Posts by andy gibson

Microsoft finally gets around to supporting rar, gz and tar files in Windows

I'll still use 7ZIP

Just like I use VLC or Media Player Classic rather than anything bundled by Microsoft.

UK's GDPR replacement could wipe out oversight of live facial recognition

It was used a couple of days ago in Wales. I think the whole point after the Manchester Arena bombing was that they WERE thinking of the children.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/may/17/police-to-use-facial-recognition-technology-in-cardiff-during-beyonce-concert

First-known interstellar Solar System visitor 'Oumuamua a comet in disguise – research

Re: "led some folks to believe it was alien spaceship"

If it was good enough for Arthur C Clarke (Rendezvous with Rama) then its good enough for me.

Microsoft begs you not to ditch Edge on Google's own Chrome download page

Same with IE

Edge hijacks any usage of IE as well.

I had to recently manually log into some factory reset old Ruckus access points where the web interface would only work with IE, not Chrome, edge or Firefox.

But every time I entered the 192.168.0.1 address, Edge would close IE and put the URL in its browser - which of course didn't work.

I can understand the need to want IE retired, but it was incredidbly frustrating to have the application closed without my say so.

Re: You install Chrome?

"You do know that Edge is Chrome sans Google tracking"

so why is it slower to start?

I can double click Edge, then double click Chrome, put what I want in the search box and get a result before Edge has appeared

James Webb Space Telescope suffers another hitch: Instrument down

The only thing derogatory was Webb himself, at least according to Scientific American:

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nasa-needs-to-rename-the-james-webb-space-telescope/

This is the end, Windows 7 and 8 friends: Microsoft drops support this week

Re: Windows 10 is not a problem

I found that 11 used less RAM at startup than 10. (2Gb as opposed to 3Gb)

Re: Micro$oft update$

My 9 year old machine (core i5 with 8Gb of RAM still on Windows 7) booted up quicker and used less RAM the last time I tried Windows 10 on it.

Reason I didn't stick with it is that I just prefer the look and feel of 7, without having to use a third party program to make 10 or 11 look and operate like 7.

When I do finally migrate, I'll be buying no new PC or parts.

The Guardian ransomware attack hits week two as staff told to work from home

Glad its not affected output as I rely on them for quality articles like this

'Upward-thrusting buildings ejaculating into the sky' – do cities have to be so sexist?"

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2020/jul/06/upward-thrusting-buildings-ejaculating-cities-sexist-leslie-kern-phallic-feminist-city-toxic-masculinity

Riding in Sidecar: How to get a Psion online in 2023

Re: Very interesting

Ask this on the FB group "Spectrum for everyone", there'll be someone there happy to help.

I don't have any physical hardware anymore, but before I sold it all I copied all my 3" disks to 3.5" and then used the emulator REALSPEC to convert them to IMG files to run on an emulator.

Epson zaps lasers into oblivion, in the name of the environment

Epson: "We're going to stop making laser printers"

HP, Konica, Lexmark: "You made laser printers?"

I'm happy paying Twitter eight bucks a month because price isn't the same as value

I wondered where the "i hate twitter 'cos its a cesspool and don't need it" post would be.

Like all social media, its as good as YOU make it - you get back what you put in. If you're coming away from it angry and riled up, then maybe you're not using it right?

I use Twitter to keep up to date with more highbrow celebs and a few parody accounts (RAF Luton for one) and use Facebook to keep in touch with far away relatives and subscribe to a few special interest hobby groups where the trolling and abuse is virtually non existent.

If you're going to engage in the more toxic parts - well, the old saying applies - "lie with dogs and you'll get fleas". Or that boring twit in your local pub - you're not forced to sit at his table and listen or argue with him.

Sizewell C nuclear plant up for review as UK faces financial black hole

Re: Daft

"Lab did a lot of good (schools, health, police & courts)"

Sadly they also did a lot of "bad" for schools. I remember BSF and the consultants, and all these modern school designs.

