Posts by Christopher Ahrens

Google mocks Bing and the stuff behind it

Google fails once again

So I am supposed an advertising agency over a company that make operating server OS and applications, especially application that can scale out to an extremely large number of servers.

And as Fraser pointed out, I think the last time MSN, Live or any one of the other Microsoft search properties was down for more than 5 minutes Live mail was still called Hotmail and Google wasn't even in existence...

The reason that the Google "paper" wasn't in the top results in Bing is the Microsoft does not artificially alter the placement of Links, like how Google does. Wouldn't be very difficult for the speaker to say "hey I am going to use this paper in my speech, make sure its on the First page" (right behind the Sponsored links from eBay and Wikipedia, of course)

The reason it started showing up on Bing is proof that Bing works, it detected a large number of users searching for the item and saw an increase of clicks to the one page and raised the page's ranking in results, as a search engine should.

Electric plane takes to the skies

Re: Not good at flying?

No,it is just good at missing the ground.

Just my electric thumb

Blue chip FTP logins found on cybercrime server

Why?

Why do people even have FTP enabled anyway? I can understand a personal website, but a major corporation? Where I work, there is absolutely no write access to the Web Servers (FORMS and SQL input excepted), all website updates are done by logging into the the web server cluster and copying hte new content from a secured file server.

And to Rob Beard, Doesn't matter what OS you use, the issue is that the websites could be used to HOST malware, and last I checked Apache can still have FTP enabled on it.

Facebook knuckle-raps Intel, AMD

Typical

Horrible programmers complaining about the Hardware and completely ignoring that their code doesn't scale. Where I work, we run all of our servers as Virtual Machine Hosts annd we have been able to run anywhere from %50-%80 more machines per host with the same.

About the power issue, since their application sucks, they aren't actually seeing the increased performance / Watt increase of the new servers. I for one, am very happy with the new kit that is coming in.

In-building coverage: What’s the problem?

@pop-up

Most builders are using steel support beams in houses now, which creates a huge antenna (They are grounded for Lightning resistance).

The building materials aren't the only problem though, the heating / cooling ducts, electrical wirning, water pipe, signal cables, furniture and even people will block the signal. WiFi insfrastructures, radio and sattelite towers, electronic devices (Especially Microwave Ovens), and bluetooth all cause a lot of RF interference that will screw up.

L'Oreal appeals eBay ruling

Product distribution

In theory the products should all cost the same to the retailer and distributors, where the retailer is the one that decides the price of said goods based on the local market. The only time products should cost more is in cases of such things like: having to translate/print new containers manuals, etc for the other markets; shipping to remote and heavily controlled nations; and paying for taxes / duties / tariffs.

If a country cannot afford a product, then they will more that likely use a locally-made alternative rather than import.

Femto cells with big ideas

Location based reminders.

I remember a technology that was great for this, I think they called them Post-it notes or something like that...

What is with all this technology for the sake of technology anyway? This is just another device I don't need that I will have to feed.

EC calls for one world internet governance

Or even better...

Force the EC to realize that no one body 'owns' the internet, IANA just maintains IP addresses and a couple DNS servers, they don't have authority to do much. I think its just jealously/ignorance on the part of the EC. The US was the birth place of the internet, get over yourselves already.

Germany poised to impose police-run block list

RE: Let's over simplify it...

"Right up until the day that a high profile case gets the media asking why this much vaunted block list didn't work"

Ah but thats the point, at that point the Government officials wil say, "See it isn't working, we need to make it more restrictive!"

Carter recommends 'G Cloud' for gov IT

Sounds like..

Someone in the Governement heard this buzzword and decided "We need to get some of this to make us look up-to-date!". And now cue the massive IT spending on a project that is no different than what they have now, but will still fail miserably...

Iran's nuke boffins prefer Opteron baby supers

Ignoring of course.

that the sect uf Islam that the government is from prohibits the use of nuclear Weaponry (Only Allah is the only one that should have that much powers, as they believe).

This machine may not be all that big and powerful, but it would get the job done. Its a good piece of kit considering that they can't just ring up a proper super comuter company and ask for one.

Microsoft sues family over alleged click fraud

RE: Ummmm

CLick fraud is having a some sort of automation set up where a machine will click on the link several hundered times more than what is normal for wetware-based systems will do. The point of online advertising is to get real people to see the ads and influence their buying habits. This is how capitalism works.

