Posts by Grunchy

Fancy trying to explain Microsoft Teams to your parents? They may ask about the new Personal version

Story is actually from Nov 2020

According to these guys here:

https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft-teams-personal-use-rolls-out-web-and-desktop-24-hour-calling

I do have awesome news for cheapskates like me who have a thrift-store PS3 Eye webcam who can't get it to work on Windows 64-bit because there's only 32-bit drivers, and 64-bit Teams won't use 32-bit webcams (it's like, obstinate about it).

The trick is to use the 32-bit edition of OBS studio freeware and install the virtual webcam extension, which presents to Windows as a 64-bit service.

What you do is restrict the video capture from the full-res 640x480 to a diminished window of 640x360, and by cutting off those 120 vertical pixels the remaining picture is of 16:9 proportion, and can then be served via Teams as a mock 720P picture.

The best part is you can avoid "ManyCam" scamware, defy Microsoft's forced obsolescence of 32-bit web cameras, and compel your workplace to suffer with the low-res output of your thrift store prowess. Universal win on all fronts & I can confirm it actually works in the end. I am not a crank!

Gone in 60 electrons: Digital art swaggers down the cul-de-sac of obsolescence

Re: I keep my comic collection in shoe boxes...

I’ve got just about every single Whizzer & Chips Christmas annual, plus I’ve got two complete copies of all the Doc Savage pulps also. Luckily it looks like The Rock isn’t ever going to follow through on his threats to remake the original 1975 movie (which featured Ron Ely, famous for portraying Tarzan in the 1960s, but sadly could not replicate Weismuller’s iconic whooping call).

Re: That's a feature, not a bug

The industry may cheat songwriters, but I have a problem finding anything entertaining enough I would feel compelled to pay for!

Most “entertainment” seems to me self-indulgent garbage that is, incidentally, also not entertaining.

You know what I like about Project Gutenberg, they have some genuinely interesting material, it’s in open PDF format, and the price is right.

Totally Mad

Yup, I too have Br0derbund’s (C) 2006 set of 7 CD-roms including every single issue of Mad... er, up to 2006, that is.

https://www.amazon.com/Broderbund-Totally-Mad/dp/B00113N12E

I actually still have my Sony Vaio UGN-VX50 Ultra Mobile PC (that runs Windows XP), sadly it never could play a CD-rom (being physically smaller than a CD-rom).

I did make CD images, which are on the HDD somewhere, but then why do I keep the CDs anymore?

What, me worry?

US declares emergency after ransomware shuts oil pipeline that pumps 100 million gallons a day

They may have reversed the flow. Luckily you can disconnect power while resetting the system.

Shut down all pipelines!

Shut down ALL pipelines, beginning with all city sewers.

NASA’s getting really good at this flying a helicopter on Mars thing

Totally not in Arizona

If they keep jacking around they’re going to break that stupid thing.

As for the guys insisting that footage was “totally” in Arizona, maybe not?

I’m thinking it could actually be in Mexico.

Spotlight on Apple, Google app stores: What happened to Tile, Spotify, Match – and that proposed law in Arizona

Same as McShakes

The lid was blown off a similar scheme between McDonalds Corp and Taylor refrigeration to exercise monopoly power over franchisees to lock them into faulty buggy ice cream machines and frequent and expensive servicing fees.

https://youtu.be/SrDEtSlqJC4

Not to mention John Deere holding farmer’s tractors hostage with software locks and warrantee threats, etc.

https://youtu.be/EPYy_g8NzmI

“Absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

How not to apply for a new job: Apply for it on a job site

Smacks of Cringely

You should watch out you'll go blind, like Cringely.

Do you know he still has people griping about his kickstarter campaign for raspberry pi minecraft servers??

Oh hello. Haven't heard much from you lately: Linux veteran Slackware rides again with a beta of version 15

Bob Dobbs

This is that Linux from Lou's older brother.

UK's National Cyber Security Centre recommends password generation idea suggested by El Reg commenter

Re: Set up for dictionary based attacks?

43 Walruses Vomit...?

I had the same password idea!

(Mine vomit "human toes" shh)

Locked Out of Twitter

Because of an ill-advised comment uttered approximately at the same time as a certain "Dunnild Tramp" got his own ass banned, the Twitter organization has invited me to delete said comment and thus regain access to their fine web property. But in order to do that they want to make sure I provide to them my cell phone number. But I aint got none.

So I'm like, "bother!"

Anyway who cares.

(Hack away at my Twit account - I dares ya)

Tesla broke US labor law with anti-union efforts – watchdog

Re: Charging infrastructure

People are afraid of change precisely to the extent that they cannot foresee what kind of BS problems they are going to have to deal with.

I personally don't like those gimmicky retracting door handles, you know what happens when that nonsense wears out and becomes glitchy and you have to crawl in through the trunk?

I'll tell you right now that your #1 problem is going to be me laughing in your fool face for buying into that crap!

