* Posts by Ken Hagan

8137 publicly visible posts • joined 14 Jun 2007

Win XP alive and kicking despite 2014 kill switch (Don't ask about Win 8)

Ken Hagan Gold badge

Browsium are talking out of their backsides

"Browsium states: “There’s clearly a lot of work ahead for enterprise IT." "

Clearly? Remind me again, which part of the browser's user agent string clearly indicates that this is an enterprise user rather than a home user?

Boffins: We have FOOLED APPLE with malware app

Ken Hagan Gold badge

Re: Horror of horrors

"And the app would have to be running in the foreground to be doing this, since Apple famously doesn't allow general-purpose multitasking."

Perhaps not for UI processes, but all sorts of alerts can be raised whilst you are doing other things and I have no trouble transferring files on and off an iPad whilst it is running an unrelated app, so clearly the OS does allow multi-tasking.

Ken Hagan Gold badge

Re: How big are iPhone chargers?

I imagine that now (having figured out how to do it) they could squeeze the whole lot into an FPGA inside the USB plug. These guys are researchers. If you want product development, speak to the guys in black hats who were sitting in the audience.

Ken Hagan Gold badge
Happy

Re: Harsh, but fair

The context, presumably, being the recent court cases where various people ended up paying serious cash for their ill-considered tweeting.

USB accelerates to 10 Gbps

Ken Hagan Gold badge

Re: Potential

It's harder than you think. USB is a master-slave protocol and if you want the slaves to be able to send traffic you need to either statically reserve bandwidth for them or poll them. It's not like firewire, which was a genuine bus (which is why Windows would happily offer network services over firewire, but not USB). I suppose it is just a simple matter of programming, and I suppose token ring networks demonstrate that you can achieve reasonable performance even if your protocol includes a "speaking stick", but I think it's quite a lot of programming.

You're 30 years old and your PIN is '1983'. DAMMIT, biz mobe user

Ken Hagan Gold badge

Re: Passcode Compromise

That is indeed the compromise you've chosen. Apple chose the compromise that doesn't lead to sob stories from users who can't even spell bakcup. I dare say you've each made the right choice for your own circumstances.

Move over, Freeview, just like you promised: You're hogging the 4G bed

Ken Hagan Gold badge

Re: DTT <> Freeview

It doesn't amaze me. Outside of the industry, no-one actually gives a stuff about the difference between technology and the companies that use that technology. The situation is not helped by the fact that roughly half the industry (the marketing half) exists largely to propogate that confusion.

UK economy to lose £198m if BBC and pals lose EPG slots - Ministry of Fun

Ken Hagan Gold badge

Re: How are the losses calculated?

£198m is clearly a figure placed at the top of the report to warn any discerning reader that the rest of the report was pulled out of someone's backside too.

Jurors start stretch in the cooler for Facebooking, Googling the accused

Ken Hagan Gold badge

Re: And presumably illegal for you to research the fact that you can

Only whilst on jury duty. At all other times, I think you can safely hide behind the principle that "Ignorance of the law is no defence" and conclude that you are legally expected to have researched the fact.

Ken Hagan Gold badge

Re: The origin of the jury

"originally, they were the people that knew the plaintiffs / defendants and in theory would know the background to the case"

That sounds very much like "knowing a lot of gossip that wouldn't be admissable". Surely it was the *witnesses* that the juries were supposed to know (and judge the credibility thereof).

But, yes, all that is long past. (Would knowing one of the witnesses be enough to disqualify you these days?) Juries, however, remain and amongst the reasons cited are their occasional tendency to deliver an unexpectedly verdict. On further questioning, the supporter of the jury system usually seems to be thinking of cases where the jury put equity before the law rather than following it.

On the other hand, it may be a little like democracy -- the worst system except for all the others. For "safety-critical" systems, the most important design criterion is not "How well can this system perform on a good day?" but "How badly wrong can this system go on a bad day?". Amongst systems of government, democracy wins convincingly on the second point.

Ken Hagan Gold badge

Perhaps you missed the bit in the article that makes it all clear:

"A jury must only weigh up evidence that has been deemed admissible in court, rather than any old information they may stumble across by researching a case outside of court."

This has always been true and I imagine judges have always issued instructions to jurors to this effect. The internet changes nothing.

Keep calm and carry on spying on Americans, US politicos tell NSA

Ken Hagan Gold badge

Re: I have some bad news for all of you.

I don't think anyone is suggesting that the US is unique, but the NSA has the biggest budget which makes them the most serious threat and the US has the constitution and political culture most likely to address that threat. Somehow I can't picture MPs standing up to GCHQ or MI5, or all that many of my compatriots feeling it is important to do so.

