Next step?
MS asks the Supreme Court to rule on the constitutionality of the Cloud Act?
Unlikely to get anywhere, but a stalling tactic nonetheless...
/off to read the Cloud Act
Posts by Snorlax
710 publicly visible posts • joined 1 Dec 2014
Law's changed, now cough up: Uncle Sam serves Microsoft fresh warrant for Irish emails
Watchdog growls at Tesla for spilling death crash details: 'Autopilot on, hands off wheel'
Tuesday 3rd April 2018 13:51 GMT 
Re: When is an Autopilot not an Autopilot?
@ST:"Either it's an Autopilot that can drive the car with no action required by the person in the driver's seat -- Tesla's own words -- or it isn't."
The Model S owner's manual states:
"Warning: Autosteer is a hands-on feature. You must keep your hands on the steering wheel at all times.
Warning: Autosteer is intended for use only on highways and limited-access roads with a fully attentive driver. When using Autosteer, hold the steering wheel and be mindful of road conditions and surrounding traffic.
Do not use Autosteer on city streets, in construction zones, or in areas where bicyclists or pedestrians may be present. Never depend on Autosteer to determine an appropriate driving path. Always be prepared to take immediate action. Failure to follow these instructions could cause damage, serious injury or death."
...
"Autosteer is intended for use only by a fully attentive driver on freeways and highways where access is limited by entry and exit ramps"
Tuesday 3rd April 2018 11:04 GMT
Stupid is as stupid does...
"Drivers are supposed to keep their hands on the steering wheel even when Autopilot is engaged. Think of the technology as a super-cruise-control, rather than a self-driving brain."
I wasn't totally surprised when I saw a YouTube video showing an Autopilot user defeating the 'hand-on-wheel' check by jamming an orange in the steering wheel.
Doubly stupid as an orange wedged next to an airbag is going to turn into a 300km/h projectile if the airbag goes off...
For some reason, you lot love 'em. So here are the many ThinkPads of 2018
Tuesday 3rd April 2018 10:32 GMT
@TooManyChoices
@TooManyChoices:"Why don't more PC manufacturers give us a choice of a TrackPoint or pointing stick?"
Extra cost. Plus, if you've never used a TrackPoint, it won't register in your consciousness and won't be on your shopping list. I have noticed that you can do a keyboard swap on some Dell Latitudes and HP ProBooks to give yourself a pointer.
There's an interview on TechRadar with a Lenovo product designer who says:
"It’s a little bit like an automatic transmission versus a stick shift. If you know how to drive a stick, you don’t want an automatic transmission. If you don’t drive a stick shift, you’re not going to buy a car that’s got one.
One of the advantages of a TrackPoint is that your hands don’t have to leave the home row to move the cursor. So, you can type and move the cursor without doing this [mimes a hand shifting between a keyboard and a trackpad].
Plus, your finger doesn’t really have to move, because a TrackPoint is strain-gauged, so it measures pressure. It doesn’t move around like a joystick, it’s measuring pressure. Some people get it and some people don’t; some people acquire the taste. It’s hard to explain, but I still think there’s a use for it."
Apart from Lenovo, I'd go for the Dell pointer although I don't think they use the sandpaper-ish 'cat's tongue' material which I prefer to the rubber.
The HP and Toshiba offerings are crap imho.
Tuesday 3rd April 2018 08:49 GMT
Blast from the past
"The X series dates back to when IBM was the custodian of the ThinkPad, and long before the term "Ultrabook" was coined, with the X20 launched in 2000."
2000? Was it that long ago? I've still got a couple of X20's around here in a drawer somewhere.
Probably my favourite laptop ever. That or the T20...
Apple, if you want to win in education, look at what sucks about iPads
Saturday 31st March 2018 12:41 GMT
Re: Never underestimate students with hardware.
@-tim:"These students who appear to have been about 12 years old also found a way around the anti-plagiarism software by simply including the entire assignment notes into their work. Since every student is doing it, the scores started showing every student was about 30% plagiarized and if they included direct quotes from the teacher they could get that score into the 70% range where the instructor simply ignored the score."
Eh no, that's not how it works.
Including a common cover page or assignment description might raise the percentage, but have you ever looked at a submission report in Turnitin or similar?
That overall % is broken down so the teacher can immediately see the sources of the 'plagarism' within the document. If it's a cover page or assignment description, that can be seen and discounted but the rest stands - the teacher doesn't ignore the overall score.
lol you must think teachers are stupid...
Friday 30th March 2018 18:35 GMT
Re: At the AC...
