I like the way a couple of vulnerabilities makes OS X just as insecure as Windows. There's a difference between a smart hacker who's found a bug to exploit and the 140,000 or so viruses that regularly devastate Windows, mostly written by 14 year old script kiddies.
I'll also draw a line at exploits where you need to be sitting at the keyboard with the administrator password.
I looked into this because my FTP server was getting the dictionary thrown at it (happens regularly to that and everything else). Using ARIN, APNIC traceroute etc, I kept coming up with XO local IP addresses with Beijing physical addresses.
Does anyone know anything about this link? Does anyone else think it could possibly be a security issue? I'm going to ACL their asses right off my network if they don't knock it off.
It's ironic but the natural choice for these massive data centers is to use free software - their own. And they're bewildered why everyone else wants to use free software. Hmmph.
I found a great way to deal with the "sales-pitch-when-you're-trying-to-cancel-service" routine...
Tangential to this is dealing with Telemarketers. I do the "We Don't Use That" method which I found on the Internet somewhere - and it works:
TM: How much copier toner do you need today? ME: We don't use copiers. TM: You don't? How about printers? ME: We don't print anything either. Not one printer here. TM: Oh... Ok, then have a nice day.
TM: You've won 4 days and 3 nights at Time Share Harbor in Orlando. ME: Sorry, I can't travel. I'm under house arrest for the next eight years. TM: Oh... uh... sorry to bother you. Goodbye.
TM: Hi, I'm with MegaTeleNet and we can aggregate all your phone and Internet services ME: We don't use Internet and this is a payphone. TM: Don't use Internet? How does your business survive without Internet? ME: Don't need it - all of our customers are walk-ins. TM: Oh... sorry to bother you. Goodbye.
TM: Hi, we can save your business thousands of dollars with our new light bulbs. ME: We don't use light bulbs here. TM: You don't? How do you see anything? ME: Everything here is natural lighting and we leave at dusk. TM: Oh... sorry to bother you. Have a nice day.
TM: Would you like to save a bundle on long distance? ME: We don't use any long distance service. TM: You don't make any long distance calls? ME: No, all of our customers are local. TM: Oh... sorry to bother you.
Of course the correct answer to the last one is "We use Skype."
That, unfortunately, is becoming the norm with MegaCorps. Verizon is the same way [lets get them next].
You know all those people following the Verizon guy around - "The Network"? I think I get transferred to every one of them just to get a bill straightened out or a service changed. If you want to add a phone line, they'll get you one that afternoon, but forget about anything looking like good service.
The Verizon Techs themselves are great, by the way.
Intentionally or not - you're trolling. How did you get a Flamebait sticker? That was a reasonable set of responses. Anyway: 1) Yeah but usually the Reader plugin comes up at 400% with just the top of the document showing and you have to size it to read it - silly thing. 2) I know, but it's too bad you have to use AdBlock. Imagine if there were six RealPlayer movies playing on every web page - you'd have to use RealBlock and everyone would complain about RealPlayer (more than they do). 3) The download is fine, even if it is a few '00 MB - the updater takes its time loading things I have little interest in like Adobe AIR, putting the Reader plugin back in. You can hear it digging through your hard drive. Ick. 4) The camera and mic is turned off... or is it? Some malware infested ad might be able to turn them on.
How exactly is it the worst company ever to supply software for the web. Here's my short list:
1) Adobe Reader takes too long to launch compared to other software. People moan when they encounter a PDF on the web. 2) Flash (yes, they own it now) is a resource hog when visiting web sites with only a few ads. Enough already. 3) If you have the Adobe CS3 suites, you'll come to HATE the update agent... slow, intrusive, frequent. 4) I'm always removing the Adobe reader Plugin from my browser after a CS3 upgrade. I don't want the damned thing in there. 5) Right click a banner ad and look at Settings. I don't like my camera and microphone being a choice there.
