* Posts by Christoph

3314 publicly visible posts • joined 24 Dec 2007

Paris, jihadis, tech giants ... What is David Cameron's speechwriter banging on about now?

Christoph

They tried mandating back doors for luggage

The TSA mandated luggage locks with a master key that only the TSA had access too.

Then they made one single mistake, and now you can download files off the internet to 3D print your own set of master keys.

Apple's Watch charging pad proves Cupertino still screwing buyers

Christoph

Hopefully the EU will eventually mandate interoperability - but that could be years away. Same thing they did for charger leads to cut down on the ludicrous number of different chargers.

Car radars gain sharper vision after ITU assigns special spectrum slice

Christoph

Coding for each unit works fine for low power, but these are radars - is it really going to be interference proof in the middle of Picadilly Circus?

Christoph

OK this band is reserved so there should be no direct interference with other devices, but what about interference with the radar on other cars? In heavy traffic there could be dozens of competing radars bouncing around.

Also interference isn't just a matter of the same wavelength. When these radars are common there will be lots of energy in this band, in continually changing patterns as the transmitters move. That is going to produce some very weird effects on other devices even if they are not tuned to that particular waveband.

FTC zaps more scammer loopholes with ban on wire transfers, cash cards

Christoph

"honest telemarketers"

About as common as an honest politician.

Speaking in Tech: Anonymous’s ‘total war’ on ISIS – how effective can it be?

Christoph

I wonder how many of them read enough Arabic to know whether they are attacking a terrorist website or a totally innocent and unrelated site?

And if a site can be conclusively identified as terrorist-run by a bunch of amateurs, how come it hasn't already been taken down/subverted/bugged by the professionals?

Terrorists seek to commit deadly 'cyber attacks' in UK, says Chancellor Osborne

Christoph

"They have not been able to use it to kill people yet by attacking our infrastructure through cyber attack.

They do not yet have that capability. But we know they want it, and are doing their best to build it."

Translation: "Hey, what a great change to push forward the draconian surveillance laws we've been trying to get for so long!"

Ex-GCHQ chief now heads up infosec firm's advisory board

Christoph

"Glasswall breaks down every file to byte level, searching only for 'known good' and matching the files against manufacturers' standards. A fully-compliant, completely clean file is regenerated in real-time, giving businesses total confidence in security."

This appears to be gibberish. It might work on, say, Word Macros by removing any suspicious commands - but then the macro wouldn't work, even if it was innocent. But how is it supposed to work against say an unknown vulnerability hidden in a jpeg?

"In Glasswall’s world, viruses and malware do not exist."

And in the real world, they do exist. Hi Glasswall, what colour are the skies in your world?

GPS, you've gone too far this time

Christoph

How big is the error?

Is this anything worth bothering about? It says the distance is overestimated, but by how much?

If it's 10% then lots of people need to worry. If it's 0.01% then nearly everybody can ignore it.

US Congress grants leftpondians the right to own asteroid booty

Christoph

"promote the right of United States citizens to engage in commercial exploration for and commercial recovery of space resources free from harmful interference"

So it's quite OK to claim jump non US citizens?

And if they are asserting the right to prevent interference (presumably by armed force), how is that different from asserting sovereignty?

GCHQ goes all Cool Dad and tags the streets of Shoreditch with job ads

Christoph

Don't go near this

So you apply for this, prove that you're really great at code cracking, but then fail positive vetting on some trivial detail.

You've proved to them that you're an expert code-cracker who can't be trusted.

They are going to keep an eye on you for the rest of your life.

Ex-GCHQ chief: Bulk access to internet comms not same as mass surveillance

Christoph

And here's the link.

I don't know how reliable that is, but Cory doesn't usually go off half-baked.

Christoph

"Having a full weblog would be far better."

The trouble is that such a strategy "is not thought to be saleable" at present."

From some discussion I've seen, the Home Secretary will be able to simply demand this as well - and forbid anyone involved from saying anything about it. They can make any changes they like, and imprison anyone who breathes a word about it.

Roamers rejoice! Google Maps gets offline regional navigation

Christoph

"Update rids backpackers of reliance on ruinous data roaming"

According to the Beeb's story, "while the app provides driving directions, it will not offer walking or public transport-based routes."

You can of course still download the maps, and use GPS to locate yourself on them. Though since "Owners cannot switch to a satellite view", that may be of limited value in the outback.

Einstein's brain to be picked by satellites

Christoph

Re: Wait. What the ....

"Who demands we all accept that "The science is settled!"?

The Warmists or the Skeptics?"

ROFL!

The science is settled because the data and evidence overwhelmingly shows that anthropogenic climate change is actually happening, to a very dangerous extent, and is getting rapidly worse.

Are you seriously saying that this should be doubted because the evidence is so good?

That you would only take it seriously if there was less evidence?

That the 'Skeptics' are correct because they can't substantiate their case with actual evidence?

Christoph

Re: Wait. What the ....

