Posts by Darling Petunia

Revelation

Twitter and Facebook have revealed that their firms are without integrity. Those who choose to remain as 'users' do so with that understanding.

lionel_ritchey@yahoo.com

Agreed that the touch-bar will fade. Fortunately, my 2012 MBP will carry on.

The new 'base' MBP, with actual function keys, is OK, but a 'big deal' to me is the loss of the magnetic power cord.

It's very popular with a 'modest' & well coiffed fellow running for 'president' In the U.S.

I wish Wheeler and the FCC good luck in dealing with the smarmy crews diddling at the majority of ISP’s. Since early-on I’ve had the displeasure of dealing with the offerings from the evolving stew of U.S. ‘broadband” providers for both business and personal accounts. At present it’s with “Charter” cable internet and their high prices for mediocre performance, in an areas having the option of the fragile and very slow DSL from ATT, or Charter cable. Charter collects approx. $58.00 per month for 'broadband' internet for 15.28 megabit/s down, 3.17 up.

Common Sense

Mr. Snowden hung himself in an effort to illustrate the hypocrisy that are our world's governments. Putin is just another ego driven grin who happens to be seated in a large land mass, and is a repeat of a character experienced previously. Originality in leadership. Hard to find a good example. Unfortunately, we face no incentives for 'powerful' people to be honorable.

I work in an avionics business and am aware of the popular use by pilots and crew of the Ipad without any promotions from Apple. Commercial and civli aviation pilots have been using the ipads for backup navigation, weather, ADSB, aircraft checklists, manuals etc.

The Delta deal to use the MS Surface devices should be interesting.

This story sounds like an MS PR move, and I wonder how many Delta crew members are going to give up their Ipads.

You knew this was coming. The 'west' wastes opportunities for advancement by building monuments to old concepts, and feeding the egos of those 'at the top'.

As described elsewhere we face the ever popular: 'Finders keepers. Loser's weepers'.

Got's to find them REM (rare 'earth' minerals)

What is the cost benefit of a U.S. firm manufacturing and shipping chips in Israel versus the U.S.?

How many jobs are involved?

It's for your own good

I'd assumed that cellular (& other) communication is being monitored in the 'fight for freedom'.

Our leaders know what's best, after all.

Ever considered why the PRC (and all the 'problem' nations) allows their rabble to have cellphones?

Keep calm and carry on with your cellphone.

Where do the critics live? Every modern city is flush with CCDTV, ATMs, and an unlimited number of cellphones clicking images. Google's "Glass" is an interesting toy that seems to distill the fears of the fools. Face it. You are being observed if you are in public. If you are huddled in your abode, you are still being monitored by the choices you make when you change the channel, click a website, or flush a toilet.

Lovely, but too much gloss

I recently installed an 128GB 830 in my Lenovo X220. I'd appreciate pro/con comment on encrypting the drive. The web offers up warnings, and not, on introducing software encryption into an SSD. Whether it be Bitlocker, TruCrypt etc., apparently large reductions in read/write speed results.

Lovely, but too much gloss

As a 2-decade Apple 'investor' I appreciate the fine products, with the exception of the move to 'gloss' monitor screens. My glossy MBPro 13 is 'O.K.' as I can maneuver the screen to fit most lighting. On the desktops I 'suffer' with the matte screened 'old' Apple displays. I tried the 24" iMac, but could not find a placement in the office that did not result in a light-show going on in peripheral vision while trying to work.

It's truly ashamed that Apple has not offered the matte option (even at a premium) on their lovely new IPS displays.

No problem with 4S battery. Probably because I'm not using iCloud, and watch the data usage like a hawk.

lionel_ritchey@yahoo.com

Note that At&t & Verizon wireless are spending mucho to assist the GPS consortium in the lobbying & blasting of LightSquared. The concept of wholesale bandwidth not being controlled by the duopoly scares these greedy folks.

Texas

This little town in the armpit of Texas is known for its' manure and their courthouse patent whoring. A big state, but full of very, very, small minds.

lionel_ritchey@yahoo.com

U.S. CEO's might reflect on their decades of off-shoring jobs, as well as filling U.S. tech jobs with HB-1 Visa's so they boot them on a whim . Jobs, skills, and technology lost to inflate their earnings. How much hard technology have these CEO's sold-off to China? (such as specialized tools for building aircraft, processors etc.) Pleasing the major stockholders has a cost.

lionel_ritchey@yahoo.com

As of 1750 hrs. Pacific time, Wikileaks is offline.

lionel_ritchey@yahoo.com

How often do you test new hardware for 'altered' architectures? As I recall, the US Navy was a bit concerned over sourcing for the computer internals on some of its fighting ships. Seems that hardware can be built to open doors. The ic's may be designed in secret labs, but where is it that budgets determine where chips are mass produced and put on to boards?

