* Posts by Dan 55

15336 publicly visible posts • joined 13 Jun 2009

Slashdot, SourceForge looking for new owners after parent dumps them on the web's doorstep

Dan 55 Silver badge
Trollface

Re: Lost credibility

So who are El Reg's BBC-hating pro-copyright right-wing climate-sceptic sponsors?

Windows 10 in head-on crash with Nvidia drivers as world watches launch

Dan 55 Silver badge

Re: Update Clash

You say that as if it's a widespread problem.

Dan 55 Silver badge
FAIL

You mean they've made the Windows Update show/hide update control panel available as a separate download in response to an update borking the system? This is progress and will surely be useful when an update goes wrong and you can only boot in safe mode and then realise you've got no network. So you download it on your phone and realise you've got no bluetooth or phone drivers. So you use USBOTG to transfer it from the phone to a USB memory stick... you have actually got a USBOTG cable, haven't you? Etc etc and bloody etc...

Your post will be downvoted by people who realise that until home versions of Windows work as reliably as an appliance it should not have the associated debugging tools removed and enterprise versions should never have them removed.

Google Californian warehouse workers file to form union

Dan 55 Silver badge
Devil

Google Express saw an opportunity in the market

"What local businesses and customers were missing was a middleman employing people in poor working conditions. We at Google thought we were just the right company to step in and remedy that. We even outsourced it all to Adecco so we've got someone to blame."

Desperate Microsoft PAYS Win Server 2003 laggards to jump ship

Dan 55 Silver badge
Devil

Got to stop those Linux/BSD migrations whatever the cost...

Although they might find they can't even give away TIFKAM for free.

Hole in (Number) Two: MYSTERY golf-course pooper strikes again

Dan 55 Silver badge

Re: @ hplasm(was:an application to put up surveillance cameras has been denied.")

It's not really personal property though, it's business open to the public which requires the public to visit.

Dan 55 Silver badge
Coat

Sounds like an inside job to me...

BONK! BONK! Windows 10 whack-a-mole – Microsoft still fixing bugs

Dan 55 Silver badge
Flame

Re: This "Get Windows 10" widget...

Yes, MS pushed them out again a week or so ago so they install again even after uninstalling and hiding them and I imagine it won't be the last time this happens over the next year. So now they're using Windows Update as Coupon bloody Monkey.

Got an Android phone? SMASH IT with a hammer – and do it NOW

Dan 55 Silver badge

Re: Meep.

Although you do need someone technically competent or a technically competent team compiling the custom ROM for your phone, not a primadonna compiling an unofficial version of CM which lasts about an hour between reboots and ignoring all the bug reports. Not the best criteria for buying expensive hardware.

So what the BLINKING BONKERS has gone wrong in the eurozone?

Dan 55 Silver badge

I didn't mean to imply that there were no such things as mortgages but there were certainly no such things as 120% mortgages at Euribor + 1/2 a point.

I don't believe I said 14 payments a year was universal. Some even get 15 payments a year, which is regarded as even better than 14... (in spite of it being worse)

Dan 55 Silver badge
Devil

What did joining the eurozone bring for the little people? Low interest rates for the southern countries which means a flood of credit. High inflation because of the credit and the general confusion over the currency changeover (hurray, we can charge twice as much for everything from a cup of coffee to a shoebox flat) meaning effective wage devaluation.

And there was a generally low financial knowledge amongst the population, why would they need it? Until then there was no credit. Even companies structured (and still do structure) their employees' salary so in June and December they receive double months' pay so all the saving's for Summer holidays and Christmas has been done for them *. Saving for retirement is not necessary either as there's very little in the way of private pensions.

* but it's not really a bonus though as a month's pay is calculated to be 1/14th of the yearly salary so the employee is effectively giving the company two interest-free loans a year.

Corrupt "you acratch my back, I'll scratch yours" governments in southern Europe loving the credit and European development subsidies, why would they get their affairs in order? Affairs have never been better.

German banks effectively lending the southern countries money so they can buy their Audis. It was never going to end well.

Ballmer's billion-dollar blunders: When he gambled Microsoft's money and lost

Dan 55 Silver badge

Re: There's also the Fligt Simulator franchise shutdown, and the utterly "Flight" failure...

The important question is if they'll be able to somehow pin Windows 10's inevitable disaster on Ballmer.

Dan 55 Silver badge
Facepalm

Of course it is, with entities named like...

- Do this like in Word 95.

- Do that like in Word 2003.

