Comment Re:We've had a couple of these (Score 1) 245
It's sad really; the fake AVs have Symantec beat in everything from total resource usage to looks.
and the same great features as McAfee.
Comment Re:Yeah, right (Score 1) 472
Yes and it is 2009 not fucking 1900. The reason you don't see factories that hot anymore is not because it benefits the workers, it is because a comfortable worker is a productive worker and a productive worker benefits the company. Believe me your productivity in a 100 degree room will be well below your productivity at a more comfortable 70 degrees.
Comment Re:Improved distance from the DSLAM? (Score 1) 110
What's mobile phone service? You mean people can actually use their cell phones in areas where they live? I am shocked.
Sarcasm aside I understand that I live in a rural area and I won't have access to the most modern of conveniences. As matter of fact I never expect to have broadband or cell signal at my home unless AT&T sells my area to a smaller company or I move. I am however calling attention to the fact that many people consider speeds that are 1-2 generations ahead of what I have slow. While the rest of the country keeps getting upgrades and the internet evolves I am left to wonder at what point does the net become completely unusable for me?
I have looked into alternatives such as ISDN, T1 and satellite but they are as follows:
ISDN: Unavailable without 3rd party support so I have to pay 2 bills for it-one to AT&T and one to the 3rd party which is none existent where I live.
T1 : Can't afford $600/month
Satellite: A friend has it and I found it just as slow as dial-up but with bandwidth caps and 3x as expensive for the lowest tier.
Sarcasm aside I understand that I live in a rural area and I won't have access to the most modern of conveniences. As matter of fact I never expect to have broadband or cell signal at my home unless AT&T sells my area to a smaller company or I move. I am however calling attention to the fact that many people consider speeds that are 1-2 generations ahead of what I have slow. While the rest of the country keeps getting upgrades and the internet evolves I am left to wonder at what point does the net become completely unusable for me?
I have looked into alternatives such as ISDN, T1 and satellite but they are as follows:
ISDN: Unavailable without 3rd party support so I have to pay 2 bills for it-one to AT&T and one to the 3rd party which is none existent where I live.
T1 : Can't afford $600/month
Satellite: A friend has it and I found it just as slow as dial-up but with bandwidth caps and 3x as expensive for the lowest tier.
Comment Re:Improved distance from the DSLAM? (Score 1) 110
I'd be happy with anything above 28k. It sucks living in a rural area served by AT&T. 1 county to the north a small phone company that serves primarily rural areas has DSL available to every home they serve. The also just announced that they are rolling out fiber the the home over the next 5 years to every address in their area. ATT will never do that because they only see profit margins while the small companies who provide the same services just sees profit.
Comment Re:Physical is still the best bandwidth (Score 1) 478
Been online for about the same amount of time want to see my speeds each year?
1999 15k
2003 28k (modem upgrade)
2004 28k
2005 28k
2006 28k
2007 28k
2008 28k
At this point I have given up on broadband reaching me (Satellite is not broadband) and the industry will lose a paying customer when every game has to be downloaded.
1999 15k
2003 28k (modem upgrade)
2004 28k
2005 28k
2006 28k
2007 28k
2008 28k
At this point I have given up on broadband reaching me (Satellite is not broadband) and the industry will lose a paying customer when every game has to be downloaded.
Comment When Servers Explode: Two Words (Score 3, Funny) 142
Woot Off
Sewage Plant Yields Brown Gold 5
A sewage treatment facility in Nagano prefecture has recorded a higher gold yield from sludge than can be found at some of the world's best mines. An official said the high percentage of gold found at the Suwa facility was probably due to the large number of precision equipment manufacturers in the area. The facility recently recorded finding 1,890 grammes of gold per tonne of ash from incinerated sludge. The prefecture is so far due to receive 5 million yen ($55,810) for the gold, minus expenses. I can't wait to see the game show they make out of this. I bet the physical challenges are brutal.
All Korea To Have 1Gbps Broadband By 2012? 386
An anonymous reader writes to tell us that while 60 Mbps may be enough to get us excited in the US, Korea is making plans to set the bar much higher. The entire country is gearing up to have 1 Gbps service by 2012, or at least that is what the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) is claiming. 'Currently, Koreans can get speeds up to 100 Mbps, which is still nearly double the speed of Charter's new 60 Mbps service. The new plan by the KCC will cost 34.1 trillion ($24.6 billion USD) over the next five years. The central government will put up 1.3 trillion won, with the remainder coming from private telecom operators. The project is also expected to create more than 120,000 jobs — a win for the Korean economy.'"
