Recent Posts

4151

General Software Discussion / Re: Removing dual-boots

« Last post by 40hz on February 02, 2013, 10:24 AM »

Look here.

It's easy. I was gonna write the procedure up, but then I saw several people already had.  You'll find easy instructions and a link to Vista/Win7 recovery ISO downloads at the above.  

Tux will be sorry to see you leave!

Usual caveats about backing important things up first applies.

4152

General Software Discussion / Re: MS Office Subscriptions Now

« Last post by 40hz on January 31, 2013, 03:53 PM »

SaaS? Kill it with fire. Then roast the inventors over a slow fire. Then torch the term out of existence.

-f0dder (January 31, 2013, 03:12 PM)

LOL!

You're holding too much back!

Now tell us how you really feel.

4153

General Software Discussion / Re: MS Office Subscriptions Now

« Last post by 40hz on January 31, 2013, 02:49 PM »

^Hear ya!

And I'm personally hoping it won't pan out for a variety of personal reasons much too tedious to go into...

But I'm not hopeful. Because sooner or later I think this is the direction it's going to go in. And if it's not being bossed by Microsoft, it will be by somebody else. Either way, I can see its inevitability. Because there are forces at work here that are maneuvering to bring this change about. And a good deal of the motivation behind it is neither for technical or purely business reasons.
 

4154

Living Room / Re: Homeland Security: Disable UPnP

« Last post by 40hz on January 31, 2013, 01:16 PM »

They believed that Microsoft was indulging in a futuristic fantasy when they included UPnP in WinME.

-app103 (January 31, 2013, 07:35 AM)

Not so much a futuristic fantasy as it was a "there is no other OS than Windows and no network other than a Windows network."

For the longest time Microsoft had a problem looking beyond their own products. That probably had more to do with many of their security issues and vulnerabilities than anything else.

I remember asking a person from Microsoft about the almost complete absence of internal system security back in the days of their early network design. When said person asked me why that was important, I explained people sometimes try to infiltrate or deliberately crash networks. She looked totally appalled - and then asked me why anybody would ever want to do something like that.

I guess her entire experience (she was very young) was within the cozy campus of Microsoft - where everybody was a geek who always played nicely.
 

4155

Living Room / Re: Mid-range DSLR Camera Recommendations

« Last post by 40hz on January 31, 2013, 11:15 AM »

My GF, being a photo buff, uses a variety of traditional and digital cameras including some high-end Canons.

Maybe not exactly what you've specc'ed, but her current favorite go-to camera is a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ40. It takes superb pictures and extremely good videos with very decent sound. It doesn't have interchangeable lenses. But the lens that's in it is a 25mm wide-angle (24x optical) zoom made by Leica. The camera has something like 14MP resolution so the images are particularly crisp. Don't know what your budget is, but it went for $400 and change IIRC.

It's also simple enough to operate that even I can use it and get very good results. Which is more than I can say for some of her other opto-technical marvels. (I'm strictly an Instamatic point-and-shoot type when it comes to photography.)

Note: There's a review on YouTube if you're interested. Watch it here. FWIW, the reviewer didn't like the image quality and cited high noise levels in dim or low light. It's not something I've seen with any of the indoor pictures she taken with it so far, but there you go. Like everything YMMV. She primarily does outdoor and equestrian sports photography/videos so maybe it wouldn't be an issue for her either way with the lighting conditions she generally shoots under.

 

4156

General Software Discussion / Re: MS Office Subscriptions Now

« Last post by 40hz on January 31, 2013, 10:42 AM »

Now you're just playing me, 40hz~! You somehow knew that I have a very soft spot in my heart for Aesop! (Among my favourite books is "Aesop without Morals", which is an original translation. Great read! ) Playing on getting my sympathy there... consider it done!

-Renegade (January 31, 2013, 09:43 AM)

Perish  the thought I'd stoop to something like that!

The key there is "linked".

We all know darn well that application software doesn't require a "linked" environment to run. So why pay for that? It's just milking people. Nothing more.

Now, there is value in the "link", but that's in the data transmission, and not in the application.

Cloud storage is a reality now.

