Messages

26

Living Room / Re: Hacked "hard" via the cloud.

« on: August 05, 2012, 01:00 AM »

From the site:

Update Three: I know how it was done now. Confirmed with both the hacker and Apple. It wasn’t password related. They got in via Apple tech support and some clever social engineering that let them bypass  security questions. Apple has my Macbook and is trying to recover the data. I’m back in all my accounts that I know I was locked out of. Still trying to figure out where else they were.

This means that irrelevant of how good is your password is, your computer can be hacked by Apple.  Bottom line, TRUST NO ONE.

27

Announce Your Software/Service/Product / Re: Frackin' Reserve - A Fractional Reserve Banking and Compound Interest Simulator

« on: July 16, 2012, 09:37 AM »

Thanks this will allow me to better explain how the Federal Reserve is robbing everyone blindly.

28

Living Room / Re: Blog comments - On of off?

« on: May 13, 2012, 01:03 AM »

I guess the division would be:
A. Discussion.
B. Advertisement.

On one you want to discuss an idea. On the other you want to promote an idea.

On one you care about what you audience think. On the other you only care that they hear you. I say hear, because you have no way to know if they are listening to you since they have no way to comment.

I usually don't bother with advertisement ones, unless is for things like news.

29

Living Room / Re: Is Kindle Fire set to be the Apple/MS slayer tablet?

« on: December 24, 2011, 03:02 PM »

One thing I do not like avout the advertisement of the kindle fire is that is shown as larger than the kindle 3. When in fact is smaller.

I am glad I waited for seeing it live at target before spending money on it. I will be keeping my kindle 3G for reading. I do not need a smart pad.

Now the perfect device would be a large (capable of showing letter size documents) e-ink (so the eyes do not get constantly irradiated and battery last longer) device that is afordable.Bonus point if the e-ink is colored (I do not know if colored e-ink exist or not).

A pity that everyone is trying to make an iPad clone instead of a usable reader capable of eliminate the need of technical books on dead tree format.

30

Living Room / Re: Rootkits on mobile devices ...

« on: December 01, 2011, 07:05 PM »

Just saw this on CNN:
http://money.cnn.com.../index.htm?hpt=hp_t2

Aparently is on all USA cell phones.

31

Living Room / Re: Products designed to fail, a documentary

« on: November 06, 2011, 12:34 PM »

This is older than even the USA.

When the Spaniards built a pot they made one that would last at least 50 years. When the British built a pot, they made one that will last for 2 or 3 years.

Thus the Spanish Empire build expensive things that did not require to be change in a long time. While the British Empire build things that where cheap but require you to replace them frequently. Leading to the British empire to have a stronger economy.

So incompetence can actually be better for the economy

32

General Software Discussion / Re: Why I stand up for Stallman

« on: November 06, 2011, 12:24 PM »

Both Canonical and Red Hat are bad examples of making money creating GPL software. As they make money not of their work, but of the projects (and work) of other people. If at all they are an example of how to make money exploiting the people that released their software under GPL.

Most of the honest people that do make money of creating GPL software do on four ways:
- Premium support. Where you get paid to help people use your software effectively and/or to program private additions.
- Dual licenses. Where you offer one license GPL and another private for a fee. (aka MySQL and others)
- As part of a package you are selling. For example hardware.
- As a way to test the tools of a system you use internally for profit. For example gcc and notepad++. They do not make money from the compiler, but having a huge base of people that use the compiler means they can eliminate bugs and thus have more reliable tools.

Either way, you do not make money on the GPL software directly. You can see it like frosting on a cake you are selling. You do not sell the frosting, but it helps sell the cake.

EDIT: Made a mistake. Instead of posting a reply, created a new topic. Which I do not know how to eliminate.

33

Find And Run Robot / Re: FARR not a commonly downloaded program?

« on: October 16, 2011, 12:15 PM »

== Begin Rant ==

Thus the solution is to bend over and allow Microsoft to make false accusations on software from authors that did not pay them homage.

I guess we live in a world that people have gotten use to that.

I thought there was something called libel and slander. After all, what proof do they have that the software could harm your computer?

I guess we live in a world where justice and pride is something reserve for the rich (since is far cheaper to bend over than to get justice).

== End Rant ==

34

Living Room / Re: The All New Kindle - ripoff!

« on: October 14, 2011, 12:32 AM »

At the same time, Amazon is hobbling the browser in the new 3G Kindles Touch: now you can only use it for browsing the Amazon store and Wikipedia. Not that the browser for useful for much of anything else,  but now it's officially locked out of the rest of the web in 3G mode.

-tranglos (October 09, 2011, 11:10 AM)

Good thing I got my kindle before this. Sometimes I use it to check my emails.

