Slashdot Mirror


User: Martin+S.

Martin+S.'s activity in the archive.

Stories
0
Comments
837
First seen
Last seen
Profile
(view on slashdot.org)

Comments · 837

  1. UK Sunday Press on Sendo vs. Microsoft: The Truth Comes Out · · Score: 5, Informative

    Over the Week-end this was plastered all over the UK's Broadsheets (quality) news papers in the last few day; and not technology sections but in the Business. The damage to Microsoft's reputation for bad-faith with the 'Captains of Industry' from this episode will be profound.

    There is also refuge for Sendo in UK bankruptcy laws, where Creditors have an incredible amount of power in the say of the winding up of a company. There are two forms, Administration, a private sector accountant is appointed to take over running of the business. He has absolute authority in to persue the Creditors best interests, even if the only real assets are IP, bad debts and damages. In this fails the next step is Insolvency, Government investigators from the DTI investigate why the business failed, have criminal investigative powers and can sequestrate assets of bad debtors, and prosecute offenders. If Sendo do go bust that is only the start of Microsoft problems.

  2. Walking out on W3C on Act Now To Sidestep A W3C Patent Pitfall · · Score: 2

    We've gotten the best policy that we can get from W3C without having the members walk off to another organization that lets them do what they want with their patents.

    I think we should be told who is threaterning to walk away from W3C?

    I find it very difficult to believe that a threat to walk away from W3C is anything other that a bluff, even (especially) the biggest players can not afford to walk away. History has twice proven proven that even a dominant supplier is not bigger than open standards.

  3. Assumptions on Apple Accuses Worker of Leaks · · Score: 2

    He broke an NDA point blank,

    How do you know he broke an NDA? whilst likely there is nothing in the article to confirm this.

    it doesn't matter if it hurt sales or not

    If they suffered any harm or damage is the fundamental issue.

  4. metallurgy , disaster recover & history on Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines · · Score: 3, Insightful

    the lamest explanation they could use.

    It likely the arm of a Terminator contains some distributed neural processing capability consider the Terminator equivalent of muscle memory particularly part of a 'learning machine/computer' with redundant systems and fail-over capability.

    The idea of Cyberdyne using off-site disaster recover or fire safe backup vault are also very credible.

    Building Terminators requires advances in metallurgy.

    There is also the unsettled issue of a batch of steel containing some highly unusually elements, or a part of the liquid metal terminator surviving. There are several clues that detached liquid metal is somewhat autonomous but with reduced effectiveness, how can we be sure it is all accounted for ?

    If a T-800 can self repair it is likely a T-1000 Liquid metal terminator can also, perhaps this is become SkyNet.

    The final point is that we as outside observers know that despite their best efforts, the future is already set. It cannot be changed, otherwise a cause and effect paradox arises. The idea that the heroes can change anything is an error in their knowledge or percecption.

    All that has happened IS history. The T1 & T2 stories, the future fall, the fight for survival, and ultimatly John's victory have already happened.

  5. Criscist on Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines · · Score: 2

    Oh and by the way, this evil Sky-Net thing you killed in the last movie, it didn't die.

    This gives a whole new spin on Disaster Recovery planning.

  6. T3 will be *really* difficult to write on Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines · · Score: 2

    I just watched the trailer and am quite disappointed! ...

    I have to agree, the only problem is that if this bomb's for lack of originality, as seems likely, we are unlikely to ever see the *real* T3.

    Mr. Cameron, I thought you could do better then that.

    However, it must be considered that after the beginning that is really the middle; a middle that is really the end, writing the ending that is really the middle, keeping the suspense alive *and* avoiding major parodox problems must be *really* difficult.

  7. Re:reasons on DSL Rising · · Score: 2

    Cable isn't a ring, it's a tree-and-branch.

    Probably in the WAN backbone, but wrong in this context. each branch in a modern cable infrastucture are typically a star wired ring, physically they appear to be a star, logically they operate like a ring.

    xDSL has contention at the DSLAM, not the backbone.

    Same difference, the DSLAM fronts up the MAN backbone. If a network is contended at the DSLAM, it's a pretty poor quality build out.

