+1 for this being the end of fb
and the beginning of something else.
2726 publicly visible posts • joined 27 Apr 2007
Remember that most recording these days st to solid state devices. Wow and flutter are really a thing of the past.
I think as well as providing a form of timestamp, the system allows you to spot where a recording has been edited - sudden phase changes in the hum will point to something being cut out or inserted.
I agree that wow and flutter are a thing of the past. That makes it all the easier to make accurate forgeries. It is also not beyond the means of most people to record with hum and other external electrical input below the noise floor if they have some expertise and wish to do that. There is no need to worry about phase changes in the hum if you add it at the end or avoid edits. Awareness of what the end result is supposed to look like is the key here.
I have the idea that it's being presented just as 'an expert says this is so' and thereby baffling the jury
I bet you're right. The theory sounds plausible, but to someone with a bit of actual experience and knowledge, it comes across as unlikely. It is clear that the recordings in question may often be amateurish and thus more hum prone, but by the same token they may be cheap digital with a brick wall cutoff below 100 or even higher. I note too that at least in North America, the frequency is extremely stable and the variations would not be within something which is likely significant in a badly recorded segment. One thing is for sure, now that this is talked about publicly, the concept can be more easily used by a professional forger, and work against successful law enforcement. A more sophisticated approach would be to record a hum sample in a distant place and at the time of the "incident" then use that in a later fake recording to "prove" when something took place.
This is a can of worms. Not to put them down, but my take is that this is just law enforcement trying to look more technically skilled than they are. Maybe this is even a bluff and this story is actually more related to social engineering.
That is not entirely correct. People who were there, and the modern retro gaming crowd, will know that the AMD 386DX-40 was a hot seller precisely because it was faster than the 486SX. The reason being it had more cache. The Pentium of course beat them all. Here is a good writeup on the AMD386.
I wouldn't go quite so far as to suggest that there are only 1/2 million active users. However, the number is so far removed from the 1 billion claimed users that it takes the breath away. Not even close to 1/10% suggests something is seriously amiss.
Someone suggested above that FB would have the means to judge the number of active accounts by seeing when there last was a login. I'm thinking that they are likely to deny that ability, because the number could have some serious legal ramifications regarding their IPO and all the lawsuits that resulted.
I don't even remember *seeing* an invite to vote for anything. Surely it's only democracy if you let the punters know the vote is actually happening.
I sent links to a number of avid Facebook users, and my notice was the first they'd heard of it. Like Fred Flintstone (above) suggests, this was a clever use of the dead user accounts. I think this whole thing was better publicised among those of us who don't use Facebook.
The idea that cars should share data among each other to automate some aspects of driving and make more efficient use of roads is not new.
Radio controlled roads are common here. There are signs posting the relevant frequency, and you need to keep your ear to the radio so as to avoid being run over by a loaded tandem logging truck barrelling down a one lane road with no ability to stop for you. The signs constitute legal warning to that effect. That one is a no-brainer, but what does one need to know from another vehicle in the city?
in the uk? give us your password or we'll give you two years jail
Personally I don't share media files, or even use them much - but that's not the point. The thing here is that the responsibility now rests on the end users. If all goes well, it will be more difficult to shut down the service. It will also be a lot of work to go after individual clients one by one. This changes the file sharing landscape considerably, especially if other internet services start to follow this model. The fallout from this could be all over the place. We'll see.
Information has always been something to fight over. Communication is paramount to personal freedom as well as economic development. Any amount of control of that can be a very useful land grab.
Like many here, I'm no fan of ICANN, or the US Government, but I do think that keeping the internet out of the ITU is the way to go. In this case, I'd side with the approach taken by the U.S. ambassador to the WCIT. (See ZDNet article.)
This is a great opportunity to gauge the current Reg reader demographic... "RMS is right as usual". Other than actual Linux mailing lists, I can't recall such staunch pro-FOSS bias on even the pure techy forums I visit.
I think that RMS actually has some Windows users supporting him because of his adherence to principles. I agree that Reg articles and authors are fairly evenly distributed among operating systems. However, regarding the Reg demographic, I'm not convinced that we're seeing "staunch pro-FOSS" here. I think we are seeing a split between those who think that principles are important, and those don't mind letting some things slide.
... can be in the nav aid band (108 MHz to 118 MHz)
Are they actually using that band, or is it just available as a point of argument when they need it? Yes, I agree that things are complicated, but I have a feeling that there are some complications which are, in fact, non-technical.
