Posts by WonkoTheSane

BOFH: Guys? Guys? We need blockchain... can you install blockchain?

I think "shitegeist" just became my word of the week! Have a --->

'Your computer has a virus' cold call con artists on the rise – Microsoft

I doubt that entered into BT's considerations when pledging to shift all calls to VOIP by 2025, but you never know...

Gemini: Vulture gives PDA some Linux lovin'

"Making a call is a tedious process, requiring opening the clamshell to dial the number."

What happened to "OK Google - Call Fred!"

Are meta, self-referential or recursive science-fiction films doomed?

Re: Pop Culture References

@GIRZiM

You shouldn't need to avoid Manchester. Most of it was filmed in Birmingham (Jewellry Quarter & under Spaghetti Junction).

Re: Ready Player One

I suspect that when this is released to own, many people will go through it frame-by-frame, to see just how many pop culture references Spielberg managed to squeeze in.

2001: A Space Odyssey has haunted pop culture with anxiety about rogue AIs for half a century

You are correct. The Alex North composed score wasn't released until 1993.

SpaceX has a good day: Successful launch and FCC satellite approval

There is a question from the tinfoil hat brigade

"Why was the launch stream curtailed at 2nd stage shutdown by NOAA?"

Gone in 60.121 seconds: Your guide to the pricey new gear Nvidia teased at its annual GPU fest

Re: I don't know for a fact or even if its happening..

And by "66% of their resellers prices", Eek means Nvidia are selling them for the actual MSRP - the price the cards are SUPPOSED to be!

GoDaddy told off for reeling in punters with 'misleading' prices

It's not the misleading deals that offend

It's when they immediately reserve the domain you just checked for availability on their site, so you can't buy from anyone else.

NASA fungus problem puts theory of 'Martian mushrooms' on toast

Re: "...swabs taken..."

So, you're saying the samples were taken using already moldy swabs?

On the other hand, that would be the PERFECT alibi for an actual serial killer!

Re: Suggested title...

Awww!

I was saving that for the next reboot of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers".

Fermi famously asked: 'Where is everybody?' Probably dead, says renewed Drake equation

There is another option

For several years now, I've looked at the Drake Equation with the thought that it's based on a false premise:-

What if we are the "Galactic Elders" that we've been looking for all this time?

I mean, somebody has to be first to arrive at the party!

Millionaire-backed science fiction church to launch Scientology TV network

Re: Sounds familiar

Not Heinlein, Harlan Ellison.

I hope it's a subscription channel

So I can file under NOPE!

Oculus Rift whiffed, VR fanbois miffed

Re: A fix has now been released.

Further to this, Oculus have announced that anyone who used their Rift after Feb 1st will receive $15 (or local equivalent) Oculus store credit.

A fix has now been released.

See this link

BOFH: Honourable misconduct

Re: I can't help but feel...

"They can fall with style, but I'm not putting any bets on them getting 10 points for the landing!"

Depends on what style of fencing (if any) surrounds the building.

Batteries are so heavy, said user. If I take it out, will this thing work?

Re: Re. Its not unusual

Nice try - Pity "It's Not Unusual" is a Tom Jones track...

Former ICE top lawyer raided US govt database to steal aliens' identities

Re: For poetic justice

Nah. Just revoke his citizenship, so he has to spend the rest of his life living in an airport.

For poetic justice

Deport him.

PCI Council and X9 Committee to combine PIN security standards

Obligatory XKCD

https://xkcd.com/927/

Hyperoptic's overkill 10Gbps fibre trial 'more than a clever PR stunt'

Venn diagram

Why do I get the feeling that a Venn diagram of locations covered by all these FTTH ISPs would result in a single circle?

Secret weekend office bonk came within inch of killing sysadmin

"Thanks! That makes sense. I probably suffer from EMIS - early morning illiteracy syndrome."

Nah. You're just undercaffeinated.

Bring the people 'beautiful' electric car charging points, calls former transport minister

Re: And where will they be?

"I reckon once a year I need a car that'll do >100 miles in a day."

From what I've read elsewhere, if you buy their Leaf EV, Nissan will loan you a petrol or diesel car for up to 14 days total in the first 3 years.

All you have to pay is insurance & fuel costs.

https://www.nissan.co.uk/vehicles/new-vehicles/leaf/savings-and-benefits.html

DRAM, it's good to be in storage... for some

Obvious really

Of course SK Hynix'2 full-year operating profit rose by 260%. DDR4 retail prices rose by that much!

Firefox to emit ‘occasional sponsored story’ in ads test

I _knew_ I was doing the right thing!

When I update Firefox, I always disable Pocket, as it's a "feature" I. WILL. NEVER. USE!

