Posts by Doctor Syntax

BBC bypasses Linux kernel to make streaming videos flow

Re: Alternative title

"The Linux networking stack is, well, sub-optimal, to put it kindly."

A general purpose OS - or general purpose H/W for that matter - isn't optimised for anything in particular. It has to be a jack of all trades balancing performance against security, ease of use, multi-tasking & whatever. If you want optimisation according to some specific criterion you use something special purpose. You want real time response you use a real time OS. You want to mine Bitcoins you use ASICs.

Pitchforks, torches, and awful quotes – we read what Cisco's CEO said

Re: Artificial Time Constraints are bad.

@Shadow Systems

I agree with what you're saying but I'm not sure all your examples are appropriate. One or two might have delivered exactly what manglement demanded.

How long does it take an NHS doctor to turn on a computer?

Re: Doctors are not bright

"It comes from years of experience applying those self same skills to his own specialisation."

But to a large extent that comes with experience. Newly minted medics exit medical school without the requisite 30 years experience.

OH GROSS! The real problem with GDP

Re: GDP corrupts

" Rather offset by someone else having to defer exactly the same amount of consumption as the value of the house they've just bought."

Assumes price = value.

Top VW exec blames car pollution cheatware scandal on 'a couple of software engineers'

Re: Somebody In Management Had To Know

'I think the "rouge software engineers" may be red herrings.'

They were caught red handed.

Re: I'm furious

"the CEO in Germany steps down - right thing to do"

That's it, it was the right thing to do.

The head's taking the blame and resigning, whether or not he had been directly involved is an old tradition. It looks like Winterkorn knew that and he deserves respect for honouring it.

It makes a good deal of sense for the organisation as a whole and not just because he takes a good deal of the opprobrium with him. Taking responsibility is one of the things top management is paid for. If the senior management knows their jobs will be on the line they will not foster a culture of plausible deniability, they will want potentially serious issues passed up the line where they will then have a chance to quash them. The organisation becomes better managed as a result.

Horn seems to be trying to push responsibility down the line. It's not a good idea. He's undone some of the good that Winterkorn did by walking, he's fostering a culture of plausible deniability and he wasn't even believed.

Don't panic, biz bods: A guide to data in the post-Safe Harbor world

Re: American data in UK

From https://ico.org.uk/media/for-organisations/documents/1529/assessing_adequacy_international_data_transfers.pdf

"Where the country (or territory) of origin of the information is outside the EEA it is important to remember that the DPA is not intended to provide a different level of protection for the data subjects rights than that provided by the data protection regime,if any, in the non-EEA country of origin."

PHONE me if you feel DIRTY: Yanks and 'Nadians wave bye-bye to magstripe

Meanwhile back in the UK

The swipe motion seems to be embedded deeply in the psyche of check-out operators as they all seem convinced that barcodes can only be read whilst in motion.

Google uses humans as Matrix-style ‘data batteries’ – Open Xchange CEO

'The end user pgp stuff needs to just be "better"'

Not so much better as invisible. The user uses SMTP, IMAP or whatever without even knowing it. They should be using PGP in the same way.

What's not up, Docs? Google Docs goes titsup in time for Friday beers

Why over-complicate things? Just download LibreOffice & get on with writing. The more things you depend on the greater the probability that one of them will stop the show.

HP creates laptop for SITH LORDS

Re: KB3035583 yet again

"MS is rapidly turning Windows into a system I'll use for gaming "

And the most complex game seems to be avoiding Microsoft.

Silicon Valley fights European Court of Justice ruling with small print

Re: Makes no sense

"Then why did this ECJ decision take over a decade?"

Like any court it can only adjudicate on cases presented to it. Up until now nobody's sent it such a case.

Re: lack of realpolitik

but we can't guarantee that our own government won't look at if they put their mind to it so we'll undertake to compensate you if they do as we can't be arsed to set up where our government can't poke its fingers in.

