* Posts by Mark 85

12880 publicly visible posts • joined 22 Nov 2012

From the Dept of the Bleedin' Obvious... yes, drones hurt when they hit you in the head

Mark 85
Holmes

Can they research "Do bears shit in the woods?"

Enquiring minds want to know.

If there's a grant involved, it should be researched. But I would think only if they're not polar bears...unless climate change results is forests way up north. Now to go find some grant money.

Equifax fooled again! Blundering credit biz directs hack attack victims to parody site

Mark 85

Re: Why a new domain name?

Oh yeah. These people are idiots. Asked and answered.

Idiots indeed. And let's add "panic", "fear", and the resulting mayhem. The two steaming piles at the top were more concerned about their stock portfolio than the company.. that's obvious. So add "no leadership". I imagine the IT area is in heavy turmoil due to the outsourcing and no one really having a clue. All they can do is react and probably not with any kind of logic at this point.

Now if this seems sympathetic.. it's not. I have sympathy for the grunts in the trenches but none whatsoever for the clowns in charge.

Say Hello to my little friend: Nest blasts IoT world with doorbell, home security gear

Mark 85

Re: To expensive..

Ah... so your info and camera output goes to China then? Nice.....

Behold, says robo-mall-cop maker: Our crime-busting dune buggy packed with spy gear

Mark 85

Re: Is that a nuclear bomb in your pocket?

That part does raise one's eyebrows... What kind of radiation? Or will it generate it's own such as a radar or x-ray? Or....?

Congress battles Silicon Valley over upcoming US sex trafficking law

Mark 85

Re: Out in the open

Surely if ads no longer on Backpage (& only avaialble via dark web), any potential evidence is harder to get at and far less crims caught

I think from the cops' and possibly Congressional perspective this is good. If they can't find the crime, then it's not happening.

Mark 85

Intent is a real problem. As is, without the intent part of the law, the SJW's will run even more amuck anytime someone posts pictures of their kids that less than fully dressed such as at a swimming pool.

And naturally, no one on Congress would vote against the law due to the lack of intent part as at re-election time, they'd be slammed for not being against child abuse. This law is just prime setup for long lawsuits to the Supreme Court since Congress won't take the time to get it right the first time.

Why is it that we can't elect legislators who actually think things through and close the backdoors in the laws instead of voting a knee jerk reaction? I guess this is a rhetorical question...

Viacom exposes crown jewels to world+dog in AWS S3 bucket blunder

Mark 85

Re: What price security?

Why? Bonuses for manglement of course. Costs to prevent such things cut into that.

Black screen of death after Win10 update? Microsoft blames HP

Mark 85

Re: A service called 'app readiness', which 'gets apps ready for use the first time a user signs in'

It sounds like this is to run the setups in the background so the user doesn't have to wait or answer a few questions so I think you're right. Meh....

Mark 85

Re: Yeah

My gut feeling that this POSS* is well documented within MS and it's quite possible is compartmentalized such that no one person can see all the documentation. Or perhaps, they just have some sort of "pain of death" if anyone ever made a copy and released it. Pity, the person who released said documentation would be a rather large hero in my book.

*Pile of Steaming Shitte....

What's that, Equifax? Most people expect to be notified of a breach within hours?

Mark 85
Facepalm

See icon

Google, Bing, Yahoo! data hoarding is like homeopathy. It doesn't work – new study claims

Mark 85

Re: Clowns at GCHQ and your pals, please take note!

The problem is that gray line out there. Here in the States, you have to do something to be arrested and taken off the streets. Being a member, gathering info, gathering "supplies" isn't a crime. The usage is. And as others point out, it's budget. You need to get someone on the inside of the cell, gang, etc. to gather evidence. Costs time and money.

It is a problem at the very basic levels of a free society... What about arresting innocent people? What about locking down civilization such that moment, purchases, even thoughts are scrutinized? Do any of us want that?

Mark 85

Re: re: Targeted advertising is pretty useless

:If I have just bought a washing machine the balance of probability is that washing machines are the last thing you should be pushing at me.

Therein is the problem. You searched for a washing machine but didn't tell Google you bought one. So what do the algorithms know? I generally block ads so I don't get these "results" and ads. It's annoying as hell but until Google or the advertisers figure out a way to track our purchases and amend their targeting, we'll have to put up with this.

As for Google's privacy.. one needs to login as a user to adjust those settings. No thanks. Why would I want to give them another opening to my PC and browsing?

Bloke fesses up: I forged judge's signature to strip stuff from Google search

Mark 85

Poetic Justice?

"Now Arnstein awaits sentencing in the same court he impersonated.".

For some reason, this made me smile.

