Posts by John Smith 19

UK government marks 'at least' £115m for new Brexit systems against backdrop of chequered IT project history in customs and border control

"new lorry park (or "Farage Garage") "

Quality work.

"he price an trade deal of hundreds of thousands of Indian immigrants replacing the EU immigrants"

Well you know that, and I know that, but Johnny Heil-Reader (his family has been here since the Norman Conquest don't y'know?) has not appreciated that.

But give him a few years and he'll work it out.

Eventually.

Pop quiz.No conferring. Leave voters only. When did China and India join the EU?

he only tearful Margaret Thatcher I can recall was when her party booted her out the door

Shades of Teresa May in fact.

Except Thatcher was capable of critical thinking and understood the difference between the reality of the UK's place in the world and the fantasy projected by large parts of the UK media.

Re: Brexit is coming

Says the AC without the balls to even put their name on the post.

I'm excited by the looks on the faces of all those farmers, fishermen and NHS supporters who voted for this getting exactly what they voted for.

The wholesale destruction of UK agriculture and fisheries (unless all the money they were putting into the EU CAP continues to come out of taxpayers pockets) and a potential increase in the NHS drug bill by 2.4x.

Heinlein was right. Being spoon fed lies and bu***hit is not "being independent" or "thinking for yourself" it's being a programmed and expendable cultist.

"the Home Office had spent at least £830m between 2003 and 2015 on an e-borders"

Or as you might like to think of it the "Brexit Dividend"*

*To people like IBM, CrapGemini and others of the Usual Suspects.

"HMRC was overly dependent on the technical capability of the Aspire suppliers between

2004 and 2012,which limited its ability to manage the contract commercially.”

Translation.

"Having gutted the technical civil service of any actual ability to detect supplier bu***hit the clowns left were fed any amount of crap.

Trump U-turns on foreign student crackdown: F-1, M-1 visa holders allowed to study online mid-pandemic in the US

Ever wondered what would happen if America elected a dumb but cunning narcissist to be President?

You don't have to wonder anymore.

Fixing Trumps election to f**k up America was some of the best (and cheapest) money Putin has spent.

As the US Covid 19 death toll rises and Americans ask "How did we get here?" The answer is simple.

Either you voted for this buffoon or you couldn't be bothered to vote to keep him out.:-(

The only real power in a first-past-the-post system is to keep someone out. Getting someone in whose policies you support is a bonus.

If the Solar System's 'Planet Nine' is actually a small black hole, here's how we could detect it... wait, what?

Ah, so 5-10 *earth* masses

Totally different beast.

IIRC that's about 1/3 the mass of Jupiter.

And yes, on that scale you would need a telescope to find it.

Putting one of the universes most mysterious objects practically in our back yard. Our own baby black hole.

Exciting times. Something to raise a glass to on a Friday at beer o'clock.

FYI: You do all know that America's tech giants, even Google, supply IT to the US military, right?

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.

The DoD has a big bag of cash.

They want it.

They claim they have "ethics" that they won't be involved in weapons, while demanding ever greater intrusion into peoples personal space.

No Android, location services is not a "critical service" the gallery app needs to display the pictures I took on my phone.

UK space firms forced to adjust their models of how the universe works as they lose out on Copernicus contracts

"Is El Reg chortling at the thought of the UK not..allowed to join international competitions"

No.

It's chortling that HMG is complaining that it's not getting it's share when it's the EU that's funding this, not directly through ESA.

Anyone competent in international contracts would be aware of this consequence. But they are still whining. And that's pretty funny. They wanted to "Get Brexit done." Well it is. And they've been done by it.

And the response "We'll we'll start our own GNSS, so there" on Galileo sounds more appropriate to a 6YO in a playground than what is currently the 7th largest economy on the planet but that's another thread.

" EU - Do what we say or you will pay. "

Wow

It takes quite a lot to get a post actually deleted by a moderator.

I'm more curious who posted it rather that it's contents, or did they AC it?

"two Leave campaigns were found in breach of electoral rules. "

I'm more aware of the flat out lies told by the Leave campaign, starting with the big red bu***hit mobile and it's claims about the NHS. And BTW that "Oh everybody lied" routine is a classic "reflection defense." Suggesting someone who can't deal with deeply ingrained beliefs being questioned (perhaps because those beliefs would fall apart if you did so).

