* Posts by Eddy Ito

4662 publicly visible posts • joined 27 Apr 2007

Google engineer finds British spyware on PCs and smartphones

Eddy Ito

Re: You wont find it on IOS

To be fair AC a.k.a. the OP said "you won't find it". Perhaps it was a reference to it being better hidden in the free [insert whatever the kiddies targets are into here] apps.

Pret-a-porter: LG boffins' bendy battery can be worn as PANTS

Eddy Ito

One thing left

Since it's bendy and all, why not just go ahead and build in a recharging system that uses the bending to generate power? That way with the battery around your knee it would recharge while you jog and discharge on the bog for true compute anywhere power.

Publishers pony up $69m in ebook price-fixing settlement

Eddy Ito

Well

I can give you the current standard spiel of dead trees are practically free, shipping & handling cost nothing, blah, blah... most of the money goes to the author's cut, marketing, editing, blah, blah... the best we can possibly do is $2 off the hardcover price until the paperback comes out then it will be $1.50 less than that. The audiobook is typically cheaper because we contract that out and they handle the blah, blah costs. Yadda, yadda, school textbooks cost a lot no matter what because blah, profit, yadda more profit.

Windows 8 tablets unwrapped in Berlin: Dell goes keyless for ARM

Eddy Ito

Re: Sony Tap 20

"It sits within reach and has a resolution of 1920 x 1200"

That's part of my point, because the device is supposed to be touched and nearer the eyes, it needs a resolution a bit better than a mid range 15" laptop. Add to that all the foolishness with ribbons, blessed be the dev who auto-hides or lets me close the ribbon - that's not you PTC with your fixed 200 pixel ribbon, and that paltry 900 pixel height becomes a serious liability.

Eddy Ito
WTF?

Sony Tap 20

Seriously a 20 inch touch screen at 1600 x 900? Do they get that it's a touch screen and won't likely be used at a bit beyond arm's length like a normal monitor? Either their vision is very different from mine or their glasses have fish-eye lenses.

Apple Mac OS X Server for Mountain Lion review

Eddy Ito

Re: Come on people!

The bargain basement price is because all they add is a few pretty gui tools to the bits of FLOSS that is either hidden or withheld in the basic OS. It was never very hard to turn on or upgrade the included servers and install the bits that weren't included if you didn't mind using other admin tools but you also didn't have artificial limits on the number of users. Now for £14 you get most of the software and a UI that matches the rest of the OS, it's probably worth it if the stuff is kept up to date.

Republican manifesto calls for internet freedom but no net neutrality

Eddy Ito
Devil

It is a bit silly

Of course it begs the question, do Apple, Amazon and Google count as foreign firms? Let's face it any company hiding a good portion of their profits offshore using the Double Irish with a Dutch Sandwich tax trick can't seriously be counted as a domestic firm. Who said Apple doesn't innovate? And don't think they would have patented that trick if they could gotten away with it.

Firefox 15 offers fewer leaks, more frags

Eddy Ito
Thumb Up

Ok, next question

How far along is this in their Boot to Gecko project? I really hope it comes along fairly quickly because it is just what the mobile market needs. If it's so easy and performs so well it could be quite a kick in the app shop nuts to Apple, Google & Amazon. I purposefully left MS off the list because they seem to be in stealth mode even with all the hype.

Hong Kong beauties stiffed by hackers' enormous poll attack

Eddy Ito

Re: Having a surname....

Actually the Carat and Tracy bits are their "English" names. Their surnames are Cheung and Chu respectively and likewise their given names are Ming-nga and Chin-suet. Further, I'd wager she intended the name to be Carol and not Carat but something got lost in translation somewhere.

Oh, better pics, head shots anyway, here.

Google gets hands on 'glove-cam' patent

Eddy Ito

In other news

As expected, shortly following the release of Google's patented G-love a popular internet site known as YouTube, also owned by Google, has crashed. We understand the YouTube servers all simultaneously failed following a massive upload of videos consisting of hours of nose picking, arse scratching and other videos. Officials of YouTube didn't say twat those videos consisted of but we are confident our viewing audience will be able to finger it out.

