Posts by NATTtrash 536 publicly visible posts • joined 6 Apr 2019
Honestly, it's quite a useful tool...
I agree. Then again, I can't escape a deja vu moment, where I see kids nowadays enter their (digital) cassette tape in their (digital) cassette player (simple screen recorder? audacity?), and wait to press RECORD just when that annoying gentleman stops talking...
Streisand indeed.
GitHub (MS) making a lot of noise, acting like its the only way to distribute software... while the devs platform on https://yt-dl.org/ has been available all the time. Without any issue. And it's in the normal *buntu repo too as far as I know. Although a hopelessly old version (as usual).
Then again, as this article on TorrentFreak (https://torrentfreak.com/deciphering-youtubes-rolling-cypher-in-your-browser-is-a-piece-of-cake-201030/) already showed, this is a lot of noise about nothing. As it turns out that any 5 year old with just a browser can still DL with just looking at the code a bit. Then again, it's always good to point the finger at somebody else as justification for ones own annoyances/ shortcomings/ anything else...
I'm sorry, but how does some (protective) measurements/ code (.js, <? php) automatically equal Google CAPTCHA stuff? Are you telling me that on a professional platform like ElReg sifting out crud on your forms equals "let's-see-what-Google-has-for-code-so-I-don't-have-to-use-my-brain-and-can-go-on-looking-in-the-Google-play-store-for-games-to-waste-my-time-while-I-am-sitting-on-the-loo-playing-games-and-keep-making-easy-money-producing-poo" behaviour? Typing code yourself is too exhausting, but we do just manage copy-paste?Oh dear. What ever happened to the world? The end is nigh...
How I long for the old days when content was king and SEO meant having useful terms in an <h1> tag and in the first few K of the page.
And then we're not even talking about the interpretation that your objective search engine will do when it presents you those objective search results... Making it different for you, me, and Mabel of a certain persuasion... Only here to help...
Or as you can see in "The Social Dilemma": Google employees seem to use Qwant for their searches :D
I agree with you, on many things, but do keep something in mind. A lot of the "baggage" that is introduced with for example contact forms and stuff, is because otherwise your days will be filled with miserable, non-productive spam fighting and stuff. So yes, you got a point and I too long for "do-one-thing-and-do-it-well" and Mosaic days sometimes... But don't slip into a "it-is-all-rubbish" because it isn't THAT black and white (I think)...
Never mind...
Has Apple abandoned CUPS, the Linux's world's widely used open-source printing system? Seems so
After only one public Git commit this year, penguinstas think: Fork it, we don't need Cupertino
https://www.theregister.com/2020/10/15/apple_cups_develoment/
Well, that didn't take long to close that walled garden then...
Fruit isn't part of my diet, but am I mistaken when I seem to remember that CUPS works perfectly on macOS? Or doesn't that solve this issue? Or is CUPS the default printer spool anyway and is it something Apple specific that's the hindrance and messing up? Because here, on *nix with CUPS and a HP laser all is good...
Maybe someone can help me here as I can't tell where Snap "fits" and why or how apt-get install isn't functionally better at its level.
Got the same feeling reading this...
I admit that I'm not a fan of snap; it's big, it's slow, it hinders tailoring, it duplicates in more than one way, and let's not start about its teaming up with that other great monolith, systemd. But I can also see that it might be heaven for some less sophisticated (cross over?) users. Which Canonical loves to target. Everything has it's use case eventually I suppose...
However, what I fail to see is why a large (I repeat LARGE, since duplication WILL happen with snaps. And what about the underlying snap code itself...), slow (boot, update...), limiting (see the example here on KeepassXC) is let loose on a Pi, which has limited resources/ capabilities to begin with? Whatever happened to the right application for the right situation? Sure the Pi is so resilient that it will run, which is cool, but is it really thoughtful use..?
We should be careful to compare apples and pears though. Most, if not all Europeans have a bank account and debit card, and the system is well established, regulated, and utilised. The fact that many in the US don't even have a bank account, transfer money through "wire services" and confuse debit with credit cards continuously, makes we can't compare situations. And thus these (in the eyes of many here) superfluous services are created all the time...
But yes, you're right. Our intra-EU, international payments also go for 99% in real time, the rest within a day. Most of the time it's when I send something to acquaintances in the US when the real trouble starts.
