Posts by bombastic bob

Microsoft quits giving us the silent treatment on Windows 10 updates

Re: Microsoft... shooting itself in the foot for four decades

"increase shareholder value" is a good thing, actually.

Microsoft unfortunately seeks to do so by CRAMMING WINDOWS 10 onto our 7 computers, and by doing "nefarious things" in windows 10 (like the adware and spyware) and NOT listening to customer complaints (in fact, BANNING YOU (or threatening same) for being 'negative' about W10 over on the Microsoft 'answer' forums).

So the REAL problem has NOTHING to do with seeking a good 'bottom line'. THAT is a GOOD thing. It has to do with Microsoft's attitude about its CUSTOMERS, the people who MAKE a good bottom line HAPPEN, and instead of being BURGER KING (i.e. "have it YOUR way"), they're being EVIL SOCIALIST DICTATORS (take the mediocrity and shut up).

AdBlock Plus, websites draft peace deal so ads can bypass blockade

Let's start by defining UNACCEPTABLE ads

Well, if the only thing that THIS ad blocker can do is block the UNACCEPTABLE ads, perhaps that's not so bad [ok I hate the idea but still].

So let's define what UNACCEPTABLE ads are. I have a short list of criteria (any one item qualifies the ad as 'unacceptable')

1. Anything that runs script as part of the ad. UNACCEPTABLE

2. Anything that tracks me via 3rd party 'whatever'. UNACCEPTABLE

3. Anything that might cause a bandwidth overage or slow load times.

4. FLASH, webm, HTML5 A/V content, *ALL* unacceptable

5. Animated GIFs while we're at it - UNACCEPTABLE

6. directly downloads ANYTHING when clicked on - UNACCEPTABLE

7. "requires this plugin" to view the ad - UNACCEPTABLE

8. "click through" to see web page content - UNACCEPTABLE

there's a good start. any other takers?

Windows 10 will now automatically download and install on PCs

Re: Endless loop of stupidity

"30 GOTO 10"

yeah, Microsoft has "one too many" 'GOTO 10' lines.

/me thinks of Calculon saying this to Bender in a Futurama episode...

Re: Huh

"Agreed they could hoover up Vista but how mamy people out there are still running it?"

well, someone I know runs Vista on a Vaio [it came WITH it], has no major problems doing so (other than occasional irritations and slow startup), and I've got at least 1 Vista license key for Home/Premium if I ever need it...

that assumes that 7 may some day be FORCIBLY "UP"graded to W10 if I'm not careful. Vista won't, making me "safe".

Re: Is the End Nigh?

"I think there is a good chance they'll extend the 1 year free upgrade. Already Windows 10 is on 1/3 as many computers as Windows 7. It dwarfs Windows 8 use. And it has passed Windows 8.1 use."

If I read this correctly, you think that ~7 months of "this", with W10 being *FREE*, and ONLY being 1/3 of the number of 7 holdouts is GOOD progress? in light of MS shoving up/down/into various customer orifices with the latest "might as well be MANDATORY" 'update' is a sign it's NOT working...

but they may continue with the 'free upgrade', like you said. not because it's WORKING, but because it is NOT working!

Re: I will tell you why MS is pushing so hard for Windows 10.

"I will tell you why MS is pushing so hard for Windows 10, since apparently it is not obvious."

actually, it _IS_ obvious, but your point of "cost cutting" for OS maintenance is only a PART of it. I'd consider up-voting you for getting that ONE aspect right.

The MAIN reason they push so hard for windows 10 is that they COMPLETELY BLEW IT and want to "save face". Otherwise, why would W10 have the OBVIOUS FAIL of that UGLY FLAT 2D LOOK like "Ape" (8)??? Sinofsky COMPLETELY SCREWED THE POOCH with that, and the tile screen, and "the METRO". And yet, some of THE WORST of that ended up in 10 anyway...

"Saving Face" indeed. Even while being wrong. They're going to STAY wrong, and FORCE EVERYONE ELSE onto the bandwagon, whether you want it or not, DANGIT, and it's MICROSOFT'S WAY or THE HIGHWAY.

In addition to "cost cutting", which would sell well to the board of directors...

[but Microsoft forgot Business 101, the CUSTOMER is ALWAYS RIGHT, and Burger King's "have it your way" is the EPITOME of that, not Microsoft's "Take it OUR way, or we SHOVE IT DOWN YOUR THROAT"]

ULTIMATELY, however, it came from this: The Product Lifecycle!

a normal product lifecycle peaks and then drops off. you want to replace it with SOMETHING before the drop-off, to extend the product line. Unfortunately, a lot of factors caused desktop windows SALES to decline, mostly W8, Moore's law going 'wide' (# cores) instead of 'tall' (speed), and the perception that "new" is not necessarily "better than what you have" [W8 pretty much staked that one into the ground]. And most of these have NOTHING to do with people 'switching over' to slabs/phones, because people have NOT done this (MS got THAT wrong, too). But Microsoft produced a PHONE OS for the desktop, and focused on their recently purchased PHONE business, slabs, and FORCING people to "up"grade at MICROSOFT's convenience. Predictable fail results.

Re: Sigh - Not again

"Large file copies and loads, intensive graphics / gaming, etc., etc."

no, not true; in fact, games written for OpenGL and/or SDL should OUTPERFORM ActiveX games. Unfortunately, most game developers "drank the coolaid" and went with ActiveX; but not ALL...