Neil Armstrong dies aged 82

Eddy Ito
Pint

Re: He would

Simply amazing, he was a guy who just did it. Briefly, he was co-pilot of a B-29 while dropping a D558 Skyrocket, flew a Bell X1B and drove the X-15 to 4,500 mph at 200K+ feet it only seems natural he was the first to plant his boots on the moon. To say he was just doing his job doesn't cut it. It amazes me every time I hear his voice, "it's almost like a powder" as if he is describing the snow at the top of the ski lift on any other Monday morning. There is no cucumber with more cool. He was on the moon and going to work. A master of understatement, he took "one" small step without consideration of his many other small steps that were equally giant leaps for mankind. Cheers.

Eddy Ito
Pint

So long Neil

I'd have preferred to drink this with you. RIP

Jury awards Apple $1bn damages in Samsung patent case

Eddy Ito

So

Samsung got a bloody nose in round 1. Since this fight is a long way from over when does the bell ring for the next round? Oh, does anyone want popcorn or a beer while I'm up?

Nokia's WinPho 8 double date announced

Eddy Ito

Re: I am curious.

About the only reasons I can think of are that he is naked shorting the stock or has unresolved issues perhaps caused by an old phone that wasn't "cool" enough.

China could penetrate US with new huge missile

Eddy Ito
Pirate

Re: Dear Mr Cheery

Actually they are believed to have one Type 092 Xia class and a few of the newer Jin class Type 094 SSBN with more on the way until the Tang class, Type 096 development is done. If you like, you can zoom in here and see a couple for yourself.

We're raising generations of MUTANT KIDS, says Icelandic study

Eddy Ito

Re: Evolution of intelligence?

Yes but the important question is will the distribution be normal, linear or something else entirely? Many moons ago when I dated a high school teacher it seems that many exams had an inverted bell curve with lots of As, lots of Fs and not many in between.

Want a Windows 8 Start Button? Open source to the rescue!

Eddy Ito

fixed??

"any time you try to run a 'optimized for TIFKAM' app"

And one would do that, why?

LOHAN turns up the heat on Vulture 2 motor

Eddy Ito

Re: tuppence

Agreed, which is why the preheat would still be needed. The caps would just provide a means to postpone the big chill but it would really depend on what the rate of ascent is. There's always silica aerogel or hollow micro-spheres for good insulation but those get pricey pretty quick.

Eddy Ito

tuppence

As an on board option, caps are pretty light and cheap. A set of 10F caps running through that Polyimide Thermofoil might keep LOHAN warm enough to light her fire. That said, I imagine it would be more of an insurance thing with the preheat on the ground and let the caps do what they can on the trip up.

T-Mobile USA: Our new unlimited data plan is actually unlimited

Eddy Ito
Meh

What they aren't saying

"$20 per month when added to a bring-your-own-device plan"

Sure the plan sounds nice but where do you get such a device if not from T-Mob? Here in the US they are the only carrier on the 1700 MHz frequency that I know of, so if you don't have a compatible device you're looking at EDGE all the time. That's a treat, free adware at speeds on the EDGE aren't worth the price. I've been looking for a while but finding a handset that fits the works isn't easy unless you have plenty of cash for the high end or are willing to settle for a piss poor handset. It's the reason why don't they have the iPhone and the same reason they didn't carry the Palm WebOS phones and I really wanted a Veer or Pre. I may very well wind up building my own phone.

Apple TV: Rubbish, you don't like documentaries – I'll just flick to porn

Eddy Ito

Siri

Is this another piece of Cupertinian spyware? Can Apple really patent FaceTVbook? Siri? Siri!!!

... no carrier...

Argh! Again!?

McAfee puts Barnaby Jack on car-jacking hackers' case

Eddy Ito

Re: Fixed.

One minor problem, TPMS sensors are already wireless. NTN has demonstrated wireless ABS sensors. The industry is moving to something more like a wireless version of CAN, quite possibly because it doesn't make much sense to have miles of copper control wire inside an automobile when the same can be done with a single loop providing Vcc, the chassis providing ground and wireless for data and control. Compare that with the typical CAN bus or USB having Vcc, gnd, data hi & data low.

As in the linked article, it's already possible to fool TPMS going down the road at over 40 mph and it wouldn't be hard to get someone to pull over while the attacker plays "good Samaritan" and ultimately steals the "disabled" car. Now imagine the attacker is a bit more aggressive and can tap into the brakes as well so he doesn't really need to play the con game. Many cars are already throttle by wire and I don't think it will be long before those wires go away. Of course the upside to all this is the mechanic will be able to diagnose your car without having to get grease on the seats. I call it an upside because for most people cars are already too complex to perform any serious repairs yourself.

