* Posts by cortland

1167 publicly visible posts • joined 29 Mar 2012

US chap sharpens paradigm-busting scissors

cortland

Hmm

https://tse2.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.M8426b71591f26ca5828c540c9a0146b6o0&pid=15.1

Knackered Euro server turns Panasonic smart TVs into dumb TVs

cortland

Makes me glad

I junked (binned, for you who speak English) my TV in 1997; I hadn't much used it since 1993 anyway. This sort of an article makes me glad I did so, though I'll grant that my library is more expensive than a Smart TV.

On the other hand, books don't stop working when the Net goes down – or the power goes out.

Strike! European Patent Office staff vote in their thousands for walkout

cortland

Re: Wrong man for a hard job

"Somebody will have to get the message across, though."

They can't; there's a patent on the method.

Fifth time's the charm as SpaceX pops satellite into orbit

cortland

If-only department

If only I'd gone into a different field of electronics! I was 11 or 12 when a very perceptive young teacher, noting I had turned in an essay on using something like a cathode Ray tube for propulsion in space, had me talk to the Seventh Grade science class about ion propulsion. If-only department: if only I'd been steered to something other than radio when my home-made "rail-gun" stuck steel ball bearings into my bedroom wall! But no, Dad and the landlord had to buy me a radio kit. Heh!

India challenges US visa price hike at World Trade Organisation

cortland

Strange interview

Some years ago, I interviewed with a New York transportation agency for an engineering position. It was a very strange interview, with the interviewer doing everything he could to discourage me from applying for work there; it quickly became obvious the reason for the interview was not that they thought me a good candidate, but that they had to reject a certain number of applicants in order to be allowed to bring in the Japanese engineer a seller of railcars insisted be included in the deal.

How the FBI will lose its iPhone fight, thanks to 'West Coast Law'

cortland

You have no right to remain silent

The day will yet come, when no secrets will be permitted, no conversations remain unheard, and silence itself will be considered evidence one is concealing something others must know.

Photographer hassled by Port of Tyne for filming a sign on a wall

cortland
Big Brother

Imagine having the Google Earth (tm) closeup view

on your smartphone when the Port security people look over your shoulders.

http://www.maplandia.com/united-kingdom/england/north/newcastle-upon-tyne/wallsend/#map

Who hit you, HP Inc? 'Windows 10! It's all Windows 10's fault'

cortland

Re: Hardware quality also to blame

Blame 16:9 screens being cheaper due to the large number made for HDTV. But you're on-target about the utility of a sufficiently high-resolution wide display; I use a Dell 6410 with one and no longer need two monitors to accommodate all the windows I need open at the same time.

cortland

Not MY fault

I just bought another HP; they're reliable. How reliable? It was already eight years old; THAT reliable.

http://www.trustedreviews.com/HP-Compaq-dc7900-Convertible-MiniTower-Business-PC-review

Five technologies you shouldn't bother looking out for in 2016

cortland

Regarding that Troll

I can't imagine why not.

Tandy 102 proto-laptop still alive and beeping after 30 years, complete with AA batteries

cortland

My original

My original ($884 in 1984) Model 100 was still working as of some time last year, and a 102; I have a Model 200 as well, and that one I actually used while I was being laid off in 2001. I'm not saying I use it now, and I only used it then to poke fun at another engineer in our layoff group, whose clamshell Apple laptop was only good for a couple of hours on its battery.

The Model 100's, 102's, and 200's could typically get 40 hours on one set of penlight batteries.

I also have an expanded Model 100 with 96 kB of available memory. Using it is like having three different Model 100s with 32 kB each.

Reminder: iPhones commit suicide if you repair them on the cheap

cortland

Apple

May have violated US law by rendering once-functional instruments unable to call the national emergency number ( 9-1-1).

Apple yanks international travel plugs over shock worries

cortland

A firm I won't name

A US firm I won't name sold laptop computers to a news organization quite a few years ago, and ended up in court when that organization bought the wrong overseas power adapters.

