Posts by wowfood

75% of enterprise coders will use AI helpers by 2028. We didn't say productively

Iffy

I'm still iffy on AI.

Using it to generate code has, in all honesty been terrible. It'll just generate stuff that doesn't work, or uses libraries that don't actually work together.

But I have found (on home projects) that if I state something like. "I am trying to achieve X, here's the code samples I've tried" it'll point out quite accurately why my code is failing, and tends to give an alternative that (with tweaking) will resolve my issue, and it's actually been a boon for learning about less common coding techniques that are very handy.

All in all, it's nowhere near ready yet for general use, but as a lookup tool I've found it handy.

Just rather than treating it as a code writing tool, treat it as a reference tool and keep using your head. Only problem I'm seeing right now, is less skilled coders / new coders, over relying on it and not actually learning from what it generates so you have butchered code popping up in questions from people.

Google screwed rivals to protect monopoly, says Uncle Sam in antitrust lawsuit: We go inside the Sherman parked on a Silicon Valley lawn

Re: Breaking up might be good for Google

In all likelyhood i'd expect the following.

They'd fight tooth and nail to keep search and advertising as those are it's core businesses, and have been since before a lot of other stuff was added. They'd also keep their entire backend server setup as it's used to run these two key areas.

By keeping the server infrastructure (as it's required for their core business) they would also effectively lock in all split off companies to paying them still as no cost analysis would come up in favour of switching to Azure or AWS, there's simply too much work involved as most are heavily integrated with the google ecosystem already.

Now for the split of sections.

Hardware: Drop all the smart home stuff off into a hardware division, as "OK Google" relies on the google search engine to work, they'd maintain dominance for a number of years but could allow competition like Microsoft to set Cortana as a voice assistant for home. Most people will still select google as the default anyway.

Mobile: This would likely be android and their mobile phone setup. Google can still pay (as they have been) to be the default operator for other manufacturers. They could also continue to add features they want to android as it's open source. It's faking competition.

Webtools: This would be things like google drive, gmail, maps etc. They would make their money from advertising, when advertising bidding comes up either google will win, or a competitor will pay way above the odds and not make as much profit.

Media: Youtube, music etc. Same as webtools. google will lose out on the subscription fees but that's about it.

Basically there would be a lot of juggling, but nothing would really change. The only risk would be if a competitor bought out one of the separated businesses. For instance, if samsung bought out the mobile company.

BOFH: I'd like introduce you to a groovy little web log I call 'That's Boss'

Gotta say

I feel like the beancounter has the right idea sometimes.

Support whizz 'fixes' screeching laptop with a single click... by closing 'malware-y' browser tab

Firewall woes

Most common for me, fixing a family members computer.

Bought a new online game, and he couldn't get it to work, no matter what he did it refused to login, sometimes not even letting him get to the login screen, it would just freeze.

Went round, started the game and he was correct, only odd thing was a tiny flicker in the bottom corner. Alt-tab out, nothing.

Started the game again in windowed mode. as soon as it started up his Bullshit (sorry bullguard) firewall was kicking in and blocking the connection. And being the wonder that is bullguard, it appeared for a whole 3 seconds before closing itself so you couldn't whitelist it.

Had to restart the game again and use ninja reflexes to allow the connection.

BOFH: Is everybody ready for the meeting? Grab a crayon – let's get technical

Re: New Episode?

Yup, starting to get withdrawl here.

As Tesla hits speed bump after speed bump, Elon Musk loses his mind in anti-media rant

Re: unexpected honesty

I don't think it's entirely down to the journos anyway, I think often it's the editors above. I'm gradually seeing an increase in certain publications pushing a certain viewpoint.

Is it news? Often yes, but the news part is covered in one paragraph hidden half way down, the rest is opinion piece and whatever the publications agenda is. Some sites are pro right wing, others pro left wing, some are pro windows, some are pro linux. And as internet advertising algorithms have grown better at finding content we like, we start getting fed more and more content of that vein of thought, leading to a kind of bubble where all the news we see conforms with our existing opinions on things.

Tech bad-boy Uber crafts tool to make staff follow the rules in future (er, coding rules, that is)

Re: The future...

This is the comments? I thought I was still reading the article!

Dodgy parking firms to be denied access to Brit driver database

Re: Whatever ....

