Public execution for spammers great idea

Doug,

"PRACTICAL REASON #2/CYNICAL #1: Making an example of a few will scare the others. I suppose it all goes back to the old-fashioned custom of public executions. Taking out a few spammers in a big show of force will most likely make anyone else in the spam business think twice about sending out the next Viagra ads. "

I think you've hit on a fabulous idea here: public executions for convicted spammers. Even if it does nothing for the actual volume of spam received, it will at least make a lot of people feel better.

(Actually I would go so far as to suggest public executions for _suspected_ spammers. And their families, friends, acquaintances, other residents of their home town, and anyone who ever bought anything they were selling).

Cheers
Simon

Is Nvidia's SLI just a history re-work?

I just read Vasileios Karaklioumis' article re: Nvidia SLI, and I have to disagree with the following quote quite strongly:

"But both the cost of this solution, which is a very expensive board with two 16xPCI eXpress channels is needed, and the current two expensive 3D cards will draw, renders it if not obsolete, a technology demonstration and nothing more."

While it is true that the only currently shipping option for running an Nvidia SLI-based setup would utilize an Intel Tumwater chipset dual-Xeon motherboard with a pair of GeForce 6800 series cards, this is about to change significantly in the very near future. As reported elsewhere on The Inquirer, Nvidia is about to launch a new chipset, which will quite likely provide a much more cost effective motherboard solution for consumers that are interested in putting together an SLI setup.

I should also point out that it is not necessary for said motherboard to provide two 16 lane PCI-E interfaces, even Tumwater does not offer this. In fact, the new Nvidia chipset is rumored to run the two graphics slots in 8x mode when two graphics cards are present.

I think it is quite realistic to expect a large number of gaming enthusiasts to construct systems based on the forthcoming Nvidia NForce chipset, driven by a pair of GeForce 6600GT series video cards. Not only will this be a relatively cost-effective solution in the near future (probably starting around the beginning of November 2004 or so), it is also likely to be popular due to the very limited availability of top-end 6800-based cards. I also strongly suspect that benchmarks will show a pair of GeForce 6600GT cards to be superior to that of a single GeForce 6800GT/Ultra configuration.

As always, keep up the good work with the site.

Johnathan K

Gamers prefer cyberbabes to real women

Surely this is an unsurprising survey result as 2/3 of English men have already dated Jorden, or so my knowledge of the tabloid press would have me believe.

Name supplied

Again

That piece gave me an inspiration. How about a revival of The Prisoner series starring who else? The Inquirer Everywhere Girl! She could be the New Number Six. Patrick McGoohan is still about somewhere. I'm sure he would be willing to put an oar in, so to speak. He could play Number One this time. (That's the way they do it, bring back the old guy to play another part so there are no hard feelings, or at least not as much as there would have been otherwise). I'm surprised that you haven't heard by now as to the real life identity of the Everywhere Girl. I'm sure she's an aspiring actress/model who'd jump at the opportunity.

If that one doesn't sell, how about another concept where she's an enterprising, globe trotting, young agent of some gummomint agency or other, dedicated to ridding the world of phreakers, phishers, hackers, spammers and other friends of Bill Gates? She could go undercover, so to speak, on college campuses. That would explain her apparent lack of brand loyalty. She's doing it for God and Country.

If that fails, how about a mini series where the Inquirer Everywhere Girl at long last rescues Patrick McGoohan from that island in Wales? Name supplied

Again
Another spotting at on the top right. She really likes those Visa cards.

Nelson

ATI is smug but Nvidia's the bug in the rug

I quite respect your level of journalistic integrity.

However, your recently posted article by the author mentioned in the subject line crosses a line. This article is one the most one-sided, NVIDIA-fanboy and anti ATI-based articles imaginable. I recognize that you labelled it "comment", but that doesn't help much. It just stands out badly with your otherwise respectable news about the graphics market.

Thanks.

Harm H

Intel downplays EM64T as platform

Morning Mr Magee!

Did you happen to ask Mr. Priestley if he was still using a Mac? Maybe you should ask him, if the Mac was such a fundamental change in architecture, why doesn't it own 95% of the market? EM64T is a bottom up strategy to switch to a 64 bit model whereas Itanium is a top down method. We should tell him we can already tell which method Intel prefers.

They are probably fans of Reaganomics too for all I know. EM64T is about bringing the most computing change to the largest number of people at a reasonable price, not stuffing the Intel wallet with the largest amount of bucks from a few unlucky saps who are soaking up a gigantic R&D cost.

It's always nice to know almost a year after something was promised “don't worry when it comes to 64 bit on the desktop we assure you we'll be there”, that Intel is happily delaying as long as possible claiming software issues. Its also nice to know when it came to SSE and SSE2 and MMX how they trumpeted a different marketing horn. I think the translation of “Intel inside” is “we got to their wallet first”…

Just my $.02

Best regards,
David Fey

Microsoft and patents

This is getting silly.

Here's a topical suggestion. In the ancient Olympic games, anyone who started a race before the word of command wasn't just disqualified - he was physically beaten by the officials.

