Opinions | It's "pwned" idiots not "pawned"
AutoCad NetSession error timeout not downloading
Auto Desk and Auto Cad are losers! Capital L!
Their downloader is junk and I’m here telling you so and you’re here BECAUSE you know it!
If you can’t download using their Akamai net session downloader garbage do this. I mucked around with this for over an hour which is why I’m angry – they owe me time on my life!
Download this Akamai installer 64 bit installer or 32 bit installer > install > then go back to the AutoCad website, re-download your trial or application > agree to the terms > then install > AND TIP ME ON THE RIGHT VIA PAYPAL! $2 dollars please!
03-03-2015 admin Opinions, Software
Chromium OS Review – Ignorance is bliss?
So I recently touched base with a guy named Liam who blogs about Chromium OS (misunderstood by me as “Chrom OS”, I thought they were one in the same but apparently they’re not). I emailed him a few things I found after downloading a Virtual Box image he makes available for download.
You have to have a GMail account to use the OS although there is some kind of “guest access”, you can’t use that in any real practical way for computing though.
You can’t get to the root file system (I don’t see a way anyway), I did read online somewhere that it needs to be compiled for “file access” or something like that then Liam said you can access it but it’s “read only”, supposedly this is a good feature. (?)
You can’t install anything except from their app store, reminds me of Apple and how you have to hack the OS to let you install a real installable application (by hack I simply mean dumbing down a security setting). It would be nice if Chromium OS also had that feature, it is a Linux Kernel so…
The VBox Liam provides doesn’t seem to have the VBox additions thus I have no mouse, hence, all my other difficulties and inability to explore the Chromium OS without putting it on a Chromium OS compatible device. I’ll have to put Chromium OS on a real netbook or other device to fully explore it I guess. I doubt I will because of all the negatives of the OS.
You have to trust Google with all your data, it’s pushed to their data centers where the Feds can subpoena them for your information or just look at stuff at will if it’s older than 6 months (is that true for docs and other data or just email?). Sure, you’re probably not doing anything illegal but do you really trust Google or the Feds with your information? I don’t!
Because you can’t manage your own system at a file level you assume you haven’t been hacked or your device hasn’t been compromised. When you use the device I guess ignorance is bliss. There are lots of documented cases of Google Android devices being compromised in a myriad of ways, they’re almost on par with Microsoft! :-)
Another thing about bloggers (Liam included) is that I’m finding we’re not fully disclosing conflicts of interest. Liam is an employee of Google (working there now for 3 months at the time of this post – congrats Liam!). I thought his blog was a bit too positive, it sounded to me like he was cheer leading the product a bit too much. He’s been working with the Chromium OS now for 3 years. He confessed the Virtual Box image lacks full functionality but that he got requests for it so he continues making it available for download. In my opinion if the mouse doesn’t work it’s pointless but it’s his bandwidth I guess. I bet those downloading assume the mouse works like I did! Beware, don’t download the Virtual Box image – it doesn’t work :P
The ONLY good thing about the concept and philosophy of the Chromium OS and pushing your data into the cloud is you’re now device agnostic, you can log into another Chrome Book and have your “profile” if you will on any device. The negatives in my opinion far outweigh the one positive.
I have security concerns, where is the cache (your local “offline” copy?). Can another user read it from another profile? Can I boot into another OS on a pen drive (with Linux for example) and access the profile? I did fire up a live distribution and poked around a bit but didn’t have much there since I couldn’t get the mouse working in the Virtual Box image thus I never offline cached any data to the image. I was able to navigate the file system though, interesting layout. I sudo’d to root and could gain access to every folder. Seems like 3 disks, OEM, ROOT-A and something else, typical Linux file system layout really. What happens if the device is hacked like millions of Android phones were and are still today due to malware (yes, malware web apps). Just search online for “android malware web apps”. I can’t do anything about it because I have to “trust” Google to fix it, have no access to the file system and I then expose all my data to whomever now owns my device.
The Chromebook devices are CHEAP! By cheap I mean inexpensive BUT you pay a price. The price of lost privacy, even if there isn’t a “real person” looking at your data. It’s the price of becoming a statistic. They know your age, race, illnesses, where you live, what you look at online thus what you’re intrests are who you be with what numbers to dial (Biggie refferene :P). Wake up people, GMail, GDrive, etc is not “free”, Google uses that data and sells advertising or your stats to various buyers.
