Posts by ITMA

Airbus A380 flew for 300 hours with metre-long tool left inside engine

Re: Multi-Fail

"My friend gave me a look, and said, 'Always count your tools.' "

And it's standard operating theatre practise - you count everything (instruments, swabs etc) before starting and count everything at the end to make sure you've not left anything in the patient.

Though people being people, mistakes do happen.

This Qantas incident, however, is a classic example of how a string of simple errors can produce a situation with a potentially catastrophic outcome. Thankfully it didn't on this occassion.

All bark, no bite? Musk's DOGE unlikely to have any real power

Re: if it's anything like his ability to run a car company...

Besides, it is 240+ years out of warranty.

Re: if it's anything like his ability to run a car company...

A "factory recall" would mean the UK having to accept the USA back for fixing.

They can bugger off! We have our own problems. LOL

Re: if it's anything like his ability to run a car company...

Ah, you mean fire anyone who knows anything about how things work - and renege on severance pay promises - then treat who's left like slaves and tell them to "suck it up or feck off".

Such as inspirational leader.. NOT.

NatWest blocks bevy of apps in clampdown on unmonitorable comms

A good many less regulated businesses should take note.

It is very easy for these "unofficial" channels to become engrained in working practises because they get started by employees with no governance. Often without even talking to IT.

Apart from the other issues, it means almost requiring employees to give out their personal mobile numbers to other staff members without proper informed consent. A GDPR issue.

I've seen it used as a way of scheduling and organising work amongst teams, again started by individuals without proper thought for the implications - simply because it is "easy".

Tech support world record? 8.5 seconds from seeing to fixing

Re: Doh..

"!I walked over and opened the camera cover."

C'mon, that's a hardware problem.

You can't expect a software developer to know how to fix hardware issues. LOL

Killer app for AI is still years away, says industry analyst

New Headline!

"A.I. killed your app."

There, that's better.

Your air fryer might be snitching on you to China

I find that judicious waving of one of those orange plastic dead blow mallets - used to assemble stell shelving - near said device in a threatening manner works quite well.

Classic Outlook explodes when opening more than 60 emails

Opening more than 60 emails at the same time....

Reminds me of the old "doctor" joke.

Patient: "Doctor, doctor, every time I do this I get a terrible shooting pain in my neck"

Doctor: "Well stop doing it then".

60 emails, at the same time... Seriously!

Some people need to learn how to use a bloody computer....

Sketchy financials send Supermicro auditors running for the hills

"Even with Windows, it just would not crash. Not one BSOD!"

Yes, but you are supposed to turn it on.... LOL

Fired Disney staffer accused of hacking menu to add profanity, wingdings, removes allergen info

Re: Sounds like they really need to fire more people!

"It may or may not be the fault of the account admin"

Quite. They can only do something about it they've been told an employee is being "let go" and also the priority - i.e. "we're firing him now so need him to be locked out of everything now".

I wonder how this "misuse of computers" compares to Microsoft's constant and blatant "misuse" every time they force their crap on users despite them having said "No!" - such as the almost forced Windows 11 upgrades happening now.

Yes I know you can use a GPO to block it. But damn it we bloody well shouldn't have to! When will Microsoft lean "No" means "NO".

Is Microsoft's AI Copilot? CoPilot? Co-pilot? MVP creates site to help get it right

Re: How do you pronounce Azure

I suggest:

Crap-Pilot

or

Crash-Pilot

Don't care what it is called

What ever Microsoft call their AI garbage, the only place I want to see it is in the IT mortuary then cemetery, where it belongs.

Fujitsu claims 634-gram 14-inch Core i7 laptop is world's lightest

Re: Lenovo please take heed

In our environment to enable 24/7 remote endpoint management, all machines, including laptops, are meant to be left powered up.

Machines connected via wired ethernet can (usually) be remotely woken up but on WiFi, forget it.

However, that doesn't stop users from separating laptops from their power supplies and then letting them run down on battery until the battery dies or it goes to sleep (due to low battery). Then, after tracking down errant laptops it is another very annoying, waste of time, hunt to track down their PSU.

I'm sorely tempted to GLUE the bloody DC jacks into the damned things.