Dave 126: I for one would rather be treated by a doctor who wasn't distracted by their own aching neck, or suffers pain in their wrist.
I agree with you there, but I really expect doctors to not be suffering from stuff like that if it is self inflicted, which the computer interface misuse most certainly is. Also, my comment about whining is partly related to the fact that I wake up with what to most people, would be an intolerable amount of pain. In cases like mine where there is no medical solution we learn not to whine, because it just makes it worse. I would hope that doctors would be setting an example, both regarding avoiding damaging body stresses, and whining. Remember, they're asking for money for something which others figure out on their own.
they need to finally start delivering computers in new forms with new input devices. A computer with a keyboard and a mouse is either obsolete from a usability point of view or meant for it technicians.
It really bugs me that people comment on keyboards who are young and vigorous and ignorant of the needs of a worn and tired body. What you describe requires looking and choosing, which in itself means it cannot be done without a lot of small physiological steps. With a keyboard, one knows what and where the choices are without looking or using other stressful techniques. I think you'll find that newer setups for making input choices require movement of the arms and wrists. Likely also elevated stresses on neck and upper body muscles if the input mechanism is raised to eye level.
As a post polio sufferer, I can tell you that the newer input methods I've seen produce a lot of stress on the body. The keyboard is an extremely low friction input method for many reasons. One which is often ignored, is that it does not require the use of the eyes to see and search. Unfortunately, some people don't learn how to type without creating unnecessary stresses, which is what this article is about. It's not hard to figure out if you're sensitive to small muscles or have taken classical piano lessons. If not, drop by here and I'll give you lessons based on a lifetime of dealing with these sorts of problems. What I have learnt is applicable to healthy people as well. Yes, I understand how a healthy young person might feel no need to consider small stresses, but please take the time to think this through and perhaps even study it a little. That way you may eventually be able to help people like me, instead of making our lives miserable.
doctors, complain of neck, shoulder and upper and lower back pain on at least a weekly basis, his survey findings show.
Welcome to the world of work. I see people who do hard physical work outside in freezing weather who don't complain because they are getting paid well. They recognize and accept the trade-off.
I am writing this on behalf of someone who is uncreative, unmotivated, and irresponsible. Hopefully your company can make good use of someone with these rare characteristics, because frankly, he needs to get out of the house more often. I am anxiously awaiting your reply which I will pass on to applicant as soon as it arrives.
Yes, this helps to validate the business model of the trolls - not to mention the police. I understand what you're saying and feel the same sense of indignation. But if you've ever been a dad, you will see how continuing this pressure in the family involving your little girl, is causing harm. If it was me, I too would make it a priority to protect my child from these kinds of predators who have no concern for her well-being or development. Children shouldn't have to suffer from the moral, legal, and ethical fights of the adult world until they're old enough to process that stuff. I'd pay the bucks to stop the harm (assuming I had the money). Then, if I wanted to continue the fight, do it in a way that did not harm my family. This dad did have backbone, and he used it to protect his little girl.
The Police are there to enforce the laws of the land . . .
Yes, criminal laws. At this point the case had not been escalated to that level. In fact the case had not even gone to court. IANAL, but I suspect that what the police did there would be illegal in most countries. Unfortunately, the fact that they can get away with it makes that irrelevant for most income groups.
Thanks for the info. I had wired up a halogen with a diode in one leg and was surprised that it burned out after a few months when I had expected it to basically last forever. It's a trick I've done with incandescents, but I see now why it didn't work in this case.
I like using dimmers (or diodes) for prolonging the life of incandescents, but one trick that gives spectacular life expectancy is to use a bulb rated for 220v on a 120v system like we have here. I have one "always on" light like that and I don't expect to have to replace it in my lifetime. The draw is around 1/4 it's rating, and the light output is very low, but quite adequate for it's intended purpose.
What matters in the end is how much it cost to replace the existing systems.
One of the big problems is that government control has been making it hard to replace existing systems because replacements are not being offered. I run a mix of different kinds of lights to best suit the situation, and certainly CFLs are very successful for some places. I am however finding that there is a lack of low output low energy bulbs to replace what I used to use. I also do not have a local source of CFLs that work at the low outside temperatures we have in my area. I'm all for plastic strips, but so far I've already spent a fortune experimenting with CFLs only to learn that some work and some don't. I don't relish another several years of costly experimentation.