Posts by stuff and nonesense

We tested all the Ubuntu remixes for resource usage so you don't have to

Does it run Sounblaster Z

I try new Linux installs each year, pc config has gone from B450 to B550, processor from 2700x to 5900x, gpu from AMD390 to 2060 and now 3070. The constant has been a Soundblaster Z.

Everything I’ve used has been recognised, installed and run. One problem has been constant, no analogue audio. I’ve read that this has been patched, applied the instructions diligently, got all excited as I rebooted only to be deflated as no sound is heard.

Everything works under windows.. 7 through to 11, omitting 8.

Any gurus got any clues?

Oh, I forgot, no errors are seen just no audio..

UK govt reboots A Level exam results after computer-driven fiasco: Now teacher-predicted grades will be used after all

Best protest banner I saw read

“No New Etonian’s grades were harmed by the use of The Algorithm “

NASA mulls restoring Saturn V to service as SLS delays and costs mount

Nice try!

Title says it all

2020 MacBook Air teardown shows in graphic detail how butterfly keyboards were snipped for scissor switch

Re: Stop insulting your readers

IBM didn’t allow access, they used a bought OS on commodity hardware for the original PC. The only proprietary part was the BIOS which was reverse engineered.

Europe wants cloud giants to cough up data from anywhere in 6hrs

Re: I wonder what happens when they come up against that old chestnut...

Some time later..... damn that’s a beautiful cat pic!

How's your Wednesday? Things going well? OK, your iPhone, iPad can be pwned via Wi-Fi sync

Re: Chrome Browser

What is Google Chrome?

Watchdog growls at Tesla for spilling death crash details: 'Autopilot on, hands off wheel'

Ok, so Tesla has a $3000 option on a $5000 enhancements . What extra safety features does that package use?

If none, why would I trust it?

If extra safety features are programmed into the “upgrade “ why are they not in the driver assistance pack?

Self driving cars have got to have safety first and foremost, the highest levels of protection baked into the base packages. Extra functions to aid driving richer people than me can pay extra for but safety must be paramount.

CTS who? AMD brushes off chipset security bugs with firmware patches

Re: Downgrade attack?

How are you verifying that the microcode zero days were not on the machine before you acquired it?

One method?

Donkeys years ago I worked in a company that made mission critical hardware. We used a checksum on the software/firmware code at compilation time.

The checksum values were stored on hard copy (paper) and elsewhere, corrections to any errors were signed (on the sheet of paper). An altered entry with no signature was deemed invalid : that software release was checked against the version controlled code library.

The binaries generated were then stored on a server and loaded onto the EPROM devices as required.

When programmed the EPROM was interrogated to verify that the checksum was correct. Verification was against the paper copy checksum.

The devices were not connected to any external networks and could not be interfered with (exception : physical modification).

There has to be a point where trust can be established. If not what remains is the belief that the manufacturers are deliberately compromising their firmware.

The weak point is the initial compilation, mitigated with a code comparison by a third party.

CTS Response - Salting the ground?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RrhVhFHTe9o

CTS Have posted a PoC video.

Classy given the story that AMD will have the bugs fixed soon.

*Wakes up in Chrome's post-adblockalyptic landscape* Wow, hardly anything's changed!

Noscript and ublock - no unwanted ads. The new noscript is a bit different though, less straightforward.

Now EE's challenging UK regulator's mobile spectrum proposals

NO, Three have been nothing but trouble for me, no signal, bad service.

Would walk the day such a deal happened.

RED ALERT! High-speed alien fugitives are invading our Milky Way

Re: A new standard in intergalactic warfare!

Through any other lens this would be an obscure reference man

Daddy, what's 'P2P file sharing'?

Re: Is stealing music from YouTube, like, an actual thing?

Free to consume but not free to take and retain a copy. Consumption is fine, retaining a copy is theft.

Ok - Biebs isn't a musician

Radio, YouTube etc pay a licence fee for music they make available. You can choose to pluck out of the airwaves or stream without impunity. Musicians get a small royalty on those impressions.

