* Posts by Kurt Meyer

406 publicly visible posts • joined 20 Jan 2016

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Windows 7's grip on the enterprise desktop is loosening

Kurt Meyer

Re: The dreaded telemetry

@ 1Rafayal

"Unless you have removed the updates from Win 7, 8.x then you have them installed."

All of the Win7 installations I do are on bare metal, whether for myself, friends, relatives, or customers. Windows Update is turned off, I manually choose which updates to download and install.

"The only way they wouldn't have shown up is if you chose not to install any updates/chose to install them manually."

Yes, exactly.

Kurt Meyer

The dreaded telemetry

A tool I have found to be useful in combatting the telemetry in Win 7-10, is "SpybotAntiBeacon" from Safer-Networking Ltd. You can find it here.

I use that, the GWX control panel, and a beady gaze cast over any Windows updates on offer, to keep the wolf from the door.

So far, so good, although my resentment grows daily at the effort I must go through to simply, not upgrade.

PayPal freezes 400-job expansion in North Carolina over bonkers religious freedom law

Kurt Meyer

PayPal's values

"the values and principles that are at the core of PayPal's mission and culture."

Making money hand over fist?

Brits rattle tin for 'revolutionary' hydrogen-powered car

Kurt Meyer
Mushroom

Re: Invited to name the car?

Given the car's potential for front page headline news, may I suggest "The Hydrogen Bomb".

Ted Cruz slams DNS overseer ICANN a second time

Kurt Meyer

Re: Republican presidential frontrunner Ted Cruz

@Throatwarbler Mangrove

I note your use of the singular pronoun, but I must ask, do you refer to Cruz or McCarthy?

Kurt Meyer
FAIL

Republican presidential frontrunner Ted Cruz

Kieren, I think you will find that Donald Trump is currently the frontrunner in the race for the Republican party's presidential nomination. Senator Cruz is in second place. Governor Kasich is trailing both of those men.

Sloppy, sloppy, stupefyingly sloppy journalism.

Truly crap exhibition dumped on Isle of Wight

Kurt Meyer

Turds on Display

In this picture: https://regmedia.co.uk/2016/04/05/lion_poo.jpg?x=648&y=648&infer_y=1.

Why is there a pair of eyeglasses on the resin sphere?

Iceland prime minister falls on sword over Panama Papers email leak

Kurt Meyer

Re: Didn't realize there were more data dumps to come

@AC

"Russian media pretty much shrugged it off exactly for this reason"

My God, that's a relief. I sleep soundly at night knowing that "Truth" and "News" are available thanks to the Russian media.

Twitter spends $10m on rights to cover Thursday-night NFL games

Kurt Meyer

Re: They've lost the place...

"60 minutes of an American Football game contains on average 11 minutes of actual play, and can take up to 3.5 hours to complete."

50 or 60 years ago, American football was much more interesting and entertaining to watch. Eleven men (plus substitutions) played both offence and defence for the entire game. These were fit men, some of them six-footers, many of them not.

If only there was a sport today, where the players played the entire game (plus substitutions), played both offence and defence, and, as an added bonus, used their feet to play the game. I'll bet that would be fun to watch.

Kurt Meyer

Re: Can I hope we've reached "Peak protocol"?

"I still to this day cannot see how Twitter is a valuable thing."

I came to post my thoughts on twitter, only to find you had done so first. The forum rules say that I can only give you one upvote.

If I could, I would give you a thousand for this line alone.

Top Firefox extensions can hide silent malware using easy pre-fab tool

Kurt Meyer

Alternatives?

I don't know for sure, but I'll guess that Pale Moon suffers from the same or similar flaw(s), since its extension model is identical, as far as I know. So, Midori? Qupzilla? SRware Iron? Chromium? ELinks?

Sick to death of mighty rocket launches? Avoid these dates

Kurt Meyer
Coat

Re: Fed up!........

It seems that you're not alone, according to this BBC report.

Oz uni in right royal 'indigenous' lingo rumpus

Kurt Meyer

Universities in Australia

There is, of course, only one with a claim to scholarship worthy of notice.

