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4051

General Software Discussion / Re: The return of Clippy! Microsoft says more about their digital assistant Cortana

« Last post by wraith808 on February 14, 2015, 11:01 AM »

Rather, it's, "Let's hope they don't notice we're installing something we have nothing to do with so we can profit off them while infecting them with mal/spyware."

-Deozaan (February 13, 2015, 08:59 PM)

Agreed. However they do now offer a - granted quite poorly documented - setting that globally refuses the install of any/all "sponsor offers".

-Stoic Joker (February 14, 2015, 08:01 AM)

What is that setting?  I have to have Java for work, so would love to know about that.

4052

General Software Discussion / Re: The return of Clippy! Microsoft says more about their digital assistant Cortana

« Last post by wraith808 on February 12, 2015, 09:40 PM »

The crapware that gets bundled with things like Java is a completely different discussion, because that stuff does get detected and removed by anti-spyware.

-app103 (February 12, 2015, 07:13 PM)

It actually doesn't.  The ask toolbar isn't considered to be malware, at least by any of the scanners that I use.  At most, it's flagged as questionable.  The official Java installer installs the Ask toolbar.  And Oracle is just as large as the other players. And no one says anything about it.

-wraith808 (February 12, 2015, 07:37 PM)

Also, Oracle didn't make the Ask toolbar, while Apple did make iTunes and Siri, Google did make the Google toolbar and the Chrome browser, and Microsoft did make Cortana, and a ton of other crap that I can't recall at this moment.

While Oracle can be blamed for bundling questionable software and with the way they present it in their installer, they can't be blamed for what the Ask toolbar actually contains or does.

Should anti-malware prevent you from installing Java or deactivate/remove Java if it is found on your system? Or just the Ask toolbar, which is not Oracle's product? That is the difference.

-app103 (February 12, 2015, 07:55 PM)

I really don't think there's a difference.  They made a *deal* to bundle it.  Which means they make revenue from it.  Which makes them culpable in my opinion.  Sourcing the product is just semantics.

4053

General Software Discussion / Re: The return of Clippy! Microsoft says more about their digital assistant Cortana

« Last post by wraith808 on February 12, 2015, 07:52 PM »

When was the last time you saw Spybot S&D or Malwarebytes flag and offer to remove iTunes, Quicktime, Google toolbar, etc. And what is the likelihood that they will ever offer to deactivate/neuter Cortana for you?

-app103 (February 12, 2015, 07:13 PM)

If they ever did try, I'd expect Microsoft would simply remove them instead. Probably with their Malicious Software Removal Tool which runs as part of the regular "security updates" maintenance cycle.

You can get heavy with 3rd-party apps that try to do things you don't like. But it's considerably harder to do that with something the OS developer included and billed as "a feature" for their OS. Try to remove something like that and you're suddenly in that awkward position where you run the risk being classified as malware yourself. Microsoft has the last word about what is and what isn't malware. It's their operating system. They own it. So they get to define the parameters.

-40hz (February 12, 2015, 07:47 PM)

Which was another point of control built into their 'kind' offer of anti-virus software... 

4054

General Software Discussion / Re: The return of Clippy! Microsoft says more about their digital assistant Cortana

« Last post by wraith808 on February 12, 2015, 07:37 PM »

The crapware that gets bundled with things like Java is a completely different discussion, because that stuff does get detected and removed by anti-spyware.

-app103 (February 12, 2015, 07:13 PM)

It actually doesn't.  The ask toolbar isn't considered to be malware, at least by any of the scanners that I use.  At most, it's flagged as questionable.  The official Java installer installs the Ask toolbar.  And Oracle is just as large as the other players. And no one says anything about it.

4055

General Software Discussion / Re: The return of Clippy! Microsoft says more about their digital assistant Cortana

« Last post by wraith808 on February 12, 2015, 06:40 PM »

So, what does that mean? It's ok when a large corporation creates software that spies on you and collects data for marketing purposes, but not ok when smaller companies create less advanced software, capable of collecting less info, for the same purpose?

-app103 (February 12, 2015, 04:15 PM)

*cough* Java *cough*

It has been annoying me for a while that it can bundle the ask toolbar with it by default selected, and no one calls them on it...

