Posts by Overflowing Stack

Cerner, a company that scooped more than £100m in NHS deals in a year, is in Oracle's crosshairs

Oh my, £100m. I hate Christmas

Facebook locks out 1,500 fake accounts used by cyber-spy firms to snoop on people, alerts 50k potential targets

I hate Christmas

RAF shoots down 'terrorist drone' over US-owned special ops base in Syria

Yes, that is actually technically impressive. An ostrich would be easier to shoot down! ... hang on, it's already down. OK... an eagle would be easier to shoot down!

Why didn't they use frickin laser beams to shoot it down?

Sun sets on superjumbo: Last Airbus A380 rolls off the production line

The Jet-Age is coming to an end

Musk's Starship is going to pull the rug from under the airlines/Boeing/Airbus, they'll all go bust in the next 5 years. Business class and above will choose a cramped, no frills 30 minute "flight" point to point anywhere on earth over 8/12/18/24 hours in a tube flown by meatheads whilst smelling other people's farts.

Rockets were around before Jets in much the same way as EVs were before combustion engine cars.

The future is the past!

Zuckerberg wants to create a make-believe world in which you can hide from all the damage Facebook has done

Go Meta

GO META. I can't wait, sounds amazing! Zuck, Einstein would be proud! Go Meta, go Zucker!

The day has a 'y' in it, so Virgin Galactic has announced another delay

I used to find, about 10 years ago this pretty exciting, but Musk and .co have surely now rendered this all a little pointless?

'This is the new normal,' Microsoft tells US workers: Work from home until further notice

Re: Leftanistan

"we beat Spanish flu without vaccines"

50,000,000 dead is a win? I'd hate to see what losing would have been!

Re: Wow.

"Why don't we make all the non-vaccinated wear a yellow symbol on their clothing - perhaps the biohazard symbol? Just so the rest of us know who we're dealing with, of course." yup, sounds good to me. Also helpful for the ambulance crews when they turn up, they can just leave them free to cough up their guts because that's what they "choose" to do and drive on to somebody else who's not a numpty.

"Excepting those with medical conditions " my wife is a doctor and she says that the really aren't any medical conditions that mean you can't have it. People at certain points in their cancer care, but they are actually offering the vaccine before starting any immune suppressing drugs. So there isn't really anyone who can't have it, you could make it 100% if there was the political will. They would be riots though, there's millions in the UK who haven't had it and lots of people reading anti-vax guff on arsebook.

Re: Leftanistan

"If you are 'vaccinated" and allegedly "safe", what are you worried about?" the hospitals filling up with unvaccinated morons coughing their guts up and restrictions staying or another lockdown as consequence.

The vaccines don't work 100%, they don't stop the spread as much as they hoped. They do stop most people either needing to go to hospital or dying. So we should be able to go back to normal if everyone or close to everyone gets vaccinated.

However, 5,000,000 adults in the UK are still to have the vaccine and way more than that in the USA, that's a lot of people and if enough of them get Covid at the same time, the hospitals will fall over.

If you've not had the vaccine, then get Covid, you should be denied treatment. I hope the Government adopts this policy rather than another lockdown or closing the pubs.

I don't want my way of life changed again because of other people's stupid decisions.

Re: Leftanistan

You're wrong, there's been no over-reaction. Viruses are real and they kill people.

If you look at any graph of the positive tests & deaths there is a total correlation between lockdowns and the rates of infection and deaths coming down. There's a lag in the deaths as it normally takes people time to die, especially if they get treated. There's a lag in infections coming down as once it's at a certain level it will keep spreading.

The hospitals did almost fall over, almost ran out of oxygen and then many more people would have died had we not locked down.

I don't know which rock you were under when this was happening?

The Delta variant is affecting many more younger people, a quarter of the people currently in hospital in the UK with Covid are under 60

At the beginning, in the UK the deaths were underreported as there simply wasn't the testing capacity. More people died of Covid-19 than were reported, this is demonstrated the excess deaths figures. There has been some the other way round since, but look at the excess death figures for 2020/21.

I don't trust anything the Chinese government says about anything, but that's not related to what happened here in the UK If you remember the UK Government was very late to lockdown as they were very sceptical about it actually killing people, but then it did start to kill people and nearly killed our own Prime Minister.

Again, I don't know which rock you were under when this was happening?

How can lockdowns not help in stopping the spread of an airborne virus? To suggest otherwise shows a complete lack of basic common sense.

Most of the population understands all of this and most of the population has had the vaccine because of this.

My wife is a doctor, she took part in the trials of the AZ vaccine in 2020, that's when it was "Experimental". It's not experimental now as billions of people have had it and aren't dropping like flies.

The FDA has approved the Pfizer vaccine, it's no longer on an emergency licence.

