* Posts by Frumious Bandersnatch

2662 publicly visible posts • joined 8 Nov 2007

Delaware pair nabbed for getting saucy atop Mexican eatery

Frumious Bandersnatch

Re: "Burrito meets soft taco in alleged rooftop romp outrage"

Were they fish tacos? Inquiring minds want to know ...

IBM's $3bn bet on next-gen computers: Carbon nanotubes, neuro chips

Frumious Bandersnatch

Re: O tempora, o mores...

re: "outside of"

People having been using that for quite a while, viz.:

"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read" --- Groucho Marx

Frumious Bandersnatch

how about this for a solution?

A quite significant amount of space has to be devoted to lines for carrying the clock signal. Instead of etching lines to carry this signal on the silicon, what about using radio emissions in selected bands to keep individual parts in sync with each other? In fact, why stop there? Tiny directional antennae would give near-perfect fanout and it might open up new parallel processing capabilities. Throw in a few diffraction gratings (created by etching regular logic areas on the silicon) and you could claim to have some quantum-level processing available too.

Of course, I know next to nothing about these things, so this idea is almost definitely a crock of shit.

Anyway, for the real reason I wanted to post: thumbs up for "scrying". Take that, spell-checker!

True fact: Your CAT wees ... like a racehorse

Frumious Bandersnatch

Re: Impossible, I say

re: Guinness

There's a relativistic time dilation effect going on when you first order the pint and you're watching it settle and waiting for the barman to get around to topping up the head and serving it to you. No matter what the true length of time taken by this, it always seems longer. This effect always occurs in close temporal proximity to the act of Guinness flowing through the pipes, so it will naturally occur when it's coming out the other end, too (even in diluted/semi-metabolised form).

Frumious Bandersnatch

Re: "... a long and wider urethra results in faster flow ..."

laminar flow?

MPAA, meet the Streisand effect: Picture ass. slaps Reddit with takedown

Frumious Bandersnatch
Thumb Up

Re: A completely different Ass

It might be a different Ass., but it IS the same mindset.

OK, I'll have to climb down off my horse and agree with you ... it is an ass of the same colour.

Frumious Bandersnatch

Re: I guess the MPAA forgot.

Their mindset is still in the 'home taping is killing music' era.

That would be the RIAA. A completely different Ass. (as per official el Reg abbreviation standards).

Frumious Bandersnatch

Streisand Effect? Nah.

More like a flash in the pan. Quite like Hollywood "movies" (note: they're also "talkies"!) in that respect.

Physicist proposes 1,000-foot state-sized walls to stop tornadoes

Frumious Bandersnatch

Re: If we are going to build a wall

Lets build one about 50 ft high at our southern border

A noble sentiment, but it's still not going to stop people from the US entering Canada.

Frumious Bandersnatch

Might I suggest a better way?

If mixing of two massive amounts of hot/cold air is the problem, then why not build big air ducts with pumping stations at appropriate locations? Obviously we can't expect to be able to mix huge weather fronts, but we might be able to "pre-mix" enough of it so that the larger twisters simply don't have a chance to develop.

As it is, if the solution is to build a wall, then surely it's just moving the problem somewhere else? Unless you build it long enough that the warm fronts will have dissipated by the time they get around, I guess...

Also, wasn't there a Russian who thought you could stop hurricanes by flying around them backwards?

Drone-assisted Swiss construct virtual 3D castle

Frumious Bandersnatch

have a look at insight3d

For a free system for stitching the photos together and producing the 3d point cloud. As far as I know it doesn't use telemetry data (such as location and angle of the camera when the shot was taken) to stitch together the various photos. Also doesn't come with drones.

Titan sprouts 'Magic Island', say astroboffins

Frumious Bandersnatch

Islands appearing as we look at the planet*

Isn't that what happened in Solaris?

(*well, ok, moon)

AMD details aggressive power-efficiency goal: 25X boost by 2020

Frumious Bandersnatch

power arbitration

They're free to steal my idea of a "power arbitration bus" that I mentioned in another thread about a year and a half ago.

