Posts by Captain Hogwash

America's cyber defenses are being dismantled from the inside

"Food" too.

Asia reaches 50 percent IPv6 capability and leads the world in user numbers

"large-scale use of IPv4 network address translation" is a right royal PITA if you want to run your own services at home. IPv6 is needed everywhere ASAP.

4chan, the 'internet’s litter box,' appears to have been pillaged by rival forum

Re: I hope someone uses those IP addresses

I've never visited but if it's everything I've heard it to be then those IP addresses are most likely owned by VPN companies or Tor exit nodes.

Japan serves Google a cease and desist order over its Android bundling deals

Re: Uninstall 'rather' than 'disable' should be

possible for all apps, regardless of what alternatives may or may not be available.

EU gives staff 'burner phones, laptops' for US visits

Jimmy Vance and his leather pants.

It's about sending a message of brutality as much as deporting people.

UK officials insist 'murder prediction tool' algorithms purely abstract

Re: It's a reflex

Yes. It's known as The White Bear Problem.

Procter & Gamble study finds AI could help make Pringles tastier, spice up Old Spice, sharpen Gillette

Re: rubber duck debugging

That phrase is new to me. I used to work with a guy who called it a cardboard programmer. Either way, it's a useful technique.

Windows intros 365 Link, a black box that does nothing but connect to Microsoft's cloud

Obviously it's a black box so implementation might be different

But...

MS Guy 1: Azure? Check. Office365? Check. What the suckers really need now is the EdgeBook.

MS Guy 2: The EdgeBook?

MS Guy 1: Yeah. We can drop all this expensive Windows development crap but keep them mainlining Microsoft while piggybacking on a cheap Linux kernel.

MS Guy 2: Ah, I see. We don't need to make the syringe to keep them wanting the drugs.

(Originally posted September 2020)

Privacy died last century, the only way to go is off-grid

Re: There is no such thing as off-grid nowadays

You'll be wanting to add a degoogled android phone to that list. I'd also suggest getting family WhatsApp users on to Signal. That last one isn't always easy but it can be done.

UK's first permanent facial recognition cameras installed in South London

Re: matching passersby to its database

I'm not sure if it says more about them or me that I initially read that as marching passersby to its database.

No big changes to UK broadband regs, despite no real competition for BT

Re: competition

I think you missed my point. Currently only FTTC is available. But when the fibre goes live (no idea yet when that will be) am I going to be limited by who laid the fibre? In my street it is Nexfibre, so Virgin Media. Two streets away it is Netomnia, so Youfibre. Other parts of town these two and Openreach are all working at the same time. So, as I currently understand it, choice will be different in different parts of a not very big town. Have I got THAT wrong?

competition

There are lots of different operators currently digging up roads and pavements in the town where I live.

But when everything finally goes live, unless I have misunderstood how all of this works, there will be no competition in most parts.

In my street I'll have a choice of one operator. Two streets away there will be a choice of one different operator.

Other parts of town will have a genuine choice but they are pretty small, dispersed areas.

Have I got this wrong?

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

Schleswig-Holstein

RIP Mark Klein, the engineer who exposed US domestic spying ops after wiring it up

Re: NSA trawler

It's worth remembering that "no one will believe you" is what the Nazis told their victims.

How Google tracks Android device users before they've even opened an app

Re: Banking apps

That's your problem right there. Use a browser.

Signal will withdraw from Sweden if encryption-busting laws take effect

Re: governments will just demand a backdoor in the AI system

The backdoors are already there, designed in from the start for the use of Microsoft, Apple, Google, etc.

"your data never leaves your device" they say. It doesn't need to as they can just ask the AI if you have whatever they're looking for before sending round the heavies.

Murena kicks Google out of the Pixel Tablet

Re: How young are you?

Close to 60.

This...

doesn't make much sense

"a de-Googled tablet makes more sense than a de-Googled phone. It's now common, even normal, to do contactless payments with a smartphone, use it to store tickets and membership cards, run banking apps, and so on. A device that can't do this, or even makes it harder, is significantly crippled."

in the context of this...

"if you don't mind doing a little extra work to avoid having your data stored for you by giant foreign corporations with questionable records on privacy"

Those of us who belong to the latter group tend not to also inhabit the former.

I am in my seventh year of using e/OS/ on phones and can see no use for a tablet in my life.

The software UK techies need to protect themselves now Apple's ADP won’t

Re: Alternate solutions are available

Alternate solutions are indeed available. Does anyone remember when the internet wasn't just Google, Apple, Meta, Microsoft and Amazon? All of that stuff still works and new stuff is still being invented.

Re: Hmm

Get in line keep in time with the drum

Microsoft boffins promise entire game worlds made from AI slop

Re: Someone might be getting a letter...

Take a bow.

Murena boss says customers about to wake up from its cloud storage nightmare

Re: WAG

This gets discussed a lot on their forum. Apparently some work and some don't so if you want to use banking apps then it's pot luck. Personally I'd avoid banking (and most other) apps if the browser can do the job. MicroG is installed so if any app requires Google services than that is how the situation is handled.

