* Posts by Arctic fox

2770 publicly visible posts • joined 6 Nov 2009

Foxconn allegedly hid underage workers from inspectors

Arctic fox
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Re: Re: "Re: @arctic fox" I do think old chap that accusing me of being............

"But I do stand by my point you are more lefty than centre, if you wish to benefit from the society you live in then you must contribute to that society."

Actually old chap as a "lefty" I believe profoundly in precisely that, amusing that you as a "righty" believe that you have a monopoly on that attitude, hmm? Indeed as a "lefty" that particular statement pretty much defines my whole attitude to society - funny that eh?

Arctic fox
Happy

"Re: Re: @arctic fox" Actually Vic I have a horrible feeling that...............

...................you may be right. -:)

AF.

Arctic fox
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"Re: @arctic fox" I do think old chap that accusing me of being............

.................some kind of follower of "Socialist Worker", ie some kind of ultra-left Trot because of my posting, says a great deal about how right-wing you are rather than how left-wing you imagine me to be. My point was simply that exploitation is exploitation regardless of which government is involved. That you were "grateful" for the "opportunity" to drop your pants, part your cheeks and bend over is a matter that is entirely up to you.

Arctic fox
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Re: "Interesting". Its funny actually what a close resemblance to certain aspects.....

..........of government policy in the UK this has. After all the British government's policy on "work for free" or no social help is in practice "shipping the unemployed" to work as "free labour" for employers in the UK or starve (in practice). Being forced to work a full working week for the pittance you get on the dole does have certain resemblances to the situation at Foxconn, hmm? Not that I am excusing for one split second the way Foxconn is treating its employees or the "help" that the company is getting from some Chinese authorities but the attitude of the government here towards the unemployed is in certain ways not so very different.

Microsoft denies report of Office coming to iPad

Arctic fox
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Funny, I had to read what you had written a couple of times..............

..............because I was sure that the ribbon UI was introduced in Office 2007 and furthermore is fairly easily switched to the "classic" look by means of readily available "add-ons" (last time I looked 4 years or so ago). If you are running 2003 (as you are apparently claiming) you have the standard "look" and no ribbon anyway. If you are in fact running 2007 the problem is easy to sort as I have said. Later versions enable you to hide the ribbon in about 5 nanoseconds by a simple right-click/select option straight out of the box without having to install anything extra. In short you will have to forgive me but I detect a faint odour about your post as written.

Apple slaps mega-solar panel field on new ENORMO data centre

Arctic fox
Megaphone

Re: "If" ............Actually estimates are all one has to go on.

After all, Cupertino would not answer the question hmm? Unless you are suggesting that we all shut up simply because the company concerned (which ever example of "BigCorp" we are talking about) has decided that it prefers that the issue (what ever it may be) is not discussed?

French National Front woos internet pirates

Arctic fox
Headmaster

Re: re: been there, done that + RE "Hollande's left"

I think it should be pointed out that Hollande is very moderate centre-left in French terms and those of the French right who can genuinely be regarded as moderate would likely vote Hollande or (even more likely) abstain in the second round if the outcome of the first were a face off between him and the National Front. Such an outcome would likely hand Hollande the presidency since a National Front candidate representing the right in the second round would deeply split the right and thoroughly unite the left behind Hollande.

Panasonic outs dual-core Euro-centric Android phone

Arctic fox
Facepalm

RE:"The phone uses iPhone-style Micro Sim cards."

What on earth was it about micro sim cards that required that A Certain Phone be mentioned? What on earth was the relevance here? Apple certainly love it when lazy writing treats their product as a kind of SI unit to be mentioned on every conceivable (and inconceivable) occasion but I think that we should resist this kind of thing.

How Google and Apple exposed their Achilles heels this week

Arctic fox
Headmaster

It is of course beyond dispute that Cupertino have a................

........very valuable brand and it is scarcely surprising that they are keen on finding as many ways of monetizing this as possible - any company would. However, there is a very fine line between leveraging this to the max and hubris. Looking at their original terms and conditions I have to say that they crossed that line by a fair margin. It is hardly surprising that they are having to "adjust" their requirements.

Reflection lets astronomers trick time

Arctic fox
Joke

Re: and on Dec 21, 2012 at 1200 am EST

"......................."and end up being the Maya and inventing this calendar?"

