Posts by Nunyabiznes

Stop viewing Facebook at work says Facebook at work on Facebook at Work

FTFY

"The possibilities for hilarity are endless"

Hi-torque tank engines: EXTREME car hacking with The Register

And another Kudos!

Seriously, thumbs up and "have a drink on me".

Musicians sue UK.gov over 'zero pay' copyright fix

piracy

I've always been a pretty vehement opponent of piracy. If you want to have a copy of someone's artistic output, buy it. However, I didn't know about the EU's (-UK) stance on fair use (US resident). I can for the first time see the argument for "piracy".

I paid you. John didn't. Go after John and leave me the f**k alone - I'm busy making a backup.

All ABOARD! Furious Facebook bus drivers join Teamsters union

Other issues

Something being overlooked is the artificial increase in housing that is being perpetuated by California regulations. I have a friend trying to build a garage (approx. 9x10m) that after 4 months is still in the "trying to get all the permits" stage. He is a carpenter so the building is easy, especially with his contacts in the industry. He estimates at least 30% of his original budget will be spent just getting the actual construction specific permits, soil tests, engineered drawings, etc. Then he has to get it past planning committees, historical committees, heritage committees, etc. with their fees.

This is going in a subdivision that has virtually identical houses and garages already in place, all he is doing is catching up. He ended up giving up on having a sink and toilet in the garage because of the extra environmental assessments that would have to be done.

I'm not saying it needs to be a free-for-all building climate, but I think a little pruning of the existing regulatory environment is in order out there.

That would allow housing to be built out quicker and cheaper and put some downward pressure on the ridiculous housing market.

FCC boss Wheeler clears way for internet TV and cable unbundling

Re: what we have now is segregation by wire type

"there is no competition, there are various oligarchies dictating your lifestyle"

I read that as "voracious".

Good comment, swschrad.

Hey, get the ZUCK up – let's unionize Facebook buses, cry Teamsters

unionization

I would really like a comparison of the non-union wages and benefits to union ones - with the union dues pulled out. I've seen a couple of local shops quit their unions because they just weren't doing anything for the workers. A rep would come down once a year and make sure negotiations included a backhander to the union and would accept whatever management declared for the worker wages and benefits. End result was that actual earnings (after increases in dues and COL) decreased. The workers all decided to vote themselves an immediate wage increase by booting the union and not paying dues. So far they are getting at least the same % increases as they were as union, and generally more. YMMV.

Usually bus drivers are considered unskilled workers. I've done it to make ends meet between real jobs and it isn't that tough. I've had a variety of manual and/or unskilled labor jobs as fillers or to support myself through school and there is a good reason I got out of that rut. Certain jobs are exceptionally hard on the body and others are just so phenomenally boring that I couldn't stay. Honestly, if I could make the same money doing something trivial as I can doing tech work, I would be sorely tempted. That being the case, shouldn't jobs that are mentally challenging, that not everyone can do, require extensive training/school/OJT, etc be compensated better? I don't expect to make what a licensed doctor of medicine makes. Bus drivers shouldn't expect to make what degreed professional positions make.

Additionally the Teamsters can take a flying leap. After having to work with the local on a pretty simple project I'm over them. Any time you can do the work yourself, pay the union "workers" to stay home instead of coming to the jobsite and come out ahead simply because of how much faster things got done, done right, and with less frustration there is something wrong.

Inflatables in SPAAACE! ISS 'nauts to enjoy bouncy castle spaceship

This long and nobody has gone there?

It is just a new miles high club with no sharp corners to interrupt the proceedings.

Yes yes the grubby one.

Meg Whitman: The lady IS for TURNING. HP to lob printers'n'PCs OVERBOARD

@ DaLo

"The new consumer division will wallow in a sink-or-swim (probably sink due to fewer people using printers and fewer using PCs) turmoil as the try to monetise every new hype that raises its head before being swallowed by Lenovo for a few bucks."

BINGO.

SpaceX breaks ground on first commercial spaceport in Texas

Re: I suspect

"Are you sure Texas doesn't have any inactive volcanoes?"

