Generally, a Windows update will not require a new key. Microsoft can use their key to sign any number of OS updates going forward. The only reason they would need to issue a new key is if the private key were compromised, or (maybe) if the certificate expires in 10 years or so.
I don't see a big issue here. Most workstations are bought with an OS pre-installed simply because it is legislated. Corporations wipe them and re-install their own 'flavour' of the OS - even if it is the same version. And many private buyers do too. We install our own flavour of the OS regardless of what came on the PC. We buy workstations with 'Home' editions and install 'Pro' editions (legitimately)
One of Microsoft's more evil policies is that corporate bulk Windows licenses are only upgrades. Thus, you cannot (legally) install a volume license on a naked machine. Thus, you need to buy a system with an OEM license only to blow it away with the corporate version. This means that you have to do exactly what you are doing (buy systems with preinstalled OSs) in order to remain in compliance with the license.
We will not be buying hardware that doesn't come with the PKI Key declared - and I doubt that any of the serious vendors (eg Dell, IBM, Toshiba, etc) would ship equipment without the PKI Key clearly identified on a sticky label on the box.
Having the public key will not help you here unless you simply want to insure that you can install an OS the vendor approved. Knowing the public key will allow you (and the bootloader) to verify and OS, but not to make a new one. If you want to be able to install another OS, you either need the means to add a public key of your choice the the system, or limit yourself to operating systems that have been signed by the system vendor.
Maybe I'm naive, but if I were a BIOS manufacturer, I would just have an option to "disable trusted boot" or "enable installation of new operating system" both with appropriate warnings about malware and lack of support.
Or, even better, provide have the BIOS provide a UI for key management. This way, before installing an OS, you need to go into the BIOS, install the new OS's bootloader key, and then fire it up. Ideally, this functionality should only be available from the ROM setup program before an OS is loaded, to make it more difficult (hopefully impossible) for malware to install its own keys programatically.
I am all for privacy but everything posted on Facebook that is public is, by definition, public information. If a person wants to keep something private do not post it on Facebook!
Most of what is on Facebook is not public. There is an access control system that, by default, limits your posts to friend of friends. You can adjust the permissions of every post to be accessible to whatever set of people you desire. I realize that they will do data mining, but that information is only used internally to target ads. I have no problem with any of this.
What I do have a problem with is when Facebook violates the agreement or when someone (a potential employer, for example) requires that you friend them as a condition for (continued) employment or any other reason.
This American Life is distributed by PRI. Yes it plays mostly on NPR affiliates, but NPR has nothing to do with making it.
Note, however that this week's episode was a co-production if This American Life and NPR's Planet Money.
Normally, this statement would be correct, but not always.
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My point was that Windows license includes a patent license as well. If the patent license is the same prices as the Windows+patent license, then they are pricing Windows at $0 over the underlying patents. (Assuming that Windows uses the same patented tech that Android does, which given the nature of the products is quite likely.) This does not pass the anti-trust smell test IMHO.
I wonder if there are antitrust implications of licensing the patents for that same price that they sell the software for.
Perhaps Obama should imitate Bush and commute the sentence. It's basically the same crime as the one Libby did.
Huge difference:
Libby committed his crimes to further the political goals of the administration that was in power at the time.
Manning, (if guilty) committed his crimes to expose the truth and reveal hypocrisy in the government.
I don't think he can expect any executive mercy.
...when he said the VCR was a much a threat to the movie industry as the Boston Strangler was to the woman home alone.
The Boston Strangler was an overblown threat which got a lot of press (as such crimes always do) and which whipped people into a panic. He ended up taking 13 lives, which while tragic, is pretty insignificant statistically. There are far greater threats bigger dangers than falling victim to a deranged killer.
However, a claim of certain acts -- including pedophilia (and domestic abuse, etc) -- instantly initiates criminal proceedings, starting out with separation and investigation. They are engaging in acts that do have very serious immediate consequences that involve law enforcement and the courts. These procedures are increasingly mandatory in many locales, with an assertion of "I made it up" being insufficient to stop investigation and/or prosecution. For example, had they made these claims against their parents, they might well have been removed from the home by the courts (and almost certainly would have been in California, according to a child care worker I just IMed this link to; she notes that forwarded communication is a fairly common reason to start investigations, and removal is a precautionary measure).
That is problem. We have a justice system set on a hair trigger for certain crimes. We should not throw out the constitution, or limit what school-aged people can do outside of school. Instead, we should stop going on witch hunts at the mere hint that someone may have done a certain act. Yes, child molestation is a terrible crime, but so is ruining someone's life with to a false accusation. The pendulum has swung far too far toward protecting the victims of these horrible crimes, at the cost of not protecting those falsely accused.
It's time to boot, do your boot ROMs know where your disk controllers are?
