Daily Tech News 9 January 2022

Top Story

• The best of CES. (Hot Hardware)
  
  A couple of these I agree with. AMD's Ryzen 6000 looks great, the OnePlus 10 Pro with a camera-module co-developed with Hasselblad is going to be expensive but could be good, and the Asus Zenbook 14X OLED Space Edition is shut up and take my money. (PC Magazine)
  
  It uses a 12th-generation Core i9 laptop chip - so six fast cores and eight low-power cores, up to 32GB of RAM (soldered in) and 1TB of SSD (possibly replaceable) and a 2880x1800 14" OLED display with 90Hz refresh and 100% of DCI-P3 colour.
  
  And the Four Essential Keys. And dual Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI, a regular USB port, and a headphone jack. No microSD slot but you can plug a little adaptor into the USB port for that.
  
  Price not yet announced but likely to be a lot.
  
  
  
• The Worst of CES. (The Register)
  
  A couple of these I've already featured here: The Samsung TVs with a built-in NFT marketplace, and the new Mercedes EQS which forbids its owners from opening the hood.
  
  But one I'll add is from the Best Of article above: Dell's new XPS 13 Plus not only lacks the Four Essential Keys, it lacks the entire row of function keys as well. Dell is not just copying Apple, they are copying features Apple had to walk back because their customers rioted.
  
  
  

Questions and Answers

• From Hal9000:

  Do you know anything about MIDI? I have a MIDI hardware controller that I want to send CC (Continuous Controller) messages to a Win 10 app that controls a digital mixer. From what I've been able to gather, this can't be done directly. There must be something "in between" that listens for USB messages, and then forwards them.
  In any case, I want to develop a Windows desktop or web app (for personal use) to do this. What do you think of VS Community Edition? I have most (recent) experience using Python and php/ mysql (low level Raspberry Pi stuff) but could dust off my C++ if necessary.

  I don't know much about MIDI or VS Community Edition, but I do know that Python has MIDI libraries available and I use and recommend PyCharm, which also has a free community edition.
  
  I'd certainly give Python a try before diving into C++.
  
  
  
• From badgerwx:

  Several times in 2021 you had items about chrome & recommended that people avoid it. I'm a Linux user & wondered if that recommendation also included chromium? I use several browsers (depending on the site I'm accessing) & I hope that I can keep using chromium w/o worrying about the latest evil Google is up to.

  As far as I know, yes. Chromium has a few questionable API features (that Brave, Vivaldi, and others remove in their Chromium-based browsers) but the worst of the Chrome features are only in Chrome.
  
  
• From Gmac:

  You mentioned a Dell laptop that you were getting and I was wondering if their product line uses any of the newer [AMD] chipsets for the processor and graphics.

  Dell does have some AMD-based laptops - if you look at their Vostro range, for business laptops, or their G-series gaming laptops. I don't think they have any laptop models with dedicated Radeon graphics, only integrated graphics or Nvidia.
  
  The Inspiron models I have are Intel / Nvidia though.
  
  
  
• From Fred Z:

  Android Firefox seems to be refusing to update dynamically created input fields on a reload. The inputs are created by PHP with a default, eg current date.
  A page left open overnight then reloaded will not show the new date even though inspection shows the val attribute has been properly set by php.

  This could be related to weirdness in Firefox's page caching. Other people seem to have run into the same problem, and the solution is to disable caching on your form page.
  
  
  
• From John Henry:

  I hate that I can't get a decent size TV that doesn't have alexa/Siri/echo built in. I hate the idea that my TV track s me.
  I like your idea of using a monitor instead of a tv but expensive and small
  How about a 70"tv connected to a pc stick plugged into the hdmi port? No direct connection to the internet
  Can the TV send info out over the hdmi, through my computer and back home?
  I know that the computer will tell prime/Netflix what I'm watching on their channels. But that's it, right. The TV is just a dumb display.

  The answer to that is a resounding maybe.
  