I agree. Although I do feel rambling fits of "Why? Do tell me WHY?" coming on if you try to "slim down" search.json.mozlz4 and FF just ignores your edits/ prefs by restoring their version of "Don't hurt yourself, don't think what's best for you, we will do that for you", we do have to, like you said, realise that their (open) platform is the base for many other things. And not just browsers. Or TBird. Many academics would be very sad indeed if for example Zotero would head for the exit. And thus be condemned to contraptions like Mendeley... Of just another fine, non-profit, fresh faced, for-the-good-of-mankind organisation.
Thanks to the Gregory Brothers, Trump gives TikTokkers really something to shake their booty to...
I am so excited that this nasty foreign platform has been secured for vacuous American Teenaged Shufflers and Hip hoppers...
:D Indeed
And if the Shufflers are so "unhappy" to be outside US, new issues might be just on the horizon...
But Trump’s objection to TikTok was that it sends data to China and today’s news hasn’t explained who will end up controlling that data.
At first glance it appears that TikTok Global will keep it.
So, does this now mean that data will be sent to the US? Hmmm, wasn't there something about that?
"The news comes in the wake of an EU court ruling two months ago that transatlantic data protection arrangements - known as Privacy Shield - were "inadequate"."
Don't forget to mention that protonmail does have the possibility to send a new mail notification to another email address when desired, while Tuta doesn't do that.
By now, both have (access through) phone apps, I think (sorry, flip phone here, so only vague memory).
Furthermore, Proton and Tuta can be free (as in beer, although supporting a good cause is recommended), while some of the other alternatives you mention are not (e.g. Posteo).
"Agreed. But even with the methodology you suggest, it is probably still misleading."
Furthermore, there are quite some standard beginner errors in the stats here. As the article says:
"Funnily enough, there's a weird trend for nations popular with non-doms to have nippy internet. Who took third place? You guessed it, another microstate: Andorra."
Every first year student knows that, if the sample size is smaller, the mean/ modus might be skewed (strongly), since the small sample size makes the weight and impact of the "exceptions" stronger. So I'll leave it to the commentards here to contemplate the bias introduced by comparing these national samples, when a quick MIN and MAX shows the range in results is 1.3023 ≤ measurements/IP/country ≤ 40.914. As always, it would be great to look at the raw data, but that isn't available. I wouldn't be surprised that, with means skewed and a large spread of data, a multivariate would show no significant differences at all.
So... (see icon)
In a move that cemented its place in computing history and made Bill Gates the richest man on Earth, Microsoft stopped stealing its ideas from the likes of Xerox PARC and Apple – and came up with a few of its own, forming Windows 95. And the biggest was the Start button which, even a quarter of a century later still exists albeit after various redesigns and rethinks.
Redmond Windows 8 Brilliant New Idea Taskforce: "That Start Button thing is useless, let's remove it."
I agree. But users behaviour can be somewhat... less straight forward. As the piece says:
several CIOs stressed that personal chats should not be used to store essential business data.
Which is very true of course. But then again, we've all seen at some time that a user thinks it's a great idea to move those files (s)he wants to save to that place on their desktop which says "Recycle Bin".
Really, since so many people never really back up anything.
Very true. We all have had calls from family/ friends along the lines of : "It was here, and now it's gone" Or: "I think I deleted it. It did ask me whether I was sure, and I think I hit yes". But either way, it always results in: "Can you get it back?"
Then again, most didn't start with a dodgy <fill-in-which-was your-first-box> that was so unstable that, if your mum turned on the Hoover, you lost a whole night of coding. Of course you didn't save because the cassette tape took so long. And that's disregarding the fact that most users nowadays don't go beyond the "is there an app for that?" level...
ADDITION:
Apparently the EU eCall system is built in and very active in current new cars sold in EU.
Recently, Volkswagen had to stop/ recall their Golf 8 (and potentially other models) due to eCall "software issues". Audi, Skoda, and Seat, also VAG, reported similar issues (== similar components).
(In German)
In addition, Toyota might not be the only one, taking for example the comments of Markus Duesmann, the head Software of VAG (previous CEO Audi):
(In German - 15-07-2020)
einer automobilen Daten-Cloud [...] die markenübergreifende Car.Software-Organisation
"Of course, if you own a car with "OnStar" then you'll need to disable that as well since it's doing the same job for the other brand..."
