Quicktime Alternative

http://www.free-codecs.com/download/quicktime_alternative.htm

About time they got some teeth

I've been corresponding with the ICO for a while about Orange mobile. I signed up to the Telephone Preference service and when given a choice I ask not to be send SMS text adverts.

The ICO says each time you get a SMS text advert from a company you should be given the option to opt out. Orange send out SMS text adverts with no 'reply to' number, so you can't ask them to stop.

I've been on the phone with Orange many times, and they seem unable to prevent the SMS text adverts. Perhaps now the ICO will be able to persuade companies like Orange to take the regulations seriously, and PUNISH them until they GET WITH THE PROGRAM.

I've met the Met

and I've got the bruises to prove it.

- from a badge seen at the G20 protest.

The traces remain

There are some entries in Google's cache, e.g.:

http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:z0e2kGWBmkMJ:nightjack.wordpress.com/2008/06/08/secrets-and-lies/+http://nightjack.wordpress.com/&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk

War on Inequality = War on the Rich

The problem isn't poverty, it's inequality.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/mar/12/equality-british-society

We don't need a War on Poverty, we need a War on inequality.

i.e. a war on the rich.

> most unique

Qualifying a superlative. Ugh!

The end of Jacqui Smith

God be praised!

I've had a pair of these for some years

Made by Barbour from neoprene, so they keep hands warm even if wet. The thumb, forefinger and middle finger can peel back and velcro tabs keep them there.

As used by the SAS!

I hope I don't owe Apple any money for this.

Round and Round and Round

"IExplorer vulnerability. Let's switch to Firefox."

"We can't use Firefox, some of our web apps only run on IExplorer."

"Should we allow ourselves to get locked into one vendor? Our web apps should be compliant with web standards. Then we could use any browser we wanted."

... and back to the start.

@ Wayland Sothcott

> [Boris was] responsible for getting rid of Sir Ian Blair

He denied responsibility this morning on Radio 4's Today Programme. He also said that journalists who believed his Deputy had claimed responsibility, were mistaken.

It's certainly not within his purview.

Wars on Concepts

There are so many wars on abstract concepts, Wikipedia has made a list of them:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_on_concepts

Still in beta

> four years since GMail was released.

Just checked, and Gmail is still a beta release, BTW.

What were the survey questions?

Without seeing the survey questions, we have no idea how they came up with that result. Here's a lighthearted example of questions squewing poll results from 'Yes Minister'.

___________________________

Sir Humphrey: "You know what happens: nice young lady comes up to you. Obviously you want to create a good impression, you don't want to look a fool, do you? So she starts asking you some questions: Mr. Woolley, are you worried about the number of young people without jobs?"

Bernard Woolley: "Yes"

Sir Humphrey: "Are you worried about the rise in crime among teenagers?"

Bernard Woolley: "Yes"

Sir Humphrey: "Do you think there is a lack of discipline in our Comprehensive schools?"

Bernard Woolley: "Yes"

Sir Humphrey: "Do you think young people welcome some authority and leadership in their lives?"

Bernard Woolley: "Yes"

Sir Humphrey: "Do you think they respond to a challenge?"

Bernard Woolley: "Yes"

Sir Humphrey: "Would you be in favour of reintroducing National Service?"

Bernard Woolley: "Oh...well, I suppose I might be."

Sir Humphrey: "Yes or no?"

Bernard Woolley: "Yes"

Sir Humphrey: "Of course you would, Bernard. After all you told you can't say no to that. So they don't mention the first five questions and they publish the last one."

Bernard Woolley: "Is that really what they do?"

Sir Humphrey: "Well, not the reputable ones no, but there aren't many of those. So alternatively the young lady can get the opposite result."

Bernard Woolley: "How?"

Sir Humphrey: "Mr. Woolley, are you worried about the danger of war?"

Bernard Woolley: "Yes"

Sir Humphrey: "Are you worried about the growth of armaments?"

Bernard Woolley: "Yes"

Sir Humphrey: "Do you think there is a danger in giving young people guns and teaching them how to kill?"

Bernard Woolley: "Yes"

Sir Humphrey: "Do you think it is wrong to force people to take up arms against their will?"

Bernard Woolley: "Yes"

Sir Humphrey: "Would you oppose the reintroduction of National Service?"

Bernard Woolley: "Yes"

Sir Humphrey: "There you are, you see Bernard. The perfect balanced sample."

Damn the security ...

