Re: Nah

"(The drivers do this mind boggling stupid thing of resizing the output for overscan when there is none for DTV and then resizing back, completely messing up the 1:1 pixel mapping.)"

They fixed that already. Use the "standard" rather than the "optimized" resolutions and it goes back to 1:1. The optimized resolutions probably come because not all DTVs are digital displays and thus may actually have overscan issues.

Re: Code signing is not a security feature!

That's the entire point. This is beyond what most would term "hardware" security. We're talking utterly paranoid PHYSICAL security. Epoxy and resins will likely be part of the solution, yes, but what about chemical and mechanical failsafes (meaning they can be tripped even with zero electricity) embedded into the device housing or deep in the internals that would trip on any attempt to get inside? Remember, bricking is preferable to unauthorized access. You can always issue another phone; you can't get the cat back in the bag.

Actually, moves have been made into tamper-detecting ICs. The private key could be held in such a way that attempting to etch down to read it would trip a chemical failsafe that destroys the key and bricks the device (in a classified environment, bricking would be considered an acceptable outcome because it means the enemy can't get at the data). If that key is only used within the IC itself (outside communications uses another set of keys), then the pins won't tell you anything, plus you can perform trace detection on those pins. So if you can't etch it and you can't trace the pins, where would you go next?

Re: How about Greenhills?

"With enough biometrics collection, this so-called "classified phone" or many other devices will be broken unless brain scans and body scans against a live user are matched."

What about iris prints? About the only way you can get those is by shooting the eye point-blank. Doing it on foot would be to obvious, I would think. So that leaves a third-party iris scanner, and there aren't too many places that actually use that level of security.

Re: UEFI is a lockdown technique, NOT designed to prevent malware.

And don't say they'll just sign the malware code. That would involve getting Microsoft's PRIVATE platform signing key. In the history of PKI, only one major company has had its private signing key compromised (Realtek, for the Stuxnet attack, and that likely took state-level resources to pull). The companies know those keys are the weak links in the trust chain, so they're guarded as fiercely as the accountants hide their trade contracts (which contain trade secrets the competition would kill to get). So any malware that appears with a completely valid Microsoft code signature would be a sign of a bigger problem than just signed malware.

Re: @H2O networks, yes?

"When you go from 1kbps to 100gbps (and anything in between), the speed does not change - only capacity to move data in a given time period."

Maybe, but when you want to shovel dirt, it usually helps to have a bigger shovel. Or if you want to move lots of people, it helps to have wide thoroughfares. Sure, it still takes time to get from A to B in any event, but the more things you can have flying at once, the faster it takes to get everything put together.

Re: Meh

With the human mind, "impossible" doesn't apply. Consider the term "doublespeak", where one lies and wholeheartedly believes it to be the truth, while still recognizing it as a lie, all at once. And while we're not at 1984 levels, doublespeak seems to have found some niches.

Re: If they wanted to see sod all

Thing is, arc sparks are brief and sporadic. Well-aimed, a laser dazzler can be continuous, meaning you're either blinded by the dazzler or blinded by the automatic shade, neither of which are very comfortable positions to be in when you're trying to line up for a runway landing.

Re: False Economy

Likely reason is the overburden. Getting the copper out will sometimes involve tearing something up to get at it. Need to pay for the tearing up, not to mention the putting back once you're done. Cable thieves are opportunists and will usually only go for easy-to-reach cables. I would think BT will be focusing on them first for logical reasons.

Re: The opposite of confidence building

"The fact that the rocket got to orbit despite a failure does not mean the failure was insignificant. It means things are not working as expected, which means they do not understand what they thought they understood. For all anyone knows at this point, there may have been a 90% probability that the explosion would damage an adjacent engine, and they just lucked out this time."

Reports indicate that SpaceX had taken such a scenario into consideration. Each engine has a blast shield to help safeguard adjacent engines from blasts. From what I've read, these weren't called into play because the engine in this case, despite a failure, failed safely (meaning as per a design which caused the engine pieces to blow away from the craft, minimizing risk to the other engines).

So on a scale of "This did not just happen" to "Break out the bottles", this probably rates as a "Eh...get the design team in here; we've got things to look at."

Re: Food for thought.

"One question the police would, however, never answer is why it was still acceptable in the circumstances for them to be firing their laser speed devices directly at the front of motor vehicles."

