Comment Re:Top ten lists... (Score 1) 84
Emoticon means satirical.
But really, the facilitator(s) are your friends and family.
America's 10 Most-Wanted Botnets 84
bednarz writes "Network World ranks America's 10 most wanted botnets, based on an estimate by security firm Damballa of botnet size and activity in the United States. The leader is Zeus, with 3.6 million compromised PCs so far. The Zeus Trojan uses key-logging techniques to steal user names, passwords, account numbers and credit card numbers, and it injects fake HTML forms into online banking login pages to steal user data. At the bottom of the list is Conficker, which despite its celebrity status has compromised just 210,000 US computers so far."
Comment Re:Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice (Score 1) 1376
I would just like you to read the rest of this thread, and legitimately say to me that atheists are not antagonistic towards religion. This topic has some very strong parallels to the article on racism a day or two ago: do you have the right to be offensive?
I would argue that yes, you have the right to be offensive. However, you don't have the right to be heard. Also, being offensive just shows that you are a dick.
The way I see it, I believe something; you might believe something else. Does that make it ok for me to call you stupid and uneducated? And FFS, stop stereotyping Christians as anti-environmental, anti-technology ass-backwards inbreeds. Most of the Christians that don't care about the environment are in direct contradiction to the Bible that they supposedly hold true to (it specifically says that we are to care for the world).
Look at yourself before you go spouting off hate at "religionists" who all supposedly spend their time trying to screw atheists.
Submission + - Amazon Kindle Takes Back Books
An anonymous reader writes: Amazon has infiltrated people's kindles and removed 1984 from them in the middle of the night. Catch the full story here:
http://www.boingboing.net/2009/07/17/amazon-zaps-purchase.html
http://www.boingboing.net/2009/07/17/amazon-zaps-purchase.html
Submission + - Has Windows 7 Upgrade Removed OS Activation Check? (pcworld.com)
Acererak writes: "Will Windows 7 require an installed and activated version of a previous operating system prior to an upgrade? That's been the question on everyone's minds lately, spurred by a report referencing an unnamed Microsoft spokesperson. If true, it'll be a giant hassle for Windows 7 re-installations given that the upgrade process invalidates the CD key of the previous operating system--can't activate an operating system with an invalid key, after all.
The confusing part? A Microsoft employee is now directly contradicting this information. Windows 7 has allegedly downgraded to Windows XP's authentication process. You'll only need to insert the DVD of a previous operating system during the Windows 7 installation to satisfy upgrade eligibility. But is this really accurate, seeing as it doesn't fit with Microsoft's desire to increase anti-piracy measures in its future operating systems? If not, it just goes to show that Microsoft is just as confused about how to upgrade to Windows 7 as anyone else right now."
The confusing part? A Microsoft employee is now directly contradicting this information. Windows 7 has allegedly downgraded to Windows XP's authentication process. You'll only need to insert the DVD of a previous operating system during the Windows 7 installation to satisfy upgrade eligibility. But is this really accurate, seeing as it doesn't fit with Microsoft's desire to increase anti-piracy measures in its future operating systems? If not, it just goes to show that Microsoft is just as confused about how to upgrade to Windows 7 as anyone else right now."
Submission + - Court Appoints Pro Bono Counsel For RIAA Deft (blogger.com)
NewYorkCountryLawyer writes: "In what could be a turning point in the RIAA's litigation campaign, a Michigan judge has decided to appoint pro bono counsel to represent college student Brittany Kruger, who is being sued by the RIAA in SONY BMG Music Entertainment v. Kruger. As this article points out, 'if other judges follow suit, things will change dramatically'. That is because the RIAA's entire litigation campaign is based upon economic inequality of the litigants : almost none of those sued by the RIAA can afford legal representation, and the RIAA has a huge economic incentive to fight cases to the death, while the defendants have no economic incentive greater than the 'settlement' amount, which they often pay even when entirely innocent. If the courts follow the lead of District Judge Timothy P. Greeley (PDF), and appoint pro bono legal counsel, the RIAA will no longer be able to achieve the easy pickings default judgments and 'settlements' it's routinely obtained in the past."
