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*HOT* Tech News And Downloads, I Would Read This Thread And Post Any Good Info
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janrocks
Suspended permanently
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12. July 2006 @ 06:01 |
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Related and along the same lines from another direction.
Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2000 18:04:08 -0700 (PDT)
From: lauren@vortex.com (Lauren Weinstein; PRIVACY Forum Moderator)
Subject: Massive Tracking of Web Users Planned -- Via ISPs!
Greetings.
This is not a delayed April Fools' Day joke. It's all too real,
and I assume that you're already sitting down.
Picture a world where information about your every move on the Web,
including the sites that you visit, the keywords that you enter into search
engines, and so on, are all shipped off to a third party, with the willing
cooperation of your Internet Service Provider (ISP). None of those pesky
cookies to disable, no outside Web sites to put on block lists--just a direct
flow of data from your ISP to the unseen folks with the dollar signs (or
pound, yen, euro, or whatever signs) gleaming brightly in their eyes behind
the scenes. You'll of course be told that your information is "anonymous"
and that you can trust everyone involved, that you'll derive immense benefits
from such tracking, and that you have an (at least theoretical) opt-in or
opt-out choice.
But just for some frosting on the cake, also picture that if you avail
yourself of the opportunity not to participate in such tracking (via opt-out
or opt-in choices), that you either cannot use the associated ISPs at all, or
will be faced with paying significantly higher fees than persons who are
willing to play along with tracking.
As you have no doubt guessed by now, this is not a theoretical scenario.
We're on the verge of starting down the slippery slope to this end right
now, with the imminent operations of Predictive Networks
(http://www.predictivenetworks.com) and other similar businesses also in the
works.
When I recently learned about Predictive (which has apparently been
established for some time and seems to be well funded), I naturally visited
their Web site, which was sadly lacking in obvious specifics such as an
actual posted privacy policy. (I've since been told that this is a temporary
condition which will shortly be remedied.) I spoke briefly with the firm's
president and had a much more detailed chat with his V.P. for Business
Development, and received an e-mailed copy of their privacy privacy. Both
of these fellows were polite, cordial, and willing to provide me with the
information I desired about their plans.
Unfortunately, the more that I learned from these sources, the
increasingly concerned I became.
In brief, Predictive's business is to engage ISPs (not just "free" ISPs
where usage tracking has become typical, but conventional fee-based ISPs as
well) in arrangements where the ISP will directly feed Web usage data to
Predictive. The firm also claims to be working with Internet backbone
providers. To quote from Predictive's privacy policy:
"Predictive Networks uses Digital Silhouettes to match Internet content
and advertising with appropriate subscriber recipients. As a result,
subscribers receive information that appeals to their current needs and
interests. To develop a Digital Silhouette, The Predictive Network
analyzes URL click-stream data, such as web pages visited, and date and
time of visit. URLs are then evaluated against more than 120 affinity
and demographic categories, and assigned a score between zero and one.
The resulting Digital Silhouette is simply an anonymous set of numerical
probabilities inferred from subscriber behavior. URL histories are not
permanently stored and the data in the Digital Silhouette is not
personally identifiable."
and:
"To provide subscribers with content most relevant to their current
interests, The Predictive Network may retain key words from Internet
searches. These key words are attached to the subscriber's anonymous
Digital Silhouette and, like the Digital Silhouette itself, are not
personally identifiable. The Predictive Network also gathers data about
a subscribers' response to messages and content, which is used to
fine-tune future messages and message format."
It is Predictive's contention that they do not maintain an ongoing history
of sites visited (URLs), and that the Digital Silhouettes are maintained in
an "anonymous" fashion--so they feel that there is no violation of users'
privacy.
But outside of the fact that keyword search terms themselves can often
contain personally-identifiable or other sensitive data, also note from the
Predictive privacy policy that:
"To optimize the format of the content delivered to subscribers, the
anonymous Digital Silhouette may include specifications about the
subscriber's computer, such as processor type, browser plug-ins and
available memory. For some of our ISP partners, Predictive Networks
may provide a built-in dialer system. Should an ISP select this
option, The Predictive Network may require subscribers to furnish their
ISP user name and password. This information will be used strictly for
account authentication purposes and will not be associated with the
subscriber's anonymous Digital Silhouette. Our ISP partners can also
the leverage the power of The Predictive Network for customer service
purposes. Should a subscriber's ISP select this option, the ISP user
name may be matched with the Digital Silhouette ID number. This will
allow The Predictive Network to send specific individuals important
customer service information. In addition, some subscribers may elect
to have email service from their ISP. Subscribers on The Predictive
Network that choose this option may be required to supply Predictive
Networks with their email address. This information is used for email
notification only."
In other words, there is a variety of personally-identifiable information
that you may need to provide to Predictive at various times, and you are
expected to trust Predictive not to purposely or accidentally misuse this
data. You also must trust that Predictive will not associate this
information with your "Digital Silhouette" in any manner--nor let anyone
else make such an association. One wonders what would happen in the face of
a court order to provide associated data for a civil or criminal proceeding
or investigation.
Most of the familiar problems we've seen in the past with so-called
"anonymous" tracking systems are present in this case. Privacy policies can
be changed at any time (e.g., the recent DoubleClick fiasco). Detailed data
that is theoretically discarded in the process of building "anonymous"
profiles could be preserved at any time, simply through software
alterations. The very existence of these sorts of data collection and
tracking infrastructures is of great concern. Even with the best of
intentions, the possibility for abuse is impossible to ignore--and as we
know there is a vacuum of laws to provide consumers with useful protections
in these areas.