In a court of law, anyone (well, anyone except Microsoft) who shows ostentatious disdain for the court and its rules risks being punished for contempt of court.

Maybe it's time to provide for those who lodge cynical patent claims to be punished. How about either a fine of 1 percent of corporate annual profit for each offence, or (my favourite) putting the CEO in the stocks for a day and encouraging passers-by to pelt him with rotten fruit?

TW

Gateway Boxxes clever in LAN parties

And I quote from your latest article: HERE ARE MORE things that I find simply neat in the hardware world.

"Next we come to something that anyone into hardware will find simply nifty, the DC-DC fanless 200w power supply from Mini-Box, here. While a lot of things this company makes are for Via EPIA boards, they are standard power supplies, so you can use them for a P4 or Athlon64 if you are so inclined. It plugs into the motherboard ATX connector directly, cleaning up the case a lot. Case modders should eat this thing up, and at $49.95, it is a steal. Take a look and you will understand."

Being an Environmental Engineer who also worked in the semiconductor industry for several years (Intel) I always questioned the growing power usage by the faster and faster microprocessors.To understand my frame of mind I will tell you that in my house I have only fluorescent lighting (no incandescent energy wasting bulbs) , ceiling fans in every room instead of air conditioners , and almost every energy saving device you could think of from solar water heater to water saving devices on every faucet .

So after buying my second computer for the children I was shocked to see the electricity bill shoot up!! After a brief study of additional power usage over the last few months I found the culprit , my new computer ! Remember a 350 watt power supply is equivalent to 15 fluorescent screw in 20 watt bulbs running all the time!!

That's more light bulbs than I have in my house. Two computers running is 700 watts/hr!!!!!!!!!!!!

So I was looking into low powered computer systems and I came across the Via ITX line , only the problem is that also use approx 200-250 watts/hr . Albeit that's a significant amount less that the standard ATX power supply but still far from being a breakthrough in the field. (yes yes I know that very few systems use the maximal power rating but some like mine aren't far away )

What kind of power supplies do the transmeta processors use ?? Are you aware of any research in the field??

I know that what bothers most people is the noise but I am sure that there are plenty of people out there who would love to save some energy and a significant amount of money over time. Try and calculate it out . We pay approx 0.10$ US per kilowatt hr and if you are using three computers (ATX standard) or maybe some combination of 550 and 450 watt PS that's 1 kilowatt . If you run an average of 6 hrs per day ( I don't use Kazaa , for that you could double or triple the cost) that's 0.6$ US per day x 6 days per week or believe it or not $187.00 per year!!!!!!!!!!!! No small amount . If we could get a system that worked on 50 watts , then two systems would be one tenth of the above or $18.7 per year!!!

With all the price of oil going up , world energy consumption growing at exponential rates due to the developing economies in China and India , and global warming kicking us in the head every time we have to adjust the thermostat on the air conditioner don't you think that its time that those semiconductor gorillas start designing low power units more seriously?????????

What's your opinion??????

Have a Great Day!
Gershon S

To BT: Copied to the INQ

Dear Sirs,

I am writing to express my disbelief and annoyance at what appears to be a fundamental error in the invitation to sign up to online billing I received through the post today.

As a keen user of online billing and financial services wherever possible, I was initially pleased to be invited to set up this service for my BT account. Imagine my surprise when I go to the URL give to register and notice that the registration page isn't served from a secure server.

Imagine my further incredulity when I examine the source code for the page and confirm my suspicion that the form also isn't submitted to a secure server.

In case the reasons for my alarm have not become obvious to you, allow me to restate them:

1. I have no way of verifying that the site is indeed still BT or that the form will be submitted to a BT server as there is no trust relationship as would be established using an SSL connection.

2. Your form asks me for a number of personal details.

3. Your form asks for a password.

4. Your form asks for a security question and reply a fairly standard list used in part or while by a number of other e-commerce sites.

5. On submission, all of this information would be transmitted in clear text over the internet, leaving it in plain view of anyone with access to log packets at any point along the route and available to be logged by any HTTP proxy used along the way. Again an SSL connection would prevent this.

If I submit the form I compromise my online security, not only for access to the BT site, but potentially to all other e-commerce sites I use due to point 4, and possibly point 3 should I choose to use a similar password to one I use elsewhere

BT is supposed to be an internet-savvy company. BT sell security services, including SSL certificates, online stores etc. to other businesses. BT is perceived to know what it.s doing in the on-line world.

BT should know better than to expect people to sign up to an online account management service over anything other than a secure connection.

I noticed the error and haven't registered. I wonder how many others have registered and thus compromised the security of their online transactions.

You will notice that this email has been copied to the editor of theinquirer.net. Ordinarily I wouldn't run straight to the press with a complaint such as this, but when BT puts mine and others. online security at risk, I feel it's my responsibility to make sure others are aware of the potential danger if at all possible.

I look forward to your speedy reply assuring me that this serious security lapse has been addressed and removed.

Yours faithfully,
Steve Bowers