Misc. Ramblings

InfoWorld's Ed Foster is working on what he calls the Fair End User License Agreement (FEULA), now in version 0.90.1. The FEULA goes a long way towards making companies accountable and responsive to their customers (something the current EULAs expressly don't do). I've railed about Microsoft's restrive EULAs before so I won't do again here. But if Microsoft were to use Mr. Foster's version they would go a long way towards building trust - something long missing in the conversations with MS.

Posted by DanS at 08:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I like to think I keep up-to-date with what's happening with Firefox but it seems a security update slipped out the door on the 24th without my noticing it. Version 1.0.2 fixes three vulnerabilities, including one that, as the saying goes, allows the execution of arbitrary code (geek speak for anyone can run anything on your PC). Note carefully that the install instructions say to remove your previous version of Firefox before installing this one.

There is also an update to the Thunderbird e-mail program so you may want to update that too. Release Notes are here.

Aloha!

Posted by DanS at 07:23 AM | Permalink

I've been reading Mark Cuban's blog, off and on, for maybe a year now. I got linked to his site, I think, via a mention in Doc Searls blog.

Mr. Cuban appears to be, like the professional basketball team he owns, a maverick. Being a maverick is not always a Good Thing. But in his case, it is. Mr. Cuban speaks forthrigthly and with conviction. Conviction based on common sense and the research he does before he writes about anything.

So I am pleased that he is writing on the issue before the US Supreme Court regarding Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., et al. v. Grokster, Ltd., et al. No. 04-480 (see this link for his additional info on the RIAA claims). He makes the clear case for technological innovation versus fear of losing control over content distribution (yes, I know, Doc hates the term).

Clearly, digital technology and distribution of music/movies over the Internet can revolutionize how artistic works are offered to their customers. Previously, a few companies controlled everything. But with the coming of the Internet, broadband connections, and digital technology, artists can now cut out the middlemen and have conversations directly with their customers.

The powers that be are clearly frightened by this and are doing the best they can to muzzle these conversations. If they win, innovations such as the Xerox machine, VCR, cassette tapes, recordable CD-ROMs/DVDs, and Tivo-type DVRs would all have been illegal (and just about all of them were opposed by these very same companies/associations using the very same arguments saying the sky would fall if they became popular and that their primary, nay only, use was to illegally copy content. Thus, stealing money from the mouths of their children).

I am especially pleased that not only does Mr. Cuban oppose these attempts to stifle digital innovation, he is willing to fund the EFF's efforts against them. This folks, is walking the walk. This is declaring to all where he stands.

Thank you Mark Cuban. We need more people like him.

Please support the EFF by becoming a member. I just did (I'm getting the t-shirt). Membership starts at only $15 for students and $25 for everyone else.

Aloha!

Posted by DanS at 07:41 AM | Permalink

Electronics, like most people, hate a lot of heat. Heat reduces, sometime substantially, the expected life of electronic components. In fact, given enough heat, almost any electronic component will immediately fail.

As you may remember, I've been searching for a new CPU fan/heatsink. This is because of the extremely high temperature readings I got from the very first time I booted SWMBO new PC (Pentium 4 2.8E Prescott Core) and the related incessant CPU fan noise.

It was not unusual for Intel's CPU monitor utility, which displays temperature and voltage levels of the motherboard (in addition to fan rpm), to be constantly going off because the CPU was exceeding the maximum default temperature of 68°C. I was getting peaks exceeding 72°C (about 162°F). Even at idle (the CPU, not me) the utility typically reported 59°C (about 138°F). Compare this to the previous generation of Intel CPUs running at about 30 to 40°C.

I first tried adding more fans to my Antec SLK-2650-BQE case, which came with a 120mm rear fan (not to mention the PSU fan). I installed an 80mm fan in the side panel duct, and an 80mm front fan. While the over temperature warnings ended, they were still in the mid-to-high 60° and the stock Intel CPU fan still made an awful racket because it was spinning as fast as its little blades could go.

Hence, rather than waiting for the CPU to expire in a puff of smoke, or my eardrums to burst from the fan whine, I decided to purchase a new CPU fan/heat sink.

I mentioned before that it came down to two different models: ThermalRight XP120 and Zalman CNPS7700-AlCu. In the end, I ordered a Zalman but the smaller brother of the 7700 - the Zalman CNPS7000B-AlCu. I got this one because it didn't exceed the weight limit of 450 grams for Intel motherboards and because I could get it from Amazon.com (which is a Better Business Bureau member in good standing).

In order to install the new fan I, of course, had to remove the old one. I would like to note here that sharp metal objects and delicate motherboards and CPUs do not a good match make. Not that I had any problems mind you ;). In any case, the old fan and heatsink eventually came off. I then used rubbing alcohol to remove the excess thermal grease from the CPU. Most sources warn that you should wear gloves when coming in contact with the grease so consider yourself notified.