Predictive claims that all of this effort is to bring better services to
Web users. Their apparent view is that tracking people's usage to figure
out what sorts of ads to send them is far better than simply asking people
to select the sorts of materials that they might wish to receive.
Of course, whenever you use automated techniques to try figure out what
people want based on the Web sites they happen to visit, there is the
possibility of embarrassing errors. For example, people may be suckered into
pornography sites by misleading banner ads, and not be at all interested in
receiving adult-oriented advertising. Similar errors relating to other
topic areas can occur from any number of the inadvertent Web sites that all
of us hit in the process of typical Web browsing. Predictive will let
people see the profiles that have been built about them--but sometimes you'll
have to pay for the privilege! There are other interesting catches
as well:
"In developing our anonymous subscriber Digital Silhouettes, Predictive
Networks captures, analyzes and then discards URL click-stream data.
While we do not permanently retain a record of each subscriber's usage,
we can, upon request, make their Digital Silhouette available to them
for review. Any subscriber on The Predictive Network has the right to
view their Digital Silhouette free of charge twice during the calendar
year. Subscribers will be charged $50.00 per request thereafter.
Subscribers can obtain a copy of their Digital Silhouette by emailing
Predictive Networks at silhouette@predictivenetworks.com. The email
request must contain the subscriber's anonymous ID number, which can be
found on their computer by holding down the shift key and
right-clicking on about. The corresponding Digital Silhouette will be
emailed back to the subscriber within approximately ten business days.
Subscriber should note that by emailing Predictive Networks, they may
be "identifying" themselves to the Company. While we do not
incorporate this information into our Digital Silhouettes, we do
maintain a separate record of Digital Silhouette requests for
accounting and billing purposes. Should a subscriber object to any or
all of the information contained in their Digital Silhouette, they can
opt-out of The Predictive Network permanently, or opt-out and
re-register, which will erase the existing Digital Silhouette and begin
a new one. Again, Predictive Networks urges subscribers to consult
their Internet service provider before opting-out as doing so may
affect their Internet service and/or their Internet service rate."
The last sentence above is of special interest to the question of how
"optional" this tracking really would be. It is apparently Predictive's
intention to encourage ISPs, both free and the conventional fee-based types,
to partner with them to create new revenue streams for the ISPs (and for
Predictive, of course). It would appear to be the plan that in most cases
any use of free ISPs who have associated themselves with Predictive would be
predicated on your acceptance of the tracking. You can opt-out, or refuse to
opt-in, but then you can't use the ISP. Not much of an option! The details
about the tracking may also be buried within an ISP's own privacy or other
policy statements, making it even less likely that most people will ever
bother reading or understanding all of the detailed ramifications of their
using these systems.
It also appears to be Predictive's intention to encourage fee-based ISPs to
offer lower rates to users willing to be tracked. This can rapidly degrade
into a coercive situation where users who do not wish to participate in such
tracking will be forced to pay ever higher rates simply to maintain the same
level of privacy and non-tracking that they had in the first place (as the
immortal Alice learned, "running faster and faster to stay in the same
place"...) Can ISPs resist this temptation? If not, the fundamental
structure of the Internet and Web will be permanently changed in a manner
that could make reasonably-priced, non-tracked Internet access a rapidly
fading memory, and make all of the abuse potentials of these tracking
technologies the status quo engrained within the Internet infrastructure.
After Predictive gets their privacy policy online at their Web site, I urge
everyone interested in these issues to read the entire text. There are many
other interesting sections, such as how they're dealing with the issue of
tracking children under the age of 13 (vis-a-vis the new Federal Trade
Commission regulations on this topic). Basically, Predictive says that you
either must keep such children away from the computer, or must agree that
it's OK for the children to be tracked. It's all or nothing.
Predictive of course says that they are very concerned about privacy.
They told me that they're forming a "privacy advisory board"--and so on.
I have a different suggestion. How about if the users of the Internet and
World Wide Web, the millions and soon billions of individuals, take a stand
while we still have the opportunity? We still have the chance to say that
our personal information is our own and that our Web browsing behavior is
private. We may yet be able to successfully assert that we won't be
manipulated, coerced, or otherwise "bribed" into allowing our Web activities
to (as "The Prisoner" put it) be "pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed,
debriefed, or numbered!"
The Internet and Web have tremendous commercial potential. But it can be
achieved ethically and without the use of obnoxious technologies that are
being shoved down our throats like feed for animals destined for the dinner
table. The firms who view the Internet as little more than a "cash cow" are
already placing the software rings in our noses in an effort to see us made
easier to manipulate and control.
The stink of the slaughterhouse may not be far away.
--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein
lauren@pfir.org or lauren@vortex.com
Co-Founder, PFIR: People for Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org
Moderator, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com
Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
This article and more http://www.vortex.com/privacy/priv.09.13
My comment
As a C+W (via a subsidairy company) subscriber I have strong doubts about the compliance by my ISP with the privacy statement which is an agreed part of my legal contract with them. There is no difference in my view between monitoring my net traffic and reading my email.. Both are a serious invasion of my privacy and clearly in breach of the agreed terms of service which I pay for.