RIP Stanislav Petrov: Russian colonel who saved world from all-out nuclear war

Mark 85

It seems we also had a close call back in the late 50's or early 60's when I was a kid. I remember the B52-s, some B-58's, and every darn fighter scrambling from the local SAC airbase. Impressive as hell until the next door neighbor who supposedly knew some people at the base reported to all the neighbors that the jets were being scrambled and if we heard sirens to "duck and cover". Scarred the crap out of a lot of folks, even those on the other side of town just because of the number of planes taking off. Turns out it was some sort of readiness test.. the planes that did have the nukes never left the ground, just everything else did.

Scary times indeed.

Mark 85

@Jamie Jones --

You have to remember that some in power think "1984" is an instruction manual. So far, it's working for them.

A todger, a 2.5kg dumbbell, the fire brigade... and the inevitable angle grinder

Mark 85

Re: Simply a misunderstanding

I need a new keyboard now. You win the Internet for that.

Google to kill Chrome autoplay madness

Mark 85

I'm of the opinion this really isn't about videos but advertising such that looking at a page with an ad blasting video is "indicating interest" even if it's page not the ad. err.. yeah.. how dare anyone be against ads, right? Sorry, but this really stinks.

HP users moaning over 10-minute login lag during 'Win 10 update'

Mark 85

HP is notorious for fiddling with the Windows install with all of their proprietary BS. Since no other manufacturer is affected, I would suspect it's the HP junk causing the problem. At one time, all the Windows Updates to HP PC's seem to have come through some HP website. I don't know if that's true anymore, though.

Equifax mega-breach: Security bod flags header config conflict

Mark 85

This company deserves to crash and burn

While it deserves to crash and burn, it won't. Something about the myth of "too big to fail".. and "bonuses all around the C-suite for their heroic efforts.".

UK attorney general plans crackdown on 'trial by social media'

Mark 85

@Korev -- Re: It's not social media that's the issue

He's too stupid to realise that his function is decide if the suspect is a paedophile or not...

I do think he is of the opinion that if a suspect is arrested, he's guilty. It just the way people are and have "trained" maybe by watching too many cop shows on TV.

Farewell Cassini! NASA's Saturnian spacecraft waves goodbye for its Grand Finale

Mark 85

Re: WEEE directive

Hmm... two printers, five PC's and manager for this mission. Note: The manager is payload, not launch team.

Facebook let advertisers target 'Jew-haters'

Mark 85
Devil

What about facebook haters?

We're all here at El Reg.....

Facebook posts put Pharma Bro Martin Shkreli in prison as a danger to society

Mark 85

Re: Club Fed

This sounds like the plan for all of us non-inmates...

Intelligence director pulls national security BS on spying question

Mark 85

I suspect that Sen. Wyden is trying to get a bit of the "secret" fog cleared and the info in front of the public. Which seems to be pretty normal for the government... if in doubt, hit the "classified" button.

If Coats doesn't respond or lies, he could be held in contempt of Congress. There's a dangerous game being played out there. Not just for those involved at government level but also for us citizens.

Signs of ground ice found on ancient protoplanet asteroid Vesta

Mark 85

Water from comets or asteroids?

If, the asteroids are the remains of a planet that broke up as has been speculated, it's entirely possible that water is a feature on many planets, not just earth. Did the water on Earth occur as a part of planet building (and also other planets)? Or did the water need to come from someplace else?

Just some questions on my part as it seems a bit too Earth-centric to assume that this is the only planet with water.

Uber loses bid to avoid trial in Waymo case

Mark 85
Headmaster

Re: Yes !

Minor correction... scum doesn't squirm... it slithers. Ok.. I'll go sit quietly and watch the proceedings. Popcorn anyone?

Homeland Security drops the hammer on Kaspersky Lab with preemptive ban

Mark 85

Re: Quite the planning process, this

But seriously, it can be a pretty big headache in Enterprise. You've got to arrange its removal from x hundred PCs in your organization, you've got to find the budget and organize purchase orders of a replacement, deal with any process changes for distributing updates centrally to whatever new virus vendor you choose. And the necessary meetings, of course. ;)

Let's see... the last place I worked managed about 8,000 pc's. Desktop Engineering took the version of Windows to be used, removed all BS that the company didn't want (such as games, AOHell, etc.) and then loaded in the stuff they did want like Office, certain proprietary programs. This became the master. A copy was sent to the company selling us new PC's and all PC's were imaged from the master. Anytime an employee left the company, their PC's was re-imaged for the next user. If a user has some serious PC issues, many times, a simple re-install from the master OS solved the issues.

Mark 85

Re: I wonder who the real oppressor is here...

Those who forget history, are doomed to repeat it. That has always been true. Ask a dozen kids who Senator Joseph McCarthy was and you'll probably get a blank look. Indeed.. the witch hunts have started again.

US government sued by 11 pissed-off travellers over computer searches

Mark 85

Re: That humming noise

The Department of Energy is trying to figure out how to harness the spin of him and many of the Founding Fathers as well as many dead citizens to generate massive amounts of electric power.

