Posts by Colin Bull 1

India demands smartphone makers install a government app on every handset

Worst of 2 evils

In the UK there is a complete lack of controls or enforcement of communications.

The supine telecomms regulatoriis in thrall to the telecomms industry. VOIP has been coming for over 20 years and have just tested fall back for disadvaged groups, a year after BT was supposed to phase out all landlines.

The no way of reporting attempted frauds, only actual frauds after the horse has bolted. Action fraud is only interested in gathering staticists NOT reduceing the scams and frauds.

Oftcom will wait until hundreds of thousands or millions of offences have happened before getting off the fat arses to prosecute perpetrators.

If there was a iota of interest the authorities COULD enagage and stop and discourage the bad guys but they have not got any clue about the miserly these calls are making.

Tiny tweak for Pi OS, big makeover for the Imager

Re: Imager - try this

I have spent a few hours with old and new versions of imager. The old one has a VERY ANNOYING nag screen multiple times to the new version. I used the old one a lot, mainly to the ease of setting up headless systems.

The new version seemed to change things for the sake of change. But ..

I came across this, that seems to answer all my prayers. https://github.com/gitbls/sdm/tree/master

Sadly I find it hard to find my way round new features

UK government's £45B AI savings pitch built on broad-brush guesswork, MPs told

Unbelievable

What caught my EYE, is the mouth watering almost 30% employer's pension contribution. THIS ABSURD

Renewables blow past nuclear when it comes to cheap datacenter juice

Define efficient

Reading the report on Vertical Bifacial panels, it is light on cost and blinds everybody on the extra efficienciest. But my O level maths work it out that the 11% to 15% extra gain is at the cost of an extra 30% in purchase price.

I could not see other extra gains but the option of sheep grazing under them that were not quantified. But I could have been bored of the graphs that could have been better summarised in a few sentences. Sometimes a picture(s) is NOT worth a thousand words.

India’s IT minister moves to Zoho’s spreadsheet and word processor, urges 1.4 billion people to do likewise

Linux does what you want it too

I have been using DOS, Windows Unix and Linux for 40 years. The last 20 years my own OS have Mint, Ubuntu and MXLinux. Windows system of the 15 years have all been a pile of crap. I have had no significant problems with Linux.

Jaguar Land Rover supply chain workers must get Covid-style support, says union

Re: Insurance

JLR are victims of a crime? They have NO disaster backup options. Why should a manufacturing system be down for a moth or more? Replace images on a couple of hundred PCS -surely a couple of days.

No plans - no hopers.

The local Coops had empty shelves for a month. Why could they not have their suppliers repeat orders for previous months and catch up with paperwork later. The cows could not postpone their milk for a few weeks. So what happened there.

Re: Layoffs have begun

Upvote by 10

Google unmasks itself as mystery hyperscaler behind yet another UK datacenter

Re: Potters Bar or not

There is some confusion of this location.

If it is next to the A1 road it could be near Potters Bar. BUT if Broxbourne Council are involved it must be very close to Waltham Cross and the road adjacent is the A10 ( London to Cambridge ) not A1 (London to t'North). Only a factor of 10 out.

If only the article writer could have used Google Maps - POWERED BY AI or the better A10 RAID version.

Matrix.org homeserver grinds to a halt after RAID meltdown

What RAID

Is it RAID 10 or 5 or an even crappier version. WE SHOULD BE TOLD.

The UK’s cartographer maps mission to help people and business

Optional AI

I cannot see why it needs AI to create a query for anything in a range of 100 metres when all data is available in the GIS database.

But I am biased because I subscribe to the OS mobile app, and every time it is updated the user interface gets worse. With a 100MB connection the very small maps take an eternity to come up. Even when there is a downloaded area. When downloaded maps overlap the area is greyed out so it is almost impossible to read. Organic maps based on OSM is free is far less frustrating.

This reads like a mash up of bullshit bingo to lure the naive investors in.

Windows 11 migration heats up... on desktops

fingerprinting OS

Why do they need to do this?

I have a problem at the moment with multiple logins with Kobo/Rackuten where I cannot login. "A technical error". Almost a week, JUST got a support ticket number.

Cannot buy books, cannot download books. I can get in with a new login and they will transfer my 500 approx books to new login. BUT, that probably needs Adobe Digition Editions programme. I am on Linux. The programme is not available on Linux or Chromebooks. I think a few million people will get a surprise if the move over to Linux/Chromebooks.

Why is it not available for Linux when it is on MacOS? Why cannot be a browser version be available?

Doubly frustrating when all the E-readers are based ln Linux.

Their support tell me -

"But don't worry, you can still access all your purchased books on any Kobo platform without using ADE, as long as you don't need to transfer any DRM protected books". As far as I am aware ALL their purchased books are DRMed."