-wraith808 (February 12, 2015, 04:45 PM)

I am talking more about things like the Ask toolbar, itself. Why is that considered unacceptable malware/spyware/adware and things like Cortana, Siri, and Google Now are not? There was quite a few applications in the first generation of this type of software that were quite useful and users went out of their way to install, that collected data on it's users for marketing purposes (Go!Zilla, Flashget, Copernic Shopper, Gator, ZipUpTheWeb, WeatherBug, etc). Why is the new generation of big corporate spyware considered acceptable and not held up to the same standards as the old stuff was subjected to, and that stuff from smaller companies is still subjected to?

-app103 (February 12, 2015, 06:16 PM)

Well, yes, the ask toolbar is bad.  But it is even worse in that it's being bundled with Java.  Like all of these companies are in bed with each other to erode the consciousness of the average consumer to the point where this kind of thing is commonplace and accepted.

4056

General Software Discussion / Re: The return of Clippy! Microsoft says more about their digital assistant Cortana

« Last post by wraith808 on February 12, 2015, 04:45 PM »

So, what does that mean? It's ok when a large corporation creates software that spies on you and collects data for marketing purposes, but not ok when smaller companies create less advanced software, capable of collecting less info, for the same purpose?

-app103 (February 12, 2015, 04:15 PM)

*cough* Java *cough*

It has been annoying me for a while that it can bundle the ask toolbar with it by default selected, and no one calls them on it...

4057

General Software Discussion / Re: The return of Clippy! Microsoft says more about their digital assistant Cortana

« Last post by wraith808 on February 12, 2015, 02:34 PM »

Clippy and Cortana serve completely different purposes.

-xtabber (February 12, 2015, 12:22 PM)

Possibly only because the technology wasn't yet available (and Microsoft lacked Apple's "the world is my oyster" vision) to make it so?

-40hz (February 12, 2015, 12:34 PM)

For the missteps of Clippy and Bob, it's pretty easy to see that the ideas are pretty analogous to what we're getting today.

-wraith808 (February 12, 2015, 12:51 PM)

Microsoft never willingly abandons an investment in research or software development. Even when it's a bad idea or doesn't work.

But that mindset still doesn't stop them from abandoning a genuine technical achievement like FlightSim simply because it (a) wasn't "serious" enough and (b) they couldn't sell 80 million copies of it.

-40hz (February 12, 2015, 02:29 PM)

Isn't FlightSim not only a technical achievement... but an investment?  Which is why it boggles me that they abandon the investment already made... not just from a technical perspective, but the sheer amount of data processed for the detail of the landscapes and such.

4058

General Software Discussion / Re: The return of Clippy! Microsoft says more about their digital assistant Cortana

« Last post by wraith808 on February 12, 2015, 12:51 PM »

Clippy and Cortana serve completely different purposes.

-xtabber (February 12, 2015, 12:22 PM)

Possibly only because the technology wasn't yet available (and Microsoft lacked Apple's "the world is my oyster" vision) to make it so?

-40hz (February 12, 2015, 12:34 PM)

For the missteps of Clippy and Bob, it's pretty easy to see that the ideas are pretty analogous to what we're getting today.

4059

Living Room / Re: Interesting "stuff"

« Last post by wraith808 on February 12, 2015, 10:55 AM »

And since its been made a 'gender' issue, let's show another with just as much snark

-wraith808 (February 12, 2015, 09:00 AM)

I'd like to think it was a simple misunderstanding and not go there at all if that's ok.

-40hz (February 12, 2015, 10:39 AM)

I wasn't trying to 'go there' as much as I was trying to illustrate that it's not a gender issue.    Onward!

4060

Living Room / Re: Interesting "stuff"

« Last post by wraith808 on February 12, 2015, 09:00 AM »

i know society expects its girls to show diffidence when criticizing boys. but come on!

-Gwen7 (February 11, 2015, 11:53 PM)

Please don't make this a gender issue.  I was over that in high school.

I took issue with Ms. Maltese's critique because she's obviously personally offended about some guy getting attention for his unconventional archery skills, so much so that she had to make a "snarky" video rebuttal.  When I say "snarky" I mean pretty much what 40Hz said.  There's really no reason to say much of what she said without thinking that she was taking the whole thing a little too personally.  Air quotes?  Seriously?  Friend pulling faces to illustrate her frustration?  Really?

