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* Posts by Redstone

122 publicly visible posts • joined 17 Jan 2017

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China examines antitrust probe thrust into Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron: Claims to see 'massive evidence'

Redstone
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Re: War or Commerce?

Unfortunately, all previous US administrations have taken your approach – i.e. just let China get away with whatever it wants in terms of predatory trade practices and IP theft. This has gone on so long that any corrective measures will be seen as ‘belligerent’.

You may well believe that standing up for your own manufacturers is crass, and the Chinese certainly believed that the US approach was doomed to fail (as no previous administration has had what it takes to stand up to them for long) but it is having massive repercussions in China, including rumblings from senior party members against Xi (not something that is usually tolerated). The trade imbalance is such that the tariffs 'tit-for-tat' affects China far more than the US and with Chinese growth having slowed to its lowest for 20 years, they are starting to be a lot more conciliatory than they have ever been before.

6 2

Mind the gap: Men paid 18.6% more than women in Blighty tech sector

Redstone
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Re: Sooo...

@Snorlax: Lol, pot meet kettle. The irony of that statement coming from you..

Maybe you should try looking the word 'irony' up (note: it doesn't mean 'spot on observation'), if you can see past that ego of yours, that is.

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Redstone
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Re: Sooo...

@Snorlax: Says the guy who started out with an angry comment. Wow, you have a planetary sized ego to think I care that doubt my familial setup.

As for your own position, I get it – it’s the standard feminist position: because a woman has female anatomy she should get the same or greater pay as a man, regardless of experience, performance, hours worked etc.

Do you ever get blinded by the luminosity of your own virtue as it reflects back from the smug-cloud you live in?

7 3
Redstone
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FAIL

Re: Sooo...

Funny that you can't defend your position, but instead you go on the offensive.

Says the guy who started out on the offensive and can't defend their own position, which is apparently that womyn should be paid more simply because of their anatomy. Personally, I think people of any description should be paid according to experience and how well they do their work.

you might not find it so great that your wife or daughters are paid less than their male colleagues for the job they do.

Thank you so much for your concern, but my wife is quite capable of negotiating her own way in the world without the help of a White Knight and has never been paid less than her male colleagues. My daughter already takes responsibility for herself without blaming the dreaded 'Patriarchy' for her own failures.

If you want to see a sexist, look in the mirror. It isn't me that thinks women are so feeble they can't succeed without my ‘magnanimous aid’.

13 8
Redstone
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Re: Sooo...

Reading through the comments so far, I've seen women described as "trolly [sic] dollys", "feminists", "cleaners", studying "gender studies shite", and who have gaps in their working history because they took "time off to have kids". Not to mention "jihad against men" - that's just nuts.

Really? Some of you saddos should be ashamed of yourselves. If I read that crap on 4chan, I'd put it down to stupid teenagers. I had assumed most people on here were grownups but obviously not.

Really? You saddo White-Knight Syndrome suffers should be ashamed of yourselves. If I read this crap in the Guardian or MotherJones or Counterpunch I would put it down to teenage SJW's trying to impress the feminist they would like to get some extra-curricula activity with.

You really have never seen a female cleaner? or a female feminist? or know of any woman taking time off to have children? Maybe you should get out more, once you have grown up.

8 16
Redstone
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Devil

I'm not really sure what the aim of this exercise is.

The aim is to create a 'problem' that feminists can then 'fix'. This is the first phase in the push for that old chestnut: equal pay for 'equal value' work.

70 21

How machine-learning code turns a mirror on its sexist, racist masters

Redstone
Facepalm

Well Colour Me Amazed!

The real world - and the heuristics real people use to navigate it (i.e. sterotypes) - don't match the precious little utopia found in the vacant space between SJW's ears.

17 9

Stephen Hawking dies, aged 76

Redstone
Unhappy

Top Guy

I'm sure glad his doctor's prognosis for his motor-neurone disease (i.e. that he would only live 2 years) was wrong. I read 'Brief History' when it came out and still remember the feeling of amazement at how much bigger and more incredible the universe was than my (then) teenage mind had ever imagined.

RIP to a man whose legacy will live on long after our time.

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London Mayor calls for social networks and sharing economy to stop harming society

Redstone
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On that we can agree.

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Redstone
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Trollface

Oh come on. He took that stand last year. You're supposed to have fogotten about that by now.

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Redstone
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Of course he does. He's a VIP, don't you know....

7 3
Redstone
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Devil

Re: "our contribution to the overall health of the public conversation".

The notion that you can 'debate' with white supremacists, holocaust deniers, et al., and that they will become 'better' people, is risible.

No, but maybe YOU can become a better person. If your arguments fail to persuade, or [horror of horrors] fail to stand up against theirs, then maybe you could refelct, revise and re-think your arguments to include more nuance.

