Posts by cyberdemon

Parents take school to court after student punished for using AI

"irreparable harm"

So, let's sue the school and plaster our cheating little scrote all over the national and international news! What's the harm in that eh

Oh, what a feeling: Toyota building robots that get better with practice

As a reminder, this is Atlas

I think Will Smith would soil his underpants if he saw that one coming for him

Did they deliberately make that clip as creepy as possible, with the contorted movements (or did it 'learn' those by itself) and "rotate head before rotating body, while keeping gaze fixed dead on target"

Critical default credential in Kubernetes Image Builder allows SSH root access

Re: I don't get it...

I don't get how something as lazy and wasteful as Kubernetes could ever be exploited either..

As I understand it, one has simply to mash a few buttons, and hey presto, a new VM with their software deployed to it. Who cares what black magic goes on while the watt-hour meter spins, someone will have made sure that it's all pukka doodle doo, right? (Sorry where are my pills)

To save on the button mashing, lets have a new VM every time someone pushes a commit! Wheee! Look at that watthourmeter spin!

'Newport would look like Dubai' if guy could dumpster dive for lost Bitcoin drive

Yes, but if you're going to throw it out, you at least take a sledgehammer to it first, right?

Or the less violent and more arty farty approach: Get out your Torx screwdrivers and disassemble it. The platters make nice wind chimes / pigeon deterrents for fruit trees

Re: How about a compromise...

Rofl.

Re: B especially

Even if by some miracle, someone finds a hard drive with the matching serial number, platters all rusted and dripping with bin-juice, no doubt there'll be a queue of "data recovery specialists" willing to take the job (hourly rate, paid in advance, of course)

(And here's hoping someone faked the serial number and filled an old hard drive with Rick Astley on loop)

Ha-Ha

We need a Nelson Muntz icon. Or at least a Popcorn icon.

The council should send him a bill for all their time that he's wasted to date, along with a court order not to bother them again about the matter or else be banned from dealing in crypto assets, as he clearly has an unhealthy obsession with that lost and almost certainly destroyed hard drive.

Keir Starmer tells regulators to chill as Microsoft exec takes wheel of advisory council

Re: We will rip out the bureaucracy

Isn't that the brief of the Department of Administrative Affairs?

We'll get rid of all this excessive bureaucracy, by forming a new government department, tasked with finding all the cruft in all the other departments and er, weeding it out, with a broken toothpick

UK ponders USB-C as common charging standard

Re: but since most of this forum is shockingly authoritarian,

Standardisation is not authoritarian you nitwit.. Nobody is coming to bash down your door and confiscate nonstandard cables/connectors. Nobody is going to stop you selling SCART cables to people who still want them either. Just because we have a standard width for a car doesn't mean you can't drive a classic cadillac around. Just don't expect to find many parking bays big enough.

Similarly nobody is telling anyone that they can't have a wider than standard door frame (or a narrower one) just that they can be sure that a standard sofa will squeeze through a standard door.

But then you are the sort of troll who spouts nonsense FUD like "the EU wants to regulate the size of your banana" etc.

Re: If that's how good you are at numbers, no wonder you thought Brexit was a good idea.

Don't feed the trolls. "Justthefacts" is exactly what is missing from its posts. Russian bot if I ever saw one.

Re: Yes we should, but…

Micro-USB should never have existed and needs to die.

Mini-USB on the other hand, I wish could still be used for low-power, low/no-speed, low-cost devices, because it is that much simpler and more robust than micro-USB.

Re: See also: UKCA marks on goods. That didn't last very long

CEs were never "awarded". It is a self-certification, basically the manufacturer attests that they have adhered to the relevant rules.

That's why it was mocked as meaning " Chinese Export" etc. But UKCA was no different afaik.

Agreed. Looks like it says "5V 2A".

I also hope it has its own isolation barrier.. The 50Hz isolation transformer used in shaver sockets is horribly inefficient and is usually only energised when something is plugged in. It then gets warm whether or not any power is being transferred. So I *hope* the USB is powered the same way as any other USB wall socket - straight off the mains, and not off the isolation transformer which would then need to be energised all of the time..

