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User: __int64

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  1. Re:OS makers not helping much either on Adobe Warns of Critical Flash Bug, Already Being Exploited · · Score: 2, Insightful

    The problem with web browsers executing arbitrary code is really only "solved" with sand-boxing when you assume that your private personal data is stored on your hard disk. Unfortunately, since most personal data is now stored and accessed through a web browser, you have essentially allowed arbitrary code to operate on your personal data.

    Emacs was compromised by a similar line of thinking, that:
    Because the ability to execute code is sometimes useful when editing documents, everything should be implemented in Emacs.

    Likewise, Javascript is sometimes useful for displaying information on webpages. However, this does not imply that web browsers should be an application platform.

    Carrying these assumptions forward blindly gives rise to many of the current challenges of today.

  2. Re:OS makers not helping much either on Adobe Warns of Critical Flash Bug, Already Being Exploited · · Score: 0, Troll

    Sand-boxing is one approach, indeed their are many. However the first question which should perhaps be asked is, should any non-executable file be allowed to 'execute' in even the most broadest sense.

  3. Re:An insult of a fine on Verizon To Pay $25M For Years of 'Mystery Fees' · · Score: 1

    The TFA is an article which this comment was written about. Comments such as this are indeed typically written about a TFA.

  4. Re:How long does it last? on Electric Car Goes 375 Miles On One 6-Minute Charge · · Score: 1

    Indeed, recharger indeed. Inefficient or expensive we are not sure. It could be either.

  5. Re:One of the last reasons to have flash on Mozilla Labs Add-On Provides Video and Audio Recording From the Browser · · Score: 1

    Indeed, blah blah blah.

    Security, 'upgrades', lock down, apps, value adding partners...And next time for bonus, be sure to include: a discussion of 'utility', mention something called "mobile equity", and try to work in a reference to capital markets, where relevant of course.

  6. Re:It's all child pornography. on Wikileaks Pages Added To Australian Internet Blacklist · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Because it's not actually about stopping childporn, it's about imposing censorship. Whether childporn is weeded out is irrelevant, and these filters don't actually have be effective at stopping childporn to be effective at making people complacent.

  7. Re:"Do it. Don't think about it, just do it." on Study Abroad For Computer Science Majors? · · Score: 1

    He is referring to Tohoku University. It's the second highest ranked science school in Japan (behind Tokyo U.), most Americans don't know this, but it will really stand out on your resume if you decide to work somewhere in Asia.

    There are 2 programs available, one for taking classes directly in Japanese, and a special English program for those without the language proficiency. Tohoku also has a great Language program, so if you are here for 1 year, you might be able to learn a little Japanese too. But that really depends on how much you study, and avoid the trap of making too many foreign friends and speaking too much English.

    The classes available in English are limited, only an intro-CS class is available in English. However, research in a huge part of each semester, you'll join a research lab and spend 20+ hours each week working on your project. You should at least be able to get transfer credit for an independent research, and maybe even a publication if you write a good enough paper.

    The Japanese govt in currently amidst a push to raise the number of foreign students to 300k, so if you GPA is good, you'll also probably get a full ride scholarship for 1 year. It's about 800USD per month.

    Here's my lab.
    Here's an article I wrote about life at Tohoku.

    Good luck! Hopefully your school has an exchange agreement with Tohoku!

  8. Re:Wrong way round on NBC to Create Programs Centered on Sponsors · · Score: 2, Interesting

    This has been going on already, corporate donated textbooks and televisions in Indiana schools. Everyday before school the kids have to watch a 10 minute program with corporate created content, that as I recall, also included explicit advertising. The schools accept the TV donations to improve their classroom's tech level and sign away the minds of the students to corporate influence. The content is largely repacked syndicated content and CNN stock footage as I recall, but I'm sure the contracts with the schools included verbiage to alter and include whatever embedded messages they saw fit.

    The infrastructure to network a whole school and provide it with large screen TVs and DVD players isn't cheep, and shows the value of guaranteed access to young impressionable minds, even for only 10 minutes a day.

