* Posts by Mark 85

12880 publicly visible posts • joined 22 Nov 2012

Kentucky gov: Violent video games, not guns, to blame for Florida school massacre

Mark 85

I do believe you're on to something. It is cultural and probably goes back to values the kids have been taught, if any. Many parents don't see their children for hours on end as the parents are busy and the kids hide out In rooms. In many cases, parents leave it to the schools to teach things like this and we all know how seems to work as there's no time to even teach the basics much less decision making, a bit of morality (yeah.. I went there but it doesn't have be religious based), nor accountability. There's a disconnect here it seems that's being ignored in all the blaming going on.

Mueller bombshell: 13 Russian 'troll factory' staffers charged with allegedly meddling in US presidential election

Mark 85

Re: Last name on the list is not likely to be Russian

Could be a lot of folks. I'm hoping they'll start following the money as it could get interesting. We have groups being funded by millionaires to push their agendas (and not all are "business") so why not this? Things may get a bit murkier than they already were.

If this laptop is so portable, where's the keyboard, huh? HUH?

Mark 85

Re: classic!

As I recall some of the early IBM workstations (mid-70's?) used 6". I'm trying to recall but I remember seeing a 12" but I don't remember where or for what machine.

HomePod, you say? Sex sex sex, that's all you think about

Mark 85

Re: "...Apple has gone full-DevOps "

Frog pills are definitely better than "Frog in a Blender*".

*Reference: This will work or Google for Bassomatic.. http://joecartoon.com/watch/k1bbbc/Frog_in_a_Blender

BOFH: Turn your server rack hotspot to a server rack notspot

Mark 85

Re: new keyboard alert !

Given the "stair oil", I'd think more "stairway to heaven"? Though either work, in the end.

I'd think "Highway to Hell" would be appropriate but that's AC/DC.... Hmm... need to research a bit. Turn the music up and sip some cheap wine.

Mark 85

Re: new keyboard alert !

I usually find that speaking softly and smiling as if remembering a fond moment works rather well. No idea why...

I find mention of fava beans helps also.

Astro-boffinry world rocked to its very core: Shock as Andromeda found to be not much bigger than Milky Way

Mark 85

@jake -- Re: Films / TV-shows ever dramatize the collision of galaxies?

Well done. But to do this properly, we'll need to find two Ford Galaxys and have a head on collision to see how they merge.

If you don't like what IBM is pitching, blame Watson: It's generating sales 'solutions' now

Mark 85

Re: It can't be worse than

Yes, it can. Would you put your faith, company future on something like this without human oversight? The add in with all personnel turnover, is there anyone competent left to check Watson's output?

FCC inspector general sticks corruption probe into chairman Ajit Pai amid $4bn media merger

Mark 85
Mushroom

Looks like the feces is about to hit the rotating air movement device. Unless, of course, there's intervention from "above" such as someone suddenly getting fired for daring to investigate. In the meantime, popcorn anyone?

Iran: We have defeated evil nuclear-sensing Western lizards!

Mark 85

Re: help please

Are the geckos trying to sell you car insurance?*

*For the Brits.. the gecko is used by an American insurance company in it's ads.

Mark 85

Re: Played right into their hands

Then we should laugh at them and fart in their general direction.

Arrrgh! Put down the crisps! 'Ultra-processed' foods linked to cancer!

Mark 85

Follow the money

These studies raise alarm bells with me.. both the pro and con sides. Who's paying for them? Andy why? Someone sitting around a college campus or research site just doesn't jump up and say "I think I'll research and do a paper on X!". So El Reg didn't do or was unable to do a "money" check on who is paying for what. To me, that's the sad part. Without those bits of data, this is just so much headline grabbing and some smoke and mirrors.

UK names Russia as source of NotPetya, USA follows suit

Mark 85

Re: Deduction

Yes, and Peter is actually a Richard.

Mark 85

Re: RE: More Budget needed

Ah... so the implication is that M$ was behind this to increase the Win10 penetration. Well done, sir.

Crypto-gurus: Which idiots told the FBI that Feds-only backdoors in encryption are possible?

Mark 85
Facepalm

And so it goes....

This will keep going until one of several things happens...

1) Wyden is no longer in the picture.

2) The governments (all of them who want this) toss a lot of money down the food chain/contractor toilet and get no results.

3) The agencies and politicians who push this get a clue.

4) Hell freezes over.

If 1) happens possibly someone else who has a clue is waiting in the wings to replace him.

Given what the governments want, 2) is possible.

3) Not happening.

4) is the most likely....