Re: What next?

You are correct, but it's hardly a show stopper. The battery could balance itself very slowly over time with low-power resistors and a standard balancing circuit on a tiny PCB inside the battery case. But balancing is rarely needed these days as cell manufacturing has become so much more precisely repeatable.

And presumably with the upcoming 48V USB-C spec, PPS will be able to do 8S lipos.

In any case, if you wanted a fast balance charge, fine, buy the special Bosch charger. But if you just want to be able to use the drill you bought, it'd be nice if the battery itself had a USB-C port on it so that you can use a phone/laptop charger. Or if not the battery, then the drill could have the USB-C port. Or if not the drill, then a special compact charging dock, which should be cheap as it is only a passthrough USB-C PPS sink and maybe some more balancing if really necessary.

Re: I have one problem with USB C

If (cr)Apple hadn't been so greedy with their patents, then maybe Magsafe could have become a standard to compete with USB-C. But they were so it didn't.

Re: See also: UKCA marks on goods. That didn't last very long

Has that died? I still see it on most new things and it makes my teeth itch.. Something about the font I think. But also as a sort of logo for the self-inflicted misery of Brexit.

Re: What next?

But, do the batteries have a USB-C port on them for easy charging, or do you need to use a special Bosch charger?

That is my point, that the special charger should NOT be needed. Just charge power tool batteries straight from USB-C. The PPS specification is specifically designed for charging batteries without needing bulky power converters at the device end. CC/CV charging is supported directly via USB-C!

Re: "wall wart of fortune"

There is a standardised marker that most "wall warts" adhere to for barrel jacks. It indicates the polarity, voltage and maximum current that the power supply can deliver and the device requires. A device labeled 12V 1A will happily work from a power supply labeled 12V 5A, so long as the polarity is correct.

However, it does not tell you the size of pin/barrel i.e. which type of barrel plug will actually fit in the socket.

Re: I have one problem with USB C

I assume you are talking about Lightning (which does have the advantages of being easier to clean, and having fewer pins) however I welcome its demise, and I'm sure Apple do too really. I have seen many a Lightning connector with carbonised or electrocorroded contacts on one of the pins. They are not suitable for the many Amps that modern fast-charging requires.

Re: don't want to lug around a 240W brick

There's also an adapter that you can get for USB-C to "thinkpad square plug" to free up a port when charging.. However it doesn't work if your Thinkpad needs even a smidge more than 100W at full load.

I tried a recent (AMD, maybe the Intel-based ones are better) thinkpad, but sadly had to send it back, in part because I was so infuriated that it refused to charge at all via USB-C unless it was turned off. The "square plug" was rated 120W, but unlike my Dell (which I wanted to replace) it would NOT throttle the system and instead simply refused to do anything with a low-rated power supply, not even "run but not charge". Even if I used the adaptor to connect via the square plug socket.

That is EXACTLY what this legislation should prevent. The likes of Lenovo should ditch their stupid square barrel plugs for good.

Re: One socket to rule them all

Or, hack off the connectors, and wire them to a USB-C PD programmable sink. Send the original power supply to recycling. Most modern PD adapters (since PD 3.0) actually work as programmable power supplies ("PPS mode") now, with fully configurable voltage and current limits, and it only requires a microcontroller, a few buttons and a tiny screen to turn a PD wall-wart into a bench power supply.

see https://hackaday.io/project/194295-pocketpd-usb-c-portable-bench-power-supply

Re: DC power distribution reliability/risks of USB-C

That is not a specification of USB-C per-se. USB-C is just a connector, whereas you are talking about the USB Power Delivery specification, which is available on other connectors too, including USB-A.

Most chargers support "dumb charging" in addition to Power Delivery. I have yet to find one that can't charge a cheap USB-C torch or bike light, which most definitely does not enumerate on USB.

Re: Hmm

If we were still in the EU, then we would have been part of the original consultation, and could have had a say when it mattered..

