* Posts by ninjaturtle

21 publicly visible posts • joined 14 Nov 2017

Lenovo kicks down door of MWC, dumps a stack of sexy new ThinkPads

ninjaturtle

Still no Linux support for fingerprint readers, very flaky power support (the T480 i am typing this on thinks it's secondary battery will last 54 more hours until empty, somehow I doubt it will actually last that long..).

Lenovo support already confirmed they intend to not release Linux drivers, and it's turning out very difficult to reverse engineer drivers for the latest fingerprint reader which seems to be present in every new Thinkpad ( https://github.com/nmikhailov/Validity90 , no progress in the past 12 months)

Don't buy a Thinkpad if you intend to run anything but Windows 10 on them, I already made that mistake :(

Lenovo ThinkPad P1: Sumptuous pro PC that gets a tad warm

ninjaturtle

i have a 2018 t480 and it makes me sad to have to warn people here: lenovo does not support linux anymore. their support department told me they have no plans to release the missing linux drivers for my t480 (less than a year old).

if i knew that before i purchased it, i wouldve chosen a different brand.

Before dipping a toe in the new ThinkPad high-end, make sure your desk is compatible

ninjaturtle

well lenovo isn't a good brand anymore, don't know why that brand gets hyped on sites like this. i am typing this on a thinkpad t480 that was supposed to have a 'great' keyboard. It slides almost half a centimeter in the chassis when typing. Also missing Linux drivers for fingerprint reader and lenovo already made clear they wont bother releasing any drivers.

Next laptop will not be a Thinkpad anymore, had better experiences with asus. really regret not buying the librem laptops as i was comparing them when i bought this t480.

It's a phone with a peel, but you'll have to wait a bit more for retro Nokia

ninjaturtle

Didn't know that, I was under the impression the old model had it but I guess I've just seen too many movies :-)

The buggy OS is a problem though, really wish they had tested that better or that they're working on patches for the bugs.

Wouldn't mind paying more for it even, I think there's a market for high build quality featurephones that are spyware-free. Not that the build quality is that good on this model, but it's good enough to survive hitting the floor, something that can't be said about the average glass smartphone..

ninjaturtle

I bought this a month ago in the Netherlands. Expected too much from it I guess, because I was quite disappointed when trying to actually use it. The (formerly known as FirefoxOS) KaiOS is one steaming pile of bugs, freezes, and random crashes. In the first day, the phone got stuck in the call log screen, started sending texts randomly, reset itself multiple times and when the one function I got it for was turned on (4G to wifi sharing), it emptied the fully charged battery in less than four hours.

On the upside the battery is removable, and you'll be glad for that because the only way to reset the OS when it freezes is taking the battery out.

If you were looking for an alternative to Android, be ready for another disappointment because it has all the Google apps built in, from Maps to Assistant to Gmail, and they cannot be removed.

Wanted to build your own apps then? Too bad, KaiOS won't let you build apps unless they can approve the app before you build it. This really is too bad, because while there is CalDAV support, there is no CardDAV support, and building it yourself does not appear to be a realistic option.

On the hardware side the backlit buttons are OK, and the slider is nice, but there is no button that will pop the slider out like on the old model, you have to grab the plastic thing and pull it down yourself :(

Was hoping this could be a real alternative to smartphones, but especially on the KaiOS side it just isn't ready yet.

Google's cuddling up to China with clouds in its eyes – reports

ninjaturtle

Re: So essentially...

What makes you think the data currently isn't monitored and harvested..? :)

UK cyber security boffins dispense Ubuntu 18.04 wisdom

ninjaturtle

@Adair:

Why do you call it 'smearing', when I'm just stating facts? Trying to downplay these facts as if they are not true, that's truly disingenuous.

I like free software and I certainly like Linux. What I don't like is companies that spy on people, thereby limiting their freedom, while justifying it by arguing the product doesn't cost money, even calling it free in the perverted sense of the word.

