Posts by Smody

Ofcom measured UK's 5G radiation and found that, no, it won't give you cancer

This is encouraging news, but I remain skeptical about 5G. In the first place, I simply don't see any NEED for it. Secondly, I suspect testing for its effects is insufficiently subtle to identify cumulative effects of the introduction of a particular kind of EMR in heavy doses, especially for non-human life. I'd prefer using the cautionary principle, vs going hell bent for leather on installing hardware all over the place.

Truth, Justice, and the American Huawei: Chinese tech giant tries to convince US court ban is unconstitutional

" the affected persons".... "Corporations are people, man!", proclaimed by Romney, and confirmed by the Supreme Court.

I think the specific wording in the Constitution is moot. The document has been "interpreted" into contradictory insanity.

Gee, SEC, how did that get out?! 'Leaked' Tesla email claims big boost in Model 3 production

"Almost every car company has black an a colour option. Some even regard it as a premium colour. Teslas are also available in other colours it is just a selection on the configurator."

Black isn't the option on a Model 3, it's the standard color. Everything else is an option - at a price. White is an extra $2000. I live in the hot & humid U.S. southeast, where black cars gets burning hot. Black is also the color that dragonflies confuse with a stream, so they drop their eggs directly on to a griddle. I will never again have a black car, so if I want a Tesla, I have to pay a premium.

Freed whistleblower Chelsea Manning back in jail for refusing to testify before secret grand jury

Re: One crime.

I want to know why the whole concept of "contempt of court" is not recognized as blatantly counter to the U.S. Constitution. A judge becomes judge, jury, and "executioner", and hands out what could become a life sentence. No trial by a jury of peers, no actual law being broken. It's insane.

'I do not wish to surrender' Julian Assange tells court over US extradition bid

Re: The USA wants Assange for what he did

"Sadly that "RPG" wasn't a shoulder mounted rocket grenade, but a shoulder mounted camera." SADLY? Considering that that was the main reason for the firing, I'd say "sadly" doesn't even begin to describe the nature of that event.

And that journalist just happened to be running for his life, alone, posing no threat, when he was casually gunned down.

FYI: Yeah, the cops can force your finger onto a suspect's iPhone to see if it unlocks, says judge

Re: You can pry my password from my cold, dead lips.

Don't cross the border. Or get within 100 miles of the border (including the ocean). Or get within 100 miles of an airport. Those are all, apparently, Constitution-free zones.

Idiot admits destroying scores of college PCs using USB Killer gizmo, filming himself doing it

Re: Surprisingly honest

I'd give you an upvote, but here in the U.S. that would constitute conspiracy, and would net me a sentence of life imprisonment. Probably in solitary.

Microsoft debuts Bosque – a new programming language with no loops, inspired by TypeScript

Re: What's Wrong With a Loop?

Ooh, manually loaded overlays. I am SO glad that I hardly ever had to deal with that.

New UK counter-terror laws come into force today – watch those clicks, people. You see, terrorist propag... NOOO! Alexa ignore us!

No doubt coming to the USA

When this law is passed in the US (if it hasn't been passed already, without any public notice), I'll be sure to stay away from any Pentagon web sites, or the CIA, or ICE, or Fox News.

Kent bloke incurs the anchor of local council after fly-tipping boat

You've s-pun quite a tale there.

Apple blew my mind – literally, says woman: MagSafe plug sparked face-torching blaze, lawsuit claims

Huh. Guess I'm just extremely lucky. My Macbook Pro from 2014, and my Albook from 2003 (which I still use for a little web development), have never had any of those problems.

My hoard of obsolete hardware might be useful… one day

That camcorder story actually happened to me, a month ago, except that I was both the hoarder, and the bunch of colleagues. I was trying to think of a way to give away a Sony Handycam, when I discovered that I had numerous cassettes dating back to 1998. So I got them all on hard disk, and all it took was buying a new battery (I bought 2, just in case) with a charger, and a Firewire 400 to 800 adapter, and a Firewire 800 to Thunderbolt adapter, and external storage (spinning rust, of course), and software to make it easier.... Sigh. Instead of de-hoarding, I added more.

Law forcing Feds to get warrants for email slurping is sneaked into US military budget

Details

"(b) to relax requirements on the government in requesting deferred notification to targeted individuals by increasing the maximum life of such delays from 90 to 180 days".

The Congress giveth, and the Congress taketh away. "We've been reading your emails for 3 - er, 6 months now. Have a nice day".

Official Secrets Act alert went off after embassy hired local tech support

Good thing it wasn't a U.S. office.

Instead of feeding it fruit, they would have used a butcher knife. (And yes, I'm USAn).

'Password rules are bullsh*t!' Stackoverflow Jeff's rage overflows

Re: @Charles 9

"to those "security questions" that really need to die." HALLEFREAKINLLUYAH. I hate those questions, and I NEVER specify a meaningful answer. Although sometimes they do indicate that i have psychological problems:

Favorite pet: Godzilla.

Favorite restaurant: Roach Motel Moe's.

etc.

and pass phrase acronyms: IHTGDSSQs.

Want to come to the US? Be prepared to hand over your passwords if you're on Trump's hit list

It could be worse.

You could be an American. These vile fascists are now the face of the USA. If I went overseas, I'd try to learn to speak like a Canadian. I certainly wouldn't want to advertise that I'm from THAT place.

The social media stuff is stupid to the point of being funny: sorry, boss, I don't got no soshul media, what is that, anyway? But passwords to BANK ACCOUNTS!? Oh, HELL no.

Banned! No streaming live democracy from your phones, US Congress orders reps

Robing?

Arrggghh!

Not that big a deal.

In the first place, I question how they'll enforce it and levy fines. Any member who wants to stream proceedings should go right ahead, and tell the Repubs to screw themselves. In the second place, I worry more that the Republicans (or Democrats, for that matter) will disappear the voting records. Right now, I can go look at the text of every bill or resolution, and I can see how every member voted. While I recognize the significance of public statements, I evaluate members almost entirely on how they vote. If that information goes away, elections become even more of a farce.

Democralypse Now? US election first battle in new age of cyberwarfare

Re: Hmmmm

Why limit it to the Democratic primary? Exit polls in the U.S. have been different from official results to a degree that is statistically ridiculous, for a long time.

I see no reason to invest any trust whatsoever in machines using secret coding. That applies to both computer voting (less predominant than in the past), and tabulators (very widely used).

Lethal 4-hour-erection-causing spiders spill out of bunch of ASDA bananas

Re: Doctor, help me, a spider gave me this huge erection!

I really did LOL when I read this. The headline was crazy enough ("Lethal" + "4-hour-erection-causing"?), but this was the perfect response.

Google to block web views from using its OAuth

Re: Android really really sucks

"....where even changing the wallpaper or ringtone is fucking building-the-pyramids level of effort."

Not true. Changing wallpaper or ring tones is easy. Adding your own ringtone, not so much.

China's moon rover dies of extreme old age, after two-and-a-half years

"using differing mathematical units and thus turning from a lander into an impact probe." D'OH! And yet we STILL won't go fully metric. (Yes, I'm one of those USAn dolts).

Don't want to vote for Clinton or Trump? How about this woman who says Wi-Fi melts kids' brains?

Re: Just another distraction.

"... the media is trying to spin into another Dean scream."

Said media including theregister. That headline is on a par with a poster advertising a 1950s sci-fi movie; MELTS YOUR BRAIN!!!! What a load of crap.