  Recent versions of HDMI actually support Ethernet, so if both your TV and your your PC stick support Ethernet-over-HDMI and you don't disable it, there is a channel for all the "smart" garbage to activate itself.
  
  
  
• From Nemo:

  Just what are the "Four Essential Keys", anyway? The only keys I find essential are the ones labeled "A" through "Z" and "0" through "1". OK, the space bar and the shift key and "Return" are pretty important, too. But then, I grew up with a manual typewriter, so what do I know?

  PgUp, PgDn, Home, and End. If you don't have dedicated keys for those, some common editor functions require you to hold down four keys at once.
  
  
  
• From Jewells45:

  Pixy can you unban my etsy shop, pretty please?

  Oops, sorry, will get back to that today.
  
  
  
• From Nathan:

  Why do people write Y2K22? Is it somehow more optimized than 2022?

  It's a reference to the Y2K bug for idiots who have generated similar bugs in 2022.
  
  
  
• From m0lr4k:

  Sick of Windows, how practical are things like Crossover and Proton for running Windows apps on Linux? I managed to install Debian 21 years ago now, but have never kept it as a daily driver. The biggest gap I still see when I try is the garbage ecosystem around audio systems/drivers, and high end design software. (That said, saw even things like Rhino3d have been successfully kinda run with crossover.)

  I haven't done this myself recently, but reports from sites like Phoronix suggest that the situation has improved enormously over the past 12 months. Might be worth as shot.
  
  

• Intel's Core i9 12900HK beats AMD's Threadripper 1950X on Cinebench R20. (Tom's Hardware)
  
  On the one hand, the 1950X is from 2017. On the other hand, the 12900HK is a laptop chip.
  
  On the third hand the 12900HK is 20% faster than AMD's current fastest laptop chip but uses twice the power. (WCCFTech)
  
  
  
• QNAP's new TS-464T4 NAS has Thunderbolt 4 and 10GbE. (Tom's Hardware)
  
  It's a compact 4-bay NAS with dual M.2 slots for caching drives, 2.5Gb and 10Gb Ethernet, dual Thunderbolt ports for directly attaching laptops, and HDMI to directly attach a monitor,
  
  Price not yet announced but likely to be a lot.
  
  
  
• In a surprising turn of events, the Webb Space Telescope still has not exploded. (NASA)
  
  Not sure what is going on here.
  
  
  
• Half a billion users of the free Avira antivirus software - from the same shitheads who own Norton these days - now get to experience the joys of mining crypto. (Krebs on Secuity)
  
  The same company - formerly Symantec, now called NortonLifeLock which is a totally reassuring name after their enterprise division was sold off to Broadcom - also bought Avast last year, for another half a billion victims customers.
  
  
  
• What's wrong with this picture?
  
  
  
  Mumei from Hololive Council did a meme review stream just now. She had around 8000 viewers, which isn't too bad.
  
  But she also ran a poll - which got over 44,000 votes.
  
  The only way to vote on the poll is to watch the stream, and getting even a 50% response rate to a poll is pretty good on YouTube.
  
  Meaning they are massively undercounting live viewers.
  
  I noticed that Kaneko Lumi of Cyberlive - the one who plays Kerbal Space Program and sings duets with herself in Swahili - has abandoned YouTube for Twitch. Twitch is run by idiots, yes, but they don't seem to actively despise content creators the way YouTube does.
  
  

• Totally Not Feds R Us
  

  A caravan of over a dozen private vehicles with taped-over license plates pulls up, the Patriot Front members load up their shields and flags outside Soldier Field here in Chicago pic.twitter.com/JYUl1RDOps

  — Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) January 8, 2022

  
  
  
  
  Party Like It's 1980 Video of the Day
  
  
  
  Sydney band Flowers might be slightly more familiar under the title of their debut album that they adopted as their band name the following year: Icehouse.
  