"We sincerely appreciate your graciousness, exceptional patience, and profound understanding."

What patience and understanding. The only understanding I have is that they have trouble with a simple login. Looks at the logs for fsake. My only saving grace is that most of my books have been Calibrated. :-)

Specsavers takes off the Oracle glasses, sees better ERP options

Not fit for purpose..

I purchased hearing aids from Specsavers just over 4 years ago. Their franchise / parnership model is for their benefit. It hinders customer service. You cannot order consummables - if if you want pay with out a new hearing test . NO ONLINE ORDERING. Even in the pandemic. Got to go a branch. 6 weeks to get an appointment.

Their hearing aids or locked in to them. No one else can adjust them.

This one weird trick can make online publishing faster, safer, more attractive, and richer

RMWeb

I have ended my subscription because of the poor editorial input. I model N gauge and do not have the time or patience to peruse links that are not of interest.

Eutelsat in talks with Euro leaders as they mull Starlink replacement in Ukraine

Sanctions

You are right. But in a new world where sanctions are a reaity the Europeans can squeeze the russian economy by imposing tariffs on the BRICS. It would hurt, but only for 18 months. But doing this would be have be done properly not the half arsed sanctions that have had little effect so far.

Copilot invades Microsoft 365 Personal and Family for an extra three bucks a month

MS users are doing it to themselvest

Not true.

I am fairly tech savvy. I needed to get a new laptop because the old one has a screen faulty about 3 years.

I wanted to get a fairly recent AMD processor to stop by balls burning. I hunted high and low for a laptop WITHOUT Windows. I could not get one. Dell was supposed to sell non windows machine for I spend hours on their web site and could not find one.

There IS NO way the general public can get anything BUT WINDOWS. I got a Lenovo that has soldered RAM and soldered SSD even though I did want them AND windows.

Infoseccer: Private security biz let guard down, exposed 120K+ files

Not completly stupid ...

They could have told the ethical hacker to print out the data then shred it.

Debian 12.9 arrives, quickly followed by MX Linux 23.5

Did no know MX was available on Pi

Moved to MX linux to avoid systemd crap about a year ago. Not disappointed. Was disappointed that Raspberry Pi still uses systemd. That MX Linux is on raspberry has make my day. I hope I can use the RPi imager prog to allow easy setup for headless Pis .

Christmas 1984: The last hurrah for 8-bit home computers

Money speaks ....

I am pretty sure you cannot subscribe to Sky except in UK apart from shenigans with VPNs because they greased enough palms of eurocrats.

SvarDOS: DR-DOS is reborn as an open source operating system

Re: Can I put in a good word for 4DOS?

I had similar experiences - but the main difference was installing a Quadram Apple II emulator card so the Apple II games could be played in (4) colour on an IBM portable. Apple colour I seem to remember was vastly more expensive.

Former NSA cyberspy's not-so-secret hobby: Hacking Christmas lights

Re: I have this mental image

I was involved in customer support for a UK LED "manufacturer" that had problems with their off the shelf stock control system that no one foresaw because of 4 byte integers. I was once taken to task for complaining that a customer only had 12 invoices on their system for the whole year. I soon learned that they made assembly lines for car manufacturers and each invoice was for multi millions.

Re: "that's not really allowed in the UK"

It looked really good - until the last bit -Tap to PAY !!

Coder wrote a bug so bad security guards wanted a word when he arrived at work

Changing supplier ...

in my experience when changing suppliers is it useful to use one that it in the same jurisdiction. I trouble with a supplier that was headquartered in Scotland and could not use the English small claims court.

Contrary to some, traceroute is very real – I should know, I helped make it work

Re: Traceroute for voice telecoms ?

I understand VERY WELL the problems of CLID, that was why I was suggesting traceroute could be used instead as a definitive list of hops a call has gone through and the ability for the authorities to see where a call has be originated from. If a switchboard is originating a spoofed CLID ( that they were not untitled to) they could be taken to task and dealt with.

The present system where anyone can make voice calls with impunity has gone on too long. In my naivete I think it should be possible to chain together the hops and have some verification of the links in the chain of a VOIP call.

Traceroute for voice telecoms ?

I also am "even though it is way WAY over my head" reader.

But i fantalise that traceroute be mandated for VOIP calls to allow a network of trusted sites ( similar to SPK DKIM for email ) to allow authorities to seek and destroy the spammers out of existence.

Please tell me it is possible.

I know the things can be fudged but that is the point of TRUSTED network nodes.

QNAP NAS users locked out after firmware update snafu

Should I ..

Should I be thinking of replacing the OS for my Synology NAS by something else ? Can I ?

FTC urges smart device makers to disclose software update lifecycles

Re: Knobbled, smartly.

Upvoted a thousand times.

