* Posts by Paul R

73 publicly visible posts • joined 30 Apr 2007

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Sinclair ZX81: 30 years old

Paul R
Pint

ZX-80 for me

Never had a ZX-81, but my Dad did get a ZX-80 when they came out. I cut my programming teeth on that, later moving on to an Acorn Electron. I got to use the ZX-81s, Spectrums, and BBC Micros at school.

Many happy memories typing in stuff from magazines and creating my own code too. :)

Pirate Party UK sinks on maiden voyage

Paul R
Pirate

No candidate

As a paid up member of the PPUK I was dismayed not to have a candidate to vote for. Bring on PR.

Cameron promises yet more Avatar

Paul R
Thumb Up

Just me then?

It seems that I'm about the only person who actually enjoyed Avatar. Sure, the plot wasn't original, and on a couple of occasions the 3D was a bit over the top, but it was still fun. OK, so my brain cells weren't challenged, but it was still fun.

I'll definitely watch the sequels. I won't be expecting anything hugely original or challenging, but I know it'll be a bit of escapist fun.

Besides, what's not to like about an 8ft tall blue Sigourney Weaver?

I was going to pick up the DVD a bit after release, but if they're already talking about a new extended version then I'll probably not bother, not falling for that one again (looking at you George Lucas).

Microsoft cuts out paste

Paul R
Gates Horns

Just to clear something up

MS have stated that *at the moment* they haven't included Cut & Paste as a *system wide* function. There is nothing stopping app developers including such a function within their own apps (I.e. Word processors etc), and nothing stopping MS realising what a MONUMENTAL failure this decision is.

That being said, I've been an MS phone user since my old SPV e200 7 years ago, and have enjoyed each device I've had. Until now I have not seen any reason to move away from WM. Now ... definitely an Android based phone for me next. Waiting until the 26th for T-Mobile to release the HTC Desire/Bravo. :)

Apple yanks Wi-Fi detectors from iTunes

Paul R
Jobs Horns

Not just Android, WM too

I currently have a WM phone (I'll be getting an Android one in the next few weeks too), and apps like WiFiFoFum work wonderfully and have been very useful.

It really should tell people something about Apple when even a Windows powered device is a more open platform.

Keep space station past 2015, pleads ESA chief

Paul R
Alien

I seem to recall

I seem to recall that during the commissioning ceremony one of the NASA bods saying something about "From now on there will always be a man in space". That seemed to be indicating that the ISS would continue to function until it was replaced.

2016 bug hits Windows phones

Paul R

HTC Touch Pro

with WinMo 6.1 and no problems. So, exactly which WinMo phones are having this bug again?

Vendors to push 12in netbooks in 2010

Paul R
WTF?

Is it just me...?

Or do the manufacturers seem to have forgotten about the point of a netbook? You know, so cheap that it's virtually a commodity price? I have an Asus EeePc 701 and Acer Aspire One. Both very small light simple machines that get regular use. Neither of them would be half as handy if they had to accommodate a whacking huge 12inch screen. There is still a market for a highly portable sub £200 machine you know.

Naked Win 7 still vulnerable to most viruses

Paul R
Big Brother

@Cameron Colley

I think you'll find that the MS programmers very specifically designed it so that they didn't pop up on top of everything else. Its less intrusive that way, and much less likely that you'll accidentally click the wrong thing. Imagine if you will that you're typing away in a Word document and a UAC prompt pops up from something running in the background just as you come to the end of a paragraph and press Enter. You've just given permission to something to do what it wants. What was it? No way to tell now.

MS listened to many many users who complained that the UAC prompts were coming up system modal an interrupting their work flow. So they stopped them being system modal and allow you to carry on with whatever your foreground task was until you decide that you're ready to deal with that background UAC prompt.

Much better that way.

Beeb gets grief for Humpty Dumpty rewrite

Paul R
Joke

Won't someone please...

think of the children?

;)

T-Mobile picks Orange for merger

Paul R
Unhappy

Just great...

I moved away from Orange to T-Mobile at my last contract renewal. Ah well, was thinking of geting an i-Phone next anyway, so looks like I'm off to 02 next.

