Posts by frank ly
2124 posts • joined Wednesday 10th June 2009 09:17 GMT
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@Frankee Llonnygog Re: Google would be more successful here...
Too soon?
@Pat 11 Re: location markers
"They knew which cell towers they had connected to. The point is that the cell usage pattern is fairly unique, ..."
Only fairly unique? :)
It's not just the cell you are connected to that is used. Data from attempts to connect to other cells are also used and the resulting signal strength data can be used to triangulate your position. Using just the mobile data signal in my phone (i.e. not GPS and not WiFi) Google Maps can place me within a few streets of where I am. The mobile phone companies have access to much better quality data from their tower records, especially the local signal strength maps around those towers and so can triangulate your position with greater accuracy.
Re: Good one...
Why did you have to return the toner and office supplies? You just phone the supplier, tell them they were very stupid to send goods that had not been ordered and that they have 30 days to collect them before they get thrown away and that your handling and storage fee must be paid before collection.
location markers
If you know that a person was at a particular private home, followed by a particular place of work; then of course it is very easy to identify them. For most people, daily activities involve being at one place for a certain amount of time, followed by being at another place for some time, often with an unchanging route between the two places. I could have figured that out.
Posted in Sony joins iWear face-off
"...LG also hopes to attach itself both to eyeballs and to arms,..."
As a parasite or as a symbiote, or just a helpful friend?
re. "...the permissivity of vacuum,..."
That would be 'permittivity' in English. It may be that 'permissivity' is the French word.
Re: Not sure about this - a further thought
If the nanowire is comparable in size to the wavelength of the light, then it could be acting as a monopole antenna, thus delivering electrical energy to the substrate. In which case, the photovoltaic effect is being supplemented by a traditional/classic electromagnetic antenna, on a very small scale. So, the theoretical limit of photovoltaic efficiency would stand but the device would be a dual mode energy converter.
@JeffyPooh - Yes, those numbers need looking at and thinking about.
Not sure about this
"The light-concentrating effect occurs because the wavelength of the light traversing the nanowaires is smaller than the nanowires themselves, thus causing resonance of the light in and around the nanowires."
The wavelength of light is smaller than many structures you could mention, so this can't be the 'because', surely?
Is it because the wavelength is comparable to the thickness of the nanowires?
Am I being cynical .....
.... or does anyone else think that the Terms & Conditions of entry will be that Google can use any ides that are presented? Maybe I'm wrong; maybe the T&C will say that the intellectual property of the entries will remain with the charity submitting them and that Google will not use the information or pass it on to any third party.
@AC 04:42 Re: @Trevor_Pott
" ... patents are specifically for the purpose of preventing certain kinds of competition"
That really is shallow thinking and shallow knowledge of history.
Patently obvious?
If Google are awarded this patent, will it mean that Apple can't do a similar thing with their 'wearable' personal iWatch device thing?
You have a portable, personal display device, with wireless network comms - you have other comms compatible devices nearby - they can communicate with each other -> This 'invention' is obvious. My Dell laser printer already tells me when it's low on paper or toner or whatever. It does it by an alert notification popup on my personal, portable laptop screen.
All I need to do is wear the laptop on a tray strapped from my shoulders and I'd be in violation of Google's patent.
Re: This is awesome
How will you feel when your imaginary friends say that you're mad?
If only their corporate logo ....
..... was a llama, being tended by a farmer.
Re: A little historical context
He couldn't be excecuted because he hadn't commited a capital offense. He might have been imprisoned if he'd carried out 'homosexual acts' in a public manner; I don't know if he ever did. The 'least-worst' option would have been to leave him alone and let him carry on with his work and his life. It seems that he did need serious 'words of advice' about classified documents, though he probably created classified documents just by doodling on a notepad at his kitchen table.
Posted in Review: HTC One
The cost!
