Spies of a different kind

“People are scaling back on some Internet activities,” [...] “People are feeling less adventurous, less free to do whatever they want to do online.”

The important point that she misses but the reporter doesn’t is:

While some computer users knowingly install spyware and adware, they often hitch rides with games, screensavers and other freebies, or exploit security flaws in Microsoft Windows operating systems and Internet Explorer browsers.

Read my lips: Linux does not support spyware. All of the widely deployed (and in fact deployable) spyware is unique to MS-Windows. So to borrow and mutilate a bumper sticker:

Know Linux, no fear
No Linux? Know fear

“About 28 million American adults ended up spending money to get their computer working again, typically in the range of $100” (from the study: USD$129.15) — er, was this included in all of those TCO studies?

I advise people who have too much vested in non-portable applications (typically games) to readily permit switching from MS-Windows to use Firefox and Thunderbird instead. Of those who do, their infection rate drops dramatically (to maybe <waggles hand> a tenth of the previous rate).

Comments

every-application-is-part-of-a-toolkit at work

I have a LibreOffice Impress slideshow that I wish to turn into a narrated video. 1. export the slideshow as PNG images (if that is partially broken — as at now — at higher resolutions, Export Directly as PDF then use ‘pdftoppm’ (from the poppler-utils package) to do the same). 2. write a small C program (63 lines including comments) to display those images one at a time, writing a config file entry for Imagination (default transition: ‘cross fade’) based on when the image-viewer application (‘display,’ from the GraphicsMagick suite) is closed on each one; run that, read each image aloud, then close each image in turn. 3. run ‘Imagination’ over the config file to produce a silent MP4 video with the correct timings. 4. run ‘Audacity’ to record speech while using ‘SMPlayer’ to display the silent video, then export that recording as a WAV file. 4a. optionally, use ‘TiMIDIty’ to convert a non-copyright-encumbered MIDI tune to WAV, then import that and blend it with the speech (as a quiet b

new life for an old (FTX) PSU, improved life for one human

the LEDs on this 5m strip happen to emit light centred on a red that does unexpectedly helpful things to (and surprisingly deeply within) a human routinely exposed to it. it has been soldered to a Molex connector, plugged into a TFX power supply from a (retired: the MoBo is cactus) Small Form Factor PC, the assorted PSU connectors (and loose end from the strip) have been taped over. the LED strip cost $10.24 including postage, the rest cost $0, the PSU is running at 12½% of capacity, consumes less power than a laptop plug-pack despite running a fan. trial runs begin today.

boundaries

pushing the actual boundaries of the physical (not extremes, the boundaries themselves) can often remove barriers not otherwise perceived. one can then often resolve an issue itself, rather than merely stonewalling at the physical consequences of the issue.

Plantagenet Penguinista

Search This Blog