Three in hospital after NSA cops open fire on campus ram-raid SUV

Mark 85

Based on past experience, the suspects got off lightly. In 2015, two men dressed as women tried to ram their way into the agency's snooping nerve center in a stolen car. One was shot dead, and the other seriously hurt in the attempt.

I take it that the level of marksmanship at the NSA gate has fallen somewhat. If you can't hit a target, you shouldn't have a gun. Fullstop. Goes for civilians, guards, cops, etc.

Roses are red, Kaspersky is blue: 'That ban's unconstitutional!' Boo hoo hoo

Mark 85

Re: WTF is going with today's register headlines?!

The headline writer needs a special friend for the evening?

Roses are red, Facebook is blue. Think private means private? More fool you

Mark 85

I think we'd all be surprised at what the average person does thing. I suspect they do think it's private even though world+dog (or at least in this case FB) can generally see everything. Much like some think that once email is sent, and read it magically disappears except on their computer or mobile.

We already give up our privacy to use phones, why not with cars too?

Mark 85

Re: Finance figures are a bit scary

Just over 3 years ago I was replacing my 6 year-old car. ...

Then go at differently. Have the cash at hand. Go in, let them play their finance BS and sign the loan and get the discounts. Then, within 30 day, pay the thing off. You get the discount, save a pile of money and the finance company gets screwed due to all the paperwork costs, lost profit, etc.

IBM declares it's the 'backbone of the world's economy'

Mark 85

Re: IBM As Part Of Anatomy

A little bit lower on the anatomy then?

Mark 85

I'm still trying to parse the bafflegab that I just read. It has a certain odor to it that should tell one "don't step in this".

Roses are red, are you single, we wonder? 'Cos this moth-brain AI can read your phone number

Mark 85
Devil

Interesting research...

So when will we have a moth running for political office?

Rogue IT admin goes off the rails, shuts down Canadian train switches

Mark 85

Upvote as it seems the company didn't do their due diligence. I'm surprised that the judge or even the forensics folks didn't rip the CIO a new one or maybe they did but no one's talking.

Pressure mounts on FCC to cough up answers over fake net neutrality comments

Mark 85

Re: Fit for purpose?

No, I doubt they will change because then it will be fit for purpose. But do expect that within a few weeks,, all of the latest round FCC regulation fixes will be undone before they tackle anything else. Such is the way things seem to work these days. The concept of discuss, compromise, and "do the right things" is long gone in America. Giving in to corporate greed is the paradigm.

Who wants dynamic dancing animations and code in their emails? Everyone! says Google

Mark 85

Singing, dancing ads in e-mail with javascript, 3rd-parties, etc. and that entails? No thanks. I'll pass and stick with my "text-only" email. Damn, the mentality of the "audience" these days if that's what they want.

Icahn't get right Xerox Fuji merger spoils, cries activist investor Carl

Mark 85

Re: Activist investor Carl Icahn

Not "sometimes an asset stripper". Think more like a vulture. If the company is having problems, he'll show up, proclaim he's there to help, and the company is doomed.

Mark 85

If one goes back and looks at what he did to TWA, you'll find all you need to know. He made promises and then sold the company and employees down the river. He is toxic and only in it for himself. Anything else he says... pure, unadulterated BS.

World+dog ignores Rubin's Wonderdroid

Mark 85

Maybe they should find a new PR/Marketing company then?

Mark 85

Re: Never even heard of it

Add to that... you have to go to a "Sprint" store. Where I am, there are none. I daresay that was a very limiting marketing decision.

UK Home Sec Amber Rudd unveils extremism blocking tool

Mark 85

@smudge -- Re: Different Configuration

Such a filter already exists. We call it a "General Election".

That only partially works. Look at the current crop of politicians. There's other solutions but discussing them in public will bring an enquiry from the plod so we don't/can't discuss. Fine with me but I wish the electorate had better discretionary powers to realize what BS is being shoveled and it's real value.

Mark 85

Porn would be doubtful as so many politicos seem to love it. They might make it by "special invite only" or some such but I'm guessing there wouldn't be anymore "new" porn for them watch after a short time.

Mark 85

@wolfetone

Well this is fantastic. I guess we've entered the age where the Government will be able to censor material from the public without the public ever really knowing.

Yes, the slippery sloop has been trod upon and there's no telling how steep it is or how slippery. What's next... political parties added to the mix? Anything on the whim of government wanting to ban? I'm surprised a certain leader hasn't jumped in on this about "fake news"....

Foxconn spins out a slice of itself to fund cloud, IoT and 5G push

Mark 85

If the IPO doesn't raise the whole $4.3bn, the company will seek loans for the rest.