Think of the profits!!

I'm reminded of this quote from Robocop:

Dick Jones: "I had a guarantee military sale with ED 209. Renovation program. Spare parts for 25 years. Who cares if it worked or not?"

TrueCrypt: (Free open-source disk encryption software)

http://www.truecrypt.org

I saw a great answer to this problem on another forum:

__________________________________________________

from "Joe U"

Truecrypt:

1. There is no encrypted data, I just didn't format that partition yet.

2. There is no encrypted data, that file must be corrupt. What did you do to my computer?

3. Here's the encrypted data, it's a copy of my tax forms for 2006. There is no hidden partition.

Pick one.

__________________________________________________

Notice in 3) he gives them an encryption password, but conceals the presence of a hidden volume. This gives him "plausible deniability", increasing the chances of getting his data through customs.

Missing wife: Call her?

From another forum:

"He paid a $5,000 retainer to a criminal defense attorney just days after Nina disappeared, while the investigation was still a missing person's case. He didn't even bother to try calling her to find out if she was alive before he shelled out for the retainer."

Wouldn't you try calling your wife if she went missing?

Security is a compromise

Security is a compromise between denying access to those that should not have it, and allowing easy use for those who are authorised. It's interesting to hear about this attack vector, and we can hope that Google does something about it RSN.

However Gmail is an excellent service, and secure enough for many users. After all, locks only keep out honest people, and safes are rated by the amount of time it takes to crack them open.

@ the Linux fan

Linux is great, but you must realise that although it's easy to swap one PC from Windows to Linux, it's hugely difficult for businesses with lots and lots of PCs.

This reminds me

of the Games company that tried to trademark the word 'Nazi'.

They didn't succeed.

2+2 Forum threads with more detail

These two threads have more detail about the scandal:

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showthreaded.php?Cat=0&Number=12523179&page=0&vc=1

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=12523924&page=0&fpart=1&vc=1

I'm glad it's "heating up"

FTA "The war between Apple and the hackers is heating up"

Thank you so much for not saying 'hotting up'.

What about PCs that use WSUS?

Many PCs use WSUS. They won't get this update.

What does the update do, and why should some PCs but not others, need it?

http://www.mcwilliams.com/books/aint/303a.htm

JACK NICHOLSON:

My point of view, while extremely cogent,

is unpopular.

LOS ANGELES TIMES:

Which is?

JACK NICHOLSON:

That the repressive nature of the legalities

vis-a-vis drugs are destroying the legal

system and corrupting the police system.

LOS ANGELES TIMES:

Let's talk about acting for a minute.

Re: It does not matter

Rick Berry posted: "All the thief has to do is pull out the vehicle registration and/or the insurance papers that the owner is required by law to keep in the vehicle."

Good news Rick! This page says that's not so: http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/28.htm

"Production of documents. You MUST be able to produce your driving licence and counterpart, a valid insurance certificate and (if appropriate) a valid MOT certificate, when requested by a police officer. If you cannot do this you may be asked to take them to a police station within seven days. Law RTA 1988 sects 164 & 165"

and

"Never leave vehicle documents in the car"

How did they trace it to his phone?

see heading

Brussels cost us our Flood Defences

Brussels withheld £350m of the money it owed Britan, as punishment for delaying the EU subsidy payments to English farmers. Gordon Brown told Defra the Treasury was not going to make up the shortfall. Defra looked for budget cuts to save £350m, and amongst these cuts were many flood defences and canal bank repairs.

The delay in paying the subsidy is generally held to be Defra's fault, as they ordered the RPA to use the most complicated option for distributing it. Johnston McNeill at the RPA handed the job to Accenture, who bolloxed it up. (Several farmers comitted suicide over debts.) So the flood defences budget cut could demonstrably be Defra's fault.

* Defra = Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

* RPA = Rural Payments Agency

The Power Of Nightmares

The press these days are more entertainment than informative. They want the largest possible readership, for their advertisers. The BBC don't have advertisers, but they still compare audience size with their competitors, and strive to maximise their readership.

When my Dad was young, he heard a radio news broadcast where the anchor announced "There was no news today, so instead here is some light music." This would be impossible nowadays.

Thanks Thomas C Greene, and thanks El Reg. Readers who like me felt there was something persuasive in Greene's arguement might enjoy Adam Curtis' documentary "The Power of Nightmares"

http://www.archive.org/details/ThePowerOfNightmares

The first two minutes nicely summarise how fear may be employed to gain power.

