Posts by Dan 55

Microsoft: Behold, at some later date, the next generation of Windows

Re: Poor Show, The Register

What did the ZX80 do to deserve that fate?

Apple is happy to diss the desktop – it knows who's got the most to lose

Re: "Legacy of single user on a disconnected PC"

Don't buy it - MS had to bludgeon the developers to write software which accepted long filenames with spaces and not dump whatever it wanted (.inis, .dlls and whatever else it wanted) into C:\Windows.

This is why the main directories (e.g. Program Files) were long names which were localised and had spaces, to force developers to write software which asks the OS where files should go.

And still there were Raymond Chen-style work-arounds for specific software.

How can you have proper security with that going on?

Apple patches macOS flaw exploited by malware to secretly snap screenshots

Re: "since Apple just threw its desktop operating system under the bus"

You want to be thankful they haven't been giving it as much attention as they could, when they do they only find new ways to lock it down and iOSify even more. The end of the line for me was Mojave.

Conflicting messaging overshadows NHS Digital's attempts to inform public about patient data slurp

Re: Where your data is stored - apparently NOT in the UK!

It suggests they haven't updated the privacy policy since last year (but probably longer), i.e. it's not worth the bog roll it's printed on.

Re: Link to opt-out form

Not that easy. You have to opt out at national level (that link) and at GP level. See previous article and comments.

Re: We do not sell data. We only seek to recoup costs

Have you seen the NHS' pitiful budget lately? I guess this is where the promised £350 million a week is going to come from.

Doncaster insurance firm One Call hit by not-dead-at-all Darkside ransomware gang

Re: Their site hasn't been patched since 2013...

So it doesn't appear to be an "entirely new and secure environment".

Re: It wont be long yeah

I guess they would rather do that than install Qubes OS because companies always prefer the option which requires least expertise.

Google's 'Ask me anything' on Privacy Sandbox was more about questions than answers

The answer is staring Google in the face

FLoC is about... ways to do ad targeting when third-party cookies and the profiles built based on them are not available any more

They're not available because people don't want to be targeted.

What happens when too many people block FLoC, will Google understand what they are being told or just invent yet another piece of Googly ad-tech software?

Apple's macOS is sub-par for security, Apple exec Craig Federighi tells Epic trial

Re: He does have a point, even if it's draconian

Oops, perhaps I could have written that post slightly better.

Re: He does have a point, even if it's draconian

Not really.

This post was brought to you by the words goto and fail and the semicolon.

Lessons have not been learned: Microsoft's Modern Comments leave users reaching for the rollback button

Re: "Modern Commenting"

"Modern software" - it's a bit shit, isn't it?

Or given all the abstraction going on, it's shit all the way down.

The Microsoft Authenticator extension in the Chrome store wasn't actually made by Microsoft. Oops, Google

Their fantastic algorithm has never heard of Microsoft.

Re: Epic

Coming to an iPhone near you if Epic wins its case against Apple.

Why would the outcome of that case (which appears to be mainly about the billing processor) affect Apple not allowing fake apps in their store?

Yahoo! Japan! offers! free! comment!-moderation!-as!-a!-service! API!

Re: By any other name

Yahoo Japan is zapping 20,000 posts a day which seems a lot to me.

I'm surprised it's only 20,000 posts a day.

Linux laptop biz System76 makes its first foray into the mechanical keyboard world with dinky, hackable Launch

Re: Weird layout

The bottom three rows on the left-hand side are slightly indented. I guess the intention was to do the same on the right-hand side so the indent on the enter key matches the indent on the left-hand side, but then you've got the cursor-key cluster underneath that on the bottom two rows spoiling the effect because they've got nowhere else to go.

Re: Model M

New Model M does have a Windows key and a USB version.

Re: I'd rather they expanded beyond US shores

Have a look at Tuxedo and XMG on this side of the pond.

Re: Why?

Possibly so you could change it to generate the right keycodes for customisable keycaps placed in whatever position you want. But then again their software should sort that out on the computer too.

