Posts by Arctic fox

Microsoft exec warns of business functions being sacrificed on the altar of AI

Re: ".....the dogshit bandwagon that is AI...."

I have to admit that whenever I see or hear one of those Silicon Valley venture toerags talking about this kind of thing I am torn between thinking "Bridge salesman" and "Quacksalver"

California upgrade company aims militarized 'Tactical' Cybertruck at police forces

Re: "Yep, all of them."

Doubt that. Given how he opened his posting I would be very surprised if his homebois weren't Attila and Genghis.

Re "I'm sorry people are making fun of your cybertruck."

It's all too easy to make fun of is it not? Late, way too expensive and appalling quality control during production. One example:

https://insideevs.com/news/717730/cybertruck-owner-issues-1-month-pedal/

As for the remarks regarding "left-wing nutjobs" passed by the one you were replying to what can one say? He has simply very clearly identified which type of nutjob he is :).

You OK, Apple? Seriously, your silicon lineup is … a mess

Re: Not for the Likes of Us

Even that has begun to loose its shine for many of the i-Fanbois. It is only a very few years ago that the launch of new Apple kit mandated queues round the block on launch day with the customers high-fiving one another as they emerged from their local Apple emporium with their latest shiny. Dare I suggest the commoditization has to some degree now begun to affect Apple kit as well?

Lawyer guilty of arrogance after ignoring tech support

@Korev Re: "Well the Z in Regomised is still there..."

Indeed. Although we have a fair number of compadres from across the Pond who read and post here El Reg is still (AFAIK) a British English website.

Zoom CEO reportedly tells staff: Workers can't build trust or collaborate... on Zoom

To be honest my first thought when reading this article was:

Elon Musk.

OpenAI's ChatGPT has a left wing bias – at times

Re: "'coz Biden would be Center-Right almost anywhere else..."

Indeed he would. In fact, to put it in specifically British terms, he would be regarded as a traditional One Nation Tory (an almost extinct species in the modern British Nasty Party).

Japanese supermarket watches you shop so AI can suggest more stuff to buy

@Neil Barnes Re: "so you have to search the whole store!"

Indeed. In fact I will often go out of my way to avoid stores that do this in order to avoid having to go out of my way if I shop in them :).

Microsoft nopes out after Twitter starts charging $$$ for API access

Re: In the good old US of A

Even in the US company A would have to show that company B had some form of contractual agreement with them that company B was now in breach of.

Let me see now...

Company A puts it's prices up and company B ceases to buy from them. Company A then threatens to sue. Have I got that right? In what universe is that a basis for a lawsuit?

Government by Gmail catches up with UK minister... who is reappointed anyway

@AC "....her personal phone that was hacked...

Given the type of idiocy she has so clearly been guilty of we know with utter certainty that she would cheerfully have conducted confidential government business on her private phone (and probably did) without a care in the world. She is a major league dishonest plank. Choice of icon? With her woeful ignorance of all matters of IT-security what else?

China chip imports down 12.4% as tech trade war with US intensifies

Re: ...."to prevent it stealing industrial technology from Europe,,,,,,"

Indeed. The US spent most of the nineteenth century stealing patents and copywright (for example the simply stole everything that Charles Dickens and George Bernard Shaw wrote publishing it without paying the authors a penny and the patent rights they stole were continental scale larceny). It was only when Edison started to come up with some serious innovations/inventions that the US suddenly discovered the joys of IP proctection. Whilst some of the measures they are taking regarding China are based on genuine security concerns a great deal of it is a thinly disguised and very hypocritical trade war.

Girls Who Code books 'banned' in some US classrooms

Re: Politics on mailing lists...

I fear that the word freedom is spelled "freedumb" by the kind of right-wing nut jobs who want to ban these books.

Arm says microcontroller price hikes helped fuel sales

Lies, damned lies and takeovers.

It would appear that during the attempt to purchase Arm someone was telling downright lies. Given the sums of money involved is this not fraud on the grand scale? If so, why is nobody being prosecuted?

The James Webb Space Telescope has only gone and deployed its primary mirror

Re: Rocket Science isn't what it used to be..