Opera to take web back to the old days

Oh great, here we go again

Now they are going to sue Microsoft because they are bundling IIS with Windows since it is 'Abusing their monopoly' and preventing Opera from having a bigger market share.

Opera to 'reinvent the web' in four days

Last time I heard bullshit like this

we ended up the frickin' Segway. 'Revolutionize human tranportation'... the only thing they managed to do was make a new way to look like a douche. They are probably going to release Opera in Portable application form, something that has been done for years.

Network giants reject 'buy American' Obama mandate

RE: False economy

I agree, we really should get back to being the smart guys on the block. We need to train more engineers, more scientistm more doctors. We need to undo what W did. We need to open research facilities, thats something that creates very well paying jobs, increases our overall health and will start generating more businesses from discoveries. Hell, we may even find a solution for Global Warming or all that other fluffy stuff that politicians love to tack their name onto.

One millionth English 'word' is... Web 2.0

Thats it

Anyone wnat my English-speaking capability? I am going to go learn a new language, move to Siberia.

Microsoft spins out intellectual property business

Is it just me?

When I first read this, I thought it said the company's name was IniTech...

Mine's the one with TPS reports and Red Stapler in the pocket...

Webhost hack wipes out data for 100,000 sites

Real hypervisors

they cost good money for a reason. Hopefully they'll learn to secure their servers better next time... Or at least others using this platform. I am sure this company is going to get a _huge_ flood of customers after this....

'Breathalyser for the hands' fights hospital superbugs

More crap for the Docs

the doctors are already too busy keeping up with every new drug being pumped out for non-issues (restless legs syndrome anyone?), keeping up with the latest media-induced health scare (remeber how we all died when SARS hit?). And now they will be plagued with another procedure that will crank up their mal-practice issurance payments if they forget once, doesn't matter if they are the worlds greatest doctors.

And now another needlessly expensive piece of equipment that must be bought by every hospital, which is already under-funded...

I have sympathy for our doctors over here in the State (real doctors, not the goddamn 'cosmetic surgeons') who have to put up with paying for 8+ years of Medical school, long hours, stress of the ER, and hving to put up with public's opinion of what a doctor should be (Inteliigence of House while having the greates bedside manner ever) and then there is the crap pay if you work for a hospital of massive issurance payments if you have your own practice.

Scientists design picture projection specs

Awesome

Just attach a facial recognition device to this and then display people's names and some info about them 'hovering' over their head. I want a pair so much!

Astronauts suffer 'exploding' space headache

Sounds fair...

There are bound to be problems like this when Humans explore an area which their bodies have never developed in.

The fact that the astronauts who don't have headaches on Earth are experiencing them more in space could be explained that their bodies aren't used to headaches and thus do no have the mechanisms to protect them. Similar to how living in a clean environment will increase the risk of complications when fighting disease.

AMD locks and loads 'Istanbul' six-shooter

RE: 6-cores.... why do I need it?

People doing real work with real computers, thats who. Why the hell would a luser have a machine with a SERVER processor in it anyway?

Colour Kindle in development, says Amazon

How about...

instead of making a color one, make a CHEAPER one, $300 plus the priviledge of buying all my books again. Tell me again how this is supposed to be revolutionary?

AOL and Time Warner splitsville by end of the year

Makes sense

You are supposed to amputate a limb when the flesh has died off and is succumbing to gangrene. But even with AOL gone we will still be in a Eternal September.

Google punts self cut-and-paste

RE: All well and good

"etc were abused on Geocities sites" you mean social networking sites right? Its always nice to see nothing has changed... Except now there Google 'custom searches' rather than the stupid counters that evryone had....

And apparently Google doesn't see a problem with Cross-site scripting....

US lawmakers renew fight for legal online gambling

Not that it matters...

no one has money to gamble with anyway...

Facebook value plummets $5bn

Value, what value?

Why would anyone want to buy into Geoshitties 2.0 anyway? And who gives a toss if it goes under anyway?

Unisys soups up mainframe engines

Launching in Second Life

Oh, and while you are there you can continue to live in the vendors fantasy land were servers never fail, make coffee and watch the kids and cure cancer before you even get it out of the box. The land where code will transfer without a single issue and IT admins will be treated like human beings...