While the new fan is much larger than the Intel OEM one, it doesn't have any problems fitting on the Intel D865GBF-L motherboard. But be aware that the outside edge of the heatsink comes awfully close to the bottom of the power supply and may be a problem in smaller cases. I'm glad I got the smaller fan because I'm not sure I would have been able to fit the larger and heavier Zalman 7700.

Fitting problems aside, getting the new fan screwed down onto the bracket was harder than it should have been. You have to tighten down two screws. Each is situated at the opposite and extreme ends of what can be imagined as a lever. As you try to tighten the first screw down, the other end rises. It rises so much it is impossible to get the opposite screw started unless you are pressing down on it. Hard. Simultaneously, the whole assembly slides around on the thin film of thermal grease. Eventually, I got both screws started (it helps to have three hands) and was able to tighten things down and closed the case up without causing injury to the motherboard, CPU, case, or myself.

Everything booted up fine so I guess nothing was damaged. I was, however, disappointed that under idle, there was no difference in CPU temperature as compared to the stock Intel fan. I had seen other reviews in which idle temps went down by five or more degrees. But I did not find any difference at all.

However, and this makes be happy, there was a big difference under load. As mentioned earlier, using the stock Intel fan, I would get constant over heating warnings when the CPU temp went over 68°C. This occurred when running simple, relatively low-intensity applications like Word.

Except for one alarm, when first booting, the temp has not risen above about 62°C (about 143°F), even when running multiple applications like displaying a DVD ("Animal House"), while listening to an AAC (Joss Stone), and editing a document in Word. I don't know why I got that first alarm but I hope I don't get any more.

Not that everything is perfect, though. The Zalman is running at about 2,700 RPM. This creates noise. Less noise than the little Intel fan spinning at the same or higher speeds, but noise nonetheless. Fortunately, this is not a MPC that needs to be silent because it's sitting in your living room. But the noise is still something you should think about if your environment requires silence or if you are particularly sensitive to noise.

If you are, you are on your own. Perhaps the larger Zalman will work/fit. Maybe not. If not, other than going to water cooling, I can't suggest an answer to how to keep your Intel Prescott core CPU running cool and fans quiet.

Aloha!

Posted by DanS at 07:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Enough with the "transparent screens" already. What? You can't get enough of the effect? Well, then go here or here.

Aloha!

Posted by DanS at 07:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Who'd a thunk it? Dan Bricklin has a post where he says, in some ways, Microsoft "gets it" but Apple doesn't. Before you go off and flame the man, read his post first.

What he's talking about is Apple's lawsuit to find out who leaked some product information to web sites. The EFF has a pretty good summary of the particulars:

In December 2004, Apple filed a lawsuit in Santa Clara county against unnamed individuals who allegedly leaked information about new Apple products to several online news sites, including AppleInsider and PowerPage. The articles at issue concerned a FireWire audio interface for GarageBand, codenamed "Asteroid" or "Q7." In addition, Apple filed a separate trade secret suit against Think Secret on January 4, 2004.

Apple is seeking information from these news sites regarding the identities of the sites' sources, and has subpoenaed Nfox.com, the email service provider for PowerPage, for email messages that may identify the confidential source.

EFF opposes Apple's discovery because the confidentiality of the media's sources and unpublished information are critical means for journalists of all stripes to acquire information and communicate it to the public. Because today's online journalists frequently depend on confidential sources to gather material, their ability to promise confidentiality is essential to maintaining the strength of independent media. Furthermore, the protections required by the First Amendment are necessary regardless of whether the journalist uses a third party for communications.

As a journalist/blogger/developer, Bricklin was torn as to what to do. On one hand, he develops software for the Mac. In order to do that, he has to buy Apple products. On the other hand, as a good citizen of the Internet, he is concerned by the negative attitude that this lawsuit personifies.

One tool he tries to use to weigh his response is economic. He balances his need to acquire Apple products (and therefore, in small part, fund the very behavior he objects to) to make a living versus the cost of boycotting Apple to persuade it to change its behavior. He also points out the benefits, tangible and not, Apple accrues due to these fan sites.

For him, the bottom line was he bought the product(s), but from a resaler rather than directly from Apple (so that Apple's profit would be less). You may not agree with his decision but I think everyone needs to decide for themselves what the costs versus benefits are.

Posted by DanS at 07:05 AM | Permalink

My wallpaper for the week (suitably stretched and squished for my monitor) comes from Yale University and the Hubble Space Telescope. The image indirectly maps dark matter clumps through light deflections made visible by a process called gravitational lensing (don't ask me because I don't know - ed.).

As a programming note, tomorrow is a state holiday (Prince Kuhio Day) so the next post won't be until Monday.

Have a Great Weekend, Everyone - Aloha!

Posted by DanS at 07:00 AM | Permalink

So enough with the boring stuff. How about a few happy links?

