Posts by ITMA

Microsoft Teams outage widens to take out M365 services, admin center

Well....

In the flats where I live in the UK we lost the TV signal for the entire block for best part of a week a while back.

Why?

Some utter moron twat of a Sky "engineer" came to install a Sky Q upgrade for someone. He needed a 13A socket to plug his shiny new shit into - oh none free.

Rather than go to his van to get a short mains extension block out to create some more sockets (not great but it is all low current stuff) he just unplugged something else. His shiny new shitty Sky Q was working so he duly fucked off.

Leaving the entire communal terrestrial aerial distribution system fucked with no power until the landlord called in the company that maintained the system. Fixed in 10 miniutes, entirely avoidable and all because of some Sky "fuckwit" so-called "engineer".

Is Microsoft going back to the future on release cadences?

That is indeed interesting - appreciated.

"The server version, 2012 R2"

It is going a bit far to call Server 2012 R2 the "server version of Windows 8.1".

It is/was a proper Windows server to which some utterly braindead moron had inflicted the Metro interface. A pox on him thrice over...

Microsoft's metaverse is for training autonomous drones

Re: It would be interesting to know...

Let's hope they do better than this lot:

https://twitter.com/Tweetermeyer/status/1542625065144946688

https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/cruise-driverless-cars-blocked-traffic-for-hours-tuesday-night/article_57e8d2c8-f8c4-11ec-b99d-33fd6c31cb3e.html

https://thelastdriverlicenseholder.com/2022/07/01/first-details-on-paralyzed-robotaxi-fleet-in-san-francisco/

Microsoft's metaverse is for training autonomous drones

Or as they are otherwise known by people outside of Microsoft:

Microsoft's CUSTOMERS.....

IT departments often regret technology buying decisions

Re: I will never understand

Ah... The classic "It's 10p cheaper over at X". Except one has to spend £5 in fuel to get over to X to save the 10p

Re: The IT department is often the last to know

What those not in IT often fail to realise, or simply don't like when it is explained to them is this:

IT is NOT there to provide what they want. IT is there to provide the IT tools needed for them to do their job within a budget the business is willing to pay. That and what they want are, more often than not, two completely different things.

And then there are those (not in IT) who go and buy things like this off eBay (for £2,500) without doing even the most basic research. Even a few minutes on Google would have found this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4QJRLsVtys

And yes the one they bought turned out to be virtually identical complete with virtually identical USB memory stick.

Oh and it really DOES STINK!

Re: The IT department is often the last to know

Not to mention those who have a "puter" at home so think they know all about IT, especially when IT disagree with what they want for sound technical or other reasons

Dev's code manages to topple Microsoft's mighty SharePoint

"Some days I really really really want to got to wherever the programmers are with a long stick and repeatedly hit them very very hard."

I'm sure you do.

How should I put it delicately?

There's a f**king queue - get in line.. LOL

Hive to pull the plug on smart home gadgets by 2025

Re: Reciva Radios

My router, main gigabit managed switch, three of my main PCs and three NAS boxes are all hooked up to a 1500VA APC Smart UPS with network management card.

And, yes, this is at home.

Re: Net zero in home automation

Microsoft take careful note!!! Yes I DO mean Windows 11. (among other things).

Not that they ever do. Their Android RDP client is still fucked trying to connect to domain joined PCs. Just barfs with error 0x2407 and has done for months.

If the manufacturers care to release the information necessary - which usually they won't.

Re: Reciva Radios

One simple explanation for DAB - to sell off the radio spectrum that the discontinuation of the "traditional radio" allowed to be "freed up" in a bidding war.

££££££

Ok so can you access it any other way than the "Blink" app and associated account on your phone?

Preferably that does't depend upon an account on anything outside of your home network.

If not, you are still stuffed if they close down the account back end.

Re: Hands up all those who did NOT see this coming

That latter part "If, however, the subscription is an ongoing payment by you for the service then it's a somewhat better chance..." depends on the manufacturer (or whoever they may have subscontrated the subscription bit out to if they've done that) playing ball.

Do you know of any who have "played ball" or have the just said "Tough. It is proprietary - sod off".

Re: and got a Foscam on Amazon

"I said I’d try elsewhere and got a Foscam on Amazon."

They (Foscam) are going the same way.

Instead of updating the firmware in their NVRs and cameras to support other browsers than IE, they pushed their own subsctiption service or "Foscam VMS" - God that is utterly, utterly SHITE!!!!

Foscam VMS is one of the most dreadfully shite bits of software ever. Plus Foscam keep using dodgy ssl certificates for their cameras and NVR with no option to install your own - when they aren't being "revoked".

Re: Hives

HIVEs = a bad rash.

Quite appropriate.

Now I wonder how many hackers (black hat or state organised) are wondering how many homes they can do a "Steel Works" on:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-62072480

Hands up all those who did NOT see this coming

Well, what a surprise... NOT.

