Posts by tuxtester

Emergency spacewalk as ISS takes a leak

Steve Balmer, little finger on corner of mouth ...

He he he ...

Penguins in spa-a-a-ce! ISS dumps Windows for Linux on laptops

The real story ...

After Microsoft successfully test-fires a new orbital projectile weapon that hits the ISS, causing a critical coolant leak on the space station, a spokeswoman for MS says this was: ' ... an accident which coincidentally coincides with ISS ditching Windows for that other un-American, commy operating system.'

Microsoft latest to 'fess up to Java-based Mac attack

Re: Mac perv's visit porn and gambling sites at work, this is why they are getting 'attacked'.

iPervs

Mac perv's visit porn and gambling sites at work, this is why they are getting 'attacked'.

Mac perv's visit porn and gambling sites at work, this is why they are getting 'attacked'.

This is not going to be a problem when connecting to your bank’s web site because your bank has no interest in infiltrating your computer or your company’s computer network.

The fact is, visiting gambling and porn web sites has ALWAYS been a risky practice. Malicious software reside on these types of web sites for this simple reason: it is expected that the victim would not want anyone to know they've been there and so never tell the authorities or more importantly, the sys-admin, about any infiltration or theft of data as a result of visiting these web sites.

Solution:

a. Don't employ Mac pervs.

2. Limit Internet access to Mac pervs, to sites that are pertinent to their work and if non are, don't give them Internet access at their desk.

iii. Isolate Internet access to an in-house Cyber Cafe. Mac perv's can browse their tiny-brains out during their lunch hour, on a separate network that is separate from the company Intranet.

Curiosity photographs mysterious metal object on Martian rock

Re: We should ignore it ---- Why?

If it's a door handle, then there should be some other pieces of evidence to back that theory up:

- a door bell

- knockers (ooer)

- a letter box

- a door mat

- a hanging plant

- discarded milk bottles

Google's Glasses: The tech with specs appeal?

Re: Do we *need* to be this connected?

I reckon this stuff will be pretty useless until Google figure out a way of ensuring Internet connectivity if FREELY available to us all, anywhere and everywhere.

If you think freely-available Internet connectivity is a stupid idea then I have another one for you, I'm going to call it Global Positioning.

Zuck on it, Google: 'Public' Facebook events are dead to you

Re: Christ-on-a-Bike!

He had a bike? !!

Blimey, you could make a fortune if you ever found that ... Christ's bike I mean. Probably a chopper I reckon.

I join every social network I can find and you know what? I now have 30,000 friends!! I used to be called Billy-no-mates ... not-no more !!

I'm now Billy-loads-a-mates.

Star Trek saviour JJ Abrams joins the dark side: Star Wars VII

I thought Star Trek (2009) was terrific.

Mr JJ, could you accidentally-on-purpose add a reference to the Borg, to a (girly) Jedi's script, that would be awesome.

P.S. I thought Star Trek (2009) was terrific and have watched it many times.

Mr JJ does read the reg's coments, right?

P.P.S. Spok or Sulu would wipe the floor with any (girl) Jedi and Kirk would lay Solo out in the first round!

Dead Steve Jobs' patent war threat to Palm over 'no-hire pact'

Didn't Jobs do everything.

The way Mr Jobs's legend has evolved over the past few years, you'd think he wouldn't have needed any other employees.

Google's JavaScript assassin: Web languages are harder than VMs

Forget the desktop, Android is the major influence.

Google have the power to make Dart an important web technology just by implementing it in Android.

The desktop computer is circling the drain. HTML 5 apps on mobile devices will become more important, especially with the release of Mozilla OS.

If Android integrates a Dart VM then I reckon Mozilla will have to offer it on their mobile OS.

Re: Dart -- Great in theory, but doomed to fail?

I'm a Java and Android developer but I want to get into HTML 5 development because Mozilla OS for mobiles sounds really interesting. However JavaScript is chaotic compared to Java.

With Dart, the idea of writing a single program in an object-oriented language that is referenced by a web page, just sounds really appealing.

And the learning curve, with regards to the syntax seems straight forward.

