Posts by bombastic bob

Meta blames Trump tariffs for ballooning AI infra bills

why not just build a foundry in the USA and sell chips?

Simple solution, avoid tariffs by building the stuff in the USA. I think you'll find the skids well greased at this time for making it happen. Just avoid putting them in "blue states". CA and NY haven't been very "business friendly" lately... and with the latest robotics, GPU and discrete component production may ultimately cost LESS.

When you build things in China their tightly locked up supply system is leveraged upon you by a complex VAT structure that makes competing suppliers COST MORE. THEN you are "locked in" possibly with capital investment. And nothing stops them from cloning your designs for "china only" distribution. Taiwan is much better, and their engineers are competent, so THAT tariff structure will probably be worked out quickly.. But I understand Foxconn is building a USA foundry, etc. and that ends the tariff problem!

So only a short time from now tariffs won't matter much. You'll see. THIS has been the plan all along.

Trump wants to fire quarter of NASA budget into black hole – and not in a good way

Re: Whither MSR

Maybe we can land the first humans on Mars nearby, and just pick them up and bring them back on the return trip.

Re: What was .... *ponder* ...

The first few Artemis missions will be needed to pave the way for followup missions by the private sector. Artemis can go away afterwards. Elon's chopstick rocket catcher and matching "space truck" should be ready by then. That may be why Artemis goes away, being replaced by Starship 1 at lower cost.

And Bezos could get into the game, too. Amazon Lunar deliveries. Heh.

You KNOW the next steps may shift to military "Space Force" missions, separate from private sector RESEARCH and TOURISM missions.

Re: Make Aerospace Grotty Again

a) 'humans in space' is NOT "a vanity project"

b) Artemis' design is way too expensive and Elon is already proving the private sector CAN do it better

c) Climate change nonsense is NOT "useful science"

d) Boeing represents the OLD way of thinking with regards to NASA contracts

e) given opportunity, OTHERS can build rockets besides Elon. For some unknown reason, Bezos hasn't gotten people into orbit yet. But he COULD.

A private space station would not be limited by "international diversity" [i.e. one part run by USA, another by Russia, another by EU, etc.] but WOULD be open to all nations. Most likely it would use less expensive construction than "a government build", be more repairable, and modular enough to swap things out, and may also have some form of artificial gravity available. Most usefully it could be a refuelling station and cargo hub, like a modern day international airport, and possibly allow for construction in space.

Back when I was in the Navy, they spent YEARS working on the new officer's barracks at the Sub base, and had not even finished it when I left. But when McDonalds was given the go-ahead to build a restaurant, it went from bare dirt to serving burgers in 3-4 months. Imagine THAT!!! I think the private sector CAN do it better and it makes sense to DO SO *WITHOUT* "old style" COST OVERRUN-DRIVEN BUREAUCRATIC *FOREVER*-CONTRACTS - INCLUDING cost-inefficient development in-house BY NASA.

[if it were me I'd start a space construction and cargo company using robots and Falcon launches, focusing on easily swapped-out inflatable modules to build mini-stations that can be stuck together and/or reconfigured easily]

Trump admin freaks out over mere suggestion Amazon was going to show tariff impact on prices

Re: Not just the US

a few years back when the CCP-China tariffs began, Digikey posted the tariff impact on components. Since I was procuring parts for a new product, I went for the parts from Taiwan (and other places) with NO tariff [which became less expensive on the BOM] whenever I could. The boards were being made in the USA.

So THANKS Amazon, we really do NOT need to prop up the CCP-China regime that engages in IP theft, industrial espionage, "4th shift" copyright and patent violations, and underhanded business practices (like slave-wage labor and "dumping") to deliberately WIPE OUT the competition.

The State of Open Source in 2025? Honestly, it's a mess but you knew that already

JUST keep it 'up to date' and working

I prefer things that way - just keep it up to date and working. Several projects (like gimp and audacity) THANKFULLY do this!

NO NEED to RUIN IT like they did with GNOME and FIREFOX's basic UI appearance and functionality... (you know, the 2D FLATTY/FLATSO/FLATASS, hamburger menu, "phone on a desktop", and "Adwaita" vs "what it used to be" 3D skeuomorphic)

"UP"grading [to crappy "new,shiny" interfaces, etc.] is HIGHLY overrated. Right, Poettering? Right, Micros~1? RIGHT, Gnome 3 and KDE devs?

year of the Linux Desktop

Sadly without 100% compatibility with Micros~1 via Wine or similar, this seems less and less likely these days.

