* Posts by Mark 65

3432 publicly visible posts • joined 11 Jun 2009

Twitter joke martyr loses appeal

Mark 65

Menacing

Judge Davies (and most of the judiciary) obviously needs to pull her head out of her arse just occasionally to sample the real world. By literal dictionary definition it may be possible to construe as menacing but context is important. He's obviously a silly sod for writing it in the current security theatrics but she's just joined him in the sin-bin for stupidity.

MAD Students Union bars 'racist' ZOMBIE PHYSICISTS

Mark 65

Students

Is this now an official pastime for those wishing to avoid work for 4 years after leaving school?

Falklands hero Marine: Save the Harrier, scrap the Tornado

Mark 65

F*ck Merriam Webster

I've always understood decimation to be

1. The Roman 1-in-10 version

2. More recently (in terms of human history) bastardised into meaning massacred/suffered massive losses.

Version 1 first and foremost though. Given the 6 from 60 another commenter quoted I'd say it's unfair to summise that Lewis was using it in the context of massive losses and would err on the side of him having used it to refer to the 1-in-10 nature of the losses.

UK.gov closes wiretap loopholes after Phorm row

Mark 65

Re:City of London Police

Are there to serve the interests of themselves and nobody else. To all intents and purposes they're just jumped up traffic wardens that wonder around (only on sunny days) hassling photographers.

Co-op cashier's breasts overcharged for fruit and veg

Mark 65

Tesco scales

When I last worked there pre-Uni (admittedly a fair while ago) the scales wouldn't weigh if they weren't zeroed

Australia claims it invented cutting-edge tech before rest of world

Mark 65

Evolution

"This new evidence for the earliest securely dated ground-edge implement in the world indicates that Australia was an important locale of technological innovation 35,000 years ago,"

and that's when the innovation hit a brick wall. From ground-edged implements to 6 litre Utes in just 35,000 years God bless'em. Although I'm not entirely sure the Ute drivers in question are as advanced as the peoples using the aforementioned implements - their knuckles definitely hang lower.

GCHQ goes Google

Mark 65

@AC

Very topical.

Apple’s iPad lead will face pressure from Google and Nokia

Mark 65

Definitely nope.

"4. Aggressive pricing--Apple has really gone for the pricing jugular on this one and will continue to do so because they can already count on selling 10s of millions of units. "

For the $1099 they charge for the top of the line iPad I can buy a 15.6" i5 Samsung laptop. It may well be apples and oranges in terms of form factor but that isn't competitively priced in anyone's language when you bear in mind the ultimate capability of each.

The problem is that Apple prices things competitively within their own line-up which, let's face it, is a parallel universe of pricing in parts. I am an Apple user by choice, more the OS than anything else, and I cannot be arsed with the hassle of Hackintosh's so I face facts and pay up.

Fedora 14: haven for Ubuntu's homeless GNOMEs

Mark 65

Installers

"It's also worth mentioning that Fedora still has the best Linux installer I've used, with the option to customize and tweak your installed software before installation. It's something Ubuntu should really consider offering."

Maybe, maybe not. You did, after all, mention that the two distros are effectively aimed at developers and newbies respectively and therefore that would explain the differences in the installers - as you like it vs. click once. I suppose they could placate people by having a checkbox or something but if they're not targeting those users then it's wasted effort.

App Store II: Steve Jobs sucks Mac's soul

Mark 65

It is and it isn't

It doesn't stop you from installing what you want but I can kind of understand the issues with restriction/effective restraint of trade. People new to the platform or just not that techy will not doubt be drawn towards this app repository and hence be directed towards the apps that are allowed in rather than the best app for the job which kind of leads towards a rather warped survival of the fittest.

The terabyte iPad is coming

Mark 65

Agree

Especially with regards trusting stuff to the cloud for backup. For one, with all the cameras now out there taking HD video at around 13GB/hr best of luck syncing that on your average plan. Same goes for photos from compact cameras unless you have an old 3MP one and take around 5 photos per month.

Murder victim-mocking troll jailed

Mark 65

Terms of reference

Dispicable fuck-stick would me more applicable still

Gentlemen, start your engines – with your phone!

Mark 65

@AC

Do you know how much fuel is used on tick-over for a modern diesel? About 0.1 litres/hr for a 2 litre engine. Fuck all in the scheme of things. Pulling away with a touch too much lead in the boot is far more of an issue.