But then again System 76 is open source where possible so they're offering it out of principle.

That is not TKL

It's missing more than the number pad. Seems like... (squints)... something like a 75% keyboard to me.

And it's not ISO... If only there were a hot-swappable ANSI/ISO board.

More power to web apps, cries Google, and more privacy, too

So, to resume

Chrome is adding more APIs which allow remote access to hardware which was previously only available locally and it makes everything private, except when it's not.

Us? Pwn SolarWinds? With our reputation? Russian spy chief makes laughable denial of supply chain attack

From the same playbook

Salisbury novichok suspects say they were only visiting cathedral

Kiss goodbye to privacy forever when brain-implanted comms gear becomes the norm – guru Whit Diffie

Re: "you won't be competitive without it"

At the moment e-mail clients, calendar clients, IM, calls (either POTS or OTT), and meetings all vie for your attention along with other miscellaneous notifications on mobile and computer. Some days when all of that is going off all day are terrible for productivity, is the guy saying all of that happening in your head is going to make you even more competitive?

Microsoft sheds some light on perplexing Outlook blank email incident: Word was to blame

"when I have disabled both windows update and office update"

So even if you disable updates, MS can force an update on you. This time it fixed something (which probably didn't need fixing because you had updates disabled), next time it could screw up things.

LG intranet leaks suggest internal firesale of unsold, unreleased smartphones as biz exits the mobile market

Or maybe you want to show off your new-found cooking abilities on Insta?

Apple sent my data to the FBI, says boss of controversial research paper trove Sci-Hub

Re: "You have NO privacy. Get over it"

Does Scott think if you roll back government so it's the size of a tiny shrivelled walnut then Facebook, Google, and so on will suddenly behave themselves and stop doing what they've been doing for 15-20 years?

I think he needs to get over himself.

'Biggest data grab' in NHS history stuffs GP records in a central store for 'research' – and the time to opt out is now

Re: @anonymous boring coward

You said you didn't like GDPR but didn't say why.

We then established that your privacy is important to you. In my opinion this is a good thing.

Then you claimed:

Which they are trying to apply to the world when they impose it on EU citizen data regardless of the country.

This is the basis for your argument that the EU is trying to impose GDPR worldwide. Your claim is not true, and I corrected you.

If online companies wish to deal with EU/EEA residents' data or sell into the EU/EEA online, they have to follow the law there. This is a pretty normal thing, just like other companies exporting to the EU/EEA having to follow food/drink/safety/standards laws, and it's pretty difficult to coherently argue otherwise (as you have failed to do).

I don't think there are any more loose ends to tie up here, so I'll leave it here.

Re: @anonymous boring coward

Yes. Online business outside the EU/EEA that deal with data belonging to people inside the EU/EEA or sell into the EU/EEA have to follow GDPR. Otherwise it would be pretty useless, wouldn't it?

It doesn't apply to EU/EEA citizens outside the EU/EEA, which is what you wrongly claimed.

It even says on the page that GDPR doesn't apply for "occasional instances" and SMEs are exempt from onerous record keeping.

Why don't you go back and read it again, and then the next time you post about GDPR hopefully you won't be posting incorrect information?

Re: @anonymous boring coward

Which they are trying to apply to the world when they impose it on EU citizen data regardless of the country.

Well there you are, you don't understand GDPR so you've obviously got the wrong idea.

It applies to EU + EEA countries and their residents. No more, no less.

Happy to correct you.

Re: @anonymous boring coward

What are you on about? It's the EU's data protection directive transposed into national law for 27 countries + the EEA.

Also, what is your opinion about California's newest privacy law? Is that being pushed onto the world or not? If not, why not? Will California be cut off from the world? The commentariat demand answers, not emotive statements without anything to back them up, show your working!

Re: @anonymous boring coward

If your privacy is not relevant, please reply posting your full name, full contact details, DOB, and bank account numbers here.

Otherwise I assume your privacy is, in some way however small, relevant to you.