Networking industry to collaborate on TERABIT Ethernet

Eddy Ito

So in summary

As prices drop, adoption of faster technologies increases and there appears to be a need for a premium product to replace the current one as the current premium product tends toward commodity prices. Got it.

Disney sitcom says open source is insecure

Eddy Ito
Coffee/keyboard

Re: "“Did you use open source code to save time, and the virus was hidden in it?”"

Let's not forget that the girl knew "the virus was hidden in it" and installed it anyway. To top it all off, even having the code to fix it she needs the help of this abradant argyle clad toady child with a correctable visual impairment?

Now then, what's up with the reversed logo in the lower right of that picture or was this filmed from inside the TV?

Messed keyboard because there isn't a "vomit" or "kill me now" icon.

Eddy Ito
Childcatcher

Re: As freetard...

As a person who speaks English, I am deeply offended by the English skills displayed by these children and the writers.

Don't download that app: US presidential candidates will STALK you with it

Eddy Ito
Holmes

Ah ha!

That would explain the odd political call I got this weekend on my few days old mobile number that I've only given to about a dozen people, mostly family and friends. They knew who I was, where I lived and asked if I was going to register to vote and who I was favoring in the presidential election. Of course being my normal pol loathing self I replied, "the other pinhead who didn't have his lackeys call me" and promptly hung up. Pity I don't have more tact, I could have pumped them for information but I was a tad startled. It was a bit eerie they knew so much considering how little time I've been at my current address.

Now then, given that I have an aunt who is a SuperDemocrat and an uncle who is UltraRepublican and I wouldn't put it past either to install one of these apps that gave me up to the machine. I guess I'll be making a few calls to see who installed what, hopefully they both did and I can double the fun.

Curiosity's laser turns Mars rocks to 'glowing plasma'

Eddy Ito
Thumb Up

Simply intense

I remember watching the first shuttle launch when I was young and this seems to have the same level of excitement. I think it's that laser that's so stimulating.

Exposing China's vast underground economy

Eddy Ito
FAIL

Re: Pendant Alert!

Actually there is a California University it just happens to be located in California, Pennsylvania. That said, since the paper is posted on the ucsd.edu domain, I think we can safely conclude it is the San Diego campus of the University of California and not California University. You wouldn't happen to be from California, the State, would you?

Apple seeks cable connection for set-top box

Eddy Ito

Re: Why on earth would you want to pay over the top rpice for an Apple television ?

"yes, but Apple kit "just works" so you don't have worry about anything breaking"

You know it's a TV don't you? I had a monster sized Zenith, the cabinet not the tube, that lasted for 25+ years and it just worked the whole time. Hell even the ultrasonic remote control just worked the whole time. It would probably work today if not for stupid movers, their ability to drive and pack a truck; I'll also add that no TV would survive what they did.

Raspberry Pi now comes in Firefox OS flavour

Eddy Ito

Inasmuch as there are no flies on Oleg, can we call it Shoo-fly Pi?

British boffin builds cool maser after argument with wife

Eddy Ito

As always...

Cherchez la femme

Did Mitt Romney really get 117,000 REAL Twitter followers in ONE DAY?

Eddy Ito

Re: sorry UK readers

"the US has never seen a country it didn't need to police or nation build (except its own)"

Oh, that isn't quite true. We do a fair bit of internal nation building of our own all the time, it's just that sometimes we give it a different surname but the given name is always the same, "War on". It doesn't matter if it's a war on blight, smoking, drugs, terrorism, etc.; it always winds up being cast on our backs. Here's one that has been making the rounds lately, "United States v. 434 Main Street, Tewksbury, Mass." Yes, you read that right, the United States is suing(!?) real estate. Why? Here's your answer, it's a motel that rents rooms to almost anyone and helps the police when suspicious activity takes place. Funny thing is if they weren't so helpful the government might not be trying to take the property and stuff the police departments coffers. Don't think that is bad, have a look at the myriad cases in California where the local cops are trying to get the Fed to end run the asset forfeiture because California law is too strict. I won't even get into the Kelo case where the entire area has become a dumping ground because Pfizer pulled out before the town property whores got paid.

Eddy Ito

Re: I've only 3 followers...

LOL, how hard can it be to get followers? I have more followers than tweets but then I've only tweetled twice.