Over 100,000 stops-and-searches: zero terrorists

Mark 65

Yep

I was just about to suggest that if they hadn't stopped 100,000 photographers they may have found a terrorist. Obviously the intersection of terrorists with photographers is a vanishingly small set.

Nearly half of top UK firms do not use software escrow

Mark 65

Exactly

A lot of companies that large with specially written software (just for them) will likely have the source code outside of Escrow as part of the development. Best of luck to all those utterly reliant on Windows and Office. It's likely they don't use Escrow because it's not that big an issue for them.

From personal experience code Escrow only normally gets used for small software company selling to big company. Outside of that you generally get told to f*ck off and the vendor can do so as they likely are the market leader in their segment or big enough (MS, Oracle) to just smirk and tell you to sign the contract.

Notorious Koobface worm ported to Mac OS X

Mark 65

There is a hurdle though

"Assuming they do, or are able to trick users into clicking “Allow” anyway, they will also need to resolve issues preventing the downloaded files from installing."

For anything to install is OSX (much like Windows 7) a user has to click allow and enter the username password combo of a user with admin rights (a sudoer effectively). Now, if your machine is setup properly that username and password is for a separate account and your plebian-most users won't know it, hence they can click away to their heart's content. That'd be a pretty high hurdle in my book and I know that my Mac and my parents PC with therefore be safe.

Ms. Gates: 'Bill does not use a Mac'

Mark 65

I'll concede

that the scroll wheel is one thing that makes a hell of a difference. Otherwise my little Sony player shits on the ipod for sound quality and uses drag-drop updating. Still, as someone posted, quality doesn't get the most sales.

Facebook pages very much public, even when set as private

Mark 65

Sounds about right

I had a look at this Facebook thingy a few years back and it just seemed like an accident waiting to happen. Glad I steered clear as it seems that can't, or simply do not want to, keep information private to the level the user specifies. Me thinks all these "it happens to just make it public" episodes are in fact just APIs of sorts for their cash donating partners.

XP? Thanks for the memories

Mark 65

Re:Lets try Win 7 64-bit

Core app one...compatibility mode/native

Core app two...compatibility mode/native

Core app three...compatibility mode/native

Core app four...compatibility mode/native

Love 'em or loathe 'em MS did actually put some thought into Windows 7 and seem to have made it very difficult to legitimately not upgrade (providing you're a windows shop). I speak as someone working for a company that couldn't find their arsehole from a hole in the ground but are happily (and successfully) rolling out Windows 7 64-bit enterprise version.

As for those stating license cost issues I'd imagine MS would be very amenable to you moving off of XP onto 7 so the initial costs would be very accommodating.

Cameron cocks up UK's defences - and betrays Afghan troops

Mark 65

@neb

Ranks right up there with minge.

Mark 65

@graeme

"keep it for weather patrols and if there's a major civilian incident its use can be billed to some other department."

Health Dept. would be a good starting point.

Mark 65

@Obviously

"No matter what you say, we would not be practically defenceless under any other party."

No, we'd be demonstrably bankrupt.

Mark 65

Re:Bias

I see your point but on the issue of carriers I'd agree with getting some f-18s in. Cheaper and in the super hornet variant about as capable as we'd need against any opponent until the F35s come down in price.

What Lewis doesn't seem to acknowledge in his critique is that his expectations for cuts were unrealistic as Cameron is of course from the very Humphrey class that runs the Army and RAF hence they got their way.

I'm not really interested in who started Nimrod or Typhoon as Labour (during their 13 year reign) had ample opportunity to change things and didn't so are equally culpable especially given some of the huge majorities they had.

Green light for spooks' net snoop plan

Mark 65

@Pat 11

No, but I'm pretty sure they don't have the meatsack resources to focus their attention on old-mate smut surfing in the corner.

List-makers battle to keep football fixture lists protection

Mark 65

@Ken Hagan

It almost certainly is computerised. It sounds like a standard Operational Research/Linear Programming optimisation problem the likes of which you get taught at Uni i.e. given these constraints find a solution to this problem.

Hand over illegal porn at the border, please

Mark 65

@Christopher

I think you need to go look up the stats - it's a claim often made by Aussies against their Tasman compatriots but Australia has 10% of the Worlds sheep. Over 100 million of them. Baa-baas per human is a different story though.

Apple rolls out two new MacBook Air models

Mark 65

Shame about the chip

Nice design, shit CPU. Core 2 Duo? At the prices Apple charge I'd be looking for the new i-series ULV processors.