Senator: Surveillance state based on secret law 'has no place in America'

Ken Hagan Gold badge

Re: Gag orders

If it isn't public, it isn't rule of law.

If the court doesn't hear from both sides, there's no judgement.

Just sayin'...

For pity's sake: DON'T MOVE to the COUNTRY if you want to live

Ken Hagan Gold badge

Re: Not sure about "dwarfs"

The truth is even more shocking. Ref: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-20759139

In "developed" countries, the US is far out in front and followed not very closely by Switzerland, a country often cited as proof that widespread gun ownership isn't a problem if you have the right culture. Ho ho.

Worldwide, however, the US is nowhere to be seen (26th). Gun deaths pretty much *only* occur in the countries that lie between where the drugs are grown and where they are consumed.

ISPs: Relax. Blocking porn online won't really work

Ken Hagan Gold badge

It'll be interesting to see whether stupidity is a defence in law against libel.

SkyDrive on par with C: Drive in Windows 8.1

Ken Hagan Gold badge

Re: ?

Over a conventional UK broadband offering, you'd be hard pushed to upload it anyway.

512Kbit ADSL upload -> 1/16MB per second

1TB = 1000000MB

16e6 seconds or roughly six months assuming a perfect connection.

PHWOAR! Huh! What is it good for? Absolutely nothing, Prime Minister

Ken Hagan Gold badge

Yes, she is understandably upset. A responsible editor would have noted that her argument was completely bogus and been kind enough not to splash her across the nation's screens and make her look like a fool.

Very sad that no-one on the programme thought to do this. But then, modern news does seem to "get off" on distress and wallow in gory details. I'm sure it is unhealthy. Perhaps it should be blocked.

US secret court renews government telephone snooping

Ken Hagan Gold badge

Have an upvote, but it's not exactly secret, is it? Anyone with a clue could have guessed years (if not decades) ago that every government has maintained a back door into its own national telecoms network. Now even those without a clue may have seen something about it on the news.

No, the current problem is more like: No court (oversight) + No Laws (for spooks) + Unlimited Budget = Tyranny.

Which is odd, in a country that has so many vocal opponents of Big Government. Where's Sarah Palin and her delightful Tea Party when we (quite unexpectedly, for this wishy washy liberal) really need it?

Curiosity team: Massive collision may have killed Red Planet

Ken Hagan Gold badge

Re: You don't need to think, you can look it up

Much as I enjoyed the jibe, I don't think encouraging people not to think is terribly wise in this thread.

Ken Hagan Gold badge

Re: I thought this was by Ron Hubbard?

Nah. Immanuel Velikovsky got there yonks before Hubbard did, and I don't suppose he was the first either.

Microsoft DENIES it gives backdoor access to Outlook encryption

Ken Hagan Gold badge

The real story here...

...surely is not that Microsoft have bent over for the NSA. *Every* US-based corporation is legally obliged to do that and you are being dementedly naive if you think the NSA don't take advantage. No, the realy story here is that Microsoft now reckon that the rest of the world will never trust them (or any other US-based IT provider) again, ever, unless the NSA voluntarily give up that right.

And *that's* bad news for the US economy as we move into the 21st century.

Ken Hagan Gold badge
Paris Hilton

Re: Ahem.

Trevor, you don't seem to be replying to any post in particular.

Are you just having a bad day, or is the whole world Bullshit. (I can't tell from here.)

PM writes ISPs' web filter ads for them - and it must say 'default on'

Ken Hagan Gold badge

Re: "nobbles DNS lookups"

"Step #4: Search for [*removed by No 10*]"

Of course, a quick Freedom of Information request will deliver the actual list of banned sites, maintained at tax-payers expense for the convenience of teenagers too lazy to search for their own porn.

How the clammy claws of Novell NetWare were torn from today's networks

Ken Hagan Gold badge

Re: The real issue is - once again - IBM

I think both IBM and Novell had problems with price. I recall a comparitive review in PC Magazine between the fairly new NT and whatever Novell were offering at the time. Novell had roughly twice the performance on any metric you cared to ask, but the MS reply was simply "but the price difference is so large that you could by a dual processor box with gobs of RAM to run NT on and it would wipe the floor with Novell's offering and *still* be cheaper".

Which is the main reason that Linux was able to wipe the floor with Windows Server several years later.

STEVE BALLMER KILLS WINDOWS

Ken Hagan Gold badge

Re: I like how people here are so quick to condemn anyone

"Gates took 35 years to get the cmpany to where it was"

More like 20 and then he cruised for a while, unable to make further progress, before handing it over to his buddy coz the job (making money) finally started being less fun than the alternatives (spending it).