A ways north and west in the Davis Mountains range. Bit of a commute at almost 1000km.

We give Panasonic's new 5-inch Toughpad phablets a kicking

Re: Water / splash proofing is so handy in so many countries

And a plastic bag is a smidge cheaper.

I am impressed with the claimed battery life with the toughpad. We use Panasonic Toughbooks for our LEOs and I have to say they have held up to a group of people that collectively treat their equipment like hammers much better than any other piece of technology we provide them with.

I like to say if you put a deputy in a rubber room with a marshmallow and an anvil that the anvil doesn't stand a chance.

Kids hack Canadian ATM during LUNCH HOUR

Re: Security through Obscurity

I re-read the article looking for where it specified the OS of the ATM and I couldn't find it. Maybe it is outed in some other article. However embedded XP is run on the vast majority of ATMs currently, and is being supported until Dec 2015 iirc. That being said, is your little whine just due to being a sheep and baa-ing every time you comment about any security compromise or did you actually know something not stated?

This instructional intrusion was solely capable because of poor security habits/philosophy not the OS. I don't care what door you have, if you leave it propped open it isn't going to deter a thief.

NASA beams vid from space via laser

MPAA

I wonder when the coppers will arrive with the cuffs and a piracy notice?

SpaceX billionaire claims Air Force official 'likely' made job-for-spy-sat-contract deal

Re: Read the McCain letter linked by Musk

McCain does have his moments of clarity. They just seem to be getting fewer and fewer, especially since 2008.

Google tells indie labels to take its YouTube deal or face OBLIVION

Hey little guy, there's just you and me here. And your balls, and this vise.

FTFY.

Red-faced LOHAN team 'fesses up in blown SPEARS fuse fiasco

blade fuse

Honest question:

Why are you using a glass fuse instead of a blade style? The whole fuse assembly would be lighter (not much but it all counts) and less sensitive to shock damage.

You could even go mini blade for the amps you are looking at.

Spy-happy Condoleezza Rice joins Dropbox board as privacy adviser

hackerz

So none of you would hire a black/gray hat to test your network security?

White House blasts Samsung for tweeting Obama-Ortiz selfie

What he said.

US Supreme Court Justices hear arguments in game-changing software IP case

How's this?

You should be able to write a murder mystery even though the genre is chock full of examples. You should not be able to re-release Agatha Christie's Marple stories with the name changed to Mabel.

Same with code.

Hold on, everyone ... Prez Obama thinks he's cracked this NSA super-snooping problem

Re: NSA has no boundaries

Did you really go there?

BOFH: Attractive person is attractive. Um, why are your eyes bulging?

Re: Yay - but if it's coming from orbit

We'll dig up Slim Pickens.

NASA quandary: Should Curiosity channel Fast and Furious for Martian dune-buggy jump?

Re: Go full redneck.

I don't think it was his beer he wanted her to hold.

Go full redneck.

Hold my beer and watch this!

This tool demands access to YOUR ENTIRE DIGITAL LIFE. Is it from GCHQ? No - it's by IKEA

So IKEA is closed now? The Security Industrial Complex (borrowed from a comment on Bruce Schneier's blog) thinks we are all possible terrorists based on their collection schemes.

If you reckon Google will never tap into Nest's Wi-Fi thermostats, guess again

false data

This might be a good time to install the thermostat outside of the house (not connected to your furnace of course) and let them suck up as much data as they want.

Security holes in Word, the Windows kernel and Adobe Flash. Party like it's Patch Tuesday again

Chrome

As long as Google is throwing rocks they might as well pitch a few in their own house.

ISSO alert for Chrome with several vulnerabilities that can allow remote code execution as the logged in user was issued today.

I am giving Google credit for actually having a security team and testing all sorts of different software.

Bay Area plots Googlebus tax after local residents riot

The opposite of gentrification is Detroit. If you want all a real good look at what keeping the money out of an area will do look no further. You can have the roving gangs, pot-holed streets, slum areas etc and I'll put up with higher prices (that bring more taxes without raising rates or making up new taxes) and decent infrastructure that the moneyed class brings. It always astounds me when every problem is resolved by make a new tax/raise taxes instead of telling people to STFU. How much do you want to bet SF is trying to figure out a way to tax renters who don't live within x miles of their job?