Replacing traditional brick built school designs for modern ones of glass looked stunning, but they cost a fortune to heat in winter, cool in summer, and when a huge pane of glass was smashed it costs far more than a regular piece of glass and often required professional services and cherry pickers.

Or the bank level Cisco switches they specced for the internal networks. We could get several HP ProCurves for just one of their Cisco ones - from their "preferred supplier" of course.

The worst one was a Dell PC. Cost to us from Dell was £299. Once we bought it from our managed service provider, who bought from a company who then bought it from Dell it was £450.

All of the norths are about to align over Britain

Nick Crane

As good excuse as any to mention Nick Crane's excellent "Two Degrees West"

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Two-Degrees-West-English-Journey/dp/0140272364

UK comms regulator rings death knell for fax machines

Re: "the services necessary to send viruses and malware"

I'm missing it too. The only thing our works fax used to get was loads of business spam - especially for car leasing.

Russia says Starlink satellites could become military targets

Re: History tells us yes, those are legitimate targets.

"Not interested in a small country half a world away."

Yet interested enough to comment at least twice.

Japan space agency blows up eight satellites aboard Epsilon rocket

toothpaste

Just take up one of these dispensers you see at motorway services

https://i.redd.it/1210umrcr6i31.jpg

Fake vibrating teeth could make great hearing aids

From the 80s movie "Real Genius"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyZ4gGCCqss

Document Foundation starts charging €8.99 for 'free' LibreOffice

Re: re : Lack of cloudy tie-ins...

How many of those "horrific patch tuesday articles" are to do with Office?

AI detects 20,000 hidden taxable swimming pools in France, netting €10m

Re: Pool or pond

Like Ed Sheeran and his "wildlife pond"

https://metro.co.uk/2019/07/21/ed-sheeran-upsets-locals-places-hay-bales-shield-controversial-pond-10435851/

Businesses should dump Windows for the Linux desktop

"another problem with Windows' single-user ancestry is that the default Windows user all too often must run as the all-powerful PC administrator"

I've been managing Windows networks in education since 1999 and I've never come across anything that's needed admin access to run.

And there's no greater hacker out there looking to exploit the system than a bored schoolboy.

UK chemicals multinational to build hydrogen 'gigafactory'

I realise that we're all going to have to change our ways and adapt to fit around EVs.

But I thought the whole point of personal transport was to make it convenient and effortless.

We seem to be doing the opposite to suit the EV.

CP/M's open-source status clarified after 21 years

If anyone with a Spectrum +3 (or Next) likes to dabble with CP/M, there's a great bunch of resources in the form of disk images here:

http://spectrumplusthree.atwebpages.com/

Rufus and ExplorerPatcher: Tools to remove Windows 11 TPM pain and more

Re: To be honest

I've found a fresh install of W11 uses less RAM at startup (2Gb) than 10 (3gb), and generally performs faster on my i5 desktop.

End-of-life smartphone? Penguins at postmarketOS aim to revive it

XDA forums

Lets not forget the guys at places like XDA Developers forums who provide newer ROMS for older but still functioning phones.

EV battery can reach full charge in 'less than 10 minutes'

Re: Full charge in 10 minutes?

Nice idea, but all it will end up with is someone at a public charging station taking even longer because they have TWO batteries to charge!

Next major update of Windows 11 prepares for launch

Re: I'm surprised that it's not appeared on more ordinary people's machines

Sadly, it *will* go on older machines, and runs quite well. I found it used 1Gb less RAM than Windows 10 at idle.

But Microsoft says otherwise and no doubt wants me to scrap a perfectly functioning PC that isn't anywhere near the end of it's life.

EU makes USB-C common charging port for most electronic devices

Re: Optional Chargers

And my recent £150 Samsung came WITH a charger!

Engineer sues Amazon for not covering work-from-home internet, electricity bills

My commute was the same. 20 minute train journey, trains frequent (every 15 mins) and never packed and ticket was just £5 return.