Re: Lenovo please take heed

One of three possibilities for "not had anyone asking for a power adaptor":

1. They have (fictional) fusion batteries which last forever and never need charging.

2. Unlike some, they actually keep the power adaptor WITH the laptop instead of losing them.

3. The never need charging because they are sitting in corners never being used.

Pixel perfect Ghostpulse malware loader hides inside PNG image files

Re: "defenders must adapt by"

These are, you know, "users" we're talking about.

The ones who receive unexpected emails from people they don't know with attachments (or links) which they open "to see what they are".

Despite being repeatedly told not to.

AWS boss: Don't want to come back to the office? Go work somewhere else

Re: Moved!

"Nobody likes to think of themselves as run of the mill employees, we're all special..."

As Elastigirl (and Dash) in The Incredibles so succinctly put it (paraphrasing a little):

Elastigirl: "Everyone is special Dash."

Dash: "Which is another way of saying no-one is".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gXCCBmTvBI

UK ponders USB-C as common charging standard

Re: camera flashhead

Cell internal resitence certainly is important.

The significantly lower internal resistence of NiMH and NiCD cells is what causes they relatively high "self discharge" rate compard to alkalines.

In other words, if fully charged and left doing nothing, they go dead in a comparatively short time. This is also a limiting factor in their use in applications where long battery life is needed for devices that spend a lot of time doing nothing - such as remotes and things like wireless mice.

It also allows rechargeables to give much great current output - their main advantage over alkalines for battery powered equipment.

Lithium coin cells have very low current capability. So a lot applications they are not suitable for, particularly devices where they spend much of their time "idle" in a very low power mode. But when used, have an appreciable current drain.

Litium Ion cells come with a whole raft of issues of their own. Not least of which is their tendency to spontaneously combust if their charging "rules" are not quite strictly followed - whch requires non-trivial battery charging management circuitry matched to the cells - or get damaged or go faulty.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1jd2g4637no

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-leeds-64877955

Re: What next?

When designing electronics which often requires 3V, 5V or more and has to work with only one or two AA/AAA size cells, yet give long life, you have think very carefully about how to design the power side and choice of cells.

A book which covers a lot of this is "Power Electronics Design Handbook Low Power Components and Applications" by Nihal Kularatna. ISBN 978-0750670739.

If you are having to triple or more the battery voltage to get a working voltage for your circuitry, that 0.3V difference in cell output is major as that ALSO gets multiplied.

The Trust wireless mouse I'm using right now uses a single AA cell (1.5V nominal). Yet that has to produce the forward voltage to drive the RED illumination LED (1.8V-2.2V typical), plus the imaging and processing ciruitry, plus the wireless interface. That 1.5V has to be significantly boosted to do anything - probably at least x 4.

Factor that in and you get figures like

New AA alkaline 1.55V x 4 = 6.2V

Almost exhausted AA alkaline (say) 1.3V x 4 = 5.2V

Fully charged AA NiMH 1.2V x 4 = 4.8V

If you need 5V to work... well you begin to see the problem.

Re: camera flashhead

That is probably due to the very flat discharge curve NiMH and NiCD cells have compared to alakaline non-rechargeables.

With alakaline non-rechargeables it is very much a curve starting at a peak of between 1.55V and 1.65V dropping away with use until the reach 1.0V to 1.2V when they are usually considered "exhuasted".

NiMH and NiCD start at about 1.2V per cell when fully charged and stay at 1.2V until almost exhuasted, then it rapidly drops off.

So if your flash requires a particular voltage input to charge up, as the voltage drops with use (alkaline) it will take longer to recharge the capacitors to discharge the flash. NiMH and NiCD will maintain the same charge time since the cell voltage remains the same until almost dead. Then they die very suddenly.

https://www.powerstream.com/AA-tests.htm

Re: What next?

In 40+ years of using them, I still encounter devices which don't work properly with rechargeables.

Particulart wireless devices which are designed to work on 1, 2 or 3 AA or AAA batteries. Most of which are supplied with alkaline batteries.

I've seen quite a few where users have experienced erratic device behaviour typical of exhuasted batteries, replaced them with fully charged AA/AAA rechargeables only for the same symptoms to return just 2 or 3 days later. Replace them with alakaline battereis and the problem goes away and they work normally for weeks/months.

https://www.tycorun.com/blogs/news/all-about-1-5v-battery#:~:text=v%20battery%20dead%3F-,How%20to%20test%3F,cutoff%20point%20for%20practical%20purposes.

