Its a serious security issue, but for some reason when I see a headline like Keyboard sniffers to steal data it just sounds like its going to be about a particularly obscure perversion. Well…. would you let a keyboard sniffer babysit for your children? I haven’t checked out the original source material but my mind [...]
Entries Tagged as 'Computing'
Three is a Magic Number
September 10th, 2008 · No Comments · Technology
My computer upgraded itself to SP3 of Windows XP tonight. I don’t think it has anything new for me – I probably already had most of the bits and pieces as updates anyway, but that didn’t stop it taking ages to install. Really I just let it go ahead to stop the machine nagging me.
Tags: Computing
Science Friction
August 21st, 2008 · No Comments · Work
I think I was on the receiving end of one of the best put-downs ever this afternoon, when I went into one of our anorak enclaves to chat with the people whose job it is to actually come up with new ideas, the ones at the sharp end of research & development.
Working Man
August 19th, 2008 · 2 Comments · Life
Why is it that anybody whose work involves computers in any way whatsoever is always described in the media as a “computer expert”?
Let’s Go Round Again
August 19th, 2008 · No Comments · Technology
I returned home from work today to find that Chrystal’s laptop had got it’s knickers in a twist and it was stuck in an endless loop of trying to configure updates to Vista. I looked into it and discovered that Microsoft has greatly expanded its repertoir of frustrating messages since Windows XP.
A program needs your permission to continue
July 13th, 2008 · 3 Comments · Technology
I have been playing with Windows Vista a bit over this weekend. I don’t have it myself, so I have not had a lot to do with it – nothing against it but the case for upgrading my OS from Win XP is not compelling: better to save to £70 an upgrade would cost and [...]
Tags: Computing
Mash it up
July 2nd, 2008 · No Comments · Politics, Technology
I do like the sound of what my friend1 Tom Watson is trying to do with government data. I’m sure it will go down very well with the Guardian’s technology section which has been pushing its ‘Free Our Data’ campaign for ages now. In fact, what Tom is trying to set up sounds a bit [...]
Percussive Maintenance
June 27th, 2008 · 2 Comments · Technology, Work
I can’t believe this worked: a colleague had a problem with her TFT monitor today. All the icons on the screen had shadows to the right of them, as did the letters of any text. It was a mess. I tried the reset function on the menu, with no effect. As far as I could [...]
Basic computer terms
May 18th, 2008 · No Comments · Technology
One of my favourite books is a little thing called ‘Glossary of basic computer terms’, published by ICL Training in 1978. Every now and then I will dip into it to see how much of it is still even remotely relevant, and every time there is less that means anything in contemporary computing. It is [...]
Have you tried…
March 20th, 2008 · No Comments · Technology
Chrystal came down this evening to say that her laptop would not connect to the Internet. Sorting out computers is supposed to be my bread and butter so I said I would take a look
Tags: Computing·Internet·Networking
Have you heard of the categorisation of political activists into...