For the past couple of months, I also received a lot of these variants. All of them have a Bitcoin address that you should pay a ransom to. All of them claim that they hacked my "internet" and viewed me on webcams (which I don't use). All of them claim that they have compromising videos of me watching porn. Most of them have my leaked email address in the From: header. Many of them have a password that I used or part of it (and use that as proof they hacked "my account"). Many of them claim the hack is on my router and reference a CVE for Cisco (I don't own any Cisco equipment)
BBC reporters were targeted, and they did a piece on this scam. Worth watching...
It may have been that her cancer is terminal, and there is nothing that ca be done, apart from palliative care (hence the pain killers).
As a counter point, I knew someone in Canada who had terminal brain cancer, and the surgeon still operated on her to remove part of the tumour, based on requests from her husband and mother. His stance was: so that the family feels that everything that was done, was indeed done. That was in addition to chemo and radiation. She still died in the end.
Last night was the first break in the clouds in about a month and a half. So I got out my astrophotography rig, which is based on the open source OnStep STM32 telescope controller.
The moon was bright, and there was too much moisture in the atmosphere. So, not ideal conditions.
As far as comets go, this one is underwhelming. It lacks a tail, and is below naked eye visibility. But what is remarkable, is that this comet was sure moving fast against the background stars.
A 5 minute exposure shows a fuzzy streak that goes in a different direction than the streaks from stars due to a hasty and inaccurate polar alignment.
I didn't mention other zwave interfaces because they are so dirt cheap that it practically doesn't matter.. garage door openers for $50. locks for $200. automated blinds $50. thermostats around the $100 price point (although with the exception of two, they are all 1990 designs)
Can you share what brand/model for the locks, blinds and thermostats? Thanks in advance.
It is not only about production lines or supply chain.
It is about the vision, mindset and actually making it happen, not just telling Wall Street: 'yeah, we are in all the way on this... really...'
GM has the Bolt, but as I said: I did not even see a single one where I live (vs. many Teslas).
They don't advertise at all. Yesterday, I saw a TV ad on the Audi e-tron electric SUV. A couple of months ago, Mitsubishi had TV ads on its plug in hybrid SUV. Where are the GM ads?
GM is acting as if they don't like the Bolt or don't want people to buy it... or something... yet they say we are closing factories so we can focus on electric... Doh...
The CEO is closing factories so they can get a bonus on cost cuts, and the future be damned...
We have been hearing about them embracing electric for years. There is even the Chevy Bolt, which someone who works there says it is an electric that predates the Tesla.
But in the small city that I live (~ 300,000 in a twin city, around ~ 500,000 with a third city), I see many Teslas, belonging to at least 3 models! Compare that to me not seeing a single Bolt, although it has been officially available in Canada since the start of 2017. This is from a company that has a very high price and a long waiting list. Someone who offers an alternative is bound to capture some of the market.
When I see TV ads for cars, they are the usual stuff. Only Mitsubishi put an ad for its plug in hybrid SUV. Don't see any ads on electric or hybrid from any other manufacturer.
So, I am not sure what it is: it is as if they are reluctant to do electric at all, or just only talking about it (lip service), and not actually doing much about it.
So this announcement leaves me skeptical: will they really produce more electric stuff? Or are they just appeasing Wall Street for now? Time will tell..
This is an example of how companies die, often a slow and protracted death...
GM (and Ford) say: people are not buying sedans, so we will be focusing on autonomous cars that are rented,...etc.
Meanwhile, Tesla is making a killing selling sedans, and there is a long waiting list for its cars!
GM, Ford and Chrysler have the plants that can produce the majority of what goes into a car: chassis, assembly line,...etc. An electric motor is not a big deal to make. Batteries are the challenge, but there are Japanese companies willing to sell them.
The conventional car companies are like BlackBerry a decade ago: they saw Apple launch the iPhone in 2007 and ignored it. They said no one wants touch screen, everyone wants a 5 day batter, everyone wants a keyboard,...etc. Then they watched Google do the exact same thing in 2008, and ignored it. They were complacent, they were arrogant, they were incompetent.
Tesla produces sedans and have a long waiting list, so the demand is there (but electric instead of ICE).
But instead of capitalizing on this demand and making electric vehicles (sedans and otherwise), the big auto companies just shut down the plants, rather than producing viable alternatives.
Unfortunately, reality proves that big auto companies never learn, even when the future is right in front of them (Tesla proving that electrical works and has many advantages).
It has been decades, but I did study medical stuff (pharmacy degree).
