* Posts by Mark 85

12880 publicly visible posts • joined 22 Nov 2012

O Christmas wreath, O Christmas wreath, thy potent skunk's in bunches

Mark 85

Re: Aaaaaaand...

Maybe it's me.. but hang that overpriced decoration on the front door? No way. I'll just go buy the weed and keep it secure until it's all been turned into glorious smoke. The neighbors can go get their own instead of stealing off my front door. Yeah... I'm a bit a Grinch when it comes to the really good stuff and only share with really good friends.

Mozilla and Yahoo! trade sueballs over Firefox-Google search deal

Mark 85

Re: RE: Adam

Interesting concept based on the current status of both. Google wouldn't be what it is and Yahoo would still be a sinking ship.

La La La, I can't hear you: FCC responds to net neut concerns

Mark 85

Re: I Curse You, Ajit Pai

I'm just wishing someone would take him out behind the woodshed and give him an old-fashioned farmer's ass whooping. I know you can't beat sense into someone, but it's worth a try.

Mark 85

Re: US Consumer Protection

Has there ever been a President who was not a millionaire in 2017 dollars?

How far back do you want to go? Grant wasn't a millionaire by any stretch no matter how you measure wealth. In recent times, Truman comes to mind as being one of the poorer presidents. Lincoln, I'm not sure about but he was close also. But those would be exceptions to the norm.

Tech giants at war: Google pulls plug on YouTube in Amazon kit

Mark 85
Pint

Re: Love the Hendrix reference

Thanks for the ear bug... Just what I needed today.

Data-slurping keyboard app makes Mongo mistake with user data

Mark 85

Re: Why do people find the need to use a keyboard with Internet access?

Good question, here's my take:

They're idiots who don't care about personal data security when presented with the the latest "shiny" or the next neat thing and they have more money than brains.

Investigatory Powers Act: You're not being paranoid. UK.gov really is watching you

Mark 85

Re: If they are going to make it easier for them

There's a problem with your argument... if the comm line is tapped before the VPN, you're up the creek. So chances are, you've been slurped already.

Mark 85

My fingers are crossed those of you on the east side of the pond.

Over here, it looks like the head cheese wants another spy network set up. <sigh> Someone has taken the race to the bottom seriously.

Quentin Tarantino in talks to make Star Trek movie

Mark 85

Re: Well Discovery has the occasional swearing

And if Tarantino gets to make a ST film then we might as well stick a fork in Star Trek because it's done.

Since Roddenberry died, the creativity and standards are gone. Corporate execs now run things and that just means one thing... they want profit no matter what. So they'll grab anything they can that has "Star Trek" in the title. So yes, ST was done some time ago but didn't know it.

No 2017 bonus for you, HPE tells employees

Mark 85

Re: Shitty treatment of the peasants

That's normal for many companies. The sales droids makes delivery promises that manufacturing can't meet. Maybe the date could be met with some overtime for the shop floor but overtime has already probably been cut for manglement bonuses on cost reduction and increasing shareholder value.

Good news: Unsecured Amazon Web Services S3 bucket discovery just got easier

Mark 85

Re: Oh, that's not good news is it?

Nah... the company fires the IT guy or whoever set them up, does a quick PR campaign, and bonuses all around for the C-Suite. But when the word gets out about a company's bucket(s) getting hacked, they might lose some customers and that will hurt the bottom line.

Did you unwittingly support the destruction of net neutrality rules?

Mark 85

Re: queue remoaners wanting a similar tool in the UK to validate brexit votes (:

That's not the issue. Follow the money.

^^^^ Would love to give more than one upvote. It's a cardinal rule...always and without fail.

Prison hacker who tried to free friend now likely to join him inside

Mark 85

That must have been a really, really good friend to do what he did. I would hope the friend is worth the hard time.

SEC's cyber-cops cyber-file cyber-first cyber-fraud cyber-charges

Mark 85

Maybe I missed something here... the US is doing this so what's Canada doing? I would think being Canadian based, that Canada should be doing something also.

Drone collisions with airliners may not be fatal, US study suggests

Mark 85

Re: How is this different than birdstrike?

Bird are a different problem than drones from what's been published. While a dead chicken may or may not destroy an engine, a frozen bird will. As I recall there was a major cockup at one test where the birds were still frozen. Given such goodies in drones a batteries, this might be something for the testers to think about. Or maybe actually test on an old engine....