Bul**hit Boris's money to the NHS is about 5 weeks worth of EU contributions according to the side of the bus so far.

So where's the rest?

These are the lies Leave told to win. Now let them either put up or admit "Britain we lied. We told you what we thought you wanted to hear so we could win."

Then tell the UK how you really think you're going to make the British economy better outside the EU than inside it.

I will be most interested to hear what that plan is.

"Preferably near the equator to have earth's spin assisting you."

TBH that's a bit of a myth.

When you break down ascent losses you find the difference between the Ariane 4 launch site (which was also Guiyana) and the Space Shuttle Florida) site is a whopping 18m/s.

OTOH by having a better ascent trajectory (which Shuttle had) it lowered its "gravity losses" compared to A4 by 344 m/s

The big with with a rotating earth comes when its compared against a non-rotating earth.

Which would be a bad thing for all sorts of other easons anyway.

"There's nothing for you here!"

You sir (or madam) are a true fan.

"...and where's the Russia dossier?"

Right were bul**hit Boris put it.

After all this is the job he's he's shamelessly promoted himself as being the best man for for (literally) decades.

How could he face the fact a lot of his "popularity" is down to Kremlin bankrolled troll farms?

"Check my posting history on this site, I've provided enough information in the past."

I've looked at it.

Looks like the usual "I hate the EU (but don't really have a coherent reason for doing so, because I just do)".

Weak.

Very weak.

Care to try harder? An actual coherent, rational argument for leaving, perhaps?

Still waiting for those "Good reasons" Cederic

You do have them, don't you?

Don't be shy.

This is a safe space. We're all curious what they are.

"sterling has behaved more like the volatile currency of a developing country over the past

four years"

Which is just the way currency speculators like it.

Which a certain N. Farage could have predicted.

Given he was one.

"worked hard to improve our market and business intelligence to try and get in ahead "

Finally.

Someone who gets how to do business.

Common sense.

Not very common apparently.

"Not spotting the joke, there, eh?"

This is why humour over the interwebs is so tricky to pull off.

Nice work Robert Grant.

Nice work Doctor Syntax.

I think you're in violent agreement what a s**tshow Brexit will be.

"Enjoy being part of a strong independent nation."

Scotland?

The Republic of Ireland.

I'm scratching my head to work out who you're talking about about.

My inferencing skills are usually pretty good, but in this situation I'll have to admit defeat.

You'll just have to name the country you're thinking of.

"Brexit supporters really don't get it."

No they don't.

You need to realize this was not won by appealing to their common sense but their emotions

Each group carefully fed just the right kind of bu***hit to hit their buttons.

Basically "If you vote leave all your dreams will come true (promise) but if you vote remain all your worst nightmares (even things you didn't think were that frightening) will come true.

Cummins did an excellent job. Just what you'd expect from someone with a complete lack of ethical restraint and a massive desire to win by telling people exactly what they didn't want to hear (IE their worst nightmares).

"We did so for good reasons "

At last.

Someone who will articulate those reasons beyond the "Taking back control" slogan you all spouted like brainwashed cultists whenever I asked a British person why they wanted to make themselves worse off than if they stayed with the status quo.

This should be good.

Come on, let's here them. Share with the group.

"Have you ANY Idea how expensive our own constellation would be? Any idea at all?"

None.

None whatsoever.

It's just the enormous ego's involved that are driving this thing.

And an Indian Billionaire's desire to recoup some fairly serious losses.

Wonder what he's promised this shower? "I'll spend more money in the UK as a non-dom?"

"are explained in language an adolescent could comprehend."

Ooops.

That should have read "were explained in language an adolescent could comprehend."

5 down votes?

Banjos getting up early today.

Mr Cummins continues to play you like a hillbilly orchestra.

"We were pissed at the bought of being merely bid fodder."

There is an actual open bidding process (where the best products or approach should get picked) and the ticky box version to satisfy funding, equality legislation or whatever.

BTW All EU project bids can specify a minimum local content level.

AFAIK UK govt bids never did this.Which is why stuff got built by Germans, French and Italians.

Nothing to do with the EU. British politicians and British civil servants.

