Posts by Reginald O.

Allstate Insurance quits Broadcom, alleges vengeful license audit on the way out

Blood in the corporate hallways

I love it when the greedy, souless, predatory corporations fight among themselves like this. I hope they both lose bigly.

Microsoft boss tells investors the company is working to 'win back fans'

MS doesn't need personal comptuer users anymore...

MS has billions of dollars worth of contracts with corporations and governments. They don’t need personal computer users anymore. And it shows.

The company cannot be trusted to do the right thing, and the software is unreliable. Their commitment to mass tracking of users is ghastly to say the least.

So, a promise to win fans sounds like standard corporate double-speak, to me.

Microsoft's GitHub shifts to metered AI billing amid cost crisis

It's not me, it's you!

We all knew the marriage of MS to Github wouldn't work out. Another sign.

Microsoft tackles quality control issues. Just kidding, it's encouraging experienced workers to leave

Easy Peasy

Over invested in non-productive AI gizmology?

Easy Peasy.

Fire thousands of experienced employees (read: high-paid) to fatten CEO & friends bonuses. This is not rocket science.

But, as the article notes, although sometimes it seems really smart to "allow" your best and brightest war veterans slip out the door, it's not.

Then surviving rookies find out no one knows how to replace a light bulb, order a stapler, write a schedule, plug in the coffee machine: institutional knowledge has disappeared.

And, forget about doing any actual real work.

The CEO collects his gazillion dollar bonus, retires to one of his expensive bullet proof islands. End of story. And, company.

IPv6 carried half of internet traffic – for one day, according to Google

Slow and Glitchy Gloomy IPV6

Whenever I try to change over to IPV6 on my home router everything goes slow and glitchy immediately. Apparently, dual stack DNS has something to do with it. Besides, a lot of firewalls and other security apps seem to have problems with it. Pass.

Euro firms must ditch Uncle Sam's clouds and go EU-native

USA has some ugly warts at the moment, but the biggest one will be gone in a few years.

Meanwhile, China is melting like an ice cube on the fourth of July, as we speak.

The question is shaping to, who will be gone first, Trump or China?

Trust? Who's got the key?

Before Trump, was there any reason to trust Google Drive, iCloud, One Drive, Dropbox, Azure, AWS?

Has Snowden really been forgotten?

Before you put anything remotely sensitive into the cloud you got to ask yourself, ...who's got the key?

If it isn't you, then you got troubles.

I don't know how EU cloud services work, but the question remains the same, ...who's got the key?

And, shouldn't admins actually read the TOS and Privacy Polices once in awhile to understand what they really say,...and don't say?

Frankly, companies that really want private, secure data should home brew their own cloud and pay someone who knows how to do it right, to do it right,

Claude Code's prying AIs read off-limits secret files

Vee' haf' v'ways to make you talk!

Seems clear to me corporate masters are moving AI towards becoming yet another intimate mass surveillance and personal data extractor to feed governments, corporations and criminals the data they crave, for a price.

ChatGPT Health wants your sensitive medical records so it can play doctor

Tell me everything. I am your friend.

ChatGPT is way too nosy about personal data to be up to any good. Seems like it's already becoming just another ordinary mass surveillance and exploitation tool for the master class.

And, a pretty dishonest, biased and mentallly unstable one at that. Like having a crazy girlfriend that's just a little too cozy.

What does she really want?

Meta's SAM bot keeps 'em separated as it isolates voices and instruments from audio clips

Tune in or tune out, that is the question?

So a hearing aid could be tuned to generally isolating the voice frequency range.

And I suppose further tune it to emphasize, (or tune out) one particular voice such as your wife.

This is Nobel Prize technology.

Tech leaders fill $1T AI bubble, insist it doesn't exist

AI is here to stay...

We know that.

We we don't know is how it will be made productive, what it can do very well, what it can't do at all. No one knows for sure.

That's somewhat different than the PC boom since the experts knew pretty clearly what personal computing might do, how well, and what would be productive (such as as spread sheet).

Personally, I have been underwhelmed by AI for practical reality based uses. It seems to take you so far, then hit a wall, start hallucinating, or bog down, making it an unreliable friend.

Lastly, and most important, I haven't found a model yet that does not show ethical and political bias, puritanical censorship leanings or mass surveillance and profiling baked in to the core.

Indeed, the essential purpose of some models seems to suggest: Just another mass surveillance tool to the feed data brokers.

That's may be a deal breaker for some folks right there.

India demands smartphone makers install a government app on every handset

Do you trust ME or your LYIN' eyes?

I suppose it comes down to is: do most people in India trust their government to do the right thing?

Also, to what extent can the law be enforced?

From where I sit, it seems like the law may be a requirement for the usual government back door and key logger for mass surveillance, but what do I know?