As for 'large file copies' I think THAT claim can SWIFTLY be DE-BUNKED. This is because Linux does WRITE-CACHEING (background physical write), whereas Microsoft does "paranoid cacheing" [i.e. wait for physical write to disk before continuing].

I did some performance testing of XP vs BSD and Linux a while back. XP results were always SLOWER, particularly for ACROSS THE NETWORK copies, using Samba vs windows 'share', on reasonably identical hardware. The network protocols went FASTER with BSD and Linux. And DISK WRITES were ALSO faster with BSD and Linux. And though 7's performance may have improved a TINY BIT over XP, it's well known it got WORSE in 8, and *MAYBE* slightly better in 10.

But without PROPER WRITE CACHING, there is NO way it could be faster than Linux or BSD to copy large files on Windows. Not in a FAIR test.

Re: It's like a fish taken out of the water...

I once fileted a catfish that had been on ice for >24 hours, still moving. I cut half the fish's side off, flipped it over to do the other side, and it's still moving. That's Microsoft pushing Windows 10, alright...

Re: Die, Dammit!

"Die, Upgrade Win10! DIE!!"

soon to become an UNDEAD HORSE, unless...

somehow, the proverbial manure hits the proverbial fan, and Microsoft is *FORCED* to re-think what they've done with GWX. And someone[s] gets fired over it.

give it another few weeks, and this MAY happen, _ESPECIALLY_ if one of the class action lawsuits causes an INJUNCTION! After all, when you installed 7, you did *NOT* "agree" to GWX...

Re: A few. .

"I have disabled updates on my work PC, IT IS STAYING WIN 7"

'ACK' on 'staying win 7'.

I've disabled *AUTOMATIC* updates/downloads for sure, but I'll _DEFINITELY_ vet anything marked 'security patch' for the next few months, be VERY critical of everything else, and THEN see what happens after July...

the XP machine I use for accounting and music production doesn't go online via a web browser [except to download tax software or something similar to that]. The two 7 machines I use (one a VM, one an old laptop) are both 'work machines' for software development and testing only (as per the MSDN license). So *WHY* would I want to "UP"grade something I *NEED* to test software on? "It works on 10" doesn't cut it with ME. They stay '7' machines.

Plus I hate the 2D UGLY of "Ape" (8.x) and 10 [among other things].

I just hope it's *STILL* possible to clean-install 7 from a DVD and then NOT have it try to "up"grade itself to 10.

"OS-X - now well over 2,000 known vulnerabilities, Linux kernel now on well over 1,300"

I saw someone over on the 'answers' Microsoft forum that was trying to spread FUD like this, a while back. Words like 'sycophant', 'shill', and 'fanboi' come to mind.

And, _THOSE_ claims are just NOT true. Did they come from HERE, by any chance?

http://www.gfi.com/blog/most-vulnerable-operating-systems-and-applications-in-2014/

I question the validity of pretty much EVERYTHING that this guy is saying. One comment in particular pretty much sums up why:

"This article insults my intelligence at the highest level! What versions of Linux and OS X are you referring to, and why is Windows broken out by version"

lies, DANG lies, and statistics, indeed.

Chip company FTDI accused of bricking counterfeits again

Re: Linux?

I believe that FreeBSD has an open source FTDI USB driver, and because of that, it should be possible to port it to other operating systems. Perhaps THAT is part of the solution?

This also opens up the need for a generic USERLAND 'libusb' equivalent for Windows... in fact, how about USERLAND DRIVERS for all KINDS of things that FreeBSD and Linux both have (like Fuse FS, for starters), but in Windows, so we don't have to rely on *SIGNED* kernel drivers any more...

Cloud growth? Take a number, Microsoft. Two engines have stalled

'software rental' isn't new. back in the mainframe and minicomputer days, periodic license fees AND support contracts were the way they did business [vertical market]. It still is, actually.

doing that for our PCs, though, is a mistake. most people perceive OWNING the PC, *not* having to rent a space for it in the OS trailer park.

Re: New business plan

Linux might have to become less restrictive on its GPL-related policies, "tainted" drivers, not including things with the kernel, etc.. Even ZFS suffers from that kind of thinking.

But Linux is DEFINITELY a 'choice' for an alternative to Microsoft's near-monopoly on desktop and notebook operating systems. Linux ALREADY owns the mobile world. Microsoft won't succeed by turning desktops into oversized PHONES with their "Phone OS" known as W10. And W10 HAPPENS to run on a desktop. Wheeee.

Intel and AMD should invest HEAVILY into Linux, just so they'll be able to SELL CHIPS FOR NEW COMPUTERS.

and BSD is fine with me, too, since I use FreeBSD for my 'daily OS'. Either one would work, but I think the Linux distros ARE getting more development effort and support these days. for now.

Re: This'll be downvoted but...

"Last weekend I converted yet another friends computer to Mint"

no downvote from ME!

"People just don't like Microsoft's new way of doing business... which is, screw the customer harder than ever before. Spy on them, force them to upgrade and give them no quarter."

I had been complaining for MONTHS over in discussions on Microsoft's 'answer' forums about how us customers aren't treated like customers by Microsoft, a clear violation of the principles taught in any 'Business 101' class. But of course the mods finally got tired of me over there, so I left before they banned me for saying things like that (along with a significant number of others, with similar stories, saying similar things).

Microsoft SAID they wanted feedback from customers when they developed Windows 10, but in truth, they ONLY want SYCOPHANTIC feedback and "fan-dom". They are REFUSING to see that people really do NOT like the spyware, adware, and strong-arming tactics associated with Windows 10 and the general direction they're moving. (not to mention 2D flat ugly like 8!)