    How much more would a full 8 hour days worth of access be worth? Enough for a corporation to establish a fully subsidized "private" school? One that payed and/or subsidized the parents normal public school taxes, essentially creating totally free schooling? The quality of education is obvious but to me this looks like the logical next step in corporate control.

  9. Re:Ha, ha on Nuclear Scanning Catches a Radioactive Cat On I-5 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    That's great, and I'm glad this system gracefully handles medical exemptions without the need to stare down barrel of a beretta. It's apparently easy to get cards and pass through the checkpoints, but doesn't this break the system? Surely, if one can obtain weapon-grade nuclear material, one could easily obtain a medical exemption card. That's gotta be several orders of magnitude easier.

  10. Re:Konnichiwa - watashi no adobaisu on Advice on Learning Japanese? · · Score: 1

    "I got interested in Japanese through Pokemon, by the way."

    I got interested in Japanese through porno, by the way. Interracial pornography is definitely a most significant cultural ambassador...despite popular opinion :).

  11. And... on Game Previews Just Game Marketing? · · Score: 2, Insightful

    This is non-obvious?

  12. SBC related? on Newest Patent Threat to MPEG-4 · · Score: 1

    This seems to coincide with the recent SBC takeover of AT&T or was this going on beforehand? I wouldn't be surprised if this was brought on by SBC management.

  13. Also leads to a 50% increase in people yelling... on More Bad News About Global Warming · · Score: 1

    Soilent Green is people!!!

  14. Where's the EFF? on Fighting RIAA Without an Attorney · · Score: 1

    Does anyone know why the EFF isn't all over this case?

  15. Easy... on Dealing with Digital Music and Vendor Lock-In? · · Score: 0

    I just always remember to look for the "Plays for Sure" logo on all the music and media devices I buy from my favorite stores. With the "Plays for Sure" logo I'm guaranteed it will work on all my Windows(R) computers and play with my existing Windows(R) music!

    "Plays for Sure" sets you free to chose - just how and when you want to play your Windows(R) Media products on your favorite Windows(R) devices from the universe of Microsoft. "Plays for sure" sets you free from vendor lock-in!

  16. Re:Why to do computer science on Bill Gates Is Coming To A College Near You · · Score: 5, Funny

    What did the liberal arts major say to the compsci arts major?

    "Didn't you mean 'an'?"

  17. Re:Slashdotted Link on 20 Lawmakers Want to Kill Your Television · · Score: 1

    Dear Mr. *,
    I would like to voice my concern in dire opposition to any sort of broadcast flag implementation legislature. I am writing to inform you of a new possible push to subvertly pass this special interest legislation as an attachment to the Digital Television (DTV) bill. Similar language might also be included as an amendment to the House Energy and Commerce Committee's version of the bill.

    This is canonical special interest, anti consumer legislation, spearheaded by the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) and the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America). With only a handful of large-scale entertainment companies backing it - and no consumer support, it is ridiculous such a proposal is even given merit, especially after its repeated defeat in multiple incarnations and a unanimous decision against it by the DC Court of Appeals in ALA v. FCC.

    A broadcast flag mandate will essentially strip my fair use rights and severely cripple any of my or your constitutes future electronics purchases. I would like to know that I will have your continued support in protecting my rights and that you will actively vote against any such legislation.

    Sincerely,
    *

    It's decent enough, use it - better than nothing. A link to ALA v. FCC: http://pacer.cadc.uscourts.gov/docs/common/opinion s/200505/04-1037b.pdf

  18. Somebody say... on Slashdot HTML 4.01 and CSS · · Score: 1

    Boo-Yah Fark!!

  19. Re:It has changed how I buy games on WoW Helping or Hurting the Industry? · · Score: 1

    Perhaps he is right in that a few very good games with > 1 month will actually increase the pressure on others to produce decent/(better marketed) titles if they truly want to compete.

