Posts by bean520

Apple is happy to diss the desktop – it knows who's got the most to lose

Re: "the mutant offspring of Windows 3.1"

The core of 3.1 died with 3.11. Back then, Windows wasn't even an OS, just a DOS GUI. That then gave way to 95's 16/32 bit hybrid kernel.

Here's how we got persistent shell access on a Boeing 747 – Pen Test Partners

Re: File

@-tim

Its rarely that simple. Code written in scripting languages popular 20 year ago will rarely work as-is on modern implementations, even if modern implementations actually exist.

Even with compiled C/C++ code, you'll find anything more advanced than Hello World is probably making API calls that no longer exist in modern Windows, therefore even compiling the programs will often fail.

Dixons hits back at McAfee's £30m antivirus sueball: Your AV didn't work on Windows 10S

Re: install a vanilla copy of Windows

They have to use a specific distribution that allows them to feel smug and superior.

Mines the one running Vegux 18.10

Re: install a vanilla copy of Windows

But you're clearly not using Arch...

...if you were, you'd tell us.

Cali court backs ex-Apple engineer who says he invented Find My iPhone and Passbook

> It's ${current_year} and we still have no mobile phone where you can simply open a shell..

Android and ADB would like to have a word with you...

We checked and yup, it's no longer 2001. And yet you can pwn a Windows box via Notepad.exe

Re: Is this why a "notepad" app doesn't come with Android? @wayne

Ummm...AOSP (that is, open source Android) does have a natural be calendar app

What do WLinux and Benedict Cumberbatch have in common? They're both fond of Pengwin

Re: Microsoft dreams finally come true

> Seriously, though, if something implemented Win32 like Wine does, but as a static lib so you could ship it built into your application, then run it on any Linux system as a binary, a LOT of windows application vendors would be VERY very interested.

Winelib exists for this precise purpose.

hhttps://wiki.winehq.org/Winelib_User%27s_Guide

Juniper grabs controller, inserts code, gets ready to play some SONiC Mania on its switch

Re: Not your father's Microsoft

His point holds very true though; The Microsoft of today is doing things we'd never imagine the Microsoft of 10 years ago would do.

Just Android things: 150m phones, gadgets installed 'adware-ridden' mobe simulator games

Re: The Play Store is a cesspit

The only thing I've seen get picked up by Play Protect is Lucky Patcher - an application that patches other apps to interfere with various ad/play store hooks.

Makes it pretty damn clear the only thing they're protecting...

US Supremes urged by pretty much everyone in software dev to probe Oracle's 'disastrous' Java API copyright win

Re: All your Javadoc is ours?

Except that Google didn't borrow classes. It borrowed *names* of classes. It did so for interoperability reasons.

A year after Logitech screwed over Harmony users, it, um, screws over Harmony users: Device API killed off

Re: A bridge too many

Umm, dunno what rock you were living under, but people *did* kick up a stink about the updates that removed functionality to the PS3. There was a whole class-action lawsuit about it.

New Windows 10 will STAGGER to its feet, says Microsoft OS veep

Re: @king of foo - Windows as a "Service"

> If I'm not mistaken Linux is not available on tablets/phones

Yes you are. I'm running Ubuntu Touch on a Nexus 5

> Android is not available on desktop/laptop PCs

Yes it is. My netbook came with it built-in

> Should I understand you're expecting Ubuntu to run on phones, tablets and PCs like Windows ?

It's already there. I have Ubuntu on my phone, tablet, and a derivative on my PC

Re: Why bother upgrading from Windows 7?

"Windows 7 respects my privacy; Win10 does not."

Put this into perspective, mate, you are running a developer preview with an EULA saying you basically MUST provide that data. Windows 7 is a finished product that doesn't need that kind of testing therefore gives you the option of turning feedback off.

First peek at the next Ubuntu 15.04 nester line-up

Re: Unity is fine with me

They aren't actually called Desktop Managers in Android. Those functions are dealt with in home screen programs, launchers and the display manager

Re: Plasma 5

The new Kubuntu follows the single-colour pattern of modern mobile OSes

To clarify...