And so, the Q1 and Q2 numbers ARE predictable, and Microsoft must "cook the books" to try to make it look like it's not as bad as it is so the investors don't SCREAM.

Microsoft abandoned what they were good at 10+ years ago, and then jumped (and tried to grab at) a bunch of straws. Oops. Arthur C. Clarke's "Superiority" comes to mind, as do the 'whiz kids' under LBJ's administration in the 1960's, and their general micro/mis-management of the Vietnam war.

The prevailing BAD ATTITUDE at Microsoft is PROBABLY a "bunch of kids" (now running the show) that think they're SMARTER than the previous people that either retired, or left for other places, and it's THEIR TURN now to PROVE how much SMARTER *THEY* are by no longer BUILDING ON what was done before, but RE-INVENTING IT because it's THEIR CHANCE and THEIR TURN to do it THEIR WAY. Even when it's WRONG to do so. (clearly obvious to the most casual observer, an observer that is NOT those new 'whiz kids' that is)

You've seen things people wouldn't believe – so tell us your programming horrors

> This 'bug' in some C code cost me some sleepless nights:

> #define ONE 1

> #define TWO ONE + 1

> #define THREE TWO + 1

> What would you expect THREE minus TWO to equal? If you thought ONE, you would be wrong.

> THREE minus TWO equals THREE!

that example belongs in a high school computer math contest

contract: clean up existing code

oh, the HORRORS of being a contractor who ALSO specializes in 'clean up old code'.

Here are 2 examples:

1. lost source files, old bug re-surfaces after modifying "what I could find" to support an updated commercial software package. It was a FORTRAN to COBOL hook that had the bug in it. The programmer forgot that FORTRAN passes values BY REFERENCE and he mucked with the parameter variables within the code. Solution: copy params to new variables, muck with copies. Finding it, however, was a *ROYAL* *PAIN*. Fortunately, this guy's footprint was limited, but I shall forever remember his name.

2. code written by a drunk. literally. the guy used to be half-owner of the company, but he was 'bought out' by his business partner. Afterwards, I came in to help clean up the mess. The programmer used to work for SAIC, had great on-paper credentials. HOWEVER, *most* of his code was obvious copy/pasta with slight modifications to each copy. He discovered that C++ has *CLASSES*, and so EVERYTHING was a 'class', and poorly implemented. And totally against the OOB philosophy, every class mucked with each others' internal workings, with NO documentation/comments/reason whatsoever. When I began working on this cluster-blank, there were SO many memory leaks you had to reboot windows (3.x) after running it ONCE. But the program was SO good in how it generated meaningful output that customers put up with it. I *eventually* got the leak rate pretty low, but never completely solved it. Fortunately, NT could clean up a terminating 'WoW' process, and so that was the "eventual" solution.

In this Facebook and Google-owned world, it's time to rethink privacy

Re: "Or just get a decent widescreen monitor and use that instead?"

if you use a digital TV converter box, they're probably tracking what you watch already. Microsoft also has a patent for determining how many people are 'watching' a particular show, using a camera mounted in a set-top box. Cameras ARE being installed in SOME of them.

So yeah, WHY must TV watch YOU? (or set-top box, whatever) I guess Nielsen ratings are too inefficient, so tracking people substitutes. next it's TARGETED ADS on YOUR feed that DIFFER from what OTHER people see...

Think of it this way: when a digital tuner connects to the server, the server knows what the IP address (or MAC address or whatever) for the digital tuner is. Just collect that data in 'n' minute blocks, upload periodically to the mothership's database, and voila! Instant tracking data on YOUR personal viewing habits! (frequent channel surfing might help to obfuscate things, or not). Knowing it *CAN* be done may be half the battle, but the other half is a lot harder to win.

So the 'digital tuner' is STILL a problem, not just the TV itself. And of course, the 'monitor style' (dumb) televisions cost a LOT less.

Re: The sad thing is that no startup / corp has stepped up and seen a wonderful opportunity here…

"My wife needs a new laptop, but I'm not buying until Linux is offered instead of being perpetually forced to buy windows spyware"

'ACK' on that one, for sure! 'Windows Spyware' aka Windows 10 is taking the lead from what FaceB*TCH and Google are already doing. At least Google ATTEMPTS to let you 'opt out' of a good amount of it, or gives the IMPRESSION of 'opt out'. So are we to wait for the CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS to finally settle all of this, or vote with our wallets? [from what I can tell, "vote with the wallet" has ALREADY begun].

As pointed out, Linux IS already offered as an option, but not always for the BEST laptop with the BEST specs. you might have to pay for a Windows 'X' license and then install Linux yourself, crossing your fingers, toes, and other appendages, doing the 'OS dance', sacrificing a chicken, etc. to get a working computer. (I do this already with FreeBSD)

However, the business opportunity is DEFINITELY there.

I don't use Facebook. EVAR. Why bother? I own 2 domains! I also don't use gmail. I own 2 domains! Tw*tter is a waste of bandwidth, and 'Duck Duck Go' doesn't track me for searches [though I occasionally use OTHER engines when DDG doesn't give me good results]. For work-related things, my customer wants to use Google Docs, so I have a limited footprint THERE [only them, though]. If I *did* put something "in the cloud", *I* would be the only one with the keys to unlock the data, NOT relying on SSL to get it there/back but actually encrypting the data FIRST.

