight, thermal mass, and magnetic properties. Osmium is just too dense.
Tungsten... if the Palm Tungsten were actually made out of Tungsten, that would be cool.
When you are looking at "reviews," don't pay any attention to the ones that have nothing bad to say about the product. This is your first indication of a vendor-sponsored review. Even with the best product, everyone (except the mfgr's marketing dept.) will find something they don't like about it, due to individual tastes and experiences.
What I like about Digital Photography Review is that their reviews are comprehensive, they do repeatable laboratory tests using industry standards (in addition to subjective field testing), and they don't accept payments or gifts from manufacturers.
You might look into these guys. They provide ISP-grade wireless network hardware (Cisco Aironet, Motorola Canopy, and their own Cyclone products). The Cyclone products are based on the Motorola Canopy, but are environmentally hardened. They've pushed the limits of the technology; I heard they recently did a test where they were able to get a signal at 125 miles.
DISCLAIMER: I don't work for Last Mile Gear, and won't get any commission or kickback; but they are business associates of mine.
Yes fiber is NOT an end-all solution, but using fiber will isolate network segments from lightning strikes. If a bolt hits a computer here, it doesn't fry a computer 10 miles away. Nonetheless, the original poster doesn't have the luxury of replacing all his copper with fiber.
It's assumed that the equipment is connected to surge protectors on the power line; I believe the original poster was wanting to protect the network cabling from lightning strike.
By far, the most important thing to do is grounding (or "earthing" if you're in the UK). Have the chassis of your equipment connect to a good earth ground. Have the shield of your cable connect to a good earth ground. And by all means, make sure your surge suppressor is plugged into a good earth ground!
The purpose of the ground is twofold: 1) drains the buildup of static electric charge; and 2) provides a path of least resistance to ground (instead of through your sensitive equimpent) in the event of a direct lightning strike or a short to powerline.
The purpose of a lightning rod is not necessarily to "attract" lightning, but to drain the electric charge from the air. You want your lightning rod NEAR the equipment or structure you are trying to protect. To place it far away expecting it to "attract" lightning will leave you disappointed. Occasionally lightning DOES hit a rod; in this case, had the rod NOT been there, it would have hit the equipment it was placed to protect.
I've seen it over and over and over again, a surge protection device that's connected to an outlet without a ground prong. Let me say it in big, bold letters so it gets into your skull: AN UNGROUNDED SURGE PROTECTOR IS NO PROTECTION AT ALL. It's a bit like a condom with a hole in it. When the surge comes, it blows up all over the place.
As the parent to this post points out, grounding is very important. Make sure your equipment is grounded, as well as the shields on your cable.
A single-point ground is preferred; to have multiple grounds can set up what is known as a "ground loop" -- you can end up with current flow through your shield if the ground at one end is at a different potential than the ground at the other end. This current can induce unwanted noise in your signal lines. If the potential difference is great enough, damage may result.
In long runs of cable, it may be possible to have ground lift points (where the shield is electrically broken); then each segment is independently grounded. I don't know how the thin/thicknet specs are in this respect.
If there's a firewall, or a NAT device in the way, chances are you'll not get into your laptop even if you know the IP address.
A better solution would be to create a server in a fixed location (with a fixed IP address) which a script on the laptop periodically polls.
If your laptop is stolen, you flag the server with some message. When the script on the laptop polls the server, if it sees the flag, the script knows to start trashing stuff.
As for backing up stuff, well, you should be doing that before the fact. Don't rely on being able to get to your laptop remotely.
Throw in some spyware that will report back to you information that could be useful in recovering the laptop. Since it's your laptop anyway, this custom spyware will be revealing YOUR information to... you.
You server/script should use several different common ports (80, 443, 25, 22, 23, etc.) and perhaps even different protocols in case a proxy server is in use. For example, in addition to the obvious flagged web page, you could have a SMTP server that gives a response like "250 laptop stolen". Most SMTP clients will ignore the textual part of that response, but you script will know. You could have a DNS server that responds with some particular (yet bogus) address to a particular address query.
If this is copyright and/or patent infringment, then it's illegal. If it's genuine theft of intellectual property (information gained by illicit means), then it's illegal. But if it's reverse engineering based on observing the technology, then it should be fair game.
If it's true reverse engineering, then this is just a bully threatening a weakling on the digital playground.
Saying a portable device has too much space is like saying your bathroom has too much toilet paper, your bank account has too much money, or that your S.O. gives you too much sex.
Well, I for one prefer to check my mail by logging in to a shell on the mail server and firing up Pine. Probably 95% of my mail is readable this way, and I can easily zap the spam without having to download or look at it. For those messages with graphics I might want to look at, I use a graphical MUA such as Netscape or Outlook Express, or a web interface to the server.
