Posts by Jean Le PHARMACIEN

Waiting for speedy broadband? UK's Openreach prioritizing existing work over fiber expansion

Meanwhile...2 gbit/s in rural France

My copper VDSL had dropped from 48mb/s to 6mb/s in October, cue 2 visits from OR 'engineers' to fix. Which they didn't. We're c 1mile from exchange, FTTC then to pole 25m from house. Not difficult you would think.

3rd engineer came and fixed, corroded wires in junction box in side of my house (connected to pole) 6 WEEKS TO FIX.

New speed, 58mb/s down and 17 mb/s up. Happy bunny... eventually

Meanwhile in our rural French village of 200 inhabitants (4km from main road south from Bergerac) FIBRE runs past village onto next bastide town. Orange reconnected us after amenagement (moving in) as prev owners had taken connection number. Shocked to find we have 2 GIGABIT mb/s shared up/down...(as has everyone else in village)

In facts copper lines are remarkably absent from roadside poles (yes, Orange are sticking fibre on poles - and tidying copper clutter as they go

Not sure what I'm going to do with 2Gb service...

Samsung’s Smart Monitor tries too hard to be clever

Re: a low-end "smart" TV

For art TV, I use second hand large monitors with thin bezels (Dell seem good for 2nd hand price) plus soundbar plugged into a second hand thin client (prefer the HP T620s) running Kodi

Good for broadcast HD channels, upgradeable software and replaceeable hardware.

Would these fit your spec?

Now moving into second hand digital signage for display (choose carefully for video specs!).

Lots of portoptions s for network, sound, video.

Many are 'unsmarted' versions of smart TVs + remote control.

At least they seem to obey VESA DPMS (so I can turn screen off within Kodi' , unlike 'smart' TVs

Google tells Apple to 'fix text messaging' in bid to promote RCS protocol

The problem with WhatsApp

...is it is owned by Facebook (scr*w the *Meta* bit - we know its still Facebook)

I refuse to "approve" of Facebook by using its apps. SMS works. If you want encryptation, use Signal

UK govt promises to sink billions into electronic health records for England

After 35+ yrs...

You know what, this is stuff thrown at the top of the pyramid. Nothing changes at the sharp end.

After 35yrs in NHS as a clinician, nothing ever reached us unless we did it ourselves.

Ok you need infrastructure, but we were told 'you will have X in three years', 10 yrs later, still waiting

So we did our own 'diy' stuff which worked for us; 21 years later still using our 'diy' software and word from NHS Digital, "2yrs and it will be with you"

Sorry, we've moved on and NHS IT has not (for us).

In short, all cr&p until it turns up and works

Leave that sentient AI alone a mo and fix those racist chatbots first

"Neighbor" wtf

"WOULD YOU TAKE THIS PARCEL FOR YOUR NEIGHBOR"

Absolutely NOT!

For my neighbour, yes

Pour mon voisin, oui

EV battery can reach full charge in 'less than 10 minutes'

Still no answer...

Still no help for those who live in terraced housing i n UK. No cables across the pavement: parking nowhere near your home. Leccy installed c 1948 in the pavements so no upgrades there ( pie-in-the-sky charging pads embedded in the road)

Basically we ' plebs ' ( nod to B de Pfeffel J) are no longer supposed to have vehicles...unless you are lucky enough to live in Primrose Hill or Dulwich - in which cse you will be looked after...

Tough news for Apple as EU makes USB-C common charging port for most electronic devices

Re: The BS 546 Brexit connector next

My uncle and son are red/green colour blind.

Former used to work for PO engineering (lifts, ventilation, engines*, heating - worked in Manchester Guardian Exch).

Latter works for BTP and regularly on the trackside (picking up the 'remains' after a "train incident" - only found c/b at medical)

So, being male and c/b not that uncommon

TomTom to chop 10% of workforce, blames automation tech

Happy with TomTom

I drive *a lot* in France, its quite a big place and mobile internet connectivity can be patchy. Google maps dont like Edge mobile connections.It doesnt like 4G->Edge->3G->none in quick succession.

