Posts by Vic

Re: 6 of 1, 1/2 dozen of the other?

> they were talking about having a choice of sounds, eg Ferrari engine noises etc

They did this on "Tomorrow's World", many years. ago. ISTR Ketih Chegwin in one of those skinny '80s ties[1].

They were demoing an anti-noise system with an engine noise synthesiser, so that you could make your dodgy old Fiesta sound like a sports car.

Such systems - without the engine synth, natch - are available in the "nice" end of jet aircraft catalogues...

Vic.

[1] Sorry for that. I have a special offer on Mind Bleach this week, if you're interested...

Re: GPS for Dummies

> which GPS is actually giving you an indication of which *lane* you're in?

Not quite a *lane* as such...

I use a bike computer[1] to track my flights. It doesn't snap to anything, because it's expecting you to be off-road (which is why it's useful).

It shows the track of my landings in a remarkably similar place to where I did them. Now the runway is wider[2] than a motorway lane, for sure, but the accuracy still appears to be somewhere near enough to discriminate between lanes...

Vic.

[1] It's an Android app called "Move!". I've found it invaluable for keeping a record of where I went and what I did.

[2] I can't find a reference to how wide it is - I'll ask on Sunday when I'm next there.

Re: I think it was worth a shot

> MS have a reputation for throwing money and resources at things until they get them right

DialsForSure?

Vic.

Re: 2 Year Elec Eng Project

> two side-by-side phototransistors

Three is better - two tends to make it hunt...

Vic.

Re: Tax Holiday?????? WTF?

> No tax is currently being paid and no tax will ever be paid.

That's only true while the money is offshore. If it's repatriated - to pay shareholder divvies, for example - it's instantly taxable.

> How can non-payment of tax that will never be paid be called a 'tax holiday'?

If the cash is brought back to the US, it becomes "non-payment of tax that will otherwise be paid". And that's a Tax Holiday.

Vic.

Re: WinFS?

> WinFS was pulled because it didn't actually deliver end-user benefits in real life

WinFS would have delivered several really nice benefits that users would have loved once they'd discovered them.

Trouble is, WinFS suffered from exactly the same problems that many other implementations of this idea have had - it was dog slow. And that kills it stone dead.

Vic.

Re: What. the. fuck.

> Why does the US's broken patent system persistently try and fuck up the rest of the world?

For once - just this once, mark you - this isn't the US patent system at fault.

These are Australian patents. It is the Australian system at fault.

That'll learn 'em to copy the septics...

Vic.

Re: "The shallow indentation on the right was part of its preparations, NASA says."

> a penetration that is only 1.6cm wide and 6.4cm deep is really nothing to write home about

Look, it's been cold, right?

Vic.

Re: Don't do it for the money

> duff outsourcing projects where the main reason is money

The problem with such projects is that they invariably cost less because they don't provide the same service.

So the headline cost falls, but the customer ends up spending engineering time - which is likely to have a higher hourly rate - doing the job that he expected the outsourced contract to do. And because the engineers aren't the experts in that task, it frequently takes longer to boot.

The net result is a large *increase* in costs - but because the headline figure has fallen, this seems[1] to be a Good Thing(tm), and there only remains to be a witchhunt to find out why Engineering has become less productive this quarter...

Vic.

[1] To seagull-management, at any rate...

Re: It's just a penis.

> Why not celebrate the masculine form?

Kryten: But it's hideous! That's the best design they could come up with!? Are you seriously telling me there were choices and someone said "Ah. There. That's it. That's the shape we're looking for; the 'last-chicken-in-the-shop' look." Shakepseare had one. Einstein. Perry Como sang 'Memories Are Made of This' with one of those stashed in his slacks!?'

Lister: Well yeah.

Kryten: No wonder humans don't have a zoom mode!

Vic.

Re: This

> "An app is available for this website, do you want to install it? OK / Cancel"

There's a weather site I use that does that sometimes (not every visit, thankfully).

Trouble is, if you cancel it, the page reloads - together with the dialogue asking if you want the app.

The only[1] "fix" is to back right out and go in again :-(

Vic.

[1] Yes, I know I could avoid the site - but it is quite useful.

Re: Other operating systems

> Interesting they mention Mac OS.

Very interesting.

OSX is specifically only licenced for use on Apple hardware; building a hackintosh is actually unlawful[1].

So are Microsoft inciting users to breach copyright?

Vic.

[1] Not that Apple are going to care about the odd one here and there, of course, but they have form in tackling commercial operations getting OSX onto non-Apple hardware.

Re: Dear Customer

> This was churlish unreasonable behaviour on Virgin's part

Churlish, yes. Unreasonable, no.

The point abuot minimum-term contracts is that they are enforceable. Virgin didn't force you to move house, so they're not responsible for your breaching the contract.