Using ssh and Pine, I can read my new mail in less time than it takes for Netscape to fire up.
A well-designed TUI will outperform a GUI any day. Just make sure you implement hot keys, and that EVERYTHING can be done from the keyboard. If your right hand is always jumping back and forth between the keyboard and the mouse, you'll lose a ton of productivity.
Yes, your users will have to memorize keystrokes. If they do, then they will be able to do their jobs without even looking at the screen. Try that with a mouse.
A buddy of mine worked for an outfit where the network nazis only allowed http and https traffic to the outside world. So he wrote an application with a java terminal interface to give him a shell on a remote computer. Java applet runs in browser, transfers keystrokes and characters using https, server app interfaces with a shell.
Slashdot Mirror
Reminds me of a local news story several years ago about a guy who worked in a supermarket suing his employer for creating a hostile workplace by "excessive flatulence"
"What's this Bf button for?"
"NO! Don't touch that!!!"
(Push)
Bang! "Ow!" Bang! "Ow!" Bang! "Ow!"
"Ooooo, I can't watch!"
"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME WHAT BF STOOD FOR???"
"I thought you knew..."
where? where? Walla Walla, WA?
I think you mean "hear! hear!"
How do you make an unconscious decision? Don't you mean subconscious?
I am not conscious of your suffering, but I am conscientious of it.
If sorry if I have insulted you; my conscious doesn't bother me, but my conscience sure does.
One more thing.... all spammers MUST be on the DO-SPAM list, and it shall be illegal for their computers to reject ANY spam. They shall be required to READ and RESPOND to every single piece of spam they receive.
What we need is an opt-in, DO-SPAM list. That way, those people who really don't mind getting spam can selectively do so. Then we make it illegal to spam anyone NOT on the list.
So... if DirecTV sues me for interception and theft of their broadcast signal, can I countersue them for trespassing?
After all, their signal is entering my property without permission.
OK, so maybe that's a bit far-fetched. Nonetheless, their signal is broadcast, I cannot help but intercept it. Anytime I stand outside, their signal is bombarding my body. Why should it be illegal for me to interpret a signal that I am receiving?
Frankly, this is one patent that wouldn't bother me had it not expired.
Were licensing fees prohibitive for mass-scale introduction of RFID tags, personal privacy would be safer.
Now what would be cool is a copper, brass, or bronze laptop. A skilled machinist could make such a case, modeled after one of the titanium or aluminum ones. Of course, you'd sacrifice weight, but it would at least look cool. Could be coated to maintain its rich lustre, or given a nice patina.
The main advantages of titanium and aluminum are durability, lightweightness, and ability to transfer heat well. Aluminum tends to be preferred due to lower cost and easier machinability. Another metal that would be interesting for a laptop case is magnesium, but there may some issue with that that I'm missing.
Platimum could be interesting, if you could afford it.
Other metals such as gold and silver tend to be too soft. Cast iron would not be good choices due to its weight, thermal mass, and magnetic properties. Osmium is just too dense.
Tungsten... if the Palm Tungsten were actually made out of Tungsten, that would be cool.
"...I'm not getting back to Hawaii for at least 6 months..."
You have to go to Hawaii twice a year??? Oh man, I feel sorry for you. The drudgery of it all!
When you are looking at "reviews," don't pay any attention to the ones that have nothing bad to say about the product. This is your first indication of a vendor-sponsored review. Even with the best product, everyone (except the mfgr's marketing dept.) will find something they don't like about it, due to individual tastes and experiences.
What I like about Digital Photography Review is that their reviews are comprehensive, they do repeatable laboratory tests using industry standards (in addition to subjective field testing), and they don't accept payments or gifts from manufacturers.
You might look into these guys. They provide ISP-grade wireless network hardware (Cisco Aironet, Motorola Canopy, and their own Cyclone products). The Cyclone products are based on the Motorola Canopy, but are environmentally hardened. They've pushed the limits of the technology; I heard they recently did a test where they were able to get a signal at 125 miles.
DISCLAIMER: I don't work for Last Mile Gear, and won't get any commission or kickback; but they are business associates of mine.
Well, they haven't gotten rid of the SysRq key, and that one's NEVER been useful, so until that goes, expect to see the Caps Lock stick around.
Press [Esc]+[>]+Keypad [Enter] to continue.
Put a bunch of porn keywords in your web pages. Get some oft-used sites to link to yours.
Google will find it.
Yes fiber is NOT an end-all solution, but using fiber will isolate network segments from lightning strikes. If a bolt hits a computer here, it doesn't fry a computer 10 miles away. Nonetheless, the original poster doesn't have the luxury of replacing all his copper with fiber.
