Posts by AussieCanuck46

Not-so Secret Rulers of the World gather to talk cybersecurity, AI and, er, TalkTalk?

I can't say for sure, but I think the Anonymous annual convention is much more fun. I know it's more anonymous.

Disaster roster: OMG, are YOU SAFE? I dunno. Check Facebook

Here's a Thought

Why doesn't every Facebook user simply update their status with whatever they're doing a few dozen times every day? That way when we notice they've stopped updating we'll know they're in trouble.

'Kim Kardashian snaps naked selfies with a BLACKBERRY'. *Twitterati gasps*

I've Been Robbed!

As the last paragraph of this article illustrates it's not the hacking of accounts that is most offensive to the hacked. It's that they didn't get paid.

Apple, FBI: YES we're, er, looking into the NAKED CELEBRITY PICS. Aren't you?

Re: If you don't want any naked pix

The real tragedy in all this is not that people have seen those celebs in the buff, but that they have done so without paying the usual fee. Hacking someone's account, or even many people's accounts, is bad enough, but infringing a celeb's copyright on their bootay is unforgiveable.

iCloud fiasco: 100 FAMOUS WOMEN exposed NUDE online

National Security

I'm glad to know that the FBI takes these kinds of security breaches seriously. The national security implications of seeing some babe's booty without first paying a fee is undeniable. Perhaps by happenstance everyone else whose iCloud data security has been breached will derive a bit of side-benefit from this incident thanks to the entertainment industry.

CIA super-spy so sorry spies spied on Senate's torture scrutiny PCs

Re: why are they bothered?

The operating principle of "We do things to people because we can, not because we should." remains consistent.

NSA denies it knew about and USED Heartbleed encryption flaw for TWO YEARS

Who Knew?

If the NSA claims they didn't know about the Heartbleed bug isn't that an admission that they knew about it?

By the way, are my submissions to El Reg completely secure? I wouldn't want my government to know that I'm a subversive.

Snowden: Canadian spooks used free airport WiFi to track travellers

Re: This breaks our laws.

Senate investigation and public discussion seminars are about to begin.

http://www.straight.com/news/578421/csec-and-canadas-top-spies-scheduled-answer-questions-senate-defence-committee

CSEC's patent response to every question about such things is that they are prohibited by Canadian law from spying on Canadians. CSEC has been challenged several times about alleged actions and always offers the same response. We have no information about things like:

- What constitutes "spying"?

- What happens if CSEC breaks the law?

- How would we even know of they have broken the law?

Fancy a little kinky sex? GCHQ+NSA will know - thanks to Angry Birds

I have a smartphone, but I leave it at home if I think I won't need it elsewhere.

I've played Angry Birds, but only on my desktop computer without logging in to anything.

What, are you bloody geniuses too bloody stupid to think of things I have?

Astroboffins solve birth of the Man in the Moon face

Re: Its a history of the moon saving our butts ....

Similar in some way to how Rob Ford has saved the street kids from smoking crack by smoking it all himself?

Ellison ditches own cloud keynote for billionaires' America's Cup boat race

Keynote is What?

My opinion only, but every keynote speech I've ever heard was nothing more than advertisement, that the audience paid to hear, and got to be part of the recorded audience for other dickheads to watch saying "I know that dickhead." Oh the light show and music are great, aided by the open bar on the way in and the cheerleaders leading up to...the keynote.

If you're lucky during smoko a near-god will accidentally find him/herself near you to spout some story about how this company is destined for greatness, or more greatness, or continual greatness, depending on how long the company has basked in the greatness of greatness. And when will you decide to buy?

They're great parties, huh? As long as you can hold your chunder they are. Seen one, seen 'em all. How can I quickly get away from this one before I hurl and still claim my expenses?

Canadian family gives up modern tech to live like it's 1986

Time Warp Man

How nice that daddy has decided to rewind the clock. I'm sure the Mennonites who live in his area would agree with his decision, except that they have no way of learning about it. What's magical about 1986 except that's when the old man was born? Why not 1886? Or be a real manly Luddite and go back another hundred years or so before that? If you want your kids to play outside take them to the freakin' park once in a while. This idea is just stoopid.