Apparently working on the "cheaper is better, who needs to read the instructions?" theory, the organization bought 220/240 to 110/120 VAC adapters for resistive devices - irons, hair dryers and the like - instead of transformer based adapters meant for electronic applications. As I recall, there was at least one fire due to the decision.

Islamic fundamentalists force Yorkshire IT shop to chop off brand

cortland

Osiris -- is THAT taken?

By GOD!

Cops hate encryption but the NSA loves it when you use PGP

cortland

Warranted

We are today asking the court for a warrant to search the GPS history of Hargli bin Tawkin, and others as yet unnamed.

Yes, sir.

Extremists are relying less on the Internet and e-mail to pass plans, schedules and target data to each other. Conspirators now avoid email because post-Snowden, they know we read it; we've lost track of a number of cell's lately simply because they meet personally in places they're unlikely to attract attention. Location metadata from cellphones has already let us connect the dots in several cases,and GPS manufacturer databases will extend our ability to follow to terrorists to their headquarters before they can strike.

In a more physical manner, we are asking the Court to allow coded graphite nanoparticles to be placed in writing instruments, so we can use laser fluorescence to follow people who leave cryptic Post-It notes on public bulletin boards.

Yessir; we'll track them by the lead in their pencils, ha ha.

Thank you, Your Honor.

Hyper-converged infrastructure? Pop open some 'Azure in a can'

cortland
Joke

As you're in the can

We'll have to air out the whole house.

Battery-free IoT sensor feeds off radio waves

cortland

HT wires in back of the house? Light up

http://www.richardbox.com/field.htm

Hacks rebel after bosses secretly install motion sensors under desks

cortland
Big Brother

So don't sit

http://the-gadgeteer.com/2013/11/15/easily-convert-your-conventional-desk-to-a-standing-desk-without-permanent-modifications/

[NB: Not an endorsement, just an example]

Congress strips out privacy protections from CISA 'security' bill

cortland

Re: 2nd Amendment

re "the crabs and the pubes"

That deserves bonus upvotes!

cortland

There goes

"redress of grievances". It was good while it lasted.

FAA introduces unworkable drone registration rules in time for Christmas

cortland
Headmaster

Re: Excuse me...

Uh-huh. And whoever would cast the first stone is one really strong hurler.

cortland
Unhappy

Re: Anyway, I have a R/C plane...

The rules also hit "model airplanes"and that's one.

cortland

Radio controlled airplane modelers

... are disgusted. Heck. I've glued together free-flight balsa gliders heavy enough to require registration*, and I suspect this will result in a temporary injunction until all the conflicting regulations (say, tethered flight - there's already an FAA exemption for that) and law sorted out, IDEALLY, common sense can take over. Good luck.

*Give or sell any heavy enough "model airplane" capable of sustained flight and that that transaction has to be reported as well.

Oh, that kinetic-energy-derived standard? What about the traditional "half brick inna sock?" Or a ladies handbag?

Fun.

Cisco forgot to install two LEDs in routers

cortland
Facepalm

It loos very much like

something done by a bean-counter cutting costs. Heh!

Facebook to Belgian data cops: Block all the cookies across the web, then!

cortland

No force involved

But nothing says they have to be subtle!

cortland

Eh

Be careful what you ask for; you may get it. Now Belgians will have to be subscribers to access Facebook(tm) content.

Estonian vendor sparks Li-Fi hypegasm with gigabit demo

cortland

Right; PLC at almost any mains-compatible frequencies could be disastrous for a number of radio services.

Meet ARM1, grandfather of today's mobe, tablet CPUs – watch it crunch code live in a browser

cortland

Re: Pulling 6502

Oh PLUGH.

cortland

Re: "...[Acorn] imploded..."

"Discrete" logic, not "discreet" " -- but I won't tell. Heh!

Mobe-maker OnePlus 'fesses up to flouting USB-C spec

cortland

Re: 10kΩ vs 56kΩ resistors

Heat may be a problem; 10K will draw more current (from a non-current-limited source) and dissipate more power (= heat) than a 56K-Ohm one. But I wonder what the 56K value is supposed to limit current to; something else could get zorched.

Mozilla annual report shows risky Google dependency now risky Yahoo! dependency

cortland

Below where?

