Posts by Chris Beach
123 posts • joined Tuesday 29th May 2007 08:56 GMT
What? We do have a formal body, getting on a bit now bless her. Her Majesty The Queen. We *should* be speaking the Queen's English you know? :)
However HRH pronounces the word is the correct way.
Re: XBox One vs PS4
cept, that technically the PS3 was better than the 360...and yet almost every head-to-head showed the 360 having better visuals (obviously the gameplay was nigh on identical, apart from the 360's superior multiplayer)
It all depends on the developer support Sony and MS give, and MS have been historically better at this. Obviously having a department for development tools, and already strong relations with the graphics hardware guys via DirectX helps.
It also sounds like the Xbox One is closer to production (and more importantly dev kits) than the PS4.
No Information
Given the apparent rage about these Beats, I took a look at a pair in Curry's...is it me or is there no technical information about them at all on the box? I don't know the SNR, sensitivity, no of drivers or impedance, that just smacks of "shit product in fancy marketing".
Re: Gee Thanks Google
They're running it, on their servers against their processes...you wont see it, ever...unless you're part of a company with the same amount of worldwide data and data centres to manage...then you'd love it.
Actually they probably do know how to commit properly, and didn't skip some versions just because some archaic association of magical properties with random numbers.
Posted in Review: HTC One
Re: No microSD AGAIN
Just to point out that on any modern phone your photos are already on about 3 different cloud services about 2 secs after you've taken them...photo recovery is not the reason for removable storage:)
It would have been great to take my existing sd of music and just shove it in the new phone...but then again all of the music's on Google anyways, so might as well just let it organise where its stored.
Re: Enquiring minds would like to know...
urm cost probly! PCI-E are still in the realms of fantasy/extreme enterprise usage, for a typical consumer they aren't even close to being a viable option. Even if the cost came down the installation/usage isn't as straightforward either.
Plus they are no use at all for laptops.
tbh they are temporary stopgap until the next SATA protocol appears and fixes the 6Gb bandwidth limit. (SATA Express is the current forerunner)
Re: "We're nice people as well as business people."
But that's nothing (even when combined with MS and Apple) to other industries like the drug corps, car manufactures or the entertainment industry. So I'd hardly call that a sign of evilness.
It's a sign that the tech corps are realising that its the only way to protect their businesses and their markets.
Re: Perhaps 'slightly' OT but Chrome Browser
Methinks your rant is massively misdirected.
I can't blame Google or Adobe when some software tries to make money with back door installs of unrelated software.
No such thing as the spirit of the law, it never has and never will stand up in any court as a defence or prosecution argument.
So the Dutch are doing the right thing (well according to the media, and maybe, just maybe their citizens), by changing the actual legal wording of the laws to prevent the practise from happening.
Ireland could do the same, cept they're in a slightly better position as the companies using the tax loopholes do tend to employee in Ireland, and Ireland desperately needs a job market (other than building lots of empty properties...)
IPv6 Plan
If this was announced alongside their IPv6 plan, then that would have been a good thing. "look, we're investing in a proper solution, but in the meantime can you help us out buy..."
As it is it looks like they don't want, or can't make the switch to IPv6, and are happy to provide a sub-par service.
Re: Did someone
Do you know what travelling at .99999995%c looks like?
No, then it was important, it answered a question that had an unknown answer.
The fact they used a science fiction film just makes it more accessible...no point doing the science if you can't relate what you find to the normal person.
This is good!
Wasn't it here that I read that this is the whole point of the EU tax scheme, they don't want corps paying corporation tax? Its an expensive tax that doesn't really work.
Re: Windows® 8™ TIFKAM™
what? having installed Win8 on my very physical machine, there's no resistance or any indication at all that the corners do anything.
there was a immensely piss-poor animation during first start-up that kind of suggest they might do something, but there's naff all otherwise. They're also slow if you actually use the corners. To get the bars (charm or app switch) its best to go into the corner then down/up. esp as the charms are all in the middle, which is annoying, having to travel 2-3" to go from the corner to the first 'charm'.
Still not found if you can close an app with the mouse only.
Oh and the start screen not respecting snapped apps, or having a clock is damn annoying too.
Re: That's learning of today (the future)?
Unless you were at his lectures before and after this video was taken, how can you say that? You've no idea what calculations or prep work where done.