Re: What the heck was in the Pinot Grigio?

Peter Kay said:

"expensive bottle at the start of the evening when your palate can properly appreciate it, then something cheaper as you become less discriminating."

Peter reminds me of the miracle at Cana, where Jesus turned water into wine.

"Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now." (John 2:10)

Unfortunately some folk evidently view lavish spending like this as impressive, rather than laughable.

Recipe for you

If life gives you lemons (or turkeys) ...

_________________________________

Smoked Lemon Turkey

1 (14- to 16- pound) turkey

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tablespoon thyme

1/2 tablespoon ginger

1/2 tablespoon rosemary

1/2 teaspoon crushed black pepper

Very small dash of garlic powder

Take about 3 cups of mesquite or hickory chips and soak in water for about an hour. When you cook a larger bird such as a turkey you need to use a water pan circled by hot coals and wood chips. Get your coals all fired up and spread them in a circle around pan filled with water and some citrus juice of your choice. The trick to using wood chips and chunks is to bring the chips to smoke by placing them on hot coals and when smoke appears move to a cooler spot in the grill before adding your meat.

Rub the turkey down with some olive oil and lemon then spread spice mixture over the bird. (I suggest that you do this the night before you cook, but if time does not permit, then just do it while your charcoal is getting ready.) Place turkey breast side up on the center of the grill directly above the pan of water and juice. Place a meat thermometer in the turkey without touching a bone. Cook to an internal temp of 175 degrees. It could take up to 6 hours depending on the size of your bird and the temperature of the coals.

Simpsons Bluetooth security barb

A recent episode (S18E21) of the Simpsons showed Bart and Lisa playing '24'.

Bart: "Are you on a secure line?"

Lisa: "Yes, but you're on a Bluetooth headset, the most

vulnerable device known to man."

Yahoo! group sends me email: How to stop it ?

Some time ago I joined the Yahoo group [3510i_accesories]. When posting to the group, it tells me I am not subscribed.

I have tried to unsubscribe and resubscribe, but cannot get either to work. I emailed the group owner a couple of times, but they never replied.

I would like to leave the group. Does anyone know how I can contact Yahoo! to get this enacted?

Brand? What brand?

It's rather scary they way they constantly refer to the affair as a 'brand'.

Nested Comments Please

Being able to comment on the stories is great. Nice one, elReg. Next, please allow us to comment on the comments.

It's much clearer when you respond to a post, to place it on the page immediately below that post. At the moment, comments on previous comments appear somewhere down the page, depending on how many others have posted in the meantime.

Biofuel = monoculture

There's a big problem with biofuels. To supply our cars with petrol we'd have to grow field and fields of whatever crop we pick to turn into a biofuel.

Huge monocultures are bad for the soil and the environment generally, for lots of reasons.

£150 is an insignificant amount

£150 doesn't seem very much after all the trouble he had to go to to make Littlewoods abide by the law.

Local knowledge needed

"I know these mountains like the back of my ..." *BONK*

Viglen do this better

Viglen now send PCs out in reusable plastic boxes. Which saves even more cardboard.

People power

Putting aside for a moment the legalities of DRM and DMCA, there's great joy to be had here witnessing who has the power when it comes to Web 2.0 .

Digg represented themselves as a site for the users and against the corporations. They obeyed the DMCA takedown notice(s) from the MPAA, and chose at first not to explain what was happening to their users. Faced with vanishing articles and user accounts, the user base revolted.

The 16-hex-pairs number became a symbol of the userbase uniting against the corporations, and against the Digg admins. Astonishing creativity went into transforming the number into many different forms, even including a rather catchy song.

Flickr recently decided to lock out any users who wouldn't change to using a Yahoo ID, even paid subscribers. Fark just revamped their web page template without any warning, and one admin scorned the horrified users posting "You'll get used to it." In this case I thing Digg got all they deserved.

End prohibition - end drug gang violence?

Those blood spattered bodies were eerily reminiscent of gunned down gangsters from prohibition era news photos. Perhaps production and distribution of currently illegal drugs should be brought under legal control? Certainly, this behaviour is no longer seen in the alcohol trade.

This is the position held by 'The Economist' magazine:

http://www.economist.com/printedition/displaystory.cfm?Story_ID=709603

and 'Law Enforcement Against Prohibition'

http://leap.cc/

amongst many others.

As Dr Strangelove said "all that is required is ze vill to do it."

--

bm