Digitally you are your data. I’d rather pay more to Google for the stuff I use if I could be black listed from becoming a statistic. If my data was private and mine but alas, I don’t think that option exists. You have to hand over your data and your computing soul.
I’m personally avoiding Chromium OS and cloud anything at the moment until I can guarantee my data is my data and it’s hands off from becoming a statistic. Unfortunately most people aren’t that technical and don’t have those options so they’ll all get pushed like sheep to the cloud :-(
31-12-2012 admin Operating Systems, Opinions
Google Gigabit – PURE HYPE don’t be fooled!
I think it’s a real shame that people (especially those in local governments) don’t see Google’s ploy for what it is and that people aren’t speaking out to take a more rational approach to the Google Gigabit Fiber announcement. It’s a marketing campaign, typically people / companies have to pay for a marketing campaign but not Google because of their marketing brilliance! I can’t believe how “excited” people are at the opportunity for “Gigabit fiber” to their houses. Would any other business making promises they may or may not fulfill get in trouble for this type of hype? Can we please look at this Google hype logically and sensibly?
1 – Google’s doing what a Walmart might do at the checkout when they’re looking to place a new store: “Can I have your zip code”. This is an attempt at Google to see where they can get the most bang for the buck, where the MOST customers might be. The old model was to build it and they will come. I suppose Google is smart about this approach, I bet one of their PHD’s came up with the idea!
2 – Customers, Google is not doing a service to the community, make no mistake about it. They’re looking to jump into the Cable TV business, the phone business (in part they already have), and anything else they can serve over Internet Protocol. You know, to take advantage of ANY connectivity you need a device, do poor and under served people have the devices to access digital data Google provides? I would suggest they don’t and they’ll always lag behind so no matter what Google says unless they have Section 8 computers and cell phones it won’t really help that class of population!
3 – Google would love to have their own network, that way they don’t have to be beholden to their competitors beefs, currently Google relies on external networks which are fastly becoming DIRECT COMPETITORS, ATT, NBC, ABC, Verizon, Sprint, Comcast, Charter, etc, etc, etc (some are direct already!). It’s only in Google’s best interest, NOT the community, for Google to get a fast and furious foot hold – to gain and take market share away from entrenched vendors. Is this bad? Probably not, competition is good but I think we need to know the real reasons for Googles Gigabit Hype, it’s mostly good for them not you even though you might see benefit in the end!
4 – Google’s marketing campaign, isn’t it a shame how we act like sheep? All Google has to do is drop an idea and right away millions of us are ready to fill out a survey and submit applications but for what? So you can get fast Internet to your house? So you can get viruses, spyware, filter through junk email and waste even more time updating your Google Buzz status? So you can download Avatar in 5 minutes instead of 55 minutes? How will this actually help anyone? It seems like more hype the more I think about it.
5 – Economic impact, I wonder how much real economic impact this will make on a community? Certainly you should already be seeing shifts in your local community because of companies like NetFlix. I bet there’s a local video store that’s recently closed in your local neighborhood because of slumping sales thanks to NetFlix or Block Buster online! It’s not that Google would be creating jobs, they’d merely be shifting them or they might in fact be importing them because the local community doesn’t have the skill or talent to support Google’s technology. I’m sure there are many communities who’ve experienced that, their talent pool isn’t Google qualified!
6 – Why would you want to be part of an experimental network? I can imagine anything that’s experimental would be buggy, it’s EXPERIMENTAL. They’ll be using you as the guinea pig or a lab rat. I wonder if users who suffer outages or poor performance will see their excitement wane? Maybe users will switch back to the more reliable providers they once vilified?
7 – If I think of anymore I’ll update the post!
What’s utterly shameful in my opinion (and not surprising) how most have give in to the herd mentality, we’re sheep, everyone jumping on the Google Gigabit bandwagon. Can someone with a voice louder than mine start bringing sense into the Google Gigabit conversation, it’s maddening how the public can’t see what’s truly happening! You’re being manipulated at Gigabit speeds!