This guy likes origami. But not just any origami (the Japanese art of paper folding). He likes doing stuff like rhombitruncated cuboctahedrons, truncated icosahedrons, and greater stellated dodecahedrons. One example of his work is below:

This guy likes his Mac Mini. He likes it so much he decided to hide it in an old Dell case so that no one would know he was using one and steal his.

Then there's these guys who like high powered projectors. They have a series of photos created by projecting images on to the side of what looks like a cooling tower of some sort (much like the ones for nuclear reactors). Once at their site, click on the link at the top corner of the photo and it will take you to the next image (the site is not in English but I think "weiter" essentially has you go forward one image).

For you guys who are into robotics, Radio Shack is launching a robotics kit called the Vex Robotic Design System for $299 that will give you the parts needed to contend in the FIRST competition.

Aloha!

Posted by DanS at 07:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

This local story about the finding of a WWII-era sunken Japanese submarine off the coast of O'ahu is starting to get national attention so maybe it will be of some interest to you. It seems that near the end of World War II, the Japanese built three huge submarines capable of carrying, launching, and recovering aircraft.

By huge I mean about 400 ft. long (about 122m). By comparison, a present day Virginia class attack submarine such as the USS Springfield SSN 774, is only 377 ft. (about 114m) long. While it is true that the current Ohio class ballistic missile submarines, at 560 ft. (about 171m), are longer, you have to remember we are talking about 1940s technology here. Fully loaded with fuel, these "Sensuikan Toku" class of diesel/electric submarines could sail one-and-a-half times around the world without refueling.

Each of these submarines held three torpedo-bomber aircraft with enough parts to build a fourth. The aircraft were hangered in a water tight compartment until made ready for flight. Within seven minutes, the planes wings could be unfolded, float pontoons attached as landing gear, and the plane launched, via catapult (see the illustration below).

The original mission was to fly over the west coast of the US and drop rats/insects infected with bubonic plague, cholera, dengue fever, and typhus. This mission was changed to a secondary target of the Panama Canal. This, in turn, was changed to a third target closer to the Home Islands.

Two of these submarines were captured at sea, a week after the Japanese surrender in 1945. These two, along with some other captured Japanese submarines were sent to Pearl Harbor for evaluation. While there, our allies the Soviet Union decided they also wanted to study these subs. Things being what they were at that time, the US decided to sink the subs off the coast rather than let the Russians have a look.

There they rested until a University of Hawai'i research submarine, Pices, came upon the monster submarine last week Thursday (see the photo below).

For more information on these leviathans follow this link here.

Aloha!

Posted by DanS at 08:50 AM | Permalink

A memorial service was held over the weekend at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu. It was part of the 62nd anniversary reunion of the famed 442nd Regimental Combat Team, made up of Americans of Japanese ancestry (some of whom where "interned" when World War II began). "Pierre Moulin and his 6-year-old son, Martin, paid their respects after laying a wreath during the ceremony. Moulin is from Bruyeres, France, a town that was liberated by the 442nd during World War II."

Read more from the Honolulu Star Bulletin here.

Or this article from the Honolulu Advertiser. The photo below, taken at another location, is of "Former Sgt. Seikatsu Kikuyama, left, and former Pfc. Robert Ito."

Posted by DanS at 09:27 AM | Permalink

Insert Disclaimer here. These are my personal views.

The three branches (Executive, Legislative, and Judicial - see Articles I, II, and III) of the US government are set-out in the US Constitution. All of the branches were created co-equal. That is, no one branch is to have unchecked dominion over the other. This equilibrium is created through a system of checks and balances.

While the fulcrum point among the branches may have shifted back and forth over the years, the system of checks and balances remain to this day. One of of these checks on the Legislative branch is the prohibition against ex post facto laws (see Article I, Section 9):

1st. Every law that makes an action done before the passing of the law, and which was innocent when done, criminal; and punishes such action. 2d. Every law that aggravates a crime, or makes it greater than it was, when committed. 3d. Every law that changes the punishment, and inflicts a greater punishment, than the law annexed to the crime, when committed. 4th. Every law that alters the legal rules of evidence, and receives less, or different, testimony, than the law required at the time of the commission of the offense, in order to convict the offender. Calder v Bull (3 US 386 [1798]

A second is a check on the Executive and Legislative in the process of amending the Constitution (see Article V). Note, the Executive branch plays no part in the amendment process. Proposed amendments originate either from Congress or the state legislatures/conventions and are ultimately approved by the states (either by the respective legislatures or by conventions). Hence, the President does not have the ability to wield one of his most powerful tools, the veto. And Congress can propose an amendment, but only the states can approve it.

Another check on both the Executive and the Legislative is that the Judiciary is the ultimate arbiter of what the Constitution means and therefore whether a bill passed by the Legislative branch and signed into law by the President is constitutional. Of course, the Congress, along with the state legislatures/conventions can amend the Constitution (as noted above) but this is a slow and by no means certain process.

With that background we come to the case of a Florida woman by the name of Terri Schiavo. In 1990, Schiavo suffered a heart attack that, among other things, left her brain without oxygen long enough to cause severe and irreparable brain damage. While she can breathe on her own, she cannot otherwise take care of herself.