Data allowance; try that with a UK sim in EU, you'll burn fast through that allowance and hit the EU roaming surcharge on a 650 mile journey (thanks Brexit)

I've used Google Maps and was an early Waze user. I dumped Waze shortly after Google took over as it became incapable of spotting holdups and suggesting new routes on my daily S. M'cr->Liverpool->S. M'cr commute. TomTom managed though.

TomTom I have found (Android app) is consistently more accurate with initial predictive and actual arrival times, holdups, rerouting.

The journey planning bit is probably the weakest but (I'm more used to Copilot for that) but at least its predicted journey times are (for my use) are almost to the minute. Copilot, just dont ask, wildly optimistic and just keeps adding 10mins if you've not arrived yet.

Repairability champ Framework's modular laptop gets a speed boost

Re: Waiting...

I have an HP 645 G1 (i.e AMD cpu/gpu)

It is (was...They are wayyyyy old now) available with A4 to A10 AMD cpus....socketed.

Takes 7 mins to remove backplate, release screws on fan and heatsink and remove. Unlock cpu clamps and remove A4 and slot in an A10

Dual core -> Quad core

Keyboard is also replaceable in 5 mins and screen is also quick and almost tool less(OK, you need a fine crosshead to remove lcd panel, but still..)

Big player OEMs *can* make them replaceable/ upgradeable and done so in the past.

Too busy chasing shiny shiny market and creating WEEE

Confirmation dialog Groundhog Day: I click OK and it keeps coming back

Effect and "impacted"

"This will effect all the files in the current location. Do you wish to continue?"

This is one of my pet hates...almost always it should be "affect" (or will "have an effect on")

FFS will someone start teaching grammer again?

I remember at primary school (late 1960s)having "grammar" and "vocabulary" textbooks to work through..not to mention the *daily* spelling tests of 20 words practised overnight.

Don't get me started on "x has been IMPACTED by y" currently the new fashion.

You mean "x has been affected by"...constantly using "impacted" inapproptiately just loses ....er...IMPACT..er...

Wow, got that off my chest and I need to lie down with a GTN tab (I don't have angina but..)

FTC sues Intuit for false advertising, says 'free' TurboTax isn't always free

Re: Meanwhile in France...

Did my first (French) one laat year..on paper. Not so bad considering it was all In French (duh)

This year is *required* online (initial one is paper) and from what I read is easier...(ask me at end of May when filing has to be finished)

We have two UK Gov pensions with tax deducted at source (French 'tax' you then 'credit' the tax due as 'paid') so its not as simple as first seens. P60 copy is your friend (to non UK = Gov issued summary of income+ tax paid in prev financial year)

Not looking forward to a greyscale 2022? Then look back to the past in 64 colours

Re: Angel Delight

We came back to UK from Le Hexagone at end of Oct '21 to see family and friends for first time in 11 months...

Bl***y h**l

In one of (the?) most affluent parts of Gtr Manchester, local Sainsburys has..

1. NO cheese from EU

2. NO charcuterie from o/s UK

3. tinned fish (i.e. mackerel, sardines) is now a 1x1m shelf vs 3mx2.5m section in our SuperU (only 250miles from sea)

4. no beer from EU

5. no fresh fish or cheese counter...

It was like being in the 1970s (YES, I do remember: doing my O-level revision by camping gas light due to strikes)

Is this REALLY what Brexit had brought us??

(BTW 2 yrs evading Covid-19 in France and got it after visiting local pub : no mask wearing inside and rammed to the gills. I only went in to order drinks to take outside)

Google: We disagree with Sonos patent ruling so much, we've changed our code to avoid infringement

Is Snapcast in the firing line?

IIRC you can add Snapclients to "groups" and control volume of group (with all clients sliding on relative volume scale) on your Snapcast app on your phone (aka "control hub").

Sounds somewhat similar....(I did have to build client and server applications from source myself for my Linux PCs but could have used Kodi addons if I hadnt put the MPD on a non LibreELEC server)

Please pay for parking – CMOS batteries don't buy themselves

Tesco....nicked our car park..