No joy for Julian Assange as Uncle Sam confirms it will keep pushing for WikiLeaker's extradition to America

I have a theory about why Julian Assange is so fearful of extradition, it’s because he did all the crimes that he was accused of and he knows he has no defence.

You guys he’s really sad and fearful about facing consequences for his crimes, maybe we should give him a break this one time?

Choc horror: The UK's Information Commisioner probes its own mammoth £6,248 Hotel Chocolat spend

Count Chocula

One.. one box of treats per staff! Ma ha ha.

Oracle exhumes ‘Older, Still Useful Content’ penned by Solaris and SPARC veterans

Oh? Bring back Vans Hardware

He still remembers Ole Reg! But nobody mentions him no more.

VansHardware.com, come on now.

Unexpected risks of using Apple ID: 'Sign in with Apple' will be blocked for Epic Games

You still need to push your info into “the cloud”

Ever notice how they call it “cloud computing” rather than “forfeiting control to our organization with unknown security, resources, finances, and reliability”, and which organization could get hacked or vanish completely at any second, if not steal your data themselves or suddenly require you to pay ransom. Oh and you have no idea who any of them are or where they are located on the planet, or if they are on the planet at all (could possibly reside on stolen space on any of thousands of whirling satellites, for all you know).

Oh yes, I stashed ALL my data in the cloud, wouldn’t you?!

One minute you're a peripheral maker chugging along nicely, the next the world can't seem to get enough of Logitech's kit

K400 is like pretty much the best home theatre keyboard but it’s limited to linking to just one dongle, dang it. It’s like this one keyboard could have worked on everything, but no, you’ve got to move the dongle too. And there’s zero chance Logitech is gonna fix their firmware, too. Curses!

Leaked memo suggests LG is thinking about quitting the smartphone biz in 2021

Oh I buy everything from Lucky Goldstar, I have no idea why everyone else doesn’t do likewise?

:droll:

Over long US weekend, GitHub HR boss quit after firing Jewish staffer who warned Nazis were at the Capitol

Blues Brothers

The best scene was when the f’ing Nazis won their court case and were out marching and blocking traffic, and it took Elwood’s Bluesmobile to chase em off the bridge.

The world needs more Dodges.

Failed insurrection aside, Biden is going to be president in two weeks. What does it mean for tech policy?

Re: US (Affordable Care Act)

Health care insurance is just as communist as automobile insurance or life insurance or homeowners insurance. As if, what! A tornado is coming to knock down my house or damage my car, I don’t ruddy well think so! Or “covid is threatening my life,” nice try, commie. Got vodka to go with those peanuts?

Oh, the USA backs coups all the time. Get real.

Prison guards? If you need to protect somebody, just put em in solitary. Easy.

Psyche!

I heard Pence intends to supersede Trump via 5th amendment, then when nobodies looking he steals congress by executive order, pardons himself, and has govornment run out of town on the rail. Then he retires to tahiti where they still have, “tahiti treat.”

(Epilogue: trump gets demoted to bellhop after putin calls his loans and installs new leadership at the very nice hotel, be a shame if something were to happen to it.)

If you're a WhatsApp user, you'll have to share your personal data with Facebook's empire from next month – or stop using the chat app

Re: TinyProxy

“Google docs,” ha ha, that’s hilarious.

I still use VI for all my text editing needs!

(We are the true “sixers” not those fake boys.)

Re: Being a refusnik is not difficult.

I remember when the big deal was BBM standing for, “black berry messenger.”

I made an app but put conditions on how you can use it

If you don’t like the conditions don’t use the app.

I tried to sign up to Facebook with my genuine name, “Akmar Oblong,” and they said I’m a fake and I’m not allowed!

So I demanded a refund and they ignored me!

Now I’m an internet bellower!

Thanks a LOT, Elon Musk, or whatever your ‘real’ name is.

Cyberpunk 2077: There's a great game within screaming to get out, but sadly it was released 57 years too early

Yes but have you ever *read* the Neuromancer?

It’s like the God-damndest worst book I’d ever seen. I found an original 1984 copy at the thrift store, which they gave to me for free just to be rid of it. It’s nothing but utter trash from start up to about page 100, at which point it unfortunately got sent to recycling.

Everybody's time is precious, pal: Sometimes it isn't only the terminals that are dumb

Re: One of my favs

ATDP 8675309

Why make games for Linux if they don't sell? Because the nerds are just grateful to get something that works

Steam on OSX

I have a steam account and I have some games that have both Windows & Macintosh ports. I also have a Mac Pro with Xeon that I can dual boot into Win 10 or Mac-OS or presumably some Linux, if I wanted.

The exact same game (Dirt Rally) on the exact same computer runs great as Windows, runs horrible as Mac-OS. Why is that? I asked Codemasters. They responded, “we don’t give a damn about whatever your tawken about”.

Which is a shame because I bought the Mac Pro strictly to enjoy some OSX, not to be a half-baked Windows machine.