Dane-Elec myDitto Nas device

Mark 65

@jason 7

QNAP ones do. Takes the write speed down from over 60MB/s to around 15MB/s or below though.

Cameron: Carriers tomorrow, bombers today

Mark 65

Carriers with no planes

Is this a reference to the expected arrival date of the F35C? If it is then it shouldn't be an issue as, if they are to be fitted with a catapult system then we could easily stop-gap fill them with a few F18s or French Fafaeles etc if required. Not huge numbers but enough to be "a bit handy" and these things are available off the shelf with no strengthening BAe-pork-work to be done.

There's also the potential for unmanned attack craft to be available by then.

Keep your PC clean - or we'll shut you down

Mark 65
FAIL

@copsewood

Sorry, but I agree with the original poster in that I believe that it will be very hard for ISPs to detect the issues other than unencrypted communication which can obviously be packet inspected for malware comms. This will just lead to a whole host of disconnection notices for users who do not have malware on their machines, a nice boost for local IT shops and doubtless a few claims of Macs or Linux boxes supposedly running Windows malware.

Your statement seems to revolve around an assumption of ISPs striving for better service etc - you have obviously never lived in Australia. They would like this in part because it will give them the ability to cut off a user and still charge them. Fantastic. The bit they won't like is any setup cost.

Do not confuse laudable (but unmanageable) intentions with the utter nanny-state bullshit that flows out of Oz on a daily basis. I'm surprised that they haven't yet mandated that we all run dumb terminals connecting to sessions they host. This is a country fueled by bullshit and bureaucracy.

I can't wait until a Government department gets disconnected.

Mark 65

@Charles Manning

"If you have managed to get your computer botted then it needs to be taken off the internet for the common good."

If you cut off their connection, how the fuck do they fix the machine?

Download patches? Nope.

Use an online scan (often better than locally installed which can be tampered with by malware)? Nope.

Find instructions for how to go about fixing it? Nope.

Pay some local overcharging know nothing opportunist IT support bod? Yep.

Well done, have you set up your consultancy yet?

Wikileaks founder denied Swedish residency permit

Mark 65

Press release

"The Swedish immigration authority declined to provide a reason for the denial of Assange's application, saying the reason is confidential. "

Perhaps when he finds out the reason he could leak it on the site.

The great Aussie firewall is back - and this time it's personal

Mark 65

Re:What's the Aussie Government afraid of?

The 21st century.

The dark ages called, they want their era back.

Espionage app updated for Windows phones

Mark 65
Big Brother

Errm...

"It doesn't show up under a phone's installed or running programs, and by default it reinstalls itself if it's removed."

I'd say that if it can reinstall itself then it has truly been removed, just parts of it have been deleted.

Microsoft's fear of an OpenOffice

Mark 65

Macros

I think the macros angle is a red herring. People with that much time and effort embedded will not switch - it's hard enough for them to move versions.

I think Barmy Ballmer probably sees that cash-strapped Governments may well be considering the move. Especially given the talk on open standards and contracts broken down into segments to allow all and sundry to bid etc. Once Central Government moves away then Regional and Local Government will doubtless follow. This could make a big dent in revenues - more so given Governments undoubtedly get tooled on their license fees compared to corporates. They may, for once, have MS by the balls - "we have no money so strike a great license deal or we'll get open source on the go".

Spending Review? Why not axe the Information Commissioner?

Mark 65

Makes sense

Won't happen

OOo's put the willies up Microsoft

Mark 65

2003 -> 2007

Training, very much so and don't forget that you can certainly open 2003 spreadsheets in 2007 and monumentally fuck up the formatting of charts etc (save as 2007 format from 2003 is the way to go). 2007 has serious issues with charting and associated performance.

With regards lock-in mentioned in previous posts their attack on the enterprise is multi-pronged as you'd expect. Exchange is a good starting point. Then add some sharepoint. Then you have integration of the rest of the office suite with these (spreadsheet services etc). Chances are you're using their AD which means you also have a host of their servers when coupled to the previous two apps. Use of their desktop is a no-brainer, then .Net etc for bespoke stuff and before you know it you are virtually top to bottom a MS shop. Areas that they fail at are the mission critical trading systems type things where a lot can be hosted on commodity Linux kit. Good luck breaking up the rest of it though. It just proves you don't need to be the best at anything but if it's all usable and integrates you're there - I've got to hand it to Bill on that front.

