£6,628 or 3-months? Cheaper to do the time and get 30% off

The stuff he allegedly sold, military-issued boots, rucksacks and ration packs, is peanuts to what goes on in the U.S. military.

There you can get good stuff like laser guide lights (used by drones to target bombs); night vision gear, guns, etc.

King of dumb to use e-Bay, Craigs List would leave far less of an evidence trail.

Deja vu, all over again

This film reminds of the early days of colour TV when hucksters used to sell colour 'conversion' kits to gullible owners of black and white TV's.

The conversion kit was simply a film that had a band of sky blue at the top that faded into the transparent film colour and a band of green that darkened towards the bottom edge.

The theory was most scenes were bluish at the top and greenish at the bottom - which worked well for cowboy movies. The scam artists selling these kits, from P.O. Boxes in NYC, made a killing.

Still these films for tThingies will serve a purpose: either stopping the glass from getting scratched or, in case of breakage, minimising harm to the iPhan.

Maybe Microsoft should copy Apple

They could write an App so a WinFone 7 could do something with their seemingly successful Kinect controller box, or sell Kinect with 2 WinFones.

Then MS could have a TV box ...

Not like the olde days ...

they would have keel hauled them, likely causing their deaths.

Still, thanks guys for making Bittorrents of now now existent recordings available. Much appreciated.

It seems to be a cultural thing

In my travels I notice that some societies, North American and SE Asian, look for more economic opportunities than others such as Europe or South America.

Some companies, like HP, claim they have some magical additive that improves performance BUT they DO have semiconductor or mechanical devices to make resetting impossible for not quite empty or refilled heads - these semiconductor replacements are on sale in North America and SE Asia.

Personally I like those Brother network printers - I have seen them working in mining operations underground, supplied as power station equipment, and gracing elegant offices. They take refills / after market toner without an argument.

Crazy! ALL taxpayers PAY so a privileged FEW can call? Britain is nuts.

Why is it that other countries actually SELL the rights to cell companies to place their signals in subways yet London is going to PAY someone to do it.

Something is wrong. Or the thinking is wrong.

The technology is simple: lengths of 'leaky co-ax' antenna fed from technology cubicles at each station. Stations and those 'American Wear Wolf in London' passages and stairs can be covered by access point antennae or yet more leaky co-ax.

The corporate infrastructure is more tricky. Often a holding company, owned by the railway operator, owns the infrastructure and simply rents access to it by anyone wanting to place signals in the tunnels.

Why it has to be tied to the Olympics is beyond me, no one seemed to be too unhappy before cells took over our lives.

There is absolutely NO reason for the taxpayer to be paying ANYTHING!

So go and bang them out in another State

where they don't have this law.

Then give a derogatory name which Jobs will never claim is him.

A fine example of the American education system

This woman, who shares features with the moose, typifies what is wrong with the American education - it doesn't work. Many Americans have little knowledge about their own country and even less about the world.

Imagine if she ever achieved any office of consequence - she would be busy supporting the wrong people - hell she would be shipping arms to the Taliban.

Everyone, except Palin, knows the bad guys are in North Korea and have been since before she was born.

Credit cards cancelled, mortgage under water, potential job losses

So where is the money coming from to once again indulge these spoilt little Demons?

I think there will be a lot of disappointed faces on Christmas morning.

Health data is so commercially valuable

There are health credit type bureaus dotted around that collect data about any claim on private insurance be it a procedure, medication or a doctors visit.

This data is then sold on to life insurers, auto insurers, etc. who use the data to assess an individual for coverage.

Letting anyone, other than patients or medical service providers, is little less than criminal and the ICO should wade into this one immediately.

So why is the Pentagon so wound up? It's States problem, surely

I don't know why Wikileaks even bothered to redact some of the info - they should have just outed the lot.

At least the U.S. government would treat Wikileaks with respect.

Why, in the first place, would the military need this stuff, anyway?

No problem: Re-assign them to picket duty!

Picket ships just sit around bobbing up and down not doing much.

They would not need their engines except to sail home for leave.

Just to think that the British Navy was the biggest afloat in WW2. And now ...

Do we really care if FB can't look after it's housekeeping?

