* Posts by Hellcat

386 publicly visible posts • joined 3 Mar 2011

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Teensy card skimmers found in gullets of ATMs

Hellcat

Since the unencrypted magnetic stripe is the biggest vunerability, why aren't ATMs transitioning to being (or at least supporting) chip&pin or even contactless? Wouldn't that at least make it harder to skim people's details.

As one commentator on the Krebson page put it - you don't need to outrun the bear, you only need to run faster than the other campers.

Hellcat

So what are we meant to do?

Attempt to pull apart every ATM we use?

Given the number of different designs we encounter, it's hardly surprising we don't notice something unusual. How difficult would it be to have a single plain design, so any 'addition' would stand out like a sore thumb?

Perhaps having the pin entry on a touch screen, with the number positions randomised? Then there would be no 'false keypads' and no 'warmth spotting'.

Dear Windows Journal, today I got owned: 29 security bugs swatted

Hellcat

Re: Be aware Surface firmware updates can be delivered later to your device....

Cheers for that tip, shall check it when I get home.

Dubai to get huge climate-controlled domed city and giga-mall

Hellcat
Joke

Re: I had a break in Dubai, last year

I was offered a job there and turned it down; and so did my wife.

Panasonic's seven-inch Windows slab has tough exterior, confused mind

Hellcat

Re: Windows 8 *PRO*

(Here we go again)

Yup, who wants to spend $300 on a tablet when you can get one for only $2600?

Microsoft ups OneDrive storage, slashes prices to match Google Drive

Hellcat

Re: Watch the lawsuites fly...

I'm not sure if I missed the sarcasm in this post because you _can_ map a drive letter to your Onedrive, and Win8 _has_ Onedrive built in.

If not, then http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/34847-onedrive-map-onedrive-pc-windows-8-1-a.html

Hellcat

Re: 2Gb file?

Onedrive isn't a cloud backup service. It's meant to be a synchronised location for storing live files. If you need to backup huge zip archives, or VMs then look at any of the cloud backup services, or (crazy idea here) keep it local - because who wants to be waiting for 2GB or more to download when something local has gone horribly wrong...

9 Dark Social Truths That Will Totally Blow Your Bowels!

Hellcat
Facepalm

I was looking for a ISIS Gigapipe bottom bracket for my bike. That will be my internet running slow for the next year.

'Cortana-gate' ruins Satya Nadella's Microsoft honeymoon

Hellcat
Facepalm

Let me offer my sincere thanks on your comment. I had mistakenly believed my phone was able to make calls, send texts and emails, browse the web and waste hours of my life which I will not get back on daft games and watching cats on YouTube. I immediately threw it in the bin once I read your comment and will proceed directly to a phone store to buy an iOS or Droid since only these devices can do what I need.

LEAKED: Redmond not allowed to sell 'Nokia' smartphones after 2015

Hellcat

Re: Microsoft FAIL

How is life under the bridge trying to catch billy goats?

CIA rendition jet was waiting in Europe to SNATCH SNOWDEN

Hellcat
Black Helicopters

I for one like this new edgy side of el reg.

Flightradar24 even has helicopters now. Say goodbye to another 30 minutes of your life!

Cabbies paralyze London in Uber rebellion

Hellcat
Joke

"Do not give up, keep coming , we r winning, if diverted return by any route however circuitous ! United we stand! RT"

Well they would be the experts in circuitous routes!

Migrating to Windows Server 2012

Hellcat

Re: Or....

Isn't that what Core is for?

The fun of migration is finding all the business critical systems that talk in a protocol that was in one OS, but replaced in another, then finding a way to hook them up again.

First iOS, now Android to get fondleslab Office ahead of Windows

Hellcat

Re: yes of course

Can't say I'm on the edge of my chair over this touch-optimised Office, as the version that came with RT works fine for anything I've ever tried to do. Since the surface devices make up the majority of Win tabs, and they have touchpad/keyboard covers, it makes sense for Microsoft to work on a version for iOS and Android before Win8.1.

Still, unless they sort out their single-sign-on it will all be a moot point as I'll be going back to google!

ASUS launches 5-in-1 Android Windows Phone laptop tablet (breathe)

Hellcat

What happens when...

You're docked and the phone rings?

I don't think I'm a target user here. I've dual-booted my PC before for gaming vs everything else, and found it a right PITA, plus docking the phone I guess means you're fixed to an individual model of phone? Perhaps if the offloading of work was done wirelessly this could be a viable platform - but we're a long way from there!

