Posts by Bill B
206 posts • joined Wednesday 29th July 2009 13:19 GMT
Re: Although
I agree .. calling this a Ratner moment is a bit off ... Ratner slagged off a company he still owned. Murdoch is slagging off one he used to own.
Can we have one with VTOL
so we can launch it from the RN carriers?
Re: Revolutionary small payment method
I agree .. stupid idea. I mean, there's always the danger that all you have in your pocket is a lot of small metal discs of various types and you then have to get each one out individually and inspect it closely before handing it over in payment.
At least .. that's what the short sighted arthritic granny in the queue in front of me was doing yesterday.
Re: NFC payment is pretty crap....
Both M&S and Boots at my local station use pay by bonk on a card and it IS a lot faster than paying by cash or card (unless you have the exact change). It's the sort of thing that is valuable in store that deals in lunchtime traffic or 'buying something for supper tonight' because it speeds up the process so much.
Pity our local Tesco Metro doesn't have it. I suppose they are just a bit behind the times.
Posted in SpaceX Dragon eventually snared by ISS
Re: Good save
The downvote was probably for "NASA would probably have dropped the ball" which seems a bit negative.
Apollo 13 anyone?
Re: Not socialist..
@andy mcandy "...the average Labour voter is a communist bastard"
I find this statement deeply offensive, insulting, inaccurate and a gross generalisation.
My parents were married when I was born.
Re: So I take it...
Does it need an IOS update to fix Maps? I thought that the maps app was just a means to display the map data. It's not the container that's wrong, it's the data, which presumably requires an ongoing effort to update the stuff on the server.
Re: There has to be a joke in their somewhere...
It took me a re-read to realise they were talking about filling the pools with the Reg Readers, not filling the pool with what Reg Readers recycle on a Friday night out.
My first reaction to the headline was "ewwwww!!"
Re: Once again
James, I'm sorry to have to say this, but you have COMPLETELY missed the point of being a true commentard. There are several requirements before you can achieve this status
1) You should only read the first few paragraphs of the article.
2) Cross references or links to the original article should NEVER be read.
3) Never do your own research on the article in question.
4) You should immediately hit the reply button and say the first thing that comes into your head.
5) Don't use a spell chequer. If you can confuse "it's" and "its" even better.
6) Remember that you are the expert on the subject, whatever it is, and that all the other commentards (and the author of the article) are idiots.
7) Deride anyone who has a different opinion to yourself, since they obviously have no brain (see 6 above).
8) Try to use any of the phrases "sheeple", "fanbois", "fandroids" at least once (if you can get all three in so much the better).
Your comment failed on a large number of these points although I congratulate you on the capitals.
Re: How many shirts do you own?
Depends on how big the wearable computer is.
Doesn't have to be a shirt. It could be an armband, scarf, hat or an earring.
Given technology and fashion trends I could easily see a pair of wrap around dark glasses being your 'wearable computer', since it gives you private sound and sight.
Re: Vapourware time
I agree. In addition they really haven't followed this through.
I get a recipe that involves the current contents of the fridge (sausages, bacon, yogurt and half eaten banana) and cook it up.
I eat half of it and put the other half in the fridge. What's it going to do about THAT?
And is it going to tell me about the Vindaloo that I bought 3 weeks ago and forgot to eat that is now nestling quietly at the back cooking up an entire civilisation of little monsters?
Testing iPads
There is a bit of a difference here
1) The pilots have been given a specific make and model. It would be possible to test this for interference (Don't know if they have or not, but it's possible). In addition, because they are being used for manuals, the equipment could be put into flight mode permanently.
3) Passengers can use anything from a mobile phone to a 5GW radio transmitter (OK I made that up). Although it's possible that some of them have been tested and shown to be clear, how do you know that every piece of equipment in use is OK? I can imagine the anger if the announcement was made "We are shortly due to take off. iPad owners can continue to use their equipment; Android users must switch their equipment off".
Nibaru??
The end of the world is going to be caused by a world called 'Nibaru'? 'NIBARU'????
I don't mind be wiped out by a planet called 'Megadeath' or 'Shiva', but 'Nibaru'? That's a bit of a let down.
e-book
The one thing you need to take with you when you are on Jury service is a damn big book. If I ever get called up (again) then I'm going to have problems, because I now use an e-book reader (which coincidentally can also search the web).
Going to be a real bore if they keep confiscating my book reader when waiting around (which in my experience is most of the time).
Posted in GE study pimps ‘industrial Internet’
Challenge
As far as i can see this paper isn't saying 'lets connect our existing systems to the existing internet'. If they did that then the comments in this section are valid. What it does seem to be saying is "What should we be doing to connect our systems and the people who manage and maintain them together?".
One of the things that clearly comes out is 'we need secure connections'. This might mean a redesigned internet, new protocols built for security rather than robustness. What GE seems to be doing is setting out a challenge. "If we are to do this properly, how are we to do it?"