Keeping a copy for yourself without paying is taking money out of a musician's pocket. Simply because, today, music has been reduce to easily copied data is not a justification for copying and keeping.

I do audition stuff I might want to buy, if I don't like it I don't buy it - I audition it through YouTube and such there is no need to down load it. Streaming is adequate.

Recording time in a studio costs, engineers cost, production costs, media production costs, musicians have to earn a living.

Publishing houses inflate the above costs. They make most money out of the musicians, to a level which is immoral relative to the royalties paid to most musicians.

"Everything they produce is overcharged and most of it, to my taste, is substandard and un-entertaining. It also has no protection, not even moral protection."

If that is so why would you steal it, there is no value or enjoyment in music for you.

Music and art in general have value in their effect on people. To those that enjoy the piece there is a desire to acquire a copy for personal consumption at any time. The ability to satisfy that desire has a monetary value, for a CD or LP between £5 and £20. It is not exorbitant or excessive given the pleasure that can be gained.

Be a thief, please don't try to justify your position with an "I don't like so I steal" argument or please do, try that with the policeman as he pulls you over while you are driving a stolen Ford Mondeo.

Windows 10 Anniversary Update crashing under Avast antivirus update

Re: Avast...

Try Sophos, Google - Sophos free

US DoJ files motion to compel Apple to obey FBI iPhone crack order

Police/Feds looked in the wrong place..

Don't know if it has been said BUT the phone was in posession of the perp however it belonged to the health department.

Surely the police can subpoena the health department and the health department as the owners of the phone ask Apple for help...

If 4G isn’t working, why stick to the same approach for 5G?

Up in the north east of Scotland I get 4G in town and at home even through the granite walls.

5 miles away I get GSM...

Come on O2!

Blast-off! Boat free launch at last. Orion heads for space

Re: Typo

Hey John,

you got your conversions wrong..

68 F .....

68 - 32 = 36

36 * (5/9) = 20C

80F

80-32=48

48 * (5/9) = 26.6C, 27 rounded correctly.

26C is 78.8F

The simple arithmetic..

C = (F-32)*0.55555556

F= (C/0.5555556)+32

Google DoubleClick goes TITSUP. ENJOY your AD-FREE WORLD!

Re: Subscription to the Reg...

No.....

Boeing, Cupertino to 'explore weaponisation of Apple technologies'

Nice try!!

Stephen Fry rewrites computer history again: This time it's serious

Re: About time

"Windows was not a new operating system. It was simply MS-DOS with a new shell--that didn't work well at first. MS was legally obligated to give IBM the rights to successor OS's and MS waited for that agreement to expire to actually integrate (lock in) the shell with the OS. This happened in the Windows 95 timeframe. However, the underpinnings or Windows 95 was still MS-DOS, just as Windows NT is still the underpinnings of Windows 7, 8."

This happened in the Windows 95 timeframe. However, the underpinnings or Windows 95 was still MS-DOS, just as OS/2 is still the underpinnings of Windows 7, 8.

Fixed that for you.

Britain's costliest mistake? Lord Stern defends his climate maths

Re: one small problem : "both halves of the debate"

There is often a misunderstanding regarding the meaning of the word "Theory" as used in scientific literature.

The phrase "I have a theory that...." would in scientific circles indicate a hypothesis that requires proof.

A scientific theory is a hypothesis that has been tested. The results (data) indicate that the hypothesis is correct to the required level of tolerance.

The theory holds until a new better hypothesis is tested and verified.

How the NSA hacks PCs, phones, routers, hard disks 'at speed of light': Spy tech catalog leaks

Re: Ok, not so quick and easy

Salts, your idea has merit, the question is who do you trust?

Donkeys years ago I worked in a company that made mission critical hardware. We used a checksum on the software/firmware code at compilation time.

The checksum values were stored on hard copy (paper) and elsewhere, corrections to any errors were signed (on the sheet of paper). An altered entry with no signature was deemed invalid : that software release was checked against the version controlled code library.

The binaries generated were then stored on a server and loaded onto the EPROM devices as required.

