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Comment Re:Steve Sinofsky (Score 1) 442

I'd prefer Raymond Chen as CEO, but I realize that's probably not a realistic option. What Microsoft needs to maintain its position is an obsession with backwards compatibility and not breaking anyone's workflow, and an understanding that they will never be hip or cool. They need to transition from a growth company to a dividend-oriented company.

So, IBM?

Comment Re:TOR exit node locations (Score 1) 451

If the NSA is operating the majority of TOR nodes does that make it easier for them to identify your location? Remember that they have a rather large computer budget.

Better off hacking a botnet full of unsuspecting people's PCs with a RAT tool and surfing from THEIR pcs. It's the only way to be secure. Forget TOR... Call it NoobNet or something.

lol. J/K of course. Hey, here's a link to the latest justin bieber CD. Pay no attention to the warnings when you "play" it, that's just because it's sooooo HOTTTT!

Comment Re:non-issue (Score 4, Insightful) 451

You are supposed to use HTTPS only over Tor anyway and transmit no identifying data in other cases, respectively. Tor already assumes the existence of such an adversary as the NSA, so what's the story here?

The way I see it, if you use the internet without TOR or VPN etc then everything is out in the open and the NSA logs everything and keeps everything IF OR UNTIL they determine you are a US citizen.

Or, you can use TOR or VPN or whatever and the NSA will log everything and keep everything - and consider your actions suspicious.

Moral of the story - If you use TOR or VPN for anything interesting you better make sure you do it right. If you don't use TOR or VPN then don't do anything interesting.

Comment Re:Production (Score 1) 274

Exactly, signature antivirus only protects those who use it properly (most dont) AND luck out by not being among the first exposed to the new mutation of the day. Heuristic scans usually wind up with way too many false positives to be useful. These are just vain attempts to patch over an insecure core.

Securing the core would make everyone from marketing and a good portion of engineering extraordinarily unhappy by ruling out cool junk they would love to see and sell. You cant even sell that notion in linux land these days, and imagining it coming to windows is... well...

Only if Hollywood continues to pay handsomely for its development.

Yeah, running a browser which can directly impact your main system is the problem. Like tramping through back alleys and sewers looking for something while wearing your best shoes and suit. Better to have someone else do it or wear a full body condom. Or, rather, have someone else do it for you wearing a full body condom. Analogy: Run a windows VM and browse in the VM with the browser in a sandbox. Whether your main system is linux or windows it doesn't matter.

Comment Re:Any of the Major CAD Software (Score 1) 218

As someone who has used AutoDesk Inventor, PTC Elements/Pro, and Solidworks in an engineering setting, they are all pretty much the same toolset but with the buttons rearranged. If you want to use CAD software, though, what really matters most is whether you can find a guide that is well-written on how to use CAD software for things. You may, in fact, want to take a course at the local community college. Whatever software they use, you can then buy and be at least moderately experienced with it.

My college uses http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Solid-Modeling-Using-SolidWorks/dp/0073522694 this book and it's pretty well-written, if you would rather avoid having to take a course. Solidworks is very capable of doing anything a hobbyist might want to and more.

Definitely mod up, he is right because it seems to me that ALL main stream 3D CAD software (solid edge, solid works, autodesk inventor, etc etc etc) are all basically the same, just the arrangement of the GUI is different. The nuts and bolts are the same.

Also, the commercial big name packages are a LOT easier to use than the freebies. It's like the difference between Adobe Premier and Vegas Video. One is intuitive, and the other is like trying to eat soup with a hammer. "You're gonna have a bad time"

Perhaps a tour through TPB would be in order? Oh, wait, that's just a joke I would never advocate piracy.

Comment Re:Windows 8 (Score 4, Insightful) 263

MS will always be around, they are too big to just disappear, but in what capacity, health and excellence they are around depends on how they deal with this portable tech iPad/iPhone/Android phenomenon.

Everyone wanted windows 7 and it is amazing IMO and the true successor to XP but I just don't .... want ... anything they're making right now. Give me Win 7, Server 2008R2, Office 2008 and my Android devices and leave me alone for about 5 years and then come around again and see if we need anything ok?

