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Comment Re:Registry (Score 1) 303

Really? Switching to text files would magically fix this??

This flaw is not related to how the registry is loaded and/or interpreted, actually it's not the fault of the registry at all - it's a kernel exploit. The mitigation is to tweak *permissions* on a couple of reg keys that should have been tightened up in the first place. It's akin to allowing SUID root on the sudoers file and a kernel vulnerability that allows $BAD_GUY to use that fact - it's not the file itself.

Whether the info is in a database of binary values or a database composed of text files laying around a hard disk is immaterial - the permissions to change said config info would have made this a non issue.

Yes, Microsoft have been idiots, but they are trying to clean up thier act. If you're going to dis them, dis them for missing the reg key permissions, not the registry itself - al much more valid argument.

Comment I prefer printed and bound. With a side of modern. (Score 1) 390

The UI is simple and elegant - you need no help file in order to operate it. The DRM stops immediately after you pay for the book. If you take proper steps, it will be preserved for a very long time, with no worries as to whose digital format it's in. The device can work with the power of one candle. Printed and bound books are timeless.

That being said, I like electronic versions too - the speed at which they can be copied are unmatched, they go wherever you do fairly conveniently and can be updated very quickly. You can zoom in and make the text as big as you want. Annotation and quotation are a breeze.

The best of both worlds would be a hardcover book, with a sleeve on the inside cover that has a USB type device that you can get the contents digitally to whatever device you want. Hell - if Bluetooth gets cheap enough, you could get it wirelessly from the book itself.

Hey, a man can dream.

Comment Re:This isn't a DOS attack. (Score 1) 292

Snuffing it on facebook before your time is not much of an issue, as they explicitly don't disable the account's ability to actually log in. If you wake up one day to find out you're dead, you can still log in, and that provides a pretty decent avenue for contesting the claim.

And I'd rather not go into how I know.

Lemme guess - You're Jesus and after Your resurrection Facebook screwed you over?

Comment Pffft. What about BOFH^WSysadmin Day? (Score 1) 306

This should be a holiday before Prog-Rammers get one. After all, we're left cleaning up the mess that these people make of our systems.

(Yeah yeah, I know - the endless recursive fork() was a typo, you need root to make your job easier, you need more CPU, the SAN sucks, etc. Give me your budget and I'll do something about all that, K? HTH, HAND.)

Yes, I'm trolling, but without us on the job the Prog-Rammers would be staring at a black or blue screen.

Comment Re:legitimate content (Score 1) 224

...and the answer is "Didn't you do a risk analysis of the provider you hosted your income bearing site with?".

Darwin, dude - if you didn't know that your provider was seriously at risk of being taken out by the feds due to the actions of whom you were sharing space with, then your stupid ass starves as does your family's. Just Darwin at work.

Portables

Submission + - Asus Eee laptop reviewed by Ars Technica

Soko writes: Ars Technica has a very thorough and informative review of the ASUS Eee laptop to go with their previous article explaining how the little PC could make for big changes in the PC market.

Ars' Ryan Paul reviews the highlights and lowlights of the diminutive PC and shows how to turn the Eee geek friendly in short order. Earlier Jon Stokes provided the analysis of what the Eee could mean in the not too distant future
Operating Systems

Submission + - Dell may offer Linux as alternative to Windows

Anonymous Coward writes: "BOSTON (Reuters) — Dell Inc. (DELL.O: Quote, Profile, Research) is considering offering the Linux operating system as an alternative to Microsoft Corp.'s (MSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) Windows on its personal computers, a Dell spokesman said on Tuesday. The PC maker said it received more than 100,000 customer requests for Linux in a "suggestion box" posted on Dell's Web site less than three weeks ago. "We are listening to what customers are saying about Linux and taking it into consideration," said Dell spokesman David Lord. "We are going forward. Let's say, 'Certainly stay tuned.'" The only operating system that Dell currently offers on its PCs is Windows, with one exception, Lord said. It sells high-end Linux desktops designed specifically for use in oil and gas exploration, he said. http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUS N0644160820070307"
Space

Submission + - Theory for Expansion of Universe

LethargicParasite writes: "In a recent astronomy class, my professor was talking about the expansion of the universe. He mentioned three key things:
1. The universe is likely expanding.
2. The velocity of the expansion of the universe is likely increasing.
3. Whatever causes the expansion of the universe is likely the cause of the bubble structure of the universe.
I came up with a theory that the professor could not refute outright: The expansion of the universe is the result of black holes converting matter (which takes up space) into a singularity (which does not take up space). This theory could explain the bubble-like structure of the universe, the expansion of the universe, and perhaps even the acceleration of the universe. So. Is this theory even falsifiable without looking for black holes at the centre of the voids?"
Privacy

Submission + - REAL ID Could Endanger Domestic Violence Victims

An anonymous reader writes: Many states have "address confidentiality programs" in which victims of domestic violence register a dummy address with the state. The state uses this dummy address on official documents, such as drivers licenses, thus assuring that abusers with access to state databases are not able to track down their victims. The newly enacted federal REAL ID Act may change this, however, by forcing domestic violence victims to list their real addresses in a nationwide database. Under REAL ID, all holders of state drivers licenses and ID cards must submit their information to a nationwide database which can be accessed at tens of thousands of terminals by officials ranging from cops to DMV workers. Privacy rights groups such as EPIC are warning that this new law may force domestic violence victims to reveal their true addresses, thus undermining state programs designed to protect them.

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