Posts by werdsmith

Sad Nav: How a cheap GPS spoofer gizmo can tell drivers to get lost

Re: Luckily

There is no doubt that when there is congestion ahead on a planned route, GPS routing is gloriously good for getting round it. It can be used very well together with road signs to produce an infinitely better result than boy scouting about the place.

However, despite having a wonderful fitted bathroom at home, I'm the one with a tin bath in the living room filled with 20 kettles of water heated on on the coal fire. Because these modern power-shower things are not for proper people like me. They are for inferior types that rely on pre-heated hot water. Idiots.

We shall call him Mini-U – Ubuntu reveals tiny cloudy server

No mention of Virtualbox, for those of us who are cheap prefer open source.

Cheap open source and Oracle. Cannot last.

Nissan 'fesses up to fudging emissions data

Re: 1.6 litre!

Yup...always amazes me that US vehicles can have a 92 litre engine and still only produce 12bhp and are only good in a straight line...

Don't be amazed, go there and try them. They suit the environment well. Planned (as opposed to our organic) urban development in much of their cities means straight roads and intersections with lights. So their torquey lazy wafting along is more appropriate than our zippy and nippy style. Highly strung small engines that need race-like revving wouldn't fit in so well there.

Re: 1.6 litre!

Rottweilers are chosen due to their presence and the strength of their bite.

Thanks, you have just made my point for me.

The presence that their weakling owners don't have.

Re: 1.6 litre!

You should measure its life in miles not time because a low miler properly serviced will go on forever.

Small CC engines that have been designed to produce high torque/bhp per litre are just as good and durable as large engines. Only engines that have been boosted to produce more power than their design are really stressed.

The latest generation of small engines producing high power are designed to do so.

The biggest problem is that people haven't been taught the driving style change needed to get the better mpg out of them.

Re: 1.6 litre!

And the 1.2 litre DIG-T Renault petrol engine that Nissan use in their smaller SUVs is also quite capable of going faster than it ever needs to even with a full load.

Remember, big cube engines are for people compensating for under-endowment.

Same as sports bikes, loud motor cycles, big calibre hand guns and aggressive dog breeds.

Open plan offices flop – you talk less, IM more, if forced to flee a cubicle

Re: What execs and HR can't seem to understand...

Seems I'm not neurotypical for an IT person. A lot of the complaints about offices I'm reading here just don't affect me and I like working co-operatively in teams. Yet I am generally an introvert and will shun socialising with the same people. I also vehemently protest about constant unnecessary meetings.

For me, using a cubicle to isolate people from each other is inhuman and treating them like machines. I will never find them acceptable and I really struggle to understand why people might like working in them. If I ever see it anywhere I would consider blowing the whistle to the authorities about abuse of staff.

Re: "Interaction" != work

We did the experiment with Yammer at my last job 6 years ago, and it fizzled out. I haven't seen it since and I thought it had died.

Re: Those cubicle things

That's because 13 people are off ill with the flu and the remaining two are introverts who never make eye contact.

Part right. 6 are working from home and the others are working. Banter regular but not excessive. Remember this is generally not a loudmouth country.

Re: Those cubicle things

Dilbert Cubicle

Re: Those cubicle things

But I'm working in an open plan office now, with 15 desks. It's not noisy at all.

Those cubicle things

Those weird cubicle things you see in American films, are they actually a real thing or are they just made up in Hollywood?

If they are real, how does anybody tolerate working in them?

You're indestructible, always believe in 'cause you are Go! Microsoft reinvents netbook with US$399 ‘Surface Go’

It would just be interesting to hear why some people disagree with the consensus that quickly appeared but didn’t care enough to vent their spleen. Is it just pique or do they have something to say? Or is it marketing bots trying to put some infective spin out there?

I know a moderator on a very large and well known forum, he told me that there is a core of weirdos that downvote everything. In fact some just log on and start downvoting and do nothing else.

So it really doesn't matter, I think it is just that some wimpier types feel like the vote buttons gives them a bit of importance.

I'm not sure anyone much cares about upvotes/downvotes. Nobody over 12 anyway. As the proud owner of 2600+ downvotes I can honestly say that I don't give a shit.

Re: Bargain ?

Joe Werner talks sense.

I can do 90% of what I need on a 3 year old £150 HD screen chromebook that lasts 10 hours on a charge, wieighs next to nothing and runs ubuntu.

Re: 'Your friends have all done this too? How did you manage that'

I'm not so bothered about the surveillance of such thing as much as the proprietary lock-in of things like faecebook as opposed to web standards like www and smtp.

If faecebook had apis that allowed it to share across social media platforms instead of trying to become the dominant defacto web then I wouldn't feel it was so evil.

Not that anyone cares when they are busy attention seeking and showing off their breakfast while reading the latest piece of long since debunked fake news which they will add "OMG" to and share it on for more thickos to repeat.

iPhone 8 now outsells X, and every other phone

While I like the iPhone/iPad hardware, I stick with Android (currently a Pixel2) because the limitations of the OS are enough to make me resent paying the Apple tax

Interesting how these things work out. It is my total dislike for Android that forces me to use the only other real choice of iOS even though I am not keen on Apple or iPhones. However, it is never necessary to pay the Apple tax, astute iPhone purchases do actually work out cheaper pound for pound.