Back in reality, this will only cause the MBA suits to constantly pester me with 'I say this product the other day on second life and I think we should buy it!' after I just finished fixing tha goddamn mainframe that will never go away, that I think the components are older than I am and the business requires 5 9s on frickin' thing.....

Fine, I'll return to my cage in the Data center and lament the time that I was ever able to see my family and and that the rest of the IT department was actual citizens that knew what they were doing....

Conficker: Hold the funeral, it's not dead yet

Why do people blame everyone else?

Its not hard to patch your systems, hell, they come pre-programmed to update every-day straight out of the box. Its not hard to protect machines, although most bot net infections come from people downloading and installing Hacked / pre-modded copies of Windows which either already contain the bot or they have nearly all security removed (to bypass activation, add junk to the core system code, etc.)

Microsoft isn't at fault here, the security center in XP will keep bothering users until they properly protect their machines, and UAC in Vista was designed to prevent this (albeit not very friendly, but sudo isn't very friendly either...)

If Microsoft were to remove all the exploitable code, developer would whine to no end about having to re-write code for the new OS, and end-users would complain that their old software doesn't work anymore.

If Microsoft were to include or even recommend anti-virus, then the EC would bring another lawsuit about 'Microsoft abusing their Monopoly to push software'.

So really it is up to the End-users / IT organizations to make sure that there is proper security in place and to patch systems regularly, and to remember that all systems, regardless of OS, should have anti-malware applications.

Now Google tracking follows you out of cyberspace

RE:The whole problem with current patents...

Couldn't agree more. Especially after Patents like "controlling input in a a user interface by means of mechanical and/or electronic devices" to cover a small thing, but could cover the whole concept of I/O. Or one of those patents that cover things that are so fundamental that no one ever thought to patent, let alone patentable...

We really need to burn the Patent office and start over from start

Undead deleted photos linger on social networking websites

@Michael

"If you have the opportunity to keep a "careful record of the URL associated with the photos" you may as well keep the photos.

As anyone who has viewed the photos might."

Actually it is easily accomplished when just right-clicking -> Copy Image Location

Most Web pages do this to point directly to images.

You should never expect anything that is put on the internet to remain anonymous for long, or that it will go away after time. This is why I have never set up a 'Blog' or a social networking account, and never will.

Deleted Tweets found living in the hereafter

People need to remember

That once something is on the Internet, it will always be there.Never assume otherwise.

Six months on, Macs still plagued by critical Java vuln

RE: who really cares anyway

Everyone that uses a Mac should care. The point isn't a trivial vulnerability, its the fact that Apple is so slow in patching their software, and that Macs aren't as invulnerable as the users and Apple make them out to be.

Dell taps VIA Nano chips for custom mini-servers

Love it!

If it can boot from iSCSI, I know I'll buy several of these, I run a test lab, and having individual machines will be so helpful. Virtual machines just have too many quirks, especially when they all share the same network connection, causing congestion and killing entire topologies with a single loose cable...

Stick them behind a load balancer and then spin up more as the need arises in case of an attack on a website or just a flood of users without having to power unnecessary hardware 24/7. And if a machine becomes compromised, just have the OS installed on a write-protected memory card and just reboot to fix the machine.

Atlantis crews begins second Hubble spacewalk

Wow

With the Telescope running so longer after its estimated end of service time, and the Mars rover running much longer than expected as well, either NASA is damn good at making things or they are terrible at estimating life-cycles... Wouldn't be surprised if the ISS will be still up there 50 years from now.

Viral web infection siphons ad dollars from Google

Good thing that

I don't allow JavaScript to run on website, use any Adobe products and only update my site (that doesn't allow JavaScript) by dumping the files into its file share. Nor do I click on any Google advertisements....

Besides, Flaws in Adobe software is old news

Hacker claims whaling expedition harpooned Steve Jobs

Sounds like

Someone actually penetrated the Reality Distortion Field around Steve.

@Nexox Enigma

Back when hackers were hackers, men were wne, women were men, and 12-year olds were undercover FBI agents....

Ah those were the days....

Google suffers international outages, slowdowns

What failure

*hands Google a CCNA training book*

Why do they not have a test lab for this kind of stuff? Seriously...

Kanye West doesn't have a f***ing Twitter, OK?