The *buntu releases are all variations of the main Ubuntu release. They differ only in interface.

The versioning system itself refers to the release date of the distribution. It goes YY.MM,

It may be ILLEGAL to run Heartbleed health checks – IT lawyer

There is a definition of "authorised" scanning.

This is in the case of third party penetration-testers, so they can go about their business without being misidentified as some 'l33t haxxxor' and put in the slammer for it.

Sticky Tahr-fy pudding: Ubuntu 14.04 slickest Linux desktop ever

Re: Head to head

oh Jesus, did Loverock Davidson just lower the average IQ of El Reg readers 40 points by jumping ship from ZDNet?

Microsoft frisked blogger's Hotmail inbox, IM chat to hunt Windows 8 leaker, court told

Re: @ Peter2

"Like Google doesn't???"

No but then Google hasn't made an advertising campaign about how it, unlike Google doesn't read your emails or collect your personal data. At least Google are upfront about it

Five unbelievable headlines that claim Tim Berners-Lee 'INVENTED the INTERNET'

Re: Idiots

"We all know that Al Gore invented the Internet."

And the moment he commisioned the NSA for the purpose of spying on the world for traces of ManBearPig, we knew the hunt became super cereal

Use strong passwords and install antivirus, mmkay? UK.gov pushes awareness campaign

Re: I'm torn

"Torn between applauding the government for finally trying to educate the population in these matters and laughing at the totally childish approach taken"

You have to understand this is information to be understood by even the thickest Daily Fail reader. It's to step those people in the right direction, not for us Reg readers that (should) know better. In this regard, this simplistic approach does what it is designed to do

UK 'copyright czar' Edmund Quilty quits as Blighty's Director of Copyright Enforcement

Re: @moiety 22:17

Yep, and it's an argument Valve has proved valid with Steam

I KNOW how to SAVE Microsoft. Give Windows 8 away for FREE – analyst

Re: 32 bit OS in a 64-bit world.

Have you ever tried finding drivers for your hardware using 64-bit XP?

Microsoft: Don't listen to 4chan ... especially the bit about bricking Xbox Ones

Re: I genuinely do not understand...

"...the 360 was just another x86 PC-in-a-box."

Umm no it wasnt. It was based on the PPC architecture, like pre-intel Macs. PPC to x86 translation is computationally expensive and the gap between generations just isnt that big, nor do the consoles have chips from the previous console inside them (ala PS2, Wii, GBA)

PS-PHWOARRR: We review Sony’s next-gen PlayStation 4

Re: What free games?

Beats having no real perks and being required to access services such as Skype (normally free) and Netflix (on top of the usual subscription charge). Anyone up for Xbox?

'F-CK YOU GOOGLE+' ukelele missy scoops BIG WAD of $$ - for Google

Re: yea google F*ck you

"I'm fairly certain they don't request a copy of your birth certificate"

They've tried this when G+ was first concieved, if they didnt believe the name you gave was you real one. It failed hard, as well it should

Oh, shoppin’ HELL: I’m in the supermarket of the DAMNED

"That would require the card reader to transmit information about the card (e.g. "card is in the slot") to the POS terminal, and I'd expect they are only allowed to tell the terminal about success / failure of the card approval."

The nature/presence of this glitch seems to suggest that the POS terminal (a very apt name) is already receiving this information

WHY didn't Microsoft buy RIM? Us business blokes would have queued for THAT phone

Re: same old rubbish

source?

500 MEELLION PCs still run Windows XP. How did we get here?

Re: If you've got to do all this work to change your OS..

Lets work through your reasoning

"Because so many applications runs on windows only"

Chances are there's a more-than-viable alternative on Linux. Even if you think Libre-Office doesn't cut the mustard, Kingsoft Office will more than easily fit the bill to replace Microsoft Office, for example. Else, run WINE

"because so many users are used to Windows UI"

Which is being deprecated by Microsoft in favour of Metro. At least most Linux distro's keep some sort of familiarity

"because finding and installing drivers on Linux can be such a pain in the arse"

And almost always not necessary. Even if your driver isn't built right in, the Hardware Driver tool in Ubuntu will do it all for you

"because WS servers, Active Directory, centralized authentication, GPO are so useful and easy"

WS Servers: I assume you mean windows server. And no its not any easier to set up, its just different.