Remember Ubuntu boss Shuttleworth's response when they got caught out on the data leakage: "Erm, we already have root.".

ninjaturtle

@Adair:

Checked it especially for you:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/10/privacy-ubuntu-1210-amazon-ads-and-data-leaks

Turns out they did have the amazing feature, exactly like I described. You're welcome.

ninjaturtle

Wasn't Ubuntu the one distro that sent your keystrokes to Amazon?

A feature of course, to be able to show ads more relevant results to the user when he is doing a local search on his own computer of his own files.

Do they still have that amazing feature?

Yakety-yak app HipChat whacked in Slack chat chaps' tech snatch pact

ninjaturtle

Meanwhile, IRC is still working, and still doesn't cost a cent.

Granted, no custom emoticons, but that will soon be the case for Hipchat as well..

Sorry, Neil Armstrong. Boffins say you may not have been first life-form to set foot on the Moon

ninjaturtle
Coat

Well they can't set foot without feet..

Official: The shape of the smartphone is changing forever

ninjaturtle

Why call it 18:9 and not 2:1?

Azure certifications are awful, Microsoft admits, so it has made new ones

ninjaturtle
Linux

Re: Certifications, pah !

Pascal:

You're describing Red Hat certification. Four hours of practical problem solving, if the given system works as specified at the end of the four hours you pass.

My experience with Windows-minded colleagues is they are more inclined to memorize a list of letters and fill in a multiple guess test than to actually have skills tested, so I don't expect much from these new Azure certs.

Crumbs. Apple has tweaked the MacBook Pro keyboard

ninjaturtle
Facepalm

So does this also mean that their keyboard replacement scheme just exchanges the (nearly-new) faulty keyboards for... brand new faulty keyboards?

Geoboffins spot hundreds of ghost dunes on Mars

ninjaturtle

Just a matter of time until they find spice as well..

A fine vintage: Wine has run Microsoft Solitaire on Linux for 25 years

ninjaturtle
Linux

I remember Corel actually having an own Linux distro for a short while (without Corel Draw but with Word Perfect IIRC)... And remember trying to burn the .iso file of it as a file to a disc (as a young noob), and figuring out why it wouldn't boot

Gemini: Vulture gives PDA some Linux lovin'

ninjaturtle

They really need to focus on getting Linux running on it. Given their target audience, I find it very strange to expect your users to set up a Windows desktop to get the features they bought the device for (Linux compatibility).

Some time ago there were rumours Linux would only run on the Gemini as some kind of container within Android though, I do have to say I'm glad they are working on getting Linux running without Android.

I currently have a Blackberry Key One with a really great keyboard that can probably do all the things the Gemini with Android can do. The only issue with the BB is that it runs Android (and nothing else, jailbreaking is pretty much impossible on the thing)... I was hoping this device would be an alternative, but if it only runs Android properly there's no reason at all to buy it (except maybe the blinking lights) :-(

Hope they will make some improvements and that there will be another review in a few months when there is some progress

Apple macOS so secure some apps can't be easily deleted

ninjaturtle

Re: Move along, nothing to see here.

@dan 55

It's not that easy to install non-Apple OS'es because SIP prevents you from modifying bootstuff. See http://www.rodsbooks.com/refind/sip.html

On my 2012 MBP I managed to disable SIP, but I'm not sure if Apple will still allow you to disable it on new products. I'm not taking the risk anyway, next laptop won't be an Apple for me.

Tenable's response to folks upset at AWOL features: A 150-emails-a-minute spam storm

ninjaturtle

openvas was forked from Nessus when it was still open source, and does not require paid subscriptions

BlackBerry Motion: The Phone That Won't Die

ninjaturtle
Thumb Up

i would miss the keyboard on this one. i just switched from samsung galaxy s7 (which was not too bad) to a keyone a few weeks ago and could not be happier with it.

biggest plus: no bloatware on blackberry, and the few apps that do come preinstalled can be removed if i'd want to (the samsung had facebook preinstalled as a system app, so it couldn't be fully removed). the lack of bloatware is noticeable in battery performance (or maybe it just has a bigger battery?), it can easily go for 2-3 days without charging.