For the last seven years, her husband Michael Schiavo, has tried to have his wife's feeding tube removed as an effort to end an existence he says his wife did not want. Recently, he was successful in his efforts and Florida state court ruled that the feeding tube be removed. Efforts to appeal the case to federal court have, up to now, failed since the case is viewed as having no federal basis. As background, under various state laws, patients have the ability to choose what level of medical care they receive. However, in this case, there is no record of Mrs. Schiavo's wishes except for the verbal account of her husband.

Because of this lack of legal record, the wishes of Mrs. Schiavo, her husband, her parents, the state of Florida, and now the US Congress may be at odds.

Over the weekend, Congress passed a bill for an Act, and President Bush signed into law the bill that gives:

United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida shall have jurisdiction to hear, determine, and render judgment on a suit or claim by or on behalf of Theresa Marie Schiavo for the alleged violation of any right of Theresa Marie Schiavo under the Constitution or laws of the United States relating to the withholding or withdrawal of food, fluids, or medical treatment necessary to sustain her life.

This is an extra-ordinary piece of legislation, created for one person, rushed through Congress over the weekend (with one account saying only three out of the 100 members of the Senate where even present). It does not require a stretch of the imagination to guess that it will eventually require the involvement of the US Supreme Court. This involvement may come in several ways but the main question would still be is this Act constitutional?

I'm no lawyer and I definitely don't know Florida law. So don't expect me to give my two cents on this matter. All I will say is if Mrs. Schiavo had spent a few hours creating the necessary legal documents while she was well, all of this could have been avoided. If you haven't looked into what is required in your state, please contact your attorney and find out what needs to be done. Now. While you still can. My wife and I did years ago, so should you. Don't let a court, or Congress, determine things for you.

Aloha!

Posted by DanS at 09:22 AM | Permalink

I'm still at home because of my back pain. I wasn't planning on doing a post today but when I saw that George F. Kennan had passed away I decided to briefly note his passing.

Others more qualified than I will write his obituary, but it is not rhetoric when he is described as "the nearest thing to a legend that this country's diplomatic service has ever produced..."

His vision of post-World War II gave key insights into Soviet behavior. Whether you agreed with his insights or not, his opinions were followed by those in power during that period and beyond.

Perhaps the best epitaph that anyone can have is the one that says: "The world is a better place for his having been here." May he rest in peace.

Have a Great Weekend, Everyone - Aloha!

Posted by DanS at 07:37 AM | Permalink

I recently talked about how I try to solve the asymmetrical information problem by using a third-party expert called the Better Business Bureau. Today I want to talk about mail-in rebates.

A lot of businesses use mail-in rebates as a way of getting you to buy stuff you wouldn't otherwise. The way it's supposed to work is you buy the stuff at full price with the business's promise that when you mail in the verification you will in turn get a check equal to the amount promised by the seller.

When it works, the seller makes money because they traded an item they wouldn't otherwise have sold and the buyer eventually gets a check in the mail that reduces the cost.

The problem seems to be that it usually doesn't work that way and that's because it appears it's not designed to. For example, about 40 percent of the buyers never send in the forms in the first place. The reasons vary but the point is businesses know there is a good chance the buyer will never even try to get the rebate.

Clearly, if the business wanted to sell something at a lower price it could just put the item on sale. Why make the customer go through a delayed process with all kinds of onerous requirements? A cynical person would say because the harder the business makes the process the fewer people will request rebates and, here's the payoff, the less costly it will be to the business.

In addition, even if the customer sends in the properly filled-in rebate forms and all required verifications, there is a short-term economic incentive to delay or even ignore the process. By that I mean if you delay sending out a rebate for say, three months, that is a free three-month loan to the business. Score one for the business.

If the business (or third-party rebate company) conveniently loses or says they never received the forms/verification it gets even better. Many customers, after waiting patiently for their rebates, but not having received them, follow-up with the business only to be told nothing was ever received and that they should submit the forms and verification again. The problem is most businesses require the original forms and verifications (usually sales slips and UPC codes cut from the box). If you've already sent those in, there is no way you can send them in again. If you send in copies, the companies, if they respond at all, will say the customer failed to send in the required original documents. Score another one for the business.

So it is interesting to see the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC), for the first time, has entered into consent agreements with computer superstore CompUSA and their third-party processor Q.P.S., Inc. The agreement, based on allegations that CompUSA failed to pay, "in a timely manner, thousands of rebates for products sold under the CompUSA and QPS brands. Under the terms of the settlement with the superstore, CompUSA will pay consumers who purchased QPS products at CompUSA their due or past-due rebates, which ranged from $15 to $100 each." One hopes you don't have to send in original sales receipts to get the rebates.