Comment Re:Maybe (Score 1, Interesting) 215

Or maybe it is one-sided because they found ours but we can't find theirs?

I would guess the only way they (Iran) could produce something equivalent to Stuxnet is by contracting it out to Russia or China. Would they actually do that?

And if they DID, could they successfully deploy it?

And if they could deploy it, could the manage and control it properly?

I don't know, that's why I'm asking. I would GUESS the answer isn't "no" but rather "no probably not" to all three questions.

Comment This will screw up VPNs - probably (Score 1) 445

In my area the 4G Verizon WWAN devices are doing this. It screws with VPNs big time. It connects you to verizon on an internal IP and then verizon NATs you the web content through their system.

The WWAN dongles can connect to the 3G service and then you're fine, that still works the "old fashioned" way.

This is fine for Bubba lookin at boats on craigslist or grandma getting emailed pics of little Johnny, but if you are in that 1% of non-typical use, whoops.

Comment Re:Will Microsoft call on Burson-Marsteller to fix (Score 1) 791

Haven't heard one good thing about Windows 8 yet, even Pirillo seems to be trying hard not to bash it - on tablets even.

Every non-techie who's ran into it absolutely HATES it.

With Vista at least it LOOKED like windows, it simply didn't work. THIS seems to work at least but it is a whole new interface. WTF MS, WTF.

Comment Re:I certainly don't (Score 2) 445

The original question was a little ambiguous... do they mean "phone" as in a dedicated chunk of hardware for talking on or do they mean "phone" as in some way to interface with POTS? We are phasing out our POTS phones, but we still have a do-dad hooked up to our computers. Many of us also have company-issued cell phones. The computer do-dad (hooked into Office Communicator) is mostly for making international calls, since no cell carrier sells competitive international service. I personally still have a desk phone for international calls, since they haven't switched me over yet.

That's just it.

What do you do if you GET a phone call? Does it play on your computer speakers for all to hear the results of your "test" at the Dr's office? Headphones? Bluetooth in your ear all day? Is it going through your smartphone? What if the battery is almost dead and you've forgotten your charger? What if it falls out of your pocket into the toilet? What if it forcecloses the phone app because you installed a buggy copy of fruit ninja 12? What if your battery only lasts an hour because of a rogue weather app that won't stay closed?

I think people still need something permanent for POTS calls if it's an office environment, but it's going to get way cheaper and simpler.

Maybe a POTS style receiver attached to the PC via USB or actually into the sound card mic-in and phones-out and the pc app has a speakerphone function.

But it's still something LIKE a traditional phone.

Comment Re:How is AI on the list? (Score 2) 274

Dangerous, yes. A persistent remotely sentient threat to humanity, not a chance.

.

I think it would be cool to explore the nitty gritty electro/mechanical aspect of exactly HOW skynet was able to get to the point of "taking over". The Sarah Connor Chronicles was sorta going there towards the end I guess.

Creating AI is one thing, but if it isn't attached to "teh internet" or given legs and hands, it can't do much more than make noise.

Also as smart as an AI might be, it would have to be fed relevant info of some sort to begin building the infrastructure even if it had arms and legs. Probably module one to be added to it's intelligence would be a ravenous information gathering algorithm.

I can only imagine the shaky hands and sweaty brow of the first guy who takes an AI and hooks it up to a drone with real bombs and hits the start button.

Comment Re:How is AI on the list? (Score 1) 274

Of the four things cited, AI is perhaps the least likely to kill us all, seeing as it doesn't exist.

How do you know it doesn't exist in some form?

Do you know every black military project? The military has possessed, tested and used tech 40 years before it was released to the public as "new." Yes I know this because I was told so by someone who USED a technology and then saw it released well down the road as a consumer item.

The "theories" that the military is XX number of years ahead of the tech of the rest of the nation are based on fact, XX is the question.

Some form of AI is quite likely being used, in my opinion, either for creating political strategies, battle tactics, or actually guiding unmanned drones. You don't think they really spend $500 for a screwdriver, and $1000 for a toilet seat, do you? (lol)

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