* Posts by Ben Schofield

27 publicly visible posts • joined 20 Dec 2007

Motorola's latest Android 'andset demo'd

Ben Schofield
FAIL

Are they serious?

You will look most stupid with a keyboard stuck to the side of your head.

And a touchpad on the back of the screen. What were they smoking that day?

Google open-source boss comes clean on Android

Ben Schofield
Boffin

@Law

'It also doesn't notify you of updates - even if it's running in the background, you have to go in and actively look'

It does. It's in the notification bar, it pops up with the market logo and says '3 updates available' or words to that effect. Granted, sometimes there are updates for apps that it doesn't tell you about immediately, but it does always tell you. I guess they thought that people would get pissed off with constant notifications everytime an app is updated, so they give you a notification every X hours.

Finger crossing won't lure iPhone coders to Windows Mobile

Ben Schofield
Thumb Up

@Jimmy Floyd 09:08

'So, we have Form vs Functionality. iPhone vs WM. Is there nothing out there that can provide both?'

Hello. My name is Android. I'm here to bust a move against your Slow Jams.

Lads from Lagos cut off

Ben Schofield
Thumb Up

Terrible News

This is terrible news. I was so close to receiving the £38,000,000 that a kind gentleman in Africa found in my dead great grandad's bank account that I never knew about after I paid him 'fore thosand us dollers' to release the funds. I hope these honest individuals get their connection back soon so I can get my riches, bitches.

Tiny-traffic DoS attack spotlights Apache flaw

Ben Schofield
Thumb Down

This is news?

This 'vuln' has been known about for a long, long time. I was of the impression that this was how the vast majority of HTTP DOS based attacks were carried out...? Clearly, I'm in the wrong job and that Captain Obvious cap belongs to me.

Anti-Eurofighter Downing Street e-petition started

Ben Schofield
Flame

Try as you might...

...but you won't get that fat dictator in number 10 to listen. The MOST POPULAR petition on Number 10 for a long time is 'Resign' - even his peers in the cabinet want his meddling sausage fingers to let go of the wheel. The self righteous nob announced the other day that if he didn't think he was the right man for the job then he wouldn't be there.

Just look at the poll results, Brown. Get out.

Copyright cops launch MS-happy software compliance tool

Ben Schofield
Thumb Up

Spiceworks

Surprised that nobody has mentioned Spiceworks yet as an auditing tool. Excellent software for free (not OSS though, but free is still free). Has other knobs and whistles of interest, too.

spiceworks.com

Ben

Rock-solid Fedora 10 brings salvation to Ubuntu weary

Ben Schofield

nVidia Drivers

For nVidia drivers, use akmod or kmod from the RPM Fusion repository. Very simple to do. I have full 3D support. Around 1500 frames per second on a 300x300 window of glxgears on an XPS M1330 with an nVidia GeForce 8400M. A near point and click install. That sort of full 3D support.

Ben

Fedora 10 debuts with nips, tucks

Ben Schofield
Thumb Up

Stability

I've been using F10 since alpha and, even in alpha, it has been so much more stable that F9 for me. Wireless, graphics and even my fingerprint reader were all sorted automatically with not an edit of a .conf file anywhere in sight.

Very please with it.

I wonder why the article writer didn't mention the new addition of RPM Fusion though, as this was another big thumbs up in F10.

Ben

VPN security - if you want it, come and get it

Ben Schofield
Linux

IPCop and Zerina

At home and work I use IPCop with the Zerina OpenVPN addon as the server. Clients vary, but are mostly Fedora 9 and Win XP. It has been bullet proof since I started using it - it's got to be at least 12 months now, but I've not been keeping track.

ipcop.org

http://www.vpnforum.de/zerina/

B

German hackers poke hole in great firewall of China

Ben Schofield

@Matthew Ellen

Install the NoScript addon - problem solved!