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 12. July 2006 @ 06:24
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AfterDawn Addict
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12. July 2006 @ 06:41 |
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Nasty questions
p2p news / p2pnet: RIAA and MPAA mouthpersons turn up at conferences and public events all over the US as part of their carefully orchestrated, ongoing, multi-million-dollar disinformation campaigns.
The basic idea is: you're all crooks and thieves while the cartels are honest but hard-done-by companies struggling to survive in a world of hurt.
And the RIAA and MPAA are merely the American manifestations of a huge list of 'trade' organizations passing wind around the world on behalf of their owners, the corporate entertainment and software outfits.
The EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation) has written a sample list of interesting questions you might want to ask the cartel reps and with a little judicious editing, they'll serve equally well in Britain, say or France, or anywhere else. You can, of course, also add a few questions of your own.
Music
1.The RIAA has sued more than 20,000 music fans for file sharing, yet file sharing continues to rapidly increase both online and offline. When will you stop suing music fans?
2.The RIAA has sued over 20,000 music fans for file sharing, who have on average paid a $3,750 settlement. That's over $75,000,000. Has any money collected from your lawsuits gone to pay actual artists? Where's all that money going?
3.The RIAA has sued over 20,000 music fans for file sharing. Recently, an RIAA representative reportedly suggested that "students drop out of college or go to community college in order to be able to afford [P2P lawsuit] settlements." Do you stand by this advice? Is this really good advice for our children's futures?
4.The RIAA said that it only went after individual file sharers because you couldn't go after P2P system creators. After the Supreme Court's Grokster decision, shouldn't you stop going after music fans?
5.Major entertainment companies have repeatedly brought lawsuits to block new technologies, including the VCR, Digital Audio Tape recorders, the first MP3 player, the ReplayTV PVR, and now P2P software. Why is your industry so hostile to new technologies?
6.DRM has clearly failed to stop songs from getting on file sharing networks, but it does prevent me from moving lawfully purchased music onto my iPod and other portable devices. Unlike the major record labels, many popular indie labels offer mp3 downloads through sites like eMusic. Why won't you let fans purchase mp3s as well?
7.The RIAA says that it doesn't mind if I rip CDs to my personal computer and put them on my iPod. Do I need your permission to do this or can I legally do it even if you object?
8.Recording off the radio is clearly permitted by copyright law and something Americans have done for over 25 years, but the RIAA supports legislation restricting devices that record from digital radio. Why are you against TiVo for radio?
9.Sony BMG recently implemented a DRM technology that damaged users' computers. But for independent researchers' analyses, this serious flaw may have gone undiscovered. After this scandal, will record labels allow any computer scientist or security expert to examine these products and agree not to sue them under the DMCA?
Video
1.The major movie studios have been enjoying some of their most profitable years in history over the past five years. Can you cite to any specific studies that prove noncommercial file sharing among fans, as opposed to commercial DVD piracy, has hurt the studios' bottom line in any significant way?
2.Is it legal for me to bypass CSS DVD encryption in order to skip the "unskippable" previews at the beginning of so many DVDs? Why should I have to be forced to watch these ads when I already bought the DVD?
3.Is it legal for me to skip the commercials when I play back time-shifted TV recordings on my TiVo or other PVR? How is this different than getting up and going to the bathroom?
4.Why are there region-code restrictions on DVDs? How does this prevent copyright infringement? Is it illegal for me to buy or and use a region-free DVD player, or to modify a DVD player to be region-free?
5.In several lawsuits, the MPAA has repeatedly said that it's illegal to make a back-up of a DVD that I purchased. Why is this illegal?
6.Is it ever legal for me to use software like DVD Shrink or Handbrake to rip a digital copy of a DVD I own onto a video iPod or my laptop? What if I want clips to use for a class report? Or if a teacher wants to include a clip in a PowerPoint slide?
7.Is there anything illegal about copying TV shows I?ve recorded off the air onto my video iPod?
8.If the MPAA-backed "broadcast flag" bill passes, I won't be able to move recorded TV content digitally to my current video iPod. Why should TV studios get to take away my ability to lawfully time- and space-shift?
9.Major entertainment companies have repeatedly brought lawsuits to block new technologies, including the VCR, Digital Audio Tape recorders, the first MP3 player, the ReplayTV PVR, and now P2P software. Why is your industry so hostile to new technologies?
10.Hollywood is pushing legislation to "plug the analog hole." These restrictions won't keep copyrighted video off of file sharing networks, but they will would block me from excerpting a recorded TV show for a school report or using tools like the Slingbox to send recorded TV shows to myself over the Internet. Why are you trying to restrict these legitimate uses?
Digg this.
p2pnet newsfeeds for your site.
rss feed: http://p2pnet.net/p2p.rss
Mobile - http://p2pnet.net/index-wml.php
(Wednesday 12th July 2006)
http://p2pnet.net/story/9326
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AfterDawn Addict
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12. July 2006 @ 12:46 |
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Sharman drops p2pnet libel case
p2p news / p2pnet: Two months after receiving a summons telling me I was being sued for alleged libel by Kazaa owner Sharman Networks and Kazaa ceo Nikki Hemming, I've at last received the detailed notice of claims.
Filed with the Supreme Court of British Columbia, it includes two intriguing new documents.