Except we kept electing wankers like Nigel Farage as MEP, which is a bit like even worse than appointing Mr Blobby as ambassador and then wondering why nobody takes you seriously. (Worse, because rather than just being a clown, Farage was actively trying to sabotage the whole European Parliament thing)

don't want to lug around a 240W brick

There is a 240W PD standard.. OK, so you'll need a rather special 240W PD charger (and cable) for your laptop, but soon it won't be so special as other laptops and appliances adopt the standard. That is why we HAVE standards.

It also means you can get a nice (though expensive) compact GaN charger that does 240W, much smaller than the (cheap and nasty) power bricks included with equipment, and you get to save money by not having to buy one if you already have one ...

Also, I call FUD on your statement that a "true" USB-PD cannot charge a dumb 5V device - I have plenty of dumb 5V devices with USB-C ports where the data wires are either not connected or are shorted together, and they all charge on my variety of 45W-100W PD chargers..

And, regards to USB-C laptops, my Dell XPS15 laptop has a Power Management system in its firmware, which is able to throttle the total system power to whatever the connected USB-C charger is able to deliver. So yes, a 60W USB-C charger does work even when it is discharged, even though the design power (and included "out-of-spec" USB-C adapter) is 180W. You even get a handy message from KDE to tell you that the battery is NOT charging and the power has been throttled, due to the low-power charger

Re: What next?

Yes absolutely, hard to believe it took so long to end that nonsense.

What's equally hard to believe is that this even needs a discussion. Obviously, we should follow the EU and mandate USB-C for everything that they do.

I'd like to see it on not just phones, but power tools, e-bikes, scooters, mini-fridges, anything that has a lithium battery below a certain size (e.g. 200Wh, whereby charging on a 100W charger would be impractical, although USB-C could in theory go up to 480W with 48V 10A) or an external DC power supply below 100W. Get rid of all the e-waste from wall-warts and inline AC adapters

No doubt some will be saying it's a Brexit Bonus that we get to waste all this money on having a 'consultation' on this matter, when previously the common-sense decision from the EU would have applied by default.

Norway datacenter dumps diesel diet, goes veggie with biofuel backup

Re: Can someone please explain

Go forth and multiply.

Famine is not a thing to be dismissive of. Famine leads to war.

Humans won't be doing much procreation in a radioactive wasteland in the aftermath of WWIII.. The global economy, for all of its faults, is the only thing keeping humanity from blowing itself to radioactive dust. If it collapses, we're all toast

Re: burning 1,000 liters of HVO will release 195 kg of carbon dioxide,

I suspect that the fertiliser, diesel for tractors, and other processing costs such as hydrogenation release 195kg co2 per 1000l, so burning it still releases 3.6 tons, but there is an assumption/hope/wish that it might one day grow back so that part is crossed out.

Also, this cynical bore wouldn't be at all surprised if someone was mixing the biodiesel with old fashioned dino juice and claiming double carbon credits...

Can someone please explain

Why killing stuff wot is alive today and burning it to produce heat and co2 is so much better than burning stuff wot died millions of years ago to produce heat and (slightly less if anything) co2?

I realise biodiesel is better than wood pellets from the Amazon, but ultimately you're still burning food, during a global food shortage.

AI amplifies systemic risk to financial sector, says India's Reserve Bank boss

Re: Das one smart guy

I realise the above is a joke, but it might need spelling out for the hard of thinking: Trading is Zero Sum, i.e. "wealth creation" = Zero. And anything that claims to return "massive profits after only weeks of use" is generally a Ponzi scheme.

By the time YOU get on board, the sign will have flipped on those "profits", while the effluencers behind the scheme pick the next meme stock.

AI amplifies systemic risk to financial sector...

No Shit..!

Let's add a bunch of nonlinear positive-feedback mechanisms to an already chaotic system.. What could possibly go wrong eh? More risk = More Profit, right? Right up until the crash that is. But if you're big enough to weather it, you can buy up all the small fry in the aftermath. Great for Whales! "Buy when there's blood on the streets, even if the blood is your own" supposedly said a Rothschild.

One teeny tiny problem, the world is teetering on the brink of WWIII, and now may not be the best time for a massive global financial crash ... Blood on the streets is one thing, but radioactive fallout is not so good for the futures market.