I wouldn't call it the WORST company... Adobe didn't make IE. That said, I get a lot of good use out of Adobe products, but sheesh... it can be the most sluggish stuff you'll ever use.
Very quick on the SNL reference! Kudos. I had forgotten about that.
We'll run a story in a few days about the ridiculously overpowered new hardware we have now... ...so that only Slashdot can't be Slashdotted, I'm sure.
These days, installing Microsoft *anything* is irresponsible. If you're going to use a DRM (all the adopted ones are proprietary), at least push one that works on 99% of the platforms instead of 80%. Put it on iTunes or wind up like all the "Plays For Sure" suckers did. Is there a supportable, platform agnostic DRM available for the movie industry? At least meet them half way so we can do this - then take them down later.
If there was a percentage option, most people would look at video games and say "I'll take my money up front, thanks" and be bitter about their poor choice after the project hits paydirt.
Well, I do know people who dislike Macs. Not many, at least among those who've actually used them, but they still do exist. They're definitely out there and everyone has their own reasons. The point of "actually used them" is the key. If there are valid reasons to declare any system unfit for you [current or legacy compatibility, price, flexibility etc] then that's fine. Use something else. The handful of people I've encountered who do not like Macs either:
(1) won't allow themselves to work with one for more than 30 seconds per lifetime (2) worked with one ten years ago and choose to retain that benchmark (3) found their computer expertise obsolete on it (4) spent so much time ridiculing the Mac that they'd lose significant social face (5) encountered misbehaving or badly configured machines and choose to assume they're all like that
Those are all juvenile reasons to not like anything. There are probably other reasons but those are the bulk of them. Only lately have there been people with Vista exposure which may explain some of the uptick in Mac sales. Most switchers I know did so starting well before Vista.
For windows users using Mac programs is extremely painful and unintuitive and I'm sure the same is true the other way around. I haven't heard that out of the 60-some people I've introduced to Macs. Everyone is used to menu driven things and take to anything new very quickly. My experience says you just show new users the differences and within a short time they're buying a Mac for themselves. Why? Not because it's shiny or anything but because OS X isn't nearly as needy as Windows.
The Dell is a rat's nest. I find that hard to believe. I'm going by the photos available on the Dell web site and looking inside the HP xw8600 workstations here compared to the Mac Pros here. The Dell is the raw sheet metal and a cable maze with parts jammed in everywhere. The Mac Pro is beautiful inside. It has the best access and ease of upgrade I've seen. The drive carriers (included) are fabulous.
I was under the impression that it was an artificial limitation that kept it from running on G4s that were slower than 867 MHz... True. I've put Leopard on G4s slower than 867MHz by using FireWire target mode. If you have a machine capable of installing Leopard, hook your target machine to it with FireWire and load it that way.
Go to your Apple store, and tell me what product falls inbetween a MacPro & an iMac. Now, there's something everyone agrees on, AC - PC and Mac heads both point to the same hole in the spectrum. If Apple was as smart as they appear to be (not always, mind you) then they'd fill that hole with a mini tower with a couple expansion slots. Price it like the Mini or less and they'd sell like hotcakes.
I just bought four of those "edge case" machines. If anyone starts talking about machine performance and price in the same breath, performance doesn't have anything to do with the $399 desktop which gets referenced. That's why I pulled that example out. Certainly, if you want cheap, get a commodity PC.
On your laptop example, the 17" Mac Book Pro is also an "edge case". I wouldn't buy one, either. Most people get the plain Mac Book for 30% the cost of that thing. Never buy RAM from Apple. Even they tell you that. That took the price up higher than it should have. Also, don't forget the bigger battery, optical audio I/O, Gigabit Ethernet, FireWire 800 and Bluetooth. It's harder to compare when there isn't bolt-for-blot feature parity but those are things I use. Some of that isn't even an option on the Dell, but then the Dell has a Flash card reader. Woohoo. The Mac is also thinner and lighter than the Dell which is where the cost is going. Still not worth it for me.