The need for such systems is growing. Operators want more reliable systems with minimum down time. They want experts available 24 hours a day 7 days a week so that if something does go wrong it can be fixed immediately. They want to be able to operate in more remote locations (think deep water drilling or offshore windfarms or remote pumping stations). Preferably, the operators want to know if something is going to go wrong before it actually does so they can be ready with a maintenance schedule and the appropriate equipment, particularly if the thing which has to be maintained is in the middle of the North sea.
Given these pressures from operators the suppliers have responded by bolting on interconnection to existing kit. This, as has been pointed out, is a recipe for disaster.
Like it or not we are now in a globalised world where the expert on a system may live on the other side of the planet. We are in a data centric world, where what the plant is doing RIGHT NOW is of importance to the operators and where there is a need to respond rapidly to changing conditions.
And I'm beginning to sound like GE now so I'll get my coat. It's the one with a bunch of fibre optic cables and thermocouples in the pocket.
Re: "You lucky bastard"
I know.
He also gets paid to do this.
Thanks God we don't have Thanksgiving
I'm beginning to get an idea of what the other ingredients of a Thanksgiving meal are and I'm glad we don't have it.
I think I'll stick to brussel sprouts.
20 years
The other big problem with this is the life of the patent ... As far as i know it will stand until December 2031.
Now I am all for protecting intellectual property and investment in IP but I'm pretty sure that Apple didn't put a vast amount of research and development into this sort of thing to the extent that it needs protecting 20 years.
Re: Someone else well versed in the arts of reductio ad absurdum
> it certainly wasn't obvious back in 1995
and this is part of the problem. A patent stands for 20 years, regardless of whether it is hardware, software or the pace of innovation in the given areas. The question is whether such a period of time allows the patentee a good return on investment or just stifles innovation.
Re: Blocked here?
Yup, same here.
"The website http://www.dumpert.nl/embed/6394742/6eb9eea8/ has a ScanSafe category rating of "Adult"."
So I have to use my imagination based on the information given to me.
Hummmmmm.
Re: If Apple actually gave a shit...
Er .. why did you upgrade?
Personally speaking my iPhone is still on IOS5 because the mapping is important and the iPad is now on IOS6 just so I could see what the problems are.
A brief comparison of my locality shows Google seems to be similar to (or slightly worse) than Apple in the location of places. Weirdly in IOS6 maps things that are misplaced on the map are properly placed in Yelp when you tap them. Go figure
Posted in Facebook digs in over Jill Meagher page
Re: Mistrial
Mark .. the nature of a trial is that the decision you have just come to on the basis of the evidence that has been presented to you (presumably from a reliable source) must be made in a court based on the evidence submitted to that court. Even though you may be correct and your sources impeccable there is the faint chance that they are slightly biased and the full evidence hasn't been presented (which is the job of the defense).
The media are good at making judgements but thank god our justice doesn't yet rely on trial by media. The UK justice system (from which the aussie system is probably derived) is particularly sensitive to 'trial by mob' which is why it is a possibility that a Facebook page that only presents one side of the story, if widely publicised, could result in the prosecution of the individual failing.
Re: Um, no
Um yes. The company i worked for made embedded controllers and yes, we did have roll over problems that we had to fix.
Y2K was a non event because we put work into making it a non event. There seem to be a large amount of ignorant people who claim "it was a load of hype because it didn't happen"
Re: Tax
The bit on tax is a misdirection. I've just looked at amazon (not because I want to buy the book, just i dislike ebook pricing ripoffs in general);
The Hardcover price is £9; Kindle is £11.99
20% VAT on £9 is £10.80. So the Kindle price is not a tax price, it's a rip off price.
I am not sure why commentators here assume that a driverless car is wholly driverless .. that it's all or nothing. Think about cruise control .. useful in certain circumstances, not in others. Or automatic gearboxes .. many of these have a semi manual override now.
In the same way i would expect a driverless car could be used on a motorway (freeway for the colonials) but switched to manual 'town and country' driving when required.
For long distance driving this would be a god-send .. I look forward to it happening.
@JDX Re: Apple's walled garden for music
There isn't one.
Apple removed DRM on music many years ago. Please keep up.
Re: No Wifi hotspot sharing!
I wish people who make these statements would check their facts. I find the wifi hotspot sharing on my iPhone very useful. Bit of a battery drainer though.
Re: fags
For our American brethren. Its not what you think: Fags=Cigarettes.
Re: The unknown
"On that basis we don't know if the static from plastic underwear can cause interference but we don't have to pull down our pants as we board."
Er .. I'm pretty sure that's going to be next on the TSA's list of "How can we humiliate passengers more?"
All very well but ...
did you drink that beer afterwards?