Choicepoint

They are to be frightened of. They have influenced national elections and are part of the data-mining setup under the GW Bush regime. Richard Armitage, John Ashcroft, Viet Dinh (wrote the US 'Patriot' Act) are part of the hierarchy.

Foxconnnnnnnn

Known poor work environment. Free trade.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/15/AR2006061501898.html

http://www.chinalaborwatch.org/Foxconn%20edit.pdf

RIM

'Intelligence' agencies have been after RIM for access, and likely have been monitoring traffic for quite a while, despite RIM's claims to the contrary. RIM's a honey-pot. Recall that last year India was forcing access to data to allow continued sales.

Google

Google - Too Big to Fail

I enjoy the 'free' Google 'net goodies, but deep down know that nothing is free. A cost must be extracted.

Private Water Co.s

As a resident to California area (unincorporated) suffering under the ever increasing bills from a private water company, I am firmly convinced that greed and water (a necessity of life) do not mix. All water systems must be government owned/controlled. By the people and for the people. Ask the folks in Bolivia.

Making Noise

Poor judgement here by the 'Home Secretary" in providing publicity for the foul Mr. Savage. He's a hack for the sale of radio ad time and appeals to the dimwits that want us all to live in caves.

NSA

The urge to sneak a listen is irresistible when you above the law. Omnipotence breeds excess. It always has and always will.

Politicians

So much hot air and so few brains. Politicians only have to look good. They do not have to demonstrate intelligence.

On-Camera

When shall we expect the people of Britain to rise-up and recover their freedom?

Oxymorons

For an treat read Ron Suskind's "One-percent Doctrine". The US intel agencies have been corrupted over the past eight years and damage has been done to UK intel agencies as a result.

USPS

I believe that the USPS has been slowly disassembled over the last 8 years in a effort by the NeoCons at privatizing the US Postal Service. There's now a push to do-away with Saturday deliveries. Recent (the past two weeks) USPS shipments from Amazon have been delayed, with the USPS 'tracking' being WORTHLESS. I recommend opting for UPS.

Click-free

Congressman King is an idiot and is trying to tug on every 'cause' to get re-elected.

Corruption Maximus

Berlusconi is about as corrupt as they come. You can fool all the people enough times to get elected, especially if you're rich and own all the nation's media. Addio libertà.

CTIA

CTIA is just another self-serving lobbying organization. The US Gov't already has policy and equipment in-place to allow a complete shut-down of all cellphone networks at the whim of whomever holds the reigns. Lot's of folks advertising jammers on the 'net

Cell Phones

Consider the 'all-eggs-in-one-basket" dilemma. There're docs on the web regarding US gov. (& European) systems in-place to allow completely shut-downs of cellular systems 'in the event of potential terrorism'. No doubt the result of phones being used to detonate bombs. Wired phones provide a bit of backup if you're concerned about keeping in contact in a time of need.

As to tracking via cell signature, even the most primitive evil-doers are aware of ESN scanning, GPS, data-mining etc, and are likely to use this tracking system to disseminate false info.

Another item is that there have been several instances of lost/injured people being found by cell-signal triangulation.

Robots

Recall your Sc-Fi library and recognize that the DARPA contractors and want-to-be's will make whatever they can sell, regardless of what 'problems' may follow. Of course, 'our nation's security' is paramount. Listen for the familiar justification for creating solutions that are guaranteed to have unexpected complications. Perfect we are not.

WD Firewire 800

Does this mean that Steve was in error re: the end of Firewire?

Reading

Anonymous Coward is right on target.

Recommended reading: Ron Suskind's - "The Shock Doctrine" and "The Way of the World".

Forgot to add

Mr. McCain, that fearsome candidate for US President, looks forward to appointing former EBay CEO Meg Whitman, as his Treasury Secretary. All that financial knowledge, no doubt.

http://blogs.wsj.com/frontlines/2008/10/08/of-note-meg-whitman-for-treasury-secretary/?mod=googlenews_wsj

OpenOffice 3.0

Excellent software. Using on Mac.

Live Long and Prosper

He looks honest? Right.

http://www.portfolio.com/news-markets/national-news/portfolio/2008/07/16/Countrywide-Deals-Exposed