Some days I'd vary it with a beer or meal after work in town too. I definitely now feel mentally worse off WFH, not to mention financially. Dreading winter when I have to have the heating on all day.

Clonezilla 3: Copy and clone disk images to your heart's content

Re: SSD

Its even faster if you start with a fresh install rather than cloning.

Astra Space to launch satellites from Shetland

Ahhh, Astra

I fondly recall Astra back in the day when you had to manually tune into satellite channels by their frequency (and the H/V switch) and had a great mix of UK and European channels (Tutti Fruiti on RTL on a Sunday night anyone?)

Logging and monitoring can be a form of bullying, and make for lousy infosec

"Does watching staff 24x7 really make things more secure?

No, according to a researcher at a major UK university, who asked not to be identified."

I'm always wary of people with something to say, but too embarrassed to put their name to their work or their opinion.

Windows 11 usage stats within touching distance of... XP

Same here, running about a hundred HP 8200 SFFs, core i7 with 8Gb RAM. They were bought second hand in 2017 and were supposed to be replaced in 2021, but they're still running perfectly. Only thing we've done is add an SSD.

For me it uses less RAM than Win 10. At start-up my 10 install consumes 3Gb of RAM, on an identical machine running 11 its only using 2Gb.

Amazon warehouse workers in New York unionize in historic win against web giant

voting stats

So out of 8,300 workers, only half bothered to vote?

Re: To summarise...

Unions haven't really helped the P&O workers though have they?

Windows 11 growth at a standstill amid stringent hardware requirements

Re: Why move to Windows 11 ?

You mean like taking away the traditional right-clicking of the taskbar to find task manager?

Dev rigs up receipt printer to spit out GitHub issues

Needs audio

Needs "you are fined one credit for a violation of the Verbal Morality Statute" with every print

Ukraine's nuclear plants: Chernobyl off diesel power, explosions explained

Bragin?

Great map, but what's with the darker purple hexagon at Bragin?

Google blocks FOSS Android tool – for asking for donations

Re: App Store Pricing

Complains at Android users being cheapskates yet buys secondhand Apple gear and only installs free apps?

Re: duh!

For me its restaurant recommendations. Personally I find Google's input that a certain restaurant is a high percentage match for what i'd like, or similar to ones I've previously visited quite useful.

Car radios crashed by station broadcasting images with no file extension

Re: HD radio

I'm in the UK and my old 2005 car used to show the station name and the track playing on an FM radio.

Labour reminds UK.gov that it's supposed to be reforming the Computer Misuse Act

This the same Labour that hasn't explained what happened here?

https://www.theregister.com/2021/11/05/labour_party_ransomware_data_breach_questions/

Nothing to scoff at: Crisps and nuts biz KP Snacks smacked in ransomware hack attack

Re: Windoze security as service

"Windooze" and "Windoze"

How original. At least you didn't use Micro$$$oft and Micro$$haft I suppose.

New York Times outlays seven-figure sum for 1,900 lines of JavaScript – yes, we mean Wordle

Re: In before ...

And they'll be watching it on ITV

Lingo / Wordle

It was a British game show in the 1980s, revived in early 2021

Happy birthday, Windows Vista: Troubled teen hits 15

Re: 512MB ram minimum memory requirement

It continues today with Windows 10 and its "will run on 4Gb RAM". Mine consumes 3Gb at idle.

Crack team of boffins hash out how e-scooters should sound – but they need your help*

Curious as to why they need a noise, particularly as existing cycles and regular scooters don't make any. Plus the ones you can hire already have a bell or buzzer on them.

Needs a "Toast of London" spoken warning.

22-year-old Brit avoids US extradition over SIM-swapping conspiracy after judge deems him to be high suicide risk

"The partner, Denise Canavan, told Judge Griffiths that De Rose was earning £6,000 a month, though the judgment did not say how"

And this isn't ringing any alarm bells?