Posts by mark l 2

US: We'll pull security co-operation if you lot buy from Huawei

The US argument that Huawei installed equipment will mean the Chinese state can spy on them is weak at best. There was a Panorama show about this very thing on the BBC this week. The GCHQ take on it is that spying would not be an issue. Anything sensitive would be encrypted anyway, so even if the Chinese were syphoning of data they wouldn't get anything of use. And although weaknesses are there in the security of the software on the Huawei 5G kit, it is more about bad coding than deliberate backdoors.

They do have other worries that they could be used to create DDOS style attacks on the UK network infrastructure but not about the Chinese spying.

Now that's service: TalkTalk customers enjoy a Friday morning free of pesky emails

I never use the ISP supplied email anymore after moving broadband provider and loosing access to a email address I had with NTL and them Virginmedia for over 10 years.

I am with Talktalk after taking up their recent offer of £19.99 PM for FTTC for 18 months. So far is has been working ok for me with no downtime since I switched 2 weeks ago. 2 weeks uptime is much better than the ADSL I had with Origin which would go down every nearly evening for a few minutes at a time.

French internet cops issue terrorist takedown for… Grateful Dead recordings?

I suspect the law enforcement agencies are using bots to identify what they see as terrorist content and no one is manually checking to see what it is actually is before the take down requests are issued.

I foresee the proposed UK law about website that are promoting 'harm' having the same problem. As harm is a very broad term which could cause lots of content that is legitimately allowed to get removed because the internet platforms will just start deleting content without checks rather than risk getting fined.

Uncle Sam charges Julian Assange with conspiracy to commit computer intrusion

Re: Bon Voyage

Well at this rate if he is off to the USA when Britain leaves the EU he will be spending another 7 years here.

London's Metropolitan Police arrest Julian Assange

Assuming the UK court throws the maximum sentence for skipping bail he would be given 12 months in custodial sentence. But UK law says for all fix term sentences under 10 years you are automatically released at the half way point. Which means that practically he would only do 6 months in prison and then be released on license in the community under probation supervision. So considering he has already spent the last 7 years in self imposed imprisonment inside the embassy 6 months would be relatively easy. Although it would depend on which prison he went to and whether he choice to go into the main population or onto the vulnerable prisoner wings. I suspect he would be a target for a few beating on the main wings as he would no doubt piss some people off.

It will be interesting to see if he was correct all along and this was all about getting he extradited to the US or not.

Free online tax filing? Yeah, that'll soon be illegal thanks to rare US Congressional unity

Are we surprised at the US government pulling this stunt? After all the US requires it's citizens to file tax returns even if they are no longer living in the US.

https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/us-citizens-and-resident-aliens-abroad-filing-requirements

You were warned and you didn't do enough: UK preps Big Internet content laws

What people have not mentioned is the backdoor way of the UK trying to enforce the removal of the end to end encryption from apps by saying that the platforms are responsible for whatever is shared on there. If currently they can't block 'harmful content' that is shared by their users because it is encrypted the only way that platforms like Telegram, Whatsapp etc can comply with the law is to monitor everything sent across their network. And they can only do that my removing the end to end encryption.

It's alive! Hands on with Microsoft's Chromium Edge browser

I understand why Microsoft wants a browser built into Windows 10 but if your a Chrome user already what is the advantage of switching, unless you are really anti Google? But I would hardly trust Microsoft any more than I would Google with my personal data.

You would be better off with the open source Chromium browser if you need Chrome extensions compatibility but don't want Microsoft or Google to slurp your data.

One step forward and one step back for Apple's privacy campaign with latest Safari build

After using Firefox on as my main browser on Linux Mint for about 9 years I can't say I have ever noticed a issue with a website that wouldn't work with HTML links. Which suggests if the ping option were to be removed/disabled from other browsers I doubt anyone would notice.

As the UK updates its .eu Brexit advice yet again, an alternative hovers into view

"Because .inc is virgin territory you will almost certainly be able to get your name – and perhaps even a better name that your current web address, he said"

They seem to be suggesting that you could get a 'better' domain name that might already be taken on the .com TLD. But if you don't own the 'better' .com then it would be risky to register a .inc for that name as you might end up loosing it, if the .com owner disputed your right to register it.