Google to crack down on apps that snoop

Mark 85

Re: Stop Snooping - That's our job - [Google]

But hey Google run the zoo and take a cut, so that ain't happening

Either Google doesn't get a cut from ads, etc.. or they're pissed that the apps won't share the data with them. Probably both. A pox on both their houses.

Voyager 1 fires thrusters last used in 1980 – and they worked!

Mark 85

Re: It's good to see your tax money being spent

Too bad it's not being spent on any problems of real relevance.

It should be spent on pointless wars, Congressional pork projects, or.....???? What's being spent here is pocket change in the overall scope of government spending.

UK government bans all Russian anti-virus software from Secret-rated systems

Mark 85

I guess NOFORN doesn't apply anymore?

Once upon a time here in the US (and I thought the UK had a similar notice) there was a document security level of NOFORN for "Not Releasable to Foreign Nationals/Governments/Non-US Citizens". I guess no one thought about AV companies, etc.

Guilty: NSA bloke who took home exploits at the heart of Kaspersky antivirus slurp row

Mark 85

I wouldn't say he's being punished for be unlucky... more like stupid. Stupid to take work home and run it on an insecure personal computer. The guy was moron to do that.

Expert gives Congress solution to vote machine cyber-security fears: Keep a paper backup

Mark 85

@Keith Smith 1 -- Re: Need to seperate casting and counting of ballots

Here in Oregon is actually simpler. They mail you a ballot. You fill it out and return it via mail. A double envelope is used, the outside for mailing and verifies via your signature that it was a "legal" vote. The inside envelope keeps your vote hidden until it's opened and run through the counting machine (or at least that's the way it's supposed to work). I'm sure it's not fool proof but the paper ballots are scanned and then stored, things can be verified.

User dialled his PC into a permanent state of 'Brown Alert'

Mark 85

@PNGuinn -- Re: It's all black

That (Leaking Roof) and the one (I forget the name) that dropped all the letters randomly to the bottom of the screen.

Badass alert: 1 in 5 Brits don't give a damn about webpage crypto-miners

Mark 85

Re: An ounce of prevention.

If you're running Winders... put this in your Hosts file:

127.0.0.1 api.taboola.com

127.0.0.1 taboola.com

127.0.0.1 coinhive.com/lib*

127.0.0.1 coin-hive.com/lib*

127.0.0.1 coin-hive.com/captcha*

127.0.0.1 *.coinhive.com/proxy*

127.0.0.1 *.coin-hive.com/proxy*

127.0.0.1 jsecoin.com/server*

127.0.0.1 *.jsecoin.com/server*

127.0.0.1 server.jsecoin.com/*

127.0.0.1 *.server.jsecoin.com/*

127.0.0.1 load.jsecoin.com/*

127.0.0.1 *.load.jsecoin.com/*

127.0.0.1 static.reasedoper.pw/*

127.0.0.1 mataharirama.xyz/*

127.0.0.1 listat.biz/*

127.0.0.1 lmodr.biz/*

127.0.0.1 minecrunch.co/web/*

127.0.0.1 minemytraffic.com/*

127.0.0.1 crypto-loot.com/lib*

127.0.0.1 *.crypto-loot.com/proxy*

127.0.0.1 *.2giga.link/wproxy*

127.0.0.1 *.2giga.link/hive/lib/*

127.0.0.1 ppoi.org/lib/*

127.0.0.1 *.ppoi.org/lib/*

127.0.0.1 *.ppoi.org/token/*

127.0.0.1 coinerra.com/lib/*

127.0.0.1 kisshentai.net/Content/js/c-hive.js*

127.0.0.1 miner.pr0gramm.com/xmr.min.js*

127.0.0.1 kiwifarms.net/js/Jawsh/xmr/xmr.min.js*

127.0.0.1 anime.reactor.cc/js/ch/cryptonight.wasm

127.0.0.1 joyreactor.cc/ws/ch/*

127.0.0.1 kissdoujin.com/Content/js/c-hive.js*

127.0.0.1 ppoi.org/lib/*

127.0.0.1 minero.pw/miner.min.js*

Or goto: http://someonewhocares.org/hosts/ and use that in your Hosts file (which stops a lot more than miners, BTW.

Stop us if you've heard this one: Russian hacker thrown in US slammer for $59m bank fraud

Mark 85

Re: Should have spent more on a good lawyer.

And since when does the "CEO" of anything ever go to jail in America?

When they're foreign and a member of a country who's the enemy of the month?

Disclaimer: The way things are going though, we may need to change it to the "friendly country of the month" as we're pissing off just about everyone.