I think that the *nix ecosystem needs to make a more concerted effort in coordinating it's attack - servers + exchange equivalent + sharepoint equiv. + oo + remote config etc etc all packaged nicely like the MS small business server stack etc. Having equivalents but no packaging up and integration can be a major turn-off and is why MS can get the business. Correct me if someone offers this as I'd be interested to take a look.

Mark 65

32-bit Excel

I wouldn't worry too much about that as you'll find a lot of deployments of 2010 for windows installed as 32-bit not 64-bit due to the lack of compatibility of 3rd party add-ins - MS even recommends the 32-bit install on the setup dialog.

Mark 65

Curriculum

"But lets not forget MS has managed to get themselves onto the school curriculum for computing and business subjects. "

That in itself is a downright disgrace. That kids should be taught about a vendor/particular app rather than a concept is bullshit. Use Excel by all means but test on the concepts not the OS or app you implement them in.

I've said this before and I'll say it again - education is not about churning out kids with full app/product knowledge to just slot into an employer like some sort of training ground, it's about getting them to understand the concepts so that they can work shit out for themselves.

Mark 65

@AC

Access is a toy, and you'd be surprised at how much power users like playing with it. The idea of having your own shareable database under your own control is very appealing. It's no enterprise level db for sure but it's bloody well used within the enterprise make no mistake - I've had to clean up enough in my time to know.

Florida cops tase naked jogger

Mark 65

@Alan 6

Exactly! I mean...

"Sells eventually flicked the switch, hitting King in the head and back and causing him to hit the pavement."

He hit him in the head! What the fuck? That means he must have been aiming up the top end rather than centre of mass unless the dude was performing some "touch the ground whilst running" training manoeuvre. He could have killed him just because he was running as nature intended - admittedly illegal but certainly not worthy of death. Fucking fat donut munching wanker.

Tablets? Pah! Netbooks still selling well, says analyst...

Mark 65

Cannibalised sales

"Netbooks may be still be selling well, but that big reduction in the number of them expected to ship this year shows just how much the tablet is eating into the netbook sales."

Or alternatively just how shit the expectation was. You'll soon learn that economist/market watcher forecasts are finger-in-the-air bullshit. Expected 60% growth? Jeezuz.

Facebook leaked users' real names with advertisers, suit says

Mark 65

The issue...

Isn't the issue that Facebook themselves are making the referral and embellishing the information i.e. the ad gives one of those www.facebook.com?openshittyad=www.dumbfuck.com type links and a facebook script is tagging on crap like ?age=23&iq=45&name=joe%20bloggs etc etc?

Almost a quarter of Europeans can't be bothered with the net

Mark 65

'cos

...if everyone is online then they can have a better look at what everyone is up to.

British bank cuts 4,500 IT jobs

Mark 65

4,500 IT?

If a company the size of Lloyds has 4,500 IT people it can just drop then I'd say there are serious issues as to how the company is run. I mean, no matter how many branches they have the software/kit should be the same and hence scalable as they're all offering the same product suite. I thought IB's could be heavy on IT staff at times but to be able to shift 4,500 IT people and keep functioning is something truly special. That is the sign of one really badly run company.

Appro overclocks HF1 server for hedge funds

Mark 65

Re:Finally

However it's more likely to cause one.

Windows to Linux defections to outpace Unix shifts in 2011

Mark 65

@Cazzo Enorme

I'd be interested in knowing what BATS and NYSE platforms sit on as they're two of the fastest exchanges out there with respect to order latency (around 250 microseconds and 5 milliseconds respectively).

Mark 65

Re:Frankfurt

Maybe they could just hire them if there's only 10. Take OpenVMS off of HP's hands as well and make it on condition of hardware compatibility/purchasing etc? A you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours arrangement.

Google robo cars drive selves on public streets

Mark 65

FFS

"Our goal is to help prevent traffic accidents, free up people’s time and reduce carbon emissions by fundamentally changing car use,"

What's the World coming to when people feel there is time needed to be freed up when they're behind the wheel? Need the time to update your Facebook profile, touch up makeup, read paper etc etc? How about these people that feel this sort of thing is necessary use public transport and stay the f*ck off of the roads.

Spam blacklist snafu prompts global gnashing of teeth

Mark 65

nice work

"During a data migration, the flags that were used to indicate that a listing was historical were deleted, causing the addresses to be considered current. SORBS is in the process of restoring the flags. The historical entries are used to help programs rate the likelihood that a given IP address is malicious."

Ooo, competent! Just makes me want to use their services.