This reminds me of a Dilbert comic, which I believe was also mentioned on the "Shuffle playing favorites" story: [Tour of Accounting] Accounting Troll: "Over here we have our random number generator"
Number Generator Troll: "Nine Nine Nine Nine Nine Nine"
Dilbert: "Are you sure that's random?"
Accounting Troll: "That's the problem with randomness: you can never be sure"
Honestly, how can you call something "more random" than something else? The whole concept of randomness is that you cannot predict the next number. Of course, if you have the right algorithm and know the seed, then you can predict all of the numbers that a "random" number generator will generate, just like if you know the position of pi, you can tell what number it will be. There really isn't much of a difference here.
Now, a "really random" number would be generated by taking the time of day down to the millisecond, using that to seed one generator, then use it to seed a different one...ad infinitum. But even then, these could be predicted.
The only real way to have a random number is to get it from something that we truly don't understand, such as the human brain. Tell everyone in a room of 100 people to pick a number, then have a person pick another person in the crowd to pick a number between 1 and 100, and that will be the number of the person to go to for the random number.
Other than that, you're pretty much stuck for a truly random solution. As for using it for encryption, since Pi has an infinite number of decimals, you get an infinite number of keys or whatever, so no matter what random number generator you use, Pi gives you a (relatively) easy way to get long strings of random numbers. It doesn't really matter "how random" it is, as long as it's random at all, or can't be easily cracked.
Halo is still a good game:)
I meant that you could easily run an Ethernet cable to a computer that has a DVD burner. Networking in Macs is as simple as connecting a cable and saying "connectc to server." Not that this actually helps my case. I've never tried networking Windows boxes.
As for "this year's" games, I don't think every game needs to have EVERY effect turned on and model/texture detail on high. All of this year's big-name games will run JUST FINE with some settings tweaked. I run Halo with model detail on medium and no lense flare. Everything else is set to high, except for a few features, which, admittedly, my graphics card does not support.
But really, if you're not a gamer, then eMacs can do everything you need, unless there's some Windows app that you absolutely cannot live without. Anyways, what gamer buys the worst computer that a company offers? The eMac had the lowest specs of any computer Apple was selling at the time, with the exception of the out-of-production iBooks that they were getting out of their inventory.
Heh, I find this funny. I've had an eMac for a year. It plays Halo PC just fine and runs all of my dev, 2D, and 3D tools just fine. The eMac comment was complete bull.
As for offloading data...I guess he's never heard of burning CD's. It isn't the most efficien thing, but if you do have a computer with a DVD burner in addition to it, some CAT5 cable takes care of that problem.
And yes, he conveniently failed to mention the complete lack of spyware and viruses. Typical PC magazine guy.
*cough cough*
on
Security Alert
·
· Score: 1, Interesting
If you want someone to be free of security problems, have them get a Mac. It's the easiest solution.
If anyone here can tell me of an instance of a Mac getting hacked in the last 2 years, tell me and I shall be humbled.
On another note, someone has hacked into my XP box and is using it to watch hamsterdance.com 24/7. It's really eating into my connection...anyone know how to ward off an 8-year-old?
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This reminds me of a Dilbert comic, which I believe was also mentioned on the "Shuffle playing favorites" story:
[Tour of Accounting]
Accounting Troll: "Over here we have our random number generator"
Number Generator Troll: "Nine Nine Nine Nine Nine Nine"
Dilbert: "Are you sure that's random?"
Accounting Troll: "That's the problem with randomness: you can never be sure"
Honestly, how can you call something "more random" than something else? The whole concept of randomness is that you cannot predict the next number. Of course, if you have the right algorithm and know the seed, then you can predict all of the numbers that a "random" number generator will generate, just like if you know the position of pi, you can tell what number it will be. There really isn't much of a difference here.
Now, a "really random" number would be generated by taking the time of day down to the millisecond, using that to seed one generator, then use it to seed a different one...ad infinitum. But even then, these could be predicted.
The only real way to have a random number is to get it from something that we truly don't understand, such as the human brain. Tell everyone in a room of 100 people to pick a number, then have a person pick another person in the crowd to pick a number between 1 and 100, and that will be the number of the person to go to for the random number.
Other than that, you're pretty much stuck for a truly random solution. As for using it for encryption, since Pi has an infinite number of decimals, you get an infinite number of keys or whatever, so no matter what random number generator you use, Pi gives you a (relatively) easy way to get long strings of random numbers. It doesn't really matter "how random" it is, as long as it's random at all, or can't be easily cracked.
I've never turned on my firewall or had antivirus software. Never had a problem at all. Never.
Of course, someone here is probably going to find my IP and hack me now...oh well. It was fun while it lasted.
I wish I could read "security threat reports" from some company other than one that sells security software.
Halo is still a good game :)
I meant that you could easily run an Ethernet cable to a computer that has a DVD burner. Networking in Macs is as simple as connecting a cable and saying "connectc to server." Not that this actually helps my case. I've never tried networking Windows boxes.
As for "this year's" games, I don't think every game needs to have EVERY effect turned on and model/texture detail on high. All of this year's big-name games will run JUST FINE with some settings tweaked. I run Halo with model detail on medium and no lense flare. Everything else is set to high, except for a few features, which, admittedly, my graphics card does not support.
But really, if you're not a gamer, then eMacs can do everything you need, unless there's some Windows app that you absolutely cannot live without. Anyways, what gamer buys the worst computer that a company offers? The eMac had the lowest specs of any computer Apple was selling at the time, with the exception of the out-of-production iBooks that they were getting out of their inventory.
Heh, I find this funny. I've had an eMac for a year. It plays Halo PC just fine and runs all of my dev, 2D, and 3D tools just fine. The eMac comment was complete bull. As for offloading data...I guess he's never heard of burning CD's. It isn't the most efficien thing, but if you do have a computer with a DVD burner in addition to it, some CAT5 cable takes care of that problem. And yes, he conveniently failed to mention the complete lack of spyware and viruses. Typical PC magazine guy.
If you want someone to be free of security problems, have them get a Mac. It's the easiest solution. If anyone here can tell me of an instance of a Mac getting hacked in the last 2 years, tell me and I shall be humbled. On another note, someone has hacked into my XP box and is using it to watch hamsterdance.com 24/7. It's really eating into my connection...anyone know how to ward off an 8-year-old?