#high quality SMB Plug

[nulledclubproblog]

Human Resources Management Nulled Script 1.0G

Unlock Business Efficiency with Human Resources Management Nulled Script Looking for a comprehensive, cost-effective way to streamline your HR operations? The Human Resources Management Nulled Script is your all-in-one solution. This powerful script is crafted to automate and simplify human resource processes within the popular Perfex CRM platform. Designed for startups, SMBs, and large enterprises alike, this nulled version gives you access to premium features without the hefty price tag. What Is the Human Resources Management Nulled Script? The Human Resources Management Nulled Script is a robust HR module that integrates seamlessly with Perfex CRM. It empowers companies to manage employee data, attendance, payroll, and leaves—right from one centralized dashboard. From hiring to exit interviews, this script ensures every step in the HR lifecycle is smooth and automated. Best of all, you can download it for free and start benefiting instantly. Technical Specifications Platform: Perfex CRM Module Current Version: v1.0.9 File Format: PHP/MySQL Compatibility: Compatible with Perfex CRM v2.9+ Installation: Module import via Perfex CRM Admin Panel Features and Benefits Employee Management: Maintain detailed employee records with roles, departments, and contract details. Attendance Tracking: Automated clock-in/clock-out system with real-time data analytics. Leave Management: Manage employee leave applications, balances, and approvals effortlessly. Payroll Automation: Generate monthly payrolls, manage allowances, deductions, and print payslips in one click. Performance Tracking: Monitor and assess employee KPIs for better decision-making. Why Choose the Human Resources Management Nulled Script? This script brings high-end enterprise HR capabilities to your fingertips at zero cost. Unlike standard HR tools, it is tightly integrated with Perfex CRM, ensuring seamless workflow across departments. With the Human Resources Management , you don’t just save money—you gain operational speed, accuracy, and agility. Use Cases Small Businesses: Automate HR without investing in expensive tools or hiring dedicated staff. Agencies: Manage remote teams with centralized data and simplified payroll. Corporations: Enhance your existing CRM with a complete HR suite for internal operations. Installation Guide Download the Human Resources Management Nulled Script from our website. Log in to your Perfex CRM Admin Panel. Navigate to Setup > Modules > Upload Module. Select the downloaded zip file and click “Install.” Activate the module, configure settings, and start managing your HR processes efficiently. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Is it safe to use the Human Resources Management Nulled Script? Yes. We ensure that all our downloadable files are thoroughly scanned and tested for security and performance. Does this module require coding knowledge? No. The script is plug-and-play. If you can navigate Perfex CRM, you can use this module effortlessly. Can I get updates for the nulled version? While this version doesn’t include official updates, our community often shares the latest builds. Stay connected with us for updates. Will this work with the latest Perfex CRM version? Yes, it’s fully compatible with versions 2.9 and above. Always ensure you’re using a compatible version before installation. Get More from Your Tools If you’re already enjoying this HR module, don’t miss out on other premium resources. We also recommend checking out the UpdraftPlus Premium nulled plugin to secure your website backups at no cost. For a wider range of premium tools at zero cost, explore more nulled plugins from our trusted partner. Empower your site with tools that professionals use—without spending a dime. Final Thoughts The Human Resources Management delivers high-quality, feature-rich HR automation that rivals paid tools. Whether you're managing a team of five or five hundred, this script scales effortlessly to meet your needs.

[braininventoryusa]

Complete Guide to Hire Laravel Framework Programmers

Why Laravel Is the Backbone of Modern Web Apps

Laravel, the popular PHP framework, is loved by developers for its clean syntax, MVC architecture, and powerful features like routing, Eloquent ORM, and built-in security. Whether you’re building a custom web platform, a complex enterprise application, or a sleek SaaS product, Laravel has the power to deliver.

But here’s the real challenge: How to hire Laravel developers who are reliable, experienced, and aligned with your business goals? That’s where Brain Inventory steps in.

We help global companies hire Laravel Developer India teams that deliver robust, scalable, and maintainable web solutions — without the headache of managing hiring and infrastructure.

Why Choose Laravel for Your Next Web Project?

Before we jump into hiring, let’s get this out of the way: Why Laravel?

Clean, readable syntax

MVC architecture for organized code

RESTful routing

Seamless database migrations

Blade templating engine

Strong developer community

Laravel helps you build faster, safer, and more scalable applications — all while cutting down on development costs.

Why Hire Laravel Developer India?

Hiring Laravel developers in India brings you a winning combination of cost-efficiency, world-class talent, and 24/7 availability. Here’s why companies worldwide trust Indian developers:

Highly skilled and certified programmers

Lower hourly rates without compromising on quality

English-speaking professionals

Vast experience across industries and domains

Flexible engagement models

At Brain Inventory, we connect you with the top 1% of Laravel talent in India — pre-vetted, trained, and ready to work on your project.

Meet Brain Inventory – Your Laravel Development Partner

We are not just a recruitment firm. Brain Inventory is a full-fledged development company offering premium laravel software staff augmentation and project-based development. Our mission? Deliver reliable, high-quality code at lightning speed.

When you work with us, you’re not just hiring developers — you’re gaining a tech partner who’s invested in your success.

Laravel Software Staff Augmentation: What It Means for You

Laravel software staff augmentation allows you to scale your tech team without the hassle of long-term contracts, overheads, or hiring delays. Think of it as “plug-and-play” development — we provide the talent, you drive the vision.

Benefits of Staff Augmentation:

Rapid hiring within days

Complete control over the team

On-demand scalability

Reduced operational costs

Access to niche Laravel expertise

How to Hire Laravel Developers from Brain Inventory

We make it super simple to hire Laravel developers through a proven, frictionless process:

Contact us with your requirements

Get a curated list of Laravel developers with relevant experience

Interview and shortlist your preferred candidates

Onboard and start building — zero downtime

No recruitment hassle. No overhead. Just pure Laravel firepower on your team.

Our Laravel Expertise at a Glance

We provide Laravel development for all types of businesses and project scales. Here are some of our core competencies:

Custom Laravel Web Application Development

Laravel API Development & Integration

Laravel SaaS Application Development

E-commerce Platforms with Laravel

Laravel CMS Development

Laravel Maintenance and Upgrades

Whatever your idea, our Laravel developers can build it with pixel-perfect execution.

Flexible Hiring Models to Fit Your Needs

We know every project is unique. That’s why Brain Inventory offers hiring models that work for startups, SMBs, and enterprises alike.

✅ Full-Time Developer

Ideal for long-term projects. Developers work exclusively for you.

✅ Part-Time Developer

Great for smaller projects or supplementary support.

✅ Hourly Basis

Pay-as-you-go for maximum flexibility and minimum commitment.

With us, you can hire remote developers based on your budget, timeline, and complexity.

Why Brain Inventory Stands Out

Sure, there are hundreds of platforms where you can hire developers. So, why should you choose our company?

Pre-vetted Laravel experts

Transparent communication

Code quality audits

Flexible time zone alignment

NDA & IP protection

Complete post-launch support

We’re not just about delivering code — we deliver confidence, speed, and success.

Real Results: Laravel Projects We’ve Delivered

We’ve helped dozens of startups and enterprises grow faster using Laravel. Here are just a few examples:

Property Rental Platform – Built a fully functional web portal with booking, listings, and payments

Healthcare SaaS – Custom scheduling and patient record system for doctors

E-commerce Platform – Created a Laravel-powered online store with custom admin panel and payment gateway integration

Learning Management System – Enabled remote learning for schools and institutions with content delivery and exam modules

These are just glimpses of what our Laravel talent can do.

Security & Performance: We’ve Got You Covered

Our Laravel developers follow best practices to build secure, high-performing apps:

HTTPS & SSL implementation

Secure authentication systems

SQL injection prevention

Performance optimization using caching & indexing

Regular code reviews and security audits

Security is built-in, not bolted on.

Laravel + Frontend Magic: Vue, React & More

Need a modern interface with your Laravel backend? No problem. Our team can integrate Laravel with modern JavaScript frameworks like:

Vue.js

React

Angular

Alpine.js

You get the best of both worlds — powerful backend logic and dynamic frontends.

How to Get Started? Just Contact Us

Ready to hire Laravel framework programmers who can build, scale, and support your next big thing?

All you need to do is contact us. Share your project scope, and we’ll handle the rest — from team setup to daily progress tracking.

No risk. No delays. Just results.

Conclusion: Build Smarter with Brain Inventory

When it comes to building high-performing, scalable applications, Laravel stands out as a framework of choice. But tools are only as good as the hands using them.

With Brain Inventory, you don’t just hire Laravel Developer India — you hire dedication, innovation, and excellence. Whether you're scaling your team with laravel software staff augmentation, or want to hire remote developers for a brand-new product, we're here to help.

Let us turn your ideas into market-ready products. Let’s build the future — together.

[verifypostcardonline]

2025’s Leading Address Validation Software: Features, Reviews & Comparison

Address validation software has become a cornerstone of operational excellence in 2025. From customer onboarding to order fulfillment and direct marketing, it helps businesses avoid costly errors while enriching databases. But with dozens of tools on the market, choosing the right one can be overwhelming.

In this guide, we review and compare the top address validation software of 2025 based on performance, usability, integration, support, and user feedback.

What Is Address Validation Software?

Address validation software ensures that addresses entered into a system exist and are deliverable. It corrects misspellings, formats addresses to postal standards, and, in many cases, appends geolocation data.

