Posts by Jason Bloomberg

Museum digs up Digital Equipment Corporation's dusty digital equipment

Hated the 6502. Sorry. I thought the Motorola 6809 was fantastic but my employer was locked into 6800. I never experienced working with a Z80.

I always wanted to get my hands on an Intersil 6100, a PDP-8 on a chip, but never did.

Time to ditch US tech for homegrown options, says Dutch parliament

Re: before they die more slowly.

With a worldwide disaster, we'd be back to a medieval society, trying to rebuild from the ashes.

But 'a world without America' will fall a long way short of that.

I don't know how America will see things once the rest of the world has endured the adjustment, no longer needs America, and the USA is as isolated as North Korea is.

France offers US scientists a safe haven from Trump's war on woke

Re: The UK should be paying attention

"Amusing" isn't the word I would use. It wasn't unexpected as he has always been Tory-Lite and shaped New New New Labour in his Blairite image.

Starmer and Labour only got in because voters wanted tory scum out, and had to choose between Labour, Lib-Dems and the others, and it looked like Labour had the lead when it came to how people would be voting tactically.

It's the only reason I voted for Labour. I'll admit I didn't think the leadership was going to be quite as bad as they have been, are more Alt-Tory than Tory-Lite.

City council rejects inquiry into £130M Oracle IT disaster

The UK government has appointed commissioners and launched a local inquiry

This. How many inquiries do we need?

Another inquiry adds more costs on residents, won't have any additional benefit, and may just drag the whole sorry fiasco out longer.

This isn't Conservatives fighting for residents; it's Conservatives attacking Labour. If the proposal had been accepted they would have delighted in having added to the cost which they would blame on Labour. But they knew it would be rejected and just did it anyway as a 'what have they got to hide?' dog whistle to provoke a pile-on.

Conservatives are more interested in stoking the flames of anger and discrediting Labour than having the problems resolved.

OpenAI asks Uncle Sam to let it scrape everything, stop other countries complaining

The rest of the world has noticed

I did love this from Howard Lutnick, US commerce secretary - "The president has made it crystal clear that he finds this tit-for-tat really abusive and aggravating. He wants these countries to respect him. And all this showed you is that Europe and Canada do not respect Donald Trump".

"Wants respect" - He can go fuck himself. Respect is earned. It is not given in response to economic terrorism and threats against a nation's sovereignty.

Good to hear it's aggravating. Thanks for letting us know what's getting under the man-baby's skin.

Not since Ringo Starr married Yoko Ono have I been so surprised

All my lies and bullshit are already Public Domain so OpenAI are free to take them and use them.

I expect they already have.

Cheap 'n' simple sign trickery will bamboozle self-driving cars, fresh research claims

I once got trapped at a crossroads where the four "no entry" signs had been rotated to suggest there was no way out. I presumed straight-ahead would be the legal route and proceeded slowly in case I was wrong.

I have always wondered how a self-drive vehicle would handle that situation. Hopefully the same way.

Trump says US should kill CHIPS Act, use the cash to cut debt

Re: What Trump talks about

If Europe has to defend herself outside of Nato against invasion by Russia, even if America sides with Russia, they will.

As much as Putin might like an empire I don't believe he really wants to fight for it. I see a negotiated reset to the 2010s when Russia was looking to join the EU more likely.

But the rhetoric in Europe will have to dampen down for that to be feasible.

Peace or war - It's our choice.

Re: What Trump talks about

> Putin wants to restore Russia to its pre-1914 borders, including Ukraine*, Belarus, Poland, Finland, etc, etc. If the US and Europe don't stand united with Ukraine now, it will happen.

I am sure Putin would like to. But given it has taken him three years to annex a sliver of Ukraine -- How long do you think it will take him to secure the rest?

And, if he tries, Nato won't be resisting with one hand tied behind her back.

101 fun things to do with a locked Kindle e-reader

"This technology's glory days may be yet to come"

Perhaps. The current problem for anyone wanting to use e-paper themselves is that anything but the smallest of displays are quite expensive.

It's usually cheaper to jailbreak and hack a working second-hand e-reader to take advantage of their economies of scale and hardware being subsidised through content purchase. But that's not always easy.

E-paper is also a rather niche market beyond e-readers. With most makers choosing or using LCD there is little sign of prices falling so far.

'Cybertruck ownership comes with ... interesting fan mail'

Linger on the sidewalk where the neon signs are pretty. How can you lose?

I gave my first ever full-blooded "from the bottom of my heart" salute to a passing Tesla at the weekend. It really couldn't have been misinterpreted as anything else but the driver looked mortified.

Can't think why.

America's National Science Foundation workers fired in bulk by Trump now reinstated

I believe it's even worse than that and extends beyond the agencies themselves; "those I want to hurt, harm and have suffer".

