tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72641794847787719872024-03-06T04:03:37.432+11:00technorantiatechnorantia, a series of rants about technology and people's attempts to use it. plus anything else that annoys me. and that's a well with no bottom I assure you.technorantiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04410293258064115572noreply@blogger.comBlogger806125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264179484778771987.post-57709805035067482852024-02-17T14:11:00.000+11:002024-02-17T14:11:00.975+11:00Chilli redux<p>haven't posted anything for a while. here's an update to my ongoing quest to find the ultimate chilli recipe.</p><p>it is not, in my opinion, possible to get good chillies in Australia unless you are lucky enough to have access to a specialist seller. coleworths do the common long cayenne chllies and jalapenos, but that's it. an asian grocer may have a better selection, but they're typically not the right variety. if you're prepared to order some online then I suggest the dried ancho chillies which are not too hot, have a nice flavour, and will last for ages on the shelf. otherwise just grab some medium-mild dried chillies from an indian shop and see how you go.</p><p>ingredients:</p><p>1kg beef - bulk rump works well, or you could cut down a small blade roast, or use chuck if you can find some that's not excessively fatty. it will just need a little longer cooking. I don't like using gravy beef, it tends to mush down too much.</p><p>6 dried chillies</p><p>2 fresh chillies (your choice, I used jalapeno)</p><p>one bottle of chipotle chillies in adobo (colesworths sell this in the ethnic food aisle near the tortillas)</p><p>2 tins of kidney beans</p><p>one large onion</p><p>four pieces of bacon</p><p>6 cloves of garlic, fresh or bottled</p><p>one bottle of beer</p><p>one cup of brewed coffee (not instant rubbish)</p><p>dark chocolate, 3-4 squares worth</p><p><br /></p><p>spice mix: (you can get this measured out in a bowl beforehand, it all goes in at once)</p><p>1/2 tsbp ground cinnamon</p><p>1/2 tbsp cloves</p><p>1/2 tbsp allspice</p><p>1 tbsp corriander power</p><p>1 tbsp cumin powder</p><p>1/2 tbsp cayenne pepper</p><p>1 tbsp salt</p><p><br /></p><p>chop the dried chillies and put them in a bow with about half a cup of boiling water to steep.</p><p>deseed and chop the fresh chillies and add them to the same bowl.</p><p>dice and fry the bacon until slightly crispy in a heavy pot. remove to a bowl.</p><p>cut the beef down to your desired size. I like around 2cm cube, which is a compromise between not taking forever to cook, and the shrinkage during cooking.</p><p>brown the beef off for a few minutes in the bacon grease. cook in batches to avoid overcrowding. remove.</p><p>add the diced onions and cook gently until soft, then add the garlic for a couple of minutes to avoid burning.</p><p>add in the coffee, beer, bacon, spices, the soaked chillies and the chipotles in adobo, and bring up to low boil.</p><p>add the beef back in and stir through.</p><p>if required, add a little water to bring the liquid level above the beef.</p><p>bring to initiat boil then reduce to a simmer to prevent burning and partially cover the pot to control evaporation. cook until mostly tender, this will depend on your beef, probably 2hrs or so. stir occasionally and keep an eye on the liquid level.</p><p>when the beef is almost done, add in your beans, juice and all, and tweak the seasoning if you like. it should be quite aromatic from the spices, but it may need a little more salt and possibly a little more cayenne depending on how hot your dried and fresh chillies were.</p><p>add the chocolate in too.</p><p>cook for another 15 mins or so with the pot uncovered to reduce slightly. increase the temperature slightly as it's now evaporating with the lid off, but not harder than a simmer or it may burn.</p><p>at this point you can either continue to reduce the liquid to your desired consistency, or you can add in a little cornflour slurry to ticken. personally I like the gravy so I tend to thicken.</p><p><br /></p><p>serve with a topping of chopped raw onions, shredded cheese and a big dollop of sourc cream. some hot toast or a handful of corn chips also goes well alongside.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>technorantiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04410293258064115572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264179484778771987.post-28067611651530968042022-04-13T11:28:00.004+10:002022-04-13T11:28:37.049+10:00Website confirmation field paste-block script<p> Drop this into the dev console using F12.</p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">====================================================</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">var allowPaste = function(e){</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"> e.stopImmediatePropagation();</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"> return true;</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">};</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">document.addEventListener('paste', allowPaste, true);</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier;">====================================================</span></p><p><br /></p><p>If you are a web dev and you block pasting, you are an arsehole.</p>technorantiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04410293258064115572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264179484778771987.post-82651047584324605762020-01-27T21:41:00.002+11:002020-01-27T21:41:42.199+11:00Random ticket drops into my work queue, raised with an IT template for a system that directs it to us, but the comments in the ticket are for nothing I am familiar with.<br />
<br />
The requester is offline in mesaging. Ring the requester, messagebank. Leave message, after more detail, please call back. Ticket goes into hold pending client response.<br />
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<br />
Come in two mornings later to a snotty e-mail from some self-important helpdesk management dickhead demanding to know why the ticket hasn't been actioned and is in hold, don't I know the sky is falling?<br />
<br />
I reply back with both barrels that:<br />
<br />
(a) It has been actioned, fuck you very much.<br />
(b) It's in client hold because the requester was not contactable when more detail was required.<br />
(c) It's not a service or network outage that I recognise so it's a P3 ticket to me regardless of whose world is ending personally, and no I don't really care.<br />
(d) Fuck you, you don't set my work priorities.<br />
<br />
<br />
Now begins the inevitable e-mail war.<br />
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<br />
Helpdesk management dickhead: Can't I contact the requester RIGHT NOW and demonstrate some urgency?<br />
<br />
Me: Well I could, but since it's 5am in the time zone where the requester lives, I'm not going to. Maybe they could reply to the message I already left for them, instead of whining?<br />
<br />
<br />
8 o’clock local time arrives. Ring requester.<br />
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<br />
Me: Hi, calling about this ticket that makes no sense to me whatsoever, please enlighten me.<br />
<br />
Requester: I’ve got some spreadsheet that I have no idea who wrote, and less idea how it functions, that pulls data from some unknown source, that isn’t working.<br />
<br />
Me: Riiight. Just so you know, I'm from [insert_system] support, and I'm only looking at your ticket because you raised it with an [insert_system] template. I'm not sure your issue is related to [insert_system].<br />