One, from Sharman, reads:
No. S-063039
Vancouver Registry
TAKE NOTICE that the Plaintiff, Sharman Networks Limited, wholly discontinues this proceeding against the Defendants John Newton, Interserver Inc., John Doe, Jane Doe, Richard Roe and Jane Roe.
The other, from Hemming, states:
No. S-063039
Vancouver Registry
TAKE NOTICE that the Plaintiff, Nikki Hemming, wholly discontinues this proceeding against the Defendants John Doe, Jane Doe, and Jane Roe.
Why has Sharman suddenly abandoned its claims against me and p2pnet, leaving Hemming by herself?
At this point, we don't know, but we'll find out when she tries to justify them to a Canadian jury of my peers at some date yet to be decided.
For now, I have to admit that as very ordinary father and husband with a very ordinary income, I'd definitely rather not be in this situation. But in it I am, and I'm here until it get resolved, whatever it takes.
My wife, Liz, and my daughter, Emma, almost 10, have told me they're behind me and corny as it may seem, I honest-to-God believe this case points up the dangers ancient laws, which automatically assume guilt, present to Freedom of Expression in Canada.
They have no place here.
Hemming and Sharman say I defamed them in an article outlining Australian court proceedings into Hemming's assets. They also demanded the identity of a p2pnet reader who posted an anonymous comment which I included in the same story.
Israeli lawyer Itai Lesham has since come forward, but be that as it may, as I say in Stop-the-Blogsuit, "as far as I'm concerned, an anonymous post is the same as a confidential source. I don't have to like a post, or even agree with it. But I believe that as an honest and responsible human being, I do have to safeguard the poster, if indeed I know who he or she is which in this case, I don't.
"If Sharman wins it'll make life a potential hell for bloggers in Canada, at the least. And you can bet the case will be used as a reference for similar actions around the world."
People come here, "from all over the world to file libel suits," as Jeffrey Shallit, a professor at Canada's University of Waterloo, emphasises on his web site.
The laws must be brought into the 21st century and winning this case will go a long way towards achieving that.
Cheers! And thanks for all the good wishes and support ...
Jon
http://p2pnet.net/story/9333
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AfterDawn Addict
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12. July 2006 @ 19:22 |
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Here's how to cool your Dell
To all those owners of burning dell laptops I suggest the following
http://www.diefer.de/i8kfan/
I?ve tested this on an Inspiron 8000 and it keeps temperatures under control.
(ie) without this, CPU temp reaches an average of 70 ? 80 DeGreesC
With the control it maintains a more comportable 55DeGreeC.
Cheers
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=32982
News
I8kfanGUI version 3.0 beta 5 is out (4. July 2006).
This is the fifth beta version of the upcoming version 3.0. The changes I made to beta 4 are listed here. I'm publishing several beta versions before the final version because I've made fundamental changes and fixes to the previous version. The following fundamental changes were made to version 2.2.0:
1. revised temperature control to support multiple sensors and fans in any combination
2. system specific sensor and fan detection
3. changeable colors for each tray icon
4. updated minimizing to tray feature to make it more intuitive
5. updated realtime cpu speed calculation for hyperthreading and multi core systems
6. automatic detection and support of hyperthreading, multi core, and multi processor systems
7. User interface redesigned and updated to Windows XP styles
8. redesigned the history diagram for better readability
9. support for Windows XP themes
10. dropped support for Windows 98/ME
Please read the manual to learn about the program's features and how it's working. If you have a question, then please look at the FAQ first.
I am not answering questions that are already covered in the FAQ or the manual !
Download
http://www.diefer.de/i8kfan/
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AfterDawn Addict
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12. July 2006 @ 19:25 |
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Microsoft puts Virtual PC on free download
Grab it while you can
By Dean Pullen: Wednesday 12 July 2006, 16:46
MICROSOFT IS now offering its operating-system virtualisation tool for Windows, Virtual PC 2004 (SP1 release), for free.
The software firm also announced that the forthcoming Virtual PC 2007 for Vista will also be freely downloadable.
Previous to this, their other virtualisation package aimed at servers, Virtual Server 2005 R2 Enterprise Edition, was also offered as a free download.
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=32985
Grab it from here. µ
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtualpc/default.mspx
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AfterDawn Addict
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12. July 2006 @ 19:30 |
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DVDOTNET.......... software to stream and archive live video sessions using the Microsoft Windows Media format, and provide access to those archives via a Podcast for use with iTunes and the iPod Video.....(free).....GO THERE!
http://www.merage.uci.edu/~dvdotnet/
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AfterDawn Addict
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13. July 2006 @ 09:31 |
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p2pnet vs Kazaa: update
p2p news / p2pnet: The Sharman Networks / Nikki Hemming libel suit against p2pnet took an interesting turn when Kazaa owner Sharman dropped out, leaving Kazaa ceo Hemming to fend for herself.
Or is Sharman backing her behind the scenes?
Be that as it may, both The Register and Techdirt have picked up on one aspect of the suit as, no doubt, Sharman and Hemming had hoped.
?Hemming's lawyers go so far as to suggest that the publicity generated by the lawsuit and subsequent P2Pnet web site hits will counter Newton's legal costs resulting in 'a net profit and ensuring the permanent success of [Newton's] P2P Website'. [Cough - Ed.]? - says El Reg.