Re: And?

You can also move your iPhone X on for good money when you are done with it.

Re: No it just proves there are a lot of idiots......

For the self-obsessed narcissists of this world, people who choose to make different purchasing decisions from them are idiots.

Hoping for Microsoft's mythical Andromeda in your Xmas stocking? Don't hold your breath

Re: "looking at them in one of those electronics shop windows"

It did ok for a PDA in that era. I know they think they are but in fact USA and worldwide are not the same thing.

No, UK was a big market but, Psion 5 was sold in a lot of other countries, they did loads of localised keyboards. I can remember looking at them in one of those electronics shop windows in Times Square NY, weighing up the pricing. PSion 7 and netbook were in there too.

Then Swedish Ericsson had the MC218 which was a badged Psion 5MX.

A lot of Gemini customers have mentioned being former Psion users in other countries.

It being the form factor it is, doesn't handle phone calls well with any OS. Before I even bought it I knew it would not make a good phone. I use a phone for my phone.

Sailfish has become my saviour OS on Gemini, I haven't booted the wretched Android since installing it.

Given the outcome for any phone hardware business that gets touched by the Microsoft poison (Sendo, Nokia) I really do hope that Gemini's business becomes strong enough that they can afford to say no to Microsoft waving big cheques about.

Thankfully the IoT windows fizzled out on Raspberry Pi, they proved they don't need it.

Gemini goes back to the '90s with Agenda, Data and mulls next steps

I would be happy with an e-ink main screen.

Re: Top wish = backlit keyboard?

Sure we do, but finding the right key for one of the [FN]+ shortcuts needs light. practice.

Fixed.

Re: GUI?

There are a choice of 4 OSes. Ditch Android. It's total shite.

Re: I have the Gemini PDA

Subjective opinions. I love the keyboard and can type very quickly and comfortable on it.

I've left on the screen protector but there is no impression from the keyboard in the finger grease.

The screen is actually reasonably readable in daylight, even in the bright sun we've had lately. I've used it a lot outside recently and this surprised me.

Yes, the audio through headphones has a problem when there is no sound playing it picks up electronic noise from the device but this problem doesn't happen on bluetooth headphones. No crackling noises if I move the jack with the plug in headphones.

If I was going to pick a fault with it, then it would be the default OS. Android. I've gone Sailfish to be rid of it, but these new Apps are for Android only. I may have to wait for Sailfish 3 before I can use them.

I think the device is based on the Elefone S8 Mediatek X27 based phone, which given the Gemini retail price on the website, values the keyboard integration and open bootloader at over £400 which I would have to think very carefully about. At the IndieGogo backer price though, absolute bargain and I am really happy with it.

'Plane Hacker' Roberts: I put a network sniffer on my truck to see what it was sharing. Holy crap!

Re: So... who pays for the 3G/4G data connection?

After all, the leasing company needs to know when to start billing you £1/mile once you have exceeded your miserly 4,000 miles a year that they give you in the lease don't they?

Yes, but they already have the tech to do that. They just read it off the dashboard when you return the car and bill accordingly.

Re: EMP

yeah.

you don't want none of this modern safety cell shit. You'll take a steel chassis where all the impact sources are transferred straight to you with no attenuation.

Screw those engineers and screw their manifold survivability improvements and their goddam airbags.

Re: EMP

I think its time to purchase "classics" that have no electronics in them. Hence no security risks!

I like the idea except for the problem of when some chav in an Audi rams you then you will be sausage meat, meanwhile the Audi chav walks.

Re: What about the Toyotas that get sold to the Middle East ...

It's really simple. If the car isn't going to work properly where you need it to work then you don't buy it.

Location tracking data is surprisingly easy to link to an individual.

Not the point. The insurance company doesn't give a shit because the black box is assigned to the insured. They won't be trying to get hold the other driver's phone data because they don't need to and it's an expense they don't want.

Someone borrows the car, doesn't sign the consent form.

They are anonymous.

This would be the point of the insurance black box. If you lend someone the car and they blow your speed limits and corner like Max Verstappen then they are going to destroy your discount and the insurance company won't be able to assign any of the data to the borrower because they don't know who is driving. It all comes back to the policyholder, so it is up to them to manage the situation.

ZX Spectrum reboot firm boss delays director vote date again

Re: Indiegogo are proving themselves as much a joke as RCL

This is barely going to touch IndieGogo and crowdfunding. In context it's just a few speccy nurds and it's not even anywhere near IGG's biggest failure and disappearance on funds, Kickstarter failures are even bigger (checkout Skarp ,Zano, FutrueFon, Tiko, Popslate 2). Meanwhile new projects keep on going through.

Gemini has taken over $2.5 million on Indiegogo, 5 times more than the Speccy thing did.

