These are not my photos. I don’t know where you got them

February 27, 2010 in geekage, GSM

The version of Nokia’s Share Online application that shipped with my E71 has a problem. I was trying to upload photos from Berlin over O2 Germany’s data network to my Flickr account, and it unexpectedly returned an authentication error; I looked at “your recent photos and videos”, and got photos belonging to Flickr user mrspin, [...]

Abu Asterisk strikes again…

February 27, 2010 in GSM, hacker, Israel, terrorism, UAE

OK, so the Dubai assassination team made regular phone calls on GSM devices during the operation. What numbers did they call? From which ones? Well, it looks like they both used prepaid SIM cards acquired in Austria and they called Austrian telephone numbers. Obviously, that’s partly explained by the fact that they probably talked among [...]

this diplomacy stuff seems to work…for some

February 25, 2010 in 4GW, Afghanistan, diplomacy, Iran, Pakistan

Well, this is unusual; Londonstani confirms that the Pakistanis just arrested 50% of the Taliban high command, in so far as such a thing matters. Not only that, they’re willing to extradite one of them to Afghanistan. First of all, Pakistan and Afghanistan even talking is rare. Secondly, extradite? What is this, Germany? Don’t they [...]

Sense: Iran

February 14, 2010 in Iran

So, what does an Iranian dissident need from outside the country? One of those integrated lawful-intercept management systems from a major European vendor (nice, aren’t they)? A barrage of cruise missiles? A lot of hot air from the President? Why not ask one? Here’s the exiled co-founder of the Revolutionary Guard. I hope that the [...]

very serious indeed

February 14, 2010 in press

OK, so the Guardian spent last week having a great fit of very seriousness* about the UEA Climate Research Unit e-mail leak. Things that weren’t Serious enough to get into the paper included the decisive refutation of the whole idea that the urban heat island effect explains warming and the exoneration of Michael Mann. Here [...]

Sunday Strategic Defence Review Blogging: Chapter 1

February 14, 2010 in Afghanistan, strategy, stupid procurement

So, here goes with the first in my series of posts on the strategic defence review as a blog. Here are what the MoD thinks are the major forces that will determine the political environment: The National Security Strategy sets out the key threats to the UK’s security and the underlying drivers of those threats. [...]

Camera On. Camera Off. We’re still on CCTV

February 14, 2010 in photography, politics, Tories

“We can’t go on like this” was all about style and look-and-feel; the tombstone seems to be a reaction against it and a reversion to a fairly crude, tabloid approach. Perhaps it reflects discord among the people who commissioned it? It would be easy to identify the first with Steve Hilton and the second with [...]

I think he is frit!

February 10, 2010 in action, Tories

(Canonical link.) (Canonical link.) (Canonical link.) (Canonical link.) You know the rules.

this will mean nothing to most of you

February 7, 2010 in Rugby League

As this blog battles parochialism, I feel obliged to tell the world that Keighley Cougars have started their doomed bid to stay in the Northern Rail Division One by beating Whitehaven 17-16. Can we win by a cheeky dropgoal? Yes. We. Can! Never mind, the future’s uncertain and the end is always near. Which at [...]

gentlemen, start your engines

February 7, 2010 in strategy, stupid procurement

The Ministry of Defence has published its strategic review Green Paper online as a WordPress blog for public comment. I will, of course….eh? The MOD just published a major policy paper as a weblog for anyone to scrawl on? The British Ministry of Defence? Things must be bad. I snark, of course. I should, of [...]