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* Posts by The_Idiot

334 publicly visible posts • joined 20 Sep 2013

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Fingerprint tech makes ATMs super secure, say banks. Crims: Bring it on, suckers

The_Idiot

Thus, if your data is compromised once, it won’t be safe to use that authentication method again.

When. As in _when_ your data is compromised. Not 'if'. And the 'when' won't take long.

A non-revocable credential, whether for identification or verification, is (in my view, at least), a really, really, like, _really_ bad idea. And I'd bet good money, without even looking, there's a whole bunch of folks here posting things which say much the same thing. Which doesn't stop the bloody daft idea coming back up in various shapes and forms time and time again. Can I cry now?

6 0

Days are numbered for the Czech Republic

The_Idiot
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Re: CzechMate

When I was (briefly) at University in the UK, I was out walking one time into the countryside. A guy with his family in car stopped me. He turned out to be Australian. He asked me if I knew the way to 'Looga-ba-rooga'.

I never really looked at Loughborough quite the same again :-).

19 1

Microsoft takes shot at Amazon as it wraps up UK cloud data centres

The_Idiot

And do they...

... have a firm commttment (yes, that's me laughing in the background) from the US Judicial system ,the US guv'mint and the US TLAs that where the data is held will make a blind bit of difference to whether the US considers any and all of it their, a la Ireland?

Sigh. Maybe I'm just being cynical, and all will be well. Nurse! The blue pill, please!

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FBI Director wants 'adult conversation' about backdooring encryption

The_Idiot
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Re: Mr Comey's position...

@Adam 52

"There are multiple ways to reach a compromise, if both sides want to have an adult conversation. It sounds like the Reg readership don't want an adult conversation though."

There are indeed 'multiple ways to reach a compromise', if the 'compromise' is in fact a compromised and inherently flawed system of cryptography.

Unfortunately (at least in my view) for anyone who holds such an opinion, mathematics is, to the best of my knowledge, not a matter of opinion.

It is true that all cryptographic systems (at least all of them to date) can be broken, often through unknown or undetected flaws in implementation. It is also mathematically true that the more ways you deliberately and knowingly introduce to allow them to be broken in a pre-determined and known fashion, the more likely it is people you didn't intend them to be broken by will....

OK. I give in. Have it your way, sir. Let all 'acceptable' forms of encryption end up as the equivalent of ROT13. What could possibly go wrong, right?

Grump.

Whimper.

Shivers...

7 0
The_Idiot
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Re: Maybe

Sadly, as many recent reports have shown, much of the Rest of the World are busy talking out of a similar orifice to the one Mr Comey appears to favour, and demanding, or moving towards demanding, the same thing.

Of course, that won't stop Black Hats, Grey Hats and all sorts of colours in between making 'illegal' encryption that actually works and using it. Which will, no doubt, also be declared illegal. So the next step (already in progress) will be to create more crypto-stealth methods to hide the fact that crypto is in use at all - and so it goes on.

I'm not actually fond of getting old - but this sort of thing almost makes it bearable. There's only so much stupidity one life should have to take, and this type of thing adds more than it's fair share to that total, at least for me. Sigh...

16 0
The_Idiot

Mr Comey's position...

... appears to be simple.

1: What is required is an adult conversation.

2: I am clearly an adult, therefore my conversations must also be adult, by definition.

3: Those who agree with me are therefore also clearly adults, and should be permitted to take part in the conversation.

4: Those who disagree with my adult conversation must clearly not be adults and must be excluded from discussing the matter.

5: After discussing the matter in an adult conversation, all participants will agree I am right, and therefore tech companies will stop being difficult and volountarily recognise the will of the adult majority.

6: Study of mathematics will be made a felony, so as to ensure the tech companies cannot waste adults' time with childish excuses.

Sigh... I hope I'm kidding...

69 0

EE looks at its call charges, hikes a bunch, walks off giggling

The_Idiot
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Re: Cost increases

"...wages only go up with CPI"

Er - _wages_? Go _up_?

Yes. I remember those days too - but then, there's rocks round here called me granfer when they was mountains... sigh.

1 0

Privacy advocates rail against US Homeland Security's Twitter, Facebook snooping

The_Idiot

While...

