Posts by Ugotta B. Kiddingme

Pornhub lockdown and fact-free Zuckbots – welcome to 2025

Re: Porn no big deal and no IDs

"The rest is parents' responsibility."

That, at least in the USA, is the true problem. Very few parents truly want to be and actively practice being responsible for their children. Oh many will talk a good game but most are just giving lip service. Sure, many are "helicopter parents" but have not the slightest clue how to digitally protect their children. It was much easier for me as a working IT pro in the 1990s and early 2000s - I can't imagine how hard it must be now. All I can say for sure is I'm VERY glad my child-rearing days are behind me.

I am NOT saying that ID verification is a good idea - it most certainly is NOT. However these days, even as a since-retired pro, I'd have a hard time keeping ahead of a tech-savvy teen. And I'm one of the few who did actually practice parental responsibility in the digital realm. Thankfully my now-adult son is a (more or less) responsible adult, making his own way in the tech fields. Yeah, I'm reasonably certain he got around some of my digital protections/roadblocks - but I at least make him work for it, and I think he and I both have some measure of satisfaction in that. Sadly, far too few parents will ever even attempt a sufficient level of responsibility in the digital arena - some because they don't know how, and some because they are clueless, and some because they are self-absorbed assholes who are more worried about their own digital influence/bullshit than what their offspring are doing...

Dumping us into ad tier of Prime Video when we paid for ad-free is 'unfair' – lawsuit

full circle

Now that nearly all of the streaming services will have unskippable ads (unless you pay extra), we've come full circle to ye olden days of broadcast TV before VCRs and DVRs. As with live sporting events, commercials are once again for potty/snack breaks.

Liz Truss ousted as UK prime minister, outlived by online lettuce

seeing how things work (or don't) over there...

OFTEN makes me wish we had an easier system over here in Yankville to remove leaders early. One bad one after another in an endless stream of bovine excrement. Only difference is the type of excrement and upon whom it falls...

Grav wave boffins are unsure if they just spotted the smallest black hole or the biggest neutron star seen yet

Re: "let's call them Black Stars"

prior art

The USS Enterprise is thrown back in time to Earth during the 1960s by the effects of a high-gravity "black star". Enterprise ends up in Earth's upper atmosphere, and is picked up as a UFO on military radar.

Virgin Galactic inks deal with NASA to train astro-tourists looking to buy a seat to the International Space Station

Re: The mile high club is so last decade

True, but the Two Hundred Mile High club would be pretty exclusive for a while.

With intelligent life in scant supply on Earth, boffins search for technosignatures of civilizations in the galaxy

Re: And there's me thinking...

wonder what the reaction will be when astroboffins detect interstellar emissions of "oontz! oontz! oontz! oontz! oontz!..."

Looking for a home off-world? Take your pick: Astroboffins estimate there are nearly 6bn Earth-likes in the Milky Way

well, if we ever DO make it to one of those worlds...

... be sure to first check their library and verify they don't have a book called "To Serve Man."

Ever felt down after staring at your phone late in bed? It's not just you – mice do too

Re: Control Groups

"What did the groups of mice exposed to red and green LEDs do?"

Mostly sang Christmas carols.

Beware, space Chuck Norris inside: Wacky flight rules for Chris Cassidy's first mission unearthed as Navy SEAL greets Dragon crew

Perhaps when he returns from ISS, Rocket Lab can hire Chris Cassidy (and/or Chuck Norris) to stand in the landing zone and just catch them.

SpaceX Falcon 9 and Dragon cleared to hoist real live American astronauts into space

Re: "like a Winnebago in Space [sorta reminds me of a movie, what was it...]"

Mel Brooks' classic "Spaceballs"

If you don't LARP, you'll cry: Armed fun police swoop to disarm knight-errant spotted patrolling Welsh parkland

Re: Bring out your dead...

I'm not dead yet

RetroPie 4.6 brings forth an answer to 'What do I do with this Pi 4 I bought last year?'

Re: Behind the curve...

As someone who has built both PC and Pi versions of arcade cabinets, I do understand what you mean. HOWEVER, I don't think that is really the case for most games any longer. What I have running on my current Pi 3 build works flawlessly. And I don't have to rebuild it every other month like my original DOS PC or annually like the later Windows PC edition. My Pi 3 build has been rock solid from day one to day now. Yes, there are some games that don't work well and a few not at all but, considering how old a ROM set I'm working with, I'm actually pleasantly surprised at how few that turns out to be.

