Posts by My other car WAS an IAV Stryker 772 publicly visible posts • joined 12 Mar 2018
"...as retaliation for some catastrophic attack by a private firm."
My most-likely scenario:
1. Private company hacks foreign adversary under government contract.
2. Said company gets back-hacked by adversary. All customer (private citizen) data is exposed/copied/exfiltrated.
3. Customers sue en masse -- likely becomes a class action.
4. Company hides behind government contract for immunity.
Conclusion: The public loses.
"Hyperboloid" is indeed an engineering term that makes for good marketing, but once you've seen a few of them, they quickly become routine/boring.
If IEH is no longer safe, everybody can just buy Amphenol RADSOK instead (a company/brand I've dealt with before, nothing more or less).
And what's a parent going to do besides get in the way of law enforcement trying to respond to the situation, making it even more dangerous for all involved?
Any US school needs a communication system that can alert all parents simultaneously (phone, text, email, etc.), telling them to stay OFF school property and keep the nearby streets clear until the situation resolves, then message them again with updates and instructions.
Fonts aren't just a Microsoft problem or Linux problem.
Recently (2 days ago), I imported a data package from a non-office program on Windows 10 to a Mac. Same program on both machines, same major/minor version (18.4.1) but smaller patches may differ. Half the layouts looked like crap because the fonts render differently (especially vertical spacing) even though I'm the one who installed the particular font files (TTF or OTF) on both machines.
If I had just rendered every layout as an image, they'd look the same but wouldn't be editable. I could use one of Microsoft's programs, which probably would -- gasp! -- render correctly but is lacking key features I need at the destination.
"Look what they're doing to Canada ..."
"They" (Big Baby T and his cronies) are making sure that if the Detroit-Windsor Gordie Howe Int'l Bridge ever does open, it will be a costly "failure" to Canada by reducing the traffic, affecting toll collection meant to pay back the construction loans.
I wonder how much the private owner of the nearby Ambassador Bridge paid him this time. If the Maroun family has absolutely nothing to do with any of this, I have an international bridge to sell you...
"That's not the phone number associated with my internet account -- that's my mobile; you want the landline. Yes, I'm calling from my mobile... because the landline doesn't work. It doesn't work because it's VOIP and the internet -- which YOU provide -- is down. And even when it DOES work, it goes right to voicemail to stop the spammers, so don't expect me to receive a callback there."
The former half of the above exchange has happened at least once at a former residence.
The latter half relates to the article in that one of my wife's financially related accounts had only said landline for contact and tried to call it with a one-time login code (wouldn't do email, too convenient as she was only in the next room with her phone w/ email clients). I had to open another browser tab, log in to the VOIP, turn Do Not Disturb off, test that I could even get a call on the emergency phone, then attempt the original login. Then get another OTP when I attempted to add one of our mobiles as an alternate number, more OTPs to verify that phone, the set it to primary as soon as I could (I may have even deleted the original), then put the VOIP (and everything else) back to "normal".
Trying to keep oneself secure and unbothered is itself quite a bother when they NEED to contact you, using the worst possible method, for the sake of said "security" (whose -- mine or theirs?).
If it's anything like the sanctuary/auditorium screens in my church, some HDMI over Ethernet is all it takes for a long ride from the driver (hotel server rack, or a Mac in our tech booth) to a screen far away, in this case in a moving box. The receiving converter takes less power than a separate PC, surely, possibly PoE -- I didn't set it up, so I don't know.
(No signal? Converter pretends it's not even there; the screens -- LG in my case -- do the usual "no signal" dance.)
My daughter asked from the other room what was so funny and I shortened the story for a retelling.
I then told her that if I had an employee that saved the day to that degree, not only would there be a sizeable bonus in their pay packet (actual cash preferred), but I'd increase said bonus to cover the taxes so their net bonus was still a nic, big, round number.
This was before I saw the kicker of "George" having to pay tax (injury) on the insultingly small voucher, which made me hoot again and read it to her; she agreed that was truly an example of poor management and justified what I had said earlier.
Why haven't we put relay satellites in both Earth and Martian L4/L5 orbits yet? Setting up a decent comms network should be a priority for any exploration, human or otherwise. (Unless someone who knows the math better can show me that it wouldn't even matter against solar conjunction.)
Yesterday's internal phish test was something related to Chipotle, the fast-food chain [1]. It contained a QR code. The email source plus a link at the bottom was enough to click the Phish Alert button, with the usual congratulatory message and auto-delete of the email.
1. Might have been a free item; might have been an order update. As if I would ever order food using a work email! Food is personal, and I have their app on my phone with my personal loyalty/rewards account. Not like I ever order anything while working -- that's for after work to take dinner home to the whole family, and the kids don't even like Chipotle, so it's rare for me and the missus.
"Mind you, every nation seems to struggle with defence procurement. The Yanks are particularly bad --"
Look at my handle -- you're preaching to the choir! At Stryker HQ, I think I spent more time working on programs that got canceled rather than fielded, sometimes because the customer changed their mind, sometimes politics, sometimes for actual good reasons.
