* Posts by Teiwaz

4133 publicly visible posts • joined 19 Oct 2011

London's Metropolitan Police arrest Julian Assange

Teiwaz

he had to keep prodding the bear.

Maybe eagle?

Russia is the Bear usually,

Sort of Cross-totemic animal confusion.

Teiwaz

Re: All discussions of "did-he-didn't-he" and "the CIA are going to get him" aside...

I was waiting for someone to note that...

I was thinking, no wonder they kicked him out, if he's let his standards go.

Or maybe the look is to prove there were no sexscapades at the embassy (I'm certainly convinced, looking like that).

He's been in semi-hermitage for nearly a decade, bound to have affected the mind.

Teiwaz

The BBC?

These days they fall over themselves trying to make the news as absorbable as possible.

There's a certain amount of nuance likely lost along the way trying ensuring that.

Teiwaz

Re: final straw? Back to Oz?

I think they'd rather take ROFL back.

Rolling on the Floor Laughing???

or did you mean R. "Plaster of Paris"???

I still enjoy the Goodies Scatty Safari

Telly production biz films maternity clinic, doesn't tell patients, gets fined £120,000

Teiwaz

should made to do a "Cersei walk of shame".

Eww!!

But then, TV these days, dress it up a bit, overpay some valium pumped grinning 4th rate female celeb whose chief skill is the ability to talk brainlessly between ad-breaks and it'll probably get good enough ratings.

Make America Infringe Again: Trump campaign video pulled over Batman copyright

Teiwaz

Re: Predictable

The incessant repeating of "make America great again" seems to me implicitly acknowledging that it either hasn't happened yet

But if you change great to grate everything swims into focus, as it's working.

They did it! US House reps pulled their finger out, voted to restore net neutrality in America!

Teiwaz

Re: You say you want a revolution?

Weirdly, this doesn't happen in proper democracies.

Yes it does.

Brexit for example.

Think of the US situation not as where we have been but as where we are going.

Teiwaz

Re: Enough, Kieran...

There's long games of political manouvering

Then there's the sort of thing like Brexit or other impasses that actually involve compromise and long periods in rooms with people you might not care for, not, like or annoy the hell out of you on principal.

I think a lot of them spend too many months basking in their accomplishment of getting elected and a sense of their own importance, and expect to be sitting at a desk fawned over while they sign things and end up dithering while they collect a huge salary (and gifts from contacts in business) and push paper around your desk (and usually off the desk into the bin when no ones looking) when it becomes apparent the work doesn't involve 'changing the world with a hand gesture and (what their PR person has settled on as) the best photogenic smile they are capable of.

US boffins tangle with quantum entanglement in spooky rack-mounted networking hardware

Teiwaz
Windows

Re: It's all very well...

When it comes to cats, I agree with the Late Sir PTerry,

The cat has three states,

Alive,

Dead,

and Bloody Furious.

Are brown dwarfs stars or planets? Boffins find evidence for proto-suns in a solar system

Teiwaz

brown dwarf

I always thought those were those little slightly carbonised little floaters you find in public lavies that won't go down after two flushes.

And you know if you leave the next person waiting to use the cubicle with think it your fault...

Brit hacker jailed for strapping ransomware to smut site ad networks

Teiwaz

Those are the questions the legal system should focus on. Criminal law should be all about the victim. The perpetrator... is just so much meat, to be used however possible to recover money to compensate the victims.

I was mentioned on the Beeb that he'd ploughed a lot of hid profit back into more advertising, so I guess the Ad networks now have a lot of it as well.

It's alive! Hands on with Microsoft's Chromium Edge browser

Teiwaz

Edge's privacy settings are pretty poor though.

Nice to see MS have finally gotten some sort of matching uniformity in Windows settings.

Teiwaz

Re: Windows 11......

Ubuntunlikely,

MS are not investing heavily enough in Wine, and I doubt their Azure services is nearly lucrative enough yet to abandon their platform licencing income.

MS only 'loves' linux when it's running on top of a fee paying MS licence.

Teiwaz

Re: New fangled nonsense.

What's wrong with nano?

Some of us learned our trade on 2nd hand minicomputers at polytechnics with no budget for extras. Pico was all we had.

In terms of four yorkshiremen luxury, it should be emacs, vim, nano, ed, butterflies, not nano, emacs, vim, ed, butterflies.