Then we'll just have companies controlled by Canary M Burns.

Here we go again... UK Prime Minister urges nerds to come up with magic crypto backdoors

Re: Biometrics

Rather than a finger print, I'd say a constantly shifting password. A bit like how facebook can generate a security pin to log in with new devices which changes every 10 minutes.

Of course even that isn't foolproof.

But even if, by some magic, they did develop a backdoor that legally had to be put in all software. What's to stop somebody publishing software without this backdoor? Sure a company trading in the US / UK can't, but an individual who doesn't like backdors in their device?

It gets worse: Microsoft’s Spectre-fixer wrecks some AMD PCs

Re: windows forced-update blues

I've had to do a clean install twice due to microsoft updates. And twice I've had to play in the bios because, for some reason, it's changed the boot partition from my SSD to my other HD (don't even know how it does that)

Smart meters: 'Dog's breakfast' that'll only save you 'a tenner' – report

I've been 'offered' one of these smart hubs.

I keep declining. Mostly because my electric meter is hidden behind a wall cupboard in the entry corridor (shared area of 4 flats) and I'd rather not have to foot the bill as they'd need to rip the wall apart to get to it.

BOFH: This is your last chance. After this, there is no turning back

I now need to find the PFYs origin story.

Virtual reality headsets even less popular than wearable devices

Re: You missed one...

Honestly it's a bit of a shame that the PSVR doesn't have a PC option, (yet). I've been interested in getting a VR headset for a while now, and looking at it, I think PSVR is the closest thing to the right price point to gain traction. The rift needs to drop another £100 before I'll consider it, and the vive has to drop even further.

I'm expecting that the next version of rift and vive will be exactly the same spec wise, but heavily cost downed to lower the price.

BOFH: The Boss, the floppy and the work 'experience'

Re: Being on a placement myself...

...it's amazing the different attitudes to students. Most in the IT industry remember that when they left University they weren't instant coding Gods, but unfortunately some belittle students trying to learn

That tends to be a big giveaway that you have entered the aura of someone who is clueless but somehow managed to wrangle an IT job regardless. In other words, management material.

We had one of these as our software architect. 3 years on a project with "you just don't understand it" and "You can't change that it'll break everything" etc etc. We're now starting a new project, reusing code from the old. Pretty much everything we're scrapping is the stuff he worked on exclusively. Stuff we're keeping he had nothing to do with. Guy was just hot air and buzzwords (and missmanagement loved him for it)

BOFH: Password HELL. For you, mate, not for me

I tend to follow their instructions. Or at least pretend to, making sure to take my time as I do.

Just keep them on speaker phone, randomly say "where the hell did I put it" etc.

"A good thing too, because I have three passwords I use for everything – Low, Medium and High Security."

I'm glad I'm not the only one who uses this system. I also have ultra-low, which is my work password... which just has in incrementing number on the end whenever they ask me to choose a new one.

Pair programming – you'll never guess what happens next!

Re: The Perfect Pair

I would agree on the pair debugging being effective. We do it quite often where I am, althoughnot with the intention of pair programming.

Nobody here really does pair programming though, only debugging. We tried pair programming or a while but people here just don't work well that close to each other.

BOFH: There are no wrong answers, just wrong questions. Mmm, really wrong ones

And no option for Cider drinkers? Terrible.

PM resigns as Britain votes to leave EU

erm

Demographically the result pitted the working class and the provincial middle class against London’s bien pensant elites.

Demographically the result pitted the old vs the young, and the educated vs the non-educated. With the older generation voting heavily in favour of leaving, while the younger generation who'll have to deal with this crap voted strongly to stay.

Meanwhile those with higher education (college and above) voted by majority to remain, while those with no further education from school voted most strongly to leave.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/24/eu-referendum-how-the-results-compare-to-the-uks-educated-old-an/

England just not windy enough for wind farms, admits renewables boss

As I see it

the major issue with renewables is the fact that we currently need to switch them off whenever we start making too much energy, and when we can leave them on, they aren't producing enough energy. It's a catch 22 situation.

The solution is, in my opinion, simple, but expensive. Tesla have already launched a home battery system for those with solar panels, any excess energy generated from your panels, rather than being sent back to the grid, is stored away for a rainy day. (quite literally).