Researchers claim 'largest leak ever' after uncovering WhatsApp enumeration flaw

You knew this was coming, didn't you?

When Facebook took over, we knew whatever data WhatsApp has, ever had, or ever will have was at risk of loss, diversion, subversion or exploitation.

This looks like the Austrians stumbled on an intelligence agency backdoor, to me, likely one of many.

There are no significant consequences for FB over this loss. Or any of the other big tech players.

Why is that?

Australia sues Microsoft for misleading M365 users about Copilot subscription options

Pay for mass surveillance spyware...?

Bold for sure.

Don't allow opt-out? Daring!

Will the Big Lie work, eventually?

Pretty sure it will.

Windows is positioning itself

to be the best Big Bro App ever.

Microsoft puts Office Online Server on the chopping block

Re: It's gonna crash sometime

Once "they" get a certain percentage of users into the cloud, the price will really start to climb. If nothing else people and businesses ought to run their own parallel internal "cloud". I think they would find, if done right, it would be safe, reliable and at much less cost.

Re: I had not heard of it

Libre is really a good product for most routine personal and business needs. Not sure why it's not dominating the office app industry.

Carmakers fear chip crunch as Dutch sanctions hit Nexperia

Build your Own: BYO

These trade war tiffs are just the beginning.

The Chinese manufacturing machine is on the edge of disaster. Producers and manufacturers of every stripe need to find alternative sources for parts, manufactured goods, even raw materials.

It doesn’t necessarily need to "come home," but alternate sources need to be developed everywhere because China is becoming an unreliable source of just about...everything.

Let capitalism work it's miracle.

Blood-red bot stalks the burbs armed with . . . groceries

Cute, but...

Probably not going to work. AI driverless tech simply isn't smart enough to handle real-world transport conditions yet. Might work inside a big office to deliver office supplies, mail, even your lunch from the cafeteria.

Microsoft moves to the uncanny valley with creepy Copilot avatars that stare at you and say your name

Re: Gonna make for a noisy office...

...actually I think that IS the plan. Several states are already passing laws that you cannot marry your AI lover and best firend. Wait until she looks like the hottest movie star you could imagine.

Is there anything you would not tell her?

Tell me everything, I am your friend...

I see the day coming when we won't be able to disable our would be AI avatar best friend.

I suppose for many people, the avatar WILL become their best friend.

Help!

It's time mobile devs started to think seriously about foldable smartphones

I still miss my Nokia flip phone

It's time for Apple to re-invent the flip phone. With big letters, numbers and icons. Old days ringer sound. Tap pay.

Internet mapping and research outfit Censys reveals state-based abuse, harassment

Build that Wall!

The solution seems easy enough: Deny all requests from places like CHINA that abuse data privileges.

I would use the one strike and your out rule.

In other words, if we catch you doing something shady, one time, you are OUT!

Ditto for slop requests: Do it right, or don't do it at all!

Do I have to think of everything for you guys?

Your CV is not fit for the 21st century – time to get it up to scratch

Un-Employable

I guess I too old to work anymore. I didn't understand about half of this article. What the hell is a CV?

UK VPN demand soars after debut of Online Safety Act

Re: Is Big Brother that dumb?

First, in a free and democratic society, the peasantry is supposed to have the right to ask pointed questions and get full and honest answers. Regardless, "things at risk“ is vague, and it seems their appetite to know everything means "we" are all risky things. Last, since they insist on forcing Swiss Cheese security measures on the WWW internet, it means all the crooks and risk entities in the entire world have the same access as they do, which puts all of us at risk of harm. Do you know anyone at all who has NOT been victimized by internet criminals?

Is Big Brother that dumb?

I would think Five Eyes and virtually all the other spy shops in the world have a direct 24/7 feed of almost every VPN in the world.

Why would they work so hard to pass oppressive, intrusive laws, then let the masses circumvent the all-seeing eye by paying a few dollars/pounds/euros?

I wouldn't be surprised if even some of the best known VPNs are gov-ops.

You got to ask yourself, ...who has the key?

Think man, think!

Microsoft Windows Firewall complains about Microsoft code

Nobody Say Anything

When things like this happen I figure it's NSA tinkering with the code again and only they have any idea what it's about.

AI-driven 20-ft robots coming for construction workers' jobs

What does it do, exactly?

It looks like one of those lifts for lifting bales of shingles on the roof. That's about it. Do you need AI for that?

23andMe's genes not strong enough to avoid Chapter 11

Just don't!

Don't give up your DNA to anyone without a fight.

It will never, ever be private and will be used against you and your family sooner than later for certain. The corporations and governments are fully aware there's a lot of money to be made and power to be gained by having a large DNA data base on the server. Despite what they might say, they are not going to keep your data safe, secure and private whatsoever.

