* Posts by J.Smith

98 publicly visible posts • joined 27 May 2015

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Yet another reminder: When a tech giant says its AI listens to you, it means humans listen to you. Right, Facebook?

J.Smith

That's a slur

Presumably, if the AI can't pick up your slurred words, it will be pis... passed onto a human, that will tick a box for you to be sent booze adverts.

WeWork filed its IPO homework. So we had a look at its small print and... yowser. What has El Reg got itself into?

J.Smith

Nice wheez

So the the people who own the company, own the property that the company leases from them, at a loss (increasing the bosses property wealth), and the bosses are not contracted to that company (they can cut and run, no questions asked or liability). The business will run at a loss, and requests an injection of financial backing. It's property speculation, but with added oomph under the guise of a beautiful innovative startup, and risk protected, and more money on the side from the company's IPO, etc., etc.

Nice wheez, good luck to them (by that I mean rot in hell).

Time to Ryzen shine, Intel: AMD has started shipping 7nm desktop CPUs like it's no big deal

J.Smith

What is an Intel?

Nice to see AMD push the boundaries even more, bang for buck has always been theirs. I've built a few PC's over the years, every one an AMD, I never strayed to the dark side.

DeepNude deep-nuked: AI photo app stripped clothes from women to render them naked. Now, it's stripped from web

J.Smith

Benny Hill

It was designed by people with the mentality of 14y/o boys, I imagine. It's like the Benny Hill of apps... "ooh boobies!".

Where can I get a co... I mean... it's disgraceful.

Dundee Satellite Receiving Station: Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory

J.Smith

As a resident of the drug deaths capital of Europe (Dundee), I can't say I'm surprised. Umpteen hundred of millions are being and have been spent prettifying the waterfront, not to mention the V&A (nice building on the outside, nothing inside). Misuse and abuse of financial resources is no surprise. Industry is leaving Dundee, but hey we have a pretty building.

Chrome ad-blocker crackdown preview due late July. Here's a half-dozen reasons why add-on devs are still upset

J.Smith

Probably missing something

I'm probably missing something here, but why are people complaining about lack of privacy in the future of Chrome? As soon as you install and start using Chrome, you're giving Google a tonne of data, by that very fact. So I'm surprised people are surprised at lack of privacy... on Chrome.

How politics works, part 97: Telecoms industry throws a fundraiser for US senator night before he oversees, er, a telecoms privacy hearing

J.Smith

Re: Draining the swamp

Whatever direction, it's still the revolving door of corruption, same as ever.

Northern UK smart meter rollout is too slow, snarls MPs' committee

J.Smith

Stupid gimmick from the start

All seems a waste of money to me. That money could be much better spent (or contributing to the cost of) insulating homes to make them more energy-efficient, something Scandinavian countries do routinely, or rather, they build homes right in the first place. That would save energy costs hugely.

Or aswell, or alternatively, regulate the energy companies more appropriately.

There's no 'My' in Office, Microsoft insists with new productivity hub

J.Smith

Why only now?

I'm amazed they are only just now releasing an Office hub, I would have thought it was an obvious tool to create long ago. Libre Office, as far as I know, has had a central panel for accessing the individual applications for ages.

Microsoft says Windows 10 April update is fit for business rollout

J.Smith
Unhappy

'mMad theupsate FykedmyISB Kybrd,

Doctor, doctor! My NHS Patient Access app has gone TITSUP*

J.Smith

I'm new to this NHS website, after trying to get on it, I think I need to put in a valium prescription.

About to install the Windows 10 April 2018 Update? You might want to wait a little bit longer

J.Smith

Metered connection

Settings app - Network & Internet - set connection to 'metered', and avoid the auto install of all new crap. I was fortunate to get this done before this update released, so I can avoid the nightmare I had with fall creators update. Too late for many, but a trick to keep in mind for the next 'feature' update which will happen, as night follows day.

I'll permit the April update after at least the 3rd bug fix... and after a stiff drink.