Gnome shrinks the upgrade footprint with version 3.20 release

Kurt Meyer

Mate for me, thanks

It is familar, and easy to use. It gets out of my way, and lets me get on with my work.

How Microsoft copied malware techniques to make Get Windows 10 the world's PC pest

Kurt Meyer

Re: oh I dunno

@JLV

Please accecpt my apology for the downvote.

I meant to hit the "Expand Comment" button.

Posh frockers Lord & Taylor spanked after Instagram fillies shocker

Kurt Meyer

Re: Would this be illegal elsewhere?

@Ole Juul "You're supposed to know that if you buy that new car advertised with the two sexy ladies that the ladies are not included."

Ole, everyone knows the sexy ladies aren't included with the car. They will, however, flock to you after you purchase the car. The same is true of beer, aftershave lotion, razors, cologne, clothing, and many other fine products.

I don't expect you to take my word for this, but I'm telling you, I saw it on the television!

Bloody Danes top world happiness league

Kurt Meyer

Purchasing Penicillin

@jzl "Which country are you in where you can purchase penicillin over the counter?"

I would say any country where you had a prescription for penicillin. Our friend the Pompous Git has only mentioned the attempt to purchase. He didn't say anything about a prescription, or a lack thereof. The country in question is, I believe, Australia. If I remember correctly, the Git hails from Tasmania.

It is important for all of us to remember that many times the same words will have very different meanings from one country to the next. "Over the counter" in the US pharmacological usage, means a non-prescription drug. I couldn't say whether or not it means the same in other countries.

I hope that helps.

Millions menaced as ransomware-smuggling ads pollute top websites

Kurt Meyer

Re: Malware?

@ NBCanuck

"Nice generic term....but what was the nature of the "malware"? Keylogger, botnet....ransomware?"

The title of the article: "Millions menaced as ransomware-smuggling ads pollute top websites".

Austrian mayor spunks €40k on virgin-eating dragon

Kurt Meyer

Re: ye pic

@WolfFan

" ye pic at ye toppe of ye article...

it appears to be an Asian, probably Japanese, dragon. Indeed, it appears to be a soryu,"

I don't know how you have the nerve to make that claim.

"Note fish-like tail and dorsal fin."

I do note them, although I cannot see the island, and as any fule kno, the location of the island will identify the dragon.

Soryu - island on the starboard side

Hiryu - island on the port side.

Solus: A welcome ground-up break from the Linux herd

Kurt Meyer

Re: Is it Nan friendly?

J J, take a look at Q4OS, for your Nan's computer. Our fellow commentater Palpy mentioned it in another thread, I've been using it on one of my machines, and so far, so good. It is lightweight, yet fully featured.

You can get it here: http://q4os.org/

Or Distrowatch, if you prefer.

Sexism isn't getting better in Silicon Valley, it's getting worse

Kurt Meyer

Re: Mosf you are missing the point...

@AC "Stop hiding behind..."

Kurt Meyer

Re: Yes there is an international mens day...

@AC

There There

Bruce Schneier: We're sleepwalking towards digital disaster and are too dumb to stop

Kurt Meyer

"the exodus to the suburbs"

@AC

"In the UK" "in the 19th century"

Try, if you can, to imagine a world beyond the UK in the 19th century.

I haven't read his address to the conference, but I will wager that Schneier, an American, was making reference to automobile usage in the United States, in the 20th century, and the consequent "exodus to the suburbs".

Kurt Meyer

Re: UL

@Fazal Majid

"Government is not required for a solution.

Whose safety standards do Underwriters Laboratories, The NSF, or the TÜVs certify?

Kurt Meyer

Re: It's gonna be difficult...

@gnufrontier

I'll confess that I completely failed to spot your suggested alternative.

Photographer hassled by Port of Tyne for filming a sign on a wall

Kurt Meyer
Thumb Up

Re: Jobsworths.

@Chronos

Thank you

NSA boss reveals top 3 security nightmares that keep him awake at night

Kurt Meyer

Re: Item 2

@ 2+2=5 "And a good mitigation against tampering is strong encryption. Can anyone see the irony here?"

From the article; "Rogers, who is on the record as supporting strong crypto..."

Pentagon to Dept of Defense: Give us $580bn for cyberwar and spacewar

Kurt Meyer

Re: $582 BEELLION?