Those who joke it's "paranoia" are probably well-tracked already. 1984 was a typo. And it's not a question of how this data can be used or sold by those who track us, but how it can be ABused by nefarious people who should NOT be able to get their hands on it [but typically DO]. Who's *NEVER* been robbed? Exactly!

I recently got a legit e-mail note from the bank that they reset my password, THEN ANOTHER one a few days later that PRETENDED to be from the bank, but was a PHISHING E-MAIL. I think the perps might've intentionally got me LOCKED OUT so they could PHISH ME, using stolen information from anyone who I might have written a check to and given my e-mail address [ISP, Microsoft, the bank itself...]. I reported the phishing, of course, but having something THAT cleverly done is VERY disturbing, and I'm VERY careful about my information.

So with everything ELSE wrong with Windows 10, Microsoft's LACK of security and the potential trackability of the "MS Logon" (worse than FB or Google ever WANTED to be) just points to even WORSE privacy violation down the road, and more opportunity for criminals.

How to save Wikipedia: Start paying editors ... or write for machines

Re: Remove anonymity

my experience with wikipedia suggests that, in many cases, the topics are "controlled" more or less by people with a particular mindset. Opposing something like 'man made global warming' is a great way to get your posts and modifications edited away, if not worse. That's just ONE possible topic that's met with apparent opposition, and one-sided activism.

Given that it's citizen supported, I can see that "lefties" and "socialists" apparently have more spare time to do this [as 'media matters' employees maybe?] than the "somewhat silent" majority who get along with our daily lives and are more concerned about paying the rent and buying food than being on-line activists.

So "big disclaimer" to wikipedia, as anyone can say anything, and yet I find it to be EXTREMELY useful for a lot of things, particularly engineering and math subjects, things that can't have politics and agendas injected.

2015's horror PC market dropped nine per cent

Re: Windows 10's arrival in business should help sales to pick up

"It's the arrival of Windows 10 which is killing off the PC business."

YOU, sir, are ABSOLUTELY! CORRECT!!! Well said!

And my $.10 worth on this: I predicted it, on Microsoft's 'answers' forum for Windows 10 insiders, and also on USENET in alt.hacker.

Then again, I think it's been predicted by MANY others, and obvious to those of us who read the marketing data (and 'The Register') and see what's going on.

New computers have a hard time selling because Moore's Law is no longer making the PERCEIVED speed 1.5 times last year's model. cores get wider, but OS's like WINDOWS don't take advantage of multi-core very well.

Slabs were a fad, so PART of past sales drops were due to that. Now that slab owners have slabs, it's not so much.

The economy is SUCKING, for political reasons. not saying more. But people have LESS MONEY to spend, so that affects new computer sales.

But the BIG piece, the OBVIOUS piece, is the UGLY 2D FLAT Sinofsky-style interface that made Win 8 computers COLLECT DUST while 7 machines FLEW off of the shelves, a couple of years ago. I read the article about it in 'The Register'. I wish I had a link, though...

So while it's OBVIOUS that "Ape" (8.x) is harming new computer sales, the "threat of windows 10" via GWX, and ACTUAL Windows 10 pre-loaded, is most likely giving people 2nd thoughts when it comes to getting a new computer.

"Let's wait for Microsoft to get it right". I think THAT is going through a LOT of minds of potential new computer buyers.

Eliminating W10 spyware/adware *AND* restoring at least the OPTION of 3D skeumorphic appearance and settings customization (like XP and 7 had) would be a good start.

It's replicant Roy Batty's birthday – but hey, where's my killer robot?

if robot CPU requirement is too large, 'mini-cloud' it

The author said:

"Getting silicon smarter takes huge amounts of computing power – server racks full of hardware and carefully designed software subroutines. Cramming that inside a human-shaped body isn't going to happen for a long time."

For a while, now, I've simply assumed that your robot COULD have a wifi connection to a private 'cloud' server [for lack of a better term] sitting in your closet. So long as the bandwidth needed to make it work is below the threshold caused by maximum distance from the wifi router, it just might work. But then software would have to be sophisticated enough to do this.

As an example, the bandwidth needed for a set of IMU chips to relay balance and motion data back to the server farm would be relatively small, perhaps 128 bytes per millisecond (capturing 6 point X,Y,Z axis acceleration and gyro data), or a bit more if you include magnetic data (i.e. 9 axis) like a typical drone aircraft would have. Being one or two milliseconds off wouldn't matter a whole lot, either, because a tall body balances more easily than a smaller one. Relaying commands back to legs, arms, torso to move and help balance could ALSO be delayed somewhat, without severe consequences.

in any case, if the CPU horsepower needed just can't fit into the robot, then you fit it in the closet, put enough into the robot to minimize bandwidth, use a decent wifi connection, and off you go!

American cable giants go bananas after FCC slams broadband rollout

Re: "FCC's fault"

"I haven't seen any FCC trucks around here laying network cable..."

very true!

"I'm hoping the ISPs get beaten soundly multiple times with a very large stick."

as much as many of us would like to think that it's an evil monolithic monopolistic top-heavy company that grossly overpays its execs and whatnot at the expense of customers and blue-collar technicians, but in THEIR defense, let's go back to the REAL problem here: GOVERNMENTIUM

Now, I've been having a LOT of trouble with my DSL. I have DSL because it's the cheapest solution that gives me the unfiltered static IP address that I need for various reasons. I've had too many hair-pulling events with the ISP tech support in India, but they do what they do properly when their gear is working and the phone line isn't damaged.