<br />
Requester: WELL I CAN'T WORK WITHOUT THIS. THE SKY IS FALLING, and it's just TYPICAL that you people don't care!<br />
<br />
Me: It's largely true that I don't care, but that aside I'll fix it if it is my responsibility and within my ability to do so. The latter is somewhat compromised by my not seeing how your spreadsheet can possibly interact with the system I support, so I suspect your ticket has been misdirected. It was raised as an [insert_system] ticket, which is why it came to me. Who raised it using that template?<br />
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Requester: THIS IS ALL TOO HARD. I couldn't figure out what ticket template to use, so I just picked the first one, it's your problem to sort it out. (What a surprise, [insert_system] starts with A, so it is first in the menu.)<br />
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Me: OK, I'm going to reassign your ticket to the helpdesk as it's nothing to do with the system I support, so I can't assist you myself.<br />
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Requester: HOW LONG WILL THAT TAKE?!?<br />
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Me: I have no idea. I don't work for that team or under their processes. I have no idea who supports the tool you are using, or what they will need to do to assist you. Again, we're only talking at all because you raised the ticket with the wrong IT template.<br />
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Requester: THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT I CAN'T WORK AND WE WILL MISS OUR DEADLINES! I'll be raising a formal complaint against you!<br />
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(Rightyho, gloves off then.)<br />
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Me: Yeah, good fucking luck with that. You'll be raising a complaint against someone who has no part to play in the resolution of your issue, because you have no idea how your tools work and you created the ticket incorrectly, weren't contactable when I tried to clarify the situation, and then added a day's delay to the process by not responding to the message I left. And that's all before I now have to pass the ticket back to the helpdesk, who won't have a fucking clue who to assign it to, because you can't tell them who developed or supports your mission critical system. Have fun with your complaint, my management need a laugh occasionally.<br />
<br />
/Reassigns ticket to helpdesk with notes saying that there will be blood if I ever see the thing again.<br />
<br />technorantiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04410293258064115572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264179484778771987.post-20580797442270776612019-12-16T22:13:00.001+11:002019-12-16T22:13:34.301+11:00DiversityAnyone who thinks diversity is automatically a good thing has clearly never tried loading and tying down furniture in a ute with their wife "helping".<br />
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How the hell I got out of that one with no furniture damage, a ute returned on time and an intact marriage remains a mystery.technorantiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04410293258064115572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264179484778771987.post-27168967930217081302019-11-02T16:28:00.000+11:002019-11-02T16:28:00.317+11:00Physiology lesson for the dayWant to learn something weird about how your brain works?<br />
<br />
There's a physical problem with our eyes - we move them in short fast bursts called <i>saccades</i>. These are very quick, synchronized movements, which allow the eye to scan across your field of vision for what it thinks are the critical points of reference.<br />
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<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/Szakkad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="264" data-original-width="401" height="262" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/Szakkad.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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By "quick", think in the order of 900°/s angular movement speed - the eyeball could rotate fully nearly three times a second, if that was possible. The problem is that leads to blurred vision during motion. Having your vision turn into a blurry mess every time you move your eyes is obviously not a good idea, so our brains hide it from us.<br />
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Imagine you're an engineer and you have this problem. What are some solutions to this issue?<br />
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1. Make vision go black during movement. (Some VR games actually use this method.)<br />
2. Just keep showing the last thing we saw prior to movement, until a blur-free image is again available.<br />
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Both are possible options that work, although with different downsides, but your brain uses neither of these options.<br />
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When a saccade occurs, your brain puts your visual system on "pause". You're not seeing blackness, you're just not seeing anything - full stop. You literally have no vision while this is occurring. (Yes, this is happening to you right now. Cool, hey?) When you finish your saccade, you see what you now see at the new eye orientation. But what happened in the meantime? What's freaky is that your brain now pretends it can time travel. It doesn't just show you the image at the current time, but it <i>time-shifts it backwards</i> so that you <i>think</i> you were seeing it the whole time your eyes were moving.<br />
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This works because your brain has no independent clocking reference, so if it feels like fooling itself by distorting linear time - it can. You can see this effect happen for yourself if you watch an analog clock with a ticking second hand. (Here's one I prepared earlier: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G735Q4amKZc">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G735Q4amKZc</a>). Watch the second hand, then look away (move just your eyes, not your head), then look back to the second hand. It will seem to take longer than a second to initially move, then it resumes moving as normal. That's your brain and visual system lying to you about linear time to cover up for the physical limitations of your eyes. This effect has been known for over a century, it's called "saccadic masking" or chronostasis. Your visual system can distort time by up to half a second to mask the effect of saccade blurring.<br />
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An engineer would also wonder why a vision-pausing system wouldn't cause all sorts of weird effects with moving objects. Wouldn't they appear to stutter when they move? No, because your brain has a second perception hack to avoid you perceiving this. You can again see this happening by looking at a clock with a smoothly moving (as opposed to ticking) second hand like this: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAr3e7VoKv8">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAr3e7VoKv8</a>. Try the same experiment as before with looking at the second hand, looking away, and back again. In this instance, the second hand doesn't exhibit the initial pause like the ticking hand, because your brain recognizes it's moving and adjusts what you see to make sure it sees the "right" thing. The perception hack is only really obvious with periodically moving things like a clock hand, because it's not moving constantly (so not triggering the movement-during-chronostatis hack) but it moves <i>at a set rate</i>, so you can still perceive that that rate appears to change.<br />
