Recent Posts

4601

Living Room / Re: Presidential Campaigns Mining Your Data

« Last post by Renegade on October 19, 2012, 10:45 PM »

In statements, both campaigns emphasized their dedication to voters’ privacy.

“We are committed to protecting individual privacy at every turn — adhering to industry best practices on privacy and going above and beyond what’s required by law,” said Adam Fetcher, an Obama campaign spokesman.

Ryan Williams, a spokesman for the Romney campaign, said: “The Romney campaign respects the privacy rights of all Americans. We are committed to ensuring that all of our voter outreach is governed by the highest ethical standards.”

BWAHAHAHAHAAHAHA~!

Ethical? Standards? Dedication to privacy? (By using covertly gleaned private information?)

These kinds of lies are only topped by the candidates themselves~!

4602

Living Room / Re: What will be your next computer?

« Last post by Renegade on October 19, 2012, 10:25 PM »

I have a Samsung Galaxy Tab which is also at Android 4 and also fine (I got the tablet because reading pdf's on an ebook reader or smartphone is totally unfeasible in grey-scale and small screen)

-JimboNWUK (October 19, 2012, 04:21 PM)

Have also had reading PDFs (and other docs) on a tablet working out well here

-ewemoa (October 19, 2012, 05:29 PM)

What are you using for PDFs?

I've been using Aldiko, and while it's ok, I still find that PDFs suck. Quite often I need to read in landscape and zoom on the PDF to read it, which is painful when you want to read/skim quickly - you're always panning and zooming, and the PDF speed there is just poor -- too much rendering and BS.

4603

Living Room / Re: Fusion Centers Useless

« Last post by Renegade on October 19, 2012, 09:49 PM »

Yet, the Senate report found the fusion centers failed to uncover a single terrorist threat. Instead, like so many post-9/11 surveillance laws passed under the vague guise of “national security,” the system was overwhelmingly used for ordinary criminal investigations, while at the same time facilitating an egregious amount of violations of innocent Americans’ rights.

Which is why the courageous FBI stages false flags: http://www.activistp...-their-own-fake.html

See! There ARE terrorists! Now shut up and fork over more money!

4604

Living Room / Re: Warrantless Wiretapping

« Last post by Renegade on October 19, 2012, 09:33 PM »

Once again, the government is arguing that the courts cannot consider whether the government is breaking the law and violating the Constitution, relying on the state secrets doctrine.

Translation: The law is irrelevant. We should be able to do whatever we want without respect to the rule of law or any other consideration.

The government asserts that, even if no further information is revealed in the litigation, a decision itself is too dangerous.

Translation: Not letting us do whatever we want is dangerous, because we have guns and will use them if you insist on silly things like the rule of law.

Just how insane does this all get? 

4605

Living Room / The Free Videos Thread

« Last post by Renegade on October 19, 2012, 08:42 AM »

Well, we've heard a few people talk about boycotting the mainstream media sources and all that, so it's probably about time for a thread dedicated to FREE VIDEOS and free sources of videos~!

Since YouTube is simply too large, it's probably best to single out videos there.

Here's an excellent documentary on a Canadian fellow who claims to have cured cancer with hemp oil - RUN FROM THE CURE:

http://www.youtube.c.../watch?v=0psJhQHk_GI

The video is free for distribution, and states that explicitly:





The web site for the video is http://PhoenixTears.ca/ and has a video library with more free videos on curing cancer with hemp.

http://phoenixtears.ca/video-library/

4606

Living Room / Re: silly humor - post 'em here! [warning some NSFW and adult content]

« Last post by Renegade on October 19, 2012, 01:00 AM »

This year, make sure your vote makes a difference~!

4607

DC Gamer Club / Re: Pay What You Want for Interplay Games

« Last post by Renegade on October 19, 2012, 12:31 AM »

Wow. That's a really good deal.

Seems like games are only getting cheaper all the time.

4608

General Software Discussion / Re: Why I switched from Thunderbird to The Bat!

« Last post by Renegade on October 18, 2012, 01:05 PM »

Ok...

