Posts by Mitch Kent
87 posts • joined Friday 28th March 2008 11:09 GMT
Evidently I must be the only one.
Lets start with QR codes. I've used them, my missus (a nurse) has used them. They aren't rocket science once someone has explained how and are a lot easier than manually typing in web links.
As for NFC, I have a Galaxy Nexus and a bunch of NFC tags. When I get home, I tap the tag in the kitchen. Wifi is turned on, brightness turned up, etc. When I tap the tag on my bedside table, alarms are set, brightness set to low, media volume set to low...
Oh and the tags mean you don't even have to open an app. Putting your phone next to a poster is virtually zero effort. (Whilst QR codes basically have no extra cost to the advertiser)
You're restricting these technologies to advertising a little prematurely, and they do have a purpose, so what's the harm if they help even a few? I don't get the hate.
Posted in Ten... e-cars and hybrids
Re: MPG?
My Honda CBF125 gets just over 100mpg to and from work (25 miles each way).
Plus I get to filter through the traffic...
When the electric bikes start coming, that's when I'll really be interested!
Re: Turkey
"They should be looking at what NZ have done - specify how stuff talks to each other and let the market sort it out."
I seriously can't believe this isn't an obvious thing. Specify how they talk and then each node is a much smaller project, more manageable, and if one invariably fails it's much less of a big deal, can be rolled out into phases, some existing systems might only need translation/façades... Boggles the mind...
Re: GoldenPalace.com
Oh the temptation to click this whilst at work is too much to bear! ;-)
Re: Paying off your student loan is the worst idea possible
My main gripe was with all the presumptions you made, and, well, they're in full force again.
I worked full time every summer, and part time during term. How do you know what terms my student loan are on or who had worse? Perhaps I never got the full loan because of my parents earnings, but then maybe my parents never gave me money for uni? (Nor do I see why what they earn is relevant, I'm 18+, and shouldn't be tied to my parents in that way, but that's a different debate)...
How do you know whatever amounts we individually got would go as far in Lincoln as it would in London as it would in Loughborough etc?
I have no intent of going through my bank statements of yesteryear, all I ask is that you stop making presumptions as to financial status of others.
Re: Paying off your student loan is the worst idea possible
Whilst I'm pleased you're one of the many who can afford these things, not all of us had the privilege of being able to afford university on Student Loans alone. If these guys are able to pay off the debt as well as stick some in savings, then great for them, but please don't assume everyone can get through uni on the same finances as you.
Re: Re: DEAR MICROSOFT...
I don't think you can have several languages at once, but you can reinstall from a disk and choose english. That's what I did when I bought my laptop in Germany. Takes a while to get used to the character keys being in different places but you'll be an expert touch typist in no time!
There is a middle ground here I feel
Yes, most apps will ask to use the internet for ads etc, can't help there. But, for making calls or sending texts or other potentially high cost actions I think the warnings, whilst already there, could be more pronounced.
A popup for example
"This application wants to be able to send SMS messages. The explanation from the developer is below. Only accept if you accept the consequences and potential costs" Then a text box the dev can fill in saying "I need to do this because I want to send MMS of cats to your family" or whatever.
Still need to prove you are who you say you are
Having just done this to take a crappy phone to the festival I daren't mention, they required outright that I supply them with valid ID for them to note down else they wouldn't be able to give me a PAYG sim card and insisted it was a legal requirement, even when I pushed back hard.
Posted in Ten... festival survival gadgets
In the dead of night
A lot of thieving goes on late late at night - as long as it wakes you and the tents around you up (They'd probably be grateful as they would either have just been or be next on the list) then it sounds like a good idea to me.
As for taking phones, we bought cheap Nokia's especially. Tenner each, battery lasts forever, don't care if they got lost. Easy.
Agree that anyone who takes speakers needs a kick in the arse.
Makes me seriously consider...
Changing my name to John Smith...
I wonder
How much those figures will grow in the ten years since they were published?
I admit I work in IT, but...
I know a lot of people with Android phones, and I think about 1/10 people I know *haven't* rooted their phones.
Coincidentally, both of those own the Wildfire, the "cheap and cheerful" smartphone.
Posted in Chinese teen flogs kidney to buy iPad
This would be a funnier story if...
...he'd done it for a Wii
Posted in Microsoft unveils Windows Phone 7 8
I think they've actually bucked their ideas up a bit...
I was a long-time linux user who out of professional curiosity tried the windows 7 RC. I now own a paid copy as I thought it was very good, and a lot better than the ubuntu distro I was using at the time. It's not perfect, but what is?
And, as an android user I also like to tweak my phone. Playing around with launchers I ended up giving one a go that imitates the windows phone 7 UI and you know what? I've kept it. I really like it, it's snappy, useful, and I still have the joys of android in everything except home screen.
There will always be windows haters. But then again, I always thought I would be one of them...
Posted in Pint-sized 3D printer produced
Too true...
... though not only for themselves ...
Look forward to all new sorts of harrassment charges...
Forgive my ignorance, but...
... aren't the suppliers of content already paying more, in that they have to pay for a wider tube to upload from? Why is there a second tier needed for us to download X in preference over Y when that payment for extra bandwidth has already been paid?
Posted in When is a database not so relational?
"Deep Dive"
For the Next article with "Deep Dive" at the forefront, can we please have a little more than a summary?
Posted in Books biz talks up Kindle effect
I forget how easy it is to write to my MP thanks to writetothem.org.uk
And you've prompted me to do so on the matter :-)
I desperately want an Atrix, and am already on Orange, but...
I hate Orange, the network is awful, and I will be waiting to buy Sim Free so I can get out of this god-forsaken contract.