  8. Re:Cable is not *Better* on DSL Rising · · Score: 2

    The xDSL runs only the 'final mile' from the exchange (DSLAM) to the customer, the WAN backbone of xDSL providers are also fibre therefore can also exploit the same improvements in fibre technology for the backbone as Cable operators.

    The DSL providers won't be able to offer much more than the current 2Mb over their copper loops.

    That is a choked rate. We already achieve a minimum 4.5Mbps with our ADSL infrastucture. Through the provision of 'active street cabinets' we can raise that min to 8Mbps to the customer. xDSL is a family of fairly undeveloped technology, with some alternatives achieving 80Mbps.

    My long term money will be on the Cable Companies.

    In the very long term there will be no difference. xDSL providers will continue to shorten that 'final-mile' until they provide fibre to the home. However the network difference are likely to remain. Topological and xDSL providers using IP and Cable companies using their existing divergent transport protocols.

    someone can fill in the correct calculations required to get an idea of the bandwidth available per fibre.

    The really depends on the OC rating of the network a existing build will likely be OC 24-48 at 1.2-2.4Gbps.

  9. Video on Demand on DSL Rising · · Score: 2

    ... at least 50 cable modem subscribers just in my subdivision. And, probably one fourth of those 50 are high bandwidth users; gamers, work at home, home servers, etc.

    I said that cable was not really suitable for large scale role-out of Internet access or video on demand services. On our ADSL infrastrasture (www.kitv.co.uk) every consumer has a defacto PVC and can view Video on Demand to a STB and use Broadband IP for Internet access simultatniously. Cable infrastucture was not designed to support a PVC to every customer.

  10. Not water problem on DSL Rising · · Score: 2

    the response is simply "it's raining, that's normal".

    That is not normal. Demand the installation of a new clean drop cable.

    I work for a telco (www.kcom.com) that uses ADSL extensively for this project (www.kitv.co.uk); we a amoungst the worlds leading experts in xDSL deployment. We regularly obtain 8Mbps links at 3Km line runs. We conducted tests of the copper & bridges totally immersed and the cross talk was actually reduced. (The physicists concluded the frequency was to high to overcome the resistance and the water therefore acted as additional shielding against crosstalk.) The issue is much more likely to be crosstalk, RF interference, or poor quality drops.

    DSL runs over ordinary telephone lines which were not designed to carry high bandwidth data.

    Wrong. xDSL IS designed to carry high frequency data over telephone lines. It uses the coppers full capacity whereas a voice or anologue modem only uses a ~14Khz.

  11. Cable is not *Better* on DSL Rising · · Score: 2

    cable IS better

    Cable is not *better*

    It is fine for broadcast but it is not really suitable for large scale role-out of Internet access or video on demand services. It local ring suffers too much contention for for these service.

    XDSL is particularly suited to Internet access or video on demand services.

    fact that Cable is Faster

    Cable is not *faster*.

    Modern Digital Cable systems may use fibre for the ring, making it faster than a single DSL line, however that connection is contended.

    In DSL each subscriber has their own dedicated line which is only contended at the DSLAM (DSL access multiplexer), where it is connected to the Internet backbone.

    Like most topics it is a matter of horses for courses.

  12. Re:Building on the existing infrastructure on DSL Rising · · Score: 2

    DSL needs either fiber or at least better than two-wire phone line?

    No xDSL (Digital subscriber line/loop) uses the existing twisted copper pair of the phone line. It was designed to exploit the fact that voice uses only a very narrow 14k band in those wires. xDSL exploits the rest for data.

  13. reasons on DSL Rising · · Score: 5, Informative


    Two main reasons

    1) Network topology. Cable is a ring, so all the consumers are sharing the bandwidth, the local connection forms the bottle neck. xDSL is star, each customer has exclusive use until the backbone. It suffers less contention. This benefits the consumer.

    2) Cost. Cable expensive to install, you need to install a new cable ring and new run to each subscriber. XDSL operate of the existing twisted copper pair of the local loop. This benefits the ISP.

    AIH, We are rolling out a broadband Interactive DTV using IP over ADSL because of these advantage.

  14. Re:Dangerous Precedent on Dutch Case Says Email Harvesting Illegal · · Score: 4, Insightful

    How many of you would like to be bound to an EULA even if you didn't click an 'I agree'?

