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User: UpnAtom

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Comments · 1,105

  1. Re:"Google and Opera" on Google Planning To Remove CSS Regions From Blink · · Score: 1

    They're working on a new mega-component as I understand it. Something like a cross between sidebar and the tab cycler popup.

    The only feature I doubt I'll ever get it putting the address bar et al at the bottom of the window.

  2. Re:"Google and Opera" on Google Planning To Remove CSS Regions From Blink · · Score: 1

    Opera have always been highly credible to me. I've used Opera since 3.64 and have liaised with a couple of the programmers.

    Being Norwegian, they're part of a socialist paradise and largely immune to US strong-arming.

    Also, they've only got a handful of programmers working on it. I doubt they've had time to put a backdoor et al in.

  3. Re:"Google and Opera" on Google Planning To Remove CSS Regions From Blink · · Score: 1

    Firstly, I don't trust Google. Chrome probably sends Google/NSA your surfing history, passwords, everything.

    Chromium is a pain in the arse to install.

    I couldn't tell you what it does that Opera doesn't or vice versa.
    The reason I'm not too interested in the above though is inertia. Since nobody is claiming Chromium is better, it's just easier and more comfortable for me to continue with Opera.

  4. Re:"Google and Opera" on Google Planning To Remove CSS Regions From Blink · · Score: 1

    As an Opera fan, I uninstalled 12.14 (actually the latest Presto is 12.16) and am using Opera 19 beta exclusively. I still use Presto on my smartphone.

    Presto is easily the best rendering engine out there which was sadly ignored by the rest of the internet except for possibly Marlin its intended successor. As such, Opera Software spent half their time trying to get it to work with badly-coded websites and proprietary code used in eg Facebook and Google sites.

    I agree with Opera Software's difficult decision to abandon it and jump on Google's bandwagon. Using their own rendering engine was a strategy that had failed for 10 years. Their handling of the transition though has been a sad joke.

    Compared to what I liked Presto for, Opera Blink has weak tab management. Everything else is either provided or covered by extensions.
    What I gained: access to thousands of Chrome extensions, massively reduced startup time and memory requirements, perfect compatibility with websites and superfast Facebook.

    Presto was so sophisticated and configurable that everyone used it differently. Opera Software has placed a low priority on pleasing them all.

  5. Re:"Google and Opera" on Google Planning To Remove CSS Regions From Blink · · Score: 1

    Bookmarks are coming but development is progressing at a snail's pace. I guess I'd expect them around April.

  6. Spyblog's Guide on Whistleblowing Anonymously on The Best Way To Blow the Whistle · · Score: 1

    In a prelude to the more recent gross attacks on democracy, the US and UK have both been consistently shitting on whistleblowers for many decades.

    Snowden's method will probably only work if your leak will make you famous. For everyone else, anonymity would be advised.

    The author of Spyblog has been documenting the progress of the UK's seemingly-inexorable descent into a Stasi police state for about 10 years.

    In 2006, he started posting tips on whistleblowing. This has since evolved into a more comprehensive website.

    http://ht4w.co.uk/

  7. Not mis-branding, mis-advertising on Microsoft May Finally Put Windows RT Out To Pasture · · Score: 1

    Windows RT implies it runs Windows which is a clear feature. The fact it doesn't wouldn't have lost them sales.

    What killed both the Surface and Surface Pro were the prices. With Microsoft's $60bn cash reserves, it should have been selling the Surface at a loss and the Surface Pro at cost. It was happy to do this with Windows Phone.

    Microsoft's backwards step with Windows 8 obviously didn't help either.

  8. Re:And this is why Schneier undid 10 years NSA wor on US Working To Kill UN Privacy Resolutions · · Score: 1

    LOL. I didn't even mention Obama and I suspect a far higher proportion of US citizens are openly bigoted. Heck, many leading GOP members are openly homophobic.

    Try again.

