Its finally here, but is it just me or does it just blow that you can't run this on Windows XP machines? Is this because of DirectX 10? Probably so. Why the hell does Microsoft not allow DirectX 10 on XP machines... I could care less about 2000 machines but at least go with where the masses are. Maybe you're better off getting Halo 2 on your X-Box 360. (The 3-month pre-pay option is the only worthwhile thing on XBOX live.)
For those of you who play Warcraft III : The Frozen Throne on the ever popular online gaming service, Battle.net, there is a pretty awesome custom map circulating. It is called DotA (otherwise known as Defenders of the Ancients). It is addicting and there is pretty much always a game to join 24/7.
This map updates on a regular basis and consists of many characters to choose from. For the most part, DotA is always welcoming friendly faces and gamers who just want to have fun. However, there are some scrunity about some particular players who start harassing others.
There is a way to alleviate these problems. There is a 3rd party app simply known as "banlist" released by banlist.nl. However, this program although has an excellent premise, is written extremely poorly as well as has various security holes including the sharing of personal data.
The netcast crew has scoured and found out about DotA Bot (currently at v8.41) which is created by SeCreTeC.
The Creators who go by battle.net avatars : PaigeMatthews and EmilyOsment on the Azeroth (U.S. East) realm have devised an excellent little app that embeds real well into Warcraft III (it designs smoothly right into the game's interface, no alt+tabbing necessary.)
The app, more commonly known as SeCreTeC has features such as:
-- Global Ban/Shitlist -- Ability to have a full-fledged shared server side ignore list.
-- Personal Ban/Shitlist -- Ability to have a locally stored (per user) client side ignore list.
-- Ping all timed-out/firewalled users -- Ability to ping every player via HTTP tunnelling (Very Nice!)
-- Country Checker -- Queries the Secretec Database for known IP ranges for particular countries.
The Country checker could be used in conjunction with either the personal or global ban/shitlists.
-- Auto-ban/shitlister -- Ability to automatically shitlist a user based on a specific ping level. (By default if a user goes over 150ms, the shitlister will add that user. You may auto-ban locally, globally, or both.
There are no limits to how many people you send to the globally stored ban/shitlist, however all transactions are logged for abuse. Although you do not have to specify a reason, it is recommended so that other secretec users can know exactly why a particular person is on the list.
You could automatically submit users IN REAL TIME or via BATCH which means use your local list and then at your interval send a copy of your local list to the global database. Every secretec user always uses the global shitlist before using their personal list.
The HD-DVD processing key which allows for unrestricted disc to disc copying of copyrighted work has been cracked in just about a month after the release of HD-DVD. (High Definition DVD)
It is a long 32-bit encryption key which has over 1,600,000 google page results (as of May 6, 2007). The key which circulated like a wild brushfire, has been a source of controversy. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) is definitively pissed off and are suing anyone who posts it even though it still takes some skill to actually use it.
Although you can't copyright a hexadecimal string, its the whole idea that this string can be used to thwart copy-protection on work that can be protected by copyright.
Lesson #1: The MPAA should take this as a lesson and realize by putting stuff viewable on personal computers, there will ALWAYS be a way to thwart copy-protection. That's the nature of data. Always has been and always will be. The only foolproof way of protection is a proprietary player with proprietary media that cannot be accessed on computers. (Paraphrased by Leo Laporte, TWIT #96 May 6, 2007).
Windows Vista, contrary to what's circulating around the 'net, will be a complete success. Most people with a decent job would go ahead and buy the OS starting January 29, 2007. With today's hardware, it should NOT be a problem running the slick new Aero interface at full speed. The hype of users switching to Linux (particularly Ubuntu) will soon fade. Mostly these are people who are anti-Microsoft and have nothing better to do than bash Windows, even though they use it themselves -- how hypocritical is that?
Two reasons: Linux does NOT have DVD-ROM playback support "out of the box" and MacOSX is too expensive for the average user. Unless you are a tech geek or an enthusiast, like many, you'll be getting Vista.
Sure Windows Vista will have a slight learning curve particularly to the XP novices, but the grasp will be a snap within a month of using it. Have a novice switched to Linux, the learning curve would be downright huge.