" As the graph below shows, Firefox's share across desktop, tablet and mobile has sunk"

Graph? What graph? Firefox doesn't show one!

Who's right on crypto: An American prosecutor or a Lebanese coder?

cortland

It seems that next

It will be unlawful to delete data from cellphones.

"Just in case."

Ofcom asks: Do kids believe anything they read on the internet?

cortland

I suspect

Judging from our politics, I suspect the kids are still smarter than our politicians.

Facebook's laser-powered internet drone preps for take off

cortland

Re: Laser mounted on a drone?

Not impressed, nor even COMpressed. VERY much "DEcompressed."

TalkTalk offers customer £30.20 'final settlement' after crims nick £3,500

cortland

Re: I'd read the contract terms carefully

re: harassment would be the cherry on the cake of their bad reputation

I'd think it something that can't be polished - and rhymes with "bird." Cake, you say?

TPP: 'Scary' US-Pacific trade deal published – you're going to freak out when you read it

cortland

No Party Shall Require?

WRT "No Party shall require the transfer of, or access to, source code of software owned by a person of another Party, as a condition for the import, distribution, sale, or use of such software" then, if it means what it says, it prevents looking at the source code to detect (for example) BIOS malware, backdoors and other interesting stuff.

Use Skype if you want to report a crime, say cops

cortland

Sorry!

That's an export of personal data.

Terror, terror everywhere: Call the filter police, there's a madman (or two) in town

cortland

Re: Afernie Afernie

If you must go back to 1737 it would be good to recall that Unitarians were then considered radicals. Look what happened to Joseph Priestley!

'Cancer-causing bacon would put a real dampner on processed pig sales'

cortland

No

No rasher statement's yet been made.

We're getting kick-ass at seeing through walls using just Wi-Fi – MIT

cortland

In thee US

"Through the wall" active ultra-wide-band microwave sensing has been permitted only to police and public safety agencies on privacy grounds. Considering that much of what UWB does can be accomplished with (basically) a few extra antennas and some software, this could could break even that slight protection.

O, rave new whirled, that had such critters in it.

- Spl Czhkcr

Time Lords set for three-week battle over leap seconds

cortland

" tied to the speed of light in vacuum."

With hemp twine!

cortland

How precise do we have to BE?

I don't much care about leap seconds when I reset a cuckoo clock from Daylight time.

"measure it with a micrometer, mark it with chalk, and cut it with an axe"

Anyone who leaves his accounting and management programs vulnerable to one second errors deserves what happens. If you INSIST on mm accuracy from a bloke with a spade you may find he's accurate enough to lay it, as we say here, up alongside your head.

US broadband giants face 'deceptive speed' probe in New York

cortland

But not

But not worse than her sister Ghia ...

Caption this: WIN a 6TB Western Digital Black hard drive with El Reg

cortland

You and me

You and me,buddy, we're gonna light up Broadway!

Shocker: Net anarchist builds sneaky 220v USB stick that fries laptops

cortland

Hmm. Done right, there's a good USE for this.

Store data one doesn't want revealed on one that, **if an attempt is made to circumvent its protection**, fries the computer or device looking at it.

4K catches fire with OTT streamers, while broadcasters burn

cortland

CGA overdrive

1980's, WELL before 4K, one brand of imported monitor could be driven at higher resolution's than rated for, emitting smells, smoke and (eventually) fire, too.

Massive global cooling process discovered as Paris climate deal looms

cortland

However...

We should still stop throwing garbage -- solid, liquid or gas -- onto the ground and into the air and water.

WATERPROOF iPhone 6Ss? Old news. Check out the OTHER 7 SECRET FEATURES

cortland

Picture

Looks like ... sardines!

'We can handle politicos, OUR ISSUE IS JUDGES', shout GCHQ docs

cortland

Hasn't ANYONE been reading

US news? It is easier to to hide suborning government officials and lawmakers than judges, and in the long run, cheaper, overall: Buy a decision and you'll have to buy another; buy the law and be done with it.

BlackBerry emits Android mobe as biz goes down the Priv

cortland

How is it in

the Privy Chamber?