"Pentagon to Dept of Defense" = Silly

I must say that I am expecting a just a little bit higher standard.

Instead, how about;

"Pentagon to Congress"

or

"Dept of Defense to Congress"

or

"DoD to Congress"

These Chicago teens can't graduate until they learn some compsci

Kurt Meyer

Re: Another box checked off

@AC

You made some good points in your post, but I've given you a downvote, and I'll tell you why.

I was looking for three words which I did not see.

"Perhaps if parents"

Bleeping Computer sued by Enigma Software over moderator's forum post

Kurt Meyer

Re: The ONLY AV that really works ( and its free )

Yer what hurts?

Kurt Meyer

@x 7 Re: Spyhunter

"my opinion is that Spyhunter is a useless pile of crap

I will freely admit I'd never heard of Spyhunter until reading the article. It doesn't sound like something I'll be adding to my anti-malware toolkit.

Kurt Meyer

Re: We're gonna need a better lawyer...

@AC

'the definition of a "good" lawyer?

That would be "My" lawyer.

US DoJ files motion to compel Apple to obey FBI iPhone crack order

Kurt Meyer

Re: Contempt of Court

@Malcom Weir

"No, Apple's non-compliance will (obviously) take the form of appeals from the (tiny, insignificant, junior, rubber-stamping) "Magistrate Judge" to other judges..."

A little background info for you, Malcom. Perhaps the next time you offer a comment on the United States District Courts, you won't look quite so ignorant.

Because you certainly do look ignorant now.

"A Guide to the Federal Magistrate Judge System

Peter G. McCabe, Esq.

A White Paper Prepared at the Request of the Federal Bar Association.

In the United States District Courts, there are two types of federal judges: United States District Judges (confirmed by the Senate with life tenure); and United States Magistrate Judges (appointed through a merit selection process for renewable, eight year terms).

Although their precise duties may change from district to district, Magistrate Judges often conduct mediations, resolve discovery disputes, and decide a wide variety of motions; determine whether criminal defendants will be detained or released on a bond; appoint counsel for such defendants (and, in the misdemeanor context, hold trials and sentence defendants); and make recommendations regarding whether a party should win a case on summary judgment, whether a Social Security claimant should receive a disability award, whether a habeas petitioner should prevail, and whether a case merits dismissal. When both sides to a civil case consent, Magistrate Judges hear the entire dispute, rule on all motions, and preside at trial.

There are now 531 full-time Magistrate Judges in the United States District Courts. According to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, in 2013, Magistrate Judges disposed of a total of 1,179,358 matters.

The importance of Magistrate Judges to the day-to-day workings of the federal trial courts cannot be overstated. Many federal cases settle early in the litigation process, and fewer civil and criminal cases now proceed to trial. Although felony criminal matters are the province of District Judges, in misdemeanor matters and in civil cases, it is often the Magistrate Judge -- and, sometimes, only the Magistrate Judge -- with whom the litigants and their counsel will meet and interact as their case is litigated in the federal trial court."

The more you know...

The entire white paper is available for your reading pleasure at: http://www.fedbar.org/PDFs/A-Guide-to-the-Federal-Magistrate-Judge-System.aspx?FT=.pdf

Your xenophobia is killing us, Silicon Valley warns US Congress

Kurt Meyer

Re: @Gordon 10 -- No surprises there then

@KeithR"asinine, infantile"

Brevity in self-description is always admirable.

Kurt Meyer
Thumb Down

Re:@Youngone -- No surprises there then

@Alfred - Counterpunch? That's your source?

No institutional bias at Counterpunch, none at all.

I can hear 'em singing, even at this distance...

"Well come on all of you big strong men,

Uncle Sam needs your help again..."

FBI v Apple spat latest: Bill Gates is really upset that you all thought he was on the Feds' side

Kurt Meyer

Re: Guns don't kill people....

@AC

"There are dozens of other locked smartphones.

All have video evidence where an african american citizen gets tasered and brutaly beaten by 10 caucasian police officers at the same time."

Have you got a (some) source(s) for this claim?

No? I thought not.