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Because we all think we've got a fair sort of handle on how the world works, it's tempting to think of your eyes and visual system as a camera dumping a video feed into your conscious brain where you sort out what's happening for yourself, but that's very, very much not the case. What you <i>think</i> you see and what your eyes <i>actually</i> see are two completely different things.<br />
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The first and biggest is the blind spot. Vertebrate eyes are wired backwards so we've got a blind spot in each eye were the nerves enter into the back of the eye. About 6 degrees of your vision in each eye is just not there, as there's no light sensitive cells present in that part of the eye. But you don't see a blind spot, assuming your eyes are undamaged. Does the other eye perhaps fill in the blank spot for you? Try it, close one eye - there's now no way for the other eye to fill in the gap. You still won't see a blind spot... your visual system is again lying to you, and <i>making up content it thinks is there</i>. You literally cannot see what you <i>think</i> you see.<br />
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The second is colour vision. You can see in colour, right? <i>All</i> of your vision is colour, edge to edge? What's interesting is that most of your cone cell light receptors (which are the ones sensitive to colour) are in the fovea, a little spot in the center of your vision:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXSt8rtegd1Mnb2tBGOzi7rv-QJVRs_qFiFkXSFTDgUfk6zV5U0aWyExIVxhWm9n4_k2KIOokRUESfB_Cdy1EJHH_moUd6f3Gb7izmQDnOX3xKuKYOZPMlsEGm84KcPwI_rLdzA_FQ8TWe/s1600/pic_1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="423" data-original-width="416" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXSt8rtegd1Mnb2tBGOzi7rv-QJVRs_qFiFkXSFTDgUfk6zV5U0aWyExIVxhWm9n4_k2KIOokRUESfB_Cdy1EJHH_moUd6f3Gb7izmQDnOX3xKuKYOZPMlsEGm84KcPwI_rLdzA_FQ8TWe/s400/pic_1.png" width="391" /></a></div>
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Outside of that center-of-vision spot, you have very little color perception. There's some but it's very limited compared to your main colour vision. But if you shift your attention to your peripheral vision right now, it's in colour - how? Again, your vision system is lying to you. It's remembering what colours things are and guessing and filling in the gaps. It's basically doing a colorisation process on your non-central vision.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQH5NH5xI8Cx-CteMPYUgCXrlrVCHeBzlIIFB_lpXQZZw-oqt5uoCotkrpd2xKOBqrB05l7nc1asrdKWE8tURQd_HUD3H7E5qetFPgYt19KWioh30POTPshqDN17nu1Kfy1dv5V3AOInWl/s1600/pic_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="396" data-original-width="754" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQH5NH5xI8Cx-CteMPYUgCXrlrVCHeBzlIIFB_lpXQZZw-oqt5uoCotkrpd2xKOBqrB05l7nc1asrdKWE8tURQd_HUD3H7E5qetFPgYt19KWioh30POTPshqDN17nu1Kfy1dv5V3AOInWl/s640/pic_2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Then there are other interesting effects like "action-specific perception". If you get a number of white balls of various sizes and toss them at someone, then ask them to estimate the size of the balls thrown at them, they'll have a certain size estimate, right?<br />
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Now repeat the experiment but ask them to try to hit the balls back with a bat, and suddenly all the estimates shift larger. They actually see the ball as bigger <i>because they need to hit it</i>. Their vision system exaggerates object size to make it easier to see, based on need.<br />
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As mentioned above, your vision is not a camera. Perfect accuracy is not one of its goals, and objective reality is not very important. What is important to the evolution of the visual system is any trick that <i>helps you survive</i>, no matter how strange or weird it is. So if you want an accurate visual representation of what things look like - use a camera. Not your eyes.<br />
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Now you know about your eyes and visual system being poor cameras that lie to you, you might still think that at least they're consistent, time-wise. They don't screw with your sense of time passing, just to make up for visual defects, right?<br />
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Nope - if you can't get it done in time, just turn back the clock and <i>pretend</i> you did. That's a perfectly good solution to your visual system.<br />
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Want another example of saccadic masking? Go and look into a mirror. No matter how close you bring it to your eyes, and how much you look around, you will never see your eyes move. How is that the case? Simple, <i>you're blind during those moments</i>. But you still <i>think</i> you are seeing.<br />
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More proof? Try the same thing again, but using your phone's selfie camera. It's not a mirror, there's a slight delay between the camera "seeing" the image and it being displayed on the screen - so now you <i>can</i> see your eyes performing saccades.<br />
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Look at wikipedia's example of the blindspot below. Stare at L with only your left eye, adjust the distance, and the R will disappear. You don't see "nothing" or "black", you see the background, because you expect to, so your brain fills in the space with what you expect to see.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjukguYVNML8U3nj_VAPJ7ASkqYgozPM8vmyc71S5EiPxrj-JKLn4uzbxEZ4ntu7g3Km4HDwWe5RaKUESOEgLkcyoggFw-OfSC4gbUPDYSJCQ3DM5ojWHGtc3gLbVQnZ0pnWar_xbTBajbZ/s1600/pic_3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="348" data-original-width="537" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjukguYVNML8U3nj_VAPJ7ASkqYgozPM8vmyc71S5EiPxrj-JKLn4uzbxEZ4ntu7g3Km4HDwWe5RaKUESOEgLkcyoggFw-OfSC4gbUPDYSJCQ3DM5ojWHGtc3gLbVQnZ0pnWar_xbTBajbZ/s640/pic_3.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is why laser damage your retina can be so dangerous. Your visual system already hides "holes" in your vision, what's one more to hide? You can damage a small spot of your retina and your visual system covers it up. The problem is you don't realise the damage has been done, until eventually you accumulate so much damage that your visual system simply cannot hide it all and your vision rapidly degrades.<br />
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The other reason many lasers are so dangerous is that they don't trigger the same responses as regular incoherent light. Your pupil reflex is only triggered by some special cells in the center of your eye, so an off-center laser might not trigger an aversion reflex and cause your iris to contract. Infrared laser light outside your visual range of perception is just as dangerous as visible laser light, but can't trigger your blink reflex, so damage is still done to your light perception system.<br />
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Cephalopods actually have their eyes structured differently to vertebrates; their nerve fibres run behind the retina, so they have no blind spot.<br />
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<br />
Want another examples of how crazy your vision system is?<br />
