Posts by Gavsky

New humanoid robots from China look like creepy pop star action figures – complete with slightly dodgy lip-synch

Erm, yes - we'll fix that during the localisation process. 'Chinese', 'Careful observation of the rules & laws that make us all externally grateful for our benevolent & wise leaders'...

Re: Did anyone actually say sexbot?

Well, you also get a discount voucher for a pressure washer, so...

Re: Did anyone actually say sexbot?

Hmm, officially-licenced, famous people heads for sex robots (hot swappable). I think I may have just become an entrepreneur...

Re: Sprog-care

Woah, there! I need a pen & paper for this. Right, from the top: there are more old people than young, so they're making more, new, young, old people for...no, that's not right, is it? Okay, there are more...new, old...

Re: Did anyone actually say sexbot?

Ugh, that's it: I'm officially becoming a Nun. Good career, for a bloke...

Sex...

It's powered human development & commercialisation of technology for decades. Um, along with killing each other. Camcorders, video, streaming (ugh - please wipe that up), payment systems, VPNs, 'anonymous' browsing, the Dark Web, DVD, The Interwebs - they all got a big boost from 'adult material'.

The first, really capable sex robot will sell millions. If it can microwave your dinner as well, billions...

Valve opens Steam Machine pre-orders with queue lottery and hefty prices amid AI squeeze

I've read a prior review & my impression is: nice box, but a lot of compromises. It fits into the living room, but isn't as good as a modern console, or a 'proper' gaming PC. Plus, a PC can do a lot of other tasks. These systems often fail because they're not as polished as 'consumer tech', nor as powerful (or, expandable) as 'geek tech'.

Microsoft Access finally breaks free of its 22-inch form limit

No good shall come from this! For it is written - on the Tablets of Gates, that "...no man may extendeth beyond what is right & good: 22 finger widths of his digits" [an archaic measure, equating to just under 22 inches]

I fully expect plagues of locusts; the dead rising from the grave; cats & dogs - living together...

Why Amazon hates 'human-in-the-loop' AI governance

Re: VP Eric Brandwine explains people aren't all that great, actually

Amen to that! In the robot factory, where robots build other robots, you still need a human with a broom to sweep the floor - because the robot sweeper has got itself stuck in a cupboard...

AI is a human creation, so naturally fallible. View AI as we do humans: sometimes right, or wrong; occasionally, complete fantasists. Rather undermines AI as a technology ideal: digital, 1 or 0, able to access 'everything' as the basis for producing a result. It's frightening how some believe this ideal is true. AI isn't intelligent, discerning, or empathic - many humans can be. We MUST be the final arbiters.

Microsoft's latest Windows bug belongs in the Recycle Bin

Different day, different bug introduction. Yes, QC is a hugely technical & difficult process, but Microsoft seems to have lost its way in this area. It damages their credibility & the trust users have in them. "We fixed issue A, but caused issue B" is not the way it should be.

Council in UK's City of York outs hundreds of disabled residents with a single email blunder

Re: Routine

No, BCC broadcasts programmes on the telly...

Damn this anorexia, er - dyslexia.

Jesus, is this STILL a thing?! We really need AI Clippy: "Hey! It looks like you're sending an email to a lot of people who don't know each other - are you sure you want to send it 'CC'? I thought 'BCC' might be an idea?" [Ya fecking moron]

Capita £370M bid 40% under UK.gov estimate for Oracle HR and finance system project, court case reveals

Re: Bids on the cheap

Amen to that. On a smaller scale: my Dad has a tendency to fixate on cheaper, which has led to a unbelievably crap web cam, dash cam & mobile. I tend to go mid-range & have suggested this approach to him. I can't justify a £1000 mobile, but a £200-250 one can be great.

Those of us who work for Crapita have always suspected that our bid teams deliberately 'go low'. There's a joke at work about our company slogan: "We're shite, but cheap!" It's very sad - we actually do a lot of great work; we have hard-working & talented staff; we can use AI to actually deliver some real improvements & efficiencies.

But, an under-resourced contract leads to things going badly wrong: drag in staff from other contracts because this one is falling behind (Civil Service pensions); suddenly more agency staff appear - some very good, others definitely not. Pay 'fines' etc. for missing SLAs, anger a LOT of clients, damage what reputation we have. Cue no profit, or even a loss; too often - rinse & repeat.

BWH Hotels guests warned after reservation data checks out with cybercrooks

I misread that as 'BMW Hotels', which would be an interesting spin-off. Anyway - the question I would like El Reg to ask in these situations is: "Do you encrypt important, customer data as standard?". These days, that's name, address, email/telephone etc. not just credit card numbers!

The latest innovation in UK public transport: Schrödinger's trains

Re: Schrödinger trains

I know: lots of local cats were suddenly dead...& simultaneously alive. Um, that's not it, is it?...