Try programming on a Bull GCOS env, nothing but a line editor and TEX

Teiwaz

Chrome Chromium confusion

Granted, if you enter Chromium vs Chrome in a web search, you do get some pretty top level examples of the difference, from the color of the icons to the fact that chromium is used to make chrome plating.

There would be no benefit to Ms from including Chrome, stuffing a version of Chromium with their own extra crap may be of benefit to them.

Google adds extra video codecs and other ease of use inducements to Chrome to encourage it's use over Chromium, but then, aside from ChromeOS and Android, they have to bait for an install unless OEMS bundle it with their machines for them.

I wonder what, if any MS will offer to encourage the use of it's new frankenbrowser.

You were warned and you didn't do enough: UK preps Big Internet content laws

Teiwaz

Re: What do the powerful voters want ?

Muppet People

Please don't insult Muppets.

The Goodies Puppet government

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2sgnjs

Teiwaz

Re: Seems a bit mixed

Hence the 'right to be forgotten' putting the onus on the search engines, and not the host of the content.

Actually the point of 'right to be forgotten' was to target news items from X years ago popping up on idle searches, contrary to many countries laws on spent convictions.

It was not intended to expunge information from old news archives.

Teiwaz

Re: Here we go...

But I have no idea why Facebook / Twitter / Instagram wouldn't just 451 the entire of the UK.

What? and risk a Weibo like competitor eventually creeping into other countries with a strong foundation in a populous country like the UK?

Teiwaz

Re: You lot have spent so much time ...

Vladimir v. Putin's troll factories

Aren't needed,

Buddha says, everything we do, we do to ourselves...

Both shameful states are not the driving force of any outside agency.

Teiwaz

There's always Option 4, which will make the DUP *very* happy, I think:

Nothing ever makes the DUP happy,

Look at any photo of them, sour faced lot, the muscles having relaxed into a dour scowl out of sheer habit...

Anyway, aren't there enough 'peace walls' in N.I without turning Belfast into post-war Berlin?

As they say here, 'Wind yer' neck in'

Teiwaz

Brexit or remain is cross party, not a party lines thing

If you look at the recent parliament votes on options, a small percentage of tories are voting pro-europe, and a much smaller percentage of labour are voting pro-leave.

Not really enough to declare it truly cross-party, the SNP are a largish block, but they aren't crossing lines.

Teiwaz

The negotiating team should have been cross party

British politics with first past the post and minority gorverments propped up by nutter parties doesn't really have the that sort of thing in it's lexicon

We've heard of 'cross-party talks' in N.I. But it's more 'cross' than 'talk' and generally means not talking for several years...

HMRC accused of not understanding its own IR35 tax reforms ahead of private sector rollout

Teiwaz

Tossing (coins)

While I agree that 50% isn't the "vast majority" I do think it's high enough to say that HMRC don't know what they're doing.

It's either they have only half a clue, or it's the Jam side up/down Toast test, and there's no guiding intelligence but blind chance.

May as well get the casting bones out to decide...

Amazon woes and wins, IBM thinks it's solved employee happiness and Duplex phony phone calls everywhere!

Teiwaz

Well that's a little obvious

Possibly it just spews positive IBM cheerleader ra ra at the user and then measures the returning waves of cringe and cynical hardening like radar.

Could also measure the drying out of the spirit like drying and cracking wood as staff cross the threshold on monday morning.

Prepare yourselves for Windows 10 May-hem. Or is it June, no, July?

Teiwaz

Linux, the operating so good they have trouble giving it away for free.

I'm going to put it down to similar mentality to vaccines, climate change etc.

Granted, though, 'Linux wasn't ready for mainstream desktop use until well after Windows had achieved a certain hegemony, and once the weight of popular applications was firmly in the Windows side, it's been at a disadvantage.

But mostly, because, with the cost reduced for bulk OEM purchases, Windows IS given away for free, and has been aggressively marketed for decades.

Now that there's been a shift to online apps, there's becoming less and less reason to find yourself stuck on Windows.

Knocking the competition at every chance just is not a viable marketing plan.

When the bread on the shelf is barely fit to consume, it's only proper to remind shoppers it's not the the only product on offer.

Google Pay tells Euro users it has ditched UK for Ireland ahead of Brexit

Teiwaz

Re: Lost Tax

And since we have yet to have brexit but instead every attempt to remain

Nope, every attempt by the DUP and the various mostly tory factions to have their way or else trying to hold eachother over a barrel have brought about the total total shameful shambles.

