No, not an Idiot.

For the new strategy, the worst that could happen is that a mass market buys the N9.

I'd guess they are only selling it at all because the plan was in place before the scrapage and contracts signed to make some initial quantity.

Bubbles

Because they never pay dividends and really only have 3 products, Mac, iPhone and iPad.

World wide the Mac is < 10% of PCs and iPhone including ALL phones is tiny. 18% of Smart phones?

They are the leader in the Tablet Niche. Though didn't invent it and won't stay leader.

Of course market share isn't everything.

Anyone here old enough?

Remember the hype about "The Last One"?

http://www.tebbo.com/archive/wf8104.htm

Or Smalltalk

Or C++

Or Java

Or .Net

Or PHP

Mine's the one with Z80 Instruction set in the pocket

QNX is not Linux

Linux is a bloated copy/clone of 1976 UNIX. Kernel release (only) about the same time as entire NT 3.1 OS release in 1993.

Phones work best with a RTOS, unless you have a 2nd CPU to run the Phone stack. QNX is a RTOS, Standard Linux is not a RTOS, though it's been kludged.

Linux is a Macro Kernel OS. QNX is not UNIX like, no matter what Wikipedia claims, unless you think NT3.1 or Minix are "UNIX" like.

NT had "POSIX" subsytem for years like QNX has, that doesn't make it UNIX like.

QNX is *REALLY* old, dating from 1988, but unlike Linux is a complete design for embedded systems and was really only used for Industrial Controllers, SCSI subsystems and automotive systems till RIM bought it.

Is it a good idea for a phone? I don't know.

Does it need the latest and greatest CPU? No. It likely needs as little or less than Symbian, much less CPU than Linux + Java, (Or Android Davik which is really Linux + Java).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QNX

Though X windows was ported to QNX somewhile ago, QNX is more known for NOT having a GUI. RIM has their work cutout. They might have been better going for Meego, Windows phone 7 or Android.

This is crazy

Why are things like this allowed to be Patents at all?

Data vs Voice

Data is a Big problem.

For the same customer revenue (i.e. £20) the traffic on data compared to voice is about 100 to 200 times as much.

Virtually ALL data traffic is i/o from the Network, many voice calls terminate on same network.

While operator pays termination charge for O/G voice call, the Operator receives revenue from I/C voice call. For Data the operator pays for the traffic in both directions.

LTE charges need to be much higher, maybe x10 to be profitable. Really data at the minute is subsidised by voice and SMS. SMS of course is a great revenue earner that costs nearly nothing to run. Internet IP IM in contrast makes the operator no money and costs them 1000s of times more than an SMS.

Yes

I'd not agree with Torvalds on much..

But Unity, Gnome3 and KDE4 are stupid.

I'm not that fond of OS X or Win7's candy mode. At least Win7 can be "reset" to be somewhat like NT4.0 / XP, except the configuration tools and Control panel are designed like some evil web site done by a secondary school work experience student.

1992 to 2000 the GUIs were improving. Now eye candy is replacing functionality and usability on all OSes. Not just a Penguin problem.

Are Desktop GUIs getting designed by Webinista Arts Students these days?

For Linux there is also Ice Window Manager? Very basic, but at least it does what it says on the tin.

Really?

What's a phone box?

A box that a new mobile phone comes in or the Public Urinals that used to have phones in them?

My coat is the one with a phone in the pocket.

Actually Shannon applies.

If the signals are separate signals (beam forming etc) then each signal is subject to Shannon Boundary.

If the signals share the same beam, then Shannon STILL applies. The total information bandwidth is limited. The bandwidth can be shared by time, frequency or code. (or any combination). Those are multiplexing techniques. As CDMA has shown, code division multiplexing is poorer than Time or frequency. Absolutely perfect signal recovery (i.e. better than Rake) only makes it as good as other schemes. TDMA wastes space on guard times between channel. FDMA wastes lots of space on frequency guardbands. Datamultiplexing (as in DVB) is 100% efficient, but only works for downlink, up link has to be CDMA, TDMA, FDMA or OFDMA. The latest technique is OFDMA as the guard timing is very low if the stations are stationary or if there is no multipath. You might use 3,500 carriers at slower symbol rates and for uplink vary the number of carriers assigned to each station. Downlink uses all carriers and Data-multiplexing.

You can't get something for nothing. The DIDO sounds like the wireless equivalent of "over unity" machines. No doubt it can work, but no more than 1% or 2% better than the best OFDMA systems with beam forming. If it's 5% better overall than LTE, Wimax or Flash-OFDMA I'd be amazed. If it seems 10% better then its a scam and there are hidden wires.

Oh dear.

Google Docs

Google+

Google Search AKA Googling

Google Groups

Google Code (alternative to Source Forge etc)

Google Maps

Google Streetview

Google Chrome

Google Android and Davik

Google Books

All paid for by "advertising". If it doesn't work it will be re-engineered and re-named and released till it does.

Our dystopian future isn't Skynet, The Matrix or even the Intel of "A is for Andromeda". It's being looked after by our "do no evil" benign, un-creepy Google overlords.