I reckon there are a lot of Java and C++ programmers out there who feel the same.

P.S.

There's the likelihood that Dart will be supported by Android and suddenly 75%+ mobile devices around the world are compatible with it.

Re: Catch 22

With JavaScript I reckon there are two concepts the programmer has to understand:

- The various Document Object Models.

- JavaScript syntax.

Plus the fact you can insert JavaScript (seemingly) anywhere on a web page.

I would like a bunch of getters and setters for DOM elements and Dart offers this.

McDonalds burger app gives it to you straight from the horse's mouth

How would you like your burger sir?

Gangnam style ... giddy-up, giddy-up, giddy-up ...

VIA bakes a fruitier Rock cake to rival the Brit Raspberry Pi

Why not buy an Android tablet?

With an android tab you will get all the cables and power supplies you need and of course a screen.

All the programming tools are free, eclipse and the SDK.

I reckon I'm missing the point with these motherboards. Why would programming for an android motherboard be better than programming a tablet? At least you can take the tablet with you and demo your programs to granny or whoever sits next to you on the bus :-)

Obama calls for study into games ‘n’ guns link

Re: Nobody mention the elephant in the room OK?

You put one gun in the wrong person's hand and tens of people die.

Right or wrong?

I moved to Brookline, Boston US in 1994. That year someone wandered into multiple Clinics in BROOKLINE and shot people.

America = perpetual LOCAL gun violence.

Guns give people a sense of complete equality, a gun equalises; no matter what the size of your opposition, a gun will stop and drop them for good.

It seems Americans just can not imagine life without the absolute power to utterly-destroy their opposition even when their opposition is a teacher or a road-rage opponent.

Bang! done ... that's video game logic right there.

Play a violent video game and then become a killer. How?

That's Al Gore thinking. I.e. Sky is blue, your car is blue, therefore your car is made of sky.

But give someone a gun and EVERYTHING is a target.

Wanna play with firearms then join the Territorials/Reserves or the full time military. Sign up for a couple of years and you will not only get training with firearms but you will also get paid to use them.

Latest Java patch is not enough, warns US gov: Axe plugins NOW

Re: What I want to know is

Same here. It's bizarre.

I bet if you wander the US Gov's halls, you'll find PC after PC running Microsoft Windows and IE !! The most insecure operating system and browser in existence,

A quick Google search for: security hole .net

returns a few results too.

Re: If you're still unlucky enough to be a java programmer...

Moved to Android (Google's version of Java) development two years ago. It has been a real interesting learning curve. If you think you know Java, try Android development.

Java is a beautiful programming language and not a superset of anything like C++.

Oracle JVM can be substituted with OpenJDK. It works fine for development. Netbeans has no trouble with it and OpenJDK does not suffer from said security problem.

Re: I could get rid of Java ...

The problem applies to a program specifically coded using tool kits (java packages) which have been designed to take advantage of the security holes in Oracle's JVM called Java 7.

Running a desktop application such as Minecraft is not a problem.

OpenJDK is an excellent alternative to Oracle's JVM and is standard on Linux.

OpenJDK is still version 6 build 20-ish (IcedTea6) and so won't suffer from this particular security problem.

Yet the US Gov have used the term Java to imply there's just a single JVM.

Java is the language not a particular runtime. There are many different Java Virtual Machines. Most mobile telephones have one but NOT an Oracle JVM. None of these security problems can exist, by any means, on these devices. The JVM simply isn't the same or used in mobile device browsers.

Java isn't the problem, Java is a programming language. The security problem lays squarely at the door of one implementation of the JVM: Oracle's.

Uninstall Oracle's Java 7 software and replace it with OpenJDK.

Apple 'slashes iPhone 5 screen orders', tight-fisted fanbois blamed

What comes to mind when you hear the word Apple?

RIM, Nokia, Microsoft, drain, circling.

An Apple Big Cheese made a Steve-Ballmer-Windows-8 type comment recently:

We only have n% market share but WE have nn% of the profit.

What the blinking heck does that mean?

Ten stars of CES 2013: Who made the biggest splash?

