WDS 's Techdirt Comments

Latest Comments (263)

• On the post: FCC Votes to Dismantle Cable's Monopoly Over The Set Top Box

  

  WDS ( profile ), 19 Feb, 2016 @ 07:48am

  Up Again

  My DirecTV bill just went up another $8.00/month. For my HD DVR I paid them $200 up front. Monthly I then get to pay them $10.00 to use the HD portion of it, and $10.00 to use the DVR portion of it. There is also a $7.00 a month rental fee for the machine, but they give me a $7.00 credit for the first TV.
  
  When DirecTV started you bought your receiver elsewhere and just got the service from them. You had your choice of RCA, Sony, or Hughes receivers. Somewhere along the line they looked at the Cable gravy train and decided to hop on board. I guess they didn't realize that many of their customers came because they were ticked off with cable. Those customers are now ticked off with DirecTV and looking to find a good alternative.

• On the post: Fine Brothers History Of Overaggressive Behavior Doomed Their Plan; But Hopefully Others Will Revive The Good Parts

  

  WDS ( profile ), 02 Feb, 2016 @ 11:44am

  Re:

  Okay, I'll bite. What was the good idea that Prohibition was a bad implementation of?

• On the post: French Politicians Pushing To Ban Linking To Any Website Without Permission

  

  WDS ( profile ), 01 Feb, 2016 @ 02:12pm

  Fundamental

  Linking if fundamental to the internet working. If they don't want someone to link to their work, then they don't want people coming to their work, which then begs the question, "Why did you put your work on the internet in the first place?"

• On the post: Copyright Troll Malibu Media's 'Expert' Witness Appears To Be Totally And Completely Clueless

  

  WDS ( profile ), 27 Jan, 2016 @ 06:40pm

  Re: Disks

  There, their, they're. Yes I know the difference. My typing fingers don't always.

• On the post: Copyright Troll Malibu Media's 'Expert' Witness Appears To Be Totally And Completely Clueless

  

  WDS ( profile ), 27 Jan, 2016 @ 06:37pm

  Disks

  I don't understand why the courts continue to allow MM to take entire hard drives with people personal things on them, when there is case president that says you don't have to turn over your entire database, just the relevant records.
  
  I know the argument is "How do we know they turned over all the relevant records". I think the courts should be appointing their own experts to review the hard drives and just report back to MM on if their movies (I use the term loosely) were found and if their is evidence that they were there and deleted. Giving the trolls unfettered access is ridiculous.

• On the post: NY State Legislator Proposes Ban On Sale Of Encrypted Smartphones

  

  WDS ( profile ), 12 Jan, 2016 @ 02:37pm

  Tablet

  So if I read the bill right, it is okay for me to have strong encryption on my iPad, but not my iPhone if I buy them new in New York. It is also okay to have a iPhone with strong encryption if I buy a "Previously Owned, Like New" unit from the local Pawn Shop.
  
  Does his family by any chance own a chain of Pawn Shops?

• On the post: AT&T Is Happy To Remove Wireless Broadband Caps, But Only If You Sign Up For Its TV Services

  

  WDS ( profile ), 11 Jan, 2016 @ 02:21pm

  Tethering

  The new plan also does not allow tethering.

• On the post: What Net Neutrality? T-Mobile Abusing Its 'Binge-On' Effort To Throttle Non-Partner Video

  

  WDS ( profile ), 23 Dec, 2015 @ 12:03pm

  Re: Re:

  I didn't receive anything from t-Mobile, but I also don't have a capped data plan with them. I have their unlimited plan. I don't really do a lot of streaming with the phone, so don't know if my video is being throttled or not.

• On the post: Facebook Spam Tricks The Internet Into Supporting Company's AOL-ification Of Developing Nations

  

  WDS ( profile ), 23 Dec, 2015 @ 11:33am

  ??

  In the last line of the article, are you sure the strike-outs are in the correct group of words. I would assume they belong on the trailing group of words.

• On the post: Manhattan District Attorney Still Totally Ignorant About Encryption, Slams Tim Cook & Demands Legislation To Wipe Out Encryption

  

  WDS ( profile ), 23 Dec, 2015 @ 11:25am

  With Vance specifically calling out the iPhone, and saying it is totally out of reach of law enforcement, is it possible that before he made his announcement, he purchased a large block of Apple stock, and is trying to get all the crooks to give up their burner phones and buy iPhones?