Key functions include:

Syntax correction

Postal format standardization

Verification against postal databases

Geocoding and reverse geocoding

Real-time and batch processing

Top Features in 2025’s Leading Address Validation Software

Real-Time Validation

Autocomplete & Suggestion Engines

Global Postal Database Access

CASS, SERP, PAF Compliance

Data Enrichment & Analytics

Multichannel Support (Web, Mobile, API)

Security (SOC-2, GDPR, HIPAA compliance)

The Best Address Validation Software of 2025 (With Reviews)

Here are the best tools ranked based on feature set, customer reviews, and overall performance:

1. Loqate

Rating: ★★★★★

Strengths: Global data reach, geocoding, real-time validation, ease of integration

Integrations: Shopify, WooCommerce, Salesforce, BigCommerce

Ideal For: Global retailers and logistics

User Review: “Loqate is our go-to for international orders. Never had a failed shipment since we integrated it.”

2. Smarty

Rating: ★★★★☆

Strengths: Fast API, easy to use, affordable pricing, developer-friendly

Integrations: Native APIs, third-party tools via Zapier

Ideal For: SMBs, developers

User Review: “Smarty is blazing fast and easy to plug in. Our form abandonment dropped by 22%.”

3. Melissa

Rating: ★★★★★

Strengths: Data quality services, enrichment, compliance support

Integrations: HubSpot, Microsoft Dynamics, NetSuite

Ideal For: Data-driven teams, marketing departments

User Review: “Melissa helped us clean a 500k-record database. The difference in deliverability was immediate.”

4. PostGrid

Rating: ★★★★☆

Strengths: Print/mail integration, compliance, fast support

Integrations: CRMs, EHRs, and Zapier workflows

Ideal For: Healthcare, finance, law firms

User Review: “We love the HIPAA compliance and ability to automate physical mailings.”

5. AddressFinder

Rating: ★★★★☆

Strengths: Excellent for Australia & NZ, fast & accurate suggestions

Integrations: Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce

Ideal For: Regional eCommerce platforms

User Review: “A must-have for businesses in Australia. Address accuracy is spot-on.”

6. Experian Address Validation

Rating: ★★★★★

Strengths: Enterprise-grade, high data accuracy, trusted brand

Integrations: Enterprise CRMs, ERPs

Ideal For: Fortune 500 and multinational companies

User Review: “No-brainer for enterprise-level address hygiene. Support is world-class.”

SITES WE SUPPORT

Verify Postcards Online – ​​​Wix

[fromdevcom]

When it comes time to deploy a platform for new projects, set up a CRM server, or build a data center fit for a standard hypervisor, every IT manager or storage administrator is faced with the question of which type of storage to use: traditional SAN appliance or virtual SAN? In this article, we'll take a look at two SAN solutions, distinguish between them, and give you an answer on which one to choose for your projects. Сontents What is the Storage Area Network (SAN)? When utilizing a typical SAN device? What are the usual costs of SAN appliances? What is a vSAN appliance? Use cases for virtual SAN (vSAN) devices When should you utilize a vSAN appliance? Cost of a virtual SAN (vSAN) device What is the difference between a regular SAN and vSAN? Which SAN to choose? Conclusion What is the Storage Area Network (SAN)? In essence, SANs are high-performance iSCSI or Fiber Channel block-mode physical datastores that may be used to host hypervisors, databases, and applications. Traditional Storage Area Network devices, which are generally available in a 4-bay tower to 36-bay rackmount configurations, offer high-performance storage space for structured applications using the iSCSI and/or Fiber Channel (FC) protocols. Structured workloads include the following: Databases: MySQL, Oracle, NoSQL, PostgreSQL, etc. Applications: SAP HANA or other major CRM or EHR software. Large deployments of standard hypervisors such as VMware ESX/ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V, Windows Server Standard (or Datacenter) 2016/2019, KVM, Citrix (formerly XenServer), or StoneFly Persepolis For a better understanding of the difference between block storage and file storage, you can read this. When utilizing a typical SAN device? On-premises SAN systems are ideal for large deployments of critical applications with a low tolerance for delay. In addition to addressing latency problems, local SAN appliances offer you more control in terms of administration, operation, and security of physical devices, which is required by many regulating companies. With commensurate performance, SAN systems may scale from hundreds of gigabytes to petabytes of storage capacity. If your workloads have the ability to rise to this scale, on-premises SAN hardware is the superior alternative in terms of return on investment (ROI). That isn't to say that 4-bay towers or 6-bay devices aren't appropriate for SMB environments. It all comes down to the company budget, latency requirements, and the project(s) at hand. NetApp SAN, Voyager, Dell PowerVault, StoneFly ISC, and other on-premises SAN hardware are examples. What are the usual costs of SAN appliances? The level of cost of an on-premises SAN device is determined by the provider you choose, the OS you install, and, of course, the hardware specs you choose: system RAM, processor, network connections, RAID controller, hard drives, and other components are all important. Most vendors, including Dell, HPE, and NetApp, offer pre-configured products with limited customization options. As a consequence, you can find the price range on their web pages or in their catalogs. Other vendors let you customize your SAN hardware by selecting the characteristics that best meet your requirements. Before shipping you the plug-and-play appliance, they produce, test, and configure it. As a result, you could be given the qualities you desire within your budget. What is a vSAN appliance? Virtual SANs (vSANs) are iSCSI volumes that have been virtualized and installed on common hypervisors. Find out more here. The developer business VMware is responsible for popularizing the term vSAN in general. But VMware vSAN is not the only option provided. NetApp vSAN, StarWind vSAN, StoneFly vSAN, StorMagic vSAN, and others are examples of vSAN devices that are available. Use cases for virtual SAN (vSAN) devices Standard SAN and vSAN devices are similar in terms of use cases. The configuration is the sole variation between them. In other words,

vSAN equipment may be utilized for structured workloads just like classic SAN appliances (examples listed above). When should you utilize a vSAN appliance? The deployment of vSAN technology is very adaptable. A vSAN appliance can be installed locally, in the cloud, or on a distant server. This offers up a variety of applications; nevertheless, the flexible deployment has a number of drawbacks, including administration, cost, availability, latency, and so on. vSAN, depending on the vendor, promises scalable performance and a high return on investment when placed on local hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI), according to the supplier chosen (VMware vSAN is usually costly). Latency is a factor when using public clouds or distant servers. If it's in a nearby location, latency may not be an issue - as many companies who run their workloads entirely in the cloud have discovered. Furthermore, several business clients have relocated to the cloud before returning to on-premises. The causes differ from one situation to the next. Just because vSAN isn't working for someone else doesn't imply it probably wouldn't work for you. However, just because something works for others does not guarantee that it will perform for you. So, once again, your projects, finance, and performance and latency needs will determine whether or not a vSAN appliance is the best option for you. Cost of a virtual SAN (vSAN) device The cost of vSAN appliances varies depending on the manufacturer, deployment, and assigned resources such as system memory, CPU, and storage capacity. If vSAN is installed in the cloud, the price of the cloud, the frequency with which vSAN is installed, and the frequency with which it is used are all factors to consider. The budget of the infrastructure and hypervisor influences the ROI if it is put on an on-premises HCI appliance. What is the difference between a regular SAN and vSAN? Aside from the obvious difference that one product is a physical object and the other is a virtual version, there are a few other significant differences: Conventional SAN: To assign storage capacity for structured workloads, outside network-attached storage (NAS), or data storage volumes are required. If migration is required, it is often complicated and error-prone. This is permanent machinery. You can't expand processor power or system ram, but you can add storage arrays to grow storage. With an internal SAN, you won't have to worry about outbound bandwidth costs, server security, or latency issues. Virtual SAN: Provides a storage pool with accessible storage resources for virtual machines to share (VMs). When necessary, migration is relatively simple. Volumes in vSAN are adaptable. You may quickly add extra CPU, memory modules, or storage to dedicated resources. In a totally server-less setup, vSAN may be implemented in public clouds. Which SAN to choose? There is no common solution to this issue. Some operations or requirements are better served by standard SAN, whereas others are better served by vSAN. So, how can you know which is right for you? The first step is to have a better grasp of your project, performance needs, and budget. Obtaining testing results might also be beneficial. Consulting with professionals is another approach to ensure you've made the appropriate selection. Request demonstrations to learn more about the capabilities of the product you're considering and the return on your investment. Conclusion The question isn't which is superior when it comes to vSAN vs SAN. It's more about your needs and which one is ideal for your projects. Both solutions offer benefits and drawbacks. Traditional SANs are best suited for large-scale deployments, whereas vSANs offer better flexibility and deployment options, making them suitable for a wide range of use cases, enterprises, and industries.

[jcmarchi]

AJA Streaming for High-Performance and Dependable Streaming and Encoding

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/aja-streaming-for-high-performance-and-dependable-streaming-and-encoding/

AJA Streaming for High-Performance and Dependable Streaming and Encoding

AJA Streaming solutions include standalone and modular I/O devices, supporting the latest streaming software, codecs, formats, transport protocols and delivery platforms. Call Videoguys at 800-323-2325 for help finding the right AJA product for your workflow!

AJA HELO Plus – Advanced H.264 Streaming & Recording

HELO Plus is a compact, advanced H.264 streaming and recording stand-alone appliance. HELO Plus offers both SDI and HDMI I/O with the capability to stream up to 1080p60 to a Content Delivery Network and record simultaneously. HELO Plus offers high quality streaming with ultra-reliable performance for any critical streaming service needs, including eSports, news, sports, education, creator, live events, and beyond.