After all, people continue to put up with Winders 10 and now 11...

(If Wine could be easily sandboxed it might be more popular but I really don't want it polluting my Linux or BSD boxen)

Elon Musk's X revenues in the UK crashed in 2023, down 66%

Re: Still, there IS a chill8ing effect,,,

Do you have some specific examples to share?

[I support the rabbits by the way - heh]

Re: Still, there IS a chilling effect...

bomb threat, no (this is like th classic 'yelling FIRE in a crowded theater' argument). Calling a biological male "he", THAT is fine. ['he' after all is the universal inclusive pronoun]

If feelings are hurt (poor widdle babies), TOO BAD. And how many OTHER "FEELZ got hurt on social media" arrests have been made in UK ?

For some specifically GROSS examples of "online policing overreach", I did a GROK analysis.

Re: In defence of B-Bob

uh, defense of what, exactly...?

Re: Still, there IS a chill8ing effect,,,

"misgendering" arrests - THAT is the kind of thing I'm referring to (thank you for mentioning it)

Still, there IS a chill8ing effect,,,

Still, there IS a chilling effect on posting to social media and, in particular, free speech itself, when people can ACTUALLY BE ARRESTED for making a social media post!

The one interview question that will protect you from North Korean fake workers

Re: You could do the same if you wanted to screen out MAGA crazies

Using that same logic I figure it's ok to round-file any CV/resume with pronouns on it

Re: How fat is Kim Jong Un?

[see if the interviewee laughs at these]

Kim Jong Un is *SO* fat...

* he needs both hands and an electric urethra detector in order to pee

* You can tie his moobs into a windsor knot

* his inflatable sneakers need an additional 42psi

* He gets pulled over at weigh stations along the highway

* The gravitational pull of the moon is tidal locked to him

* Getting too close to him causes time dilation

* Slapping his ass causes aftershocks

* Insects get lost for weeks in his butt crack

* Every chair he owns is the width of a 'love seat'

* whenever they drive him around, the car has to have double springs on the side he rides in

* He makes Eric Cartman look anorexic

* Livery stable horses run away in fear

* Laughing Buddha statues call him "fatso"

[and I haven't even started on his HAIRCUT!]

Tesla's Optimus can't roll without rare earth magnets, and Beijing ain't budging yet

Re: Oh the irony...

this is just the beginning, by the way...

https://korhogominerals.com/where-is-neodymium-found-in-the-us/

Mostly just need to get/keep Cali-Fornicate-You bureaucrats out of the way under a Federal Emergency declaration so they can't STALL IT for 30+ years...

Re: Oh the irony...

DOGE is probably making DOMESTIC sources of rare earths easier to mine, by eliminating the multiple layers of CRAPPY RED TAPE that has kep mining uinterests at bay for OVER 20 YEARS! [I posted a link in another response, HERE IT IS again]

Re: What will China want in return?

To **HELL** with CCP China!!!

U.S. Dept of Interior is currently HYPER-FOCUSED on green-lighting DOMESTIC sources for all of that.

CCP will see PLENTY of BATTLE DROIDS (OURS, not theirs) in the near-enough future, made 100% in the USA.

And we won't let the CCP STEAL the I.P. on them, either!!! Good luck actually INVENTING THINGS under COMMUNIST OPPRESSION!

[if the CCP tries to control/manipulate US, they'll **LOSE** **EVERYTHING** from their #1 market - enjoy your economic depression, CCP!]

IBM dragged down by DOGE contract cancellation roulette

contract terminations

I've been following DOGE activity, more or less, and it often consists of finding an excess number of software licences, or renewable licenses for software not being used.

So, it "goes byby". Good riddance to the tune of $BILLIONS.

IBM is no longer on the "brother-in-law" list, it seems...

Microsoft mystery folder fix might need a fix of its own

Re: Quality control - yes we’ve heard of it

yes, but MONEY is only a means by which they achieve the REAL goal... (see icon)

America's cyber defenses are being dismantled from the inside

Re: Surely

I see TDS FUD.