As well as the upfront and ongoing costs of the .inc being a lot higher than most other TLD, there are lots of additional costs from having to update all your other promotional material, stationary, etc to the new domain and i just don't see how it is worth it from a business perspective.

Scare-bnb: Family finds creeper cams hidden in their weekend rental by scanning Wi-Fi

It might not be a creep doing it to get off on the video, but a host who thought they would install a camera to be able to monitor their property to make sure it was not being abused, but didn't think of the consequences of having a hidden camera in their property.

You do hear stories about Airbnb properties being used for parties, escorts using them to host clients, or they just generally get trashed by the renters.

It doesn't say where the camera was installed in the article, a camera installed in the bathroom or bedroom has different connotations than one installed in the kitchen/lounge/hallway. If the camera had been installed in to protect the owners property they should have told the renters that the camera was there before they rented it and then it is up to the rents to accept that or not.

It might be quite a common thing in airbnb properties to have hidden cameras but most people wouldn't know how to detect them.

If there's 5G connectivity but no 5G devices on it, does it make a sound? Wait, no, that's not right

Most people probably don't need to download at 256Mbps that they achieve in the test never mind the 10Gbps they claim that it should be able to achieve on their phone. Especially when the phone companies still restrict the data allowance on most phone plans.

Where you do need higher bandwidth for things like streaming 4K video, are completely pointless on a phone screen that is 4 - 6 inches across where you probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference between 4K and 720p video.

Prepare yourselves for Windows 10 May-hem. Or is it June, no, July?

I think I will stick with marking my internet connection as metered so that Windows 10 will only install updates when I manually choose to.

Ex-Mozilla CTO: US border cops demanded I unlock my phone, laptop at SF airport – and I'm an American citizen

Re: They don't even know how

There was a documentary on the BBC a few years ago about a more humane way of executing prisoners on death row. One suggestion was to replace the oxygen in the air with another gas such as carbon monoxide or nitrogen. The person just feels sleepy has a slight feeling of euphoria before passing out and eventually croaking from hypoxia.

Don't be an April Fool: Update your Android mobes, gizmos to – hopefully – pick up critical security fixes

My phone has not seen an update from the manufacturer since September 2018, so doubt i will ever see anything from them regarding these fixes.

There is nothing wrong with the hardware, just the software is out of date

There are some custom ROMS available which might get these patches, but I have found that certain functions on the custom ROMs don't work due to closed source drivers in the original manufacturers Android build. Such as video recording from apps other than the stock camera app, waking the device up with the alarm clock and other niggles.

Someone's spreading an MBR-trashing copy of the Christchurch killer's 'manifesto' – and we're OK with this, maybe?

This virus sounds more like the viruses we used to have in the 80s and 90s that use to be passed around on floppy disks. Before the malware writers worked out they could make money from p0rning peoples computers rather than it being a political statement or to show off their skills.

Huawei's 2019 flagship smartphones: 'Things nobody else can do' but baby I swear it's déjà vu

To be honest you would need to have deep pockets it to warrant upgrading your top of the range handset every year.

It has now come to the point where mid range has good enough features for what the majority of people require. And even budget handsets are quite capable.

UK pr0n viewers plan to circumvent smut-block measures – survey

In no way will this stop the majority of people being able to access porn. It might slow them a bit until as the bigger sites will implement it but the more dodgy webmasters will find the IP addresses/Bots used by the BBFC and redirect them to a blackhole or sfw website to avoid having to implement age checks.

It is a law that has been brought in to appease mumsnet readers but it will be about as effective as using a sieve to bail out a sinking ship.

FAANGs for the memories: Breaking up big tech's biggest isn't a matter of if, but of when

I wouldn't personally include Netflix in that mix, they are one of the services that could easily become irrelevant in the next few years. They are spending a lot more on content than they are making in revenue and to try and increase subscriber numbers but that can't continue. Netflix are relying purely on subscribers as their only source of income. Other players in the online video subscription services such as Amazon, and the new entrants Apple and Disney all have vast cash piles and are successful in other areas so are able to rely less on the profits from subscribers.

We fought through the crowds to try Oculus's new VR goggles so you don't have to bother (and frankly, you shouldn't)

I am waiting for the first lawsuits brought about because of VR caused injuries, after all expecting people to put on a helmet so they can't see and then move around in a virtual space is bound to mean they fall, trip etc. Before you know it there will be ads for VR injury lawyers.