Sure - scientists are human. And they are subject to all sorts of pressures. Especially the 'publish or perish' idiocy.

But they do the best they can. And they punish cheating wherever they can.

Science is a long way from perfect - but it is leaps and bounds better than anything else. And at the end of the day, you can't fool the Universe.

We are having this discussion on a system that was made possible by an enormous number of scientific and technical advances, each itself made possible by previous advances. Many of us are only alive due to medical advances.

Christoph

Re: Wait. What the ....

And that's how science works.

Religion: Our book is universal truth because we'll kill anyone who says that it isn't.

Science: Our latest theory seems to be pretty good, so we'll test it to within an inch of its life to try and find holes in it. If it passes that's very good, because it's more reliable. If it fails that's marvellous, because we've found new knowledge about how the Universe works.

Space fans eye launch of Lego Saturn V

Christoph

That second picture is incorrect - the CSM separated from the third stage (and then extracted the LEM) just after the Translunar Injection burn, well before it got to the moon.

Man hires 'court hacker' on Craigslist ... who turned out to be a cop

Christoph

"$9,000 to an assault victim"

So did he assume that if he erased the court records, the assault victim would not notice that they had not received the money?

UK SMEs with weak security risk procurement exclusion – survey

Christoph

They must keep their data absolutely secure.

But they are not allowed to use secure encryption.

But that's all right - the government will just pass a law saying that it is possible to do this.

And while they're doing that, they could simplify the maths by passing a law making Pi equal to three.

Time Lords set for three-week battle over leap seconds

Christoph

The simplest solution

By the time that the clock drift gets important we will have much better space drives. Even if it's just a gigantic solar sail. Then we can adjust the planet's rotation to match the clocks.

Aussies' distinctive Strine down to drunk forefathers

Christoph

Re: Snigger

" Which American accent?"

Which English accent? There's a lot more variation than among US accents. Did they test BBC English, or did they test Geordie (which is generally reckoned to be the best sounding)?

ICO 'making enquiries' into bizarre shopper data spill at M&S

Christoph

Pages with information like that should be encrypted, so should definitely not be cached - and if they were, could not then be decrypted by a different user.

So either not a cache problem, or Marks & Sparks were very naughty and weren't encrypting the pages.

American military sites secured with dud SHA-1 cipher

Christoph

Re: When you haven't failed *lately* ...

"My benchmark for how bad things can be in the military is the Battle of Savo Island."

Not a patch on the Battle of Tsushima.

The Russians sailed a fleet of battleships over 18,000 nautical miles (seriously annoying the Royal Navy on the way and so getting the Suez canal closed to them) only to get them massacred.

Ransomware victims: Just pay up, grin, and bear it – says the FBI

Christoph

And that is called paying the Dane-geld;

But we've proved it again and again,

That if once you have paid him the Dane-geld

You never get rid of the Dane.

TalkTalk attack: UK digi minister recommends security badges for websites

Christoph

A kitemark says that way back when it was awarded, no obvious security holes were found. It does not mean that the site is secure. But way too many non-technical people will think that it does mean that. As will way too many managers who will assume they don't need to keep spending a fortune on keeping the security current.

It only takes one tiny slip in security to compromise the entire site.

You own the software, Feds tell Apple: you can unlock it

Christoph

I do wonder just what the US reaction would be to a foreign government trying this on an Amurrican Citizen

American robocallers to be shamed in public lists

Christoph

"The problem is that the Constitution recognizes political speech as the most important form of free speech you can have "

"Public Service Announcement: The Right to Free Speech means the government can't arrest you for what you say.

It doesn't mean that anyone else has to listen to your bullshit, or host you while you share it."

"someone once said that defending a position by citing free speech is sort of the ultimate concession; you're saying that the most compelling thing you can say for your position is that it's not literally illegal to express."

Christoph

And the home phone numbers of those officers

CISA latest: Law urging tech giants to share your info with the Feds shows no sign of stopping

Christoph

So if a US company has a clear and specific privacy statement that they won't misuse my data, and publicly swear blind that they do not and will not misuse my data, and do everything they can to emphasise that they are trustworthy and do not misuse data - that will all be utterly worthless and meaningless.

A US company which genuinely has nothing to do with this will have no way whatever to give convincing evidence of that.

Gee, I wonder why the tech companies are worried about this?

Laid-off IT workers: You want free on-demand service for what now?

Christoph

Anyone who doesn't yet work for this company is very unlikely to be willing to work for them in the future.

Anyone who does already work for this company is quite possibly now pre-emptively hiding traps in the code for when this happens to them.

Haven't they noticed what happens to a company that treats technical staff really well? It's called 'Google'.

Security researchers face wrath of spy agencies

Christoph
Alert

Take a whole lot of top experts in malware and make it impossible for them to get a legitimate job using their skills, while getting them seriously pissed off about it.

What could possibly go wrong?

CISA blowup: 'Web giants sharing private info isn't about security – it's state surveillance'

Christoph

Re: Do as you are told!