One, LIDARs don't need a lot of power to work: just enough to reach a vehicle a few (at worst, tens) of meters away and reflect back (usually via your plate or lamp housings). Some reports I've read indicate the laser used is only rated in the tens of mW--not exactly in the danger zone. Two, LIDARs normally use beams outside the visible spectrum (typically infrared or ultraviolet). Three, police don't tend to fire them until you're close (A, because it help minimize exposure time and the chance of hitting the wrong thing and causing a false reading, and B, because it makes it too late to detect when you're being clocked).

Re: Though

I correct myself about the American design in the 60's. Even the Saturn V had multiple nozzles but even then they accounted for a single-engine failure. Still, with fewer engines, there were fewer things to go wrong. The trick then even as now has been to get the right balance between redundancy and delicacy (more engines makes the system both more robust--able to withstand a non-catastrophic failure--and more delicate--more prone to an outright catastrophic failure--at the same time).

Re: Though

The Soviets during the Space Race trended toward multiple smaller engines while the Americans preferred one big engine. The main issue in the 1960's I think was that for the Soviet engines, you had to make sure all of them worked because there was no margin for even a single-engine failure. It wasn't just a matter of power but also of balance. If one of them blew, the odds are the thrust would become so uneven as to send the rest of the craft into a death spiral. Under that kind of math, the American design made more sense since you had fewer potential points of failure.

I would imagine in this case that SpaceX has taken a single failure into consideration and had means to compensate for it (albeit not ideally), but this moment probably will have the designers sitting down in the morning and having serious discussions.

Re: So what's the difference between this and the

An update to that. The SCOTUS refused to hear the case, meaning the decision stands for the 9th Circuit. The law can still be challenged on grounds of "copyright misuse" (which was left unresulved) or by an alternate interpretation in another circuit (which could then force the SCOTUS to decide due to the conflicting rulings).

Re: So what's the difference between this and the

I couldn't find the article at OUT-LAW, but here's an arsTechnica article on the appeal:

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2010/09/the-end-of-used-major-ruling-upholds-tough-software-licenses/

Though they make a big whoop about it, the core of the overturn was as I said, the simple fact the copies were destined for destruction due to an upgrade agreement (which CAN be considered a contract--destroy your old copy, and we give you a discount on the new version). Thus the copies were technically stolen (not pirated but physically stolen).

Also of note, the EFF filed to appeal the above ruling to the SCOTUS. I do not know at this time whether or not they agreed to hear it or not. Source:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2011/06/eff-asks-supreme-court-protect-first-sale-rights

Re: So what's the difference between this and the

You're talking about the 2008 Vernor v. Autodesk case. The lower court found in favor of Vernor, but the Court of Appeals overturned the ruling because the lower court forgot to see if Vernor got the original copies legitimately (he didn't--they were slated for destruction or return to Autodesk as part of an upgrade contract). Since the copies that were the linchpin of the case were physically stolen, that was in and of itself theft, making any other issues in the case moot, so as far as US law goes, there is still no precedent on the issue.

Re: I'd love those odds

Even your average stateside Pick 4 is tougher to hit (1 in 10,000).

Re: My Geeky Side

No....but it would make a good gag clip, especially on Global Offensive: Team 4K vs. Team OLED.

Re: 1080p?

Many people have 1080p sets, just not ones with Internet access. Indeed, I'm rather leery of the term since "Internet access" usually means access to things like YouTube, not things like DLNA home media networks (apart from the WD TV, I've yet to find one that can do the job reasonably--Sorry, Sony, but your box fails the test--and the interface is like crap--and you wonder why there's a clamor for XBMC on a Raspberry Pi).

Re: Another Reg article banging on about BYOD

But like I asked before and never got an answer, that's assuming that the BYOD push comes from the BOTTOM. What if it comes from the TOP? From the CEO or other people who can basically say, "Who hired this idiot?" and actually be able to do something about it?

Remember it's only "security" until the boss is inconvenienced.

Re: @Charles 9 Luddites Ignore Population Drops in Industrialized Societies

So here's the billion-dollar question: how do you cram a baker's dozen in an egg carton only built for 12 without breaking an egg? At some point, physics gets in the way. And we're nowhere near entering the Kardashev scale. You'd need some level of planetary cooperation for that to happen, which given current attitutdes probably won't happen soon (I mean, you still have people who would rather destroy the world that see it happen).