"Have you injured yourself while playing a VR game? Our no win no fee lawyers will get you the money you deserve"

Renegade Android apps can siphon off your web logins, browser history. So make sure Chrome or OS is patched, friends

On my Marshmallow based device when I looked on Google Play for webview I wasn't given an option to update, but rather to install the app as if it weren't there already. Which appears to go against what the article was saying that it is a system app.

I do have Chrome installed as well which had been automatically updated.

Android clampdown on calls and texts access trashes bunch of apps

Re: Enterprise apps? We've heard of them.

I guess you can still install apps from outside the playstore which can access these features still, and any apps that your phone manufacturer/network installs can still have permission to root around as much as they like.

Bandersnatch to gander snatched: Black Mirror choices can be snooped on, thanks to privacy-leaking Netflix streams

To be honest my ISP can barely keep the internet online for 24 hours without some drop outs, so I am not particularly worried they are going to start monitoring my online video habits by analysing encrypted traffic.

From MySpace to MyFreeDiskSpace: 12 years of music – 50m songs – blackholed amid mystery server move

Re: I wonder

I suspect that if it were all stuff uploaded on to Facebook was over 3 years ago, a good majority of people might not realise it was missing either.

Click here to see the New Zealand livestream mass-murder vid! This is the internet Facebook, YouTube, Twitter built!

I can only assume that the reason the video stream lasted online for 17 minutes was because a lot of the viewers did not bother to report the stream, which goes to show you of the mentality of some of the people who use Facebook.

As for using AI to identify terrorist videos, I think with today's video game graphics being very realistic and only getting better with every generation, it would make it hard for AI to identify when it is real and when it is someone just live streaming the latest FPS.

Unlike the author of this article, I think the terrorist would have still done the shooting even if he was unable to live stream the event. it would have still made the news worldwide and pushed his ideology without Facebook and the live stream.

Just look at Q! Watch out Microsoft, the next Android has a proper desktop PC mode

"Google has already announced its intention to make the Google Play Store 64-bit only later this year"

The way this was wrote suggest that the Google Play store will stop supporting 32-bit devices, which worried me as I have 2 perfectly functioning devices running 32bit versions of Android. So I did some further research and found the official line from Google is this:-

"We are not making changes to our policy on 32-bit support. Play will continue to deliver apps to 32-bit devices. This requirement means that apps with 32-bit native code will need to have an additional 64-bit version as well."

Samsung slings the skinny on its 12GB GötterDRAMmerung for next-gen smartmobes

I just don't see the need for 12GB RAM. How many apps do people really need to be running simultaneously on a phone? Also keep upping the RAM available makes developers lazy and create bloated software which uses lots of RAM. I have seen really simple apps using about 50MB of RAM, which is the same amount of RAM you could run an entire PC OS in the 1990s.

My laptop where I do run several applications at once and also occasional spin up a VM doesn't even have 12GB, yet I have not found the need to upgrade its RAM.

Can't do it the US way? Then we'll do it Huawei – and roll our own mobile operating system

Re: I suspect its a clone of Android

I agree it would be difficult to gain traction for a new OS if it wasn't compatible with existing apps, just ask Microsoft. So no doubt it will be based on a version of Android without the Gapps and probably a custom home screen launcher which is similar to what a lot of Chinese phones come with.

Just Android things: 150m phones, gadgets installed 'adware-ridden' mobe simulator games

Although I don't install many apps I have rooted my phone and installed AFwall firewall. So I can block an apps ability to connect to the internet if needed and remove apps even if they are installed in the system directory.

At last! A solution for those unable to wrench their gaze from Windows 10... Er, it's Your Phone

Instead of the limited Your Phone software that Microsoft offers, just download the Airdroid app.

It does pretty much everything the Your Phone app does but also works on more devices as you can install it on older Android versions, and as it connect though a web browser so your not locked in to using it just on Windows.

I have only ever used the free version which is good enough for my needs, but you can pay and get access to other features such as control your phone remotely over the internet, and even activating the camera remotely. It also has an iOS version but I have never tried that as I don't own any Apple hardware.