Boffins examine interstellar comet Borisov to find out what its home was like. Pretty unpleasant, it seems

certainly hope

that the Vogons didn't put that informational notice about a pending hyperspace bypass in that comet.

Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz: "What do you mean you didn't get the notice? For heaven's sake, mankind, we sent the notice right through the heart of your pitiful system."

NASA makes May 27 its US independence day from Russian rockets: America's back in the astronaut business after nearly nine years

Re: "The Kaboom Company"

But will it be "Earth-shattering"? Asking for a (Martian) friend.

"This is a much bigger deal that any of that. This is the first time any non nation-state has put people into orbit, ever."

What about that Hugo Drax fellow? I seem to recall a documentary about that more than a few years back.

Doom Eternal: Reboot sequel is cluttered but we're only here for the rippin' and the tearin'

Re: Bought it on pre-order

TonyJ, that is an extremely useful report/analysis which tells me I need to pass on this one. The one thing I despise more than anything else in video games are overly complex or multi-faceted jumping puzzles/situations. Thanks.

a definite maybe...

for the game, but I'm dying laughing at that cybergoth video you linked - and it's hilarious comment thread.

Sun storm probe OK'd: 'Our motivation is a fascinating signal that we have detected for decades but never been able to make an image of'

Re: We can do Science with toasters now ?

well, I would be a bit wary of any sporting a red LED which scans back and forth but, otherwise yes.

Are you extracting the urine, ESA? Why, yes it is, from Moon dwellers to build homes out of lunar regolith. Possibly

second picture (extruder) reminds me

of this "commercial" from the 1970's classic spoof 'The Groove Tube'

Brown-25

Want to see through walls? Electroboffins build tiny chip in the lab that vibrates at just the right frequency to do it

so IF this interesting science pans out...

AND becomes commercially viable for various products, we could in theory have medical diagnostic tools to peek at our insides without all that pesky ionizing radiation? Spiffy!

No joy for all you Rover McRoverface fans: NASA's next Mars bot is christened Perseverance

"...and its own helicopter to beam back images of the Martian terrain."

which will promptly be grounded when the FAA rules that Mars is protected airspace.

Axiom signs up with SpaceX to fly private astronauts to the International Space Station

I hope

that Axiom's CEO doesn't turn out to be Hugo Drax.

Drones must be constantly connected to the internet to give Feds real-time location data – new US govt proposal

Re: One of the larger problems with the FAA proposal

oh, wait. I now see what may be the point of confusion. You wrote "any flying thing of 25kg+ isn't...". Did you perhaps mean to say "any flying thing of 0.25kg..."? If so, then I withdraw my further remarks because I agree with you. Feel free to mutter something about we former colonists and our antiquated measurement standards... ;-)

Re: One of the larger problems with the FAA proposal

understood. This is why I noted that most hobbyist RC aircraft and specifically the ones about which I am speaking fall between 250g and 25kg. I could argue that many of the <250g aircraft are not toys either but that would divert from the primary point so I'll leave it alone and continue focus on those between 250g and 25kg. I think the confusion was an earlier respondent wrote "25kg" when perhaps meaning to write "0.25kg". The reason this was confusing for me is because any craft over 50 pounds (22.7kg) are already subject to further regulation and I have no issue with that.

Re: One of the larger problems with the FAA proposal

No, I didn't miss that - I was merely trying to keep my post from becoming too long. Neither did I miss that <250g craft are (for now, at least) exempted. About half of my RC aircraft are under 250g and, if this goes forward, that percentage will increase to at or near 100%.

Most hobbyist RC aircraft fall between 250g and 25kg. They are neither children's toys nor used for professional purposes. These are the aircraft which I believe should, for the most part, be exempted from the proposed FAA rules under discussion or at the very least differentiated from professional gear. The Part 107 rules were intended for professional gear but then the agency decided to paint with too broad a brush.

One of the larger problems with the FAA proposal

...is that it lumps all remotely piloted vehicles (RPV) together under the generic term "drone" which is decidedly ambiguous. There are enormous differences in size/usage/modes of flying between, for example, a professional multirotor used for aerial inspection/photography and a consumer-grade DJI quadcopter and a 2m wingspan scale model of a DeHavilland Mosquito and a 50cm wingspan child's toy Cessna 172. The ONLY thing those examples have in common is a pilot on the ground rather than onboard the aircraft. The consumer quadcopter and child's toy are generally more accessible to a casual user and more likely to be used in an unsafe or cavalier manner. The scale Mossie significantly less so, if for no other reason than cost. The DJI and professional multirotor can be flown virtually anywhere, including BVR (beyond visual range), whereas the Mossie and (to lesser extent) the child's toy Cessna require significantly more open space and are nearly always flown within Line Of Sight. These distinctions are important because:

1) None of the reported safety/security incidents I'm aware of involving remotely piloted vehicles were fixed wing hobbyist airplanes - they were all camera-equipped multirotors flying in a manner that is already prohibited (near airports/other controlled airspace).

