Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 8-3-2017

Hmmm … 

You’re possibly aware that I follow the technology news.

Aren’t you?

I do: so you know.

You’re possibly aware that I’ve been following the various court cases prosecuting people who sell what’s called ‘fully loaded’ Kodi boxes.

A Kodi box is an Android based media streaming box: that uses the open source Kodi software as its media player and manager.

Like other open source projects?   Kodi has a range of add-ons that boost its functionality.

Including ones that let you access pay to view and subscription content for free.

Most Kodi boxes won’t have those built in.   You have to add them, yourself.

Some sellers, however, are happy to sell you a ‘fully loaded’ box.

With the relevant iffy add-ons already installed.

A couple of days ago?   A couple of days ago, one such seller — Malcolm Mayes — was fined £250, 000 for selling ‘fully loaded’ boxes to pubs and clubs.

Personally?

I’m not too surprised about that.

My concern has been what’s it’s always been.   Not so much with the spread, or stopping of online piracy.

But what sort of implication this could have for the open source model: and — possibly — the computer science research.

After all, enabling researchers and others to develop software means — to me, at least — developing software that, occasionally, breaks the law.

Some sort of immunity from that — to enable researchers and developers to do their jobs — would seem to be in order.

~≈Ê≈~

On other fronts?

I mentioned, yesterday, that I’d done (subtitled) rips of series two of Mr Robot: that would play in vlc, MPEGStreamclip and on my AppleTV.

But not in Quicktime.

Despite being in Quicktime’s default format.

I’ve actually worked out that it was the subtitles that were causing the problems.   I’d hit the wrong buttons, when ripping: so that they’d stay hidden, until switched on.

Phew

~≈Ê≈~

But let’s move on, shall we?

Yesterday’s Teaser saw Olga*, Trevor† and Debbi‡ putting in their answers: with all three scoring five out of five.

Let’s see how everyone does with today’s questions, shall we?

Here they are, along with the How To, License and video … 

Q1) 8th March is International Woman’s Day.   Many will be marking it by wearing what colour of ribbon?

Q2) Ferdowsi completed his poem, the Shahnameh, on 8th March, 1010.   It’s an epic poem about the kings of where: Iran, Iraq or Syria?

Q3) Mildred Gillars was sentenced for treason: on 8th March, 1949.   She was also known as Axis … who?

Q4) Phillips demonstrated the CD, for the first time: on 8th March, 1979.   The CD is a compact … what?

Q5) Finally … A total solar eclipse occurred: on 8th March, 2016.   The best views of the total eclipse, were in Indonesia.   And which ocean: the North Pacific, South Pacific or North Atlantic?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers … 

Q1) Antonius Pius died on 7th March 161 AD: to be replaced as Caesar by his sons.   One was Lucius Verus.   Who was the other?

A1) Marcus Aurelius.

Q2) 7th March, 2007, saw the House of Commons vote to make the House of Lords, 100% what: appointed, elected or chocolate flavoured?

A2) Elected.

Q3) Golda Meir was named as Israeli Prime Minister, on 7th March, 1969.   Which cabinet position had she previously held: Foreign Minister, Treasury Minister or Justice Minister?

A3) Foreign Minister.

Q4) 7th March, 1900, saw the SS Kaiser Wilhelm der Große become the first ship to send what to shore: a wireless signal, a life boat or email?

A4) A wireless signal.

Q5) Finally … Kanyama Chiume fled to the UK: on 7th March, 1959.   He was an activist leader in which African nation: Nyasaland, Sierra Leone or Swaziland?

A5) Nyasaland: what’s now called Malawi.

Here’s a thought …

“We have no idea where the world is going, except that it’s going there very fast.”

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, born 8th March, 1948.

And, as it’s Gary Numan’s birthday?   A tune … 

Have good day.

*        I know Debbi had her doubts, before she made the switch, Olga^: and that was only a couple of years ago.   Someone’s persuasive!   I don’t know how many pcs come with what they call a solid state drive, instead of a hard drive: but the Macs I’ve seen with them?   Boot up far faster than normal: WELL worth the effort!   There’s also a lot of Mac User Groups around, who’d be happy to help with extra work.   My Mac’s a glorified typewriter: and media server, games machine … oh, and hair dryer, when’s it’s working REALLY hard … (If it’s any help?   I always find African countries down the back of the sofa: Matabeleland, Biafra … THINK I found Buganda under the sink, once … )

†        Morning, Trevor … !

‡        I REALLY could tell you about the USA’s nastier bits, Debbi!   Well, apart from My Lai, Vietnam, the Indian Wars … !   But it’s possibly on a par with some of Britain’s.   After all, British run American communities positively encouraged scalping.   And we got Hong Kong, during the Opium Wars.   We got the tea, as a result of selling drugs to China.   Internment in Northern Ireland STILL gets a bad reaction.   Oh, and Hitler got the idea for concentration camps?   After reading about our treatment of the Boers, in South Africa.

^        Chocolate flavoured politicians?   Possibly the only way they’d be digestible.   (My name’s Ben Elton, good night …)