* Posts by Shagbag

832 publicly visible posts • joined 10 Mar 2008

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Osbo slaps down Amazon and eBay – who'll be liable for traders evading VAT

Shagbag

More weasel words from, perhaps, the most disliked Chancellor Britain's had.

"That unfairly undercuts British businesses both on the internet and on the high street, and today I can announce that we are taking action to stop it. That’s the first thing we do to help our small firms."

What a load of tosh. If he really wanted to help small firms he would remove the VAT burden for British businesses. To try to suggest he's somehow "helping" firms by continuing to impose taxes on them and the burden of compliance is, quite simply, disingenuous.

Small firms on the high street? Which country is he talking about? In Britain it's nearly all Charity Shops because they only pay 20% of the astronomical Business Rates. Where's the reduction in Business Rates to help the high street, Mr Chancellor?

He may be Tory, but he's definitely not pro-business.

Behold the Lumia 535 NOTkia: Microsoft wipes Nokia brand from mobes

Shagbag

Re: Just one question....

That's two.

Shagbag

Re: Meh

It no secret that in the mobile phone market, Microsoft are the 'bottom feeders'. The only commercial success they've managed in smartphones is at the 'budget' end of the spectrum. They know it and everyone else knows it. Which is why they've announced the Lumia 535 as the first 'Microsoft' branded smartphone and not made some Quixotic play for dominance with a 'high-end' Lumia device as the first 'Microsoft' branded smartphone. To try and fault Microsoft for playing to their strengths is misdirected.

Trials of 'Iron Man' military exoskeleton due in June

Shagbag

Another case of bullshit from the military?

I thought North Korea was bad, but this takes the biscuit.

"Hey, we've got this exo-thingy ready to trial, we're just looking for a military grade extension lead that'll plug in to the nearest working wall socket we find on the battlefield. Ideally, it'll come with adapters for US, UK and European sockets."

Hey, G20. Please knock it off with the whole tax loophole thing - we're good guys, really

Shagbag

Is corporation tax relevant?

Shareholders are either taxed on dividends or - if the company doesn't distribute its earnings - capital gains when the shares are sold. The shareholder usually gets a credit for the amount of tax the corporation has actually paid. So, if the corporation pays no tax, the HMRC just gets it from the shareholders.

Peggy Hodge and her cronies can moan and moan as much as they like, but they should do what we're paying them to do: pass legislation.

There's a lot of media hyper-or-shite about companies avoiding tax, but the silence is deafening when it comes to criticism of MPs for complaining about the very tax laws that they passed.

Alicia Keys throws in towel on BlackBerry's creative director job

Shagbag

So Blackberry has stopped giving her a RIM-job?

Datawind's low cost Aakash tab comes to UK, US

Shagbag

Re: It's £30 for a reason

Maybe, but I don't want to risk anything more expensive on my 3yo son.

Tube be or not tube be: Apple’s CYLINDRICAL Mac Pro is out tomorrow

Shagbag

Re: How long before...

I have to admit that I was 'wowed' when it was first announced. Looking at it now though - in light of all the hype around any Apple product - the cylindrical design is in danger of succumbing to thoughts of an empty giant BOG ROLL. I seriously doubt PC manufacturers will be chomping at the bit to reproduce this design. I'd expect they'd be halting manufacture of ANY new designs, while the PC market continues to go down - on topic - the shitter.

Apple's GOLDEN BLING MOBE still the top selling US handset

Shagbag

"in America"

I'd be shocked if it wasn't.

I KNOW how to SAVE Microsoft. Give Windows 8 away for FREE – analyst

Shagbag

2 cents?

...more like a full dollar there.

Where do HPC brainbox students go after ULTIMATE VICTORY?

Shagbag

They should go for a job at a game development studio. I hear its very rewarding. Of course they'll need to be degree qualified with a minimum of 5 years post-degree experience. Or so the job advert says.

BlackBerry rejected Justin Bieber as brand ambassador

Shagbag

Re: Who?

...or Alexandra Burke or whoever they ended up settling with as their 'Blackberry Ambassador'. No Ferrero Rochers for BB this XMAS.

Facebook offshores HUGE WAD OF CASH to Caymans - via Ireland

Shagbag

Starbucks

I see people are still queueing at Starbucks everyday to get their coffee. So much for the 'mass' public outrage.

Oh no, RBS has gone titsup again... but is it JUST BAD LUCK?

Shagbag

Re: Ha Ha Ha

"It seems like the technical people that develop and keep the systems running are the real masters of the universe, not the bankers"

I'll just get my Battle Cat then....