<br />
There was an experiment back in 1890 where someone wore glasses made with internal mirrors to flip their vision laterally. After about 8 days, they could see just fine with them on. Their vision system had started "flipping" the image to compensate. It only took them a few hours to get back to normal after taking these glasses off, though.<br />
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This is strange enough, but what is really freaky is that - <i>your eyes already do this</i>. Based on how our vision is wired, we actually see everything upside down. Your visual system flips it vertically for you, so what you "see" aligns with the world as you interact with it via your other senses like touch.<br />
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So if you every wonder if you really saw something, it's possible you didn't - you just think you did!technorantiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04410293258064115572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264179484778771987.post-83044126921726704292019-07-01T13:32:00.001+10:002019-07-01T13:32:08.886+10:00Sick people's guide to drugsGiven I'm currently incapable of speaking three words without coughing uncontrollably, I though it would be timely to post something I saw a while ago:<br />
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Do I have pain? A headache? Take a pain reliever. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) or Ibuprofen (Advil) as you prefer.<br />
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Runny nose? Itchy, watery eyes? Drainage? A cough? Basically, it's leaking and it shouldn't be? You want an antihistamine. Usually diphenhydramine (Benadryl), sometimes chlorpheniramine or brompheniramine.<br />
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Nose stuffy? My head congested? Basically, if it's not running and it should be? You want the good stuff - the pseudoephedrine - from behind the pharmacy counter. Nothing else works much. Sudafed is the go.<br />
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Am I coughing? Is it dry? Get an antihistamine. Most OTC products will be based on dextromethorphan. This does bugger all.<br />
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Am I hacking up bits from my lungs? Get something with guaifenesin. Sold as Robitussin. This will make you cough up disgusting amounts of mucus and assorted crap, it's pretty revolting but that is what it's supposed to do. Not recommended for use in offices.technorantiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04410293258064115572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264179484778771987.post-29553016783336420652019-05-25T12:56:00.003+10:002019-05-25T12:56:28.819+10:00Things I am not allowed to do around the houseThings I am not allowed to do around the house:<br />
<br />
Construct an artificial tarantula out of pipe cleaners and place it into the letterbox for the wife to discover when she checks the mail.technorantiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04410293258064115572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264179484778771987.post-27042300051322880882018-11-03T14:46:00.001+11:002018-11-03T14:46:33.574+11:00This week's delightTo my absolute delight (warning: may contain large chunks of sarcasm) I received the below in my e-mail a couple of days ago, apparently sent by myself to myself.<br />
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Sensitive details have been changed to protect the privacy of the aforementioned sarcastic.<br />
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<br />
<i>I greet you!</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I have bad news for you.</i><br />
<i>06/28/2018 - on this day I hacked your operating system and got full access to your account [username@domain.com] On that day your account ([username@domain.com]) password was: [password]</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>It is useless to change the password, my malware intercepts it every time.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>How it was:</i><br />
<i>In the software of the router to which you were connected that day, there was a vulnerability.</i><br />
<i>I first hacked this router and placed my malicious code on it.</i><br />
<i>When you entered in the Internet, my trojan was installed on the operating system of your device.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>After that, I made a full dump of your disk (I have all your address book, history of viewing sites, all files, phone numbers and addresses of all your contacts).</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>A month ago, I wanted to lock your device and ask for a small amount of money to unlock.</i><br />
<i>But I looked at the sites that you regularly visit, and came to the big delight of your favorite resources.</i><br />
<i>I'm talking about sites for adults.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I want to say - you are a big pervert. You have unbridled fantasy!</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>After that, an idea came to my mind.</i><br />
<i>I made a screenshot of the intimate website where you have fun (you know what it is about, right?).</i><br />
<i>After that, I took off your joys (using the camera of your device). It turned out beautifully, do not hesitate.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I am strongly belive that you would not like to show these pictures to your relatives, friends or colleagues.</i><br />
<i>I think $996 is a very small amount for my silence.</i><br />
<i>Besides, I spent a lot of time on you!</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I accept money only in Bitcoins.</i><br />
<i>My BTC wallet: 15ZHnf1MPn6ybb8yUeAoCQ1AJtiKhg3NrP</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>You do not know how to replenish a Bitcoin wallet?</i><br />
<i>In any search engine write "how to send money to btc wallet".</i><br />
<i>It's easier than send money to a credit card!</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>For payment you have a little more than two days (exactly 50 hours).</i><br />
<i>Do not worry, the timer will start at the moment when you open this letter. Yes, yes .. it has already started!</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>After payment, my virus and dirty photos with you self-destruct automatically.</i><br />
<i>Narrative, if I do not receive the specified amount from you, then your device will be blocked, and all your contacts will receive a photos with your "joys".</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I want you to be prudent.</i><br />
<i>- Do not try to find and destroy my virus! (All your data is already uploaded to a remote server)</i><br />
<i>- Do not try to contact me (this is not feasible, I sent you an email from your account)</i><br />
<i>- Various security services will not help you; formatting a disk or destroying a device will not help either, since your data is already on a remote server.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>P.S. I guarantee you that I will not disturb you again after payment, as you are not my single victim.</i><br />
<i> This is a hacker code of honor.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>From now on, I advise you to use good antiviruses and update them regularly (several times a day)!</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Don't be mad at me, everyone has their own work.</i><br />
<i>Farewell.</i><br />