At my new(er*) employer (* been 8 years already), I started with some big things but transitioned to working on smaller-scale projects, and things are actually getting done, some as part of training/contractor facilities instead of mobile platforms. Probably less overall mission impact, but still contributory. I try to fulfill the contract while hoping to meet the actual needs of the customer(s). (And please don't blame me about wasted time/money -- usually it's the customer(s) that slows things down to a snail's pace, like not providing critical materiel.)
Speaking of track-pads...
This Logi creation reminds me of a flip phone. Then I look at my current slab phone -- I can't move that around a table easily, but it has a full screen and pretty darned good touch sensitivity and already rechargeable. Which makes me wonder: Why don't we have a protocol for the slab phones to become a touch-based input peripheral to the computer (tower/laptop) via Bluetooth? (Wallpaper display mode -- static, slideshow, dynamic/video and/or fully interactive -- is optional.) Then we no longer need mice/trackballs, the phone sits to the side of the keyboard, and the onboard laptop trackpad can just plain go away.
Care and Maintenance are the 100 pages right after the Operating Instructions (50 pages) in the Owner's Manual.
(I've read and written way too many technically verbose documents. Burying the useful stuff in detailed technobabble comes with the defense [defence]/aerospace territory. It's usually part of the contract, and I assume NASA would ask for nothing less.)
I do diagrams, mostly -- sometimes just wiring/logical, sometimes crude physical assemblies -- not code or text-based documents.
Why did Visio make that entire group jump when I was trying to nudge? Ctrl-Z (Undo).
After a paste: Why did I copy that? -- or -- Didn't I press Ctrl-C hard enough that time? Ctrl-Z.
Accidental deletion: Ctrl-Z.
Piecing together multiple bits of disparate data: Alt-Tabs all the day long (and Ctrl-Tabs within the PDF reader). Plus plenty of Ctrl-W (close tab) and Shift-Ctrl-W (reopen closed tab in the PDF reader).
Probably more of this kind of keystroke than actual text to be found. You're better off looking at my mouse activity.
I'd rather teach an AI how to properly check (validate) an engineering drawing/diagram, because that would help my personal QA. Then the AI needs to learn how to *read* a wiring diagram before there is any hope on *creating* one.
White? Yes.
Evangelical Christian? Yes.
Voted for Trump? NEVER.
So count me -- and my wife (and her dad, and some of his extended family) -- in that 15-20% who chose different. And to some of you, stop lumping us with the other "US Christians". We prefer following Christ, not political party.
(You could count my parents and brother also, but they're "mainstream" protestant Christian, not evangelical.)
But but but I thought manglement wanted everyone in the office because "collaboration"... which involves talking -- lots of it, at random times when inspiration hits (or a coworker just happens to be up and about like a restroom or coffee run).
You want silence, except for meetings? Let me (continue to) work from home and you won't hear a thing, especially me not complaining about the office and dumb manglement "rules".
Missing the subheads. I'd rather have the head, subhead, and snippet like before, then only have to click the link (at the bottom, which is now harder to get to) if I cared to have the full text. Also, having the authors' names was nice, especially compared to a generic "www.theregister.com - Articles".
We keep a standard black storage bin (yellow top -- not sure if from Costco or Home Depot) by our front door.
UPS and USPS (post office) will use it; FedEx will not, even when told to, and often put a package around the side of the house at the garage doors (even in the rain, vs. a semi-covered stoop at the front door), and Amazon is hit-or-miss -- I do remember one picture with the package in the open bin before they put the top back on.
Another difference: sound. UPS will knock/ring. USPS can be heard leaving (of those Grumman LLV engines). Amazon at least has notifications. FedEx is silent as a mouse*, just asking for our stuff to get taken. (* Yes, you can sign up for email alerts, but the missus said I was ruining too many surprises.)
Humidity can actually help. Here's a YouTube from civil engineer Grady Hilhouse's "Practical Engineering" discussing the hyperbolic evaporative cooling towers we see at power plants, and why the dryest environment isn't always best. I'm an electrical engineer, not mechanical/thermal, so I don't understand these diagrams well. (I did take one thermo college course 24 years ago, and I didn't understand it then either!)
Power plants near where I grew up (or am now) tend to take advantage of nearby water: Mississippi River, Lake Erie, etc.
My older brother-in-law* kept buying me these at my bachelor party. He and my father-in-law* were drinking straight beer (Labatt Blue) and I wanted one of those to wash out the strong stuff, but bartender listened to who was paying. I think I had three. Most of my in-laws know I prefer beer, so I know he was doing it on purpose. Had a good sleep but was kind of grumpy dealing with my own brother at the tux fitting (he deserved it anyway), which turned into a much longer story that almost prevented the wedding. Thankfully the grace of God saved the day, and everybody's on good terms... and I haven't had a Long Island since!
(* De facto as of the engagement; officially two days later.)
Icon --> yes, please, but not very often.