Simple solution - NEVER buy so called "home automation" or "security" products which rely on a subscription/or account on the manufacturer's (or anyone else's) systems just to bloody work.

They WILL dump you in the shit and not give a damn about the now useless hardware you are left with.

I love the Linux desktop, but that doesn't mean I don't see its problems all too well

Re: Computing smarts in the cloud

It just means nobody else can decrypt your data.

But then NEITHER CAN YOU if the person/organisation which has physical control of the hardware your precious data is on CAN'T or WON'T let you get at it.

And that is the point.

If your business depends on being able to access that data you are, not to put too fine a point on it, fucked.

Re: Do they really?

"Bullshit. I run several interlocked businesses using Linux. It's actually easier, and takes less of my time, than doing similar in Windows."

You sound like one of those:

"I can solve it with Linux, now what is the problem?" type of guys.

That essentially sums up your response. Knowing absolutely nothing about our business, needs or problems, you claim you can "solve it" with Linux.

Here's a hyothetical to illustrate the "lack of thought" in your comment.

Purely hypothetically we say "we have a problem" and you come back with your "I can solve it with Linux, now what is the problem?".

We then (hypothetically) reply "The problem is, you are alive and we want you dead. Fix it for us please".

Can you?

I'd never trust any so-called IT professional that claims they can solve a problem, particularly using Linux (or anything else) without even the slightest understanding of the client's situation and problems.

Lenovo issues firmware updates after UEFI vulnerabilities disclosed

Re: For any who don't already know...

Except their Service Bridge and Lenovo Updater keep flagging a BIOS update on our X131e "door wedges" yet NONE of the methods for downloading and installing the BIOS update work.

They all FAIL and have done for MONTHS.

Smart thermostat swarms are straining the US grid

Re: So a "smart" thermostat

Probably get sued by a certain games company for copyright/trademark infringement

Re: "why not rev up ready for it"

Aluminium phone cables have far more problems than that.

Ask any BT Openreach engineer. BT tried this out a number of years ago and current BT engineers see them as "a bloody nightmare".

Like that utterly shite CCA network cabling (allegedly Cat5e/Cat6) - CCA, Copper Clad Aluminum. Look at it the wrong way and it breaks.

I have had cabling companies try to install that - because it is cheaper - and didn't like being told to rip it all out and replace it with pure copper.

Global PC market falls at fastest rate in 9 years

Re: Garbage

"Trackpad that if works..."

If wish they would just STOP turning tapping on by default. I absolutely hate that!

Yes it is fine for those that get on with it. For the rest like me, it is bloody dangerous. Randomly selecting, dragging and dropping God knows what to God knows where because their shitty "gestures" crap can't tell the difference between me lifting my finger and placing it back down to continue moving the mouse, and tapping.

STOP IT!!!!

Choosing a non-Windows OS on Lenovo Secured-core PCs is trickier than it should be

How does Microsoft go about helping its customers?

Well a good start is TAKE YOUR F**CKING BOOT OFF THEIR NECKS... Let them do what THEY want with THEIR property (computers).

Microsoft rolls back default macro blocks in Office without telling anyone

Re: Typical Borkzilla

"Oh, a new idea ! Let's implement without thinking about its impact !"

Focussed f***ing Inbox!!!!

FBI and MI5 bosses: China cheats and steals at massive scale

Re: S IP mple gix

The fundamental issue with patents is, and has always been, the strength of them depends on your ability to defend them.

This comes down to one simple fact, especially when the USA is involved - how deep are your pockets.

The deeper your pockets (or someone else's pockets who is willing to help), the better the lawyers you can afford to keep the other side in court and/or buried in legal stuff until they run out of money.

Pentester says he broke into datacenter via hidden route running behind toilets

There was some gold rush era hotel in the US which boasted of it's massive walk in vault with a huge steel vault door.

Only problem - the floor of the walk in vault was very, very thin and laid over bare earth. In a town full of miners.

Go figure....

Re: You could always smuggle a USB stick out...

That would make your flash memory a "jobby stick".

Re: I've heard of a including a backdoor for system access...

Or you've had too much falling down water and your aim is severly impaired LOL.

Then it is a wet wall, wet floor, wet shoes and.... Well, start with the excuse that the "splashback" from the basins was horrendous.

Re: I've heard of a including a backdoor for system access...

Quite common in installations with BTW (back to wall) toilets and the (concealed) cistern hidden behind the rear wall of the cubicle.

You either need to have "maintenance" hatches in every cubicle, which can potentially be opened by unauthorised people to give access to nice hideaways for illicit materia/itemsl, bombs etc.

Or you have a maintenance "gang way" running behind all of the cubicles giving access to all the otherwise inaccessible cisterns, water and sewage services. And electrical control gear for those "no contact" proximity flush things.

The problem here seems to be that someone forgot about the security of the maintenance areas.

Re: False floors too

I have that in the flats where I live.

The delay between the holding magnets de-energising (fail safe rather than fail secure) when the door release is pressed and the magnets re-energising can be a little too long at times.