<div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Apart from being a well-known internet scam, this kind of fails the credibility test when you consider that it apparently took three months for them to try extorting me, the two day "threat" somehow starts after I open a text e-mail, somehow "hacking a router" enabled them to compromise my operating system, and none of my PCs have webcams - only my phone and tablet, and good luck hacking those.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The e-mail came from 51.37.3.164 which is in Vodafone Ireland's RIPE block, but who knows if it was a script kiddy user or the end of a VPN tunnel.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">inetnum: 51.37.0.0 - 51.37.15.255</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">netname: VODAFONE-IRELAND-INFRA</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">descr: Vodafone Ireland Limited</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">country: IE</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">org: ORG-EL3-RIPE</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">admin-c: AD2783-RIPE</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">tech-c: AD2783-RIPE</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">status: LEGACY</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">mnt-by: EIRCELL-ASNMNT</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">created: 2016-10-27T12:23:39Z</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">last-modified: 2016-10-27T12:23:39Z</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">source: RIPE</span></div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
What's irritating is that the password was correct. It's one I've used for years for low-grade crap I don't really care about like internet forums and e-tailers. Some idiot has had their database stolen and sold, and now every script kiddy out there is e-mailing the contact details on it, hoping someone is credulous and stupid enough to actually pony up some cash.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So after dumping the contents out of Lastpass and sadly staring at all the instances of [password], I got to spend a merry three hours logging into every one of the 37 resources where I used it, changing the password to a complex unique one, updating Lastpass, and testing everything.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
At least the next time around I will be able to tell who the data leak is from by the unique password.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
technorantiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04410293258064115572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264179484778771987.post-9323408373714769532018-10-20T15:28:00.001+11:002018-10-20T15:28:51.245+11:00So this<blockquote class="imgur-embed-pub" data-id="EoNd3ev" lang="en">
<a href="https://imgur.com/EoNd3ev">2018 on the web</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//s.imgur.com/min/embed.js"></script>technorantiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04410293258064115572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264179484778771987.post-34878095921215179762018-10-15T21:19:00.000+11:002018-10-15T21:19:00.964+11:00A bedtime taleShe looks over the contract searching for some semblance of a broken clause, or some nuance she can exploit. Unable to locate the weak link in the chain but confident in her ability, she signs with a wanton flourish. She slides the contract over to me and notices my smug demeanor as I quickly scratch my signature next to hers in blood. She sighs, "What is your first wish, mortal?"<br />
<br />
"Not yet" I calmly interject. "I will let you know when I need something."<br />
<br />
"No, mortal! You will heed..." She abruptly stops and I hold my finger up and thumb through the 666 pages (a subtle nuance of the contract I made to toy with my would-be tormentor) of the legally binding covenant scrawled on ancient papyrus bound in the flayed skin of sinners.<br />
<br />
"Section 65, article 6, line 3", I mention with no change in my stoic demeanor.<br />
<br />
She summons her copy with a flash of flame and a gnashing of teeth. A claw scans for the specific verbiage and a scowl crawls across her brow.<br />
<br />
"Fine. For now, but rest assured mortal - you will not enjoy the outcome of this transaction."<br />
<br />
I awake from my slumber, wondering if what just happened was a dream or was an actual deal with the devil. It was an amusing dream, it felt good to outsmart such a malevolent being even if it was just a subconscious foray into oblivion.<br />
<br />
I go about my morning routine, the mundane necessities of "adulting." I arrive at work, sit down at my desk, and notice a strange e-mail with no subject and only a suspiciously large document attached. The return e-mail address is from a domain I don't recognise. Just spam. I flag the message, block the sender and go about my day. Lunch, meetings, conference calls etc. The normal work day.<br />
<br />
I walk to my car, unlock the door, sit down and immediately turn the AC on to high. There is no spring in middle Tennessee, only a calm before the storm of 80% humidity accompanied by 90% mosquito season. About halfway through my innocuous drive home laden with traffic, my sports talk radio station is riddled with static. I switch stations, more static. The entire spectrum is static. Out of my peripheral vision, a figure is now sitting in the passenger seat.<br />
<br />
"You didn't read my e-mail?"<br />
<br />
My eyes widen as I quickly realise that it was no dream. There sat in my passenger seat was a 6' raven haired beauty. Loose curls tumbling to her shoulders, red lipstick, and piercing blue eyes behind tortoise framed glasses. A gorgeous personification which seemed to be tailored to my mortal leanings. Her skirt is just short enough, the slit tantalizing me as I drive. Her legs, slender and tapered down to her 4 inch red heels. Her blouse, one button too low undone revealing just the right amount of intrigue with red lace peeking out. I chuckle to myself at the feeble attempt to coerce me into the process that would see me ultimately forfeit my eternal soul.<br />
<br />
"Jezebeth", I confidently assert, acknowledging her presence.<br />
<br />
"Yes, master?" She responds as to allude to her subservience.<br />
<br />
"I'm not your master, just your boss, and you can leave. You're not needed right now."<br />
<br />
Her eyes fade from their former piercing blue hue and turn black in an instant. Her voice is now devoid of the soft feminine tone used in the attempt to lead me to my downfall. Her brow furrows and the glow of her supple skin takes on a shade reflective of her rage.<br />
<br />
"Listen to me, you infinitesimal mortal! I will not be toyed with!"<br />
<br />
"Section 72, article 15, line..."<br />
<br />
Before I can finish my recital of the clause in the contract that I have been crafting since the age of 17 in Christian high school, the succubus bellowed, snapped her fingers and vanished. The static is gone, replaced by the faint smells of smoke, flint and blood. Back to disagreeing with every word of my local sports talk radio personality concluding my mundane ride home.<br />
<br />
Weeks pass with almost daily occurrences like the one on my commute. The frustration is mounting in my contractually obligated minion.<br />
<br />
She's not trying as hard as before, and it shows. I turn on the lights in the bathroom and she stands behind me as I brush my teeth. "Not today, Jez." Gone. No repartee, just gone. I roll over in bed to feel more than just a pillow. Nope, gone. Months pass, until finally I indulge the demon in an act of boredom.<br />
<br />