Ten years under Dr Su: How AMD went from budget Intel alternative to x86 contender

Still not competing in mobile markets

It 2020 I needed to replace the Intel lap warmer / jet engine with an AMD and non Windows laptop.

I best I could do was a Lenovo with Windows and a soldered SSD. None of the niche suppliers could get the latest AMD chips.

Still running cool, but I am worried if the SSD gives up the ghost.

Microsoft flashes Win10 users with more full-screen ads for Windows 11

Re: Linux in the new year

Mint Cinammon or Mate is first

Ubuntu is my next choice

I have now moved to MX Linux to escape systemd - but growing up on Unix 35 years ago I feel it should be easy to add a start script but systemd is beyond me.

I have rarely to use the command line mainly to use awk.

I find a web search is easiest for most things - you get to know best sites after a while.

Microsoft Exchange update fixes security flaws, breaks other stuff

Duh

Trying to report a phisting scam to [e-mail] today. Immediately get a error back saying the email could be a spam.

WHAT FUCKWIT DECIDED TO PUT THAT TRANSPORT RULE IN PLACE.

So I decide to try point their errors of the ways, after a dozen a so links to FAQ that are not a relevant, I get to a web page to voice my concerns that is a Microshit Report form what ever that is its. Type in my concerns, then I THAT I HAVE TO LOGIN TO A MICROSHIT account.

Is the total UK security services managed my Microshit?

Three weeks ago I attended a talk to 100 old age pensioners from the U3A from the local plod that that stated that reporting phishing scam to [e-mail] wiull help stop them. If I have trouble reporting them what chance have these people got.

If there are any ACs out there that can enlighten me please do so.

Apologies for disjointed grammar after 8 weeks from a stroke, hopefully will get better after therapy next week :-)

Please, are there any ACs out there that enlighten me on what I missing.

Duh

Trying to report a phisting scam to [e-mail] today. Immediately get a error back saying the email could be a spam.

WHAT FUCKWIT DECIDED TO PUT THAT TRANSPORT RULE IN PLACE.

So I decide to try point their errors of the ways, after a dozen a so links to FAQ that are not a relevant, I get to a web page to voice my concerns that is a Microshit Report form what ever that is its. Type in my concerns, then I THAT I HAVE TO LOGIN TO A MICROSHIT account.

Is the total UK security services managed my Microshit?

Three weeks ago I attended a talk to 100 old age pensioners from the U3A from the local plod that that stated that reporting phishing scam to [e-mail] wiull help stop them. If I have trouble reporting them what chance have these people got.

If there are any ACs out there that can enlighten me please do so.

Apologies for disjointed grammar after 8 weeks from a stroke, hopefully will get better after therapy next week :-)

Please, are there any ACs out there that enlighten me on what I missing.

UK energy watchdog slaps down Capita's £130M smart meter splurge

OUT From the frying pan to the fire ..

I have be trying to reduced my monthly directly debits to Octopus for about a year. They keep raising them every 6 months or so even where I have a credit about 2 months average of bill. You can change your monthly amount, but only by an amount. I have to monitor every 2 months to change amount to keep to stupid a credit limit.

Intel sued over Raptor Lake voltage instability

If you want redundacy DO NOT USE RAID 5

There was an excellent web site called BARFFF.org I think. That discussed the merits of all the RAID offerings. Summarised RAID Five, RAID Four and RAID Fhree were bad choices.

RAID 10 is the only RAID to use.

I saw a site 25 years using RAID 5 using 4 drives and a parity drive. Every day for a week every drive fail in turn and on the 5 day the last one went and they lost all their data.

RAC duo busted for stealing and selling crash victims' data

RAC did everthing correctly?

To mind this is RACs fault because they have not patched the security hole this leak that used at least 3 times before.

Bring the joy of train delays home with your very own departure board

The Edgcumbe Arms at Cremyll in Cornwall as one. It displays local bus times and the 2 ferrys. It takes awhile to get the gist of what is what as most of destinations are Plymouth. I guess should they got the metre board, but hats off to them for trying.

The amber glow of bork illuminates Brighton Station

Re: "A toasted bacon sandwich"

The replay was last week - U-Yesterday

CrowdStrike deja vu as 'performance issue' leaves systems sluggish

Re: Hmmm…

Well it must have taken that title from Outlook. That was always THE performance wrecker

Microsoft patches scary wormable hijack-my-box-via-IPv6 security bug and others

WTF

'CVE-2024-38199 – a Windows Line Printer Daemon (LPD) Service RCE Vulnerability with a 9.8 CVSS rating.'

How can a printer daemon have a 9.8 rating. It listens, gets a bunch of data and sends it to a port. It perhaps has permissions to write to its own temp files. If it has data out of bounds it can just write an error log and abort the job.

Am i being naive?

