Posts by Wolfclaw

Apply here to win a Microsoft Ugly Sweater. It's uglier than ever

I want it as I have no life or style and had Bill Gates poster on my bedroom wall and this will go with my Novell Netware bed T-Shirt that has as many holes it did.

Tuxedo Computers slams lid on Arm Linux laptop after 18 months of pain

Said once, say it again, too many distro's and not enough resources to develop them, time for some to swallow pride and come together for the killer Linux distro to rule them all, then fork your own flavour.

Google nukes 3,000 YouTube videos that sowed malware disguised as cracked software

Now to delete all the scam adverts, ah thats right, thats your profits from a corrupt scum company !

Japan tells OpenAI to stop spiriting away its copyrighted anime

Japan should just sue the AI companies in a Japanese court for billions and put them out of business, until they pay fair for copyright.

Former UK prime minister Sunak becomes human Clippy for Microsoft, Anthropic

All those contracts to Microsoft now paying back dividends to Sunak, just another corrupt politician !

Windows 95 was too fat to install itself so needed help from the slimmer 3.1

Re: Nothing ever changes

Biggest thing holding back Linux is standardisation, Windows became no.1 because it was one gui across all versions with tweaks, but it was still Windows good or bad.

Linux everybody wants their own thing, there are more remixes of Linux than Depeche Mode Enjoy The Silence on YT.

Charities warn Ofcom too soft on Online Safety Act violators

ASA are useless and just another paid for quango that actively protects its members.

Whitehall lobs £40M at 'critical' phase of police DB reboot

Remember back in 50/60s when many a industry was in trouble and forced mergers to create our mega corps with all the know how under one roof, maybe we need to do this again, yes some worked and held there own against the USA and Japanese companies, others failed, but learn from history.

EU regulators let Microsoft off the hook after Teams unbundling pledge

Microsoft laughing, as they has already won years back, as Teams now imbedded in to business infrastructures that it would be a lot of hassle to remove. More wasted EU money from the competition clowns, anybody check for brown stuffed envelopes or if they are suddenly get jobs with Microsoft in the next couple of years?

US cuffs 475 at Hyundai–LG battery plant – feds tout largest single-site raid

Got a valid visa, nothing to worry about but a day or two of inconvenience. I wish UK Immigration and Border Force was this aggressive !!

Apple iOS 26 set to dump 75M iPhones on the e-waste pile

Make Apple/Google/Samsung and the rest pay an e-waster tax for every phone not used in a traceable trade sale, to stop them fiddling the numbers.

How Windows 11 is breaking from its bedrock and moving away

The big migration from Microsoft will happen, just when. With the drive for privacy, sovereign data storage, secure non-Windows and removing dependency on USA behaving itself, costs and many other local reasons. How Microsoft react will be interesting.

Every question you ask, every comment you make, I'll be recording you

So if OpenAI is being forced to store data on non-US citizens, does that not invalidate EU Safe Harbour? and according to ChatGPT the answer is Yes,

EU Safe Harbor and Its Replacement (Privacy Shield):

The EU-US Safe Harbor Framework was initially a mechanism for ensuring that data could flow between the European Union and the United States while still complying with EU data protection standards.

The Safe Harbor framework was invalidated by the European Court of Justice in 2015, largely because it did not adequately protect EU citizens' privacy rights, especially with respect to U.S. government surveillance practices.

Following that, the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield was introduced as a replacement, which aimed to address those concerns by providing stronger protections for EU citizens' data. However, in 2020, the European Court of Justice again invalidated the Privacy Shield, citing concerns over U.S. surveillance laws and insufficient protections for EU data subjects.

The Current Situation:

The primary legal mechanism for data transfers between the EU and the U.S. is now based on Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), which are used to ensure that personal data is adequately protected when transferred outside of the EU.

However, SCCs still face scrutiny, particularly in light of the Court of Justice ruling that certain aspects of U.S. law (like government surveillance) could make such transfers non-compliant with EU law.

OpenAI and Non-U.S. Citizens' Data:

If OpenAI is indeed storing data in ways that involve non-U.S. citizens, there are key considerations:

Where the data is stored: If data about EU citizens is stored on servers outside of the EU, including in the U.S., the transfer and storage need to comply with EU data protection laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Access by U.S. entities: If OpenAI or other U.S.-based entities can access this data, there might be concerns over the extraterritorial application of U.S. surveillance laws (such as the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act), which could invalidate EU-based protections, even if data is stored on non-U.S. servers.

So, if OpenAI (or any U.S.-based company) is storing data on non-U.S. citizens and that data is subject to access by U.S. authorities, this could undermine the protections intended by the Safe Harbor or Privacy Shield frameworks, and likely complicates compliance with the EU’s data protection laws.