How to stay on Windows 10 instead of installing Linux

Re: Same here :)

I'm still waiting for a version of Wine running on Linux that will give me sufficient compatibility to run Intuit tax software and (older) accounting software, in a VM, running on FreeBSD.

I currently use 10 (64-bit) in a VM for tax software. And I'm sure NEXT YEAR it'll require 11. Bastards...

I'd rather use Wine+Linux, but if i have to, I'll get the cheapest hunk of China-made CRAP-x64 that runs, and turn it on a few times a year for taxes (or "test it in 11") until I can't.

[For everything else I can use 7, a 10 VM, and either FreeBSD or Linux - and to HELL with MS Logons and "The Store" TIFKAM "CRapps"]

Re: I may be old and set in my ways ...

I may be one of those who would just lob £50 at Microsoft to buy those security upgrades that are being developed anyway for LTSC releases for the next few years ... no cost to MS, all profit.

To Micros~1 it's NOT about the money, it's about the *CONTROL*...

Re: "using modified Windows builds may breach Microsoft's terms of service"

or to rapidly and repeatedly switch between them

Re: "using modified Windows builds may breach Microsoft's terms of service"

42 upvotes - do I get a prize for being the 42'nd?

It's fun making Studio Ghibli-style images with ChatGPT – but intellectual property is no laughing matter

Re: EFF shows it lacks the historical context of copyright.

how do you legitimately copyright a STYLE?

If it were music, any band playing a remotely similar-styled song as another band would be responsible for royalty payments... which is RIDICULOUS

Americans set to pay more on all imports: Trump activates blanket tariffs

of course the common sense post gets a tremendous number of downvotes...

[UP-vote from me]

To avoid disaster-recovery disasters, learn from Reg readers' experiences

Re: And theres

Murphy's Law applies with users' backup "solutions"

Yet in the world of computers and IT, Murphy was an OPTIMIST

Windows 11 roadmap great for knowing what's coming next week. Not so good for next year

maybe a "wine only" install of Linux might work for ya? [I still need to try that, earlier observations were that Wine + Linux-things may not be a good idea, as Wine seems to want to "take over" too much - need to see how it has evolved since then]

Re: CLIFF!!!

"satnav" - so bad it's BRILLIANT!

here's your icon

Rockin' on without Micros~1

It was for Ernie Ball 20 years ago...

https://www.cnet.com/tech/tech-industry/rockin-on-without-microsoft/

Re: Stay on win 10.

I still need winders for software development and for Tax software (especially business corporation taxes). I hope I can get the tax software to work in Wine. If not, next Feb or so I'll probably have to buy some el cheapo pile o' crap Win 11 "Home" box for under $200 and wire it up to my KVM...

As for software dev I use 7 and write in C++ for MFC with ZERO shared lib dependencies [all static linking] *ESPECIALLY* NO Dot-NOT! Still does everything anyone needs!

use Wine instead?

I need to seriously test a new "special VM" that runs a Wine-only installation o some bleeding edge Linux distro, like Mint. If I'm right, it's close to the point of full compatibility, or at least I'd HOPE so...

manage change for your estate

Article: Microsoft reckons there is a "need for more transparency around what's shipping and when so that you can manage change for your estate."

Change is NOT always for the better. Change (esp for the SAKE of change) is HIGHLY overrated.

“Have you no idea of progress, of development?"

"I have seen them both in an egg," said Caspian. "We call it 'Going Bad' in Narnia”

C.S. Lewis, 'The Voyage of the Dawn Treader '

Congress takes another swing at Uncle Sam's software licensing mess

Re: wandel ! ! ! ! ! machin vecchi

not even good satire...

DOGE is the one FINDING this!

Most of this was uncovered by DOGE in the first place, over the last month or so. El Reg needs to have more X presence, where the bleeding edge of all o' this is being revealed and discussed. But I haven't seen any ElReg X posts since early February! Politicians are slow on the uptake, can't rely on THEM...

I have recommended multiple times to everyone I can send it to in gummint, DOGE, etc. to USE OPEN SOURCE!! That includes, of course, Linux and BSD's. See icon.

From article: according to the NetChoice study, the government spent $112 million more on Microsoft Office than it would've spent on Google Workspace to avoid the perceived costs of switching. We note that Google is a NetChoice member, while Microsoft is not, so you may want to take that study with a grain of salt.

