Posts by Trigonoceps occipitalis

Boffins give amputee the finger – a bionic touch-sensitive fingertip

Re: Can we get an endorsement from his wife or girlfriend?

With jokes like that I doubt it.

Don't snoop on staff via wearables, says Dutch privacy agency

Re: Be seeing you

I am human being - do not fold, spindle or bend.

Verizon fined just $1.4m for stalker supercookies

Peter Micek saying it was "a clear win for user rights"

No, no, no. It is in the first line " ... but its customers will still have to opt out ... "

I think he is making the assessment using the Duckworth-Lewis method because I don't understand why it is not "Disappointing that Verizon were not forced to make the tracking opt-in."

'You've been hacked, pay up' ... Ransomware forces your PC to read out a hostage note

Re: One way to scupper ransomware

"Hello, You seem to be a victim of an encryption ransom demand. Fortunately my uncle, a Prince of the Nigerians, can help. Just send ....... "

India challenges US visa price hike at World Trade Organisation

Re: I thought that the USA was highly in favour of Free Trade in every form?

" ... staff will be expected to work 16 hour days."

I thought that was par for US companies?

Brit firm unleashes drone-busting net cannon

Re: Crikey

Non licenced air weapon limited to under 12 ft lb muzzle energy in UK.

Ad-blockers are a Mafia-style 'protection racket' – UK's Minister of Fun

Re: Takes one to know one

"Proof that you have the apparatus and capability to do so will no more result in a conviction than proof that you have the apparatus and capability to kill someone would get you convicted of murder."

You, Sir, have touching faith in the Magistrates who can be massively pragmatic when adjudicating.

Spanish cops discover illegally parked flying car

Re: Illegally parked?

And remember that, in the UK, the yellow zigzag lines outside schools mean SUV parking only. Concurrent hazard warning lights mean it is safe to pass at high speed.

NASA funds new supersonic airliner research

Re: Supersonic flight

" ... design work for a mooted supersonic airliner."

design work for a muted supersonic airliner.

FTFY

Diffie, Hellman scoop $1m Turing Award for key work on crypto keys

first public-key cryptography system

I think you mean first public public-key cryptography system.

Yes, well deserved.

Mathletics promises security upgrades after parents' security gripes

Re: Obligatory?

Do the companies supplying these platforms offer seminars in, say, The Bahamas for users or sales prospects? Only a subset of teachers would be seduced but then they become ambassadors for the product. Introduce three new schools and get an invitation to Mathletics 2017 in Las Vegas or whatever.

It is a sales model that works in many many spheres.

Of course I am confident that much time will be spent at the seminar explaining the security model, why https is not required and how they have fully mitigated Flash vulnerabilities. (Event held in a cellar, beware of the leopard ... you get the picture.)

British Airways, IT staff job cuts, an outsourcing biz ... you get the point

Re: This is what I have come to expect from BA - keeping up their Bad Attitude nickname!

I have noticed a trend for one or two of the lavatories to be out of order during flights on several airlines. I suspect it is cost cutting by reducing cleaning costs and, more importantly, turn round times. The "out of order" lavatories are clean and can be used on the return flight.

I don't fly often enough to make a study and come to a significant conclusion. Anyone know if I am correct?

BT, Sky, EE, TalkTalk and Virgin to appeal website blocking ruling

Re: This is the ISP's job now is it?

It is the High Court, therefore it is within the remit of the Judge to make English and Welsh Common Law. The Appeal Court and, ultimately, the Supreme Court (UK) can agree, or not, with him/her.

Oz Greens crypto anti-backdoor motion shot down by major parties

Re: Universally?

Why?

Germany is not a member of the 5 Eyes Club.

US boffins propose yet another low-low power Wi-Fi for Things

Re: Security and encryption

"Can be done in software at the protocol layer."

Notice the use of "can". No mention of "must", "shall" or "it is a requirement of the standard". I think jzl is very perspicacious.

Your xenophobia is killing us, Silicon Valley warns US Congress

Reciprocity

I heard that when the USA introduced finger printing on arrival Brazil, having a policy of reciprocity in visas etc, invited citizens of the USA to use the convenient ink pad and paper as they were cleared for entry.

Intelligent Energy secures $7.5m to develop smartphone fuel cell

Butane and Lighters

If the hydrogen can be supplied if a refill and put into the phone in a fashion similar to refilling a butane lighter it could work.