Opera slams Microsoft's Windows 7 E move - again

Paul R
Stop

How do I tell the EU to...

just bugger off? My default browser is now FF3.5, and I'm happy with that. I'm also a regular IE8 user for many reasons. However I don't think that any company should be forced to include any competitors product, where does it stop? You have IE, and FireFox, and Opera, and Safari, and Chrome, and a whole host of other little ones too. Should they all be included? If not, by what criteria do you say no?

By what right are Opera complaining anyway? So they're loosing out on some downloads of something that they give away for free. If your whole business is based on something you just give away, then you have a flawed business model. If you want to compete, have a better product (I've tried Opera, and never liked it), and let people know that you do. Make people WANT to change to you.

So, as a European citizen, how do I tell the EU to just bugger off?

Adventurer demands -70°C phone for next expedition

Paul R
Alert

Where?

Where does he need such a capability? Where can you go that temperatures get down to -70, but there is still a usable mobile network signal? Surely a sat-phone or walkie-talkie is a much better bet?

Also, why is it branded with Land Rover? If this phone is as rugged as indicated, then it'll certainly outlast one of the cars.

Police union leader calls for 'killer games' sales ban

Paul R
Thumb Down

Also...

Repeat after me...

Correlation is not evidence of causation.

Correlation is not evidence of causation.

Correlation is not evidence of causation.

Paul R
Thumb Down

Presumably then...

...he'll also ban bread and water because I'll bet that in 99% of violent crime cases both of these will have been comsumed with 24 hours of the crime.

Idiot.

Police ad urges: 'Trust no one'

Paul R
Black Helicopters

Trust noone

You don't want me to trust anyone? OK, well, I guess I'll start with the police then.

HTC launches updated Touch Diamond and Pro

Paul R
Thumb Up

Nice

I like the feature set of them, just not sure about the design of the Touch Pro 2. I think I prefer the black design of my Touch Pro.

'Bloody' is an offensive word, declares ASA

Paul R
Alert

What if...

they want to describe something that is covered in blood?

Bloody idiots!

Vintage IBM tape drive in Apollo moon dust rescue

Paul R
Boffin

Archive testing

Just goes to show the absolute necessity of testing that you can recover data from an archive every now and again, and of keeping data on media that is both within its specified life-time, and on a system that is still relevant.

Google fixes world's most stupid bug

Paul R
Paris Hilton

Hahahahahaha

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

(deep breath)

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

To think, people go on at MS for silly bugs, this is just priceless!

Even PH wouldn't do something just because you texted her.

Microsoft: Windows 7 ready for Christmas 2009

Paul R
Gates Halo

Cue the cries...

of 'They rushed it, pushed it out before it was done' from the proletariat!

MP calls for Jezza Clarkson's head

Paul R
Alert

Lorryists...

I spoke to an ex-trucker friend of mine about this. He found that particular slot on TG hilarious, as did I. Anyone who didn't probably doesn't appreciate any of JCs humour, so why are they watching TG? The BBC routinely transmit stuff that I dislike, but that doesn't mean that I for one second think I should call for it to be removed.

People need to get a life, and just ignore stuff they don't like.

Data Protection the DVLA Way

Paul R
Paris Hilton

Ask them for proof

Next time I get some-one calling me, and asking me to prove who I am I'll be turning the tables. Unless they prove who they are first, then they can go swing.

PH, because she always gets DNA proof!

Bespoke top level domains 'to cost $200,000'

Paul R
Unhappy

Presumably

if the $200K is purely to cover the $20M cost of implementation then once there have been 100 new TLDs registered, they'll back of the fee then?

Didn't think so.

Dawkins' atheist ad campaign hits fundraising target

Paul R
Paris Hilton

I need to clear a few things up:

1. This is not a Richard Dawkins campaign, he is just it's biggest financial contributor.

2. The word 'Probably' is being included out of necessity. The owners of the bus don't allow adverts that may offend the religious, the Probably gets around this in the same way the Carlsberg do in their adverts.

3. Atheism/Theism is a statement of belief. Gnosticism/Agnosticism is a statement of knowledge. Two different things. You can believe and still be agnostic, and you can disbelieve and be gnostic.

PH, she believes in many odd things.

