* Posts by Mark 85

12880 publicly visible posts • joined 22 Nov 2012

Milking cow shot dead by police 'while trying to escape'

Mark 85

Re: Mark 85

Whilst I understand the need and the problem (yes, I've seen cow vs. car and deer vs. car.. it's never pretty) I was puzzled by the need for elevation. Around where I live, they get within 30 yards or so and using hunting (unjacketed) rounds, dispatch said beast pretty quick.

Mark 85
WTF?

So they needed to go up high instead of walking close? If someone got a picture of it, and the cops wanted to shoot, why not from where the photo was taken. Not like the cow was wearing camouflage and hiding in the woods.

Ricoh rolls out electrifyingly exciting RUBBER!

Mark 85
Coat

I'm waiting for the greens to grab this and start pushing for tires to power electric cars so there won't be the need to build nuke plants to charge them.

Doom is BOOM! BOOM! BACK!

Mark 85

The sad thing is that if you did that today and an authority figure (teacher/parent/cop/whatever) discovered it, you might get some hard time for being someone with terrorist intentions.

FTC to scavengers: Radio Shack corpse doesn't include customer data

Mark 85

Re: Be warned...

Perhaps a condition of "going out of business" is to destroy all hard drives and backups? Reduces the fire sale value after the doors are closed, but customer data would be safe.

Feds: Bloke 'HACKED PLANE controls' – from his PASSENGER seat

Mark 85

Re: No, he did not.

Boeing has come out and said that hacking from the inflight entertainment system is BS. That there is no comm from IFE to the flight system. My impression is they're taking any flight info (maps, etc.) and passing it down a one way pipe. The flight system never hears if someone hacks it and tries commands.

I'm thinking either they know and this is true, or they know and are lying. For anyone who flies sake, I hope it's true.

ALIBABA Vs AMAZON: Let the Global Tat Bazaar war begin

Mark 85

Re: THERE !! Fixed that for you.

The stuff they flog across the large pond may not be fake, but it sure as hell is crappy. The various bits and pieces that I've looked at were basically just crap. Some didn't work off the boat, others fell apart in a matter of weeks. Others functioned but not very well. The Chinese populace may want "high-quality" goods but that's because the local companies produce crap for local and foreign consumption and don't care.

If you want a good example, look up 40W Laser Cutters. The Chinese have flooded the market and the reviews on these are pathetic. Same for MoshiDRAW the software they need to run. Meh......

As I recall, we went through this back in the 60's and 70's with the Japanese dumping crap on the market. It wasn't until the locals had access to quality goods and they stopped buying the junk that things changed.

Europe targeted as Alibaba's cloudy world domination plans take shape

Mark 85

Re: AWS || ALI = ?

My guess is there's more than just those two trawling. But why make it easy on any of them? If your data is that valuable to you, you won't use a public cloud service.

High-level, state-sponsored Naikon hackers exposed

Mark 85

Re: over and over and over

Happens in every country with even normal citizens. Think "Nigerian Scam" and others. People just assume that email in their inbox is for them. At work, it's obviously important email for them. If people were as you think, there would be a whole bunch of us IT Support types out of work because our users wouldn't click on this kind of stuff.

PANIC! RSA keys are compromised!

Mark 85

Re: So it's the usual

Which means that probably certain legislators will get it wrong once one of the staff brings it to their attention.

Viagra makes it HARD for malaria, bug-boffins discover

Mark 85
Facepalm

Re: The Law of Unintended Consequences....?

Thanks for the kick... I got lost in the paper itself after reading the article and that wiped out my remembering first sentence I gotta' get some more coffee.

I realize there's no increase in fertility... I was referencing an increase in the amount of pleasurable activity. Much like 9 months after a severe storm and/or power outage, there's usually a pip upwards in the birth rate.

Mark 85

The Law of Unintended Consequences....?

So, are they actually using the pill or just some of the compounds? I read the article but got lost.

If the pill, will there be a sudden increase in the birth rate?

Border Force bureaucrats become super-spooks

Mark 85

They can find their own black bag squad but I'm sure that our (the States) government wouldn't mind renting them space. And with the long trip from Oz to Gitmo, if some prisoners decided to step outside the plane for a breath of fresh air, no one would notice.