The bottom line is mail-in rebates are scams that work. One way to stop it is to stop buying stuff with rebates. If you refuse to do that, at least require some kind of delivery confirmation when you mail your rebates in. That way, you have a legal confirmation that the envelope was delivered to their address, who signed for it, and when. If they still refuse to pay, immediately file a complaint with the FTC and the Better Business Bureau. But don't come crying to me about rebates because I never buy anything with a mail-in rebate. YMMV. Insert disclaimer here.

Aloha!

Posted by DanS at 07:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Social Security system in the US is either broken or doing well and doesn't need tinkering. At least, that seems to be the two positions staked out by the President and most Democrats. As is many times true, the truth is probably somewhere in between.

But regardless of the truth, picking a position (i.e., doesn't need tinkering - Democrats) that is at odds with the majority of the people, will not win you friends nor get you elected in November.

In my opinion, most people intuitively know that the system works, to the extent it does, when the number of people working is large enough so that their contributions can provide benefits to those retired (without bankrupting either group). People also know that the "Baby Boomer" generation, a relatively large group of people with similar ages, is at the brink of retirement. As more and more people retire, the percentage working will decrease and so will the amounts paid into the system (or the amount taken from those working must substantially increase).

So, to stake out a position that is difficult, if not impossible to defend will not help you in the elections. And that folks, according to this article in the Wall Street Journal, is exactly what President Bush's Senior Advisor Karl Rove wants. Rove apparently doesn't care about what happens to Social Security, although it would be nice if his boss's position takes the day. Rather, what's more important is painting Democrats into a corner by which they can't come out of.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying President Bush's Social Security plan is the answer to the problem. What I am saying is that the Democrat's answer isn't workable either and is seen being contrary without reason.

Sitting out here in the middle of the Pacific, I've asked myself this very question. Why are my fellow Democrats putting themselves into unpopular positions just to be different from President Bush? It boggles my mind how such highly educated people can be so blind to what is happening. Perhaps their vision is made foggy by their hate of all things Republican? Perhaps they just want to differentiate themselves? I don't know. All I know is it's not helping America to solve our very real problems.

Aloha!

Posted by DanS at 07:25 AM | Permalink

My back is hurting again so I'm at home trying to recover. See you all here tomorrow. Sorry.

Aloha!

Posted by DanS at 08:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

RetroCrush has a cool set of of web pages with what they call the Top 100 Greatest TV music themes. Included is one of the better ones (see number 13 here). Although, I guess, I could be a little biased. ;>

Posted by DanS at 09:10 AM | Permalink

If you use Xandros Linux and decide to install Popfile, a well-know cross-platform Spam filter, know that when you set up your e-mail client to access your POP server you must set the incoming port to 7071. In addition, when you want to view the web-based set-up interface, you must type in 127.0.0.1:7070. Note the difference in port numbers: 7071 for your e-mail client and 7070 for your browser. I have these here because the current default Debian (which Xandros is based on) instructions are silent on this.

Posted by DanS at 09:07 AM | Permalink

Speaking of Xandros, I've been looking around for anti-virus software for Linux-based systems. One of the other Daynoters (sorry, I don't remember which) talked about something called ClamAV so I decided to try that.

Before going further, some of you are probably wondering why have anti-virus software for Linux? While there may be only 3,000 virus identified in Linux, versus several times that for Windows, the built-in security of Linux usually mitigates the effects of viruses. That said, that doesn't mean one should be complacent. As the number of people using Linux increases, the virus writers will spend more and more time targeting Linux. Indeed, I think some of the the first root kits were developed for the Unix/Linux operating systems so all is not lightness.

So, after a few tries at getting ClamAV to install (the install instructions are written as if you are compiling your own. Compiling your own is usually not a good idea because of problems with dependencies but go for it if you are feeling lucky. In any case, the instructions ignore the various binaries so you are left on your own on how or what to configure). With all that, I think I have it running. But as of yet, I haven't found how to get it to work with KDE. By that I mean it runs as a command line program but if I access/open/run anything using KDE, it does nothing (as far as I can tell. I opened one of the test files and ClamAV didn't keep me from opening it nor did it alert me that it was infected). In fact, even when running it at the command line, all I can get it to do is scan some files and then print to the screen a summary (or a log file).

I assume there must be a way of getting it to work with KDE? I also assume there must be a way of getting it to pop-up a box saying "Danger! Virus Found!" rather than just a summary of the files scanned and the results?

In addition, I'm having problems figuring out how to use it scan incoming e-mail. I understand there may be some third-party packages that use ClamAV as a front-end so maybe that is the way to go. But it would be great if I could just use the Thunderbird e-mail client and have ClamAV automagically scan the incoming mail (as I can do with Windows-based AVG software).

I guess I am showing my ignorance here but I think anti-virus software for Linux must mature before Aunt Minnie can be expected to comfortably use it. Until then, the search continues for something that works well in KDE. Any suggestions are appreciated.

Aloha!

Posted by DanS at 09:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I, like a lot of people, buy stuff via the Internet as well as from local stores. When I'm shopping online, weighing on my decision as to what site to buy from includes, but is not necessarily limited to, availability of what I want, at a price I am willing to pay, from a place that I trust.

