Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 7th June, 2018.

7th June, 2018.

Yes: it’s officially official … 

In amongst other things: an extensive film collection, a job, an entertaining nephew … ?

I have … a crap phone!

One that’s only a few months old.

I got it — on offer, I should add — to replace an older Sony: one with an ageing battery, and not a lot of RAM.

I could only afford to replace it … with a cheap Alcatel with a newer battery … and the same amount of storage.

Both … ?   Run out of storage the minute I open the Facebook app.

One day … ?   I’ll have the cash to make the choice: of exactly WHAT phone to replace it with.

Right now?   I’m wondering whether I should delete the FB app!

~≈§≈~

While we’re ON technology?

I had a ZX Spectrum, when I was young.

So followed the story of the troubled ZX Vega⁺ — a remake backed by no less a person than Clive Sinclair, himself — with a certain amount of interest.

Unfortunately?

It seems Indiegogo has called in the debt collectors: as Retro Computers, that company behind the Vega⁺?

Have defaulted … 

Amidst increasing internal arguments: and no sign of any working devices … 

That’s a blow for us that would have loved to see the thing succeed.

~≈§≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 6th June, 2018

6th June, 2018.

Morning, all … 

It’s … Wednesday … and I’m up early.

Frankly?

I’ve a long day at work, today: starting at ten.

Yes, I need the hours.

But I’m also thinking I need my sleep.

Right now?   I’m looking forward to getting home, tonight.

It means I can go back to bed.

~≈§≈~

Oh, while I’ve got your attention?

You’ve probably noticed the backgrounds I’ve used for some of the intro videos.

Today’s a version of the animated screens seen I the Matrix trilogy: turned into a screen saver for the XScreensaver collection.

Which is quite nice: at least it looks good to me.

I’m just mildly disappointed I couldn’t do the same with the screensaver based on the Lament Configuration, from Hellraiser.

It doesn’t actually move about the screen much … 

~≈§≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 5-6-2018

5th June, 2018.

I’ve a definite confession to make … I like some of Radio Four’s Monday night comedies.

One of the classics?

One of their classics, of course, is the ever listenable Just a Minute: fronted since 1967 by presenter, Nicolas Parsons.

He’s 94: which is one hell of a good innings

But … ?

For the first time in his fifty years presenting the show, he missed an episode: last night’s.

Which was a sombre affair, as a result.

I think I can understand that.

Nicolas being off is understandable: is is 94, after all.

But it’s mildly worrying to see.

~≈§≈~

There’s something else I’ve seen, that struck me.

The news from Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference: that Apple will be re-designing Safari, their browser, so that it will be able to block the various tracking tools used by — very specifically — Facebook.

With the recent row over Cambridge’s Analytica’s use of data from FB?

And with ongoing tracking by various advertisers?

That’s possibly a good move: in the original iPhone update, Apple refused to build in an ability to use the battery draining Flash.

And encouraging the uptake HTML5, with it’s more efficient use of power in doing the same job.

Personally?

I can’t help but think that — and the various upcoming parental controls — are a good thing.

~≈§≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser 4-6-2018: Pulitzer!

4th June, 2018

Yes: former President Clinton has written a thriller with James Patterson.

And was on the Today programme, hawking the thing around town.

What caught my attention?

Was his criticism of moves in the US towards electronic voting booths: booths he feels would be too easy to hack.

Wise thought, that.

Personally?

I know in the UK has old fashioned paper voting.

But the impression I got from the media?

Was that the electoral counts, in various sports halls and parish halls across the country, used laptop with various spreadsheet apps, to store the results.   But that those laptops could not be connected to the net, until the count was finalised: to keep the risk of that machine being accessed remotely, and the results interfered with, to a minimum.

Which I can applaud … 

But still find concerning.

Those results could still be swiped from a central computer … 

~≈§≈~

Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 3rd June, 2018.

3rd June, 2018.

Yep: I’m back at work: on a Sunday, as well.

Not that I actually mind: it’s all hours, after all.

But, boy … getting up early to make sure I’ve posted, for you … ?

Means getting a early night, today.

I’ve got to get some beauty sleep!

~≈§≈~