Toshiba's CB30-102 13.3in Chromebook – imagine a tablet with a keyboard

Hellcat

@Stuart 22

Very good points that equally apply against those who deride the RT tablets. I can't run War Thunder on the houses' SurfaceRT - but I equally can't make annoying facebook updates on a train with the gaming PC.

I'm still waiting to see a Chromebook come into the office, but will give it an open minded look over when it does. Are they very chromecast compatible?

Hello Moto... It's the Nokia Lumia 630

Hellcat

Re: Question

No, that was killed off with Windows phone 7. I agree it was traumatic.

Hellcat

Re: how does this compare to phones from a few years ago?

Not sure why you got a downvote for that question - It's perfectly valid.

I also have a Galaxy SII which I replaced with a Lumia 1020. The main problem I was having with the GSII was the speed of the OS. Just moving from home screen to SMS messages took a few seconds, and it seemed to get slower with every update to the OS and Apps. Of course Jellybean was a long way from Gingerbread, and brought many great features but really demanded higher performing hardware. I would have said stay on Gingerbread to avoid the slow-down but you must stay up-to-date if you want to be able to install and update many apps.

So this brings onto your question. How does this perform against a GSII? Probably on par with the GSII when both were new. WinPhone seems to get away with much lower hardware and remain zippy. Comparing to the Fully patched GSII I think you would find the Lumia noticeably faster.

Best plan is to run the 'can I help you Sir' gauntlet and go and try them for yourself alongside your current fondleable, and ignore all the advice here - especially this one.

PC makers! You, between Microsoft and the tablet market! Get DOWN!

Hellcat

Re: Good luck with trying to get support for one...

There is so much wrong with your comment it's almost not worth commenting... almost.

My experience as a lowly home user is the Surface support is good. Our gen1 scratched, bashed up RT was replaced for new at 10 months old for a battery charging issue. Turn around was a few days but could have been much quicker if we had opted for the express service.

You compare the Surface 3 Pro with an iPad or Droid tablet? I don't believe an iPad can install OSx or come with an i7 processor and upto 512GB of FLASH storage (not SSD).

RAM =/= storage. Even on the RT versions you can add more local storage via SD card or USB stick or making use of cloud storage like dropbox/googledocs/onedrive.

After a year of ownership, the fully patched gen1 RT is still quick and perfectly usable. I have no reason to believe versions with faster hardware will run slower.

But don't let facts get in the way of a dig at Microsoft 'cause that's what all the cool kids do!

Microsoft Surface 3 Pro: Flip me over, fondle me up

Hellcat

Re: Windows 8 is an unfocussed mess

Ah, PICNIC.

Nobody in my house seems to have any problems using the PC or the tablet, and the Xbox 360 isn't too far removed from the 'tiles' type start menu.

Curiosity GOUGES AND SCORCHES Mars with drill and laser

Hellcat

A hole in another planet...

...that's all cool and all, but how big is the hole? We need diameters and depths people!

Windows Phone Live: An enterprise story

Hellcat

Re: Ooh, an article about Azure and Windows Phone...

Agreed.

I keep my 1020 in my pocket while in the wild. Who would wave their shiny about in full view of those who would relieve you of said device? Downvote away if it's you!

Why two-player games > online gaming: See your pal's shock as you bag a last-second victory

Hellcat

Re: University education

TOCA touring cars - 4 player on PC. 2 on keyboard, one on joystick and 1 on wheel thrashing a bunch of Fiestas around Loch Lomond - Those were the days.

Culmenated in the last decent version, Race Driver 3. Three PCs around a table, Belgian beers in hand blasting Indy cars around the Brickyard. Full 200 laps needing several pitstops over an hour of driving. Tried to do a pitstop less, the other two shake-and-baking for slipstream, final corner a tyre blows followed by another. Crawling up the pit straight, sparks flying, and finished... 2nd splitting the other two. They are the gaming events that stick in the mind.

Not releasing it properly on steam, and it being unable to run on Windows 7 killed it. Grid was such a massive disapointment we never drove again. Damn you codemasters!

Minecraft players can now download Denmark – all of it – in 1:1 scale

Hellcat

Re: 1:1 ???