Android tablets to outsell laptops by 2017: IDC

Shagbag

So Thomas Watson was right after all...

"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."

Amazon's non-existent drone delivery army ALREADY P0WNED

Shagbag

Amazon Skeet

In a country where everyone has the right to bear arms, I can imagine that Amazon will lose a few of these drones every year.

Apple prepping 4K resolution 12.9-inch MaxiPad – report

Shagbag

Re: Seems a bit pointless

It's vapourware and, given their recent offerings, by the time it does become tangible it'll be 6+ months old tech-wise. But that won't stop the faithful from buying it. You can knock Apple all you like but they consistently manage to shift old technology at premium prices. When you think about it, it's startling that they can continue to do this.

Judge upholds UK ban on HTC phones, but HTC One gets a pass – for now

Shagbag

HTC imploding

This might turn out to be a good thing for HTC. They've got too many handsets that are too close together tech-wise and they need to rationalise their product offering. Then they need to get back to old fashioned customer support. Fix bugs, push updates to older models, write more apps for Google Play, etc. It's not rocket science. They should make me CEO.

Stuxnet 2 in the works, claims Iranian news agency

Shagbag

Stuxnet 2? Far fetched?

Stuxnet 2 was discovered in 2010 when VirusBlokAda stumbled across it. It was only upon its analysis that researchers discovered Stuxnet 1 and traced it back to a 2007 sample code upload to Virustotal. Researchers admit that without Stuxnet 2, it was extremely unlikely Stuxnet 1 would have been discovered.

So Iran's claim of a new Stuxnet variant (Stuxnet 3) is not far-fetched at all. The success of Stuxnet 1 in remaining hidden for a number of years only to be subsequently discovered by chance, is ample evidence that cyber-warfare is (a) effective, and (b) if done correctly, can remain effective for a long time.

While Iran - and other countries - continue to pursue a policy of nuclear enrichment (HEU or not), they will remain a target for countries that already possess the technology and do not want to see a proliferation of it.

Swollen Reg reader recounts FALSE WIDOW spider HORROR

Shagbag

Urban Myth

I remember similar stories when I was in Oz 20 years ago. Since then, the 'necrosis' legend has turned out to be an urban myth. See http://www.australasian-arachnology.org/myths/white-tailed-spider/

It reminds me of the 'aggressive Grey Nurse shark" phobia in the 1970s which Ron and Val Taylor campained against at the time. It turned out that they were right all along. Grey Nurse sharks were, in fact, very timid.

Shagbag

My thoughts exactly.

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/about-us/news/2013/october/is-it-or-isnt-it-false-widow-spider-update124607.html

US puts Assange charge in too-hard basket - report

Shagbag

"broken bail and contempt of court"

It reminds me of Central America during the 1980s. I also doubt the decision about how to police Assange had any input from Assange and was entirely politically driven.

'Best known female architect' angrily defends gigantic vagina

Shagbag

Re: No idea

Agreed. What kind of 'damn fine' architect designs a football stadium that looks like a vulva?

Jury: Samsung must cough $290m of $379m Apple wanted - NOT in 5 cent pieces

Shagbag

Re: "Apple told El Reg in a statement"

My thoughts exactly.

A leopard can't change its spots and there's been no change in Apple's approach to PR.

The only reason why Apple have issued a statement to El Reg is because Apple are trying to get a message out any way they can when it is obvious - even to Apple - that this is a major blow to Apple's patent jihad.

Wolfram's new equation: Mathematica+RPi=child geniuses everywhere

Shagbag

Mathematica for children?

I always thought Mathematica was a university-level piece of software like MatLab.

Rogue trader gets 2½ years for BILLION-dollar Apple share plot

Shagbag

Fucking idiot

Having been in the finance industry for >20 years it still continues to surprise me how much these individual are willing to lose, just to make a quick buck.

He now has a criminal record - for fraud.

He is no longer employable in the securities industry - ever.

He is unlikely to get an office job - ever.

Going to prison, he will either get gang-bashed or gang-raped - the choice is his. I have numerous friends who are criminal law solicitors and they all tell me this is exactly what happens in prison.

Was it really worth it?

NORKS breaks ground on new high-tech industrial park

Shagbag

"as well as a power plant"

Continuity of power supply in NK is a known problem, but I can't see how an independent power plant will solve NK's lack-of-fuel problem.

Seriously, I doubt there is any truth in the story.

