Posts by Don Jefe

Microsoft fights Google for kids' attention with ad-free Bing for Schools

I've got a great idea! Since the Surface isn't selling, lets give them to children! They're too stupid to realize how awful they are!

Oh noes! New 'CRISIS DISASTER' at Fukushima! Oh wait, it's nothing. Again

I thought the comments looked suspiciously weighted. Why not go back to no comments on these pieces?

Brazilians tear strip off NSA in wake of Snowden, mull anti-US-spook law

Brazil especially makes all the 'Developed Nations' look like idiots when it comes to homosexual things. They decriminalized homosexuality in the early 19th century and were largely responsible for homosexuality being removed from the official lists of diseases and disorders by taking the lead and removing it from their own lists first.

Re: Brazil and Japan

I realize that. The Japanese colonies (their term, not mine) are the pipeline for the large number of technically skilled workers there. It sure isn't the US or Europe sending and educating in matters of technical expertise. They send the CIA and Ex-Im Bank thugs to strong arm the Brazilians, and all of South America for that matter.

There are some really, really shitty parts of Brazil, don't get me wrong, but it is huge! It's larger than either the US or the entire EU, so there's guaranteed to be some bad parts. However, the Americans and the Europeans have a vested interest in not educating their people about Brazil and South America in general.

Both have a history of and currently engage in horribly shitty business practices either directly or through contractors and partners. Everyone is happy with the Western world being focused on China and their employee abuses and business practices, they don't want people looking too closely at what's going on in South America. If people knew the place wasn't a shithole and its actually inhabited by real people, of which nearly half are Caucasians, people would be horrified.

It's really messed up. Everyone reading this has products from South America in their homes and offices, and unless you live in a data center there's probably more stuff of South American origin in your homes than there is stuff from Asia.

The absolute worst part is that companies from the US, Britain, Italy and Germany act all high and mighty about China, where they know their effects will be limited by the government. They actively engage in keeping South American governments in a state of flux and instability because they know if the general public knew about what goes on and how much cheaper it would be to fix the situation they'd demand change. Can't have that though...

Knobs, Arrogance and Ignorance

It's stupid statements like from that lawyer that make people in South American despise Europeans and Americans.

"Lack of skills and even the temperature make running data centers there expensive". The arrogance and ignorance in that statement is stunning. The dickhead probably thinks Brazil is all beaches, jungle and 12 months of Carnaval. Everyone drinks Cachaça from coconuts and all the women are topless.

Brazil is fucking enormous and has climate zones that cover everything but arctic conditions and a massive tech industry and close integration with Japan and Japanese engineering capabilities. The Japanese respect and understand that South America isn't the forgotten, backwards jungle the gringos envision it to be.

The Americans and Europeans have been treating them like backwards idiots since they landed there but the Japanese just trundled along and snatched that market up by not being arrogant dicks to them and now they laugh all the way to the bank. Good for them!

Bradley Manning* sentenced to 35 years in prison

Re: Good

Matt is correct about the lack of US support for the dictators being what finally let the pot boil over. That whole shitstorm is due directly to US actions since the 60's: Market manipulation through regime change. There is no free market as long as governments are willing to kill to get a discount on commodities.

Re: Poor guy

I don't think he's going to be at too much risk from himself. He'll be at risk from the other inmates who will consider him a traitor. I genuinely hope nothing happens to him and he doesn't have to spend his time in solitary.

This whole thing sucks.

US highway agency awards Tesla Model S record safety score

Re: The same score

The Tesla model actually scored worse in hauling and towing capacity!

Re: Front 'trunk'

You're Right! All cars should be filled with jaggy steel for crash testing. It's not fair that trucks have to be loaded with rocks and SUV's have to be filled with bricks during testing but sports cars are exempt. Minivans are filled with molten glass for their tests! People carry CHIlDREN in minivans!!!!

This is PROOF that the liberal elite hate blue collar workers and want to kill them by making them drive unsafe vehicles! GASOLINE TASTES LIKE CHICKEN!

Jesus. How do people like this even manage to register for a user account?

Tooling

It's not really too much of a surprise that the safety ratings are so high. They've had a blank slate to work with: Very, very rarely do automobile manufacturers have that opportunity.