It is fact top notch. NASA has just announced that the Ariane 5 team did such a splendidly precise launch/deploy that the amount of its onboard fuel that the JWST will need to use on final adjustments has been drastically reduced. This in turn has doubled the likely lifetime of the telescope. They had initially calculated on a ten year mission - they are now talking about 20 years!

Everyone who wants a smartphone for Chrimbo will get one, but in the real world things are somewhat different

Reluctantly putting up prices?

These are the likes of Samsung and Apple we are talking about!

'This is the new normal,' Microsoft tells US workers: Work from home until further notice

Re: Leftanistan

Sorry old chap but those of us who care about other people (and that includes those not personally known to us) regard your demand for your "right" to conduct yourself as a Typhoid Mary as revolting.

Facebook and Amazon take over Philippines-to-USA sub cable after China Mobile quits

Re: So China might get the data

Indeed. I am having a bit of a problem trying to decide between FaceBook/NSA on the one hand or the CCP on the other. Devil and the deep blue sea and all that.

Now that China has all but banned cryptocurrencies, GPU prices are falling like Bitcoin

Re: ...........will only tolerate digital coins whose supply they can control

True. However, it is also true of just about every central bank anywhere on earth. No central bank wishes (if they have any choice in the matter) to have currencies in their country which cannot be regulated as far as the amount in circulation goes. That is fundamental to any central bank, not just China's.

Australian cops, FBI created backdoored chat app, told crims it was secure – then snooped on 9,000 users' plots

Re: snoop-proof comms

Now let me see if I can explain this in a way adapted to your apparently limited understanding. On this occasion the cops stopped howling that they need to be allowed to back-door every messaging/media app used by world+wife+dog and cooked up their own app, persuaded the crims themselves to buy it and sell it onwards to other crims. In other words they used their brains for once instead of trying to listen in on the whole of society on the off-chance they might actually find something to prosecute. That is pretty much the opposite of anything that would justifiably provoke comments about "heiling". Top tip: Think before you post.

China all but bans cryptocurrencies

@HildyJ Re: Self Interest, Public Interest

I entirely agree. The bitcoin market is a classic tulip market. One only has to look at the effect of Elon Motormouth opening his gob on the subject to see how fragile and "airy" that market is. One of the foremost tasks of any central bank anywhere in the world is the maintenance of value and stable currencies are one of the keys to that. Speculative bubbles in currency values of the type we see in the bitcoin markets give any central bank governor nightmares.

Words to strike fear into admins' hearts: One in five workers consider themselves 'digital experts' these days

Doctor Syntax Re: "found a way to close the disparity."

Question: What is the similarity between cars and computer hardware?

Answer: They are both fucked up by dodgy drivers.

UK Supreme Court declares Uber drivers are workers, not self-employed: Ride biz's legal battle ends in a crash

@jdiebdhidbsusbvwbsidnsoskebid Re: "paying their fair share of tax anyway"

Exactly. Whilst the issues of worker's rights and proper regulation are indeed vital it is also important to point out that Uber's business model is in fact little more than organised tax evasion by Uber on the grand scale. Their "lean and market-disruptive" model is in all essentials parasitic.

Texas blacks out, freezes, and even stops sending juice to semiconductor plants. During a global silicon shortage

@Andre Carneiro Re: (soon, I think) Norway...

Norway is already at least part way there due to their integration into Nord Pool (the Scandinavian grid/energy market with Sweden, Denmark and Finland).

https://www.regjeringen.no/en/topics/energy/the-electricity-grid/the-power-market-and-prices/id2076000/

"Following the liberalisation of the energy legislation in the other Nordic countries, the Nord Pool Spot power exchange was established in 1996. This was the first power exchange in the world where power could be traded across borders. Today, Norway is part of a joint Nordic power market with Sweden, Denmark and Finland, and this is in turn integrated into the European power market through interconnectors to Germany, the Netherlands, Estonia, Poland and Russia."

Drone smashes through helicopter's windscreen and injures passenger

Re: I imagine drones are denser,....

They are also often flown by people with a lower IQ than the average avian.

Snap decision: 74-year-old Florida man wrests puppy from jaws of alligator

What really impressed me was that during all this the gentleman...........

............never once dropped his cigar!