FTFY

Re: The problem is

"As the exporter is effectively the controller of the data they already carry that liability which would fall under the EU jurisdiction the customer and/or controller are in."

I know. The trouble is that AFAICS the Commission is now trying to throw this over the wall. The data subject is to be able to claim from the importer.

It's a big mess. As a data subject am I supposed to be bound by an agreement between my supplier and a third party? If the theory is that this is going to be covered by small print or by some 3 pixel high, pre-ticked, well-hidden box it's going to fail on the basis of unfair terms and/or lack of informed consent. The trouble is it's going to cost someone a lot in legal fees, time and trouble to take all this to court and get the precedents set. Possibly a data protection regulator with teeth is going to call BS on it in that the circumstances that invalidate safe harbour also apply to such clauses. Would that be the ICO?

Re: Makes no sense

"Clause 5: the data importer agrees and warrants.. that he has no reason to believe that the legislation applicable to him prevents him from fulfilling his obligations...?"

If I were a US-based data importer I don't see how I could stand over that clause in an EU court*. Ignorance of the law is no excuse.

*And in my time I've written a lot of stuff I had to be able to stand over in court.

"Those who needed the Safe Harbor rather than any of the other exemptions can no longer do so, but presumably can now sue the Commission for any costs in relocating to Bulgaria or Argentina and losses during the transition that are directly attributable to not correctly implementing a directive."

How so? The safe harbour provisions pre-date the PATRIOT act which has made them invalid in the eyes of the ECJ. So if anybody is responsible for compensating anybod it must be the US govt. Good luck with that.

Re: The problem is

"That the same key reason why the ECJ ruled that the safe harbor provisions dont apply will also cover Binding Corporate Rules and Model Contract Clauses."

And it will end up back in the ECJ with a similar decision.

At the very minimum the data exporter should be liable to the EU resident, not the importer, with the case to be heard in an EU court.

VW offices, employees' homes raided by German prosecutors

"In this case the engine control appears to have had a sort of Road Plan and Test Plan etc"

In this case yes. But if there was no adequate oversight in the whole process what's to stop some other case happening such as in some circumstances the throttle doesn't close when the driver lifts off?

'Safe Harbor': People in Europe 'can get quite litigious about this'

the shift in the legislative landscape

I think the guy needs to understand a bit about law. Legislation is what legislatures produce - statutes. Courts interpret those to apply them to the facts of specific cases. So the ECJ's decision is not legislation. There's been no recent legislative shift. The most recent shift was in the US. It was the PATRIOT act.

What the ECJ has done is interpret existing EU law in a case in which the facts include the current state of data protection in the US in the wake of the PATRIOT act.

It should have been quite clear for several years that any time anybody took the Safe Harbour to court it would be found wanting. It's amazing it lasted so long.

Team Microsoft: Device Police... 'Are you pumped? I'm pumped'

Continuum

If the idea is that the interface should adapt to the display/device type why did the go to the trouble of trying to build a one-size-fits-all interface for 8? Alternatively, if they realised after the reaction to 8 that this really wasn't such a good idea, why didn't they revert the desktop aspect back to what had been more widely accepted for 10? Will there be another iteration in a few years time?

Microsoft tool-crafter Idera buys database, app firm Embarcadero

What does Ms Stob have to say about this?

HP boss hopes MS Surface Book will jack up notebook prices

The arrival of a high price-tag MS laptop isn't really going to have any effect on customers' budgets unless the boss spends a bit more on his so everybody else's is going to have to be a little bit cheaper. I'm not sure how that works out for HP.

Talk revealing p0wnable surveillance cams pulled after legal threat

We need new terminology

Insecurity cameras.

America's top courts may have to prove how truly dull they are by law

"Would you want to be a witness being interrogated by a hostile lawyer, and knowing that possibly thousands of people are getting their kicks watching you?"