At this rate, Ballmer isn't going to last 20 years and the job won't be any fun at all when he hands it over unless you are a lawyer.

Ken Hagan Gold badge

"They are not, they are decision makers and leaders."

Which is why the OP flagged up some of their biggest past decisions.

Ken Hagan Gold badge

Yep, nope.

Trouble is, the most secure part of Windows is the kernel and most of the vulnerabilities stem from "end-user convenience". If you put the Windows Shell on top of Linux, you'd probably find you'd undermined your industrial strength foundations.

I note in passing that several governments not commonly noted for their respect for copyright law have the source code for Windows that would allow them to develop exactly that. What's the betting that the source code for XP starts to leak after 2014?

I also note that Microsoft are steadily losing the staff who actually programmed their most successful products. What's the betting that some of those staff occasionally contribute bug fixes to FOSS alternatives that only make sense to someone who knows the mis-behaviour warts in the original product?

Ken Hagan Gold badge
Happy

Re: Mr Mainwaring

The old sergeant called Corporal Jones.

Sysadmins: Everything they told you about backup WAS A LIE

Ken Hagan Gold badge

Re: Strongly Agree: Backups don't really matter.

"Rarely has so much wisdom been concentrated in so few words in The Register."

We can probably precis it down even further to just point (2), though. Really the other 9 follow logically from there.

There is no such thing as backup; there is only restore.

Screw it, says NSA leaker Snowden: I'm applying for asylum in Russia

Ken Hagan Gold badge

Ben? Ben Franklin? Is that you on the interwebs?

Ubuntu 13.10 to ship with Mir instead of X

Ken Hagan Gold badge

Re: Ubuntu, the Maralinga of Canonical's nuclear testing

"Because in his mind (and Microsoft's, mind) they're a dying breed."

I think that's the central assumption -- that even if we still have ten trillion desktop computers in 2020 there isn't going to be any money in providing the OS for them and so if you are currently in that business and you want to be making profits in 2020 then you need to find a new market to sell a new (if related) product.

Personally I'm not convinced. Despite the best (?) efforts of the industry for a decade or more, I still haven't seen a UI that that fits on a phone-sized screen and doesn't need a keyboard but is still usable for content creation rather than mere consumption. Given the combined limitations of my anatomy and my typical working environment, I don't ever expect to either. I find it utterly bizarre that anyone in the industry thinks this is possible.

Euro GPS Galileo gets ready for nuclear missile use

Ken Hagan Gold badge

Re: Encrypted service has nothing to do with freedom loving

(4) is technically impossible, unless you deliberately place a reporting device alongside the GPS receiver. (Hint: it's called a receiver for a reason.)

Snowden: US and Israel did create Stuxnet attack code

Ken Hagan Gold badge

Re: Using the proper date format.

"The proper date format would be 2001-09-11."

What's all this crap about "proper". The only numerical date format is the ISO one. Any other arrangement of digits is just a typing error. In particular, anyone who has used a date format with two digit years in the last decade needs to be beaten about the head with a blunt instrument until two more digits drop out.

Microsoft: Still using Office installed on a PC? Gosh, you squares

Ken Hagan Gold badge

Re: Office 2000

I think 2003 has slightly fewer bugs. There's not enough difference to make it worth paying for 2003 if you already have 2000, but if you ever find yourself in a position where you can choose at no cost, you might choose 2003.

Ken Hagan Gold badge

Re: The more MS pushes this.

"Perhaps this is why it is the only text edtor that comes by default on Windows - so it doesn't compete with Office."

Nit-pick: It isn't. Wordpad comes with Windows and, unlike Notepad, can be used to read text files with Unixoid line-endings. Still sucks, though.

BBC abandons 3D TV, cites 'disappointing' results

Ken Hagan Gold badge

Re: Shocker

"Wow.. people aren't interested in expensive gimicks"

There. FTFY.

IT design: You're not data, you're a human being

Ken Hagan Gold badge

Re: Metrics tell you what but they don't tell you why

So design by metrics is an algorithm that converges on a product with no features at all.

Ken Hagan Gold badge
Unhappy

Re: "XP will soon stop receiving security updates."

Your point about XP embedded is technically correct, but my guess is that MS will deny "desktop XP" users these updates simply out of spite. It just seems to be the way the company operates these days. I think, as the article notes, they are "trying to copy Apple".

Judge nixes Microsoft SkyDrive name in BSkyB court ruling

Ken Hagan Gold badge

Re: Poor choice of name

"If someone asked you who provided the iPlayer service would you say Apple?"

Funny you should mention that one. Given their track record, plus the example outside the IT world of Easy<whatever>, I am astonished that Apple didn't sue.