@Shadow Systems:"My son is a teacher in a K~6th grade school. He has said that "We've only got so much in the budget for the year. If it boils down to buying supplies for the students or paying for the massive IT required to admin all those devices, the devices lose every time."
...I don't blame him for not wanting to deal with the devices either - 45 students per class..."
45 students per class? I see where the budget problem lies, and I hate to tell you it's not IT. Your son's school has more fundamental problems.
Friday 30th March 2018 18:24 GMT
Re: Tablets and STEM
@Mike 16:"I think you have explained your own conundrum. Tablets as they are today teach primarily one thing about tech: It is unreliable and capricious, and will defeat most attempts to Get Stuff Done (tm)."
No, I don't think I've explained 'my' conundrum at all.
As a society we want kids to embrace technology in a meaningful way, yet we have people with no clue harrumphing about computers in the classroom - either seeing them as a distraction, or as part of some global conspiracy on the part of Google or Apple to brainwash our kids.
Some genius further up the comments actually wrote something about "arsing about with animated emojiis" as if that's what happens in the classroom. Other complainers moan about management of Apple devices and then propose, wait for it, Linux - as if schools would find it easier to manage that scenario.
If that's the level of insight into education technology displayed by commenters on a tech website, $deity help us...
Friday 30th March 2018 14:09 GMT
Re: Hmmmm
@Steve Davies 3:"While I agree with you, do those who Might just possibly use an iPad in Education need a cellular version of the device?"
In the US, the Lifeline Program is a federal program to provide discounted 3G internet access to low-income customers.
So a kid in a low-income household submitting homework through Blackboard or Moodle on his government-subsidised connection is just one possible example of somebody who might use a cellular version of an iPad...
Friday 30th March 2018 14:02 GMT
@AC
@AC:"It's also far from clear that it actually makes a substantive difference to how well educated kids turn out to be. There's nothing less creative about using pencils, paper, paint and so forth than using a Chromebook. Audio / video is different of course, but that it. It's purely an adult perception that using a smart device is somehow better than using a pencil. It's not. Also, paper and pencil doesn't need a full time member of IT staff to administer it."
Eee when I were a lad....uphill both ways to school...in the snow...a turnip for lunch...etc
People moan when kids are given access to tech in school.
People also moan when kids show no interest in STEM subjects.
There's no pleasing some people, i it would seem...
BTW, in a lot of countries parents pay for their kids textbooks - over five years of secondary school that can add up to the same as two or three iPads. Also an iPad is a lot easier to carry than a rucksack full of books...
Your way of thinking is outdated, Grandpa. Get with the times
Are you able to read this headline? Then you're not Julian Assange. His broadband is unplugged
Huawei joins Android elite with pricey, nocturnal 40MP flagship
Wednesday 28th March 2018 12:21 GMT
Re: RE: EOS 300D
@Timmy B:"Agreed totally. When I bought my camera I was told that only a small part is the sensor/body and it's the glass that really matters. Spent far more on lenses than body and still get great pictures from my 5 year old EOS 1000D."
And what's the call quality like on your camera Timmy?
Wednesday 28th March 2018 01:42 GMT
Re: Agreed
@ian Michael Gumby:"... you're getting in to the true cost of the phone itself."
Not even close. An iPhone X 64Gb that retails for $999 costs $370* to make. That's some SERIOUS markup but reports suggest that the X's sales are disappointing with Apple slashing production.
The problem for Huawei is that if people can't be persuaded to spend a grand on a phone from a 'premium' brand like Apple, they're sure not gonna throw down 800 or 900 on a Huawei.
*http://news.ihsmarkit.com/press-release/technology/iphone-x-costs-apple-370-materials-ihs-markit-teardown-reveals
Facebook supremo Mark Zuckerberg has flunky tell UK MPs: Nope, he's sending someone else
Wednesday 28th March 2018 11:04 GMT
Re: The heat is on
@streaky:"Zuckerberg's problem is that as CEO of a fairly major organisation he doesn't seem to do public very well."
Watch 'Terms and Conditions May Apply' sometime; Zuck values *his* privacy:
Tuesday 27th March 2018 15:12 GMT
@csecguy44
@csecguy44:"If only futuristic stuff like video conferencing would exist..."
Ya think nobody thought of that?