Look at the Apple Refurb area. You can save $800 on that class of machine.
We had a closet full of Dell Inspirons which fell apart in under two years, some in 8 months. Yeah, we sent them in for service but they were never right. They're junk, frankly, and we abandoned them because they weren't worth it. We also have a bunch of 4-6 year old Macs which we're selling to staff because they still work.
Sure, you've got a cheaper PC listed alright but I wouldn't give it the time of day for it. Windows has become a useless slug.
First, go to the Dell web site and spec out a machine like the 8 core MacPro 3.2GHz. Apple Retail = $4,399. Dell T7400 = $6,338. (Don't forget the 512MB GeForce 8800 equivalent). Does the Dell have two independent 1.6 GHz busses or just one? I can't tell from the specs. The Mac Pro has two.
Second, look at how you install hardware in the two of them, like drives. The Dell is a rat's nest. The Mac Pro has carriers that slide the SATA drive straight into the logic board. No cables. The hardware certainly feels a lot better.
If I could get the equivalent performance and reliability from a commodity PC for less money, it might be worth it. Comparing new Macs and new PCs tells me that isn't going to happen with this generation of equipment.
...broadcast device transfers encrypted information regarding the user to the plurality of other users and devices... further comprising:encrypting the information when communicated beyond the user; and verifying the authentication and authorization properties of recipients before communicating the information to the recipients Relax... it's just a Zune... so nobody will buy one anyway.
Is it really possible to improve screens further, in a way that's visible to the naked eye?
Just as in audio where quantizing becomes a problem only in very low level passages, fine greyscale, especially in the blackest image areas, will benefit from more bits/pixel.
For example, an ordinary CD (16 bits) can sound rather gritty on quiet recordings such as the low level passages of classical music. That's because you're probably only using two or three bits of sample depth down there. To combat the issue, 24 bit audio will elevate the sample depth everywhere but will show itself best at low levels. Dither (essentially noise) is used to randomize and mask the problem, but that's a cheat.
In video, fine greyscale performance comes from higher bit depth per pixel and is visible throughout the entire luminance range. The issue shows itself on flat (un-textured) areas with minute lighting changes across the surface, like a softly lit painted wall. You'll see annular rings on the surface as the bit values step through their range. Again, dither may be used to randomize the quantized transitions.
24 bit video is really 8 bits per primary color - so it's not that good to start with. In professional application, it's not unusual to work with 10 bit [per channel] or even up to 16 bit[per channel] images, mostly to be more friendly to post production.
Fortunately, analog humans are fairly blind to minute color changes. Unfortunately, our system of digital video happily shows you everything wrong with it.
Is it possible that Microsoft was downplaying it to lessen the effects? Microsoft will certainly take security to the next level:
"Are you sure you want to poison the DNS stub resolver cache? Allow or Deny." That'll fix it.
Slashdot Mirror
I like the way a couple of vulnerabilities makes OS X just as insecure as Windows. There's a difference between a smart hacker who's found a bug to exploit and the 140,000 or so viruses that regularly devastate Windows, mostly written by 14 year old script kiddies.
I'll also draw a line at exploits where you need to be sitting at the keyboard with the administrator password.
It probably is that straightforward. XO Communications, the U.S. ISP, apparently supplies a 2.5Gbps pipeline directly to the U.S. from China The bastards are using this link to try and hack us.
I looked into this because my FTP server was getting the dictionary thrown at it (happens regularly to that and everything else). Using ARIN, APNIC traceroute etc, I kept coming up with XO local IP addresses with Beijing physical addresses.
Does anyone know anything about this link? Does anyone else think it could possibly be a security issue? I'm going to ACL their asses right off my network if they don't knock it off.
The **AA will start suing everyone to get control over this:
"Access Denied - You are not the purchaser of these media files and may not listen/view them. Ever"
Ray Ozzie gets paid how much to do WHAT???