18-03-2010 admin Opinions
Opinions | It's "pwned" idiots not "pawned"
AutoCad NetSession error timeout not downloading
Auto Desk and Auto Cad are losers! Capital L!
Their downloader is junk and I’m here telling you so and you’re here BECAUSE you know it!
If you can’t download using their Akamai net session downloader garbage do this. I mucked around with this for over an hour which is why I’m angry – they owe me time on my life!
Download this Akamai installer 64 bit installer or 32 bit installer > install > then go back to the AutoCad website, re-download your trial or application > agree to the terms > then install > AND TIP ME ON THE RIGHT VIA PAYPAL! $2 dollars please!
03-03-2015 admin Opinions, Software
Chromium OS Review – Ignorance is bliss?
So I recently touched base with a guy named Liam who blogs about Chromium OS (misunderstood by me as “Chrom OS”, I thought they were one in the same but apparently they’re not). I emailed him a few things I found after downloading a Virtual Box image he makes available for download.
You have to have a GMail account to use the OS although there is some kind of “guest access”, you can’t use that in any real practical way for computing though.
You can’t get to the root file system (I don’t see a way anyway), I did read online somewhere that it needs to be compiled for “file access” or something like that then Liam said you can access it but it’s “read only”, supposedly this is a good feature. (?)
You can’t install anything except from their app store, reminds me of Apple and how you have to hack the OS to let you install a real installable application (by hack I simply mean dumbing down a security setting). It would be nice if Chromium OS also had that feature, it is a Linux Kernel so…
The VBox Liam provides doesn’t seem to have the VBox additions thus I have no mouse, hence, all my other difficulties and inability to explore the Chromium OS without putting it on a Chromium OS compatible device. I’ll have to put Chromium OS on a real netbook or other device to fully explore it I guess. I doubt I will because of all the negatives of the OS.
You have to trust Google with all your data, it’s pushed to their data centers where the Feds can subpoena them for your information or just look at stuff at will if it’s older than 6 months (is that true for docs and other data or just email?). Sure, you’re probably not doing anything illegal but do you really trust Google or the Feds with your information? I don’t!
Because you can’t manage your own system at a file level you assume you haven’t been hacked or your device hasn’t been compromised. When you use the device I guess ignorance is bliss. There are lots of documented cases of Google Android devices being compromised in a myriad of ways, they’re almost on par with Microsoft! :-)
Another thing about bloggers (Liam included) is that I’m finding we’re not fully disclosing conflicts of interest. Liam is an employee of Google (working there now for 3 months at the time of this post – congrats Liam!). I thought his blog was a bit too positive, it sounded to me like he was cheer leading the product a bit too much. He’s been working with the Chromium OS now for 3 years. He confessed the Virtual Box image lacks full functionality but that he got requests for it so he continues making it available for download. In my opinion if the mouse doesn’t work it’s pointless but it’s his bandwidth I guess. I bet those downloading assume the mouse works like I did! Beware, don’t download the Virtual Box image – it doesn’t work :P
The ONLY good thing about the concept and philosophy of the Chromium OS and pushing your data into the cloud is you’re now device agnostic, you can log into another Chrome Book and have your “profile” if you will on any device. The negatives in my opinion far outweigh the one positive.
I have security concerns, where is the cache (your local “offline” copy?). Can another user read it from another profile? Can I boot into another OS on a pen drive (with Linux for example) and access the profile? I did fire up a live distribution and poked around a bit but didn’t have much there since I couldn’t get the mouse working in the Virtual Box image thus I never offline cached any data to the image. I was able to navigate the file system though, interesting layout. I sudo’d to root and could gain access to every folder. Seems like 3 disks, OEM, ROOT-A and something else, typical Linux file system layout really. What happens if the device is hacked like millions of Android phones were and are still today due to malware (yes, malware web apps). Just search online for “android malware web apps”. I can’t do anything about it because I have to “trust” Google to fix it, have no access to the file system and I then expose all my data to whomever now owns my device.
The Chromebook devices are CHEAP! By cheap I mean inexpensive BUT you pay a price. The price of lost privacy, even if there isn’t a “real person” looking at your data. It’s the price of becoming a statistic. They know your age, race, illnesses, where you live, what you look at online thus what you’re intrests 
are who you be with what numbers to dial (Biggie refferene :P). Wake up people, GMail, GDrive, etc is not “free”, Google uses that data and sells advertising or your stats to various buyers.
