He is, after all, the guy who killed Hitler...

Maybe the service can be bad enough that it wasn't worth it, even though it was free!! :-)

Hopefully, I won't have to find out...

I bought a Macbook Air just after a refresh a while back. The vendor I usually buy computer/photo/audio equipment from had a closeout special on the previous model. I know, it goes totally against the Apple mindset, but I bought the old one anyway! The computer was brand new (not a refurb), was one option short of the highest build-to-order configuration, and was $600 off. They threw in AppleCare for free, too. (I wouldn't have bought it for $200.)

Now if something would just go wrong with it! I've been rather fortunate there.

My general opinion on extended warranties/protection plans is that they are really asking, "Would you like to pay $XX.XX more for that?"

And pass up the opportunity to have some fun with them? :-)

They seem pretty incompetent - it sounds from the OP like they are doing Christmas tree scans. Why not mess with them and waste their time?

Tar pit their IP addresses.

Each time they connect, disallow connections for x*2 seconds, where x is the amount of time their connections were disallowed the last time.

Apparently when NK was configuring their proxies and firewalls, they were so focused on keeping their citizens from getting out that they didn't pay enough attention to keeping people from getting in!

Just be careful with those cylinders, especially if you are nervous and on a TV show. Double if the cylinder is 'one of a kind.'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnsizkVjGm8

Come to think of it, I should have put the word 'possibly' in there somewhere...

I haven't used XP in years, and only used OEM versions when I did - I don't really know how aggressive its WGA checking is. Of course, the final update patch could add any functionality...

I didn't know about that - but it's kinda funny! Thanks!

They put a cracked version of their own software on their website with a serial number. After all the extra work of putting in the phone-home activation system. Priceless!

It may be interesting next year, when XP goes EOL.

This is the first OS that MS can just kill-switch via WGA. It will be interesting to see if they are desperate enough to do something that stupid.

It came to mind for me a couple of weeks ago, when I was having trouble with my internet connection, and had no connection for several days. (It turned out to be the cable drop to my house.) MSE started squawking about being unable to verify Windows was genuine, told me to fuck off, and it just shut down. It didn't start up again until my connection was restored. What if they did this with Windows XP? That would force users to upgrade, or change to a different platform entirely.

I use some domain blocking entries, plus a hosts file from http://pgl.yoyo.org/as/serverlist.php?showintro=0;hostformat=hosts on my router, with local DNS enabled. It redirects about 2500 URLs to 127.0.0.1. DD-WRT for the win! I would imagine other third-party firmware allows this, too. When I have company, they sometimes comment how much better the web pages look and how fast they load on their laptops when they use my AP. They also wonder why Facebook and Twitter don't work... :-)

Many of these 'Which CAD system is better' discussions can devolve into quasi-religious, zealotry-laden arguments akin to 'Should I use Linux or Windows?' discussions. Just a friendly warning. :-D

I've been using Pro/Engineer (now called 'Creo') for over 16 years. Which package you use really depends on what you think you will want to accomplish. For designs to be used in 3D printing or for CNC machining, you are probably better off with a CAD package. The dimensions are absolute, and are inherent to the model. There is also sufficient precision for these processes. The 3D modeling packages like Blender, Maya, 3DS, etc. are more for creating aesthetic models - sizes are relative by scaling, mainly to get the perspective right.

Which CAD package you use really depends on what you intend to do. Any of them will work for basic modeling of individual parts or simple assemblies. If you want to be able to do more advanced engineering work, such as simulations, finite element modeling and analysis, optimization and feasibility studies, shear diagrams, etc., you will want one of the more advanced packages such as Pro/E (Creo), or Catia. For modeling parts and small assemblies, SolidWorks or Unigraphics could fit the bill, too. Pro/E (Creo) has built-in 3-axis CNC programming, and SolidWorks interfaces with MasterCam for this functionality.

They are all rather expensive systems, and unfortunately, vendor lock-in has always been a huge factor in the CAD market. Be sure to choose up front based on what you expect to use it for ultimately. There are interchange formats for the files, but you lose many aspects of the file vs. the native file formats. Be sure to check into student versions - they can be had for around $200, usually with a one-year renewable license. The most common restriction is they will not be able to share data with the commercially licensed products, and some may print a watermark on any drawings you produce. Neither sounds like it will be a problem for you.

Good luck, and have fun!

You said you like to run DOS, so...

Aw, screw it. You knew it was coming. :-)

If you don't agree with the terms, don't use it. No one's forcing you to.

I don't have, and never will have, a Facebook account due to privacy concerns (data mining, etc.), and concerns over use/abuse of users' writing/photos/whatever.

Anyone can use your photos/whatever for whatever they want - the general consensus seems to be that if it's on the internet, it's free to use. ZDNet got called out on a photo lifted from another website in a recent article/blog entry in the comments to that article. The author/blogger's response was 'Oh, is that where that came from?' I don't agree in any way with big media's take on copyright, but at least give credit, or better yet, ask permission, for something you're using.

If you don't want people using your photos, don't post them publicly on the internet. Try this: open a browser window to images.google.com, and drag a photo from another website onto the input field. Look at how many places it shows up! Try it with some of your Facebook photos - you may be surprised!

Isn't the entire coastline of Antarctica north?