Posts by Trigun

I'm diabetic. I'd rather risk my shared health data being stolen than a double amputation

In my book it should be informed, not presumed, consent. The latter can lead to people not being made aware of what is being done. Look at how this whole thing has been handled thus far: Quietly, almost like no one wanted people to know about it and so thus get consent through lack of public awareness. Not saying that was definitely the intent, but could have been the result (and might still be).

Re: If the incentives are wrong, you need to change them

Hmm maybe, but it's only true if you try and nationalise absolutely everything. There are benefits to privisation for some sectors, but not others. Health systems are one of the sectors I would put in the latter camp. I wouldn't want us going to the U.S. model of health system, mostly because of the lower paid or jobless in society along with the sometimes collosal conflict of interest their medical companies have when it comes selling drugs like they are cars. Example: opioid epidemic.

Windows what? PC makers have bigger things on their minds

Agreed about 98SE. Windows 7 was also a major improvement and was quite welcome. The main issues are that 1) you never know if they are going to produce a lemon, 2) driver/software compatibility.

What makes me worried about windows 11 in particular is the TPM requirement. Besides the fact that many people may have to update their h/w to install windows 11, I think they are trying to push something to make software specific to motherboard even more so than they have previously. That's not great windows-wise as a concept and one can arguement we're already their anyway with the OS, but this could be used by many other companies to do the same.

At which point 1 faulty motherboard could wipe out half your software library and so push people to buy software as a service, a model I abhor.

I could be wrong, but my trust in companies has worsened more and more over the years. But that might just be my inbuilt cynicism...

Microsoft's problem child, Windows 11, is here. Will you run it? Can you run it? Do you even WANT to run it?

Although my new kit will support windows 11, I'll be holding off on upgrading until they sort the GPU side of things. If I need to refer to windows 11 I've got it on my laptop.

UK promises big data law shake-up... while also keeping the EU happy, of course. What could go wrong?

Re: Seems to be a recurring theme here ...

Well that goes for both sides.

Firefox 91 introduces cookie clearing, clutter-free printing, Microsoft single sign-on... so where are all the users?

Firefox is my go-to privately and I always recommend it to friends & family, but on a business & educational level it's Chrome all the way. It's understandable as so many suckle at the teet of google cloud service these days, so control is made much easier.

One thing which would probably increae use in the business side of things is decent admx templates. Last time I looked (admittedly a while go), it wasn't the best on this front. Decent MSI/deplyment and configuration would be good.

Google staff who work from home might see pay cut under corporate policy – reports

I could understand this if the business concerned had profit issues, but this is google and has record profits. Doing this seems like a cretinous move, for sure.

The only other reason for this might be because of interaction issues caused by working from home/office split. Even so, still a rubbish way of dealing with the problem.

Apple responds to critics of CSAM scan plan with FAQs, says it'd block governments subverting its system

Re: So….

Many (but certainly not all) people who use apple devices tend to do so because they don't have to worry about the nitty-gritty of going through the settings. So they won't know about, and won't look for, the 'off' switch for iCloud.

Thin end of the wedge

What's on my device is my business and private unless the police have "reasonable suspicion" and get a search warrant. This action by Apple, although possibly well intentioned, is the thin end of the wedge. No one has a problem with CSAM being detected, but the scanning *must* be on the cloud end *only*. Also, as others have pointed out, this can easily be extended to non-CSAM images & videos. Maybe audio? Looking at you, Amazon.

Privacy is not dead, but it soon will be if this kind of thing is allowed to come to "fruit"ion. I fear what Microsoft and Google will try to crowbar into their operation systems and on-system services once an example is set.

Woman sues McDonald's for $14 after cheeseburger ad did exactly what it's designed to

If she was tempted and failed and she has a problem with that then she really should be judging herself (if she really wants to judge anyone). It seems like she's trying to make McDonalds pay for her weakness. Don't get me wrong: She probably has about 1000% more willpower than me, but the point is that the blame is not with McDonalds.

Happy 60th, Sinclair Radionics: We'll remember you for your revolutionary calculators and crap watches

Re: Sinclair Cambridge

Got one myself: I think it's a type 3 as it's got the two C CE and K buttons at the top and the PCB traces inside the battery cover compartment look like those on a type 3.