Digitally you are your data. I’d rather pay more to Google for the stuff I use if I could be black listed from becoming a statistic. If my data was private and mine but alas, I don’t think that option exists. You have to hand over your data and your computing soul.
I’m personally avoiding Chromium OS and cloud anything at the moment until I can guarantee my data is my data and it’s hands off from becoming a statistic. Unfortunately most people aren’t that technical and don’t have those options so they’ll all get pushed like sheep to the cloud :-(
31-12-2012 admin Operating Systems, Opinions
Google Gigabit – PURE HYPE don’t be fooled!
I think it’s a real shame that people (especially those in local governments) don’t see Google’s ploy for what it is and that people aren’t speaking out to take a more rational approach to the Google Gigabit Fiber announcement. It’s a marketing campaign, typically people / companies have to pay for a marketing campaign but not Google because of their marketing brilliance! I can’t believe how “excited” people are at the opportunity for “Gigabit fiber” to their houses. Would any other business making promises they may or may not fulfill get in trouble for this type of hype? Can we please look at this Google hype logically and sensibly?
1 – Google’s doing what a Walmart might do at the checkout when they’re looking to place a new store: “Can I have your zip code”. This is an attempt at Google to see where they can get the most bang for the buck, where the MOST customers might be. The old model was to build it and they will come. I suppose Google is smart about this approach, I bet one of their PHD’s came up with the idea!
2 – Customers, Google is not doing a service to the community, make no mistake about it. They’re looking to jump into the Cable TV business, the phone business (in part they already have), and anything else they can serve over Internet Protocol. You know, to take advantage of ANY connectivity you need a device, do poor and under served people have the devices to access digital data Google provides? I would suggest they don’t and they’ll always lag behind so no matter what Google says unless they have Section 8 computers and cell phones it won’t really help that class of population!
3 – Google would love to have their own network, that way they don’t have to be beholden to their competitors beefs, currently Google relies on external networks which are fastly becoming DIRECT COMPETITORS, ATT, NBC, ABC, Verizon, Sprint, Comcast, Charter, etc, etc, etc (some are direct already!). It’s only in Google’s best interest, NOT the community, for Google to get a fast and furious foot hold – to gain and take market share away from entrenched vendors. Is this bad? Probably not, competition is good but I think we need to know the real reasons for Googles Gigabit Hype, it’s mostly good for them not you even though you might see benefit in the end!
4 – Google’s marketing campaign, isn’t it a shame how we act like sheep? All Google has to do is drop an idea and right away millions of us are ready to fill out a survey and submit applications but for what? So you can get fast Internet to your house? So you can get viruses, spyware, filter through junk email and waste even more time updating your Google Buzz status? So you can download Avatar in 5 minutes instead of 55 minutes? How will this actually help anyone? It seems like more hype the more I think about it.
5 – Economic impact, I wonder how much real economic impact this will make on a community? Certainly you should already be seeing shifts in your local community because of companies like NetFlix. I bet there’s a local video store that’s recently closed in your local neighborhood because of slumping sales thanks to NetFlix or Block Buster online! It’s not that Google would be creating jobs, they’d merely be shifting them or they might in fact be importing them because the local community doesn’t have the skill or talent to support Google’s technology. I’m sure there are many communities who’ve experienced that, their talent pool isn’t Google qualified!
6 – Why would you want to be part of an experimental network? I can imagine anything that’s experimental would be buggy, it’s EXPERIMENTAL. They’ll be using you as the guinea pig or a lab rat. I wonder if users who suffer outages or poor performance will see their excitement wane? Maybe users will switch back to the more reliable providers they once vilified?
7 – If I think of anymore I’ll update the post!
What’s utterly shameful in my opinion (and not surprising) how most have give in to the herd mentality, we’re sheep, everyone jumping on the Google Gigabit bandwagon. Can someone with a voice louder than mine start bringing sense into the Google Gigabit conversation, it’s maddening how the public can’t see what’s truly happening! You’re being manipulated at Gigabit speeds!
18-03-2010 admin Opinions