-Edvard (February 12, 2015, 12:46 AM)

Agreed.  And since its been made a 'gender' issue, let's show another with just as much snark that I disagree with the tone just as vehemently.

http://geekdad.com/2...15/01/danish-archer/

He even starts out with a title that shows his disdain.  It takes away from the validity of his arguments.  It has nothing to do with the gender, but more to do with your aim and where you're coming from.  I disagree with him trying to add historical embellishments, and think that should be corrected.. but there is no imperative towards being an ass while doing it, as geekdad seems to think.

4061

General Software Discussion / Re: The return of Clippy! Microsoft says more about their digital assistant Cortana

« Last post by wraith808 on February 11, 2015, 12:54 PM »

^Considering how well the spell check suggestions work on my iPhone, I had very little in the way of hopeful expectations when it came to Siri. And I soon discovered it wasn't unreasonable for me to feel that way about it.

-40hz (February 11, 2015, 10:15 AM)

Damn you auto-correct!  And Siri!

4062

General Software Discussion / Re: The return of Clippy! Microsoft says more about their digital assistant Cortana

« Last post by wraith808 on February 11, 2015, 10:01 AM »

So, I have iOS devices.  And I really am starting to *hate* Siri.  Why?  Because their need to make it 'learn' and aggregate data gets in the way of it's usefulness.  And there's no way to opt out.

It seems they hobble adoption by those that might be open to using it.

An example... I have standup everyday, and sometimes I'm driving.  So it seems like a perfect use for Siri.  You program in a number for stand up, and when it's time- you say call standup, right?  But if there's no data reception at the time, it says "I can't take commands right now" because it needs to consult the aggregate data.  To call one of my contacts.  And then... what is it doing with the aggregate data of me calling a personal contact?

Things that make you go hmmm...

4063

Living Room / Re: Why phishing won't go away

« Last post by wraith808 on February 11, 2015, 08:08 AM »

It is legitimate.  And they give you 2GB of extra storage on google drive (if you use such things) as a reward.  But not if you're using a business offering.

4064

DC Gamer Club / An Exemption to the DMCA Would Let Game Fans Keep Abandoned Games Running

« Last post by wraith808 on February 10, 2015, 01:14 PM »

https://www.eff.org/...ndoned-games-running

When you buy a video game, you expect to be able to play it for as long as you want. You expect be able to play it with your kids many years from now if you want (well, maybe not Grand Theft Auto). And you would hope that museums and media historians could preserve the games that were so important to your childhood. But unfortunately, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act’s anti-circumvention provisions (17 U.S.C. § 1201, or Section 1201) creates legal risks for players who want to keep playing after game servers shut down, and curators who want to preserve games for posterity. That’s why I’m spearheading an effort to win legal protection for game enthusiasts and preservationists who want to keep abandoned games alive by running multiplayer servers or eliminating authentication mechanisms. On Friday, EFF and I filed comments with the Copyright Office asking for a new exemption to Section 1201.

Each year, more and more video games have their servers shut down. For some of those games, such as Mario Kart Wii, players set up servers to keep communities alive. Enthusiasts regard this as a labor of love—a tribute to a game they cared about or had a special connection to, a way to keep a great game’s lights on for just a little longer. But they face legal risks, as changing a game so it doesn’t need to connect to a server that no longer exists could violate Section 1201’s ban on circumventing “technical protection measures.”

Game developers and distributors don’t run servers forever, and often shut them off when player numbers dwindle. Having player communities step in to preserve their games is a win for everyone. However, Section 1201 creates chilling effects that keep this from happening. And for games without dedicated programmers who are willing to take legal risks, communities disperse, moving on to new games or just disappearing entirely.

Section 1201 also has chilling effects on people who want to preserve or archive games, both those who are affiliated with formal institutions and those who are just enthusiasts. As digital archiving expert Henry Lowood explains, “Repositories and researchers [are forced] into the uncomfortable situation of considering unauthorized circumvention of copyright law in order to preserve or provide access to game and virtual world environments, data, and software.” Archiving and preserving playable copies is essential to future researchers, especially ones who wish to study the multiplayer components and the design of modern games. In the words of game community sociologist T.L. Taylor, “playing together is not a trivial side aspect to digital gaming and this means that scholars need to be able to emulate conditions of original use as much as possible.”