In my town (Altrincham), Tesco managed to buy one of the large surface car parks (result of prev /slum clearance/) on condition free parking was available after building store.

Said store (white steel/glass monstrosity with usual 15% over planning size) was built with parking underneath.

Roll on 15 years and now Ts have put up signs saying you only have 3 hrs parking IF you shop at Tesco. WTF happened to the previous planning conditions?

Disclaimer: I dont shoo or park there. I LOATHE T's business practices and after buying packs of "fresh steak" on three separate occaisions, only to find each one green inside, I'm also into self-presevation

Wi-Fi not working? It's time to consult the lovely people on those fine Linux forums

Linux, Win7 and wireless...

Many years ago (OK 2000s) at my (NHS) workplace we acquired via IT some HP netbooks ( not a netBook..years after them).

Beatifully locked into corporate security and Juniper network drivers for logging into our WPA2 "secure network"

Confession: I ripped the HD and put my Linux HD in; Wifi worked OOB; had all my reference material and logged into network using OWA

Then updates to Win7 came..and wifi on the HP books never came on - orange LED never went blue and nobody could go 'blue' and connect.

My (linux powered) netbook was fine...

I found from 'debugging' a colleagues Win7 model that "orange" wifi LED == working wifi and "blue" was actually "off"

The wifi LED was a SOFTWARE switch and the Win7 updated driver broke the "switch".

Our IT refused to accept solution and junked the netbooks. I kept mine which kept working on Linux. Fortunately, IT "lost" mine when it went in fir Win7 "upgrade" but I went to IT lab on another matter and had it handed back to me - ( they forgot to log it back out to me). Worked for years after (linux) on the network until I retired

After deadly 737 Max crashes, damning whistleblower report reveals sidelined engineers, scarcity of expertise, more

Sounds just like..

IT in the NHS (secondary/hospital)

Declaration: over 35yrs being on the receiving end of NHS it

Is it decadent that I use four different computers each day, at different times?

4 computers, pah!

I did an am Saturday shift "in" my hospital pharmacy; translated ,== 1hr in Acute Medical Unit using 4 pcs of varying capability (nominally all "identical" ; followed by trawling across 12 floors of wards using circa 3 pcs per ward (all perfectly non-identical in ability to do standard essential tasks) ; then 6 in my department (working-yay)

That's c 40 odd separate PCs over6 hrs.

How decadent am I?

(haven't counted my personal phone; personal calendering server; car CANbus system or hospital "secure" car park system...)

How to destroy expensive test kit: What does that button do?

"Do not press" button

Many years ago (1997) I designed and programmed a database system to record incoming discharge prescriptions to a pharmacy in a large UK teaching hospital (1000 beds).

It also recorded time to reach various staes in dispensing process (to help tweak processes)

This last bit is irrelevant to the story.

As a bit if fun, I put a button on main menu marked "Do Not Press" complete with "Stop" symbol...

Pressing opened a borderless window dialog asking if you wanted to format HDD..with "OK" and "Cancel". Of course "cancel" started "format" anyway complete with faux Windows progress ending in full screen DOS style "reboot" "screen" and "No operating system" message...

This stayed on screen for 30 secs for effect before "fooled you!" message.

System went live and I waited...unfortunately I missed it's "use" (out on wards) but heard ALL about it.

Our deputy chief pharmacist ran the VAX JAC based stock control/labelling system and managed its use with fearsome SOPs and weekly meetings at recent "errors" by unfortunate staff.

You guessed it, the ine person who should have known better...

He pressed it....deliberately....apparently his went bright red and he went rigid at the "reboot"

much to the delight and mirth of the surrounding staff.

He never told me he had pressed it...staff used to 'dare' new staff members to press it for a laugh with identical effect in the unfortunate.

I retired in 2017 but the system is still in use and ex-colleagues tell me the button is still in regular use

You forced me to use this fancypants app and now you're asking for a printout?

Here in 'La Hexagone"..

Having acquired my Carte Vitale (and my wife, her's) things do work quite well e.g. turning up for La Grippe immunisation (no appt accepted at pharmacie).