Tor is not broken, they've always noted that people will get caught out if they don't take extra steps to better their security. If you're about to use Tor for something illegal, you'd be stupid not to read the documentation first. If you're that stupid, you deserve to get caught with your hand in the till.

B

IT career virgins need a cherry on top

Ben Schofield

Students < Monkeys

"Whether this is quite what the UK educational system is now producing is a question for another day."

Yes, no.

As a uni student and also currently employed in IT, I can tell you that most of the courses are between 'general' and 'specific'. For instance, take a programming course, you'll do (normally) C+, .NET, Java and, in the early stages, VB. Specific in the way that 'programming' is a specific sector in IT, but the studies are too general to be useful in any one language, if any use in industry at all.

The same for networking and the same for management.

Also the same for any course with the word 'IT' in it, which is a course in how to become a smart-arse user flexing your Excel skills, without ever being taught how to install an application.

Whichever way you look at it, general or specific courses, there's no way I'd give any computing or IT student I've met the reigns to any network or system I oversee. Most students can't find their own face in a mirror, let alone run the core of a company.

There is no bias here, I am a BSc computing student at a reputable university. It's shocking to see the degrees that people walk away with without the most fundamental boxes ticked in the 'I can use a computer' category.

B

Court must reconsider Microsoft Excel patent damages

Ben Schofield
Gates Horns

RE: Greedy etc

Greedy, yes, but no more than Microsoft. Microsoft have been up in arms about people illegally using their software. People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. Microsoft deserve all that's coming to them.

B

Malware writers think global, act local

Ben Schofield
Black Helicopters

@Pascal Monett

You will be interested in this article then...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7174760.stm

Ben

Ubuntu chief ushers in the age of Intrepid Ibex

Ben Schofield
Coat

Good one, moneybags!

Somebody at Canonical must be having a field day making up these names. I've a feeling it's Moneybags Shuttleworth, because if anybody else suggested those they'd be administered a heel to the face for coming up with such STUPID names. I mean come on, even 'Vista', 'Knoppix' and 'Yellow Dog' aren't a scratch on Ubuntu's release names for the dumbest operating system name award. I can't wait for their next release, the 'Rodney Apple'.

B

Web browsers on the front line of exploitation

Ben Schofield
Go

RE: Malware

You know Google - they want a finger in every pie.

Perhaps they're planning on developing an AV client, or a browser perhaps. Who knows; time will tell.

Ben

IBM explores 67.1m-core computer for running entire internet

Ben Schofield
Alert

@Aremmes - The End

You needn't wait any longer.

BEHOLD! - http://www.endoftheinternet.com/

Boy burned in PSP trouser blaze

Ben Schofield
Flame

We've been here before

Wasn't it Sony batteries that were in the grenading Dell laptops? Never had a problem with my Panasonic powered XPS :)

Scientists create 'no-tears' onion

Ben Schofield
Alert

@Jon

Try saying that to a 9 year old girl with little time to live. She'd be glad to know that you lived a better quality of life with modified onions. Perhaps you'd make her, and her friends and family, cry instead. So what you actually achieved was an onion you cut that didn't affect your delicate eyes, but affected a host of other peoples.

'Much better to invent ways for better quality of life.'

Quite, Jon. Living for only 10 years and watching other children playing from a window while you're strapped to an oxygen tank must be just spiffy. Perhaps your onions don't seem so special now.

Ben

Ben Schofield
Thumb Up

Priorities?

Is this what scientists are doing with their time nowadays? I can't imagine how this was suggested, but I suppose it went something like this...

Scientist 1: Hey guys, I had the craziest dream about onions last night. I woke up sweating but not crying like I normal do and I thought, why don't we produce an onion that doesn't make us cry?

Scientist 2: Shouldn't we carry on with the cancer research? We've nearly cracked that whole tumor thing.

Scientist 3: Yeah, he's right, curing diseases should be our priority.

Scientist 1: No no, you don't understand, I woke up without tears - remember how we talked about the crying problems we have? Could you imagine what it would do for our street cred if we woke up without salt crust on our cheeks?