Except for China, I doubt there are any 'foreign' investors willing to take the political risk of NK (ie. subsequent wholesale nationalisation of the plant by the DPRK). The only thing China could gain would be the absence of labour costs. I have no doubt that DPRK will use its unskilled, Gulag labour (yes, those labour camps that DPRK refuses to acknowledge exist despite the testimony of satellite imagery and NK defectors). Unskilled labour, poor quality control and an unacceptably high spoilage rate will make the venture uneconomic - even with zero labour cost.

The whole story is nothing but DPRK propaganda.

Investors on Microsoft: What, Ballmer, leaving? Hand me my wallet

Shagbag

That depends...

...on what were they worth before he took the job.

ETERNAL PATENT WAR: Apple and Samsung locked in battle again

Shagbag
Joke

Re: Sigh

"We need someone to expose the shenanigans and put it out in the public view and within the range of the public's legal understanding"

google Florian Muller. :-D

We've invented the FONBLET, says Samsung

Shagbag

It'll fail

The 'phablet' genie is already out of the bottle. This attempt by Samsung to differentiate itself and take control of terminology is doomed to failure (phailure?). Just like MSFT's pathetic attempt to call their tablets 'slates', which has hopelessly failed as the word 'tablet' was already in common usage by then and continues to be the dominant term used in the market today.

Samsung: Get ready to BEND OVER – foldable fondleslabs 'by 2016'...

Shagbag

Re: "rather terrible advert"

I quite liked it. It had that family-run-supermarket-chic look about it.

Australia hobbles self in tech tax chase

Shagbag

The rapacious, money-hungry ATO beast is at it again

With Australia's Franking Credit System the clearest indicator that Corporate Taxes are nothing more than a pre-payment of shareholders' Personal Income Tax, it now decides that foreigners (not resident shareholders) should pay Australian tax on an Australia citizen's offshore purchases. I fail to see the difference between an Australian who buys a suit from a HongKong tailor while in HongKong on holiday, and when he buys another suit from the same HongKong tailor, but when he's back in Oz using the internet. Is 'being in the country when you clicked the mouse' really grounds for determining the source of the income? Why should the HongKong tailor have to pay any Australian tax? He doesn't live there. He doesn't use any of its public services. IMHO, the ATO has no moral right to put their hand in his pocket but, clearly, they think they do.

Shame Australia. Shame.

Number-crunching quant cooks up gambling machine, promises untold RICHES

Shagbag

Predicting the future

If his system was so good, why is he (a) employed, and (b) selling it?

These people are no different from those you see in Westerns selling 'elixir' from the top of a cart. Same scam, different stage.

Apple Store workers' inner journey revealed

Shagbag

Genius

I went to the apple store on regent street a few years ago. It was a memorable experience. Firstly, because it was my first of two visits I've ever made, but mainly because of the encounter I had with a shop "genius". Not only could he not tell me if the intel chips in their mac book airs supported virtualisation, but he also tried to suggest OSX was the first 64 bit OS, a title which iirc belongs to Solaris. More droid than genius.

Cameron pledges public access to list of who REALLY owns firms

Shagbag

Evasion vs. Avoidance

Evasion is not paying tax that is legally due to be paid, ie. breaking the law. Avoidance is the opposite: no laws are broken because no tax was ever due - the person simply structured their affairs and planned their transactions so that the long arm of HMRC has no right to be in their pocket, taking 40%+ of what they earn.

As to the register. It's admirable but, it will fail unless everyone else does it. Even then, how is it ever going to deal with 'Bearer' securities? What use is an entry in the register that says:

"the beneficial ownership of these securities is with the entity that can produce them on their demand."

I'm all for going after tax evaders, but the question of avoidance should not come into such discussions. Avoidance is legal. If a taxpayer is not allowed to understand the law and work within it, then the UK is no different from a totalitarian regime. If you don't agree with avoidance, then blame the legislature for not making new laws. Don't simply criticise someone for obeying the law.

Nokia wins UK patent spat: Quick, let's boot HTC One out of Blighty

Shagbag

they deserve what comes to them

They will be get what comes to them. However, I can't see the Courts granting injuctive relief. Equitable remedies are normally only given where common law damages cannot suffice.

Vietnam jails man for Facebook freedom campaign

Shagbag

I've been to Vietnam

and the divide between North and South is still obvious. People in the South are more friendly to Westerners, more willing to haggle for a deal and generally very pleasant. In the North, the people are suspicious of Westerners, insist on an inflated price and thereby lose trade, and generally try to fleece Westerners all the time.

