Comment *sigh* (Score 1) 222
Sysadmins need to realize that just because they have users or probably managers complaining "OMG, I can't get on Facebook and check my Farmville!!!" the users do not need access to anything but what is critical for the applications and uses required to do their jobs. When you start opening these holes, what do you expect?
Comment Re:This thread is worthless without pics (Score 1) 98
I see what you did there.
I don't.
Comment Re:ridiculously low?? (Score 1) 209
I guess since I'm not there anymore I can talk about it. It was Cox Communications in Cleveland, OH. The speeds were "up to" but consistently remained at (within 10%) advertised speeds, and many times were much higher than that. The 25Mbps speed was $59.99/ month, with 5Mbps upstream (if I remember correctly). One thing the company was very good at was increasing bandwidth to meet demand, if they sold the service they made sure they could provide it. Only once or twice did I see problems in which they couldn't meet the demand, which were due to sales members pushing specials and huge increases in the highest tier sold. There was a couple of weeks in which speeds were slower for customers, but we did node splits in the affected areas and had it back up to normal ASAP. I can't speak for regions other than Cleveland, but the company as a whole received high customer satisfaction ratings for the service.
Comment Re:ridiculously low?? (Score 2) 209
The biggest problem with this isn't the ISPs, but the customers. I was working for a nationwide cable ISP for about 3 years, and we offered speeds of 1.5Mbps, 3Mbps, 12Mbps, and 25Mbps. Which do you think the majority of people chose? The 1.5Mbps for $15-$20/Month. Most people didn't want to spend the extra $15/month for the 12Mbps connection, and then complained about the problems when they tried watching 3 streams from Netflix and online games at the same time. There's no way they would up their speed though, it's the ISP's fault that the speeds were so slow. There's just no winning when everyone goes for the cheapest product available. It's the same reason Walmart is doing so well... Most Americans go for low price over quality.
Comment Re:I would be very concerned (Score 2) 532
(Citation Needed)
I'm not saying this isn't true, but 5 seconds of Google searching didn't find me anything.
I'm not saying this isn't true, but 5 seconds of Google searching didn't find me anything.
Submission + - 4G wireless broadband: Should you switch? (itworld.com)
jfruhlinger writes: The major U.S. wireless carriers now all have services that, while not 4G under the strictest definition, provide broadband-level speeds without wires. So why not cut the cord entirely and have one broadband connection wherever you go? Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols takes a look at where 4G coverage is available, what real-world connectivity is like, and, yes, how much it will cost you.
Submission + - EU Carbon Permits stolen from computer exchanges (wsj.com)
yuna49 writes: The European Union has halted trading of the carbon permits that underpins its new system to combat global warming. While creating a virtual marketplace to exchange pollution credits may make theoretical sense, its implementation may be straining the abilities of the EU's member governments. The system delegates the tracking of permits to the individual member countries rather than centralizing them under the purview of Brussels. Thieves exploited vulnerabilities in the systems operated by the Czech Republic and Austria. In the Czech case, a bomb threat emptied the building housing the exchange and enabled hackers to break into the system and conduct illegal trades.
Submission + - ABC no longer streaming V
paintballer1087 writes: "ABC has apparently pulled the rights for all online streaming sources for their remake of "V". The show is not available for streaming on Hulu or ABC.com. Paid sources such as iTunes or Amazon Video On Demand are also affected by this. ABC has issued a short note saying "We truly wish full episodes were playing here. But we also hope our detailed recaps will keep you informed and entertained should you ever miss an episode." Commenters on ABC.com and V's Facebook page are outraged. As viewership moves more and more towards the convenience of online streaming and away from traditional television timeslots, this may be only the beginning of the removal of streaming rights by networks refusing to make a shift away from the old system of TV ratings."
Submission + - MS confirms Windows Phone 7 'phantom data' issue (bbc.co.uk)
qmaqdk writes: As reported earlier on /. Microsoft has been investigating the 'phantom data' issue with Windows Phone 7, where users could experience 3G data transfers of up to 50MB per day. Now Microsoft has confirmed the issue, and is blaming it on "an unnamed third party service". Another article indicates that the fix is external and there will be "no need for a system software update."
Submission + - High flying supercomputer Blue Devil blimp (suasnews.com)
garymortimer writes: This fall, there’ll be a new supercomputer in Afghanistan. It’ll be floating 20,000 feet above the warzone, aboard a giant spy blimp that watches and listens to everything for miles around, says Gizmodo. The Air Force hopes it will stay aloft for as much as a week, nearly four miles up.
The $211 million “Blue Devil” blimp would be seven times the size of the Goodyear Blimp. A dozen different sensors could then “talk” to each other constantly. The supercomputer will crunch the data. The goal is to get that coordinated information down to ground troops in less than 15 seconds.
The $211 million “Blue Devil” blimp would be seven times the size of the Goodyear Blimp. A dozen different sensors could then “talk” to each other constantly. The supercomputer will crunch the data. The goal is to get that coordinated information down to ground troops in less than 15 seconds.
Journal Journal: House Votes 245-189 to Repeal ObamaCare 1
Check it out: House Republicans repeal ObamaCare , okay it it not repealed yet, but John already has the list of 189 Nay voters at the top. The blog page loads way faster that the HOR official page too. Some nifty images of how unpleasant it is to have things shoved down one's throat and some commentary in the middle. Bonus! At the bott
Submission + - Motorola sticks to guns on locking down Android (androidcentral.com)
jeffmeden writes: "These aren't the droids you're looking for" proclaims Motorola, maker of the popular Android smartphones such as the Droid 2 and Droid X. At least, not if you have any intention of loading a customized operating system, according to Motorola's own Youtube channel used to show off upcoming products. Motorola:"@tdcrooks if you want to do custom roms, then buy elsewhere, we'll continue with our strategy that is working thanks." The strategy they are referring to is a feature Motorola pioneered called "e-fuse", the ability for the phone's CPU to stop working if it detects unauthorized software running. More information available via a story at Android blog site AndroidCentral
Comment Re:Typical U.S. quality (Score 1) 118
Submission + - Accused PS3 Hacker Geohot Vows to Fight Back (threatpost.com)
Trailrunner7 writes: George Hotz, one of the hackers sued this week by Sony in connection with the jailbreaking of the PlayStation 3, has hired a pair of attorneys who say they plan "vigorously defend the baseless accusations asserted by Sony." In a statement sent to reporters Friday, two attorneys hired by Hotz say that Sony has no grounds for its legal action and is asking for unreasonable relief in the case, including the seizure of Hotz's computers.
In their response to Sony's suit and motion for a temporary restraining order against Hotz, his attorneys say that the order would do no good at this point, as the code is already public.
"On the face of Sony’s Motion, a TRO serves no purpose in the present matter. The code necessary to 'jailbreak' the Sony Playstation computer is on the internet. That cat is not going back in the bag. Indeed, Sony’s own pleadings admit that the code necessary to jailbreak th eSony Playstation computer is on the internet. Sony speaks of "closing the door", but the simple fact is that there is no door to close. The code sought to be restrained will always be a Google search away," the response says.
In their response to Sony's suit and motion for a temporary restraining order against Hotz, his attorneys say that the order would do no good at this point, as the code is already public.
"On the face of Sony’s Motion, a TRO serves no purpose in the present matter. The code necessary to 'jailbreak' the Sony Playstation computer is on the internet. That cat is not going back in the bag. Indeed, Sony’s own pleadings admit that the code necessary to jailbreak th eSony Playstation computer is on the internet. Sony speaks of "closing the door", but the simple fact is that there is no door to close. The code sought to be restrained will always be a Google search away," the response says.
