http://www.techdirt.com/ Easily digestible tech news.... http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/18265123163/reporters-find-exposed-personal-data-via-google-threatened-with-cfaa-charges.shtml#c930 Fri, 24 May 2013 21:00:08 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/18265123163/reporters-find-exposed-personal-data-via-google-threatened-with-cfaa-charges.shtml#c930
-the use of spiders is the first step to setting up a search index of the web. It is the bottom layer here. Necessary, but any kind of page rank algorithm (relevancy?) takes this basic information and tweaks it in their own way. On its own, an index of the web does not determine page rank. This was Google's innovation back in 1998.

-There is a basic issue with user privacy vs Google's business model of using search data as a basis to extract advertising dollars. I have not recently followed their data retention practices, so I accept his statement of 9 months limit or lack of it. However, what has this got to do with the story at hand here about TerraCom's security/privacy issue?

-Someone else (the user in the industry?) thinks that Google is being lax in security because they list the URLs for which the robots.txt file is asking not to be followed. This is not any kind of security failing. I assume that Google's spider is not recursively following the hyperlink that URL represents or executing any code to produce a dynamic web page for that URL. That is the real intention of robots.txt. I think it is a minor issue that Google now lists the URL that begins a blocked branch. As the robots.txt file can be simply ignored, any real attempt to restrict access to the data on that page should require an authentication/authorization step.
Google's security interest in labeling certain sites as dangerous is completely separate from any concern about indexing pages that the owner would rather have private. Such dangerous sites are identified, as best as possible, to contain malware such as a cross site scripting vulnerability.

In Wally's final sentence I don't see the connection between the technical ability of Google to view the content of email on the gmail domain with the security failings of TerraCom/Vcare. A series of statements with varying validity that do not have any obvious connection is, to me at least, the definition of rambling.

Maybe I am being too critical. After all this is just a forum where people, perhaps with limited time, just throw out thoughts to be consumed and either ridiculed or praised. I am loathe to trot out my credentials, but I have worked on network protocols for thirty years and network/computer security for 6 years.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130524/06445123204/xbox-one-release-tons-questions-very-few-answers.shtml#c489 Fri, 24 May 2013 21:00:02 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130524/06445123204/xbox-one-release-tons-questions-very-few-answers.shtml#c489
And honestly, it disgusts me that as people - even people of a corporation - will make such anti consumer choices in their products. That none of their designers would ever stopped and just asked themselves for any of these if it was even necessary.

Yeah, some of my earlier rants may have been a little petty, such as the non-upgradable hard drive, but that shouldn't even be an issue. I understand you can expand with USB drives, but external will always be slower than internal, not to mention splits storage amongst two places (will I have enough to install to my internal? nope, now to put it on my external). But with advances in technology, why is this even an issue. We should be advancing forwards. Microsoft broke ground by introducing a hard drive in their first Xbox console. Then to take a step backwards by not having it standard in the 360 was... astonishing. And it's still not upgradable.

My choice on whether to buy this console (and I've bought a lot of them in the past) will be simple: leave in such anti-rental, anti-lending, always-on, always-Kinected decisions... and I simply won't buy it.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130524/06445123204/xbox-one-release-tons-questions-very-few-answers.shtml#c481 Fri, 24 May 2013 20:51:56 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130524/06445123204/xbox-one-release-tons-questions-very-few-answers.shtml#c481 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/21222323165/another-ca-cop-thinks-cell-phone-might-be-dangerous-weapon.shtml#c686 Fri, 24 May 2013 20:50:46 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130521/21222323165/another-ca-cop-thinks-cell-phone-might-be-dangerous-weapon.shtml#c686 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130524/06445123204/xbox-one-release-tons-questions-very-few-answers.shtml#c461 Fri, 24 May 2013 20:45:46 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130524/06445123204/xbox-one-release-tons-questions-very-few-answers.shtml#c461 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130524/06445123204/xbox-one-release-tons-questions-very-few-answers.shtml#c460 Fri, 24 May 2013 20:45:46 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130524/06445123204/xbox-one-release-tons-questions-very-few-answers.shtml#c460 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/12283223188/petition-asks-obama-to-support-treaty-blind-rather-than-siding-with-hollywood.shtml#c211 Fri, 24 May 2013 20:41:01 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/12283223188/petition-asks-obama-to-support-treaty-blind-rather-than-siding-with-hollywood.shtml#c211
http://www.mpaa.org/about/contact

Why not contact them and ask them why they hate blind people so much?]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130524/06445123204/xbox-one-release-tons-questions-very-few-answers.shtml#c436 Fri, 24 May 2013 20:39:45 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130524/06445123204/xbox-one-release-tons-questions-very-few-answers.shtml#c436
if you do choose to buy it you have chosen to buy it under their terms of sale, like everything you buy.

They have every right to manufacture and sell whatever they feel will make the most profit, and sell lots of units.

They are not putting products on the market to cater for pirates or people "lending games", if they want to sell products that do not support old games, that is their right, but at least it exists and if you want to use what you get, then buy it, if you don't, don't buy it.