Even if Trump doesn't truly embrace such hate himself, that he's delivering for those who do in return for their applause and praise, is just as bad.

US Cyber Command reportedly pauses cyberattacks on Russia

Re: Dump America

Even if there isn't a kill switch they can cut off spares and support if you fight back against their new best friend.

There are also tariffs and sanctions which can be applied and that seems to be the Orange Oaf's favoured tactic to getting his way, his Art of the Deal. He can cut off exports and supplies which Europe and NATO members rely upon, particularly LNG these days. He can also coerce those who want to keep their relationships going with America to do the same. Vetoing UN Security Council resolutions isn't terminal but would be problematic for those professing to respect and act in accordance with international law.

Imagine if he ordered Microsoft to brick Windows PCs with the next update, told Google to stop handling searches and analytics, for those designated enemies of America. We have already seen the Tech Bros fold so they don't have to face his wrath.

None of this would be insurmountable but the new world order in the west won't come about quickly nor without a tremendous amount of pain and cost.

The west deluded itself into believing it could never happen, weakened their sovereignty, increasingly put their eggs in one basket, dismissed the risk. Brexit even had the UK abandoning the EU to seek a better relationship with America - ideally with Trump in charge when it came to Brexiteers.

US Dept of Housing screens sabotaged to show deepfake of Trump sucking Elon's toes

Re: Re : email request : all fed employees must list 5 things you did last week

1. Had a good chat with Vladimir

2. Golf

3. Golf

4. Analysed a report from Elon on the amount of fraud and corruption there is amongst employees tasked with welcoming guests at the White House. Studied a more interesting report from Sergey on how it would be beneficial to America, my bank account and businesses, to declare myself king and impose a dictatorship. Sergey says there's good money in doing what Vladimir asks and the Kremlin is fully supportive. They say they can help fix the elections. WINNING!

5. Golf

Rather than add a backdoor, Apple decides to kill iCloud encryption for UK peeps

Re: Without an understanding

Some of the best and brightest have tried to explain to politicians that what they want is 'magical thinking' and isn't possible in the real world.

I'm pretty sure they'll listen to me when I tell them it can be done and ask how much they are paying.

I am also pretty sure Crapita & Co are already way ahead of me and will have a better exit plan for when they don't deliver.

Trump administration threatens tariffs for any nation that dares to tax Big Tech

Re: Ironic

There are far more insane, far-right and ultra-right, media outlets in America than Twitter and Fox News.

We'll be hearing more from those as lying fake news media' get their invites torn up and more Nutjob Nazis are invited into White House and Oval Office briefings.

"You ain't seen nothing' yet".

HP ditches 15-minute wait time policy due to 'feedback'

Re: Irate customers

I imagine they figured out it shows goodwill, better and cheaper to supply a spare than have customers calling support with a sheepish "dropped it on the floor", having to explain why it is so costly to ship a single screw, and the hassle of handling the admin of that transaction.

It is a godsend when you do drop one and have no idea where it catapulted itself to. And an appreciated addition to the 'spare screw' box otherwise.

Odds of city-killer asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting Earth creep upward

1.2%, 1.8%, 2.4%, 2.8%-3.1%

Anyone good at maths want to take a stab at what it will become in 2028?

A couple of days ago El Reg described it as having a "vanishingly small chance" of hitting earth. I didn't accept that then, and certainly not with odds of 1-in-32.

Grok 3 wades into the AI wars with 'beta' rollout

Re: Ye gods

But I am looking forward to asking it "who is the biggest cunt / Nazi / racist in America?" and seeing what it says.

There's a slight chance Asteroid 2024 YR4 could hit Moon in 2032

I don't consider over 2% vanishingly small either.

But what worries me is the chance of a hit has nearly doubled from not so long ago. How much more of that do we need before "vanishingly small" enters the "oh shit" part of the spectrum?

Backup software vendor Veeam deleted forum data after restoration SNAFU

Move fast and break things

"a backup of the forum database from one day ago was mistakenly restored by internal infrastructure DevOps team over the production database"

Maybe they'll put some mechanism in place to prevent that, or at least force a backup to be taken before it's allowed.

Techie cleaned up criminally bad tech support that was probably also an actual crime

Re: Holy fucking stupid idiot

I can understand why Dean would be worried about revealing what seems to have been a very serious crime which could have serious consequences for his employer and staff, but he's basically covered-up that crime.

I am not even convinced his concerns were legitimate. After any immediate outrage most people will recognise that employers are not usually responsible for the crimes of those they employ.

And how much worse is it going to be if they discover there had been a crime which was covered up?

And it may have enabled further crimes if the disk had been copied and used for nefarious purposes.

