Posts by Robert Carnegie

Re: No need to hack anything?

Stealing the device physically and demanding a ransom isn't hacking. A device with substantial hacking resistance still can be worthwhile to have.

On the other hand, if this was just a cellphone and someone stole it, it would typically be findable remotely.

iPhone has that feature; I understand it also is fussy about interference with its internal parts. I don't have one, but it seems to me that an iPhone is a better one of what this is, than this is.

Re: Good idea.

Presumably ordinary users are urged to use a password-store program with long passwords because it's a good idea, and not just to annoy them. But what do I know?

I have a password-store at work; I have to input 3 passwords to open it. One of those is "password". I don't actually use it to store passwords in. If I did, then they wouldn't be behind "password".

Re: Career-limiting

I suppose you could try to pretend that you thought Peter Principle was the name of a very famous engineer - the youngest chief engineer in Starfleet or something. Scotty has a nephew named Peter on board in "Star Trek 2"; it could work.

Re: Timing is everything

I think muscle power goes by two-dimensional cross-section, but I may have to look into that. On the other hand, some superheroes who can shrink to 3 inches or smaller don't lose any of their mass. Presumably they don't lose any strength either. But technically this isn't science... C. B. Fry was supposed to be able to jump onto an ordinary mantelpiece; so can a cat. Not every person can do it; not every cat can...

Re: Clickbait headline?

Now I've forgotten what I was going to say. It may have concerned sexual harassment of IT workers and some improbability, although that wasn't what this story was about, either. Well, if not that, then whatever I meant may come back. By the way, I meant "what ISIHAC used to call", specifically, the late Humphrey Lyttelton's output device - not the trumpet but a record player. Or in this story, the output plotter.

How?

Two words: power lines.

two more words: Carrington event.

By manipulating sunspots and the solar wind, Russian scientists were able to signal to the power company computer systems... but why would they even need to, if they can do the first thing!

@EnviableOne

I'm not quite sure I like this. Is it saying that I can't have password = 5000358745115 because someone else on planet Earth once had that password?

It's not actually my password, it is the bar code of Tesco Omega 3 linseed oil tablets - which may not do you any good, it turns out.

Intelli-thing for SQL Server 2014

For SQL scripting... I haven't looked at it closely, maybe it can be improved. My issues with it:

1. If you write something wrong, it gets underlined red. So you correct it... and it takes a second or two for the red mark-up to go away. Long enough to think "What else is wrong with... oh I get it."

2. One error is to refer to a data table that doesn't exist. So, create the data table... the "error" stays marked as an error, even though it isn't. If the list of existing objects can be refreshed, I'd like to know how.

Re: Seems obvious ...

Cats like to lie on a warm place...

Putting the "terror" in "terroir" ... "I Have No Mouth And I Really Need A Drink So Basically I'm Stuffed".

I think you might as well go back to the anti-freeze method.

Re: Pugwash 2.0?

We need the AIs themselves to make the pledge, not just the fleshy masters. Solved...ish.

According to Abba

"Lovers (Live a Little Longer)"

Medically proved apparently, or maybe it just SEEMS longer...

Re: It's easy to improve security by using this...

I found it pretty hard to decide what to write on my replacement bank card as a reminder to self not to use the old PIN. The catch being that this could look like a disguised way to write down the new PIN, making the card more attractive to steal.

I decided in the end on - "Remember they gave you a new PIN number so don't use the old one", in capitals.

Re: Monasteries had it right centuries ago

"Translated from Arabic" doesn't sound like Christianity was all that responsible for carrying knowledge through the Dark Ages. Rather, it was responsible for there BEING Dark Ages.

The problem seems to be that someone guessed that the password carnegie-123412341234-register (if it was me and Reg, which it wasn't) was a stonking clue for carnegie-123412341234-gentoo

I sometimes download random data to compose a password... but then I rearrange the characters before use. Then even the random provider can't guess what my password is. Two minutes later, neither can I, but I also write 'em down. Where I keep 'em, you'd have hurt me to get it... and if you're prepared to hurt me, then most people in my position would say you can have it.

I'm told by the automatic tester at https://www.my1login.com/resources/password-strength-test/ - another questionable web site, because all are; ironically, this is all that we use it for - that my typical formula of 6 random distinct consonants and 2 numerals is "as secure as Fort Knox" and takes 47 years to crack. I haven't actually used Xcsqpd14 as a password though. My formula fits password enforcement rules in most places; some demand a non-alphanumeric character as well. Twits; random is random is unguessable. They get ! at the end. However, one of our systems also uses ! as an escape character...