Today's smart home devices are too dumb to succeed

Dan 55 Silver badge

First step is a standardised storage attached to the router, and a standardised scripting language and SQL database as part of the router firmware, there's not much that can be done without that. Otherwise you'd need an Apple TV to control Apple's lightbulbs, a Samsung box for Samsung's stuff, a Google box for Google's stuff, etc etc etc... I doubt most people want a string of boxes under the telly with power supplies, each with their own settings, and so on.

New study into lack of women in Tech: It's not the men's fault

Dan 55 Silver badge
Mushroom

Re: Media stereotypes?

I personally believe the Disney Princess factory should be nuked from orbit as it churns out a non-stop propaganda aimed at all ages from defenceless 2-3 olds upwards, but the US would probably see that as an act of war.

Post-pub nosh neckfiller: Southern biscuits and gravy

Dan 55 Silver badge
Mushroom

Bake in oven at 220°C for 12 minutes

Or alternatively just leave outside to slow cook for 24 minutes.

How about post-pub cold nosh for those currently "enjoying" the heatwave? Salmorejo?

Jeep breach: Scared? You should be, it could be you next

Dan 55 Silver badge
Facepalm

So am I to understand that you are reassured by attackers having go through the laborious process of buying a Sprint phone on PAYG or the nigh-on impossible task of pwning an Android phone on Sprint before pwning the Jeep?

Happy birthday, Amiga: The 'other' home computer turns 30

Dan 55 Silver badge
Thumb Up

Re: Ah, the good old days!

Exactly the same experience, I really couldn't understand how MS had managed to make Windows so difficult to program after having used intuition.library and so on.

Of course now I know that MS just threw shit at the fan for years until they got Windows 3.1 and considered that they'd caught up with the Mac and the x86 didn't help (handles, thunks, WTF).

Scorchio! This June was the sixty-sixth hottest on record

Dan 55 Silver badge

Re: @ Dan 55

If this article were to plant doubts in peoples' minds, it would have to...

Compare the old and new NOAA datasets with historical UK temperature reading data and find the new NOAA dataset is x% less accurate than the old NOAA dataset in the areas covered by UK temperature reading data (that's to say, the UK). That's if we can use the UK temperature reading data is reliable enough to be used as a control. There and probably other too, I'm not a statistician.

Mention that NASA and JMA also drew similar 'hottest on record' conclusions and in some way take that into account instead of not mentioning them at all for some reason. This was just after a casual Google search, I didn't really need to go digging for that.

As it is the article just uses a scattergun approach which doesn't seem to hit anything and makes people immediately think "June in the UK != June in the world".

Dan 55 Silver badge
Holmes

June in the UK != June in the world.

Case closed.

Rare cases of corruption strike Apple. Data corruption, that is

Dan 55 Silver badge

The firmware update appears to update a Samsung drive part number (BXW1PA0Q) but it only works on mid-2015 Retina MacBook Pros. I think Apple let you choose SSDs for other Macs in the online store and of course you could fit one yourself, why don't they push it out to everyone?

HP slaps dress code on R&D geeks: Bin that T-shirt, put on this tie

Dan 55 Silver badge
Facepalm

Re: My brain hurts

If you look at HP's printer drivers you can tell that their brains are struggling with them but it's not something a dress code can fix.

Want longer battery life? Avoid the New York Times and The Grauniad

Dan 55 Silver badge
Flame

Re: Outside, trying to get in

Until fairly recently I would use RequestPolicy and hand craft policies to get rid of social networks, 'elsewhere on the web', and so on like an idiot but now when there are sites which bring in 70 (according to the ad blocker's icon) off-site scripts and hang waiting if one of them goes down which is a fairly regular occurance if there are 70, it's ad blockers all the way.

And how this set up not be subverted? Last year El Reg was peddling WhatsApp for PCs which was a scam but they probably had no idea that that was what they were pushing.

If they put a "please please disable your ad blocker" message which I now have on by default to navigate the treacherous waters that are the Internet I might relent if they're not loading a tonne of off-site stuff.

They brought it upon themselves.

Get root on an OS X 10.10 Mac: The exploit is so trivial it fits in a tweet

Dan 55 Silver badge

Re: A simple temporary fix or am I missing something here?

Just out of interest, here's the same for Yosemite 10.10.4... security_authtrampoline is a name which inspires confidence.

/bin/ps

/bin/rcp

/System/Library/CoreServices/RemoteManagement/ARDAgent.app/Contents/MacOS/ARDAgent

/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/Install.framework/Versions/A/Resources/runner

/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/SystemAdministration.framework/Versions/A/Resources/readconfig

/usr/bin/at

/usr/bin/atq

/usr/bin/atrm

/usr/bin/batch

/usr/bin/crontab

/usr/bin/ipcs

/usr/bin/login

/usr/bin/newgrp

/usr/bin/quota

/usr/bin/rlogin

/usr/bin/rsh

/usr/bin/su

/usr/bin/sudo

/usr/bin/top

/usr/lib/sa/sadc

/usr/libexec/authopen

/usr/libexec/security_authtrampoline

/usr/sbin/traceroute

/usr/sbin/traceroute6

Dan 55 Silver badge

Re: You Eretic!