Re: "A nuclear power station @AC 11:58

IOW, tuning nuclear plants aren't as necessary when you have alternate plants that are easier to tune, like hydroelectric plants that are very easy to adjust (via their sluice gates).

Another way would be to use a small number of natural gas turbines (many of which are already set up for surge capacity). Sure it's a fossil fuel but only as a secondary source, which reduces its consumption and side effects.

Re: Responsability

When the demand for BYOD comes from down below, that is easy to enforce, but what happens when the demand comes from UP TOP and over your head?

Re: CDMA dead

Wouldn't be surprised if T-Mobile sets a similar timetable to turn off the HSPA+ bands. By that time, phones like my G-2 will be several years old and likely showing their age. When that time comes, I should be able to transition to a decently-priced LTE phone with no need for a new contract. Two years sounds reasonable, and at least I'll what's coming.

Re: Penny wise, pound foolish.

"A storage mechanism to store excess generation until its needed is equally useful for nuclear."

Nuclear plants are by their nature "baseload" plants because they output continuous steady power. Unlike gas or renewable generators they're actually difficult to shut down.

Re: Inaccurate reporting

I think that $100,000 figure was before the market crashed to about $10/B. Before then, it was well over $30 and flirted with $50.

Well, manga's a tough one to police because it has a famous and prolific underground culture. Taking liberties on someone else's manga property is generally considered OK so long as you don't pass it off as the original. As for the medium itself, most collectors favor the print copy, which is hard to knock off. e-Manga is a niche market in a niche market, and a lot of the traffic flows overseas out of their jurisdiction.

Re: @Charles 9 Luddites Ignore Population Drops in Industrialized Societies

Piracy ends when people started intruding on each other. Eventually, you get so crowded that there's no longer such a thing as personal space. As for worldwide industrialization, the counterargument is that while fewer people get born, the difference is made by by using more per person. Africa has a high population but low utilization per person while the US has a declining population but no argument as to who's the more energy-intensive. The Luddites contend that unless you can produce energy in the yottawatt range without leaving increasing tracts of the planet an inhospitable dump, we're in big trouble anyway. They basically say, "either find some way to control yourself, or your very nature will provide the solution THE HARD WAY--with increasing resource wars that could end up being a no-winner scenario.

Re: BitCoins were DOA

But you need a bank (or some other aggregator) to provide Bitcoin financial services like loans. At its base, the bank leverages deposits from customers to enable services that require larger sums like construction loans. Thing is, Bitcoin is somewhere between a fiat and a hard-standard market. Like a fiat market, its value against other currencies fluctuates according to market forces. However, unlike a fiat currency, there is no way to "inflate" the market besides a well-recognized formula (one which incidentally includes a hard maximum), so it's more like a hard currency. Basically put, the kinds of banking tricks one could do with true fiat currency (like fractional reserves) can't be done in Bitcoin. Bitcoin banks can exist, but they'd have to be "old school" banks like in the old days, and even then the nature of Bitcoin's public transaction records and such might force some alternate ways of thinking.

For now, though, the currency is still too novel, so more traditional currency services aren't as necessary as yet.

So don't diss Bitcoin out of hand. After all, some of the greatest ideas started out as seemingly too strange. Some healthy skepticism is fine, but I wouldn't be afraid to dip a toe in the water just in case it gains traction.

Re: BitCoins were DOA

Not to mention that unlike most other currencies, Bitcoin doesn't establish a hard and fast minimum unit of denomination. It's not uncommon to perform transactions in the thousandths of Bitcoin (or even millionths, though usually it falls somewhere in between, like say 432μB). The current Bitcoin client goes to about 8 decimals (I think that's down to 10nB).

LEO setups can't stay still. Physics are what dictate that geostationary orbits tend to be at around 36,000 km. LEO setups work OK for a downlink-only system like GPS, but for anything requiring an uplink, you'll need more sophisticated electronics on the ground to get acceptable rates, which means more expense. A company called Teledesic made such a proposal. Thing is, they planned to get their constellation going TEN YEARS AGO. Right around the time they planned to go live, they went under. Most of the other LEO setups like Iridium also fell by the wayside. In general, the infrastructure needed appears to be too massive for the purpose.

It's almost there.