Every mainstream manufacturer has an incredibly large investment in production equipment as do the parts suppliers. They can't retool everything for a new model, so a large percentage of the parts base is reused across many models for many years. All that means manufacturers have what they have and it won't change for long periods of time, if ever.

Re: Yep

Nobody tested the Titanic's claims though. The first test did not go well.

Forget hackers - storms and snafus are bigger threat, say infosec bods

Weather and Natural Disasters

No shit the weather and natural disasters cause more damage than a few Humans. Weather makes and breaks invasions and is central to a countries wealth. It's easy to take the natural world for granted and believe that technology has tamed it: Not so and it will likely never be so.

Fire, because most wildfires are a side effect of weather.

Japan's unwanted IT workers dumped in 'forcing-out rooms'

Exclusively Japanese?

I honestly though all but the smallest businesses had this. Maybe not a dedicated room, but ways to encourage people to leave by giving them awful jobs to do.

The place where I did my internship serviced shipboard nagivation equipment and when they wanted rid of someone they'd have that person review schematics, some of which were for systems from the WWII era and were hundreds of pages deep then write reports about them. They'd usually last a few weeks.

Space-walker nearly OPENED HELMET to avoid DROWNING

Re: SPOILERS (@ Justin Stringfellow 21st August 2013 09:54)

But what if you never make errors?

Palestinian Facebook flaw-finder getting $10,000 payday in online appeal

Re: This kind of attitude is wrong

That's actually a good idea!

You should submit the lack of a public penetration account as a vulnerability that puts all Facebook users at risk. Claim your $500.

Re: "very expensive to look this bad"

The answer to how they lose financially is several fold immediately:

1) White hats will be less likely to contribute, why bother? Internal costs of finding vulnerabilities will go up substantially: Crowdsourced vulnerability testing is cheap.

2) They put out press releases on at least three major wire services, at a bare minimum cost of at least $4k. That's an 8x direct cost increase related to damage control.

3) Most importantly: Companies like Facebook depend solely on the goodwill of their users. There's no real lock-in of any sort. Terribly negative PR, especially that riding on the positive actions of another company is not far removed from a dog collar manufacturer bragging about how easy it is to strangle puppies using their collars. Everytime FB loses a set of eyeballs it threatens the value of their ad placement service.

Will any of this substantially change their next quarterly statement? No. But every little bit helps, big companies never die from the fallout of just one event.

Re: I'll say it, since nobody else has the guts to

Just out of curiosity, what's the advantage of saying something like that?

Re: This kind of attitude is wrong

Most of my previous CEO's would have just fired the security lead on the spot for allowing this embarrassment to happen. Not just the vulnerability that can be managed, but the massive PR stink. Trying to be a presence on Wall Street and being caught out over a whopping $500 and having a blazing dickhead do the apologizing just isn't the way things are done.

Now they all look like asses and the guy who organized the fund raiser has become a hero and copped a ton of free, positive press for his business.

Ah hell, I'd probably fire him myself.

Re: This kind of attitude is wrong

You don't have look too hard for this kind of arrogance in plenty of developers. The attitude seems to be directly proportional to the size/recognition of their employer: "Nothing is wrong with our stuff, the stupid users are just idiots".

I'm not arguing that most users aren't idiots, but I do believe that this sort of attitude is harmful to the entire technology profession. Nobody likes the arrogant asshats of the world, no matter how smart they may be.

Alien antique show: Egyptians wore JEWELRY FROM SPAAAACE

Yep, looting by troops is alive and well.

Besides, cultural treasures make GREAT gifts for politicians all over the world when you're trying to mend fences/garner favors.

Comcast court docs show Prenda copyright trolls seeded smut then sued

Re: @jonathanb

All the lawyers here are busy, watching movies... For evidence of course.

Re: I feel that this demonstrates beyond any doubt that....

Not to nitpick, but this is a copyright issue, not about patents. There's nothing patentable about what adult film stars do. Even the judges themselves would likely be infringing if that were the case.

Re: Fascinating case, more on popehat

I'd argue that porn professionals are more ethical than the lawyers. There are things even a pornstar won't do for money, the same can't really be said for lawyers.