This is the Send, encrypted end-to-end, this is the Send, my Mozillan friend

Maybe it is only myself that thinks this, but I would rather the Mozilla developers spend their time fixing bugs and developing new features for Firefox, Thunderbird etc than trying to compete in the already crowded file sharing space. This new service sound to be just like Mega.nz which has been knocking around for a while now and there are other similar file sharing website which offer you the ability to automatically delete files after a number of downloads.

If you are worried about the file host being able to view the file you upload then encrypt them yourself before uploading.

Is this the way the cookie wall crumbles? Dutch data watchdog says nee to take-it-or-leave-it consent

I personally don't see a problem with a commercial website offering the option to accept the cookies or leave the website. If that is the only choice they don't get my business. I see it as no different than when a physical store might have a sign that says 'No shirt, No shoes, No service" it is your choice to go in the store or shop somewhere else that has a less restricted policy.

Obviously if it were a service providers website or a government run one that you have to access then that is a different matter and you should not then be required to accept cookies to access it.

Liz Warren: I'll smash up Amazon, Google, and Facebook – if you elect me to the White House

The breaking off of Instagram from Facebook would be a big blow to Zuckerburg. They should never have been allowed to buy Instagram in the first place. It was a viable competitor in social media before they took it over. And is becoming more popular with the youth than Facebook.com is now and this trend will probably continue.

Biker sues Google Fiber: I broke my leg, borked my ankle in trench dug to lay ad giant's pipe

I remember years ago when trenches were being dug for NTL cable TV in my area and they made a right mess of the pavements and left a trench uncovered at night which my friend fell into. But in that situation my friend had a case against the contractor who was undertaking the actual work rather than NTL and the contractor had liability insurance for such events which were the ones who made the payout.

So although the cables maybe being laid for Google services, I assume the contractors who actually undertook the work were independent and it is them that are liable for any damages from negligence not Google.

That marketing email database that exposed 809 million contact records? Maybe make that two-BILLION-plus?

I am guessing Verification.io business will be titsup within 6 months, not that I would be saddened in anyway by that. Why pay for their service now when you can download their entire db for free and do your own checks? Plus no doubt when the sh1t load of spam starts to hit these email addresses a lot will become abandoned by the owners and will therefore we worthless.

Buffer overflow flaw in British Airways in-flight entertainment systems will affect other airlines, but why try it in the air?

I guess if the in flight entertainment system is susceptible to being owned, it could be used by bad actors to cause panic on the plane.

Imagine someone were able to put a message on all the screens that their was a bomb on the plane or that the pilot was a terrorist who was going to crash the the aircraft.

Skype for Web arrives to bring the world together. As long as the world is on Chrome and... Edge?

I thought there was already a web version of Skype available at web.skype.com? I used it several times in the last year when I wanted to Skype from a PC without having to install the latest crappy Skype client.

Still fewer Windows 10 devices out there than Instagrammer Kylie Jenner has dollars

I don't know what disappoints me more? That someone who has no talent and was only famous from being on a reality show can make that much money. Or that Microsoft believe that we are all happy with the forced feature updates, telemetry, lack of customisation that comes on Windows 10.

Meizu ditched hole-free phone because it was 'just the marketing team messing about', not because no one really gave a toss

I could live without a headphone socket and any buttons, but I wouldn't want to rely on wireless charging only as I use my phone as a GPS sat nav when in the car which zaps the battery really quickly unless it is plugged in to power. And my phone battery is quite beefy 4000mAh one.

Correction: Last month, we called Zuckerberg a moron. We apologize. In fact, he and Facebook are a fscking disgrace

I don't even think you need to provide bank account or credit card details to receive money via Paypal. If you don't have an account already and someone sends money to your email, it gives you the option to sign up and create a Paypal account. You just need to put in your details and say your over 18 and you can then spend the funds or send them to another paypal account.

I know this because I accidentally gave the wrong email address to someone to pay me via Paypal which wasn't registered with Paypal so rather than refunding and asking them to send it again, I just went through and created an account on that email and then sent the money from that account to my actual Paypal. At no point was I required to prove any of the details I provided were genuine.

Sniff the love: Subaru's SUVs overwhelmed by scent of hair shampoo, recalls 2.2 million cars

Since break light switches have been around for decades without this problem, it appears that Subaru have tried to save a few dollars per car by using a cheap component and it has come to back to bit them in the arse.

