Posts by Cameron Colley

Data-sniffing trojans burrow into Eastern European ATMs

@James, Fraser, Jimmy

But an ATM shouldn't be a PC, where physical access automatically means root access. An ATM should, as has been mentioned above, use a custom OS on read-only firmware -- if the person replacing the money can update the OS then they're not secure. The cash inside them is, frankly, irrelevant and inconsequential compared to the value of the data that people enter into them.

I have been given the impression that the ATM network is accessible from the bank's intranet and that the internet is also accessible from the bank's intranet -- doesn't that mean that they are, effectively, attached to the internet?

Why the fuck are they running Windows?

Must be that the banks are using the "lowest bidder" system to decide who supplies them with ATMs because there is no way that an ATM should be using Windows (or Ubuntu, Redhat, OSX, ...) heck they shouldn't even need an operating system they only run one application!

Beware 'mobile elbow', sawbones warn

Hands-Free kits?

If you're going to be on the phone, whether fixed-line or mobile, for more than a few minutes at a time a few times a day then surely you should be using a hands-free kit anyhow -- or are there people who spend their days doing everything one-handed?

Microsoft renames netbooks 'low cost small notebook PCs'

Who cares?

Surely the specification tells you what it is. As for what I call them -- my Eeeep's and Eeeep and an Aspireone is an Aspireone, etc..

The Netbook in this latest incarnation has been killed off by Microsoft and Asus anyhow -- I just wish I'd have waited so I could not buy an Asus, since it's too late to return it now (AFAIK UK consumer law doesn't allow warranty returns because the company has since turned out to be a subsidiary of Microsoft).

Spectral Spector Twitterer admits hoax

Cause Damage?

If people who read Twitter really are stupid enough that someone posting as <insert celebrity name here> is believed to be that person to the point where damage can be caused then they really are twits.

As for:

"Twitter you need to start doing something to combat fake accounts. If I was a malicious person I could have caused damage."

Bollocks! Just because someone pretends they are someone on the internet doesn't mean they are -- after all, I'm fictional for fuck's sake.

As a long-time user of the internet I don't buy all this Web 2.0 business -- but I'm sure it's fun for those involved. However, users seem to have forgotten the fact you work on the assumption that nobody is who they say they are on the internet unless you know otherwise.

Phorm woos browsers with personalised web

Who do they think they are -- Google?

Surely only Google can get away with the old "give us all your personal data and we'll give you 'something cool' in return..." bollocks?

As for saying "'yes, they've done something right for a change'" -- I'll do that when everyone involved in Phorm fucks off and drinks some special Kool Aid.

ISPs frosty on Jacqui's comms surveillance plan

@Danny

While I'm one of the many who will be singing "Ding dong, the witch is dead" if she does go -- I fear her replacement may be just as bad.

BSA urges London companies to check for pirate software

RE: Open Office Unbuntu

Indeed -- if you're at all bothered about this then you have nobody to blame but yourself.

When buying proprietary software it's as well to take into account the costs of ensuring you have the correct number of licenses and being able to prove it.

I'll not go as far as some above have and suggest that Linux/GNU/Whatever _is_ the answer -- but I have no sympathy for anyone who this affects adversely.

Hackintosher to open US storefront

I'm moved to ambivalence.

While I feel that you ought to be able to do anything you like with products you buy -- yes, _buy_ -- just because they tell you you're "licensing" it doesn't stop it being a purchase (see the comments about EU law). I really don't know why someone would want to buy one of these machines.

If you want Apple buy Apple or loose them a little market share and go elsewhere -- paying for an operating system so you can install it on a machine they don't want you to is just hypocritical.

If Apple decided to sell its OS to install on any machine you want I _might_ even buy a copy at least to play with -- as it is I don't buy from companies who think they can tell me what to do with products I buy from them.

Turkish hackers breach US Army servers, says report

RE: turkish - so what?

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought that.

Surely a more truthful title would be "Unknown Individuals Embarrass Hired Killers" with a subheading "Probably random kids, maybe from Turkey."?

PC-pwning infection hits 30,000 legit websites

RE: I could have put money on the first post.

While it may be "cock waving" a little it's also a nice reminder to use said product. NoScript _seems_ to have prevented the malware downloading onto my PC so it's worth installing.

One of the sites that host the code seems to be m-analytics.net -- there's is the only other domain wanting to run scripts on my machine on a webiste I know to be infected.