Yes the peripherals are expensive but hey-ho, early adopter premium.
It was a bit of a mess
And the whole lottery Did you buy/didn't you buy thing is why I just ignored it. We registered but the complete lack of knowledge of what you are going to see means that there just wasn't the confidence to bother trying for anything. I wonder how much they lost out on punters similar to me? (They'll probably make it back though on punters that over booked ;-) )
Posted in New tech lets you drink exhaust fumes
Not quite good sire.
You still have all the muck out in the air, it just wont be as wet.
Posted in A glimpse at Amazon's app store
Granted I haven't thought on this too long yet, but...
Amazon e-book readers yes eink tech, which android wont run.
They already supply an android app for kindle...
What makes you think they will merge the two? Or are you proposing some sort of amazon android tablet?
Completely agree!
Sod movies - put reruns of TMNT, Thundercats, My litte pony et al and you're onto a winner.
Posted in UK extends IT spending controls
That maybe true...
.. But *hopefully* 5 smaller projects are easier to manage than one Massive project.
Unfortunately wrong.
"However with the purchase of LoveFiLM"
...
http://www.lovefilm.com/features/detail.html?editorial_id=29959
Exactly
The point often forgotten about here is that you have to install these things yourself, and frankly the second you start searching the 3rd party markets is the second you start really scrutinising what the apps security permissions are.
And yes, there are some people who don't know what this mean, but most of them are caught by also not knowing how to install 3rd party apps in the third place...
I was the same... (though my loyalty was always to symbian, not nokia)
But after less than a year with my N97 I went with the HTC Desire and it is a new league. I miss the qwerty keyboard, the device's hardware was solid, but the desire has sublime build quality as well and the OS is just leaps and bounds ahead. It will take a *lot* to get me back onto a Nokia platform, and even more onto a windows one...
Not there quite yet
People still have to fork out more for an e-book than even a hardback sometimes...
But its progress...
+1 from me too
If I couldn't give a monkey's uncle about the security of the site, then it gets my standard low grade easy password. I only save the tricky stuff for sites that can charge me money...
Less sucky
...if you have sky but not O2 :D
Looked like it could be useful for tracking the progress of bugs and fixes
But as its google hosted we could never test it out. Give us an open source server we can host and maybe we might be able to make some use of it...
The Mensa site once had a similar statistic
They had "2% (1 in 50) can join...."
I just checked but they've removed it since then. You would think those who even know what Mensa is would probably be able to work it out...
"Allow automatic export of this address?"
What is wrong with a simple check box next to the email field when you input it, default to unchecked, that says you allow the automatic export of your email address?
I genuinely never thought there would be a use for this...
...but I can flare my nostrils by quite a margin. Worst party trick suddenly greatest hope for privacy of mankind?
Posted in Mobile devices hit Trevor's spot
Great for typing prose, not for coding/sysadmin stuff
Plus I was getting too fast and found the learning non-existent. If they could combine powers with swiftkey and make it a little easier to, say change mode or something to make it easier for console access, then swype would be my only input. It deserves it's praise, but its still very immature and has a way to go.
Posted in WTF is... DLNA?
Try renaming to .avi
It's a problem I've seen on other implementations - no guarantee's but you might get lucky. I believe the phrase used where I read the fix was "inelegant but easy".
Posted in Android Market shows hand at 100k Apps
People also seem to forget that Android openness
...doesn't just get you a more open app market, but gets you, if you like, more than one app market.
Posted in Android Market shows hand at 100k Apps
*sigh*
"I am sure iphone must do something similar."
You can't berate the Android system for not doing something under the *assumption* that the iPhone one does.v Especially when the Android system *does* do this anyway...
Posted in Next fashions budget 10in Android tablet
+1
The updates do vastly improve the accuracy, and they are coming out thick and fast. Yes they rushed it out early - too early - but they are catching up quick and in the meantime we have it in our hands.
Posted in Orange goes High Definition
Not just calls...
I have issues with data and text messages also. Worse lately (I'm guessing t-mobile integration) but I regularly go without data in areas I know I have had it before and will get text messages hours after they have sent and out of order. Sadly I have at least another year until my contract runs out - so they have time to rectify it - but if they do not I will be going. (that and the crap they stick on their phones as extra features you can't get rid of like monopoly trials really get on my nerves...)
Posted in Orange mobile data chucks punters
Exactly the same
And I'm sworn off them for my next contract. Data unreliability is annoying, but the SMS delays are simply unacceptable these days.
Posted in Street View hauled into Spanish court
I'm curious...
Who would actually end up being spanked if these various countries find laws broken?
Title
My first assumption was that the software he is referring to is iTunes...
Posted in ASA: You can't say 'f**k'
Agreed
Every story that you hear in the media about the ASA always starts with the widespread complaints from < 5 people.
Somehow they kick up enough fuss to warrant the power and news coverage.
Yeah, but...
Chances are these guys paid nada for the phone and got it subsidised by Voda. (Yes I realise you pay for it in the long run etc)
Not that I think they should be allowed to do this - the way I see it is if they subsidise my phone, I actually don't mind them installing some trials and whatever else on my phone - its hindering the ability for me to try, realise I don't like, and remove that is the big no-no for me.
Let's just hope...
...that Orange take note.
Obviously I'm not expecting much...
Posted in Perseid meteors - brace for endazzlement
10/10?
My pre-GCSE geography class told me that it was measured in eighths. It was a good few years until I found anything else measured that way...
Its not that subtle
The way android tells you what security features each app will use before you install it means that, frankly, this is a user stupidity problem. Subtly recording info and posting it over the network is hard to notice from a rogue app, but a media player that sends out premium rate sms? The warnings are on the install screen and are in red writing.