(also: gating is cool. Just came across this idea when reading the broadcom docs for RPI GPU today)

Frumious Bandersnatch

re: NOT ALL programs use gpu properly

Or all O/S's. My graphics card runs noticeably hotter when I boot to Linux than when I'm in Windows. So much so that I had to install an extra fan to keep the machine from freezing randomly (pretty sure the north bridge was failing because of extra heat rising off the graphics card into that general area). Of course, if AMD wanted to prioritise power savings, they could totally help out the guys making the free drivers by providing a patch (or sufficient documentation) to fix this.

Yes. App that lets you say 'Yo' raises 1 MEEELLION DOLLARS

Frumious Bandersnatch

re: Time to create an app called "Meh"

Complete with a "are you sure you want to send?" dialogue where the only options are "no" and "meh". Think of the bandwidth savings if neither option actually sends anything...

Tor is '90 per cent of the net' claims City of London Police Commish – and he's dead wrong

Frumious Bandersnatch

re: RE: Re: FUD

> >> >> > [...]

Agggh... alt.cascade.overload!

Frumious Bandersnatch

excellent commentary, chaps

For the first time in ages, I've been throwing out upvotes like they're confetti (and just as cheap---make of that what you will).

Frumious Bandersnatch

Re: @ wolfetone

Oh god yes, Jen is gorgeous. We need more of her on TV!

Was that her in half-horse-half-human guise in TV ads not so long ago? I guess some people might be into that, but I don't think it was one of her better roles.

ABANDON CLOUD! Docker Linux containers spring a security leak

Frumious Bandersnatch

chroot as a concept

has an interesting history. There are many web pages describing how, basically, you shouldn't treat it as being a proper security measure, like, ever. I know that things have moved on from naively trusting chroot, and Docker totally isn't just chroot in another guise, but still, I'm not at all surprised that there would be bugs like this in it... (mind you, bugs crop up in vm systems too, from time to time...)

It was probably usability that spurred the development of the first chroot systems, and I'm sure that a similar process took place around the development of containers. Let's hope they can focus on security a bit more to squelch bugs like this so that it doesn't just end up as chroot v2.0.

Intel reveals its FrankenChip ARM killer: one FPGA and one Xeon IN ONE SOCKET

Frumious Bandersnatch

Meanwhile ...

Adapteva is busy fulfilling its Parallella pre-order backlog. Zynq 7010 (for the most part) combining dual ARM A9 and FPGA, also coupled with their 16-core Epiphany chips (reg link here). Looks to be a pretty well-balanced system and consumes minimal amounts of power (relative to XEON, naturally).

I'm not sure what the combination of Xeon + FPGA is supposed to achieve, but that's mainly because I don't understand exactly what Intel intends users to offload to the FPGA when they've already got super-beefy cores in the Xeon part. Maybe they're targeting some sort of FPGA-driven interconnect fabric? Still, wouldn't XEON + ASIC be a much better pairing for that particular niche/application?

Otherwise, I just don't know. Customers might "dig" the reconfigurable bit, but FPGA just strikes me as being more of a stop-gap measure until the "real" peripherals can be built... maybe Intel just wants their users to do some R&D for them on the cheap.

Finding the formula for the travelling salesman problem

Frumious Bandersnatch
Coffee/keyboard

"So, where do the doughnuts come in?"

Damn. I was guessing (and hoping) they'd found some way to break free from the confines of Cartesian geometry for that customer and instead routed over a topology with one hole ...

Now where did I leave my coffee cup ... ?

Internet of Things fridges? Pfft. So how does my milk carton know when it's empty?

Frumious Bandersnatch

Re: what is needed ...

I'm sold! How much do I owe you for mine?

Only your Atman. Mwhuhaha

Frumious Bandersnatch

what is needed ...

is some kind of fridge Shiva (or Ganesh). The key point is lots of arms for holding things. This would know what things are approaching their use-by date and would thrust it out at you as soon as you open the door. If you're really slow about getting to use things, it could start banging on the inside of fridge door to attract your attention. You'd soon get used to this disconcerting noise and any guests you have over who become alarmed can have their fears assuaged with a simple: "ignore it; it's just the fridge Shiva."