Scientist 2: Yeah you're right, get to the shop and get a bag of these beauties. This is gunna be awsome!

Scientist 3: Hi 5, guys!

Scientist 2: Group hug!

Second-gen O2 XDA Orbit goes on sale

Ben Schofield
Coat

@christian

Sorry, misread what you wrote, you put 'Orbit 2', I thought you just put Orbit. I should get my eyes checked or something.

Ben

Ben Schofield
Thumb Down

@christian

Yes, it does, I own one. You clearly do not.

Ben

Ben Schofield
Boffin

Pneumatic drill ringtone...

I wonder if they fixed the loose rotating ring in the middle. I've had the Orbit for about a year now and it's a good phone, but when it vibrates that ring in the middle rattles like a pair of wind up teeth. If you grab it and move it back and forth it moves about 1-2mm. That's really the only gripe I have with it, so I hope they've fixed that in the new one.

Ben

Steve Jobs' Macworld Expo spiel spied on web?

Ben Schofield
Jobs Horns

Why would Jobs...

...put that information on any web server, local or internet facing? Surely he'd have it on his computer and his little speech helpers would have it on theirs too; but there is no need for it to be anywhere else yet. If this is the real thing, then he wanted it to be 'leaked' - perhaps he thought it would be a publicity spinner for the expo. Who knows.

Personally, I think it's made up by that site to attract attention, which it seems to have done quite well.

Ben

2007 worst ever year for data protection

Ben Schofield
Thumb Down

Total 36,989,300...

'In total, 36,989,300 people in the UK have had their private records compromised.'

...that we know of...

Ben

Schools minister touts 'one interweb per child' pork barrel

Ben Schofield
Linux

Linux? WTF iz dat!? H4x0rz to01z in1t?

For half of my day I'm an 18 year old, year three student studying Business IT. For the other half I manage IT for a large print firm.

We use RM systems on our campus. Long story short, I can't stand the things. So much so I take my own laptop in, which runs Fedora 8. It stunned me when I fired it up that an entire computer class began to crowd around with inquiry as to what this 'new' invention is; lecturer included.

You see, educational institutions and examination boards bleach the minds of youths full of Microsoft products so much that it's a struggle to get by with open source software to complete work properly. One example that springs to mind is that I can not hand in database assignments because Access won't deal with Base's open .odb format, and Base won't save in Access' .mdb format.

By leaving the proprietary loop of software cost and license cost, schools could afford to buy 1000 extra computers and 1000 broadband lines for students. In fact, with all the spare cash I'd be willing to bet that they could actually improve the school buildings too. I mean, price up 1000 CALs for Exchange Server and 1000 licenses for Office alone and you're looking at enough money spare after computers and 'net access to actually recruit IT teaching staff that don't tell you Linux was 'bought by Apple and replaced by Macs'. You think I kid.

But this is typical of the narrow minded, self centered individuals that work in education. Not all are, but most. My dad used to say to me 'those that work in education work there because they couldn't get a job anywhere else'. Perhaps he's not far from the truth.

The IT support folk there are no use either and only seem to be there to administer the RM stuff. I connect to an unsecure AP every day, I am handed a dynamic IP, and browse any site I like anonymously, avoiding the 'RM SmartCache' software. Of coarse, the staff also use this wireless AP themselves with unencrypted emails going back and forth with confidential information. Wireshark anyone?

I've not met a single other student that knows their arse from their elbow regarding IT. This is not the fault of games, Mr excuse making minister, but down to the staff you appoint to teach said students and the resources available. When all of these resources come from companies like MS and RM, you're doomed for failure.

Education needs a huge (dual)boot in the Ballmer's.

Ben

Kaspersky false alarm quarantines Windows Explorer

Ben Schofield
Gates Horns

Wrong because...

You're mistaking the process as iexplorer.exe, the Internet Explorer process. This is the explorer.exe process which runs the file browser, Windows Explorer.

Ben