... it is, of course, unlikely that 'Bad Guys(tm)' (yes, Jones Minor. I can see you at the back. Or 'Bad Girls(tm)' too. Now stop sniggering and see me after class) would never answer 'yes' to the various 'are you a Bad (insert gender here) person' questions on such forms, that isn't the point of the question. Getting a 'yes' I mean. The point is that the PTB make 'lying on the form' an offense in itself. So when they want to, um, 'have a close word' with a possible Bad (insert gender here), but said person hasn't yet done anything 'Bad', the PTB can arrest or otherwise be nasty to them for 'suspected telling porkies on official paper'.

They used to say Russian laws were set so it was impossible for a tourist to cross Red Square without committing at least ten offences - not so the PTB could arrest every tourist, but so they could arrest any of them _if_they_ wanted_to_...

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NASA wants to sell International Space Station to private enterprise

The_Idiot

OK. So...

... let's face it. Tropical island with secret base inside fake volcano? Meh. Passé. Your own, very own, like, for real _space_station_? With or without mysterious mind control rays, space going sharks with, like, beamy-things _much_ better than boring old lasers and/ or roving space ships that can swallow shuttles whole?

Er - honey? Could you buy me an extra lottery ticket or 999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 while you're out dear? Muahahahahahahahahahahaha!

Oh. Right. Supplies. I guess I need access to a fleet of proven private enterprise launch vessels... Wonder where i could find some?

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Florida Man cleared of money laundering after selling Bitcoins to Agent Ponzi

The_Idiot
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Hmmm....

@AC

I also think the judge ha sit right. However (and merely quoting the words, not in any way taking issue with your post):

"...whilst everyone knows that BitCoin is used for many illegal transactions..."

As are motor vehicles, the internet, corner shop windows, firearms, fake firearms, nylon hosiary (OK - so I'm showing my age (blush), wrenches (Dr Plum, in the library I believe) - the list goes on.

If it were me, I'd have added the words 'can be' just after 'Bitcoin' - because just like everything else in the example list I suggested above, Bitcoin can be used for many _legal_ activities as well. And even if the agents said they were going to use the Bitcoins for less than proper purposes, no unlawful act had taken place at the time of the trade, no?

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Apple Watch craze over before it started: Wrist-puter drags market screaming off a cliff

The_Idiot

The thing...

... for me, at least, with 'smart' watches is the use case. Which doesn't mean I'm about to go off on a rant about there not being on - but it means (and again, I don't claim to be able to speak for anyone but me) use cases need to apply to the user.

Hmmm. I know i had a point here somewhere. Where did I... oh! There it is!

See, i don;t need a watch to tell me there's an email waiting for me. Let's try that again. _I don;t _want_ a watch that tells me there's an email waiting for me. If I can be bothered, if i care, I can take my phone out. But - at the risk of too much personal information - I'm a diabetic. Offer me a watch that continuously monitors my blood glucose level? And sends an alert to me/ my email/ my duck billed platypus if it goes too high (or worse, too low)? OK, so maybe not my duck billed platypus - the b*st*rd never reads his bloody email anyway (blush). But yes. _I_ may not want a device on my wrist that listens to my phone - but _I_ (and some others) may _possibly_ want a device on my wrist that can tell the world things. Some things. And yes, I know there are some Kickstarter projects around glucose monitoring tech in watches, and the possibility of remote alerts. But they're not here yet - so _I'm_ still not interested in a 'smart watch'.

Yet :-).

1 2

Body of evidence: Biometrics and YOU

The_Idiot
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The problem...

... (for me at least) with such compound approaches is that they both imply and, I would suggest, require my pre-approval of a level of data gathering that otherwise might be expected to require a warrant, and spread that approval over every organisation/ group/ authority operating the 'trust' model. For instance:

1: User is attempting to access an account from a previously used device

The user surely must, therefore, have agreed and accepted all those with whom he is being 'validated' are permitted to gather and or hold information on the devices she or he uses.

2: User is at GPS co-ordinates in the area of their home address.

The user surely must, therefore, have agreed and accepted all those with whom he is being 'validated' are permitted to both know the user's home address, _and_ to see the results of some manner of local GPS tracking at any time a validation request is made.

3: Audio match

The user surely must, therefore, have agreed and accepted all those with whom he is being 'validated' are permitted to hold one, or more likely a higher number, of 'audio fingerprint' samples. Which, of course, will be held totally securely and never leaked/ stolen/ misused. Well, probably not. Or possibly not...

4: Video match

See audio match, but add 'video sample/s.