Poor Zuck's developed a bad case of social anxiety - he doesn't want to talk to anybody by video link or otherwise. Anything he says now can only dig a deeper hole for Facebook and Cambridge Analytica
Tuesday 27th March 2018 11:07 GMT
The heat is on
He doesn't want his arse handed to him in a similar fashion to Simon Milner in Singapore:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h47QSqLp_e0
Most striking for me is Facebook's contempt for both citizens and governments in light of recent events
I think Zuck thinks he's too big to fail...
PwC: More redundos at HQ of UK 'leccy stuff shop Maplin
Monday 26th March 2018 17:08 GMT
Re: At least Dick Turpin wore a mask...
@wolfetone:"And as for costs, £3.50, at the most £4 is what should be charged for a pint of Guinness."
You won't have heard of a thing called 'tax' then, or understand that two separate countries might have different rates of taxation applied to things like pints of Guinness? Booze has always been cheaper in the UK - please tell me more things I already know...
Monday 26th March 2018 14:01 GMT
At least Dick Turpin wore a mask...
I was in Ireland over the weekend and happened to be passing a Maplin shop so I went in to see if there were any bargains. Yeah yeah, I know...what was I thinking?
First aisle I walked down had a 40m CAT6 cable (A11WL) for just €79.99 (which I think is about £70 these days).
The same cable is £29.99 on maplin.co.uk and €47.99 on maplin.ie :rolleyes:
Or a 8Tb WD MyCloud €330 including discount. Nope
Fleeing Facebook app users realise what they agreed to in apps years ago – total slurpage
Monday 26th March 2018 11:44 GMT
Re: I'm (not) sorry
@All gods are bastards:"I have already informed my family and friends that SMS and phone communications from non-whitelisted mobile numbers will be ignored. Numbers are whitelisted only when I have extracted a commitment from its owner not to run spyware on their device
I've heard some bonkers, mental shit in my time but that takes the biscuit...
Huawei wins patent injunction against Samsung in China
Monday 26th March 2018 11:24 GMT
Chinese courts are capable of making reasonable decisions
Not being snarky or anything, but how do foreign companies fare in Chinese courts when trying to enforce their IP? From my purely subjective view it would appear to be an uphill battle for an outsider, where IP is enforced for the State's benefit rather than anything else...
"Firstly, Chinese companies no longer simply copy, but increasingly develop their own IP.
Yeah, but there's still a huuuuuuuuuge amount of blatant copying/homage going on in the tech and automobile industry... Have a look on aliexpress/gearbest/etc
UK watchdog finally gets search warrant for Cambridge Analytica's totally not empty offices
Screw luxury fridges, you can now run webOS on your Raspberry Pi
Tuesday 20th March 2018 20:00 GMT
Re: "...all-gesture UI (no buttons)... ...take it beyond TVs..."
"No button TV?
Do you have to stand-up, walk over, and smudge the screen with your greasy fingers?"
No, you could just get one of these for a six quid:
https://www.lightinthebox.com/wireless-2-4ghz-keyboard-mouse-combos-air-mouse-remote_p4579360.htm
Fermi famously asked: 'Where is everybody?' Probably dead, says renewed Drake equation
Tuesday 20th March 2018 13:51 GMT
Re: Not useful
"That your posts attract significant downvoting is most likely a reflection of the paucity of intellect you display, and the propensity to attack the poster because you're not capable of attacking the post."
I get that you're too dumb to understand downvoting has no effect on somebody's standing. It doesn't bother me in the slightest.
That's what's funny about it - you're just wasting your own time. Carry on, jackass...
Monday 19th March 2018 15:19 GMT
Re: Not useful
"Not so much triggered, as wondering why I'm feeding the educationally subnormal troll."
You like feeding trolls because you're sooooo determined to have the last word every time...
We get it, you're 'special'
BTW I think it's funny that you take the time to downvote every single one of my posts - it shows how sad and petty you really are.
Monday 19th March 2018 15:10 GMT
Re: Not useful
"Still posting with all the intelligence of a dog turd Snorlax? Why yes, of course you are."
Whois? More like WHOWAS: Domain database on verge of collapse over EU privacy
Tuesday 20th March 2018 13:42 GMT
Re: It's about time someone actually read the GDPR
@Mike 137:"No they are not - please read the GDPR. The sensitive information categories (as set out in Article 9)..."
The combination of name/address/email/phone # is way more sensitive than any of the other things you listed. Publishing/withholding this specific information from random people is what the article is about; didn't you read it?
The criteria you list? Irrelevant waffle for the purposes of this article... I've never been asked to detail my religious beliefs or health when ordering a domain.