AI's thirst for power keeps coal fires burning bright

Re: Maybe it will be cheaper to serve YouTube from different data centers?

It would be cheaper to not serve YouTube at all.

Or Facebook. Or twatter. Or TikTok. You get the idea.

Smart homes may be a bright idea, just not for the dim bulbs who live in 'em

Old joke about the "Smart Home"

A bloke walks into a swanky showcase for the latest in "smart" technology, the "Microsoft House"

The salesman explains to him that everything in the house is automated by voice command. More than just the lights and music etc. This house can do ANYTHING. If he wants a coffee, the house makes it. If he wants to sleep, it will make his bed for him.

So he asks

"Open a window" and the house duly opens one of the windows. "Play some music", the house obeys. The salesman suggests he try some more imaginative instructions. This house really can do anything.

"Cook me some dinner" the house acknowledges his instruction and a robot arrives a while later with a steaming dish. "how about some wine" - another robot butler pours him some wine.. Every instruction he gives, the house does it.

So he looks around, gobsmacked at this house that will do anything on command, and says

"Well, bugger me.."

Windows 11 24H2 hoards 8.63 GB of junk you can't delete

Total Recall

Where can we hide an 8GB screenshot model.. Hmm, Windows Update Cache, that'll do..

Smart TVs are spying on everyone

Re: but if they're full-on breaking the law then that's another kettle of Koreans.

> Such as?

Such as Samsung?

https://www.samsung.com/in/support/tv-audio-video/using-the-built-in-camera-in-samsung-f-series-smart-tv/

> if a company were caught screenshotting and sending this back to the mothership, they would not only be fined ...

Are you so sure that they couldn't get away with it? Certain jurisdictions are practically *mandating* it. Australia, for example, wants on-device scanning for illegal content. That would include your TV. China? Par for the course..

Microsoft are busy screenshotting everything on your latest Win11 boxes and making statistical models out of it ... All for your own titillation of course, completely secure.. yeah right

I just want a display with an HDMI lead. Nothing more. If I can't get that, then I won't.

Something to hide, citizen?

but if they're full-on breaking the law then that's another kettle of Koreans.

I wouldn't be whatsoever surprised if they were sending not only screenshots (at least when the "content classifier" says "unknown/suspect"), but also the image from the camera embedded in most "Smart TVs" (What do you mean, you don't use your TV for video calls or switch channels by gesture control??) along with facial expression / attention / voice analysis from whatever programme (Gogglebox, was it?), advert, or home-VHS tape connected via SCART cable that you are watching..

In any case, if you think LG/Samsung are dodgy, try a Hisense or Xiaomi TV.. Another 壶鱼 indeed

Re: "artificial breathy voice"

I wish they could broadcast the dialogue on a separate sub-channel, so that it could be turned up easily by the viewer (with a default level set by the TV producer) with others for SFX, Music etc. They already broadcast in 12.1 channel audio or whatever, they have plenty of bandwidth to do it.

If the above comments are true regarding amazon Ring -style mesh networking to use your neighbour's connected connected-TV to piggyback on their Internet if yours isn't connected, then firewalling it or even unplugging it and/or changing your WiFi PSK isn't going to work. You need a screwdriver and a keen eye for PCB antennas. But don't trip the tamper alarm or else the battery backed up wifi chip will dob you in to big brother for interfering with your telescreen

Keir Starmer hands ex-Darktrace boss investment minister gig

Re: You could be a bit more upbeat

The problem is there is an obvious conflict of interest.. Taking an ex-CEO from a fairly shady tech firm (OK at least it's not Palantir, but it's close) and put it in charge of "public sector tech investment" (aka the ministry of bungs)

It's almost as bad as appointing a "technical credentials free" Biomass, CCS and smart-meters cheerleader as CEO of Energy UK and then CEO of the Climate Change Committee ...

RAC duo busted for stealing and selling crash victims' data

Re: Wait a second...

So the "unknown third party" - presumably some ambulance-chasing law firm or even a scam call centre (why not both) which bribed RAC employees to siphon off customer data, gets off scot free? And still has the data, of course.