Which is then retrospectively patented by a well known mobile phone company in an attempt to corner the entire calender market throughout time. Thereafter they start to sue all calender makers from roughly 3000 years BC onwards claiming damages for irreparable harm.

Canadians revolt over draconian internet privacy bill

Arctic fox
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Re: POLITICIANS....

"If you disagree they attack you with spurious claim" Indeed, it is standard tactics amongst various types of low-lives (lawyers, politicians etc) but I have to say that this guy reached a new low.

"......can either stand with us or with the child pornographers."

My instinctive reaction was you noxious unscrupulous lying turd and I am pleased to see that quite a large number of Canadians reacted to his remarks in pretty much the same spirit.

Drew's Cookie Jar - psst. want a forum upgrade

Arctic fox
Happy

Just testing.

help I really need some formatting.

Ah, bliss it was this dawn to be alive.

-:)

AF

Sensitive council data sent to hundreds via PERSONAL EMAIL

Arctic fox
Flame

I really do not see the point with fines of this kind.

Who actually pays these types of fines? The tax-payer of course who also happens to be the victim of this cock-up. When they start fining the senior managers responsible 80k each *personally* then we might see some improvement. The same should also apply in the private sector. When a company screws up any fines involved should also include *personal* fines levied on the board of directors with it being totally illegal for the company to in any way compensate them - to make sure that in those cases the customers (the victims again) do not end up paying the transgressor's fines for them indirectly. It is a total nonsense that holding the "managerati" to account whether in the public or the private sector in practice ends up with the *victims* do the paying.

Apple CEO defends fixes to suppliers' working conditions

Arctic fox
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@AC 15th Feb '12 12:30 RE: Reply @Johnny Foreigner.

"It's happening again, it's just that people can't see it. One day, Chinese people won't care whether their ancestors were better off in sweat shops or whether it was Chinese factories offering their cheap labour. All they'll know is that the west enjoyed plasma TVs, broadband, laptops, iPads and cheap clothes whilst their poor ancestors who made them had none of that, died worn out at a relatively young age, or even committed suicide because of the stress of it. Try telling the families of those men that they're better off that way."

Agreed. Frankly speaking it ought to be obvious to anyone with two neurones firing at the same time. Bloody good post. -:)

Arctic fox
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@AC 01:26 GMT RE "Can't fix........"

"Is it really unlikely that in another few hundred years, far-eastern people with a much higher standard of living will collectively hold a grudge against the west for what it did to their ancestors? We live in cities with racial divides and the legacy of slavery and colonialism. Is it hard to imagine the potential for a situation like this but on a global/regional level existing one day?"

I agree with all your points but wished to emphasise my agreement with that particularly cogent observation. A potential global level example of "what goes around comes around" indeed. Those acting as semi-apologists for the slave trade point to the fact that it was often their own people who sold the victims to the slave traders. One can of course also make the same point concerning the Chinese authorities in permitting such conditions. However, in neither case do such arguments make our moral position any better. We in the West, whether we like to admit it or not, want to pay as little as possible for absolutely everything imaginable - and we find it all too convenient to forget that there is a price for everything and third world workers are paying it. We see regularly pundits howling that the tablet manufacturers have to get the price of the kit down in order to compete. How is it possible to do that *without* forcing millions to work under conditions that are totally illegal in the West? The short answer is of course that it is *not* possible and our refusal to pay more than the absolute minimum is the driving force here.

Bonkers MS security update flags Google.com as malign

Arctic fox
Happy

"........MS security update flags Google.com as malign"

.......and the problem is?

Sorry, the temptation was too much to resist. -:)

Ten... Valentine's Day gifts for her

Arctic fox
Unhappy

I considered showing this list to my lady - just to get her take on it you understand.

Then I realised that it was in fact a "girlie" collection and she would hand me my head if I gave her the impression that I thought it was even faintly possible she would consider such offerings. I really think that Reg should think again next time round.

Arctic fox
Joke

Please do me a big favour when you do that article.................

.

"And if these don't - the adult toys we'll be covering in a few days' time as part of Reg Hardware's Sex Week are sure to."

.............I do not want to hear a word about how you tested battery life or which benchmarks you chose.

US and EU regulators will give Googorola the nod soon

Arctic fox
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@cloudgazer. With the greatest of respect if you like Apple kit fine, I do not have.....