    This comment is miss-representative, it is not comparable; If this was not moderated as interesting I would have labled it a troll and moved on. However; somebody using an email harvester has deliberately and wilfully circumventing typical and widely known terms of service.

    This would be the same as somebody using an automated script to accept a EULA for them; or installing from an image rather than the official installer programme and thereby circumvented an 'I agree' click-through. Then ignoring the terms of the EULA and stating then never saw or accepted them; and therefore are not bound by them. That is a ludicrous suggestion.

  15. George Cayley on Kiwi Flight Before the Wright Brothers? · · Score: 2

    The first manned flight was performed by George Cayley in 1799, nearly a hundred years before the Wright Brothers where even born.

    Cayley are also discovered the theory of flight

  16. Suspious on Choke Points in Electronics Supply Chains? · · Score: 2

    identifying choke points in the electronics supply chain, trying to identify critical materials used in the electronics industry, critical processes owned by maybe a select few players and potential information distortion mechanisms that could be used by a few select players in the supply chain to disrupt the entire industry.

    Call me a cynical old fool, but I find this HIGHLY suspicious, especially given the current geo-polical situation.

  17. Longest Single span suspension bridge in the World on Seeking Interesting Sites When Travelling the World? · · Score: 2

    Seeking Interesting Sites When Travelling the World

    My home city, (Kingston upon Hull,East Yorkshire, UK) boasts the Humber Bridge, the longest single span suspension bridge in the World. It is really elegant structure, you can walk the bridge. The Master Bridge Engineer has also been known to take people to the top towers if you ask nicely.

    Some Photos and WebCams

    Technical data

  18. Re:bad idea on Jupiter Forecasts 50% Increase In Spam · · Score: 2

    Sorry, but moving a few thousand spam E-mail messages per user per year shouldn't be a significant resource issue with current hardware prices; if it is, there is something wrong with your setup. Most people generate more traffic and transactions in popup ads in a few weeks of web browsing.

    You are missing several important points. Even accepting Jupiters low rate of 40%, that represents 40% of our hardware costs and 40% of our bandwidth costs. We currently have 10,000 customers, and have just spent £12,000 on 2 new redundant hardware to allow us to scale to 30,000 customers. We have long term plans to scale way beyond those figures. Now you might consider 40% of that insignificant I do not.

    AIH I also know for a fact that on our platform the UBE is much high than 40%; probably because our customer base is mostly unsophisticated joe public consumers, not Geeks.

    What you propose, trusted networks and directory servers, is a privacy nightmare. While I loathe spam, given the choice between giving up my privacy or receiving spam, I will receive and filter spam any day.

    Wrong. this is no Faustian deal (unless you are a bulk emailer, fraudster or troll), it is a win-win scenario. I suggest you go away and study trust protocols in PKI, these allows encrypted messages and digital signatures and would enhance both security and privacy. They can cryptographically guarantee anonymity as easily as they can vouch for it.

    I think a much simpler solution would be to require any incoming message to contain an anonymous electronic cash stamp in the value of, say, five cents.

    This will never work unless a PKI exists, because there will always be some low life prepared to sell a pink contract at 4.5c, then 2.5c, yadda, yadda, until once again the real cost plus markup is reached.

  19. Re:The future of 3rd world countries is? on Jupiter Forecasts 50% Increase In Spam · · Score: 3, Informative

    A 5 line SMS spam telling me where to send an SMS (right, great idea) to get off the SMS spam list.

    This is probably because one of your 'friends' used a 'free' SMS service.

    Thanks, vodaphone. (My number is listed *nowhere*)

    Complain to ICSTIS, who regulate this.

    http://www.icstis.org/

  20. Re:I wish.. on Liberty Alliance Having Problems · · Score: 2

    not forced to sign up for Passport.

    This is pure BS, XP nags to register for an MS-Passport and stops functioning if you do not.

    The 'other' choice is to use the XP crack even when you've paid for the OS.

  21. Re:Which computer? on Digital Domesday Rescued By Emulation · · Score: 2

    The Electron was basically a lost cost version of the Beeb, another part of the product line - it wasn't a rival.