There is actually scope to do this also on a local and/or national level. When renewable energy is up the batteries get charged, when it is down the batteries drained. The problem is it's a massive change and a massive investment on what is currently a theoretical concept. We're still a ways from it being fully feasible, the tesla home battery is currently brand spanking new tech, and we're better off waiting a decade or so for battery tech to improve enough to make such a system cost effective.

I do still firmly believe that with advances in technology we could become fully reliant on renewables. But not with our current grid system, and not with the renewable systems currently on the market We would be better off first changing that system (which could also save money by building up our stored energy reserves when fuel prices are low, and relying on the stored reserves as much as possible when prices rise again)

By the time such a system is planned and implemented solar should have had enough time to mature to a point it's worthwhile for the majority and not the minority.

Exercise apps track you after you stop exercising

Re: Simple Answer

To my understanding the reason runkeeper continues to snoop on you is because it keeps its map tracking running. When you connect the GPS works out your location so when you start jogging it can go from where you are. Even when the workout is complete, data is still sent to track your current location for when the run starts because the app is stupid.

Just do what I do, finish your run, turn GPS off.

Wanted man sends selfie to replace 'terrible' police mug shot

Re: Popcorn time

I'm still looking forward to the time we have a GPS tracking chip embedded in the back of our hands, which can double as a contactless payment system.

BOFH: Taking a spin in a decommissioned racer? On your own grill cam be it

Re: Ferris Bueller!

Grammar lesson time.

The pointy bits are the straps, with the top bit of strap hidden by the invisible woman who's carrying its shoulder.

it's is always a contraction of it is, or it has.

its is a possessive pronoun, its as in belonging to, you can normally swap out its for his, her, their and so on.

So in the case of the above sentence its is the correct form to use.

HOWEVER an apostrophe IS used for possessive nouns in other words. For example that is Sharon's book, that's the car's steering wheel.

BOFH: How long does it take to complete Friday's lager-related tasks?

We had the same problem. We were forced into using PSP and TSP.

I had been called into a meeting once because my weekly hours were below 10h work. While there I pointed out that the week I'd been stuck in meetings about meetings about how we're going to be doing work rather than actually working. Apparently that wasn't the right answer.

So next week I skipped all the meetings about work and finished off all my work early, apparently that wasn't the right answer either.

No pleasing some people.

Xamarin releases version 4.0 of its cross-platform mobile developer suite

Agreed

I've looked into Xamarin a few times, and every time I get to the end and think "Yup that'll do me... wait, I have to pay HOW MUCH for VS integration?"

Because really that's the only difference I'm seeing as I won't make use of the other two 'features' for business users. And I'm honestly not willing to spend an extra $699 per year just fo rVS integration.

Can't help but think they'd be better off upping indie to $30 a month and including VS integration, and scrapping business whilst lower enterprise to a more reasonable level.

Reg reader achieves bronze badge, goes directly to jail

Re: I've been around here for ages

You've basically outlined how I've gotten 80% of my upvotes. Well done.

Sadly I've gone quiet for the past few months, not as many articles have piqued my interest as of late, so I'm way below the number of comments requirement now.

Brussels paws Android map apps to see if they displace Euro rivals – report

Why innovate when you can litigate.

Volkswagen: 800,000 of our cars may have cheated in CO2 tests

I can't help but think this is another mass scandel caused in part by the EU.

They start mandating laws that by the year 20xx, all vehicles must have NO emissions below X and CO2 emissions below Y. If you don't get below these values by then, you can't sell your product.

What do you do? There's two choices. The honest thing, which is shut down manufacturing for a few years while R&D catches up. Which means a lot of lost profits and probable bankruptcy, or you fudge the numbers and hope nobody finds out.

Guaranteed bankruptcy vs potential, I know what I'd do.

Halo 5: Overhyped, but still way above your average shooter

Re: Rating

I tend to rate out of 10, but I've never given a game 10/10. To me that would be gaming perfection and frankly I don't think any game reaches that level. The occasional 9 sure, but most games nestle on a 7 for me because they're above average sure, but by no means amazing.

Bill Bailey: The man, the musician, the comic, the troll, the legend

I can't believe it

An entire article on Bill Bailey, and not once did I see a mention of Chris de Burgh.