Problem is that French are so anarchistic that they have devised a (many duplicate?) system to apply order ("bureaucracy" aka rule by office) to the population.

Does wor;, they all complain, sometimes protest (loudly), complain over officials, comply (so the state works(ish).

TousCovid app does work also

Love 'em (fix my french plated RHD car without issue; unlike dealer in UK)

Sweden asks EU to ban Bitcoin mining because while hydroelectric power is cheap, they need it for other stuff

Re: Quite

When the electeicity arrives in your home, it's VERY efficient at changing to heat eg convector heater.

Issue is generating 'leccy and losses in getting it to your house.

PS, no new gas/oil boilers in France as of last Jan. Not even repairing existing systems...so its wood pellets or 'leccy as radiators or heat-pump systems

Seaberry carrier board turns a Raspberry Pi into a desktop PC with 11 PCIe slots

Not so great..

I've played with my Pi3B+ and found it good for prototyping use cases for 'better' (more capable kit)

Just bought a Fujitsu TX120 s3 for £40 on fleabay. 3pcie slots, Pci, 4 hot-swap drive bays (came with raid card in one PCIe slot) upto 32GB ram possible, iLO equivalent

Downer is the Celeron cpu (I have a 'spare' E3-1200 series cpu). Works fine as TVheadend+MPD+Snapcast server for 5 endpoints ("TVs" or monitor+thin client)

Point is that much of testing/config was with Pi but in no way could it do the 'full' job of simultaneously collecting broadcasts+storage+serving output to endpoints. Then again, I would not have invested in the TX120 if I couldnt make setup work

A lightbulb moment comes too late to save a mainframe engineer's blushes

Re: It can take a remarkably long time to notice that the alert mailer has stopped working.

RAS

Reticular Activating System

Re: Surgical Safety Checklist

Sadly, I have worked in a major UK teaching hospital where the Renal Transplant Team removed the wrong (functioning) kidney.

No checklists on double checking in place then (early 2000s)

Google denies Gmail users an early start to the weekend after problems accessing service

Never noticed...

GMail address is for spam as of years ago

Gcal reduced to deep-freeze as of Jan this year and now have my own calendering server (works with Davx and Android)

In fact, Google have pissed me off so much with "give your date of birth to comply with the law" notifications that I've pissed off their primary apps from use...

Epic battle latest: Judge reminds Apple it has 30 days to let apps link out to non-Apple payment systems

Holy moley!!!

Been reading El Reg since early FOTW.

Apple SPEAKS TO THE REG!!!

WTF?

Next news, BJ resigns on "matter of honour and principle"

In the spirit of open government, France dumps 9,067 repos online to show off its FOSS credentials

Yeh but we got Sovrinty!!

Bah, Frenchies, cant trust them wiv open sauce. Keep them at arms length ("sleeve" length even)

Upvote the British software, all the better because its British and happier for that (any allusions to Hon J R-M are entirely coincidental)

Toodle pip!

[for some o/s Europe, The (English) Channel = "La Manche" (Fr) aka "sleeve" in Fench...]

Linux PC shop System76 is building a new desktop environment in Rust

KDE for me..

There, nailed myself to the mast.

Never got on with Gnome, even when playing with Solaris on SPARC.

KDE 3x was great and its taken KDE4+ and the rest to get back there.

My main fuss now is "will it work with a X-window style GUI app forwarding"?. I use X2Go frequently and anything pinned to Wayland is not gping to cut it.

Calendars have gone backwards since the Bronze Age. It's time to evolve

+1 for Psion5 (and 7...)

Went from FiloFax to '5' (fed up with rewiting dog-eared pages). All good, even syncd to my NHS Outlook until IT killed the PC port access.

Ooutlook was 'Out' as, on a day by day basis, I could use any (or most) of 70+ terminals over 14 floors.

OWA worked..sortof but the Psion was king

Eventually Gcal caught up but now I'm sick of "need your birthdate to comply with the law' (p*ss off, I'm in UK)

Now on my self-hosted (and backed up) N***cloud server. Works as well as Google version without the spying.