Re: Get your tin foil hat on!

Health data usage was the quid pro quo for free healthcare at the point of provision.

[citation required]

Re: Good Law Project.

The support button on their website.

Re: So if it gets "lost" you've no proof you opted out.

You can notarise a copy of the form before sending and send it as recorded delivery but if they want to wiggle out of it there's nothing to prove the form was inside the envelope, only that you have a true copy of original form and they're received the envelope.

Re: "The UK enacted GDPR through the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA2018)"

I guess you meant 20-12-31, i.e. 31/12/2020, which I'd agree with.

Every Max Schrems victory since then either in court or in a DPA ruling means nothing in the UK. There's quite a lot of news from 2021 on NOYB's website.

Tell the Good Law Project about it. They may want to take it on.

Water's wet, the Pope's Catholic, and iOS is designed to stop folk switching to Android, Epic trial judge told

Epic chose to set up their own games store on Android and then pulled it a year and a half later and went back to the Play Store.

They also have an Epic games store for Mac and PC.

If they had ever put two and two together they could have had a cross platform Android, Mac, and PC games store with cross-buy and cross-play which would beat Steam and they cound legitimately accuse Apple of locking them out.

But at the moment it seems they seem to want other people to do the work for them.

You an buy audio book from Audible, you get to access it on the Audible app on any platform it's available.

You buy an audio book from Apple, you get to access it on the iTunes app (I think) on any platform it's available.

You subscribe to Disney+, you get to access it on the Disney+ app on any platform it's available.

You obviously don't buy an audio book from Apple and get to access it on the Audible app on any platform it's available. You yourself said this as if you didn't have a problem with it.

And yet it's exactly what Epic want as well... buy Fortnite DLC from Apple and get to access it on the Play Store app from Google, Galaxy Store from Samsung, Steam from Valve, and other unrelated platforms.

Re: Computing 101 - one platform's software doesn't run on another

So they would like magic money stuff to happen between competing companies without bothering Epic.

Re: Computing 101 - one platform's software doesn't run on another

And how would buying something from the Apple App Store and it working on all other stores for all other platforms work?

Computing 101 - one platform's software doesn't run on another

It's a sad indictment of the legal system that Epic thinks it can bullshit the judge and get away with this argument.

Another platform on which Java will not run – platform 1 of Newcastle's Central Station

Re: Java runs on 3 Billions devices ... .sometimes

Write once, debug everywhere.

App Tracking: Apps plead for users to press allow, but 85% of Apple iOS consumers are not opting in

NordVPN, Private Internet Access, and Squarespace tend to sponsor videos though.

And to be honest if they pay the content creator instead of YouTube, fair enough.

Re: May not be directly related...

On Android, NewPipe (add NewPipe's repository to FDroid to get the updates quicker) or YouTube Vanced (people say good things but I've never tried it).

On the desktop, not sure which add-on is doing this but between uBlock Origin and Enhancer for YouTube I don't see any ads.

Microsoft embraces Linux kernel's eBPF super-tool, extends it for Windows

This will be an affront to God and man

Extending systemd Security Features with eBPF

That's right, the only place guaranteed free from systemd, the Linux Kernel, won't be any more.

Nasdaq's 32-bit code can't handle Berkshire Hathaway's monster share price

Re: Sinclair Basic

By the time they got to the Spectrum it apparently wasn't that bad, at least as far as floating point was concerned.

Re: Bah!

Oddly enough Sinclair Basic floats are stored at a higher precision than C floats (five bytes vs four).

Facebook: Nice iOS app of ours you have there, would be a shame if you had to pay for it

Re: They can’t charge for it anyway..

You aren't owed an explanation for why a stupid idea is stupid from random people on the internet.

It's literally how pre-MS Skype worked (search for the section on conferencing) unless all calling participants were behind a NAT and firewall in which case a supernode (a high bandwidth server not behind a NAT/firewall) was chosen instead. Presumably this will not be so necessary with IPv6.

But anyway, downvote away, peanut gallery.