Mighty multi-scope snaps stunning STARBIRTH image

The Atacama desert is a freakishly weird place. It is unbelievable to see in person, you're right very Mars like (I assume).

I thought the most surreal part of the place is that around the time the geogylphs were made there was a thriving society mining salt using the same basic layout used today and there was flowing water. Now all that is gone and visible only through satellite images. A whole culture and industry gone, with only weird, gigantic stone drawings, little forts, and legends left behind.

Wonder what people thousands of years in the future will think of our cultures observatories and what legends they will create around whatever is left.

Apple's iTunes Radio to launch next month with abundant ads

iTunes Radio To Launch With Abundant Ads

Looks kinda like they've already started...

Firefox takes top marks in browser stability tests

Re: Hmm

Found your problem. You're not using Safari on your Mac.

The knock on your door will be your escort to a reeducation facility.

Re: Just counted my tabs

That's a good idea!

Now you just gotta get the browser people to put out standards compliant browsers.

Not saying you're wrong, but I wouldn't hinge my plans for world domination on that assumption.

I know the Open Source, more eyeballs, better security argument, just saying: Blind trust in what others said is what led us all to now having a legitimate NSA concern. Six weeks ago what you said would have been an over the top joke.

Amazon DISAPPEARS from internet

Re: EC2 FAIL

It's the Internet man, some people trust their money to a Magic The Gathering forum...

Plus don't forget a bakery in London played a huge role in defining business computing and basic ERP (LEO I) so a bookstore selling tech infrastructure doesn't really sound too strange. Tech history is full of terribly incongruous things.

*I just up voted you and your downvote vote tally changed, guess I inadvertently downvoted you some time earlier. Apologies.

Re: In the meantime

I think you've solved the unsolvable issue! The thing that every Internet retailer has attempted to do, but failed: You've envisioned a way to bridge the last mile! Think of the advantages, no shipping fees, no lost packages and the possibility of meeting interesting people!

You could even make such a system profitable for government by having the retailer collect some sort of service fee based on the value of the goods purchased. You're going to be rich!!!

I couldn't access amazon.com from a PC but the mobile app worked fine, from search to order confirmation, and wife says Netflix streaming worked all afternoon. Wonder what really happened.

Legal bible Groklaw pulls plug in wake of Lavabit shutdown, NSA firestorm

Re: Counterproductive

Beware the man who tells you from behind an army that only cowards hide in the shadows. That man will hunt down, with the lives of your sons and daughters, any who threaten his power.

Only a fool fights a fight using the means their adversary has chosen. When those in control have bent the system to the point that you have no option but submission then you must change the way the conflict is undertaken.

If that means moving offline and eliminating a tool for the adversary then so be it. That is the sacrifice. Nothing is accomplished by commanding the sea to recede all the while exposing the friends of friends of friends of someone's family to interrogation, intimidation and ruin.

In a paranoid conspiracy, the burden of proof is on the paranoid. So where's your proof that prior to the NSA related leaks that you, or anyone you know, was having their email intercepted?

Until evidence was available to prove otherwise the inherent insecurities of email were only a problem if someone was actively spying on you. A situation that, in reality, applies to very, very few people (even though they'd like to believe otherwise).

Once we learned, not guessed or had paranoia about it, that the government was spying on everyone, the situation changed and email insecurities became a realistic problem.

You're confusing technical and government policy issues.

Re: Depressing.

It goes further than US citizens abroad having to file tax returns, if you're working in the EU, Russia, Japan, China, South Korea, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, UAE, Kuwait, India, Australia, Canada or most of South America your overseas employer has to report your income back to the US on your behalf.

The US isn't about to leave that money on the table so they make other governments comply with their laws. If the US can make businesses in other countries comply with US tax laws you can be damn sure they'll make ISP's anywhere bend too.

Re: There are some brilliant technical minds out there

No one really knows the NSA's true capabilities; that's the problem. Encryption may be a waste of time/false security or it may be really useful, nobody knows. They can guess and assume, but there is zero proof either way.