  
  
  Disclaimer: Are we not forest fairies? We are Pomu!
  Posted by: Pixy Misa at 04:00 AM

  
  
  

  
  

  Comments

  (Jump to bottom of comments)

  1 hiya

  Posted by: JT at January 09, 2022 04:01 AM (arJlL)

  2 Hey JT.

  Posted by: Pixy Misa at January 09, 2022 04:06 AM (MqQvv)

  3 Hiya Pixy !

  Posted by: JT at January 09, 2022 04:09 AM (arJlL)

  4 You got a ton of Q & A's.

  Posted by: m at January 09, 2022 04:14 AM (SSiCQ)

  5 Maybe Youtube has a thing against space-themed anime girls in particular.

  Posted by: Vanishingly Rare Foreign Youkai at January 09, 2022 04:16 AM (fCFc+)

  6 You got a ton of Q & A's.
  Posted by: m
  
  A long ton. or a shit ton ?

  Posted by: JT at January 09, 2022 04:17 AM (arJlL)

  7 Been cat napping again

  Posted by: Skip at January 09, 2022 04:20 AM (2JoB8)

  8 >>>Totally Not Feds R Us
  
  Serious question: Is there *any* *possible* other explanation? Groups that I have seen, that are maybe capable of that level of organization, are maybe sports teams, fraternities, theater/dance troupes. Moms picking up kids after school or extracurricular activities? Maybe.

  Posted by: m at January 09, 2022 04:27 AM (SSiCQ)

  9 What patriot tosses America Flags into the back of a pickup like that, like so much trash?

  Posted by: 29Victor at January 09, 2022 04:31 AM (BJKQV)

  10 Been cat napping again
  Posted by: Skip
  
  Welcome to America !

  Posted by: JT at January 09, 2022 04:32 AM (arJlL)

  11 Serious question: Is there *any* *possible* other explanation? Groups that I have seen, that are maybe capable of that level of organization, are maybe sports teams, fraternities, theater/dance troupes. Moms picking up kids after school or extracurricular activities? Maybe.
  Posted by: m
  
  Or Illinois Nazis.

  Posted by: Pixy Misa at January 09, 2022 04:33 AM (MqQvv)

  12 I hate Illinois Nazis

  Posted by: Justin Miklos-Wilson, ah ga Ron tee at January 09, 2022 04:35 AM (QzkSJ)

  13 Miklos !

  Posted by: JT at January 09, 2022 04:37 AM (arJlL)

  14 Well, it's true

  Posted by: Unapologetic Miklos at January 09, 2022 04:39 AM (QzkSJ)

  15 I'm reading the comments to that Fed-act on youtube. (Illinois Nazis are covered there.) This is a good exchange, I think:
  
  @Ethanchan67
  I'm not one to usually feed into the "conspiracy" thing but I have to ask... now did all those cars drive around in Chicago like that without drawing the attention of law enforcement? You can't tell me that there wasn't at least one concerned citizen calling it in.
  
  @jjennetten1790
  No they didn't. They probably did it pulling up. So chi town 5 0 needs to get into the cameras to see where they did it. Pull the plates.

  Posted by: m at January 09, 2022 04:40 AM (SSiCQ)

  16 Their weight and level of physical ability is a giveaway to me.

  Posted by: m at January 09, 2022 04:42 AM (SSiCQ)

  17 About half the youtube commenters think those are Proud Boys or White Militia forces or whatever.

  Posted by: m at January 09, 2022 04:44 AM (SSiCQ)

  18 Speaking of the We're Totally Not Feds U Gaiz, how many supposedly right-wing groups actually name their organization a "Front"?

  Posted by: Vanishingly Rare Foreign Youkai at January 09, 2022 04:44 AM (fCFc+)

  19 Ha! There's an anime image screenshot over there in the comments: Three letter agent glow so bright
  
  https://tinyurl.com/2p8vutjv

  Posted by: m at January 09, 2022 04:48 AM (SSiCQ)

  20 17 About half the youtube commenters think those are Proud Boys or White Militia forces or whatever.
  Posted by: m
  
  About half the commenters on YouTube have the IQ of last week's cheese dip. On Twitter, three quarters.