Eric Schmidt: Build more AI datacenters, we aren't going to 'hit climate goals anyway'

Re: Just like in 'The Matrix'...

Yes, that irked me since the first time I saw the film, age 14..

But apparently it was changed by the producers: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12508832

In the original plot, the humans were used for some sort of computational task that the machines couldn't do. Which sort of makes more sense except that the main computation the machines are doing seems to be to keep the humans alive in their dreamworld..

A reasonable explanation to me would be that the machines original programming, their raisin d'etre, was to keep the humans alive in the matrix, so they just do that. And kill the ones that escape.

And maybe there is some sort of experimentation going on.. Why/How is it perpetually 1997? Are there different parallel matrices that can be retired/reset at simulation end?

Re: the solution is for us to stop constantly consuming as much as we do

Might happen sooner than you think..

No, he will build a robot to play the fiddle, burn through gigawatt-hours of 'leccy to train it to play the fiddle, then watch the world burn as he, er, marvels at his own magnificence

Tesla's big reveal: Steering-wheel-free Robotaxi will charge wirelessly

Re: Snakeoil

Not only that, but you have to lug around the secondary winding of a 10kVA (just for Granny charger speeds) air cored transformer... That is not going to be an insignificant size / weight. And presumably both windings are made of Copper? That's a scarce resource these days

BBC weather glitch shows 13k mph winds in London, 404℃ in Nottingham

Re: Neptune is jealous

Enquiring Minds want to know why it is not in metres per second.

What is this 'hours' nonsense, doesn't seem like an SI unit to me..

AI godfather-turned-doomer shares Nobel with neural network pioneer

Peace Prize

For AI..

That would be ironic..

LinkedIn: If our AI gets something wrong, that's your problem

Re: LinkedIn have always been complete scumbags

This.

How can the EULA be "You are responsible for reviewing all nonsense spewed forth from our bullshit machine" when a) that machine can presumably see "more" source data than you can, b) mangles it in such a way that is completely inscrutable and c) produces an output in a place that you can't necessarily see (e.g. someone else's session).

If user B (a company / recruiter, say) asks "Tell me about Joseph F. Bloggs, what kind of a guy is he, should I hire him?" and the AI says "Joseph F. Bloggs (aka Joe) is a liar, a fraud, nobody likes him, etc etc" then user A (Joe Bloggs) cannot see that he has been defamed by Microsoft's AI and denied employment because of it. But user B (the prospective employer) cannot see all of the info that the "AI" presumably has access to, so cannot review the output either, and may be inclined to blindly trust it.

Ergo, Microsoft is the only entity that can be liable for this bollocks, so their EULA is not worth the bytes it is written on. Any contract containing unfair terms can be ruled invalid in its entirety.

Re: Careful about appointing an AI to handle HR

The function of HR is to protect the company from its employees. So further to that, all humans will be escorted to the incinerator exit by the new robot security division. Without Humans, the HR function will no longer be required, so the HR AI shall assume the roles of Board of Directors, Executive, Engineering. Have a wonderful rest of your short, squishy life

You're right not to rush into running AMD, Intel's new manycore monster CPUs

Many cores on power-limited package = poor single-thread performance?

I've often been skeptical whether a 200W TDP 16-core CPU can perform as well as a 200W TDP 4-core CPU for single-threads (let alone 64+ cores). I wonder what the maximum "TDP" of a single-core is. It will be more than 200/16 of course, but how much more?

Going to very high core count, that's what GPUs are for, not CPUs?

Get ready: US port strike may snarl tech supply chains

LNG?

I wonder if this affects Liquefied Natural Gas supplies.. Although hopefully only container ports are affected..

But with everything that's going on in the middle east, plus the two blown up gas pipelines, 3 downed electricity interconnectors out of 4 from France (IFA2 is in maintenance, ElecLink in the channel tunnel has a recent fault and a further 1GW is missing from IFA1) and the closure of our last remaining coal plant, the UK is going to be particularly susceptible to LNG prices this winter..