I started with an HTC Wildfire then upgraded to an HTC Incredible. I was looking forward to upgrading to an HTC One, then I saw the cost even for second hand, so I got a new Nexus 4 (8GB) for half the price. The Nexus 4 does the job for me (but I don't have GBs of videos and music to watch/listen to). Full marks for the front facing speakers though and I do realise that it's a top-spec phone.
She refused because she'd just read New Scientist
http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2013/03/mouth-breeding-frog.html
Re: Why?
Let's take it in stages: First learn to read; then read the story.
Posted in Fukushima switchboard defeated by rat
@AC 07:02 Re: In other news... first new UK nuclear power station approved
In a technical article about a nuclear power plant, someone makes a disparaging comment about the cost effectiveness of nuclear power; so you raise the spectre of a natural disaster two years ago and claim that he is being disrespectful to the dead and the survivors. WTF?
Getting modern - they just don't get it
"Only two-thirds have a website and a third sell goods and services online. "
I went into my local newsagent/sweetshop/tobacconist and told him that I could set him up with a website and e-commerce solution for a very reasonable fee and low ongoing annual costs. He told me to go away or he'd set his dog on me.
Why?
"... it's not permissible to attack an enemy general's defibrillator (rule 42). "
But you are allowed to bomb civilians and cowering conscripts. It's funny how the people at the top look after each other.
Re: On tracking (etc)
" ..It also carried a readme file with a description of the project and an email address for the owner, or law enforcement, to get in touch if it was discovered."
Would that be a good starting point?
Posted in Paying a TV tax makes you happy - BBC
re. "... watching a live broadcast"
I assume you mean watching a broadcast, at the time is is broadcast, as opposed to watching a 'catch up' service version over the internet?
This would be different from the 'traditional' meaning: 'a broadcast of an event, real time, as it happens in the real world'.
@CaptainHook - An Apology
You are right, I was wrong and I should have checked.
Over the past two days, I've been jumping around between NetVibes, NewsBlur, Blar, Feedly and Google Reader; so I had a false memory. I also got rid of Feedly yesterday so I didn't check my assertion.
Feedly say they will migrate to their own backend (called Normandy) when Google Reader finally closes down, so you shouldn't need a Google sign in after that stage - maybe.
Good luck in finding a decent replacement for Google Reader. It will be very difficult, from what I've seen so far.
re. ".. left of Birmingham and south of Dudley ..."
Mixed directions are not a good idea.
Re: Mmmm
That should be 'twatting'.
Posted in Are your servers PETS or CATTLE?
@jake Re: None of the above.
We want to know the cute names you give them.
Posted in Windows Phone 8 support to end in 2014
@LarsG Re: Given
My two previous Android phones were updated with the next OS, OTA by HTC, though I realise other people's experience may differ. My personal observation is that 'older' phones may find it a strain to run the next OS and be stressed by running the latest versions of apps. e.g. my old HTC Wildfire now runs like treacle fresh from the fridge.
Re: I keep looking at Feedly
You don't need Google OAuth to login to Feedly, you'd need it to import your RSS feeds from Google Reader, a one off task. Or, like me, you could set them up from scratch manually, it wasn't difficult. Feedly has 'presentation issues' as noted in the article, but this is a personal preference matter. It uses its own build it browser in the Android app and this has more serious issues, such as not doing text selection and Copy/Paste very well and making a mess of some pages on The Register (associated with advert graphics).
NewsBlur has a 'cleaner' look and there are two separate Android apps, both of which use the default browser but are not as 'good' as Google Reader in some ways. NewsBlur also has an issue with the Unread counts on The Independent newspaper, as I'll explain later in my post.
NetVibes is interesting in that it can almost replace iGoogle, having dashboards and widgets and a fairly clean presentation. It has no Android 'app' as such, just a browser page tailored to the phone/tablet layout that it's supposed to detect if you are on phone or tablet.
I'm trialling NetVibes and NewsBlur on my Android tablet and phone and I prefer NewsBlur (with the Blar app). However, NetVibes, NewsBlur and Google Reader all show very different figures for the Unread counts on The Independent newspaper; despite the fact that I used all three readers and marked all items as Read last night. This might be a problem and is certainly a puzzle. My other feeds all show consistent Unread numbers.