The brain is protected by the so called 'blood brain barrier', which prevents many things going through. These range from bacteria, to even many medications.
Meningitis is caused by a bacteria, but they don't cross that barrier. Instead, they infect the membranes surrounding the brain. But in doing so, they make the BBB is more permeable, so toxins may pass through.
Antibiotics to treat brain infections are also different, since normal ones do not pass through.
You also have these misfolded proteins called prions. These are hypothesized to cause Alzheimer's disease, and also mad cow disease, which is transmitted by eating brains from cows that are afflicted, causing Variant Creutzfeldtâ"Jakob disease.
So, direct bacterial cause is unlikely. The mechanism(s) are more complex, and not yet definitive, but it is almost surely not straight bacteria going in.
Hence, PHP 7.2 is the current version with the most life left, and the need to upgrade to it.
A little more into the future: PHP 7.3 is still RC, but the good news is that there is not much difference between it and 7.2, therefore the upgrade from 7.2 to 7.3 should painless.
I am a Drupal contributor for the past 15 years, so I know Drupal pretty well.
As I mentioned before Drupal 6 (core) has been patched to fully work with PHP 7.2. There is a concerted effort to do the same for Drupal 7.
Yesterday, I tried PHP 7.2 with 4 sites on two servers. One site is Drupal 6, the others are Drupal 7. They all worked without a single code change. One configuration statement had to be omitted, but that was it. The sites in question have the advantage of not being a victim of the open buffet binge syndrome.
There are known examples of modules that don't work (e.g. Rules). For sites that use 200+ modules (a very common thing), there is this thing called testing. If your workflow already has a test server, then test PHP 7.2 there and see if things work as expected. If not, then copy the live site to a test server and reproduce it there.
Regardless of Drupal's market share, it is just an example of a development community getting things working on newer PHP versions, and the process is sure not unique to Drupal at all. It can be done with a concerted group effort.
While what you say is generally the case, it does not have to be.
For example, Drupal 6 was released in Feb 2018, that is more than a decade ago. It was End of Life on Feb 2016, after version 8 came out.
But that did not stop people from using it. Even the impending PHP version change did not deter some from making the necessary changes for Drupal 6 to run under PHP 7.2.
Your application may well work with PHP 7.x, or there may be a newer version of it that does work with the newer version. That is unless you have home grown code, or must run an older version.
If you are running Debian or Ubuntu, you can upgrade PHP to 7.2, using the following commands:
I used KDE for about 12 years, then the move to 16.04 ruined a few things in it. Basically in two categories: a) things are no longer customizable, e.g. persistent notifications, and b) they removed some add ons, e.g. a working weather widget.
So, almost 1.5 years ago, I switched to XFCE and never looked back. It is not as rich or customizable, but more than adequate for full time desktop use.
I find the predictive typing feature useful. You can just ignore it by not hitting Tab.
Regarding HTML only Gmail, I used it for a while, and it is fast. The one thing that made me go back to the Javascript user interface is that it did not fill in contacts properly. It was very tedious, and that was a deal breaker for me... so I am back to the Javascript UI.
When Iridium was launched in the 1990s, with backing from Bill Gates and others, it was a promising project: internet access almost anywhere on the planet.
However, they required big hand sets with big antennas. But then GSM phones became ubiquitous where humans are concentrated (cities, towns, suburbs,...etc.) and there was not much of a need for Iridium, apart from those who live, or work, or travel to, remote areas. Not much of a market.
The company went bust, and this iteration is an attempt to revive it.
The requirement for custom handsets and/or modems is still there. How much will these cost? How much would a monthly data plan cost? Are the speeds adequate for today's bloated web sites?
It may remain as a niche business, for business (not consumers), much like Thuraya.
Slashdot Mirror
For the past couple of months, I also received a lot of these variants.
All of them have a Bitcoin address that you should pay a ransom to.
All of them claim that they hacked my "internet" and viewed me on webcams (which I don't use).
All of them claim that they have compromising videos of me watching porn.
Most of them have my leaked email address in the From: header.
Many of them have a password that I used or part of it (and use that as proof they hacked "my account").
Many of them claim the hack is on my router and reference a CVE for Cisco (I don't own any Cisco equipment)
BBC reporters were targeted, and they did a piece on this scam. Worth watching ...
That can't be the full story.
It may have been that her cancer is terminal, and there is nothing that ca be done, apart from palliative care (hence the pain killers).
As a counter point, I knew someone in Canada who had terminal brain cancer, and the surgeon still operated on her to remove part of the tumour, based on requests from her husband and mother. His stance was: so that the family feels that everything that was done, was indeed done. That was in addition to chemo and radiation. She still died in the end.