It's a YouTube video, it's the exciting bit, the rest doesn't tend to make good viewing.
Re: One way to beat the outage
Or simpler, an unlocked phone...pretty much all can be unlocked for <£10, and payg sim on another network costs nothing.
User Agents
And how are they working out which device is what? Esp as most Android browsers offer an easy to change the user agent, and due to lazy web monkeys, you used to have to change to imitate the iPhone, as that was the only device they tested for.
So Android user could be inflating the iOS (and desktop numbers).
Business Market
Cept Microsoft really aren't going for the iPad either, they're going for the business market. Hence the touch, keyboard and pen...its productivity and creation.
The coding, is similar to the current .NET methodology, which business are already used to.
Think about how many of those little hand-held signature devices you see, or the ones the gas/electric meter guys use, what are they all running...Windows CE... That's the where Microsoft see the biggest market, running 'boring' but essential business apps.
Consumers are an secondary bonus, and so they can afford to just target the high-end iPad crowd...they don't need to worry about the mid/low end...that'll come by default.
I don't quite see what EU hope to gain from this. If you accept that Google's dominance in search allows it to enter other markets that are unrelated to search and that's not 'good'. Then aren't you pretty much saying once a company enters a market its stuck within the confines of that market? Isn't that pretty damn stupid?
Yes Google probably did use the profits from search to give Maps away for free, but when it entered it wasn't the only product and it wasn't the only free product, it just was, in most peoples opinion, better. Google didn't abuse the search to get it there though, a link to maps was added, but the integration of maps and search didn't happen for quite a while afterwards, Maps was already dominant by then.
I doubt anyone could argue Google has ever plastered a new product all over their search site, and even if they did, are the EU really trying to say that a company can't advertise its own products on its home page?
Posted in EE splurges £50m on OS-specific experts
Urm how?
When most Orange/T-Mob shops have about 2 staff per shop...
Re: No problems here
You don't change the DNS in the modem though? You change it in the router...or the OS.
Posted in ITU adopts two ultra-high def TV specs
Re: UHDTV and UHDTV vs HD and HD Ready
And you it seems like.
HD Ready was initially for the plasmas screens that due to their design didn't have either 720p or 1080p resolutions, 1024x768 I think was common. So on the crappy little sticker they had 'less' pixels than the cheapo LCD next to them.
But they did accept a 1080p, hence the 'ready'. And internally for plasmas the relationship between pixels on the screen and the content wasn't as simple as it is for LCD.
This was badly expanded to include the crap 720p screens, so they could con the punters, as they could all accept HD, that is 1080p.
So HD Ready has meant that the TV accepts a 1080p HD signal, nothing to do with its actual resolution.
Why not make our 4G compatible?
As we have no 4G network (and no HSDPA+ isn't 4G, it wasn't when it was launched years ago, and it wasn't when AT&T marketing muppets tried to con their customers), why isn't Ofcom considering making ours compatible with the US one? Surely its of benefit to the consumers to have access to a wider range of products?
Re: HSPA+
HSDPA+ isn't 4G, never has been, its 3.9G if anything. Unfortunatly the American marketting confused the crap out of everybody by branding HSDPA as 4G, esp if it did the 14Mbps/22Mbps.
Even the current LTE (as used by Verizon in the US), isn't proper 4G, when they start mentioning LTE Advanced do they actually start to fully comply with the 4G standards.
Always Obvious
Probably because I grew up with computers being used more an more, and that the internet has meant I seen a lot more photographs and videos than my grandparents ever have, a photoshopped (or in any way digitally created) image stands out far more than I think the advertisers realise.
Spherical
I always thought that a space only fighter (i.e. just does dog fights in space) would be more spherical than any other shape. After all, just as 'up' is pretty irrelevant in space, so is 'forward'.
You'd want an even 360deg propulsion, and weapon arcs, after all, why would you want to waste time doing a Immelmann to face the bad guy?
Not sure how you'd control it though...wouldn't be a joystick for sure...
Bit Late
First Alpha of Cyanogen was released last week, and it runs extremely well. The only issue I've noticed is battery life is much lower, but understandable for a first unoptimised release.
Worldwide
It would be even better if MS could leverage it's size and size of xbox live to make some of these multi-national.
Would love to use the US ESPN, but no for some reason we don't have a world wide network...oh wait...