The keyword is "linked" in the sense of sharing enabled. Which slides in neatly with shared storage. And "ubiquitous access" as in "my stuff anywhere and on any machine."

Do you absolutely need it? Depends. But it's nice to have. (And that's not dependent on Microsoft as we both know.) But if you can incorporate it into an already popular product line and make it available with a simple mouseclick, it's just one more step towards locking your customers in.

Do you absolutely need it. Depends on what you do. But I found Skydrive to be a blessing when moving docs back and forth between me and my clients. Sure beats e-mailing files back and forth. And all without the need to either set a client up on my server - or me on theirs. Something that's becoming an increasingly touchy subject for many of my clients with all the concerns about network security these days.

So for moderate, ad hoc, or short-term sharing, it works very well.

Cloud computing is not. And won't be for a while. It's coming, but not here yet.

We simply cannot run heavy duty applications in the cloud. The network just doesn't support it. Yet.

Yes and no. For the average home broadband service on DSL it can be touch and go. But it works much better than I thought it would. On a cable or other standard high-speed connection it's remarkably good. On a dedicated corporate-level fiber connection it just works. Period.

The thing with cloud computing is that to really tap the benefit it will take some rethinking and recoding of many apps to take them from a dedicated PC/CPU architecture to a client/server design. Nothing insurmountable. There's plenty of precedent and best practice behind doing that sort of application. But even so, it's seldom necessary or desirable to have the actual app running on the host unless it's doing something like a huge rendering or gene sequencing task which needed a cluster in order to finish within an average human lifetime.

But it doesn't need to be all cloud or all local. Some sort of PC will always need to be around so you can also do a hybrid approach.  On the client side all you'd need is a client app (which would do the heavy lifting in most cases) and something to link to the backend. Most likely for little other than to obtain an authorization token to prove you are currently an active subscriber. That and to take advantage of the increasingly ubiquitous online storage being offered with many apps.

In this scenario, the app is installable via the cloud and is local on your machine. You only need to be able to connect to the web at least once every thirty days for it to greenlight you. Think of it as a web-based version of  the old antipiracy hardware dongle all those expensive graphics and music software publishers used to be so fond of.

Adobe is already doing it this way - and I personally think their model is the one that's going to win out long term.

I'll happily side with the wolf there.  

Yeah. Me too.  

4157

General Software Discussion / Re: MS Office Subscriptions Now

« Last post by 40hz on January 31, 2013, 09:05 AM »

It just goes on and on. And unfortunately, nobody really knows the answers because we're venturing into new territory here.

-40hz (January 31, 2013, 08:13 AM)

You are far more optimistic than I am.
 

-Renegade (January 31, 2013, 08:32 AM)

I'm not optimistic at all. I'm a realist and closet cynic. What Microsoft is moving towards is something that has been predicted for the entire industry for a few decades now. There's nothing original or insightful in anything they're doing on this score.

In a linked environment, it's not the device or the software. It's the connections and accessibility that becomes the key factor. Because with the network connection comes the real power. But it comes at a cost since networks depend on standards and regulation to make them workable for large numbers of people. So now we're seeing "personal" and "private" being offered up for sacrifice in exchange for access to a basically free global network with billions of resources hosted on it.

I think it's a very high price to pay. But the younger generation doesn't seem to have a problem with that based on what I've heard many of them saying. But that's nothing new. Aesop even wrote a fable about that very thing.

What Aesop said

The Dog and the Wolf
 
 
A gaunt Wolf was almost dead with hunger when he happened to meet a House-dog who was passing by. “Ah, Cousin,” said the Dog. “I knew how it would be; your irregular life will soon be the ruin of you. Why do you not work steadily as I do, and thereby have your food regularly given to you?”   

  “I would have no objection,” said the Wolf, “if I could only get a place.”   

  “I will easily arrange that for you,” said the Dog; “come with me to my Master and you shall share my work.”    

  So the Wolf and the Dog went towards the town together. On the way there the Wolf noticed that the hair on a certain part of the Dog’s neck was very much worn away, so he asked him how that had come about.    