What else should users expect from FB?

It doesn't care about users, it only wants to make money from them.

@ What's the point in these fines?

The fines will make the office of the ICO self-financing and therefore a zero cost to government.

It's win win situation, the IcO keeps his job and the Exchequer appreciates the cash.

How refreshing, how different: Major OS owner admits defects:

Unlike a certain walled, perfumed California garden where everything is declared to be perfect Google, without any prevarication, openly admits an error. Obviously the response of an entity with credibility.

Others pretend there is no problem whilst working their butts of to correct the deficiencies.

That's the difference thee zeroes can make!

What a difference three little zeroes had made to SAP's bottom line.

Guess SAP's lawyers won't be seeing their bonus.

Froe Wynachten, SAP!

Reminds me of a Montreal electronics wholesaler ...

who used to buy sub-spec chips and then re-brand them suggesting they, too, were of Mil-spec grade.

Then they sold them surreptitiously to China.

The international con job was discovered when a Communist China pilot checked out his aircraft and flew to TaiWan where the Americans did a tear down!

Another reason for manufacturing in the USA

If these were manufactured in the States, at least the ITC would be eliminated. And actually employ some people.

Shipping product into the States, without software, which would be injected post-arrival is a technique employed by several manufacturers, including Canadian companies.

U.S. patent law is a mess, even MS' Ballmer agrees to this point, and software patents should either be eliminated or limited to, say, 5 years. Mind you, Apple's patent lawyer troll would be looking for work, no more prior art patents to file.

Thanks, Register

reading you today has paid off yet again!

More planning needed: and you think Americans and British don't spy?

This sloppy handling of allegedly stolen data is more indicative that it was was an individual initiative rather than an organised spy ring. No sane person would return carrying purloined goods - besides since the engineer carrier a corporate computer, who knows where the data actually came from. Mind you, downloading stuff on the eve of your departure is kind of dumb.

Diplomatic courier systems are used to carry information in and out which further suggests it was not officially condoned or supported.

I have been involved in the design of equipment in years past and I have the software work as well as incomplete finished physical product in my possession still. I wasn't stealing anything more that it was to illustrate my abilities/accomplishments - the design evolved within me so it would be hard to steal.

Some of the product knowledge is still valid and should I work for a competitor it is nigh on impossible not to transfer ideas or information.

And if you think the Americans or British are innocents in these matters, think again. 20-30 years ago my work took me to 'interesting' destinations and on many occasions some character(s) would later appear, after our corporate reports had been submitted, and question us on what appeared bizarre subjects and only later, when the dots were connected, did we surmise what the interests were. When asked by immigration: "Where did you visit" isn't such an innocent question. "All over" is a good but meaningless response. Equally: "What was the purpose of your visit" - tourism is a good answer!

On fewer occasions we had pre-trip briefings where this odd job character would suggest we take an interest in various non-work related matters.

This is standard practice. Where my home is physically located is of interest to the Americans (think human rights) and whilst their embassy guys require permission and escorts to visit the area at certain times of interest, I get to roam free as a resident.

I have been asked for soil and vegetation samples and even for small scraps of metal - I can, now, figure out why. Also electrical & communication cables, antennae, etc.

In industry, many companies offer competitors sample products at near cost prices, if not free. All car companies buy 'samples' for tear down whether for patent infringement or to learn of new manufacturing techniques.

Older readers might recall Greville Wynne; how about Denis Sugrue - see < http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Galway-businessman-says-US-considers-him-a-spy-102846919.html >.

Likely the only reason the Americans are highlighting this case is as a warning to other would-be spies.

At least the ladies won't need hand mirrors

With two shiny screens this unit is as good as a make-up desk.

Which OS are they contemplating using? Two LCD screens could spell trouble - buying an extended warranty is a must.

Of course, if they build this they will have something not even Jobs has in his toy box.

Acer: The big question remains support and honouring warranty!

With near custom devices as pads are, very important factors will be hardware support and honouring the warranty.

Acer's historical record hasn't been, in my experience, exactly valiant in these respects. For example, when a rubber foot fell off one of their better computers, the purchase of a case was required to effect repairs. Real wastage of material and money.