Is this where I find out it's worth a small fortunate? :D

Beige pencil stockists on high alert as 'Colouring Book of Retro Computers' hits the crowdfunding circuit

Hey! No BBC Micro yet? Hmmmpph!

Re: Data centre

I'd say "Shame! Shame!", but you'd have to leave off the sack cloth and ashes and you might frighten the children lol.

Remember the bloke who was told by Zen Internet to contact his MP about crap service? Yeah, it's still not fixed

Re: Blue beans

I think the issue with escalation to openreach is that they (openreach) might send an engineer. If a physical/line issue isn't found and/or they think it's the end customer equipment causing the problem, then it will cost the ISP money: usually between £100 to £150 + VAT per visit. For a business customer they pay way more for sometimes slower speeds, but the SLA's are very strict when it comes to downtime. So there is both more money and a tight legal contract which has to be met. For residential it's much less profitable for the ISP, but the trade off is no SLA to speak of (although there is 'fit for purpose') so they will be more reluctant to get openreach involved quickly.

Re: Write your MP

The SNP as a party do appear just a tad authoritarian, which is why I think people make that comparrison. Not that we have it that much better down south at times.

The cockroach of Windows, XP, lives on in London's Victoria Coach Station

Liked XP a lot, but I do remember it running like an absolute dog after a few months and really the best thing to sort it was a reinstall. Oh and I miss the Press F6' to install 3rd party drivers for AHCI mode :).

Yeah 98SE was one of my favs - mostly because it was stable compared to 98 1st Ed which just kept BSODing whenever you tried Nero Burning ROM or playing a DVD (with help from an MEG2 card, of course).

eBay cyberstalking victims sue internet tat bazaar over former staff members' campaign of harassment

I read about this story ages ago and couldn't believe what the ebay employees in this case did. Good grief. If you have an issue with somone post a rebutal, ignore it or, if what they say is untrue and damaging, then take legal action. Don't send them a pig foetus, insects etc.. You have to be a top level fool to do this, even if you somehow thought it acceptable, as you are very likely to get caught (as proven).

As for eBay: Your managers/staff did this so do yourselves a favour: Do the right thing and settle it and be generous when you do as we all know you can afford it and the Steiners deserve it .

Survey of astronomers and geophysicists shines a light on 'bleak' systemic bullying

Bullying (adult term: harrassment) exists, absolutely it does and I have been on the end of it.

However. When something like this article comes up in this day and age, I immediately wonder how the questions were worded, the biases of those who ran the survey and their motivations.

Why? Because there now seems to be an industry of being a victim and in convincing people they are victims, espeically when you ask questions in certain ways and you lower the bar so that it means someone spoke with someone else too harshly once or twice.

Maybe this wouldn't be such a big deal, but when someone (or a group) does this (well intentioned though it may be) they introduce the kinds of doubt I have expressed and so they undermine people who are truly victims and who have actually been harrassed. Utliately, it serves to sow doubt and dilute the issue at hand.

A classic example of this effect is rape. We've all seen that false claims bring doubt and sometimes victim-blaming against those of are genuine victims.

For those feeling that people are just victim-blaming, don't care or who think it's funny: Stand back and ask yourself as to *why* so many people are questioining this stuff now. Are they *all* a***holes? Really? Or are many seeing that there is a possibility that what I've said above is happening and have grown understandably sceptical?

Questioning such a study absolutely should be done, but without bias - like any study.

Microsoft has a workaround for 'HiveNightmare' flaw: Nuke your shadow copies from orbit

They'd have to call it The Fatman Patch in honour of Fallout 3.

Understandably, I suspect Microsoft may be taking their time on this for testing as they don't want to bork everyones credentials access due to rushing out a flawed fix. However, boy do we need that fix as quickly as possible. No pressure! :D.

Windows 11 gets chatty as Teams integration turns up

We need to be able to disable it

Unfortunately, after the last year of working from home, I now associate Teams with covid19 / 2020-2021 so I'm not a fan of seeing it in Windows 11 - gonna make my blood pressure go up everytime I boot my PC.

