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Tor:
The system is based on a concept called onion routing. It works like this: Messages, or packets of information, are sent through a distributed network of randomly selected servers, or nodes, each of which knows only its predecessor and successor. Messages flowing through this network are unwrapped by a symmetric encryption key at each server that peels off one layer and reveals instructions for the next downstream node.
I've always had wildcarding turned on in the main mail account on this domain. This has meant that any mail sent to x at digitalmediatree.com, where x does not match a real mailbox, falls through into the main account where I receive it. This was handy because I would catch misspelled names and forward them to their intended recipients, and also because I could just make up crazy email addresses on the fly knowing that any address I wanted to use would be automatically valid.
But the spam is finally too much. Even with pretty good filters. It had been hovering at around 500 spams a day, but then in the past few days jumped to over 700, and now this morning there were over 2,000 spams waiting for me (that is since late yesterday afternoon!)
So I turned wildcarding off. Any email sent to a nonexistent mailbox at this domain will now bounce. No big deal really, but I thought I'd mention it. And maybe that makes you feel better about your spam problem.
Anniversaries can be tricky to calculate, but by some measures August 14th 1999 is date this site came into being. I'm reminded of this because I needed to renew the domain name before the 14th so as not to lose it. And since I am going to be away next week, I went ahead and did it a few days early. Imagine that. Anyway happy 5th birthday everyone. And thanks for all 15,454 posts and 22,292 comments.
It doesn't include a camera, but the new Siemans SK65 phone has a qwerty keyboard design that looks like it might be a winner.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs successfully underwent surgery for a "very rare" type of pancreatic cancer. The operation was successful and he is recovering and expected back on the job in September. Think Secret has the full text of his email to Apple employees.
Now, don't get carried away. It's not a big deal or anything. Small gifts and professions of undying gratitude should cover it.
Okay, I think the phone is working. Mobile email is not working yet, but I am getting anything sent to that address on my computer (so I still get them, but not as fast.)
Phone update: completely not working now.
I bought Apple's new Airport Express a few days ago. I've been using it exclusively for it's music streaming abilities, forgoing the wireless router and wireless print server functionality. And even that is not so necessary at home, since it is pretty much impossible to be further than one RCA cord away from the stereo in my tiny apartment. But the small size means it can travel. And I've already spent an enjoyable evening sitting at the bar at Alias pretending I am a DJ. This is something I've always wanted to do, but since it is sort of crowded up front where the stereo is located, it was never possible. Same for 71 and aKa, where I expect to be annoying people shortly as well.
Ars Technica has the review. The only thing they don't mention, and I admit it is a minor thing, is that with the new setup you can now preview a song in your headphones while a different song is playing over the wireless link to the stereo. There was never a way to do that before.
Short history of Unix and C from the Economist:
But the [AT&T Bell Labs] were not only the birthplace, in this sense, of modern computer hardware. Much of modern software—computer programs and the special programming languages in which they are written—originated there too. Two instances in particular stand out: the programming language called C, which from the early 1970s has been perhaps the most popular programming language; and the Unix operating system, first booted up in 1971, and still going strong in everything from laptops to airline-reservation systems. Dennis Ritchie, who has worked at the Labs since 1967, was central to both projects. He is revered as the inventor of C, and, with Ken Thompson, as the co-inventor of Unix.