"Jezebeth."<br />
<br />
Instantly she appears, in lingerie crafted by idle hands on the edge of Lake Cocytus.<br />
<br />
"Yes?" She inquires, with a monstrous gleam in her eye.<br />
<br />
"I'd like to make my first wish."<br />
<br />
"I'm listening..."<br />
<br />
"I wish to be rich beyond my wildest dreams." Before she can snap her fingers I interject, "But...". Her eyes narrow in contempt and hatred. "Go on", she hisses through clenched teeth.<br />
<br />
"I wish to be rich beyond my wildest dreams, with the following stipulations."<br />
<br />
Her eyes roll with every sentence, which seem to go on forever. Hundreds of codicils and bylaws and several demonic sighs of irritation later, my filibuster is complete.<br />
<br />
"Are you finished?"<br />
<br />
"Yes."<br />
<br />
With a diabolical laugh, as if she has found a loophole, she snaps her fingers and winks from my vision.<br />
<br />
Weeks go by and my coffers grow full from seemingly windfall fortunes. Friends and family wonder how I do it. Am I just lucky, or am I doing something illegal? Neither, I just have a demonic benefactor who signed an airtight contract in haste, which she is undoubtedly regretting. Until one day, when I receive some startling news during my annual physical. I have contracted an extremely rare disease not seen in the population in centuries. The doctor is taken aback by my response to what would normally be unsettling and devastating news. "That bitch", I mutter to myself, as I storm out of the doctor's office. The receptionist looks over her tortoiseshell glasses with a wry smirk and a devious wink. "Good day!" I don't respond to her as I briskly walk out of the office, I slam the car door shut and I can already heel her malevolent trickster aura. She giggles because she thinks she's gotten me, anticipating my next wish to be good health. She's wrong.<br />
<br />
"Aww, what's wrong, baby?" She grins.<br />
<br />
"Is this you? Did you bestow this ancient cursed malady on me, you foul creature?" She doesn't realise the snare she is about to step into.<br />
<br />
"Yes, it was I." I've got her.<br />
<br />
"Section 128, article 17, line 4." As I repay her smirk with one of my own.<br />
<br />
Her eyes narrow as I watch her conjure up and consult her copy of the blood oath. Rage contorts her otherwise pretty face as she reads the words scrawled in blood. She lets loose a guttural growl and snaps her fingers in defeat. Disappearing as quickly as she appeared, the rare disease departs with her.<br />
<br />
"Hey, where'd you go?" I summon her back.<br />
<br />
"What. Do. You. Want?" She's not pleased.<br />
<br />
"My second wish!" Insult to injury is my motive. How often can a mere mortal toy with an omnipotent being, the personification of evil? It's my turn to have some fun.<br />
<br />
"Fine. What is your second wish?"<br />
<br />
"I wish not to be immortal, but to be of perfect health for the next 100 years with no negative aspects of aging." I then follow my usual laundry list of stipulations, which she reluctantly agrees to. I peer into her soulless blue eyes and I can see her crafting a plan to finally gain the upper hand.<br />
<br />
"Done." This time there is no laugh, no chiding, only subservience. She disappears again.<br />
<br />
"Jez?" I summon.<br />
<br />
"WHAT?!" She snarls with venom.<br />
<br />
"Have a nice day." She disappears once more.<br />
<br />
Years pass. I have become a client she dreads seeing and her appearances diminish over the years. In the time since our last encounter I've become wealthy beyond my wildest imagination, have gained a family, have traveled and have become a world renowned philanthropist. She drops in every year on the day of my second wish with a token of her patience; a "wishday" cake with a number that diminishes with the years left of my respite from death. Today, the cake has the number one on it.<br />
<br />
I have one wish, 365 days and one final ace up my sleeve left.<br />
<br />
She visits daily, chiding me, mocking me, debasing me with her forked tongue. 364 days have now passed and there are just a few short, paltry hours left until she comes to collect her due. It's almost as if she's forgotten about my final wish.<br />
<br />
"Jez?"<br />
<br />
"Yes?"<br />
<br />
"I'm ready to make my final wish."<br />
<br />
"Section 2, article 14, line 6." She grins widely and luxuriantly.<br />
<br />
My confusion is palpable as I open my copy of the agreement. But there it is, the one loophole my demon had planned on.<br />
<br />
2.14.6 - Statute Of Limitations<br />
"The statute of limitations for the lifespan of a single wish is 99 years."<br />
<br />
I'm dumbfounded. This plan was airtight. I've overlooked a bylaw that has my soul cast into the grasp of my century long demonic tormentor. As her maniacal laughs start to become white noise, I realise I've won. I counter.<br />
<br />
"Section 6 article 6, line..."<br />
<br />
She frantically claw through the pages of weathered papyrus until we both utter together... "6".<br />
<br />
6.6.6 - Statute Of Limitations Amendment<br />
"If a single wish's lifetime exceeds that of the aforementioned statute of limitations, a provisional wish shall be granted following the completion of the previous wish."<br />
<br />
"I'm ready for my final wish", I utter.<br />
<br />
"Go ahead. There is no wish that can save you from eventually becoming mine", she growls with seething, sadistical intent.<br />
<br />
"I wish for your freedom from the bowels of hell."<br />
<br />
"Impossible, that is not possible. No mortal can release me from my duties set for by my price of darkness and oblivion. You must select another wish."<br />
<br />
"Section 7, article 7, line 7."<br />
<br />
She opens the tattered contract for the final, last time.<br />
<br />
7.7.7 - Inability to Perform at the Request of the Requester<br />
"Should the demon be unable to perform the request of the mortal citing inability, the entire contract shall be rendered null and void. All existing wishes shall be honored."<br />
<br />
Furious and defeated she snaps her fingers, but... she doesn’t disappear. She snaps her fingers again, and again, nothing. "What have you done to me?!" Her eyes are no longer jet black, her claws are gone, her powers to defile are no more. She is free, and powerless.<br />
<br />
"What... what do I do now?" She whispers as she buries her face in her hands.<br />
<br />
I pick up her face and star deeply into her once again piercing blue eyes. "I suggest you do as I did, child, when I was freed by a mortal so many years ago. Find yourself a demon that has less patience than you do."technorantiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04410293258064115572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264179484778771987.post-62069762572212313112018-08-26T13:55:00.001+10:002018-08-26T13:55:31.384+10:00Anti-social<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SGTO4tC2f0w" width="560"></iframe>technorantiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04410293258064115572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264179484778771987.post-25603457306203584062018-06-25T22:11:00.002+10:002018-06-25T22:11:55.157+10:00Simple pleasuresGot a new toy in the mail today. Very simple. Something I haven't used for literally decades.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://imgur.com/22E4cdd"><img height="300" src="https://i.imgur.com/22E4cdd.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Yep, a no-shit pencil sharpener for shop woodworking duties. I'm sure people of a mature age remember these - spring powered pencil holder and a proper helical burr cutter that <i>grinds</i> the pencil to shape, not tears at it with an increasingly blunt knife.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://imgur.com/ce4IfMb"><img height="480" src="https://i.imgur.com/ce4IfMb.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" width="640" /></a>