It's not your imagination: Ticket scalper bots are flooding the internet according this 'ere study

Elbow frontman Guy Garvey indicated in a interview I saw that the ticket resale sites where these scalped tickets get re-sold, are controlled by the same people who sell the tickets in the first place.

So while they are making huge profits on reselling tickets they have no incentives to block bots.

Blocking bots or at least slowing them down is not as difficult as they are making out, for larger events where they expect the most bot traffic, they could switch the ordering page for a customised one that the bots have never seen with different fields, some required some not.

Sure they bot developers can tweak them to the new design but you could keep rotating the order page every few customers for a new one. Everytime the bot tries to fill in a field that was present on the old order form page and not on the new one, you ban that IP.

We're not throttling you, says Vodafone, claiming slow vid streaming is down to the 'cards'

Re: Bob the Builder

Unfortunately I don't think that may people use streaming to watch live TV, certainly for website such as Netflix, Iplayer, Youtube etc these are all video on demand so these Multicast wouldn't be suitable.

Age checks for online pr0n? I've never heard of it but it sounds like a good idea – survey

Re: Choices Choices.....

I wouldn't even pay £10 per month for a VPN. If you have a bit of technical know how which will be the majority of readers of El Reg. You can just get a low priced VPS for £30 a year (probably less if you shopped around) with a host based outside the UK and set up your own VPN using Open source software.

That way you know that your web browsing history isn't being collected by the VPN provider to sell on to the highest bidder.

Oh no, look out, Google, Facebook, and pals. You're doomed. Here comes another watchdog to, er, nip at your ankles

Once a company becomes as big as the likes of Facebook, Google etc they start to talk about monopolies and breaking them up. But in the tech industry things can change so quick that someone who once dominated can become an also ran almost overnight as customers start to flock to new startups offering something fresh.

Look at the likes of Myspace how quickly that was abandoned when Facebook came along. And Facebook would today be a lot more irrelevant had it not purchased Instagram which is used by a lot of young people who prefer it over Facebook. Sega and Nintendo ruled the consoles arena in the 8 and 16bit era were replaced by Sony and Microsoft once the move to 32bit started.

I am not saying that something shouldn't be done to about the power these companies have, but I think blocking acquisitions of smaller competitors would be a better start. Something if they had done back in the 1990s when Microsoft were buying anyone who made a half decent competitor product, might mean we had less vendor lock in, in the desktop OS and Office software today.

Windows 10 1809 looks unlikely to overtake prior build before 19H1 lands

The problem with these 'feature updates' for Windows OS every 6 months is they are essentially a reinstall of the whole OS. This can put your computer out of action for the best part of half a day, especially on older PCs with hard drives rather than SSDs.

Azure Kinect: All-seeing 3D camera shenanigans for everyone ... except consumers

"CEO Satya Nadella gave the example of patients falling in a hospital. A network of Azure Kinect cameras could, according to Microsoft, detect patients about to take a tumble and summon staff to come to their aid."

I fail to see how a Kinect camera would be able to get a member of staff to a patent before they hit the ground? Unless the staff member was stood next to them in the room, in which case they would probably see it for themselves.

Linus Torvalds pulls pin, tosses in grenade: x86 won, forget about Arm in server CPUs, says Linux kernel supremo

Re: Tere's simply no rational reasons to run ARM servers.

Well unless your a big player who buys servers buy the truck load, your Facebook, Google, etc. I expect they have seriously looked at it from a financial and supply aspect to look at replacing Intel with ARM. Using ARM means your not stuck with relying on one manufacturer to supply CPU's who can increase prices as they like or might have supply issues.

You're on a Huawei to Hell, US Sec State Pompeo warns allies: Buy Beijing's boxes, no more intelligence for you

So are the US intelligence agencies say that they either don't encrypt the intelligence information they share or that they think the encryption is easily cracked? As If it is properly encrypted they could send it on a USB stick to the Chinese and it should still remain secret.

WTF PDF: If at first you don't succeed, you may be Adobe re-patching its Acrobat, Reader patches

Flash - Nuke it from Orbit it's the only way to be sure.

While your at it, drop a few bombs on the Adobe coders, as the less badly coded bloatware they release the better. I can't imagine that Photoshop is much better coded, it is just not as widely installed as Flash and Acrobat