Ultimately, the legal landscape around data transfers is in flux, and companies are actively working to ensure compliance through measures like SCCs, but as the rulings show, the legality of such data flows may continue to be challenged.

Ebuyer website bought by Fraser Group plc

the "Ebuyer" name is what is most valuable for an online seller of various categories.

The year of the European Union Linux desktop may finally arrive

It's not just Microsoft, Alphabet, Meta, Apple that we want shield our data from, but all the other big players too from gaming, Sony, Valve etc should be held in region, yes they can still access the data for analytics but it stays in region and should disappear to USA, SKorea, Japan etc. Business have to now accept the wild west of data handling is over and people have and regulators have woken up and dare they try anything funny line auto-optin, yes looking at you Meta scum !

Microsoft cuts the Windows 11 bloat for Xbox handhelds

What you are talking about was the Windows Mobile interface, that could have been the future but like most thing Microsoft screwed it up, a sit it had to many chiefs deciding on what direction it should take and not enough input from the clever designers and engineers.

Data watchdog put cops on naughty step for lost CCTV footage

Very handy GMP loses the exact footage the FOI wanted, seems they do this a lot or the cameras got broken or failed to download the video or never switched on and we all know it is to protect the UK Gestapo breaking the law or our rights !

£136M government grant saves troubled Post Office from suboptimal IT

Post Office should be sold off and counter services run by private companies, with SLA targets and severe penalties !

EU gives staff 'burner phones, laptops' for US visits

Here's a thought to make you have suicidal thoughts, next election ... POTUS Musk and his attack dog VPOTUS JDV !

I hear Trump plans to finance a remake ... Escape from Megaland, starring Snake Putin.

Microsoft total recalls Recall totally to Copilot+ PCs

Looking forward to the first law suit when Recall can be seen to have been opted-out and yet spied on it's user and leaked data, hopefully in the EU and Microsoft get slapped with 4% fine.

Windows 2000 Server named peak Microsoft. Readers say it's all been downhill since Clippy

Image a world, were Windows didn't evolve in a Toys-R-Us interface of mishmash coloured graphics and animations, but a desktop interface that remained at it's core based on Windows 2000 but with todays machines capabilities and yes even Linux is bloating a bit with the GUI's eating resources.

On the issue of AI copyright, Blair Institute favors tech bros over Cool Britannia

That parasite liar Blair back, he's just like a cockroach and will not die for the benefit of humanity. If AI gets the right to access anything it likes for it's education, then send me a download link to all books on Megacorps software, as I want to learn too, but don't want to pay !

EU: These are scary times – let's backdoor encryption!

EU wants lawful and effective access to data for law enforcement ... we have that, it's called a court order and not some blanket privacy invasion by unelected and unaccountable dictatorship, did they not take note of UK attempts and how Apple just stuck up 2 fingers and crippled security slightly for UK owners !

RISC OS Open plots great escape from 32-bit purgatory

All our current OS's should be x64 only, drop 16/32 support, remove the bloat and a lot of very dodgy patched code.

If Microsoft had nay sense, they would would support x32/x64 only with Windows 11 branch until end of life and target Windows 12 as x64, I bet we may even see a speed boost ?

UK's first permanent facial recognition cameras installed in South London

Recognition tech only works if they can see your face or if the clothing worn is know to an offender, most sensible criminals cover their faces so as not to be recognise, as in Police riot and snatch teams, who never wear identifying numbers, just us innocent members of the public who will be wrong tagged and heaven help the ethnics, as we know the accuracy sucks for them with racist profiling !

It's the Police, you know they will abuse them, like they abuse all new tech until prosecuted and even the laws are broken daily, because of the "above the law attitude" of most coppers, plain ignorance of of the law or the worst of the lot, making up their own laws and then charging you with a fictitious charge once in custody!

ReactOS emits release 0.4.15 – its first since 2021

"IF" Microsoft sue they will probably have just cause, especially having access to the full source code, but if they are wrong, will have left themselves open for a massive compensation claim, hence the vigorous code validation.

Palantir suggests 'common operating system' for UK govt data

So UK and EU both come up with the same idea and as usual both look at different directions, when it would be I don't common sense (yes I know we are talking politicians and unelected unaccountable bureaucrats) to work together and speed up development, cut costs and inter agency connectivity ?

Microsoft ducks politico questions on Copilot bundling and lack of consent

Shame Lotus SmartSuite was never gifted to open source by IBM when it stopped being competitive and let the community drive it's development :(

No big changes to UK broadband regs, despite no real competition for BT

Some suggestions for OFCOM.