Might as well print it on a highway billboard.

The governments want the data as much or more than the corporations.Tthey aren't going to protect us, no matter what holy flim flam Swiss cheese law they might pass.

Chinese spies suspected of 'moonlighting' as tawdry ransomware crooks

Th light grows dim...

If you can't trust CPC hackers anymore, who CAN you trust?

App stores unconvinced by Trump's TikTok ban pause, which may itself be on shaky legal ground

Worst reality sit com ever

Every day, a new episode of cray-cray improbabilities that turn out to be real. People in high places say, “He can't do that", but he does.

Trump is running the country like he's the leading man and star player in his personal fantasy-reality sitcom. He hires the cast for their ability to create controversy and attract clicks, ratings, a buzz, or something. The suspense is terrific. Will the country survive this?

I am not really sure it will actually. I used to think we could do better. I don't think that anymore.

The bell tolls for TikTok as lifelines to avoid January 19 US ban vanish

My way or the Highway. Seriously.

The free speech argument is a distraction and diversion. The Chinese government and it's citizens do not have U.S. Constitutional rights.

The problem is, by Chinese law, all companies must make all data collected and transversing their internet apps available to the Chinese Communist Party to further espionage, PI abuse, data theft, and all manner of activities which would be considered against the national interests and national security of the USA.

So it's entirely reasonable to enact a law preventing data on the TikTok app from being available to adversarial political parties as well as Chinese government sanctioned criminals.

Google thinks the grid can't support AI, so it's spending on solar for future datacenters

Not juicy!

There's not enough juice to run EV's either. We do have enough natural gas to run electric generators, however. So, let's get busy.

Now’s your chance to try Microsoft’s controversial Windows Recall ... maybe

I don't recall...

I need this, why?

If every PC is going to be an AI PC, they better be as good at all the things trad PCs can do

Another app without purpose.

Great article.

The writer hit the nail on the head.

Another (extremely expensive) app looking for a reason to exist.

Windows 11 continues slog up the Windows 10 mountain

Et tu Notepad?

The last Windows update 11 borked Notepad so that now it gives a "Bad image" error. There is no fix from MS for it, but there is a suggested fix involving replacing some C+ library using an outside installation app, power shell and the ability to follow a 15 step convoluted process without one mistake. Actually, there are several suggested fixes, none the same as the other. Which one to choose?

Why after all these years must they break...notepad? And, apparently several other lesser apps?

Meanwhile, W11 is making or trying to making about 20-30000 contacts a day to a multitude of ms addresses keep my computer up to date, ...or something.

What's not to like?

NASA pushes decision on bringing crew back in Starliner to the end of August

What do the Astronauts have to say about this?

I am not technically able enough to decide what is the best course, whatsoever.

However, what I see lacking in this discussion is what the poor bastards stuck in that tin can think should be done. I am guessing they want to come home the fastest way possible, with the least risk.

Boeing's or NASA reputation should be the least concern.

Change Healthcare finally spills the tea on what medical data was stolen by cyber-crew

No price or pain is too high...

There's no reason at all to keep either detailed personal identification data on the instantly available internet WAN network or all of our medical data such as diagnoses, prescriptions, etc. But, 'they' all do.

Even attacks like this do not faze corporate execs. Seems there is no price or pain too high to stop them from putting it ALL out there on the table.

The majority of OUR data should be buried on drives NOT accessible to the internet and so conversely only available locally. A real person via phone or in person could verify personal data or dig up summary medical data as necessary and distribute it via voice, real paper, encrypted text etc.

Maybe there would be pitfalls with some of that. But I am sure whiz kid security experts could devise a system much better than what we have now IF they were allowed to do it.

But, governments and corporations all want all the information at their finger tips. And so, it becomes available to criminals.

Microsoft Research chief scientist has no issue with Windows Recall

Ominous non-response response

The corporate double talk and eventual terse non-response response strongly suggests validation that Recall is a joint corp-gov mass surveillance op being rolled out. I wonder if the other major tech companies will be offering very similar products soon with similar displays of thuggish opacity?

Will this feature be mandatory no opt out soon? Pretend to be surprised when they announce, "ha-ha we've been sucking it up all along".

Giving Windows total recall of everything a user does is a privacy minefield

A new mass surveillance tool in born

This app certainly has many characteristics of a corporate, government, military, police mass surveillance tool.

MS says their policy is to keep data local. But, the policy can change tomorrow with a few key strokes.

Also, the programming can be changed to route the data anywhere they please via updates down the road a bit.

Corporations and governments would likely pay sizeable fees to have access to such detailed data.

Last, MS could easily have everyone's password to everything in the world with this tool setting up cloud review data without every touching the users device.

And, why wouldn't they want all that data?

Meanwhile, laws could be easily interpreted, changed or written to make it mandatory to have the app up and running.