NB, I have chosen to VPN (private PTP) to server; just because. Some peeps are probing my VPN gateway every 15 mins cycling through ports (and changing their IP ever so slightly)

Facebook's greatest misses: The five nastiest bits from recent leaks

From the outset....

10 mins of thought would expose the bullying; name calling; spitefulness this platform could produce. The web equivalent of a school playground in an english prep school

Unfortunately, oversight and moderation were and are absent. The "Lord of The Flies" is being played out for real (and I loathed that book as a teen in English class) with caualties for all to see.

Where, when and how will it end?

Personally I hope Zuck's servers are irretrievably trashed (ransomeware?), Zyck is banned from such similar enterprises from now on and the world decides that "social network software" is actually antisocial

Unvaccinated and working at Apple? Prepare for COVID-19 testing 'every time' you step in the office

"forced"

I "had" to have 'flu vaccine when I worked as I was visiting clinician on a 17 bed ITU; 14 bed Max Care Unit possibly on odd days to Renal Transplant Unit.

My directorate did not force vaccination but I would not be permitted to any patient facing role. Bit difficult in a 900 bed hospital

On the other hand, how would you feel about me being at your bedside/your relatives bedside unvaccinated? In a hospital filling with seasonal flu??

People pass 'flu (and Covid-19) by proximity. More contact istances; with more people possibly ill with/infectious spread disease. Indescriminately i.e. colleagues; visitors;

Reg scribe spends week being watched by government Bluetooth wristband, emerges to more surveillance

Re: I'll be tracked almost everywhere I go...

We are just about to back to UK to see family/friends. We've been in France sunce December and here in rural France almost everyone seems to be following mask wearing in shoos and markets; using the TousCovid app (as are we).

86,% of pop over 12 years fully vaccinated and 2/3 of 12-17s fully vaccinated.

Having spoken to family/friends we are a bit apprehensive about the free-for-all it seems to be.

On the other hand, we may not be allowed in! Wife's (French) vaccination pass is in her maiden name (usual in official forms here) and we have heard that Border Force has refused entry to women in this situation...

Every Little Helps: Former Tesco boss Dave Lewis to advise UK govt on supply chains

Will it be " green advice" ?

Because that's the colour of the meat every time I've bought from Tesco (opened on day of purchase 10min walk from local TescoEXTRA x 3 occaisions)

If they cannot get that right, how "good" will his contribution be?

We have some sad news about Facebook. It has returned to the internet after six-hour mega outage

"my internet is down"

said my wife. Tablet, no Facebooky.

Quick check revealed BBC.CO.Uk was fine *as was everything else but Facebook*

Me: "Internet fine, all Facebook AWOL"

(did check my pihole hadnt gone AWOL though - has a habit of this every few months...)

Wife couldn't FB any friends or message them. I refuse FB on any of my PCs or phone so all my comms were (email and SMS) were OK.

Wish FB had permanently imploded.

Nothing works any more. Who decided that redundant systems should become redundant?

Re: Doubting Hervé's measuring

Our (german) dishwasher reached retirement i.e. a set number of repairs before we restarted on replacing the first item that broke.

* I * built our kitchen leaving very adequate space for dishwasher but didnt observe plasterer had simply skimmed over the old lime plaster > cue VERY tight fit for integrated dishwasher (weeks after he had run away)

Reading the possible replacement dishwasher specs (same make) I find the integrated versions are 5mm narrower than 'build under'...i.e. they fit easily but the 'build under' would be incredibly tight...

Moral: Read your specs CAREFULLY and even more important; watch what your plasterer gets up to

So I’ve scripted a life-saving routine. Pah. What really matters is the icon I give it

Re: French Delivery

Yes, the "undeliverable, return to sender" or "error in address" which magically corrects itself over the next week

Yes, La Poste ARE "THE MAN" (or rather Mme La Poste for us)

Our problems is that we are 1.5hrs drive from the departmental courier depots in Bourges, and nobody wants to drive out to deliver. If we are lucky it might make it to the nearest town 12km away, otherwise one 21km away (yes UPS, that's YOU aka Universally Providing S**t-service)

Why tell the doctor where it hurts, when you could use emoji instead?