"BTW there's nothing to prevent anyone setting up a PO Box and/or a non-geographical phone number and quoting these in their registration. "
How much does a PO box cost per year? £315 per year.
So, again, explain to me why the onus should be on the registrant to pay for privacy? A two- or three-line answer will be fine...
Monday 19th March 2018 14:59 GMT
Email
Re: It's about time someone actually read the GDPR
@Mike 137:"Apart from the 'sensitive' categories of personal data (which I should hope are irrelevant to WHOIS)..."
Any domain registration I've ever done has asked for:
Name
Address
Phone number
...which are all forms of personally identifiable or 'sensitive' information.
Why does a registrar need to publish them to the world?
Especially when it's information that they'll happily withhold if you pay a 'privacy' fee.
Publication of user data in this way should be opt-in, not opt-out.
Monday 19th March 2018 12:45 GMT
Shambles
"In short, the effort to make Whois compatible with GDPR has been a public policy shambles for which ICANN should shoulder the bulk of the blame. A more effective organization would have foreseen the inevitable conflicts and carefully managed them ahead of time.
As it was, the organization's staff ignored the problem until it became impossible to do so any longer, and then published its proposal when people were boarding planes to fly to its meeting this week in Puerto Rico. It should have come as no surprise that little was achieved."
Proper
Planning
Prevents
Piss
Poor
Performance
I was reading Brian Krebs' Twitter where he was moaning that this is a GDPR problem rather than an ICANN problem: "Waah, I can't query registration info to further my business interests anymore..."
Why is it that America thinks it has a right to everybody's info?
They have no concept of privacy (or no desire to implement privacy) unless a gun is put to their fucking heads.
As somebody replying to him pointed out; companies like Facebook took the piss with people's data for so long, it's no surprise the GDPR was introduced.
One other thing ICANN - it's not the 1970s anymore. People don't want their name, address and phone number out there for public viewing like an entry in a phonebook
US cops go all Minority Report: Google told to cough up info on anyone near a crime scene
Tuesday 20th March 2018 12:27 GMT
Re: Increasingly less serious crimes?
@msknight:”I'm sure that the recipient of the sexual battery feels very reassured that the assault they suffered is less important than an arson attack.”
Battery is generally a misdemeanor, while arson is generally a felony.
So yeah, on the scale of serious to ‘less serious’ things would go: murder -> arson -> battery.
Tuesday 20th March 2018 11:05 GMT
Creepy Bastards
Since I moved from iOS to Android I've been getting "Look at everywhere you've been in the last month" emails from Google. No doubt you can turn that shit off (along with the incessant business review requests) but Google's tracking is very in-your-face.
Anybody thinking of committing a crime should leave their phone at home...
Brit retailer Currys PC World says sorry for Know How scam
Yorkshire cops have begun using on-the-spot fingerprint scanners
Sci-tech wants skilled worker cap on PhD and shortage jobs scrapped
Monday 12th March 2018 13:05 GMT
Re: happy Brexiteers, surely ?
"My wife is a foreigner, and my ex-girlfriends I will bet pound to a penny are significantly more diverse than yours."
lol, we all know you don't have the social skills necessary for a wife and ex-girlfriends.
Monday 12th March 2018 13:01 GMT
Re: The Jacob Rees Moggs of this worlds wet dream
@LucreLout:"I've already had to tell you twice to stop talking bollocks son, get it through your head this time. You need to come here with a reasoned argument backed by facts - you're not entitled to make them up as you go along. Seriously, this place got along fine for many a year before you started posting and it'll be fine when you stop. Now, back to school and this time try to learn a thing."
Pathetic. Talking down to someone as if speaking from authority... Is that seriously the best you can do?
Friday 9th March 2018 13:23 GMT
Re: The Jacob Rees Moggs of this worlds wet dream
@LucreLout:"So human rights oinly began in 1953? Before that people had no right to life - you could just kill them? "
Pathetic. Someone tells you that you're wrong so you change your argument slightly and pretend you're right... Is that seriously the best you can do?
The Ataribox lives, as a prototype, supposedly
Sunday 11th March 2018 13:40 GMT 
Nostalgia Isn’t What It Used To Be
How is this different from the Atari Flashback 7?
An Atari console knockoff might be fun for five minutes, but let’s be honest - the games and the controllers were crap.
The Chinese bang out Atari clones for a couple of dollars. Why spend $250-300 the Ataribox is rumoured to cost for the same experience? Might as well buy a boxed mint condition original 2600 if you like to spend that kind of money revisiting your youth
Biting the hand that feeds IT