Indian telcos to cut off scammy, spammy, telemarketers for two whole years

Re: Wow!

If we had any regulators in the UK the problem could be reduced considerably.

There are systems in place to control energy brokers, but this is completly bypassed by sub-brokers from India.

TPS is beyond a joke. They have a boiler plate reply to ANY complaint that the company complained about says 'it is not us guv' and TPS says sorry to trouble you. EVEN if you have DKIM and SPF proof by email AND voice recordings, that the the scamming bastards have sent. EVEN if they have given you some one elses meter AND bank details!

And do not get me started on the private sector. Part of Trustpilot's guidlines is you must not slag any one off EVEN if they are breaking the law. If they complain about a review Trustpilot will withdraw it.

My blood pressure is to high to even contemplate the waste of space that is Ofcom.

Survey finds that four in five enterprise endpoints could run Windows 11

Re: Five out of five could run...

20 years ago ODBC allowed excel to get data from a proper database and keep the benefits of a controlled data environment.

Re: Five out of five could run...

If the ERP systems of 20 years or more ago could run on dumb terminals or web applications I do not see why the like of Delta airlines cannot move to a web based 'app' on a bog standard linux machine. And by using several flavours of linux avoid the crowdstrike syndrome of SPOF.

Most of these ERP endpoints are focused on a handful of screens. If a VT100 terminal can do it a low spec PC can too.

San Francisco set to ban rent-hiking algorithms used by landlords

missing ther point

Here in the UK we have one of the densest population number in Europe. The last net immigration figures I have seen was 700k in a year. I calculate this to be approx 1% growth in a year. I do not think this is sustainable. We cannot build houses fast enough for this growth. I do not condone the recent violence that has been aided and abetted by the social media in the UK. But am I a racist because feel we need to resist population growth by allowing mass immigration.

The greatest single factor in the world's use of energy is population growth. This is not going to be countered by expensive smart meters that do nothing to reduce our consumption.

Ridesharing makes new and unique mess in Japan's taxi industry

Ride sharing my ARSE

Uber tried to break into the market by calling their service ride sharing and suggesting it was a novel system. They have used every fraudulent method possible to shaft everyone else. Medicals over the phone - this should have put them out of business permanently.

As far as I am aware THERE HAS NEVER BEEN ANY ASPECT OF RIDE SHARING. I think is shit journalism.

Speed limiters arrive for all new cars in the European Union

The devil is in the detail

I am a great fan of cruise control - but in the present car the software is not up to the mark. I will set the CC to 62 MPH, but if I go down a gradual slope it will change down to slow the car to 62, even when the limit is 70, reducing efficiency badly.

And do not get me onto the auto cut out when stopped. WTF after the engine has cut out after I have braked to a standstill the engine starts when I put the handbrake ON. Seems perverse to me.

RIP: WordPerfect co-founder Bruce Bastian dies at 76

Not only Dos

Where I worked we moved to WP4.2 on Unix. It worked a treat on dumb VT100 type terminals as well as networked PCs.

Windows: Insecure by design

New paradigm

I remember about 10 or 15 years ago when something called the interweb was invented and there was a lot of talk of making most apps work over HTML I genuinely do not understand why this has not been happening for the largest companies.CGI, ODBC all seemed to work reasonably well and performed on ancient hardware.

Re: how much punishment are you willing to take?

"Sometimes you can't change the IP addresses or routes"

I was using IP aliasing for high availability scripts on Alpha Tru 64 in 2000. Would be surprised if Linux did not have this.

Former Fujitsu engineer apologizes for role in Post Office IT scandal

Pending report from the inquiry..

Am I the only one that thinks the inquiry is a means of delaying any prosecution as long as possible, until the smoke has died down.

TeamViewer can't bring itself to say someone broke into its network – but it happened

Re: " significant compromise of the TeamViewer remote access and support platform"

Going back a year or two, I had weekly support people from Microsoft offering to fix problems with my computer, even though it uses Linux. After about 5 minutes of me telling them that Ctrl-R was not doing anything they would resort to asking me to download Teamviewer which I did. For some reason the Teamviewer install program would not work on Ubuntu.

I emailed Teamviewer suggesting they put a warning on their home page advising of possible misuse, but I think I had a negative response.

They were a major accessory to extortion and did not give a shit so to see the boot on the other foot does not worry me.

Brit tech tycoon Mike Lynch cleared of all charges in US Autonomy fraud trial

software company ...

I thought the main thrust of HP's claim was that Autonomy overstated their hardware sales ....

Amazon fined in Europe for screwing shoppers with underhand dark patterns

Kobo DRMed

Kobo books are tied to Adobe DRM. As long as you have an Adobe account you can load them on the KIndle and use Calibre and DeDRM to remove DRM and convert them to EPUB.