35

Living Room / Re: Real life version of a Half Life 2 map

« on: October 14, 2011, 12:09 AM »

This chat reminded me of something I hear on a "MacGyver" episode, a long time ago:
"Is not the fall that scares me, is the sudden stop that follows it"

36

Living Room / Re: Social Media's Hidden Truth

« on: October 05, 2011, 04:08 PM »

One of reasons I left facebook (the other is that I didn't find any use for it).

As for cookies, I use Opera, their ad blocker. And Ghostery.

37

Living Room / Re: Steam: Savior or Slayer of PC Gaming?

« on: August 29, 2011, 01:44 PM »

I kind of like more the aproach of GOG.com.

You:
- Buy the game.
- Download it.
- Install without any DRM crap.
- Play

Sure, some users will pirate it on the internet, but then again, the same will happen with the DRM ones. The irony is that the pirated version is most likely to run fine while the DRM one might work or not. That includes steam, sometimes it works, sometimes it does not.

I guess the different between GOG.COM and steam is that steam asumes that the user is a thief, while gog.com does not make that assumption. I don't know you, but I make a point of not buying from someone that treats me like a thief.

38

Developer's Corner / Re: Want to be in Amazon's App Store? Think again!

« on: August 15, 2011, 03:25 PM »

I can understand that a giving your application for free will not give you any money (I would be surprise if it do). The only value you might get it is to promote your software.

However, I do not understand the reason of showing the 54k on the statement, unless is a plan to commit fraud on promotions. Something in the lines of, "the average developer makes X amount of money." Of course, it could just simply be a bug on their online software.

That said, a better promotion for a developer (whose source of income is the app) would be to make 2 versions of the applications. One free (either limited or with ads) and one for pay. People like free stuff, but dislike ads and limitations.

Another way would be to make a free app that would only work with an online service that have a subscription model. There you could either give the first month for free or offer a limited service for free. (So that people can try your service.)

The most stupid way to promote your app (when the app is the product and not a cookie to attract to your real product), is to give it away for free forever.
Some side effects on this:
- People that bought your application before will feel cheated. And might wait before buying another application from you (to see if you will also place it for free).
- Potential buyers that got your application on the free day will have no reason to buy your application. In this case you sales will lower instead of rise.

39

General Software Discussion / Re: Google+

« on: July 11, 2011, 10:01 PM »

I must be getting old, as I do not understand why exactly the appeal of sharing all your information with a single company. Specially when this company is having more information on everyone than a state intelligence agency.

I can understand the appeal for companies, but certainly not for individuals.

40

Developer's Corner / Re: Windows 8 - DirectUI, WinRT, .NET and c++ - Two worlds meet again

« on: July 02, 2011, 09:02 AM »

I wonder if by combining C++ with .NET they mean that all code will be managed code. AKA: not real machine code, but a layer over it.  While most applications do not need speed, there are some that do.

The win32 api might be old. But so is the unix api. Both have the benefit of being time tested and relieved of many unexpected features (aka. bugs). They also have the benefit that many developers know how to work with them.

41

Announce Your Software/Service/Product / Re: [Freeware] TimeClue - a simple time reminder that fades the desktop

« on: May 17, 2011, 01:57 PM »

TimeClue is designed to help you develop a habit of resting your eyes every 15 minutes (recommended for heavy computer users).

-musetips (May 08, 2011, 04:36 AM)

Rest them how? Whenever my dad said he was resting his eyes that meant he was taking a nap.

A nap every 15 minutes seems like a good way to live a stress-free life of unemployment.

-Deozaan (May 09, 2011, 12:44 AM)

I thing he means:
- Focusing on objects in the distance. Otherwise the tiny mucle in the Ciliary muscle in the eye will become atrophic over time.
- Taking your focus from an emisive screen (harmful to your eyes btw) to a something non emisive (like paper).
- Blinking your eyes. Dry eyes are common on people that do not blink enough (which is usually the ones that spend a long time looking at an emmitive screen).

All overall a good idea, but difficult to remember when you are concentrated on something.

42

Developer's Corner / Re: What "Laws" Would You Be Comfortable With?

« on: May 17, 2011, 01:40 PM »

IMBO
There should be no allowance to change the contract in the middle of a business relation unless BOTH parties agree to it. If I buy something under one agreement, the agreement must not be allowed change for the term of the contract (usually one year) unless, I am notified and I agree to the change. Otherwise is just the tyranny of one party dictating whatever they want.  (And this is exactly the case with Apple).

For capitalism to work, competition MUST be allowed. Otherwise one party will abuse its power.  This is the problem with allowing only one official store on a device. Heck, this look more like something Chairman Mao would have thought of than something out of a free market.

Microsoft has being legally bashed for lesser thing than what Apple does. 