They've only served to strengthened and increasing remain sentiments.

the various brexit factions have only themselves to blame.

All's fair in love and war when tech treats you like an infant

Teiwaz

The interface on the self-checkouts at a store I frequent recently underwent a slight design change along the lines of why not hide buttons and tone down the userfriendly a little to delay people (maybe they'll spend more). Reminded me of watching a new Windows 8 user try to find the login button.

As if pressing the total is any clearer than making a little room for a button that says 'done'

Don't get me started on the stores that give you less room than Dave Listers Mimas acomodation to checkout and bag your purchases.

Prince Harry takes a stand against poverty, injustice, inequality? Er, no, Fortnite

Teiwaz

What's believing in god got to do with it?

The whole institution of royalty is that their ancestors were more ruthless bullies than everyone elses.

The whole 'god-given right' thing is bollocks.

Two thousand years of stealing others lunch money.

Teiwaz

There are dozens of other higher profile celebs with far less savoury pasts who feel obliged to impart their notions of wisdom to the world. Perhaps Keiron could do a weekly hatchet column so that we can laugh at all of them.

I would like to second that.

Maybe that arse Russell Brand?

For one reason or another we've been forced onto this 1984 vibe, we might as well make use of the more cathartic 2 minute thing.

Teiwaz

and kids have to stay home where it is safe

Also neglected to note that in some cases 'kids' are out doing the knifing.

i hope his haven't been 'Boo Radley'ed....

Teiwaz

Re: Ignore

el'Reg - by royal appointment

By Royal disappointment after this article (which I couldn't agree more with).

Sixth in line now? (do we really need a six or more backups? If so, wouldn't it be better to keep them safely in a bunker somewhere underground in case of surprise nuclear strike, zombie outbreak or triffid meteor shower?).

2019: The year all-flash finally goes lamestream – but you know we were into it before it was cool

Teiwaz

Headline

Slight WTF momo, as my brain equated 'Flash' with the adobe monstrosity and had an attack of cultureshock at the concept that anyone could associate 'cool' with it.

'annoying', and 'just die already' yes, 'cool' no.

Lend me your ears and AI will play with your brain: Machine voice imitators outsmart us

Teiwaz

This is exciting stuff, but how long before people start asking Blade Runner-esq questions at the start of calls?

Should have probably started that decades ago to weed out the worst type of predatory phone salesperson.

Teiwaz

So the sounds, but what about the content.

Provided the speaker is known to the listener (and the listener pays attention more than a only a minimal amount of time)

A red flag has to go up with the listener if the kind of language used is not how the speaker normally communicates?

UK MPs' disinformation sub-committee is sure to bring Facebook chief to heel (in Opposites Land)

Teiwaz

Re: If it is on someone elses server, then it isn't your data and you have no control over it.

“The rules governing the Internet allowed a generation of entrepreneurs to build services that changed the world and created a lot of value in people’s lives. It’s time to update these rules to define clear responsibilities for people, companies and governments going forward.”

It was mostly because there were no 'rules governing the internet' that failed to disallow a load of some good some bad ideas.

'Updating' and defining clear rules will ensure much fewer new disruptive ideas fruiting.

The Internet has had it's wild west days, but now, barring some new tech to change the ground, the territory has mostly been decided and the sheriffs are on patrol and cavalry is out shooting natives.

Teiwaz

Re: call on Facebook to ditch its appeal

President Trump remains very eager to cut a bilateral trade deal with an independent Britain.

Well of course he is, they're probably sure he can get another 'Manhattan island' bargain.

Finally, after years of dunking on Magic Leap, El Reg's Kieren tries out the techno hype goggles. And the verdict...

Teiwaz

although you have to wear it at a weird angle, so it feels a little like when your glasses droop off your nose.

Why did this remind me of the glasses handle from Steve Martins 'The Jerk'.

Fortunately I doubt this will be popular enough to have the same story end.

Good news, Man City fans: You can watch your team lose the title in on-demand 3D

Teiwaz

Re: Pricing

and pay per view is where they want to go

Have we not been there for some time with some hyped up sports?

I thought we were already in the realms of booking a cheap surgeon for hocking bodyparts???