So to 'validate' myself to any or all of a number of services, I have to agree in advance that they can gather and/ or hold all the above data on me, and presumably 'pass it on to others as required by local law'. And I have to decide this is a Good Idea(tm).

Not in this lifetime.

And yes - I know that 'certain authorities' may have all the above already. But at least I don't have to agree in advance that _anyone_ can have it, use it, and possibly leak it, misuse it, sell it or give it to someone else. And if the aforementioned 'certain authorities' try to use it, there is a small chance (even if not measurable by current technology) they get slapped on the wrist for doing it.

Of course, I'm probably talking nonsense. After all, I'm an Idiot... :-).

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Drones, weed and prison: Bloke pleads guilty over plan

The_Idiot

But... but...

... but I was only doin' me job, Yer Honour! One of the lags had put in an Amazon order!

4 0

Germany: If Brits vote to Remain, we'll admit Hurst's 1966 goal was a goal

The_Idiot
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Re: exporting bloody awful sausages

Not Germany, but I can go down to St Lawrence Market (a place National Geographic once awarded 'Best Market in the World') here in Toronto and pick up artisan cheddars aged for anywhere from two years to eighteen. Oh - and Bella Casara Mascarpone, fantastic Raclette, beautiful Brie, buffalo milk Parmesan - I'd go on, but Olympic Cheese alone have over 600 cheeses, and they're not the only quality cheese vendor there :-).

Olympic Cheese - St Lawrence Market

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US 5th graders have a pop at paper plane record

The_Idiot

Excellent! Perhaps I won't...

... have to give up all hope on the human race after all, if people this age can get interested in starting, working on and actually completing something this 'science-y' and find it fun.

On the other hand, many of the adults (at least, the ones not called Musk) seem to be beyond that same hope :-(.

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What's holding up Canada's internet?

The_Idiot

I confess...

... I live in Canada.

Further, I live in Toronto (try not to hold it against me).

And further yet, I live in a condominium and I'm lucky enough to have a provider who gives me:

1: Fibre to my apartment.

2: 250 Mb symetric, uncapped - and I _get_ 250 Mb symetric. I could have more (up to 1Gb symetric), but 250 Mb is what I pay for (if I told you it cost me $50 a month, you might cry, so I won't).

3: They'll rent me a router/ firewall and give me a level of access to it - or let me run my own on the end of a media transceiver, so long as I'm prepared to accept they'll only offer support up to the transceiver if I choose that path.

Can everyone, even in TO get this? Of course not - but great oaks, little acorns (in this case not so little - I understand my provider is about to branch out into Montreal).

Canada. It's like Mr Adams said about space - really, really big. And with something that big, all sorts of things can start happening in the corners :-).

1 0

SEC warns cybersecurity is biggest threat to financial system

The_Idiot

Er - remind me...

... is 'strong encryption' a Very Good Thing(tm) or a Very Bad Thing(tm) this week? According to the authorities, I mean.

Sigh. I know. Yes. Or, um, no. At the same time. Er - can I sigh again?

7 0

Apple needs silver bullet to slay App Store's escaped undead – study

The_Idiot

Who did that? I see you at the back, Jones Minor...

"Online software bazaars – such as Apple's App Store and Google Play – need to claim responsibility for "dead applications" and notify people when their programs have been revoked or removed."

OK - heck, I might even agree.

But then it morphs to:

"When these evil programs are found and thrown out of stores, they should be thrown out of devices, too, it's recommended."

If said 'throwing out' is by the device owner/ user? Absolutely. But if said throwing is done remotely by the App Store owner, or device provider? Without, perhaps, the device owner's approval or knowledge, because the relevant OS, software or device access protocol has been modified to permit such actions? Woah there, Nellie.

After all, it might be said to be one small step for an App, and from that small step no giant leap to data. From 'Provider X deleted 'my' (don't get me started on 'you didn't buy it - only a license to use it') Apps' to 'Apple ate my music!' Streaming jukebox wipes 122GB – including muso's original tracks' (it's here on El Reg - feel free to find it, read it and form your own opinions).

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Brits who live in 'smart cities' don't really know or care

The_Idiot
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Re: More fluff....

The streetlight models work fine in a thought experiment where there's only one person on the street. The minute you get two or three, either the lights all fuse and burn out from the rapid switching on and off as the 'organic triggering agents' go about their business, or all of the bloody things stay on all the time as said agents go about said business. Which rather defeats the objective of 'smart streetlights', as opposed to dumb ones that think 'oh bugger it. If the light level's low I'll bloody well stay on, and to heck with the damn people.'