..........the remotest problem with that. However, it must surely be beyond dispute that Cupertino are using the patent law system in a pretty open attempt to assert that the tablet market is their personal bitch. *That* is what my somewhat sardonic comment was referring to, *not* the issue of the type of licensing involved.

Arctic fox
Happy

First prize: An iPad

Second prize: Two.........

Couldn't resist that. -:)

Arctic fox
Flame

Would be nice if the competition authorities ensured that the following..........

"Google has sought to placate the regulators with a promise to submit to fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) licensing terms for key technologies and not try and lock up the mobile market."

.........applied to *all* major players in the mobile/tab market. Especially that bit about not trying to lock up the market. Now who might I be thinking of, hmm?

Penang fraud gang 'ringleader' snared by Taiwan police

Arctic fox
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Love it, its almost poetry.

"Gang man Huang banged up" in Penang.

Analyst: no 7in tablet at iPad 3 launch

Arctic fox
Trollface

Memo to CEO Asus: Dear Sir, I think that you should...............

"The analyst also forecast the debut next month of an iPad 3 case with an integrated keyboard, echoing speculation here and elsewhere based on comments made by CEO Tim Cook that Apple will soon have an offering for folk who want a compact laptop-type device running iOS."

..............have a word with your legal dept.

yrs sincerely

Arctic Fox

New sat data shows Himalayan glaciers hardly melting at all

Arctic fox
Happy

"Researchers visiting the region on the ground"..............

....................couldn't see the wood for the trees.

What downturn? Lenovo stuffs pockets with 54% extra profit

Arctic fox
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@Wunderbar1 Thank you very much indeed.

Sometimes terminology one is unfamiliar with can be seriously eyecrossing! -:)

Arctic fox
WTF?

I would be very grateful if someone would explain to me what the following means.

"look for inorganic growth opportunities which will supplement its organic growth strategy".

I am not trolling or indulging my penchant for irony, I genuinely do not understand what the fuck they are saying. Anyone willing to help me?

Sinofsky shows off Windows 8 on ARM and Office15

Arctic fox
Happy

Execution is indeed the key and I hope get an impression of that shortly.

I picked up a Acer W500 tab reasonably cheaply recently (has AMD's "Ontario" cpu) and have "experienced the joys" of Win7 as a tablet os (fine os on a conventional desktop but definitely pony as a touch os). It is fairly underpowered and the battery life is nothing to boast about, in short the perfect test-bed for the Win8 cp build when it becomes available in a couple of weeks. I am quite looking forward to seeing whether or not MS are within handshake distance of having got this right, at least as far as the x86 build is concerned.

Asus UX21E Zenbook 11.6in Ultrabook

Arctic fox
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I am truly unsurprised that you.........

............posted that as an AC.

Eolas claims royalties for browser apps and plug-ins

Arctic fox
Headmaster

Actually my take on that was slightly different.

I felt that he had just demonstrated that he was totally unfit to hear the case. If his response to an appeal with regard to the location of the trial is based in part on his feelings of what we can call "local nationalism" I cannot see how he is a fit person to rule on this case. Given that he openly gives decisions based on criteria other than the law. Some "judge", hmm?

Parliament ponders £400,000 iPads-for-MPs plan

Arctic fox
Happy

Actually Vic doesn't Apple kit usually get left in bars...........

.......and then you get raided by Cupertino's security people pretending that they are police officers?

Arctic fox
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Did they test any other tablets from other manufacturers?

If they did not then this purchase proposal should be turned down, proper testing done and several producers (Apple included) should be invited to tender for the contract. Otherwise one might be left with the impression that a bunch of middle class politicians are getting us to pay for what is fashionable in the circles they move in.

UK gov rejects call to posthumously pardon Alan Turing

Arctic fox
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RE: "Does this make any sense?" Yes it certainly does Sandtreader.

A great deal of sense in fact - thank you.

Apple tells authors: All your books iBook files are belong to us

Arctic fox
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RE: "Didn't you get the meme?" No old chap I did not which is why I did not say more.....

.......than "pardon?". However, thanks to your kindness in posting that link, I now understand the reference. -:)

Arctic fox
Headmaster

"All your books iBook files are belong to us"

Pardon?

Doctors sick of anonymous-coward NHS feedback commentards

Arctic fox
Unhappy

@Larry F54 "fired for hitting the nail on the head?" I agree entirely.