Having been a witness many times I agree with your sentiment. However, according to the article this only applies to the courts of appeal and supreme court. If these are anything like their UK equivalents they deal with points of law. The witness evidence has been taken in the lower courts. And if these hearings involve the likes of Prenda law they should be way more entertaining than the those lower courts.

Alleged Anonymous-aiding journo's brief tells jury nowt's been proven

Re: Wow...

"It's not worth the stress or resentment."

It can even be profitable. Two months after leaving my recently ex-boss decided to emigrate. So there was a 3 month freelance gig to pick up some of his stuff & a 3 month extension.

Assange™ offered 'plans for escape by flying fox to Harrods'

"But is there any documented proof of a diplomatically sealed trunk or other container large enough to contain a person and breathing equipment?"

No problem. Just leave out the breathing equipment.

"3 and a quarter years of self imprisonment"

When he finally comes out & gets nabbed will he try to get it counted against sentence like time on remand?

EU desperately pushes just-as-dodgy safe harbour alternatives

I suppose that after a suitable period of posturing the US will have to accept one of two things. Safe harbour is dead or they will have to create a new framework in which it is actually acceptable.

The latter alternative requires them to change their own behaviour. It's the main point at issue and there's not getting round it. No amount of model clauses or other guff is worth any more than the original agreement unless the US accepts its culpability here & deals with it.

White House 'deeply disappointed' by Europe outlawing Silicon Valley

Re: About time the EU did that.

"treaty"

It wasn't even a treaty. It was just a mutual agreement to look the other way.

"I've just consulted my crystal ball"

Just the one? What's the other made out of?

Re: Dear US government, there is something you have forgotten..

"Creating trust is difficult, but destroying it takes little."

Very true. And rebuilding it once it's destroyed is the hardest thing of all.

Re: @ Grikath

"My current one is chainsaws.

I've already got 2, how many more do you think I need?!"

Maybe another to lend to Dabbsy.

Re: Tantrum coming in 3, 2, 1...

"In the past, it came in handy to rescue the Brits from the Germans...."

Maybe you watched that film where the US Navy helped BP to break Enigma codes?

Join Uber in a tale of rent seeking and employment law

"the UK test for whether you're a contractor is ... how many different people do you work for?"

"To suggest that a company must abandon a customer who provides regular business simply to prove its independence is an unreasonable restraint of trade"

Apart from that there are other tests. I'd have thought that "provides own equipment" would be fairly significant. BYOD may be blurring that but one would hope that the Uber driver has paid more than the cost of an iPad for his vehicle.

Silicon Valley now 'illegal' in Europe: Why Schrems vs Facebook is such a biggie

"IIf I e-mail a company in the EU, I have a reasonable expectation that that data stays inside the EU."

I should have quoted more of the original article:

" Imagine you’re a UK resident business, and you're using Google for email. What happens when I email you? You'll receive my message on US-owned infrastructure. Before you've gained my permission, you've exported my personal data - and maybe it’s even privileged information - to a third party entity.

That's because the recipient of the email - in this case you - export the data to a third party without the sender's permission."

In this case it's explicit that the email service is run by Google so there's no reasonable expectation that it would remain in the EU. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

Re: I can see only one solution to this

"If I were the CEO etc I would be asking several underlings what they have done to be ready and if nothing showing them the door."

The underlings might remind you of their several requests to do this which you quashed. Not that that would help them of course.

Re: Perhaps anything, but probably not

"Unless something happens quickly, we may have to change the services we use."

As things stand the Schrem case now goes back to the Irish court with the ECJ ruling to guide it. Courts are involved so your concept of quickly may need some adjustment. But that gives you time to explore alternatives.

Re: Perhaps anything, but probably not

"Then there is the price difference between between American offerings and local counterparts. This won't just hurt American corporations, it will hurt everyone."

No, it won't hurt those local counterparts you just mentioned.

"There's no real doubt"

In your mind, it would seem. But some of us like evidence.