Alternatively, imagine one of said 'smart' street lights is just outside your bedroom window. You drop off to sleep. The ratted thing comes on. You wake up. You swear. You count, um, county-things. You get used to it being on. You drop off. AND THE BLOODY THING SWITCHES OFF AND WAKES YOU UP. Repeat county things, but imagine they all have the heads of whoever designed the bloody lamp, and stick knives in them. Drop off, listening to them scream. Suddenly, the room is lit with a bright light...

Sigh.

5 1

US government tells Apple it has security problems that Apple fixed last year

The_Idiot

Basic maths...

"The unnamed Apple executive said 80 per cent of iPhones are already on iOS 9, so it doesn't intend patching the flaws in older versions of its operating system."

Hmmm. How about:

"The unnamed Apple executive said 20 per cent of iPhones still have problems, but that's not _our_ problem."

Of course, simple arithmetic is rarely listed as a required skill for 'executives' I guess.

6 0

US government sued by activists looking for backdoor smoking gun

The_Idiot

With or without the Courts...

EFF: So tell us the answer!

DOJ: Yes we have. Or no we haven't. One of those, anyway.

EFF: Bugger that! _Tell_ us!

DOJ: We did! Now run along, we've got a Constitution to pretend to protect...

8 0

Tweak Privacy Shield rules to make people happy? Nah – US govt

The_Idiot

You want to buy this shiny new bridge I've got for sale?

"Despite those efforts, however, last week the Article 29 Working Party... said it was not happy with the final wording and questioned several key components, including... how independent the US Ombudsman really was."

Right. Of course. Independent, and effective. Which it will be, right?

Sigh. Again.

From another article right here, right now:

"Watchdog: FBI actions unconstitutional. Secret court: Nah, we're good."

So OK. what about that bridge? We got a deal, bub?

2 0

Texas Attorney General charged in 32-bit 'eco-friendly server scam'

The_Idiot

Sigh....

"Caleb White has agreed to return the $66,000 and 20,000 shares of Servergy stock he was paid in commissions in exchange for charges being dropped."

Yes Your Honour. I did rob the bank. But I'll agree to return the loot in exchange for charges being dropped. Heck, the money's been in another bank earning interest - so don't worry. I'll still make a profit...

No.. I can't see a judge buying it either. At least, not for _ordinary_ folks... Of course, I'm an Idiot (blush).

There's an 'AG-ony and the ex-STASI' line going begging in here somewhere - but I can't make the STASI element fit, so I'll leave it out.

Oh. Oops... (Big Evil Grin).

10 0

WhatsApp straps on full end-to-end crypto for 1bn peeps

The_Idiot
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Re: Trust Facebook?...

Or possibly:

"Another Z option would be to suck in a billion people, then one day simply cancel all encryption and furiously start vacuuming up the data. I think that would be a logical extension of the FB(I) modus operandi."

1 0

Tesla books over $8bn in overnight sales claims Elon Musk

The_Idiot

I read a lot...

... and have read a lot in the past about how Mr Musk can't what he's said (at that time) he's trying to do, or is going to do.

I don't want to open any 'let's make a list' thing of how many times he hasn't delivered, as opposed to how many times he has - I have no idea what the numbers would be on either side of that ledger. However, I do want to say to say I'm glad there are people in the world trying to do things others say can't be done, and trying, like, really, really hard. And accepting the risk of not succeeding. I have no issues with those who choose to try to do things 'everybody knows' can be done - but do them better. But I have to admire the wonderful insanity of those who try other things - 'impossible' things - whether they succeed or not.

Of course, I'm an Idiot... (blush).

7 0

FBI backs down against Apple: Feds may be able to crack killer's iPhone without iGiant's help

The_Idiot
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Re: precedent

@Credas

To quote (I believe) James Nicoll:

"The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary."

21 0

Obama puts down his encrypted phone long enough to tell us: Knock it off with the encryption

The_Idiot

Hmmmm. Maybe it's time...

... to fight dirty (blush).

While I neither confirm nor deny my support or opposition to the matter, it's proven a little difficult for those in power to address anything relating to the Second Amendment. And, as I recall, the Second Amendment doesn't _directly_ refer to firearms - rather, to the right to' keep and bear arms for the purpose of maintaining a well organised militia'. Which is interesting, because it might not be too big a stretch to say:

1: Secure (from the 'enemy') communications logistics have long been recognised as an essential element of sustaining any such force (a view even supported by the assertion expressed by various speakers from time to time that the use of encryption is critical to 'opposition' forces)

2: Encryption has, more than once, been qualified as a 'munition' in the past.