How? We don't let the dynamic linker open arbitrary files for writing using the current processes' permissions because the current processes' permissions might be system-wide.

This looks like a thing that Apple thought was cool in-house, someone had a brainwave and said "wouldn't this be cool for our developers", and it got included.

It wouldn't have got into any of the proper BSDs, I tell you that much.

Neat but narky at times: Pebble Time colour e-paper watch

Dan 55 Silver badge

So if the Pebble Time quickstart guide tells you to download the Pebble app, as you say, then it's not going to work...

Austrian court rules online radio streaming is not broadcasting

Dan 55 Silver badge

Re: Just cos it's legal doesn't mean it's right

Could they make public content paid for by a TV licence PPV? I can see that ending up in court.

Indeed they can apply whatever access controls they like which aren't discriminatory, apart from linking them to the TV licence.

Dan 55 Silver badge

Re: Just cos it's legal doesn't mean it's right

That would be trying to the licence fee mandatory for accessing content via something other than broadcast, which was just clarified by the court. They would get taken to court again and the court would tell them to take the login off.

NSPCC: Two nonces nailed by cops every day

Dan 55 Silver badge
Facepalm

Re: Smut filter and nonce-catching

There isn't.

Icon is in place of the Reg gravestone icon.

Even Microsoft thinks Outlook is bloated and slow

Dan 55 Silver badge

Re: Brilliant idea, Microsoft

I bet I know why this exists... Send probably connects directly to the Exchange server whereas the ex-Acompli Outlook app connects via Azure. Haven't checked it but it's probably that.

So instead of fixing the Outlook app they make another app.

Now try explaining that to the users.

How British spies really spy: Information that didn't come from Snowden

Dan 55 Silver badge

Re: Why are they not more often in the news ?

Well they can't because they won't use the evidence they collect in court. Apparently people might realise that they can tap phones.

Dan 55 Silver badge

Re: OK, let me get this straight..

What I understood from the article is that they're saying that logging onto Google.co.uk and searching is considered external yet logging onto gmail.com and sending an email to another British resident is considered internal.

Either something's wrong with the assurances or they use the definition which is most convenient at the time.

Windows 10 on Mobile under the scope: Flaws, confusion, and going nowhere fast

Dan 55 Silver badge

Re: A Unified Experience

Your step two should be this...

2a) Windows Phone 7

2b) Windows Phone 8 - Windows Phone 8.1

I believe WP8.1 wasn't a complete re-write, just MS not having any idea what to do with the UI.

At least with Symbian you could see Nokia's slow bureaucratic progress and by the time they got to Anna and Belle they had updates which people actually looked forward to. MS hardly get the thing out the door, lose nerve, and go back to square one.

SPECTRE-tacular: New trailer out for Bond 24. But where's the pussy?

Dan 55 Silver badge

You mean if they don't have a book to borrow heavily from it turns out a bit naff?

See Quantum of Solace. And Skyfall (although I hear there some people who like that).

Spanish judge dodges the ultimate question – is Uber a taxi company?

Dan 55 Silver badge
WTF?

Uber gets by where there is a legal framework for minicabs. In Spain there's a legal framework for taxis but not for minicabs, they simply don't exist. Why would he need to refer it to the ECJ?

Microsoft has RECORD quarter, in a BAD way - Sad Nad slashes phone biz

Dan 55 Silver badge

Re: Killing off Lumia

Why on earth would Nokia make WP after how well it went for them last time?

TITSUP: Apple Music, App Stores, iCloud, iTunes, Radio, iBooks

Dan 55 Silver badge
FAIL

And this is the thing HomeKit is going to be connected to?

So much for that idea.

Are you a Tory-voting IT contractor? Congrats! Osborne is hiking your taxes

Dan 55 Silver badge
Meh

Re: Yes, they will emigrate

I don't think Spaniards and Greeks are busy comparing the tax regimes with an Excel spreadsheet before they decide upon the most favourable country to go to, they just want a damn job.

Those that speak English better start their job search in the UK and Ireland, those that speak German better start their job search in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, and any of those countries will probably have better tax regime and/or working conditions than Spain or Greece.

Microsoft: Hey, you. Done patching Windows this month? WRONG

Dan 55 Silver badge

The problem isn't that Windows on a 386 without an Internet connection couldn't, it's that Windows on a Core i7 with an Internet connection can't.