Janko joined the RCL board after the bust up that saw the project fall apart. I suspect he didn't do due diligence and he wishes he'd never heard about it. I believe he has put some effort into getting things moving but it's tough trying to stop an avalanche.

Who fancies a six-core, 128GB RAM, 8TB NVMe … laptop?

Re: What does it run?

That kind of machine, you're going to want VMWare or similar anyway.

Indeed, you could set up a small network of servers in your backpack.

UK taxman warned it's running out of time to deliver working customs IT system by Brexit

Re: why can't it be put to the vote?

Say we have another vote, and it comes back for "remain". Would you be OK with a 3rd vote in 2019? And a 4th in 2020?

FFS.

A second vote would be based on the deal and actually knowing what the consequences are. An informed decision. Much more democratic and relevant than the first vote.

But as you mention it, with regard to governments and general elections, yes we do have 5-yearly opportunities to change.

Re: why can't it be put to the vote?

It's ridiculous that the vote was on some nebulous idea without anybody knowing what's really involved, and there will be no vote when we have hard facts about what the situation will be.

The leavers don't want to because they are so democratic.....

and afraid of the outcome.

The non-voters who didn't bother because they assumed that the country isn't stupid enough to vote for economic ruin will definitely mobilise if there is a brexit2 vote.

Re: "establish new IT systems"

"establish new IT systems"

So there is even more money to be wasted."

Give the contract to a French company.....

No more slurping of kids' nationalities, Brit schools told

The trouble with armchair socialists is they love spending other peoples money until it runs out.

This is true but it's morally reprehensible to say it out loud or write it on a website.

Re: Invasion?

The Normans were the ruling landowning class and the start of the aristocracy.

Nothing to do with the average British pleb apart from virtually enslaving them.

Re: Fair enough, but as a matter of balance

I work part time in a school to help out, and my wife works full time in the same school.

Some students do expect that they have some of their cultural preferences considered and expect different treatment. They don't always get it. The nationality data was used (believe it or not) to actually help the students so the school could adequately plan to provide for them and attempt to avoid angry parents coming in yelling because someone didn't do something the way they expected. And yes they do get extra help where needed and the school did seek out Polish language TAs.

Now if they can't do that then they can all expect to be treated the same I expect a few more complaints from parents.

Relive your misspent, 8-bit youth on the BBC's reopened Micro archive

Re: I had a BBC B, Then Master 128, then Archimedes

I think BBC could transmit BBC Micro programs over CEEFAX, I remember looking at them and wondering how they could be transferred onto the computer.

Not sure if ITV managed to do anything like that over OracleText.

Re: Made do with a C64, really wanted a BBC micro

@GruntyMcPugh

I seem to recall they were ~£300 for a Model 'B', which was a lot,

Model A was £299 and B was £399 in January 1982. You can see the prices if you google search for the old advertising. (they were briefly a bit cheaper for the early bird launch orders)

It's also well reported in this excellent article:

https://www.theregister.co.uk/Print/2011/11/30/bbc_micro_model_b_30th_anniversary/

Re: Only the straight-A students had access to the schools computer (singular)

You must have been at the same school as me. A few privileged sixth-formers got to touch the only computer in the school which was a TRS-80. It was kept in a locked room with a smoked glass window which if you peered up close you could see the glow of the monitor and wonder about what sorcery was within.

It was a science teacher who bought his own ZX81 in and allowed us to play on it that got me started.

BBC model B was something I only ever saw on TV or in printed adverts.

Re: Rasperry Pi fail

Raspberry Pi had to deliver something with relevance to the modern world, or they might as well teach clockwork to people designing modern watches.

The Pi is quite capable of operating in total simple mode and starts up into a very basic gui. It has its entire life-energy and soul resident on the SD card which makes it easy to screw up and start again.

Re: Made do with a C64, really wanted a BBC micro

Yes, BBC was prohibitively expensive and I was never going to get anywhere near it. Nor the TRS-80 in the local shop.

It was SInclair that finally allowed me to get my hands on one, and then own one.

According to the MeasuringWorth website, the 1982 £399 price of a Model B is well over a grand in today's money. Relative to average income, over £2000.

Ticketmaster gatecrash: Gig revelers' personal, payment info glimpsed by support site malware

There's usually a checkbox, TM have it - "Store my card information - for faster checkout next time"

What idiot checks that box? Absolutely nobody should ever check that box, storing payment information should be outlawed.

I got the notification email but I know I didn't check that box to store the card details, I never do. If this leads to any fraud then TM must have retained the information anyway. I use pre-load card which I add enough to cover purchases on the web and keep empty otherwise so damage limited.

A slick phone Linux for your pocket PDA? Ooh, don't mind if I do, sir

Re: Slurpalike

I'm using Gemini with Sailfish and see no Win10 resemblance. The "tiles" on sailfish are just the open or recently opened apps. The icon style is unique, as is the swipe interface. Definitely no start menu.

USB-C for Surface owners arrives in form of a massive dongle

After 5 mins we put it away and it hasn't seen the light of day since.

Our IT people get constant nagging from managers and sales people wanting them.