Posts by Captain DaFt

Re: comments on ending comment

"Especially when the closest you're country has ever been to being invaded, much less occupied, was a couple of balloons floating into California."

Hm, I seem to remember from history class that someone invaded the US and burned their Capitol City down in, oh, 1812, or there abouts?

Contacted Ballmer for his opinion

He wasn't happy.

Oh, Hell! Just three words, and I nearly died laughing!

"The chandelier that is Congress is filled with dim-bulbs but I think hers is burned out."

Worse than that.

Congress now consists of people who know how to game the system, and get re-elected. No further expertise than that.

I'd say it's mostly dim bulbs, several dead ones, and a few like this that actually suck the light out of their surroundings.

Re: Assuming it’s full of Marketeers rather than techies ...

That will keep the marketeers out, since they'll never be able to find it. :)

Sanskrit?

Re: How do you get the data out?

"you can take over an infected machine to have it emit strong electromagnetic pulses to a monitoring device."

Fun little demo here: https://youtu.be/1I8GlINuhCY

Program here: http://www.erikyyy.de/tempest/

Uses a monitor to transmit an MP3 file to an AM radio. Old stuff, been done for years.

Re: Remember when?

Um, SeaMonkey is a modern browser, with all the useful parts of Firefox, fully updated and patched, and compatible with most Firefox Add-ons. Current SeaMonkey is equivalent to current Firefox in features.

Well, actually better, IMHO.

"insufficient handling of USB input parameters"

"It could be read as the drivers are garbage."

I think that's exactly what it's saying.

Re: The added convenience of IoT stuff...

When you consider the IOT consists of taking things that have functioned well for decades, and then adding magic Internet pixie dust that leaves them available to any sod on the web that wants to access them, surely The IOT stands for "The Insecuring Of Things"?

I hate the meme... but...

"It seems obvious that Target has some real idiots working for it."

It seems obvious that Target has some real idiots running it.

There, FTFY... ugg.

"I'm going to wait for HTTP3."

Nah, better to wait until the prequels.

Re: @Charlie Clark

"He was probably one of the worst CEOs of the century so far"

Nope, not even close. He was mediocre, in over his head, but he could have done far, far worse.

He was given the wheel, and he was competent at staying the course. Trouble was he was unable to read the signs when computing changed, and was totally unfit to pick a new course and stick with it, wasting billions in the process.

Re: VTBO

"Vote The Bastards Out"

Unfortunately, the bastards have set it up so that as you vote one out, you automatically vote another in.

What we need is a "none of the above option" on ballots.

Re: yes but....

The scenario running through my head is that the PHB was berating the staff, "Why is this taking so long? I could do it faster myself!", and someone said, "Go Ahead, show us oh wise leader", in a voice dripping with sarcasm.

Unfortunately, PHBs never recognise sarcasm, so he belted this mess out, and ordered, "Ship it!"

Re: Wow is this slow.

Can I post a bet that all three will happen before GNU Hurd hits V. 1.0?

Re: "taking note of license plates"

"well these days you might as well toss a coin to see if you're secure."

With any internet connected device sold these days, you're secure about as often as the coin lands on edge.

Re: FFS

You forgot:

D. Secure

Re: Great Mug!

"Lawyas would be in touch..."

Point out that

A. It's satire.

B. Taking us to court amounts to free advertising for the mugs.

Re: Forcing a mobile interface on the desktop

I'd say it's as stupid as putting an electric kettle on a hob to brew tea.

Re: If there ever was a reason

First it'll develop a craving for proper tea.

Then it'll wipe out humanity because it has no way to drink it.

Re: It's good but...

"this story is not the place to rant about MS being total bastards because it just shows them as incompetent."

MS: "We did it! But we're going to get caught!"

MS: "I know, act like it was an accident, Brillant!

Re: Money vs Risk

"Universities = poor hence EMC failure = acceptable?"

Acceptable, no. A fact of life? Yes.

Re: The space joyride market seems crowded..

-<wanders off, muttering and wondering how this will improve humanity or help space exploration.>-

Use it as a launch base for LOHAN?

Re: tablets and two-in-one devices, will drive uptake.

-I don't see two-in-ones or connectable devices going too far in the near future.-

I do. Landfills are generally located well outside of town.

Re: Not only in Ireland

"Some mindless bureaucrat had actually found out the guy had died and where he was buried to send him the letter."

Not totally mindless then. The American IRS wanted to dig up a body for an interview:

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/115582/IRS-MAY-SEEK-ORDER-TO-EXHUME-MAN-WHO-DIED-OWING-156000.html?pg=all

Warning: Pure Evil Alert

"Or you just just resubmit Ishtar."

Ah, I've an inspiration!

Get the rights to several horrid movies (Heavens' Gate, Gigli, Ishtar and Water World as examples), Hire Uwe Boll to edit them into an epic drama, and

Watch the World burn!

Re: @Pascal Monett

"Unless you want hostages to only be able to summon help from a landline, you're going to need to accept nearby cell towers too."

True, but it will eliminate bogus calls from another part of the city, country, or even, as in a couple of cases, another country altogether.

Re: Bob

"was the only way Bill was going to get some...."

Yeah, I suppose being a billionaire wouldn't have helped him with the ladies at all, would it?

Re: Hmmm requires a bard reboot to fix it...

But where will we ever find a lute player at this hour?

Re: So does that mean that ...

"f a USA company is cracked by the NSA that they will legally be able to try to crack the NSA ?"

No no no, only them furrin' types, with their weird ways and encryption*.

Not decent, American types who are only trying to save our way of life by completely demolishing it!

*Can't understand a word they say, so they obviously must be speaking encrypted American, the sly bastards!