There's definitely more going on than they own up to. Remember, Internet Explorer used to fall under Export Control laws meant for weapons and dangerous technology because of its built in SSL support. It isn't anymore; why?

There has long been the assumption and the assurance from governments that unless you were under investigation you weren't under surveillance. That's been proven untrue and governments are gathering data to use against you in case you ever come under investigation.

It is a really, really big difference. I hope you can see what the problem is.

Re: Intimidation

As long as people buy into the fear pushed by governments and media outlets there will never be a free exchange of information. Those who live in fear will happily sail us all down the river.

Judge bins lawsuit alleging AOL patent sale conspiracy theory

AOL is an odd duck for a tech company. They don't make the news anymore, but they're one of Google's largest partners and they keep making people money.

Maybe a business doesn't need to be in the headlines everyday to be successful? Surely that can't be right. Right???

Bitcoin blitzkreig as Germans prepare to tax virtual currency

Re: Since they are going to be trying to tax mostly drug income...

You can order hit men and mercenaries in Soldier of Fortune Magazine too...

Go ahead and order you up some drugs through one of those places and see if it's a drug dealer or government agents that show up. Report back on your findings.

Re: Since they are going to be trying to tax mostly drug income...

I challenge you to find a drug dealer that will accept virtual currency.

Boffin blends benevolent beer

Dehydration is a part of hangovers, but the worst parts are caused by your body oxidizing the alcohol and the excess sugars produced in the process (weakness, headache and upset stomach). Beer shits are excess sugar shits, you can replicate the entire hangover experience by eating enormous amounts of high sugar content foods.

It's really dangerous and leads quickly to alcohol poisoning, but if you manage your diet to absolutely minimize sugar intake for a few weeks you can really impress your friends with a night of extreme consumption abilities and your quick recovery/near lack of hangover.

Wikileaks Party scrambles to explain election decisions

Re: The entire Oz political system ...

I don't know man. The politicians here in the States are a special type of horrible people. If we could study them I think we'd find a specific genetic mutation shared amongst the lot.

As far as Western countries of primarily European descent go, I believe we're #1 for batshit insane sociopaths as our political class. USA, USA, USA, I guess...

On a lighter note, my phone automatically corrects batshit with Batsuit (with capital B) and doesn't show it as a misspelling. How very odd.

British spooks seize tech from Snowden journo's boyfriend at airport

To be honest unplugging from the Internet would probably be the most powerful tool the public could use against 'them'. The world moves on and politicians become more corrupt but the citizens are too busy playing games, streaming movies, fapping and shopping to care.

The Internet has become the greatest distraction of all time and the politicians love it. Having so much of the populace concerned about trivial matters allows a tiny minority to stay involved in 'the real world', vote and determine everyone else's fate.

I know it is likely impossible, but a day of no one using the Internet would be terrifying to the people who have us all stacked, sorted and ready for processing. They don't listen to letters, concerns or complaints, let them listen to silence for a day.

Re: But

The boxes can't be opened undetected. We've been asked to open them a few times but in those cases the contents were in our view the entire time. There's a whole industry for failsafe package security out there. It isn't about preventing entry, which is practically impossible, it's about knowing if the box was opened.

Re: Obama still not strong-arming, then, I see

Congratulations!

You win a permanent low-grade headache, caused by the point flying sooo close, but just out of your grasp. I feel sorry for you so I'll give you a hint: There's a clue in the title of the article.

Screw you, Brits, says Google: We are ABOVE UK privacy law

I think Team America: World Police is awful, but don't forget the UK has a well documented history of enforcing its policies, political and commercial, all over the planet, with armies and navies to boot.

If these toolbelts don't manage to destroy everything beforehand, I believe future historians will note that attempting to police the globe is an indicator of a struggling empire.

Re: Nuts

Not sure how it works over there, but here in the US the authority to accept court filings only exists with a few (sometimes one) company officers and no one else is allowed to take them unless it is a search & seizure type thing. If a general staffer takes the papers it doesn't count, so the company makes it really hard to find the person to serve.

They hire private investigators and deploy armies of process servers to locate & surprise the individual. In some cases that individuals security team has prevented the process server from reaching their target. It's all a big stupid game.