This hurts, especially for people like me who like keeping a few older machines running, but I can see why they would do it. As much as I love running old hardware with the best software possible, these days anyone keeping a W95 or 98 box running for nerd purposes could just as easily throw a lite Linux install together for it.
It is a bit sad for our grandparents who've been running the same old machine for AOL purposes since the stone age, but it's high time we built them some new Athlon boxes anyhow. Plus, once updated we could get them into some new technological wonders.
This is remarkably like an article I once wrote about how to make a fission generator with stuff lying around the house. It turns out not everyone else has the same stuff lying around the house as me.
I'm a bit confused by the lack of bulky NiCad batteries and a highly dirt-susceptible rollerball pointing device, to complete the fifteen-years-ago form factor they were obviously struggling for.
I don't know about that.. even if it was random, I'd guess anyone techie enough to chop-shop stolen PCs is probably also educated enough to know when the data on them is insanely valuable. Just one or two stolen identities could probably net a savvy criminal a hundred times what they sell off the computer for, and there are interests out there that would pay tons more for just the HD off that military PC.
I've worked at and managed businesses. Doing a little extra accounts-payable for Slappy's Bait Shop, Inc. or Roy's Gerbil Grooming, LLC. is one thing, but involving things like identifying info on this scale - for the US Military, no less! - is just mind-boggling, and the official had no business putting that much at risk for an extra half-hour of lunch or whatever.
Did they ever find out why this official had the info on his home PC to begin with? What possible legitimate use could there be for info like this outside the office?
TFA: Bryan Whitman, a Pentagon spokesman, said, "We want to encourage service members to be vigilant and carefully monitor their personal information and any statements related to recent financial transactions."
Great, as if they didn't have enough to deal with. I can just picture some soldier under mortar fire in Iraq, trying to load a rifle with one hand while juggling a cellphone on hold with American Express in the other hand..
I'm not sure if I'd want my messages from bill collectors, weary clients, complaining neighbors, telemarketers, and my mom read to me in a sexy anything. There are some potential automatic psychological associations one simply does not require for a full life.
So is Cleopatra more closely related to Proteus or Colossus? Just so we can anticipate whether the abject horror will be on a personal or multinational scale.
The MPAA film ratings bureau is made up of representatives of the actual film industry to decide what is okay for films aimed at whom, in order to avoid government-regulated censorship. In that respect (minus all the other political lobbying and bullshit it's into) it's not that far off from the ESRB.
So, what are the laws on the books regarding adult-rated movies? If indeed it's illegal to let an unescorted child into an R film (and not just voluntary industry policy) why not adopt something similar and legally enforce the ESRB ratings on games? The alternative is for the ESRB to give way to a government censorship system of some kind, and if that happens games will have taken a huge step backward that films took forward generations ago.
No kidding, "The University of Western Australia Murdoch University"? I think somebody missed a comma.
Actually, the place was named after the famous philosopher, Western A. M. University. Mr. University never did like his full name and insisted they not use the whole thing, but by that time the plaques had already been made and it would have been a huge expense to redo them.
Ultimately, U.S. companies in China face a choice: comply with Chinese law, or leave.
Most of my quick responses to this boil down to "Then LEAVE," but the money is so shiny, isn't it? In any case, the whole letter is interesting, and is worth reading TFA if you haven't yet.
My mom likes VHS, but her collection isn't growing as rapidly as it once did since they aren't making as many of the things anymore. Once either HD-DVD or Blu-Ray win standard status, a generation or so down the line, will they still be making new DVDs which will just get more and more pirateable as desktop tech progresses? In any case I think they're fighting over our children's money more than ours at this point.
Freaking astronauts, driving their moon buggies around at all hours of the night, blasting the "2001" theme... Don't turn your back on 'em, they'll stick a flag in ya!
Slashdot Mirror
Surely they mean the anti-malware industry?
This hurts, especially for people like me who like keeping a few older machines running, but I can see why they would do it. As much as I love running old hardware with the best software possible, these days anyone keeping a W95 or 98 box running for nerd purposes could just as easily throw a lite Linux install together for it.
