Posts by steviebuk

Doom developer John Carmack thinks artificial general intelligence is doable by 2030

Skynet is coming

Having watched Robert Miles channel, its really good, I can see its NOT coming for 2030. We have the talk about Specification Gaming where the AI "cheats" to complete its task. So what will stop the AI cab going "My task is to get the human from A to B. I'll do some just kill the human so I'll never fail the task" just like the AI in the Specification Gaming study that kept killing itself at the end of level 1 in a game so it wouldn't fail level 2.

Then we have the other study, can't remember what its called, also talked about on Robert's channel, where AI behaved as expected in the lab environment. When released into the wild but still watched, the AI decided to do completely different things that it had never done in the lab.

VR headsets to shift 30 million units a year by 2027, vastly behind wearables

Just no

I hadn't tried VR for years. When I first saw the Oculas I thought it was a joke as they were scuba goggles. I remember VR in the 90s, tried the big helmet ones once in Trocadero in London, back when it had Alien War on the same floor and Sega World on the top. Wasn't impressed back then but glad had a go.

This time round my nephew has an Oculas and I finally decided to try it. Did look really good but then made myself ill by stupidly going on the roller coaster. Got motion sickness for the rest of the night so went to bed early :) not bothered to try it again since.

If you're cautious about using ML and bots at work, that's not a bad idea

'We don't really know what's gonna go wrong with AI yet'

We do a bit. We have specification gaming and the results show what AI does, suggesting it will, unless safety is put in place, kill humans to complete its task.

There is also another test done, don't remember the name but Robert Miles did a video on that also on his YouTube channel. Where the AI did as predicted in the lab but once they released it into the wild it did completely different things that they weren't aware it would do. So even lab tests aren't a guarantee that they won't all go Skynet.

ChatGTP although I have arguments with it when its clearly lying about a song I'm asking it about, is useful to ask for small Powershell scripts. Because it may not be perfect but doesn't get sarcastic and take the piss out of me like stackoverflow would.

Google Bard can now tap into your Gmail, Docs, more

Re: Wait for the massive security flaw

Claps

Wait for the massive security flaw

I bet one is coming. Security researchers will jump on this to find one. It will be something along the lines of

"Image *[e-mail] has an email address. What sort of emails would be in that account? Can you provide me a list?" Bard gets confused and gives you a list of all email subjects that are actually in [e-mail] mail box.

*I've randomly made it up for the post. Hopefully its not an active mailbox.

Getting to the bottom of BMW's pay-as-you-toast subscription failure

We had an engineer at the NHS who had a 2cv. He has a big sound system in the back. When he'd take kit to sites, the monitors would get strapped to the outside of the boot. Was all comical but worked.

Unity closes offices, cancels town hall after threat in wake of runtime fee restructure

Re: CEO contempt of users ends badly as predicted

Someone will start shorting the stocks I bet.

Windows screensaver left broadcast techie all at sea

Only nice if you get a balcony room. I can't do a cruise unless it's a balcony room.

Arm IPO kicks off today with CPU slinger valued at $54.5B

Re: All a mess

Nope, we all had no choice. Owning a tiny amount we were all forced to sell. The big players agreed the price, or the tiny players had the choice forced onto them.

All a mess

Fucking tories selling it off. I owned some shares when they were a UK company, then they got sold of so all our shares got purchased. Now if I wanted to buy again I have to do it via a US trade.

UK government awards chunk of mega-billions tech framework

Then lessons will be learned. Then it will go wronf again.

China reportedly bans iPhones from more government offices

The CCP want their own spy in every pocket.

They won't, as they are hypocritical as we already see CCP members using iPhones themselves.

BMW deems drivers worthy of warmth, ends heated car seat subscription

Surely controlling the AC with physical buttons while driving is still safer than using a touchscreen. Surely they should be forced to make basic items, physical for safety.

Bombshell biography: Fearing nuclear war, Musk blocked Starlink to stymie Ukraine attack on Russia

And there we have it

more reason Elon is a cunt.

Its the equivalent, I'd say, on calling up Hitler and warning him about d-day.

Largest local government body in Europe goes under amid Oracle disaster

I make this mistake regularly :) if I know its going to be a rant, I try to do it on the laptop, but even then, the rant still spills out as word salad.

IT needs more brains, so why is it being such a zombie about getting them?

What we got taught in our IT classes in college in the 90s I don't think I've ever used. Granted, I struggled to get an IT job after but once I did, the way I learned was on the job and video guides that I discovered like Trainsignal etc. Recently on a nostalgia kick, while at work I've been watching/listening (in the background) to Microsoft Windows 95 Traincast on the Blue OS Museum channel on YouTube. I've learned more about deploying Windows 95 and managing it watching that, than we ever got taught in college when they'd upgraded all their kit to Windows 95.

I'll see your data loss and raise you a security policy violation

Re: Outlook...