  20. Re:Not even that. on Blu-Ray To Punish Users for Modifying Hardware · · Score: 1

    Interesting idea for circumventing this online destruction code, it just might work. But that raises the question, what's to stop destructive hackers from finding this same code and launching a worm that roams the internet breaking people's dvd players? Guaranteed they won't deliver a 100% secure/impervious system. I don't foresee what's to stop this.

  21. Re:Confusion on Intel Plans to Overhaul Chip Architecture · · Score: 1

    Possibly, I would certainly like to hope so, as the last instruction set I want my 2007 Powerbook to be running on is x86.

    However after closer inspection I believe it is only semi plausible that this newly announced technology is indeed actually a new instruction set. If it were, and is completely new or at least significantly different enough to render the previous two months of porting PCC to x86 useless, Apple is not going just going to tell developers: "Two months, wasted! - were switching again." That would be unscrupulously foolish. If the new instruction set is backwards compatible enough, or is actually just an underlying technology paradigm shift I'm sure Apple has already well accounted for it.

    Let's also hope (and raise hell) that whatever technology this becomes and if Apple chooses to partake of it that they kindly pass on the "added security features."

  22. DRM'd! on Intel Plans to Overhaul Chip Architecture · · Score: 2, Funny
    "The company also is more aggressively building in specialized circuitry for such purposes as improving computer security, some of which also are expected to be part of the new architecture."

    Oh sweet! That sentence was written so balmily I think it has even qualmed my pre DRM large-scale nationwide deployment fears.

  23. Re:Just a "health chip"? on Former Health Secretary Pushes for VeriChip Implants · · Score: 1

    Most incitefull thing I've heard all week, now if only the rest of the Earth's population could imbibe such a thing.

  24. Re:Ah, a Windows apologist on No DRM for Apple in Intel-based Macs · · Score: 1

    Well stated,

    I don't think your argument could have been ended any better - "Have fun running in an admin account for the next two years."

    Classic.

  25. Re:Don't let the state nany, take some responsibil on Senator Carper Calls for Tax on Online Porn · · Score: 1

    Mod this guy it, the after effects on pornography are all too real. It's been over five years since I first got broadband and I'm still amidst a daily, seemingly never ending struggle.

    For some people its alcohol, for others (including me) its sex or rather pornography. Alike most /.ers and not this guy, I've never had a girlfriend, but he is right - this seemingly ubiquitous access to sex media has undoubtedly caused damage to my concept of male female unity. We must hope that as I combat this problem, the damage will prove reversible.

    Obviously a tax, a seclusion to the .xxx domain, or any non holistic countermeasures will do nothing but further the problem. The problem with porn is availability - the "you can't have it, but it's available" mentality. With this puritanical attitude we have artificially driven up demand by pseudo suppressing it - locking it up, instead acknowledging the problem dealing with it head on

    Applying a blanket all tax is nothing but consumer gorging; it's akin to razing the price of cigarettes - after everyone's addicted. The increased economics required may cause a few to knock the habit, but that's a negligible statistic and their not taxing images.google.com. For everyone else, their now shelling out more for the substance they crave. This only serves to further the demand through increased pseudo scarcity.

    The only way to effectively deal with this, is to stop the demand. Pornography is a drug, and we are currently dealing with it as such - by declaring war on it. Instead we must attempt to rectify the situation, same as we should the drug war, by opening up the problem to society. Instead of locking it up, they should be opening it up. Teaching people that it's okay if you have looked at pornography, ultimately it's your choice, but providing communication and help venues for people if they so desire. Making it okay to discuss addiction with friends - coworkers, instead of labeling them as pedo's and sex offenders. Increase communication with parents and teens; anything to raise awareness on the subject and the problems it poses. They should be working towards a society where families actually work through the problem, not just ground the kid and install NetNanny.

    Pseudo locking up a problem, and negligibly reducing access to it - doesn't work. This is obviously a pork/cash grab. Now excuse me while my constituents and I go start our own child service "foundations".