It is a "contact binary", not "contract".
This means two bodies that touch or attach to each other.
Here are full resolution images from yesterday.
5 minute exposure.
1 minute exposure. Even at that short of an exposure, the comet is zipping along in the sky ...
This comet is moving really fast!
Last night was the first break in the clouds in about a month and a half. So I got out my astrophotography rig, which is based on the open source OnStep STM32 telescope controller.
The moon was bright, and there was too much moisture in the atmosphere. So, not ideal conditions.
As far as comets go, this one is underwhelming. It lacks a tail, and is below naked eye visibility. But what is remarkable, is that this comet was sure moving fast against the background stars.
A 5 minute exposure shows a fuzzy streak that goes in a different direction than the streaks from stars due to a hasty and inaccurate polar alignment.
Here is a screenshot of the 5 minute exposure, and another 60 seconds exposure.
Clouds rolled over and I had to call it a night.
Oh, and if you want an Open Source telescope controller, here are more videos on OnStep on the STM32.
Miles and Fahrenheit ... Wow ...
Obligatory: Earth Temperature Timeline, courtesy of XKCD.
Oh, so they are the new generation of Dr Oz, who promotes non proven and pseudo-scientific products?
Getting on that train early I guess ...
Can you share what brand/model for the locks, blinds and thermostats? Thanks in advance.
It is not only about production lines or supply chain.
It is about the vision, mindset and actually making it happen, not just telling Wall Street: 'yeah, we are in all the way on this ... really ...'
GM has the Bolt, but as I said: I did not even see a single one where I live (vs. many Teslas).
They don't advertise at all. Yesterday, I saw a TV ad on the Audi e-tron electric SUV. A couple of months ago, Mitsubishi had TV ads on its plug in hybrid SUV. Where are the GM ads?
GM is acting as if they don't like the Bolt or don't want people to buy it ... or something ... yet they say we are closing factories so we can focus on electric ... Doh ...
The CEO is closing factories so they can get a bonus on cost cuts, and the future be damned ...
We have been hearing about them embracing electric for years. There is even the Chevy Bolt, which someone who works there says it is an electric that predates the Tesla.
But in the small city that I live (~ 300,000 in a twin city, around ~ 500,000 with a third city), I see many Teslas, belonging to at least 3 models! Compare that to me not seeing a single Bolt, although it has been officially available in Canada since the start of 2017. This is from a company that has a very high price and a long waiting list. Someone who offers an alternative is bound to capture some of the market.
When I see TV ads for cars, they are the usual stuff. Only Mitsubishi put an ad for its plug in hybrid SUV. Don't see any ads on electric or hybrid from any other manufacturer.
So, I am not sure what it is: it is as if they are reluctant to do electric at all, or just only talking about it (lip service), and not actually doing much about it.
So this announcement leaves me skeptical: will they really produce more electric stuff? Or are they just appeasing Wall Street for now? Time will tell ..
This is an example of how companies die, often a slow and protracted death ...
GM (and Ford) say: people are not buying sedans, so we will be focusing on autonomous cars that are rented, ...etc.
Meanwhile, Tesla is making a killing selling sedans, and there is a long waiting list for its cars!
GM, Ford and Chrysler have the plants that can produce the majority of what goes into a car: chassis, assembly line, ...etc. An electric motor is not a big deal to make. Batteries are the challenge, but there are Japanese companies willing to sell them.
The conventional car companies are like BlackBerry a decade ago: they saw Apple launch the iPhone in 2007 and ignored it. They said no one wants touch screen, everyone wants a 5 day batter, everyone wants a keyboard, ...etc. Then they watched Google do the exact same thing in 2008, and ignored it. They were complacent, they were arrogant, they were incompetent.
Same thing happens in the auto sector now ...
My point is this ...
Tesla produces sedans and have a long waiting list, so the demand is there (but electric instead of ICE).
But instead of capitalizing on this demand and making electric vehicles (sedans and otherwise), the big auto companies just shut down the plants, rather than producing viable alternatives.
Unfortunately, reality proves that big auto companies never learn, even when the future is right in front of them (Tesla proving that electrical works and has many advantages).
Just today, an example: General Motors announced that it will close 8 plants.
It has been decades, but I did study medical stuff (pharmacy degree).
The brain is protected by the so called 'blood brain barrier', which prevents many things going through. These range from bacteria, to even many medications.