  Posted by: Pixy Misa at January 09, 2022 04:50 AM (MqQvv)

  21 20 About half the commenters on YouTube have the IQ of last week's cheese dip.
  Posted by: Pixy Misa at January 09, 2022 04:50 AM (MqQvv)
  
  Well, this is the thing: Each half thinks you've just described the OTHER half.

  Posted by: m at January 09, 2022 04:52 AM (SSiCQ)

  22 About half the commenters on YouTube have the IQ of last week's cheese dip.
  Posted by: Pixy Misa at January 09, 2022 04:50 AM (MqQvv)
  
  Well, this is the thing: Each half thinks you've just described the OTHER half.
  Posted by: m
  
  Sounds fair to me !

  Posted by: JT at January 09, 2022 04:55 AM (arJlL)

  23 Morning. Well, getting there anyway. Been up a couple hours.

  Posted by: Rosasharn at January 09, 2022 04:59 AM (PzBTm)

  24 LOL
  @MartyHeflin
  Rudolf the Federal Agent
  Trying to entrap regular Joes
  And if you ever saw him
  You could tell he really glows.

  Posted by: m at January 09, 2022 05:05 AM (SSiCQ)

  25 Hiya Rosasharn !

  Posted by: JT at January 09, 2022 05:05 AM (arJlL)

  26 Hi JT!

  Posted by: Rosasharn at January 09, 2022 05:07 AM (PzBTm)

  27 24 LOL
  @MartyHeflin
  Rudolf the Federal Agent
  Trying to entrap regular Joes
  And if you ever saw him
  You could tell he really glows.
  
  Posted by: m at January 09, 2022 05:05 AM (SSiCQ)
  
  All of the other Fedbois
  Used to laugh and call him names
  They never let poor Rudolf
  Join in any Fedboi frames

  Posted by: Vanishingly Rare Foreign Youkai at January 09, 2022 05:08 AM (fCFc+)

  28 Sorry, that wasn't youtube where I was reading; it was twitter. I read ALL the comments on that post. Moar covfefe.

  Posted by: m at January 09, 2022 05:08 AM (SSiCQ)

  29 Then one snowy January 6
  Garland came to say
  Rudolf with your shiny nose
  Won't you lead this bunch of dedicated law enforcement officers.

  Posted by: Pixy Misa at January 09, 2022 05:11 AM (MqQvv)

  30 Anime girl's boobs aren't big enough. That''s what's wrong.

  Posted by: yep at January 09, 2022 05:14 AM (SsEdX)

  31 Then all the G-men loved him
  And they shouted out with pep
  Rudolf the Fed'ral Agent
  You're as cool as Raymond Epps!

  Posted by: Vanishingly Rare Foreign Youkai at January 09, 2022 05:15 AM (fCFc+)

  32 > 30 Anime girl's boobs aren't big enough. That''s what's wrong.
  
  In that case, might I recommend Tsukumo Sana to you? Her beeg anime tiddies are the size of Jupiter and Youtube has really been screwing her over, no doubt out of jealousy.

  Posted by: Vanishingly Rare Foreign Youkai at January 09, 2022 05:18 AM (fCFc+)

  33
  g'mornin', 'rons

  Posted by: AltonJackson at January 09, 2022 05:19 AM (DUIap)

  34 Hiya Alton Jackson !

  Posted by: JT at January 09, 2022 05:24 AM (arJlL)

  35 Put the tv news on; there was a mine collapse in western Pa.
  
  I thought the guy said a mime collapse.

  Posted by: JT at January 09, 2022 05:26 AM (arJlL)

  36 Mawnin', folks,
  
  I'm up a little earlier than I intended, but still I slept well. You?
  
  Chekov the Ailing Codger Cat report: As usual, he's better in the morning. He moves around more, albeit slowly and carefully, and even makes a point of settling on the floor close to me. If he could be like this in the evenings too, I'd think he was getting better.
  
  Almost 70 outside and humid, but I *have* to go work out.

  Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at January 09, 2022 05:27 AM (c6xtn)

  37 Tsukomo Sana what the fuck is that? It goes on for 58 minutes.

  Posted by: yep at January 09, 2022 05:27 AM (SsEdX)

  38
  hey JT

  Posted by: AltonJackson at January 09, 2022 05:30 AM (DUIap)

  39 Tsukomo Sana what the fuck is that? It goes on for 58 minutes.
  Posted by: yep
  
  Yoko's cousin ?

  Posted by: JT at January 09, 2022 05:32 AM (arJlL)

  40 37 Tsukomo Sana what the fuck is that? It goes on for 58 minutes.
  
  
  Aussie vtuber with Hololive. 58 minutes would be unusually short.

  Posted by: Pixy Misa at January 09, 2022 05:33 AM (MqQvv)

  41 Considering "front" was the soviet equivalent of an army group....

  Posted by: SFGoth at January 09, 2022 05:37 AM (KAi1n)

  42 Cross the Border

  Posted by: SFGoth at January 09, 2022 05:38 AM (KAi1n)

  43 Good morning morons
  
  Watching the video in the sidebar of 1st Ave in NY looks a lot like here except a lot better.
  
  Empty graffiti covered abandoned storefronts, plywood covered windows, empty retail places with windows plastered with official placards and warnings.

  Posted by: San Franpsycho at January 09, 2022 05:50 AM (EZebt)

  44 Patriot Front.needs a rice rocket escort to their safe.space.

  Posted by: Jamaica Queens at January 09, 2022 05:52 AM (b+v9B)

  45 Yeah but what the fuck is it?

  Posted by: yep at January 09, 2022 05:58 AM (SsEdX)

  46 I really ought to get up

  Posted by: Skip at January 09, 2022 05:59 AM (2JoB8)

  47 osted by: Vanishingly Rare Foreign Youkai at January 09, 2022 05:18 AM (fCFc+)
  
  I'm glad to know that purpose of looking of anime is not see a good story and good artwork, but big titties. Don't every change ASHQ posters. Don't ever change.

  Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 09, 2022 05:59 AM (k49Sx)

  48 Local TV news reporting Bay area mayors want moar federal money in the fight to save independent bars and restaurants
  
  Haven't eaten out but at our "family" Vietnamese place since last August because I WILL NOT COMPLY
  
  LOLGF mayors and restaurants

  Posted by: San Franpsycho at January 09, 2022 06:00 AM (EZebt)

  49 Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at January 09, 2022 05:27 AM (c6xtn)
  
  Is dear ailing codger cat elderly too, or just ailing? It's clear you love him very much.

  Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 09, 2022 06:00 AM (k49Sx)

  50 If Krak is up I should too
  
  KRAK OF DAWN HAS ARRIVED

  Posted by: Skip at January 09, 2022 06:01 AM (2JoB8)

  51 Posted by: m at January 09, 2022 05:05 AM (SSiCQ
  
  That is darkly hilarious.

  Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 09, 2022 06:01 AM (k49Sx)

  52 Is dear ailing codger cat elderly too, or just ailing? It's clear you love him very much.
  Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 09, 2022
  
  ***
  Hello, Fen,
  
  Chekov is elderly as well. I thought "codger" sort of implied that. He's 14, about 70 in human terms. The only other cat I had who made it past 13 also started developing medical issues at 14. He and I soldiered on through his liver dysfunction and diabetes, until he developed cancer at 16. But he was able to move around and climb onto the back of my armchair until almost the very end. So this is new territory for me.
  
  Yeah, I love Chekov. He and I have had our difficulties, and he was not my favorite when Wolf was here. But the situation is what it is; he's my buddy, and I keep hoping that this is something that can be eventually improved by meds.

  Posted by: Wolfus Aurelius at January 09, 2022 06:11 AM (c6xtn)

  53 Thanks for the happy distractions, Pixy!

  Posted by: m at January 09, 2022 06:18 AM (SSiCQ)

  54 Seems like I've heard a lot more about actual Y2K22 problems than the original. Of course back then cars and most other 'things' had no programming or internet connections.
  
  Thanks Pixy.