Re: Schrödinger's trains II

So you travelled on a train that didn't exist - that's amazing. Some might say 'mistake - admin error' but I believe, I know the truth. There are others like me...

['The X-Files' music starts]

Re: Schrödinger's trains II

I saw what you did there. Now go & stand in the corner & think about what you've done. Just not too thoroughly...hands out of pockets, Mister!

Re: Schrödinger's trains II

Ah, but that's just a Bjork in The Matrix, so nothing happened - you're mistaken, I wouldn't tell anyone else. Don't answer the door to any pale men in dark suits...

"The train now arriving at...a platform, or not arriving at one, is being driven by a feline, who may - or may not, be alive"...

Meta fights Ofcom over how many billions count as billions

Treating "...multiple services under the same corporate umbrella as jointly liable" - that's how it works, surely? Corporate management don't have an issue when it's different parts of a group doing 'good stuff' - so the 'family' only splits-up if fined for the bad? Nope.

Trump jumps from 'anything goes' to 'strict regulation' AI policy

I never trusted them: they drive on the wrong side, eat funny food & speak a different language...

"...safe, secure & trustworthy" sounds eminently sensible - so of course Trump wanted laissez-faire. Now he wants controls, but the AI horse is out of the stable - so good luck with that one.

The dangerous moron will probably change his mind again. The tech moguls will whine about unfair AI competition from the Chinese & other countries - how they can't make extra billions under stricter US regulation. Trump will flip, I'm sure - 'we can't stand in the way of business; the Chinese aren't playing fair' etc. It's penguin island tariffs all over again. Next week...who knows?

Cloudflare to fire 1,100 staff whose jobs just aren’t AI enough

"...it reflects the values of the company we are continuing to build": get your stuff, you're fired - so, f*ck-off.

We're safe because we're senior management & would NEVER allow anyone to treat us like this.

Disgraced US gov software contractor found guilty of database destruction

Well, it's not as if this situation hasn't happened before - so those responsible at the company should be fired. As the ancient proverb says "You close & lock the door, before telling the guest they're no longer welcome"; this is preferably shouted through an upstairs window.

If found guilty, lock the brothers up for a long time - they're infantile & spiteful. Even if it meant everyone at the company had to change credentials NOW, that would be my first thought: is there a backdoor? Can we be certain they don't have any access?

Microsoft fixes VS Code after app gives Copilot credit for human's work

Re: All hail our new AI overlords :o

"Current AIs are not truly intelligent" - I would adjust that to "NO AI is remotely intelligent & never will be; the very model precludes intelligence, understanding & discernment"...

Well, I'm reminded about that famous quote by Bill Gates: "All your base are belong to us". I had to ask Co-pilot though...

Unexpected item in Windows' bagging area

Re: unexpected item

'legume smuggling in coat pocket' - it's filth like you that have ruined this country! No wonder my dear, old Gran can't walk to the Bingo of a night! Too scared, see?! Legume smugglers - I'd hang the lot...

Re: not all use Windows

YOU are Ronald McDonald & I claim my £5!

Re: 40p per bag seems a bit steep

Ah, when refused - immediately raise your voice so lots of other shoppers can hear. "Your company PROMISED me an exchange! Are you renaging on that?! I'm trying to save the dolphins & polar bears, you're intent on stopping me! It's against my 'UMAN RIGHTS!"

If that doesn't work: throw yourself to the floor & start screaming like a toddler...

I believe that finger-wagging was removed some years ago; it was felt that it was unnecessarily physical & intimidating, & was scaring some - who believed it was a pre-cursor to physical violence.

I'm old school: 'Tsk' > Stern T-t > Finger W > Death. Never did me any harm etc.

On the few occasions I have used Sainsbury's self-service facilities, it has always turned into a right-old, carry-on; I've always had to ask staff for help.

I've used their app on my phone to scan items; getting that information to the till is pretty opaque, let alone my Nectar-whatsits. It's just not obvious - which QR code to scan, & with what, where? I hold my phone to anything on the till that looks like it might scan a code & feel like a moron...

Real estate giant confirms vishing incident as ShinyHunters and Qilin both come knocking

Never heard of 'em! But, their website is the usual word salad of corporate guffery.

"In the elderly care sector, a critical metric for stakeholders is the time required for a care home to move through its build-up (or lease-up) phase and reach mature occupancy" - do they mean "the care home is full", or "some old people have moved in"?

Microsoft to stop taking reservations for 17 Azure VM flavours, kill 13 in 2028

As the ancient proverb has it, "You may have purchased a lake; but another retains the plug".

Microsoft's bad obsession is showing up in shabby services and slipshod software. Here's proof

"...but only if those...can be found, accessed & searched" - this is the company that can't even make that process quick & efficient on my PC! And that's been the case for decades.