Usual Reg blah blah pay-me-by-the-word-fluff.

For starters:

"The TV industry is still waiting nervously to see whether the Cupertino company will indeed have spotted something they missed and shake up the telly business as it did with the phone industry."

Oh come on. Reg is under the impression there wasn't a vibrant mobile telephone industry before 'the Cupertino company' designed one; pretty though it is (WAS [like the iMac's and clamshell-laptop's industry shaking designs]).

Suggestion:

Instead of the usual Reg-blah-blah-pay-me-by-the-word-bs make the article informative and so useful.

A bullet point list of last years' innovations, things that were believed to be contenders for this year's industry shaking stuff. I.e.

* 3D television :: thisCompany, thatCompany, anotherCompany, etc

* Thin laptops :: andThisCom, aUkCom, aKoreanCom

* Tablets :: Google, Samsung, aChineseCom, MicroWhatsItCom

Discussion of what never shook the industry and lots of pay-me-by-the-word stuff.

A bullet point list of this years' hopeful next year's industry shakers.

* Toilet proof mobile telephones :: Sony

* More televisions :: themCom, thoseCome, koreaCom

* Wearables :: Google, Samsung, aChineseCom

* More tablets :: blah, blah

* Even some under the hood Linux stuff :: Valve, nVidia, OUYA, Google, Samsung, HTC, Sony ...

Discussion and more pay-me-by-the-word stuff.

Reg, another suggestion: 2013 = Information-quality not quantity.

Ubuntu for smartphones aims to replace today's mobes, laptops

How long will it take for 'Ubuntu for Mobile' to be considered a slick alternative to Android?

How long will it take for 'Ubuntu for Mobile' to be considered a slick alternative to Android?

Years.

It wasn't until version 2.3 of Android that it became a half-decent user experience, which was about 4 years after Google-Android's first appearance on mobile devices.

Mobile technology will change considerably in the next 4 years, by which time Ubuntu may have the right-stuff to be a contender but not in the immediate future.

Regarding the docking of mobile devices: The problem will be theft of device and data and 'Oh **** !! I left my device docked in that cyber cafe'.

Most people wont do it for these two simple reasons.

Docking your computer on a public docking station is an invitation to skimmers. Skimmers will put bogus docking stations in place that will copy all of a mobile device's data and (worse) copy keyboard input.

Up your wormhole: Star Trek Deep Space 9 turns 20

As a television series, it does not get any better.

My benchmark is SG1 series 4; television series don't get any better than that.

DS9 series 5 and 6 are up there. The final series (7) however had that feel of: Just make it up as you go along, who cares.

US military nails 'best ever' Microsoft deal, brags size does matter

Re: Indeed!

> ... there are some dicks in this place.

Yep, you're not wrong there, Coward.

Re: I'm Sure The Chinese Are Rejoicing

Yes, why would a department of defence announce to the world that they are using a spyware and computer-virus prone operating system on their computers. What a bunch of plonkers.

Microsoft says Google trying to undermine Windows Phone

Microsoft should take the first step

If Microsoft want Google to spend time and money building a product for Microsoft's own competing operating system, then perhaps Microsoft should take the first step and create a version of their software for Android or ChromeOS. I.e IE, Office ... erm ... does Microsoft have anything else?

Why would Google spend time and money on an application that is going to be used by very few Microsoft mobile device users.

If Microsoft want more people to use their mobile devices, they should cover them in cheese, the yanks will lap them up!

Microsoft licence cops kick in TWICE as many customers' doors as rivals

Re: Roll on year end

Which scanner was it that didn't work?

This might be of use:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/SANE%20-%20Installing%20a%20scanner%20that%20isn%27t%20auto-detected

HP scanners have worked well for me on ubuntu.

And who does MS share their findings with?

because if you cough up to Microsoft then it is likely you will need to cough up to (for example) anti virus software companies, who now have proof (because Microsoft gave it to them) that your company has been expanding without buying licenses for software.

You know what? You were a mug to use Microsoft software in the first place. Deal with it.