  Posted by: InspiredHistoryMike at January 09, 2022 06:54 AM (C/fpg)

  55 Thanks for the reply Pixy. I guess I'm looking for a fast laptop that I can use for video processing as well as gaming that has 32 GB of RAM. I wanted an ASUS setup but if Intel has a better processor it's going to come down to who has the best graphics.

  Posted by: Gmac - WTF did you think was going to happen? at January 09, 2022 07:04 AM (qZdIZ)

  56 You can disable any "smart" features on a TV by blacklisting the NIC address at your routers. (If you trust it, you could "forget" its wifi connection.) I suppose they could use another open net, but that is unlikely to happen.

  Posted by: Con Reeder at January 09, 2022 07:16 AM (/cox6)

  57 Patriot Front is attempting to get in, protest, get out before BLM/Antifa/Feds can organize a counter protest/riot. Tight membership. Very disciplined. The only way to do it now.

  Posted by: Riderinthesky at January 09, 2022 08:58 AM (H/ZwZ)

  58 57 Posted by: Riderinthesky at January 09, 2022 08:58 AM (H/ZwZ)
  
  Patriot Front works for the Lincoln Project who works with the Feds, Antifa, and BLM....
  
  we're being played.

  Posted by: sven at January 09, 2022 09:28 AM (Lzpvj)

  59 47 Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 09, 2022 05:59 AM (k49Sx)
  
  sometimes when you look into the weeaboo the weeaboo looks back into you.

  Posted by: sven at January 09, 2022 09:37 AM (Lzpvj)

  60 "PgUp, PgDn, Home, and End. If you don't have dedicated keys for those, some common editor functions require you to hold down four keys at once."
  
  Pixy, thank you!
  
  I find PgDn helpful when I'm reading a document, PgUp less often. In my nearly 40 years as a programmer/tech writer, I don't believe I ever used the Home key. Of course, I did all my text editing with Emacs and, occasionally, with vi, so what do I know?
  
  It's snowy here in Kenosha, with temperature flirting with -25C. Enjoy your summer!

  Posted by: Nemo at January 09, 2022 09:43 AM (S6ArX)

  61 8 Posted by: m at January 09, 2022 04:27 AM (SSiCQ)
  
  
  
  right here is the explanation....
  
  totally a caravan of neo-nazis manage to drive through Chicago metro with their license plates obscured through multiple surveillance points and luckily are not stopped once, then because absolutely municipal, state, and federal law enforcement is totally GOP sympathetic were left to go unchecked back to their lives....
  
  oh coincidentally ALL of the people in the video look like they are meeting PT requirements....
  
  You also have to love a "white supremacist group" that has 25% of its membership being minorities and women.
  
  The group is there from an information warfare/political warfare standpoint to convince Chicagoans that they NEED the donkey.

  Posted by: sven at January 09, 2022 09:46 AM (Lzpvj)

  62 17 Posted by: m at January 09, 2022 04:44 AM (SSiCQ)
  
  About half the population are the target for these disinfo ops, basically this is the Feds using Putin's Little Green Men paradigm.
  
  It is not sophisticated, it is not intricate it is a brute force operation....you subject the population to a facsimile of an environment designed to make certain political outcomes palatable.
  
  We are not the target audience, the Karen Wine Moms that are currently pissed off at democrat governance in Illinois are.

  Posted by: sven at January 09, 2022 10:03 AM (Lzpvj)

  63 RE MIDI, I'd use bome's MIDI translator, and call it a day.

  Posted by: Nine at January 09, 2022 04:32 PM (foUCV)

  64 "What's wrong with this picture?"
  Well, *I* was going to say "the little NPC drawing has a nose, but apparently she doesn't."

  Posted by: GWB at January 09, 2022 08:16 PM (sJlmF)

  (Jump to top of page)

  Name: *
  

  Email: *
  

  URL:
  
  

  Comments:
  

  Processing 0.01, elapsed 0.0147 seconds.
  15 queries taking 0.0061 seconds, 73 records returned.
  Page size 55 kb.
  Powered by Minx 0.8 beta.