Why We Need Unlicensed White-Space Broadband Spectrum 179
pgoldtho writes "PC Mag has a story about why the 'white-space' spectrum that will be freed when TV broadcasts switch to digital should be available for unlicensed use. This would allow it to be used to deliver broadband connectivity in rural areas and create a 'third pipe' alternative to the cable/telco duopoly. The FCC is scheduled to vote on this November 4th. The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has filed an emergency appeal to block this vote. If the NAB succeeds, the issue will be kicked into next year. Which would mean a new FCC, Congress, and Administration."
New Cellphone Sized "Computer" Takes Aim at Sub-Notebooks 256
IMOVIO has launched a new cellphone-sized computer that is aimed at something similar to the subnotebook market. While it doesn't have 3G of its own, it does have a QWERTY keyboard, Wi-Fi, and a $175 price point. "It can connect to the Internet using a standard Wi-Fi connection, or it can use your cell phone's mobile broadband connection via Bluetooth. The company is currently pitching it to mobile network operators and retail stores. It's being compared to the ill-fated Palm Foleo. But the comparison doesn't work because the Foleo was Palm-phone only, didn't fit in a pocket and cost well over three times the price of the iKIT.
EFF Sues To Overturn Telecom Immunity 369
Mike writes "The title says it all — The EFF is suing to have the unconstitutional telecom immunity overturned. 'In a brief filed in the US District Court [PDF] in San Francisco, the EFF argues that the flawed FISA Amendments Act (FAA) violates the federal government's separation of powers as established in the Constitution and robs innocent telecom customers of their rights without due process of law. [...] "We have overwhelming record evidence that the domestic spying program is operating far outside the bounds of the law," said EFF Senior Staff Attorney Kurt Opsahl. "Intelligence agencies, telecoms, and the Administration want to sweep this case under the rug, but the Constitution won't permit it."'"
First Official Photos From New Star Trek Movie 410
Philias Fog writes "The most secret project in Hollywood is finally lifting its skirt. Today Paramount released a number of images for their new Star Trek movie directed by JJ Abrams. Shots include images of the bridge of the Enterprise, the villain Nero, a ship (not the Enterprise) and all of the crew in uniform. TrekMovie.com has a complete set of photos and links to all the new shots."
Ars Examines Outlandish "Lost To Piracy" Claims and Figures 380
Nom du Keyboard writes "For years the figures of $200 billion and 750,000 jobs lost to intellectual property piracy have been bandied about, usually as a cudgel to demand ever more overbearing copyright laws with the intent of diminishing of both Fair Use and the Public Domain. Now ARS Technica takes a look into origin and validity these figures and finds far less than the proponents of them might wish."
Qantas Blames Wireless For Aircraft Incidents 773
musther writes "An Australian airline Qantas Airbus A330-300, suffered 'a sudden change of altitude' on Tuesday. "The mid-air incident resulted in injuries to 74 people, with 51 of them treated by three hospitals in Perth for fractures, lacerations and suspected spinal injuries when the flight bound from Singapore to Perth had a dramatic drop in altitude that hurled passengers around the cabin." Now it seems Qantas is seeking to blame interference from passenger electronics, and it's not the first time; 'In July, a passenger clicking on a wireless mouse mid-flight was blamed for causing a Qantas jet to be thrown off course.' Is there any precedent for wireless electronics interfering with aircraft systems? Interfering with navigation instruments is one thing, but causing changes in the 'elevator control system' — I would be quite worried if I thought the aircraft could be flown with a bluetooth mouse."
Unbelievably Large Telescopes On the Moon? 292
Matt_dk writes "A team of internationally renowned astronomers and opticians may have found a way to make "unbelievably large" telescopes on the Moon.
'It's so simple,' says Ermanno F. Borra, physics professor at the Optics Laboratory of Laval University in Quebec, Canada. 'Isaac Newton knew that any liquid, if put into a shallow container and set spinning, naturally assumes a parabolic shape, the same shape needed by a telescope mirror to bring starlight to a focus. This could be the key to making a giant lunar observatory.'"