If someone wants to post as an AC and say what the fuck they like then they have no basis for any complaint about the kind of reply they get. Posting as an AC where you have perfectly acceptable reasons for wishing to remain anonymous is fine. I see any number of postings here that are, in and of themselves, perfectly acceptable expressions the the AC's opinion - whether I agree with him/her or not. However, the moment an AC posts abuse then we are in another situation. I think that it was a flaming disgrace that a reply that was blunt but not actually abusive led to her cowardly employer firing her.

Micron CEO Appleton dies in plane crash

Arctic fox
Unhappy

What can one say? Other than........

......respect and condolences to his family.

Study links dimwits to conservative ideology

Arctic fox

@Spanners RE:"Anyway, who says that conservatives are all right wing anyway?"

Indeed. Social conservatives and their mirror image social libertarians are found on both the left and the right in various guises.

The Register Comments Guidelines

Arctic fox
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@Richard North. RE: "Neither" I have actually and it was not amusing.

She was a damn good seam bowler with a *very* nasty line in occasional and well disguised short pitched deliveries. If you weren't careful she was fully capable of quite literally handing you your head. A really nice girl, great company in the pub afterwards but she was a bitch on the pitch (so to speak!).

Court defies Apple demand to ban Samsung tablet

Arctic fox
WTF?

RE: "It's not so". If it is not so then why did the court not simply rule that.......

..........that the Galaxy Tab 10.1N did not breach the injunction initially awarded in Apple's favour against the 10.1? They *appear* to have gone way further by accepting that Apple's patent itself is dubious. Whether or not this is the start of something that may cause Cupertino to regret their legal assault on tablet space is another matter but the basis for this decision will certainly be worrying their legal dept.

Airbrushed Rachel Weisz gets watchdog hot under the collar

Arctic fox
Unhappy

Its a shame really when you see that type of pic.

She is a very good looking lady. That kind of picture is so heavily "shopped" that it makes a woman who has genuine beauty look like a barbi-doll - all "plasticky".

Amazon France leaks iPad 3 release date?

Arctic fox
Trollface

Rumeurs pour les nuls?

See title.

NHS unfurls condom app – for iPhone-toting teens

Arctic fox
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RE: "The question is more"

"I don't pretend to know what teenagers in Kent favor, but don't think it's too crazy to assume that the average teen isn't running around with an iPhone due to price alone"

I am absolutely certain that the demographic they are going to reach are the children of the well-to-do middle classes in Kent.

Apple dishes out cheap, tasty Macs 'n slabs to staff

Arctic fox
Trollface

Company sells own products at discount to staff.

In other news the pope is still catholic and bears are assumed to still defecate in the woods. This was worth an article?

Apple loses ground to Android in tablet biz

Arctic fox
Headmaster

I would make a small bet that the MS slate figures for Q4 of this year............

...............were in fact heavily influenced by the release of the pre-beta version of Win 8.

Scientists shift electron orbits for atomic storage and quantum computing

Arctic fox
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"The team got an atom up to the size of a human blood cell during testing."

That is an utterly astonishing result - seriously eye-crossing.

Microsoft fingers alleged Kelihos botnet kingpin

Arctic fox
Trollface

"Suspected coder once worked for Russian antivirus biz"

Gamekeeper turned poacher?

MPAA threat sparks White House petition for bribery probe

Arctic fox
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RE: "Subheading right on the nose!" Indeed. However, I think that the first line of the article.....

.........itself needs adjusting a touch.

"Chris Dodd, ex–US senator and current Motion Picture Ass(hole). of America.........".

There, much better.

Man vanquishes robot cop in hand-to-hand combat

Arctic fox
Trollface

@Cunningly Linguistic RE "Err"

What part of the concept "play on words" did you have difficulties with (not so)Cunningly Linguistic?

Arctic fox
Trollface

Unfotunately not. More like "Mental Micky".

Early nineties joke - children's show, work it out for yourselves. -:)

E. coli turns seaweed into ethanol

Arctic fox
Pint

Interestingly enough they appear to get something like the strength of a best bitter........

.............from this process.

"........a consolidated process, achieving a titer of 4.7% volume/volume...........". The link to the abstract is below, access to the paper requires payment.

http://www.sciencemag.org/content/335/6066/308