Active Directory: Supported in Linux. Look up Samba

centralized authentication: Supported in Linux. Look up Kerberos

GPO: that ill give you, but there's still NIS

Re: Software is not magic!!

No, this is usually the case if an app is supported correctly and there aren't any bizzare bits of code in the app.

Microsoft DMCA takedown requests targeting OpenOffice

Re: Naive, perhaps?

Look at the blocklist itself. The OpenOffice torrents are filled with artifacts that somewhat suggest what's being offered is identifying itself with Microsoft's offering rather than Apache's (Open Office 2010 anyone?). It is more than feasable to suggest that this was a bot error

Xbox One users will have to pay extra for Skype and gamer-gratifying DVR

Re: Even pricier Xbox live? No Thanks.

Please remind me on what other platform do you pay $60USD extra to use Skype? or Netflix? what other PVR requires you to buy a $60 subscription fee to use it? (don't give me Sky/Virgin, or any of that bollocks; you pay for the TV service itself with those)

Android's US market share continues to slip

Re: @KjetilS

no but the Dalvik VM is based off an open-source implementation of Java - and Dalvik is a core part of Android, so yeah you could say it is based of Java too

you are correct on both counts

Microsoft's anti-Android Twitter campaign draws ire, irony

Re: Hackers would go after Windows phones...

"Android is NOT Linux. Linux is Linux"

Android is no more or less Linux than Ubuntu, RedHat, openSUSE. If you said GNU/Linux, id agree (sounds pedantic until you realise Android doesn't run the GNU software stack unlike destop distros)

"which is NOT targeted because statistically nobody uses it for that"

Microsoft's own published statistics put Linux higher than Apple Mac.

http://www.osnews.com/story/21035/Ballmer_Linux_Bigger_Competitor_than_Apple

US Copyright Office approves phone jailbreaking and video remixes

Re: Why does anyone outside the US care?

Ever heard of Richard O'Dwyer? Set up a website called TVShack in the UK, broke no UK laws, yet he is being extradited to USA over DMCA Violations.

Funny how despite the PSP had a rampant homebrew scene, it got suffocated with piracy and no one would develop on it because it was so insecure, thus Sony lost out on millions...

Headaches, delays plague Windows Store, dev claims

Re: A distant echo of Symbian app development

The whole of Windows 8 is about what Microsoft wants. Not what Users want, not what developers want, only what Microsoft wants. Why else would there be such a huge push towards apps and services that only really help MS?

N00bs vs Windows 8: We lock six people in a room with new OS

Re: OSX Users vs Windows 8 more like.

"Windows+Tab is just what I need."

Windows+Tab has existed since windows vista

APPLE: SCREW YOU, BRITS, everyone else says Samsung copied us

Re: Called it

"I don't recall the court order stating they had to agree with it so why should they?"

They dont agree with it and thats natural. Slating the defendant and the UK courts (legally this is contempt of court) in that same requirement statement, where they could have just written it in a neutral tone, is asking for trouble. Its like a criminal insulting the victim and court in an interview after sentencing

Microsoft: Just swallow this tablet ... the rest will take care of itself

Re: "Microsoft actually writes fantastic software"

Good:

.

Windows 2000

Windows 7

Halo series (excluding the original as it was written before Bungie was bought)

Age of empires (as mentioned)

Forza Motorsports

Pre 2007 Office

Active Directory

Sega Dreamcast's OS

.

Bad:

.

Windows Vista

Internet Explorer

Office 2007 and up

Windows Me

Microsoft Bob

Windows Phone 7

Fucking Clippy (it looks like you are writing a letter)

Initial release of Win95 (too buggy for words)

Recent incantation of WIndows Livew Messenger

Windows....Fucking....8

Windows 8: Is Microsoft's new OS too odd to handle?