Feds look left and right for support – and see everyone backing Apple

Kurt Meyer

Re: Maybe greater weight

@Joe Gurman

"Kowtowing to them on the basis of an ill-informed order issued by the lowest level of federal court (most likely because the FBI knew it could never get such an order from, say, a Federal District Court) would are absurd."

A little background info for you, Joe. Perhaps the next time you offer a comment on the United States District Courts, you won't look quite so ignorant.

Because you certainly do look ignorant now.

"A Guide to the Federal Magistrate Judge System

Peter G. McCabe, Esq.

A White Paper Prepared at the Request of the Federal Bar Association.

In the United States District Courts, there are two types of federal judges: United States District Judges (confirmed by the Senate with life tenure); and United States Magistrate Judges (appointed through a merit selection process for renewable, eight year terms).

Although their precise duties may change from district to district, Magistrate Judges often conduct mediations, resolve discovery disputes, and decide a wide variety of motions; determine whether criminal defendants will be detained or released on a bond; appoint counsel for such defendants (and, in the misdemeanor context, hold trials and sentence defendants); and make recommendations regarding whether a party should win a case on summary judgment, whether a Social Security claimant should receive a disability award, whether a habeas petitioner should prevail, and whether a case merits dismissal. When both sides to a civil case consent, Magistrate Judges hear the entire dispute, rule on all motions, and preside at trial.

There are now 531 full-time Magistrate Judges in the United States District Courts. According to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, in 2013, Magistrate Judges disposed of a total of 1,179,358 matters.

The importance of Magistrate Judges to the day-to-day workings of the federal trial courts cannot be overstated. Many federal cases settle early in the litigation process, and fewer civil and criminal cases now proceed to trial. Although felony criminal matters are the province of District Judges, in misdemeanor matters and in civil cases, it is often the Magistrate Judge -- and, sometimes, only the Magistrate Judge -- with whom the litigants and their counsel will meet and interact as their case is litigated in the federal trial court."

The more you know...

The entire white paper is available for your reading pleasure at: http://www.fedbar.org/PDFs/A-Guide-to-the-Federal-Magistrate-Judge-System.aspx?FT=.pdf

Kurt Meyer
Thumb Down

@Number6

Deltics writes - "If this were a case of documents in a filing cabinet, the court would have issued a warrant for the seizure of the cabinet and the FBI would have done whatever they needed to get into that cabinet including requiring the manufacturer of the cabinet to assist with opening it if the lock proved problematic or they risked destroying the contents in the process of opening it."

You write - "No, what we have here is a filing cabinet with a built-in self-destruct mechanism. The FBI know that trying to break in will burn the contents to a crisp so they're trying to find a way to disable the incendiary device.

I write - You should learn how to read.

Ukraine has a Eurovision pop at Russia

Kurt Meyer

Re: WTF?

@AC - "No songs are any good whatsoever and anyone who says differently is either being paid to, salting their own sense of self importance, or being duped into it."

"Waterloo" would probably not make the list of "The World's greatest songs", but I liked it, and I've liked ABBA ever since then. I'm not paid, important, or duped, I just like their music.

@heyrick - "...just accept that there are some things on TV that may not be to your taste."

I do accept that, yours is an emminently sensible comment, and I will give it the upvote it deserves immediately after I watch Barca put the boot to the Arse.

FCC clicks off the safety, fires at America's great cable TV box rip-off

Kurt Meyer

@Commswonk

Amen, Brother.

I am very interested to hear your thoughts regarding "gifted".

I would cheerfully spend eternity in Hell if everyone who ever used that word was at my side.

Gird your coins: A phishing tsunami is smashing into America

Kurt Meyer

Re: There's also the phone call...

Mark, I've always enjoyed the old "hard of hearing" trick. Hearing Gupta screaming down the line while the handset rests on the table top, is very satisfying.

Confused as to WTF is happening with Apple, the FBI and a killer's iPhone? Let's fix that

Kurt Meyer

Re: I don't see the problem here

@Intractable Potsherd - "We're so far down the comments that I doubt anyone will read this..." Alas for you, people have read this.

"In every jurisdiction I know of..." There's the rub, eh? You clearly don't know a goddamned thing about the jurisdiction(s) where this story is playing out, but you're not going to let a little fact like that slow you down, let alone stop you.