The first factor is easy. Either they have what I want or they don't. If they have it, they pass the first hurdle.

The second test is a little harder. Usually, I'm shopping for the lowest price. But not always. If the lowest price is from a place I don't trust, I'll start going up in price until I find a place that I do trust.

The third factor, trust, is where things can get dicey. Why? Because I have to give my name, address, phone number, and credit card information to an entity that, in many cases, exists only online (i.e., they don't have a retail store where you can go to buy the item). For all I know, the website could be a front for the Russian mafia and they are just collecting this information so they can steal my identity.

In economic terms, there exists the problem of asymmetric information. I would be giving much information to them but I don't have any information about them. Typically, when this occurs, the trade (i.e., the sale) does not happen.

Internet sales are not unique in this situation. For example, most of us don't know how to grade beef. I mean, one cut of steak looks pretty much like the next one. As one way of solving the information problem, we have a government agency (in the US it's called the USDA) to create and enforce safety and quality standards. So, the theory goes, if I walk into a Alpha Beta grocery market and see a USDA grade "prime" beef steak, I should have a reasonable expectation that it meets certain minimum standards. If I then decide to go next door to Ralph's Market, and see another steak, also graded USDA prime, but costing five percent less per pound, I would have a reasonable expectation that the two steaks would have similar characteristics and that I can then buy based on price (If I didn't have a trusted third-party to consult, what I was willing to pay would probably do down, perhaps to not buying at all, and would lead to economic inefficiencies.).

The main point of this is we need a way to get information that can be used by us to determine whether to trade and, if so, at what price. If we don't get the information, the tendency is either not to trade or to lower the price we are willing to pay (to allow for the possibility that what we are getting is worth less than what the seller is saying it is). Asymmetrical information is also at work when you buy a car, get a bank loan, or buy a house.

Hence, the use of a trusted third-party, whether public or private, who has information that I need, is one way of creating a situation where a trade can occur. For me, that trusted third-party is usually the Better Business Bureau. While the BBB is funded through business membership dues, it functions, if it functions at all, only when it remains neutral in disputes between businesses and customers. If that neutrality is ever brought into question, the BBB could lose it most valuable asset, the trust of customers. Without this trust, many trades would not otherwise occur or occur only at much lower rates.

So, it's surprising to me just how many Internet-based companies either aren't members of the BBB or refuse to work with the them when disputes with customers arise. Note here that the mere fact that there are business/customer disputes is not necessarily an indicator of a bad business. Especially if they resolve all of these disputes to the satisfaction of the customer/BBB. But I digress.

Back to a current example. I've been thinking about replacing the stock Intel supplied CPU cooling fan on SWMBO's PC (Prescott, 2.8E). This fan is way too small for the heat that is coming off the CPU and Intel should be ashamed to have mis-designed it. I've already added two 80mm case fans in addition to the existing 120mm and power supply fans but it's just not enough to keep the CPU fan from spinning at its highest speed as it vainly tries to cool the over heating core. The sound of that fan is truly irritating, even though she has the case under the desk she uses.

Recently, I decided enough was enough and it was time to find a solution. My search narrowed down to the Zalman CNP S7700-AlCu and the Thermalright XP-120. I chose the Thermalright based on its lower weight (the Zalman exceeds the Intel motherboard limit of 450 grams by weighing 600 grams) and reviews. But when I started looking for sites where I could buy one, I was stymied by either it not being in stock, the business had an unsatisfactory rating from the BBB, or they had it in stock and had a satisfactory BBB rating but were selling for $20 more than other sites (about $67 USD vs. $47).

I am in a quandary. Do I pay the $20 premium, keep looking, go with the Zalman instead, or just forget about it and don't buy anything? I haven't decided yet. How you decide to buy stuff may be different from me. But if you can't trust the business to adhere to simple business ethics and sell at a fair price, would you (should you?) give your financial information to them? You decide. YMMV.

Have a Great Weekend, Everyone - Aloha!

Posted by DanS at 07:46 AM | Permalink

Fellow Daynoter John Doucette, having recently moved over to a new job at a law firm, e-mailed me to note that Word seems to be very popular, if it isn't in the majority already.

He is probably right, MS Office/Word may have already displaced WP Office in private practice. My comments earlier were about government service. But even then, I guess I shouldn't have generalized. All I can say is what I've seen here in state government (specifically the Hawai'i Judiciary, insert disclaimer here).

In our office, about half the workers prefer WordPerfect because it's what they know best and they don't see any particular reason to change. By that I mean there aren't many, if any, features in Word that would make life so much easier than WP. In addition, WP Office is a lot cheaper than MS Office.

And you know, I can't fault anyone for staying with WP. Why would anyone want to learn a new application simply because it is most popular? Shouldn't such decisions be made on the basis of criteria such as price, features, ease of use, etc.?