Not an official size, but considered to be 1m^3.

http://minecraft.gamepedia.com/Units_of_measure

Dell charges £5 to switch on power-saving for new PCs (it takes 5 clicks)

Hellcat

The cost of customisation does not equal the bare cost of the actions required to implement. I thought that was basic IT budgeting 101. At Global Megacorp we give everyone the same hish-ish spec hardware not because we think you need an i7 to open your emails and make some spreadsheets, or we're generous - but because being all the same brings cost savings through the whole life of the device.

Battery-production problems delay anorexic 5.5-inch 'iPhone Air'

Hellcat
Joke

I for one look forward to the iPhone Air Mac Pro-touch Retina Pad-book Nano.

You laugh but with a limited number of names being re-used it's only a matter of time.

Windows Phone 8.1: Like WinPho 8, but BETTER

Hellcat

VOLUME!

Was the context aware volume feature included?

I don't want the same volume level for my ringtone as my message alert... as my youtube app... as my etc.

Nokia: ALL our Windows Phone 8 Lumias will get a cool 8.1 boost

Hellcat

Re: 41MP?

Loss-less zoom for image cropping?

Hellcat

Looking forward to the update providing...

..it includes the context-aware volume function. Assuming it does come as part of 8.1.

I can't say many of the other updates will change my life... unless others know more?

Reg tries out Google's Chromecast: Yep, we even tested smut sites

Hellcat

Re: Limited

I could be wrong but don't the 100+ other android dongles lack the simplicity of the single button to click for the dongle to then download and play the content?

I bought a Chromecast despite having windows phones and an RT surface - none of which have any official support. Got it setup using my painfully slow old Galaxy S2, and can cast youtube using the free WinPhone Tube Cast app - that works perfectly but lacks playback controls.

I would have liked to make use of our Amazon prime instant videos with a view to drop the Virgin TV - but the tab casting plain just doesn't work. I can ping the chromecast from the desktop PC, and it has the device under the browser extension but get the "device is not available" error every time. Still, for £30 it is keeping the kids busy watching Stampylongnose and 20 minutes of silence is worth much more!

Microsoft slaps LTE mobe broadband into Surface 2 slabs (Yeah, take that, iPad)

Hellcat

You're right, why wouldn't anyone want exactly the same as you?

Hellcat

Re: Surface with lte

RT also works with mobile hotspot, but built in would have been easier. There are a couple of 3/4G USB dongles that are compatible but you're limited to HUAWEI products pretty much and a dobgle sticking out the USB port.

The real trouble is the current pathetic coverage offered by 4G, no doubt made worse by the ridiculous way EE were given a monopoly on the licences. The UK is probably 18-24 months behind where we could have been. In the odd place that does have coverage, 24down/12up offers better than a lot of ADSL providers!

Microsoft's battery-boosting Surface slab cover to ship soon

Hellcat

And I can get a washing machine AND a tumbledrier for less than an iPad. So your point is?

$200 is a lot of money for a keyboard + battery. You would need to be really desparate for extra life away from the wallwart!

BOFH: He... made... you... HE made YOU a DOMAIN ADMIN?

Hellcat

@bpfy

I had no idea we worked in the same office. I believe the technical term is 'pc hijack'.

Years of AWOL Windows Phone features finally show up in video leaks

Hellcat

The only feature I'm looking forward to is the one that has not been mentioned in the article - context aware volume control. Changing the volume with an app open currently changes the volume of the text and call alert. I can't say I've missed anything else that was in Jellybean except maybe the quick access swipe down settings - they were pretty useful.

Google gives Maps a lick of paint, smears it over screens worldwide

Hellcat

Re: TGF Nokia Maps

My wife has an over 2 year old Lumia 800 (wp7.8.something) and despite it's multiple updates it is still a quick and snappy on hardware that I would have (and probably did) laugh at, at the time. To open youtube on my ex Sammy Gal S2 takes around 30 seconds. Hell, even my ex, ex, SE Satio opens faster than that. Vista was a dog when it was released, and improved significantly according to most commentards with SP1 - so it is who exactly who has not been studying their history?

Hellcat

Re: TGF Nokia Maps

This is exactly the sort of thing that made me take the plunge and move to WP8 from Android. They were constantly changing the product; often removing features but making it slower (how?); and bringing no noticable benefit to the actual user experience.

I was worried about leaving the known but to be honest I've not looked back. Google need to knock their heads together and get back on track bringing out innovative products - not just dumbing down their existing ones.