Windows nags me that there are updates that need to be allowed, I shun the message.

Cambridge Analytica dismantled for good? Nope: It just changed its name to Emerdata

J.Smith

Re: "...its parent organization SCL Elections"

"Sleazeball Corporate Losers...?"

Oh if that were the case, they are not losers, they and their ilk are the winners.

Fleeing Facebook app users realise what they agreed to in apps years ago – total slurpage

J.Smith

Beggar's belief

I like the quote at the end "Thank you for believing in this community. I promise to do better for you."

I think if I believe hard enough, I just know I'll belong some day, and then He may love me.

Cambridge Analytica CEO suspended – and that's not even the worst news for them today

J.Smith

I think Hillary's team will be kicking themselves that they missed a trick.

Cyborg fined for riding train without valid ticket

J.Smith

Is it practical to have such things imbedded within the hand? I'm thinking of practical purposes.

Trump’s immigration policies costing US tech jobs says LogMeIn CEO

J.Smith

Lower labour costs by offshoring. The only thing these people care about is minimizing labour costs, anything to lower labour costs. And if anyone tries to limit their access to the cheapest labour, then they'll get around it. Protection for domestic workers, no way.

And don't mention taxes, they don't believe in taxes either, it's for the shareholders of course, not ideological. They're a law unto themselves, and should be dealt with, rather than pandered to. Pigs might fly too.

Huawei claims national security is used as plausible excuse for 'protectionism'

J.Smith

Nothing wrong with protectionism, got to look after domestic concerns first. Not that free trade has ever existed in practice.

Republican tax bill ready to rescue hard-up tech giants, struggling rich

J.Smith

Well, the nation is ruled by billionaires and their chronies, so it would be rude not to line their substantial pockets further. What is government fo anyhowr, other than to enrich the rich?

5 reasons why America's Ctrl-Z on net neutrality rules is a GOOD thing

J.Smith

Subservience

As it happens, I'm studying psychology atm, unfortunately 'subservience to power' isn't in the reading material, so I can't explain why some people are like the author, and Mr Pai.

Crypto-cash souk Coinbase forced to rat out its high rollers to probing US taxmen

J.Smith

I'm not bothered about this, my bitcoin are located in the Caymen Islands.

FCC boss Ajit Pai emits his net neutrality extermination plan

J.Smith

"It will increase... competitiveness... yes that's it, I think, at least that's what the slip in my brown envelope told me."

Big Cable's pillow talk with FCC to forbid US states from writing own net neutrality rules

J.Smith

Money... talks.

Slashing regulations literally more important than saving American lives to Donald Trump

J.Smith

There's 2 forces at play, the 'regulation is red tape' free market fundamentalists, and secondly, plain 'money talks' corruption. Both are equally dangerous.

Shock! Hackers for medieval caliphate are terrible coders

J.Smith

If they fail online, do they still get 72 virgins? Or perhaps a commensurate amount, say, 10.

Hear the one about the jihadi who went to see a pantomime? He pledged allegiance to Allahdin.

Chairman Zuck ends would-be president Zuck's political career

J.Smith

He doesn't need to be President, if he has the president's ear, ala Obama's cosying up to tech billionaires.

EU's tech giant tax plan moves forward

J.Smith
Trollface

Why should these company bosses accept paying tax? Taxes are for the little people.

Apple: Our stores are your 'town square' and a $1,000 iPhone is your 'future'

J.Smith

Corporate vision

I'm signed up to their corporate visio... nightmare, well, one has to be social.

Now, if only Facebook can co-opt other parts of public space, think how wonderful things could be.

Wisconsin advances $3bn bribe incentives package for Foxconn

J.Smith

Socialism

Government (public) money being given to 'create jobs'. Sounds communist to me. Or rather, socialism for the rich.

Virtual assistant backlash imminent so buy them anyway

J.Smith

I want an assistant that will tell me to mind my own business sometimes, and tell me to go f&*k myself on occasion, and even to call in sick some days. I need more reality, to feel at home with technology.

