the latest episode in "really stupid things people are saying"

[niyad]

honestly, I really do know a lot of very intelligent people. however, some of the people I know appear to know some really uninformed (being kind, won't call them brain dead)

the latest installment is a comment by a friend's client that bill clinton made it a law that all intel pentium 3 and later processors be equipped with gps devices to keep track of what everyone is doing (isn't that what georgie was arguing for the other day as a way of keeping track of hackers?) so, according to this person, one needs to use an older version of pentium.

is anybody else hearing bs like this? if so, WHERE is it coming from??

and does anybody know when the pentium 3's came out? I thought it was only a few years ago, as in, during chimpy's reign.

[karlrschneider]

1. Not GPS but they do have unique serial numbers that can be traced to owners

probably that's what they were trying to talk about..?

[Fresh_Start]

2. I think there have been required GPS on some devices since 9/11

but I don't believe it was Pentium 3's

[Doctor_J]

3. There is nothing so stupid that Repukes won't believe it if Rush tells it to them

And FWIW, you yourself fell like you have to go look it up. When the american experiment finally collapses, it will be from the bone-ignorance brought on by hate radio and cable "news"

[niyad]

7. you misunderstood. I simply wanted to look it up to show him he

was an idiot. you know, written documentation, etc? just the way I work.

[Doctor_J]

10. You think actual documentation will talk him out of what hate radio told him?

he probably thinks Hillary killed Vince Foster and that Bill sold drugs out of the governor's mansion in AR. The rest of my original reply is just getting more and more convincing.

[sinkingfeeling]

4. Pentium 3 chips were introduced in 1999-2001, depending on model.

Have no idea how this person came up with the GPS stuff and good luck running something slower than a Pentium 3.

[EmperorHasNoClothes]

5. Pentium III's introduced in '99

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentium_III

And I think karlschneider hit on where the confusion stems from. Pentium III introduced the Processor Serial Number that can uniquely identify a computer and potentially allow internet activity to be tracked. It can be disabled, though, and doesn't do anything to identify a computer's physical location.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

6. You can tell him he's wrong.

Just verified with one former and one current employee of Intel. They've never heard of such a thing, not even a rumor.

[niyad]

8. my thanks to all of you for the info. I just get tired of dealing with these people

[lapfog_1]

12. Machine readable serial number

Starting with the Pentium III, Intel incorporated a Machine readable serial number with each CPU made. These COULD allow some software to find the serial number and, potentially, send it over a net or dial up connection. Microsoft is the one that pushed for this, as it is an integral part of their ability to detect pirated software. Each time you register a copy of Windows (start with ME I believe but maybe in previous versions) online, it fetches the serial number, your "Key" (string of letters and digits that form that long ID that accompanies each copy of Windows), and the other information that you provide for the registration record that they keep. Matching CD Keys but with different CPU serial numbers are an alert to them that you are using pirated software (same CD Key but different CPU serial).

It is also possible (but I have heard that this is done) that web browsers and other programs could attach the Serial Number to their record of your postings and, possibly, even the pages that you surf.

There isn't any GPS device automatically attached to your computer, unless you purchase this feature... there ARE often GPS devices attached to a cell phone, though you are probably aware of this as well (mine shows a little satellite icon). The GPS itself does not automatically provide anyone with your location. It provides your device with a location, but for others to know, the device would have to transmit your GPS location using either a radio (cell phone) or phone line or internet connection (Computers). The cell phone doesn't really need a GPS receiver to get a location, all it really needs is 3 or more towers in range (or fewer depending on the abilities of the cell towers).

[spinbaby]

9. I don't know how this stuff starts

Last night my father in-law informed me that Obama is some kind of a foreigner. This morning I came in to work to an email informing me that Pelosi wants to impose a 100% tax on retirement income. How does this stuff spread?

[mcscajun]

11. "A lie will go round the world while truth is pulling its boots on."

Atrributed to Churchill and/or Twain, probably first written/spoken by Charles Haddon Spurgeon, 1855.

Anyway you slice it, it was said in the era of Print and slow transportation.

Lies travel at near light-speed now. :( You can send around all the debunking e-mails you like, you can't stuff the garbage back into Pandora's box.