F**k emojis

OK, I'll bite

I HATE emojis, imbecilic, impenetrable.

I, apparently, cannot discriminate

a. what they are (i.e.picture)

b. what the one I HAVE identified means.

How about WRITE IT IN ENGLISH (or your chosen language)

They are too tied to "under 30yrs of age" memes/cultural norms/"hipness"

FFS "txt speak" was bad enough...

I've got a broken combine harvester – but the manufacturer won't give me the software key

Re: The backlash seems to be building nicely though

Buy one, seriously

Bought washer and a drier in 1993, replaced washer in 2017 as high speed spin was noisy ( tech said 6mo to fail).

Repairs: Replaced electro water inlet valve in 2015 ( washer worked but filled slowly)

Drier replaced in 2019: repairs none until 2017 when I (me!) replaced door lock/interlock -30 mins total). Only replaced as wife and I live 700 miles from house and kinder to our son who lives with it to replace.

All replaced with Miele; (our experiences match our friends)

PPS both machines survived 10+ years washing lacrosse kit including armour...

Re: Only half the story

Our Miele washer did a fit and refused to work. Its a 1999 model, over 1000 euro to replace.

Apparently issue was worn out shocks on drum causes motor to spin up/down as it hits case causing fuse on mainboard to blow.

Cue online manual, screwdriver and torx bits

Sent board off to pro electronics guy to replace broken relay and circular fuse (45 €) and me with ratchet/extension bits to replace shocks (with OEM rated ones) whilst waiting for mainboard. Replaced shocks through front panel (machine weighs 90kg) as per tech guide.

Result: 20 yr old washer now works pefectly for another 10+ years (our last Miele did 26 yrs with only one 30 min fix)

Thats repairability

30 years of Linux: OS was successful because of how it was licensed, says Red Hat

25+ years and counting for me...

I came to Linux one night in 2016. I pushed the 'reset' button on my PC halfway through a bare metal Win98 install (3.5hrs in and counting)

Linux cames a cover CD from a UK PC magazine and I had it fully up and internet connected in 45mins

It's been "good enough" since then to be my main PC OS, (Windows been relegated to a VM box for at least 15 yrs)

All power to Linux for the future

You MUST present your official ID (but only the one that's really easy to fake)

I raise you a plastic sleeve

Like you M Dabbs, I have my "pass sanitaire" saved in multiple (accessible to me) places and a couple of paper copies to boot.

One thing, you missed buying some A6 vinyl sleeves for your paper copies...(Amazon.fr sells packs of 10 livraison à domicile)

Bon courage!

Toodle pip! etc.

The UK is running on empty when it comes to electric vehicle charging points

How smug are you!

I travel 34miles each way to work, over 3 busy motorways.

On at least 3 occaisions over last 3 years I've been stuck for 2+ hrs in 'closed motorway' dur to accidents; in winter

How's your EV now?

Before you say "change your workplace" - you try getting a specialist NHS post in techung hospital within 8 miles of home

Re: its not just the public charging

Yes , thank you. I'm one of those in a terraced house and it's a dual carriageway outside my front garden. No drive. Where do I charge my leccy car?

Or do I (we) become the disenfranchised wrt transport

"sorry chum, You're Shanks Pony or the bus. No transport out if the rain for you"

Dang vaccines dented our bottom line in the connected home sector, says Netgear

Reliability reputation impacts Getgear..

From my experience of last few years (home networks) I've had two ProSafe switches die at 18mo and spare ones (boxed new) DOA on opening to use. I've now dumped rest of kit as unreliable/unsage (security) and told everyone I know, why.

Not that any listens to me re IT amongst my friends (glazed expressions)

Oh, and by the way, "impacts" is in the title as a protest :

1. improper use when "affects" is better description

2. if everything is IMPACTED the word loses significance and er..impact

3. journos in supposedly upmarket newspapers and TV stations who should know better, have taken to throwing about

UK govt draws a blank over vaccine certification app – no really, the report is half-empty

Here in the EU...

