Android does indeed still look better.
But, I would not consider having to send a copy of my government ID to Google, or having them be able to block apps when so ordered by government, to be acceptable.
Definitely.
I have spent the last few days trying to get a replacement "Digipass" device for a bank account I run for a small sports club. The bank was very reluctant to issue a new one as they want to move everyone onto their app to generate codes for logging in to their website.
Trying to argue that even if their app worked now on a de-Googled Android device there was no guarantee that they wouldn't require Google's safetynet etc. at some point in the future was a failure. They did not understand this and decreed that the app not working, or possibly not working, on one's phone was "not a valid reason" to be excused from using the app.
Luckily because the account is a business account I was able to claim that using banking apps on phones was against company policy (I set the policy myself), which is an excuse they were willing to accept. For now.
Years ago I worked for another BOINC project, climateprediction.net and I'm pleased to see that they are still operating (see: https://main.cpdn.org/).
IIRC SETI@Home was well-known back then - I'd always mention it if people asked what I did, and they usually recognised it.
There has been very little change for me.
The one area where AI has been of use is for providing debugging suggestions in those circumstances when I am so short of ideas that I am contemplating posting a question on Stack Overflow. Only once has Chat GPT actually found a bug directly, but on a handful of occasions it has made suggestions which have yielded results when investigated further in traditional way (e.g. reading documentation).
Still, At least the AI actually does something rather than ignore me or scold me for the way I have posed my question.
Normally I have had very good experiences as well. My colleagues almost always speak very good English and even those who don't are understandable. Everyone is happy to conduct meetings (with many nationalities, as I work in a scientific field) in English.
Only once have I encountered a problem. A colleague berated me in front of others for speaking "difficult English" and accused me of doing this on purpose to cause trouble for them, instead of speaking proper international English like everyone else did. But, I am a native English speaker with an RP accent and we were all in England at the time, working for a British organisation. I was simply speaking normally and otherwise had no issue with this colleague, whose English was very good. I don't recall their having been any misunderstandings between us before.
I lived in Dundee during the 1990s and they were available. I'm told that they were popular at the Victor (https://maps.app.goo.gl/9g3je56Gt7spifo26) though I don't see them on the menu today.
Readers may be interested to know what my MP had to say when I got in touch about this:
Thank you for your email.
The UK has a strong tradition of safeguarding privacy while ensuring that appropriate action can be taken against criminals, such as child sexual abusers and terrorists. I firmly believe that privacy and security are not mutually exclusive—we can and must have both.
The Investigatory Powers Act governs how and when data can be requested by law enforcement and other relevant agencies. It includes robust safeguards and independent oversight to protect privacy, ensuring that data is accessed only in exceptional cases and only when necessary and proportionate.
The suggestion that cybersecurity and access to data by law enforcement are at odds is false. It is possible for online platforms to have strong cybersecurity measures whilst also ensuring that criminal activities can be detected.
It should be noted that the Home Office cannot comment on operational security matters, including confirming or denying the existence of any notices it has issued. This has been the longstanding position of successive UK Governments for reasons of national security.
I support the responsible use of data and technology to drive economic growth, create new jobs, and empower individuals. It is essential that data is used safely and wisely, and that individuals remain in control of how their data is used.
Additionally, I welcome the Government’s transparency regarding how data is used, including on the algorithms that process this information. Several algorithms have already been published for public scrutiny, with more to follow—as resources allow—across multiple departments.
Thank you once again for contacting me about this important issue.
Recently, I was referred by my family physician to a healthcare provider. That provider required a mobile phone number for registration. I emailed them to complain about this and their reply was that if I did not have a mobile I should contact the referring medical practice to find an alternative means of treatment. I did, and their response was that I should take it up with the provider.
But this is, of course, just one anecdote. I would also be interested in seeing more information.
It's a major use of the watch for me also, but something like a Pebble 2 HR would tempt me to abandon payments.
Do you have any links to examples of these bands you've found useful?
This would indeed be the best way around.The code reviews might even be better - currently, there's little time for them and we often have only one person in the team with much knowledge in the relevant language/framework/application, so reviews are often just "looks OK to me".
It's not quite the same, but I'm reminded of seeing a documentary decades ago which (IIRC) mentioned that a factor in air accidents had been the autopilot flying the plane and human pilots monitoring it. Having humans fly and the computer warn them of potential issues was apparently safer.
I missed out on the codes, of course, but bought it anyway. Interesting so far; not fast yet, but more accurate as the larger keys are easier to hit - I struggle with most phone keyboards. Can't find the brackets though...
Is there any chance of a Welsh language pack, please?
https://help.curve.com/en_gb/your-curve-account-verification...
https://www.entrust.com/products/identity-verification?edc_r...
As the second URL suggests, Entrust used to be called Onfido.
https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/onfido.com
Oh dear...