Next for the back of my fag packet, the grand unified theory of everything. Simple ideas are seldom simple to implement.

UK court approves use of predictive coding for e-disclosure

Re: "until an acceptable level of accuracy is reached"

Do you know the plot of Class Action?

Linode probe into 2015 crack finds fake 2FA creds flaw

Re: Fine, I will say it then

Wisdom comes from experience. Experience is often a result of lack of wisdom.

Terry Pratchett

Solution to tech bros' disgust of SF homeless people launched

Re: 2.0 Beta

Such limited ambition to make life better for your fellow man: Star Wars without Jar Jar Binks!

UK carrier Three in network-wide ad-block shock

Re: Well done three

Who would like to bet that those relevant and interesting ads come from an approved whitelist of paying advertisers?

FTFY

The paperless office? Don’t talk sheet

Re: I'll see your dot matrix

And don't get me started on that chap in the Forum with his granite, mallet and chisel.

SimpliSafe home alarms transmit PIN unlock codes in the clear – ideal for lurking burglars

At Times

I despair of my fellow humans. Very much Homo Non-sapiens.

Confused as to WTF is happening with Apple, the FBI and a killer's iPhone? Let's fix that

Re: And the point is?

In the UK there are many who can force entry without a warrant or court order. Most notable are the Customs and Excise bit of HMRC. The list also includes such as gas engineers and disease control personnel. I expect there are similar powers in the USA.

A gas engineer may not have the power of arrest (over and above a normal citizen) but Customs and Excise certainly do search and arrest after simply turning up and demanding entry. I suspect that the disease control personnel may detain with out arrest if required to prevent spread of disease (probably constrained by the need for retrospective court action).

Letting your fingers dance over Google or Wikipedia will get a more definitive answer and a longer list.

From the Guardian 22 January 2013: "Ministers give Whitehall departments two years to decide which of the 1,300 remaining entry powers should be repealed"

Virgin Atlantic co-pilot dazzled by laser

Replying to my own post, I'll be up-voting me next.

Thinking of the utility (as a non-pilot) of the dazzle weapon its intent is not to temporarily or permanently blind the pilot. If you are polling along at 300 knots over San Carlos Water Jolly Jack Tar is going to be throwing everything he has at you. (Including, according to one hearsay verbal report, a NAAFI pork pie.) Thus the pilot is going to be as low as he dares to avoid the more effective AA - Seacat etc. Dazzle him for even a short time and the instinctive reaction will be to pull up, exposing him to more effective fire. Equally, stick down would be a win for us.

Perhaps Lester knows more?

During the Falklands War the UK deployed a laser dazzle weapon. It relied on the fact that an aircraft canopy/window would scatter the light and affect the pilots vision. There was no need, nor intention, to blind or dazzle the pilot by the beam directly entering the eye.

Re: Simple solution, me hearties.

That would be "dazzle" as in blind.

Haptic developer fires patent suits at Apple

Re: Those are really broad embodiments...

There is a reason why patent agents get big bucks. My draft may, quite reasonably, say "Hit it with a hammer." This opens up the method of "Hit it with a mallet." As a result the process may be described "Give the part an impulse." Over-broad?

It beats having to fight:

Hit it with a shoe.

Hit it with a brick.

Hit it with a club.

Drop it on a hard surface.

etc.

I have a touching confidence that in the UK the judge could differentiate between reasonable differences in method and taking the Michael.

Reluctant Wikipedia lifts lid on $2.5m internet search engine project

reliable and trustworthy information

Isn't that kind of not the point of the Internet?

National Pupil Database engorged to 20 million individual kids' records

Be Reasonable

This will be a marvellous learning opportunity.

How one of the poorest districts in the US pipes Wi-Fi to families – using school buses

Come on Google/Facebook/MS

or any other big IT outfit. Together or individually, sponsor this programme with a small bit of your petty cash.

Microsoft hits the gas in drive to recruit autistic techies

Re: Um, this is ridiculously illegal

" ... but we shouldn't be giving people jobs -because- they are disabled."

I think the point is that they are trying to recruit better programers and, in this context, they are anything but disabled.

France joins India in telling Facebook to just Zuck off

Re: @Roq France had hissy fit, nobody shocked?

" (Which is why Google will always have an edge over its rivals and why they are a monopoly)."