Copilot+ PCs? Customers just aren't buying it – yet

Re: Black Mirror

Ah yes. A self facilitating media node in the service of a self facilitating greedier toad.

Re: Black Mirror

Exactly. I miss "The Week in Bullshit".

Re: why would you need it on your PC?

To see what you see, hear what you hear and know what you know.

You are Charlie Brooker.

UK Home Office silent on alleged Apple backdoor order

Remind me. Which side won the Cold War?

Why UK Online Safety Act may not be safe for bloggers

Re: ...chances of Ofcom even discovering...

They will be discovered when a user, aware of the OSA, makes a complaint to Ofcom. Such a complaint is likely to be vexatious.

FuriPhone FLX1: A Debian-powered brick that puts GNOME in your back pocket

THIS!

Use the browser. Apps are only for things where using the browser is not possible.

Re: "...only way we could find to install the Signal messenger..."

Signal is on F-Droid now in the Guardian repo.

Microsoft's London 'Experience Center' packs up and goes home

The Microsoft Experience

Axis bold as brass

Meta's pay-or-consent model under fire from EU consumer group

Re: $20 per user per year

I'm sure it's not. The question was rhetorical.

Re: $20 per user per year

What are their earnings on shadow profiles?

Re: Meta should consent or pay me

£1,000 per year? You're selling yourself too cheaply.

Apple Intelligence turned on by default in upcoming macOS Sequoia 15.3, iOS 18.3

Re: we are slowly losing the capacity and ability to actually control our own devices.

That ship sailed long ago. If you want control of a phone then Linux or de-googled Android are the only options.

AI pothole patrol to snap flaws in Britain's crumbling roads

Re: @Captain Hogwash

Well, pollutes AI training data is more how I see it. But sure, if it makes you happy.

Re: AI?

I agree. What follows, a conversation I had with MS Copilot, is an example of real AI at work.

Me: How can I best persuade people that they should use Linux instead of Windows?

Copilot: Persuading someone to switch from Windows to Linux can be quite the challenge, but it's all about highlighting the unique advantages that Linux brings to the table. Here are some compelling points you can make:

1. Freedom and Customization

Open Source: Emphasize that Linux is open-source software, which means users can inspect, modify, and enhance the code. This often translates to greater security and adaptability.

Customizability: Linux offers an unparalleled level of customization, allowing users to tweak their system to their exact liking. From the desktop environment to the kernel itself, every aspect can be tailored.

2. Security

Fewer Vulnerabilities: Linux is known for its robust security features and fewer vulnerabilities compared to Windows. It’s less targeted by malware, making it a safer choice.

Regular Updates: Linux distributions often provide regular updates and patches that are swiftly rolled out, ensuring that security holes are quickly addressed.

3. Performance and Efficiency

Resource Efficiency: Linux is typically less demanding on hardware, making it a good option for older machines or systems with limited resources.

Stability and Performance: Linux systems are renowned for their stability and performance. They can run for extended periods without the need for reboots.

4. Cost-Effective

Free of Charge: Many Linux distributions are free to download and use, which can be a significant advantage for those looking to cut costs.

No Licensing Fees: Linux eliminates the need for costly licensing fees associated with proprietary software.

5. Community and Support

Strong Community: Linux has a large and active community

UK aims to fix government IT with help from AI Humphrey

Re: How long until...?

QED

Re: How long until...?

I think they learned last time that the way to introduce that kind of thing is to make it optional until all of the greenhorn kids have signed up and all of the old cynics are dead.

Probably the scheme would be designed in the manner of an eel trap to prevent those kids leaving once they'd been caught.

Brits must prove their age on adult sites by July, says watchdog

Re: pink spam

Isn't that what this is about avoiding?

Re: Impact on self-hosting and private services?

Don't give them ideas. Is your server open to the public? If not then you're probably fine.

Re: all about growth

snigger

Scammers exploit UK's digital landline switch to swipe cash

Re: Had one of these yesterday

Spoofing may not be necessary but it still happens. I had a very hard time explaining the problem to an angry woman who called me to tell me to stop calling her or she would call the police.

Re: diesel generators

The future is already here — it's just not very evenly distributed.

UK gives Openreach £289M for 4 rural broadband contracts in 'gigabit by 2030' push

Which supplier is that? I'd like to make sure I avoid them in the future.

I agree. We've just had Nexfibre digging up our pavements who will apparently be opening up to wholesale at some point. But when it goes live it will initially be limited to Virgin Media O2.

What's that? No static IP for residential customers? No discrete ONT? No modem mode on the supplied router? Thanks but no thanks.

Elon Musk's galactic ego sows chaos in European politics

Perhaps he's planning a Musklandia somewhere in Europe.

Google's 10-year Chromebook lifeline leaves old laptops headed for silicon cemetery

Re: the end of Chromebook

We can but hope.

Apple Intelligence summary botches a headline, causing jitters in BBC newsroom

Google's own 'Droid

The upside is that they are among the best supported among custom ROM producers.