That said, I use Word because that's what I've been using for the last 10 or 15 years. However, as soon as Star Office/OpenOffice is able to do what I need it to do I'll probably switch over to that based on, if nothing else, it's so much cheaper and there are versions for Linux.

Anyway, as I always say, use the tool that works best for you.

Aloha!

Posted by DanS at 08:10 AM | Permalink

Sorry, no post today. I have to prepare for a meeting this morning. See you all here tomorrow.

Aloha!

Posted by DanS at 08:56 AM | Permalink

The US Justice Department will be buying $13.2 million USD worth of Corel's WordPerfect word processing software over Microsoft's Word (see the story from ABC News here).

This may not be as much a slap against MS as it recognizes that WP is still king in the legal world. As I've said before, while we are slowly converting to Word, many employees here are more comfortable using WP than Word.

That said, diversity is usually good and I'm glad the very people who are suing MS don't use their word processor to write their briefs (although it would be pretty cool if they did - ed.). Insert disclaimer here.

Posted by DanS at 08:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The world is full of dichotomies. And sometimes, people are required to reconcile differences that may not be reconcilable. For example, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is tasked with regulating civil aviation to promote safety while at the same time promoting civil aviation (see the FAA summary of activities here).

Another recent example is the fight between using fear as a motivator in the US elections versus freedom. In this context, the choice is between the fear of loosing a single cent through someone illegally copying something versus the millions that could come in through the freedom to innovate.

So it is interesting to see technology giant Sony hire, as their CEO, Howard Stringer, the head of their entertainment division in the US ( see the story here).

Sony, for some time, has been walking a fine line between trying to protect its entertainment content with DRM while at the same time promoting hardware that works best without such DRM.

The dichotomy, to a great extent, has resulted in customers avoiding Sony DRM locked hardware. For example, many of their early Apple iPod clones required you to convert to Sony's proprietary ATRAC format while refusing to support the more open MP3 format. But Ken Kutaragi, head of Sony's video game unit and father of the PlayStation hit the nail on the head when he said Sony lost its lead in electronics when it (Sony) became timid when concerns over content rights trumped technological innovation ( see the article here).

Interestingly, if rumors are correct, the race for CEO came down to Kutaragi and Stringer. Time will tell whether choosing gaijin Stringer was wise but I don't think an emphasis on DRM, over innovation, will win Sony any new customers.

Aloha!

Posted by DanS at 08:14 AM | Permalink

Few people feel the need to travel four miles in four or five seconds. On the ground. In a vehicle. But some do. This article tells us about the latest attempt on the land speed record (the current record holder is held by the British ThrustSSC Team at about 763 mph).

I think I've talked about the North American Eagle team before (or maybe not) but their attempt deserves whatever publicity they can get. To a great extent, this is a backyard DIY effort. They've had to beg, borrow, or buy really cheap whatever they could get towards this effort to reach 800 mph on land. Some would say this is a foolhardy way of making an attempt. And they may be right. But then, if you look at the first aircraft built by the Wright brothers, you could probably make the same assertion.

The question though, has to be why do this? Only these guys can answer that but in the words of former US President Theodore Roosevelt, as quoted on the ThrustSSC site:

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out where the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred with dust and sweat and blood. At best, he knows the triumph of high achievement; if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."

Aloha!

Posted by DanS at 07:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

An excerpt from an open letter to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice from former Canadian Prime Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy:

I know it seems improbable to your divinely guided master in the White House that mere mortals might disagree with participating in a missile-defence system that has failed in its last three tests, even though the tests themselves were carefully rigged to show results.

But, gosh, we folks above the 49th parallel are somewhat cautious types who can't quite see laying down billions of dollars in a three-dud poker game.

As our erstwhile Prairie-born and bred (and therefore prudent) finance minister pointed out in presenting his recent budget, we've had eight years of balanced or surplus financial accounts. If we're going to spend money, Mr. Goodale added, it will be on day-care and health programs, and even on more foreign aid and improved defence.

Sure, that doesn't match the gargantuan, multi-billion-dollar deficits that your government blithely runs up fighting a "liberation war" in Iraq, laying out more than half of all weapons expenditures in the world, and giving massive tax breaks to the top one per cent of your population while cutting food programs for poor children.

Posted by DanS at 08:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Most of you are too young to remember musician Martin Denny. He passed away recently at the age of 94. But in the late 1950s and into the early 60s, he was at the forefront of a style of music that is described as a "fusion of Asian, South Pacific, American jazz, Latin American and classical."

I can still remember listening to my dad's copy of "Exotica" and the top five hit on the national charts " Quiet Village".

Even today, there are those, like The Forbidden Sounds of Don Tiki that carry on the tradition.

I think Denny and band mate Arthur Lyman were regulars at the Honolulu Elks Club (BPOE 616, where I was also a member), and from what I understand, he was a true gentleman and was always willing to help others. Indeed, while he was recently in declining health, he still performed at a February 13th fund raiser for the victims of the Asian tsunami.