    This machines architecture can also be trace into the Acorn Archimedes, which included a functional BBC B emulator in RISC-OS. Acorn later split into ARM and Element-14, ARM is still going strong as the CPU manufacturer and Element-14 is now a division of PACE, developing
    IP enabled Set-Top-Boxes. And this DSL4000 STB still includes a functional BBC B emulator.

  22. Client filtering has no future. on Jupiter Forecasts 50% Increase In Spam · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I write as the postmaster for a consumer email service, who enforces a strict abuse policy to prevent abuse at source. I do not consider client level filtering as a viable solution, it is a temporary stop-gap.

    It cures the symptoms not the cause, around 90% of all inbound traiffic to our email system is UCE and somebody has to pay for this, in both traffic charges and server capability. This is a hidden cost passed on all email users, ultimatly the consumer.

    It is for this reason that client side filtering is not a long term cure, it addresses the symptom not the roor cause. The long term solution must be the introduction of a trust network. The technology to make to possible is readily available in public key cryptography, what is lacking is the WILL. A system like this need not compromise anonymity, there are cryptographic protocols that allow for the establishment of anonymous trust with virtual identities. These same system can also be used to ensure email is cryptographically secure.

    This system requires the introduce of a core network of trusted directory servers as part of the MTA backbone, a network of authoritive MTA's which can and will vouch its users.

    This system is also vastly superior to the current black lists, which are far too centralised, clique and arbitrary, and fundamentally ineffective.

    This proposal does no even prevent commercial email, if anything it allows this to legitimise, punishing the fraudsters and crooks whilst rewarding the responsible. It is entirely feasible to choose to accept commercial/bulk email from their bank, or OSDN.

    Given time this will also provide participants a two fold advantage reduced costs and superior service.

  23. Case against Organophosphates. on Investigating Chronic Wasting Disease · · Score: 2

    "An Introductory Hypothesis on the causes of the Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies"
    http://www.purdeyenvironment.co m/IntroHyp.htm

    "Organophosphates Implicated In Mad Cow Disease"
    http://www.cqs.com/opmadcow.htm

    "Cases of BSE and CJD May be Due to Environmental Contamination with Manganese Compounds and Organophosphates"
    http://www.nzhealth.net.nz/dis_ ease/cjd.html

    "The nature and cause of BSE
    Other theories about the nature and cause of BSE "
    http://www.bseinquiry.gov.uk/report/volume2/cha pte a4.htm#820644

    "ICI's ex-chemical weapon insecticide causes BSE & CJD Cover-up Insecticide causes Mad Cow disease"
    http://www.mindfully.org/Pesticide/ICI-I nsecticide -Mad-Cow.htm

    "A Case for the Role of Copper Deficiency in "Mad-Cow" Disease and Human Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease"
    By William H. Dresher, Ph.D., P.E.,Geoffrey Greetham, Ph.D., F.I.M. and Brenda J. Harrison, Ph.D.
    http://innovations.copper.org/2001/12/Mad-C ow.html

    http://www.treff-raum-espaciotime.com/Articles/m ad cow.html

    "Mad Cows or Mad Scientists? Could the Scientists Be Wrong on Madcow Disease?"
    http://www.safe2use.com/ca-ipm/01-02-02 a.htm

    There are hundreds more similars links on google:

    http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=U TF -8&q=CJD+BSE+O

  24. No evidence on Investigating Chronic Wasting Disease · · Score: 2


    Still, there's no evidence that this particular disease ...

    There is NO evidence BSE/CJD is an infectious (#1), and little evidence this/these are even a *disease*. There is masses of evidence that Organophosphates poisoning produces exactly the same symptoms, Brain lesions resulting in Neupathy; by a know process Manganese leeching Copper from the brain. One of the British victims of CJD was vegetarian who had not eaten meat for years, did own cats that where treated with Organophosphates flea treatments.

  25. Organophosphates on Investigating Chronic Wasting Disease · · Score: 2


    IANA pharmacologist. However Organophosphates is known to leech copper from the brain and replace it with manganese, and represent the most credible explanation for BSE in Cows, Scrapie in Sheep and CJD in people.