Lately, due to El Niño weather in Southern California, my phone line has been really bad, and my internet flaky and unreliable [with audible noise on the line - again]. I've had internet problems about 6 times in the last 6 or 7 months [including this one], one of which was ISP-related, 5 of which were phone-line related. Yeah, it stinks.

The biggest source of the problem, however, is ANCIENT COPPER handling the traffic. San Diego has a BUDGET FOR UNDERGROUNDING THE LINES, however. Problem is GETTING IT DONE.

Back in the day, the phone company would just get permits and DO IT. They didn't have to go through environmental review. They didn't have to go through a political-correctness process of "not doing the rich neighborhoods first and ignoring the ghettos" even though they weren't necessarily DOING that. So the phone company can't do "an entire area" in an economically feasible and time-efficient manner. Oh, no no no! They must *BALANCE* a ghetto neighborhood with the upper-middle-class single family dwelling neighborhood they just did [ even if THOSE houses were built in the 1960's like the one I am in! ] Granted those houses sell for more than $500k and rent for $2k but it's not like I need GHETTO LEVEL phone and DSL service because the lines were last replaced in 1980. But that's my PUNISHMENT for not being one of the 'politically correct class' I guess [even though I'm *NOT* rich, and I rent the house, not own it].

So let's look at what GOVERNMENTIUM is doing to slow down the adoption rate of high speed internet, or even RELIABLE INTERNET at affordable prices, before we point fingers at the cable company or the phone company. And I think we'll find that, as the author pointed out, "FCC's fault" may not be that far off.

Microsoft in 2015: Mobile disasters, Windows 10 and heads in the clouds

windows 10 is NOT well received!

I, too, found those 'glowing references to W10' to be a bit NAUSEATING, and NOT consistent with MY experience.

Like Windows "Ape" (8) and "Ape++" (8.1), Sinofsky's vision of fat-finger-friendly "phone on a desktop" is a complete CLUSTER-BLANK when it comes to the user base. 8 and 8.1 had less than 20% of users prior to 10 showing up, and it's been around 5 months, and only about 10% of desktop and laptop/notebook users are now using Windows 10, despite it being a FREE upgrade. The majority of 10 users seem to have MOSTLY absorbed the Windows 8.1 and 8.0 users from before. And Windows 7 is still hovering in the mid 40% range of users, according to what I see on statcounter.com . Granted, those only reflect usage on web sites THEY monitor, and can easily be thrown out of whack [in favor of 10] when people DOWNLOAD SOFTWARE [or perhaps, get windows updates] to install on this "new" system. Or, if Microsoft deliberately leaves a pile of 10 machines "slamming" the internet on the weekend...

Windows 10 has EVERYTHING wrong with it that "Ape" had, and then some. It's "fat finger friendly" and you can't 'narrow things back up' again. The "the METRO" screens are HIDEOUS looking, as compared to a 3D Skeumorphic "cool look" of 7, or even XP. Replacing "control panel" with "the METRO" 'Settings' seriously complicates EVERYTHING you used to do easily, with a tabbed dialog box, from a single point. And I really do NOT like "the flat look" reminiscent of Windows 1.01 from 1985. Remember how Windows 3.0 and it's 3D skeumorphic look BEAT IBM's OS/2 and made Windows POPULAR? Well Sinofsky did THE OPPOSITE and LOOK WHAT HAPPENED! Results ARE predictable. The "eye candy" of 3D skeumorphic SELLS the OS!

And don't EVEN get me started on the ADWARE and SPYWARE. I did a fresh install of the November build of 10, to test my own applications, and the new "Start Thing" stretched about 800 pixels wide on a 1024x768 VM display, FILLED with "animated advertisement" LIVE TILES.

THAT is *NOT* what *I* want on *MY* computer! *MY* computer is *NOT* like the TV screens from 'Idiocracy', a tiny picture surrounded by ads taking up more than half of the total screen real estate!

And let us NOT forget the 'GWX' strong-arming. Not so long ago, there was an article here showing how Microsoft gave you two choices: "Upgrade now" or "Upgrade tonight". Some "choice".

And DESPITE the strong-arming, only about 10% of statcounter traffic is Windows 10!

Ya THINK that MAYBE it's NOT SO POPULAR? NOT SO WELL RECEIVED?

Blocking out the Sun won't fix climate change – but it could buy us time

Re: Utter Tosh

"Otherwise it's in line with the overwhelming scientific consensus and the overwhelming observable evidence."

Uh, NO, and NO. To both of those points.

Mark Stein, news commentator and radio host, and book author, has discovered that the alleged '95% of scientists' often referenced in this "overwhelming scientific consensus" argument was actually a narrow survey of 75 hand-picked "scientists", many of whom are climate ACTIVISTS. Mark Stein wrote a book about it. I guess the evidence I cite is his verbal summary of what he wrote in his book, and my recollection of it. I suppose I could go through various typed archives to look for it in print, but "Mark Stein's book" is probably a good enough reference to find it.

And I don't accept the assumption that evidence for man made global climate change is in ANY way overwhelming. You could say the same thing about evidence AGAINST man made global climate change. I begin with the flawed CO2 model: water has ~100 times the effect on atmospheric infrared absorption, due to concentration levels AND absorption spectrum. If you want to keep temperatures above DRY ICE levels, CO2 is your chemical. For something a bit warmer than that, WATER is the major player. And I don't see any warmist "scientists" out there trying to control WATER. They can't. That's why.