"Living in Trump's fiefdom,"

Yes, the brits got the prep school class clown with the over developed sense of entitlement, and propensity for fantasy who couldn't keep it in his trousers.

While the Americans got the prep school class bully with the over developed sense of entitlemen, and propensity for fantasy who couldn't keep it in his trousers.

It's 6 of 1, 1/2 dozen of the other. *

*Although Nelly's budding bromance with various dictators around the world is slightly more nauseating. I guess the only thing a bully really respects is another bully.

"We just have to be realistic. "

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

I should have thought the statistical evidence is that at least 17,410,742 British citizens are completely incapable of being "realistic"

Even when the consequences are explained in language an adolescent could comprehend.

Not part of the EU? Not likely to get parts of EU projects.

You'd have to be pretty ignorant, stupid or gullible, to think otherwise.*

Still at least Blighty is hard at work on the GPS**

*I'm not discounting the possibility of people being all three of course.

**Gammon Positioning System.

One does not simply repurpose an entire internet constellation for sat-nav, but UK might have a go anyway

"why then are we spending/wasting millions/billions on reinventing the satnav wheel?""

Because Dominic Cummins told the Johnson to of course.

Obvious really. *

*I think the British PM deserves the singular pronoun in future. After all he's not just any johnson, he's the johnson.

"Spending single digits billions to mitigate that risk seems well worthwhile, "

What did you think Galileo was for?

Note that the UK will not lose access to the signal.

A properly designed receiver could use, GPS, Galille and the Russian system to ensure continuity of navigation data.

What the UK has lost is the deep access to the security access (which the UK proposed under US prompting to keep the Chinese out).

IOW this system makes no sense. It's just the deeply wounded pride of ministers who've are finally waking up how seriously the UK economy will be f**ked by Brexit. Turns out their actions will have consequences. Who knew?

"Don't Surrey Satellite have a lot to do with building the Galileo sats?"

No.

They built the initial test models (very cheaply and very quickly) and so BAe did what BAe do and bought them.

SSL built the payloads (inclduing the atomic clocks) and OHB provided the bus, however that work is due to end within the next few years as the last sats are launched.

"What's wrong with a brass sextant and clockwork chronometer? "

The perfect solution for the "Honorable Member for the 18th Century"

$500m buys you a *stake* in the *existing* satellites

Nowhere near launching the full constellation.

Now those new sats could carry a WAAS package to improve accuracy of GPS, but they won't replace it.

Retarded idea still sound retarded (and a waste of taxpayers money).

"and have managed to bump off a good number of their voter"

Not even necessary.

According to a Guardian piece by the head of YouGov given UK death rates and the profile of the Leave vote that majority had died off by about Jan 2019.

History will probably record Brexit as a "perfect storm," where a cretinously weak PM, in a desperate attempt to keep his party together and in power (and for no other reason) allowed a gang of delusional Aholes and pocket-lining thieves a chance to use stolen personal data to pitch a total fantasy to a large group of desperate, unhappy and gullible people.

Meanwhile sensible people thought the benefits of membership so self evident (Maybe they remembered what state the UK economy was really in before the UK joined in 1975. Maybe they had the critical thinking skills to spot the insane bu***hit the Leave campaign were spouting)

they did not take the threat seriously, leaving Leave to peddle any lies they wanted through the Facebook lies, conspiracy theories, hate speech, mad ravings "news" feed.

£500m

That's half of what Reaction Engines are being charged by BAe for a flight test vehicle despite

a) HMG dragging their heels so long for the £60m loan they lent REL

b) Insisting REL needed a "solid" airframe mfg with high speed aircraft experience

c) BAe have a 20% equity stake in REL

But as Don Corleone would tell them "It's just business."

OneWeb as a stand in GPS sounds pretty retarded, and I didn't need £92 to work that out for myself.

Much like Brexit really.

Born slippy: NASA Mars rover Perseverance to persevere on Earth a little longer as launch date pushed back again

It's called a "Launch Window" for a reason.

But note they still have till Aug 15th to get everything sorted. NASA and ULA could still make it happen. Telatively tight. Not impossible.

Aug 15th is also when SX would have to send something to Mars. They are unlikely to make it happen.

But 2022 should be a different story.