Trump fires cybersecurity boss Chris Krebs for doing his job: Securing the election and telling the truth about it

Ah yes, the American political circus. Let’s gaze upon the spectacle of stupidity.

McAfee rattles tin for $600m+ in fresh IPO filing valuing firm at $3.6bn

People still buy antivirus?

I’ve never paid a cent for antivirus so I’m genuinely surprised at the valuation.

Oh well, live & learn.

Selling hardware on a pay-per-use or subscription model is a 'lie' created by marketing bods

Re: Spot on!

I personally don’t pay for any “software as service”, nor “hardware as service” either. I also actively campaign against all such schemes, too.

The only cloud services I subscribe to are free ones such as gmail.

Opex is nothing but a nightmare scenario which any video gamer has first-hand experience with: when the day comes to shut the service down it’s always for the vendor’s advantage, never for the subscribers.

Oh and that crack about avoiding maintenance and such? Not only does the vendor expect that the subscription fees pay for all of the capital cost and ongoing operating costs, he also wants a sizeable profit to boot, in addition to complete control including the power to shut down the service at any second (or else exercise his monopoly powers and jack rates up 10 fold).

I’m a gamer. All cloud schemes are bad. I know firsthand.

Unprotected quantum 'puters may hit 4ms brick wall, thanks to background radiation slashing qubit lifespans

Re: B*ll*cks

4ms is not enough time to teach it phenomenology.

Here's some words we never expected to write: Oracle said to offer $10bn cash, $10bn shares for TikTok US – plus profit share promise

I have nothing to do with Oracle or Tik Tok so whatever.

It's like, "blocks of ice found on mars!" and I'm all, whatever.

So long, Top Gun... AI software waxes US F-16 pilot's tail 5-0 during virtual dogfight drills

EMP hoax!

It’s a book somebody wrote!

https://www.amazon.com/EMP-Hoax-David-Hathaway/dp/1983751758

Re: Awesome

Nice try, Hal

Toshiba formally and finally exits laptop business

From Sharp minds come Toshiba products.

Whoops, our bad, we may have 'accidentally' let Google Home devices record your every word, sound – oops

Re: Simple Solution

Yeah but they followed you around with your phone... that has a microphone...

Everybody, just relax... what I heard was that somebody at Google was merely curious about where a certain person was in the world, and only made the mistake long enough that the person was found.

None of you need to worry about it, they weren't looking for you this time!

Legendary Li-ion battery boffin John Goodenough to develop gel power packs with South Korea's SK Innovation

Thunderf00t busted Goodenough back in 2017

Goodenough was caught making unsubstantiated claims:

https://youtu.be/8RbwOhM6PUk

Is this present news cause for another busting?

They've only gone and bloody done it! NASA, SpaceX send two fellas off to the International Space Station

Re: You

That reminds me of the time Rocketlab demonstrated how trivial it was to snag a rocket by its parachute. You know, the far cheaper and easier and more reliable option.

America finally launched a rocket!

Big whoopy ding!

Also: America landed plenty of rockets on top of their thrusters, in the 1960s, on the MOON.

Colour me a little underwhelmed...

OK brainiacs, we've got an IT cold case for you: Fatal disk errors on an Amiga 4000 with 600MB external SCSI unless the clock app is... just so

Re: The root of the problem

...and I was just about to gripe about LS120 super disks, too...

Tesla downs tools in California, New York amid 'non-essential' biz clampdown

Re: I didn't think Electric Jesus believed in the virus

Musk is a denier of things being able to grow exponentially. David Suzuki had a famous quip about exponential growth: in a jar of bacteria that doubles in population each minute, it only notices a problem when the jar has finally filled to the half-way mark.

The Reg produces exhibit A1: A UK court IT system running Windows XP

My Sony UX533 still runs XP

It runs XP just fine, thanks. Microsoft and IT professionals the world over issued dire warnings of, what, impending doom, calamity, destruction. Look it's just for playing Solitaire and Minesweeper, ok? Maybe a bit of 3d pinball. That's about it. Get over it, I still like me old Sony UX533.

California tech industry gets its first big coronavirus hit: RSA Conference attendee infected, in serious condition

Its worse than you think

The virus has anywhere from 2-6% death rate, which is terrible, but about 12% get “severe” symptoms, possibly leading to the need of a medically-induced coma, as in the case mentioned. So it’s a lot more life-threatening than you might think.

Probably people need to be shown footage of patient’s suffering so they can become patient enough to wash (with soap) for the recommended minimum 20 seconds.

Who's got the WD-40? Owners of Motorola's rebooted Razr whinge about creaky hinge

I preferred the original StarTac, who cares about the Razr. They brought back the wrong one!

Artful prankster creates Google Maps traffic jams by walking a cartful of old phones around Berlin

So what’s the deal

Are you guys gonna extradite Assange, or what.

IBM, Microsoft, a medley of others sing support for Google against Oracle in Supremes' Java API copyright case

Re: Obviously, all the big cloud providers want to be free to copy anybody's API...

That works for me, I don't intend to pay anybody for software, ever.