Re: Question

"Can anybody tell what the correct temperature at the poles should be???"

colder than a witch's, uh, ...

Re: Cool the Core

"Most of the CO2 put into the atmosphere is natural, from volcanoes which are mostly under the ocean, so the green campaigners do not see them."

"Why did you make that up?"

It's not 'made up', maybe just improperly stated. I, Captain Obvious, shall explain (you're welcome):

Most of the world's CO2 is stored as carbonates on the ocean floor. In fact, sea animals with shells bubble their exhaled CO2 through ocean water in order to create their carbonate-based shells. Water has a GREAT affinity for CO2 absorption, which [worthy of mention] is HIGHER for cold water, LOWER for hot water. No the planet won't go into thermal runaway as temperature goes up and CO2 is 'effervesced' by warming oceans (since the earth is not an UNSTABLE system; if it were, it would have happened ALREADY). But it DOES mean that underwater volcanoes, which stir up the carbonates on the ocean floor *AND* reduce the solubility of CO2 in the water, are causing water-born CO2 to 'effervesce' and go right up into the atmosphere, where it's measured as a CO2 increase. It's like putting a cold soda or beer in a glass, and letting it warm up. When it's cold, LOTS of bubbles. When it's warm, not so much. That's because the gas solubility of water goes DOWN as temperatures go up [for room temperatures anyway]. So, NATURALLY, a volcano would cause oceanic CO2 (as carbonates, or dissolved) to go into the atmosphere. And YES, it IS natural.

No need to thank me, Captain Obvious is rarely that helpful. This should have been obvious, after all.

What else is obvious, is that WARM TEMPERATURES CAUSE A CO2 RISE, and NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND. Yes, WATER has a LOT bigger role to play in worldwide temperatures than does CO2. There's MORE OF IT, and it has a MUCH BIGGER FOOTPRINT when it comes to infrared radiation absorption, which is how the whole 'greenhouse effect' works, ya know?

Re: The Conversation? - slow news day (very)

Here's a thought: has anybody bothered to even LOOK at what the infrared absorption spectrum IS for CO2? And even MORE fun, compare it to WATER. You know, that stuff that forms clouds and covers some 2/3 or more of the planet, COMPLETELY uncontrollable by humans? It seems that CO2 has about 1/10 the absorption spectrum that WATER does for gamma energy levels that correspond to temperatures above about -60 deg (F or C your choice). For temperatures that are way too cold for earth life, CO2 does a TERRIFIC job at keeping us from turning into Mars. but compare the effect of SIMPLE cloud cover on a cloudy day vs a clear day, or a cloudy night vs a clear night. clear day WARM, cloudy day COLD. clear night COLD, cloudy night WARM. That's a SIGNIFICANT change, and no human activity is affecting THAT. In fact, doesn't HIGHER CO2 cause PRECIPITATION? you know, providing a nucleus for condensation for clouds... like CLOUD SEEDING! All in all I'd say that the effects of atmospheric CO2 are considerably different than whatever 1-dimensional models are being used to predict planetary thermal runaway doom gloom and "we need more socialism to fix it". yeah, that last part is the REAL motive!

Devs ask Microsoft for real .NET universal apps: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android

Re: Your looking for the browser.

"Love it or loathe it, html and javascript is the nearest thing the world has to truely universal apps."

you forgot Python with wxWidgets or some similar toolkit support.

Now, THAT is universal! Fast? No, not really. But "universal" nonetheless. And probably faster/better than ".Not" and C-pound on a *BAD* day...

Re: "The C# language has been a big success for Microsoft"

"The C# language has been a big success for Microsoft"

No, it hasn't. It's never gone above 10% in the TIOBE index, to the best of my knowledge. Some "success" *THAT* is.

Maybe in niche markets it's a "success", but C++ generally beats it hands down, and at a FRACTIONAL PERCENT of what C and Java have done since C-pound was excreted from Redmond's, uh, orifice.

"But I get the feeling C#'s popularity and usage is waning now - and I've seen quite a few job adverts for C# devs looking to retrain in javascript."

Yeah, the SMART money pays attention to the TIOBE index, and you increase your skill sets where the most hiring is going on. That would be C, Java, Objective-C, and to some extent, C++, Python, etc.. C-pound is a waste of time learning. Beyond being "bass-ackwards" like the way ".Not" is constructed, it's object-oriented to the point of inefficiency.

Yeah, no WONDER performance of C-pound applications is so poor compared to "native applications" written a decade before. I noticed that when W2k3 server released. 2000 server ran fine on a Pentium with half as much RAM. Put W2k3 on the same box, the UI stuttered like it was a 386. I'm pretty sure THAT was caused by a UI written with C-pound and ".Not" instead of native Win32 API calls.

Qt great idea! Also wxWidgets

Using Qt is a GREAT idea! It's got commercial support as well as open source libraries.

Also there's wxWidgets, for MFC fans: I've ported MFC appLICATIONS to use wxWidgets a few times. I happen to *LIKE* MFC, and I *DESPISE* ".Not" and C-pound. [If I ever write a windows appLICATION, I always ensure that NO ".Not" dependency exists in *MY* appLICATION].

And last I checked, C-pound was STILL doing poorly after all these years in the TIOBE index.

So if I don't want to live within Java's limitations, there are at least TWO alternatives (using C++) for true cross-platform development: Qt *and* wxWidgets.