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://imgur.com/QoeluWq"><img height="640" src="https://i.imgur.com/QoeluWq.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" width="480" /></a>
</div>
<br />
<br />
How happy am I? Over the moon happy. It's just nice when such simple things work <i>right</i>. The smell of the pencil shavings alone is worth it, let alone having a decent sharp pencil to do work with.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://imgur.com/DpQM8rJ"><img height="300" src="https://i.imgur.com/DpQM8rJ.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" width="400" /></a></div>
technorantiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04410293258064115572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264179484778771987.post-70648564002081109152018-06-24T16:13:00.001+10:002018-06-24T16:13:55.539+10:00Dyson chargersI decommissioned an old Dyson dustbuster a couple of weeks ago due to it being well and truly dickered, but since we have two more of the things, I thought I might be able to hang onto the charger brick as a spare. Right?<br />
<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://imgur.com/AY1Lysp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/AY1Lysp.png" title="source: imgur.com" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Of course, I'm not silly enough to try this without checking the voltages and polarity, even though the connector just <i>looks</i> like a standard DC barrel job, because it's not easy to get the magic smoke back in if it escapes. And these things are expensive.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Let's address ourselves to the back of the brick first.</div>
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<a href="https://i.imgur.com/krbB8ST.jpg"><img height="400" src="https://i.imgur.com/krbB8ST.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" width="300" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Um, WTF? <a href="https://i.imgur.com/krbB8ST.jpg">Two voltages?</a> Centre pin positive, but with a ring positive, and a shell negative?</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://imgur.com/RaValIJ"><img height="400" src="https://i.imgur.com/RaValIJ.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" width="300" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://i.imgur.com/RaValIJ.jpg">Sneaky bastards</a>.... yes, the barrel has an inner liner as well, separate from the centre pin. I don't know if the actual appliance had dual-voltage charger feeds or not as it is long since very expensive landfill, or maybe the same charger was used for multiple appliances and they just arranged socket connectivity for each as required.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Regardless, both of the newer units I have use a more conventional 2-pole barrel plug without the fancy barrel liner contact, and only the older of the two runs on the same voltage.... but of course, on the one supplied by the barrel liner in this charger, not the pin. And the newer unit needs 36VDC, which probably explains why it runs like your personal handheld typhoon when on the holy-shit setting.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
So ultimately, this unit too is landfill. With eBay fees, Paypal fees and Australia Post fuckery being what it is, it's not even worth the trouble to sell for what anyone would pay for it.</div>
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technorantiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04410293258064115572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264179484778771987.post-28287045838485890112018-05-26T12:18:00.003+10:002018-05-26T12:18:53.297+10:00Uncertainty<span style="font-size: large;">Heisenburg and Schrodinger are driving down the road when they get pulled over by a cop.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The cop says to Heisenburg, who is driving, "do you know how fast you were going?" Heisenburg replies "no, but I know exactly where I am!" The cop says "well, this is a 60 zone and you were doing 75." Heisenburg says "oh great, now we're lost!"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The cop then goes to the back of the car, opens the boot and says "Do you guys know you have a dead cat back here?" To which Schrodinger replies "we do now, asshole!"</span>technorantiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04410293258064115572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264179484778771987.post-50343147508758186922018-05-26T10:08:00.003+10:002018-05-26T10:08:55.304+10:00Anti social<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GEWnXmDfVZg" width="560"></iframe>technorantiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04410293258064115572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264179484778771987.post-4342577889316289412018-05-23T19:48:00.001+10:002018-05-23T19:48:50.636+10:00Country holidayCurrently staying up in the Victorian highlands for a few days away.<br />
<br />
This is the only form of log on I'm doing this week:<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://imgur.com/DxAfOsk"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/DxAfOskl.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The locals obviously have strong feelings about foxes though.<br />
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<a href="https://imgur.com/lH0eFdM"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/lH0eFdMl.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>technorantiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04410293258064115572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264179484778771987.post-34437536865779600092018-05-06T11:19:00.000+10:002018-05-06T11:19:10.969+10:00Millennials in the Workplace<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Sz0o9clVQu8" width="560"></iframe>technorantiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04410293258064115572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264179484778771987.post-36186014123286566762018-05-06T11:16:00.002+10:002018-05-06T11:16:28.427+10:00A Millennial Job Interview<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Uo0KjdDJr1c" width="560"></iframe>technorantiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04410293258064115572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264179484778771987.post-61675893303138301572018-03-13T07:48:00.000+11:002018-03-13T07:48:11.201+11:00How to restore the classic Youtube interfaceIn classic large-company fashion, Youtube have managed to totally fuck up their latest no-reason-just-because interface "refresh" into bloatware. From something that was clean, minimalist and informative it's now a "metro" mess of iconic rubbish that looks like Fisher-Price designed it.<div>
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No worries, just click the link to go back to the Classic interface, right? Wrong, the pricks have removed that too.</div>
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To fix this (in Chrome) -</div>
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Start in a tab with Youtube open</div>
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Hit Ctrl+Shift+I to open the Developer Tools pane.</div>
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Change to the Applications tab inside that pane.</div>