North Vietnam is cold, dark and grey. South Vietnam is warm, bright and sunny.

'Tablet' no longer means 'iPad': Apple share PLUMMETS below 30%

Shagbag

Re: Shipment doesn't mean...

"I've got friends with various android tablets (bought cheap) they used them for a few weeks and gave up (due to the horrid screen interaction), most of them now either use an iPad mini or went back to their laptops."

Well I've got friends who bought an iPad, found it too limiting (sharing files anyone?), and sold it to buy an Android tablet where things are just easier.

In fact I've got more friends who this happened to than your friends, so Android is winning.

And if anyone tries to come back and say they've got more friends who went to iPad than my friends who went to Android, well, you're wrong. It's an impossibility. I have more friends who went from iPad to Android thay anyone on this whole entire planet. So there. My friends count wins. Android wins. Apple loses. Apple is for losers.

Shagbag

Peak Apple

I'm surprised Apple's market share lead has lasted so long. What we're now seeing is to be expected. When you're at the top, there's only one way you can go.

What's disappointing with Apple is their repeated failure to 'excite' the media with their recent offerings. There has been nothing 'revolution'. It's all been 'evolution'. And the media, quite rightly, thinks that pants.

For all his personal failings, Steve Jobs was a leader who instilled unquestionable faith in his followers by delivering again and again. He was a tough act to follow and the current board look amateur in comparison.

Apple has peaked. Unquestionably.

Moto sets out plans for crafty snap-together PODULAR PHONES

Shagbag

The 'endoskeleton'..

..is an inferior design to the mezoskeleton. It'll either fail or succeed.

Blighty's telcos set to CHOKE off another fistful of piracy gateways

Shagbag

The Jeeny he out of the bottul. Fucks to MPAA.

Big Content says Pirates of the Caribbean do their worst in Australia

Shagbag

As a friend said to me...

...he'll stop buying pirated DVDs the day Hollywood can't afford to pay Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, et. al. all the $$$$$$$$$ they do. Until then, he'll continue to opt for the cheaper version.

Everything's going to be all white: Google Nexus 5 mobe expected Friday

Shagbag

5C is safe

thieves will go after mobes with a ready re-sale value. Given that 50% of the population is female, that means the iPhone will always be their target of choice. 5S is more feminine than 5C so thieves want that one.

In a meeting with a woman? For pity's sake don't read this

Shagbag

Yawn

TECH WAR: Brummies say firms 'lose out' in London's Tech City

Shagbag

Scotland's out of the question because the natives still eat people

That's not right. The Scots don't do anything except spend their benefit cheques on Tennent's Super. Their two "greatest" financial institutions - RBS and Bank of Scotland - had to be bailed out by the taxpayer. Just like their economy every year. And they still suffer from the delusion they have rights to the UK's North Sea. LOL, have another 6 cans. On the taxpayer (of course).

Shagbag

SILICON ROUNDABOUT!!!!

I love that moniker!

Once I used to genuinely feel embarrassed at its mention, but now I've overcome this feeling and I'm liberated. Yes, it's cringe-worthy. Yes, it's Pants. And yes, it is a term invented by "cool" Westminster media types.

Let Birmingham have their HS2. Keep the 'Silicon Roundabout' in London!

Reg reader's nipper takes felt pens to Vulture 2

Shagbag

Not even Damien Hirst or Banksey can claim that one.

I don't believe their artwork has ever gone into Space.

Magnificent. :thumbsup:

Hard-as-woodpecker-lips MOUSE GOBBLES live scorpion, LAUGHS off stings to face

Shagbag

Magic Man Done It

Go Intelligent Design! Whoa! Bring it on!

Microsoft: Ha ha, my Wall Street friends - THIS time the victory is OURS

Shagbag

Lies, damn lies and statistics

"profits of $5.24bn (up 17 per cent year on year) and earnings per share of $0.63 on record first-quarter revenues of $18.53bn (up 16 per cent)...Nothing could please investors more, and Microsoft's shares climbed more than 5.6 per cent during after-hours trading on the news".

Now, taking a look at the MSFT share price performance (what investors care about).

Year to date returns:

MSFT = +3.14%

S&P500 = +4.08%

So there you have it. An investor would have done better by just investing in an Index fund.

One for Eadon...MSFT FAIL!

Samsung swallows $340k fine for renting trolls to TRASH-TALK HTC phones

Shagbag

Astroturfing

I'd expect HTC is doing the same thing.

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