Forgot your password?

typodupeerror

Comment: Re:What's the difference? (Score 1) 268

by flargleblarg (#43699095) Attached to: DRM In HTML5 — Better Than the Alternative?
You seem to be assuming that content decryption keys would be the same across all copies of a digitally downloaded item. I think that is a false assumption. If an upstream content provider encrypts each stream differently for different destinations (e.g., viewers), then it is irrelevant whether the DRM mechanism is implemented as closed-source or open-source software. You will need to know your unique key for that particular viewing in order to decrypt the content. The only thing open-source might buy you there is an easier time finding some algorithmic flaw in the encryption method. But that is highly doubtful, and even if it were to happen, the content provider could simply change the encryption method on you at any time to patch the hole.

Comment: Re:What's the difference? (Score 1) 268

by flargleblarg (#43699065) Attached to: DRM In HTML5 — Better Than the Alternative?

I don't think it's true that DRM in the browser requires a closed-source browser. If the content provider encrypted their content on a per-stream, per-user, per-viewing basis, then you could not simply redirect or strip off the DRM. You would atually need to purchase a one-use decryption key from the content provider.

Now, that doesn't prevent you from recording the content and redistributing it DRM-free, but certainly nothing in the above requires a closed-source model of any sort.

Comment: Re:Confused (Score 5, Interesting) 160

by flargleblarg (#43671337) Attached to: Integer Overflow Bug Leads To <em>Diablo III</em> Gold Duping

You couldn't be more wrong. Signed ints are usually the best way to go in C/C++.

Actually, he's not wrong at all. He said signed integers don't behave in a very predictable manner, and he's right. Signed integers have undefined (actually, to be more precise, implementation-defined) behavior for mod and div of negative values. You cannot be sure whether -4 / 3 is -1 or -2, without knowing how your compiler implements it. Some round toward zero, others toward negative infinity. Recent drafts of C++ are trying to fix this.

Comment: Re:I wrote a CFF renderer in C# (Score 4, Informative) 77

Well, no. Hints are metadata embedded in the font file which provide hints/clues to the rasterizer. The rasterizer then uses the hints to improve its own selective varying of the proportions. You can do selectively varying of proportions without hints. The hints just improve the process.

Finally, hinting is not the process of varying proportions. It's not even remotely that. Hinting is the process of adding hints to a font. A font designer takes a typeface and hints the font manually. Note that there are algorithms to assist with hint generation... hinting the hinting, if you will.

Comment: Re:Fanboy attack (Score 1) 387

by flargleblarg (#43340277) Attached to: Alan Kay Says iPad Betrays Xerox PARC Vision
It really depends what you're doing. I happen to largely agree with you, but there are some good music and art applications out there. Also, if you're writing, say, a novel, then you can attach a bluetooth keyboard and be completely fine. I myself haven't done this, but it stands to reason, and others confirm that it works for them.

The public is an old woman. Let her maunder and mumble. -- Thomas Carlyle

Working...