So, if I don't give a crap about new features or anything, does The Bat! offer reliable email storage?

I do not care about new features. I care ONLY about reliability. Well, that an the ability to filter spam in email, but 6 of 1...

Reliability - importability - compatibility... that's all I care about -- Does The Bat! meet that?

*Tried it a few years ago (quite a few) -- had no patience...

4609

General Software Discussion / Re: Is Readyboost for me ?

« Last post by Renegade on October 18, 2012, 12:28 PM »

(never mind - please delete)

-MilesAhead (October 18, 2012, 11:32 AM)

Dude, seriously, that's just lame. If you're drunk posting, like I am now, just say so. Don't ask for a mod to delete your post. That's the pussy way out~!

4610

General Software Discussion / Re: Why I switched from Thunderbird to The Bat!

« Last post by Renegade on October 18, 2012, 10:26 AM »

Thanks for that post there. It's always good to have these issues revisited after a while.

I tried The Bat! once a long time ago, but it was just too difficult farting around with the trial, and I gave up.

I used to use Thunderbird... for quite a while, but was FORCED to abandon it due to critical bugs. I really liked it. Like, REALLY liked it. I was damn near heartbroken when I had to quit from it.

I use Outlook now. Outlook 2010. I LOATHED Outlook 2003, and tolerated Outlook 2007. But Outlook 2010 is usable now.

Before Thunderbird, I used Outlook Express, which was actually really, really good. That must be why MS killed it.

Now, for anyone reading... I have a serious question...

My Outlook PSTs are simply sick. Just damn sick. They're huge. GB huge. Several of them. I hate it.

Can The Bat! help me get my PST illness under control?  

mouser, you've been using The Bat! for long enough, would you say that it can help get 2~10 GB of email under control?

4611

General Software Discussion / Re: How Windows 8 hopes to change everything - and likely not for the better.

« Last post by Renegade on October 18, 2012, 09:39 AM »

The irony is I do sell MS products - but I can see LibreOffice becoming a favourite for my clients! Can't help feeling sheeple power will start to become effective as all these subscriptions start costing more than the electric bill!

-Carol Haynes (October 18, 2012, 09:26 AM)

As an MS partner, I've never sold an MS product. I can perfectly understand why someone would, but it's just one road that I've never wanted to go down.

As a developer for MS platforms, I'm willing to abandon it now because MS is simply too much like Apple and Google, i.e. too evil.

Evil on the desktop was one thing back when I didn't really care much about anything... But evil on the Internet now is an entirely different thing. (Yeah, IE and all that, but really... the whole IE thing is small potatoes compared to what is going on now.) Just my own take there and not really any measure of anything.

However, I'm stuck in that MS spider-web, and not fully able to extricate myself from it very easily. I'm simply stuck, and have no real options at the moment. I really hope that LibreOffice does very well, because that would really help me out of my predicament.

4612

General Software Discussion / Re: Windows 8 prices seem to have been announced during period to 31st January

« Last post by Renegade on October 18, 2012, 09:07 AM »

Has anyone looked at the lovely shiny new Windows 8 N-editions?

Fantastic offer - only 3+ times the normal price. I am sure they will be snapped up very quickly - grab yours while you can!

-Carol Haynes (October 17, 2012, 05:29 PM)

this ms page claims they should be the same price - but maybe they just dont make any offers with 'N'.

Do you know does this mean that we in the EU can *only* get 'N', or is it simply another option?

-tomos (October 18, 2012, 04:32 AM)

IIRC - The N versions are just crippled versions that you can fix through downloading some MS software (WMP) that the EU in its infinite wisdom deemed illegal.

I'd recommend using a VPN with an IP in the place where you want to purchase. Once you pop out there, you're pretty much good to go, as long as you can get through the torture of the payment process.

4613

General Software Discussion / Re: How Windows 8 hopes to change everything - and likely not for the better.

« Last post by Renegade on October 18, 2012, 08:49 AM »

Not that they care, but what is going to happen to third party support businesses?

-Carol Haynes (October 18, 2012, 03:02 AM)

Can't speak for Microsoft. But what I am seeing as a Microsoft Partner serving the SMB market isn't good.