I'd almost bet that they make the IPO as I imagine that there's venture capitalists and other with deep pockets who can smell the money in stock and dividends. It will depend on what the rules are in China for "investors" but greed knows no borders.

IBM's chief diversity officer knows too much and must be stopped!

Mark 85

Re: Knows too much

Apparently, she didn't know she was to be "Resource Actioned" or maybe she put herself on the list?

Equifax hack worse than previously thought: Biz kissed goodbye to card expiry dates, tax IDs etc

Mark 85

Some?

Some = >1 and <145 million or so. Thanks Equifax... got it.

Apple tells GitHub to fork off: iGiant steps outside DMCA law in quest to halt iBoot leaks

Mark 85

Re: Them horses....

The lawyers have to do something to earn their money... running about tracking this done will keep them in nice suits and cars for a long time.

NASA budget shock: Climate studies? GTFO. We're making the Moon great again, says Trump

Mark 85

"Turning off the lights and walking away from our sole outpost in space at a time when we're pushing the frontiers of exploration makes no sense."

Indeed, a very sad day.

Trump wants to privatize the space station, and sell it off to commercial concerns

WTF? I still can't wrap my head around that.

"Urban air mobility will be a common mode of transport – yes you'll have your Jetson car," he predicted.

Ok... so forget everything else.... all is well now.

Facebook gets Weed-whacked: Unilever exec may axe ads over social network's toxic posts

Mark 85

My feeling is that at some point Zuck will come to his senses, park his ego in his back pocket, and pull a Tom of Myspace and sell the beast. This may take awhile given "ego" and "senses"... but lately (in the last month or so) I rarely hear people asking if I'm on FB. I guess they realize it's a waste of time to use it and/or they're tired of the ads and the FB sponsored BS.

Mark 85

Well... dump it now and be ahead of things.

Facebook smartmobe app's pre-ticked privacy settings violate German data protection law

Mark 85

If they're "pre-ticking" the choices then why are they even bothering to show this screen? Oh..the law. Still, I'd have to agree with the court... I can see "(recommended)" on one choice without the tick being there so it does force some action (with or without deep thinking by the user) to make the choice.

Yorkshire cops have begun using on-the-spot fingerprint scanners

Mark 85

Re: "App on their smartphones"

Do firearms officers take their guns home? Do traffic cops take their pursuit car home? Do mounted policemen take their horses home?

Here in the States... it depends on the police department. Most likely yes to firearms, maybe to the other two... though horse mounted cops are rare.

Mark 85

Re: Not on IDENT1

Take it a bit further.. anyone can lose a fingertip due to accidents with tools, etc. Lose the fingertip, you lose your ID. I shudder to think of the bureaucratic BS one have to go through after an accident.

See that over Heathrow? It's not an airliner – it's a Predator drone

Mark 85

Well, it's only a couple of short steps once they get approval for the plod to want some for "surveillance" and security you know. Then add "riot control" capability, "criminal capture", etc. This doesn't seem like it will end well.

Jack in black: 12 years on, Twitter finally makes a profit from its firehose of memes and misery

Mark 85

I think most us techie types are cynics and we don't click on everything in sight that pops up on the web. But I know a lot of people who read every ad on FB, Twatter, etc. I know because they tell me in great detail about these "marvelous products" that are recommended by "friend" on FB and Twatter.

Mark 85

Re: Floater or a sinker?

And here I thought their biggest user was El Presidente, a Conservative Republican. Does he know what he's using?

Boffins upload worm's brain into a computer, teach it tricks

Mark 85
Devil

A smart worm....errr.. a smart simulated worm. I have a feeling that this should be in The Rise of Machines sub-head.

Just for the sake of argument, the words "computer" and "worm" get a tad scary when used together.

Winter Olympics website downed by cyber attack

Mark 85

Perhaps they should re-think and have two systems...one not exposed to the outside world for ticketing, etc. and one for comms that the script kiddies/hackers/etc. can have fun with. I guess I don't get why everything "needs" to be Internet facing.

Secret weekend office bonk came within inch of killing sysadmin

Mark 85

Re: It's actually not _that_ dangerous

So the equivalent Stateside would be the "Blood Runs Red on the Highways" driver education films?

Mark 85

Re: Aircon Leaks

On Topic, I don't understand why anyone would have a AirCon Unit that drains into a Container when there are quite expensive racks of kit around !!!

Surely, it is worth the cost to 'plumb in' a proper drainage pipe to avoid the potential for flood.

I've seen the "drain" get plugged and building maintenance in all their glory can't find the plunger, a long length of wire, etc. to clean it with. So they call a "professional" who can't be there for week or two...