You might be tempted to give the fridge Shiva some other tasks, such as scrambling eggs or mixing ingredients for a cake. However, this would clearly be sacrilegious and should not be attempted under any circumstances.

Microsoft C# chief Hejlsberg: Our open-source Apache pick will clear the FUD

Frumious Bandersnatch

Re: It is not a cancer

Windows Phone is [...] still the _fastest growing_ mobile platform year on year

I'll see your WinPho and raise you an xkcd

Microsoft 'Catapults' geriatric Moore's Law from CERTAIN DEATH

Frumious Bandersnatch

Re: A troupe of boffins?

Undignified? But some of the best boffinry comes from monkeying around ...

IoT cup claims 'instant' identification of what's in it

Frumious Bandersnatch

Re: This has GOT to be ...

... the absolutely stupidest concept ElReg has ever reported on.

What, didn't you read this part:

it can tell the difference between [...] water and Budweiser

That's an absolutely amazing feat. The man deserves a Nobel prize for that part alone!

SPIDER-TROOP, Spider-troop, does whatever a spider troop can

Frumious Bandersnatch

But will it get him out of the bath?

Unfortunately, the Internet has only 4 references to this, but with the aid of the appropriate Japanese chindogou (in this case, a ladder specifically designed for a spider to escape a slippery bath), the answer is "yes". (by themselves, the spider gloves, zey do nothing, though).

IPv4 addresses now EXHAUSTED in Latin America and the Caribbean

Frumious Bandersnatch

I'm curious

Let's say I have a dedicated server (or VPS?) somewhere that has IPv6:

* is it possible to set up a vpn (Linux-based) so that my local IPv6 traffic goes out over that link with a specific IPv6 address?

* would I be able to use the same tunnel and some config on the remote server to assign specific IPv6 addresses to, eg, my local toaster, fridge, etc.?

My local ISP doesn't support IPv6, so I'm trying to figure out how to dip my toe into IPv6 waters, so to speak...

Frumious Bandersnatch

Re: Easy solution

Just allow it to go higher than 255 in any Octet.

That's actually better than my idea, which was to add an extra 16 bits on the end, kind of like the new emergency phone number 0118 999 881 999 119 725 ... 3

The Force of tax breaks brings Star Wars filming to Blighty

Frumious Bandersnatch

The force of tax compels you

The force of tax compels you. The force of tax compels you. THE FORCE OF TAX COMPELS YOU!

(ok, wrong trope; never was a star trek fan)

Everyone can and should learn to code? RUBBISH, says Torvalds

Frumious Bandersnatch

Re: Depends what you mean by 'code'

Indeed. My point was, those were two examples where, for me, the money spent in trying to educate me on those topics was largely wasted.

I think I slightly misunderstood you, then. In the end, I think we both agree that not everyone will find formal teaching useful.

While not everyone will benefit from studying a particular subject, I think we should definitely looking to make sure that everyone at least has the option of studying these things (whether it be music, coding, woodwork, art, languages or whatever). In an ideal world, eh?

Frumious Bandersnatch

Re: @Frumious

Many of my difficulties learning music have been due to it's totally moronic way of describing things: From notation, to note names, to scales, to time signatures there is not a single part which does not make a logical person tear there hair out with the fuckwittedness of it all.

I'm not totally sure about that. I didn't actually learn music in school (all I can remember is that we did singing and I vaguely remember some messing around with a recorder or tin whistle), so I taught myself about it later. Actually, pretty much my first intro to musical "theory" was from appendix E in the Commodore 64 Programmer's Reference Guide. I must have had some other reference, too, as I discovered that each octave is double the frequency of the last one, and that each semitone is a fixed multiple of the last one too (the 12th root of 2, in fact).

Starting from that point, I found the whole topic much more accessible.