I think part of the problem is, like any new monetary system, systems of trust and audit have to be put in place to make the currency transfer stand up to legal scrutiny. I don't know how it is in the UK, but in the US, BitInstant seems to have the easiest way to go. You receive a bill from a firm associated with them which you can then in turn pay through services like MoneyGram (which is nationwide--just look for a 7-Eleven, for example). When the bill is paid, the currency (minus commission) is converted and sent to your B-wallet. Not the neatest way in the world, but it's getting close. I went ahead and used to put a minor amount into my wallet because I'm seeing an increasing number of e-commerce sites taking the currency. Mostly depends on where you go, but not all of it is seedy or illegal: just rather novel and without the financial backing to work with a bank and handle real currency or credit cards. IMO, it wouldn't hurt to have some small amount of Bitcoin (maybe 1 or 2, which is about $20 worth today) just so you have the flexibility to try something out in future should you see it. And if it tanks, well you eat cheap one night; oh well.

Re: @Charles 9

Actually, they DO know...and counter that it's not falling FAST ENOUGH. Their view is that most countries are overpopulated by a factor of three or so.

Re: In games like in real life

You can usually recognize well-oiled teams straight off, and these are the kinds of teams you usually find at high-level competition. That said, perhaps that'll be one of the next steps in evolving Bot AI: a group of them acting like a realistic team: to the extent that they're also capable of improvisation as the situation arises. It would be an interesting angle to pursue.

Re: @Charles 9

I'm not on either side of the argument, but am simply saying that many of the criticisms you cite (such as population) are in fact THE VERY THINGS the Luddites endorse. Population reduction being close to the top of the list (since not one with the exception of China has given serious thought it seems to the "O" word).

Re: How can this happen?

Trouble is those writers tend to start faltering over time. And even then, optical drives (and the logical alternative, USB thumb drives) become infection vectors in and of themselves, particularly ones capable of penetrating the air-gap (think Stuxnet--it used USB to jump an air-gap).

So, think a rootkit on the publishing server, secretly infects any optical disc written and any USB drive inserted, this jumps the airgap, gets inserted, infects the build server, sniffs out the private keys, then goes on to infect the return vector, which waits to find a network connection, and then sends the key juice back.

Let's face it; if an adversary really, REALLY wants to have at it, cross every network you have to reach it. Even Sneakernet.

Re: meltdown...

Somewhat a myth but with basis in reality. Glass is considered an amorphous solid. IOW, it has no real structure to its solid form, such that it closely resembles its fluid form. So unlike crystalline solids like quartz and sapphire, it IS more vulnerable to damage and distortion under the right circumstances, given its inherently low strength and toughness.

Re: Methane from Cellulose

Before you advocate returning to this level of energy consumption, just try walking everywhere you want to go for a month. Limit your diet to whatever is in season and can be found within a day's walk of your home. Oh, and no refrigeration allowed! Not even air condtioning. Live without cooled or heated air for a month as well. Oh, and no filtered or distilled water, and no preservatves at all and no..."

That is EXACTLY what the Luddites want. After all, that's how every other animal in the world does it. They want us to be completely self-sufficient or at worst local-sufficient. They will have an answer to every contention you raise. Who needs to travel great distances when everything you need is right at home? After all, transportation, both of people and goods, are taking up a lot of the fuel expenses. Seasonal goods? That's why they encourage farming and crop rotation, so that you have things available in different parts of the year. The right home design can actually help regulate the internal temperature. Think solid stone or mud walls and thich thatch roofs, both of which retard heat transfer, and open windows combined with a central fireplace that encourage airflow via chimney action. We had ways of preserving foods well before the modern refrigerator: root cellars, jerking, salting, etc. As for the water issue, we already knew two ways to clean the water: you can either boil it or switch to drinking ale, which was that many people drank in those days for reasons of health (the water in ale is boiled and it has microbe-killing alcohol in it).

Not, it's the bottom of the bin, inflated momentarily by the explosively-expanding gas (note that the bin is thing plastic, not more-rigid metal). The balls are being forced out of the can by the nitrogen gas, which is taking the balls' place in the can, so no vacuum is involved.

Re: Now if only a lecturerer directory listed *this* sort of stuff...

1) The dustbin jumped because most dustbins that size aren't flat or rigid at the bottom. They usually have a recess down there to reduce friction when you have to drag it. When the nitro blew, contained even momentarily by the ping pong balls, the pressure probably inflated the recess down there, causing it to push down and strike the floor at velocity, working like a downward-striking piston.

2) A lot of things look remarkably like an explosion. Rapid combustion, for example. Explosion is a pretty vague term usually.