It's ironic but the natural choice for these massive data centers is to use free software - their own. And they're bewildered why everyone else wants to use free software. Hmmph.
Tangential to this is dealing with Telemarketers. I do the "We Don't Use That" method which I found on the Internet somewhere - and it works:
TM: How much copier toner do you need today?
ME: We don't use copiers.
TM: You don't? How about printers?
ME: We don't print anything either. Not one printer here.
TM: Oh... Ok, then have a nice day.
TM: You've won 4 days and 3 nights at Time Share Harbor in Orlando.
ME: Sorry, I can't travel. I'm under house arrest for the next eight years.
TM: Oh... uh... sorry to bother you. Goodbye.
TM: Hi, I'm with MegaTeleNet and we can aggregate all your phone and Internet services
ME: We don't use Internet and this is a payphone.
TM: Don't use Internet? How does your business survive without Internet?
ME: Don't need it - all of our customers are walk-ins.
TM: Oh... sorry to bother you. Goodbye.
TM: Hi, we can save your business thousands of dollars with our new light bulbs.
ME: We don't use light bulbs here.
TM: You don't? How do you see anything?
ME: Everything here is natural lighting and we leave at dusk.
TM: Oh... sorry to bother you. Have a nice day.
TM: Would you like to save a bundle on long distance?
ME: We don't use any long distance service.
TM: You don't make any long distance calls?
ME: No, all of our customers are local.
TM: Oh... sorry to bother you.
Of course the correct answer to the last one is "We use Skype."
That, unfortunately, is becoming the norm with MegaCorps. Verizon is the same way [lets get them next].
You know all those people following the Verizon guy around - "The Network"? I think I get transferred to every one of them just to get a bill straightened out or a service changed. If you want to add a phone line, they'll get you one that afternoon, but forget about anything looking like good service.
The Verizon Techs themselves are great, by the way.
1) Yeah but usually the Reader plugin comes up at 400% with just the top of the document showing and you have to size it to read it - silly thing.
2) I know, but it's too bad you have to use AdBlock. Imagine if there were six RealPlayer movies playing on every web page - you'd have to use RealBlock and everyone would complain about RealPlayer (more than they do).
3) The download is fine, even if it is a few '00 MB - the updater takes its time loading things I have little interest in like Adobe AIR, putting the Reader plugin back in. You can hear it digging through your hard drive. Ick.
4) The camera and mic is turned off... or is it? Some malware infested ad might be able to turn them on.
1) Adobe Reader takes too long to launch compared to other software. People moan when they encounter a PDF on the web.
2) Flash (yes, they own it now) is a resource hog when visiting web sites with only a few ads. Enough already.
3) If you have the Adobe CS3 suites, you'll come to HATE the update agent... slow, intrusive, frequent.
4) I'm always removing the Adobe reader Plugin from my browser after a CS3 upgrade. I don't want the damned thing in there.
5) Right click a banner ad and look at Settings. I don't like my camera and microphone being a choice there.
I wouldn't call it the WORST company... Adobe didn't make IE. That said, I get a lot of good use out of Adobe products, but sheesh... it can be the most sluggish stuff you'll ever use.
Simple - take a BIG HAMMER to his computer.
These days, installing Microsoft *anything* is irresponsible. If you're going to use a DRM (all the adopted ones are proprietary), at least push one that works on 99% of the platforms instead of 80%. Put it on iTunes or wind up like all the "Plays For Sure" suckers did. Is there a supportable, platform agnostic DRM available for the movie industry? At least meet them half way so we can do this - then take them down later.
If there was a percentage option, most people would look at video games and say "I'll take my money up front, thanks" and be bitter about their poor choice after the project hits paydirt.
