The more locks, the more holes

Subject: Fujitsu strike

I feel it is extremely remiss of you to call the good people of Amicus union goons.

These "goons" struggle against difficult peoplelike Fujitsu's management for the low paid people of our land and deserve our respect.

To the brave men and women throughout history who have fought and died for workers rights, from Wat Tyler, to Derek Simpson I salute you.

Jim

Subject: Vista upgrade issue

In my dozen odd years in IT, I've always tried to avoid OS installations as upgrades. It makes for a cleaner registry, and sometimes the installs just "blow up". This business of computer makers offering Vista upgrades on machines previously sold sounds like a recipe for disaster. A great number of extra devices and softwares installed after purchase could conflict with the new OS. I realize doing a clean install is still posible on an upgrade, you just have to take the time to install the first OS, then deleteing the partition or selecting previous Windows installation for write over after verification. My suggestion to most of you is to obtain OEM versions by purchasing hardware along with it. I think a great number of people did wait until Vista release to buy a new PC, I think the thought of performing an upgrade themselves is daunting to to average computer owner, and known to potentially hazardous to those of us in the know.

Jeff Dranetz

Subject: Virus in my TomTom 910

After reading your story I just wanted to write in to confirm that my TomTom Go 910 did indeed come packed with a little more than I expected, and not in a good way.

As soon as I connected the device through my USB port the virus or worm or other nasty launched itself into action by making use of the "autorun" feature(sic) in Windows. It then copied itself to my other drives whereupon it would try to launch itself every time I wanted to open the root folder of my computer's hard drive.

Luckily, whatever process it was trying to run was stopped by my antivirus, and cleanup was little more that removal of some files, but the fact that it came preloaded on a 600 Euro piece of electronics, is completely crazy.

Uh, hello, virus scan your install package from time to time, TomTom!

Sean

Subject: sony battery warranty

I faced exactly the same situation when the battery of my acer laptop died a couple of years ago.

Then, I investigated other brands' policies and they were similar: the battery usually was not covered by the laptop's warranty.

So this is no news then, althought it would be nice if some shame campaign changed the landscape...

Samuel

Subject: Her again

Hello,

I was flipping through my local phone directory when I came across the attached page, it seems that Everywhere Girl also hypes universities in Tulsa, Oklahoma Area.

Kenneth Jay Wilson

Subject: Apple advert uk

Hello, i just wanted to say that the two actors on the Apple uk advert are David Mitchell and Robert Webb, a comedy duo who have done a few tv programs on the good old BBC including the Peep Show and 'that michell and webb look'. In the uk they are quite famous.

Barry Allott

Subject: Intel does High-K and metal gates

Your article hit the mark for entertainment value, and as an added bonus it even nearly gets the technical bits right. The high-k dialectric does not, as you say, allow the current to move more easily between the source and drain. (S and D in your happy diagram. But it needed more bunnies. Anyhow.) Rather it allows a lower voltage on the gate to affect a change in the conductivity of the material between the source and drain.

In other words, (yes, I have other words!) it makes the whole transistor more sensitive to changes in the gate voltage. This allows lower gate voltage, which implies that less current must flow to the gate in order to drive it up to this new, lower voltage.

It's not all just fun and games, however, because now at an equivalent voltage, a greater amount of current is able to flow into the gate (the dark side of the high-k dialectric), so in order to get the power savings that everyone wants, you pretty much HAVE to lower the voltage dramatically, which is going to reduce your top speed.

Clearly the benefits are thought outweigh the costs, otherwise the engineering bunnies at Intel would not have have chosen to implement it.

andrew

Subject: "HP doesn't like linux" Article

Greetings,

Before I begin, I believe it should be known that I work as a sub-contractor for HP Canada. As such I ask that in the event that this is published I ask that my name and any other personal information be withheld. Now, on to the flame...

I for one, cannot imagine why on earth this piece was even posted. How it made it past any kind of review process escapes me. Here is an article proclaiming that "HP doesn't like linux". As evidence, we are given a second hand account of how a supposed IT staffer is surprised to find that a system that HP says does not support linux, miraculously, does not support linux. HP does not offer this model of computer with linux as an operating system, nor do they list it among their linux/HP-UX supported systems. Am I supposed to feel sympathy for this person? If that was the author's intent, I would consider it a complete and utter failure. Perhaps the originator of this report would be better served by educating himself about what any OEM's support contract actually covers before purchasing a system, he clearly knew very little about.

Here's a few links you can check out for more info. Maybe pass these on to our German counterpart? Sounds like he needs them.

SupportManual/c00060684/c00060684.pdf
SupportManual/c00063015/c00063015.pdf
http://h20331.www2.hp.com/Hpsub/cache/286522-0-0-225-121.html
http://www.hp.com/linux

Name, address withheld

Subject: Microsoft cracks down on UK licences

"The Vole is trying the scheme out in the UK first, although it is not saying why."

=> Because about 9 years ago, Bill Gates said this in a speech at University of Washington:

"About 3 million computers get sold every year in China, but people don't pay for the software. Someday they will, though. As long as they are going to steal it, we want them to steal ours. They'll get sort of addicted, and then we'll somehow figure out how to collect sometime in the next decade."

They've figured it out alright...To collect from EVERYONE. (not just the Chinese). It doesn't matter if you're an end-user or a business customer. They want to make sure everyone using an MS product pays.

Nothing wrong with that...Unless you enjoy the electronic equivalent of a forced rectum examination!