As for remembering the bollocks, it might not work for you but currently I'm converting either 5 or 6 of the characters into a semi-memorable phrase that reminds me of the password. This doesn't work first time but eventually does, with the rest of the password returning to my working memory as well. Then of course they make you change it... For Xcsqpd14 let's see... "excuse quip" (excuse pronounced as the verb, if it matter) works as a purely mental hint for Xcsqp ...

Pot, kettle

How do you get to "Equador" from .ec ? ;-)

In English the country is "Republic of Ecuador".

In Portuguese it is "Equador".

The country is Spanish speaking, however. So, "Ecuador".

The Municipality of Equador is in Brazil, which is almost all that Wikipedia (en) has to say about it.

I think it doesn't mean don't use the toilet, it means don't use the toilet as an excuse to meet the boss's boss and pitch your idea for Bluetooth underwear.

Of course - they already know what the office looks like, because of the cameras. Toilets included, probably.

If you're referring to a copyright holder having to consider fair use before sending a DMCA complaint, but being entitled to do that consideration on their own, I don't think that's problematic. Otherwise, every single DMCA complaint would have to be judged by a third party. I'll guess that most unlicensed uses of copyrighted material are blatantly not fair use.

We need to remember however that a young person is involved, presumably attending a school where every other student will have seen that video this week. I'm out of touch with the youth of today but I assume this is still novel and embarrassing.

Re: It's incredible to me ...

BASIC? It's just not the same without the RENUMBER command.

Re: "murder your family" vs either Dr Kelly, or the sports bag victim.

I think the story about Dr Kelly was that his wife would be left without support of his government pension unless he kindly committed suicide. As this is broadly before there were food banks, presumably she/they would then starve to death. HTH, HAND

Re: Any takers?

"and then putting the back end into the public domain"

How very dare you!

Re: All of which just proves....

"I have sent them details on UK companies which are in multiple violations of both the old law and GDPR itself and which continue to blatantly market and sell your (out of date) personal data without your personal permission. With company numbers, addresses, the lot. They are happily scratching their nether regions instead of enforcing it."

Be sure to register your account with those companies using a tasteful fake nude picture of a randomly selected Member of Parliament. "Calendar Girls" level, with the face Photoshopped on. This either might get something done, possibly to you, or, if not, is at least slightly amusing, especially if it's Facebook and they are facially recognised.

Re: Typical installer written in a large company

About installer gurus: someone who can do one thing well may be called "idiot savant". Some proudly self-apply the term (which is in French). It means your job is secure until it's automated or superseded (containers?)

"Deepfake"

If I'm following this, "deepfake" is what's not obviously fake - and may be passed off as genuine.

Internationally, several elections have had voters asked to decide whether some alleged leaked phone calls of candidates doing illicit things were genuine or falsified or creatively edited. Presumably some are real and most are not.

If Disney wants to dramatise public figures misbehaving from hearsay, they can make cartoons. This would tell the story would not be mistaken for real video. They made a cartoon where Donald Duck was a Nazi German (but he was just having a nightmare). More recently, the controversial Taiwanese "Next Animation Studio" has been providing cartoon dramatisations of news stories for years.

As for performing with animals, Snow White and Mowgli sang alongside animals on screen. Gene Kelly danced with Jerry Mouse from "Tom & Jerry". Andy Serkis by now can probably play as any creature on earth or under it. I'm not sure if I have a point in this paragraph.

Re: Should I be admitting to this?

One of my old favourite newspaper quotes from BBC radio's "News Quiz" (listen tonight for extended programme):

"Asked if she had anything to say before sentence was passed, Mrs Buckingham told the court: 'I have worked for British Rail for fifteen years. I am very sorry and ashamed.'" - Yorkshire Post

Re: Good. Lyft, Uber & their ilk suck arse.

If Uber's business model is to destroy competition then overcharge, independent drivers will compete by putting themselves on Tinder or something. Picture of a car will be a clue to what type of ride is on offer. Could still lead to misunderstanding though if it catches on, so do clearly state how far you want to go.

BGP misuse

I think it's called that... it's possible for a national Internet provider in Russia or China to announce itself as the quickest route to Google or Apple or TSB or whatever, so that all of the Internet is sent to that provider. When this has happened, as I understand it has, it usually appears to be by accident. but you never know.

I assume that this secure traffic mechanism does allow more than one secure route to be declared permissible, so that if one of your data centres suffers a power cut or a tactical nuclear missile strike then your network keeps running, bout I don't know about it.

Not worst bug, worst brand.

They don't like the name EFAIL.

I'm waiting for some issue of timing accuracy to be codenamed NOTAPROBLEM. Try getting a budget to fix that.