Features

Portable streaming with 3G-SDI and HDMI video I/O

Encode up to 1080p60 in H.264/MPEG-4

Web-based GUI preview window

Independently stream HDMI and SDI to separate destinations simultaneously

Combine SDI and HDMI to create Picture-in-Picture, Split screens, and other layouts

Add Graphics and Text Overlays

Schedule streaming/recording and schedule restreaming of recordings output from multiple input sources

Record to SD, SDHC, or SDXC cards, USB storage, NFS, CIFS, or SMB network

Front-mounted USB slot and SD card slot for local external storage

Support for RTP/UDP, RTSP, RTMP, RTMPS, HLS, and Unicast

SRT compatibility – Caller and Listener modes

AJA U-TAP Capture Devices Series

AJA’s U-TAP Video and Audio Capture Devices provide video users of all types with an inexpensive, extremely compact device that convert either an HDMI 1.4a or 3G-SDI video stream to USB. U-TAP accepts up to 1920×1080 HDMI or SDI inputs ranging from 23.98 fps up to 60 fps. The input signal is automatically scaled (if necessary) to the output size determined by the host application.

U-TAP Features:

One USB 3.0 (USB 3.2, Gen 1) port

8/10-bit video support

2-Channel embedded audio support

Rugged compact size

Power via USB

Loss of Signal output selections; Black (default), Blue Matte, 100% Bars

HD/SD HDMI Capture over USB 3.0

HD/SD 3G-SDI Capture over USB 3.0

AJA’s BRIDGE Family

AJA’s BRIDGE solutions deliver powerful, high-quality video workflows designed for today’s most demanding broadcast and IP production environments. Whether you’re contributing synchronized multi-channel video for REMI production with BRIDGE LIVE systems—including the new high-density BRIDGE LIVE 3G-8—or enabling seamless 3G-SDI to NDI and NDI to SDI conversion with BRIDGE NDI 3G, these turnkey appliances offer unmatched flexibility, reliability, and remote control. Ideal for broadcast, live streaming, AV integration, and content delivery across multiple formats, the BRIDGE family simplifies complex workflows while maintaining professional-grade performance.

Offering high density conversion of up16-channels of SD/HD or 4-channels of 4K/UltraHD, to NDI or NDI to 3G-SDI. Designed to drop into any existing NDI or SDI workflow as a plug-and-play appliance, it’s easy to deploy and administer.   

BRIDGE LIVE 3G-8 is a Broadcast quality, low latency turnkey systems solution for REMI, Synchronous Multi-Channel Video Contribution and Remote Collaboration. Up to 8 bi-directional, 3G-SDI ports, support 1080p Dual Raster and Frame Rates.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

SAMBA versus SMB: Adversarial interoperability is judo for network effects

Before there was Big Tech, there was "adversarial interoperability": when someone decides to compete with a dominant company by creating a product or service that "interoperates" (works with) its offerings.

In tech, "network effects" can be a powerful force to maintain market dominance: if everyone is using Facebook, then your Facebook replacement doesn't just have to be better than Facebook, it has to be so much better than Facebook that it's worth using, even though all the people you want to talk to are still on Facebook. That's a tall order.

Adversarial interoperability is judo for network effects, using incumbents' dominance against them. To see how that works, let's look at a historical example of adversarial interoperability role in helping to unseat a monopolist's dominance.

The first skirmishes of the PC wars were fought with incompatible file formats and even data-storage formats: Apple users couldn't open files made by Microsoft users, and vice-versa. Even when file formats were (more or less) harmonized, there was still the problems of storage media: the SCSI drive you plugged into your Mac needed a special add-on and flaky driver software to work on your Windows machine; the ZIP cartridge you formatted for your PC wouldn't play nice with Macs.

But as office networking spread, the battle moved to a new front: networking compatibility. AppleTalk, Apple's proprietary protocol for connecting up Macs and networked devices like printers, pretty much Just Worked, providing you were using a Mac. If you were using a Windows PC, you had to install special, buggy, unreliable software.

And for Apple users hoping to fit in at Windows shops, the problems were even worse: Windows machines used the SMB protocol for file-sharing and printers, and Microsoft's support for MacOS was patchy at best, nonexistent at worst, and costly besides. Businesses sorted themselves into Mac-only and PC-only silos, and if a Mac shop needed a PC (for the accounting software, say), it was often cheaper and easier just to get the accountant their own printer and backup tape-drive, rather than try to get that PC to talk to the network. Likewise, all PC-shops with a single graphic designer on a Mac—that person would often live offline, disconnected from the office network, tethered to their own printer, with their own stack of Mac-formatted ZIP cartridges or CD-ROMs.

All that started to change in 1993: that was the year that an Australian PhD candidate named Andrew Tridgell licensed his SAMBA package as free/open source software and exposed it to the wide community of developers looking to connect their non-Microsoft computers—Unix and GNU/Linux servers, MacOS workstations—to the dominant Microsoft LANs.

SAMBA was created by using a "packet sniffer" to ingest raw SMB packets as they traversed a local network; these intercepted packets gave Tridgell the insight he needed to reverse-engineer Microsoft's proprietary networking protocol. Tridgell prioritized compatibility with LAN Manager, a proprietary Network Operating System that enterprise networks made heavy use of. If SAMBA could be made to work in LAN Manager networks, then you could connect a Mac to a PC network—or vice-versa—and add some Unix servers and use a mix of SAMBA and SMB to get them all to play nice with one another.

The timing of Tridgell's invention was crucial: in 1993, Microsoft had just weathered the Federal Trade Commission’s antitrust investigation of its monopoly tactics, squeaking through thanks to a 2-2 deadlock among the commissioners, and was facing down a monopoly investigation by the Department of Justice.

The growth of local-area networks greatly accelerated Microsoft's dominance. It's one thing to dominate the desktop, another entirely to leverage that dominance so that no one else can make an operating system that connects to networks that include computers running that dominant system. Network administrators of the day were ready to throw in the towel and go all-Microsoft for everything from design workstations to servers.

SAMBA changed all that. What's more, as Microsoft updated SMB, SAMBA matched them, relying on a growing cadre of software authors who relied on SAMBA to keep their own networks running.

The emergence of SAMBA in the period when Microsoft's dominance was at its peak, the same year that the US government tried and failed to address that dominance, was one of the most salutary bits of timing in computing history, carving out a new niche for Microsoft's operating system rivals that gave them space to breathe and grow. It's certainly possible that without SAMBA, Microsoft could have leveraged its operating system, LAN and application dominance to crush all rivals.

So What Happened?

We don't see a lot of SAMBA-style stories anymore, despite increased concentration of various sectors of the tech market and a world crying out for adversarial interoperability judo throws.

Indeed, investors seem to have lost their appetite for funding companies that might disrupt the spectacularly profitable Internet monopolists of 2019, ceding them those margins and deeming their territory to be a "kill zone."

VCs have not lost their appetite for making money, and toolsmiths have not lost the urge to puncture the supposedly airtight bubbles around the Big Tech incumbents, so why is it so hard to find a modern David with the stomach to face off against 2019's Goliaths?

To find the answer, look to the law. As monopolists have conquered more and more of the digital realm, they have invested some of those supernormal profits in law and policy that lets them fend off adversarial interoperators.

One legal weapon is "Terms of Service": both Facebook and Blizzard have secured judgments giving their fine print the force of law, and now tech giants use clickthrough agreements that amount to, "By clicking here, you promise that you won't try to adversarially interoperate with us."

A modern SAMBA project would have to contend with this liability, and Microsoft would argue that anyone who took the step of installing SMB had already agreed that they wouldn't try to reverse-engineer it to make a compatible product.

Then there's "anti-circumvention," a feature of 1998's Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Under Section 1201 of the DMCA, bypassing a "copyright access control" can put you in both criminal and civil jeopardy, regardless of whether there's any copyright infringement. DMCA 1201 was originally used to stop companies from making region-free DVD players or modding game consoles to play unofficial games (neither of which is a copyright violation!).

But today, DMCA 1201 is used to control competitors, critics, and customers. Any device with software in it contains a "copyrighted work," so manufacturers need only set up an "access control" and they can exert legal control over all kinds of uses of the product.

Their customers can only use the product in ways that don't involve bypassing the "access control," and that can be used to force you to buy only one brand of ink or use apps from only one app store.

Their critics—security researchers auditing their cybersecurity—can't publish proof-of-concept to back up their claims about vulnerabilities in the systems.

And competitors can't bypass access controls to make compatible products: third party app stores, compatible inks, or a feature-for-feature duplicate of a dominant company's networking protocol.

Someone attempting to replicate the SAMBA creation feat in 2019 would likely come up against an access control that needed to be bypassed in order to peer inside the protocol's encrypted outer layer in order to create a feature-compatible tool to use in competing products.

Another thing that's changed (for the worse) since 1993 is the proliferation of software patents. Software patenting went into high gear around 1994 and consistently gained speed until 2014, when Alice v. CLS Bank put the brakes on (today, Alice is under threat). After decades of low-quality patents issuing from the US Patent and Trademark Office, there are so many trivial, obvious and overlapping software patents in play that anyone trying to make a SAMBA-like product would run a real risk of being threatened with expensive litigation for patent infringement.

This thicket of legal anti-adversarial-interoperability dangers has been a driver of market concentration, and the beneficiaries of market concentration have also spent lavishly to expand and strengthen the thicket. It's gotten so bad that even some "open standards organizations" have standardized easy-to-use ways of legally prohibiting adversarial interoperability, locking in the dominance of the largest browser vendors.