  “Oh, it is nothing,” said the Dog. “That is only the place where the collar is put on at night to keep me chained up; it chafes a bit, but one soon gets used to it.”    

  “Is that all?” said the Wolf. “Then good-bye to you, Master Dog.”
           
MORAL: Far better to starve and remain free than to become a well-fed slave.

4158

General Software Discussion / Re: 2013 Version: Browser Wars

« Last post by 40hz on January 31, 2013, 08:38 AM »

how much certain item is sold in other part of the world.

-tslim (January 31, 2013, 04:35 AM)

I don't really see where that offers the customer any protection.

Local prices have always varied due to numerous factors that include such things as: shipping costs, local regulatory compliance expenses, VAT, import duties, exchange rates, etc.

Sad truth is, an "open market" seldom guarantees good prices for the consumer. Look at drugs. The pharmaceutical industry charges significantly higher prices in countries where there is little government involvement or regulation in prescription drug pricing. I can go up online and check what the price of a prescription medication would be almost anywhere in the world. But knowing that has zero effect on what I'll have to pay for it where I am.

Prices also aren't always fixed. If you're willing to negotiate, many times you'll discover the "price as marked" isn't carved in stone. Maybe not always. But often enough that I've learned to ask if the price I'm originally being quoted is final. About half the time it's not. Especially if I make it plain I'm ready to buy immediately - but not at the price I've just been given.
 

4159

General Software Discussion / Re: MS Office Subscriptions Now

« Last post by 40hz on January 31, 2013, 08:13 AM »

Shouldn't be a surprise. Microsoft has been talking about eventually having online versions of most of what they make for the last two years.

From a business perspective it makes sense for Microsoft and many of  their large corporate customers (with sufficiently reliable broadband) to do it that way. The savings on distribution and packaging costs alone will be phenomenal for Microsoft. And the cash flow advantages (i.e. no contract and pay as you go) and flexibility it offers their customers will weigh heavily in the adoption decision cycle. And as an added 'bonus' it also makes licensing compliance automatic.

All that aside there still remain serious questions that only time will answer such as:

• How reliable and accessible will the connection IP technology be?
• Is zero-downtime a realistic promise once hundreds of millions of subscriptions are sold.
• How will acceptable performance be maintained once large numbers begin subscribing and accessing the service.
• How secure will it be?
• How private?
• How will MS cooperate with requests from governments for warrantless access to user's data?
• What will happen if (i.e. when) there is a major security breech?
• How will such a breech be handled? And will the customers be notified?
• Can we really trust Microsoft? Seriously. Can we? Really?
• and....
  

It just goes on and on. And unfortunately, nobody really knows the answers because we're venturing into new territory here.

Gonna be interesting...

But why bother wondering how (or if) it will work for you? MS will give you a free 90 day trial. Easiest and surest way to check it out is to actually check it out. Signup here - no credit card required.

(Note: Just for the record, I personally don't like this new direction Microsoft is going in. Coupled with them being in talks with Dell, I think the handwriting is on the wall. Microsoft is committed to moving away from their old business model and planning on introducing an inexpensive "productivity" oriented info-appliance that is designed to work exclusively with their subscription based software. That means a closed ecosystem and customer lock-in. One giant step backwards to the days of timeshared terminals on remote mainframes. Sometimes, the more rapidly things change, the sooner they go back to what they were originally.)

4160

Living Room / Re: Debate: Effects of technology on modern youth

« Last post by 40hz on January 30, 2013, 07:31 PM »

To me it's not so much an issue of the effect of technology as it is an issue of the effect of societal attitudes on them.

Parenting is work. And in an era where we go to extreme lengths to minimize our need to be involved with things we find laborious, we've spawned a whole global industry dedicated to providing labor-saving technologies and services.

Unfortunately, far too many parents use technology as a cheap and quick 'auto-attendent' for their children. And when their children become too dependent on these devices they're quick to point the finger at the tool rather than acknowledge they are ultimately responsible for controlling access.

The problem I see with kids accessing too much technology at too early an age is that they begin to attain a large degree of personal autonomy before they're able to handle all the ramifications and responsibilities that go with it. Technology can also engender a false sense of security and personal power. When coupled with a lack of maturity (and inadequate moral development) that can produce extremely bad outcomes for some individuals.