Says Techdirt, "It really is a unique strategy: accuse the person you're suing of profiting from the attention you brought him [Techdirt's emphasis] by suing him.?
To quote the portions of the detailed claim The Register and Techdirt are referring to:
Instead of simply removing the defamatory expression at issue from his P2P Website, the Defendant Newton elected to draw global attention to his P2P Website, which generates income for him based on the number of 'hits' from website visitors.
And in another section:
Falsely representing that his P2P Website does not log visitors and that IP addresses are not available to him, well knowing that his income from the P2P Website requires him to permit his advertisers to audit the number of visitors to his website and to verify the authenticity of those visit, and, Calculating that the increased revenue that he will earn by increasing the volume of visitors to his P2P Website in consequence of the controversy generated by this libel action will substantially exceed his pecuniary liability to the Plaintiff, thereby generating a net profit and ensuring the permanent success of his P2P Website.
Actually, as I say in an unrelated story:
We've always been a non-entrepreneurial site, and we still are, but were it not for our handful of flat-rate faithful advertisers .......
And that rate hasn't changed since the day BearShare, Blubster, LimeWire, Morpheus and Warez first signed on, although p2pnet now has a very significant audience of readers around the world - much larger than when kicked off in 2002. But we continue to turn down potentially lucrative ads because we didn't like what they're trying to sell, because the ads are pop-ups, because they're pumping products or services from firms we believed are against the p2p community, or because they're trying to use the ads to sneak in tricky coding.
And this year, thanks to the depredations of Warner Music, EMI, Sony BMG and Vivendi Universal, the members of the Big Four Organized Music gang who are trying to use lawsuits to both crush any and all competition and to sue their own customers into buying inferior, over-priced product on- and offline, we've actually lost two supporters: LimeWire and BearShare.
In other words, it doesn't make a blind bit of difference how many hits p2pnet gets. Or doesn't get. And, ?well knowing that his income from the P2P Website requires him to permit his advertisers to audit the number of visitors to his website and to verify the authenticity of those visits,? is pure and utter fabrication.
p2pnet doesn't have these kinds of data and even if it did, I never have, nor will I ever, reveal details of users.
As I say say I in the p2pnet privacy statement (which has been a part of the site for ever):
By accessing p2pnet.net, you're agreeing to be bound by absolutely nothing.
And as far as stats go, p2pnet doesn't collect, analyse or do anything at all with visitor information, beyond using it for the occasional advertising inquiry.
Even then, all we reveal is: how many unique visitors surf to the site during a given period.
The same goes for registration. The only thing we do with user information is: keep it in a database so we can send out the newsletter.
There's no hidden fine print in teeny weeny letters, no opting out of something you'd never have agreed to in the first place if only you'd known about it.
So enjoy, secure in the knowledge that your user rights and privacy aren't being violated or invaded in any way.
Cheers! And all the best ...
And in case anyone thinks I'm getting rich from donations, as I write this, I've received a grand total of $1,551.81 which, considering the case will cost somewhere between $100,000 and $250,000 by the time it's finished, won't go very far.
Does the paucity of contributions mean no one is interested? Nope.
Unfortunately, there've been reports of several recent instances of sites appealing for donations to help legal expenses, and then disappearing or using the money as all or part of 'settlement' fees. I have no idea if there's any truth in them, but they've certainly created a dark cloud of suspicion where appeals of this type are concerned.
On top of that, there are now so many sites asking for money that the well is running dry. But I still have to do what I can to keep the wheels turning, hence the Stop-the-Blogsuit page.
Finally, I don't want anyone to lose sight of the fact that although we want to come out of this in one piece and still in possession of our house, and as I say here, "I'd definitely rather not be in this situation," I am in it. And I'll be here until it's resolved, whatever it takes.
My wife, Liz, and my daughter, Emma, almost 10, have told me they're behind me and corny as it may seem, I honestly believe this case points up the dangers ancient laws, which automatically assume guilt, present to Freedom of Expression in Canada.
They have no place here and when we win, the case will make a huge difference to getting the defamation laws revised. And they must be revised.
Here's a song I wrote called Freedom of Speech. :
Saying what you want to is your fundamental right
But freedom of speech can be stolen in the night
If you let 'em,
They'll take it away from you.
Then they'll have you where they want you and they're never gonna let you go.
Saying what you want to is your bottom line right
But your freedom of speech can vanish overnight
It ain't a gift you have to earn it
They'll destroy it if you spurn it
If you can't say what you're thinking
You might as well not think.
People are dying 'round the world to buy that right
If you want it you can have it
But it don't come without a fight
And if you let 'em. They'll steal it away from you.
Then they'll have you where they want you and they'll never let you go.
Saying what you want to is your bottom line right
But your freedom of speech can vanish overnight
It ain't a gift you have to earn it
They'll destroy it if you spurn it
If you can't say what you're thinking
You might just as well be dead.
Canadian indie label owner and performer Neil Leyton is organizing a Freedom of Speech benefit concert at the famed Rivoli dinner-dance club on Queen Street, Toronto, on the night of August 5. Neil will be performing a song he wrote for the occasion, and I'll be doing Freedom of Speech which is is not only the first song I've ever written, it'll be my first on-stage performace and to say I'm nervous is considerably understating things.
But the stars of the concert will be, in alphabetical order, Aceface; Peterborough singer/songwriter Dennis O'Toole; the Kobo Town band, Lindy and Neil.