Indeed. And don't forget that the EU might also need a second thought there too. After all, they passed the law for the mandatory installation of "eCall" in all cars sold in the EU.
eCall in all new cars from April 2018
Today the European Parliament voted in favour of eCall regulation which requires all new cars be equipped with eCall technology from April 2018. [...]
It communicates the vehicle's exact location to emergency services, the time of incident and the direction of travel (most important on motorways), even if the driver is unconscious or unable to make a phone call. An eCall can also be triggered manually by pushing a button in the car, for example by a witness of a serious accident.
https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/ecall-all-new-cars-april-2018
Not sure how far the implementation on that is though...
So about that old timer you had for sale...
There is a certain amount of validity to you view, to mine as well.
I think you hit the nail right on the head there: the optimum most likely is somewhere in the middle. After all, another argument for that is continuity. As the (lacking) availability of pharmaceuticals and medical devices during the COVID developments have shown, there is a fatal flaw in the logistic model that converges to one/ very few production points.
Then again, you're also right on the cost side of things: the race to the bottom is something producers will keep chasing, while consumers don't give a flying about anything, as long as it doesn't touch their finances and life in any way. A perfect feedback loop that can only be broken by some ballsy, non-popular intervention (hmmm, suppose that rules out politicians).
Maybe this is a generational thing, but I've never liked the concept of protecting people when they don't want protected.
I think different legal frames and cultural backgrounds lead to some misunderstanding here.
In EU the issues with Uber have little to do with unwanted protection. Fact of the matter is that Uber tries to dodge their legal obligations because it's advantageous for them financially. That this works in the US is possible because there are different/ no employer legal obligations here with regard to for example health insurance or ensuring other (employer) social contributions (e.g pension payments, disability).
Again, we can argue whether this is about protection, but that discussion is cut short because of the simple fact that it's the law, whether you like it or not. Hence, non-compliance is illegal, and, as Uber now finds, trying to outsmart it troublesome.
I'm afraid that, as we find frequently, it isn't so much about the individual (your Uber drivers are happy being contractors), but more about somebody convincing you of that point because it serves their (bigger) purpose... As you mention yourself with your (very correct) Vietnam point...
"dubious electro-scooters"
...which by now start littering the city everywhere. I would really have a perfect day if cities start gathering them up and taking them to the tip, like they used to do with the piles of discarded bicycles during my student days. And then send a bill to all these companies for "Entsorgung".
But more to your comment: I think Germany's push for minimum wages and against zero hour set ups and "self employed entrepreneur" cost shifting operations is also a factor there. If I'm informed correctly, this now also happens in other sectors there, e.g. Hermes parcel delivery, workers in construction, and Eastern EU truck drivers and shipping crews put on extortion contracts by (Dutch) logistic companies, travelling through/ working in Germany and not complying to local (labour) laws?
"Granted, Uber have something with the app and the user experience and frankly a bit baffled why established taxi companies haven't joined that model."
True. But then again, don't forget that running such a set up requires resources. On a global scale (and with additional, corresponding (3rd party) revenue streams) this might not be such a big issue. But for all those local/ city taxi firms, that might be a more significant load to carry. Then again, I have seen more companies in in various EU countries doing exactly what do suggest...
I look forward to the new names being broken by a future Excel "feature" update...
Indeed. Or any other software TBH. As for example people know who try to write a publication/ text with words/ abbreviations that have a different format of caps and lower case than your software thinks appropriate...
"The uni will need to spend several thousands of pounds, plus many thousands of yet-uncounted man-hours...
Yep, you got a point there. And that's exactly what all the greybeards here are going on about all the time: (the philosophy you need to do everything, including) doing science on the cheap.
And as professionals we all know it isn't just science.
So that's it? That's the justification? We should all push continuously to turn the world in one big Lidl?
Aren't we getting too much into the details of things? Isn't it more about an university being an independent institution, not hindered, or if you want, bound by "real life" interference and alternative motives? Should it not just simply pursue (and teach) "science", whatever that may be? After all, we all know/ have personal experiences that biz and science aren't that compatible (always).