I don't believe Dean made the right call. And I don't think he's been particularly bright in telling the world his tale.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion is not an illusion, but it soon might be

Apartheid America

"Yet, whether through miscommunication or misguided implementations, this drive for diversity, equity, and inclusion, aka DEI, in the workplace became controversial."

No; it ran up against racism and hatred.

And now those racists and haters who rejected DEI in America have a so-called president and administration who agrees with them and are trying to end it everywhere they can.

Google confirms Gulf of Mexico renamed to appease Trump – but only in the US

Re: It doesn't even qualify...

But, as childishness is so beautiful, we should perhaps all embrace it.

Does anyone know how we get "USA" officially renamed as "The Northern Swamp" or similar. Only for those outside the USA of course.

Other naming suggestions welcomed!

Reclassification is making US tech job losses look worse than they are

Re: There is worse to come

If there is a massive increase in the number of unemployed as a result of the assault on federal institutions and their employees Trump and Musk will claim they were 'dead weight', corrupt, crooked, incompetent, incapable DEI hires, gays, transexuals, commies, socialists and liberals, who needed to be got rid of as non-patriots so, as Trump arse-lickers and aligned haters like to say, "winning".

The biggest microcode attack in our history is underway

A fair analogy, but...

I would venture most readers here know what a coup is and what fascism looks like, don't need it explaining to them.

However; I am all for anything which supports the anti-fascist cause. So I'll forgive El Reg.

London has 400 GW of grid requests holding up datacenter builds

Re: Put these bit barns right next to the power stations.

But that's the problem; if the barns get first dibs on what's generated there will be nothing for the rest of us.

This is why they want direct connection to the generators, want special non-grid deals - As their needs rise they expect to get it, the grid to be cut or reduced to provide for that.

Currently, connected to the grid, they will have to rely on Smart Meter disconnections to provide the power they need for those barns

Don't cross the beams

We need 400 GW, and probably more. We are building 3 GW and have 9 GW planned. So only a 97% shortfall.

Maybe we should just say "no". Ideally before we are all relocated to Gibraltar and the Falklands and this green and pleasant land is turned over to electricity generation.

Judge says US Treasury ‘more vulnerable to hacking’ since Trump let the DOGE out

With us or against us

This is how fascists always seize power, steal democracy.

Anyone who dares stand up to the mob or its leaders will find themselves demonised as an "enemy of the people". They will often end up against the wall or swinging from a lamppost.

"Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!"

Trump's Dept of Transport hits brakes on Biden’s EV charger build-out

Re: As an EV owner - I say GOOD

I am all for governments cutting projects which don't deliver, purely move tax payer's money into the back pockets of the rich and wealthy - Tear it up, start again, do it properly, deliver what people actually need.

But I am under no delusion that this is what Trump is doing. It's simply a move to put tax payer money into the back pockets of a different elite, those who support his dictatorship, while killing the emerging 'EV revolution' which is already being held back through lack of charging infrastructure.

Anyone who thinks Trump is in it for anyone but himself and his sycophantic big business pals is an idiot. American citizens are simply a resource to be squeezed dry.

Half of American voters were turkeys voting for Christmas and now all America will have to suffer the consequences.

DOGE geek with Treasury payment system access now quits amid racist tweet claims

Re: I agree

Even better, expose the IDs of the existing posts.

Please don't let the fascists drag you down to their level. That is how they win, normalise their "with us or against us" hatred and division..

Tesla sales crash in Europe, UK. We can only wonder why

Re: Cheap Cybertruck

I really like that customised A-Team Cybervan.

The one with The Corgi Book of Gerry Anderson Vehicles in the pocket.

Dinky and Matchbox also available

Trump scrubs all mention of DEI, gender, climate change from federal websites

It's all very 1984 isn't it?

And also looking very much like Berlin in 1933 to me.

When Trump promised his faithful this was the last ever election they would have to vote in I thought he was just bullshitting as usual. I should have treated those Discovery Channel documentaries as more of a warning than I did.

Musk’s DOGE ship gets ‘full’ access to Treasury payment system, sinks USAID

The king is dead, long live the king!

And don't forget his court appointed jester.

US datacenters in for shock as Canada mulls cutting the juice over Trump tariffs

Re: Erm

It's a simple choice; put up and shut up, find better solutions, or become the 51st state.

If there is any benefit to another dose of Trump it's that he's forcing nations to decide what they want to do.

Re: Erm

BRICS is a potential massive market. And the more Trump attacks allies the more inclination there will be to reshape world orders, join beneficial trading blocs, shun America.

Trump can rant and rave all he wants but no one will give a shit once America has completely isolated herself, unless he goes full-on 'Mad Mullah' and starts Word War III.

