Posts by DvorakUser

Third-party Twitter apps stopped dead with no explanation from El Musko

Also working

The Choqok client (https://sourceforge.net/projects/choqok/) is still working for me as well.

Right-to-repair warriors seek broader DMCA exemptions to bypass digital locks on the stuff we own

Too logical...

I think that every device that falls out of support from the manufacturer should automatically be granted an exception. Obviously, as this makes sense, it would never see the light of day in the political world.

Microsoft pulls the plug on Windows 7, 8.1 support forums

Re: Interesting...

Actually, the article even says that Windows 7 will be supported until 2020 (Windows 7 Extended Support), with Windows 8.1 receiving Extended Support until 2023. It's just that the forums won't be much help (but were they ever?)

Oddly enough, when a Tesla accelerates at a barrier, someone dies: Autopilot report lands

Already been mentioned, but for summary....

1. Adaptive cruise control will lower itself if you are following a slower car (e.g. if you set cruise to 75, it will slow to the speed of the car in front. Once that car is 'gone' and the road is clear, the car will accelerate to the desired speed).

2. The lane markings where this accident took place are in HORRIBLE condition, going off of the video footage that I've seen. It's easy to see how someone not actually paying attention could, in fact, follow this Tesla (almost) all the way into the barrier (which it seems someone else had actually done prior to the Tesla).

I will agree, though, that a radar upgrade beyond 1-D should be performed on all Autopilot-capable vehicles. If it can't tell that the thing that's not moving isn't something that it's going to safely pass by, I think that's a good indicator something is wrong. Right now, it's like getting the check engine light to go off by undoing the bulb - yes, it makes the problem go away, but at what cost?

*Wakes up in Chrome's post-adblockalyptic landscape* Wow, hardly anything's changed!

So long as malware is spread by advertisements on websites, I'll keep using ad-blockers to keep my computer safe. It's not so much that they're annoying - I think we're pretty much past the 'interactive' (swat the mosquito) ads - as they just can't be trusted to be clean.

High rear end winds cause F-35A ground engine fire

A wreck without leaving the ground

As much as the F-35 is a technological marvel, as a weapon of war it strikes me as an utter abysmal failure. Billions of dollars over budget, years behind schedule, and still barely functional. I'd rather have a single F-16 covering my tail than a squadron of F-35s. At least the F-16 has paid for itself multiple times over.

Windows 10 now rules the weekend, taking over from Windows 7

Re: Non Microshit OS??

I'm assuming you didn't do much Googling? A quick search for 'Lord of the Rings Online Linux' brought me to Playing In Linux Under Wine

It even seems to have a Gold rating on the WINE App Database

Mozilla breathes petition-of-fire at EU copyright laws

Re: ISP for IP

Unfortunately, doing that would add a further $50 to every American's internet bill.... assuming all 318.9 Million of us had our own bill. As there's roughly 4 people in a family (2 parents, 2 children, on average), that turns into $200. And that's just to cover piracy losses by the RIAA. Add on another $240 for the MPAA, and that's $440 - but we'll say $480 for easier math - per year for internet access. I don't know about you, but I highly doubt you'll get everyone in the USA - or anywhere else - to agree to pay an additional $40/month for internet access just to keep the service level the exact same.

--Sources--

RIAA - https://www.riaa.com/reports/the-true-cost-of-sound-recording-piracy-to-the-u-s-economy/

MPAA - http://blogs.wsj.com/numbers/putting-a-price-tag-on-film-piracy-1228/

Thieves can wirelessly unlock up to 100 million Volkswagens, each at the press of a button

A locked door...

The door being locked - wirelesly or mechanically - will only temporarily slow someone who truly wants in. With a car, the easiest response is to break a window and get in that way. For a house, probably similar.

Nerds make it rain in Nevada. The Las Vegas strip? No, cloud-seeding drones over the desert

Re: Messing with nature

Don't take away all the petrol; just stop any more from coming in. I'm sure they've got enough in reserve for a little while, at least. Enough for a few good bits of chaos.

FBI's Tor pedo torpedoes torpedoed by United States judge

Shame about this one

I honestly wish that the FBI had gotten the warrant filled out right in the first place. Due to what happened to my best friend back in grade school (raped and murdered), I see people like what the FBI were targeting as less than dirt.

In the same breath, though, I commend the judge that threw out the evidence for holding up the Constitution.

State Department finds 22 classified emails in Hillary’s server, denies wrongdoing

Shouldn't Be Allowed To Run

I feel that anyone - male, female, transgender, genderless, liberal, conservative, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, whatever - that is under Federal investigation should NOT be permitted to run for President (or any other political office, really) until such time as the investigation has been concluded. Admittedly, this means that Hillary wouldn't be running, but given the choice of candidates right now, I think the best one might just be Vermin Supreme.

Helicopter because obvious

Get whimsical and win a Western Digital Black 6TB hard drive

"They said that miniaturization was the way of the future... Why's this one so much larger than my last one?"

NSA: We'll move your metadata into /dev/null when you stop suing us

I misread Tips and Corrections...

... as reading Tips and Conspiracies. Given the topic in question, though, is it really too large a leap for that?

Cortana threatens to blow away ESC key

Why replace the Esc key when there's a much more viable key to be replaced? I hereby vote they follow Google's footsteps and replace Caps Lock with the Cortana button.

Another change that Microsoft and/or Lenovo did was replace the Context Menu key on their laptops (ex: Lenovo T430) with PrtSc. I - unlike some other users - actually do use the Context Menu key fairly often, even if it is mostly to double-check my spelling.