So maybe:

"Encryption doesn't kill people/ do bad things to children! _People_ kill people/ do bad things to children!

Or

"I'll give you my GPGP when you pry it from my cold, dead hands!"

or

"They'll try to smear you as the enemy. They will slander you as cyypto-philic, horn-rimmed spectacle wearing, tech-obsessed maniacs who stand in the way of a safer America. Will you remain silent? I will not remain silent. If we are going to stop this, then it is vital to every law-abiding encryption user to register to vote and show up at the polls on Election Day!"

Quite what they'll do when they _do_ show up, and can't find anyone sane to vote for is another problem entirely... sigh.

18 0

Microsoft adds 'non-security updates' to security patches

The_Idiot
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Re: Tempest in a Teapot

@Communicate Manifest

"Until you know what this update does, what's the point in getting hot under the collar?"

First, and in genuine and sincere respect, you are of course entitled to any view you want. But, and I regret having to say that I have one (and my wife tells me it's much too large (blush)), well, but... if it appears someone is about to stab me with a knife, I don't really think I should have to wait to find out exactly what the wound is going to be before I get a little upset about it. And maybe try to take preventative action.

In my opinion, and I fully accept it is only an opinion, enough people have seen what looks like a 'knife' in MS's hands previously in this matter, and/ or have known directly and/ or indirectly others who have suffered 'wounds'. As a result - collars may indeed get hot, with, to those undergoing temperature overload, perceived justification.

Or not - after all, I'm an Idiot :-).

22 1

UN rapporteur: 'Bad example' UK should bin the Snoopers' Charter

The_Idiot
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Re: Hmmm....

@David 132

"For my mind, Kind Hearts and Coronets - or the Lavender Hill Mob - are better than Passport to Pimlico"

And I'd have no argument against either being better - it's just Passport was apropos of the 'smaller states are better' view, though it sort of didn't turn out quite like that by the end of the movie... :-)

2 0
The_Idiot
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Hmmm....

@Scrubber

"Large states -> large bureaucracies -> centralisation of power -> wielding of power -> war or totalitarianism or both"

Can't argue with that - I'll even cite the British Empire as an excellent example :-).

"Small states -> petty bureaucracies -> decentralisation of power -> very little power to wield -> parochial squabbles over putting your bins out and keeping your garden tidy"

So independance for Yorkshire! Or, um, Hartlepool! Or maybe establish Passport Control at Pimlico!

"Passport to Pimlico is a 1949 British comedy film made by Ealing Studios and starring Stanley Holloway, Margaret Rutherford and Hermione Baddeley.... The film was inspired by a true incident during the Second World War, when the maternity ward of Ottawa Civic Hospital was temporarily declared extraterritorial by the Canadian government so that, when Princess Margriet of the Netherlands was born there, she would not lose her right to the throne."

Yes, I admit it. I'm old (blush). And I still have a soft spot for Ealing Studios...

4 0

US chap sharpens paradigm-busting scissors

The_Idiot
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Does it really Apple-i?

@David Lewis 2

"There will be a separate round of funding for V2.0 for cutting corners!"

So long as the 'round of funding' isn't for cutting 'rounded corners' - or can we stop going round the bend on that one after the recent (pending appeal) patent invalidation?

4 0

Donald Trump promises 'such trouble' for Jeff Bezos and Amazon

The_Idiot
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Re: surely the word 'hypocrite' is an immigrant...

@Lysenko's remark - but not the good Lysenko...

"the USA should prohibit words like: ... idiot"

Hey! I resemble that remark! I don't want to be perhobbit... er, prodibbit... er, pregravid... er, bloody banned! (blush). <--- Not intended to offer offense, and none taken :-).

7 0
The_Idiot
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Re: Inherited Wealth

@Mark 85's comment (but not directed at the good Sir Mark :-) )

"b) would it pass muster with the Supremes?"

The Donald doesn't think he'll have any problem with The Supremes. He's got an inside track - he bought a Diana Ross album once, so he figures he's good to go.

Sigh...