I had the same question. Is this vulnerability exclusive to Adobe or an issue with the PDF standard itself?
(I'm using PDF-XChange exclusively at work (full license paid by employer), and both that (free version) and Evince for non-work stuff. I try to avoid Adobe.)
"Not if we're all dead."
Some dialogue from a sci-fi comic strip once:
Smart guy (engineer-type with military-like experience): What's the defense plan if you lose your eyes [sensors] here in the [star] system?
AI in charge: [Detailed reply about defenses.]
Smart guy: "I've defended my eyes" is not the same as a plan to make do without eyes.
AI: You might as well be asking "What's your plan for victory if you get defeated?"
Smart guy: That's a fair question. Do you have an answer?
You already have my upvote because I thought the same thing.
My phrasing: I'm sure there are plenty of American good ol' boys (i.e.: gun nuts) that could be Amazon's own private corporate militia if the US feds and various states decided to take up arms against them. If the pay is good enough and/or you can convince them the [ federal | state ]government is the enemy...
But as the first reply said, we shouldn't be giving them ideas, or we might end up like the novel "Jennifer Government."
(Icon: Amazon's newest drones, with guns, to defend the packages and/or truck drivers, or maybe threaten the drivers to work faster.)
"My instinct is to pass a very simple law that somebody's identity belongs to them and cannot be stolen, used, misappropriated, whatever the purpose… You should go to bed a night not fearing that in the morning, you find a deeply damaging, disruptive and dangerous misrepresentation of you."
Since this is UK, the US First Amendment doesn't apply. Does this mean saying goodbye to any impersonation, even Auto-Vox, for comedy purposes? Maybe there needs to be a carve-out to protect a certain level of speech.
Deepfakes that are crafted to pass off as serious would (and should) definitely be illegal. I wish all public lies were illegal, not just when under oath.
"The broader lesson is not that device fingerprinting has failed, it is that fraud detection must move beyond static device authenticity checks to multi-layered intelligence," the report concluded, adding "device-environment correlation, infrastructure-level visibility, behavioral modeling, and graph-based analytics" as methods to catch some of the signals they highlighted.
So... my finance apps are going to ask for more active data just to prove it's a physical phone being used by an actual human? Activity/motion, camera, microphone--how much more will they need? Sounds like a privacy nightmare, even for trusted services/providers.
"[T]he internet is an open sewer and if you're under sixteen and using it unmonitored, I would ask why."
I did at that age in the mid-'90s, with dial-up. Only one parent had the technical acumen to even try to get online; the other had no hope.
Of course, back then, the internet sewage was only sewer-sized -- now, it's an ocean. And no, I don't want my kids playing in it, but that's my job, not an OS's. Yet eventually I must release them into the wild and hope they'll not rush into the worst like I did in college (with massive bandwidth that's always on).
Sorry for bad spelling, and too late to directly edit: thing, not think. Although nowadays it might be called a "thinkpiece".
(Also, based on another post, it hasn't been a full 25 years yet. At my age, all time estimates over a decade carry a plus/minus 5-year margin.)
I remember reading that story about 25 years ago, and it's the very first think I thought of. I am truly grieved to see anything close come to pass, but maybe it was inevitable.
The ending of that story reminds me of Musk's Neuralink, which didn't turn out to be a winner. Maybe in time, but I'm betting Manna will enslave and/or kill us all by then, which segues into any number of sci-fi franchises (Terminator as some have said, or maybe The Matrix).
"Employees are human tools."
And like all tools, the employer can properly care for their tools or abuse them. Abuse breaks tools faster than general wear-and-tear. Tools need maintenance; people need benefits, time off, and purpose to their work. Lack of any of these (and probably more) is abuse.
(The wear-and-tear just comes with age and experience in the corporate world; it's an unavoidable side effect of working for a living. But too much of that and the tool will get replaced, sorry.)
Out of the $12.5 billion allotted, and $20 billion more estimated, I hope we don't end up with a situation where the hardware is built, software is written and tested (both with simulated and real-hardware inputs), but there are no funds left for actual installation and/or training the FAA staff (paying both trainers AND trainees for the time), plus removing the old stuff.
Projects like this make me afraid of cart-before-the-horse situations, where control towers are left with no functional system (for even a single hour) OR a system that functions but they can't use.
"It's a bit of fun in the bleak midwinter (for those of us in the northern hemisphere)."
Um, no...? Winter -- at least the modern civil definition tied to the solstice -- hasn't even started, and in that vein, "midwinter" would be Candlemas / Groundhog Day. The "middle" (third) of winter would be approx. Jan 21 to Feb 21 *.
Now, in the older sense, the solstice may be "midwinter", but that just feels wrong when the weather hasn't achieved "bleak" yet. And "midsummer" before the Dog Days? Not around these parts.
(* Quite an important time for me personally, containing anniversaries of the births of myself and my missus. Sure, the weather may be bleak, but aging can be downright dreadful! Or fun. Sometimes both.)