LOHAN's final test flight moniker: The people must decide

Mark 85

Cancel that... I just rechecked... I'm 2 miles from the airport. Launching the balloon would get us a visit from all sorts of LEO types and probably some time in the pokey.. <sigh>

Mark 85

Amen. Bring it to my house on the 4th of July... we'll launch it, and say it's part of the "celebration" when the cops show up and invite them in for beer and bbq.

Jeb Bush: Repeal Obamacare and replace it with APPLE WATCHES

Mark 85

Re: After a slightly promising start...

That's a bit unfair. Bush Senior was the one who, once the Iraqi army had been shot up on its way back to Iraq with the loot, stopped the pursuit.

Uh..no... He stopped the slaughter as they were leaving Kuwait City. The Sauds and the agreement that was in place wouldn't let the military follow them into Iraq and onto Baghdad.

Microsoft: Free Windows 10 for THIEVES and PIRATES? They can GET STUFFED

Mark 85

Still parsing the explanation.

I'm not sure what is worse: Marketing Speak, Lawyer Speak, or VP Speak as far as mudding the item under discussion... This I can figure out... Marketing is Hype, Lawyer is Lies, VP is Befuddlement.

Lightbulbs of the future will come with wireless extenders and speakers

Mark 85

Longevity?

I'm curious as to what's the longevity of these bulbs? I've embraced the LED lights as soon as they appeared but it seems rather hit and miss even from the same maker. I've got some that are chugging right a long but I've also had failures. Would there be a warranty for any of the "features" failing before "x" time?

I do agree the other commenters, it would seem the features are better suited to the fixture than the to bulb.

BTW, so far what I've seen come out in media from this "meeting of the minds" has been fluff... Nothing that I would call a "must have" product.

Law changed to allow GCHQ hacking ... just as GCHQ hauled into court for hacking

Mark 85

Good point on Ike. I forgot about him...

Mark 85

Well... his spirit has shown up in the US via Clinton, Bush, Reagan, and now Obama. It seems to work and there's no reason why it shouldn't have spread to other countries,

Starbucks denies mobile app hack, blames careless customers

Mark 85

Re: Tested?

The testing misdirection is evident in the number of times the word "seriously" was used and it's just not "important" , it's "incredibly important".

Mark 85

Re: It is interesting to see lots of IT people mocking users for ticking the linking boxes etc

Your answer is in the first paragraph of your post. Marketing bods with a great idea to boost profits and a board with greed in their eyes. Fact of life.

It's like the "convenience" of having the "keep me logged in" box. The misuse is someone (probably not the IT guy) saying.. "pre-check this box for our users".

Mobile spyware firm mSpy hacked, clients doxxed on dark web

Mark 85

Re: If you don't trust someone

I believe that given the litigious nature society has become this is probably for CYA in case of a lawsuit.

Samsung boss commences complicated succession plans

Mark 85

Will history strike again?

From what we have seen in the past history of handing off companies and even countries from father to son, this may very well doom Samsung to the dustbin.

Putin's lapdog? Zuckerberg questioned over quisling claims

Mark 85

Re: Quisling?

Exactly. Zuck doesn't appear to be a traitor in the Quisling model but it might have been better to question his being a lap-dog.... or maybe Putin is his lapdog? He who has the data can be king. Or something like that.

Facebook is VIOLATING your SEXUAL privacy, warn Belgian data cops

Mark 85

So what else is new? FB wants to be the new Google... Now if there were was a sure-fire way of stopping the slurping from the likes of them and the 5-eyes other than staying offline, that would be news.

BOFH: Getting to the brown, nutty heart of the water cooler matter

Mark 85
Coffee/keyboard

Icon... that is all. Where's the icon for picking one's self up off the floor?

Californians get first chance to be run over by a Google robot

Mark 85

@Boltar & Boothy Re: No need to worry

Given that you both questioned and expressed some measure of displeasure with the Great Google view of the highway, it could be bots (and lord knows Google knows bots) or those who are eagerly looking forward to this tech for personal reasons.

And yes, this is El Reg. Questioning downvotes just brings on more downvotes.

Hmm... I'll probably be downvoted for reasoning on the downvotes... oh well... It's Friday.

Row at UN domain-name body WIPO: Probes shut down, payout from controversial chief

Mark 85

Whilst there some parts of the UN that do some good, I don't believe it's worth the time, effort, and money to keep this organization going. Perhaps the best solution is get rid of everyone involved, bulldoze the properties and start over.