Note, Recall DOES REQUIRE new and better hardware. So I would guess simply NOT buying the latest greatest Windows device is one easy way to prevent Recall getting on or wirking on a personal device. For now.

Recall is a long game project. MS will be tweaking it for many years to come. This is the first page of a very long book.

Recall that end users are targets not customers. MS's customers are the coporations and governments.

Google is wrong to put AI search features behind paywall, says HPC leader

Does Google and ethical AI product seem possible?

In a generic sense paying for a productive AI service seems entirely reasonable. The problem is the thoroughly unethical and greedy Google elbwoing their way into the lead. And, that's not taking in account their very cozy relationship government mass surveillance opertations. Who are the good guys in the AI gold rush?

Underwater cables in Red Sea damaged months after Houthis 'threatened' to do just that

This is why...

...we still need B52s and really big bombs.

Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be coders, Jensen Huang warns

Garbage in, garbage out?

My limited tests of ChatGpt have resulted in a lot of well articulated garbage responses. Yet, the Wizards say the sky is falling, AI will devour us.

What am I missing?

While you holidayed, Microsoft brought Copilot to mobile devices, again

Fail

Tried it on my MacBook Air with M2: Fail. Won't even load. Maybe my security shield blocked it.

Typical MS, MASSIVE tracking permissions requested/required. Why so much, all the time?

Is it really that profitable?

Internet's deep-level architects slam US, UK, Europe for pushing device-side scanning

It's not about the children at all is it?

It's about the police wanting the ability to effortlessly conduct warrantless searches of all electronics without a reason at all except for "just 'cause":

"Just 'cause we feel like it". The police lobby is more powerful than the people lobby so you already know how this story will end. Likely the deed will be done in midnight sessions behind closed doors.

Ain't democracy grand?

Creating a single AI-generated image needs as much power as charging your smartphone

Another new low...

"Sports Illustrated, came under fire last week for publishing AI-generated stories under fake bylines that included AI-generated photos and made-up bios for journalists that don't exist."

Bullshit sinks to a new low. Of course, 'they' will all be doing it soon. And, charging top dollar for the honor of being deceived. Who can you trust anymore?

Surprise! Email from personal.
[e-mail] is not going to contain good news

Please sir, a little more...

This is a good write up on this threat, concise and to the point. But, personally, I would like to see a little more from articles like this. In general, I think information that would help others prevent an attack would be helpful. For example, with this crew, what IP addresses are they working from? Is there a spcific list of their most common tricks and tactics that we should know about? What are the best practices to prevent it and resolve it (if possible). What is the most important thing users and targets must know and do?

Uncle Sam probes cyberattack on Pennsylvania water system by suspected Iranian crew

It's war, really it is...

There's absolutely a cyber war on between the west and the new axix of evil: Russia, Iran, NK, China, et al. What I don't get is why the "west" is content to sort of monitor it and whine about but little else.

Fight back for godsakes. At least try. Assuming the info is right that Iran attacked critical US infrastructure the USA should at the very least attack right back. I don't see any problem with shutting down their utilities, indeed shutting down their access to the internet altogether.

Give us targets ways, information, hardware and code to fight back or at least protect ourselves. Virtually every one of the articles mentioning attacks are so sparse on detail you cannot take one measly step to protect yourself from it. Are the attacks literally coming from Iranian IP addresses, or not? If so name the numbers. Give us SOMETHING! And, don't tell me they are only going after gov facilities or whatever.

An attack on Pennsylvania is an attack on all of us. Stand up and fight!

No new top boss at NSA until it answers questions about buying up location, browsing data

Re: Call for control of personal information market

Everyone should look themselves up on the internet. First you will be totally floored and aghast about how much accurate information is out there about you at the tap of a few keys. Also, you will be just as astounded. All of it is used against in every way imaginable. And, that's the tip of the iceberg. The data brokers know...everything and even more than that that's not about you, too.

Security Theatre for us Rubes

NSA is gonna' do what they do. There will be some crisis and Congress will be forced, I tell you, forced fiercely to protect us and give them anything they want.

OR, there will be some literal midnight session and whatever they want will be packed away way deep in some mandatory passage bill to save us from chaos. Again.

I am convinced Congress doesn't understand or care how bad this looks regarding our formerly inalienable rights or what other countries see as our uncompromising hypocrisy.

Clorox CISO flushes self after multimillion-dollar cyberattack

What about...

The insurance policy?

I read some time ago computer insurance for malware hacks was extremely cheap. It's so cheap the corporations figured out they only needed to have the lawyers draw up an iron tight TOS and privacy policy then pay for insurance and they were covered.

One guy was enough for "security" and it was his job to fall on the sword when something happened which was inevitable.

So, this is different how? Did someone forget to pay the premium?