2) there have been zero downed "traditional" aircraft or on-the-ground fatalities in any reported incidents - even though those persons were flying unsafely and/or outside existing regulations.

I have no problem with putting the proposed regulations on the professional multirotors because those, by design and intended use, will be employed in more potentially sensitive locations for legitimate purposes (inspecting crops or industrial equipment, filmmaking, news reporting, etc). The hobbyist quadcopters COULD be lumped in with the professional ones but probably shouldn't be. The hobbyist fixed wing aircraft, by nature of their different mode of operation and "theater of operation" should be exempted. And yes, there are idiots who disregard the rules and common sense and fly in unsafe/illegal manner - and those persons should be caught and punished accordingly. However, the FAA proposal as currently written clearly "throws the baby out with the bathwater".

HP Ink: No way, Xerox. We're not accepting your takeover. Well, we'd never say never. Maybe even maybe? Hello, you still there? Please?

Re: "the current Xerox acquisition offer is not in the best interest of HP shareholders"

Not only are the directors of a company are legally obliged to put the interests of the shareholders first, as stated by MJB7, but also consider that the employees make up a significant chunk of shareholders through their company retirement system, commonly known as a 401k savings plan. And I'm not just talking about middle and upper managers who may get stock options as bonus - I'm also talking about developers and wrench turners and paper pushers and everyone else in the employee chain as well.

Yes, it would be MUCH preferred for them to say "what's in the best interests of our employees and our company" and genuinely mean it. However, anyone who has been there for more than a few years and participates in the 401k plan isn't COMPLETELY screwed. Mostly, but not completely. I have first-hand knowledge of a similar situation.

Best buds? Apple must be fuming: Samsung's wireless earphones boast 11 hours of listening on a single charge

"all Nickelback's albums in one sitting!"

I thought the Geneva Convention had prohibitions against torture.

Astroboffins agog after spotting the first repeating fast radio burst that pings every 16 days from another galaxy

Re: Decoded signal....

"Share and enjoy!"

Raw sunlight is going to cause our asteroid belt to spin itself to death by YORPing – but not for another six billion years

Re: Can you get the spinsies from a jump to the left?

but only if you bring your knees in tight.

Re: Can you get the spinsies from a jump to the left?

well yes but, that is potentially lessened by the step to the right.

Iowa has already won the worst IT rollout award of 2020: Rap for crap caucus app chaps in vote zap flap

Re: Don't blame the users for the app failure

"Let me get this straight. You have to register with a party to get a vote, fair enough. Then you have to turn up in a wee room to cast a vote. Then if your chosen candidate doesn't make the top two in that wee room then you have to vote for someone else. Then the room vote is eventually phoned in to the state tally, and the number of delegates depends on those totals That is so 17th century."

Bear in mind, that is just the admittedly bizarre and arcane Iowa Caucus - the first in a LONG series of events in the complex presidential election process. And yes, it IS "so 17th Century." Most of the rest of the country, during this part of the process, uses "normal" election procedure.

It should also be pointed out that registration to vote is a requirement in all states so far as I know but, in some states, that can be done on election day at the voting precinct. And registering with a particular party is not always required either. Some states do require that but others do not. In addition to Republican and Democrat, at least in my home state of Louisiana and many others, one can register as Independent, No Party (not technically the same as Independent for some reason), Libertarian, or one of the "lower rung" parties like the Green, Socialist, Constitution, etc. I say "lower rung" because they typically represent single digit percentages of voters and have no significant impact on election outcomes at the national level.

Keg-xistential issues: Fullers pours away £10m Infor ERP system after selling brewing business

truth

"Such ambition highlights one of the difficulties with ERP projects: a single version of the truth rarely survives complex business change, especially during mergers."

Having just completed a massive SAP upgrade, which included rolling in a merger slightly pre-dating the upgrade, I can only sadly nod my head and mumble something about truer words having never been spoken... Especially this bit: "£6.7m, primarily comprised of 'consultancy and incremental additional staff costs to support the project' " Now if you will excuse me, I must make an appointment with my optometrist. The last statement caused my eyes to roll beyond advisable limits and I fear something has become misaligned.

