Comment Re:Cult #1 (Score 1) 397
The cult of Free Software was established in 1983, you HERETIC!
Comment Reformat, reinstall (Score 1) 507
In other cases, systems that were configured securely became vulnerable later (for instance, when a system crashed and original software was re-installed without patches that had been on the system before the crash).
The great windows tradition of "reformat, reinstall" at work. I wonder how long until this secure XP starts suffering the same fate because users find it too restrictive to do what they need.
Comment Re:Let's not (Score 1) 607
On the cultural sensitivity angle, I believe it is because Jews or Muslims would be unlikely to seek treatment if they suspected they were infected by a disease caused by contact with unclean animals (which is of course an incorrect assumption, but that is the problem with the name). It would be like a nun seeking treatment for an STD.
Comment Re:Use OpenDNS and a hosts file (Score 2, Informative) 678
Yeah, OpenDNS should probably be supplemented, because Google image search, cache, etc. avoid name resolution.
Submission + - Paying for Free Software (fsf.org)
N. Dan Smith writes: The Free Software Foundation makes it quite clear that selling free software is not only permissible, it is encouraged. There are some high-profile examples of this in embedded systems and in commercial Linux distributions. However, many free software developers distribute both binaries and sources free of charge. What free software have you paid for? What was the incentive for buying, knowing that you could probably procure the underlying source code for free?
Comment Revision control (Score 1) 400
Now we need congress to get revision control to increase transparency in the legislative process.
Comment Python? (Score 1) 288
The availability of a desktop-wide embeddable scripting language for application extension and plugin writing will enable users to add lots of rich new functionality to the environment.
Why not Python? Seems like many Gnome apps already have Python bindings.
Comment Re:TCP Window Size is the likely culpret. (Score 1) 515
We had a 20/20 FiOS install where a Windows laptop could not get the advertized download speeds. The tech applied a registry patch to change TCP window and then we were able to hit the full bandwidth. Sounds like that is exactly what is described in the post.
Comment Re:KDE 4 anyone? (Score 5, Insightful) 306
It also looks almost exactly like Growl for OS X.
Submission + - AT&T CEO promises 3G iPhone in 2008 (informationweek.com)
bkpsu writes: AT&T CEO says users can expect a 3G version of the phone (burst download speeds up to 1Mbps) in 2008
Submission + - Interview With BitTorrent Inventor Bram Cohen
An anonymous reader writes: TorrentFreak had the chance to talk to Bram Cohen, the inventor of BitTorrent and the co-founder if BitTorrent Inc. He goes into detail about the recent the acquisition of uTorrent, how to deal with encrypting ISPs, a streamable version of BitTorrent, BitTorrent's arrangement with the MPAA, and much more.
PS3 Price Drop Won't Happen Anytime Soon 207
1up is reporting on comments from SCEA's Jack Tretton, who responded to the question "Will we see the PS3's price drop?" with the point blank answer of not anytime soon. Mr. Tretton responded with what has now become the Sony party line: it cost a lot to develop, and gamers are getting a lot of machine for their money. Therefore, the high price is justified if you consider what is being offered. From the article: "By way of comparison, the PS2 dropped a hundred bucks in price during the first 550 days of its lifespan -- from $299 to $199 USD. Tretton's words would seem to suggest that the PS3's price point may take significantly longer than a mere year and a half to reach the same threshold. Given that scenario, one would really hope that Sony has some kind of ace-in-the-hole for keeping our collective attention (and purchasing enthusiasm) squarely focused on the PS3."
Submission + - Switzerland bans the use of GPS units in cars.
An anonymous reader writes: If you're traveling with a GPS in your car to Switzerland, be very careful! As of January 10th, the Swiss authorities (ASTRA) have forbid the use of GPS systems in cars. They also banned the selling of car GPS units throughout the country.
The reason is that the software running on these devices reveal the location of traffic radars, through which less people have been fined in the recent years and thus Swiss authorities miss a lot of money. The controversial ban has been created a large commotion inside and outside the country, forcing the authorities to put an official document online [pdf — in Germans], with answers to most frequently asked questions.
GPS devices such as TomTom, Garmin, Mio, Navman, Medion, Route 66, Packard stand Ring, Sony and ViaMichelin are all in the banned list.
The reason is that the software running on these devices reveal the location of traffic radars, through which less people have been fined in the recent years and thus Swiss authorities miss a lot of money. The controversial ban has been created a large commotion inside and outside the country, forcing the authorities to put an official document online [pdf — in Germans], with answers to most frequently asked questions.
GPS devices such as TomTom, Garmin, Mio, Navman, Medion, Route 66, Packard stand Ring, Sony and ViaMichelin are all in the banned list.
Should Online Banking Use Flash for Verification? 139
A user asks: "One of my banks has instituted a new 'Secure Sign-in' setup. They allow you to register your computer with them so that you don't have to go through the new extra security steps. This involves the use of cookies -and- Flash Objects: 'Adobe Flash objects store data in much the same way that cookies do on your computer. If you have Flash installed, we can recognize your computer in the event that you erase all your cookies.' This requirement of Flash will probably negate my ability to access my bank account when running Linux on my PowerMac since Flash Player is not available for it(haven't tested it yet). However, the real question is: Is Flash a good, secure option that a bank should use to help identify you?"
Submission + - Stephen Hawking Planning Space Flight
MidVicious writes: "Astrophysicist Stephen Hawking says he wants to undertake a zero-gravity flight aboard an airplane this year as a precursor to a journey into space, a newspaper reported Monday. Hawking, 65, has said he hopes to travel on British businessman Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic service, which is scheduled to launch in 2009. The service will charge space tourists about $200,000 (about £100,000) for a two-hour suborbital trip some 87 miles (140 kilometers) above the Earth. "Richard is very determined that if we can possibly make this happen, then it should," Virgin Galactic spokesman Stephen Attenborough said."