I do agree that notation is a problem, and no, I can't even sight-read very well or (quickly) figure out the scale from the key signature, or understand all time signatures, or even get my head around why A# isn't the same as B flat (the other commenter's explanation notwithstanding), or ...

I don't think that the notation for note lengths is too bad, though, since more "decoration" just means shorter notes. At least that's quite simple ...

Frumious Bandersnatch

Re: Depends what you mean by 'code'

Studying aspects of the culture was worthwhile, but not learning the language.

Ah, yes... I found the quote (and person who said it) that I was trying to remember to respond to your sentiment:

"To know another language is to live another life." -- T. G. Masaryk, President of the First Czechoslovak Republic

Who wouldn't want to live another life?

Frumious Bandersnatch

"some people don't have the sort of calm, collected, unflappable personality that it takes"

Mmmm. That's good sarcasm. I like what you did there.

Frumious Bandersnatch

Re: Depends what you mean by 'code'

I'm sorry to say, but sheet music is really easy to figure (well, apart from key signatures, which require a knowledge of scales). The main problem lies in sight-reading, I think. Anyone can probably learn the notation in an afternoon, but it takes practice to be able to look at the pattern on the page and distinguish an E from an F, say, without resorting to reciting a mnemonic (like "every good boy ...") or having to mentally count from your "baseline".

Sheet music is also completely distinct and separate from actual music. Even if you don't know how to sight-read (or even decipher it in the slightest), you can still be good at music. Scott Joplin, for one, couldn't read sheet music ...

As for the utility of languages, I guess it depends on how far into it you get in the first place. If you don't apply yourself enough to get beyond a few tourist phrases, then sure, it's useless and you'd be better off waiting until you travel (or will travel) to a place before diving in (so you'll have some practical application of it). I think that any serious study does tend to pay you back for the effort, regardless of how practical it might be in general. I rarely use my Japanese, but I'm still very glad that I did study it, even if it's only to get a bit more enjoyment out of Japanese films or chatting to the occasional Japanese person I meet.

Music and Japanese might seem useless to you, but it's hardly a blanket statement you can apply to everyone. Coding is no doubt the same ...

Flying cars, submarine cars – Elon Musk says NOTHING is beyond him

Frumious Bandersnatch

flying car, yay!

He should call it Hubris. What could possibly go wrong?

Google to let Chromebookers take video content OFFLINE

Frumious Bandersnatch

must be for a reason

My bet is that they've thrown in the towel with their "patent-free" vp6 (or whatever it's called) and decided that if they can't control the patents behind the codecs, they'll damned well be sure they make a play for being the #1 conduit to rival iTunes, Netflix, Spotify, Amazon and all the other delivery guys. They don't have a media store for nothing...

Euro judges: Copyright has NOT changed, you WON'T get sued for browsing the web

Frumious Bandersnatch

Re: OMG Mirrors!

all that type you've set up there is a mirror image of my book, pay me!

Fine, have this anti-money, freshly spun from my supercollider. Just don't mix it up with your regular money.

Frumious Bandersnatch

I wonder if it's legal to write "Hello, McFly!" or if it's a breach of copyright of the Back to the Future script.

Only one way to know: go back to 1985 and find out. (or get there beforehand and sue the erstwhile writers for stealing your script)

Patch NOW: Six new bugs found in OpenSSL – including spying hole

Frumious Bandersnatch

Re: Quick to fix in Open Source, but it leaves questions.

putting the many eyeballs idea finally to rest

Does it? Bit of a tree falling in the forest scenario. Just because people could have been looking, doesn't mean they were. Still doesn't change the fundamental idea of "with enough eyes, all bugs are shallow" (though you may argue about the smarts behind the eyes, if you wish).

Boffins publish SciFi story to announce exoplanet find

Frumious Bandersnatch

Re: Clever

Reynolds is a boffin himself or ex-boffin

Indeed he is, and I've read some of his books.

I don't care much for the quality of proof-reading, though. For example:

* unmeasurably old -> immeasurably old

* eeking out its nuclear lifetime -> eking out ...