PALE, MALE AND STALE: Apple reveals it has just ONE black exec

It's actually RACIST to make a big deal out of an employee's race. It's also SEXIST to make a big deal out of an employees sex. Why not be RACE BLIND and SEX BLIND and just hire "a person" to fill a position based on qualifications like experience, demonstrated past success, education level, and so forth? 'Diversity' can be expressed by "iron mixed with clay". Nobody would do THAT. TEAMWORK, on the other hand, might be like rebar inside concrete. Each provides its own function based on its best qualities, and the result of 'teamwork' is better than the individual sums. Diversity, on the other hand, WEAKENS the whole. It's a STUPID idea. It should be jettisoned and abandoned like the sewage it is.

And it figures that race-baiting agitators like Jesse Jackson are the ones screaming about it.

I'd prefer a color-blind society where NONE of this mattered. We can start by NOT pointing out race all of the time.

Two weeks of Windows 10: Just how is Microsoft doing?

Re: I am happy with it

"I wonder why the Register is so negative about Windows 10"

I think they've been WAY too KIND about Windows 10, which looks more like 1.0, not 10. Take a look at a screenshot of the flatness of 1.01, you'll see what I mean:

http://www.guidebookgallery.org/screenshots/win101

yeah, those flat window decorations, the flat dialog controls, the limited color selections - all of those "features" now _BACK_ to haunt us, like zombie features, in Windows 10.

And yet 3D skeumorphic is GENERALLY preferred 3:1 over that 2D "flat look" which is called 'modern' to help exploit the STOCKHOLM SYNDROME (which was pointed out by a BRILLIANT commenter earlier), and basically call everyone NOT willing to jump in the bandwagon "stone age" or something. Yeah.

So *how* is the "start thing", the ADWARE, the SPYWARE, the various twisty little ways to trick you into GIVING! UP! YOUR! PRIVACY!, and worst of all, the 2D "flatness" and "the METRO" going to make THIS windows 10 ABOMINATION an actual *success* that people *want* ??

How much of one year's Californian energy use would wipe out the drought?

"But what exactly would you plan to do with all of that salt? And whatever other impurities might be pulled out?"

well, in all practical sense, we're just going to put it all back where we found it in the FIRST place!

The solution to pollution, is DILUTION! When the result is 'below minimum detectability', it is ZERO. So use a long effluent pipe, send it out to deep water, mix it with sea water along the way, and let it go, let it go, and it won't hurt any organisms [to the tune of some disney earworm, heh]

but it wouldn't hurt to sample the water on occasion to make sure the levels of salt, etc. aren't increasing. Good engineering up front would prevent that, then occasionally monitor. No discharging inside of a harbor or bay, where water may not mix with the rest of the ocean, etc.

And I like someone else's comment about reclaimed sewer water. They're doing that in San Diego county in a few places, jokingly called "toilet to tap". It's a great idea. Effluent from sewage treatment is probably CLEANER than what N. California sends via aqueduct.

Re: Not going to happen

"It's the highest concentration of environmental activists (wackos) on the planet."

NOT ONLY THAT, but the statistics of ACTUAL WATER USAGE have been intentionally SKEWED to avoid reporting the fact that the MAJORITY of California's fresh water goes to ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS. You know, like filling up the Sacramento River Delta to save that all-important DELTA SMELT. Or replenishing "wetlands" (aka SWAMPS). It's about HALF of the fresh water that California has that is for THE ENVIRONMENT. But THE ENVIRONMENT should have to undergo drought restrictions too, right?

So the REAL numbers look like this:

1. Environment (50%)

2. Farms (40%)

3. Citizens (10%)

And WHERE are all of the 'drought restrictions' focused? On the 10% naturally, because it's about THE CONTROL, and not about THE WATER.

So it's not so much LAZINESS as it is PURE NEGLIGENCE and EVIL INTENT.

link to article

BONK! BONK! Windows 10 whack-a-mole – Microsoft still fixing bugs

don't forget the built-in adware and spyware

When grilling Windows 10 over the coals, and pointing out Microsoft's hurried shoving of their new OS into our various body orifices, let us NOT forget the built-in ADWARE and SPYWARE, announced by Joe Belfiore at the 'Build' conference earlier this year, about 2 minutes into his keynote speech, where he gloriously bragged about the special place in the new "start thing" that makes 'recommendations' based on HOW YOU USE YOUR COMPUTER. And other places, too. Because for Microsoft, it's all about "the METRO" and "the STORE" and hooking you permanently into their OS, tracking you, and serving you ADVERTISEMENTS whether you want it or not, because with the new 'Microsoft Logon', you have given them PERMISSION to DO SO.

We tried using Windows 10 for real work and ... oh, the horror

And there's built-in ADWARE and SPYWARE

Don't forget the Joe Belfiore keynote speech (between 2 and 3 minutes into it) back at the Build conference early this year, where he ANNOUNCED that the new 'Start Thing' (as the article puts it) will have a SPECIAL place in it where Microsoft will put 'recommendations' for 'Store Apps(sic)' [aka ADWARE], and in OTHER parts of the operating system as well [example, install a 3rd party application, double-click a file, and you get a notification of "There are apps(sic) in the store that can open that kind of file." Microsoft WILL collect data on you on how you use your computer (announced by Joe Belfiore), send that data to "the Store", and then TARGET YOU with ADVERTISEMENTS via THE OPERATING SYSTEM.

Didn't Lenovo have some problems recently regarding Superfish being BUNDLED on their computers? Is THIS the kind of "Spy on YOU" operating system that people WANT? Will CORPORATIONS even CONSIDER adopting an operating system that DOES THIS?