Even my socialist friends occasionally come up with ideas that cause me to revise my opinion. ;-)

25 3

Tim Berners-Lee says regulation of the web may be needed

Redstone
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Re: Don't let the Gummint get involved

erm... I was thinking of the machine learning in terms of improving the search algorithm but whatever floats your boat, dude.

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Redstone
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Re: Don't let the Gummint get involved

...the incumbent can beat all the upstarts...It's a vicious cycle.

The incumbent always looks unassailable, but remember when Google was the upstart? Part of their allure was that they weren’t AltaVista and they played up to being the new boy with their “Don’t be evil” catchphrase (I think they must have been unable to remove the “don’t” from the wall when the moved offices and just put up what they brought with them to the new office). They key is to have a different approach and good marketing.

Sir Runcible Spoon (further down the comments) mentions the idea of using different algorithms for search - a 'backstreet' search engine. With Machine learning being so democratised now, any group of computer science grads (with the nous to hire a competent marketing team) could pull that off.

To challenge Google, they just have to have the courage not to sell out to Google when they get noticed by them.

9 1
Redstone
Childcatcher

Don't let the Gummint get involved

Internet ‘regulation’ is a fool’s errand. That’s even assuming that regulation, and not further control of the local populace, is a government’s actual motivation.

People actually have a lot more power than they realise – one of the nice things about corporations (unlike governments) is that you have a choice whether to use what they are offering. All people have to do is move their fat asses out of their entrenched comfort zone and use other services (how about using DuckDuckGo, Wolfram Alpha, IxQuick, Yandex or Gibiru instead of big G?). It only takes a few percentage points reduction in usage for share prices to tank: et voila – large corporation tamed.

As for social media - really? If you have that much time to spare, do charity work or just play Fallout 4 again - both are far less of a waste of your life.

14 1

Age checks for UK pr0n site visitors on ice as regulator cobbles together some guidance

Redstone
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They do seem keen to push everyone towards using VPNs, which kind of defeats government data slurping - unless all VPNs are run by the NSA and GCHQ....oooh that could be a great 'fake news' conspiracy theory: if only I had an Arsebook account.

24 0

UK digi minister Hancock suggests Facebook and pals give your kids a time-out

Redstone
Childcatcher

Hmmm.

Hancock accused social media companies of failing in their duty of care to children

Not being funny here Mr Hancock, but isn't the primary duty of care with the parents? If you allow a rapacious corporation like Arsebook to act in loco parentis rather than - I don't know, maybe spending time with your offspring and controlling your child's internet access yourself, then what do you really expect?

62 7

I'm anti-Google, please elect me: Senate hopeful rides tech backlash

Redstone
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Re: Hawley, corporate sellout

Yeah, yeah and George Soros, The Tides Center, The Ford Foundation etc. do exactly the same for the Democrats through a zillion PACs and foundations. I guess they don't call it free speech?

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Blockchain nears peak hype: UK politicos to probe crypto-coin

Redstone
Facepalm

Of course, this ‘investigation’ conveniently ignores..

..the whole point of crypto currencies – the exchange of ‘value’ without interference or regulation from a central authority (the reason for developing a distributed ledger technology in the first place). It is meant to offer freedom, which by definition, means you aren’t going to be protected from your own stupidity should you decide to use it in a dumb way – such as a speculation vehicle in a financial bubble.

Don’t get me wrong, I am pretty sure that Bitcoin will go the way of the tulip bulb bubble, but blockchain technology developments will form the basis of whatever stable cryptocurrency eventually comes from these ashes.

Then the MPs will have a real problem as there won’t be a reason for anyone to stay with the fiat currency the treasury controls....

4 2

Hey, you know what the internet needs? Yup, more industrial control systems for kids to hack

Redstone

Part of the Problem

is that, in terms of the Gartner Hype Cycle, we still haven't got to the top of the 'Peak of Inflated Expectation' for all things 'IoT'.

It will probably take more than one serious breach at a Utility that causes fatalities and general discomfort to the public before we are thrown into the 'Trough of Disillusionment' and ignorant managers stop trying to sound clever and hip by suggesting that everything must be connected.

Perhaps then we can get to the 'Slope of Enlightenment' where there needs to be a clear case for infrastructure to be (securely) connected and if there is a critical control function to the device, there should be at least two and probably three factor login security.

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Destroying the city to save the robocar

Redstone
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WTF?

..it shouldn't be an assumed right to drive it on public highways without assuming some of the (environmental/financial/congestion/aesthetic) cost

Considering the amount of tax you have to pay when: 1. You buy a car, 2. Pay your Vehicle tax, 3. Fill up your car, plus VAT on any and all conumables (wipers, tyres etc.) then it would seem evident that drivers have (by a long mile) more than 'assumed' the imaginary cost you believe is inflicted on others. It really is their right to drive on public highways that their taxes have financed.