Comment Soon, in the UK... (Score 1) 345
(Young entrepreneur painstakingly copies letter-by-letter the Windows 7 source code, gets sued and heads to court)
The defense?
But I worked hard on it and spent a lot of time and money copying the code.
Effort on its own means jackshit in this world (except maybe public schools), you need to actually produce something of its own merit.
Comment Re:Dishonest lawyer (Score 2, Insightful) 362
The idea is to say a little bit of the truth, not too much cause then you'll be trolling.
Comment Re:Not only act of idiocy (Score 1) 445
In fact, they're the exact opposite of a monolithic entity.
The monolith made our monkey ancestors more intelligent. Corporations are making us more stupidity again =(
You might be confusing RL with Stargate a little bit.
Submission + - Majority of US Scientists Identify as Democrats (people-press.org) 4
Ripit writes: According to a Pew Research poll released on July 9, 2009, US scientists overwhelmingly identify themselves as Democrats. 55% of scientists say they are Democrats, compared to 35% of the general population. Only 6% of scientists say they are Republicans, compared to 23% of the general population. Surprisingly, scientists identified themselves as independents less often than the population as a whole, 32% to 34%, respectively.
Submission + - Americans do not agree with science (yahoo.com) 2
ZeroSerenity writes: "In a not so stunning article, it is thought by many that science is not something you have to agree with. A survey conducted by Pew Research Center states that
"...nearly 9 in 10 scientists accept the idea of evolution by natural selection, but just a third of the public does. And while 84 percent of scientists say the Earth is getting warmer because of human activity, less than half of the public agrees with that." In addition just 27% of the respondents said that the advances of the US in science are its greatest achievement, down from 44% ten years ago.
I fear for my own country's progress if people aren't this interested in science."
Submission + - Can you build a PC that out Macs a Mac? (bit-tech.net)
mr_sifter writes: "Apple is winning; the iPhone is the sexiest gadget going, Apple's computers are gobbling market share like Pacman eats pills and Apple stores are filled with eager customers. PC manufacturers, meanwhile, had raced each other to the bottom to make the cheapest computers possible. In this feature, the writers of bit-tech decided to see if it's possible to beat the latest and greatest 24in iMac at its own game, and set themselves the challenge of beating it, hands down, on as many fronts as possible, for the same price or less. The aim was to build a PC that looked and performed better, and was quieter and more desirable, and all for less cash. To win, we couldn't build any old performance system; we needed to craft a beauty from hardware that directly competes with the iMac's strengths."
Comment Re:Existing lines (Score 1) 249
I know a bunch of people with no personality, can I kill them too?
BT Drops Phorm, Citing More Pressing Priorities 94
Tom DBA notes a story up at The Register that begins "BT has abandoned plans to roll out Phorm's controversial web monitoring and profiling system across its broadband network, claiming it needs to concentrate resources on network upgrades... BT's announcement comes a day before MPs and peers of the All Party Parliamentary Communications Group are due to begin an investigation of Internet privacy. Their intervention follows the EU's move to sue the UK government over its alleged failure... properly [to] implement European privacy laws with respect to the trials, drawing further bad publicity to the venture." We've discussed Phorm many times in the past.
Comment Re:About an Autobahn lane projector ? (Score 1) 856
With yield signs, you would be perfectly right (slow needs to make way for the faster); however, on normal roads you can't expect to go fast and have everyone get out of your way. That is the key. If you decide to go fast, then the responsibility is on YOU, not the other drivers/bikers. It's about right of way, and the person in front of you has it.
You outlined a bunch of areas where bikers tend to ignore the laws of the road. Now look at all the laws that cars break: They don't stop fully at stop signs/red lights. They speed (excessively and dangerously). See any difference? I sure don't; there are dick drivers, and there are dick cyclists. Doesn't mean that you should classify all drivers/cyclists as dicks.
I can't count the number of times when I'm biking in a city, in the right lane (trying to stay out of heavy traffic and give the right of way), and someone tries to make a right turn into me. Whose fault is it then? I'm not trying to deny the fact that some people do stupid shit, just that drivers (and cyclists) see it as their RIGHT to drive how the hell they want, and anyone interfering with that can fuck off. Solution to this? Don't be a part of the problem.