If you'd like to be in on the August 5, performance on, there's still time to contact Neil at nleyton@gmail.com or 416 721 3566. If you'd like to talk to me, use jon@p2pnet.net.
For now, Cheers! And all the best ...
Jon
http://p2pnet.net/story/9339
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AfterDawn Addict
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13. July 2006 @ 11:28 |
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'Imitation IPod' Invades Radio
By Dave Demerjian| Also by this reporter
02:00 AM Jul, 13, 2006
In the two years since Jack FM radio made its debut in the United States, the majority of U.S. radio stations programming the "imitation iPod" format have seen healthy, sustained gains in listeners. The format is a rare bright spot for the major radio broadcast chains, which are fast hemorrhaging listeners to real iPods and satellite radio.
Defined by wide-ranging playlists and unusual combinations of songs from different genres and eras, Jack has been likened to an iPod set on shuffle.
Jack is at the forefront of what is known in the radio industry as "variety hits" or "adult hits," programming philosophies centered on the belief that listeners want more variety and less repetition, but also like it when artists from completely different decades and genres are played back to back (think Pet Shop Boys followed by Mötley Crüe followed by Matchbox Twenty).
It's in sharp contrast to conventional programming logic, where small, genre-specific playlists are thought to attract specific target audiences, and songs are repeated over and over so as to become quickly familiar to listeners.
Jack stations don't broadcast weather, traffic or zany morning-show antics, eliminating DJs altogether in favor of brief, punchy, prerecorded announcements that aim for edgy irreverence -- "Hey Jack, that last song was so hot, I have to go change my underwear."
According to Mike Henry of Paragon Media Strategies, a radio consultancy in Denver that helped launch the format in the United States, the edgy irreverence is an important part of Jack's appeal. "It's creative packaging, and it's different from the typical radio clutter," he says.
It's resonating with listeners. A recent report (.pdf) from market researchers Arbitron and Edison Media Research tracking 36 adult hits/variety hits radio stations showed that 28 of them have seen improved ratings in the key 25- to 54-year-old demographic since flipping to the format. More impressive, these gains occurred in highly competitive major markets, including Los Angeles, Denver and Dallas.
While listening to a Jack station can sometimes feel like you're listening to a middle-aged couple spinning favorites from their LP collection, very little of what's broadcast is actually left to chance.
"Some believe that the key to this format is for programmers to literally play what they want," explains Henry. "But that's not true. In actuality, this format is very research-driven."
Jack's vastly larger library means more songs are tested -- up to 1,200 versus 300 at a more traditional pop or adult outlet -- and that programmers must apply the results of their research differently.
One example is the format's liberal use of "train-wreck editing," allowing songs from completely different genres to play back to back -- Deee-Lite followed by Steve Miller Band, for example.
Edison Media Research's Sean Ross says train-wreck editing was initially thought to alienate listeners, but is today seen as part of Jack's appeal.
"When done well, these segues are a throwback to some of the great radio of the 1970s," he says.
Garry Wall, president of SparkNet Communications, the company that licenses Jack in the United States, says: "As radio programmers, we've all come up through the ranks with very specific ideas about how things should be done. Jack's success in the marketplace is forcing us to reconsider and sometimes break these rules."
Stations that license the Jack format must adhere to specific brand guidelines. Wall won't provide details for fear of revealing competitive information, but says each licensee is provided with a recommended music library, imaging package and marketing suggestions prior to launch.
Today, all U.S. Jack stations use one of two company-sanctioned logos and the slogan, "Playing what we want." Most have similar websites, and all eschew live DJs in favor of recorded voiceovers.
With the rise of Jack has come a host of name-based copycats. The Bob FM format today airs on 20 U.S. stations, and other stations that have recently flipped to a Jacklike format include Mike in Boston, Charlie in Madison, Wisconsin, and Ben in Philadelphia. While these stations all adhere to the basic Jack programming philosophy, with broad playlists and less repetition, they are free to deviate from the brand's rigid guidelines as they please. The Peak in Phoenix, for example, uses live disc jockeys.
But while some critics continue to question the long-term viability of the Jack format, the numbers leave little doubt that people are listening, and that the format is more than just a novelty.
"It's a welcome relief from the narrow playlists that dominate the radio dial," says Paragon's Henry. "It's not just a different format, it's a whole different approach to radio."
http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,71362-0.html?tw=wn_index_1
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gerry1
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13. July 2006 @ 11:55 |
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@arniebear...I didn't know you had Amish and Mennonites in your neck of the woods but it only makes sense when you think about it. As I'm sure you know, there is really quite a difference between the two though, depending on the sect, they can look quite alike.
Here in Lancaster County, PAs Amish/Mennonite country, there are quite a few different sects of mennonites but I do have a particular favorite. As you mentioned, they do accept modern conveniences, albeit in a non-showy way, whereas the Amish don't. I do have a particular favorite sect though. Many of them are actually quite wealthy from large dairy farms, various types of business etc. They will, for example, have best and the biggest TVs and home-theater systems but they build this tasteful but modest cabinetry around it to hide it when its not in use but my favorite is how they approach their cars... many love their cars like so many others and they like expensive ones be they luxury cars, sports cars or whatever. In order to be humble however, their jag, benz or corvetter MUST be black. So too, chrome work is seen as showy so they remove it all and have it painted black....bumpers, door handles, side mirrors...no chrome permitted because it's showy. Nothing stranger that a Mercedez Benz 600 with the grille and grille ornament painted black in order to be humble. Its an interesting group and their cars are very strange looking!