I call oxymoron on you!

Microsoft researchers smash homomorphic encryption speed barrier

Re: Huh?

Boltar,

"If you don't decrypt the data I can't see how you can do any useful operations on it ... "

I'm with you on this but it seems that brains bigger than our have found a way.

Are Indians too stupid to be trusted with free Internet?

Re: They can use it to organise socially and politically.

AC,

I am well aware of the reason and the tribal nature of human society. That is not a justification for what seems to be a particularly pernicious system. Work hard in the UK and you will be accepted by most of society even if you do not leave your roots behind. A Dalit is always a Dalit and a Brahmin always a Brahmin.

They can use it to organise socially and politically.

And there you have it. Why risk it you are in power or a member of an elite* caste.

* elite - this it is a matter of opinion, any one want to try and justify the caste system?

So. Are Europeans just a whining bunch of data protection hypocrites?

Re: @Fibbles

Will they all row together?

As in:

a. to ​cause a ​boat to ​move through ​water by ​pushing against the ​water with ​oars (= ​poles with ​flat ​ends)

or

b. a ​noisy ​argument or ​fight

Enquiring minds want to know.

Europe wants end to anonymous Bitcoin transactions

"someone with a clue will be involved."

Triumph of hope over experience!

Smart toys spring dumb vulns. Again. This time: Cuddly bears, watches

Re: Personal information

" ... little johnny couldn't register their account on Xmas morning ... "

The ignoratti at work. It used to be toys that needed batteries that couldn't be used on Christmas day. I know, and you know, that to provide the full gift experience for your young friend the toy* will need to be registered and this is best done beforehand, not while the rest of the world is trying to access the web (new tablets, mobiles, etc given as gifts). It will also mean that you can control the information revealed.

* Toy = surveillance device and I am glad that I no longer have responsibility for keeping specific children safe online. Regarded as the most technically competent member by my family I am never the less a dinosaur who should wear a tin foil hat.

Firing a water rocket to 1km? Piece of cake

Re: Zippy

Yes, but only when he was slowed down by half the English backs hanging onto him.

"The man is unbelievable. He's very balanced, has that incredible power and anyone coming on to the ball like he did is almost impossible to stop."

Sir Colin Meads

Disputed eBay platform vuln poses ‘severe risk’ to tat bazaar's users

Re: Company statement :

Who, Epimetheus Harding?

(EPIMETHEUS was the Titan god of afterthought, the father of excuses.)

Danish Sith Lord fined in Galactic Republic rumpus

Yes, but which one gobbed off first?

Lawyers cast fishing nets in class-action Seagate seas

Re: Numpty is as numpty does

... all they have just done is moved the files' pointers from one place to another.

FTFY

UK govt right to outsource everything 15 years ago – civil service boss

Re: "doing "what everyone else was doing at the time""

I have to take issue with you Voyna, some of the brightest and most effective engineers and scientist I have worked with have been part of the Civil Service. Like the lands where the Jumblies live they are far and few but, in my experience, more common than in industry but less than in academia. I think that is just a product of the relative number and my skewed job experience. But, please, don't write off all civil servants, some are doing their best when beset by the slings and arrows of political expediency and the dead hand of a fearfully mediocre majority.

Microsoft vs US.gov, Internet of Stuff, etc: What's up with 2015's legal cloudy issues?

Re: Irish amicus brief in the Microsoft case

Good luck getting that through the Security Council.

Dutch cops train anti-drone eagle squadron

Re: 40 MM Bofors

Reach out and get near someone, with high explosive proximity shells.

FTFY

Loons in balloons: Google asks FCC to approve Net plan

Rename LOHAN ...

to LOONHAN and sneak the launch through on the back of Google's certificate - problem solved.

Sorry slacktivists: The Man is shredding your robo responses

Sentencing

"and sentencing has historically been left to our independent judiciary, not crowd-pleasing politicians."

The crowd-pleasing politicians make the law and set min and max sentences for various crimes. Guideline are also issued for a more nuanced decision by the Judge. Mandatory custodial sentences for knife crime is an example.

The judiciary may be independent (a good thing) but must act within constraints.

(UK, not sure about the rest of the world.)

Land Rover Defender dies: Production finally halted by EU rules

Re: yet

The reason for the return of the 7.62/.308 is the longer engagement distances inherent in today’s wars. 5.56 etc does not have the range.