Voyager 1 'close' to breaking through to DEEP SPACE - boffins

Ken Hagan Gold badge

Re: Mandatory XKCD comic

Not quite. It isn't just fading away with 1/r^2 or something like that. The solar wind (blowing outwards) means that the solar system is a bubble with a shockwave on the outside. Give or take a few squillion miles, that bubble has a defined edge and that edge is in a physically meaningful way the limit of the Sun's domain.

Windows 8.1: So it's, er, half-speed ahead for Microsoft's Plan A

Ken Hagan Gold badge

Re: The New Tech Mantra: 'When its broken don't fix it just hire good PR...'

"Its clever marketing though...."

Er, not really. You see, plenty of fairly dim-witted marketroids have thought along these lines. The result is that "Modern" is the brand for a now-well-out-of-date style of quite a lot of things. Yes, we all know what the word means, with a lower-case "m", but the brand with an upper-case "M" actually means old crap. Case in point: "Modern Art" refers to something from the early years of the last century. Even "post-modern" is now a bit of an old joke.

No. Clever marketing would have been to build on your existing brand that is recognised and tolerated by 99% of your customer base. Revolutions are for people who aren't currently in charge. For an established player to seek a revolution is suicidal.

Windows 8.1: 'It's good for enterprises, too,' says Redmond

Ken Hagan Gold badge

Re: I kinda like W8 Pro

"Getting the button back will be really useful for Windows 2012 R2 - no start button was a huge pain when you're logged in via RDP (which is the way to log into servers, really)."

Don't hold your breath. The "returned" start button just takes you to the tiled Metro screen, which has perhaps a dozen apps visible, rather than the hierarchial Start menu, which had no trouble showing several times that number. If you use your PC for more than just email, web and media consumption, Win8 blows.

Apple threatens ANOTHER Samsung patent lawsuit

Ken Hagan Gold badge

Re: I bought the S3 because of this legal nonsense

"If only Apple made fridges and microwaves I could really stick it to Samsung."

They'd also need to sell food, otherwise you wouldn't be able to buy anything to put in them.

Opera network cracked

Ken Hagan Gold badge

Re: Opera Next @Lee

"its development has taken resources from the browser projects"

I've seen no evidence of mail development in the last half-decade or so and it's what I use as my mail client, so I think I would have done.

Mint 15 freshens Ubuntu's bad bits

Ken Hagan Gold badge

Re: WINE or VM?

"My guess is that Linux's cacheing of the hard disk to RAM is greatly superior to Windows'."

It could just be as simple as the VM host "optimising" any flush-to-disc operations from the guest. Alternatively, the (modern) host may just know a much better way of accessing the disc than the (10-year-old) XP guest.

I don't doubt your personal experience. I do doubt whether you have the correct explanation.

Windows 8.1 start button appears as Microsoft's Blue wave breaks

Ken Hagan Gold badge

Re: I wanna shutdown ? .. hit Start...no, I said shutdown

"which you were told about the first time you logged on"

Whilst I realise it is possible for an OEM (or perhaps even a nice sysadmin) to give you your new machine in a state that displays this tour on *your* first login:

they probably didn't, and

anyone who is offered a "Tour of the new features in your software" and actually takes it, is certifiable.

There has never been a "Tour of your new ..." that wasn't a complete waste of time. (The Win8 tour is no exception, being 99% concerned with trying to convince you that you no longer *want* to be able to use all your existing PC expertise on your new machine and would instead like to be transformed into a dribbling newb who knows nothing.) It is utterly unreasonable to expect users to sit through such a thing. Microsoft's inclusion of a tour merely demonstrates how little they understand of interface design (and human beings generally).

Ken Hagan Gold badge

Re: Start button - Never used it anyway.

"Actually "shut down by pressing the power button" is standard since at least Win7"

I think it has been supported since 2K or thereabouts (ever since the hardware folks started using "soft" power switches), but I always assumed the support was just a bit of defensive programming by an OS team who just didn't want a load of whiny lusers giving them grief when the machine booted up into CHKDSK the following morning. That is, no-one was ever *supposed* to shut down the machine by flipping the switch.

Anyway, for many (most) desktop systems, the mouse is sitting under your palm whereas the power button is "over there" or "under there".

Ken Hagan Gold badge
Windows

Re: @AndrueC

"According to Wikipedia that registry value came in with Windows 95:"

Indeed, and prior to that you could replace PROGMAN.EXE with the shell of your choice by tweaking either WIN.INI or SYSTEM.INI. (I forget which.)

Snowden dodges US agents in Moscow, skips out on flight

Ken Hagan Gold badge

Re: He can stay at mine if he likes

"sashayed away in her 'haha husband logic fail' shoes"

You're married to Eadon?