The exemption that we proposed covers games where single-player or multiplayer play is no longer possible, either because the game’s developers have shut down servers or abandoned them. (It does not cover massively multiplayer online games with persistent worlds.) Experts from the Internet Archive, Stanford University, MIT, and the Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment filed statements in support of the exemption.

We think Section 1201 is an unsound, overbroad statute that chills huge amounts of legal reverse-engineering. And it allows companies to maintain a chokehold on their works even after they give up on the communities that love them. It shouldn’t exist. But since it does, we ask the Library of Congress to grant an exemption to help enthusiasts of all types continue to play and preserve the games they lawfully own.

4065

Living Room / Re: DARPA Hacks GM's OnStar To Remote Control A Chevrolet Impala

« Last post by wraith808 on February 10, 2015, 12:51 PM »

Is it really hacking when you own it?

"Oh noes! Someone is in my DonationCoder account, making a forum post about GM! h4x! Oh wait it's just me."

-Deozaan (February 10, 2015, 11:28 AM)

It's proof of concept.  Showing the possibilities.  And yes, it's still hacking... maybe not from an intruder, but it's still hacking.  Like you get hackers to do penetration testing on systems.  Right?

4066

Living Room / Re: DARPA Hacks GM's OnStar To Remote Control A Chevrolet Impala

« Last post by wraith808 on February 10, 2015, 10:26 AM »

They already have it in place for high risk borrowers- I'd said when they put that in place, it boded ill.

4067

Living Room / Re: Interesting "stuff"

« Last post by wraith808 on February 10, 2015, 07:10 AM »

Being a casual sport archer, I found the following video by Anna Maltese (archery instructor, bow-maker, tournament competitor, fire archery practitioner) rebutting some of Lars ("fastest archer on the planet") Andersen's recent postulations rather interesting:

-40hz (February 09, 2015, 08:50 AM)

The original video was pretty fun! (I watched that first.)

The rebuttal, not so much -- she's basically just heckling a magician (did you really believe that the magician's wand was exhumed from an ancient tomb in 1837 after...). Perhaps she should have read the original video's description. Buddy mentions some of the things she takes issue with in her rebuttal. Reading all of it, and applying the principle of charity (a lost art today that I have recently rediscovered from my extensive historical readings!!! ), it seems that Lars is aiming at producing entertainment much like street entertainers and magicians have been doing for ages (complete with lots of embellishments), and not a historical documentary. But, that was just my read on it Lars -- perhaps I should have taken him much more seriously?

-Renegade (February 10, 2015, 05:32 AM)

 

4068

Living Room / Re: Show us a picture of your.. CAR!!!

« Last post by wraith808 on February 08, 2015, 10:51 PM »

New York State would classify the Elio as a motorcycle, not a car.

-SeraphimLabs (February 08, 2015, 10:23 PM)

Actually, not necessarily.  Special legislation has been introduced in several places, with others on the docket.

From an e-mail that I received:

Innovative Vehicles Need Innovative Legislation:

Elio Motors Continues Efforts to Add Helmet, Motorcycle License Exemptions in 19 States
 
Sometimes innovation moves so quickly it is tough for lawmakers to keep up. After all, the legislative process takes time and effort for our leaders to draft, debate and vote on new ideas.

And, there is no question, the Elio is a new idea!

It’s really not surprising that so many states are working on making changes to the law to accommodate the Elio. We truly are inventing a new vehicle category and legislators across the country realize that it’s important to their constituents’ safety to get this right.

Today, there are 19 states working on exemptions for helmets and motorcycle licenses. Several of these are coming to a vote in the coming months.

Here’s a recap.

Currently only five states remain with motorcycle helmet requirements for enclosed autocycles.

At the start of the 2015 session, Mississippi House Transportation Committee unanimously moved HB 111 out to the House floor.  Sponsored by Representative Steve Massengill, the legislation puts autocycle in definition and removes helmet and motorcycle endorsement requirements for Elio autocycles.  HB 111 is expected to clear the House by mid-February.  Also in Mississippi, Senator David Parker (SB2225) and Senator Joey Fillingane (SB2122) are handling the Senate versions of the legislation.