Make Money, Not War: ancient Chinese fortune cookie saying

This is typical pragmatic Chinese thinking. Let others fight the wars and HTC will continue making money.

Hard to argue with success.

Yet another reason to jettison Facebook - and using it for work!

She should move her groups to another service immediately.

Obviously FB is ill equipped to deal with basic sort of problem.

And that idiot who allegedly owns FB thinks he is going to conquer the world?

The difference between Google and Facebook is ...

Google has class and reliability and track record to prove it (and is trusted by governments) whereas FB lacks class and reliability (and is trusted by few).

Watch for 'Consulting', 'Opinion Polls' - big money items

If other governments are anything to go by, lowered government employment leads to ramped up retention of consultants and their ilk.

When governments have been in office longer and they seek programs that resonate with the taxpayers so watch the amount spent on opinion polls!!!

But this information is at least shaking up those civil servants with questionable relations with suppliers.

Only a dummy would cross an international border with hot data these days

Can't have been too well read, our friend Poo, otherwise he would have travelled with clean laptop on downloaded his stuff later.

If he flew to the U.S. just to sell CC numbers, that makes him even more dumb, as most card dealers trade on-line.

Still, he will likely to get his visa extended by 10 or 20 years spending his time reflecting n his business plan, in a federal jail with all needs - other than keys - supplied. No time off in federal jails - time given = time served.

Ah, those Texans: Bent courts and bent 'law'

Obviously this troll, and his lawyers, don't realise how many links actually stored the message contents en route. These days we also have to remember the U.S. NSA has copies, too.

Besides, once delivered to G-mail surely what happens to his prose is between G-mail and their subscriber.

Producer: "was passionate to take this challenge of the role to task"

I wonder if this was based on a personal demonstration on his couch?

You know what they say about those couches!

Does this mean the end of ...

all those cheerful red boxes Novell software was sold in?

When searching for some misplaced software, red made finding Novell so easy.

A little more patience, please

The flood gates on the tablet/pad market are about to open and your eyes will start watering.

And iPhans will even question whether it was smart to buy the Apple door stop.

Pity they won't be here for Christmas but they say Patience is a Virtue ... just wait until the goodies out here in the Far East arrive at your place.

Says it all: Heathrow has ... decided not to go ahead. - as dumb as ever

Little wonder that Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) is way ahead of of Heathrow in almost all respects - except for that officious little woman baggage inspector always give a hard time.

Heathrow, the perpetual construction site that mixes passengers and planes together in the most inefficent, hostile environment ever devised.

And this is the gateway airport to Britain? A sick, sick joke.

And just to think amidst all this high falutin' technology, a few yards away ...

are multi-million dollar/pound aircraft that communicate with the ground using Amplitude Modulated VHF radio's!

Kind of ironic.

Bush' America gave business all sorts of tax breaks ...

and look at America now.

Bankrupt!

TSA: Another American exercise in futility

"The TSA is reported to have organised several series of tests using undercover agents to put dummy bombs through security scanners at US airports. One such test, in 2007, was said to have resulted in 75% of the fake bomb parts passing through unobserved." Source < http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/nov/19/fake-bomb-us-germany-terror-alert >.

I appreciated TBL's viewpoint; our corporate decision justified

We have just completed a POS for a service company. It involves providing drawings and text for their technicians to service equipment displayed on a 7" pad.

One sticking point was whether to provide the access through a pad App or a browser. After several meetings it was decided to go with a browser - and TBL succinctly stated the reasons why our decision was correct - even though we didn't express it coherently.

Another of our teams has just completed a travel guide for VietNam for both pad and smartphone - again browser based. We have the complete map of VN, as well as key tourist cities - street maps, tourist guides, hotel reviews, etc.

This shows, I believe, careful thought should be given before commissioning yet another App as to the most effective way of presenting content. Browsers, of course, are an escape from Jobs' ring fenced garden.

Great article, thanks Register!

There are, already, CDMA SIMs deployed

There are, in existence, CDMA SIMs, actually called the R-UIM (Re-Usable Identification Module) and have been available in China in 2002. There are even dual-mode double SIM/R-UIM cell hand-phones available on CN. Ordinarily the CDMA's 'SIM' data is held in memory.