• On the post: Light Bulb DRM: Philips Locks Purchasers Out Of Third-Party Bulbs With Firmware Update

  

  WDS ( profile ), 15 Dec, 2015 @ 01:12pm

  Re: Re: Re: Re: First World Problems

  Please strike the not out of line with non-intelligent LED bulbs. They have come down a lot since the last time I bought some a Lowes.

• On the post: Light Bulb DRM: Philips Locks Purchasers Out Of Third-Party Bulbs With Firmware Update

  

  WDS ( profile ), 15 Dec, 2015 @ 01:07pm

  Re: Re: Re: First World Problems

  Yes the most expensive pack of 3 white+color bulbs and a controller is $200, which at $60 a bulb makes the controller about $30. The entire pack is less that the $500 figure I objected about. You can get a white light only bulb for $15 which is not that out of line with non-intelligent LED bulbs.
  
  I'm ticked at Phillips for introducing the non-campatability, but want to roast them for that, not some exaggerated cost figure.

• On the post: Light Bulb DRM: Philips Locks Purchasers Out Of Third-Party Bulbs With Firmware Update

  

  WDS ( profile ), 14 Dec, 2015 @ 12:22pm

  Re: First World Problems

  And of course while still expensive, it is the $30 bulb stopped working because they didn't buy the $60 one.
  
  Hope that didn't spoil your sarcasm.

• On the post: Light Bulb DRM: Philips Locks Purchasers Out Of Third-Party Bulbs With Firmware Update

  

  WDS ( profile ), 14 Dec, 2015 @ 11:39am

  Re: Update

  The update shows up in your app showing there is one to be installed, but not giving you any detail about what it "fixes". It warns you the lights might flash during the process, but gives no hint it is going to brick the non-Phillips lights.

• On the post: FBI Director Says 'Smart People' At Office Supply Companies Can Help Limit Terrorists' Access To Pen And Paper

  

  WDS ( profile ), 11 Dec, 2015 @ 10:27am

  Re: Failed Test

  I bet you failed the test where the first item was:
  
  1. Read the test in its entirety before beginning.
  
  And the last item was.
  
  99. Right your name at the top of the first page, and answer no other questions.

• On the post: Did You Hear About How ISIS Has A Sophisticated Training Manual For Encryption? Yeah, It Was Actually A Pamphlet For Journalists And Activists

  

  WDS ( profile ), 24 Nov, 2015 @ 12:54pm

  Re:

  Of course they are, aren't they part of that "Silicon Valley Menace"?

• On the post: We Have The 'Criminal Charges' Patrick Zarrelli Claims He Filed Against Our Writer, And They're Not What He Thinks

  

  WDS ( profile ), 13 Nov, 2015 @ 12:37pm

  Tim on the Run

  With such grave charges pending, Tim needs to make sure he avoids Florida.

• On the post: Police Union Boss: Quentin Tarantino Needs To Patch Up Cop-Citizen Relationships, Not Us

  

  WDS ( profile ), 09 Nov, 2015 @ 02:53pm

  Re:

  "Hell, I don't even see the notary getting called murderers on a daily basis and getting a bad rap."
  
  Those paper cuts can be deadly!

• On the post: Cable CEO Is Really Pissed That HBO Hasn't Cracked Down On Streaming Password Sharing

  

  WDS ( profile ), 05 Nov, 2015 @ 06:41am

  Which is he complaining about?

  There have been two different college situations mentioned. If it a situation of a large group of kids buying one Go subscription and then sharing it, I see how someone could consider that a problem.
  
  If it is college kids with the password for their home account then that seems exactly what that is designed for. While in college they are still in most cases for legal purposed residing at their parent's house. The HBO login is designed to allow you to watch content while away from home. The fact that they are away from home for four years is only a detail.

• On the post: Daily Deal: MOS Cable Organizer

  

  WDS ( profile ), 14 Oct, 2015 @ 07:04am

  Re: "good" magnets vs. "bad" magnets

  Just curious, are these 8 inch or 5 1/4 inch floppy disks that you are worried about?

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