The Moon certainly ain't made of cheese but it may be made of more metal than previously thought, sensor shows

Funny you should say that...

Since the original Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter of the 1960's probe operators have detected orbital anomalies which indicates "mass concentrations" below the surface.

So what could another name for a "Masscon" be?

An ore body of course. And this instrument can give us some of that bodies electrical properties as well.

Thumbs up to the team. They seem to have built it to confirm a theory, but the theory is not confirmed. They have new facts and new questions to ask.

Exciting times.

After six months of stonewalling by Apple, app dev goes public with macOS privacy protection bypass

So the *illusion* of security

Without actual security.

Note it takes 2 fails to make this work.

So (in principle) Apple only has to fix 1 of them to stop it in its tracks.

They appear to have fixed neither.

Fintech biz Wirecard folds into insolvency like two pair against a flush. Good luck accessing your chip stack

"for E&Y what Enron was for Arthur Anderson"

Funny you should say that.

Because E&Y bought up 60% of AA's business when their role in Enron came out.

AA seems to have the "Auditor that likes to say 'Yes'" "

Now for legal reasons I'm not saying E&Y has inherited that title but it does look a tad concerning.

Maybe there is hope for 2020: AI that 'predicts criminality' from faces with '80% accuracy, no bias' gets in the sea

So he's from the NYPD.... Plenty of material there for looking at crims.

Just to get a reading for false positives you understand*

*Like f**k. There's at least one set of congressional hearings where officers were given immunity. Thieves with badges.

"He's a wrong'un gov, I can tell his eyes are too close to gether"

Becomes

"It's a crim. Computer says his eyes are too close together*"

Are they f**king kidding me? Seriously are they f**king kidding me?

*Except I've yet to see an ANN capable of that detailed an explanation.

Things that make you go foom: Destruction derby as NASA and SpaceX test rocket components to failure

People might like to note how long each programme has been going on.

IIIRC it's taken about 16 years for NASA to get here.

With SX it's been (I think I'm right in saying) less than 16 months.

And in 16 months time where will they both be?

Fujitsu, Japan strong-Arm their way to the top with world's fastest-known super: 415-PFLOPS Fugaku

I note the Intel microcode is a 3 address architecture.

Perhaps a more honest slogan for them would be "ARM inside (TM)"

What does London's number 65 bus have to hide? OS caught on camera setting fire to '22,000 illegal file(s)!!'

Hmmm. London busses as mobile backup vaults.

I think we've found a plot device for the next Laundry novel.

By emptying offices, coronavirus has hastened the paperless office

Holly s**t the 90's have finally arrived.

Paperless offices, teleworking.

All it took was a global pandemic and the 3rd highest number of deaths on the planet to make it so.

Why do I hear the voice of Dominic Cummins in my head saying "Trust me, when this is over we will be a smaller, better Britain."

Health Sec Hancock says UK will use Apple-Google API for virus contact-tracing app after all (even though Apple were right rotters)

But Y'know, cake?

Isn't that always better than no cake?

I wonder who did the architecture for this balls up.

It's always the same.

"We must collect this data and store it centrally (for at least 20 years)"

Why?

"Because we must"

Why?

"Because it's this thing we do and the universe will fall into chaos if we don't know everything about everybody all the time forever"

It's not a policy. It's a personality disorder.

Facebook boffins bake robo-code converter to take the pain out of shifting between C++, Java, Python

Back in the day the sign of a good CASE tool was...

If you could make all the manipulations you needed without digging into the code the system generated.

I worked with 2 such systems.

One never touched it. No problems.

Other. Some nappy had bought the code generated by the CASE model rather than the model itself.

It was f**king horrible.

"they are not guaranteed to be correct.""

75%

Is that better than some s**t flinging code monkey cut and pasting off stack exchange?

So let me see if I got this straight.

It takes a function (which is presumed to be 100% working) and maybe converts it to one that has 75% chance of working, but could be f**ked up in some way ?

One of the usual suspects (EDS perhaps?) was doing something like this where chunks of COBOL were emailed to their mainframe and chunks of C came back. These are big applications. I'm very unconvinced a bunch of ANN's is going to cut it for this. Computer languages <> human languages. 99% of human language ambiguity is designed out from day one to ensure they can be compiled.