That's a high price to pay for shoddy parenting and lazy parents.

And that's not saying anything that hasn't been said a thousand times before.

4161

Living Room / Re: Story of how NewEgg Defeated a Patent Troll

« Last post by 40hz on January 29, 2013, 02:44 PM »

I think they settled because they didn't want to be distracted from running their businesses - so it made some financial sense to settle. Maybe.

But with a 'champion' sitting on the sidelines that you can just hand it off to, it suddenly makes quickly settling less of an operational necessity.

Or so it would seem to me.

4162

General Software Discussion / Re: The great "are exploits good or bad for the concept" have moved towards GOTD

« Last post by 40hz on January 29, 2013, 02:40 PM »

I can't help thinking that regardless of one's opinion of GOTD, it's kinda bad form to put up a link to a crack in this forum. Or a link to a link to a crack if anybody feels that detail somehow makes it different. Just my
 

4163

Living Room / Re: Story of how NewEgg Defeated a Patent Troll

« Last post by 40hz on January 29, 2013, 02:29 PM »

What's critical now is that those who have settled sue to get their money back since it's been established that the patents that they based their settlement offers on were invalid to begin with. It's not enough to stop paying. You have to bring it right back to the troll's front door or it will never end. Because right now there's very little downside for these trolls. If they lose they simply walk away most times. And that's that - until next time.

The time has come to hit these people back with the same tools they employ. Argue that they knowingly misled the courts. Challenge their character. Initiate action to have them disbarred. Counter sue them - and in multiple widely separated jurisdictions. Go after each of their attorneys individually as well as their parent firm.

Amazon et al have vast resources and financial reserves. Which gives them the upper hand should they go on the offensive. Especially if they pool resources and set up a huge well-funded membership association that deals with patent trolls and lobbies very hard for political reforms. (And which doles out its campaign contributions accordingly. Since it's obvious by now our politicos need to be bought, lets stop beating around the bush about it. Why should special interest lobbyists have all the fun?)

And then make it even better by having this association offer IP lawsuit insurance to its members. So next time a troll comes knocking, it won't be confronting a single company's financial and legal muscle - it will be going up against a mega law firm with infinite financial resources and legal talent that has no intentions of ever settling with a troll. And furthermore, has every intention of pursuing the troll for all eternity to obtain remedies once they lose?

Care to guess which side will run out of energy and money first?

The time has come to make it dangerous to be a troll.

Let's hope every legitimate business soon commits to making it so.

4164

Living Room / Re: Story of how NewEgg Defeated a Patent Troll

« Last post by 40hz on January 29, 2013, 07:27 AM »

A lesson about taking buses that businesses could apply to dealing with patent trolls:

 

4165

DC Gamer Club / Re: Headset recommendations

« Last post by 40hz on January 28, 2013, 08:54 PM »

I've been extremely happy with pretty much any headphone made by Sennheiser. They make a quality product. And they're (IMO) reasonably priced.

4166

General Software Discussion / Re: 2013 Version: Browser Wars

« Last post by 40hz on January 28, 2013, 08:37 PM »

My biggest problem with Chrome is that I can't escape the feeling that more is going on under the hood than I know about. Mostly in terms of tracking what I'm doing. Maybe it's excessive paranoia on my part. But enough companies (that should know better) have been caught playing those games that I don't think I'm completely crazy being concerned about it.

Tracking my personal browsing is an annoyance that would offend me if I discovered it happened. But I really don't care so much about that. What I do worry about is what may be seen when I access some of my clients' web-based systems. Because I have liability exposure if something leaks or gets compromised because of me.

4167

General Software Discussion / Re: Apple and the future of Macs - a difficult topic for me

« Last post by 40hz on January 28, 2013, 08:24 PM »

It used to be said by many (way back in the pre-OSX days) that Apple was really "a software company that thought it was a computer company."

Nowadays, Apple really seems to be more of a consumer electronics company that wishes computers (as we currently know them) would dry up and go away.