GSM is a truly international standard whereas CDMA is a system developed and promoted by Qualcomm.

Obviously since there is only one party determining CDMA's future development path I guess Apple will be happy seeking a deal, and vice versa.

Knowing Jobs reputation he is more than likely thinking of using these SIM variants to further exert control over his flock, just as Jim Jones did those so many years ago in British Guiana.

Jobs hasn't fixed the Lemon 4 yet!

It says much about Jobs and Apple that they have, technically, abandoned the Lemon 4 obviously not intending to do anything about the outstanding problems.

CDMA, whilst a good technology at it's inception, is dieing. Many S.E. Asian cell systems are junking their CDMA systems and replacing it with GSM.

China is a marketing challenge: Apple products are really too expensive for the mass of the population and only a few places like BeiJing or ShangHai have citizens with sufficient disposable income.

In most of the country, where the farmers hang out, they have different priorities like running water in the houses, sewage systems. In many places they still live in houses made from grass sod - hardly places you would find a market for a smartphone.

Same pigs back at the same trough

I see some £3.3-billion was paid to Capita, the governments IT service leach.

Some cut backs!

What about the modular cavity?

One interesting feature is the 'modular cavity' which sounds as if field upgrades or function changes will be possible which is a very effective way of keeping it current whereas other competitors would have potentially bring out a new model.

Of course, annual 'amazing, magical' releases are a way one California company apes the automobile companies marketing strategies.

Anti-piracy lawyers 'knowingly targeted the innocent'

Why are people so upset when all they have done is what they do as SOP? All Davenport has done is to confirm what people think of lawyers, bottom feeding scum.

And why did the watchdog have to wait for complaints when Davenport's trickery was up front for all to see? Any decent watchdog outfit would sniffed this out way before.

Hope Davenport have to refund all ill-gotten gains plus plus interest plus a big penalty, to boot.

Well, like, er ....

I used to get anonymous cell calls from a guy with an gravelly Australian accent, and next day a brown envelope would appear through my letter box.

Never did catch the guys name ...

Forgetting is not an excuse: too cheap to buy 5 or 10 years

All my web sites terminate at least 15 years from initial registration. Mind you the .CA mob have a reminder system that would have likely have avoided this, plus a one-month holdover that almost guarantees people like sleepy Boris never forget to renew.

In some domains names can be acquired with seconds of expiry of former registrations.

One thing about the 400M are the ...

sexy looking propellers.

Little happens, especially gatherings, without government consent

Allowing workers of foreign companies strike for more of anything doesn't cost the state any financial penalties and allows pent up feelings be dissipated.

The whole Foxconn food chain is self-sustaining and any added costs are just passed up the line. Besides what other country is going to permit it's workers deteriorating health continue to support productivity?

VietNam certainly won't as the $5 monthly health insurance premium is barely sufficient to cover health costs now. Our workers suffered years back when Korean shoe manufacturers failed to adequately ventilate glue application areas.

There should laws requiring workers where manufacturing occurs have no lesser working conditions than apply in the country of destination.

The Apples of this world couldn't survive without the nimble fingers and the low production costs of the Far East.

To the guys the Feds are blowing their wad on, use a different cafe/computer each time!

No finesse with American security, they just trot down to the search engine offices whilst someone gets to publicise the fact.

Any half-witted would be terrorist (excluding 'Shoes on Fire' Reid) would get the idea they should circulate not only between machines but also InterNet cafes to spice up the Fed's boring work routine.

Better still, check out all the freebie WiFi's, that will /really/ grab them.

The rest of us can help Google's profits soar by searching for IUD plans, shaped charges, cell phone timer circuits, Al Quaida training manual (not in the UK), how to 'cut' heroin, etc. so when/if Plod comes around to ask questions you can tell them you were testing them to see of they were spying on you.

As for Microsoft, I am sure they're not doing without some quid pro quo from some branch of government.

Ellison: The equal opportunity arsehole

Even for Ellison it seems seems a strange way to nurture Sun's existing customer base.

Still, the DoJ has bigger sticks than Ellison has and even business bullies listen to it.