Vista SP2 beta could land within next four weeks

Paul R
Gates Halo

Vista, no problems here

As a beta tester of both Vista and SP1, I've had virtually no problems all the way through. Maybe I'm just lucky (doubt it), but I have yet to see any of these problems that are apparently so prevalent.

Still waiting on my SP2 invite though. :(

Geode - the Firefox add-on that knows where you are

Paul R
Thumb Down

Within 20m, wanna bet?

I'll bet that it can't even guess which country I'm in.

<goes and tries it>

Nope, it didn't have a clue. No surprises there.

HTC Touch Pro smartphone

Paul R
Happy

Love my Touch Pro

I got my TP just over a week ago, and I'm loving it so far.

One thing that struck me in the review... 10 band graphic equaliser? Where? Not seen that one yet, and I can't find it either.

Met Office: Global warming sceptics 'have heads in sand'

Paul R
Paris Hilton

Predictions

The big problem is that none of the Global Climate Change doom sayers computer models predicted this small cooling period, or anything even remotely like it. In fact virtually all of them predicted the exact opposite.

When you predict doom, and the opposite happens (irrespective of the fact that it may or may not only be a short aberration) you loose credibility.

NASA, USAF in $30m hypersonic boffinry push

Paul R
Coat

@Tom Chiverton

I just developed a system that allows me to travel at more than five times the speed of sound... in a vacuum. What do I win?

Union fears 3,000 EDS job cuts in UK

Paul R
Thumb Down

@TeeCee

You are aware aren't you that when a company like EDS takes on a contract (any contract, not just a government one) they get a significant chunk of the current staff with it. It'd be madness to do it any other way. You can't just let 1000s of staff with business knowledge be replaced overnight by staff with none.

Thus, yes, on most government contracts there are a very significant number of ex civil servants.

It's also got absolutely nothing to do with the government shovelling cash at EDS.

Artemis Fowl scribe to pen sixth Hitchhiker's novel

Paul R
Thumb Down

Obviously

someone has run out of money and needs a few more Ningies to finally get that Pugh.

Pan Galactic Gargle Blasters all round.

Tories call for more freedom for snoopers

Paul R
Coat

Well...

If you have nothing to hide yada yada yada.

I'll get my coat, it's the one with the RFID chip, GPS transponder, and anti-foil hat technology built in.

Ten of the Best... Bluetooth Headsets

Paul R
Alert

Hmm

Firstly, for everyone knocking these headsets, well I wish more people would buy them. I see far too many people driving whilst talking on their phones and paying zero attention to what is happening around them.

As for my choice, well, I went for a Sony bluetooth stereo headset. The actual model I have is no longer available, but this one is similar:

http://www.pixmania.co.uk/uk/uk/316134/art/sony-ericsson/stereo-bluetooth-earphone.html?srcid=867

The advantages:

a) You can properly use your phone as an MP3 player, and get the true stereo experience.

b) You don't look so much like a twonk when all people can see is a pair of headphones in your ears.

c) The sound quality is infinitely better than any of those single ear headsets.

Doctors: Third babies are the same as patio heaters

Paul R
Paris Hilton

Simple truths

With regards to human consumption of natural resources (irrespective of your beliefs on the causes of global climate change), then yes this is absolutely the right thing to do. Allowing the world population to continue to grow unchecked will be disastrous.

Our ability to maintain an ageing population in this country is a different matter.

Paris, as she knows something about supply and demand, along with unforeseen consequences.

Google unfurls less laughable Wikipedia

Paul R
Boffin

Ownership

So, and expert creates an article on a given subject, they do a good job and write an accurate article. Because they own it, no-one can come along and screw it up. All good so far.

Time moves on, the facts change, and the article needs updating. But the author has effectively abandoned it for whatever reason; maybe they're no longer in the field, maybe they've forgotten about it, or maybe they died. What now?

I have no idea what the answer is, but that isn't my problem.

Asus Eee PC storms Euro PC maker chart

Paul R
Thumb Up

@AC

What on earth has this got to do with MS? Nothing is what.

My EeePC survived with its Linux distribution for about 3 days. After that I decided that I could no longer put up with the pain, and I needed to install an OS that was actually useful. One XP install later and all is good.

My point is though, what the we need is more of these type of devices with the flexibility to use them as WE want to use them. Not as someone else thinks we SHOULD want to.