I guarantee you that those very-same mugs will numbly hand over cash and buy Windows 8 licenses.

Re: Install Linux and let 'em come

So outlook + vbScript are getting data from a database and recreating a spread sheet when the user opens the e-mail ... that don't sound likely because unless the recipient opens the e-mail immediately, the data in the spread sheet could be out of date.

Better solution would be to have a web page that gets and displays the data when the page is refreshed (auto or manual). No need to wait for someone to send an e-mail, you can check the data at any time.

Parliament: Snoop Charter plan 'too sweeping', 'misleading', 'suspicious'

I'd like to opt in please

I would like to opportunity to opt-into any UK government system that wants to monitor UK citizens' activity please.

After all if the register.co.uk can do it when I visit their web pages then why can't the government of my country?

And then there's the fun-confusion aspect: ... you want to opt ... in?

Yes please. I want you to monitor me coz my life is so utterly boring that if you watch me, it will make me feel important !! Other's rarely show any interest in me normally but if you monitor me then my self-esteem would be lifted no end !! It all sounds quite exciting actually. You could have a van or two outside my house and wear headphones and have those wirly tape recorders, the ones with the big wheels.

So yes if you could just let us know where we signup please, that would be excellent. See you soon ... but ... not before you see me (if you're any good at your job that is).

Bash Street bytes: Do UK schools really need the Raspberry Pi?

Re: Lack of imagination and costing skills

Is there a published, concrete cost, for someone to purchase the RPi if they have no computer equipment, cables and power supplies already?

I attempted to get this information from the RPi forum when they first started shipping because their web site quoted US dollars, which was all a bit suspicious really. Why not quote in pounds since they were hyping the thing as a UK gadget. Alas, I was accused of being a troll :-) I just wanted a price as a UK customer but they were immediately defensive ... JUST TELL ME HOW MUCH IT'S GOING TO COST ... blimey!

Then, take into account the fragility of the thing and the alternative becomes much more rational.

Cheap laptop. No additional monitor, keyboard, mouse or nest-of-cables required. Get one without an OS and you pay about £250. (ebuyer [not ebay], amazon [even ebay], argos) Install Linux and suddenly people have all the programming tools they could ever need for free, including all the stuff referenced in the article. Oh and it's useful for other computer relating things too.

After a week, when the RPi crumbles, gets sat on and/or chewed by the pet, you will prolly never buy another one and look at all the other stuff you had to buy to make it work, is now junk. Whereas a laptop will fill your life with light and absorb all negative emotions and ensure the favour of the Gods.

Stallman: Ubuntu spyware makes it JUST AS BAD as Windows

Oh, we can turn it off in Ubuntu's privacy settings. Thanks, done.

* tuxtester taps a glass with a spoon until the cacophonous rabble become sorta-silent *

To those who think this is just another small step towards the fictitious worlds of 'V for Vendetta' or 1984 or the real worlds of old East Germany ... shut-the-feck-up!!

Amazon and Canonical are not governments. There isn't a Nazi or Communist nutta running either of these organisations and if you know anything about the way data is compiled it's actually worthless, it's fuzzy. It can be perceived in multiple ways, depending on our point of view.

Data is always gathered within a context and so the information we manufacture from it will always be tuned to a particular context or agenda and if any of the data falls outside the context/agenda then it is called 'noise' and is disregarded.

With enough data points, we can manufacture connections between any number of events that would otherwise be considered unrelated.

Data about the living and other things that change, becomes worthless UNLESS it is constantly updated but that is a full time job. Unless we are the focal point of surveillance then the data that others have about us will become useless over a relatively short period of time.

We will never gather enough data, we will always want more like chasing the end of a rainbow, believing if we just get that extra little bit then we will know the truth or then we will be able to control ... something or someone.

It's a fool's gold because the data is not the end product; we MANUFACTURE information based on the data and if the data does not quite 'prove' what we hoped then we tune it slightly, probably unconsciously, especially if there is a few quid riding on the result.

And by viewing this web page you are allowing theregister.co.uk to monitor your activity. They read and write stuff to your hard drive as soon as you view their web pages. Ooooo