The idea that wildly profitable businesses would be viewed as unassailable threats by investors and entrepreneurs (rather than as irresistible targets) tells you everything you need to know about the state of competition today. As we look to cut the Big Tech giants down to size, let's not forget that tech once thronged with Davids eager to do battle with Goliaths, and that this throng would be ours to command again, if only we would re-arm it.

(Crossposted from EFF Deeplinks)

https://boingboing.net/2019/07/18/kill-zones-r-us.html

[poojajha]

Why Robotic Process Automation Is Good For Your Business

Today, as the competition heats up across sectors, you will probably agree that the speed and efficiency of delivery are as important as the quality of your products and services to differentiate. Robotic process automation (RPA) that precisely meets these demands continues to garner significant attention from businesses, saving time and lowering expenses through optimized operations.

If you want to transform your business digitally, there are more than enough reasons why you should prioritize investment in RPA solutions. A few of them can be as compelling as:

Enhanced productivity: RPA solutions are geared to perform routine tasks at incredible speed and much greater efficiency than your human employees would otherwise. For instance, consider the toil of extracting data from multiple systems to create weekly reports. Instead, an RPA solution integrated with your databases can help your employees pull and collate the information within minutes, making decision-ready insights available. Here rather than a replacement, the RPA solution empowered your staff to achieve more within a limited time.

Increased efficiency: Even the best of your employees have their limitations. However, RPA solutions are not constrained by such shortcomings and can perform uniformly 24x7. So while your teams can focus on tasks that require experience, creative acumen, and decision-making skills, RPA solutions can comfortably take over high-volume, low-value tasks and continuously process them, even beyond the business hours.  

Assured security: Information security is a veritable concern for all organizations, irrespective of their business lines. With RPA solutions, security can be highly simplified, as they allow you to put the necessary checks and balances effortlessly. With mission-critical business data being handled through RPA bots, your process owners can keep a tab on the processes in real-time and respond in case security thresholds are breached. Further, with the digital audit trail of processes available for the RPA solutions, it is now much easier to trace the root causes of incidents and failures.

Easy scalability: Agile and scalable business operations is a strategic advantage, especially if you are into seasonal business with varying demand cycles. Here modular RPA solutions allow you to smoothly ramp up and ramp down operational bandwidth per your business needs. This plug-and-play benefits mainly level the field for SMBs that lack the vast war chests of their larger industry counterparts for periodic investments in hiring people and building elaborate delivery infrastructures.

Better visibility: They say what cannot be measured cannot be controlled! Now with digitized business operations using RPA solutions, you can have limitless analytics on various operational metrics like cycle times, workflow patterns, throughput, and exception rates to arrive at much more informed decisions. Also, with processes driven by RPA solutions, it is now simpler than ever to harness the strategic insights you need to pinpoint bottlenecks and modernize your processes. 

Happier customers: The performance of your customer-facing teams is pivotal to making or breaking your business reputation. However, it's obvious that rising customer expectations and demands for more intuitive service delivery often stretch your front desk resources to their limits. However, RPA solutions have been designed to take such burdens off their shoulders so they can focus on what they do best: make your customers happy! For instance, specific customer services RPA solutions can automate standard query resolutions using chatbots, while your human customer services executives can take on roles like relationship building and addressing more complex cases.  

Final note

While the transformative benefits of the RPA solutions are undeniable, only experienced robotic process automation providers can bring the magic touch to help you enjoy them in totality. Because while there are many fishes in the ocean, only an expert understands your business's requirements almost intuitively and knows the best practices for securing the desired outcomes.

 Percipere, as an UiPath Silver Partner, is one such expert that is counted among the leading robotic process automation providers for its unmatched business understanding, proven technical skills, and implementation excellence. What sets Percipere as a class apart when it is about automating your critical business processes? Find out by getting in touch with one of their RPA consultants today!

[sendbigfiles]

5 Tips for Large File Transfers

It does not enumerate if you're a small liaison, an off-to-medium-sized (SMB) business, or an enterprise at some point; you'll likely need to change a large train transfer with a trading mate, third-party dealer, or client. Still, this may be a stressful event — but it doesn't have to be. Suppose you don't know how to support a large train transfer or warrant the tools to execute it duly. Prepare now by tracking down the tips, tricks, and results that make large file transfers a breath.

We'll help you learn started. Also are five ways to simplify the transmission of considerable train transfers.

1. Use a train transfer effect that guarantees the delivery of large lines

Still, homegrown results or open-source FTP tools to shoot and recoup lines, If you're using scripts. Scripts, homegrown results, and free tools are fine for small, ad-hoc train transfers, but large train transfers generally bear an impact with a bit of further heft and finesse to it ( i.e., a result with features that support a heavy train transfer workload).

These features can help give you peace of mind that your train transfers won't drop due to network connectivity — instead, they'll pause and continue when network problems are resolved. More yet, the train transfer process is checked every step of the way. Specific results will indeed advise you when the train transfer completes or notify you if they fail, so you aren't caught off-guard if your trading mate doesn't admit an anticipated train delivery.

2. Set up high vacuity and scaling to support changing train transfer needs

Still, transferring and reacquiring large train transfers may be the drive you need to start if you aren't set up for high vacuity or scaling in your association. High emptiness gives associations the maximum quantum of live time they can get, indeed in the event of a system failure or network issue. Still, an HA terrain will ensure all train transfers are rerouted to your remaining systems, therefore keeping your business conditions operating at 100, If a train transfer is recovering when a system goes down.

Scaling is inversely necessary. A scalable terrain promotes weight balancing. By adding several systems to a" cluster," train transfers will be unevenly distributed across your network to avoid backups or slow processing times. Scaling also supports a growing business. By using scaling and weight balancing, you're assured that large train transfers, especially for the enterprise, are high quality and delivered where they need to go successfully — no matter the volume of train transfers you shoot.

3. Shoot large ad-hoc entourage transfers through dispatch for presto, secure delivery.

Let's say you only need to shoot large train transfers occasionally. Still, you may not be willing to introduce entirely new processes to your terrain — but no way sweat, If so. There's still a way to shoot large train transfers securely and snappily to your trading mates or guests, and that way is through a secure dispatch module like Go Anywhere MFT's Secure Mail!

A secure dispatch module like Secure Mail would allow your workers to shoot ad-hoc dispatch dispatches and lines as specific" packages." Fast Correspondence has no size or train type restriction so that a large train transfer would be simple, completed in lower than five beats.

Also how it works. 

The hand uses the Secure Mail module or Outlook plug-in to draft a communication. Also, lines of any size can be attached, which are directly paraphrased to cover the sensitive data contained within. Once the transmission is transferred, the philanthropist will dispatch a unique link to the package. This allows them to download the communication and lines through a secure HTTPS connection.

For the especially security-conscious, train transfers transferred through Secure Mail can be word defended, given an expiration date, and allow a certain number of downloads before the lines within are deleted.

4. Shoot large internal train transfers with secure collaboration tools

There are add-ons for confederations that demand to modify large lines securely with inner addicts but want to avoid the cost and lack of security controls that come with a mainstream train-sharing product! Consider secure train sharing tools like Go Any where's Secure Mail, Secure Flyers, or GoDrive to support your internal train transfer conditions. All of these are affordable, practical, and easy to use.

GoDrive – A Great Train Participating Necessary

Workers and trading mates can use this Enterprise Train Sync and Participate (EFSS) effect to unite essential systems. GoDrive supports sharing large lines and includes useful collaboration features like modification shadowing, opining, media viewing, and more. Note Every case of Go Any where MFT comes with five free GoDrive stoner accounts.

5. top and automate average large train transfers to demote overall admin time

When dealing with large train transfers, especially bones you need to shoot to a trading mate or another position regularly, it may be a good idea to automate them using a train transfer workflow. A workflow can streamline your processes from beginning to end, giving you peace of mind that the lines being transferred or recovered will be secured with ultramodern encryption technologies, tracked with coarse examination and exertion logs, and delivered successfully to your philanthropist.

[alexfromtokyo]

My favorite studio headphones: PHONON SMB-01L Professional Monitoring Headphones “big studio sound in your ears “ The SMB-01L which reproduces large studio monitoring sound in a headphone has already won many praise reviews and audio awards as the best headphones of 2021 in Japan, Germany, Russia and England! The new revolutionary SMB-01L utilizes a 50mm diameter driver unit, further enhancing PHONON’s signature natural ultra-low range bass-monitoring capabilities. The high-end unit features a powerful magnetic circuit and a diaphragm with a “free edge” structure that brings a quantum improvement to the reproduction of raw sounds, increasing presence and achieving wide high-resolution dynamic frequency range playback. PHONON extensively tested various reference materials during the developmental stages to ensure the best acoustic balance for all genres of music. With PHONON’s unique tuning method, the SMB-01L achieves a stunning acoustic balance and a sound that closely resembles that of large high-end audio monitoring systems. Specifications: Type: Enclosed dynamic / Semi-open Driver：φ50mm Sensitivity: 102ｄB/1mW Frequency response:：10Hz-40,000Hz Maximum Power：1,000mW Impedance：32Ω Weight：343g (Excluding wires) Plug：Φ6.3 / Φ3.5mm gold-plated stereo 2 ways plug Cable: Detachable 3m (4 wires-type L/R independent ground wire connection) Features: • Exchangeable ear plates for use with both enclosed-dynamic and semi-open headphone types • Free edge 50mm driver • High-quality comfort sheepskin ear pads • Detachable cable (4-wire LR independent ground connection) • Case included https://ift.tt/2ZfSoSB

[techno-kryon]

Hire Dedicated Software Development Team in India Setup Your Offshore Unit

Setting up an offshore development company has become a prominent way of outsourcing software development projects. Offshore development implies having an experienced and dedicated in-house team at an expense that favours your pocket.