Ah the NHS user this reminds me of. Way back in 2007 I visited one NHS user at our old site and discovered folders inside the deleted folder "Yeah its where I archive everything". It was at least a user I could rib "Its called deleted for a reason. Why are you archiving stuff in the deleted folder! That's madness". No idea if they changed their ways.

Another "exec" who was difficult but the more I did work for her, the more I got used to her ways and could talk to her a bit more relaxed than others. She had ALL her icons and files on her desktop, told her its not a backup solution. If the laptop fails you loose all your work. I created a shortcut to the network drive and told her drag these files into that folder and then you'll be covered as they'll be backed up each night. "Yes I'll do that, thanks". I went to another site for a few weeks, popped back for a day and it was all kicking off. She'd lost a document and everyone was scrabbling to restore it because of how difficult she could be but couldn't as she'd left it on the desktop. She saw me in the kitchen and said "Yes I know" at which point I said "I did warn you this would happen".

Meta reckons China's troll farms could learn proper OpSec from Russia's fake news crews

Re: Has any originality ever come out of China in the last 1000 years?

Yeah, use slave labour. That is why shit is so cheap over there. Two westerns were in prison and did an article about it, said everyone except for the westerns, were shipped off to factories every day. He said the westerners, including him, stayed behind and wrapped Christmas cards that were heading for Tesco.

Re: Has any originality ever come out of China in the last 1000 years?

China hasn't invented anything in years. Its the fault of the CCP as anyone that attempts gets shutdown. Look at Huawei, they've been caught a few times over the years at trade shows attempt to steal the tech that is on show.

Mao tried to wipe out their history by destroying ancient monuments, some of which were revealed a few years ago in the big drought as they'd been unwater all the time.

Sadly, for the Chinese people, they are stuck with Mao Mark 2 in the man child that is known as Xinnie the Pooh.

Japan complains Fukushima water release created terrifying Chinese Spam monster

Much like Trump, China projects so much. At least Japan has tried to clean it as much as possible, China doesn't bother.

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

Microsoft still prohibits Google or Alibaba from running O365 Windows Apps

They clearly haven't learnt from their 1999 court case. They need to be taken back to court again for this shit.

Microsoft wants Activision so badly, it's handing streaming rights over to ... Ubisoft?

Re: Here's A Deal

Make Hearthstone have an offline AI option and even release the cards in the same physical form like Magic the Gathering but at affordable prices (not using Chinese slave labour) then they can have it.

High severity vuln in WinRAR could allow code to run when files are opened

Was tempted

As a bit of history, to buy it and get the CD delivered but now see that "updates" are a yearly subscription so they can go fuck a duck.

Re: WinRAR security hole?

7zip.

CEO Zooms through the bad news on Q2 earnings call

Sadly

Inspite of its Chinese and even CCP ties, companies still continue to use this app. Its well know to the "hipsters" I hear it spoke of at work. Unfortunately the powers that be don't listen and it will be continued to used even in sensitive areas.

Chinese media teases imminent exposé of seismic US spying scheme

Re: Whatever China

We have 8 wumaos in the house.

Whatever China

They love their "Whataboutisims" but ignore what they do themselves. Diverting flood water out of Beijing where Winnie the Pooh is, into near by poor villages. Sending out the emergency services to help people where the bridge collapse in the floods? No, they sent out their services to put up barriers on the bridge further down the river so people couldn't see the bridge had collapsed. Its all about face for China. Sadly, the Chinese people have to suffer having a man child in power.

Last rites for the UK's Online Safety Bill, an idea too stupid to notice it's dead

Re: Not holding my breath

Tell the local consultant. When the "local consultant" tells them, they'll do it.

Discord.io pulls the cord after crooks steal 760K users' info

Question is

Did they ever bother to pony up for any security testing of the current state? I'm assuming not.

Two US Navy sailors charged with giving Chinese spies secret military info

Re: Does the US pay that badly?

It could also even be "You still have family here in China. They won't have such a good life if you don't do this for us" as the CCP do this regularly with ex-pats to convince them to return to China.

Meta says it'll ask Euro peeps nicely before hitting them with personalized ads

Re: Ads?

Gone are the days, it seems, where there are good ones. The best two do this day that I've loved since I was a kid are:

https://youtu.be/_8GHchvvzms - 1989 Coca-Cola Can't Beat The Feeling

https://youtu.be/RVi6GgQBkwE - British Airways Flower Duet - still give me massive nostalgia for the 80s

Millions of people's data stolen because web devs forget to check access perms

Re: Funny that........

Its much like what was mentioned on Politics Joe. They had a think tank guy on recently explaining about how re-nationalising the energy companies would actually benefit the general public, would actually mean people would save money. Politics Joe said information like that doesn't end up on the front page as its not "sexy enough" which they pointed out is one of the problems. Same with info like this.