Hindus take divine mace to Sony Playstation

@Anonymous Coward 12:32 GMT

Taking the piss out of the gullible and the misguided is fun -- and goes some way to offsetting the annoyances they cause in daily life.

Personally, I'm quite happy to have my "beliefs" mocked -- I just get a little sick of those we aren't.

FFS grow up!

Just because you believe in sky pixies doesn't mean those of us with brains in our heads should be nice about them all the time.

Boffins: Ordinary lightbulbs can be made efficient, cheaply

Government knee-jerk reaction turns out to be wrong.

Why doesn't that surprise me.

Still, much easier to pretend you're doing something by banning perfectly usable products than waste time looking into the situation more carefully.

Audi working on electric R8?

RE: White elephant indeed?

Using hybrid electric vehicles is just pissing the oil away a little more slowly and making cars needlessly heavy and complicated -- electric vehicles are a little better but the energy still has to be provided for them through lossy transmission lines and charging circuitry and held in inefficient batteries.

Still, it's easier for governments to let us live in a state of blissful ignorance thinking that something is being done rather than make the tough decision of whether to go nuclear, start population control measures, or just let civilisation die naturally.

Turn the grid nuclear/renewable and use oil for what it should be used for -- rubber, plastics and vehicle fuel.

Hiding secret messages in internet traffic: a new how-to

How is this a "new security concern"?

If someone is able to send packets out of your network they can leak data, full stop, end of . This is just one of many techniques for doing it. Either you let the wrong person access data, in which case there is nothing you can do anyhow (they have their eyes and ears after all), or you are letting an unauthorised person transmit data -- so you failed anyhow.

Same goes for malware on single-user systems -- if you let a program create or touch packets then your client side security (AV, firewall, ...) has failed already.

Either way -- you've more to worry about than just one stego method.

Irish politico in Facebook jub-rub outrage

Mixed opinion and reapeating other comments.

On the one hand this is a great example of "the TwitMyFaceBo problem" -- where people forget that they're publishing everything to the world from the time it's posted until the time google cache and/or The Wayback Machine forget about it.

On the other, if the photo is seen by anyone as inappropriate then they shouldn't be allowed to vote anyhow.

Dutch cat skinner publishes critics' personal details

It always amazes me.

How people send offensive messages through the internet when their details are so easily searchable on the world wide web. Hopefully this will be a lesson to self-obsessed keyboard warriors to be a little more considered about when they send and what they post about themselves.

@andy gibson: Some of us who are proud of our views still feel that our employers, potential employers, or just random nutcases may take exception to them at some point in the next 20 years or so -- tying comments to your real name forever and publishing them to the world in searchable form is not always a wise course of action.

iTunes store Kama Sutra gives Apple warm cheeks

I don't understand.

You buy a piece of hardware then you get you applications from the sources who serve your needs the best, surely?

Or, you buy an Apple life.

*remembers to ask for a refund from T-Mobile since the full internet is not available on their "Web 'n' Walk" plan.

British court backs eBay piracy stance

Caveat emptor?

Is that how you say it?

Worldwide GPS may die in 2010, say US gov

@@charles manning

I was wondering that myself -- are there really applications where NTP over copper or radio signal from Rugby aren't accurate enough?

Because if there are it is yet more proof that GPS and it's repercussions are enabling technologies and not just something that replaces maps -- and if not then why the hell is anyone bothering to use GPS for timekeeping?

Wow, lots of Luddites!

While I admit that those in the Military should be able to use a map and compass and that if you're driving somewhere you ought to be able to use the A to Z or a road atlas -- those shouting "USING GPS IS STUPID I CAN USE A MAP" are either genuinely gifted map readers/navigators or missing the point.

GPS controlled Ships are a new invention used to increase the number of ship and decrease the number of crew needed -- of course every ship could have a navigator with a sextant and a chronograph but that would mean ships would take longer to navigate and the lack of precision may mean longer time between ports.

Yes, you can count your steps in a combat situation and take bearings -- but if you have GPS that works and your enemy doesn't it could certainly work to your advantage (especially if coupled with very good/satellite mapping).

Yes, most missiles use terrain matching and inertial sensors to navigate as well as GPS -- but DARPA are struggling to make them work without GPS.

Yes, if I get lost in down town LA I could consult the map (if I have one) and read road signs (if they haven't been ripped out or turned around) or I could ask those nice men with red bandannas for directions.