(1) won't allow themselves to work with one for more than 30 seconds per lifetime
(2) worked with one ten years ago and choose to retain that benchmark
(3) found their computer expertise obsolete on it
(4) spent so much time ridiculing the Mac that they'd lose significant social face
(5) encountered misbehaving or badly configured machines and choose to assume they're all like that
Those are all juvenile reasons to not like anything. There are probably other reasons but those are the bulk of them. Only lately have there been people with Vista exposure which may explain some of the uptick in Mac sales. Most switchers I know did so starting well before Vista.
Just another content provider trying to restrict our lawful rights. Nothing less.
I just bought four of those "edge case" machines. If anyone starts talking about machine performance and price in the same breath, performance doesn't have anything to do with the $399 desktop which gets referenced. That's why I pulled that example out. Certainly, if you want cheap, get a commodity PC.
On your laptop example, the 17" Mac Book Pro is also an "edge case". I wouldn't buy one, either. Most people get the plain Mac Book for 30% the cost of that thing. Never buy RAM from Apple. Even they tell you that. That took the price up higher than it should have. Also, don't forget the bigger battery, optical audio I/O, Gigabit Ethernet, FireWire 800 and Bluetooth. It's harder to compare when there isn't bolt-for-blot feature parity but those are things I use. Some of that isn't even an option on the Dell, but then the Dell has a Flash card reader. Woohoo. The Mac is also thinner and lighter than the Dell which is where the cost is going. Still not worth it for me.
Look at the Apple Refurb area. You can save $800 on that class of machine.
We had a closet full of Dell Inspirons which fell apart in under two years, some in 8 months. Yeah, we sent them in for service but they were never right. They're junk, frankly, and we abandoned them because they weren't worth it. We also have a bunch of 4-6 year old Macs which we're selling to staff because they still work.
Sure, you've got a cheaper PC listed alright but I wouldn't give it the time of day for it. Windows has become a useless slug.
First, go to the Dell web site and spec out a machine like the 8 core MacPro 3.2GHz. Apple Retail = $4,399. Dell T7400 = $6,338. (Don't forget the 512MB GeForce 8800 equivalent). Does the Dell have two independent 1.6 GHz busses or just one? I can't tell from the specs. The Mac Pro has two.
Second, look at how you install hardware in the two of them, like drives. The Dell is a rat's nest. The Mac Pro has carriers that slide the SATA drive straight into the logic board. No cables. The hardware certainly feels a lot better.
If I could get the equivalent performance and reliability from a commodity PC for less money, it might be worth it. Comparing new Macs and new PCs tells me that isn't going to happen with this generation of equipment.
...broadcast device transfers encrypted information regarding the user to the plurality of other users and devices... further comprising:encrypting the information when communicated beyond the user; and verifying the authentication and authorization properties of recipients before communicating the information to the recipients Relax... it's just a Zune... so nobody will buy one anyway.Now we have to figure out how to block this too? Thanks Bill.
Just as in audio where quantizing becomes a problem only in very low level passages, fine greyscale, especially in the blackest image areas, will benefit from more bits/pixel.
For example, an ordinary CD (16 bits) can sound rather gritty on quiet recordings such as the low level passages of classical music. That's because you're probably only using two or three bits of sample depth down there. To combat the issue, 24 bit audio will elevate the sample depth everywhere but will show itself best at low levels. Dither (essentially noise) is used to randomize and mask the problem, but that's a cheat.
In video, fine greyscale performance comes from higher bit depth per pixel and is visible throughout the entire luminance range. The issue shows itself on flat (un-textured) areas with minute lighting changes across the surface, like a softly lit painted wall. You'll see annular rings on the surface as the bit values step through their range. Again, dither may be used to randomize the quantized transitions.
24 bit video is really 8 bits per primary color - so it's not that good to start with. In professional application, it's not unusual to work with 10 bit [per channel] or even up to 16 bit[per channel] images, mostly to be more friendly to post production.
Fortunately, analog humans are fairly blind to minute color changes. Unfortunately, our system of digital video happily shows you everything wrong with it.
"Are you sure you want to poison the DNS stub resolver cache? Allow or Deny."
That'll fix it.