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Find "Cookies" in the left hand menu and select the Youtube entry.</div>
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In the main table, find the row for "PREF" and edit the Value field to: al=en&f5=30030&f6=8</div>
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Close the Developer Tools pane and refresh and you should be back to Classic.</div>
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Note this is a per-browser setting, not linked to your account, so you have to hack each PC you use.</div>
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technorantiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04410293258064115572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264179484778771987.post-23404513510516939872018-03-08T19:48:00.001+11:002018-03-08T19:56:06.460+11:00Bloody carsThe handbrake's POS runabout has been giving me the irrits for a couple of days with a large chunk of the gauge cluster shutting down intermittently. Some stuff works, some stuff does not. Doesn't seem related to vibration, heat or any of the usual suspect causes. Fault resistant to foul language and percussive maintenance.<br />
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I chucked it at an auto sparky today who was very unenthusiastic about fault finding a complex, intermittent and generally pain-in-the-arse fault, he spent a couple of hours proving a whole bunch of stuff it wasn't, and gave up with the fault unwilling to reproduce. I gave him $40 cash for his time, silently thought he could reproduce off and thanks for not much, and stalked off home.<br />
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When I returned a couple of hours later with the handbrake in tow to collect it, the bastard thing failed instantly on being started.<br />
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The only good thing about it now is that I'm pretty sure it's the cluster itself, which is absolutely unobtainium to get in the right combination of year model, trim level and all-electronic sensor type. Best I could do is a repair service in Perth which would cost me a couple of hundred bucks and two weeks for the experiment.<br />
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Then I ran across <a href="http://www.austech.info/showthread.php/28642-CE-Lancer-Cluster-Intermittent-Fault/">this thread</a> via Dr Google, which turned out to be very relevant reading.<br />
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With the cluster on the bench, flexible PCB track fracture hunting began. The thing looks like this, click <a href="https://i.imgur.com/foFWgjT.jpg?1">here</a> for the full horror of the situation.<br />
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See the break? Stop looking, because I can't see the bloody thing, and I know where it is. It's <a href="https://i.imgur.com/cJfwosa.jpg">here</a>. And <a href="https://i.imgur.com/2UhnTh6.jpg?1">this</a> is what it looks like with some sort of clarity.<br />
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Luckily in a very accessible spot... it's pretty much the red circuit at the top of the image on page 2 of the thread I linked to. Meter said clean open across the break on the bench, so I'm guessing it was heat related after all.<br />
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I just ran a bridge wire from a couple of the solder pads for the lights it feeds, and added a few boogers of hotmelt glue to prevent more vibration.<br />
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So far it works, we'll see how it goes on a full day's drive tomorrow.<br />
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<br />technorantiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04410293258064115572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264179484778771987.post-54350808261388378902018-03-03T13:23:00.000+11:002018-03-03T13:23:52.836+11:00QueenQueen concert last night, a better display of glam rock I have never seen.<br />
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<br />technorantiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04410293258064115572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264179484778771987.post-9045142966472918392018-02-08T21:03:00.001+11:002018-02-08T21:03:28.481+11:00Dear Google,Please stop sending me bullshit "security alerts" for every gmail account I have because they have 3rd party application access turned on.<br />
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Not everyone in the world wants to use a webmail interface. I happen to like using Outlook for my mail, and I have no intentions of stopping doing so anytime soon. The same for things like smartphones and tablets, I'm not going to open up a web browser in favour of using the perfectly good mail application that does everything I need.<br />
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So pretty please, with sugar on top, stop scaremongering. The accounts are set that way because I fucking well want them that way.technorantiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04410293258064115572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264179484778771987.post-24119164849579888262018-01-02T07:48:00.001+11:002018-01-02T09:14:31.748+11:00How do you know when a fire is *really* hot?The concrete melts...<br />
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<br />technorantiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04410293258064115572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264179484778771987.post-48011043088913850582017-11-13T21:15:00.001+11:002017-11-13T21:15:24.758+11:00And the world's latest phishing attempt is:Unicode text, yay. Fuckers.<br />
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What's wrong with this e-mail?<br />
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<b>Hello, Singapore Airline is giving away 2 Free FirstClass Tickets to celebrate 45th anniversary, Now you can get your tickets too ! go here to get it: http://www.singaporeaır.com/firstclass Enjoy your flight !.</b><br />
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Apart from the fractured chinglish, see anything wrong?<br />
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Now have a look at the second last character in the domain name, before the .com. See it now?<br />
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If you mouseover it in Chrome, or copy the link address, what you <u>actually</u> get is:<br />
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<b>http://www.xn--singaporear-8zb.com/firstclass</b><br />
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ICANN has seized that domain, but this is the start of a new avalanche of spam with phishing attempts, I suspect. :(technorantiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04410293258064115572noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264179484778771987.post-51473514247143673452017-10-27T23:13:00.001+11:002017-10-27T23:13:41.777+11:00JFK assassination files release - HOLY SHIT moment!<a href="https://imgur.com/V26BIL2"><img height="113" src="https://i.imgur.com/V26BIL2.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" width="640" /></a>
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Check out frame 229 onwards of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iU83R7rpXQY .... now we know why his hands went to his throat! <b>He'd already been shot from the front by the other shooter.</b>technorantiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04410293258064115572noreply@blogger.com0