See me after class: Apple scores AAA rating from brand-botherer

Hellcat

Are these the same kind of ratings companies that were giving Greece a good credit rating just months before they defaulted on their debt, and the USA triple-A despite being just days away from defaulting during their mad few weeks of government stalemate?

All looks like 'finger in the air' type figures to me.

Apple Mac Pro: It's a death star, not a nappy bin, OK?

Hellcat

Re: |'m not quite sure I get it

If you're not worried about aesthetics then you wouldn't be worried about trying to cool three boards with convection and only a single fan - you would just put silent fans where needed.

The answer to your original question is heat-pipes which have been proven very effective especially in laptops and other space constrained systems.

WD My Cloud EX4 four-bay NAS

Hellcat

Re: HP ProLiant N54L Synology DSM for £125

Before you buy a HP Microserver expecting a cash-back payment - check the offer is actually available, the seller is an approved HP reseller, and the seller is selling in country stock. Perhaps asking the seller to confirm all that by email may be useful should it come to a small-claims court trip.

I've got 3 N54Ls now. 2x ESXi spec from Serversplus and 1x Nas4free from CCLcomputers. Bought at different times on different cash-back offers. Nas4Free rather than FreeNas due to the performance hit if you try to use the latest version - especially with ZFS disks. Booting from USB (they really are silly cheap now) so all disks are available as dedicated storage. Now looking at integrating owncloud but that doesn't look as easy as setting up the initial Nas4free. Compared to buying a NAS it's a little more complicated, but that's only the initial setup - once built they're basically maintenance free.

Apple pushes back release date for 'dustbin chic' Mac Pro

Hellcat

@45rpm

Not sure if you've seen this one...

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/02/12/hp_clarifies_firmware_support_contract_rules/

If I am reading correctly, it seems the warranty or support contract stupulation only applies to servers - and only to the system firmwares.

My personal experience with Dell's pro support is that the service is good with the only criticisim being (for servers) you must call the Dell support centre for the country of purchase. I don't have a lot of dealings with HP outside my microserver farm, so cannot comment on their support.

As for a professional who needs a Mac being unable to make do with a PC... why not? Unless the software is 100% Mac only and no Windows alternative is available why couldn't they use a PC? Sounds like the difference between 'want' and 'need' to me.

Nokia to launch low-cost Android phone this month – report

Hellcat

If you knew nothing of the hardware specs and compared my ex Galaxy SII with a Lumia 520 you would think the 520 was significantly higher spec. It's half the RAM and 80% the CPU speed, but compared to the SII on Jellybean it's a flying machine. I don't like the direction that Android is taking where you're getting to need a quad core 2Ghz only for the OS to work smoothly.

The revival of survival – the gaming genre that refuses to die

Hellcat

Re: Why Zombies

Spent another hour last night playing Left 4 Dead. Perhaps one of my favourite co-operative games I own. Yes they're zombies... but it's far from boring.

Hellcat

Re: Expensive

Have they fixed the sound bug in BF4 yet? That felt like a game that was released to a deadline - regardless of how finished it was.

I've had significantly more enjoyment out of the free to play War Thunder, even if it is still officially in beta.

Apple RESURRECTS the iPhone 4: report

Hellcat

A 520 would probably be better for most people as a phone than any iphone or droid or other wphone.

Of course it might not be as good for everything else people expect a phone to do these days.

How many keys can one keyboard have? Do I hear 200? 300? More?

Hellcat

Reminds me of my dedicated Counterstrike keyboard I had about 15 years ago...

Ripped out every un-used key to avoid them annoying Win key instead of crouch moments. For only £185k I'm willing to dig out the prototype from the loft and start production.

Ditch IE7 and we'll give you a FREE COMPUTER, says incautious US firm

Hellcat

Re: I ditched IE in 2000.

I use Chrome on a daily basis also, but recently I have added IE back to the task bar. Chrome just seems to be getting slower - perhaps that is just a perception?

Give hackers your data, says former RSA man

Hellcat

Re: Social media should do this too!

You mean like my publicly available Facebook account where I do charity work, look after sick baby lambs, and go to church twice a week?

Judge: Google owes patent troll a 1.36% cut of AdWords' BEELLIONS

Hellcat

Too many patents seem to be registered in an effort to prevent others from developing a similar idea - even if the patent owner has no intention of developing the idea into a product. That is stifling development as a species rather than promoting it.

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