Apple lawyer: 'I promise I am not smoking crack'

Eddy Ito
Devil

Tempting

If I were judge I'd almost be willing to let them try it. Of course the caveat would be that I'd need a copy of the schedule and questions in advance and needless to say any deviation more than 2 seconds from said schedule or script would result in the second chair taking over as the lead crackhead council would be cooling his heels behind bars for contempt until the jury came back with a verdict. Would I ask the jury to very carefully review each and every single word of the entire trial transcript during deliberations? Why the thought never crossed my mind, until now.

Facebook shares hit all-time low

Eddy Ito

Re: Fair value

I'm starting to think that even $7-$8 would be generous. As of the last filing there were 2.14 billion shares with 1.14 billion floated. Their book/share value is $6.22 for the most recent quarter which would indicate $7.50 or so being a fair price at the P/E you state. However, if the number of shares floated went from 1.14 billion to 1.41 billion with another 1.447 billion due to be floated by the end of the year it makes the total number of shares close to 2.86 billion shares and not 2.14 billion. That would put their current book/share value nearer the $4.65 mark and making a fair value closer to $5.50-$5.75 per share. Granted, this doesn't account for any increase in book value which may or may not occur and as a "tech company" price often runs 3x - 4x book/share until every now and then when the traders sober up and a bubble is declared and popped.

Samsung's Wang was up 22 hours a day, had no time to copy Apple

Eddy Ito

Sorry El_Fev

Given that Apple claims the iPhone wasn't a copy of the Prada design because the LG phone "has a raised button". Really, it wasn't a copy because the only distinction between the two is a button protruding slightly from the face? Bovine excrement! All Apple did was colorize the Prada icons so instead of the light on dark square icon with rounded corners the phone icon became green and the mail icon became blue, quite an innovation depending on the aesthetic you're after. The iPhone is a total ripoff of the Prada and if the far eastern firms continue to allow Apple to rip off everything they do, we're all fucked!

High tech toilets receive big prizes from Bill Gates

Eddy Ito

While that is true, I don't see how they will entice poor people to use a pay toilet when it's free on the far side of yonder shrubbery. Obviously they need money but how does a business operate by charging them to use the loo when they have no money to begin with? I readily concede that once the health benefits are realized it changes a lot given that healthy people are generally much more productive than the infirm but my problem is seeing just how they kick start the whole thing.

As an example, Dean Kamen was trying to use the same method to bring water purifiers and electricity to these very same places for a few years now and he doesn't appear any closer than when he started.

'$199' Surface tablets: So crazy it might work, or just crazy?

Eddy Ito

Re: doubtful

"We must agree to disagree then sir since for me 'content' is software which is installed on top of an existing operating system"

Given the tone of your original response, you're obviously a paid shrill. But why stop there, I suppose we'll all just refer to the OS as just content installed on top of the existing hardware regardless of how stupid it sounds calling an OS content. Oh sorry, I'll translate so you understand, "... how fucking stupid it sounds...". I do hope I didn't confuse you further by using ellipses.

In the normal world it's pretty simple really. A book full of blank pages isn't content but it is useful for generating and editing content and it's the words and/or pictures that are put on the pages that is the content. You can tell because many books have a table of contents that would be rather short for a blank book. Since MS Word is effectively digital paper it doesn't qualify as content. That said, if blank pages are what blows your hair back, go ahead and call it content but don't expect many people to understand. Again, sorry, "... go right the fuck ahead and call it whatever the fuck you want to..." Better, M'kay?

Eddy Ito

Re: doubtful

The only problem I see is that MS don't make content but I could see them following Apple and demanding a 30% cut of everyone who has their content signed so it can be sold inside the walls.

Samsung to fight iPad with stylus, windows

Eddy Ito

Is a mid-size coming?

Give me a 7-8" version and they can leave the resolution the alone.

Storming quarter sees Apple reassert tablet dominance

Eddy Ito
Meh

Expected

Tablets are on the rise and will take over the place of smartphones. The only question that remains will be one of format. Personally, I think the iPad is a tad large and I'd prefer something about the size of an A5 sheet of paper.