Most of their corporate "vision" seems to be intent on reducing their product to an info-appliance with a captive audience locked into a fully proprietary and managed user "experience" (i.e. platform slaves).

The fact that they somehow managed to turn it into a cult experience for so many has allowed them to do things - and get away with things - most people in their right minds would never put up with. But there is an audience for that sort of treatment. It's a distinct minority made up of about 6% of the computer using public corresponding to roughly whatever Apple's current market share is.

I go back with Apple to their Apple][ so I know their 'story' in all its mutations. And the simple fact of the matter is Apple never treated its customers very well. Or with much respect. They always charged top dollar, made dubious design and engineering decisions "because they could" rather than in the best interests of their customers, and had a "take it or leave it" mentality. Us vs Them was the way of life for Apple. They also generally disregarded the opinions and desires of their user community -  invariably preferring to convince people to see things their way rather than enter into any real dialog. And resorted to ridicule when confronted with their logical absurdities and overall poor behavior.

I personally always felt Apple had a corporate deathwish. Rather than truly change the word (as the official goal supposedly was) I saw more of a desire on the part of Apple to end in some Waco-like scenario with their great and noble company brought low and ultimately destroyed by the craven and unworthy.

Which makes sense, since out of such events are myths and legends born. And Steve Jobs wanted more than anything to become a legend.

As far as cannibalizing it's own product lines, Apple has already done that. The Macintosh deliberately competed with and ultimately devoured the Apple II/III/IV product line. The Macintosh was created by a 'company' (or design team) within the main company. Most of their talent was poached from their main business operation. Story goes when Jobs set up the Mac skunk-works in a separate building, the people involved went so far as to fly a pirate flag from the roof thereby clearly signaling their intentions. This was Steve Jobs way of showing the world he was somehow on equal technical footing with Steve Wozniak. And killing the original Apple and doing his best to push Woz out the door was all part of achieving that. Which is typical behavior for a 'young Turk.'

And now it looks like the new powers that be are rerunning the Job's old playbook by trying to show the world just how wrong it is about the way it does things - and how Apple (as always) has an infinitely better idea. "Insanely great" in fact.

Jobs wasn't content with merely killing off the original Apple computer. Because in the final analysis, the Macintosh was still a personal computer. And Steve couldn't claim exclusive credit for coming up with that idea. So the next step was to come up with something that would ultimately replace the personal computer. Something he could claim was all his idea. And his alone as long as you ignored (or didn't know about) Alan Kay's Dynabook.

So no..bait & switch or not, I think Apple would be very happy to see the personal computer disappear. It's too hard to completely rein in a Mac. It's much too open to individual modification and repurposing. And that's something Apple was never happy seeing people do with its products.
 

---------------------------

Note: I say "its" products because if you read the EULA that comes with a Mac you'll notice that you have only licensed use of the device from Apple. You don't actually own it.

4168

Living Room / Re: The Piece for my Son (and Daughter-in-Law)'s Wedding

« Last post by 40hz on January 28, 2013, 02:19 PM »

One word: Lovely!

4169

General Software Discussion / Re: 2013 Version: Browser Wars

« Last post by 40hz on January 28, 2013, 02:15 PM »

Still you have to admit, there are people who seem to really hate Opera.

-Paul Keith (January 28, 2013, 01:56 PM)

Hate's a bit strong an emotion to waste on a piece of software IMHO. But dislike or frustration aren't.

Still, for forum browsing and posting it works better than most other things I've tried. It's fast and light on it's feet without being as feature-challenged (by design) and platform restricted (Win 32-bit only by dev's decision) that something like K-Meleon can be.

Actually, my biggest "gimme" is that a browser be native 64-bit and multiplatform. But that's me - and most people wouldn't put those two criteria up very high on their wish list. Well...maybe the 64-bithood might; but probably not the multiplatform part.
 

4170

General Software Discussion / Re: 2013 Version: Browser Wars

« Last post by 40hz on January 28, 2013, 01:31 PM »

About the best I can say is that I'm glad I didn't have to pay for any of them. Which is probably at the root of what the problem is with browsers and browser development in general: Who's paying for it?