And, like I sorta mentioned previously, Open Source (like Libre Office) would save even MORE MONEY!!! To HELL with Google and Micros~1!!!

UK satellite smartphone services could get green light this year

Re: Impressive

very low altitude orbits tend to decay within a few years so they'll get replenished (and improved) regularly. This is the logic behind starlink at least, that and inexpensive launches (as compared to just a few years ago).

/me wonders when Bezos can get his rockets to do the same thing SpaceX is doing... [zero chance that Boeing or any gummint program will be able to compete on price]

Re: Impressive

Actually, Starlink partnered up with T Mobile about a month ago, in beta until July.

Still a good idea even if Elon did it first, am I right? (heh heh heh)

If very low earth orbit satellites become the way to manage cell calls and cellular intarwebs, we can say 'buh-bye' to all of those expensive rural wired internet projects. win-win (unless you are a rural wired internet provider). we'll still need URBAN wires/fiber for low latency but rural and "at sea" DEFINITELY gets a better deal.

But yeah O.P. had to get his "Musk rats" 'dig' in... [I fail to see why people are suddenly anti-Elon - E.D.S. I guess]

GNOME 48 lands with performance boosts, new fonts, better accessibility

Re: Built-in Javascript engine?

another reason to use Mate

Re: Built-in Javascript engine?

blast it all to hell - let GROK write the thing FOR me...

https://x.com/i/grok/share/1FkqMAUZgAQy7RRFaNTusm6Mg

[surprisingly it makes good satire]

Re: Built-in Javascript engine?

April 1 is only a week away...

Re: Built-in Javascript engine?

I was thinking FP math where NaN = "Not a Number" and also sounds in our heads like it does

Re: Built-in Javascript engine?

Hey why NOT just assume computers will just "become fast enough" to run JS code? After all, Micros~1 develops for "the next hardware platform". This worked SO well for Outlook+Exchange in the '9x days, windows Vista, and most recently, 11. Everybody LOVES having to buy a NEW MACHINE **JUST** to run the "New, shiny" !!!

</snark>

Re: Built-in Javascript engine?

Yes. Javascript deserves to be killed to death by burning it with flames of FIRE!!! And, nuked from high orbit. Let's create an RFC for that!

Re: Built-in Javascript engine?

I will guess that it is part of the intent/attempt to "Web-ify" and "Phone-ify" **EVERYTHING**

cue theme music

Re: Gnome3.....Gnome4..........Ughhhhhhhhhh!!!!

I'll weigh in: Devuan with Mate. 2nd choice, Mint+Cinnamon

23andMe's genes not strong enough to avoid Chapter 11

Re: Just don't!

Q: how do you tell the sex of a chromosome?

A: You pull down its GENES

(typically of the allosomal variety)

/me grabs coat, goes off humming "Blue Jeans and Bloody Tears")

Re: Just don't!

Obligatory reference to Terrance and Phillip

Re: Just don't!

I think there is a 30 day window to retrieve your data and get it removed from their system.

Depending upon the person/entity buying the data, their customers *might* want to do this.

Otherwise, imagine "big pharma" marketing to you using your DNA... [and I thought those TV ads were bad]

and don't forget insurance companies altering your payment amounts... never DOWNWARDS.

NASA rewrites Moon mission goals in quiet DEI retreat

how about "The 2050's"

the 2050's, where people stop giving a [D-]Rat's ass about "identity" and just DO COOL STUFF, HIRE THE BEST PEOPLE, and STOP trying to DIVIDE and CONQUOR over UN-CONTROLLABLE things like "identity".

How about first 3-man moon landing crew where "man" can also mean WOMAN, because NOBODY CARES about "identity". And Canadians are welcome too.

We'll lead the way on this. You can follow if you want. DEI is **TOXIC**

Oops, they did it again: Microsoft breaks Outlook with another dubious update

Re: "Testing? We've heard of it"

From article: does Microsoft test its changes before deploying to production?

They USED to...

The testing department got "mostly pink-slipped" about a year before Win-10-nic released, according to grok. The tester to developer ratio was dropped from 2:1 to about 1:1, and the developer role apparently became "tester/developer" (or similar). They BASICALLY decided to rely on insiders, home users, etc. to validate their "cram it up your xxx" forced updates before getting the enterprise users updated. THAT has been their new model, ever since.