Posts by David

Verizon's open-door policy yields dip stick

@ Dan Paul

I think that the intent of this particular device is for consumer use, not business use.

And you're right; I've had computers "phone home" to me about problems for years now.

Google's Hot Trends shafted by strap-on

Damn English...

Don't even know that Red Wings parade refers to an American Hockey team. LOL. They took the Stanley Cup Wednesday night.

FCC tells Comcast to unblock P2P

@ Insight AC

Well, duh! It's Comcast... of COURSE they raised the rates! It's CRAPTASTIC!

Sysadmins get Quake tools

For fun and profit...

1. Download L3DGEWorld

2. Shoot the troublesome Windows® Server (or the PFY's desktop)

3. PROFIT!! (of if you're a dyed in the wool BOFH, fun.)

AVG revamps free security scanner

Amazing...

How much people will complain about a free AV that lets the occasional virus slip through, considering that Norton amounts to nothing but ransomware when it's preinstalled as a trial. I've never had an infection slip past AVG unless I have _intentionally_ turned it off. I use AVG, ZoneAlarm and Ad Aware, and my system is spotless.

Complain all you want, it's free, and it works. If you want to waste $69.99 on the Norton crap or McAfee crap, be my guest. Until AVG decides I have to pay for basic AV protection, I'll keep using their software. Security shouldn't cost you your left testicle.

BOFH: Licensing model

The PFY

Is really starting to come into his own. It almost seems that the BOFH just sat back; could it be that he's planning to retire?!

Comcast proposes P2P 'bill of rights'

*Hysterical Laughter*

I had to comment. It's just too damn funny. They refer to the MPAA as the "Motion Picture Association of America", and in the same sentence, refer to the RIAA as the "Recording Industry Ass. of America".

Just proves to me that our article writing El Reg overlords truly do not like the RIAA.

Paris, because she knows all about Recording Ass.es.

Boffins develop '500TB iPod' storage tech

@ LeBeourfCurtaine

I don't think given 100 years we'd be able to store all his ego...

Mine's the bright yellow one with the reflective trim along the arms and back. It's a might heavy, what with the asbestos lining and helmet inside...

World Bank chief: Ethanol cars run on human misery

Biodiesel...

Biodiesel is ridiculously easy to make. Go to your local McDogfood, nick the used cooking oil (they LOVE to not have to pay for disposal!), and run it through a coffee filter. BAM! Biodiesel.

It requires no modifications to a diesel engine to run biodiesel. My old garage manager used to use it in his 2007 Ford F350, and he actually got BETTER mileage than using traditional #2 diesel. And far cheaper, with diesel at $4.859 a gallon at our fuel station.

Malware still malingering for up-to-date anti-virus users

WHAT A CROCK!

I signed up and ran the scan. About 12% into the scan, it announces that I've got active infections running on my computer. So I wait and let it finish scanning, and the "Active Infections" are tracking cookies placed on my system while I was using Internet Exploder to download Firefox. And it says "We have detected that the AVG 7.5.519 protection on your PC is enabled and up-to-date.

You need better protection for your PC. With Panda solutions you will be protected against more than 3 million viruses, spyware and other threats."

I smell nothing more than marketing BS. @$$holes.

Horror bestseller condemns videogame sales limit law

@ AC

I agree wholeheartedly. My wife and I are trying to have a child, and I firmly believe that if my kids want a video game / movie / cd, etc, I should be there with them when they go shopping. It's my responsibility to make sure they don't get anything questionable, and IF THEY DO, make sure they're mature enough to understand that whatever the media (meaning the game, etc) is "promoting" is NOT something they can do in public. If they buy GTA 12 (or whatever), they need to know that they can't take a gun or a baseball bat and randomly hit people in the real world.

It's not the state's job nor the retailer's job to make sure my children understand that. It's mine alone as the parent. If my kid gets a gun and kills (or breaks ANY law) someone before they've reached the "age of reason" (18 in the states), then I've failed them as a parent. If they do it after they're an adult, I've still failed them, but they're outside my control.

My father was a cop until I was 5, and a firefighter up until the day he died after that. I've never been arrested, nor have I even had a parking ticket. I believe it's because of my father's influence on my life that I've been on the right track so to speak. That's not to say I didn't do stupid things; I've been suspended from school, and threatened with expulsion because I was playing with the network in high school. But I never knowingly broke a law. AND my father and I used to play Doom co-op on our home network. That's one of the best memories I have of my late father.

All this law will do is further the "nanny state", giving parents the opportunity to dodge even more of their responsibility and pawning it off on the state. If parents don't step up and do what they SHOULD be doing, then they shouldn't have had the kid in the first place. Laws will never replace a parent, no matter how hard some jackass congresscritter or state senator try to do so.

AMD shoves delayed Barcelona chip out of the door

@ Chris Ellis

No, I'm from the US and prefer AMD myself. Not to be taken as an insult to either party. I know the US is FAR from the world's favorite people at the moment...

Paris, because she's used to being popular, but unfavored.

