This is exactly the problem my sister had when she got her internet connection (through dial-up) back when Blaster was the top threat. She had no antivirus (in typical n00b fashion), so when she got infected first she tried to download the Microsoft disinfection tool (after calling me for Heeeeellllpp !). But Blaster would restart her computer before the 300kB or so.exe was downloaded. I had to go to her place with the.exe on a CD-RW to put an end to this.
However, I noticed that my AVG Free antivirus definition updates have gotten far smaller (roughly 5-200kB, instead of >500kB a year ago), making it easier for low bandwith users. Yet, major updates of core components of the software are far heavier, so any form of broadband seems better IMHO.
Well iTunes (in France at least, since I live there and haven't checked about their offers for the US) still sticks to the 128k rate, which, as you put it, is definitely crappy, even though they sell you their "improved" (Apple always improves, now don't they?) AAC, which does slightly better than plain ol' mp3 at the same rate. I know only one site that sells 192k mp3 in France (http://www.fnacmusic.com/), but they don't have as many titles available as iTunes has.
Sound quality is still my main objection to purchasing music on the Web... after DRM protection of course. Jobs got everything right once again: after getting people to pay for software to produce content, and refusing people to modify the software to suit their needs, tech companies managed to get us to pay for crappily digitised content that we can't even copy onto the hardware we choose. To me this is pure evil genius, but I will try not to fall into the trap as long as I can find CDs for a decent price.
I'm pretty undecided as to what I should think of this project.
A sort of "Opensource genetics" organisation seems like a good idea at first. The fact that information likely to help researchers is made public is quite a good thing in my view, be it data about genes, the 1958 census of the Uzbek population, or about how many people in Uzbekistan wear jeans.
At least, this is far less freaky than a biotech company getting an "exclusive contract" from the Icelandic parliament to get access to the centralized database of all the Icelandic peoples' genealogical, genetic, and personal medical information. (See details here: http://www.actionbioscience.org/genomic/hlodan.htm l)
Yet, the information published by the Sanger Institute seems to be used mainly by private firms (Quote: "Dotcoms are responsible for about 80% of download each week"). I just wonder whether the Institute assesses these firms' goals before letting them download the data. I wouldn't be too glad to learn that they gave it to companies using genetic engineering for purposes other than medical.
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a drum-machine is an instrument, a synthesizer is an instrument... lots of people make ©rap with drum-machines and synths, but how many make pure sh!t with guitars and violins?
However, I noticed that my AVG Free antivirus definition updates have gotten far smaller (roughly 5-200kB, instead of >500kB a year ago), making it easier for low bandwith users. Yet, major updates of core components of the software are far heavier, so any form of broadband seems better IMHO.
Sound quality is still my main objection to purchasing music on the Web... after DRM protection of course. Jobs got everything right once again: after getting people to pay for software to produce content, and refusing people to modify the software to suit their needs, tech companies managed to get us to pay for crappily digitised content that we can't even copy onto the hardware we choose. To me this is pure evil genius, but I will try not to fall into the trap as long as I can find CDs for a decent price.
I'm pretty undecided as to what I should think of this project.m l)
A sort of "Opensource genetics" organisation seems like a good idea at first. The fact that information likely to help researchers is made public is quite a good thing in my view, be it data about genes, the 1958 census of the Uzbek population, or about how many people in Uzbekistan wear jeans.
At least, this is far less freaky than a biotech company getting an "exclusive contract" from the Icelandic parliament to get access to the centralized database of all the Icelandic peoples' genealogical, genetic, and personal medical information. (See details here: http://www.actionbioscience.org/genomic/hlodan.ht
Yet, the information published by the Sanger Institute seems to be used mainly by private firms (Quote: "Dotcoms are responsible for about 80% of download each week"). I just wonder whether the Institute assesses these firms' goals before letting them download the data. I wouldn't be too glad to learn that they gave it to companies using genetic engineering for purposes other than medical.