There are short-term side effects and risks, but these are demonstrably lower than the risks of getting Covid-19.

Which if you've not had Covid yet, you will get it at some point as it's never going away. Everyone I know who has had Covid says, it's not fun, it's the most ill they've ever been!

It's exceptionally selfish, stupid and misguided not to get the vaccine. There is no valid reason not to get it.

Re: Leftanistan

You're missing the point.

The chances of my house burning down are low, I still have smoke alarms and still support having a fire brigade.

If we hadn't have had lockdowns and we didn't have the vaccine far more people would have died from Covid and more people would have died from all the other causes as the hospitals would be full of people with Covid.

The main reason for the vaccine and lockdowns isn't to stop people dying of covid, it's to stop our hospitals being overwhelmed.

Unless you're prepared to let those who get it just die, then it's the only choice.

Banned: The 1,170 words you can't use with GitHub Copilot

Commie Cuban Pisswhackers

I just wanted this title.

Judge dismisses objections to spaceport in Scotland from billionaire who also wants to build spaceport in Scotland

Does it mean I'll be able to catch a rocket to go do my shopping at Bejams?

The UK is running on empty when it comes to electric vehicle charging points

"Gas" But there's only so much gas and oil in the ground, then it's gone forever. North Sea Gas hit peak in 1999 AFAIK and is about a 1/10th of its peak production and shale is not very popular. Do you really want to be reliant on Mr Putin for gas and the Saudis/OPEC for Oil?

Also, some people think that burning billions of cubes of gas isn't very good for the atmosphere..... I'm personally not one of them...

Nuclear fission/Fusion is a much better idea, but difficult to miniaturise into a car (although GM did have a nuclear car program)

Re: “ban on new petrol and diesel cars from 2030”

"Too expensive

Limited range

Slow to charge

Short battery lifetime"

Are you stuck in 2011? When was the last time you saw an advert on TV for an ICE only car, for that matter most are now all electric cars?

Yep, they are pricey for the flagship models with the latest tech, but so is an iPhone or a Samsung Galaxy S

There are, just like the phones, much cheaper models like the Renault Zoe.

Anyway... Model S 2021 (Just released)

"Limited range"

400+ mile range on the latest Model S

"Slow to charge"

182 miles range in 15 minutes charging

"Short battery lifetime"

There's a Tesla Model S in LA that has done 400,000 miles, it had new batteries at 180,000 (under warranty) miles and 350,000.

But gas is a finite resource with wild price swings and the cause of lots of conflict. Electricity can be made cheaply with enough government will.

Re: I'm surprised

Batteries are getting better/cheaper and using less materials. Look at the Tesla 4680 cell that's about to go into full production. EV cars will use less materials than petrol and diesel in time as they are intrinsically simpler, having far fewer parts. There was a recent study that showed over the lifetime of an EV it is better for the environment and will probably have a longer lifespan than an ICE car.

Personally, the environment isn't my driver in wanting an electric car. It's fun, more convenient and far cheaper to run.

Give it 5 years there will be loads of secondhand electric cars on the UK market at reasonable prices (I think there already are). We're a "new" car loving nation but there's a benefit for the rest of us, lots of cheap second hand cars. I was shocked in the USA how expensive secondhand cars are compared to the new price (which is a lot cheaper than the UK). You can't get a second hand running car in the USA for under £1000, but in the UK you can probably buy 2-3!

People need to travel and explore, it's fundamental part of being a human and why we're not all still living in a <100 people villages.

We'll hopefully soon start living on another planet and then there won't be so much pressure here. To do that, we have to have the desire to explore.

Re: I'm surprised

The Mitsi wasn't expensive. You can pick one up for about £7-8k second hand. The Jag was a quarter of its original price when I bought it 15 years ago at the age of 27 as my first car! I'm one of the peasants, I'm from Coventry originally! oh and I built the garage for it to live in, some of it in the middle of winter!

I'm surprised

Most people you speak to in real life have their own opinions on EVs and this is replicated on forums online.

These tend to range from "EVs are crap, worse for the environment etc.." or "hydrogen is the future" to "EVs are the great and are the future".

I expected better of The Reg audience, but here seems to be the same too.

The facts are that whatever you think, EVs are happening right now. Most, if not all car manufacturers have stopped developing combustion engines and the UK government is going to ban there sale in 9 years time (I doubt any will still be on sale in the UK by then).

OPEC for some strange reason seem to be promoting EV take-up by pushing the price of oil through the roof. This will only speed things up as people look to buy new cars and look at the now reasonable range (200+ mile) EVs you can get for not too different price of entry. If you weight up the overall cost of fuel/servicing, I think it's already a no-brainer.

I personally have a Mitsubishi PHEV that I bought second hand 18 months ago and mainly use it on battery only power. I've got solar, so when it's sunny it's free to run.