  9. Re:And this is why Schneier undid 10 years NSA wor on US Working To Kill UN Privacy Resolutions · · Score: 2

    You sound like the militia movement from the 1990s.

    That voice you hear... isn't me. You might want to get that checked out.

    this is a civilized website where smart people talk.

    So what are you doing here?

    I am British and thus have no US party bias, which is more than I can say for you. Also, I am left of Obama, like nearly all Brits -- so you couldn't be further off the mark.

  10. And this is why Schneier undid 10 years NSA work on US Working To Kill UN Privacy Resolutions · · Score: 5, Interesting

    And this is why Schneier undid 10 years NSA work on subverting encryption algorithms. Terrorists are a miniscule threat compared to our Governments and Secret Services

    The US no longer has a legitimate "government (..) for the people." The UK never did, except occasionally by chance.

    We know that power like this is abused and attracts those who will abuse it. We must consider whether we want our children to live in a free country.

    "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

    We need to support projects like MailPile and BitMessage. Maybe some of you know of or are working on other projects you'd care to mention.

  11. Aren't you assuming..? on Wikimedia Sends Cease and Desist Letter To Firm Providing Paid Editing Services · · Score: 1

    ... that Wikipedians can't be overprotective of their edits or biased against newbies or can't be zealots or um paid advocates?

    Try making significant improvements to the Slashdot lead. I guarantee you'll be reverted within a week.

  12. Certainly wouldn't be 'Get in bed with Microsoft' on Nokia Shareholders Approve Sale To Microsoft · · Score: 1

    Microsoft has shafted every single partner its had. Secondly, it was in decline. Thirdly, it's a very unpopular brand.

    So your first step is to rule out Microsoft.

    The other thing you don't do is tell people your two main platforms are dead. Especially when one of them was easily the best phone operating system at the time, your first product based on it was done, was beautiful and would end up with some of the most positive reviews in the history of the industry.

    Now maybe it would never have attracted developer support but in spite of being a dead-end phone that Nokia refused to sell in their main markets, it still sold 1-3 million units.

    Personally, I would have supported Android and Meego on the same hardware: default Android but dual boot and shared data. Meanwhile, I'd have bought out OpenMobile or Alien Dalvik and got Android apps running on Meego, just as Jolla have on Sailfish.

    Would it have worked? Not necessarily, but it's not hard to see the N9 selling 3+ million units and that's a good enough start for anyone. They had the best hardware division period and some nice software up their sleeves. They also had prototype Meego tablets. Symbian would have tailed off more slowly.

    At best, you can say that, things looked different then than they do now. Android and Apple were at the height of their popularity. Blackberry 10 was "due". Microsoft may have stayed relevant if they hadn't messed up Windows 8 and sold the Surface (Pro) at cost.

    Also, who looks more incompetent, Elop with his $25m sale-of-Nokia bonus or the board of directors?

  13. Re:The keyboard is fine! However, the screen... on OpenPhoenux Neo900 Bills Itself As Successor To Nokia's N900 · · Score: 1

    Look for an application called AutoDisconnect. You won't get IM notifications, but your battery will last 2-3 days. You can also buy the same battery but with more modern battery technology.

  14. Re:The keyboard is fine! However, the screen... on OpenPhoenux Neo900 Bills Itself As Successor To Nokia's N900 · · Score: 1

    The keyboard is what most disappointed me about the N900. The dodgy USB port was the only other thing.

    The screen was amazing in 2009 and doesn't look too bad today IF you don't mind using a stylus.

    Battery technology has advanced a lot since then too, but you can buy replacement modern batteries which last a third longer. Secondly, the N900, once properly configured, uses almost no power and will last 2-3 days with a modern battery.

  15. Re:Happiness Hypothesis - The American Perfect Str on Gene Variant Can Cause Nattering Nabobs of Negativity · · Score: 1

    Not quite. Negative things can stick around whether we want them to or not. There's no such rule for positive things.

    I will be explaining why in a book.