I'd recommend NewsBlur, if this Unread count can be sorted out or at least understood.
Note: I understand that NewsBlur is not accepting new accounts at the moment due to overwhelming demand.
NewsBlur - updated opinion
I said that the NewsBlur Android app didn't work in my previous post. This seems to be because I tried to create an account using it - at which it failed. If you use a browser to go to their site, you can set up an account there and either pull in your feed list from Google Reader, or manually set them up - which I did because I only have 6 feeds. Then, the NewsBlur Android app does seem to work, after you sign in. There is also an independent reader called Blar which uses the NewsBlur backend.
Note: The free version of NewsBlur only lets you have 12 feeds, the premium version costs $24pa.
In terms of layout, the browser version is fairly clean and simple and has lots of customisation and adjustable pane views, but not as good as Google Reader in terms of clean simplicity. The Android readers are very clean and simple but don't have panes so you go from one full screen to the next and have to use Back to get to your previous list/view. It does use the Android default browser though, which is good news.
Anyway, give it a try and good luck with finding a suitable replacement before July.
@Natalie Gritpants Re: re. Feedly
I had a quick look at tt-rss and it seems to need some server-side work at my end, which I'm not willing or able to do. Maybe someone will set up a feed/store service, which I wouldn't mind paying a small subscription for and I don't care who knows that I read El Reg and other websites. I realise that other people's situations may differ.
Many organisations seem to be jumping into the hole that Google Reader will leave behind and many are preparing a 'replacement' for it. I tried NewsBlur which seemed to fit the bill but their Android app doesn't work - fail. I'll wait until early June and see what happens.
Check out this article on a Digg 'replacement' for Google Reader:
http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2013-03/15/digg-reader
Read it and weep. It looks like we're going to be force fed social crap sandwiches.
@Craigness: This is about a replacement for Google Reader, especially its ability to synchronise across many devices. If you subscribe to an RSS feed, you get what the site owner gives you. This is the same for all RSS readers, unless you make your own very clever one.
Freudian Slip?
"We like Android and we plan to continue our good relations with Google," he said. "I don't think it's correct to say that there's friction."
Who says there's friction?
re. Feedly
Feedly is BLOODY ANNOYING, especially its built-in browser that doesn't work properly, especially on The Register's site. Why oh why can't they use the default Android browser? I need to find something else.
Re: 25 years?
Terrorists will stop at nothing to strike at the heart of our way of life. If they knew the type of vending machine, they'd be better able to carry out an effective attack against them.
Posted in Google makes BigQuery easier to question
re. Aaas
Why do I think of Father Jack when I read that?
Re: What is so compelling?
"....the technophobes who post on 'El Reg'"
Surely, you mean 'technophiles'?
Does the OS version matter?
I've used every Android version from Froyo to Jelly Bean and apart from stylistic GUI changes (some annoying) and the ability to put apps in folders (ICS onwards), the OS doesn't matter to me. What matters are the apps and that they work - which they do. I use my Android phone/tablet to pickup email, read the RSS feeds, manage and display calendars, write and read personal notes ...... oh, I sometimes make phone calls too, but not often.
I'm all for obvious improvements and fixing of bugs, but as a user then I don't care.
Re: An alternative? (Feedly)
I now have Feedly running as a Firefox plugin under Windows and as Android apps on tablet and phone. A Chrome plugin and iOS app are also available. It uses my Google login to pull Google Reader feed subscriptions across and as stated above, they are developing their own backend to give a seamless handover when Google kill Reader. Not sure how I'll 'login' when that happens.
Feedly is a bit 'graphic artist' and is full of space between items. There is a 'list' view that seems to work in the FF plugin but I always get the 'magazine' view in the Android app and they seem very keen to put great big photos everywhere. The Google Reader had wonderfully sparse and simple layout and I miss it already, even though it's not dead yet.
If we're so smart .....