It's assumed that the equipment is connected to surge protectors on the power line; I believe the original poster was wanting to protect the network cabling from lightning strike.
By far, the most important thing to do is grounding (or "earthing" if you're in the UK). Have the chassis of your equipment connect to a good earth ground. Have the shield of your cable connect to a good earth ground. And by all means, make sure your surge suppressor is plugged into a good earth ground!
The purpose of the ground is twofold: 1) drains the buildup of static electric charge; and 2) provides a path of least resistance to ground (instead of through your sensitive equimpent) in the event of a direct lightning strike or a short to powerline.
The purpose of a lightning rod is not necessarily to "attract" lightning, but to drain the electric charge from the air. You want your lightning rod NEAR the equipment or structure you are trying to protect. To place it far away expecting it to "attract" lightning will leave you disappointed. Occasionally lightning DOES hit a rod; in this case, had the rod NOT been there, it would have hit the equipment it was placed to protect.
I've seen it over and over and over again, a surge protection device that's connected to an outlet without a ground prong. Let me say it in big, bold letters so it gets into your skull: AN UNGROUNDED SURGE PROTECTOR IS NO PROTECTION AT ALL. It's a bit like a condom with a hole in it. When the surge comes, it blows up all over the place.
As the parent to this post points out, grounding is very important. Make sure your equipment is grounded, as well as the shields on your cable.
A single-point ground is preferred; to have multiple grounds can set up what is known as a "ground loop" -- you can end up with current flow through your shield if the ground at one end is at a different potential than the ground at the other end. This current can induce unwanted noise in your signal lines. If the potential difference is great enough, damage may result.
In long runs of cable, it may be possible to have ground lift points (where the shield is electrically broken); then each segment is independently grounded. I don't know how the thin/thicknet specs are in this respect.
If there's a firewall, or a NAT device in the way, chances are you'll not get into your laptop even if you know the IP address.
A better solution would be to create a server in a fixed location (with a fixed IP address) which a script on the laptop periodically polls.
If your laptop is stolen, you flag the server with some message. When the script on the laptop polls the server, if it sees the flag, the script knows to start trashing stuff.
As for backing up stuff, well, you should be doing that before the fact. Don't rely on being able to get to your laptop remotely.
Throw in some spyware that will report back to you information that could be useful in recovering the laptop. Since it's your laptop anyway, this custom spyware will be revealing YOUR information to... you.
You server/script should use several different common ports (80, 443, 25, 22, 23, etc.) and perhaps even different protocols in case a proxy server is in use. For example, in addition to the obvious flagged web page, you could have a SMTP server that gives a response like "250 laptop stolen". Most SMTP clients will ignore the textual part of that response, but you script will know. You could have a DNS server that responds with some particular (yet bogus) address to a particular address query.
You just need to think creatively.
Lawrence Laffer... Lawrence... Larry... Larry Laffer...
I know I've seen that name somewhere before.
Ah yes, here.
If this is copyright and/or patent infringment, then it's illegal. If it's genuine theft of intellectual property (information gained by illicit means), then it's illegal. But if it's reverse engineering based on observing the technology, then it should be fair game.
If it's true reverse engineering, then this is just a bully threatening a weakling on the digital playground.
"...I cannot tell you how important factors like "pink" and "small" and "easy to use" are to people outside of the 18-25 yr old males."
And they say size doesn't matter.
Saying a portable device has too much space is like saying your bathroom has too much toilet paper, your bank account has too much money, or that your S.O. gives you too much sex.
Well, I for one prefer to check my mail by logging in to a shell on the mail server and firing up Pine. Probably 95% of my mail is readable this way, and I can easily zap the spam without having to download or look at it. For those messages with graphics I might want to look at, I use a graphical MUA such as Netscape or Outlook Express, or a web interface to the server.
Using ssh and Pine, I can read my new mail in less time than it takes for Netscape to fire up.
A well-designed TUI will outperform a GUI any day. Just make sure you implement hot keys, and that EVERYTHING can be done from the keyboard. If your right hand is always jumping back and forth between the keyboard and the mouse, you'll lose a ton of productivity.
Yes, your users will have to memorize keystrokes. If they do, then they will be able to do their jobs without even looking at the screen. Try that with a mouse.
Oh, great. Now everyone who has a gameboy will have to pay Mr. Darl $699.
A buddy of mine worked for an outfit where the network nazis only allowed http and https traffic to the outside world. So he wrote an application with a java terminal interface to give him a shell on a remote computer. Java applet runs in browser, transfers keystrokes and characters using https, server app interfaces with a shell.
Teacher in my high school was named Jack Head. Another one named Gaye Wood. My cross country coach was Brad Pinkstaff.
Glad I shit at work everyday...
There are few things as satisfying as getting paid to take a dump.