Crown Prosecution Service is coming for crooks' cryptocurrency

Mark 85

:If that is the case we are all in danger of having any cash we have being taken from us at any time.

In certain states here in the US... yes, be afraid, be very afraid. The local cops are taking cash from people they pull over on a regular basis using the "unknown origin" claim or "possible illegal activity". And it's damn hard to get the money back. A quick Google or two on "cops seizing money", "police seizing money" and the like should keep you busy for several hours.

Google Chrome vows to carpet bomb meddling Windows antivirus tools

Mark 85
Black Helicopters

So we have to trust Google? I'm guessing that they will, at some point, also shut down various ad blockers also since they "know what's best for us".

Crypto-cash souk Coinbase forced to rat out its high rollers to probing US taxmen

Mark 85

Re: Bitquestions

I asked this of my tax guy a year ago.... the answer is "it depends" but most likely falls under capital gain or loss rules as there's some gray area according to him. I'll have to check again with him when I do my taxes for this year. But a gain is "income" and will be taxed.

Want a new HDMI cable? No? Bad luck. You'll need one for HDMI 2.1

Mark 85

Here's a crazy idea that would solve that problem, but which will never catch on: A piece of equipment designed to connect to a TV using a HDMI cable could come with a HDMI cable included in the box.

Err... maybe. But to cut costs, the box will have a 3 foot (1M approx.) cable. When you get it home, you'll find you need one that's longer. Back to the store....

Microsoft to rebuild Redmond campus, including cricket pitch

Mark 85

Well, all of them obviously, but it does raise a good question, how many copies of Windows has Microsoft sold?

Probably, officially "none" since you pay for the license and not the software. Which may explain why we're "users" and not "customers".

Scotland, now is your time… to launch Brexit Britain into SPAAAACE!

Mark 85

Re: What madness is this: The Spaceport Glut!!

Why does everyone want to have a "spaceport" nearby? Does any of the retards seriously believe there will be tons of taxes (KER-CHING!!!) and mega-jobs (DOLE QUEUE REDUCTION) from rare launches of supercomplex fragile gear?

Maybe some lobbyist is crossing a few palms with silvers which actually likely. Think about the two Disney parks... nothing around for miles before he built them. Or Cape Canaveral and the other sites. Nothing there, no value to the land around it. Put in a space launch site and PROFIT.

We go live to the Uber-Waymo court battle... You are not going to believe this. The judge certainly doesn't

Mark 85

Re: Uber...

Forget the shopping list... order it online and by the case. This will take awhile, I'm sure and should make for some entertaining reading.

Hacked Brit shipping giant Clarksons: A person may release some of our data today

Mark 85

Re: Translation

Thank <$deity> that they the lawyers on standby. I think everyone will rest easier now. Only one question: Will the lawyers fix the breach:? Which presumes lawyers are more important than IT types?

Jingle bells, IBM tells more staff it is D-day ♫

Mark 85

Re: why stay?

Some people fear leaving a place they've known for years and being the new person all over again.

I would also think that there's a large group hanging on just because they're close to retirement age. Hopefully they get to see retirement and not have heart attacks from the stress.

No 'Pai-day' for India: nation to adopt strict network neutrality

Mark 85

Re: Role reversal

Well, some do say the dark times are upon us. The way things are going, they may just be right.

Elon Musk says he's not Satoshi Nakamoto and is pretty rubbish at Bitcoin

Mark 85
Pint

So as we deny being Satoshi Nakamoto, then anyone doesn't deny is him by default. It wasn't me unless it's pub o'clock and I need to generate some cash for the pub bill.

Twitter's fight to kill Uncle Sam's censorship of spying numbers edges closer to victory

Mark 85

We've had spying on citizens here in the US for a long time.... Hoover ring a bell? But the rise of tech and the ability to grab conversations, emails, etc. has exploded so the gathering has followed suit. I do think it's time to put restraints on the agencies in the form of accountability and possibly fines or budget reductions. The problem is, it's way out of control and beyond what any rational person would expect.

Russian rocket snafu may have just violently dismantled 19 satellites

Mark 85

Re: Oversimplifying the simple.

Maybe this might be better (for some value of better): "What goes up has to come down. In this case, it just came down way too soon."?

Rolls-Royce, Airbus, Siemens tease electric flight engine project

Mark 85

Re: Advantages

The other option is to have enough battery capacity to allow flight to an emergency landing site (you don't need anything like full power for that).

Unless of course, the plane misses the threshold and needs a go around.