It *might* have been a good idea for them to waive their terms - but it's not unreasonable for them to stick to them. You'd have been miffed if they'd wanted you to vary the contract to your disadvantage...

Vic.

Re: In the early 60's Labour cancelled the TSR2 in favour of the "customized" F111 variant.

> The B is essentially then for small export orders and the modest USMC requirement

Hasn't the USMC just sorted out its requirement by spending fifty quid on some used Harriers?

Vic.

Re: Usual story: persecute the innocent; overlook the threat

> That's pretty paranoid

No, it's the result of spending quite a bit of my adult life drinking with CID.

Prejudice is already a big part of how the Police works. Institutionalising it isn't going to help anyone.

Vic.

> Windows 8 reminds me of an old joke about meeting customer requirements.

Reminds me of a joke about management...

"It is a crock of shit and it stinketh."

Vic.

Re: The USA is sabre rattling again

> Thought ya'll liked Obama?

Nope.

We just prefer him to the other geezer...

Vic.

Re: Scott 49

> Windows has normal people

[Citation needed]

Vic.

Re: software capabilities can be total FUBAR

> they could not advise how to set up a modem in Linux

Setting up a modem in Linux is trivial - there are thousands of people who cuold have shown you how to do this.

My guess - since this is the usual cause of such issues - is that no-one could show you how to set up a WinModem. And the reason for this is really simple - it's not a modem. It's little more than an analogue adaptor, with the modem stuff being done by the core processor and interfacing by undocumented means.

It's essentially impossible to get a WinModem working under anything but Windows unless the hardware manufacturer decides to help out. And they didn't.

Vic.

So basically what you're saying is that just because an author chose a licence that legally allows you to be an arse, then it's morally acceptable to be an arse?

I would say that - except in this situation, no-one *is* being an arse.

MS has a legal right to plunder BSD code without giving anything in return, but that doesn't make it the right thing to do

Yes it is. This is the "freedom" that BSD advocates tell us is missing from the GPL. I'd like it to remain missing from the GPL for exactly this reason.

Vic.

Re: "Pi's will go to students(kids) rather than schools"

> Are we supposed to be impressed that ... they are actually giving one each to 0.25% of secondary age children

Yes.

Unless you can beat that, of course.

Vic.

Re: James Bond

> That the whole re-working of Bond was to emulate the superior Bourne movies?

I'd have agreed with you if I hadn't seen the fourth Bourne.

Interesting in parts, but not a patch on the first three...

Vic.

Re: My guess is...

> If memory serves me correct IBM gave them print outs as no specific format had been requested.

Nope. IBM gave them servers.

SCO had IBM's AIX source code in an easily-searchable form. THe reason they found no infringement is that there was no infringement to be found...

Vic.

Re: @Steven Jones

> AFAIK all current road cars use some form of mechanical linkage for both brakes and steering

The big hydraulic Citroens don't - there's no master cylinder. You've got a valve off the pressure reservoir to the calipers. It makes for loads of power assist, and some excellent self-balancing and anti-dive characteristics, but you have to cope with a rather "nervy" pedal...

Vic.

Re: Hmm...

> Ethanol (for example) can be safely carried in a bottle.

Not so. Bottles leak.

After Christmas, I had three bottles of rather nice Scotch on the shelf. All three are now showing a significant reduction in liquid volume...

Vic.

Re: *Astonishing*

> The "impossible" keyboard.

Certainly is...

> Completely transparent.

It's not transparent. There is circuitry involved...

> No PCB

You need a PCB.

> No aerial

You need an aerial.

> if its secure enough and cannot be spoofed

ZigBee has encryption built into the standard (AES-256, from memory, but it's been a few years since I've done any). You don't have to turn it on if you don't want to.

Vic.

Re: Top database tip.

> I found another MS Shill

No you didn't. It's still RICHTO.

Vic.

Re: SSH scans?

> block incoming ips for 5 mins on three consecutive failed ssh logins,

Don't block - DROP.

This leaves the attacker with dangling TCP connections. It consumes more of his resources and slows down his progress...

Vic.

> They're a bunch of bungling amateurs. Awful.

They've been absolutely fine for me.

> And dirt cheap.

Yep.

Vic.

Re: Wasn't it around that time…

> in Switzerland there is a no-compete clause written into the standard contract

The same clause is in most contracts of employment throughout the EU. It's essentially unenforceable.

Vic.

Re: Good grief

> what difference does it make to you if someone else believes in ... honest politicians?

Some people really do need saving from themselves...

Vic.

Re: Just add silicon nano-spheres too - Yeah BUT

> the surface rapidly coats with SiO2

Would this not also be the case with the nanospheres?

It strikes me that the shelf-life of this cell might not be that long...

Vic.

Re: Innocent until proven guilty?

> I always thought it was: Innocent unless proven guilty ?

Used to be, Citizen. Used to be...

Vic.