Posts by Bill B

Re: unpopular opinion: no, WFH and WFO are not the same.

There’s some good points here. The graduate intake we had suffered a bit because a lot of what they would normally learn is incidental … the discussion of colleagues t and over a problem, for example.

However, some of the WFH/WFO can be mitigated by an adjustment to patterns. For example, time set aside specifically to discuss things with the graduate, more structured training.

Our team arranged to all be in the office for one day and that day was spent talking, not coding. We made it a social day.

Of course, this requires organisation and a good manager can help here.

Re: "Ever done a little thing that made a big mess"

Oh God. DHCP. We were building an industrial controller based on a well known RTOS. We used a DHCP server on the controller to allocate IP addresses to I/O. If the configuration indicated there was only one I/O unit on a connection we auto allocated a single IP address.

IO was connected to ETH2 through to ETH5. ETH1 was used for the supervisory (programming) network. In the early stages of development we had the DHCP server enabled on ETH1 and in error connected the controller not to the private lab network but to the company one.

You can see where this is going. When everyone came in in the morning and switched their computers on our controller gleefully handed out ‘192.168.10.10’ to anyone who asked.

The issue was fixed very rapidly and an edict sent out that no unauthorised items were to be connected to the company network.

Re: Comms room vs Pidgeons

I’m a bit worried that I knew what that RFC was without looking it up.

PinSentry

For the uninitiated, the device at the bottom left is similar to a Barclays PINSentry. Can be used to get access to your online bank account. Put your card in, type in your PIN and it generates an 8 digit one time code. That, together with your surname and online membership number gets you into your account.

So in terms of security it relies on something you have (the chip on your card), something you know (your PIN) and a couple of other bits of fixed information (your name and membership). I think if you log in from a different device another layer kicks in.

“It will depend on what is in the contracts as to who owns the IP”.

Quite a few commentaries seem to be suggesting the the U.K. holds the intellectual property. As far as I know, it’s rare for a country to own technology. More often than not it is a private company or institution, and they are free to do with it what they like (such as sell the technology to a third party).

The only limitation by country as far as encryption is concerned is export control law (since strong encryption is generally regarded as an export controlled item). However, as we are part of the EU still there’s no limitation on selling the technology within the EU provided the transfer is registered.

Re: How many battery "breakthroughs" is that this year?

@DainB ... we should definitely avoid any energy source that is around 45 MJ/kg .. especially as a full tank could be around 40 kg of the stuff.

Am I holding it wrong?

I’m with werdsmith on this one. I can’t my IOS 11.1 iThingy to misplace or mistype the I.

Re: No need for the tinfoil hats

"How exactly does one service a racehorse?"

Very carefully? (Or is it bulls I'm thinking of?")

Re: Sounds rather flawed to me

Hold on a minute. "The old code was not fit for purpose?".

Let's look at this way. The software in your car is updated so that a new feature "window wind half way down" is added. This does not mean that the old code is unfit. I can see a legal minefield here

Re: Credit where credit is due

Yeah I noticed that. Maybe the OP isn't a big fan of SpaceX and doesn't follow EVERY launch

Re: Heavy industry runs on PLC, not the IofHype

On the other hand, sending an expert to an oil rig when things go wrong also costs a shed load of money, particularly if said oil rig is the other side of the world and the plant is shut down because they can't diagnose what is wrong.

Being able to remotely diagnose what has gone wrong can be useful.

Re: More than just for warming pies

My cat never forgave me for moving from a CRT to LCD screen.

Re: The trolley problem isn't real life

OK so let me pose another trolley problem. If the block to autonomous cars is the law and culpability for manslaughter, then change the law to remove the culpability. Our lawmakers now have the trolley problem. Do I bring in legislation to encourage the use of autonomous cars (and from existing evidence therebuy save lives) or do I leave the law as it is to low grieving relatives/friends someone to go after?

Answers on a postcard please.

Re: "creative output"

Steve; you're thinking about management or marketing meetings. Development meetings are normally more productive

Re: Pillock

Don't need to get rants about this, but the context is that of a diabetic hypo. For those of you who don't know what this is, it's a lack of blood sugar caused by an excess of insulin, usually because the diabetic in question hasn't had a dose of sugar (read 'meal') at the appropriate point after an injection, or has engaged in an activity that has used more blood sugar than the insulin was supposed to have balanced.