The message I seem be hearing for the Partners is: You guys and gals have had it too easy. Windows and Office belong to Microsoft. It's ours! Our sales! Our support! OUR CUSTOMERS!!! And you've been riding on our coattails and profiting off of our products for too long. So...if you want to "partner" going forward, you're gonna need to do more. You're going to have to actively be selling our products to your customers. And creating add-on software that works with our products. No more just offering your consulting services or providing tech support.

And with UEFI/Secure Boot, it's up in the air what will happen to the smaller turnkey OEMs and boutique system builders when it comes to hardware as well.

Since Microsoft started its move towards more cloud-based initiatives (i.e. Office365 and Microsoft Online Services) I'm having trouble seeing where there's a future for a company like mine - unless we either want to become software developers, or spend our time selling Microsoft's online subscriptions from door to door.

The subtext I'm hearing is that SMBs shouldn't need or want maintain their own IT infrastructure. Just move everything up to the big shiny wonderland in the clouds. Let Microsoft do the heavy lifting - and provide end-user configuration and tech support. Pay monthly, no minimum, no money down, buy only what you need - add or remove subscriptions at will (great for when you get, then lose, summer interns and temps!) using a handy-dandy dashboard YOU manage.

It's pretty compelling argument for a cash strapped or prudent SMB.

Which brings us right back to the good old days in the 60s when everybody was time-sharing on mainframes owned and controlled by a megacorp. And we lived like that because it was the only game in town. Sperry Rand or IBM....take your pick boys! And now, Microsoft wants to bring that bad old game (which they themselves disrupted in the 80s) back - except this time with their bat and ball. And their rules. The gloves have now come off. Microsoft is no longer asking or suggesting. They're now telling us how it's gonna to work going forward. This new attitude became abundantly clear at the last CEBit when Microsoft basically told all the IT managers in attendance they'd better get with the program on Windows 8 - or else!

Brave new world indeed...

Everything the "computer people" of my generation ever hoped and dreamed about - and worked our collective tails off for - is being systematically dismantled by one of the companies that brought it into being.


Makes me sick...

-40hz (October 18, 2012, 08:08 AM)

+1

I really like this thread, because I don't need to do jack. 40 has it all covered.

I've voiced my contempt and disdain for the "cloud" and "SaaS" and "subscriptions" in many places, and many times. This all is just a confirmation of all that.

At the end of the day, all of this is about 1 thing, and 1 thing ONLY:

CONTROL

You either have it, or you don't. Personally, I like having control of my own stuff. The guys over at The Pirate Bay understand this concept very deeply, and have worked very hard towards it on levels that few people understand. Hats off to them. They're doing a fantastic job at what they do.

4614

Living Room / Re: Do Not Track

« Last post by Renegade on October 18, 2012, 07:53 AM »

Just saw this:

http://endthelie.com...ology/#axzz29edun5j0

A bit late, but perhaps of interest for this thread.

4615

General Software Discussion / Re: How Windows 8 hopes to change everything - and likely not for the better.

« Last post by Renegade on October 18, 2012, 07:18 AM »

Very off-topic:

Totalitarian tiptoe. 1 tiny step at a time...

-Renegade (October 18, 2012, 05:59 AM)

the makings of a very good boardgame/name/slogan there

-tomos (October 18, 2012, 06:25 AM)

Not exactly sure where the phrase originated, but I think it's from David Icke. I can imagine he'd come up with a *REALLY* wild game! Probably more accurate than the Steve Jackson game, but even those cards are scary accurate. Check the two on the top right here for something you might easily recognize (there are more):



Wonder what honoured place Windows & MS would take in that kind of game?

4616

Living Room / Re: Dumbing-down of the educational system?

« Last post by Renegade on October 18, 2012, 07:11 AM »

seen todays XKCD?

-tomos (October 18, 2012, 06:18 AM)

Hahahahah~!

Nice! Thanks for posting it!

4617

General Software Discussion / Re: How Windows 8 hopes to change everything - and likely not for the better.