Also have in the garage, a supercharged 4.0L V8 Jaguar XKR which I've not driven in 3 years as I've been renovating and extending a house... but I will be soon!

I won't be buying another combustion engine car, but I won't ever be selling the Jag (even when I have to get petrol in boxes).

I used to say that if I had the money, I'd buy a Bugatti Veyron or Chiron, now the car I most want is the Tesla Model S Plaid. Yeah it has Mondeo looks, but the specs are just, amazing.

Ofcom says no price controls on full-fibre broadband until 2031, giving BT's Openreach the kick to 'build like fury'

Re: Meanwhile in the real world...

"Meanwhile people in more rural environments are lucky to get a 1Mbps ADSL line." just get Elon's Starlink. I would if I was still on my orphaned from FTTC cabinet in not so rural Northamptonshire

The 40-Year-Old Version: ZX81's sleek plastic case shows no sign of middle-aged spread

At first I thought, "oh great and article about the ZX81", then I thought "OMG 40 years, how depressing!"

Pen Test Partners: Boeing 747s receive critical software updates over 3.5" floppy disks

It should run direct from floppy

For the ultimate in reliability and security.

It wasn't just a few credit cards: Entire travel itineraries were stolen by hackers, Easyjet now tells victims

Re: We are very sorry this has happened.

Michael O'Lardy of Brianair "Easyjet want to give your details away, we want you to know we've sold them and you'll have to pay to get them back"

Who needs an iPad Pro? Look everyone, Windows Terminal has mouse input

This is so useful, now can they just bring back the old start menu so I don't have to type in the name of the application I want to start?

The show Musk go on: Tesla defies Silicon Valley coronavirus lockdown order, keeps Fremont factory open

Re: Yeah, voluntary

"The man is a sociopath and the world would be a much better place if he wasn't in it for so many reasons"

He certainly is a sociopath, I can agree with you on that, but he is getting things done.

" this electric car bullshit not the least of them.

Look up John Cadogan - electric cars - YouTube for why they're the shittiest idea since humanity evolved."

Do you love breathing in diesel particles?

Do you love your economic prosperity being at the whim of OPEC members?

Re: Simple question

"If one of his employees catches it and dies" if they are of working age and healthy, they are highly unlikely to die or even need to be in hospital.

If they are over 65, then yes, they should stay home. The long term economic damage and hyper inflation that's coming our way will kill more people of working age than the virus ever will.

The reality is that governments are doing this to protect the elderly, however many of the elderly are shrugging their shoulders and think its an overreaction.

15% mortality rate in the over 70s. If you're not bothered if you get it and you're over 65, that's fine, just don't call an ambulance when you can't cope, as it's no fair on the people who are bothered!

Android dev complains of 'Orwellian' treatment as account banned after 6 years on Play store

Making a profit is fine, treating people like dirt isn't. With power comes responsibility.

But that's what they are looking for.

If it didn't do what they searched for that would be spam, but it does do what they want. By being able to know a little bit in advance you can drastically improve the chance of success on finding what they want.

Also, sometimes there isn't an official app that does what the user wants.

Take Sky Q. The Sky Q app doesn't control the box. This app does. Nobody would find an app that didn't have "Sky Q remote" in the title searching for "Sky Q remote".

I think their policy is intended to stop someone renaming say a "calculator" app repeatedly as "Super top calculator app", "Best calculator app", "Cal-cul-ator" etc...

It's the same app, doing the same thing, with people searching for the same thing, therefore spam.

But that isn't the case with these apps

Regardless if you think it is, Google's reaction is over the top, unfair and harsh. It doesn't seem to matter how much they get investigated and fined, they carry on with what seems like absolute power.

The whole idea of the app is to be automatic in its discovery of network devices. No setup needed, for Joe Public, not tech freaks like us.

For most things it's upnp or mdns(bonjour) but some, well lots, have custom discovery mechanisms or both.

The app works with 1000s of different makes and models of devices. Xbox One, Sky Q, DirecTV, Samsung, Sony, Hisense, Panasonic, Hue etc...

If you fire off all the custom discovery routines at once on top of mdns and upnp it overwhelms the Android device and network devices.

If you have separate apps that only fire search routines if they are an "Onkyo receiver app" you can be more selective and have a better chance of finding what the end user is hoping to control. Which if they've searched Google Play for an Onkyo remote app and the app controls Onkyo equipment I fail to see how that is "Spam". The bonus is, it can also control the other stuff that is connected to the Onkyo receiver like a Samsung TV and an Xbox.

Regardless, Google only brought the policy out in 2018 so should at least warn first. The apps have been on Google Play since 2013/2014.