* Cities as mute as sphinxes -> sphinges (ok, I'm being picky)

Man, the quality of AIs they send into space these days ...

How I poured a client's emails straight into the spam bin – with one Friday evening change

Frumious Bandersnatch

Re: Every sysadmin must make one really big screw-up in their career

And if executed as root, "rm" is usually aliased to "/bin/rm -i", so there is a prompt for everything

Huh? What kind of namby-pamby, hand-holding, distro are you running?

Hint: always assume the safety's /off/ and think before you sudo, rm, dd or whatever. An alias for rm is suitable only for true nincompoops.

How Bitcoin could become a super-sized Wayback Machine

Frumious Bandersnatch

So much potential

But also so many questions left hanging. Don't ... leave ... me ... this ... way ...

(edit: damn it! that was a Communards hit... nothing to do with Erasure :(. Never mind.. carry on)

Broadcom: If no one buys our modem biz, we'll DITCH IT

Frumious Bandersnatch

Re: No Point

There's no point in buying it now

Well I'd make an offer if they'd accept it. True, I've got no money and no experience (apart from having a half dozen Raspberry Pis around the place and having experience with using mobile phones), but I'm sure that the team is well on top of things and if they'll have me, I'd gladly be their leader.

Supreme Court nixes idea of 'indirect' patent infringement

Frumious Bandersnatch

interesting, but quite specific

I doubt that this will happen, but it could weaken the power of big copyright lobby interests in pursuing sites that are merely indexing (or even just linking to) "infringing" content. In such cases, it's the user who's downloading the content, with the indexer just telling them how to access it. In both the arenas of patent and copyright law, we know who the real infringers are---the people who hold the copies and distribute them---so they should be the real target of litigation, and not the "finger pointers" (who tell you how the things work or how to find them) or the people who follow that direction.

Yeah, I know that patents and copyrights are completely different things, but I do think that the parallels are worth thinking about here. It could herald a radical shift towards sensible interpretation of "IP" ownership---if the judgement is allowed to stand, that is... Unfortunately, these things rarely follow "sensible" rules...

Still watching DVDs? You're a planet-killing carbon hog!

Frumious Bandersnatch

Re: What a load of left wing crap

But it took a whole lot of energy and hydrocarbons to make and transport....

Well, if it's sitting(*) on a shelf, it still has some potential energy due to its elevation. If you were to drop it on your foot, say, you could convert that potential energy into kinetic energy.

The internet, on the other hand, where streaming videos reside, has no such store of potential energy because, as we all know, the Internet weighs nothing.

(* as an aside, why the hell do Brits say "is sat" on a shelf? what the hell kind of tense/conjugation is that?)

What can The Simpsons teach us about stats algorithms? Glad you asked...

Frumious Bandersnatch

Re: The moral or the story …

Never use averages as the source of your data. Anything which combines data has already lost important detail.

Oh, I don't know about that. While reading the first article in the series (and again, with the German tank problem) I was slightly disappointed not to see Little's Law listed. Now there's an interesting (and valid) application of averages...

Frumious Bandersnatch

Doh

The author mustn't have got the memo at Vulture Towers. I thought the current rule was "no Simpsons jokes, please – we're adults here..." [paragraph 3],

Are you senior enough to sit around a table with The Register?

Frumious Bandersnatch

Headline: Are you senior enough to sit around a table with The Register?

Answer: No.

Senate decides patent reform is just too much work, waves white flag

Frumious Bandersnatch

"tabling" proposed legislation? (ORLY?)

A case of two nations "divided by a common language?"

"The enjoyment of a common language was of course a supreme advantage in all British and American discussions," Churchill wrote in The Second World War. No interpreters were needed, for one thing, but there were "differences of expression, which in the early days led to an amusing incident." The British wanted to raise an urgent matter, he said, and told the Americans they wished to "table it" (that is, bring it to the table). But to the Americans, tabling something meant putting it aside. "A long and even acrimonious argument ensued," Churchill wrote, "before both parties realised that they were agreed on the merits and wanted the same thing."

(NY Times, 'Origins of the Specious')