But bitching about it being "not exactly what you want it to be" is just puerile blather.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130524/06445123204/xbox-one-release-tons-questions-very-few-answers.shtml#c413 Fri, 24 May 2013 20:34:29 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130524/06445123204/xbox-one-release-tons-questions-very-few-answers.shtml#c413
PC gaming is where im headed]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130524/06445123204/xbox-one-release-tons-questions-very-few-answers.shtml#c391 Fri, 24 May 2013 20:33:14 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130524/06445123204/xbox-one-release-tons-questions-very-few-answers.shtml#c391 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130524/06445123204/xbox-one-release-tons-questions-very-few-answers.shtml#c380 Fri, 24 May 2013 20:30:58 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130524/06445123204/xbox-one-release-tons-questions-very-few-answers.shtml#c380 "Aren't we constantly told that uncertainty is four letter word in economics and business?"

yes, that is quite stupid, when you consider that uncertainty is the DRIVING FORCE for the economy and business.

But Tim thinks he can give advice to the most successful software company mankind has ever seen, it's not perfect but I am sure they know a lot more about business and markets that Tim will EVER know.

It's really simple, if you don't like their products or the company DONT BUY THEIR PRODUCTS !!!!

Clear many people do like them, and happily purchase their products and services.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130524/06445123204/xbox-one-release-tons-questions-very-few-answers.shtml#c375 Fri, 24 May 2013 20:27:29 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130524/06445123204/xbox-one-release-tons-questions-very-few-answers.shtml#c375
Do yourself a favor, start buying up used consoles and games at yard sales (this is what I do), that way you'll forever be able to play the retro games you loved, and tell these companies to fuck off when they release newer, more restrictive consoles and games every generation.

I invest in "new" used games every month or so for a few dollars and it keeps my kids satisfied.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130524/06445123204/xbox-one-release-tons-questions-very-few-answers.shtml#c357 Fri, 24 May 2013 20:27:26 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130524/06445123204/xbox-one-release-tons-questions-very-few-answers.shtml#c357
(If it's displaying different for you, both of our names are showing up as 'Nick' and it even highlighted your post as one I wrote.)]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130524/06445123204/xbox-one-release-tons-questions-very-few-answers.shtml#c350 Fri, 24 May 2013 20:18:14 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130524/06445123204/xbox-one-release-tons-questions-very-few-answers.shtml#c350
The switch to AMD from Nvidia GPU had little to do with compatibility - it was the switch from a PowerPC CPU to x86-64 that really causes the problem here.

Not to mention, performance will be substantially better, both CPU and GPU - you clearly don't understand how it works. It will be almost on part with PS4, which also uses AMD APU, but with a slightly better graphics processor and faster GDDR5 RAM - but the XBox One employs a larger cache, along with cheaper DDR3 RAM giving it a different set of advantages over the PS4. Ultimately, they should be very equal machines with the same underlying architecture.

XBox 360 will be a POS by comparison...]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130524/06445123204/xbox-one-release-tons-questions-very-few-answers.shtml#c342 Fri, 24 May 2013 20:17:27 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130524/06445123204/xbox-one-release-tons-questions-very-few-answers.shtml#c342 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130524/06445123204/xbox-one-release-tons-questions-very-few-answers.shtml#c325 Fri, 24 May 2013 20:15:51 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130524/06445123204/xbox-one-release-tons-questions-very-few-answers.shtml#c325
I mean, think about the generation after the next one when they sort out all their online woes, will they decide that used game sales need to be hammered into the dirt as well?]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130524/06445123204/xbox-one-release-tons-questions-very-few-answers.shtml#c288 Fri, 24 May 2013 20:13:52 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130524/06445123204/xbox-one-release-tons-questions-very-few-answers.shtml#c288
Here's all you need to know

-It will spy on you
-You won't be able to make it stop
-You won't be able to play used games
-You won't be able to lend games out
-You won't be able to disconnect it from the internet for too long
-You won't be able to swap internal hard drives
-You won't be able to play 360 games

But ignore all that, Look at the monkey! Look at the silly monkey!

PS:TELEVISION TELEVISION TELEVISION THIS IS THE ULTIMATE ADVANCEMENT IN TELEVISION TELEVISION IT CAN CHANGE CHANNELS AND WATCH SPORTS ON THIS TELEVISION THAT YOU NEED A TELEVISION TO USE THINK OF ALL THE TELEVISION AND AMERICAN HAND-EGG YOU CAN WATCH FOOBAWWWWWWWWW]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130517/16293423122/think-doj-spying-reporters-was-unprecedented-think-again.shtml#c31 Fri, 24 May 2013 20:12:23 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130517/16293423122/think-doj-spying-reporters-was-unprecedented-think-again.shtml#c31 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130524/06445123204/xbox-one-release-tons-questions-very-few-answers.shtml#c278 Fri, 24 May 2013 20:12:10 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130524/06445123204/xbox-one-release-tons-questions-very-few-answers.shtml#c278
That being said, Microsoft totally sold me a PS4 with that mess of a reveal.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130524/06445123204/xbox-one-release-tons-questions-very-few-answers.shtml#c262 Fri, 24 May 2013 20:12:10 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130524/06445123204/xbox-one-release-tons-questions-very-few-answers.shtml#c262
That being said, Microsoft totally sold me a PS4 with that mess of a reveal.]]>