This conglomerate mess called the UN is probably more corrupt and self-serving than any government in the world. This scandal is just one of many tips of the iceberg.

Get paid (airline) peanuts with United's new bug bounty program

Mark 85

Re: Curious how this works

Wouldn't that get you both the airmiles and a one-way trip to jail?

Now that's a concept... fly first class to jail....

Mark 85

Re: If I hack their systems...

That's a start.. don't forget to hack the beer truck to make sure the plane is stocked properly.

Mark 85

How this might play out....

Airmiles? Ok... They say they take this stuff seriously and it's important and they're confident that they are secure. Given the bounty, a few people will jump on it. Probaly not the experts. Maybe someone just trying to make a name for themselves will. In about a year or less, United will report something like: "see.. no bugs were found...we're great" due to a lack of bug reports. Then the blackhats who have been quietly working in the background and have taken the challenge for nefarious purposes will rip them a new one.

Polygraph.com owner pleads guilty to helping others beat lie detector

Mark 85

So, if he'd turned the supposed DHS guy into the FBI for attempting to learn how pass the polygraph, then he would have been ok? Or maybe turning in some or all of former clients? I'm puzzled by this whole thing because as I recall, polygraph tests cannot be used in a court of law as they are "unreliable" and based on the skill or lack of skill of the operator.

I'm not sure where the mail fraud came in.. they paid, he delivered said services.

I have very mixed feelings about this... my sense is they went after him because of the "ex-cop" part.

Hacker 3D prints device that can crack a combo lock in 30 seconds

Mark 85

Re: Clever, gotta give him that.

And perhaps, if you own one, the bicycle lock. Many are made by Master Lock and are the combination type.

Look out, law abiding folk: UK’s Counter-Extremism Bill slithers into view

Mark 85

Copycatting around the world....

This is indeed scary. With various countries following the US style PATRIOT ACT for surveillance, Cameron has to come with this. I'm sure that the US and the rest will come up with similar acts shortly. What makes it beyond scary is the lack of definition. It will be whatever the people in power say it is.

Since I live in the US, I would suppose that under such an ill-defined act one could be arrested being an extremist by waving the Constitution and suggesting that our government follow it. Yes, it's extremist behavior by the PATRIOT Act standards of "terrorist", etc.

I fear not just for the UK but for citizens of the rest of world who's governments will see this as a good idea and jump on the bandwagon.

The Internet of Things: a jumbled mess or a jumbled mess?

Mark 85

Excitement?

Everyone is excited about the "internet of things" – and by excited, we mean seemingly unable to focus on one thing, not thinking very clearly, and talking excitedly about the same topics over and over again.

From what I've seen including El Reg comments.. the only ones "excited" are those who will profit. Yeah, there might be some who want the latest and greatest for bragging rights, but they're in the minority. A "solution in search of a problem" is one thing. A half-assed, non-standardized "solution" requiring battery changes more than once a year (as fire alarms do now) or fiddling with is no solution.

CSI GALAXY: Cause of death = STRANGULATION

Mark 85

Who killed them?

Colonel Mustard, in the Parlor, with the Lead Pipe.

Self-STOPPING cars are A Good Thing, say motor safety bods

Mark 85

The only issue I've had is Audi drivers either undertaking and pulling out, or overtaking and pulling in too close in front, which automatically causes the car to slow down, when what I really want to do it tailgate them like they've been doing to me!

What you really want though, is the James Bond automobile machinegun package (rocket launcher is optional). See "Q". He can help.

Mark 85

@LucreLout Re: A step in the right direction

A quick google for stats shows a breakdown by age [1] revealing that we could more than halve road deaths overnight by banning anyone under 25 from the roads.

That may sound good, but all that will do is move the high incidence of road deaths to a slightly older age group. Why? Because at the younger age we are learning to drive and are usually still learning other necessary life lessons. At age 25, a bit of maturity sets in and along with all the experience that's been building...result: we get some safer drivers. Take away the experience and pfffffft the next higher age group gets more carnage.

Mark 85

@JamesPond

I guess the UK hasn't figured out what local police can do as they have in the US. Over here, they're revenue generators. Write out traffic tickets and the city/county/whatever makes money. The towns the utilize this philosophy usually have a round the clock police presence on the roads.

China decrees local internet must go faster to stimulate growth

Mark 85

I would hope for the sake of the local internet providers that the premier as bit more understanding of technical things then "flip the damn switch to 'faster'!".