Mark 85

It will also deter many American professionals and non-professionals from going out of the country for business, vacation, etc. I think the backlash is starting with this particular lawsuit as this just isn't "foreigners" entering but citizens of the US coming back into the country.

If I were paranoid I'd believe that TSA has the philosophy that 'if you leave, don't come back' about US citizens. Bunch of little Nazis the TSA is.

As for the agents... not exactly cream of the crop folks. The few that I've known (as neighbors) are insufferable egomaniacs.

Giant frikkin' British laser turret to start zapping stuff next year

Mark 85

Dragonfire?

Seems to be a common name for weapons... mortars, missiles, etc. I just hope procurement and supply know the difference when it comes to parts, etc.

El Reg is hiring an intern. Apply now before it closes

Mark 85

Re: grizzled (and not-so-grizzled) hacks at Vulture Central

Is there a certificate awarded when one is properly grizzled? Some companies give out "awards" for every accomplishment such as "perfect attendance or 'never late for work', or "cleanest desk', etc. I think participation awards stemmed from that... So is El Reg on board with the latest for the young ones? Enquiring minds and all that....

Mark 85

Re: My first job!

Not sure what the digital equivalent would be but I am sure El Reg will think of something when the time comes.

A box of bytes?

Cassini probe's death dive to send data at just 27 kilobits per second

Mark 85

Re: "Space is nasty and sending data across 83 light-minutes of it isn't easy"

I think it's a bit more than what you posted. There's the issue with the high-gain antenna not pointed at earth during the final descent.

Confirmed: Oracle laid off 964 people from former Sun building

Mark 85
Facepalm

I need new glasses..

I read the last line as: “Lift and Shit Your Oracle Solaris Workloads to the Oracle Cloud.”

Boffins fear we might be running out of ideas

Mark 85

I believe what you say is true. Perhaps it's time to rescind/remove/ignore Moore's Law.

Hi Amazon, Google, Apple we might tax you on revenue rather than profit – love, Europe

Mark 85

For years, US tech companies have used creative accounting and tax incentives offered by Ireland to pay tiny amounts of tax across Europe,

They also do that here in the States... Let's also add "hide the money" so it can't be taxed. Example is Apple and all the cash In so called offshore accounts. Until they move the money, no one taxes it.

The bigger the drone, the bigger the impact

Mark 85

Re: Drone noise?

I suspect we won't tolerate small, buzzy drones filling our skies day and night either.

Have a look at places like Manhattan to see what people will tolerate in noise. I can't tolerate it but one heck of lot of people live in the middle of it.

Mark 85

Re: Heavy Lift Drones

I'll add to this... those airframes are at "end of life". The choppers themselves are still valuable for not "stressed" parts. Most of those aircraft yards are just giant "junk" yards much like what is done for cars and trucks. Strip the parts as needed and scrap the rest.

Sci-Fi titan Jerry Pournelle passes,
aged 84

Mark 85

That wasn't directed at you Pompous Git. I was responding to Peter....

Mark 85

Re: Loved his books and collaborations

Indeed and he'll be missed. I was a large fan of his books along with those of his peers. Sadly approaching the end of an era. RIP Jerry.

Mark 85

A pity you can't skip the politics and climate change issue and just mourn the loss of one of the iconic Science Fiction writers of the time.

Virginia scraps poke-to-vote machines hackers destroyed at DefCon

Mark 85

(Incidentally, do you know where Diebold's main manufacturing operation is based? Ohio. That's a, arguably the key, swing state. I don't think that's entirely coincidence.)

I think that's a real long stretch... Diebold has been there since well before voting machines were invented.

Surprising nobody, lawyers line up to sue the crap out of Equifax

Mark 85

Re: As has been said often before

I wonder if we could douse it with gas (petrol) and light a match

Err.. no. The environmentalists would raise holy hell. Just letting them rot on the tree would be environmentally friendly.

Mark 85

Re: As has been said often before

Why can't we have both jail and stripping them of their assets?

Boffins: 68 exoplanets in prime locations to SPY on humanity on Earth

Mark 85

Re: Fait accompli, mate

Or maybe they're worse off than us and don't want the locals to know how good (for some value of "good") we have it? Of course, the Empire won't care. If there was something here they needed, we would already be under their control.

Red panic: Best Buy yanks Kaspersky antivirus from shelves

Mark 85
Big Brother

I guess everyone needs a scapegoat at this point in time... be it countries, politicians, or software companies. And now shops selling equipment. What's next on the list to boycott? I'll assume that our government will now say that all US products are without US backdoors?

User demanded PC be moved to move to a sunny desk – because it needed Windows

Mark 85

Maybe the wobbler could go in the mouse or even their chair.

Mark 85

Well... use the proper tool for the proper job.

Mark 85

Re: As any good medical professional will tell you

or the old prank about sending the apprentice to the stores for a 'Long Stand'...

Well, the military aviation types will send you off for these::

1) A gallon of prop wash.

2) A hundred feet of flight line.