The commentators may not know that the early symptoms of a hypo is similar to that of a drunk (probably due to the same reason ... brain functions shutting down). This means that the sufferer's judgement is impaired. If the person is in a 'zone' (for example .. In the middle of a job) they may judge that there is enough time to finish the job and then get some sugar ... and that judgement may be wrong.

As someone who had a diabetic in the family that phone conversation was very familiar. The '60' in this conversation is less than 60mg/dL of blood sugar and yeah, at this point the person is still rational but really really needs to get some sugar. Myfamily would often detect that my mother was going hypo well before she knew herself. She would respond to 'mum, take some sugar' (or if she was particularly advanced, "mum, take some sugar NOW") even though she herself didn't feel the need, and I suspect the son in the article hadn't realised the need himself.

I would agree that this remote alarm to family etc shouldn't be the first line of support. However, I can see it being a useful tool to help diabetics manage their condition. As I've pointed out above, families, friends and neighbours can be a great help, but the problem arises when they are not there. I've come back home to find my mother in a coma because she hadn't realised she was going hypo and there was no-one around to help.

So to all those who call this lunacy, shouldn't be implemented etc ... you're entitled to your opinion but as someone who had to deal with a family member with type 1 diabetes ... I think it's a great idea.

Re: "War on Smut"

Hopefully some politico will soon issue a War On Common Sense. We need more of it and that seems like a surefire way.

I thought that was what that nice Mr Trump was doing?

They're anticipating the aftermath of a Brexit when Scotland votes to leave the UK and Wales and N Ireland follow suit.

Re: Utterly Pointless as a Presentation Device

I guess you've never used a whiteboard then

Re: Let's not pretend its just Microsoft

I suspect the down vote is because you had Windows 10 installed

Re: Money for nothing ?

"it makes good sense to run some IPA through the pipes"

This sounds like a complete waste of a good Indian Pale Ale.

Re: Hmm

There is nothing wrong with the Guardian. You just have to read the Telegraph at the same time.

Safe Harbour

@skelband .. You've succinctly summarised why the EU objects to the sharing of personal data with the States. Privacy laws are a lot stricter because of the invasion of privacy by an oppressive government is still fresh in people's minds. I can understand why Microsoft et al don't like this law. It widens the chasm of privacy between the USA and the EU, making it increasingly difficult for these companies to do business here.

Re: I fail to see the logic

A lot of posters are missing the background to this

"From 1 September 2014, a new EU energy label for vacuum cleaners means manufacturers are not permitted to make or import vacs with a motor that exceeds 1,600 watts. "

What Dyson is saying is that these products exceed the emissions ratings and should therefore not be sold. There's still a bit of wiggle room for lawyers though,since the manufacturers may argue that on average their motors operate below 1600 watts.

Re: eff that

"Except if it plummets to earth over, say, a playground or beer garden or what have you.". Pretty sure that's illegal in UK, so you just keep hold of the unit until plods arrive.

Re: Am I particularly unobservant...?

@bbt (nice name by the way). You have asked a technical question about a well know OS on the El Reg forums. You can't honestly have been expecting a reply that answers the question? What you can expect is one or more of

* an implication that you are a spawn from hell for associating with <insert OS of choice>.

* a suggestion that you move to the true path of <insert OS of choice>

* The implication you are a fanboi (Apple), fandroid (Android) or just brain dead (Windows)

* A pedantic post suggesting you asked the wrong question

Re: @BongoJoe

"Perhaps if we had a heatwave it might switch from peers to piers?"

What .. you want a full page spread of a half naked Piers Morgan? You are WEIRD!

Re: "...doors can remain unlatched even when in the 'closed' position..."

The articles (and some commentators) all seem to use the words 'unlatched' and 'unlocked' interchangeably, and they are NOT the same thing. An unlocked door is still safe until it becomes unlatched, at which point it can be opened.

I'm guessing that the fault is that the door can become unlatched and swing open when going round a corner, but I wouldn't put it past some someone to have confused unlatched and unlocked and reported on the more newsworthy fault.

Re: Ceterum censeo!

No. Alistair is English. Butt is an American word. Try again. Nearly there but it has three letters, two of which are 'm' and 'u'.

Re: Sony strikes again...

I'm sorry Mark, but did you actually read the article? Sony has its own equivalent of Onlive, but for its Playstation platform only, so it's not exactly 'patent troll ... Nothing using them'.

Sony could have sweetened the deal for existing Onlive customers,must I suspect that they are a bit oblivious to their 'bad big Corp' reputation.