Mozilla flings teddy out of pram over France's 'Patriot Act'

Mark 85

@ Tom 13 Re: in the data slurp of ALL users.

Up to a point, you are right. That point is that those of us who are Anti-Patriot Act are that way for a reason. Once permission in any form is granted, there's stopping, there's no checks and balances. Here in the States (and I'll assume this is true elsewhere) the security agencies lie, the politicians lie. The politicos have no clue about what's going on yet, they are very ones providing "oversight"... a useless term in this case.

I view it this way... it's either all or nothing. You either slurp nothing on a mass basis or grab it all. Either way, we as a people then know exactly where we stand. This "meta-data is harmless", the weasel wording and the lack of any insight by those passing the laws and providing "oversight" is a smokescreen. I doubt that very few people outside the agencies know the full extent of what's going on.

Election? Pah. Here's the REAL question: Who’s the SEXIEST MP?

Mark 85

Tried the site....

Took one look and wondered where is the "none of the above" button.... seems the two ladies <ahem> at the bottom of the list came up at the same time.

'Nokia store? I dunno no Nokia store. This here's a Microsoft Reseller'

Mark 85

It works better than calling it "Bob" and lot better than " The Clippy Store".

$19 billion made from dumped e-waste every year, says UN

Mark 85

Re: @Alan Brown

Here in the States there's several of these in operation burning the waste. Started, as I recall, in Missouri with burning dioxin contaminated waste from flooding in an old ammo plant that had contaminated soil. They burned everything.. soil, wood, etc. It's gone on from there. Not wide spread but it is a solution. EPA and others had a lot of involvement in the testing and certification.

Mark 85

Re: @Alan Brown

There's been a lot testing about this and some commercial success with burning plastics from the Portland Cement companies. Not a brand name but a type. To make the cement requires very high heat which also burns the plastics and the output is "clean" as dioxin byproducts are destroyed by the heat. Some even take off the excess heat to run generators in a co-generation scheme with the power companies.

Back to the Future: the internet of things as imagined in 1985

Mark 85

IoT is questionable...

Maybe not right now since it's in it's infancy. I'm not a Ludidite but I can visualize what will happen. Couple "A" buy a new house with all new, built-in IoT.. appliances, power, everything imaginable. They get a pile of manuals and have to have it set up with a wifi router (maybe 2 or 3 even for coverage). What happens when the IoT things start breaking? Or dying? Or they need new router(s)? Will they still have the documents? Will things be able to be repaired or replaced without having rip open walls, toss major appliances?

Some years down the road, couple "A" sells their house to couple "B". Did couple "A" keep all the manuals on the equipment? Do they even remember what they have? Couple "B" moves in... new router(s)? Re-set everything up?

Maybe by the time these things become as ubiquitous as a ceiling light, it may not be a problem. But having bought a 30 year old house, I'm finding problems getting regular things serviced. Companies out of business and no replacement parts, or newer models and the old ones are now junk. What was 'in code" isn't anymore. Will we be creating problems or solving them with IoT?

Nintendo to revive long-dead 'World Championships' contest

Mark 85

Another bit of idiot naming...

A "world championship" with preliminaries only held in the US.... WTF?

Don't look now: Fujitsu ships new mobe with EYEBALL-scanning security

Mark 85

Given the pitfalls of daily living that could cause this thing to fail to identify/authenticate... I'm tickled I'm not going to support this phone. Having a irate high up who had to have the latest toy and now it won't let him into it will be a tech's nightmare.

Disclaimer: I'm a tech. I'll support 800 company PC's and the 100 Laptops but not 10 smartphones. There's just not enough at my local site to bother getting proficient.

USA Freedom Act moves forward as House prepares for vote

Mark 85

Expect a clustertruck of epic proportions coming from this.

I don't see this ending well at all... Given the dysfunctionality within Congress and Congress with the President, there's no telling what we'll end up with. Quite possible that both this and the renewal of the Patriot Act will go through. Or this bill could end up more draconian.

Not enough data he says? What the.... They don't know what to do with the data they get now other than what has been pointed out: "oh yeah... we knew about them...." They may know but do they stop them? Show me numbers and I might say "it's good thing"... but I doubt they can.

All this money and hot air and bupkis is what we get. Are we safer? Are we giving up more of our rights for this vaporware? Where is Patrick Henry when we need him?