Meningitis is caused by a bacteria, but they don't cross that barrier. Instead, they infect the membranes surrounding the brain. But in doing so, they make the BBB is more permeable, so toxins may pass through.
Antibiotics to treat brain infections are also different, since normal ones do not pass through.
You also have these misfolded proteins called prions. These are hypothesized to cause Alzheimer's disease, and also mad cow disease, which is transmitted by eating brains from cows that are afflicted, causing Variant Creutzfeldtâ"Jakob disease.
So, direct bacterial cause is unlikely. The mechanism(s) are more complex, and not yet definitive, but it is almost surely not straight bacteria going in.
I don't use paid distros.
I use Ubuntu 16.04 LTS for all my servers. There is still one client on 14.04 LTS even.
Hence the need to move. So far, no surprises.
I thought it was obvious, and you knew, but here it is:
PHP 5.6 (the last release for 5.x) will be end of life by 31 Dec 2018 (that is 2 months from now).
PHP 7.0, which is the default version for Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, end of life 3 Dec 2018 (1 month from now).
See PHP supported versions.
Hence, PHP 7.2 is the current version with the most life left, and the need to upgrade to it.
A little more into the future: PHP 7.3 is still RC, but the good news is that there is not much difference between it and 7.2, therefore the upgrade from 7.2 to 7.3 should painless.
I am a Drupal contributor for the past 15 years, so I know Drupal pretty well.
As I mentioned before Drupal 6 (core) has been patched to fully work with PHP 7.2. There is a concerted effort to do the same for Drupal 7.
Yesterday, I tried PHP 7.2 with 4 sites on two servers. One site is Drupal 6, the others are Drupal 7. They all worked without a single code change. One configuration statement had to be omitted, but that was it. The sites in question have the advantage of not being a victim of the open buffet binge syndrome.
There are known examples of modules that don't work (e.g. Rules). For sites that use 200+ modules (a very common thing), there is this thing called testing. If your workflow already has a test server, then test PHP 7.2 there and see if things work as expected. If not, then copy the live site to a test server and reproduce it there.
Regardless of Drupal's market share, it is just an example of a development community getting things working on newer PHP versions, and the process is sure not unique to Drupal at all. It can be done with a concerted group effort.
Drupal 6 was released Feb 2008, so more than a decade ago.
Drupal 6 was released Feb 2008, so more than a decade ago.
While what you say is generally the case, it does not have to be.
For example, Drupal 6 was released in Feb 2018, that is more than a decade ago. It was End of Life on Feb 2016, after version 8 came out.
But that did not stop people from using it. Even the impending PHP version change did not deter some from making the necessary changes for Drupal 6 to run under PHP 7.2.
See for example this announcement.
I am testing a Drupal 6 site now and it does run under PHP 7.2.
So, checking whether the package one uses has been updated for PHP 7.2 is worthwhile.
Your application may well work with PHP 7.x, or there may be a newer version of it that does work with the newer version. That is unless you have home grown code, or must run an older version.
If you are running Debian or Ubuntu, you can upgrade PHP to 7.2, using the following commands:
This works on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, if you need to stay on that, and not having to upgrade to 18.04 LTS. The former is supported for a few more years.
Mod parent up ...
I used KDE for about 12 years, then the move to 16.04 ruined a few things in it. Basically in two categories: a) things are no longer customizable, e.g. persistent notifications, and b) they removed some add ons, e.g. a working weather widget.
So, almost 1.5 years ago, I switched to XFCE and never looked back. It is not as rich or customizable, but more than adequate for full time desktop use.
Try Xubuntu 18.04 LTS. You will not regret it.
I find the predictive typing feature useful. You can just ignore it by not hitting Tab.
Regarding HTML only Gmail, I used it for a while, and it is fast. The one thing that made me go back to the Javascript user interface is that it did not fill in contacts properly. It was very tedious, and that was a deal breaker for me ... so I am back to the Javascript UI.
When Iridium was launched in the 1990s, with backing from Bill Gates and others, it was a promising project: internet access almost anywhere on the planet.
However, they required big hand sets with big antennas. But then GSM phones became ubiquitous where humans are concentrated (cities, towns, suburbs, ...etc.) and there was not much of a need for Iridium, apart from those who live, or work, or travel to, remote areas. Not much of a market.
The company went bust, and this iteration is an attempt to revive it.
The requirement for custom handsets and/or modems is still there.
How much will these cost?
How much would a monthly data plan cost?
Are the speeds adequate for today's bloated web sites?
It may remain as a niche business, for business (not consumers), much like Thuraya.
We will see ...