I also seem to recall that flight times between the UK and US have been cut due to improved routes that are largely down to accurate GPS?

In short: Navigation without GPs is possible -- but is solves problems that a map and compass can't and it enables things that can't be done without it. As someone has said above, saying people should be able to get by without it is about the same as saying "ONLY PANSIES USE GPS -- REAL MEN DON'T NEED NO STINKING GPS".

NZ couple do bunk with £3.9m bank error

I, too, wish them well.

For those calling them thieves -- if someone gives you money for no reason how is that theft? This will have no effect on the bank's customers as they're already been screwed as hard as local law and the laws against cartels will allow.

I don't know bout Australia, but here in the UK banks care so little for their customers that they don't check the signature on cheques and are pushing to make the blame for failures in their chip and pin and other systems onto the customer. They are also the same banks that routinely charge disproportionate fees and amounts when customer go overdrawn -- something which has been frowned upon in civilised society since 700CE or before.

Croats flock to support openly corrupt politician

Reminds me of a certain Mayor.

Sound like similar reasoning to voting for Boris Johnson as mayor of London. In a culture of corruption, incompetence, and lies a bit of honesty is compelling.

Deleted Tweets found living in the hereafter

@Graham Lockley

Perhaps not from your porn star name since you've only given us half your street name and, being a Reg reader, you're unlikely to have used "Name of my first pet" as a security question for your bank website -- other's aren't so clued up.

Oddly I didn't know that the "porn star name" and others were well known fishing scams -- I thought I worked it out for myself.

MP expenses leaker may never be found

@David S

The key word was "expenses" -- but I prefer your analogy anyhow :-D.

RE: SO basically...

Credit card numbers, perhaps not, but they are our credit cards after all. Addresses, certainly, my employer knows my address why shouldn't we know the addresses of our servants.

These are not private citizens, they are our paid servants, somewhere along the line they've made us forget that.

Putting it another way -- if you paid a butler 1/4 of your wages and a percentage of every product you purchased wouldn't you want to know where they lived and what they spent their expenses on.

Asus Eee PC 1008HA Seashell

@@Lottie

Are the voice coils that rugged, and the bearings tight enough?

Personally I'd go for SSD for in-use chuckability, but it would be good to know.

Am I the only person who likes SSD?

One of my favourite things about my EEE is that it has SSD rather than a hard drive -- so I don't have to worry about the heads crashing if I'm watching a movie on a hotel bed or train or place seat and it falls off when I fall asleep, or if I forget to switch it off and throw it in a bag.

I'm also disappointed that Linux netbooks have, effectively, been killed off already. As someone who has refused to pay MS any more money it means I may not be able to upgrade in a couple of years time.

Charges against London tube tourist snapper thrown out

RE: So why was he arrested?

Because the officers involved were moronic power-crazed thugs. A simple "please don't take pictures of children in public, unless their parents ask you to"* (or similar) would have sufficed -- but the kinds of people who become police officers nowadays prefer to bully people as much as possible.

*While I don't see how passengers on the underground are afforded any "expectation of privacy", or however it's worded in law, I'll give the benefit of the doubt to the parents and assume the guy was pointing the camera a little freely -- purely as devil's advocate.

ContactPoint goes live despite security fears

@MinionOne

While I'm certain that parent's detail will be phished for, that still doesn't identify a child.

We all know that the only way this works is with cross-matched DNA records. I'm a tinfoil hat afficionado, but I don't think the morons thought it through that far.

Every child, Surely that makes it harder to use

How will they tell John Smith from John Smith from John Smith... ? You don't get an NI card until you're 16, and not all kids have passport numbers -- so how do they know which child is the one who is being seen by which social workers?

Not that they care, of course, since there is no real point to this other than earning a few backhanders for those involved.

Mac update has 3D issues with VMware Fusion, ATI card

OpenGL problem?

I've stuck with Nvidia cards, despite the fact ATI perform better for your money, because they seem better supported in OpenGL apps and Linux -- is this a similar thing?

Asus to slash retail Eee PC line-up

Inventor of netbook stops selling netbook.

Unfortunately I think we all saw it coming -- people have been brainwashed into thinking "Windows + big HDD is good".

Yorkshire boozer establishes 'smoking research centre'

You must be protected from yourself citizen!

So, even people who want to go into a smoky atmosphere so much they'll fill ina questionaire and pay for the privileged aren't allowed to.

I love living in a "free country".

Adblock developer offers 'please unblock me' tag to sites

Am I the only one who's never bought because of a web advert?