In Missouri, Senator Jay Wasson, Chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, has introduced SB 344 and is leading the effort to exempt helmets and motorcycle license requirements in the Senate. Representatives Dave Hinson (HB 580) and Charlie Davis (HB 562) are taking the lead in the House.  The bills remove helmet and endorsement requirements and put autocycle in definition.

Nebraska’s Senator Jim Smith, Chairman of the Transportation Committee, sponsored LB231 which had its first hearing February 2.  The legislation puts “autocycle” in definition and exempts helmet and motorcycle license requirements for autocycles.  LB231 is expected to be voted out of committee this week. Passage out of the Senate should soon follow.
Senators Bob Beach, Herb Snyder and Bob Williams have sponsored SB 259, leading the legislative effort in West Virginia.

Representative John Torbett has introduced H6 in North Carolina and awaits House Transportation Committee passage, rounding out the last of the 5 states requiring helmets.

Arizona’s Senator Judy Burges has SB 1051 on the move, which cleared the Senate Transportation Committee last week.  The bill places “autocycle” in definition and exempts autocycles from motorcycle endorsements.  Passage out of the Senate is expected soon.  Representative Warren Petersen (HB 2211) has joined the effort with companion legislation in the House.

We encourage all of our fans to be active participants in the legislative process. If you get a chance, and you live in one of these states, drop your representative a note and let them know you support the new legislation. Ultimately, it will be good for Elio, our fans, and you!

4069

DC Gamer Club / Re: Dying Light

« Last post by wraith808 on February 07, 2015, 09:25 PM »

Interesting cross-media game design note:

They have a companion app for Android and iOS. Pretty simple management game, where you assign scouts to missions, and the scouts are either good at fighting or running... and level and have RPG elements. You also get rewards... the harder missions give the better rewards. You can package these up into care packages to send to your character in game. It really helps for me with the boosters, as finding plants is a lot more difficult to me than finding other materials.

4070

Living Room / Re: What are the consequences of an FCC Internet "utility"?

« Last post by wraith808 on February 06, 2015, 10:32 PM »

Looks pretty much to be regulated like Title II to me, though I could be wrong.

Thoughts?

-wraith808 (February 06, 2015, 07:45 PM)

This from Techdirt?

Stop Saying That The FCC Is 'Treating Internet As A Utility' -- It's Not
from the mythbusting dept

Now that FCC boss Tom Wheeler has made it official that he's going to present rules to reclassify broadband under Title II for the purpose of implementing stronger net neutrality rules (details still to come...), the opponents to this effort have come out of the woodwork to insist, over and over again, that reclassifying is "treating the internet as a utility." The cable industry's main lobbyists, NCTA, decried "Wheeler's proposal to impose the heavy burden of Title II public utility regulation...." and AT&T screamed about how "these regulations that we're talking about are public-utility-style regulations..." Former Congressman Rick Boucher, who is now lobbying for AT&T whined that "subjecting broadband to public utility regulation under Title II is unnecessary."

Hell, even those who are merely reporting on the issue are calling it "treating internet as a utility." Here's the Wall Street Journal, NPR, CNET, Engadget and the Associated Press all claiming that the new rules "treat" or "regulate" the "internet as a public utility."

And they're all wrong. While there are some "utility" like aspects in Title II, Wheeler actually made it pretty clear he's not using those sections in the net neutrality rules that he's putting together (though, again, the details here will matter, and we haven't seen them yet). What he's doing here is just using Title II to be able to designate broadband as a common carrier, but just being a "common carrier" is not the same as being a "public utility" -- a point that John Bergmeyer at Public Knowledge makes nicely, by highlighting that there are lots of common carriers that aren't utilities...

Interesting... (read the rest of it here)

-40hz (February 06, 2015, 08:44 PM)

Yeah... I read that.  Read my comment above.

4071

Living Room / Re: What are the consequences of an FCC Internet "utility"?

« Last post by wraith808 on February 06, 2015, 07:45 PM »

In what way, exactly, is this treating internet providers as a utility?