Mark my words, it won't be long before we start seeing smartphones in serious decline as access point phones will start to take over. Sure the carriers won't be happy but it will happen sooner or later where the mobile phone begins to shrink once again and is actually just a phone with a wireless access point built in. People will connect their tablets, laptops and automobiles to the internet through the phone but for the most part the only direct interaction with the phone will be setting up the connections of everything else and perhaps the occasional phone call for those who don't have networked glasses or earwigs and button mics.

Don't get me wrong, smartphones won't go away any time soon because of the all-in-one compact goodness. Unfortunately it's that same compact nature that limits it to second string and, I expect, ultimately lead to it's demise inasmuch as once the rest of the personal network is figured out, any device can handle the access point and why would anyone want the phone at all?

Apple granted patent for in-cell touchscreen display tech

Eddy Ito

Re: This would never be a UK patent

"Multi-touch and capacitive screens seem obvious too now but in 2007 it wasn't so obvious.

Actually it was rather obvious for many decades, see patent 3,482,241 which was filed over 40 years earlier. Granted, it was probably easier and cheaper to implement and hopefully more accurate in 2007 but it's been a long road of tweaking.

Climate change blamed for rise of life-draining horrors*

Eddy Ito

Yes, yes

What about the important questions like, how does it change the flavour? I imagine the first person who had their cheese turn blue was probably disappointed initially but with the right pairing and a little marketing made a little hamlet into a household name. I'll let you folks fight over whether it was a hamlet in England or France even if we all know it was really in Italy. <ducks>

Hipster craft site bans sales of blood and skulls

Eddy Ito

Re: Bodily fluids?

Disturbing indeed but it does beg the question, which if any bodily excretions do they consider bodily fluids?

SHOCK: Poll shows Americans think TSA is highly effective

Eddy Ito

Re: Many ACs have an agenda

Many ACs exaggerate and blow things out of proportion as in reality the TSA says they only found 1306 firearms in carry-on bags in 2011. Perhaps you recall the old metal detectors we used to walk through since the early '70s and which did alarm for 4 of the 9/11 terrorists before the security people let them pass similar to the woman who tested positive for explosives in Newark last week.

"... the TSA is the best system we have at the moment."

I can't begin to tell you how silly that statement is but perhaps by analogy this will do; my TV is the best one I have at the moment. Sounds silly doesn't it? That's because it could be the biggest piece of shit broken TV that gets one station and only displays the red and green color channels and even then the two colors are out of sync. Not many people would put up with that TV but unfortunately for us we are forced to put up with the TSA for a commercial flight and any benefit to safety is nebulous at best. We got the TSA because some politician decided "we have to do something" without really knowing what to do or what would work.

Eddy Ito

Re: "If we want a better government we need better informed voters."

It's the product of an educational industry that rewards conformance, repetition and obedience while suppressing rational discussion and independent thought that has created drones who do not question the rhetorical fear mongering that comes from government and media. Unfortunately even with an entire overhaul of the educational system it would take a few generations before any positive results were realized and it is unlikely that the current group of adult voters would have the stomach to change a system they feel comfortable with. Hell, they don't even cover basic personal economics so we wind up with lots of folks who can't even balance a check book much less make knowledgeable decisions about mortgages or retirement plans.

Eddy Ito
WTF?

@AC 13:17

It isn't that the security screening is pointless but the "new and improved" TSA gland holding style of security security screening that is pointless. Let me ask you this, if it worked why do they keep catching the terrorists on the plane when they go to light their explosive skives? Yeah yeah think of all the folks they caught with nail clippers, knitting needles and other miscellaneous crap they forgot to take out of their luggage when normal everyday items was legal to bring on an airplane. And since you're AC it would be easier for you to stay away when I'm near, but then you'd probably have to be a TSA agent to know... Oh, if you are a TSA agent that puts your second point into much greater clarity, thanks for letting us all know just how you roll.

"TSA 4 to Base, Tango down! Threat neutralized. Poor bastard didn't have a chance but he should have known not to bring a loaded safety razor through a flightpath where I'm near!"

Eddy Ito
Pint

Wonderful play

So what they are really saying is that the actors playing in the security theater are good enough to impress the main audience regardless of what the critics think.

@Erik N., what's the joke alert icon for? The next time you're home sick you can see that proof is easy enough to find by turning on the TV in the middle of the day, any channel will do. Cheers, citizen.

Privacy snafu as TOPLESS Mark Zuckerberg picture leaks online

Eddy Ito

Re: Meh

I imagine it was a kegger with a few bottles of harder stuff.