No, not you, instead you treat us to a waffle on the magistrates of England and Wales, which has sweet FA to do with United States Magistrate Judges in California.

Herrings and zebras. Why do you and others of your ilk insist on comparing them? You look and sound ridiculous.

"...but, from the report, the FBI have an order from a magistrate. In every jurisdiction I know of, a magistrate is right at the bottom of the judicial hierarchy, and in some (such as the England and Wales) they are volunteers with no legal training. One of the things about magistrates is that they are usually extremely deferential to law-enforcement agencies. For these reasons, I would say that the order is suspect, and that Apple should not give in until it has been reviewed by a (or more than one) "real" judge(s)."

That would be you IP, demonstrating your utter ignorance.

"A Guide to the Federal Magistrate Judge System

Peter G. McCabe, Esq.

A White Paper Prepared at the Request of the Federal Bar Association.

In the United States District Courts, there are two types of federal judges: United States District Judges (confirmed by the Senate with life tenure); and United States Magistrate Judges (appointed through a merit selection process for renewable, eight year terms).

Although their precise duties may change from district to district, Magistrate Judges often conduct mediations, resolve discovery disputes, and decide a wide variety of motions; determine whether criminal defendants will be detained or released on a bond; appoint counsel for such defendants (and, in the misdemeanor context, hold trials and sentence defendants); and make recommendations regarding whether a party should win a case on summary judgment, whether a Social Security claimant should receive a disability award, whether a habeas petitioner should prevail, and whether a case merits dismissal. When both sides to a civil case consent, Magistrate Judges hear the entire dispute, rule on all motions, and preside at trial.

There are now 531 full-time Magistrate Judges in the United States District Courts. According to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, in 2013, Magistrate Judges disposed of a total of 1,179,358 matters.

The importance of Magistrate Judges to the day-to-day workings of the federal trial courts cannot be overstated. Many federal cases settle early in the litigation process, and fewer civil and criminal cases now proceed to trial. Although felony criminal matters are the province of District Judges, in misdemeanor matters and in civil cases, it is often the Magistrate Judge -- and, sometimes, only the Magistrate Judge -- with whom the litigants and their counsel will meet and interact as their case is litigated in the federal trial court."

So, not exactly the same as kindly old Will Wanksworth of Ugthorpe, eh?

The more you know...

The entire white paper is available for your reading pleasure at: http://www.fedbar.org/PDFs/A-Guide-to-the-Federal-Magistrate-Judge-System.aspx?FT=.pdf

Kurt Meyer

Re: @tom dial

@Roland6 - They certainly have the files, and so far they can't read them.

DougS, you, and I, agree on that much. Let's call it a day, and head for the nearest tavern. ;-)

Kurt Meyer

Re: @tom dial

@dajames

"Are you sure? Isn't that what the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 is all about?"

With all due respect, I must point out that in the matter of the San Bernadino County murder investigation(s), the UK Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 is as relevant as a roll of bog paper.

I want to make absolutely clear, dajames, that what follows is in no way directed at you personally.

I am surprised at the frequency of comments by persons living outside the country in question (whatever country that may be), regarding the laws and legal procedures of their own country, and how the commentater believes that those are somehow applicable in a foreign land. They are not. If you break the law in Denmark, or Peru, or Kenya, you'll be dealt with by their laws, not the laws of your homeland.

Kurt Meyer

Re: @tom dial

@ Roland6

DougS writes - "Let's say they're looking for the books for your illegal gambling business, and they find them but all the numbers are written in a secret code only you understand."

You write - "Analogy fail - they haven't found the books, they've just found a locked filing cabinet..."

Reading fail - followed by analysis fail - They have found the "books", they are unable to read them.

Kurt Meyer
FAIL

Re: " the owner of the phone has given them permission"

Think "laws of the United States regarding criminal procedures" and that may help you out...

But I doubt it.

Kurt Meyer
FAIL

Re: " the owner of the phone has given them permission"

@PhilipN - You have made two attempts to deny that the law enforcement agencies charged with investigating the San Bernadino shootings have "probable cause" to examine the phone found in the suspect's vehicle. Not his personal phone, a phone owned, and issued to him, by his employer, the San Bernardino County Health Dept.