Look! These companies are not protecting the private information of their customers! (because we deliberately withheld the information that they needed to do so).

Christoph

Re: Ooh look at the pretty smoke reflected in those mirrors

"Feinstein said organizations won't be forced to reveal citizens' private lives to Uncle Sam"

Non-citizens will have uncle sam sniffing through their underwear drawer as usual.

Wait a minute, Doc! Are you telling me that you built a self-driving car ... out of a DeLorean!?

Christoph

"sacrificing stability so they can use all of the car's capabilities to ... negotiate tight turns at speed."

"Current control systems designed to assist a human driver, however, don't allow this sort of maneuvering."

I should bloody well hope not! Automated cars are supposed to make driving safer, not to allow idiots with more money than sense to pretend they are racing drivers so they can get to their destination a few seconds earlier.

That's gotta hurt: NASA suffers attack of the lame Orionids

Christoph

Re: "go outside and look up in the direction of the constellation Orion"

And see bright orange skyglow from the lights of London, drowning out the stars

BBC shuts off iPlayer to UK VPNs, cutting access to overseas fans

Christoph

"doctor who torrent"

About 8,070 results (0.39 seconds)

Elderly? Disabled? You clearly need a .38" Palm Pistol

Christoph

Just the thing for someone with senile dementia

Shoebox-sized satellite enters orbit packing 3Mbps radio

Christoph

Reaction wheels work fine until they accumulate too much speed. You have to dump the momentum somehow, usually needing propellant to do so.

They had better get that de-orbit sail working before they send up lots of these - once Kessler syndrome is triggered it's too late to do much about it.

Samsung told to build bots who work for less than Foxconn staffers

Christoph

Re: We can do that too

That was my thought too - if Korea can build these, so can everyone else

Job alert: Is this the toughest sysadmin role on Earth? And are you badass enough to do it?

Christoph

Re: If I were thirty years younger

"You must be a US citizen (for security reasons)"

Just what are the classified military operations carried out on the supposedly entirely demilitarised continent of Antarctica?

Wheels come off parents' plan to dub sprog 'Mini Cooper'

Christoph

Re: What about

Shanda Lear (daughter of the founder of Lear Jet)

Microsoft now awfully pushy with Windows 10 on Win 7, 8 PCs – Reg readers hit back

Christoph

Try using this tool to disable the upgrade.

Twitter reduces BBC hacks to tears with redundancy notice

Christoph
Joke

I’ve never knowingly spent a penny on Twitter"

Yes, probably not the best place to 'spend a penny'

Companies grow faster when they buy more IT. Yes they do

Christoph

MRDA

Mandy Rice-Davies Applies

Well they would say that, wouldn't they?

America's top courts may have to prove how truly dull they are by law

Christoph

Would you want to be a witness being interrogated by a hostile lawyer, and knowing that possibly thousands of people are getting their kicks watching you?

Would you want to be a defendant subjected to such a hostile interrogation, knowing that many of the people watching will not bother to watch the defence case and so will assume you are proven guilty even if you are found innocent?

Trial by newspaper is bad enough, but there will now be trial by social media with none of the minimal constraints that the newspapers have. Everyone chipping in with their pet theories, with no regard for legal process. Remember that bloke that got falsely accused of the Boston bombing because lots of amateur detectives analysed the videos?

Verizon now owns AOL, so AOL now owns your web browsing habits, other personal info

Christoph

"Verizon said the shared data will only be used for AOL's own sites and ad network.

And NSA, and anyone who hacks into AOL, and anyone who reads the data the hackers dump on the net.

Scary Trans-Pacific Partnership trade treaty signed off

Christoph

The legislatures MUST vote against this.

This must be voted down regardless of the actual contents.

If this is passed then the various legislatures are voting for themselves to be reduced to rubber stamps passing whatever is put in front of them.

This isn't in any doubt whatever - it is entirely blatant. The treaty has been drafted in total secrecy by only the parties that benefit from it, and presented as "Here it is, you may not change it in any way, just sign it".

Whatever the text of the treaty, the drafting process is entirely illegitimate.

The only possible response is to vote it down on the spot, and make clear that this process is not acceptable and any future attempt will similarly be dismissed out of hand.

Don't debate it, don't try to justify it, just kill it.

Startup promises to cancel your hated Comcast subscription for you for just $5

Christoph

Re: Tech support escalation

And call the service "Shibboleet".

Pluto's moon SPLIT OPEN by ancient FROZEN OCEAN

Christoph

Re: Are they really that daft?

Alternatively, compare with Mars. Northern hemisphere sunken and smooth, Southern rugged and cratered.

One hypothesis for that is a giant impact on the North, forming a crater nearly as big as the planet.

So possibly a giant impact on the South of Charon, leaving a smooth crater? And that ridge and canyon belt is the crater wall - not as big as might be expected, as the low gravity means a lot of the debris would have been splattered wider or escaped.