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Comment: Re:I use it for linux distributions (Score 1) 302

by kcbnac (#43542963) Attached to: Ask Slashdot: Do You Move Legal Data With Torrents?

Here's how Norton did it, back in the late 1990's: http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH106806

I recall using this in college, in 2003, to reimage our 'learning' workstations. (After we'd break them, like discovering that Windows 98 SE would let you format the OS volume, and not crash.)

Comment: Re:IMAP (Score 2) 282

by kcbnac (#43316571) Attached to: Ask Slashdot: Best Way To Archive and Access Ancient Emails?

Any web-based client *should* (unless they use a plugin or other weird config tool) save any filters, etc. to the web-based-profile (Like GMail does). Otherwise, if you choose Thunderbird (or any other sane client) you could just copy over the profile between installs. Even across OSes.

I've successfully used a singular Thunderbird profile on both a Windows and Linux boot off the same machine; granted Linux access to the NTFS partition Windows sat on and it used that profile directory. Been copying it forward to new installs for a few years now.

Migrating towards a VM (that gets backed up regularly) holding the 'core' stuff that doesn't sync well (Firefox and Chrome both do; so can run that on whatever) - then just use that VM for non-GMail email, and whatever else is worth consolidating down to one machine.

Comment: Re:Not true. (Score 1) 984

by kcbnac (#43142589) Attached to: Ohio Judge Rules Speed Cameras Are a Scam

Build in a longer delay before the cross-traffic gets a green after the red goes on. Justification: Do they want to be known as the City that let someone die because they didn't account for physics when timing the light? I've noticed that some places do leave a little bit more 'buffer' for that reason. Make sure its in the meeting notes that Jim, Joe and Bob were against looking into adding the time, and someone's comment about it being their fault if something happens. (Or talk to the engineering/maintenance department involved; talk about a theoretical or real close-call that would've been a non-issue by a 1-2 second delay)

Comment: Cities XL is no better. (Score 1) 259

by kcbnac (#43128835) Attached to: EA Offering Free Game to Users After SimCity Launch Problems

Go read the forums on Steam - linked here for ease: http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=742

The original devs are all gone, they're basically adding a few new structures and calling it a new release, it still has some game-breaking bugs that have persisted for 3 or 4 releases now.

I highly recommend Tropico 4 - you end up with more control over individual structures than you did with the Sim City series, but it is equally fun.

Steam even has the Collector's Bundle (Game + Expansion + all the DLCs) on sale for $9.99 through March 15, 2013. http://store.steampowered.com/sub/19282/

Sadly, Tropico 4 has an online-required component - you have to create an account and sign in to launch it each time. About the only issue I have with it, otherwise it is awesome. (I haven't tried it offline, my laptop won't run it well so I play other games when traveling)

Comment: Re:Why do they lock phones *on contract* in the US (Score 1) 193

Because after 2 years (typical contract length, 1-year contracts exist but not commonly signed) you're more likely to sign a new contract for a new device, and forget to unlock it. Also if you travel outside their service area, they get to bill you for obscenely priced 'roaming' fees. Calls, texts and data jump to ridiculous rates.

TL;DR: They do it because they can get away with it, and its profitable.

Comment: Re:Carpal tunnel prevention break (Score 1) 279

by kcbnac (#42895775) Attached to: Ask Slashdot: Really Short Time Wasters?

Which upright mouse are you using? I've got Evoluent's VerticalMouse (right-handed, wired) model - http://evoluent.com/vm4r.htm - and very much enjoying it, highly comfortable and natural once you get used to the change. Not sure if there are other models out there to consider if this one goes, or just as an alternative on another machine.

Using the Logitech M570 trackball for my personal laptop, and a Logitech gaming mouse for the desktop at home. Variety is the key, I've found. Working different muscles and different movements have made all the difference for me in the last 7 years since I first started having issues with the hands and wrists.

Comment: Re:Depreciation (Score 1) 380

by kcbnac (#42876159) Attached to: Home Server Or VPS? One Family's Math

Quite a few, actually. For small-scale stuff it can pay to outsource. Really depends on the workload, and where the 'users' are.

But, once your core infrastructure gets big enough, putting a few more racks in the DC and adding a few staff versus now having to manage a 3rd party service with the same added staff becomes extra overhead and burden.

Also, some stuff may not due to legal or contractual obligations be feasible to be placed at a third-party site. (Verify THEIR staff as well as YOURS conform to standard, and two companies' policies, etc)

Comment: Re:Yes (Score 1) 467

by kcbnac (#42860613) Attached to: What To Do When an Advised BIOS Upgrade Is Bad?

...And I have a counter-anecdote. We had someone wanting to do just what you do - one patch at a time on HP's C7000 Chassis. I believe it was the Virtual Connect firmware, going from 3.50 to 3.55 - in the patchnotes they'd revised it saying "don't use this version, its busted - go straight to the latest!' - that wasn't caught and we had unplanned downtime, and the person involved worked a 21-hour day to get it back up and running.

We've since doubled the number of chassis involved so we can live-migrate everything off a given chassis for when it gets updates so this doesn't happen again. Along with reading ALL of the patch/release notes.

Comment: Re:We need gas control! (Score 4, Interesting) 1591

by kcbnac (#42603423) Attached to: New York Passes Landmark Gun Law

No, we're not spraying water. The media is spraying gasoline, they know it, and love it, and WILLINGLY do it.

Don't give people their 15 minutes to 2 weeks+ of fame, and (at least from knowledge learned in other situations) a large motivation for doing 'ghastly' things stops. They do it because it gets peoples attention and focuses it on them, even if for a terrible reason.

If you look like your driver's license photo -- see a doctor. If you look like your passport photo -- it's too late for a doctor.

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