47 0

Black Monday: Office 365 down and out in Europe

The_Idiot

“A limited number of customers"

Sigh. I've blethered on about this before - so my apologies for being even more boring than usual. Of course, everything (with the apparent exception of ISP bandwidth and capacity offers - right until you try to actually use them) is 'limited'. but if you're one of the 'customers' in question, the 'limit' on you is closer to 100% than the marketing-speak attempt to minimilise the issue.

I could go on to, um, go on about the current trend towards online services for productivity tools, but I think I'd either be preaching to the choir or flogging a dead equine, depending on readers' personal preferences.

24 0

UK Home Sec's defence of bulk spying: We 'found' a paedo (we already knew about)

The_Idiot
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Re: Bring your own tinfoil.

At the risk of being flamed into oblivion, and with the knowledge that other views of the issue are both possible and nothing I would seek to deny anyone the right to hold, by the same logic (at least it appears similar to me):

.

I don't know why we continue to have laws against robbing banks. Bank robbers will continue to grab the money whether it's illegal or not. They always have done and they always will.

.

Feel free to insert any activity, currently covered by legal restriction or otherwise, for 'robbing banks'. Does it make any sense at all?

Whether or not anyone will continue to carry out an action is not, to me at least, any reason not to make a noise about it, seek to restrain it or bring it into the light if those who wish to do so find the 'justification' for the activity to be lacking.

Of course, I'm probably talking rubbish - I'm an Idiot... (blush).

18 0

Europe's satellite laser comms system set to shine

The_Idiot

Er, no officer...

... I'm not planning to take over the world.

Oh, that laser in my back garden? That's just my satellite internet connection, honest!

5 0

Video game retailer GAME in email marketing FAIL

The_Idiot

I always find it amusing...

... (in a totally non-amusing way) when, as they almost inevitably do, these 'apologies' begin with 'a small number of customers...'.

I accept it's possibly, even probably, a deliberate or habitual messaging massage to try to make things appear like they're no big deal. However, that's (to me at least) part of what rankles.

First, it may well be that it really _isn't_ a big deal to the company, and they're just mouthing platitudes.

Second, even if they do actually care, for me they're giving the wrong impression with the wording.

Third, even if they have 99999999999999999999999999999 customers so, for example, 1000 is a vanishingly small percentage number to them, _1_ is a rather large percentage (100%) and even a large number to each of those individual 1000 people who are elements of the failure.

Of course, I'm probably over-reacting. After all, I'm an Idiot (blush).

6 0

One Ring to pwn them all: IoT doorbell can reveal your Wi-Fi key

The_Idiot
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Re: Why??

Imagine, at least I hope for your sake imagine, your partner has advanced Multiple Sclerosis. Yes,other candidates may be relevant, but for the sake of argument, let's say MS.

Let's say your partner is wheelchair bound and lacks the ability or dexterity to unlock the door.

Let's say, purely hypothetically, that you looked at a powered door opener with a remote keyfob your partner could use, but it was, for the sake of discussion, $3,000 plus, and it turned out your partner lacked the dexterity to use the keyfob reliably.

But - said partner can and does, purely hypothetically, use a keyboard and mouse every day.

May I suggest that, purely hypothetically and for the sake of discussion, there just might possibly be a use-case some people haven't thought of - but others may have, unfortunately, had to seriously consider.

5 1

'Unauthorized code' that decrypts VPNs found in Juniper's ScreenOS

The_Idiot

"So you've reprogrammed to add the new code to all devices?"

"Yes, Agent Black."

"Then you're approved to 'find' the old one. It will build trust."

"Yes, Agent Black."

"No, I'm Agent White. Agent Black said the first sentence."

"Well, it's hard to tell the difference between you two..."

12 0

Adobe: We locked our customers in the cloud and out poured money

The_Idiot
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Re: Bloom

If Bloom would release a USB Portable version - or even answer the email I sent them some time back asking if it ever might happen - I'd buy a copy today. Sigh...

And yes. I know Photoshop was never USB Portable. But I don't always have admin rights when I sit down, so I'm still GIMP-ing and paint.net-ing from USB in those case...

0 0

Who owns space? Looking at the US asteroid-mining act

The_Idiot
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Re: Let's get real

Perhaps I spend too much time under the eyes and whips of Editors, but to me there's a difference between:

“A United States citizen engaged in commercial recovery of an asteroid resource or a space resource under this chapter shall be entitled to any asteroid resource or space resource obtained, including to possess, own, transport, use, and sell the asteroid resource or space resource obtained in accordance with applicable law, including the international obligations of the United States.”.

and

“A United States citizen engaged in commercial recovery of an asteroid resource or a space resource under this chapter shall be entitled to any asteroid resource or space resource obtained by that citizen, or an agent of that citizen, including to possess, own, transport, use, and sell the asteroid resource or space resource obtained in accordance with applicable law, including the international obligations of the United States.”.

