Today I Learned #3: There's a wiki for everything!

[Kyriakos]

Kyrillos.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyril

It seems to be (at best?) in tautology with Kyriakos, meaning lordly/lordian.

 

[Zkribbler]

This year is the 500-year anniversary of the fall of the Aztecs to the Spanish.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

It rhymes with tacos?? I wouldn't have guessed that.

It doesn't. At least not how "tacos" is pronounced around here.

Anyway, I'm pleased to know that I have been mentally pronouncing Kyriakos' name correctly.

This year is the 500-year anniversary of the fall of the Aztecs to the Spanish.

And I'm sure their descendants are just delighted... not.

 

[GenMarshall]

Just saw this on my Blizzard launcher, I didn't know they're going to hit their 30th birthday.

 

[Samson]

TIL about the P6 Intercept:

Understanding the challenges facing intelligence teams with the growing adoption of new technologies and encryption – PICSIX is now offering the P6-Fi5, the most feature-rich and mission-modular 3G/4G interception solution in the market.
The P6-Fi5 is a comprehensive tactical solution enabling law enforcement agencies to tactically intercept UMTS and LTE traffic inclusive of calls, SMS, VOIP and data.
Simply match the P6-Fi5 modular license pack, to fit your organization’s mission requirements and regulatory environment.
​

Supports integration with trojan horse intrusion platforms

Bangladesh bought it, and the controversy is that it is from Israel, not that it is a human rights travesty.

 

[The_J]

Not going to check deeply in there, but this sounds like nothing too special, if you know some background (although 99% of the people don't know about it):
G3/4 technology (and I think G5 too) is inherently not encrypted, and the mobile phone tower doesn't authenticate itself to the phones.
Phones simply connect to the strongest station nearby.
Setting up your own station is apparently not wizardry (costs IIRC <1000€ for the hardware), and once set up, you can basically intercept all communication going to, and coming from nearby phones (that is calls, SMS, MMS; unencrypted internet traffic; things like Whatsapp or Signal are encrypted, so not that).
Some phones like the blackphone have some security mechanisms integrated against rogue towers, but the vast majority not. Only way to get caught is also when any of the phone operators are checking themself reception in that area, or intelligence services do checking.
tl;dr: Phones are not safe.

 

[Samson]

TIL (while fixing a map for our game) that Republic of the Congo and Democratic Republic of the Congo are two completely different countries, either side of the Congo River.

 

[Chukchi Husky]

TIL (while fixing a map for our game) that Republic of the Congo and Democratic Republic of the Congo are two completely different countries, either side of the Congo River.

It's the same with their capitals. Brazzaville is across the river from Kinshasa.

 

[The_J]

TIL: In France, you're not allowed (forbidden by law) to eat your lunch at your work place.
https://www.connexionfrance.com/French-news/French-workers-to-be-allowed-officially-to-eat-at-desks

 

[AmazonQueen]

TIL: In France, you're not allowed (forbidden by law) to eat your lunch at your work place.
https://www.connexionfrance.com/French-news/French-workers-to-be-allowed-officially-to-eat-at-desks

Never ever eat at your desk.
You'll spend your time answering phone calls and queries from colleagues. Its a trap, not a benefit.

 

[The_J]

At work I normally wouldn't do that either, but I've been doing home office for 3 months now, so it doesn't really matter for me .

 

[Samson]

Never ever eat at your desk.
You'll spend your time answering phone calls and queries from colleagues. Its a trap, not a benefit.

In the pandemic there is probably good reason for some.

One of my bugbears is people at my work eating at their desk when:

• We have quite a nice canteen
• There are other people in the office on Ramadan

 

[The_J]

TIL:
In the west, we write left-to-right.
e.g. Arabic is written from right-to-left.
New to me:
In ancient times, there were languages, which were written alternating. So one line left-to-right, next line right-to-left (incl. reversed letters).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boustrophedon

 

[Kyriakos]

TIL:
In the west, we write left-to-right.
e.g. Arabic is written from right-to-left.
New to me:
In ancient times, there were languages, which were written alternating. So one line left-to-right, next line right-to-left (incl. reversed letters).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boustrophedon

It was not that rare. A famous example are the laws of Solon the legislator, for Athens - they were written in "boustrophedon".
Iirc the term just refers to how an ox is made to move while plowing a field (bous= ox; remember Alexander's horse too, which apparently had a fat head )

 

[Josu]

Never ever eat at your desk.
You'll spend your time answering phone calls and queries from colleagues. Its a trap, not a benefit.

Before the pandemic we use to have a dinning room in the office

 

[Hrothbern]

TIL: 'Smallest reptile on earth' discovered in Madagascar: a chameleon.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-55945948

 

[Takhisis]

One of my bugbears is people at my work eating at their desk when:

• We have quite a nice canteen
• There are other people in the office on Ramadan

*raises hand slowly* Why specifically Ramadan?

 

[Samson]

*raises hand slowly* Why specifically Ramadan?

Because it is in the middle of the day, and there will be a few people in the office on Ramadan and are probably really hungry. It must be pretty unpleasant for at least some of them. When there is a nice canteen.

 

[Takhisis]

Oooh. The ‘other people’ are fasting Muslims. Now I get it.

 

[GinandTonic]

With reference to the the tar tar pits