Posts by frankrider 18 publicly visible posts • joined 2 Sep 2023
I've been using non-MS OS's for many years now so I was taken aback when I went to fix something on my mother's Windows 10 computer only an Edge window to open itself and tell me how great Edge is and ask me if I'd like to make it my default browser. I've never seen anything like this ever - not on my non-MS OS's and not on older versions of Windows. This type of user-unfriendly behavior wouldn't be possible if MS didn't have a vice grip on the OS market.
I think the CHIPS Act is one of the few, scratch that, the only initiative lead by the administration that I like. Congress did their job in passing it, now it's up to Biden to execute it (that's his job as head of the executive branch) -- and that's where things get could get a little hairy.
All these 'zero-click' exploits are kinda scary. It's almost like we're living in the 90's again and your computer/device can be instahacked just by connecting to the internet/phone network. I thought we were done with these types of exploits and most more-or-less required some user interaction or an unpatched system. These 'zero click' zero-days are enough to make one paranoid.
I recently got ripped off on a wifi extender. I guess it’s my fault for believing ratings and reviews and buying an off-brand product. It was junk and would only accept a 16 character password with no special characters. The WPA2 spec is 8-63 characters with any special character. I ended up getting a proper Netgear extender. Will be returning the other junk soon if I can.
"'I call this out in the Subaru review, but it's not limited to Subaru: it's the idea that anybody that is a user of the services of a connected car, anybody that's in a car that uses services is considered a user, and any user is considered to have consented to the privacy policy,' Caltrider said."
Hear that? We're not "drivers." We're definitely not (God forbid) "owners." We're "users."
So glad I drive an older car built before all this was possible. Unfortunately, one day I will have to "upgrade" because I lack the mechanical skill to restore an old car. Hopefully, I'll still be able to at least get an ICE at that point.
"Originally people just walked around the world but these days you need a passport approval with each country you visit, verifying that you are a honest person with virtually no criminal activities known."
And in spite of this, the world is much less safe than it was even 30 years ago, let alone 70+ years ago.
I'm not sure what the sudden aversion to the military is all about. Considering the original electronic computers were used, if not invented, for purely military purposes, military funding for IT is hardly unprecedented. This is all about appeasing a certain demographic that believes the military is evil.
The Register 
Biting the hand that feeds IT
Copyright. All rights reserved © 1998–2025