But none of this will take place unless a consumer movement begins to take place, forcing congress to take notice.  No positive change ever comes from government. It always start with the people. And this in turn begins with a minority convincing the majority.

BTW, for those who do not want to spend money to read it:

"The Law"

as a FREE audio book:
http://www.freeaudio...fbastiat/thelaw.html

as a web page:
http://www.constitut....org/law/bastiat.htm

The author as being death for a while, so there is no real way to support him by buying something

43

Developer's Corner / Re: Apples, Walled Gardens, and Screw Deals - Oh My!

« on: May 16, 2011, 03:42 PM »

Why not simply stop developing for Apple and concentrate on the Android?

In fact, instead of writing to Apple (which will do no good), write to congress. Ask for a stronger anti-monopoly law. Make it so companies cannot disallow competitive stores.

If enough people do this, Apple will be forced to spend more money on government kickbacks to avoid an antimonopoly law. Everything will stay the same, but hey, you feel better.

Then again, who knows, car manufacturers had a monopoly on parts, and if you put even oil not made by the manufacturer, you lost the warranty. But congress made this illegal. So is possible that a pro consumer anti monopoly law can be passed.

44

Living Room / Re: Apple - not quite grasping the concept of privacy.

« on: May 08, 2011, 03:26 PM »

Another problem with this tracking (specially since is kept in a file) is that a person can steal your phone and know where you work, where you live, at what times you are home, etc, etc, etc.

45

Living Room / Re: Apple - not quite grasping the concept of privacy.

« on: May 05, 2011, 11:01 AM »

Just found out that not only the iPhone and the Android are tracking your location. The kindle does that too.

http://www.mobilerea...owthread.php?t=51371

If you see in the log that is sent to amazon

"HDR Latitude=37.334167,HDR Longitude=-122.031113,"

Which is basically the position of the kindle at a given time.

Why are this companies doing that? What do they gain with tracking their customers positions? Unless they sell the information, I do not understand why they do this BS behind ones back.

46

Living Room / Re: Apple - not quite grasping the concept of privacy.

« on: April 27, 2011, 05:00 PM »

I can understand why you would need to track the CURRENT position of a phone. But the only reason for someone to keep track of your past position and keep it on a file is to track where you have been. Why would apple need that? And even if there where a valid reason, why keep it secret?

If I wanted to bet, I would say that Apple is selling the service of tracking iPhones. To who? From marketers all the way to government.

Suppose you want to make a union. And decided to make a secret reunion of workers so that the company does not fire the ones in the meeting.  the company then knew that the meeting took place and where. Every atendant with an iPhone would be in danger of being fired (illegal, but companies can make any excuse to do so).
.
Imagine you decide to excersise your first admentment rights (freedom of speech) and join an activity. If you have an iPhone, Uncle Sam now knows you where there and where you live. So next time you travel you get a special treatment by the TSA.

And how about if someone that happen to work at Apple is also a stalker. Great now the person knows every movement of you.

Many horrible uses for this, specially since its done behind your back.

47

Living Room / Re: The Universe Within - very cool flash image zooms from galaxy to atoms

« on: April 14, 2011, 10:19 PM »

Independent of errors.
Impressive use of flash. Very smooth transition.

Is this possible to do using HTML5 instead of flash?

48

General Software Discussion / Re: DLS: Mozilla publishes name and shame list of slow Firefox add-ons

« on: April 08, 2011, 06:40 PM »

It would be interesting doing the same thing but for windows applications. If the application is slow and bloated, users should know before buying.

49

Living Room / Re: The "Cloud" Goes Up in Smoke

« on: April 08, 2011, 06:39 PM »

A proof of concept of never relying on the cloud for work you cannot afford to loose. Always have an internal backup plan.

50

Living Room / Re: Fascinating story about the consequences of sharing your art in the Internet age

« on: March 21, 2011, 01:59 PM »

What is his art? A picture of his face?

If so, then every soldier found on a WW2 picture should have the right for royalties since copyright has not expired.

I will never understand the reasoning of I made a picture of something once, thereof I should be payed for it the rest of my life. Will you pay a doctor the rest of your life when he saved your life? The doctor did a lot more than this guy. And should every surgeon that makes a bypass surgery pay a royalty to the one that invented the procedure? After all its creation, isn't it.

Yes, is illegal, yes (under the eyes of the law). Has it being stolen, NO (as the original user can still use it). It has being pirated and transformed, not stolen. That makes a case to go to court and let the court decide. However, it does not makes a case of getting public pity in hopes of milking the situation.

Is it a mater of principle. Maybe, if  you agree that however invents something (including medical procedures) have the right to keep receiving royalties from it for the rest of their lives and then more. BTW, if that is the case, be sure to use ONLY IBM pc, as they where the ones who invented the personal computer. Otherwise you got your principles screwed.