Re: Excellent...
Burping whales I could handle. Whales suffering the efter effects of a curry .. now there's a thought!
@AC 21:19
" Most of the iPhone users I know have DRM protected iTunes music"
Really? Why? iTunes music has been DRM free since 2009. Or is it because you really don't know that many iPhone users?
Re: Well, seems reasonable.
Sigh.
Music from iTunes has been DRM free since 2009. In music terms, there is no lock in, no walled garden.
Please keep up.
Umm .. why do you need an app?
Type in 'maps.google.co.uk' into the browser ..
It asks you if you want to install it as a web app on your home screen
Sorted
Posted in HBO wants royal price for Iron Throne
Replica or original
Given that Game of Thrones is a work of fiction, isn't this the 'original' .. or is that just confusing reality with fiction?
and .. IIRC from the book, it was a bastard to sit on, cutting the unwary in various places.
Pint because .. well .. because
Posted in Apple confirms WWDC keynote for June 11
Re: HE IS WIV DIANA AND DA ANGLES
Do you write for the Daily Express by any chance?
Re: Well, I for one support this move.
Dammit bob, you owe me a new keyboard.
How does Google benefit from this?
As far as I can understand, Google doesn't get paid for the use of Android. The assumption is that they then get their money through the use of the Google services that Android provides.
But does this hold true in China? Is Google benefiting from the use of Android in such a market, or has it just shot itself in the foot?
"well-placed anonymous sources"
or "they were at the bar and bought me a drink"
Re: Easy mistake to make
I'll avoid paying the plumber by that method. On the other hand .. next time Sig Other wants to borrow a tenner ...
Re: Hey Arizona!
You BASTARD!!!!
It's going to take DAYS for me to get that tune out me head now.
Cloudy connectivity
This is all very well but assumes connectivity. I've just returned from the States, and for me connectivity didn't exist. There was no WiFi in the state park I was in, data roaming is an eye watering £9 per MByte and when I looked around Walmart for data sims all I could find was sims that charged $15 per day for 1GB
The operators aren't in a rush to improve matters which makes it dangerous for a traveller to keep stuff in the Cloud. Since one of the selling points of cloudy access is that it allows you to get access to your data wherever you are, the lack of support from operators is a big minus, but of course Gartner, in their rather narrow minded blinkered crystal ball gaze probably haven't taken this into account.
Posted in Windows 7 squeezed into Android tablets
Yup, commented on this before .. the habit of States based authors to assume that the only people worthy of reading their articles are in the good ol' USA.
Pity really. An international mindset would sometimes be sooo welcome.
Flying Ferrets
I'm sorry .. my brain got to the phrase "cannot be transmitted aerially between ferrets" and conjured up images of ferrets being thrown at each other.
It must be a Friday.
You've been invited?
hold on .. the BIG news seems to be that ElReg has been invited!!!
Or am I just reading something into this based on loose facts and supposition?
Re: Re: Harper's trusted messenger
The French army is probably free if you are interested.
It's worse than that
The date order MDY is fine if you are just an American company. Trouble is, international companies that originate in America (and whose servers reside in America) still use the MDY format. As a company just been taken over by an American, I'm waiting for that big order due on 3/5/2012 to go horribly wrong.
Posted in Apple takes smartphone lead
Revenue Streams
Comparing platforms rather than companies hides the revenue stream. A company needs a revenue stream in order to survive and also to innovate. The revenue stream for IOS devices is clear .. Apple gets all of it. The revenue stream for Android is split between Google (who gets revenue from apps running on Android, not from Android itself) and the phone suppliers (who are a very broad bunch so the revenue stream is watered down).
So if you were to ask "who gets the largest amount of money to pay for development" it would be Apple
@Martijn Bakker
The system of Jury trials is that the jury must be convinced, beyond all reasonable doubt, on the basis of the evidence that is presented before them, that the person is guilty. There are a number of things here that guard against arbitrary justice (mob rule, kangaroo courts or the decision of a single person).
Firstly the person must be proven guilty. Not proven innocent but proven guilty. Note that mob justice is often the other way round.
Secondly it is 'beyond reasonable doubt'. If a jury thinks 'he might have done it' then its not good enough to find the person guilty.
Thirdly it is 'on the basis of the evidence'. It is the job of the police and prosecution to gather and present evidence, the job of the defence to test that the evidence is properly gathered and not just made up. It is the job of the jury to listen to what is said and weigh up and make a decision based on what is said.
The system is imperfect. A lot of people who have committed a crime may go free. The lawyer may be rubbish and fail to extract proper witness evidence or highlight significant evidence. The police may fail to gather sufficient evidence. The jury may have a concious or unconcious bias (the accused was ugly/black/gay/a woman/looks like a criminal/done it before). But it's the system we have and it's a damn sight better than the knee jerk justice of mob rule.