As for cars being used by a single occupant: Good. It's everyone's right to associate with whomever they please - and if that means associating with no-one at all on their journey, more power to them.

13 7

Remember those holy tech wars we used to have? Heh, good times

Redstone
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Happy

Re: No mention of systemd?

Yes, but to have an argument you need at least two sides. When it comes to systemd, everyone hates it.

50 4

FBI says it can't unlock 8,000 encrypted devices, demands backdoors for America's 'public safety'

Redstone
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Unhappy

It seems to me that it's both the faces and the faeces that don't change - same faces spouting the same ol' shit.

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London mayor: Self-driving cars? Not without jacked-up taxes, you don't!

Redstone
Devil

So..

...with the £250M they got last year (and previous years) from 'congestion' charging and the money they would get anyway from road tax I assume all the roads in London are billiard-table smooth and will soon be multi-level to ease said congestion - eliminating the need for congestion charging?

Surely they don’t want to perpetuate the congestion problem simply for financial and political gain? Say it ain’t so…

28 2

DJI Aeroscope won't stop drone-diddlers flying round airports

Redstone
Happy

This problem is what shotguns are for...

it could become a new sport: drone-pigeon shooting.

8 4

Car trouble: Keyless and lockless is no match for brainless

Redstone
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Pint

Re: You ended up with a Nissan Puke? Unlucky!

Thank goodness. With their apparent popularity on the roads, I thought I was alone in thinking this.

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UK.gov not quite done with e-cigs, announces launch of new inquiry

Redstone
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Happy

so what do you want to ban next, batteries, glycerol, food flavourings, cotton or wire?

Let's cut to the chase and ban rechargable batteries. No telling what the public may get up to with those things freely available...

9 0

Tell the public how much our tram tickets cost? Are you mad?

Redstone
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Happy

Unless..

..they start to issue a kind of Schrödinger ticket...

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Redstone
Devil

Taking this to its logical conclusion..

..you won't be able to buy a ticket, 'cos if you did, you would know how much the ticket cost. Result: competitive advantage gone in a flash!

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EU: No encryption backdoors but, eh, let's help each other crack that crypto, oui? Ja?

Redstone
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Happy

Re: Refreshing

That is indeed the classic line to which I was referring...

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Redstone
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Devil

Re: Refreshing

Maybe I'm just too old, but when I see statements like this from BigGov I can't help thinking of the classic line:

[loud] "We come in Peace!"

[whisper] "Shoot to kill, shoot to kill"

9 0

Smut-watchers suckered by evil advertising

Redstone
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Happy

....on the rise and are they hard to pull off?

...Snigger...guffaw.... kyuk kyuk

7 0

European Commission refers Ireland to court over failure to collect €13bn in tax from Apple

Redstone
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They didn't change the law. They fudged it for Apple. Whether it is a positive fudge or a negative one for the recipient, it is still wrong and undermines the rule of law in any country where this happens.

9 2
Redstone
Facepalm

I too have a problem with all this retroactive rule-fudging.

In the UK there was a lot of cheering when HMRC started hitting people involved with 'tax avoidance schemes' because it ostensibly hit people with a lot more money than those doing the cheering.

The point is, however, tax avoidance is perfectly legal: no one is under an obligation to pay more tax than they have to. Of course, all those who want higher taxes are currently free to send HMRC as much as they want (strange how few of them take advantage of this privilege).

What IS illegal is tax evasion. There are laws that dictate what tax evasion is and what it is not. It is a very slippery slope for everyone when what is legal is deemed criminal simply because someone arbitrarily decides that person X is not paying enough. Yes, it is insane how little Google et al. pay HMRC, but if you want them to pay more, fix the laws properly. Laws should be universal to everyone in the land. If they are not, then you are living by the leave of your master's whim.

11 10

Sole Equifax security worker at fault for failed patch, says former CEO

Redstone
Devil

Hackers Take Note:

Every year, when IT Bob is on his two week vacation, Equifax will have no updates and is wide open!

46 0

UK lotto players quids in: Website knocked offline by DDoS attack

Redstone
IT Angle

It would be interesting to know

how big this DDoS attack was. I mean, you would have thought that the National Frottery would have some serious digital seige mitigation in place; so to knock the site out, there must have been a good few hundred Gbps traffic behind it, suggesting a pretty substantial botnet.

I'm guessing that this is unlikely to be a competitor (those postcode lottery people seem too nice ;)), so a reasonable assumption is that this is one of those botnet-for-hire attacks. I'm also guessing that this didn't cost the instigator that much either, so it is a bit concerning to anyone running a site that may be viewed as controversial - which is pretty much any site with content on it, these days.