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

What Ever Happened To All The Fun In The World?

After reading all of your valuable and informative comments about nuclear power, and about national security leaks, and about global warming, I'm no longer sure what what form "the end of the world" will take, or even whether or not it's already happened.

I'm so confused. I don't know whether to kill myself, bury myself, or just dust myself off and have another beer. Please help.

PHWOAR! Huh! What is it good for? Absolutely nothing, Prime Minister

They Won't Listen, Nor Could They Understand

I appreciate the good intentions of the politico's, however poorly formed their plan. And I appreciate the good intentions of the techies who wish to educate said politico's about its futility. I'd add my voice too, except that it wouldn't work any better than their plan.

I'm afraid all we can do is let them implement that plan until its futility is demonstrated. It'll cost a bundle alright, and they'll never admit it was a silly idea, but within ten years or so they might find some sly way to shift the attention closer to where it belongs and still claim victory. That's all they really want after all, to claim they've protected the children, not to actually do it.

Space probe spies MYSTERY 'Cold Spot' in very fabric of cosmos itself

Best Available Theory

"So it would seem that the best available theory known to physics can't account for everything: situation pretty much normal for physics, then."

There we have it; proof positive that the alleged Big Bang is just somebody's idea of a joke. Good thing we got that sorted because it was looking for a while as if some people might actually believe that the Universe is older than 6,000 years.

My mind's at ease now. I think I'll go read a book.

Coffee next on climate chopping-block

And of course, without coffee, we could kiss goodbye to software development as well.

I just had a horiffying thought. Please don't run any article that describes how the hops crop might be in any way endangered. Never mind the effect that would have on software development, such a disaster would make existence unbearable. I'm going to have nightmares now. Thanks El Reg.

Google engineer finds British spyware on PCs and smartphones

Legitimate Spyware?

Maybe I'm a bit slow on the uptake, but I always thought that spyware was the realm of the bad guys. Is there a legal remedy to it, or is it illegal for my legitimate anti-spyware provider to detect and/or remove this legitimate spyware? If it is illegal for them to do that, must I then somehow acquire some illegitimate anti-spyware program in order to keep my system free of all spyware? Do the authorities require a warrant to install that stuff on my machine, or can they simply trick me into installing it like the bad guys do? Is legitimate spyware like legitimate arms dealing, legitimate human trafficking, legitimate murder, etc.? That is, is it OK if the government or the police do it, but not anybody else? I'm getting very confused.

UK snoop system had 1,000 COCKUPS - including 2 duff cuffs

Re: But...

In their eyes we're all guilty of something. It's just a matter of time until they figure out what. And the more errors are made in gathering and delivering surveillance data, without oversight, the more likely they are to find something, valid or otherwise. If it turns out to be invalid they'll hunt for something else and just keep tracking us until they find something.

Apple Store staircase flagged as Peeping Tom black spot

A few weeks ago I noticed someone with a fairly large telescope at the foot of the CN Tower in Toronto. After reading this article I now believe that person wasn't star-gazing, he was upskirting through the glass floor some 342 metres up. We should add that place to the list.

Canadians revolt over draconian internet privacy bill

Re: @AC 23:24

According to the provisions of this proposed law anyone in a position of authority with government credentials, including the Department of Competition, can demand basic information from ISP's about anybody as long as it relates to "an act of Parliament" without a warrant. It's not just about police and child pornography. It's about tracking everyone until we figure out what they're guilty of. I smell a "Canadian Spring" coming on.

I already know that my IP address is being tracked just by sending this comment. I hope the government builds those new jails soon so I'll have a place to sleep after I'm convicted of subversion.

Comet Lovejoy survives brush with fiery solar death

Several Million Degrees?

Depending on which temperature scale they were using, Fahrenheit or Centigrade, several million degrees might only be a few hundred thousand degrees. A nice big dirty snowball, or snowy dirtball, might easily weather the lower of the two.