Someone is lyng here..

At the bottom of the article I saw a related story titled:

# Kanye West blames Gmail hijack for bisexual porn hoax (26 January 2009)

Where Mr. West clearly states that he does, in fact, have a twitter account.

Jail for Hong Kong techie who exposed stars' sex snaps

Well..

He could always get a job with Geeksquad, they seem to have problem with the whole stealing pics form computers

Cyber attack could bring US military response

I must be halucinating or something....

A government official actually making some goddamn sense?? What is this world coming to?

Fanbois squeal over Mac OS X upgrade

@YAY!!!!!11oneone

Finally someone else agrees with me...

Why is this OS having so many problem? Its not like they have to test their software on thousands of weird configurations with ancient applications, odd drivers and a bunch of other factor.... Yet windows experiences very few problems during install (Maybe a driver hangup or two, but you can't expect that every fucking driver on the planet can be crammed onto a single DVD)

Don't mind me, just throw more fuel on the fire

Google blames cheeseburgers for destroying the planet

What about...

the CO2 required to build custom servers, construct massive data centers in third-world countries and stretch fiber between them all, how much CO2 does that take? And what about all the CO2 the Streetview cars use just to take pictures of random roads and streets?

How many searches does that come to?

(ignoring the circular occurances of setting up the servers to perform the searches in the first place...)

Film industry turns up P2P heat on Carter

I know how they can make more money...

Stop paying the actors so god damn much, especially when script writers, cameramen, editors, graphic designers, etc, etc. get paid peanuts, just barely enough to pay back their student loans and pay for a place to live. Maybe then they could charge less for a round piece of plastic that cot them like 10 cents to stand in China or Mexico or where have you. We could probably have decent thing to buy (Most shows are crap because the writers just don't care any more)

During high schll I would spend my summers interning at the local TV studios

Fetish club forces ID scanner climbdown

Bah...

Just give everyone a phone with Twitter, they'll slef-report their location every 5 seconds, as the twits are wont to do.

FTC to referee net neut 'Dystopian nightmare' feud

Hahaha, MORE competition, yeah right...

This made me go What? The only two ISPs in my area are Qwest DSL (I get 400K if I am lucky) and Broadstripe, which is currently imploding (Filed for Chapter 11 last year, struggling to stay afloat). Annoys me to no end since Cuntcast is currently offering 50/5 mb 2 blocks away.... And this is a big city (Seattle, WA, USA

I also wish they would stop saying megbit, kilobit, etc, since you will have to divide it by 8 and then again by 1.024 to account for the Kilo / Kibi difference...

Chip cooler launches liquid nitro at CPUs

RE: So

A couple things, Where the hell do you get Liquid Nitrogen anyway? The shipping would be very expensive. And I am sure that DHS/CIA/FBI/[insert government body here] will add you to their list in no time.

Of course the safety groups will get involved since there will more than likely be more than a few deaths / mutilation occurring from ether:

1) Body and -190 °C liquid (not pretty, happened at my University, lab partner no longer had a usable hand)

2) Rapidly expanding liquid in a sealed vessel, not to mention how explosive Nitrogen can be at room temp.

Sphinx - text search The Pirate Bay way

@STOP THE POSTGRE MADNESS. WE KNOW. WE UNDERSTAND.

You just managed to sum up nearly all debates about why certain people love certain pieces of software. Especially true in the Windows vs. Linux vs Mac vs. evryone lese wars that have gone on for decades now....

Microsoft teams up with US gov on double 'ard XP

If you know what you're doing

You can make XP pretty damn secure, most of the holes in MS software comes from trying to remain backwards compatible with older applications and 3rd party programs (if they try to remove these 'features' then the public would complain about how the OS no longer supports their 10-year-old application, if they don't then security conscious people complain....)

In a Government environment the applications *should* be tested thoroughly and users don't have a choice but to follow guidelines.

New Kindle: Wider, but still no broadsheet

What about PDFs?

Are they still going to charge to convert a goddamn PDF? I have almost 150 GB of PDFs, all of it necessary for work (Circuit designs, data sheets, performance charts). So when are they going to make these things accept a PDF and support SDHC cards?

It will be about $500 for the thing + another $1500 to convert all my documents to the 'kindle format' (most of the docs I work on are very sensitive, prototypes and the like)

</rant>