I hope there is an option for something along the lines of:

Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName "Microsoft Teams"

Journo who went to prison for 2 years for breaking US cyber-security law is jailed again

Assuming he is guilty:

This guy sounds like a narcisistic tool.

He had a couple of options:

1) Give them the credentials and walk away (usually the best (adult) option)

2) Not give them the credentials and walk away (less adult, but *sometimes* understandable, no perma damage, but causes inconvenience to the ex-employer)

But no, he acted little a child and deleted the channel - and so will now pay for it. Zero sympathy unless it's revealed that his ex-employer did something heinous to him (unlikely).

Re: What an idiot, if true.

Couldn't have said it better myself. -

AWS gave Parler a chance, won't say if it talked to NSO before axing spyware biz's backend systems

Re: A thought when I was reading thru the details from Amnesty

Everyone knows you should be turning your wifi & bluetooth off and using USB tethering! ;)

Make-me-admin holes found in Windows, Linux kernel

It's good that these bugs are being found and (hopefully / eventually) being patched, but it ain't good for the blood pressure, ya know?

In a complete non-surprise, Mozilla hammers final nail in FTP's coffin by removing it from Firefox

Not used FTP for well over a decade, mostly due to securiuty concerns. I tend to use winscp - usually over a VPN as well (depending on what I've transferring and to where).

England's controversial extraction of personal medical histories from GP systems is delayed for a second time

Given the issues, both societal and legally, that loss of control or improper use of someone's personal data can lead to, one has to ask: Can the following guanatees be made?

1) that the "anonymised" data cannot be easily de-anonymised within the life time of the person

2) that the central database can never be hacked now or in the life time of anyone who's data is in it

3) that a law will never be changed or created within the life time of a person to allow their data to be de-anonymised

4) that the data will never be used for anything other than medical study

5) that the data will never be used to the detriment of the personal providing it

To be the answer is no to all oif the above, so my answer must also be no to sharing my medical data. If it was something less invasive and personal then perhaps answer would be different.

I thoroughly disagree with you on the "you're being selfish" argument. Some kinds of data are very personal and I would say medical is one of *the* most personal. As such, everyone has the right to make their own decision and not be lambasted for not wanting their privacy invaded without proper consultation and by a default opt-out policy that many will not even know about or how to use.

As for the common good argument; There's a balancing act between personal good and common good and I think most people feel that personal data sharing without informed consent destroy that balance.

US offers Julian Assange time in Australian prison instead of American supermax if he loses London extradition fight

"I can't stand the wining, money leeching, windbag."

Now that made me chuckle. Yes, he does come across that way a bit.

I'm neutral on the guy as I don't know if he's guilty or the balance of good versus evil effects from his release of U.S. secrets, but I suspect that the U.S. courts are very unlikwly to find him not guilty even if he is the angel some say he is. That is really what I'm getting at. And no, I don't think the U.S. justice system is the same as the Russian one or anywhere near it.

I think that Assange has probably been through enough (and this coming from someone who is very much not one of his fans), but the U.S. government won't see it that way. There is pride, embarassment and precedence setting involved here: They cannot afford to let it be known that causing such embarrassment will go unpunished.

Florida Man sues Facebook, Twitter, YouTube for account ban

Normally I would have some sympathy for the plaintiff as I really dislike Twatter, Farcebook, et al., but given this is Trump.... Is it possible they can all lose? Please? :D

Ransomware-hit law firm gets court order asking crooks not to publish the data they stole

This occurred to me as well and given the fact that they are not having to hire a lawyer (they are doing it themselves) then very low cost. It also proves they are trying to prevent the loss of the information (even if it is almost certain to make no difference) in any litigation aimed at them from any of their customers who's data may get revealed.

Microsoft patches PrintNightmare – even on Windows 7 – but the terror isn't over

Re: It is about time

WIndows is certainly not perfect, but I think your analysis is a tad histrionic.

NHS England staff voice concerns about access controls on US spy-tech firm Palantir's COVID-19 data store

Re: Good job...

What, there are no politicians at all in the department of health now?

Re: blah, blah, blah

Well, the vote happened and we got a result. Personally, I was deeply unhappy with how the "debate" went, but I accept the decision (and I didn't vote for brexit) because, as damaged as the debate was, it was still a form of democracy and I suspect if the remainers had won and the brexitiers had lost then this comment section would look the same - just with you guys in opposition positions, if you get my drift.