« Last post by Renegade on October 18, 2012, 05:59 AM »

Easily one of the sanest and best reasoned articles I've seen so far on what Widows 8 promises and threatens for the future of personal computing.

-40hz (October 17, 2012, 10:36 AM)

Very good article.

I don't expect to see much relief to consumers from the US government on this issue. Especially since it's now been fully bought and paid for by big media and other corporate interests.

Simple fact is, the US government (and most other governments for that matter) aren't too happy with all the high powered unrestricted PCs out there. They make hacking and secure encryption doable. They allow for anonymous usage. They drive demand for things  like MegaUpload and Pirate Bay. And they make things like Wikileaks and Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street possible.

It's too much unregulated power in the hands of too many people as far as today's governments are concerned.

Closed software ecosystems and walled gardens are a step towards greater regulation and control in areas where most western governments clearly lack the constitutional authority to regulate. True they can get around it with so-called executive orders or findings that blatantly defy the laws of the land. But that shows a certain lack of style. And could produce a public backlash (or rebellion) if done in too heavy handed a manner. So it's much preferred that a business or non-government entity implements things which effectively destroy privacy and foster greater surveillance and control - but without having that as their stated objective.

Once those mechanisms are in place, a government doesn't have to do anything - except not do anything to regulate or remove them.

That's what's called a "win-win" situation by some people. Mostly those in government and business.

-40hz (October 17, 2012, 11:18 AM)

+1

Totalitarian tiptoe. 1 tiny step at a time...

4618

Living Room / Re: Dumbing-down of the educational system?

« Last post by Renegade on October 18, 2012, 02:09 AM »

...in line for a well-deserved Nobel Peace Prize - after the example set by the Gore/IPCC, Obama and EU awards of same, that is, being Society's apparently modern-day version of a satirical Kiss of Death.

-IainB (October 18, 2012, 01:57 AM)

Hahahaaha~!

Obama wins peace prize -> immediately proceeds to crank up the body count in apparent attempt to embarrass his predecessor's "lame" attempts at mass murder... "Kiss of Death" is quite appropriate there.

EU wins peace prize -> ??? Can we expect the same from it/them?

No need to read any Vonnegut, Huxley, Orwell, or other dystopian fiction authors. Just watch the 6 o'clock news. More destruction at 11.

4619

Living Room / Re: Dumbing-down of the educational system?

« Last post by Renegade on October 17, 2012, 09:41 AM »

Well, I must warn you... You may just urinate in your shorts while you fall off your chair laughing.

Yes, we have another in that long line of people trying to prove that they are the craziest...

Ready? Might want to sit on a plastic bag for this one...

http://www.washingto...-part-of-ed-reforms/

How do you think this would go over in the United States? French President François Hollande has said he will end homework as part of a series of reforms to overhaul the country’s education system.

And the reason he wants to ban homework?

He doesn’t think it is fair that some kids get help from their parents at home while children who come from disadvantaged families don’t. It’s an issue that goes well beyond France, and has been part of the reason that some Americans oppose homework too.

 

Parents, don't try to get involved in your child's indoctrination education! Cause that's not fair!

Way to go France! Show everyone that you're in the race to be the world's top Idiocracy!

4620

Living Room / Re: The Apotheosis of The Pirate Bay

« Last post by Renegade on October 17, 2012, 07:12 AM »

Heheheh~!

Not so sure how much credit I can take there.

The first comment at TPB:



Which reminded me of a trance CD I have - the band's name is "Apotheosis". Being as TPB has ascended into the cloud, never again to be molested by the fuzz, it seemed like a divine choice of words for a heavenly site that causes hell for the MAFIAA.

4621

Living Room / Re: The Apotheosis of The Pirate Bay

« Last post by Renegade on October 17, 2012, 05:34 AM »

And perhaps a better explanation from Torrent Freak:

http://torrentfreak....s-raid-proof-121017/

The Pirate Bay has made an important change to its infrastructure. The world’s most famous BitTorrent site has switched its entire operation to the cloud. From now on The Pirate Bay will serve its users from several cloud hosting providers scattered around the world. The move will cut costs, ensure better uptime, and make the site virtually invulnerable to police raids — all while keeping user data secure.