'BILLION-YEAR DISK' to help FUTURE LIFEFORMS study us

Styrofoam

See Title.

Use a Sharpie on a cup and throw it in the ditch. That'll be there when Beeblebrox shows up at the Restaurant.

COMET DIAMONDS from SPACE found in Libya's glass desert

Re: Vessels

You completely missed the 3 ornaments in the bottom row that look amazingly like the Apollo capsules.

The Vulture 2: What paintjob should we put on our soaraway spaceplane?

Robin's egg blue

Or powder blue if you prefer. I race off road (hobbyist) and this color has proven to be the most eye-catching on video against an earth background. Might be tough as it is coming down, but I was counting on the cliche gray English sky until I saw a comment about Spain. Should still stand out against an azure sky though.

New online banking Trojan empties users' wallets, videos privates

Re: Move Along Linux Users

So, the low% and fragmented user base is a valid argument for WinPho but not for *nix? But isn't Android an offshoot of Linux? According to the article Android is targeted.

Welcome to the breakover point for justifying malware for android, linux, etc.

Murdoch machinations mean Microsoft must rename SkyDrive

Skyfall or perhaps Skyfail?

Don't buy a Google car: They might stop it while you're driving

What if your Google glasses go dark while you are driving your Google car?

Better, what if your Google glasses don't show that "unregistered device" coming at you as you cross the street?

EU-wide mega-Leveson 'needed' to silence Press, bloggers

With apologies

This just proves we ARE evolved from the Golfrinchians.

Hyperspeed travel looks wrong: Leicester students

Re: Windows Warp screen saver

So that's why the dang thing always needed a reboot.

Fans of dead data 'liberator' Swartz press Obama to sack prosecutor

MIT

I agree with Synja and JStor shouldn't be getting the heat they are. MIT wouldn't drop the case even when JStor agreed to.

So, one of the consortium members was basically overruling the consortium. They need to sort out who should be the predominant voice in these situations. Although, MIT is where the actual "damage" took place so perhaps they should have more say.

Brazilian slammer guards nab mobe-smuggling CAT

Re: If the cat _could_ talk, it would say ...

"Of course the cat can talk - as any fule no all cats can talk.

They just haven't yet thought of anything that needs saying."

They just haven't found a human they think is worth saying anything to."

There, fixed it for you.

'Facebook is completely undreamt of even by the worst spying nation'

Re: Really?

Only if used from orbit, though.

Certain people rejoice! AC/DC finally available on iTunes

Re: So, if you want us to download Whole Lotta Rosie...

About 56 in/hips I believe.

Uh-oh! Kim Dotcom is back with a brand new Megaupload site

This is an aside from how the USA took down the servers and the loss of access to legal files people had (stupidly) kept on a site designed to be a way around copyright. I don't agree with the methods and I think the site should have had a cease and desist order issued by the hosting country and/or the country where the owner/s reside. That would have given time for legal files to be moved, for the illegal files to be tracked when they were moved (which provides evidence for future court proceedings) and time for the owner/s to prepare their legal defense.

If you copy a copyrighted file to avoid paying the copyright owner their fee, that is theft. I don't care what semantics you try to use. If you don't think that movie, music, artwork or picture is worth the price then don't buy it. Don't go and download it from a buddy and claim that since you weren't going to buy it anyway that there is no loss to the owner. I will grant that that loss is hard to quantify, and most of the numbers being used in court cases are complete bull.

For those of you that are going to claim that you pirate whatever to see what artists you like so you can then purchase their stuff; let's just say I believe you to be an extreme minority, like leprechauns and unicorns.

NYU boffins demo tiny tractor beam

"Don't cross the beams Ray!"

Fired Toyota coder trashes systems, steals data

HR

In our company there is a disconnect between HR and IT. They'll drop someone's belongings off the roof into a bin and escort them off the premises without telling us. Ever. We find out when we get a request to change the name on the phone line to the new person. Sometimes this is months later.