"US companies that export data are fundamentally illegal in Europe."

Actually it's any company that exports personal data to the US.

"That's because the recipient of the email - in this case you - export the data to a third party without the sender's permission."

Actually, this one doesn't fly. The sender of the email exported his own data.

"Brussels doesn't have the institutional machinery, or maybe even the brains, to fix this one."

Or the balls.

'the US doesn't recognise an "abroad"'

I'm not sure of that. The abroad where companies like Apple accumulate their income outside the US tax regime seem to be recognised OK. The Microsoft case seems to hinge on the fact that for whatever reason (and none that I can think of do the originator of the case any credit) someone decided to try to bypass the existing mechanism which the treaty with abroad would have enabled to try for a warrant in Ireland. And AFAIK the basis of their case is that records which Microsoft hold in trust for other people are somehow Microsoft's own records which they're entitled to demand because Microsoft is a US company. I don't see any problem with them going after records of a US company such as Enron wherever they're held.

And I assume that the Computer & Communications Industry Association largely represents US companies interests. If the ruling means that work formerly done in the US has to be done in Europe its hard to see how it isn't going to help the European IT industry.

One of the interesting aspects of this is how it's going to extend. Will the court rule it impossible to process personal data in the UK? Or France? Or India?

Surface Book: Microsoft to turn unsuccessful tab into unsuccessful laptop

" terra

I think that bit of kit you're so proud of has an obscure fault. The only upper case letter that works seems to be the "A".

Safe harbour ruling: RELAX, Facebook and Google will be FINE!

Re: For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap

"US has anti-terror legislation that trumps any other legislation"

Yes, but this is not having PROPER data protection legislation. As the OP put it and you quoted, it's proper data protection legislation that's needed.

Linux kernel dev who asked Linus Torvalds to stop verbal abuse quits over verbal abuse

Re: Torvalds is a dinosaur (personally)

"Torvalds is a clearly a BAD manager, and has been promoted beyond his capabilities."

Did you forget the joke icon? It's his abilities that have put him where he is. The similarity between "Linus" and "Linux" isn't a coincidence.

But the consequence is that the culture of the project is what he makes it. If you don't accept the culture don't be part of the project.

Re: At some point I might resign from my job

"Much as Torvalds does himself - don't say much, but if necessary say it in a way to get maximum exposure."

If you read even a little of the kernel mailing list you'll find that he has a lot to say only a tiny proportion of which makes the headlines.

Re: The problem is, usually Linus is right

"Saying that a volunteer is responsible is not quite correct"

As I understand it she was a sub-system maintainer. That is a responsible role. Being a volunteer does not absolve one of responsibility. My wife is a volunteer in a charity shop but she has a responsibility to put the cash into the till, not take it out.

Re: The problem is, usually Linus is right @ Christian Berger

Thanks, Christian, an interesting read. I can't help thinking that college education has been greatly over-extended to those who can't handle it.

Re: YoLotD

Is it the kernel that's the problem or the fact that people want to do stuff with it?

'One Windows' crunch time: Microsoft tempts with glittery new devices

Re: MS on to something with the 'One Windows' strategy?

"most of us will have moved to a web style laptop in 10 years such as Chrome OS"

What a dreadful thought. Not that I have anything against Chrome OS as such, it's the concept.

If you wanted Windows 10, it looks like you've already installed it

Re: Windows 10 on floppy…

"And then I did an rm -rf * in the wrong place and had to do it all again."

A valuable learning experience about the dangers of doing stuff in root.

Australian boffins say Quantum Pentiums are on the horizon

Re: I would guess

They'd get rid of the boxed mice http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/10/04/mysterious_brown_spots/

Potent OWA backdoor scores 11,000 corporate creds from single biz

Re: So how did it get on there?

I agree it's unclear. But it does sound as if Cybereason were brought in after the client realised they had a problem so it's not a pen test. I'd guess the original break-in was a sysadmin being phished.