Offshore development has become a smart move for the establishment of the businesses and startups to orderly maintain implement and improve reputation for the advantage of their business. Trustworthy offshore development company carries out their adaptability to elevate their customers business.

With an offshore development team, you not only get developers but many types of professionals specialists from multiple domains. They might be a task manager, project manager, graphic designer, content writer, digital marketer or any crucial role player.

Why India is the best country for outsourcing development?

Based on the recent report, India is the first country that stands top on skill set, experience and availability for the resources.

The outsourcing development is always good to be established in an affordable country rather than maintaining your development team. India is one of the countries with affordable costs, which makes India one of the broadly favoured nations for setting up your offshore development team.

Aiming to expand your development team? Simply get in contact with Techno Kryon and we will offer you a chance to hire our web developers or app developers who best suits your requirement. Our only goal is to determine an engagement model that takes care of all of your development needs, while you consider your core business.

Developers in India would be a one-stop solution for your entire web related need that might be a web developer or app developer for your project or your client’s projects Techno Kryon lends its hand by outsourcing the developers. Our offshore development services assist you by leveraging our industry expertise and technical capabilities to spice up your business growth.

When you hire offshore developers from India, you get access to the most important pool of top developers in the world.

How to set up your offshore team

Have a clear map of what are all the projects you are looking forward to outsourcing, if not the whole project what are the specific tasks you are looking to un-trouble. First and therefore the foremost thing is to define whether you would like to develop a project from scratch, or simply want to outsource a module of it. There also are chances that you simply require a python developer and searching forward to hiring a fanatical python developer from the offshore development company.

Provide More Specification

Communication and straightforwardness are the most important columns that help your offshore development. Make sure your group is providing you with the call upon requests and run reports at whatever and whenever needed. Some tools can be used for maintaining communication with your offshore development team.

When it comes to finding a reliable offshore development team, Technokryon is your best offshore work partner. With a 95% successful client rate, we provide our clients with unmatched solutions for their projects. We endeavour to develop a client-driven software solution that imparts a unique identity to our customers. Our professionally experienced web developers work with innovative ideas that meet the business needs of our customers.

Assess & Track the efficiency of the team:

After the initial engagement, we would like to decide on the proper quiet setup for the event team. This would be an important step as recruiting an unsuitable developer will result in the wastage of costs, time and energy. Making the right decision would play a major role in the development of your company. Consider evaluation supports the team’s experience, level of education, attitude, motivation factor, leadership, team management, communication, adhering to the delivery deadlines and problem-solving skills.

Here Some More Benefits

India is the biggest talent pool with countless chief organizations, cutting edge solutions and the proliferation of high-speed internet access for facilitating self-learning that has created an outsized talent pool able to deploy software architects, developers and designers. These abilities make the Indian labour force, the premier appropriate and worthwhile for your outsourced software development needs.

Cost Efficiency

Transparent invoicing, faster time to plug, better-quality code ensures that SMB’s have a digital infrastructure found out cost-effectively that is simpler and affordable to take care of at the end of the day. The advantage of currency rates and exchange policies make sure that both the SMB and therefore the outsourcing partner have a win-win situation without causing any disruption in business services.

Strategic partnership

With outsourcing in India, you will use these benefits from the very first moment as an offshore development company will be your essential accomplice to push business development through innovation. From recognizing the right stages to implementation strategies and QC checks, we provide you guaranteed support in all features of your digital journey.

[customloading297]

Drivers Pcnet Laptops & Desktops

Since this is now became a common request by many, I decided to write a tutorial about Windows 9x (95/98/98SE/Me) usage on VirtualBox.

Drivers Pcnet Laptops & Desktops Refurbished

Drivers Pcnet Laptops & Desktops Best Buy

Drivers Pcnet Laptops & Desktops Cheap

Drivers Pcnet Laptops & Desktops

1,172 Followers, 293 Following, 11 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from abdou now online (@abdoualittlebit). Omega usb devices driver download for windows. Network Adapter 1 Use Bridged Adapter and ensure it’s a PCNET-Fast III; USB Set the USB controller to USB 1.1 (USB 2.0 didn’t gain widespread adoption until Windows XP) Whilst still in the Settings dialog box of your VM, you may mount the Windows 98 CD or ISO image before running it. Pelham laptops & desktops driver download. Once done, select OK to close the dialog box.

PenMount Windows Universal Driver V2.4.0.306(WHQL) for Windows 2k/ XP/ 2003/2008/Vista/7/8/WES7. The content is empty Download file missing Invalid download link. PenMount Windows Universal Driver V2.0.0.113 2007-12-24. The content is empty Download file missing Invalid download link Download speed is slow Others. Penmount driver download for windows 8.1.

Forenote: Windows 9x is not officially supported by VirtualBox team, which means, that it lacks Guest VM Additions, and it runs slowly, because VirtualBox is not optimized to run Win 9x. 1. Installation - I won't cover here in detail, except few points. Most CD-ROMs available for Windows 95/98 are not bootable, which means, that you must boot from DOS floppy, install DOS first and only then install Windows 95/98. *It does require DOS skills* Official bootable CD media is starting from 98SE. So if you're newbie, you should use Windows 98 SE bootable CD. Additionally I strongly suggest to limit system RAM to 512 MB for those OSes. Otherwise it will crash. (There are workarounds, that allow Win 9x run on modern physical systems, but I won't go into detail here) In some cases enabling or disabling AMD-V/VT-x can help you install the O.S. For this tutorial, I presume, that you are able to install the OS. Installing with ACPI: (contributed by Richard_S) Contrary to what you may have read here in some of the other VirtualBox Win98 threads, this is NOT because Win98se is a poorly written piece of antiquated crap that doesn't even know how to properly handle CPU IDLE. Back when a lot of todays young Linux geeks were still pooping their dipiys, Win98 was already supporting ACPI functions to create greener PCs and help keep laptops from running down their batteries in 10 minutes (which is exactly what DID happen to me the first time I installed Linux on a laptop that was working FINE in Win98). So, long story short, there is NOTHING really wrong with Win98, the problem is that VirtualBox's emulated BIOS doesn't fully match up with what Win98 expects a real ACPI BIOS to look like, so by default Win98 will not install ACPI support (and unfortunately, the older APM support doesn't handle CPU IDLE, so we get problems). The solution is to FORCE ACPI support to be installed, by using the /p j command line switch when running the setup program that installs Win98. This means that you can't just jam the virtual CD into the virtual CD drive and let 'autorun' take care of everything. The best way to handle this is to simply move the Win98 install folder from the Windows 98 SE CD onto your virtual C: drive in VirtualBox, then change directory to that folder in a DOS prompt and run the setup program manually: setup /p j This will force ACPI power management (and the associated CPU IDLE functions) to be installed, and your Win98 virtual machine will consume no more system resources when running than a similar XP or Linux virtual machine. 2. Sound /Audio Integration. In VirtualBox, you must enable Sound, and use 'Sound Blaster 16'. It is available since VBox 1.6.0. The procedure for installation is rather simple: NOTE: The procedure below is only needed if you switch from AC'97 to SB16. It is not needed, if you create new VM with SB16, then install Win98 on it. 2.1. Delete your sound card device and all unknown devices from 'Device Manager'. 2.2 Add New Hardware (from Control Panel).

Code: Select allExpand viewCollapse view

(img)http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/2780/win98soundscreenshot01xg6.png(/img)

win98soundscreenshot01xg6.png (44.95 KiB) Viewed 805988 times

Code: Select allExpand viewCollapse view

(img)http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/3426/win98soundscreenshot02sd3.png(/img)

win98soundscreenshot02sd3.png (39.97 KiB) Viewed 805988 times

2.3 Select 'no, device is not listed in the list'.

Code: Select allExpand viewCollapse view

(img)http://img397.imageshack.us/img397/7972/win98soundscreenshot03so7.png(/img)

win98soundscreenshot03so7.png (40.95 KiB) Viewed 805988 times

2.4 Let Windows search for non-plug'n'play devices.

Code: Select allExpand viewCollapse view

(img)http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/1111/win98soundscreenshot04gd2.png(/img)

win98soundscreenshot04gd2.png (42.2 KiB) Viewed 805988 times

2.5 It will manually detect non-plug-n-play devices. Click on 'Details' to show them.

Code: Select allExpand viewCollapse view

(img)http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/9726/win98soundscreenshot05yx4.png(/img)

2.6. It will find 'Soundblaster 16 or AWE 32 or compatible'.

Code: Select allExpand viewCollapse view

(img)http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/2001/win98soundscreenshot06me3.png(/img)

win98soundscreenshot06me3.png (39.92 KiB) Viewed 805988 times

2.7. Restart the VM. 3. Video driver integration. By default Windows 98 will run only in 640x480 resolution, 16-colors. Performance Note: VirtualBox is not optimized for 16-colors (4-bit) emulation. It works very slow this way. Having 32-bit True Color driver makes Win98 VMs run on VirtualBox *much* faster. If you want True color or high resolution, you need to download special drivers. 3.1. bearwindows driver (unstable) http://bearwindows.zcm.com.au/ NOTE: You must install 'Universal version' (2nd link), as the 'VirtualBox' version is known to have problems. WARNING: This driver is buggy, and many Windows fonts do not render correctly with it. Not recommended. 3.2. SciTech Display Doctor (recommended) The second option is to get the SciTech Display Doctor version 7 beta driver (12 MB) -

Drivers Pcnet Laptops & Desktops Refurbished

(contributed by Richard_S) https://www.dropbox.com/s/226caou8x0jf8 .. ctor-7.iso -or- https://docs.google.com/open?id=0BycgkM .. UhnWGRycVE The driver is a high quality commercial grade video driver (even includes some software emulated Open GL 3D support), and it does include an exe installer program. Despite having an installer, the SciTech Display Doctor is a little tricky to get going. After the program launches, you have to find the little round radio button link to click to 'enable' the new driver (otherwise you still have VGA). Even then, you can't select any higher resolution modes until you ditch the 'default monitor' and select one of the 'Super VGA' types. After fiddling around with the above changes and rebooting several times you should be able to select 800x600 or 1024x768 (or higher) resolutions with 32 bit color depth. (setting 32 bit color mode optimizes the interface with Virtualbox and really speeds things up) 4. Network Easiest thing, is to setup VirtualBox to NAT, and AMD PCnet-II network chip. It will be auto-detected by Win 9x.