We are very lucky we haven't been trashed remotely.

Judge begs Apple, Samsung to get a room, or trial will end in tears

Cage match

How about we put all the lawyers and top execs from both companies in a caged death match? Last one standing wins. Then shoot that one.

Invalidate all the patents from both companies that are being contested here and prohibit them being reassigned.

Then disband the USPTO and do it over with out any previous employee/manager/political halfwit appointee being allowed in the new office.

Quit poking me, I'm having a nice nap here.

'That new Google button was our idea', claims lawsuit

Re: That new Google button was our idea

Well since that is all you would ever need I don't see why not.

Asteroid zips past Earth

Re: How big a hole would it have made if it had hit the Earth?

With a land strike the resulting atmospheric debris would probably be a bigger concern globally. Whoever was standing on the X might disagree.

Think of it as nature's way of putting soot in the upper atmosphere to reflect the sun's radiation and cool this rock off.

BT to China: let me in!

barriers

Until such time as Western politicians find the fortitude to mirror China's regulatory scheme Western businesses will not get a foothold in China.

Western economies (especially the US) are eventually going to collapse because we've sold our base manufacturing capability down the river and we've flat out become soft. We regulate our own businesses to the point they can't compete domestically with China, while China outright bars outside investment. They are smart enough to realize they can keep their money in house as well as get our money by allowing cheap manufacturing to continue and we won't do anything substantial about it.

Now finally a middle class is evolving in China and putting pressure (subtle but there at least) on the ruling class to allow more freedoms. There is even a budding environmental movement which will eventually put the same economic pressures on their manufacturing as we have. Once the trifecta of environmental regulation, health and safety regulation and increasing demand for similar amenities as other nations have take root there it will sway the balance back towards our domestic suppliers. The question is whether it will be too late to save our economies. Or will the West become the suppliers of cheap manufacturing and desktop support for the new wealthy elite countries of China, India, etc?

There would be some karma in that, but I don't want to see it come about. Call me what you will. I would prefer that we ALL have safe, clean and economically viable jobs whatever they might be and that the cultures of various nations be respected by all. Since I don't partake of reality altering substances I probably won't be seeing that, but it is a nice pipe dream.

Scandal-hit Olympus plans to axe staff, flog off stake – reports

Re: Too rare

"Somehow methinks there will be artfully put questions asked in the future by boards trying to determine which CEO prospects will "work with them" to keep any past indiscretions hidden."

I'm guessing showing up with a shovel and a bag of lime might be a good interview technique, shows you are a team player!

Microsoft forbids class actions in new Windows licence

Collusion

There is nothing that I found that says potential class action claimants couldn't collude to introduce small claims in hundreds of jurisdictions on the same day instead of pursuing a class action. That virtually guarantees MS will not have enough coverage lawyer-wise (unless they contract out at going rates - $) to handle the deluge.

Bonus is that the individual winners will actually get the money, vs the typical class-action lawsuit.

Our local laws allow for reasonable compensation for time lost, costs, etc.

Now, I don't agree with the SC's assertion that a standard form should allow companies to get out of class action status, however the ambulance chasers have brought this on us by their very actions.

BOFH: Siri, why do users lie?

Thanks Simon!

Hard-up Iceland plumps for cheaper open source

Re: good on them

Hopefully Iceland calls them. Who knows, maybe some techie in Munich will get to move to Iceland to fulfill their lifelong dream.

Heck, Iceland might have a suitable homegrown *nix administrator/user base to hire from with no need for imports.

I'D like to move there, at least for one offroad racing season.

good on them

I hope they plan this out and do the transition right. If it works, it will help foster more expertise and interest in *nix rollouts.

That in turn might make MS get off their a$$ and tighten up the code (and the costs) for Windows.

That makes it better for all platforms.

Fair competition is good.

I actually think MS did a reasonable job with 7, and I think that is because their pocketbook got hurt with Vista and the subsequent race to alternatives. People realizing that they don't need a pc for watching youtube videos and facebook hurt them too.