Dan 55 Silver badge
Facepalm

Re: Adobe crapware again?

Well if you were in my places of work at the time you certainly were...

I wondered why that was getting so many downvotes. Bloody memory.

But the gist was there wasn't (and still isn't) enough distinction between server and desktop Windows.

Dan 55 Silver badge

Re: huh?

@AC:

Then look at a Mac which maintains the separation and still manages to comfortably beat Windows.

http://arstechnica.com/apple/2013/10/os-x-10-9/19/

Dan 55 Silver badge

Re: Adobe crapware again?

NT was a server OS, it doesn't really matter how fast a server OS repaints windows or scrolls the console screen. I don't remember NT 3.51 being noticeably more slower than Windows 3.1 for general use and as it was a server OS nobody was running Photoshop on it.

They should have gone with the idea of merging the Windows 95/NT lines into XP but having two XPs. A server XP done properly, a desktop XP which had stuff in the kernel if necessary, and one compatible API to rule them all. Instead their idea of a server OS is the same as a desktop OS with a registry key to be able to use Active Directory.

Dan 55 Silver badge

Re: Kernel mode fonts

If we are to believe the white paper ( https://technet.microsoft.com/library/cc750820.aspx ) then the GDI could be taken out of the kernel and brought back into userland without affecting compatibility. When they moved GDI into the kernel they left a GDI userland stub that Win32 programs continued to call and so maintained compatibility between NT 3.51 and NT 4.

"Application developers are not affected by this move. The Win32 APIs are unaffected. And though Window Manager and GDI are now contained within the Windows NT Executive, all Win32 APIs are still accessed with the same User32 and GDI32 interfaces."

But we don't know if we are to believe the white paper as they spend most of the end of it protesting too much about how it didn't affect stability when it so obviously did. And let's savour at the following final paragraph in the summary...

"Ultimately, integrating the Window Manager and GDI subsystems into the Windows NT Executive is simply another step in the continuous improvement of Windows NT. It allows Windows NT to continue to define, within the framework of the Windows 32-bit operating system family, a new standard for personal computing that is both high-end and mainstream at one and the same time."

Yes, Windows was all things to all people then as it is now. One size fits all, then it was desktop and server and now it's desktop, tablet, and phone. How's that clusterfuck working out for them...?

Dan 55 Silver badge

Re: I hate this

Just leave it, if you interrupt it it's worse. If you've got an Atom netbook then that might mean leaving it the whole damn day.

All because MS won't release any more SPs for Windows 7 above SP1, if the release cycle were like XP's it should be on SP3 or SP4 by now. Got to push people onto the latest and greatest trainwreck you know.

Dan 55 Silver badge

Re: Kernel mode fonts

Because David Cutler was overruled by billg and the GDI subsystem (complete with fonts and printing) was shoved into the kernel.

Google dumps ISP email support. Virgin Media takes ball, stomps home

Dan 55 Silver badge
Devil

Re: who cares

I don't mind so much about the e-mail now, but it would be nice to have Usenet and a web space with a domain with your broadband.

Jumpers for goalposts, Demon Internet (see icon), those were the days, eh?

Dead device walking: Apple iPod Touch 6th generation

Dan 55 Silver badge

Re: Tempting for devs?

It's not just tempting for devs. It's a posh Nintendo DS.

UK.gov makes total pig's ear of attempt to legalise home CD ripping

Dan 55 Silver badge

I don't think they particularly care, it's unenforceable. What they want is the money from a new tax on recordable media and digital players.

A dual-SIM smartphone in your hand beats two in the bush

Dan 55 Silver badge

Re: They will send SMS

That's why you check the specs beforehand.

Although most dual SIM phones restrictions are 1) data off one SIM only and 2) no juggling calls on both SIMs at the same time with call waiting (if you're talking then a call to the other number goes straight to voicemail).

Which is perfectly reasonable for saving money while travelling. If you have business use with data then maybe not.

Here's why Whittingdale kicked a subscription BBC into the future

Dan 55 Silver badge

Re: "Other countries are bounding ahead"

If you remove the content that has a broad appeal you have to reduce the licence fee.

If you reduce the licence fee then you won't have the money to make documentaries that also have a broad appeal like the Blue Planet series, Wonders of the Universe series, or others that you can take your pick from...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:BBC_television_documentaries

The BBC's remit has to be that serves the whole population otherwise it won't be able to do that, it really will be restricted to the middle classes. Alternative funding proposals all seem to lead to turning it into another Arte, which is a joint effort between two countries' broadcasters and even then it's so niche its audience share is 1-2%. As much as we all like to complain, who's going to say that this is the kind of BBC that they want?