MFLOPS Export Restrictions Lighten Up 25
blowdart sent us
a news.com story that talks about changes in the super computer export laws
to developing nations. Numbers are all over the place,
but at least they are up from 2,000 MTOPS (which rendered
a dual P3 and the new Playstations as unexportable!)
Would the PSX2 be affected anyway? (Score:1)
But ... (Score:1)
Hey am I first? :)
Anyway, thats all very well, but for those of us not buying "super computers" it's not useful.
Whats more useful would be exporting of stronger encryption. Lets face it, the US is fighting a lossing battle with encryption. How many of us Europeans have the US version of PGP? How many of use managed to spoof Netscape and Microsoft into giving us the 128bit versions of their browers.
And why isn't the US government looking at this? Because hardware generates more profit, more big business, and thus more taxes and lobbying.
Re:Would the PSX2 be affected anyway? (Score:1)
meow..
Re:Would the PSX2 be affected anyway? (Score:2)
1) not sell Playstation II's or other units using that chip to any restricted nations (places like China, Iran, Iraq, and suprisingly Isreal...)
and
2) Provide documentation to that effect to the U.S. Government.
There was crap with waiting times on sales and things like that too, which would've caused supply chain problems where Sony would've ordered a batch of chips and the waiting time and paperwork would've made it difficult to predict when they'd actually get the shipment.
Raising the bar is useless (Score:2)
Mandating future limits on computers based on their current ability is a waste of time.
No wonder those stealth fighters get shot down... (Score:1)
They were developed on my old 486sx-33!
The logical explanation: the Prime Directive (Score:1)
It would be against everything that we stand for to give the people of these lesser civilizations such incredible power. I urge everyone to follow the guidelines of the United Federation of Planets so that we can live in harmony with other civilizations.
Now, once these developing cultures develop warp technology, then it would be safe to give them the new Sony Holodeck.
Distributed computing can get around that. (Score:1)
Re:Why (Score:1)
Why (Score:1)
Oh wow the evil bad guys will have to buy high tech hardware form China and France.
Great lot of help that dose US.
Re:Would the PSX2 be affected anyway? (Score:1)
Hhmm... (Score:1)
Logically, I'd think that all information on
setting up Beowulf clusters and the like should be restricted too. Hhm.. better not say this too loudly.
Tal.
? (Score:1)
The "good guys" make laws the "bad guys" can get around (typical U.S. move, just look at the gun laws here for another example)... I just hope that the "bad guys" build Thermal Exhaust Ports into their Deathstars so that we can fly in there and blow them up. Of course it would be too much to ask that we all live in peace.
Re:The logical explanation: the Prime Directive (Score:1)
Current lawmaking CANNOT keep up with technology (Score:1)
Re:Would the PSX2 be affected anyway? (Score:1)
I AM NOT a US hater, I've never lived anywhere else... I just think this is the real reason and the argument that they would publicly use.
restriction on price? (Score:1)
Maybe they should try restricting the price of the system which is allowed for export? The regulative wouldn't be much better, but at least it would prevent some dictators from buying expensive computers...
On the other hand, a price-based system would certainly last longer than the one based on the "absolute crunching power" of the machine, especially if you add inflationary re-indexing. Ergo, the same law would live longer => it would be cheaper for tax payers!
Serious Issues & Serious Politics (Score:1)
Ok, Will someone be so kind as to tell me just what the bloody hell is going on here? Seriously, I had no idea such a law for exporting "supercomputers" existed. First of all this is just about as bad as that silly cryptography exportation bull.
And as if things weren't bad enough, those back-asswards crazies from down under have really stuffed their heads with some kind of slime-mold because that Austrailian law is utter RUBISH .
It honestly makes me wonder just what is going through those political figures' minds. For most, I would recommend a 'brain-enema', but it seems most already suffer from a full frontal labotamy.
Great! So now what? When will the ironic day finally occur where I am asking the brain-dead political heads of state if I'm allowed to go to the bathroom.
fflush(your_brain);
Blackfire
Strong Encryption is much easier than that... (Score:1)