You can read more about this pioneer of music from a Honolulu Star-Bulletin article here or the wikipedia link above.

Have a Great Weekend, Everyone - Aloha!

Posted by DanS at 08:23 AM | Permalink

There are ways of keeping blog comment spam from getting through but some of the solutions may be more trouble than they are worth. I've talked before about what I've done on this site but this guy has tried experimenting with various other anti-comment spam methods and reports his results.

Although he is using WordPress as his blog software what he has done should be applicable to the more popular MovableType (which is what I use here).

That said, since instituting the changes I've made, I haven't had much problems with comment spam. What I have had, however, is ping floods where companies will hit my site six or seven pings per minute for 10 minutes at a time. Mostly they've been gambling sites with a sprinkling of the expected ED-type sites. None, of course, have been successful but it's interesting to look at the logs and see their attempts. What is not so good is the load these pings put on server but I don't know what else I can do other than get rid of trackback pings (which I'm not sure would make a difference).

In any case, the best defense I've seen seems to be to close comments and trackback pings after a length of time. I use seven days, which is why if you try to enter a comment after that time period your comment won't get through (hi Sjon! - ed.). But feel free to take a look at his work and decide for yourself what works best for you.

Aloha!

Posted by DanS at 07:58 AM | Permalink

I believe there are more instances of the abridgement of freedoms of the people by gradual and silent encroachment of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations. -- the fourth US President James Madison (b 1751 - d 1836)

The policy of having internal passports, much like that of Hitler's Germany and the old USSR, and the requirement to get permission from the Government to travel within the boundaries of your own country, is slowly coming true here in the US.

Today, law enforcement officials can require you to produce a government issued identity card, for any reason, or no reason at all. If you refuse, you can be arrested. Today, you are required to produce your identity papers at the airport. Refuse, and you can be arrested. And therein lies today's chilling story.

As you may know, many of the laws passed by fearful lawmakers post September 11th are patently un-constitutional. One of the most egregious is one that makes many security laws secret. You are required to follow these laws but you aren't allowed to know what they are. Violate one of these laws, or at least be charged with violating one of these laws and you can disappear into a secret system whereby you can be imprisoned, without charge or legal representation, forever.

But there are a brave few who are challenging these laws. One of them goes by the name of John Gilmore. Mr. Gilmore, the fifth employee hired at Sun, has led an interesting life. But what's important here is he wants a public debate about what is happening to this country. Namely, while the military is fighting in foreign lands to bring them freedom and democracy, our own country is headed in the opposite direction.

Mr. Gilmore wanted to board a flight to Washington, D.C. so that he could petition his Representative to get redress. At the airport, he was asked for identification by the airline agent. At that point he asked the agent

...if the ID requirement was an airline rule or a government rule. She didn't seem to know. Gilmore argued that if nobody could show him the law, he wasn't showing them an ID.

They reached a strange agreement for an argument about personal privacy: In lieu of showing ID, Gilmore would consent to an extra-close search, putting up with a pat-down in order to keep his personal identity to himself. He was wanted, patted down and sent along.

As Gilmore headed up the boarding ramp a security guard yanked him from line. According to court papers, a security agent named Reggie Wauls informed Gilmore he would not be flying that day.

It seems to me that if security is the reason for stopping Mr. Gilmore, and if he was willing and passed an extensive search of his person, then he should be allowed to board since he would not be a security threat.

Indeed, if security is such an issue, how is it that people board buses, trains, boats, and automobiles all the time without having to show government issued identification. What is it about aircraft that we require it?

Regardless of the reasons for asking, the scary thing is the law Mr. Gilmore supposedly violated is secret. So secret not even his lawyers are allowed to see it. Why? How is someone supposed to defend himself in court if you can't even view, much less challenge the very law he is charged with violating?

What kind of country do we live in? Right now. Today.

Experience should teach us to be most on our guard to protect liberty when the government purposes are beneficent...The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in the insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning, but without understanding. -- US Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis

Aloha!

Posted by DanS at 07:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (1)

As the Right Leaning Plutocrats in Washington sleep the day away while companies steal your identity and fraudulently charge untold millions of dollars each year comes yet another scam.

It seems fellow Daynoter Dave Markowitz has a post on something called the Pluto Data Scam (see also this thread here from Broadband reports). It seems a charge to Dave's credit card popped up last month from something called 888 323 8955 PLUTO D - Nicosia. Only, he hadn't purchased anything from said company. He did some searching and found others had been hit by the scam.

This really shows just how important it is to check your credit statements each month. If you find something wrong, immediately double check and then, if needed, call/write your credit card company and dispute the charge.

What with the ChoicePoint scandal affecting at least 145,000 (including 600 to 700 here in Hawaii'i) and others not yet made public, the only defense you have is to vigilantly guard your money. Because, Lord knows, no one else will.

Aloha!

Posted by DanS at 07:54 AM | Permalink