Reg April Fools '08

HA!

I had all but two of them pegged. And the two I didn't get is because I didn't read them.

Black helicopters, because El Reg will probably kill me! ;)

Ubuntu chief picks panda over penguin, while Microsoft rolls Novell

@ not just victorville

Heh. You sound like you live there.

I lived in Barstow for a while. What a dump. The only thing TO do there was drink.

Mozilla plugs 10 security holes in Firefox

@ Long Winded AC

One thing about your comments:

Yes, more people have probably looked at the code for FireFox (I'm included) than IE, but the people working on Internet Exploder are PAID to do so. That's all they do; they're code monkeys for MS. Most of the people that have tinkered with FF code have lives outside their computer (not necessarily outside of computers in general though).

Just food for thought.

Woman accuses RIAA of killing dolphins

Nothing but praise for the author...

Thank you for repeatedly abbreviating Association in this and other pieces about the **AAs. It warms my heart to read these, because your abbreviation hits the nail squarely on the head, and will eventually drive it through the collective genitalia of the **AAs.

Paris because everyone in civilization has heard about her exploits being downloaded.

Brown: Jack Bauer spook horde to tackle terrorism

The number of terrorists...

To paraphrase Family Guy about the FCC:

We've received 20 phone calls about suspected terrorists. As you all know, one phone call equals a billion suspected terrorists. That means there are 20 BILLION TERRORISTS IN THE COUNTRY!

Paris because seeing her naked is a terrorist act in and of itself.

Wishing you an EMF-free Christmas

@JD

Now it's down to 40%

US switches off the incandescent lightbulb

On the heels of...

Congress pushing the standards for cars up to 80MPG. Could this be a chance to score last minute brownie points with the voters?

Fire stations too much like fire stations, says Govt

Good God...

We opened our doors at our station to the public on select days, when we had staff on hand to monitor the visitors and make sure they weren't getting into something that could injure or kill them.

Compared to a typically "public" place, fire stations are dangerous. Most of them are filled with heavy power tools, sharp implements, and diesel soot so think that Occupational Safety wouldn't walk in to save their arses. It's a stupid idea that is going to end up taking money from their operating budget, resulting in the loss of an extra firefighter or two in each station. That's going to get people killed, both civilian and firefighters.

I'm an American, by the way. Stupid %@#^ like this starts here. Sorry guys, it's our only real export anymore.

French record industry, ISPs in entente to boot off file-sharers

Applause due for El Reg Hacks

For consistently abbreviating Association in RIAA and MPAA "Ass."

THANK YOU!

Woman finds boyfriend dead in catflap

One possibility

He could have died from what's called "Positional Asphyxia". There are more than a few cases where people in police custody have died from such a condition. He could have gotten stuck in the pet door, and while trying to fight his way out, struggled to the point that he got into a position where he couldn't breath properly, and basically suffocated from fighting to get out.

If I stand on your chest, you'll likely be just fine for quite a bit longer if you lay still. But if you struggle and fight, you're going to find yourself out of breath faster. It's a horrible way to go, and I feel for the guy. But at the same time, he probably shouldn't have tried to crawl through a hole that is around 8x8 inches. I've gone through dog doors in the past to get to people who need help, but if I don't think I can make it through, I'll find another way in, you know?

Canadian Taser death caught on camera

@ Aubry Thonon

"I respectfully suggest that Capsicum sprays and Tasers should fall under that same rule - don't pull your out unless you mean to use it, and expect to have to provide a good reason for your actions."

Just a quick note on the use of pepper sprays. In the area I live in the US, most police agencies carry decontamination wipes for use after using pepper sprays. The wipes, and occasionally sprays, make the pepper spray inert. The burning stops, and after the administration of oxygen, most of the breathing difficulties clear up. No, I'm not a cop, I'm actually a firefighter, and I've had to deal with people who have been hit with pepper spray. I was one of them.

Personally, I think pepper sprays are the safest "less than lethal" weapons on the market. I've not had the experience of dealing with a tasered person, mainly because it's never happened in my neck of the woods. 99% of the police officers in my area are level headed enough to not use excessive force.

One more tip for dealing with the police; if you're an arse, they're going to be the same way. I've actually been released with a warning for 40 over the speed limit because I was polite and treated the officer with dignity and respect. Yeah, I was warned, and I don't doubt he would have cut my license up on the spot if he caught me again.

I understand everyone's point about language barriers and all, as well as mental illness, but I've dealt with people with mental illnesses and people who can't speak english. I at least make an attempt to speak to them in their own language, even if it's mixed with english. It typically helps calm people down if you try to understand what they're going through.

21st century travel: building your own warp drive

Finally!

A way to send amanfrommars back home.

Trick or trojan - watch out for Halloween malware

You're all forgetting

That it's not hard to trojan the bloody compiler to insert malicious code into your open source software. Don't get me wrong, I dislike M$ as much as the rest of most of you, but it's just proof that you can't trust code you did not write entirely by yourself. You want to trust your computer absolutely? Write your own damned operating system from the ground up.