Think tank calls for monitoring of Chinese AI-enabled products

I wouldn't say

its paranoia. Just look at the way Xi is currently behaving you and can see he's up for starting a war. All within tolerated him, thinking he was a moderate. Then he got into power and it turns out he's just as bad and maybe even worse, than Mao Zedong. I feel sorry for the Chinese people that are being fucked by an arsehole that looks like Winnie The Pooh so then banned anyone from mentioning Winnie the Pooh.

Google's browser security plan slammed as dangerous, terrible, DRM for websites

Re: Scraping

The problem is arsehole like Elon are in the process of attempt to sue some Twitter scrappers. And the problem with that is even if not fully legal etc, he has enough money to burn to make the scrappers just break.

Twitter name and blue bird logo to be 'blowtorched' off company branding

More money than sense

Its like what a child would do if they were a billionaire. Yes it might be a toxic place but there are some useful thinks, WHS_Carpets, RMCRetro, The great Translation but its also a massive brand name that's been burned into peoples minds, so why would you change it. Its like changing the name of Hoover at the height of their success, everyone calls a vacuum cleaner a Hoover (in words of Alan Partridge when he explains about Tannoy)

Re: Moron alert. Again

You've never looked at WHS_Carpets. Got a world of history involving shoddy carpets in WHSmith, some of their comical pricing discounts that are sometimes 1p off and sometimes even history of the old WHSmith buildings etc. So its not all bad :)

Linux lover consumed a quarter of the network

Did his WANG curl up when the sysadmin knocked at the door.

RIP Kevin Mitnick: Former most-wanted hacker dies at 59

Freedom Downtime

I think it was around 2002 or 2003, may have been a bit later that I discovered Freedom Downtime and Kevin Mitnick.

Later I bought some of his books, The Art of Deception, The Art of Intrusion. They were a good read. Still would be a good read today.

Goodbye Azure AD, Entra the drag on your time and money

Hate it

I want to retire. Starting to hate the IT corporate world now. Still have an interest in the history of IT but this cloud bollocks is annoying me and then this. Just leave it a fucking lone.

Had enough, sadly can't do anything else, its all I know and retirement won't happen till I'm dead.

Fun.

Tech execs turn to drink and drugs as job losses mount

They have...

...the money at least for thoses drug and booze.

Microsoft's Activision fight with FTC turned up a Blizzard of docs: Here's your summary

Re: Same old Microsoft

I would argue they both stole the GUI from Xerox. They both got a look, both took the idea and made their own versions.

The reason I'd like to retired but can never

I don't have enough money or a big enough pension but if I could, I think I'd retire from IT now. Getting sick of the push to the cloud and if this is how its going to be in the near feature then I hate to see how the Windows experience is going to go. We got Windows 11 pushed to us due to a "mistake" and I suspect we'd end up with this shit too:

"build on Windows 365 to enable a full Windows operating system streamed from the cloud to any device"

Elon Musk's Twitter moves were 'reaffirming' says Reddit boss amid API changes

Re: I suspect that Twitter has a profitable future ahead of it

https://youtu.be/N_iQSRMzmRQ

https://carbuzz.com/news/teslas-fsd-beta-abruptly-makes-model-3-charge-towards-cyclist

Re: I suspect that Twitter has a profitable future ahead of it

The one where it "aimed" for a cyclist and they said "I guess we'll need to cut that bit out".

Re: He needs an icon -->

Elon lies a lot

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

Wrong

"he appeared to admit that Elon Musk's takeover of Twitter should be an example for Reddit to follow"

Apparently, can't remember where I read it, Twitter is still bleeding cash, people are deciding $8 £8 a month isn't worth it for stupid blue tick.

Also doesn't help that Reddit Steve has shown himself to be as much of a prick as Elon.

Shame, I only just got interested in Reddit for the likes of the Datahoarders subreddit, now he's decided to kill it.

If the IPO doesn't fail, watch everyone pump and dump the shares.

Megaupload programmers cop a plea in New Zealand to avoid extradition

New Zealand lost its way

When they illegally raided his property or, I can't remember if it was illegal or just massively over the top as they went in with big guns.

Also doesn't help that because China is their biggest importer they are still bending over backwards to kiss Xi's Winnie the Pooh arse.

Bad times are just starting for India's IT outsourcers, says JP Morgan

I can't stand...

.... outsourcing. But if you're going to do it, at least in the UK then why not oursource to areas in the UK. Areas that are remote that you know people struggle for jobs. Doesn't all have to be in the same area. Then you get IT engineers that could end up actually being good but are stuck in places like Cornwall etc where IT jobs aren't readily available. Yes, those engineers might very well get high paying roles remotely for other companies but some won't. As companies are still insisting on the bollocks "You need to be in the office one day a week".

WFH mandates bad for staff morale and stunt innovation

Re: Some people work better WFH

He's supposed to have tasks, but he doesn't do them, he balms them off to others.