  16. Chemical imbalance myth on Gene Variant Can Cause Nattering Nabobs of Negativity · · Score: 1

    "Depression is a mental disorder caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain"

    No, that's an explanation made up by pharmaceutical companies to sell £tens of billions of ineffective drugs to the most vulnerable people in society.

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8138893.stm

  17. Re:Happened to author of FB Purity too on Social Fixer Falls Victim To Facebook Legal Threats · · Score: 1

    Indeed, that link is blocked by Facebook. The author had to rename the extension to Fluff-Busting Purity too. I haven't seen him complain about FB lawyers in a while though so let's hope they're leaving him alone.

  18. Happened to author of FB Purity too on Social Fixer Falls Victim To Facebook Legal Threats · · Score: 2

    I remember Kruse being very dismissive then.

    Also FB Purity is a much better extension.

    http://www.fbpurity.com/

  19. Credible doesn't mean they didn't fabricate it on Maryland Indictment Says Silk Road Founder Tried To Arrange Murder of Employee · · Score: 1

    With Assange's condom having neither his nor Arkin's chromosomal DNA on it (how is that possible?), why are we thinking the FBI are above fabricating this Ulbrecht case?

  20. Re:What the f**k even happened in those movies? on An Animated, Open Letter To J.J. Abrams About Star Wars · · Score: 1

    Nice lack of denial.

    I'm quite secure in my own sexuality thanks.

  21. Re:What the f**k even happened in those movies? on An Animated, Open Letter To J.J. Abrams About Star Wars · · Score: 1

    Yep, anonymous coward is very appropriate for that comment.

    Also, I think you protest too much. Commenting on the attractiveness of his nose is also a big hint on your sexuality.

  22. What the f**k even happened in those movies? on An Animated, Open Letter To J.J. Abrams About Star Wars · · Score: 1

    New Spock is excellent, even better than Nimoy (there I said it).
    New Kirk is meh, but who was ever going to fill Shatner's shoes? Cumberbatch and other supporting actors are great.

    Plotholes aside, the stories are decent enough and build on the old movies. Dialogue is pretty good too for a scifi.
    FX are brilliant of course, if you like lens flare.

    So what's wrong with them?

    In a word, pacing. Something twist happens and boom you're in another action scene. There's no time to digest the implications or even WTF just happened.

    Pacing was so bad that I could barely even remember the plots and had forgotten about the films the next day. Why is this? The plots weren't bad as I've already said. The reason is the same reason we don't remember dreams easily. The transition from one state of mind to the another is so extreme that memories don't carry over and don't get recorded properly.

    [BTW, this is what hypnotists use to create amnesia and/or confusion. Talking from 16 years experience here.]

    JJ Abrams -- you screwed up the editing. Please let someone else edit Star Wars.

    It could even be trying to fit too much in. What happens in Star Trek tOMP? A monster ship approaches Earth, takes over weird chick & makes her weirder and eventually they find out the ship is actually you-know-what [no spoilers here]. But that's all that happens. You don't actually need more of a story than that. If you do, it's because your screenplay or your dialogue sucks.

  23. "why do we trust Schneier more than anyone else"? on Did NIST Cripple SHA-3? · · Score: 1

    In addition to Alef's comment

    That Guardian article where he teaches everyone, including terrorists, how to avoid the NSA, undoing 10 years of infiltration work:

    http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/05/nsa-how-to-remain-secure-surveillance

    Also, he's been helping anti-surveillance campaigns including NO2ID for years.

  24. HRA is toothless on Info Leak Wars To Get Messier · · Score: 1

    You should read it some time. Its only power is to make the Govt pay basic compensation WHILST your head is still being stomped on.

    Oh and the Govt can simply pass a new law to ignore it and any rulings under it. Heck, they don't even need to debate it in Parliament thanks to the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act.

    Welcome to Police State Britain.

  25. Re:They had evidence on Info Leak Wars To Get Messier · · Score: 2

    I like the way it's called stealing when Snowden does it but not stealing when the NSA does it.