Babylon 5's a big pile of shit.
Posts by Busby
249 publicly visible posts • joined 19 Dec 2007
Pentagon beams down $10bn JEDI contract to Microsoft: Windows giant beats off Bezos
Want a good Android smartphone without the $1,000+ price tag? Then buy Google's Pixel 3a
BOFH: Honourable misconduct
UK taxman told to go easy on transformation with Brexit in headlights
Don't forget the impact of the decision to move to regional offices. A lot of existing sites are closing and from my (admittedly brief) stint with HMRC I believe a far higher percentage of employees wont move than is being acknowledged. Losing a big chunk of existing staff and replacing with new hires along with the disruption the moves cause for those who are staying seems insane at the same time as the other challenges they face.
A blast from the past: Mobile trojans abusing WAP-billing services
Ad men hope blocking has stalled as sites guilt users into switching off
My main reason for blocking everything as well. Don't mind reasonable ads ie static and none intrusive but the stalking that goes along with them is down right scary in my opinion. If there was an easy & fully effective way of stopping all tracking dead without blocking ads then people may not take the nuclear option.
Home Einsteins help turn up 13 new pulsars
Interesting
How the hell does a star change its rotation? Look forward to reading the theories. Would expect the other young pulsars to be covered in a few papers as well. This is impressive for crowd sourced research, really good results and data, bet the team involved are feeling pretty good at the moment.
French publishers join Swedish 'Block Party' to pester ad refuseniks
As things currently stand ad blockers are a necessary security requirement to anyone with the slightest sense. If the ad slingers get their own house in order and stop spewing malware then maybe they might get some eyeballs back. Until then they go ram a rusty implement up their ringpiece!
Whole online ad system is a joke anyway as noted many times here, ads sold and placed by bots then viewed by bots only. Time for the publishers to follow the print model and embed something relevant to the site content not constant ads based on one Amazon search back in 2008 as they typically serve now.
WIN a 6TB Western Digital Black hard drive with El Reg
'To read this page, please turn off your ad blocker...'
Re: Theft
Not sure about going after them for theft but I think the stalking laws should be tightened up so they can be used against trackers. I have no problem with a site owner knowing what I'm doing on that site but it's none of their business where else I visit and what I do there, that goes double for Facebook!
Should take down mean stay down? EU’s Big Internet quiz leaks
Should take down mean stay down?
Of course it should but the likes of youtube make so much money from illegal uploads that I expect their army of lawyers to fight this tooth and nail. Only issue is the music industry have been some of the most effective lobbyists of the last 50 years so this could be a major battle.
Time for the internet to grow up a little and bring a little common sense to the arguments around copyright and safe harbour. I think the time has past where you could build a billion dollar website using just other peoples content without payment. If that hasn't yet been consigned to the past then it should be at least in Europe by the Commission.
Whichever side wins would expect the politicians to be rubbing their hands at the thought of these two industries battling for their votes, should be able to wring some major jollies out them.
Record-breaking cosmonaut comes back down to Earth
Apple iPhone 6S: Same phone, another day, but TOTALLY DIFFERENT
Wileyfox Swift: Brit startup budget 'droid is the mutt's nuts
Re: Absolutely brilliant, except the screen size
I had the same thought about the size being wrong but in the other direction. After going from a Note 2 to the Nexus 6 I couldn't go back to anything smaller. Why can't they offer two display options with the same spec one small for those who prefer that a 3.5 inch screen could be popular with many and the full man sized option for those that prefer more heft,
Then again I also have a 13' tablet and work from home so portability is not my main concern and I love oversized devices.
When I do go out and am worried about pocket space I picked up an old 8850 from ebay, micro sim into sim adapter and I've got a tiny phone that if I lose it's easily replaced without a mortgage.
‘Dumb pipe’ Twitter should sell up and quit, says tech banking chap
Stealth service – Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
Picked this up yesterday after work for the Xboxone. First game in a long time that I have paid launch price for I usually don't pick anything up till it's at least below £20.