MS takes Windows 3.11 out of embed to put to bed

Paul R
Gates Halo

MSDN

Well, this probably explains why I can get WfWG off my MSDN license then, always wondered why it was there.

BTW, I have been using Windows since v2. :)

How to beat AVG's fake traffic spew

Paul R
Go

Don't install LinkScanner

I have been using AVG for a long time, and for the most part it's an excellent Anti-Virus product. But after installing v8 I found out about this link scanner, and I don't like the idea at all. As well as increasing hosting fees for web sites, it can also increase the bandwidth that the end user utilises, which can cost money or affect service.

After a little research I discovered that if you install AVG with a command like:

c:\avg_free_stf_*.exe /REMOVE_FEATURE fea_AVG_SafeSurf /REMOVE_FEATURE fea_AVG_SafeSearch

then you can say goodbye to this bandwidth hogging. All good again. :)

Google's Gmail verboten in Germany

Paul R
Unhappy

Damn

I work in the UK, for a big American company (think 3 letters, not IBM, with a history of buggered government contracts ;) ), and our internet proxy is in Germany. So if I go to www.gmail.com then I get the message. :(

Doesn't matter too much though, I always use mail.google.com to access my gmail account, which IIRC gmail.com has always redirected to anyway.

Asus quietly demos Eee Box

Paul R
Thumb Up

Media Center

If this can be coaxed to run Windows Media Center, then I'm sold. Looks very nice!

Just need a desktop lovEeely for this model now.

Over half of US HD TV owners blurry on Blu-ray

Paul R
Stop

USA vs UK

One reason that HD took off so well in the USA was due to the quality of their SD broadcasts. They truly were awful, far behind what we had here in the UK.

I have watched some HD 1080P stuff on my PC. I agree the quality is amazing, but only if sat up close, or pausing the action. Under normal circumstances DVD is more than good enough, and a cheap upscaling player just makes it better.

Google kills Anonymous AdSense account

Paul R
Pirate

Google policy.

So, Google don't allow Adsense on sites that have "advocacy against any individual, group, or organization."

So, presumably that means any religious site that knocks any other religion or atheism. Pretty much all atheist sites (they're basically all against religious organisations). Every political site (reds vs blues etc). Every environmentalists site that is anti car/4x4. Every activist site of pretty much any description.

Hmm!

Oh, and @ Peter Smith you cult promoting numpty...

Hahahahahahahahahahaha

(deep breath)

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

HP pays $13.9bn for EDS

Paul R
Thumb Down

Great name

I so look forward to answering the phone - 'Good morning, EDS - An HP Company, how may I help you'. :(

Jules Verne creeps up on ISS

Paul R
Alien

re: GPS in space Uh?

Yup. ISS orbits at around 400KM height, GPS satellites at around 20,000KM height. :)

Bill Gates loses richest man crown

Paul R
Gates Halo

Soup Kitchen

Presumably we'll be seeing him at the local soup kitchen soon then???

BTW, current estimates are that he has given around $30B to charitable organisations since 2000. So taking that into account, he's earnings are far and away more than anyone else, and he's just a little shy of $100B!

Asus 8.9in Eee PC surfaces

Paul R
Thumb Up

Touchscreen

If they manage to fit a touch-screen, then I'll buy one to sit next to my 701 for sure.

EC jacks up Microsoft fine by €899m

Paul R
Gates Halo

Who gets the money?

So, assuming MS pays up, who gets the money? Does it go to the people that the EU think were unfairly disadvantaged by MSs practises? Doubt that very much. More likely will go to a few fat bonuses for EU beaurocrats, and the odd junket or two.

Judge greenlights lawsuit against Microsoft

Paul R
Gates Halo

Capable?

If it says Vista Capable, then it is capable of running Vista in one form or another. That's all.

Oh, and Aero is not needed in any way to run Media Centre. My laptop is running Vista Home Premium, and is used for Media Center 95% of the time. It does it just fine despite it's relatively poor Intel 915GM chipset.

The evolution of Crystal Reports

Paul R
Thumb Down

Me too...

I hate Crystal Reports. As a developer it's been the bane of my life both in terms of development and deployment.

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