Re: Windows 8 cannot win...

And yes i do realise that Windows 8 is barely out the gate, with regard to the quantity of apps. Doesn't excuse the fact most dont even start up

Windows 8 cannot win...

Windows 8 is a difficult sell even for a tablet OS IMHO. There are no apps, half the apps that do exist are sorely broken, and trying to do anything useful requires coming out of a touch-screen friendly interface. Even setting up some wirelesses takes you to the desktop, and the metro apps that DO work are heavily neutered to the point where I cannot even set a custom fucking Pictures folder without going into desktop!

This is before we even get to the PC side. No start button, Windows key takes you to the metro screen (where there is NO indication that you can type something to start searching), all methods to the control panel seem hidden away, vital functions such as shutdown are hidden away in a retracting sidebar (again, no visible indicator to show this thing even exists). Oh and the only way to attempt using a Metro app on a netbook is a to force the resolution to 1024x768 (netbooks are typically only 1024x600, and thus Windows locks you out of metro apps). So immediately after installation and i already have to do registry hacks (and suffer bleeding eyes) to so much as test the fucking Metro side of things!

Oh and did i tell you most settings dont carry over from desktop to Metro? even where possible?

US patent office prepares to kill off Apple's bounce-back patent

Re: Banning...

"Eliminating patents altogether might not hurt either"

Yes, lets have this nonsense about protecting actual inventions from being copied. After all, everyone is too trustworthy to reverse-engineer stuff and build almost like-for-like clones. Arent they? oh...

That said, software patents do go too far. What is a piece of programming besides a complex mathematical formula?

Canonical to Windows XP cliff-clingers: Ubuntu safety net's ready... now jump

Not a problem

Linux DAW - Im assuming you mean LMMS (which is true, it really isnt there yet), but have you tried Ardour? It really smokes the competition

Linux Video Editor - Lightworks (Hollywood-grade video editor) is coming to Linux on October 30th

Linux Sony Vegas - See above: You wont need Vegas when Lightworks hits.

Anything else i missed? :)

Re: succeed in this with a desktop like Unity?

this is the beauty of Ubuntu (and linux in general), you can pull things out and put new things in, or download derivative distros. Myself, I use Elementary Luna; both Gnome Shell and Unity look far too cartoony for me, and Gnome's idiotic designs means I often cannot click OK buttons on my netbook because they are forced off the screen. Luna is quick, lightweight, and has the attention to detail that the other 'new DEs' sorely lack

Your opinion is outdated

Wine's compatibility is better than you think; I run MS Office 2010 under it and almost all of the apps (save publisher) work 100%. Also with the state of Win32 at the moment, not even microsoft want to really touch it, so developing Wine or any other Win32 compatibility layer will be far from easy, but they are geting there fast

Microsoft leads from behind on Windows 8

Re: XP was as secure as you wanted it to be

" 2K was the first to have an actual security model that worked"

...which was NOT brought into XP, for compatibility reasons. They knew that people wanted to run their old apps, so they had to compromise security to do so.

"XP was really a pretty face on 2K"

No, it really wasn't. XP was designed as a replacement for Win 95/98/ME, and had the task of running Win9x apps, despite being NT architecture. The way many 9x programs were written assuming they had what many today would consider root access. This was simply incompatible with the traditional NT security defaults...so MS turned them off. What really turned the security efforts around was that programmers were starting to recognise and work reliably around the security architecture, thus achieving the same effect and letting the security setup do it's job. This was more or less forced in SP2 (when new defaults came into play).

2K was an enterprise OS designed to replace NT4, already of the NT lineage. It was a kick-ass system that solidified the NT line's reputation as a reliable OS, not that NT4 was doing a bad job anyway (compared to Win98). While there were improvements, they weren't of the kind that could break applications (or at least not as seriously as with WinXP). Win NT apps were already coded around a decent security model that was later inherited in XP, so they didn't have issues with compatibility