First impressions are that the reviews aren't over the top, really does seem like one of the best games I've played in a lot of years however I've barely scratched the surface so may change opinion after a week or two.
Gloves on as Googler deposits foul zero-day on Kaspersky lawn
Re: A bit shitty though
Not sure about Kaspersky but lots of companies don't patch or certainly not quickly when informed of a vulnerability. Publicly disclosing it exists is a good way of forcing the hand of corporations as a little public shaming can go a long way in ensuring the patch gets proper priority and resources.
US gov to Apple: COUGH UP iMessages or FEEL our FEDERAL FROWN
Why?
Can anyone tell me why US agencies are so keen on destroying the tech sector in the country?
If they think they have problems now trying to get imessages how bad will it be when they have driven every user away from US companies and US based infrastructure?
Encryption of communications and also at device level are a direct result of the NSA & CIA massively taking the piss by hoovering up everything, and should they manage to ram through an official back door then a large number of people including all of the ones they should be interested in will move to using something not in a US jurisdiction.
Sunk by 'patent troll': Iron Speed director asks 'anyone want to buy us?'
No boxy Volvo: Chilling in the S60 D3 Manual R-Design Lux Nav
The S, Huawei’s new best Mate: Compact and premium – but not cheap
Think this one is priced just a little too high. Spec wise it seems decent enough for the price but falls into the good not great category. Can see this one struggling to get decent numbers as I can't see people paying these prices for what is still not considered a premium brand.
The Honor 7 on the other hand I expect to sell very well and maybe once those buyers come to upgrade a year or two down the line they would consider going for a more premium Huawei but I don't think they are there yet in Western markets so doubt I will see many of these in use on the train.
America's crackdown on open-source Wi-Fi router firmware – THE TRUTH
I'm assuming your in the UK like most of the readership, in that case I would say of course commercial powers have influence over our government but not on the same scale as seen in the US.
We have our own issues, the big accountancy firms "gifting" staff free of charge to the policy units of the 3 main parties for example. Can no one see the problem with allowing Deloitte et al free reign in drawing up Tax policy and laws, this way it doesn't matter which party forms the majority since they get their laws passed with any of them. People wonder why the rich can exploit the tax code so well in this country there's no mystery behind it the the people they hire to minimise their tax bill are the same ones "helping" politicians draw up the very laws they then seek to exploit.
This is bad for UK citizens but still not on the scale seen in the US. There lobbyists don't even hide the fact they draft their own legislation and then pass to their bought and paid for Senators and Congressmen to have submitted. Then you have the crazy situation with the Super PAC's and American politics now seems to be a contest between Billionaires to audition candidates to find the most pliable then pay to have them elected. They have pretty much legalised bribery on an industrial scale and now laws are drafted not according to National need or to further the interests of the people but instead based on which group can spend the most on lobbyists and PAC donations. Which is why I'm surprised the likes of Google haven't been more vocal in opposition to this move by the FCC but there is probably a reason obvious to Google this is in their favour.
This little rant has little to do with the topic of the article so apologies for anyone who did read it I'm feeling a little self righteous this morning.
Photoshop for 40 quid: Affinity Photo pushes pixels further than most
Hey, Apple! 1999 just called and it wants its voicemail avatar back
Hacktivists congratulate Daily Show's Jon Stewart via Donald Trump's website
Dodgy mobe dealer jumps on VAT carousel, gets 13-year ban
Re: No jail?
Unless of course you're talking about benefit fraud in which case current thinking is hanging's too good for them.
Penalties for financial crimes are ridiculously lenient a lot of the time but this one seems extreme if ban on directorship was the only action taken. Hard to understand why assets weren't seized under proceeds of crime and a custodial sentence wasn't imposed. If he had fraudulently claimed 1% of that in housing benefit would have faced much more severe sanctions.