5. Mouse (contributed by stefan.becker) VirtualBox 4.1 provides for Windows-98-compatible USB tablet device. Enable USB Tablet: VM->Settings->System->Enable Absolute pointing device then do: (enable Windows-98 mode) VBoxManage setextradata 'VM name' 'VBoxInternal/USB/HidMouse/0/Config/CoordShift' 0 docs: '12.3.8 USB tablet coordinates .. in Windows 98 guests' 6. Shared Folders Since VirtualBox shared folders won't work, there are other ways, such as SMB/Windows File Sharing. Recommended for Windows hosts. (Tested with VBox 2.1.2.-- and was successful with 'bridged' network. I had no success with NAT.) WARNING: I admit that with VirtualBox the network is very unstable, presumably due to very slow performance of Win 9x guests under VBox. For Unix hosts, WinSCP is recommended. Another way of read-only file sharing is to create a virtual CD-ROM *.iso file on the host and insert it into the guest VM. 7. Clipboard Host<=>Guest (contributed by stefan.becker) Clipboard integrated in VirtualBox only works with the Guest Additions, so not for Windows9x. But there is another solution: Clipboard over TCP/IP. A Solution tested successfull with Linux Host is ShareClip: http://homepage.mac.com/bnej/shareclip/ -Technologov Written on 2.9.2008, updated on 18.07.2011.

Drivers Pcnet Laptops & Desktops Best Buy

Please discuss this tutorial here

Drivers Pcnet Laptops & Desktops Cheap

Drivers Pcnet Laptops & Desktops

This topic is only for additions to this tutorial. Do not ask questions about how to get something working. Use a separate topic for that.

[kahnserversuk]

Buy HP DL360e Gen8 1U

Chances are your business has felt it—the mounting pressure to support more applications and users, store growing amounts of data, and manage an increasingly complex IT environment. These challenges especially impact value enterprises and small and midsize businesses (SMBs) where space is at a minimum and ITrelated capex and maintenance costs are always a concern. HP believes that a new way forward is needed for these cost conscious customers. For decades, IT systems have been getting incrementally faster and smaller. In the cloud era, it’s now time to also make them infinitely more intelligent and affordable. Whether you have specific infrastructure needs such as a domain controller, business-critical application needs like file and print, or even a Windows Server cluster environment, the HP ProLiant DL360e Server Series is ready to deliver the features you need at a price you can afford.

With the built-in intelligence of HP ProActive Insight architecture, HP ProLiant DL360e Gen8 is purpose built for SMBs and low cost enterprises with the following features: • Value-priced performance: offers the performance, reliability, and serviceability of industry-leading HP servers in a space-saving form and affordable entry point. • Automated energy optimization: enables a server infrastructure so intelligent it maximizes use of space, power, and cooling. • Integrated lifecycle automation: helps get systems online 3x faster, troubleshoot 5x faster, and deploy updates 3x faster with built-in features such as Intelligent Provisioning, Active Health, and Smart Update

What’s new HP ProLiant DL360e Gen8 is designed for essential needs of SMBs and Enterprise class customers with enhanced manageability, serviceability and efficiency features.

New features include: • HP iLO Management Engine: provides a lifecycle approach to deploying and managing the server, and automatically regulates power consumption and server performance. • Smart socket guide: enables intelligent, precise, and quick processor installation or upgrade, which lowers the risk of downtime for your business. • Intel Xeon 2400 series processors: optimized efficiency and performance with more cores. • PCIe risers, ball bearing rail kits, cable management: allow for fast access, quick updates and all-around improved serviceability. • HP SmartMemory: authenticates memory, helping confirm that the highest quality standards are met. • HP SmartDrive with intuitive drive activity: provides new, more intuitive drive activity and status indicators that enhance serviceability for easier management and reduced maintenance errors. • ProLiant Sea of Sensors 3-D: enables energy savings by providing a complete 3-D view of temperature in the server so that server fans can direct cooling to where it’s most required.

Key benefits and features Manage easier. Service easier. Worry less. Industry-leading management and serviceability make HP ProLiant DL360e an enterprise-class product—and offer you unprecedented peace of mind. • HP Active Health System provides 24×7 continuous health monitoring, 100 percent configuration change logging, and faster problem analysis with HP Service and Support. • Agentless hardware monitoring and alerting capabilities are built in with HP Agentless Management. Connect a power cord and an Ethernet cable, and it all starts working. It’s that simple. • New HP Insight Online provides one-stop, anywhere-anytime management. Monitor, manage, and support your infrastructure remotely, plus get seamless integration with HP Support Center and HP Insight Remote Support v7. • Intelligent Provisioning takes strengths from products such as SmartStart, Smart Update Manager, and ProLiant Support Packs, enhances them with the latest ease-of-use features, and places them where you can use them instantly on the system board. • User-inspired design features anticipate your needs and virtually eliminate common issues that result in downtime, including HP SmartDrive carriers, Smart Socket guides, “Snap and Go” rail kit options, enhanced cable and mechanical design.

Get the features you need with the performance you want. Fulfill essential needs.

HP ProLiant DL360e Gen8 servers deliver all the essential features you’re looking for in sleek 1U rack designed for space-constrained environments. • HP SmartMemory extracts all of the memory performance, dependability, and power savings ProLiant Gen8 is designed to deliver. A new 32 GB LRDIMM gives a maximum capacity of 384 GB, and new 1600 MHz speed memory options boost performance even more. • Up to two of the latest Intel® Xeon® E5-2400 Processors with 4, 6, and 8 core solutions, frequencies from 1.8 GHz to 2.4 GHz and power levels 60 to 95 Watts. • Embedded 1GbE quad-port 366i Network Adapter with 10GbE NIC options supported. • Up to four LFF or eight SFF HP SmartDrives with intuitive drive activity and status indicators that enhance serviceability for easier management and reduced maintenance errors. Maximum internal storage of 12 TB. • New Dynamic Smart Array RAID controller and support for HP Smart Storage including PCIe 3.0, HP SmartDrives, and HP Flash Backed Write Cache with capacity up to 2 GB on Smart Array.

Keep it cool—and efficient. Lower cost of operation.

Intelligent server and infrastructure technologies reduce the power and airflow needed to operate the HP ProLiant DL360e Gen8 for high-energy efficiency and a lower cost of operation. • Automated energy optimization improves the server’s ability to analyze and respond to the industry’s first 3-D Sea of Sensors data within the server, as well as self-identify location and inventory through Insight Control for maximum workload optimization across the entire data center. • Right-sized ProLiant power supplies meet exact needs, reclaiming lost data center power. Less over-subscription means more capacity opportunity. HP Power Adviser selects the appropriate size power supply. • Industry-first high-efficiency HP Platinum Plus power supplies (460W, 750W) communicate with an HP Intelligent PDU to automatically track servers as they are plugged in and help ensure that redundant power supplies are actually plugged into redundant PDUs. • ENERGY STAR® qualified server configurations demonstrate HP’s continued commitment to helping you conserve energy and save money. High-efficiency processor options provide the additional flexibility to minimize power requirements without compromising performance.

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[dropswisdom]

Ugoos Am6 Plus is Ugoos’ newest Android TV box, and I can honestly say, it’s not only their best box yet, but one of the best boxes I ever reviewed so far!

Thanks goes to James from Ugoos for providing the Review sample.

    What’s in the Box?



AM6 Plus arrived in a simply designed square cardboard box, in white and green. Inside I found, aside for the AM6 Plus itself and its two antennas, a quite standard affair of: Infrared remote control, HDMI 2.1 cable, a 12v power adapter and a UK adapter plug, as well as a small user manual. No OTG cable is included, but considering the power-box this model is, I cannot complain.

  AM6 Plus Looks

AM6 Plus is a black metallic square box, not dissimilar to other boxes from other manufacturers.. but.. for one, it is made of metal. Blacked out aluminium shell to be exact with plenty of venting holes and slots. The power led is actually on the top of the box, inside the first “o” of Ugoos manufacturer’s logo. The box also comes with a dual antenna setup which may be responsible for the very good WiFi performance measured. The rest are quite standard – multiple ports and slots arranged around the box’s periphery, with one port which I miss – a USB-C port. There are USB 2.0 ports, and a single USB 3.0 port, but not USB-C port.

AM6 Plus – Top

AM6 Plus – Bottom

AM6 Plus – Left

AM6 Plus – Right

AM6 Plus – Back

AM6 Plus – Front

Here are the items that come in the box: AM6 Plus, Two antennas, Infrared remote control, HDMI 2.1 cable, a 12v power adapter and a UK adapter plug, as well as a small user manual.