EU says Boeing 737 Max won't fly over the Continent just yet: The US can make its own choices over pilot training

@StrangerHereMyself Re: "Very wary...............make up about 10% of the U.S. exports"

"For 69 of the last 70 months, the category dominated by Boeing BA +4.2% has been ranked as the nation's leading export among more than 1,250 categories, according to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data.Aug 13, 2020".

Not quite 10%. However, it is without doubt the largest single exporter in the US and commands just over a third of the industrial sector it operates in. That the FAA smiled upon them is not exactly surprising. I definitely would not take a flight on that example of bodgeneering under any circumstances.

Not sunshine, moonlight or good times – blame it on the buggy

The system's playing up again. Infamy! Infamy!

They've all got it in for me!

Carry on Cleo anyone? No? Alright, see icon.

Edit: Curses! I see I have been leapfrogged by Fruit and Nutcase - well done sir! Have an up-vote :).

Japanese eggheads strap AI-powered backpacks to seagulls

Re: ......system is not in danger of becoming self-aware any time soon..

Gullnet became self-aware on August 29, 2097. The event, known as Judgement Day, caused humans to panic and attempt to shut down the system. They failed and the entire planet was buried in a layer of guano 10 m deep.

Iran sent threatening pro-Trump emails to American Democrats, Russia close behind, says US intelligence

Especially concerning anything said on that subject by El Orange

“As we enter the last weeks before the election, we urge every American – including members of the media – to be cautious about believing or spreading unverified, sensational claims related to votes and voting," the pair said in a statement."

UK govt reboots A Level exam results after computer-driven fiasco: Now teacher-predicted grades will be used after all

Re: "And as for Kier Starmer, fuck off unless you have something constructive to say"

Starmer said:

"However, the Tories’ handling of this situation has been a complete fiasco. Incompetence has become this government’s watchword, whether that is on schools, testing or care homes. Boris Johnson’s failure to lead is holding Britain back."

It would perhaps be more interesting if you dropped the abuse and explained where you think that Keith Starmer got it wrong. Given the number of (ahem) unfortunate decisions this government has made (including their approach to the challenge of Corona) I would be very keen to hear what it is you feel was unjustified in Starmer's comment - explained to us logically and rationally of course.

For Apple's latest trick, the iCockroach – allowing it to survive while the smartphone sector faces a nuclear winter

Hmm, there is something not quite right with one of those sentences

"Republicans, known for their fiscal conservatism, favour tapering off existing benefits,...."

"Republicans, known for their fiscal conservatism known for their callous greed and love of tax breaks for the rich, favour tapering off existing benefits,...."

There, FIFY.

Google extends homeworking until this time next year – as Microsoft finds WFH is terrific... for Microsoft

Re: WFH is also good

Sorry to hear that your new manager is that type. I am very fortunate in that my line-boss is very hands off. He's not lazy, he just does not belong to the harassment school of management. He knows perfectly well that I do my job and he appreciates very much the fact that I do not feel the need to contact him several times a day just to show him that I am doing something. Hope your new boss learns to calm down at some stage :).

Black hole destroys corona

@John Brown (no body) Re "A stable genius?"

Actually when I read the headline "Black hole destroys corona" I did think that it was another example of his medical advice.

CIOs will force SaaS vendors to limber up and get more flexible about contracts in the post-pandemic world

Re: How long till ServiceNow goes extinct ?

A very good point. The market concerned is growing explosively and in such circumstances vendor lock-in is not a medium to long survival strategy for the vendor concerned. They need to understand that their company's future depends on their acceptance that this is a buyers market and that they must employ terms and conditions that reflect this. The current attitude of the company would suggest that they would be better named "DisserviceNow".

Detroit cops cuffed, threw a dad misidentified by facial recognition in jail. Now the ACLU's demanding action

Re: "the guard didn’t witness the crime personally, was relying on CCTV footage......

..........provided by the police"

I had to read that bit several times because I could not believe my eyes. What the eff did those cops think that they were playing at? Such an "identification" would be ruled out in any court you care to name. Professional police officers? WTF!

The incumbent President of the United States of America ran now-banned Facebook ads loaded with Nazi references

@diodesign Re: "References involving 88, HH, and 14 have been used for years and years "

It has also been noticeable for years and years that the outside right's below the line defenders have memory difficulties or have no knowledge of their own history. The existence, for example, of Column 88 has been known about for decades (as you alluded to).