1. No charges for changing packages for customers in or out of contract.

2. If out of contract, existing customers must be offered same deals as new customers.

3. No signup or connection charges.

4. Failing to meet customer care levels, £10m fine per percentage point missed.

5. Old copper cabling/coax to be phased out by 2030, including in home cabling.

Oops, they did it again: Microsoft breaks Outlook with another dubious update

QA costs money and on a balance sheet has no practical value, as Microsoft and many others have switched to let the users do the testing, not like they will get any financial penalties?

Stuff a Pi-hole in your router because your browser is about to betray you

Minipc as router running Opnsense + Unbound + Adblock = no adverts or calling home

Trump tariffs forcing rethink of PC purchases stateside

Will somebody not think of Microsoft and the OEMs profit margins and corporate bonuses, if nobody is refreshing estates. I wouldn't be surprised if Microsoft abandons PC requirements to boost Windows 11 licence sales to corporates at the expense of new OEM PC sales. You are only a Microsoft partner, so long as they don't have revenue shrink and will abandon you the first chance they get!

Under Trump 2.0, Europe's dependence on US clouds back under the spotlight

Simple solution, if the Megacorps want our business, they open datacenters in the appropriate regulatory zone and no data gets shared back to US based companies, not the data or the reports based on that data, until the USA becomes a respectable data citizen obeying everybody's laws and that won't happen under Trump or the 3 letter agencies ! As for governments using US clouds, that is just plain stupid and asking for abuse !

Ad-supported Microsoft Office bobs to the surface

Microsoft is like your street corner pimp, just say no to their crack !

The software UK techies need to protect themselves now Apple's ADP won’t

One more step towards UK Gestapo and a fascist state, although many believe the UK Police have reached the level.

uBlock Origin dead for many as Google purges Manifest v2 extensions

When I switched to using an old PC as my router running OPNsense, installed the Adguard plugin and some extra firewall rules, watch all my worries get blocked before it hit my internal network. Some consumer routers allow 3rd party plugins to do this too, if your an Asus user, checkout https://www.snbforums.com/forums/asuswrt-merlin.42/ and https://www.snbforums.com/threads/asuswrt-merlin-addon-software-catalog.82059/

New boss for Roscosmos as Yury Borisov binned

Well, he hasn't had to leave the building via a 6th floor window, which is what normally happens to people who upset Putin.

US accuses Canadian math prodigy of $65M crypto scheme

1. Unauthorized damage to a protected computer - No, he used their own broken code to beat the system, no physical damage to the system can be proven, no different to somebody beating the odds at gambling

2. Wire fraud - Yes

3. Attempted Hobbs Act extortion

4. Money laundering charges

He's going down though, when they catch him, although a few millions Dollars, you can live well in a country with no USA extradition treaty.

Brit competition watchdog takes aim at Google, Apple's mobile ecosystems

Starmer will soon be getting a nice visit from Google/Apple asking him to dial back the inquiry in the name of business and few pieces of silver donated to the party to sell out.

Google and Linux Foundation form Chromium love club

Google just had over Chromium to open source and let us have the browser we want, quick, bloat free, spy free, plugins free and Google/Microsoft etc concentrate on their other businesses.

Haiku Beta 5 / In tests it's (Fire)foxier / It pleases us well

Wonder when it gets a v1, if it is as simple and quick as they say, porting something like Proxmox/OPNsense or even as a router OS?

Wubuntu: The lovechild of Windows and Linux nobody asked for

and too make it even more Windows like, to have the full capabilities, you have to donate for a licence, yep almost a Windows clone !!

Microsoft hijacks keyboard shortcut to bring Copilot to your attention

Somebody with enough dosh, needs to take all these Windows 11 restrictions, requirements and unwanted changes to a court and see if what happens if legally challenged.

SOHO, the two-year mission that forgot to retire, finally faces sunset

Don't make them like they used too, another round of beers on me for the designers and builders.

Microsoft says premature patch could make Windows Recall forget how to work

Another botched patch, business shrugs its shoulders, sighs and the world continues as Microsoft knows, businesses have too much invested in any other platform for them to be concerned.

D-Link tells users to trash old VPN routers over bug too dangerous to identify

The product isn't what is dangerous, but the badly written code and firmware from these companies, who do the bare minimum for consumer products.

'Consent' LinkedIn used for data processing was not freely given, says Ireland

Why hasn't the Irish DPC told Microsoft to delete all data collected since it wasn't compliant and make them ask each member again, maybe a they have €310m reasons to be happy, brown envelopes stuffed with pay rises all round with a postal address of Redmond, Washington, USA?

Big browsers are about to throw a wrench in your ad-free paradise

Re: YMMV

Opensense with Adblock does everything but YT ads and something I have to live with, as I only watch YT in private mode anyway to try and keep as private as possible.