4622

Living Room / The Apotheosis of The Pirate Bay

« Last post by Renegade on October 17, 2012, 04:22 AM »

Interesting blog post from the guys over at TPB:

https://thepiratebay.se/blog/224

The Pirate Cloud

So, first we ditched the trackers.

Then we got rid of the torrents.

Now? Now we've gotten rid of the servers. Slowly and steadily we are getting rid of our earthly form and ascending into the next stage, the cloud.

The cloud, or Brahman as the hindus call it, is the All, surrounding everything. It is everywhere; immaterial, yet very real.

If there is data, there is The Pirate Bay.

Our data flows around in thousands of clouds, in deeply encrypted forms, ready to be used when necessary. Earth bound nodes that transform the data are as deeply encrypted and reboot into a deadlock if not used for 8 hours.

All attempts to attack The Pirate Bay from now on is an attack on everything and nothing. The site that you're at will still be here, for as long as we want it to. Only in a higher form of being. A reality to us. A ghost to those who wish to harm us.

Adapt or be forever forgotten beneath the veils of maya.

4623

Living Room / Re: Tracking Brainwaves to Protect Our Borders

« Last post by Renegade on October 17, 2012, 02:12 AM »

I don't know how to solve the problem, and I don't blame the illegals for it existing...they need to eat, just like everyone else.

-app103 (October 16, 2012, 12:35 PM)

A very hard problem. Is it immoral to non-violently break the law (e.g. get an "illegal" job) in order to survive? I don't think so.

(I would love to chat about this topic, but it just goes down the rabbit hole way too fast and way too deep. And we're already kind of off-topic from the technology aspect.)

Sad thing is that most human societies demonstrate a disturbing tendency to adopt as their social norms what they do to their most helpless and powerless members. What we do to those who can't defend themselves eventually becomes what gets done to all of us.

-40hz (October 16, 2012, 12:53 PM)

Reminds me of 2 quotes:

First they came... (I think everyone knows this one.)

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. - Martin Luther King Jr.

In this case, it will ultimately end up lowering the working conditions and expectations of the entire US workforce. And all it will take is to arrange for the legal citizenry to become a bit more desperate for work (any work) then they currently are - and what we used to think of as the "third world" will soon become our world.

Like the old saying goes: What price 'dignity' when your belly's empty?

-40hz (October 16, 2012, 12:53 PM)

Got to wonder who the engineers of the USA's destruction are, because there's no way anyone is *THAT* incompetent to run the country into the ground so horrendously by accident.

Sigh...  Just unreal. Completely surreal. I don't know whether to vomit in disgust or cry in despair.

-Renegade (October 15, 2012, 11:19 PM)

  Well Renegade, you pretty much said everything that I was thinking when I read this article, just wanted to get someone elses opinion, which you did quite well I may add.

-Tinman57 (October 16, 2012, 08:15 PM)

Thank you!

The really scary thing about people like that is, they VOTE

-Tinman57 (October 16, 2012, 08:15 PM)

It only gets scarier...

Did anyone hear that a US presidential candidate was just arrested?

You read that right.

http://rt.com/usa/ne...ll-stein-debate-589/

Arrested outside the Robama/Obomney debate.

You just can't make this stuff up!

One of the scariest things is when people believe that there's a real choice there between Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum. Fact is, there are 5 choices:

https://en.wikipedia...ntial_election,_2012

Oh, and 6 if you count Cthulhu.



(I don't think anyone's posted that campaign picture here yet.)

4624

Living Room / Re: Outing the Internet's worst troll.

« Last post by Renegade on October 16, 2012, 12:05 PM »

Hey, sway me one side or another... I just don't see it ATM.

4625

Living Room / Re: Apple Tracking Users Again

« Last post by Renegade on October 16, 2012, 11:55 AM »

Interesting that it's called "Limit Ad Tracking", and not Disable Ad Tracking. Sounds like they are reserving the right to let a few things slip later on.

-Stoic Joker (October 16, 2012, 11:48 AM)

Yep. Ignorance is Strength!