SpaceX 'raises' an extra 100 million bucks to get His Muskiness to Mars

Mark 85

As Musk would likely say, reaching Mars is way harder.

It is downhill

True but you have to get uphill first.

Edit: Rats... John Brown beat me to it by a few minutes.

You live in the right galaxy: Milky Way to eat Small Magellanic Cloud even sooner

Mark 85

Re: We're in for a bit of a shake up anyway

Flat Earthers.... meh... My dad always said it takes a lot of fruits and nuts to make a fruitcake and there's lots of those "ingredients" running about the earth.

Surprise: Android apps are riddled with trackers

Mark 85

Re: 'Spy on yourself Culture'

You do all the hard work, we keep all the juicy data and make a great amount of profit.... Well done plebs!

FTFY

Surveillance Capitalism thinks it won, but there's still time to unplug it

Mark 85

It's all about choices...

That, dear Reg readers, starts with us. We’re the folks who made this world. We’re the folks who keep it ticking over. Surveillance capitalism, that’s on us. It’s our legacy.

Is that really what we want to leave behind? Or can we make an effort to do better in 2018? ®

So what do you suggest?

As techies.. one of our choices (if we think we have one) is our employer. But the real power is being a consumer and having friends that are like minded. No FB, no Amazon (if we can help it), no Google for starters. Yeah.. some of us already feel it's a lost battle and that they're ok with the way things are.

But what about those not inside tech? The average consumer... most don't seem to care. I'm not sure if they don't understand what's being sucked up from them and then spoon fed back or if they feel that they, as consumers, have the better end of the deal.

We, for the most part, work in tech. We're not the followers, or the ones who set corporate policy. We might, depending on the company we work for, be the tools used for this much like soldiers in a war. So is it our legacy? Or is it the masters of finance?

Thou shalt use our drone app, UK.gov to tell quadcopter pilots

Mark 85

So, in Blighty, what's the difference between an "RC model aircraft" and a "drone" as far as this goes? Is there a legal definition? I could build a model of a Fokker and add cameras, etc. and have basically the same capability as a drone. So one (the drone) gets regulated with assorted licenses and restrictions. Are there the same licenses required for model aircraft over there in Blighty?

Sidenote: Quarter Scale is a huge model. I wouldn't want one buzzing my house but they are incredible to see fly.

AT&T, Comcast trash, kill Nashville's Googley broadband cable rules

Mark 85

Confused here....

So the pole owner (Nashville Electric Service) didn't object but the users (AT&T and Comcast) did? I wonder how Nashville Electric Service feels about this since I'm sure there's a "rent" charge for the cabling on their poles. Something's missing from the article methinks.

Death, taxes, DXC job cuts: Three of life's sure bets

Mark 85

Newspeak....

Growing the business = cutting costs and increasing profits for the board.

China plots new Great Leap Forward: to IPv6

Mark 85

Re: There is 'Truth', 'Lies', and ROFL

No Russian outside other than the members of the Communist Party believed a word that was printed in it.

I do believe from what I've read and heard that most of those "members" didn't believe a word either, they just never admitted it to anyone.

Boffins pack more info onto photon for faster quantum key distro

Mark 85

Interesting that DARPA is looking into and funding research into better encryption and certain agencies are trying to ban it or make it breakable. At what point do the agencies start a pissing contest against DARPA in Congress?

.GIF garage Imgur plugs 1.7 million-subscriber creds breach

Mark 85

Three years and no one noticed they had been breached? Is this bad management, off-shored IT Security, or just plain incompetence?

The mind boggles.... oh wait... only emails and passwords... I guess there's no way to this info will be misused and Imgur says they take security very seriously, of course.

Tesla reveals a less-long-legged truck, but a bigger reservation price

Mark 85

Re: Electricity vs Petrol/Diesel prices

You raise some interesting points. I would assume (and probably wrongly) that Tesla is using "average costs" of electric and diesel. Prices for fuel vary wildly from one part of the country to another and sometimes even in the same region. Same for electric prices as the price depends on the region and the supplier. Most electrical suppliers use a scaled pricing based on the kW's consumed.

Forget Sesame Street, scientists pretty much watched Big Bird evolve on Galápagos island

Mark 85

Ah.. the men are from Mars and women are from Venus theory...

Digital Entrepreneur Awards help UK tech cop an eyeful of... WTF?

Mark 85

I'd go a step further... what do the dancers bring to an awards ceremony? Seriously. All awards ceremonies are about self-congratulation be it movie stars or computer hackers. Maybe I miss the point....