NHS to close-source hundreds of GitHub repos over AI, security concerns

I suppose it makes some feel a bit safer, but as mentioned in the article: bolted, door, closing, horse, stable (I paraphrase, ahem). Government & public bodies are masters of "Oh, is that a potential risk, then? Erm, somebody should really do something about that"...

Vodafone dials up full control of joint venture with Three in £4.3B deal

Re: And then there were(n't) Three

Competition? Waz dat den? Is it summink new?

Yes, the nimble, little(er) upstarts offering better value than the Monoliths, are a strange quirk of the modern, Telco business. I'm reminded of a huge animal relying on much smaller ones to clean their teeth, remove parasites etc. If a piggy-backer can charge me £5 a month for 1000mins/texts/5GB data, no contract, & STILL make a profit, then good for them!

Allowing Mega-corporations to form & control ever greater market share, is generally not good news for the consumer. We have fewer, genuine choices: I bet some don't realise that EE/Plusnet is basically BT, even now. UK car insurance is worse: multiple brands all owned by surprisingly few insurers. Real competition is good, it keeps companies 'on their toes', to some extent.

Romance scammers turn sweet talk into £102M payday

There are very vulnerable people who get scammed, then some very stupid/greedy people. If you truly believe that a Hollywood A-lister has singled you out on [insert 'soshul meeja' platform] to chat to, you need protecting - from yourself. Especially if they suddenly ask for money - the Red Flag of any unsolicited contact.

Isn't AI supposed to be good at this stuff? You know, leaping in to remind you that the A-lister probably isn't real, just some Nigerian scammer after your money? You'd think companies would offer that as a gatekeeper service to users. But, these are the companies who allow fake adverts to appear on their sites...so...

Brit mathematician lets AI agent loose with credit card – cue password leaks, CAPTCHA chaos and more

It's always "improving fast", "rapidly improving", "learning from its mistakes" et al. The issue is that AI can cause some real damage, if gullible humans continue to entrust it without thought.

How many people have been denied continuing healthcare in the US, because of an AI-based decision - which humans weren't allowed to over-rule, even if their experience told them it was a bad decision? Professor Fry featured the cases in her recent documentary about AI.

Capita won disastrous UK pensions gig after acing performance checks

"[Crapita]...had little understanding of their complexity or how long they had been outstanding, affecting its ability to clear the backlog" - which doesn't surprise me; it's basic, due diligence & Crapita aren't always very good at that.

It's tragic: I work for Crapita & there are a lot of hardworking & dedicated staff, doing the best they can; there are plenty of well-performing contracts. But, when we f*ck it up - it's usually spectacularly so.

Re: Brown Envelopes

I don't decry your points, but brevity definitely isn't a Civil Service trait, as per the stereotype.

That's the saddest part: Crapita can run many contracts perfectly well, saving money for taxpayers (local & national) & providing good service. I work for them & I've seen the good & atrocious! Unfortunately, the atrocious results are what gets headlines - rightly so.

Re: Favourite tennis shot

The idea is facile, these contracts aren't based on backhanders - that's far more common in other countries. It's more worrying that the contracts get awarded using legitimate processes!

Ex-Microsoft engineer believes Azure problems stem from talent exodus

"This foundational fragility, rooted in rushed decisions & wishful thinking about how fast the platform could grow & stabilize, led to small but ongoing disruptions. Over time, those disruptions built up" - I think this could have been written about AI!

Netflix – yes, Netflix – jumps on the AI bandwagon with video editor

As a work tool, why not? Filming is a wasteful process - both in time & resources; that's why the budgets can be so huge but the end-product makes you wonder where that was spent. Large numbers of people spending endless hours to capture...something. All of that can end-up 'on the cutting room floor'.

As a creative tool, AI is so much slop, but as a work tool - it can make sense.

If an AI agent screws up while running your business, there's nobody to sue

You operate a company/organisation - you're responsible. You choose the supplier/contractor - whether it's who cleans the toilets, works for you, provides the machinery or software. Due diligence & contracts, suitable for purpose - yes. But, if everything goes up the wall because of AI-use, you can bet the providers have absolved themselves of ANY comeback with labyrinthine, multi-tome legalese.

Even Microsoft knows Copilot shouldn't be trusted with anything important

But, but - AI is going to solve ALL problems, we can turn everything over to it & rainbows & Unicorns will result. So, we can't actually trust it, have to double-check everything that it does & not use it for serious stuff? Sounds useful...

Microsoft yanks Windows 11 preview update after install failures

El Reg, this is no longer news, or worth a headline - just tell us when Microsoft releases an 'update' that just...works. Street parties & fireworks await.

Yes, I know it's hideously complicated & there are endless system permutations, so issues arise - but things have definitely got worse over recent years.