I know everyone says that, but when I look at my purchases I find that most things I buy aren't advertised. I've probably bought from subsidised reviews though ,and through recommendation -- I take it the reg gets a kickback for every review you do?

Fetish club forces ID scanner climbdown

Just remember to stay away.

If people remember to stay away from anywhere that records ID then things will need to change. Just remember not to cave in -- no matter how much you want to go to the event, it's not worth the risk.

As has been pointed out above, for age-verification purposes there is no reason to record names -- unless we're all guilty until proven innocent now?

@ Anonymous Coward, 12th May 14:24 GMT:

You'd be a lot more convincing if you weren't concealing your name...

Greece grounds Google's Street View fleet

I've said it before and I'll say it again.

I think Google ought to look into window-blocking and full body blocking as well as face blocking technology -- in fact vehicle-blocking would be good too. While I have to admit I love things like this it's just asking for trouble, and completely pointless, showing so many people's living rooms and cars and having pictures of them going about their daily business. There is no reason, apart from voyeurism, that google should be showing anything but blurred out pictures of people and their homes.

US journo school mandates iPhone, iPod touch

This is legal?

Is the US education system really that corrupt?

Wouldn't a situation like this be a perfect one to use open source?

Electronics giants raise ruckus over Project Canvas

@Chrons & Alan

_You_ may not like the idea of being able to watch the content you want where you want - -but some people do. As for "clogging up the internet" the whole point of the internet is that you can connect to what you want through it -- nobody is forcing you to go the the BBC iPlayer site.

I agree that the internet is too regulated and that parts of the web are very commercial -- but in the same way that you're not forced to watch East Enders on broadcast TV you're not forced to watch it on the internet either. That's the point.

Sikh coppers request bulletproof turbans

How about they stop being morons?

Surely anyone moronic enough to believe in organised religion is too stupid to be given a gun? Just look at the Iraq, Afghanistan, the Gaza Strip or the US for examples.

Conservative US shock-jock to sue Wacky Jacqui

I don't know why he would want to come here anyway.

This country is turning into a modern-day copy of the Eastern Block countries of the Cold War era -- a police state where everyone is a criminal and speech is heavily censored. It's extremely sad to come to despise your own country.

@Rex Alfie Lee: If he did read the Qu'ran he's a more patient man than me -- it's more dull than the bible and makes about as much sense. From the parts I could stay awake to read I'd say it's about as hateful as the bible too -- or is suggesting that burning in fires for eternity is adequate punishment for homosexuality and no-belief in Allah (for example) not hateful?

English vocab poised to hit 1m words

And us commentards?

How extensive is the vocabulary of the entire comment-posting readership?

Aussie censors implement six degrees of separation policy

This beggars belief.

The fact that Australia is run by morons who think that blocking access to aborted foetuses will stop child abuse is bad enough, but the fact they will prevent even links to link to it puts them in a league with China or North Korea.

Are there any countries left that have freedom of speech?

Intel playing virtual silly buggers

SImple solution...

...buy AMD.

US air traffic faces 'serious harm' from cyber attackers

But how are they connected?

Are the machines actually "on the internet" or has someone broken into an encrypted datastream between them? It's a very important distinction -- if the former then, as Jake points out, those responsible should be punished. If it's the latter then does this mean all corporate networks that use leased lines are in trouble?

Browncasting: Why can't Downing Street do digital?

Who gives a fuck?

Seriously, we're run by lying, thieving scum -- who gives a shit what they MeTub or Witter?

The place of government is to serve the citizens it works for -- not farm them for money, fuck the economy and then wittier about it on the internet and try and look "cool".

Turkey's YouTube blackout enters year two

But can they look at Wikipedia?

As has been alluded to in a previous post -- we in the UK have similar, though admittedly not as wide-ranging, policies blocking our internet as do Australia, the US and many other countries.

Apple power brick sparks lawsuit

RE: Design not fit for purpose.

I disagree, and I point you to this statement:

"I have had a number of Apple laptops that have exhibited this failure, right back to the old frizbee design."

Unless you stole them, or were given them by Apple, then the design works just as intended -- it sells laptops.

While people continue to choose inferior products then inferior products will be made.

Kebabs pose 'no danger whatsoever', Russians claim

I am Alicia Silverstone and I am photoshopped.

Pretty pointless poster -- anyone can look like that in a photo nowadays, herbivore or not.