Teiwaz

Personally,

Preferences of sex over sport

I seem to be last picked for either throughout my life.

At least a bad position in sex lasts less than standing by the goal in the freezing cold and rain and is generally indoors.

Nice People Matter? NPM may stand for Not Politely Managed – job cuts leave staff sore

Teiwaz

Re: "Nice People Matter"

Nice people are matter - get the corporate mince grinder out, we'll get a nice gravel fill for the senior management car park.

Teiwaz

Re: Stupid buzzwords

Every company needs more management and marketing. You can never have too many HR bods either.

Quite, it's the corporate equivalent of hiring more security. A company goes to far along that road (and it's a short drive these days) and it's the corporate equivalent to the Ministries for Peace, Plenty and Truth.

HPE and the Truth Squad is a good example, but they are so far down the road, they've parked up alongside the rundown 1920's farm of the crazies.

In the West, we're worried about shooting down drones. In Russia, drones shoot you

Teiwaz

Of course we can! It's just that we consider it unsporting to do so by unleashing ordnance that might miss and fall on our neighbours' heads, so we don't.

I thought we'd already covered that getting a 'firing squad' out to 'pepper it with bullets'* on sight wouldn't likely work.

a) More likely to cause collateral damage than hit it.

b) The 'drone' was less reliably spotted less than 'Nessie'

* Or other macho gunhappy trite euphemisms

Watch out, Bali! Big Bluers set to realign their chakras at Best of IBM event in May

Teiwaz

Re: The Airport Marriott Principle

Twelve Engineers vs couple of hundred execs?

You could have stopped there, the location wouldn't matter - although I would like to do a film about a 'couple of hundred execs' at somewhere like Chicago Airport Marriott I think we'd have something like 'Falling Down' crossed with a snuff movie with a finale probably not dissimilar to Cannibal Holocaust and the 1984 Conservative Party Conference.

The Engineers in Hawaii, I imagine a touching 'Weird Science' crossed with Buffy 'Band Candy' episode.

IT meltdown bank TSB: It's as good a week as any to announce we're taking back control

Teiwaz

Re: Taking Back Control

We've been on BST all winter

Brexit Stumped ('Stuck' if you prefer) Time

Teiwaz

Re: Migration

I find it really odd that in such multi-million pound systems, rather than "switch this one off, then switch the new one on", there isn't a duplication of transaction data and then parallel feeding to both systems simultaneously, and a load-balancing in between that sends, say, 1% of their customers to the new platform to see how it works out.

That approach might work for some systems, but sounds like a huge operations overhead for a Bank. That 1% of data has to be processed same as the other 99%, and often updates and reporting have to delivered in a tight timeframe. Running two systems in parallel Live sounds like a potential for as much disaster.

Shadowing the current system by the new for a time, then switching over to the new as the Live system, and running the old as a fallback might be wiser, expensive, but wiser.

Lip-reading smart speakers: Just what no one always wanted

Teiwaz

Re: can I buy your car?

Can you get it to play RadioActivity?

That would not be as impressive as getting it to play morgenspaziergang

Teiwaz

enjoyed this week's 1980's electropop

...and yet Kraftwerk merely got a mention in relation to juddering car fittings....

Luckily, I don't read 'Something for the weekend' because of the music recommendations.

But maybe in despite of...

Huawei savaged by Brit code review board over pisspoor dev practices

Teiwaz

Re: The biggest threats to security

Fear, surprise, ruthless inefficiency and an almost fanatical devotion to profit.

Here's a race condition we can get behind: Neural net learns to keep up with 'skilled' amateur track driver in robo-ride safety experiment

Teiwaz

Re: Takeover imminent

Scalextric announces takeover of Formula 1! Teams rush to hire top driving talent from kindergarten.

From what I remember of Scalextric, it took a little maturity in order to learn the optimum strategy was not just pull the trigger on the controller fully and keep it there.

...unless you enjoyed watching the toy fly off the track at the first bend and hit the wall (and what small child doesn't find that amusing for an exponential number of times more than an adult).

What am I say...? It'll be a roaring success. Like that movie, Death Race.

Humanitarian champ or sex-trafficking profiteer? Fresh sueball argues Salesforce is the latter

Teiwaz
Coat

Re: Domino

Domino

Oh no, some guy drove our truck in to a crowd and killed a bunch of people! We better buy back all the trucks and start selling paper towels!

thought they did Pizza