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There's a way to dodge Fasthosts' up-to-160% domain renewal hike but you're not gonna like it

Redstone
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Pint

Re: Transfer

I like namecheap.com too. I have been using them for a few years now and never had any problems with them. I transferrred 4 domains over to them earlier this year and ended up paying less for all four of them than what the previous company wanted for just one.

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Chairman Zuck ends would-be president Zuck's political career

Redstone
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Unhappy

Hmmmm.

This is the true consequence of electing Trump. It has shown that if Trump can be elected, anyone has a chance!

No, this was the intention of the founding fathers, made very clear in the Federalist Papers.

The original idea was that average citizens would serve a term or maybe two in office before returning to their 'real' life. That would temper elected officals' enthusiam for dumb laws as they would find themselves subject to those laws soon enough. There was never supposed to be a career political class creating laws that don't affect them.

6 0

UK PC prices have risen 30% in a year since the EU referendum

Redstone
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Happy

Re: What the CONTEXT analyst (& the article) skipped over

Sorry, what was I thinking?

Note to self: Everything good [from June 23rd, 2016 into perpetuity] = DESPITE Brexit.

Got it, now.

8 3
Redstone
Holmes

What the CONTEXT analyst (& the article) skipped over

is that there has been a global price increase in components along with the requisite lengthening of delivery lead times, especially from chip makers.

Does this mean that Brexit is responsible for the global upturn in the electronics industy too?

7 8

Ethereum will have transaction chops of Visa in 'a couple of years', founder claims

Redstone
Boffin

The Future of Blockchain currency

doesn't depend on anything technical. It depends on whether any of these currencies can become stable enough to gain popular acceptance rather than mostly being the latest in a long line of speculator's playthings.

Not many people want to use a currency that was worth 50 cents yesterday, $8000 today and $2 tomorrow.

17 0

New HMRC IT boss to 'recuse' herself over Microsoft decisions

Redstone
Meh

I can see it from her point of view...

Government IT projects are something of a poison chalice. If, by some miracle against all the odds you produce a working system somewhere close to on-time and only a bit over budget, there's no glory in it. Why not keep your real job open?

Mind you, this state of affairs is a pretty sad place to find our govt. IT

12 0

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

Redstone
Pint

It would all mean so much more...

...if they could get Morgan Freeman to narrate the death dive.

Farewell Cassini. May your data live forever!

7 0

Facebook ran $100k of deliberately divisive Russian ads ahead of 2016 US election

Redstone
Devil

We absolutely condemn your political viewpoint...

..Oh, you have money? Why didn't you say? Of course we will run your ads. Always liked your political opinions, you know....

One question - how tenuous does the 'link' have to be to be 'connected with Russia'? Some of those IP packets were routed through a server in Russia = Russian connection?

3 0

It's official: Users navigate flat UI designs 22 per cent slower

Redstone
Happy

I'm guessing it wasn't planning but...

..the conversation went something like:

"All the kool kidz are doing flat, we must do it too"

"Well, if it's good enough for he kool kidz..."

..some time passes....

"Oh look our bounce rate seems smaller and look how much longer people stay on page!"

"Yeah, we are totally engaging traffic with this new style - we must be geniuses."

"Maybe now we can get some of those Google-style bean-bags for the office"

27 0

Why is it that geeks' favourite enemies are... other geeks?

Redstone
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Re: Let's kick this off then...

Apple DOS 3.2.1 anyone?

0 1

Nest cracks out cheaper spin of its thermostat

Redstone
Meh

Agree..

My white polycarbonate, bog-standard timer works just fine.

Seriously, how big does your mansion have to be that, to avoid dying from hypothermia, you need to pre-heat your home from your phone 'cos you are going to be home an hour early?

15 0

Terry Pratchett's unfinished works flattened by steamroller

Redstone
Pint

For those curious what was on the drive....

...just wait for the next NSA leak. ;)

My intro to Terry Pratchett was 'Mort'. Great author. Great Bloke. Greatly missed.

4 0

Sweden may extend data retention, splat NAT and register VPNs

Redstone
Terminator

Politics as usual

..it looks like Sweden is imitating China, “where the state requires the network to be tailor-made for monitoring, not for the internet to work as well as possible”.

Yeah, but at least in the West we can vote in a whole new set of politicians who want to deploy exactly the same state monitoring as their predecessors....

Hmmmm. Not looking that good really, is it?

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Probing the online phish market reveals thriving, profitable underworld

Redstone
Paris Hilton

Judging by the pricing...

you would have thought legal devops would be more attractive to these guys - similar pay without the threat of prison time?

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