EU: Explain your tax affairs. Google, Amazon, Facebook: Mmm... nah
I consider most forms of lobbying as (badly) disguised bribery anyway so yes that's exactly what I'm saying.
If Governments want to permit lobbying it should be under strict conditions.
My ideal scenario for the UK would be a purpose built building with numerous conference rooms. Lobbyists should register in advance and all appointments should be visible to the public online for at least 7 days prior to the meeting along with the agenda/bill being lobbied and names of people attending and the Org they represent. Once underway the majority should be streamed live on the internet for any interested parties to view and recordings retained indefinitely and available under the FOI act. Would also suggest we provide sandwiches and soft drinks so no need to treat an MP on your expense account.
Once this is in place any attempt to lobby outside of this environment is a criminal offence resulting in jail time a large fine and lifetime ban on lobbying. If the politician or civil servant involved didn't end the conversation and engaged in a discussion where they agreed to consider what was discussed then they should face misconduct in a public office charges.
Google, Amazon et al are well within their rights not to attend,
However failure to attend should mean no lobbying to the European Parliament is allowed for a set period. Say 12 months ban per employee per invite. Have a feeling if that was the case then suddenly a few people's diaries may open up.
Bring on the Music, Apple: Spotify ups the ante - and money pot
I used to think the same as if it's not in my library then I wont be listening to it and I always carried a 160gb ipod classic. But now I mainly use the free Google Play Music, only lets you upload 20,000 songs so I had to be selective but does give me access on any device anywhere at no cost. Also means I don't need to carry the ipod as it was on the heavy side was happy to drop it.
Now use a mix of locally stored and cloud stored depending on what connection I'm on and how much data I have left to burn on my mobe.
Also useful when visiting parents to download your library to another machine but of course I wouldn't use it for those purposes.
Re: Interesting...
Not sure if it still exists but Apple used to have a clause in the app store terms that you couldn't have an app to replace Apple features ie SMS or similar. Be curious to see if they dare try to retroactively apply this to competing cloud music services or if they are too worried this would make the antitrust claims even more compelling. Wouldn't surprise me if they don't pull existing apps but just refuse to approve any updated versions.
Certainly would be concerned if I worked at Spotify, Pandora or similar services that I'm about to lose a large chunk of customers.
VR rift OPENS UP: Total Recall Technologies hurls lawsuit at Facebook's Oculus
Re: "...Rift VR headset is expected to ship in the first quarter of 2016."
Why can't people just understand that the vast majority of people don't need to purchase something for it to be a massive success. The Playstation 2 is widely considered to be the most successful console of all time yet was still owned by less than 2.5% of the world's population.
I'm certainly not suggesting that Oculus will sell that many in fact I doubt all manufacturers VR headsets put together will reach that many for at least a decade. But to suggest there is no demand for the product is just wrong. Many gamers myself included have been salivating at the thought of getting their hands on a Rift since it was first announced and even after the Facebook purchase I would expect this to be a big success.
Zuck can EFF off: Internet.org is SO NOT the INTERNET
Look out, law abiding folk: UK’s Counter-Extremism Bill slithers into view
So in summary they are going to protect our right including free speech by limiting free speech why does my head hurt?
The only hope we have is that there are enough back benchers left to recognise this for the abuse it is and not follow the party whip. Then again there are probably enough gullible fools in other parties that accept the need for this to head off any Tory back bench fight back against this.
Live a day in the life of Jennifer Lawrence: Tell Reddit to delete your stolen nude selfies
What about in the instance where the person uploading is the legitimate right holder even if the subject doesn't want it posting. Thinking of someone now famous that did a paid glamour shoot before hitting the big time.
Does this just apply to stolen pics or simply any that they don't want on the site?
Unlikely that reddit would be the location they would choose to share the pics but you never know.