When programmed the EPROM was interrogated to verify that the checksum was correct. Verification was against the paper copy checksum.

The devices were not connected to any external networks and could not be interfered with (exception : physical modification).

There has to be a point where trust can be established. If not what remains is the belief that the manufacturers are deliberately compromising their firmware.

There should be no routine monitoring of (world) citizens. Monitoring should only take place when there is a valid reason and a court order limiting the scope of the surveillance.

There is a need to be able to intercept data but just because they can doesn't mean they should.

Ubuntu desktop is so 2013... All hail 2014 Ubuntu mobile

The only reasons Android succeeded were :

It was free, and good enough to gain a foothold.. It remains free.

Samsung et al could then slim down their programming effort as there was no longer an operating system to write. (modify Android/sort out drivers/compile and test)

This saves them a shed load of cash. Hardware all the high end phones have a decent camera, touch screen, accelerometer, more than enough memory, quick processor (predominately ARM based)

The differences between them all are packaging paper cup or ceramic mug and flavour latte or cappuccino.

To the El Reg spell checker.. Flavour is spelled with a U between the O and the R. W are not all American.

Could Doctor Who really bump into human space dwellers?

DM Penfold.. I read the new scientist this week too

The concept of now is based on your frame of reference. Einstein postulated after a thought experiment using a train and a reference point that an observer closer to the reference point would see the train cross the reference point before an observer further away. This made now subjective not objective.

Beak orders Yahoo! to get on with Microsoft Search rollout in Asia

Re: Yahoo are not even themselves now

Yahoo has acted as a front end for various search engines during the last 20 years but I don't recall it providing its own search.

What it is and was is a portal. It provides hosted information and entertainment and content branded and aggregated across its sites. Yahoo is good at it but the fashion changed. Along with AOL Lycos and many others they opened up the web for mere mortals in the early days. When Google appeared the portal model was broken. Google search worked well enough - a portal to hold your hand became less relevant - visitor numbers declined over time and in turn advertising revenue dropped.

I'd hate to be stuck with Microsoft though...

21st Century Elite remake to support Oculus Rift virtual reality rig

Re: It better be bloody good...

I played Elite on my C64, Atari ST FM and lately on my PC, Look up Oolite, same game as Elite, smoother graphics.. Whoops, there goes another evening...

Firefox OS update adds performance, polish to Mozilla's webby mobes

Re: No MMS

I've used MMS twice in 15 years.. emailed photos sent lots.

SMS daily..

I'd not miss MMS if it was removed.

What is interesting is that Mozilla are getting updates out there. If they can keep the code efficient and not bloated there should be a viable new competitor to the dominant 2 in a year or so.

Billionaire dumps Apple stock because Steve Jobs was 'really awful' guy

Re: Steve Jobs

"People buying taking out loans / mortgages / credit cards that they couldn't afford, so defaulting on the credit, which in turn made the banks default on their credit, that they couldn't afford to pay back either."

It's a 2 way street. Banks in the UK used to offer mortgages at 3x the major earners salary, that became 3x + 1 minor, then 2 minor and finally 3x + 3x. House prices in each segment increased. Whether the house price increase was the trigger or the extra money available was the trigger .. who knows, the result is that a house now costs effectively twice as much as it used to. (3x + 3x instead of 3x)

Banks folded bad debt in with good debt to offload the debt, Eventually no-one knew what they had, good or bad.

Banks agreed (Basle 1 and 2) to hold 7% capital (cash) assets at any point in time. Clever accountants were able to fiddle the figures so that some of the paper assets looked like cash, the banks were holding as little as 0.5% capital assets. More cash working - more profit.

Banks make money from debt, it is called interest. The system was too free in loaning money in order to get the interest repayments. The bankers could have said NO to anyone at any time - they wanted the money.

In defence of defenestration: Microsoft MUST hurl Gates from the Windows

Re: Always a PC

"They've got a huge user base that isn't going anywhere anytime soon, and trying to merge the tablet/phone world with the PC world is obviously something they have no demonstrable skills or talent at. They should focus on the PC and make that their Crown Jewel again."