I was annoyed to learn that iGoogle will be withdrawn and now am more annoyed that Reader will go the same way. As for CalDAv, I don't think I use it but I can imagine why people are pissed off. Many commentards here are venting their spleen (and other bodily parts) so, if we're so smart, what can we do about it?
Would it be viable to develop a cloud based service that gives synchronised data/feeds/services using apps across many platforms to replace these lost services? How much would any of you be prepared to pay to subscribe to such a service?
Please, put a business plan together and Kickstart it or something. I'd be interested in subscribing to such a service but I suspect that we'll all develop new ways of working/consuming and get used to whatever new personal arrangements we make.
Posted in Outages plague Hotmail and Outlook users
@RT tablet Re: hotmail/outlook.com works fine to me
Does your owner/user know that you're posting comments on web sites?
Posted in Outages plague Hotmail and Outlook users
Re: I actually thought about moving
"The interface for outlook is so clean and nice. "
It's only a GUI. It's hotmail with a new dress, fresh from the hair salon. They still vary the location of the Delete 'button' depending on which folder you're in - ha!
Ah, PayPal
When I signed up with PayPal, many years ago; they made a point that you needed two items of information to log in and make payment - i.e. an email address and a password, so it was very secure. I quickly realised that they gave your email address to every Tom, Dick and Harriet who you bought tat from on eBay. That probably explains why I started to get phishing emails at that address asking me for my PayPal account details.
At one time, I bought a small item from a German seller on eBay and selected to pay using PayPal. I was then redirected to the sellers payment facility, that asked me to login to PayPal using some german auction management site! I told it to f**k off (figuratively). I assume that PayPal would have accepted payment details via this site?
Why do PayPal do such stupid things?
Re: NASA has found.....
..... and they could have evolved into Aquaman!
Limitation
"Not more than 10 times a second though, that being a rough limitation of the technology, ..."
I'm sure that the limitations of human vision would mean that you couldn't appreciate anything changing that fast (for ambient lighting and effects purposes).
Re: Steganography/digital watermarks ?
If there's a known system and method for putting some kind of 'watermark' into an image, then someone will quickly develop a utility to take it out, or 'smudge' it so that it can't be used as legal evidence.
Re: Conversely
If you had screenshots of the original website, or if it was available in the internet archive, or even if you had any kind of reliable witnesses; then surely you could have carried on using those images since the owner at the time had given permission?
The obvious next stages ...
... are to use the results of this study to make a FB assessor utility (maybe on a website) where you give it your FB user name and it will tell you the results of analysing your 'Likes'. Then, the FB spin-doctor utility can be introduced: this will modify your Likes to give you the analysis results that you want to present to the world.
Eventually, everybody on FB will disappear up their own backside as they spiral down the rabbit hole of analysis and modification.
re. "... a relationship thrown into turmoil by a French phone call. "
A friend of mine once had a relationship thrown into turmoil by a carelessly discarded french letter.
(Mine's the one will all kinds of stuff in the pockets)
@Nicho Re: While we're here
Smugsam? Snugsam? (I know, I'm not making a real effort.)
Re: Hmmm..
" ...expectation of privacy loss when you're out in public."
Yes, you should, when in a public place. The inside of a bar/cafe/restaurant is not a public place, it is private property. The owner of that property can set conditions on you being allowed into the property and being allowed to stay there.
re. the '974 patent
This describes an auto-brightness function based on ambient light levels being detected and used to control display brightness. I remember back in the late '70s there was a medical ultrasonic scanner display (monochrome CRT) that had this feature, and the auto-brightness control was included in all the backlit controls and indicators of the scanner system. It had additional sophistication in that there was a small test patch of light-grey level in the lower corner of the screen that was covered by a light sensor and used as part of the control - hence it could take into account any tube ageing and possible different characteristics of a replacement tube.
No matter how clever you think you are, somebody has probably done it before but not made a song and dance about it. I have no idea how that patent could have been awarded to Nokia.
As for the communication with the Google Play Store, that sounds like internet communications and 'clever' software. Enough said.
