Open Windows

23 November 2004

In this week's New Scientist there is a short anecdote about the use of Windows in car engine management.

Our colleague agreed to do exactly that, but for peace of mind he asked what to do if the engine stopped again before the car had reached a garage. "Turn off the engine, take out the ignition key to shut down the electronics, and restart", the engineer explained. "That should do it."

This is a rather frightening development. But far more worrying is that the UK armed forces are also using Windows.

Anyone with elementary knowledge of computer science can see that Microsoft Windows, as described here by Gates, is inherently insecure by design.

Just imagine at the height of battle as you're about to launch your missiles you get the helpful message:

"Windows has performed an illegal operation."

ASDA depression

19 November 2004

Today is 19 November and I visited my local ASDA store to be harassed by gnomes, fairies, wicked witches and (for some odd reason) a cowboy. There was even a furious looking young man dressed as snow white. He looked soooo unhappy. Yes, it's the annual consumer sales period, known as Christmas, (actually a whole month away till the day itself). I won't go on, there's enough people moaning about it without me adding to the pain. I don't often shop at ASDA; I hate the brash, bright clumsiness of the stores' layout and more than anything else the sodding blather of ASDA FM urging me to buy more, save more... Later I visited the congenial emptiness of the Co-Op store across town. No pixies or grumpy Snow Whites there. Thank the Lord and pass the tangerine.

Disclaim aclaim

9 November 2004

Nice to see a site that isn't afraid to unbalance the zeitgeist and be contrarian.