That is fine so long as the PC remains dominant. (I have not been seduced by the various tablets) If, as frequently reported, smartphones and tablets are munching and devouring the PC market then Microsoft will have to pull a rabbit from the hat.

It seems as if the initial onslaught has stalled, Apple/Android have held firm. WinRT may severely wounded for tablets.

Microsoft do have Nokia, good hardware and an improved Windows for phone may give the Redmond Cabal the impetus to move forward.

Sticking with Windows for Desktop/Server/Enterprise and polishing each previous version to make it shiny will lead to a death by 1000 cuts.

Microsoft NEED something new

Samsung: Sod off Apple, we've made gold mobile phones for way longer than you

Re: That Steve Job's was good though....

I'm in the UK, never seen a Zune....

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

Re: XP? Pah!

I have a milling machine running DOS....

DEAD STEVE JOBS kills Apple bounce patent from BEYOND THE GRAVE

Re: Bit confused ...

Exposing the innovation PRIOR to patenting the innovation put the details into the public domain. Prior art was established.

iOS 7 SPANKS Samsung's Android in user-experience rating

Find apps? - Spotlight Search

Apple iOS 7 remote wipe: Can it defeat the evil scrumper scourge?

@bigtimehustler

There is nothing to stop some spotty oik doing as you suggest however a thief wants to hold on to the stolen kit for as short a time as possible. They want money for their ill gotten stash quickly. They want to offload the kit with great haste - "if I have not got it prove I had it".

A solid remote lock up as the article describes is a good step forward. It may mean your new shiny phone ends up cast aside, broken and unwanted but IF all the manufacturers can implement robust systems the idea of stealing smart phones will begin to fade into the past - there will be no cash as the devices will become unsellable. (Thieves may steal out of malice and not greed - nothing will stop that)

People will find ways around such schemes, Manufacturers will have to stay on their toes but making the task of offloading stolen goods more difficult is a laudable aim.

ISPs set to install network-level smut filters despite Lib Dem opposition

Re: you can always turn it off

You have the burden of responsibility the wrong way round.

The ISPs ought to present the question (when it is offered) with the option to turn on the filters un-checked by default.

Re: ISP can chose what they want to supply to customers

"If you're not happy with your ISP you can always change."

1. Looking at porn is not illegal.

2. If it is not illegal it is allowed is one of the principals of the UK legal system.

3. The imposition of the proposed filters is censorship, pure and simple.

4. I did not vote for mumsnet and they have no right to tell me what I can or cannot view.

5. I am a customer of an ISP. ISPs are supposed implement "net neutrality", data types and packet types handled equally. (hint : W H Smiths sells porn mags but don't tell everyone)

6. re read 1 and 2

Torvalds: 'We're not doing Linux95 … for a few years, at least'

Re: "Suicidal squirrel”

I see red squirrels daily up here in Scotland...

US intelligence: Snowden's latest leaks 'road map' for adversaries

While the Soviet Bloc was crumbling

the BBC went into the newly free East Germany, comments were made about surveillance cameras on every street corner being the sign of a totalitarian regime.

23 years later walk through London.. (I lost count of the cameras I saw) .. you will see many cameras watching pedestrians, traffic cameras with automatic (car) number plate recognition.. cameras to trap speeding motorists, policemen with cameras on their shoulders (claimed to be for the protection of the police - evidence in case they get assaulted..

Since then the number of methods available for surveillance has increased, each is exploited.

There is no problem with properly targeted monitoring. It is a necessary evil. Blanket monitoring of a population is simply wrong, expensive and not needed.

The cracking of internet ciphers was/is to be expected, the use of the ability to read encrypted traffic should be restricted by a specific court warrant, be tied to a case and never be generally used.

Facebook strips away a bit more of your privacy – but won't say why

Re: Not bothered but...

The problem with Google, Facebook et al is the breadth of information they can acquire and the impunity with which they intend to use said information.

Remember the "free stuff" you use is paid for by advertisers, in turn manufacturers, in turn retailers and in turn YOU - albeit at pennies in the pound.