It is a bit sad for our grandparents who've been running the same old machine for AOL purposes since the stone age, but it's high time we built them some new Athlon boxes anyhow. Plus, once updated we could get them into some new technological wonders.
This is remarkably like an article I once wrote about how to make a fission generator with stuff lying around the house. It turns out not everyone else has the same stuff lying around the house as me.
Grrr.. you've won this round, $RANDOMLUSER! Until next time...
/me drops a smokebomb and vanishes into the night
Goodness, gracious!
...sorry.
I'm a bit confused by the lack of bulky NiCad batteries and a highly dirt-susceptible rollerball pointing device, to complete the fifteen-years-ago form factor they were obviously struggling for.
Excellent! Throw in an eight-year-old boy, a puppydog, a jewel heist, and a moral lesson, and John Hughes will be banging the door down!
I don't know about that.. even if it was random, I'd guess anyone techie enough to chop-shop stolen PCs is probably also educated enough to know when the data on them is insanely valuable. Just one or two stolen identities could probably net a savvy criminal a hundred times what they sell off the computer for, and there are interests out there that would pay tons more for just the HD off that military PC.
I've worked at and managed businesses. Doing a little extra accounts-payable for Slappy's Bait Shop, Inc. or Roy's Gerbil Grooming, LLC. is one thing, but involving things like identifying info on this scale - for the US Military, no less! - is just mind-boggling, and the official had no business putting that much at risk for an extra half-hour of lunch or whatever.
Did they ever find out why this official had the info on his home PC to begin with? What possible legitimate use could there be for info like this outside the office?
TFA: Bryan Whitman, a Pentagon spokesman, said, "We want to encourage service members to be vigilant and carefully monitor their personal information and any statements related to recent financial transactions."
Great, as if they didn't have enough to deal with. I can just picture some soldier under mortar fire in Iraq, trying to load a rifle with one hand while juggling a cellphone on hold with American Express in the other hand..
This is just more proof that evil hacker tools like Windows Sound Recorder are killing the music industry and should be banned.
I'm not sure if I'd want my messages from bill collectors, weary clients, complaining neighbors, telemarketers, and my mom read to me in a sexy anything. There are some potential automatic psychological associations one simply does not require for a full life.
So is Cleopatra more closely related to Proteus or Colossus? Just so we can anticipate whether the abject horror will be on a personal or multinational scale.
It's inspiring! Remind me to bake these poor souls a cake... with a Game & Watch hidden inside it.
The MPAA film ratings bureau is made up of representatives of the actual film industry to decide what is okay for films aimed at whom, in order to avoid government-regulated censorship. In that respect (minus all the other political lobbying and bullshit it's into) it's not that far off from the ESRB.
So, what are the laws on the books regarding adult-rated movies? If indeed it's illegal to let an unescorted child into an R film (and not just voluntary industry policy) why not adopt something similar and legally enforce the ESRB ratings on games? The alternative is for the ESRB to give way to a government censorship system of some kind, and if that happens games will have taken a huge step backward that films took forward generations ago.
This is obviously sone new definition of "hilarious" that we weren't previously made aware of.
Reinstall Slashdot? (Y/N/M)
Actually, the place was named after the famous philosopher, Western A. M. University. Mr. University never did like his full name and insisted they not use the whole thing, but by that time the plaques had already been made and it would have been a huge expense to redo them.
Better late than never!
Ultimately, U.S. companies in China face a choice: comply with Chinese law, or leave.
Most of my quick responses to this boil down to "Then LEAVE," but the money is so shiny, isn't it? In any case, the whole letter is interesting, and is worth reading TFA if you haven't yet.
in 3.. 2.. 1..
My mom likes VHS, but her collection isn't growing as rapidly as it once did since they aren't making as many of the things anymore. Once either HD-DVD or Blu-Ray win standard status, a generation or so down the line, will they still be making new DVDs which will just get more and more pirateable as desktop tech progresses? In any case I think they're fighting over our children's money more than ours at this point.
Do they make grains of salt big enough for the Inquirer? "Look at me, grain the size of a planet..."
Freaking astronauts, driving their moon buggies around at all hours of the night, blasting the "2001" theme... Don't turn your back on 'em, they'll stick a flag in ya!