"Making the Rest of the World Great Again".

DeepSeek spills Big AI's open secret: Bright people with good ideas can beat billion dollar binges

But how much more was spent, and does it come anywhere near what other players have spent, claim they need to spend?

I don't know but it strikes me that the previous players are desperate to assert it couldn't have been done out of self-interest.

I can't blame them in the face of their house of cards collapsing, their snake oil scam having been undermined, but there appears to be a lack of actual evidence so far.

As Trump slugs Canada, Mexico and China with tariffs, industry groups hope trade war weapon isn’t pointed at their feet

Re: It's all in how you look at it

Some greater focus on European military strength is required in the face of Putin/others.

You aren't really swallowing that hawkish propaganda nonsense which simply seeks to move more money from people's pockets to the industrial military complex are you?

Russia has been fighting in Ukraine for three years and still only occupies 20% of their land, and that includes Crimea which they took back in 2014.

The bullshit that, if Putin and Russia are not defeated, Europe will fall is complete nonsense. Maybe one day, but not any time soon.

China is more likely to take the west by playing 'bestest pals' as Trump assaults American allies with economic warfare than through invasion.

Trump eyes up to 100% tariffs on foreign semiconductors, TSMC in crosshairs

Not to mention that local manufacturers can hike their prices 20% or more and still be the cheapest on the block.

And before some plonker mentions Godwin, check the parallels between Trump and previous fascists.

Godwin himself says comparisons of Trump with Hitler are absolutely spot-on, entirely legitimate.

And let's not forget it was Trump's own VP who started the "America's Hitler" meme.

Trump nukes 60 years of anti-discrimination rules for federal contractors

Tyrant Trump

If Trump wanted "hiring based on merit" he could have signed an EO insisting on exactly that.

Tearing up anti-discrimination measures pro-actively allows discrimination, allows the best person for the job to be rejected by racists, misogynists and other haters.

Clock ticking for TikTok as US Supreme Court upholds ban

The power to decline to prosecute appears very different to me to not allowing a law to go into effect. The SCOTUS ruling seems to make it clear it is a valid law which will go into effect as scheduled.

The only thing I am not clear on is what equivalence there is to "Royal Ascent" in the UK which formally makes it an actual law, makes breaking that law an unlawful act, and that includes not complying what it says must be done

If it becomes law now SCOTUS have made their ruling how can the law be ignored, the ban it imposes be suspended?

Perhaps someone familiar with the American legal landscape would care to explain for those of us who aren't?

Raspberry Pi hands out prizes to all in the RP2350 Hacking Challenge

Re: Transparency

although they managed to interfere with the chip's operation, they weren't able to do so in a way that exposed anything useful.

My reading of things is they proved the supposed security of the chip can be rendered ineffective, with some ways far easier than others.

Is that not correct?

Even modest makeup can thwart facial recognition

Re: "However, gait recognition is becoming quite powerful..."

That is why I always push a drawing pin through the sole of my shoe when I am out being an activist.

UK unveils plans to mainline AI into the veins of the nation

It's crazy how the Government has jumped on the AI bandwagon. More waste of tax payers money, when there's more urgent things to spend our tax payers money on like sorting out social care.

I am wondering how long it will take for everyone to figure this out? I am sure the media won't be reticent in presenting such a perspective, that it's throwing money at problems we don't have, won't fix the one's we do have, that there's no firm foundation for what's being promised.

And what happens to Starmer and Labour when everyone realises the emperor is not wearing clothes?

Not just HS2. And Brexit goes without saying. Has there ever been a fad or bandwagon our governments haven't jumped upon with the promise it will Make Great Britain Great Again, which has actually delivered anything of usefulness?

I am struggling to think of any substantial government project which came in on time, on budget, delivered the returns we were told it would.

UK government pledges law against sexually explicit deepfakes

Re: Not quite

Does $DEITY own copyright on our looks?

Now Trump's import tariffs could raise the cost of a laptop for Americans by 68%

Re: Eh?

There was also some brexiteer bullshit that, once we had escaped the evil clutches of the EU, we would be free to forge a trade deal with China which would deliver us £150 billion a year.

How's that goingt?

Apple shrugs off BBC complaint with promise to 'further clarify' AI content

AI Bullshit Generator

A software update in the coming weeks will further clarify when the text being displayed is summarization provided by Apple Intelligence."

Not sure that's going to help.

'Elon Musk assassinated in drive-by shooting. Killed by two shots from aggrieved Tesla owner. Melania Trump announces divorce. Nigel Farage names Tommy Robinson as next leader of Reform UK. Kemi Badencih admits she voted for BNP, supports AfD - This news summary is auto-generated by AI Intelligence'

It's still iBullshit, lies, misinformation.