Google and Facebook are advertisement agencies. The free stuff you use is a tool, a hook to entice you to use their "services" in order for Google/Facebook to siphon off any interesting tidbits that you reveal.

I don't use Facebook, as far as I know I am not tagged on any photos, I have given NO consent for Facebook to use/reuse my image or name (I am probably not that interesting anyhow) but if they were to use my image or name - as indicated in the updated policy they could - where is the explicit permission.

Kiwis (finally) confirm software ban under new patent law

Re: a complete non event

" but with an explanatory note in the bill that if the only novel aspect is the software, then it can't be patented."

Swipe to unlock is the only novel aspect, that part would be covered. (at least on the surface, the implication is that it would be covered)

Google plonks down cash for Foxconn's head-mounted display patents

I'm sure I saw

Google Glass on a Jem'Hadar and Vorta command crew when on board the Dominion space ships...

http://www.yourprops.com/Vorta-Command-Headset-original-movie-prop-Star-Trek-Deep-Space-Nine-TV-1993-YP23367.html

Google Glass is high fashion in September Vogue magazine

I control my phone..

I don't control a Google glass device owned by someone else...

AREA 51 - THE TRUTH by the CIA: Official dossier blows lid off US secrets

The Lightning had a REPORTED ceiling of 65000ft.

Microsoft warns of post-April zero day hack bonanza on Windows XP

Look at peripheral support.....

SCSI

Soundblaster

etc.

Not all hardware has manufacturer supported drivers

Web ad giant (Google) pops Adwords into Maps for iOS and Android

Re: I remember when

"Diddums. They're not trying to manipulate you. They're of the opinion that if they put thousands of man-days into a project, they should be able to recoup that money."

The money invested in the tool that is Maps was invested to GATHER DATA, to make you into product for companies willing to pay for the adverts. Google do a good job at mapping applications.

Google advertise their own services - Advertising is manipulation. The adverts persuade you to use the services. You become product - your info is used to enable Google to target ads to your mobile / PC / (insert device here). Google performs its core business activity - SELLING ADVERTISEMENTS. Google is not a software house.

You got it back to front JDX.

Re: Note to commentards

James,

You are correct, Google Maps is a good system.

The reason for its existence is simple. It is to provide product to advertisers. It is a tool that Google use to entice people to use Google services.

The same can be said for Search, Picasa, Android etc. etc.

The sole reason for these tools is to capture information about the users. This in turn provides "good information" for targetting adverts.

People who use these tools become product for the real Google customers - the businesses who PAY for the adverts served by Google.

Paying for staff : how to put this... Staff are an overhead that must be covered in order for a business to function. These people are cheap in relation to the amount of revenue generated by their efforts (Google's balance sheet is in the billions). They write programs to hook users.

Google are not altruistic in providing "free" tools for phones or the web. The tools are made to suit Google purposes first and foremost, that they are attractive to users is part of Google's purposes.

Samsung brings back clamshell phones with added Android

Re: Run out of ideas...

Best samsung phone I had was the SGH Z510. It was solidly built and bounced without breaking the screen!

Win XP alive and kicking despite 2014 kill switch (Don't ask about Win 8)

Re: 37%

Not so likely, the cutoff date has been publicized for a few years now.

Time limited support is part of Microsoft's business model.

Re: Why are we throwing this away?

Microsoft is trying to get you to throw XP away so that they can screw more pennies out of your wallets.

Take Win2K, throw in better gaming compatibility... find out that it was not secure... fix it in SP2 and the world is a better place.

XP should never had been given as many updates 2002 to 2006 but because it was XP remained relevant. Vista was poor in comparison, partly because of the extra time spent on XP.

Because of its market presence hardware manufacturers produce(d) drivers. These drivers have been on the whole stable because of the maturity of XP. Its a known quantity.

XP is the success story Microsoft must hate. People won't give it up!

I prefer Win 7 though I dislike the culling of utility applications e.g. Hyperterm. (PuTTy is my friend though not as friendly as Hyperterm)