Manchester car park lock hack leads to horn-blare hoo-ha

My own experience

Being from the other side of the pond as you guys, I don't often join in the conversation, but for once, I have my own relevant experience to share.

Several years ago, I had a '96 Thunderbird that had a key fob. One day, having stopped in to get a bite to eat, I hit the button to unlock the doors on my car while I was next to a 2000s (not sure exact year) Chevy Impala. This made the Imp's alarm sound twice before popping open the trunk (a.k.a boot). The Imp's owner - sitting in the outside dining area - looked just as surprised as I was. Before then, I thought that it would be pretty close to impossible for a key fob from one manufacturer and one decade to have any effect on a car from another manufacturer and another decade.

Stripped to the core and full of Xfce: Xubuntu Linux loses it

I'd be happy with...

a resurrected version of Fluxbuntu - an unofficial port of Ubuntu with Fluxbox (and a deliciously eye-catching splashscreen while it loaded). Ran it for a little bit on an old Thinkpad R51 that I had and it was nice and quick. Thought of trying to get something like it up and running on my current rig, starting with the Ubuntu Mini ISO.

NASA: We're gonna rip up an ASTEROID and make it ORBIT the MOON

Why not..

... get enough rocks around the moon - or blow up a big enough one - to give the moon a ring system? Just think how pretty that would be!

Gamers! Ransomware will scramble your save files unless you cough up $1,000

So, does this count as a blow against the "PC Master Race"? It makes me glad that I do most of my gaming on consoles, but it's still quite frightening.

Volvo: Need a new car battery? Replace the doors and roof

@SPiT: One thing that I could see them doing is, instead of the ENTIRE door being made of the capacitor material, just have the lower part be, so that the A- B- and C-pillars are all electrically neutral by default

Cold-blooded, INHUMAN visitor hitches ride on NASA moon rocket

Not the first time

Does nobody here remember Space Bat?

USB 3.0 speed to DOUBLE in 2013

I think that...

USB 3.1 would be best. It's still the same technology as USB 3.0, just with a minor change (that reaps massive benefits).

NY Museum of Modern Art embraces 14 video games

Glad to see...

... the Chrono series getting some love. Should have Cross in there, too, if you want my opinion. Doom definitely deserves to be in there, too, though, for making the FPS a viable genre (yes, Halo wouldn't exist were it not for Doom). I'd also like to see Gran Turismo have an entry as well.

SpaceX satellite burns up on re-entry after Falcon FAIL

My 'condolences' to Orbcomm for the loss of their satellite, but kudos to them for their fine attitude regarding the situation. Hopefully the next one - funded by insurance - will go much better.

Drink - because Orbcomm deserves one for their good attitude and not flinging poo.

Ubuntu 12.10: More to Um Bongo Linux than Amazon ads

Does no one realize...

... that you are capable of removing the Amazon integration features? Or that they're working on a simle 'kill-switch' for the end-user to disable them? Admittedly, though, having an opt-in/out checkbox during installation would be nice....

I just don't understand all the hate towards the Unity UI. Sure, it's not Gnome 2 or KDE, but I find it to be a fairly decent UI. Even fired it up on an eeePC 701 without too many major problems (biggest one: the dash is too large for the screen).

Windows 8: Download it, then speak YOUR brains

Re: Unity

Unity still has the standard sorting - typing the name is just an additional way of getting to the program, just like in W7/W8. To get to that sorting, though, you have to go through a few steps.

1. With the Unity launcher open, click on the "ruler/pencil/pen" icon to get to programs.

2. Click the "Filter Results" toggle.

3. Choose the category/ies you need

4. If needed, click the toggle for "Installed apps"

Anonymous hunts down Voldemort for hacking hungry kids' charity

Glad to see...

... that even Anonymous has a set of morals that it is willing to follow. I don't care who you are, or who you're trying to impress - hacking a kids' charity site is just in poor taste, period (or full-stop).

Ten... freeware gems for new PCs

My additions

CDBurnerXP (http://cdburnerxp.se/en/home) - A free awesome CD burner. Works better than some of Windows' own tools.

Nero KwiKmedia (http://www.nero.com/eng/downloads-nbl-free.php) - Same as above, only Nero.

LibreOffice (http://www.libreoffice.org/) - already been mentioned

Ubuntu 12.04 LTS: Like it or not, this Linux grows on you

Re: Anyone who disagrees with this ...

Instead of trying Xubuntu for a Windows-like experience, I would recommend Kubuntu. The UI is surprisingly similar to Vista/7, and should make the transition a bit easier from Windows.

That's not to say that this is the 'perfect' solution, but I suspect you'll be far more at home wiht KDE 4.x, coming straight from Windows, than you will with Unity, Gnome Shell, XFCE, or many of the other available UIs.

Aside from Kubuntu, however, you may find Lubuntu to be to your liking as well, though the UI harks back to Win9x.

Laptop computers are crap

Fantastic troll

You had me getting ready to point out all the things I disagreed with you on, and then you got to points 7 and 8. Well done, my good sir. Well done, indeed.

Apple drops 'thermonuclear' patent bombshell

Got me.

Although this doesn't sound too far-fetched for Apple (or even Microsoft), what really tipped me off was when I thought for a second about the patent number. Good one, guys.

Human 4G masts assemble roaming hobonet for pennies

Re: My money

Kudos to your friend for being a decent human being. Glad to hear that he helped the guy get on his feet again, but yes, it is hard for most people to comprehend what it's like being so far in the gutter it feels like the mud on other peoples' shoes has a higher social standing than you do.