I put a fake name on my Google+ profile, but it doesn't matter. Google knows my real name, where I live, what my deceased pet was called, the IP addresses of my children...

It doesn't matter how good it is.

Wireless can't replace Fibre except in either Broadcast or very sparse Rural applications (5 users).

Actually the Shannon Boundary and Shannon Limit derived from Shannon-Hartley Theorem probably are "laws". The Shannon-Hartley Theorem was a theory, but it's probably a law.

AirPoints don't replace ISP fibre, DSL or Cable connections.

The Latency.

My understanding was that the data doesn't all go back to the data centre( That would be a massive and stupid bottle neck) but the analysis of the link is done at the data centre (why?) and then the parameters to use are sent to the AP. Which also sounds pretty stupid. Why not an SoC?

It's fake snake oil. I've been working with wireless systems a long time and even all the "real" systems are heavily lubricated by snake oil. E.g. 42Mbps 3G/HSPA+ when the capacity *IS* shared among all users and at typical distance and signal you'll get about 4Mbps in a 5MHz channel if there is no-one to shared it with.

http://www.radioway.info/comparewireless/

The major issue with Mobile outdoor bases or indoor AP to laptop/gadgets turns out not to be nuances of modulation and coding. But aerials. If your house has a directional aerial on the chimney for a fixed wireless system, if everything else is equal, that will have x8 capacity in same spectrum (Shannon applied carefully) compare with ground level indoor mostly omni-directional; aerials in a laptop or gadget. No one wants a giant motor driven aerial on their mobile phone or laptop, so such systems with mobility are always inferior to fixed outdoor directional aerial systems.

Some more articles here : http://www.techtir.ie/comms

Includes iPad?

For under £19

Pretty useless really

The ISS is only about 360km above sea level. GEO is about 36,000 km. 100x higher. That's a lot of energy. Without fuel the ISS drops over 20km per year.

The ISS is not big enough or robust enough or high enough orbit to be a "staging post". It's barely more than a toy. The money would be better spent on Space exploration Robotics.

Of course the ISS is doomed to be plunged into the sea. Actually most of it will burn up in the atmosphere. The only argument is when. It's expensive to keep refuelling (even with Ion Drive propellent) and maintain.

Most of the advances have been in robotic and automated space exploration. Apollo, Mir and now ISS are really dead ends technologically.

As was the Shuttle.

The quality

I think these early satellites used film cameras.

The film was processed on board and then "slow scanned" and transmitted. Hence the noticeable film / emulsion artefacts.

There where also deliberate grid markings added.

So

OK you bought your surplus 4.8m dish off eBay.

How hard could it be to hijack the Broadcast TV satellites?

Cost is mad

The cost of access to on-line copies of material is maddening for a lot of Academic stuff if you are not in a University.

Simple

use a PC with XP

no big deal

17 patents?

Crazy

There really should be NO patents on something as simple and obvious.

XKCD

There is an XKCD on this. "my apparent IQ drops when I'm offline" .

But I'd have to Google for it.

http://xkcd.com/903/

Tip of Iceberg

What about all the other shenanigans of NI/NDS/Sky etc.

EU wasn't fussed about his bid for BSkyB as they think he already makes all the important decisions.

Alleged card hacking promotion to destroy

Ondigital, Canal+

Pay Satellite TV and "bad practices" on "locked in boxes" even though owned by customer

Their Pay TV USA, Mexico, Brazil, Ireland, Germany, Italy, UK, Australia.

Ofcom's refusal to regulate reasonable EPG and Encryption Costs

Sky Ireland's refusal to pay Irish VAT other than Installs (All goes to UK, contrary to EU rules on larger businesses).

Sky/Murdoch interference in Politics and Technology of Terrestrial Rollouts of Digital in UK, Ireland and Italy (Though amazingly Ofcom did stop the "Picnic" on DTT).

I have a better idea.

Why bother at all with Facebook, Twitter etc never mind the alternatives.

£4,500 Seriously

I'd rather have a projector with zoom lens to vary picture from 36" (VHS, stupid TV programs, News) to 42" decent TV, to 48"'56" Broadcast HD, to 72" for cinema scope BD HD 2.35:1

Cheaper too. Also nearly 1/5th of people that can tell between photos and objects instantly in real world don't get a Stereoscopic effect at all...

90%?

Obligatory goggles.

Really

I frankly don't believe it. Unless the "world" only includes richer parts of California.

What are they measuring?

if a PC connects to internet all day ant not used for any of the web sites they monitor?

If a iPad connects to same place 20 times because it's snacking a 1 minute at a time, is that 20 iPads.

I call bunkum.

Bon Voyage!

Is it really 4 years?

Which of us has been spending too much time here?

Duh!

Java is a Programming language for an Applications platform. Using a virtual machine for execution.

The "Cloud" is the idea of somehow using remote computing resources via Mobile or Broadband.

No programming Language needs to be "Cloud friendly" or "Cloud Ready" or "Cloud Compatible".