Off the top of my head aware of Cameron Diaz and Geri Haliwell who both have early photo shoots they would prefer were forgotten but as they were paid for them not a lot they can do unless they reach an agreement to buy them back. Pretty sure there are more celebs out there with similar things that could come back to bite them.
C’mon Lenovo. Superfish hooked, but Pokki Start Menu still roaming free
Well I'm pleased the only Lenovo machine I own is an Android tablet which didn't seem to have too much bloat pre installed. Off to research what was bundled though on the off chance that something similar was included.
Up to now have been singing their praises to all but after recent revelations doubt many people would still be doing the same.
Microsoft: You want on-prem wares, UK.gov? We'll make you pay
BT fixes home hub drop-out glitch ONE YEAR after denying flaw existed
Re: Shocker. . . well no, not really.
If losing connection every time you landline rings are you sure you're using a filter?
Had that happen to me after last install took me a while to realise that was the cause and since plugging the filter back into the wall socket the problem has disappeared.
MP resigns as security committee chair amid 'cash-for-access' claims
Is there a particular reason MP's seem to get away with resigning when this happens? In my opinion they should face charges ranging from misconduct in a public office up to treason depending on the specifics.
But in this case Cameron is assuring everybody theres no need to crack down on outside jobs so I'm sure it will all be fine.
REPORT: UK needs online eBay-style court for civil justice
In my experience ebay's complaint resolution process is useless and seems designed to be exploited by scammers. 70 million cases handled and closed to ebay's satisfaction of those probably a minority reached what would be the correct result. So for gods sake don't model our justice system on that steaming turd!
Anonymous loose cannon admits DDoSing social services and housing websites
Anonymous you're doing it wrong
Boasting about it on social media not sure that really fits with the whole Anonymous thing. Hard to have any sympathy with the guy arrested when you see the targets it's not exactly going after Scientology or someone similar. If guilty I hope they throw the book at him.
Forget Norks, Russian hackers are in Sony Pictures' servers – claim
Whom to believe the various FBI & NSA bods that have came forward and insisted if we could see the intelligence they have access to showing its the Nork's, or the random hacker spouting shite on the internet saying the Russians are coming the Russians are coming?
In my opinion its the random Russian/Ukrainian guy on the net, not because its more likely just at this point we have to assume he/she is more plausible than any US Gov mouthpiece.
Google forced to – wah! – OBEY the LAW with privacy policy tweaks
Presumably now there will be an obscure link buried in the T&C's which takes you to a page where Google says they collect your data to stuff and things with it. Maybe the wording will be slightly different but I doubt they outline exactly what they do with it otherwise people could be horrified.
Possibly I'm too cynical but that's what I expect after reading that article, sounds like a good result for Google.
Is it humanly possible to watch Gigli and Battlefield Earth back-to-back?
Hola HoloLens: Reg man gets face time with Microsoft's holographic headset
Which of UK's major ISPs will let you have exotic p0rn? NONE OF THEM
By other people's attempt to steal bandwidth do you mean customer attempting to use the service they pay for?
Very good that you have found an ISP that your happy with but that's no reason to turn on the rest of us. If the ISP's are offering unlimited packages why is that the fault of someone like me that signs up for it? I think your ire is directed at the wrong target it's the companies that offer packages they can't deliver that are at fault in my opinion.
Increased gov spy powers are NOT the way to stay safe against terrorism
Whether it's this time or on the 50th attempt it seems the snooper charter will not die and is bound to be passed eventually.
It's disgusting that they always use the latest tragedy to justify more powers for the security service and Cameron, May et al should be called out publicly for it at every opportunity.
US and UK declare red-team cyber war – on each other
The danger with these unlike a standard military exercise taking place in the middle of no where is it could actually impact on civilians quite easily.
Wouldn't surprise me if orgs on both sides of the pond end up having outages as a result. I would imagine that isn't the intention of the exercise but could easily see it happening. Not sure how happy people will be if friendly activity by an ally results in a major outage at their bank or something similar.