PayPal, accused of facilitating neo-Nazi rally, promises to deny hate groups service

J.Smith

Fickle

Europe and US supported neo-nazi groups in Ukraine to help overthrow an elected government, fickle finger of politics.

Slurping people's info without a warrant? That's OUR JOB, Google, Facebook et al tell US Supreme Court

J.Smith

Got your number

They may have my number, but I've got their number, so we're even, I think.

Er, Ofcom, please tell us more about Murdoch's £11.7bn Sky bid

J.Smith
Trollface

Fair and balanced news to boot. I hope the deal goes through, monopolisation, it's what competition is for.

DJI drones: 'Cyber vulnerabilities' prompt blanket US Army ban

J.Smith

Refund?

Do AliExpress do refunds?

Another US government committee takes aim at Kaspersky Lab

J.Smith

Those commies are at it again, I knew they'd never stop their evilness.

Andy Rubin's overhyped and underdelivered Essential phone out 'in a few weeks'

J.Smith

I believe you're the one that just did that.

But while we're on the subject...

Russia, China vow to kill off VPNs, Tor browser

J.Smith

A rare instance where Russia-bashing is actually warranted.

America's net neutrality rage hits academia

J.Smith

I'm academic, and have no moral conscience, so if either side is willing to pay me... I'd be a vociferous advocate for the highest bidder.

SBU claims Russia was behind NotPetya

J.Smith

LIC

Low Intensity Conflict, it's the order of the day. It's just that some are better at it than others.

Marissa! Mayer! out! as! Yahoo!-Verizon! closes!

J.Smith

It's called 'streamlining' or 'rationalisation' or 'vulture capitalism', whichever. Buy big, gut the company, make off like a bandit, it's been all the rage since the good old 80's.

Oh no, Silicon Valley! Failed startup CEO on fraud rap after allegedly bullsh*ting staff and refusing to pay them

J.Smith

Plaigiarism

He nicked my company's name, WnkRiot, I'm going to sue that slimeball.

Kremlin hackers' new target: Montenegro

J.Smith
WTF?

Montenegro

Montenegro, isn't that racist?

Class clowns literally classless: Harvard axes meme-flinging morons

J.Smith

Reputations

Harvard has a fine reputation, George W'ya is a Harvard graduate.

UK PM May's response to London terror attack: Time to 'regulate' internet companies

J.Smith

Fair enough

I think it's fair to try to reign in the internet, I mean, how big is this thing anyway? It can't be hard?

Walmart workers invited to shuttle packages

J.Smith

Associate

I like it, I'm not a person, I'm not an individual, I'm not a worker, I'm not an employee... I'm an associate! woo! I feel valued as a huma... I mean associate now. My billionaire bosses make me one of them, it's so inclusive, I just don't get their government subsidized pay. Oh well, one step at a time for me.

'President Zuck' fundraiser opens for business

J.Smith

Depressing

I feel more and more depressed as every newsday passes.

Don't rely on fitness trackers to track number of calories burned

J.Smith
Happy

I'm done for the day, my fitbit shows me I burnt 1546 calories, all I did was go upstairs to the loo. I'll be a fit bit in no time!

Three Nigerians sentenced to 235 years in prison for online scamming

J.Smith

Talent pool

HSBC et al are missing a trick, there's obviously an untapped pool of talent they could be using. These guys have the nous and morals.

Walkers' Crisps pulls backfiring Tweet campaign that paired Gary Lineker and a bunch of nasties

J.Smith

Mustn't mock the media class, they're special and know better than us. People messing it up are just haters, actually, I think they constitute hate speech.

Republicans' net neutrality attack written by… you guessed it, the cable lobby

J.Smith

Run of the mill

It used to be the 'revolving door' of corruption, legislators become the legislated and back again. It still works well, but can be slow, so why not throw the pretense of independence aside, and go the direct route. It makes good business sense. And who cares if the corruption is blatant, it's not like people care, much.

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