WTF is Boeing on? Not just customer databases lying around on the web. 787 jetliner code, too, security bugs and all

Should be physically separate, for all manner of reasons. Clearly isn't!

Not very bright: Apple geniuses spend two weeks, $10,000 of repairs on a MacBook Pro fault caused by one dumb bug

Re: I've done this

I did try doing that to begin with, I really hate Apple and all Apple products.

But because I need to be using the latest version of xcode and can't stop working because of any issues with running an out of date OS.

Also emulation runs piss poor using VM and doesn't play ball with a real iOS device connected to the USB ports.

I've done this

It's really easy to do with the stupid touchbar thing.

I thought it was dead too, I plugged it into a monitor in the end to see if it was booting up and then when I plugged it into the power socket too, it lit up and realised what the "problem" is.

I hate my MacBook Pro, would much rather be using an XPS 13, but need a Mac it to build iOS apps.

Supra smart TVs aren't so super smart: Hole lets hackers go all Max Headroom on e-tellies

I was about to say the same thing. Sony/Samsung/LG all have DLNA, as do most blu-ray players and home cinema receivers.

If someone has local access to your network, then playing videos on your TV is the last of your worries. This is a silly story.

Apple kills iTunes, preps pricey Mac Pro, gives iPad its own OS – plus: That $999 monitor stand

Re: only 1200x1600

Yes, the pixels weigh more

Uh-oh .io: Question mark hangs over trendy tech startup domains as UN condemns British empire hangover

Strategic importance

These islands are of strategic importance to the UK and its allies, Mauritius doesn't have an Army and if they were attacked I am sure the UK and the US would come to its aid.

The treatment of the islanders at the time sounds a bit rough, but that was then and they weren't raped or shot. Ultimately you have to remember that it was the middle of the cold war and the world isn't much safer than then.

Stuff the UN!

AI can now animate the Mona Lisa's face or any other portrait you give it. We're not sure we're happy with this reality

Re: Mona Lisa

Come on, admit it, you were tempted!

Mona Lisa

I don't know about you guys but I just had to crack one out over that vid!

Boeing big cheese repeats pledge of 737 Max software updates following fatal crashes

Yey! A software update

They should roll it out mid-air just to make sure it works.

Boeing... Boeing... Gone: Canada, America finally ground 737 Max jets as they await anti-death-crash software patches

No need to ground these

Also, software updates (beta or not) have to be delivered in-flight!

Android P to improve users' network privacy

Re: Couldn't they just change permissions on /proc/net?

There are legitimate reasons.

There needs to be a way to uniquely identify devices on a local network.

My Android app can control many household devices like smart TVs and cable boxes, it searches using upnp and mdns.

If someone has two of the same devices on the same network (say two Samsung 43" 2018 7 series TVs) I need to be able to determine which TV they want to be able to control.

This can't be done by IP address as this changes often and although upnp provides a UUID this can sometimes change or be identical across models, so can't be used.

The MAC address is the only way to do this and you can only get this from the /proc/net/arp cache (As far as I know).

Samsung pulls sheets off costly phone-cum-fondleslab Galaxy Fold – and a hefty 5G monster

I'm buying one

I'm rarely a an early adopter, I still use my Note 3 that is over 5 years old!

This is a game changer though. My first tablet computer was Sony Vaio U70 that I had to import from the USA (2004 ish)

It was almost pocket sized (although I had a foam padded camera case for it) and was useful as a sat nav on the dashboard of my van.

The main reason I'll get it is to make it play ball with my Android app (MyAV), but it is wildly cool and will surely be an excuse for women to chat to me in bars (my round LG Watch sure worked).

Where's the laser range finder?

Or just laser? I was hoping for this feature.

'Year-long' delay to UK 5G if we spike Huawei deals, say telcos

Re: 9 Months delay?

Yeah, 1Gbps with a 10GB download limit. A limit that you will reach in 80 seconds!

That said I now have unlimited downoiads on three with unlimited wi-fi hotspot.... So I could ditch my landline.

I'd be suspicious of any company with an unpronounceable name!

The Japsters learned a long time ago to make their company names more western friendly.

Matsushita!

Re: Paranoia?

Everyone who writes software always creates a backdoor, right? I do anyway!

London's Gatwick airport suspends all flights after 'multiple' reports of drones

Unless it's a massive professional drone surely the mass is way less than that of a duck, which planes are designed to be able to cope with?

When they find it they should put it on some giant scales next to something of the same mass... say a witch.

I was once one of you, F1 star Lewis Hamilton tells delighted IT bods

Re: What a knob

I'd like to see sharks with frickin lasers on their heads driving the cars

Well, this makes scents: Kotlin code quality smells better than Java

Yes, great, lovely

I don't have the time to learn it....I'm in the pub... oh I do.

I should be attacked with sharks with mini non-lethal lasers