I would gladly pay for a browser if somebody did a really good one that wasn't quietly gearing up to make money by trying to become my next desktop.

-40hz

You can't say Opera did not try but you weren't paying enough for either it's ad-free version and Opera Mini. 

-Paul Keith (January 28, 2013, 01:22 PM)

Oh I agree. And I did pay for Opera (for a while) when it first came out. The developers were responsive and doing their best for their customers. But Microsoft kept doing an end run around them (as did Netscape to a certain extent) by constantly attempting to preempt web standardization by doing their own implementations. Once that started it was purely a numbers game with the biggest gorilla(s) winning out because websites want to be seen. And if that means the webmasters have to play nice with the musclebound bullies to do so - so much for ethics or standards.

Sad state of affairs, but there ya have it.

4171

General Software Discussion / Re: 2013 Version: Browser Wars

« Last post by 40hz on January 28, 2013, 01:19 PM »

No war where I am. Just a bunch of seedy characters standing around under a streetlight swapping dirty looks and waiting to see which I pick to use this time.



I swap between all the majors (FF,OP,CH.IE) depending on what I'm doing. But I don't think any of them are perfect. And none of them do everything I want them to do - or work they way I think a browser should.

About the best I can say is that I'm glad I didn't have to pay for any of them. Which is probably at the root of what the problem is with browsers and browser development in general: Who's paying for it?

I would gladly pay for a browser if somebody did a really good one that wasn't quietly gearing up to make money by trying to become my next desktop.
 

4172

Living Room / Re: Phone unlocking ban could hit you in the wallet

« Last post by 40hz on January 28, 2013, 01:09 PM »

I actually welcome fools like him and decisions like his for two reasons:

First - it's so totally and obviously removed from reality (and the technology underneath) that it brings into question the entire role of government in regulating things like this. Making a 'decision' like this is the perfect "Now I've got you, ya sonavabitch!" opportunity to start people yelling and pushing for change. Once that starts it's only a matter of time before a few elected types read the writing on the wall and break rank with the "paid-for" politicos. Most politicians, being constitutionally gutless and blatantly self-serving, soon cave - and then - the ball starts rolling.

Second: Sweetheart deals need darkness. Once you turn the lights on cockroaches they tend to scurry. So too with legislation and 'executive directives' that depend on public ignorance or indifference to be allowed to continue. So the more ridiculous, unfair and stupid a decision is, the more likely it is to engender public outrage and bring about its reversal.


Yup! I looooove it when those in power start to think they can do whatever they want and then make the mistake of pushing it too far...

What I hate is when they do something less ridiculous or craven - but it's not enough to make people notice or care.

4173

Developer's Corner / Re: Blackberry is Back... And Looking to Usurp Some Androids... :D

« Last post by 40hz on January 28, 2013, 09:48 AM »

 There's a saying that goes: You can't ever fence the world out. All you can do is fence yourself in.

It's a realization RIM finally seems to be embracing. Lets wish them well. 

4174

General Software Discussion / Re: Who is still runnig XP?

« Last post by 40hz on January 27, 2013, 12:33 AM »

Once I get Wine installed...

-Tinman57 (January 26, 2013, 08:17 PM)

Wine works surprisingly well. But it's not a panacea. Don't expect everything to run under it. Or be stable if it does run. Because there's many times a winapp simply won't work with Wine no matter how much fiddling you do.

Fortunately, with the advent of inexpensive and very large hard drives, it's quite practical to allocate some space for XP and setup a dual boot system. Especially since most flavors of Linux are Windows 'aware' and can install themselves alongside it with no fuss or headaches.
 

4175

General Software Discussion / Re: Who is still runnig XP?

« Last post by 40hz on January 26, 2013, 01:14 PM »

Still running XP on a separate disk, though I hardly ever boot into it;

-Edvard (January 25, 2013, 11:22 PM)

That is certainly the easiest way. I still keep a few copies of XP on swappable hard drives for those increasingly rare occasions when I do need it. Mostly for use with antique but still useful music software such as Tascam's Gigasampler.

I'll also probably keep some VMs of XP around indefinitely. Just in case.