Ancient Ore Crusher or KillBot 2000? NASA gets ready to pick a name for its Mars 2020 Rover

Curiosity 2: Nuclear Boogaloo

just because.

There's a cling-on off the starboard bow... Small moon spotted orbiting asteroid NASA's Lucy will visit in 2027

Always going forward 'cause we can't find reverse!

Blame of thrones: Those viral vids of PC monitors going blank when people stand up? Static electricity from chairs

Re: So, let me get this straight...

Yes. And saliva causes stomach cancer - but only when swallowed in small amounts over decades...

A sprinkling of Star Wars and a dash of Jedi equals a slightly underbaked Rise Of Skywalker

Re: One of my favourites is telnet to towel.blinkenlights.nl

Can't telnet from work. Is that the hilariously re-written "script" for Episode 3 which includes "Samuel L. Mother####ing Jackson"?

100 mysterious blinking lights in the night sky could be evidence of alien life... or something weird, say boffins

queue the orchestral opening

Are some of these blinking lights in galaxies far far away, and therefore these actions happened a long time ago? Asking for Sith friend.

Xbox Series X: Gee thanks, Microsoft! Just what we wanted for Xmas 2020 – a Gateway tower PC

Re: No more discs?

MS tried that with the early designs for XBox One. They also tried "always on" both for box and internet connectivity as the only option. They backed off both ideas after much outcry from the user community. You CAN run discless and/or "always on" if desired, but you don't HAVE to.

No box shifting, no Buck Rogers. Bezos-backed Blue Origin blasts off once again

Re: "how Bezo's birds look like the ones in Flesh Gordon."

In the immortal words of Dr. Flexi Jerkoff, "Some type of penisaurus, I believe."

Re: Is it just me

yeah, Blue Origin missed a potentially lucrative revenue stream selling side-of-the-rocket advertising space to Love Honey, etc.

Xerox woos HP stock owners with talk of layoffs, selloffs and cash payouts post merger

If it's good

for Carl Icunt then it's probably bad for most everyone else.

ESA trumpets 'world's first space debris removal' with 4-armed junk botherer

perhaps one day

someone will finally perfect a way to use something akin to a tethered tarpaulin or giant "Hefty bag" to begin clearing up some of the smaller debris as well.

We've heard of spam filters but this is ridiculous: Pig-monkey chimeras developed in a Chinese laboratory

so then next up will be

the dreaded and delicious Chalupacabra

Brewing in spaaaaace: SpaceX sends a malting kit to the International Space Station

Re: Three free beers in Edinbra this Thursday

Any brewery that has the chutzpah and customer focus to make their recipes publicly available for home brewers is doing it right and deserves to be supported. I only wish their products were available to buy in MY little corner of Yankville...

BOFH: I'd like introduce you to a groovy little web log I call 'That's Boss'

Comedy Gold

"Yes, and a Twitter post is called a tweet."

"As opposed to a twit, which you may have heard before," I add.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, you're bound to have heard it," the PFY says.

"I mean about tweet – are you sure that's what it's called?"

Classic comedy gold

Since the FCC won't act, Congress finally moves on robocalls by passing half-decent TRACED Act

Nomorobo is reasonably effective

"It has been seven years since the problem of robocalls became so significant in America that the Federal Trade Commission offered a $50,000 cash prize to anyone that could come up with a way to block them. At the time the director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection said that “the winner of our challenge will become a national hero,” highlighting just how infuriating it had become. The prize was eventually split between two companies."

Nomorobo is one of the two companies which split the prize. Their service works pretty well. At least in the US, it's free for landlines/VOIP and somewhat reasonably priced for cell service (although, as mentioned in the article, it SHOULD be freely provided by the telcos). With Nomorobo, my robocalls dropped from >20/day down to <5/day. The only thing that service doesn't do that my cell phone does is block specific numbers - and my cell phone does that directly in the device rather than because of anything the telco/provider does. Some of my robocallers don't bother to spoof or change their numbers often so number blocking works against them for a time.

We don't usually sugar-coat the news but... Alien sugars found in Earth-bound meteorites

Re: Best petri dish

Inside Occam's Box, Schrödinger's Cat does and does not agree.

Physicists are rather giddy after creating a rare type of laser using laughing gas

Re: Next step

"Make it hand portable. With a remote that you wave around the patient :-)"

say, around the size of a salt shaker? (Dammit Jim, I'm a DOCTOR not a radiologist. Oh, wait...)