I know, I know, accuse me of sniffing too much idealism, but we all have seen examples of "compromise", diluting original objectives, right? And let's be honest, biz isn't really known for being really progressive (when it might hurt bottom line).
Who knows, maybe it's not so stupid/ bad looser, but is the lady the front person in a rather cunning plan: let's see if we can trip up Intel even more. Not only do they loose market share because their 7nm efforts fail (continuously), but also let them haemorrhage cash by winning a class action. Either way, you're right: winners, whatever the result, are the lawyers chasing the ambulance. One can see vultures circling already...
...using it as a instrument panel on a microlight.
Yes, seen that too. Looks pretty cool. I myself am still thinking about having a go at "solarising" a Kobo (https://www.instructables.com/id/Solar-charging-ereader/ ).
I suspect old-fashioned contact tracing is at least as efficacious
I would even dare to say it's the main success factor.
This whole app hyperventilation is in line perfectly with what we've seen before with other (non-related) issues: it's easy and convenient for politicians to package and communicate something as a simple, all solving solution for something. "No worries, we can solve this with technology!".
Thing however is that the tech is just another, albeit more sophisticated tool, but never a final solution. So yes, maybe tracing apps help with the work of containing infections. But you don't have to be a rocket scientist to realise you can't push it out and then lean back because you established world peace.
But that's exactly what "those speaking to the people" seem to do now: simple message, KISS principle, not my problem any more cause I solved it ("Look, we made ##### billion available!") and now let the plebs clean it up. Meanwhile we already see people coming in who "relapsed" to pre-February behaviour, and think they are "safe because I installed the app"...
There was an incident in 19th century London which is considered to be one of the foundations of modern public health.
You're correct, that would be John Snow, seen by many as the father of modern epidemiology. He wasn't "the first" however, although that statement also is heavily dependant on the fact that we are not that smart that long as a species that we know you need a causal relation for all this (exposure to buggy makes you sick).
A couple of centuries before Snow there was a gentleman called Girolamo Fracastoro, a professor at the University of Padua, who wrote a book called "De contagione et contagiosis morbis". In it he concluded that "something" was passed on from one human to another, which was making them sick. On that, he concluded that (personal) hygiene was a very important variable in this whole equation. Funny thing is that some 5 centuries later, some still seem to think it's OK to sneeze "into the wild", and you can still find more buggies, including the poo E. coli one, on keyboards and that nice order screen at MacDonalds than on toilet seats...
I can do nothing more than subscribe (and applaud) all the points you mentioned.
Did notice though that if your retro phone (for me my refusing to die Samsung C270) becomes a talking point, the question "So tell me, how often do you need to charge yours?" is always a winner for my (now 12 year old!) battery. And still it packs the latest innovations: the battery cover broke... So just had to 3D print a new one =P
Now imagine what could happen in Macs with vastly larger heat dissipation areas/cooling parts.
Indeed, that would be a "Genius" move...
Fixing Apple's Engineering in an Hour
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlOPPuNv4Ec
...acronym ARM means: "Advanced RISC Machine"
Well, maybe it comes as a kind of a new discovery for you, but most of us here kinda know what ARM is. I personally already had one in the 80s.
Kind of sad actually. Since (as those old enough here) know, the discussion on the "ownership of data" is actual ever since company execs figured out "what to do with this new interwebz thing" in the 90s. We all remember sessions we sat in, where it was concluded that money was made with data, so maybe the owner of that data should perhaps profit from her/ his property. In stead users (data owners) have been ushered in with narrative that the use of services is "free", carefully concealing the fact that what they give away is worth much more than what they receive. And have no control over/ are hindered excessively in determining what is in- or excluded. Then again, we should not condemn users for that though. After all, legislation determines that specific consent should be given, and a clear choice (accept/ reject) should be available without limiting "the service". So how many websites have you seen that offer just an "Accept" button? And how much is that "policed"?
Perhaps when it turns out to be profitable? Like for example that nice post Brexit NHS data the US seems so interested in?
https://www.theregister.com/2019/12/12/nhs_england_database/
... available to certain United States authorities, such as the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)...
Where did I hear before that such a direct connection between a company/ companies and governments is "bad, very bad" so you need to boycott them?
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