Saying that I'm going to be seeing him in December (Bill Bailey, not Chris de Burgh). Looking forward to that, also saw him for tinselworm in london, but if my seats were any further back I would have been outside. This time I'm practically front and center.

EE is UK's biggest loser on customer broadband gripes – AGAIN

This honestly doesn't surprise me

Since the day EE got the rights for 4g before everyone else, the store in town has been selling 4g, or at least pushing it on everyone that walks in. Needless to say locally we still have no 4g, heck I'm pretty sure the nearest place with 4g is still about a 40minute drive away.

I'd be willing to bet a fair bunch of complaints are people who were told they could get 4g, are paying for 4g, and are only getting 3g.

The ONE WEIRD TRICK which could END OBESITY

Re: It is not portion size which matters

There's also the issue of flour quality.

The wheat nowadays has been grown for quantity but not quality, there's more kernels of wheat (i think that's the right term) but the mineral profile is far lower. This is in part due to the cross breeding of different strains to optimise the quantity, and also partly due to overfarming depleting the minerals in the soil which the wheat would have historically passed on to us (this is also the reason that cattle have to be supplemented with b-vitamins)

If you want bread which is actually good for you, you have to make it yourself, but even then you can't use normal bread flour because it's still terrible quality. You're better off buying a home grain mill (or making your own) and milling your own flour straight from the grain. This way it's fresher and healthier as you know exactly what's gone in.

http://www.breadexperience.com/home-milling/

But then you still have the issue that a fair bit of the grains mineral makeup are actuallly various minerals that stop the absorption of other minerals, so a lot of the benifits can go straight through you, how to solve this? Sprout the grain first.

http://nourishedkitchen.com/how-to-make-sprouted-grain-flour/

You can buy sprouted grain flour, but considering the process of sprouting the grain and grinding it up, I'd be wary of the freshness.

Also, sprouted grain breads taste... different. Just an FYI

I don't know

For ready meals I'm happy enough for the portions to stay around where they are, most are pretty low cal still and aren't all that filling (Unless you include the hungry joes ready meals)

I would however, like to see more packages of refrigerated things come in smaller portions. I'm a single guy living in a small flat. And yet I can only buy belly pork in packs of 8 when I only want 2 pieces, I can only buy pork chops in packs of 3 or 4. Hell I can only buy a pint of milk at the smallest, when what I want is a load of those 250ml bottles so I can stick them in the freezer (if anyone UK based knows a supermarket that sells those 250ml bottles to the public, please let me know)

And yes I am aware that I could just cook what I need and freeze the rest, but I prefer having fresh meat fresh, rather than frozen thawed, it just isn't the same.

Confession: I was a teenage computer virus writer

Too young for this kind of fun

By the time I started playing on computers we were already on windowx xp, so didn't have a chance to play around with a virus as such.

Although I did managed to attach an auto-run script to a usb stick which popped a batch file into the startup folder which shut down the PC after a certain amount of time passed. It also helped me find out who kept stealing my usb stick.

BOFH: Power corrupts, uninterrupted power corrupts absolutely

Honestly

I'm surprised that, in case of power outage, the doors don't automatically lock, except for the ones between mission control and the nearest fire escape. For security reasons of course. (So they can securely make it out of the building and into the pub without anyone noticing)

Perhaps leave a few other routes open for others to get out, via the door furthest from the mission control route.

Spaniard trousers €60,000 bank error, proceeds directly to jail

So just to confirm.

If the bank accidently transfers £60,000 into my current account, and I transfer said money to pay off my mortgage. When the bank subsequently asks for that money back. I would effectively be up a tree without a paddle.

I wonder if there's a statute of limitations on this kind of thing, if it's in your account for 12 months unnoticed, you get to keep it :P

BOFH: Why, I LOVE work courses. Please tell me more, o wise one!

Re: Been there, done that

Personally I'd go with captain janeway. First of all, when blasted to the delta quadrant with no way home, she not only kept her crew together, she managed to unite two opposing factions who effectively wanted each other dead.

Then under her command they continued to make their way home as best they could, while taking on the freakin' borg. The borg who were able to eliminate several of starfleets most advanced ships with a single cube, and during their travels, janeway was able to take out numerous borg cubes and spheres using her single intrepid class ship.