Are mobile phone providers regulated like utilities? Because this is weaker than their Title II rules.

-Vurbal (February 06, 2015, 11:30 AM)

It's funny that you mention mobile phone providers... because some of them are covered also.  But to the question at hand:

The draft rules seek to impose a modified version of Title II, which was originally written to regulate telephone companies. It will waive a number of provisions, including parts of the law that empower the FCC to set retail prices — something Internet providers fear above all.

However, contrary to many people's expectations, the draft rules will also keep other parts of Title II that allow the FCC to: enforce consumer privacy rules; extract funds from Internet providers to help subsidize services for rural Americans, educators and the poor; and make sure services such as Google Fiber can build new broadband pipes more easily, according to people familiar with the plan.

Internet providers won't be asked to contribute to the subsidy fund, known as Universal Service, right away. The draft rules merely open the door to that obligation down the road should the FCC determine that step is necessary. (The Universal Service Fund helps schools and libraries buy Internet service and reduces the cost of telephone service for low-income Americans. It also subsidizes connectivity for rural areas. If the FCC later decides to ask Internet providers to pay into the fund, the money would go toward these programs.)

In addition, senior FCC officials confirmed, Wheeler's draft proposal applies strong rules to the Internet backbone — the part of the Web responsible for carrying Internet traffic to the doorstep of Comcast, Verizon and others before those companies ferry that content to you. The proposal stops short of laying down specific regulations there; it merely says companies should not favor some Web traffic over others in that part of the network. But under the draft rules, the FCC could investigate deals similar to the one Netflix signed with Comcast, Verizon and others to ensure its content is delivered quickly to customers. That's a huge deal for Netflix.

Looks pretty much to be regulated like Title II to me, though I could be wrong.

Thoughts?

4072

Living Room / Re: The banality of a darknet developer

« Last post by wraith808 on February 06, 2015, 07:41 PM »

^Um...I'm using 'darknet' as an adjective. Just like 'web developer' is not someone who is necessarily doing development work the Internet itself.

-40hz (February 06, 2015, 04:15 PM)

But, the even the article is not using it as an adjective.  So... 

Like, if you look at the title "This Anonymous Web Developer Makes Counterfeit Banking Sites for $15K"


I see... darknet subreddit.  And I also see that he set up darknet marketplaces.

But they never use it as an adjective, so that's where I suppose the disconnect occurs to me.  How does anonymous=darknet?

4073

Living Room / Re: The banality of a darknet developer

« Last post by wraith808 on February 06, 2015, 04:06 PM »

... I develop software.  And I'm on the internet.

... I'm an... internet developer

-wraith808 (February 06, 2015, 01:34 PM)

(see attachment in previous post)
Thank you! Remain standing...Do not attempt to move...Keep your hands in plain sight at all times...

-40hz (February 06, 2015, 03:44 PM)

Heh

But to the point that I was making... it's a developer that uses the Darknet.  And I think that's the point that Ren was getting to.  Someone using the medium that just happens to be a developer... isn't a developer of that medium.

4074

Living Room / Re: The banality of a darknet developer

« Last post by wraith808 on February 06, 2015, 01:34 PM »

Hmmm... I develop software.  And I'm on the internet.

... I'm an... internet developer?!

... even better...

I'm an architect.  And I'm on the internet.

I'M AN ARCHITECT OF THE INTERNET!  AL GORE WATCH OUT! 

4075

Living Room / Re: What are the consequences of an FCC Internet "utility"?

« Last post by wraith808 on February 06, 2015, 08:06 AM »

The big news today is the move to regulate the internet as a utility.

-superboyac (February 05, 2015, 05:16 PM)

Apparently, no, it isn't so.

-eleman (February 06, 2015, 06:57 AM)

A good comment from the comments, that I agree with:

The overall message in this post is one that FCC official Gigi Sohn has urged "friendly bloggers"to echo; the same story appears on TechDirt and Public Knowledge. Here's a clue: if you impose universal service taxes, pole attachment rates, and price controls on interconnection (setting the price to zero is price control), you're in utility territory. Call it what it is.

They're just trying to head off opposition by saying, "no, no... we're not trying to classify it as a utility.  No matter what it looks like!"