This is one of those times where its becoming wiser to see if alternative solutions are also able to meet the requirements of their business.

Regards
stmok

Subject: MS Henchmen

Anyone really believe that Microsoft's henchmen have a leg to stand on? If MS came to me asking me to prove my licenses (which are all legal) I would tell them to take a hike. What could they do? They could tell me they would not renew my subscription. Whoopee. Not like it will impact me much. I'd just switch to Linux. I have a few machines running it now, including this one.

But I'm a small systems integrator. I don't technically sell software. Every machine I make to sell I sell with legit copies of the OS. But I would never allow Microsoft's henchmen to enter my place of business nor my home to audit or otherwise.

People need to understand that Microsoft nor it's henchmen have any right to audit you. Nor do they have the right to enter your home/business.

The next thing people need to understand is that your computer is an extension of your home/business. No law enforcement agency can enter your home or business without a warrant issued by a judge for purposes of search.

People need to understand that their computer is an extension of their homes. You would never allow any advertiser to enter your home to plaster your walls with advertisements. You would not allow anyone to enter unattended and to paste anything on your walls that you do not explicitely permit. Microsoft doing this with their DRM/CRM and their henchmen are effectively doing just that.

When everyone realizes that their computer is an extension of their homes they'll understand how ludicrous it is to allow Microsoft any leeway in violating your privacy and potentially breaking the laws in order to do this.

jdb

Subject: Apple, take a chance

Gee Doug,

It must be difficult trying to get through life without a brain!

Such a pile of crap -- such a poor understanding of what's going on with Apple and its products -- such a superficial perspective of the industry -- such an moron!

Have a nice day!

Ken

Subject: Piracy is like mugging?

I cannot understand how you can compare copyright infringement - in which the victim may not even be aware they have been ripped off - with some yob shoving a gun in your face and demanding the contents of your pockets in exchange for your life, albeit one that will henceforth no doubt be blighted by recurring nightmares.

I can only assume that you have never been the victim of violent crime yourself?

A great pity.

Dilbert

Subject: Vista inSECURITY

(You shall hear me for I am Someone Special. A person with too much free time on his hands...)

This shall be known as the insecurity principle; The more locks, the more holes.(tm)

Vista will be the worst thing to user security since the creation of the internet. Allow me to just say it again so you will remeber, microsoft's windows vista will be the worst thing to user security since the creation of the internet. Mark my words. (my star sign is salmon of doubt, I always swim against the current)

The problem is growing and with Vista it will be an absolute disaster. DRM, region code protection, encryption protocols etc etc...the more you make them the more you feed the fire.

Some people sit all day trying to do what they want with software as opposed to what the company wanted them to do. Like backup an HD-DVD etc...and despite numerous protection layers...these are repeatedly circumvented and defeated.

The underground movements for crackers, hackers and what not are growing steadily because there are new challanges. Microsoft alone stands no chance in protecting its software or their users' best interests.

I find it ironic that they attempt to implement more security...because it is exactly the systematic dumbing down of computer users by icon friendly clicking that made them unaware of how their machine and its components work, which has only made the problem worse.

Even if Vista was truly secure and unbreakable it will still ask its users to make decisions from time to time. How can you make a decision if you do not know anything about the function of the system? It is virtually impossible to make a fully automated, comprehensive protection scheme.

Just look what you are up against;

Trojans
Rootkits
Worms
Adware
Malware
Logic bombs
E-mail viruses
Sentinels

To name a few. And most people have no idea what the differences are and as soon as you spend five minutes to give an over view of the subject, people already start yawning. They want a computer to be a toaster, turn on, turn off. But a computer will never be like that, ever.

Vista WILL be used against the user. Its "highly advanced security features" will be turned against the users. This unassailable fortress will become a mega prison.

It already started lightly with XP by malicious code hiding as a legitimate process that the OS refuses to allow access to in simple means. RPC ring any bells?? now a bunch of processes can run together under the guise of legitimate services. SVChost ANYONE??

We all know the mettle of microsoft's security. First its far from good, second, its the bullseye that all the darts are aimed for.

I humbly suggest the folowing; 1. First and foremost, educate the user. (are you needlessly logged in as root/admin now?? ARE YOU!?!)

2. Allow relevant bodies to see code in order to better develop protection schemes instead of the current add-on layers microsoft is forcing security companies to make. (I'm sure some will say that this will make writing malicious code even easier, but the end result will be far more effective security, as viruses are already trouncing all the proprietary code they write)

3. Legislation. Come down hard on malicious code writers. (After all, they do far more harm than file sharing but you do not see the likes of the RIAA gunning for their flesh.)

w00tseaker P.S.
I always wanted to see some EPROM holding a core portion of the system's security with a BIOS lock type functionality, for nearly bulletproof defense. Something like a hardware kernel dealing with security only. Implemented by design of course, not as an afterthought.

Thats the end of my rant, as usual, feel free to edit, cut/paste, torture etc.

Subject: Three months and be grateful

Hi Desky! ;)

Thanks for that!

I think if I would manufacture "highest standard" Notebook accu's :) for around 2 to 5 dollar in China so I can sell that lousy rubbish for 100 bucks around the world, I would give only 3 months of warranty too for my "highest standard" parts! :)

What will the industry do if they can't find a cheaper production place with 1 dollar/hour workers as China, where will there find the millions and billions for her lousy managers and the big game on the stock exchange?

Sheesh, this is the end of the game on our earth! :)

Frank-J. Bebber