I think it's time to leave off, heal and in 5 or 10 years re discuss, but with hopefully more grace and maturity than in 2016. Just my take on it.

Black screens in Windows 11? Bork has seen it all before

I'm still trying to understand why the CPU limit is currently gen 8 when gen 6 and 7 have the same security & virtualisation options as 8 (5 is where start having fewer). Also, not sure about them moving copy/cut/paste to a small series of icons (although you can click the more options item - but that's an extra step).

Re: Blue or Black ...

Brown Screen of Detah is what you get when you get crypto lockered and realise the backups haven't run recently...

The PrintNightmare continues: Microsoft confirms presence of vulnerable code in all versions of Windows

Re: You can lead a horse to water, but ...

Correct. Horses are known to be quite cash-strapped ;)

Re: As much as I like to dump on microsoft a pile...

I've supported several companies in my time who had only 1 server (a DC) and that's it, with everything running on it: DHCP, DNS, ADDS, ADCS, Print Services, Antivirus management, etc, etc. I said they should have at least 2 DCs, a seperate file server and a print server (and more if possible). Answer? Costs too much for the servers and the licensing. You can lead a horse to water, but ...

Boffins boast of 'slidetronics' breakthrough enabling binary switch just two atoms thick

I wonder how such a switch would react to the bit flipping "cosmic ray" effect that low atom count transistors are vulnerable to. The switch magnetic field might help, but I don't know enough to know if actually would (My knowledge is quite low in this area so is a honest question).

Also, how does quantum tunnelling affect it - if at all?

Happy with your existing Windows 10 setup? Good, because Windows 11 could turn its nose up at your CPU

Oh I know and I do get it. I just hate having to ditch my current setup as it still works very well indeed. Plus, it's gonna hurt my wallet replacing it - a lot if the current prices stay as they are lol.

Annoying. I have a 2012 setup with an Intel i7 2600K, 16GB RAM, a Z77 mobo which can take a TPM 1.2 and has EUFI/secure boot. I've added enterprise SSDs and a 1070GTX to it over the years and it runs very well for gaming and the other bits and pieces I do with it. Due to my CPU not being supported and a lack of TPM I have to chuck my CPU, mobo and RAM away come 2025 (windows 10 eol date) - even if they still work very well. Sucks a bit, that's for sure.

And, yes, I have run the windows 11 checker which says: CPU Baaaaaaaaad!

Russia spoofed AIS data to fake British warship's course days before Crimea guns showdown

Re: Just a FYI

Look deeper. It's entirely possible (though not certain by any means) that this is a retaliation. Russia sends planes near or into UK airspace repeatedly. The UK sends a ship near or into disputed waters. Tit-for-tat. Or it could be as other have said and more about NATO membership.

As for UK attitudes to empire: I think you are conflating and entirely wrong. Good try though. Although if you want to suckle on that particular teet then perhaps take a look at Putin as he *does* want to get back what the USSR had, empire-wise.

Windows 11: Meet the new OS, same as the old OS (or close enough)

The UI in windows 10 (and probably windows 11) is what really let's it down. From the ever-so-not-useful START menu to naf controls which overlay control panel and which, for the longest time, were broken in places. I love(d) the speediness of windows 10, although if they keep stuffing bloat into it (and windows 11) then that will no longer be a thing.

My feeling is that windows 11 is more about the microsoft store than anything else - they want to shove it down our throats as much as they can whether we like it or not.

What job title would YOU want carved on your gravestone? 'Beloved father, Slayer of Dragons, Register of Domains'

Re: No gravestone for me

Sounds a bit too poltergeist to me!

No gravestone for me as it just uses up land. However, if I did have one perhaps a gravestone made of obsidian with a red border and red text which says:

Hardware Failure. Press left mouse button to continue.

Guru Meditation #30070800.00F80000

We've found another reason not to use Microsoft's Paint 3D – researchers

Never used Paint 3D - MS Paint ftw in my book. It's simple and handy enough for making guides for end users who need them. Just because something is old one should never assume it's redudant (plus, that's age-ism ;))