Almost the entire article is hogwash. The redeeming feature is that it points out that "Cloud" has become meaningless as is covers too wide a range of stuff.

not new

Fibre tip silver loaded pens available for years.

Main use is repair of tracks.

Issues with use:

* Pen dries out.

* Silver is very expensive

* current is very limited

* Adding the actual resistors, capacitors, ICs. etc., Gluing them on sort of works, but any flex at all the connect between track and pin cracks.

* need to solder copper wires or printed copper track for power supply pins, connectors, LED or speaker drive etc...

* Wood, paper, cotton etc are useless. They become too conductive if there is any moisture about.

* I first tried this in late 1970s

* Still successfully repairing damaged tracks on real PCBs.

So this sounds more like a pair of Art students rather than real Boffins or Engineers.

Yes, this would be great. Especially if the printer cartridge could be filled with silver ink (there ARE inkjets that can do this) and a suitable substrate to print on,

Porter

There is Red beer and Brown beer and Black Beer.

Stouts and Porters.

There is probably an appropriate alcoholic beverage involving barley and often hops for every meal. Not just fermented Grape juice. Coloured from palest gold to deep black via bronze, red, brown etc. Sweet, Dry or bitter. Fizzy and not very fizzy. With lots of head to almost none.

I think the very strong beers are a mistake though. Better to distil the fermented malt (with no hops) and make some decent Irish or Scotch.

Not that I object to wine, port, sherry, Brandy etc.

More important questions

How common is this root kit?

Does Gmer detect it?

What is the likely infection vector (Autorun, javascript, vulnerable application or what)?

I have been saying for years...

Beware the Geeks bearing gifts.

Useful to know

Like you might want to put an ordinary Radio in a Biscuit Tin to protect from EMP.

Though would any transmitting sites work afterwards?

Actually I wondered was this about bad site security due to relying on persistent Cookies. More interesting. Now I will have to buy various tinned goods (and eat them, can't be mucking environment by dumping) to check suitability of tin as Faraday cage. I presume testing with an iPhone might not be any good. Need an old 6300 off eBay?

Non-Glossy

I welcome return to proper Matt screen. Like we had nearly 10 years ago. Shiny on a screen is stupid. For YEARS people researched how to make screens Matt.

I think Matte may refer to photographic and cinema Masking? Unless El Reg has relocated.

In film:

* Matte (filmmaking), film and video technology

* Matte painting, a process of creating sets used in film and video

* Matte box, a camera accessory for controlling lens glare

* Open matte, a filming technique that involves matting out the top and bottom of the film frame in the movie projector

Matt: In British English, of a surface: having a non-glossy finish

Matte: In American English, of a surface: having a non-glossy finish

Anyway a glossy screen gives headaches due to eye re-focusing automatically on any moving reflection. Alleviated by careful position of desk etc. A Matt screen may not look so pretty in showroom, but is less distracting and less tiring. I suspect the glossy screens came in because they are cheaper and look prettier. For a tablet a glossy screen also shows up fingerprints worse than Matt. Matt is superior in brightly lit environments and outdoors.

Anyone remember the high contrast ultra-matt Victor 9000 / Sirius1 screen (done by a very fine nylon matt black mesh probably) compared to Shiny Goldfish bowl screens on all other Monitors? It was nearly 15 years before CRT colour monitors caught up (can't use mesh as it's not fine enough and you get moire fringing with mask/slots)

Otherwise nothing special on this netbook?

I hope the Matt no-gloss screen sets a trend.

Can we go back to 1200 lines/pixels (or better) instead of 1080 or lower please for those of us that want to read PDFs and Word DOCs and DTP layout "page at a time". Maybe even option for 4:3 screen and not WS. Some people actually use Laptop for working, not watching Video.

1G RAM is plenty for a netbook with a decent OS. You didn't buy it to run 5 server images or play a high end game?

Reputation

They also have a bad reputation for reading the Standards, usually implementing them in a most limited and stupid way possible. Nor when bugs exposed can you expect them to issue a firmware update.

They probably are correct to record to disc and then re-process for BD, Otherwise a higher potential for drinks coasters or discs that play back on nothing else.

LTS

Mozilla needs to have Long Term Support versions.

It's unreasonable to "replace" a major application every few months. I saw this comming and ignored V4 except on one test machine. V3.6 and V5 should be supported till 2013 and 2018 respectively. At least.

Otherwise it's a consumer toy.

LTE, 4G and spectrum

It's about amount of spectrum and cell density.

Without multiple 20MHz channels and about x10 as many masts no mobile technology can give broadband speeds when there are a reasonable number of users.

So HSPA+ is 4G if you have about 16x as many 5MHz channels as present and about x9 as many masts. LTE isn't 4G really at all if same amount of bandwidth and number of masts as 3G.

Basically Mobile will never be "broadband". It's not about a new technology, it's about economics. No-one will build enough masts.

So...

It's dead really.

As predicted.

Next time someone designs a virtual currency:

1) Assume people are as evil as can be

2) Assume accounts will be hacked

3) Assume people want to exchange to other currencies, not just "pay" for goods and services.

4) Assume there will be speculation.