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AfterDawn Addict
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13. July 2006 @ 16:07 |
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We too have a lot of Amish and Mennonite. Hartville, OH is mainly Mennonite and home to some big flea markets. Medina/Lucas/Lake/Geauga counties all have large number of Amish. Got to be careful of those buggies though, they really are speedsters.
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gerry1
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13. July 2006 @ 18:10 |
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LOL! Yeah, they can sure tie up traffic! It has and still does cause all sorts of nasty problems ... it's only logical that you folks share the same problems. About fifteen years ago, the state started requiring them to place these international orange triangles and damn did they raise holy hell ... and "orange"...probably the loudest and sinful color of them all! It did help some but there are still deadly accidents all the time.
I must admit, I feel sorry for them sometimes. There isn't a hotel or visitors' center here in Philly that doesn't offer bus tours etc. to go gawk at them ... busloads and busloads of them. Must make them feel like freaks, yet, perhaps they're used to it. Whenever I have presents to buy though, I rent a car and go to amish country. You can get the great stuff, exceptionally well made, totally one of a kind stuff and really cheap. People love the stuff and you'll never find it anywhere else but in amish country.
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AfterDawn Addict
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14. July 2006 @ 04:09 |
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Yes Ohio does have the law about the orange triangles, they do offer bus tours to Amish Country to shop, but by and large the are left alone. But also, there is a problem within the community, they are such a closed society that they have many social problems. Mental and oddly enough substance abuse. Any help that is given usually has to be on their terms and they are not always willing to ask or get it. It is surprising in this day and age that the communities survive but the do.
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AfterDawn Addict
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15. July 2006 @ 09:43 |
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USER PROFILE HIVE CLEANUP SERVICE..........Log off Windows much quicker - From Microsoft. The User Profile Hive Cleanup service helps to ensure user sessions are completely terminated when a user logs off. System processes and applications occasionally maintain connections to registry keys in the user profile after a user logs off. In those cases the user session is prevented from completely ending.....(free).....GO THERE!
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=1B286E6D...
Overview
The User Profile Hive Cleanup service helps to ensure user sessions are completely terminated when a user logs off. System processes and applications occasionally maintain connections to registry keys in the user profile after a user logs off. In those cases the user session is prevented from completely ending. This can result in problems when using Roaming User Profiles in a server environment or when using locked profiles as implemented through the Shared Computer Toolkit for Windows XP.
On Windows 2000 you can benefit from this service if the application event log shows event id 1000 where the message text indicates that the profile is not unloading and that the error is "Access is denied". On Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 either event ids 1517 and 1524 indicate the same profile unload problem.
To accomplish this the service monitors for logged off users that still have registry hives loaded. When that happens the service determines which application have handles opened to the hives and releases them. It logs the application name and what registry keys were left open. After this the system finishes unloading the profile.
System Requirements
* Supported Operating Systems: Windows 2000; Windows NT; Windows Server 2003; Windows XP
* Windows Installer: To use the MSI installation package you must have Windows Installer version 2.0 installed. Otherwise you can follow the manual installation instructions from the readme provided below. Windows Installer 2.0 is included with Windows 2000 SP3 and later, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. You can install Windows Installer 2.0 using this link Windows Installer 2.0 Redistributable for Windows NT & 2000.
NOTE: The service has not been localized but is expected to run properly on localized version of Windows. The event log messages will be shown in English.
Instructions
This download is available to customers running genuine Microsoft Windows. Click the Continue button in the Validation Required section above to begin the short validation process. Once validated, you will be returned to this page with specific instructions for obtaining the download.
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AfterDawn Addict
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15. July 2006 @ 11:44 |
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The Pig and the Box
Posted in All, P2P, Copyright, Right to copy, DRM on 07.14.06 20:17
A heartbreaking tale about a pig that invents his very own DRM to protect the powers of the magic box he found. Inspired by the harsh Anti-Piracy campaigns targeted at kids.
pig DRM
go here to read it all
http://dustrunners.blogspot.com/2006/07/pig-and-box.html
The Pig and the Box is about a pig who finds a magic box that can replicate anything you put into it. The pig becomes so protective of it, and so suspicious of anyone that wants to use it, that he makes people take their copied items home in special buckets that act as? well, they?re basically DRM. It?s like a fable, except the moral of the story is very modern in tone.
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gerry1
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16. July 2006 @ 03:52 |
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This morning's coffee is second to none: dark roasted Arabica beans which I ground myself but what really makes the magic ... what makes this coffee second to none is my ancient pyrex stovetop percolator. Because of the ease, drip coffee-makers may have become the norm but there is simply no comparison to the ol' pyrex stovetop percolator. If you've used nothing but a drip maker in recent years, step back in time and try the ol' percolator again; you're in for a real treat! Really awesome coffee and a mouthful of nicotine gum ... mmmmmm. After I savor the coffee a while, I'll put on the bacon and eggs.