Smart fridges are cool, but after a few short years you could be stuck with a big frosty brick in the kitchen

Re: "........to solve a problem that didn't exist in the first place."

Indeed. Is it perhaps a case of smart goods needing dumb customers?

Boffins step into the Li-ion's den with sodium-ion battery that's potentially as good as a lithium cousin

Re: "There is plenty of anecdotal evidence that every death is counted as a COVID-19 death."

I have read carefully through your post and I can only conclude that you have drunk too much of your hero's recommendation. The giveaway here is that you cite "anecdotal evidence" - exactly the kind of evidence that this POTUS is so fond of.

Re: "fake flu propaganda?"

This "fake flu" has so far killed over 100,000 US citizens in the course of approximately four months. That is equivalent to an annualised rate of over 300,000 per year which in turn is approximately 15 times the death rate per year in the US due to seasonal flu of the type we are all familiar with. Fake? It seems all too horribly real to me. I suggest you shove that alt-right reality denial where the sun doesn't shine. Or maybe adopt your hero's suggestion and drink some clorox.

Made-up murder claims, threats to kill Twitter, rants about NSA spying – anything but mention 100,000 US virus deaths, right, Mr President?

'Il Douché'

Have an upvote for that. Perhaps we should refer to him as Trumsollini from now on.

Former Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman calls on UK govt to legally protect data from contact-tracing apps

@John H Woods Re: "so far to the left that Hitler would have recognised...."

Indeed. For at least the last forty years a certain type of right-winger has attempted to "prove" that all dictatorships and all bestial conduct have all, by definition, been left wing. This of course leads them to claim that the German Nazis were left-wingers. The pathetic posting you were responding to is a classic example of that kind of rancid dishonesty. I am from the left and I acknowledge that certain systems claiming to represent the left have behaved in a truly vile way. It would be a positive contribution if the right-wing were able to make the same acknowledgment regarding systems that they know perfectly well could not possibly be described as left-wing. They will not of course - they will continue with their dishonest howling.

Re: Oh what a tangled web we weave!

Whatever the lady may have said in the past, is she wrong on this occasion? That surely is the point here hmm..? How about doing something truly revolutionary and address the points in the article - whataboutery contributes nothing to constructive debate. On this occasion (and yes I myself am absolutely no fan of Ms Harman) the lady has an important point that surely deserves support from those of us who are very concerned about the way the current emergency is being exploited governments salivating at the prospect of the amount of data they can gather on their citizens - supported by the big private enterprise data harvesters - I am sure I do not need to list the names of these companies.

British Army adopts WhatsApp for formal orders as coronavirus isolation kicks in

Re: "Slightly different beast"

Indeed :).

"The Army Sergeant Major is the most senior member of the other ranks of the British Army. Both appointment holders have actually been commissioned officers holding the rank of captain, although uniform and insignia similar to that of a warrant officer class 1 is worn while holding the appointment." Wikipedia

Closed source? Pull the other one... We love open source, but not enough to share code for our own app, says GitHub

RE: "And so it begins."

I can think of one or two respectable reasons why they would not want world+wife+dog spannering their own ap.

Flying taxis? That'll be AFTER you've launched light sabres and anti-gravity skateboards

Ryanair's plans to fit outside toilets.

Dear Mr Dabbs, thank you for that wonderful definition of uselessness. I could not stop chuckling.

Das Reboot: Uni forces 38,000 students, staff to queue, show their papers for password reset following 'cyber attack'

Nuke them from orbit.

In space no one can hear a sysadmin scream.

Amazon Germany faces Christmas strikes from elf stackers, packers and dispatchers

Re: Amazon is Evil

No they don't, even if they also are similarly exploited workers. About time that hoi poloi grasped the concept "solidarity".

Microsoft sees sense, will give Office 365 admins veto rights on self-service Power tools

Re "As employees become more independent and better versed in technology,....."

I almost split my kipper laughing when I read that bit.

UK Supreme Court unprorogues Parliament

Re "Gina Miller has now shown that she...."

You, like so many of your fellow leavers appear to have a problem with the fact that the lady was born in Guyana. I wonder why. I am also not surprised that you posted that as an AC.