The 1.2V cell voltage of NiMH (and older NiCD) batteries is within the 1.0V to 1.2V zone at which alkaline batteries are considered "exhuasted". That creates issues. Especially with devices which use buck/boost circuitry to generate higher voltages (then regulated down) to drive electronics.

That difference seems small but is in fact substantial.

Re: What next?

"From my experience, the only good application for rechargeable AAA cells "

Now you are wandering into more confusing waters since your standard "dry" (i.e. normally alkaline) non rechargeable cells have a different cell voltage to rechargeables

There are a lot of devices designed for AA or AAA alakaline "dry" cells which just do not work with AA or AAA NiMH (or older NiCd) rechargeables because the rechargeables have a nominal cell voltage of 1.2V. The dry cells have somewhat higher nominal 1.5V cell voltage. The two (alkaline vs rechargeable) also have very different discharge curves. Rechargeables tend to much "flatter".

Using AA or AAA rechargeables in devices not designed for rechargeables can lead to them malfunctioning, constantly saying "low battery" or just not working at all.

It all comes down the fundemental difference in cell chemistry and not the physical form factor (i.e. AA or AAA size).

Sysadmins rage over Apple’s ‘nightmarish’ SSL/TLS cert lifespan cuts plot

Re: The solution...

I don't know if they still do, but they used to use an outfit called "Barefruit":

https://www.barefruit.com/

https://uk.linkedin.com/company/barefruit

The reason I don't know is that it has been years since I've used my ISP's DNS.

They obviously think of ISPs' customers as "bare fruiit" waiting to be picked and sold.

Re: The solution...

"They still inject ads into DNS misses, but if you're still using your ISP's DNS servers, that's on you"

Absolutely! And YES we're talking about YOU TalkTalk....

Elon Musk's X isn't important enough to feel the full force of EU regulation

Re: WWhy all the kerfuffle about such a non entity ?

Perhaps we should rebrand Twitter/X as "The Sewer"

Parents take school to court after student punished for using AI

Re: School rules

But not including the other students would be considered "exclusionary" so they would need to be included in the "activity" hence the circle.

Re: School rules

Not to mention those students who think themselves "entitled".

Often with parents who will attack the teacher (and school) if the slightest bad thing is said of their "little darlings", no matter what they've been doing.

Re: School rules

Really?

How would an AI handle two students trying to kill each other?

Recommend they all sit down in a circle and sing "Kumbaya"?

AI amplifies systemic risk to financial sector, says India's Reserve Bank boss

Re: Das one smart guy

Or as I used to call it when working in IT for an Italian investment bank in London - conjuring tricks with numbers.

First time's the charm: SpaceX catches a descending Super Heavy Booster

Maybe even slightly phallic....

Techie took five minutes to fix problem Adobe and Microsoft couldn't solve in two weeks

Re: PITT

Another of the many things "Fast startup" breaks is Wake On Lan - at least on machines with particular Intel LAN adaptors.

Took me bloody ages to find that f***er....

The power state "Fast startup" puts the machine into kills power to the NIC totally. No power, no Wake On Lan,. Which when managing remote estates of machines is a royal f***ing pain.,

Microsoft issues 117 patches – some for flaws already under attack

Re: No issue there

If Copilot were any good, it would patch itself out of existence.

Microsoft admits Outlook crashes, says impact 'mitigated'

Re: Outlook is currently a support nightmare

Is it "Electron" or WebView2?

Re: Hardly a surprise

Or better still, just don't use "New" Outlook and stick with what is now I guess called "Outlook Classic".

Harvard duo hacks Meta Ray-Bans to dox strangers on sight in seconds

Re: As a good American...

How are they "idiots"?

What they have done is simply show what is already possible using what already exists without needing huge (or expensive) resources to do it.

You see it as "seeking glory". Others, including me, may see them as showing us the danger of A.I.

Re: As a good American...

Not to mention Minority Report....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bXJ_obaiYQ

Although they do it via iris recognition. Same basic idea.

Cloudflare beats patent troll so badly it basically gives up

Re: It depends on your definition

A good point since one of the less understood things about patents is this:

The "protection" being granted a patent provides is only as strong as your ability to defend it. Ultimately that comes down to "how deep are your pockets".

Generally, particularly in the US, the one with the most money (deepest pockets) usually wins.

