Not so random

Random generators suck…
Apparently none can make a good one…

My car (bmw), my previous car (opel), my ipod, itunes, windows phone, youtube, …

After a song, always the same “random” song follows..
It’s kind of strange…
If you let me create a random() function, I would include the time somehow.
At least in a car you can create some mathematical function, which divided by the current amount of minutes, will give you something pseudo random, right?
At least random enough to not always let a specific song be the next one at another certain song?

Random.org gives you the real analysis of how true randomness can be achieved.

As you can see on the random.org page mentioned above, even php on windows rand() sucks! Spot the “pattern” in the picture below!
According to Bo Allen php performs better on Linux… Shame on you Microsoft! 😛

php’s rand() function on windows!

 

Anyway, I don’t want to know the next song, when I enable “shuffle” in my audio player…

Microsoft, BMW, Apple, please fix it!

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Variable signing…

In my bed, the weirdest things happen…
Today, I woke up, and tough to myself: “why do people sign their code, but not their stored data & variables?”

Let’s explain what I mean…

I’ve been messing around with Windows Phone 7 quite some time.
And now Windows 8 has the same fun challenges.

Some (most) applications which are developed by home-programmers, don’t make time to “secure” their applications. Mostly because their isn’t time, money, or the effort is just too high…

Anyway, this results in a lot of apps you can play with 😎

codeintegrity.cat

Nowadays, when you edit a W8 xaml file, the codeintegrity.cat (miaow) file makes sure you app crashes…
The codeintegrity file (part of the MS App Store) verifies the integrity of the code (no way 😛 ).
It’s a quick fix for a hack that came out a long time ago (the one where you could edit anything you wanted): www.extremetech.com/computing/143002-how-to-pirate-windows-8-metro-apps-bypass-in-app-purchases-and-more

Some thoughts: why isn’t all this encrypted/obfuscated/minimised/…, aka: why it it plain text?

A really good read from justin angel! It’s quiet funny too!

So at least I’m not the only one who thinks like that!

But a solution can be that easy!
Take your vars, and multiply them with 4. Convert them to another type (var something = (new int32(1234).tochar() ). Create a stupid mathematical formula to “hide” your variables. Or even: don’t store your variables with easy names (The function of the variable “AmountOfGold=5000” isn’t THAT difficult to guess :-p ), or just salt the entire variablebullshit!

If only our precious NMBS would do that! 😆

Mendel’s wp7 apps :-)

I’m happy about them!

And guess what, apparently 2856 other persons on this world are as well ^^
(probably a lot less, ‘cause of idiot’s downloading random apps without reading a description…)

Remember them?

• WOL
• TrafficCamsFlanders
• and even the more lame PrefabSMS ^^

According to microsoft’s statistics they have been downloaded as much as 2856 times =)

I don’t think they’re features somewhere big… But at least they’re mentioned in Johan Peeters‘ Belgian Apps list 🙂

Random Linux Gedrag

Men allerliefste Linux heeft 4 logische cores ter beschikking (Intel I3: dualcore met HT)

Nu heeft die sukkelaar de opdracht om 2 singlethreaded programma’s simultaan uit te voeren, dus braafjes worden die 2 executables op 2 verschillende cores gescheduled…

Dus workloads wordt zoiets:
CPU1:100% – CPU2: 100% – CPU3: 5% – CPU4: 5%

Nu ne minuut later, random linux
CPU1:5% – CPU2: 100% – CPU3: 100% – CPU4: 5%

En weer ne minuut later:
CPU1:5% – CPU2: 100% – CPU3: 5% – CPU4: 100%

Hoe houd je verveling weg ^^