THESE are SERIOUS security and privacy issues, and you have to GIVE MICROSOFT PERMISSION to track and ad-spam you when you sign up for the 'Microsoft Account' that they STRONG-ARM you into getting when you install Windows 10 (nevermind that the 'e-mail address login' potentially breaks the SMB method of logging in, share access, and so forth) Oh, sure, you don't HAVE to have a 'Microsoft Account', and set up a local user account (like earlier windows versions) and then things like Cortana break.

This is a BAD direction and a preclusion to FAIL for Microsoft and their BAD OS design.

And WHY DID THEY have to CHANGE what 7 and XP did right? It makes NO sense at all!

Long, sticky summer ahead: Win 10 will be with OEMs by 31 August

Microsoft Account REQUIRED?

I saw 'A Microsoft Account' in the system requirements. This can ONLY be for ONE purpose, to identify you and target you with advertisements, via the operating system. It is no secret that Microsoft has put "store recommendations" in their new 'start menu', based on how you use your computer. Joe Belfiore announced it at the most recent 'Build' conference, after all. And having a 'Microsoft Account' login means you can be TRACKED wherever you go on the internet. That should set the privacy advocates on fire, even if they don't object to Windows becoming ADWARE. Without this 'Microsoft Account', tracking you would be more difficult, but getting the account means you give permission for Microsoft to target you with ads based on how you use your computer. They're not hiding this, either, they've put it in the 'EULA' for the Microsoft Logon.

New Windows 10 Build 10122 aims to fix file association hijacking

Joe Belfiore said there would be adware and spyware in 'start menu'

don't forget that in the vicinity of the 'recently installed' area of the start menu is a *special* thing that Joe Belfiore talked about in his keynote speech at the 'build' conference, about 2-3 minutes in:

"But the thing I want to sort of focus on a little bit is this space right here, where in this case I haven't installed an app for a little while. So the system is going to give us a 'smart suggestion' for an app in the store that is going to be one that's suitable for ~me~. As I'm using my PC, on the client we know which apps you're launching, and which apps you're installing, and so we're able to communicate with the store and bring down suggestions that are personalized for ~you~, to help users learn about great new apps that are available for them to try out on their PC. And as time goes by we re-use that space, in a smart way, to help _script_ the user's discovery of apps first, but then their engagement later, so if I've installed an app, as you see here, for a little while that space becomes 'the recently installed app'. The user can find the app, they can revisit it, and if they use it enough, it will move its way up into the 'most used' section, automatically, and of course at any time the user can drag from left to right, to take any of those apps, and pin them as full, live tiles."

'smart suggestion' - that's an ADVERTISEMENT.

"on the client we know which apps you're launching, and which apps you're installing, and so we're able to communicate with the store and bring down suggestions that are personalized for ~you~,"

that would be SPYWARE.

I have not yet installed this build, but I see evidence of it "coming soon" in 10074. Has anyone seen the adware/spyware in 10122 actually DOING that?

ONE BEELLION Windows 10 devices?! OH REALLY

Re: yeah....

it's "pretty fair" for whom? Don't forget, the proposed spyware/adware in the Start Menu has NOT gone Un-NOTICED. So is Microsoft assuming that all windows 7/8/8.1 users are like 'Millenials' that don't care if they're spied on and targeted with advertising as long as it is FREE?

Good luck getting THAT past any IT department with "a clue".

Re: What reason is there to upgrade from Windows 7?

From seeing the current Windows 10 Preview, there IS no reason to upgrade from Windows 7! or XP for that matter. The interface, for desktop users, is a complete JOKE, a bastardized attempt at integrating "the METRO" with the classic desktop. The 2D appearance, the monochromatic icons, the INABILITY to CUSTOMIZE [which can affect readability for many of us], and DO NOT FORGET, the proposed ADVERTISEMENT CHANNEL courtesy of the START MENU ITSELF, "recommending" Windows Store applications based on ANALYZING HOW YOU USE YOUR APPLICATIONS ON YOUR OWN COMPUTER, *ALL* of these things will no doubt FRIGHTEN people away from 'upgrading', as it should. And if you're better off with Windows 7, there's no need to 'drink the coolaid'. In its current incarnation, it's NOT an 'upgrade'! And Microsoft is highly unlikely to make any SERIOUS changes to this, since they have SAID SO.

If you doubt what I say about the spyware/adware proposed to be an INTEGRAL PART OF WINDOWS 10's START MENU, just watch the keynote address made by Joe Belfiore, between 2 and 3 minutes into the video, and just see what he says to developers about your computer tracking you and sending the information "to the store":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tw99GpDIzEk

"on the client we know which apps you're launching, and which apps you're installing, and so we're able to communicate with the store and bring down suggestions that are personalized for ~you~"

That's right, 'personalized for you' - ads based on BEHAVIOR TRACKING while you are ON YOUR OWN COMPUTER! And they'll appear IN! THE! START! MENU! ITSELF! Isn't that WONDERFUL? There's a special "area" just for this purpose. No kidding!

This should FRIGHTEN *ANY* security-minded or privacy-minded person, because if this data is being slurped while you do things on your OWN computer, it can potentially be hijacked by any EVIL entity or government. So even if you WANT Microsoft to track you like this and advertise things from their store (like bundling Superfish - Hey Lenovo how did THAT work out for you?), there is the potential SPYWARE threat that can and most likely WILL happen at some point in time.