AM6 Plus Specifications

Chipset Amlogic S922XJ with 12nm，Quad core ARM Cortex-A73 and dual-core ARM Cortex-A53 CPU GPU ARM Mali TM-G52 MP6(6ppc) Memory / Storage LPDDR4 4GB / 32GB (EMMC) LAN 1*RJ45 1000M (1000M Ethernet Integrated IEEE 802.3 10/100/1000M Ethernet MAC with RGMII interface) Wireless 2.4G+5G The wireless module complies with IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 2×2 MIMO standard and it can achieve up to a speed of 867Mbps with dual stream in 802.11n to connect the wireless LAN (WiFi Module: AmPak 6398S) Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.0 with LE technology OS Android 9.0 Pie Video Output HDMI (2.1 and 2.0) to support maximum 4K@60fps output(HDCP2.2) Audio Output / Input Supports MP3, AAC, WMA, RM, FLAC, Ogg and programmable with 7.1/5.1 down-mixing I2S audio interface supporting 2-channel input and 8-channel (7.1) output Built-in serial digital audio SPDIF/IEC958 output and PCM input/output Built-in stereo audio DAC, Stereo digital microphone PDM input Support concurrent dual audio stereo channel output with combination of analog+PCM or I2S+PCM Power DC 12V/2A Peripheral Interface 1 * HDMI 2.1, 1 * USB 3.0 Fast Speed, 3 * USB 2.0 Host, 1 * SPDIF, 1 * DC Jack, 1 * TF Card (MicroSD), up to 32GB (SD 2.X, SD 3.X, SD 4.X, eMMC ver 5.0), 1 * 3.5mm Stereo input/output Packing Included IR Remote controller, Dimensions 117mm * 117mm * 18.5mm, 300 grams

  AM6 Plus Benchmarks and Testing

All completed benchmarks have been repeated 3 times and results have been averaged to give a more accurate reading:

Antutu Benchmark

The Antutu benchmark tests single core performance over multi-core as it is a better indication of the performance of one device over others in most situations. Ugoos AM6 Plus jumps the queue and takes first place! above any other device I’ve tested so far.

Bellow is a screenshot of the latest Antutu benchmark (I have not tested other boxes with this new version, so there is no comparison graph as yet):

    GPU Mark Benchmark

Average & Screen Normalized Score

Average frames per second

GPU Mark tests 3d gaming performance and also provides a normalized score according to the used screen resolution (for a more accurate result). The test is quite short and should be taken as a supporting result to that of the more serious 3D Mark benchmark. Ugoos AM6 Plus reached 3rd place in average frames per second, and only 5th place in the average and screen normalized score. However, the seemingly low placement may be deceiving as it’s not far off from it’s competitors, and the one that tops the chart is a tablet that contains a much more powerful GPU.

    A1 SD Benchmark

Internal/External Storage Speed

RAM Copy Speed

A1 SD Benchmark tests RAM and flash memory speeds. As can be seen in the provided graphs, RAM is much faster (by a factor of about 40) than flash memory – that is why it’s in smaller amount and is also volatile (does not keep its contents after a reboot). Ugoos AM6 Plus shows its muscles as its DDR4 speedy RAM wins it second place in RAM copy speed test, and its updated eMMC storage flash places it in third place in Internal/External storage speed tests.

    PC Mark Benchmark

AM6 Plus wins first place in this extensive suite of productivity tests which is designed to show a more balanced picture of an android device’s ability to perform various tasks such as spreadsheet calculations, photo editing, complex web page browsing and more.

  3D Mark Benchmark

3D Mark benchmark is considered as one of the best ways to test 3d performance on Android (and other platforms). Ugoos AM6 Plus takes second place, right after the aforementioned tablet.

    AM6 Plus Extra Benchmarks

For some more information, see the following screenshots from other benchmarks such as AndroBench, Mobile GPU Benchmark, Vellamo, Passmark, and SD Card Test Pro:

AndroBench

  Mobile GPU Benchmark

  Vellamo

  Passmark

  SD Card Test Pro

  AM6 Plus Bugs and Issues

AM6 Plus refuses ADB connect requests, thus making use of SCRCPY remote control program not possible. For SCRCPY to work, wifi debugging need to be enabled under debug settings, developer options need to be enabled and USB Debugging needs to be on, and then adb kill-server command followed by adb shell command ran from the PC. Then a prompt will appear to authorize the RSA key for the connecting PC, and after that, SCRCPY will work.

Built in Samba file server only supports SMB v1, which means Windows 10 owners are unable to access the AM6 Plus files over the LAN. However, the built-in Samba client supports upto and including v3 – so there is no issue for the AM6 Plus to read files from any Samba share on a local network.

The IR remote that comes with the AM6 Plus is less than ideal. It’s very directional and keys are not sensitive.

8k video works somewhat, but I think software optimization can improve on it and give this box a much longer shelf life.

Angry Birds 2 no-click-possible-for-next-level bug is present and accounted for.

  AM6 Plus Root function

AM6 Plus come with a built-in root function which works like a charm. All you need to do is go to the settings, locate it under Uggos settings section, and turn it on or off as needed. It will keep after reboot, till you decide to turn it off. The power and decision are all yours!

    AM6 Plus Video Playback testing (Using KODI)

Resolution Video Format Local Playback Network (Wi-Fi) Playback 720p (1280*720) AVC (High@L4.1) Plays Okay Plays Okay 1080P (1920*1080) AVC (High@L4) Plays Okay Plays Okay  2160P (3840*2160) HEVC (H.265) Plays Okay Plays Okay 4K (4096*2304) AVC (High@L5.1) Plays Okay Plays Okay 4K HDR HEVC Main 10@L5@High HDR10 Plays Okay Some buffering 4K TS HEVC HEVC (H.265) 10Bit Plays Okay Mixed experience

The box does perform well in day to day situations (most videos played are 1080p or standard 4k), however, it seems that network optimization needs some work as even with the good speedtest results, buffering of heavy video files was observed. Still, the playback results are quite good in general.

AM6 Plus showed excellent picture quality, and also surprised with partial support for 8K video. This chipset does not officially support 8k, but with the new crop of 8k supporting AV receivers (for now, Denon already declared it) coming later this year, I have tested a few 8k video files. As can be seen in the above table, all of them actually played, with mixed results. For me it means that this box is capable of playing 8k, even though it would be limited up-to 30 frames per second. With some software optimization, it can even be a smooth experience.

  AM6 Plus was also tested with HDR content as it becomes more and more common in today’s TV and projector sets. HDR contains more information and is definitely heavier than standard 4k content. As such I did notice a bit of buffering with it – when played over wireless LAN. Again, an issue that may be solvable with some updates.

  AM6 Plus Network performance

I tested the network performance using the popular Speedtest.net application from the play store. I tested both WiFi (the fastest WiFi supported – in this case 5GHz 802.11ac), and wired connection (in my case AV1200 Ethernet over power line). My home connection is a symmetric 500 Mb Fiber connection so it would not limit the testing (but the Ethernet over power line connection does) – Ugoos AM6 Plus performed above average with high ranking results for 5GHz WiFi network, and much lower results with my powerline adapter wired connection:

Speed Test – WiFi

  Speedtest Wired

    AM6 Plus Gaming performance

Ugoos AM6 Plus performed smoothly as expected in the gaming tests. It’s graphic chip can handle most games without an issue. However, control may be an issue, unless you splurge for a game pad or other more gaming friendly remote.

Asphalt 8 Airborne – a 3d graphic intensive racing game. AM6 Plus Loads and runs it smoothly, Using the included standard IR remote I could steer, but could not use Nitro..

Angry Birds 2 – a popular 2d action game. AM6 Plus run it smoothly and loaded the stages fast, but had this bug I noticed in other TV boxes, where at one point you could not click on an icon to continue to the next level and so you get stuck.

Walking War Robots – an online robot warfare game that requires a game-pad (I don’t have a game-pad). AM6 Plus runs it well, as long as you have a gamepad or a air mouse. Otherwise, control is only partial and you cannot complete a battle.

    AM6 Plus Conclusions

Did I like it? Yes. It is not a perfect box, and the lack of v2/v3 samba server support is very disturbing, but it is a very stable, and a super fast TV Box.

Would I recommend it? Yes. It is a serious contender in the top android TV box market. Good quality build, lots of ventilation, a little pricey but you can see what you are paying for.

You like it! Where can you buy it? There are few options to buy the Ugoos AM6 Plus:

159 USD (before any coupon discount, currently at 10%): UGOOS AM6 PLUS Amlogic S922X-J 2.2GHz 4GB DDR4 32GB ROM Smart Android 9.0 TV Box 2.4G 5G WiFi 1000M Bluetooth 4K HD Media Player

Some cheaper options are out there, but this is the higher spec version with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of built in storage.

Same price can be found here (no coupons available on page though): UGOOS AM6 Plus Amlogic S922XJ 4GB/32GB Android 9.0 4K TV BOX Wake Up on LAN with 2.4G+5G MIMO WIFI 1000M LAN Bluetooth 5.0 HDMI 2.1 USB 3.0 – Black

Other places I checked are: Amazon (no availability or price), eBay (significantly higher pricing), or other Chinese stores which either offer a higher price or different models such as the AM6 Pro.

Review | Ugoos AM6 Plus Amlogic S922XJ TV Box Ugoos Am6 Plus is Ugoos' newest Android TV box, and I can honestly say, it's not only their best box yet, but one of the best boxes I ever reviewed so far!