Result - the door can "bounce" off the door jam and the closer then doesn't close it back to within "grab" range of the magnets when they re-energise. Thus the door remains "unlocked".

Calls for bans on Chinese CCTV makers Hikvision, Dahua expand

But expensive in comparison.

I've known Axis since they did Twinax and Coax print servers for connecting parallel port page printers to IBM mainframes a long time ago.

Their network horn speakers are not bad - by why oh why do they not have "Logout" in their web UI????

Re: All Chinese CCTV systems connect back to China

Nope....

Links to evidence of what they claim.... that would be enough.

Re: Where do you draw the line

Precisely.

This "call", if enacted, would have as much effect on the use the Chinese state puts such technology to as an empty 500ml plastic bottle on a road has at stopping a 40 tonne truck. Absolutelty bugger all.

These politicians are doing it "to be seen be doing something" even though in practical terms it is utterly useless - pure political image.

And what have they done about the use of facial recognition and biometrics in this county? Strangely quiet on that one.. Especially when it comes to doing something in the one country they CAN do something. And they have done bugger all.

Strange that.

Re: All Chinese CCTV systems connect back to China

Same could be said of the USA... the overturning of Roe vs Wade for example.

Re: All Chinese CCTV systems connect back to China

Exactly the same logic...

Ban something not because of what it is but because of one particular use some power in another country chooses to put it to.

Re: All Chinese CCTV systems connect back to China

Then why not call for a ban on Toyota and Nissan pickup trucks, so beloved by middle eastern and African warlords as mobile gun platforms?

But they aren't, are they.

Unless it was in the news and I missed it...

Re: Don't even need to involve politics

"Hikvision cameras are a dumpster of bad software that nobody should be shipping"

You've never seen Foscam then..... LOL

Re: All Chinese CCTV systems connect back to China

The harsh reality is that it is THEIR country, not ours.

Things here in the UK are sufficiently falling apart that UK MPs should be concentrating on the issues here in the UK.

If UK MPs have the time to do this, then their are NOT doing their job here which, BTW, happens to be the one they are being paid to do.

Re: meh...

What ever one thinks of Hikvision's products, compared to a lot of crap that comes from China but still gets sold/imported to the UK, at least they are not downright electrically dangerous (as lot of said crap is).

So why are they targetting Hikvision but doing bugger all about all this other stuff? Quite a lot of which are fire hazards or potentially lethal.

Re: I've got zero faith in anything gov.uk says anymore...

"Eh? It's not gov.uk though is it, it's opposition parties & back benchers"

Doesn't matter which side of "The House" they sit on. They are there to run the UK for the good of the UK people, Not to look out for the interests or rights of citizens of some other country.

(Red) Ken Livingstone was (in)famous for that BITD.

Nope

Re: I've got zero faith in anything gov.uk says anymore...

And besides, they have far more pressing issues to deal with here in the UK.

So they should get off their over paid backsides and deal with those instead of wasting time on what China is doing with cameras.

Could it be because they think it will help distract from the utterly shite job they are doing here in the UK?

Re: All Chinese CCTV systems connect back to China

Let's be clear.

This suggested ban has ZERO to do with any imagined or real security issues with the products. It has everythng to do with a political argument about the uses that some the products are put to by one, admittedly very big, customer - the Chinese state.

If you don't think that is the case, pleae provide links to anything where it mentions "security issues with the products".

Why aren't there any calls to ban American products associated with firearms because the USA seems very reluctant to do anything about the serious issues they have with gun ownership/abuse/mass slaughtering of children over there?

Odd that....

Re: All Chinese CCTV systems connect back to China

Care to post some links to evidence supporting those claims?

And Microsoft et al don't?

Ah but they aren't Chinese are they and neither is the CIA.

FedEx signals 'zero mainframe, zero datacenter' operations by 2024

Re: This from the company...

"I wouldn't have been surprised if it recorded to a micro-cassette."

Don't fool yourself - it is wax cylinder ....

Re: This from the company...

UPS - the Useless Parcels Service.

FexEx - Fed up with their Excuses.

Yodel - sorry but I'm not prepared to use the sort of language needed to describe that dreadful company,

What to do about inherent security flaws in critical infrastructure?

Re: it's not all bad

"Also I admit to being about 5 years out of date, but at that time I regarded most PLCs I came across as merely the best of a bad bunch".

Like most things, there are The Good, The Bad and The Bloody Atrocious. There is equipment I'm still having to keep going with PLCs 30+ years old in them (Specher + Schuh SESTEP 290).

And when first encountering them - especially if from more typical computing/microprocessor background - they are one of hell of culture shock. Their roots in mechanical relays make the way they work seem alien.

The "program scan cycle" takes some getting used to.

"Interesting factoid. The ATmega328 has a built-in watchdog that can be set to perform a reboot if the code locks up."

I think a lot of microcontrollers designed from the ground up as embedded controllers have had for donkeys years.