User stepped on mouse, complained pedal wasn’t making PC go faster

Your father is the late James "Scotty" Doohan?

You GNOME it: Windows and Apple devs get a compelling reason to turn to Linux

Unimpressed by Gnome

It seems that every time Gnome releases an update, at least one feature or setting that everybody uses has been removed for "reasons".

This is why I switched to Kubuntu (Ubuntu with KDE) when they announced the switch.

Shady US sigint base upgrade marred by stolen photograph

PrEscribed - Drugs recommended by a doctor

PrOscribed - Forbidden by law.

Samsung starts cranking out 512GB eUFS storage

Re: Don't care.

I'm not talking about storage, the chips I mean are used to make RAM for PCs.

SRAM != NVRAM

Don't care.

I just wish they'd return capacity to making desktop DDR4 memory chips, and end the massive rise (2-300%!) in prices (at least until I upgrade my PC)

OnePlus 5T is like the little sister you always feared was the favourite

Re: Fingerprint sensor on the rear

It's even possible to make your phone automatically switch to Android Auto (car mode) when it sees the car radio's bluetooth.

(at least it is on my Nexus 6P)

Google, Twitter gleefully spew Texas shooter fake news into netizens' eyes

Re: The weak of mind believe this stuff

"More likely Alex Jones STARTED it, rather than parroted it."

The technical term for this is apparently "gaslighting"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaslighting

The weak of mind believe this stuff

I hear Alex "Infowar" Jones parroted this claptrap verbatim this morning

Donald, YOU'RE FIRED: Rogue Twitter worker quits, deletes President Trump's account

I wonder if...

Yesterday,, I reported Donnie's "Bring back the death penalty" tweet as "Threatening harm to others".

Maybe this "departing employee" received that report & acted on it?

Maybe they weren't "departing" until their manager found out?

Ubuntu 17.10: We're coming GNOME! Plenty that's Artful in Aardvark, with a few Wayland wails

Re: Gun, meet foot.

You _do_ know that Mint is based on Ubuntu, which itself is based on Debian?

Debian "Buster" (the current testing build) & "Sid" (the bleeding edge build) both now default to Wayland, leaving X11 as a backup alternative (for now!)

https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Debian-Buster-GNOME-Wayland

European Patent Office staff rep blames prez for 'slipping quality'

Re: A Mystery?

As the old saying goes:-

"Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely".

Video games used to be an escape. Now not even they are safe from ads

" Other times, you could choose to watch an ad and get in game rewards. What I'd do is hit the watch ad button, turn the phone face down and then a minute later I'd rinse and repeat. Got a lot of rewards and watched not a single ad."

The current Futurama game does this, I use the same method as you

Commodore 64 makes a half-sized comeback

Re: Look in the loft

Agreed. I even saw NEW games for C64 at Gamescom this year!

Playboy founder and dressing-gown wearer Hugh Hefner dead at 91

Sadly, not mine. I saw it on Twitter this morning.

In other news, who is Stan Lee going to be mistaken for in the next Avengers movie, now that Hef is gone?

I guess he's going to Miss October...

UK third worst in Europe for fibre-to-the-premises – report

This was the solution for my line too. (Part of the "Superfast Cymru" initiative).

Apparently, the regulations actually prohibit installing fibre equipment inside the exchange!

Lloyds Bank payments glitch frustrates merchants

Hanlon's Razor

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanlon's_razor

BOFH: We're only here because they said there would be biscuits

Re: Cost saving

You're thinking of the next consultant hired to complete the project after this one was carted off.

123-Reg customers outraged at automatic .UK domain registration

Thanks for the reminder. I've just done the same.

Sacre bleu! Apple's high price, marginal gain iPhone strategy leaves it stuck in the mud

There's an even simpler answer when using a phone as satnav.

These days, many car stereos have bluetooth to play music from your phone, act as a speakerphone when you get a call, etc.

Android lets you add the stereo's bluetooth net as a "trusted zone", where it will auto-unlock & stay awake while connected. Especially with a specific car-friendly mode like Android Auto.

Apple likely has similar functions.

Apple's adoption of Qi signals the end of the wireless charging wars

Apple adopts "industry standard"?

Surely, that's the 2,345,590,234,575,985,845,792,349,572nd sign of the Apocalypse!

Google to kill Symantec certs in Chrome 66, due in early 2018

Re: I haven't trusted Symantec since 2007

They used to be "Norton Antivirus"

What's your flava? Ooo, tell me what's your flava... of Ubuntu

16.04 is supported for 5yrs. You can use it until 2021 if you want.

Google's Android 8.0 Oreo has been served

Re: Already here

I notice we both got downvotes. Looks like there's an Apple Fanboi in the room...