Just had (tiday) my second AZ vaccine in France.

Received my French/EU proof of vaccination at the session

Scanned proof into my "AntiCovid" app (acts as passport)

Downloaded my "colourful" version of paper form from my Ameli.fr (aka NHS) account onto phone, my PC and my (non Google) cloud.

Also on my "Doctolib" appt booking account.

Why is the UK struggling so much with this?

(Declaration: until 2017 worked in NHS hospitals since 1986)

Whatever you've been doing during lockdown, you better stop it right now

Re: "Stinky microwave lunch"

Thats *bad* andouillette. Provenance is all. Even is sold as AAAAA* is no guarantee

Good ones do not smell of or taste of anything faecal.

As a connoisseur of over 30 yrs, had two recently (Figeac and Gravelines ) that were very good. Almost as good as our local brasserie (in La Châtre)

*Association Amicale des Amateurs d'Andouillette Authentique

Dealing with the pandemic by drinking and swearing? Boffins say you're not alone

Re: The 5 rules of problematic drinking

In the '80s and early '90s there were far fewer cirrhosis patients in extremis. Men in UK regularly drank 4pints in a night at pubs and hence exceeded the current 'maximum' - and had do e so for many years.

Something changed in the 90s. From observation, nutrition in 'drinkers' went downhill in quality; large volunes of cheap vodka (l1.5-2 LITRES per day mixed with 9% "cider" ("White Lightening") became the usual history.

Simple "units" is not the full story here. There's much more going on but "units/week" is an easy message to push

Linux 5.13 hits rc5, isn’t yet calm, Linus Torvalds is only mildly perturbed

Re: Still brickin'...

I've been running Linux since 1996 from bare metal installs to upgrades on everything from HP thin clients to Xeon powered rack servers.

I've had one upgrade fail but thanks to the /home partition no issues.

I've built PCs since 1987 and installed Win 3.1 (from building the MSDEX driver + boot floppy) to Win 10 x 15 times (last time a week ago).

I'm not an IT pro or even in anything "IT".

I run Linux at home and used Win 7-10 at work

In my 'limited' experience, Linux has rescued a borked Win install/installation x20+ times. Windows has never done that in reverse.

I have more issues with Windows + hardware than Linux (I've never bought Win pre installed as all my PC/server are second hand)

So if I can manage this, how is it your experience is so different? Are you still in the 1990s?

How many remote controls do you really need? Answer: about a bowl-ful

Old mobile phone...

We use an retired mobile phone...

Yatse andoid app controls Kodi on "TV" (= thin client running LibreELEC to old Eizo monitor).

No BluRay as all DVD stuff is ripped onto our TVHeadend server in the basement (as is music)

Live TV via TVH to the Kodi player.

Yatse allows creating "custom commands" so we have one to "turn off" "TV" (DPMS command)

Mobile also connects to landline phone via wifi+VoiceBridge app+device (simplified PSTN to ethernet adapter)

My wife's not that IT literate but copes with it all admirably (even worked out that Yatse app controls similar system in bedroom so can start that up remotely from living room before heading upstairs)

What happens when back-flipping futuristic robot technology meets capitalism? Yeah, it’s warehouse work

specter et al

the specter of unionized

--

I think that may be a "spectre" as opposed to an (in)specter or "inspector" as in Clouseau...

Grotesque soundbyte alert: UK government opens wallet to help rural areas get 'gigafit'

Re: Alternatively ...

We are on FTTC and ...no idea where cabinet is as there is no big green block on pavement nearby (there is a new Virgin one but its only 18 mo old)

At <1mile from exchange our 30Mb service averages, *reliably* 52Mb.

Its a street of 1890's terraces. Contention with SKY et al gives them under 20Mb (I've checked independent sources)

*Reliable* 50Mb is good enough I find.

Where is the will to rip up a 140yr old street with electric cables from 1948 (I have seen them myself-bloody good condition after unwrapping), gas from 1890s, water from same and AIO sewers...

Worse is my final 50m is from a pole...

Repeat for most of urban UK