Even better? Not only against odds does she take out a random cube here or there, but with a little help from the inside she WIPES OUT THE BORG!

The single most dangerous enemy to date, and janeway wipes them off the face of the universe. One leader, one starship, vs a collective of millions of minds, with thousands of ships each of which was more deadly than the voyager. And she wiped them out.

If anyone were an inspiring leader, it's her.

New study into lack of women in Tech: It's not the men's fault

Simpsons did it

I remember watching an episode of the simpsons a while back where lisa was annoyed that girls weren't being taught maths at the same level as the boys were, so she disguised herself as a boy and snuck into barts math class.

I know it's not entirely relavent to this, but it kind've is.

Driverless cars banished to fake Michigan 'town' until they learn to read

Re: Fantastic projets

And they're off. Except the Robin Reliant which has reliably fallen on to its side.

Horrifying MOCK BACON ABOMINATION grown in BUBBLING VATS as ALGAE

Re: Snake

No don't eat snake! Seriously, the amount of mice you need to feed to a snake before it reaches a suitable size for eating, you might as well eat the mice.

I'm honestly surprised that hasn't become an option tbh, the rate at which the breed, and the cheapness of their care and feed you could probably feed a fair chunk of the population. Although now all I can think of is the rat burger from Demolition Man.

Then again there's also the university people who were working on cricket burgers, originally the started with mealworms, but realised the chitin to protein ratio was terrible (any herp / rep keeper could have told them that without wasting months of time)

Then again, the smell that crickets give off would probably put me off eating them a bit.

Butcher local to me sells real bacon, with the rind still intact. In my foolhardry state of mind I decided to grill it as I would normal bacon.

I was suddenly aware that this was a mistake with the loud cracking noise like an overloaded extension cable, followed by a billow of smoke also like an overloaded extension cable.

Yes, in my time of madness, I forgot that the rind cooks very quickly and very crispy. Fortunately I was able to save the bacon before it reached american levels of cooked. But I also learnt to be more careful when cooking real bacon as opposed to the rindless, water filled wastes the supermarkets tell you is bacon.

Hacked Hacking Team team – like everyone in security – read The Register

Pride comes before a fall

(should have also been scars last words to mufassa)

Oi, idiot fanbois. DON'T buy this gun-shaped iPhone case, mmkay?

Re: Probably not the best idea to buy one...

"I fired my iGun and it blew up in my hand, taking my hand with it. Turns out the problem was the third party bullets I'd used."

World+dog will soon watch 'at least 200 pr0n vids a year'

200 a year on average?

That'd be stepping it back a notch for me. Or are they not counting the rewatching of a personal fave.

If I get hit by a bus, Linux will go on just fine says Linus Torvalds

I see you're getting hit by a bus would you like help with that?

no...

I see you're getting run over would you like help with that?

no...

I see there's a tire going over your body would you like help with that?

no...

I see you're struggling to breath, would you like an ambulance

no... no wait I meant yes, YES! COME BACK CLIPPY YOU BASTARD!!!

El Reg uncages its truly demonic BOFH t-shirt

When I said I wanted a BOFH update today, this is not what I meant.

But still nice to see.

Google adds evil-code scanning to Play Store

Re: Apple's process isn't fully automated

I highly doubt apple test every app manually, what probably happens is a slew of automated tests, if any major "This is dodge" flags crop up, the app gets binned, but if they don't get any majors, but do get one or two "This could be dodge" flags, I imagine then it goes to manual testing.

I say this simply because it's to expensive for them to manually test everything.

HOLY SEA SNAILS! Their TEETH are strong enough to build a plane

Goethite?

Isn't that a pokémon?

W3C turns BROWSERS into VIBRATORS

Re: I'll give it about 2 weeks...

Sadly it's not. It's already made it in on some mobile browsers. I got extremely confused when my phone beeped and vibrated upon visiting a website, with no notification / anything in sight. Did some research into it (at the time it was only a beta feature, and i've only had it happen to my phone on adverts)

Frankly I think it's daft, and I hope they enable a way to disable it because it was annoying as helll.

Car? Check. Driver? Nope. OK, let's go, says British govt

Re: rule 163

I'd be happy if the things just used their indicators correctly.

I don't know what I hate more, people who don't use the things at all, or those people who turn on their indicator as they're going around the corner.