You say - "FBI do not know what is on the phone. Maybe nothing. They get a judge to make an order to open it up anyway.

In legal terms it is called a fishing expedition and a definite no-no."

You are wrong.

First, Brangdon is kind enough to inform you that the legal owner of the phone in question has granted permission to the relevant law enforcement agencies to examine the phone. This granted permission completely removes any legal requirement to establish 'probable cause'. The user of the phone (whether alive or not), has no legal standing in this matter. He doesn't own the phone.

Here, just for you, is an example of this process.

Case one: the cops come to my dwelling and wish to search it. I refuse permission. In order to perform their search, they must go in front of a judge and request a search warrant. Before the judge will issue the warrant, the cops must show that they have probable cause to conduct the search.

Cops show probable cause = warrant issued = search conducted.

No probable cause = no warrant issued = no search.

Case two: the cops come to my dwelling and wish to search it. I grant permission. The search is performed, no warrant is needed, and thus, no probable cause is needed.

Shortly after Brangdon makes his entirely correct observation, along comes our old friend AC to point out, and rightly so, that the phone was found in the possession of a person who is the number one suspect in a case of mass murder.This fact, alone, will satisfy the probable cause requirement in any court in the United States, but mere facts are not enough to convince you. An AC then remarks correctly "Case closed".

Instead of an acknowledgement that your original statement had been disproved, you come roaring back with all of the stubbornness and intelligence common to donkeys, whether of the two or four legged variety. There is one small problem. Your grand rebuttal, your closing speech to the jury, the cudgel with which you would smite your foes, is broken.

You say:

"If my secretary keeps a private diary in her desk (which I own) in my office premises (which I own) do I have the unrestricted right to read it when she is not there? ........ No!" My emphasis added.

You are wrong again.

Look at that statement closely Philip. Did you miss something? Yes you did. Your statement is not analogous to the situation in San Bernadino. Let's try again.

You should have said:

"If my secretary keeps a private diary (which I own) in her desk (which I own) in my office premises (which I own) do I have the unrestricted right to read it when she is not there?" Again, my emphasis added.

Did you spot the difference? The correct answer is of course, yes you can read the diary, you own it. The second statement is analogous to the situation in San Bernadino.

Still don't believe it?

Do you have a company-owned PC on your company-owned desk at work?

Do you think for an instant that your boss, or his designated representatives, cannot look through your browsing history, or indeed, any file on that company-owned PC?

Does NSFW ring a bell? Why do you think that acronym was created?

TL:DR You have been wrong since you opened your mouth.

Kurt Meyer
FAIL

@Christoph @toughluck

"Um, I recently found out that they only allegedly shot and killed 14 coworkers."

"Reports always say 'allegedly' just in case they are found innocent and then sue."

"...it's just CYA, nothing else."

Thank you for proving again the wisdom underlying the old adage: "It is better to keep your mouth shut and be thought to be ignorant, than to open your mouth and confirm it."

You could hardly sound more so if you claimed the Sun rose in the West every morning.

In the United States, a person charged with a crime is presumed to be innocent until proven to be guilty in a court of law.

Whether you agree, or not, whether you think that to be wise, or not, does not matter. It is the law of the land.

Nothing else matters, not pictures in the newspaper, not video on the television, not fingerprints, spent shell casings, nor even eyewitness accounts. Not even the accused's own words, much less the ill-informed opinions of the ignorant on an internet message board.

Any physical evidence, witness testimony, and/or admission by the defendant may be used in court as the prosecution seeks a conviction, with the standard of proof necessary to obtain said conviction being "proof beyond a reasonable doubt."

However, until the very moment the foreman of the jury announces "Your Honor, we find the defendant to be guilty of ...", the law presumes the defendant's innocence.

Thus "alleged" "The accused" "The suspect"

UK carrier Three in network-wide ad-block shock

Kurt Meyer

Re: UK carrier three

There's me thinking; "Queen Elizabeth, Prince of Wales, ... I wonder what they'll name the third?"

Here's a vote for "Ark Royal"

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