It's supposed to be damned near 100 degrees today and very humid so today will be a day of movies and lemonade while I unpack my few remaining boxes. I just wanted to wish everyone a great day and stay cool! ...Gerry
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AfterDawn Addict
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16. July 2006 @ 04:05 |
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It's the old Mr. Coffee for me, my wife got rid of our percolators long ago. I suppose if I go dig through a shedload of stored boxes I might find one. Yeah, temp here too will be about 100 with the heat index, the air conditioner is really pumping. It is movies, iced tea and then a Bushmill's at the drink hour. Maybe some ribs on the grill for dinner. No lawn mowing or car washing for me today. Trouble is that heat is gonna last the whole week, so I guess I will catch up on all my movies.
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gerry1
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16. July 2006 @ 04:15 |
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@arnie...yeah, we share the same weather and today is just the start, its supposed to get considerably worse as the week goes on. Maybe I'll grille some ribs too later in the day ... Chinese ones .... delivered. (Actually, my favorites are those big meaty country style ribs). That would be good; maybe some potato salad too.
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AfterDawn Addict
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16. July 2006 @ 04:26 |
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My favorites are baby back ribs, get them from BJ's wholesale club. Picked up two slabs for $8.00 the other day. Got some really good sauce to go with them, picked up at the last rib burnoff I was at. I am a sucker for ribs.
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gerry1
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16. July 2006 @ 04:36 |
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Yeah, I am too but I don't like beef ones.
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AfterDawn Addict
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16. July 2006 @ 04:37 |
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No I am not fond of the beef ribs either, but I do like barbecue beef sandwiches, go figure :)
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gerry1
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16. July 2006 @ 04:44 |
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LOL! I love bar-b-que beef sandwiches and they just don't have them here in Philly; I make my own sometimes.
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AfterDawn Addict
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16. July 2006 @ 04:47 |
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Quote:
I love bar-b-que beef sandwiches and they just don't have them here in Philly
Guess they figure you got Philly Steak and Cheese sandwiches what more can you want. We got BB sandwiches in this area. The saucey kind, if you go down South, you get the vinegar barbecue, which is not bad. But us Northerners do like our barbecue sauce.
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gerry1
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16. July 2006 @ 04:53 |
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The most popular cheese-steak place is Philly is called Gino's in south Philly. The philly paper did a test on them and said that just one Gino's cheese-steaks contained more saturated fat than a stick of butter LOL! Talk about a heart attack on a bun!
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AfterDawn Addict
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16. July 2006 @ 04:56 |
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To me the heart attack on a bun, was a sandwich I posted somewhere in this thread that was a cheeseburger on a krispy kreme doughnut bun. And they wonder why the country is obese.
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Advertisement
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AfterDawn Addict
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16. July 2006 @ 10:11 |
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'Invisible' Rootkit Heralds Trouble Ahead
Posted by l33tdawg on Sunday, July 16, 2006 - 03:12 AM (Reads: 488)
Source: CIO
Security researchers have discovered a new type of rootkit they believe will greatly increase the difficulty of detecting and removing malicious code. The rootkit in question, called Backdoor.Rustock.A by Symantec and Mailbot.AZ by F-Secure, uses advanced techniques to avoid detection by most rootkit detectors. The rootkit is "unique given the techniques it uses," Symantec?s Elia Florio wrote in a recent analysis. "It can be considered the first-born of the next generation of rootkits." Rustock.A uses a mixture of old techniques and new ideas to make it "totally invisible on a compromised computer when installed," including a beta version of Windows Vista, Florio wrote.
Invisible' Rootkit Heralds Trouble Ahead
JUL 14, 2006 11:39:17 AM | Add Comment (0) | Permalink
Security researchers have discovered a new type of rootkit they believe will greatly increase the difficulty of detecting and removing malicious code.
The rootkit in question, called Backdoor.Rustock.A by Symantec and Mailbot.AZ by F-Secure, uses advanced techniques to avoid detection by most rootkit detectors.
The rootkit is "unique given the techniques it uses," Symantec?s Elia Florio wrote in a recent analysis. "It can be considered the first-born of the next generation of rootkits."
Rustock.A uses a mixture of old techniques and new ideas to make it "totally invisible on a compromised computer when installed," including a beta version of Windows Vista, Florio wrote.
Symantec believes the rootkit originates from Russia, and a string found in the rootkit?s code indicates new versions will probably be forthcoming. Symantec has already logged a variant called Backdoor.Rustock.B.
F-Secure noted Rustock?s use of NTFS? Alternate Data Streams (ADS) as one significant example of its advanced behavior.
"Saving your data into Alternate Data Streams is usually enough to hide from many tools," wrote F-Secure researcher Antti Tikkanen in a company blog.
"However, in this case, the stream is further hidden using rootkit techniques ... because Mailbot.AZ is hiding something that?s not readily visible; it?s very likely that many security products will have a tough time dealing with this one."
F-Secure said it has released a new version of the BlackLight rootkit scanner, Build 2.2.1041, which can detect Rustock.
According to researchers, other factors that help make Rustock invisible are that it has no process, instead running inside the driver and in kernel threads. It doesn?t hook into any native API, and controls kernel functions via special IRP functions. It removes its entries from kernel structures, and the SYS driver is polymorphic, changing its code from sample to sample.
Rustock also scans for loaded rootkit scanners, then changes its behavior to avoid detection, according to Florio.
-Matthew Broersma, Techworld.com (London)
http://www.cio.com/blog_view.html?CID=23011
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