Microsoft throws in the towel on HoloLens 2

I still have a Surface RT - and NO, I did NOT buy it.

It makes a useful door wedge.... That's about all.

Re: Hollow, never Holo

Amen to that!

It's been bad enough with Tensator's "holographic assistants" (not holograms or holographic):

https://www.tensator.com/solutions/tensator-holographic-virtual-assistant/

Not to mention all that "appearing by hologram" crap using the same Pepper's Ghost derivative as used for the infamous "Tupac" thing.

Windows 11 Patch Tuesday preview is a glitchy disaster

Re: "These previews are released early to" . .

Correct - but none of the actual Blofeld lines sound anything like as good..... :)

Re: "These previews are released early to" . .

Personally I think Nadella is trying to ape Elliot Carver, the Bond villian from Tomorrow Never Dies:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jm4Rll9axkQ

A challenge for the Registeriate - produce an A.I. video of Satya Nadella sitting in a big leather chair, stroking a white Persian cat saying "No Mr Bond, I expect you to DIE!!!!"

Recall the Recall recall? Microsoft thinks it can make that Windows feature palatable

Like hell!

"Recall the Recall recall? Microsoft thinks it can make that Windows feature palatable"

The phrase "polishing a turd" comes to minfd along with the closely related "gift wrapping a turd".

Either way, it is still a turd.

Capita wins £135M extension on much-delayed UK smart meter rollout

Re: Remember this is an average over the whole population.

It may do if you have crappy a crappy "smart kettle" or "smart toaster" that is always consuming some power to be "smart".

Not mine. My kettle and toaster have physical swithes with physical contacts which consume zero power when off despite being left plugged in and switched "on" at the wall.

Re: Had two calls in one day...

That is pretty much what OFGem told me.

Re: Klystron

They do use them on interstellar spacecraft...And in 20 mile cubed alien machines... Apparently....

Chief Quinn: [Examining the broken klystron frequency modulator] Now with every facility of the ship I think I might be able to rebuild it. But frankly, the book says no. It came packed in liquid Boron in a suspended gravity.

Commander Adams: Alright so it's impossible, how long will it take?

Chief Quinn: Well, if I don't stop for breakfast...

------

Commander Adams: Monsters from the subconscious. Of course. That's what Doc meant. Morbius. The big machine, 8,000 miles of klystron relays, enough power for a whole population of creative geniuses, operated by remote control. Morbius, operated by the electromagnetic impulses of individual Krell brains.

Dr. Morbius: To what purpose?

Commander Adams: In return, that ultimate machine would instantaneously project solid matter to any point on the planet, In any shape or color they might imagine. For *any* purpose, Morbius! Creation by mere thought.

-----

From: Forbidden Planet.

Re: Had two calls in one day...

"ICO will step in if they're ignoring your marketing wishes"

Actually, they won't.

I had the same issue and went down the same route all the way to ICO and OFGem.

I was told that because it is government policy to roll out smart meters that overrides your "marketing preferences". So they may stop calling for a while, but OFGem require they keep at it so, as Arnie says "They'll be back".

AI PCs will dominate shipments by 2026, but not because of demand

Re: That killer app may not be here now, but could be around the corner

AI *is* a killer app. It kills your PC and your will to live....

Samsung and pals Hyundai, Kia team for software-defined cars, IoT integration

Re: This is stupid

Too many drivers can't even recognise road signs let alone roadside advertising.

Such as the round blue signs which indicate permitted traffic (e.g. bus, taxi, motorbike) and therefore anything else (cars, vans etc which are not taxis) are prohibited. Plus "enforcement camera" signs and "BUS GATE".

Re: This is stupid

Getting a lift from a colleague to the station for a train home yesterday (UK), we were behind a driver who was weaving all over the road, going almost fully over the centre line at times. Not paying attention at lights, having to swerve sometimes to avoid vehicles coming in the OTHER direction.

The driver (a woman of a certain age) was too busy faffing about reading something from a piece of paper in her hand, brushing her hair and faffing about with something on the passenger seat.

What we absolutely do NOT need are additional pointless distractions in cars. It is BLOODY DANGEROUS!

Feel free to ignore GenAI for now – a new kind of software developer is being born

I think it is bullshitspeak for "How can we screw more money out of the customer for this?"