Of course, I'm sure nobody would ever use such a literal translation of a legal statement to imply that because:

a) Someone else has gone out and mined it it is 'obtained'

and therefore

b) Because I am in fact 'engaged in commercial recovery of an asteroid resource or a space resource', even though that mostly means I have a very nice letterhead with the words 'Asteroid Mining' in, Under US law it's bloody mine (no pun intended) I tell you!

2 0

IOCCO: Police 'reckless' for using terrorism powers on journo sources

The_Idiot

So...

... um, 'oops', and 'we promise not to use the same excuse next time'?

Sigh.

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'Hypocritical' Europe is just as bad as the USA for data protection

The_Idiot

Nobody...

... claiming to be 'in control' or 'in power' appears to be interested in fixing what _they're_ doing. Only in telling everyone how 'evil' or 'bad' the 'other guys' are (yes, Jones Minor. Or girls. Yes, or both. Now see me after class).

It's (to me at least) like a continual election campaign, with no side interested in trying to convince you their own agenda is better, because it's so much safer and easier to throw out attack ad type pieces about 'them others'.

Yes. I'm ranting. Yes, I'm grumpy. And I'd say I'm tired of this excrement, but I'm afraid that in this particular context I'd have to be less worn out by experience to imporove to 'tired of it'. Sigh...

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Yahoo! spills! user! account! beans! in! 60%! of! gov! data! requests!

The_Idiot
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Re: Which government?

They were all from government users who had forgotten their your (for some random value of 'your') passwords.

There :-(.

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UK SMEs with weak security risk procurement exclusion – survey

The_Idiot

Sauce for the goose...

"SMEs need to take cyber security seriously or face being frozen out of the procurement process, according to a new survey from management consultants KPMG."

OK. So can the same rules be applied to the not-Small, bigger-than-Medium Enterprises?

Oh. Right. Of course not. Sigh...

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How Microsoft will cram Windows 10 even harder down your PC's throat early next year

The_Idiot

I think...

... people may have misunderstood elements of Microsoft's marketing.

When MS started talking about how Windows 10 was going to be free (for a while at least), but they wanted to migrate to 'Windows as a Service', people got worried that if they updated, they would later have to start paying rent on 'their' installation. They can rest easy. Unfortunately a character was missed from the press release.

What they actually meant was 'Windows 7 as a Service'.

For a small fee (say, $1000 a month), MS will promise not to give you any updates on your machine related to Windows 10. That's the 'Service'.

Yes. I'm kidding. er - I hope...

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'Govt will not pass laws to ban encryption' – Baroness Shields

The_Idiot
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Re: No one planned to ban encryption

In my personal view - yes. Because there is the chance that someone (or some number of someone-s) may take the comment at face value, and use it to justify the comment's apparent point.

I would rather, and again this is only a personal view, make a potentially unnecessary comment about such a point than keep silent - and wake one day to find it has somehow migrated into Truth.

Of course, I'm an Idiot...

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The_Idiot
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Re: No one planned to ban encryption

"Few people have a legitimate need for encryption"

Er - because someone (or something) made you the sole and authoritative source for the definitions of both 'legitimate' and 'need'?

Oh - and because 'because I wanted to/ felt like it' is not supposed to be acceptable in your definition of a free society?

Or, perhaps, because the existence of a 'free society' is less important/ desirable to you than the one you'd prefer to be in place (or perhaps already have elements of in place)?

Never mind me. I'm just an idiot...

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Feds in America very excited about new global privacy alert system

The_Idiot

"Share information...

... relating to privacy."

No. I'm sorry. I have to try that again.

"Share information relating to privacy."

OK. I know. They don't mean that like it sounds.

Er - they don't, right?

Oh.

Oh dear.

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Support scammers target Mac fanbois

The_Idiot
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Re: Linux ....

Because Godwin's Law is well known and accepted, but so far OSwin's Law (whoever initiates a 'XXXXX OS is better than YYYYY OS' first in a non-directly relevant way is considered to have lost the argument) hasn't got as much traction yet :-(.

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