[office-deals-blog]

Lenovo ThinkPad E490 Zwart Notebook 356 cm 14 1920 x 1080 Pixels Intel 8ste generatie Core i5 i5-8265U 8 GB DDR4-SDRAM 256

Lenovo ThinkPad E490 Producttype Notebook Vormfactor Clamshell Processorfamilie Intel 8ste generatie Core i5 Processormodel i5-8265U Frequentie van processor 16 GHz Beeldschermdiagonaal 356 cm 14 HD type Full HD Resolutie 1920 x 1080 Pixels Intern geheugen 8 GB Intern geheugentype DDR4-SDRAM Totale opslagcapaciteit 256 GB Opslagmedia SSD Ingebouwde grafische adapter Inclusief besturingssysteem Windows 10 Pro Kleur van het product ZwartpbImpressive features Incredible valuebbrA sleek design and small footprint ensure the ThinkPad E490 laptop is the perfect choice for professionals on the go This lightweight SMB device boasts powerful performance with the latest Intel CPUs dual storage drive options and optional AMD discrete graphics Plus robust security features keep your data safebrbrbSay goodbye to vulnerabilitybbrThinkPad E490s optional security features help your SMB take control The fingerprint reader adds secure biometric authentication while the discrete trusted platform module TPM encrypts data at the hardware level We take care of security so you can take care of businessbrbrbPacked with powerbbrThe ThinkPad E490 features the latest Intel Quad Core processorswhich means that everythings accelerated from everyday computing and opening media-rich files to loading high-performance gamesbrbrbBuilt for businesstested for lifebbrThe ThinkPad E490 is tested against industry-standard quality checks to ensure reliability Our ThinkPad E Series PCs undergo a range of testing like hinge life-cycle durability fan testing to keep thermals in check vibration and non-repetitive shock tests for everyday handling and transporting and even keyboard testing to verify sturdiness and longevity of keys and components When you buy the E490 you get the perfect blend of value and durabilitybrbrbGo from 0 to 80 in 60 minutesbbrThe ThinkPad E490 boosts your productivity with 13 hours of battery life Whats more when you do need to plug in Rapid Charge technology provides 80 capacity in just an hour So a 60-minute lunch break or a layover can easily boost your battery for more than a days workbrbrBased on testing with MobileMark 2014 Battery life varies significantly with settings usage and other factors Rapid Charge functionality requires the 65Wh adapter http://dlvr.it/RHG2Y0

[neptunecreek]

SAMBA versus SMB: Adversarial Interoperability is Judo for Network Effects

Before there was Big Tech, there was "adversarial interoperability": when someone decides to compete with a dominant company by creating a product or service that "interoperates" (works with) its offerings.

In tech, "network effects" can be a powerful force to maintain market dominance: if everyone is using Facebook, then your Facebook replacement doesn't just have to be better than Facebook, it has to be so much better than Facebook that it's worth using, even though all the people you want to talk to are still on Facebook. That's a tall order.

Adversarial interoperability is judo for network effects, using incumbents' dominance against them. To see how that works, let's look at a historical example of adversarial interoperability role in helping to unseat a monopolist's dominance.

The first skirmishes of the PC wars were fought with incompatible file formats and even data-storage formats: Apple users couldn't open files made by Microsoft users, and vice-versa. Even when file formats were (more or less) harmonized, there was still the problems of storage media: the SCSI drive you plugged into your Mac needed a special add-on and flaky driver software to work on your Windows machine; the ZIP cartridge you formatted for your PC wouldn't play nice with Macs.

But as office networking spread, the battle moved to a new front: networking compatibility. AppleTalk, Apple's proprietary protocol for connecting up Macs and networked devices like printers, pretty much Just Worked, providing you were using a Mac. If you were using a Windows PC, you had to install special, buggy, unreliable software.

And for Apple users hoping to fit in at Windows shops, the problems were even worse: Windows machines used the SMB protocol for file-sharing and printers, and Microsoft's support for MacOS was patchy at best, nonexistent at worst, and costly besides. Businesses sorted themselves into Mac-only and PC-only silos, and if a Mac shop needed a PC (for the accounting software, say), it was often cheaper and easier just to get the accountant their own printer and backup tape-drive, rather than try to get that PC to talk to the network. Likewise, all PC-shops with a single graphic designer on a Mac—that person would often live offline, disconnected from the office network, tethered to their own printer, with their own stack of Mac-formatted ZIP cartridges or CD-ROMs.

All that started to change in 1993: that was the year that an Australian PhD candidate named Andrew Tridgell licensed his SAMBA package as free/open source software and exposed it to the wide community of developers looking to connect their non-Microsoft computers—Unix and GNU/Linux servers, MacOS workstations—to the dominant Microsoft LANs.

SAMBA was created by using a "packet sniffer" to ingest raw SMB packets as they traversed a local network; these intercepted packets gave Tridgell the insight he needed to reverse-engineer Microsoft's proprietary networking protocol. Tridgell prioritized compatibility with LAN Manager, a proprietary Network Operating System that enterprise networks made heavy use of. If SAMBA could be made to work in LAN Manager networks, then you could connect a Mac to a PC network—or vice-versa—and add some Unix servers and use a mix of SAMBA and SMB to get them all to play nice with one another.

The timing of Tridgell's invention was crucial: in 1993, Microsoft had just weathered the Federal Trade Commission’s antitrust investigation of its monopoly tactics, squeaking through thanks to a 2-2 deadlock among the commissioners, and was facing down a monopoly investigation by the Department of Justice.

The growth of local-area networks greatly accelerated Microsoft's dominance. It's one thing to dominate the desktop, another entirely to leverage that dominance so that no one else can make an operating system that connects to networks that include computers running that dominant system. Network administrators of the day were ready to throw in the towel and go all-Microsoft for everything from design workstations to servers.

SAMBA changed all that. What's more, as Microsoft updated SMB, SAMBA matched them, relying on a growing cadre of software authors who relied on SAMBA to keep their own networks running.

The emergence of SAMBA in the period when Microsoft's dominance was at its peak, the same year that the US government tried and failed to address that dominance, was one of the most salutary bits of timing in computing history, carving out a new niche for Microsoft's operating system rivals that gave them space to breathe and grow. It's certainly possible that without SAMBA, Microsoft could have leveraged its operating system, LAN and application dominance to crush all rivals.

So What Happened?

We don't see a lot of SAMBA-style stories anymore, despite increased concentration of various sectors of the tech market and a world crying out for adversarial interoperability judo throws.

Indeed, investors seem to have lost their appetite for funding companies that might disrupt the spectacularly profitable Internet monopolists of 2019, ceding them those margins and deeming their territory to be a "kill zone."

VCs have not lost their appetite for making money, and toolsmiths have not lost the urge to puncture the supposedly airtight bubbles around the Big Tech incumbents, so why is it so hard to find a modern David with the stomach to face off against 2019's Goliaths?

To find the answer, look to the law. As monopolists have conquered more and more of the digital realm, they have invested some of those supernormal profits in law and policy that lets them fend off adversarial interoperators.

One legal weapon is "Terms of Service": both Facebook and Blizzard have secured judgments giving their fine print the force of law, and now tech giants use clickthrough agreements that amount to, "By clicking here, you promise that you won't try to adversarially interoperate with us."

A modern SAMBA project would have to contend with this liability, and Microsoft would argue that anyone who took the step of installing SMB had already agreed that they wouldn't try to reverse-engineer it to make a compatible product.

Then there's "anti-circumvention," a feature of 1998's Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Under Section 1201 of the DMCA, bypassing a "copyright access control" can put you in both criminal and civil jeopardy, regardless of whether there's any copyright infringement. DMCA 1201 was originally used to stop companies from making region-free DVD players or modding game consoles to play unofficial games (neither of which is a copyright violation!).

But today, DMCA 1201 is used to control competitors, critics, and customers. Any device with software in it contains a "copyrighted work," so manufacturers need only set up an "access control" and they can exert legal control over all kinds of uses of the product.

Their customers can only use the product in ways that don't involve bypassing the "access control," and that can be used to force you to buy only one brand of ink or use apps from only one app store.

Their critics—security researchers auditing their cybersecurity—can't publish proof-of-concept to back up their claims about vulnerabilities in the systems.

And competitors can't bypass access controls to make compatible products: third party app stores, compatible inks, or a feature-for-feature duplicate of a dominant company's networking protocol.

Someone attempting to replicate the SAMBA creation feat in 2019 would likely come up against an access control that needed to be bypassed in order to peer inside the protocol's encrypted outer layer in order to create a feature-compatible tool to use in competing products.

Another thing that's changed (for the worse) since 1993 is the proliferation of software patents. Software patenting went into high gear around 1994 and consistently gained speed until 2014, when Alice v. CLS Bank put the brakes on (today, Alice is under threat). After decades of low-quality patents issuing from the US Patent and Trademark Office, there are so many trivial, obvious and overlapping software patents in play that anyone trying to make a SAMBA-like product would run a real risk of being threatened with expensive litigation for patent infringement.

This thicket of legal anti-adversarial-interoperability dangers has been a driver of market concentration, and the beneficiaries of market concentration have also spent lavishly to expand and strengthen the thicket. It's gotten so bad that even some "open standards organizations" have standardized easy-to-use ways of legally prohibiting adversarial interoperability, locking in the dominance of the largest browser vendors.

The idea that wildly profitable businesses would be viewed as unassailable threats by investors and entrepreneurs (rather than as irresistible targets) tells you everything you need to know about the state of competition today. As we look to cut the Big Tech giants down to size, let's not forget that tech once thronged with Davids eager to do battle with Goliaths, and that this throng would be ours to command again, if only we would re-arm it.

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