The NHS is the *only* organisation that needs to know your biological sex and gender.
No one else does, they need a general and optional text field for your 'title'.
Ignore Apple
Oh dear, MS think they are actually going to compete with Apple with WinMo...no way. Let Apple keep the more-money-than-sense crowd and compete for the Android and Blackberry users.
From what I've seen Windows Mobile does have that extra bit of polish over Android, and Nokia can make very decent, if not spectacular, hardware. So they should go for the high-mid range phones, and an 8 sounds very good for that.
I'm hoping Ice Cream Sandwich brings some polish to android, it needs it.
Exactly
This is damn right, esp if they are missing a few key features: Like an IPS or equiv screen. Tablets need much better viewing angles. 10+hour battery, and esp a long life if in standby, if its sitting on the sofa all night I don't want it loosing more than a few % battery.
If you have both of those, (and the storage size etc) is the same, then you still can't charge iPad prices unless you've got iPad build quailty as well! Sorry plastic isn't it.
The Asus Transformer, is still the only Android tablet worth buying, mainly due to the IPS screen. They have accepted its plastic, not quite as well built, and aren't charging premium price.
Sony Tablet S, same as any other honeycomb pad spec wise, still plastic build, ok nice design and the remote's a nice feature...but that doesn't make it worth iPad pricing.
Posted in Ten... in-ear headphones
Shure's Cables
Shure's had replaceable cables for ages.
In the previous gen it was the lower half of the set, and now its the entire cable.
But agreed comparing the 400 or 300 series would have better. The 535's are really IEMs.
And for those saying whats the point, that's fine, as long as you also just use the speakers in your HD TV...
No PI
odd, I'd have thought El Reg would have made more of the odd bets Google were making, the last being $3.14159!
More here http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/02/dealtalk-nortel-google-idUSN1E7601QM20110702?feedType=RSS&feedName=marketsNews&rpc=43, now to be fair, the fact that Google did that is just awesome.
Posted in Acer Iconia Tab A500 10in Android tablet
Asus
Considering the Asus Transformer has a better screen (IPS like the iPad) and its cheaper, why would you get this or the Xoom? Yes it might be plastic but its solid plastic, and if you were that obsessed with looks you'll have the iPad already.
Appropriate
I think Google are best at 'using' the right tech for the job, they don't have some nihilistic obsession with something. Flash fits the needs of the product now, HTML5/WebM doesn't...yet.
When, not if, it does Google will switch over.
Microsoft have thier 'not developed here', and god knows how Apple decides what to obsess on...
Posted in Motorola Xoom
cept it isn't.
The screen isn't as good as the IPS panel in the iPad. It's better than most of the competition that are using the same tech, TN i think.
But the Asus Transformer, does use an IPS panel and is as good as the iPad. Is also cheaper (less onboard memory) and has a working sd card slot.
Posted in WTF is... 4K x 2K?
Gaming
With the latest kit games are easily playable at 2560x1600, anything lower and that hardware is wasted. So I'd be interested in a 2k/4k projector:) dunno what lag/latency whatever is like though, that could put a downer on things.
It's pretty annoying that monitors haven't progressed, were stuck with low PPI 1080 displays...
It's daft that my cheapo £100 android phone at 800x480 has a higher density screen than any 1080 tv out there...
Missing the Point
It's amazing how many people keep trying to fit ChomeOS into their established ideas about what a PC should be/do.
Yes it doesn't work well offline, its not supposed to, and why does it need too? We only think its a need at the moment because wireless is still in its infancy.
Why do you need to manage your files locally? Just because you do on all the other OS's doesn't mean you should need to. What are you actually achieving when your managing your files?
If there is a negative point to be made about ChromeOS, its that its not answering these questions in a clear manner. So people are just lumping it as a kinda netbook that doesn't work as well.
Personally when I had my netbook, I could have used ChromeOS instead.
Posted in MP wants age verification for net smut
Lets see the 'How?'
Then we can talk...oh wait there is no How.
Internet Browsers already have a content system in place, and all the government could do is rule that all web hosts *in the UK* have this set correctly. Which would limit probably less that 1% of net smut.
Wait, I thought of a how, parents could do their damn job properly!
Posted in Ten... budget Android smartphones
San Fransisco
The SanFran is also easily unlockable and rootable with a decent community behind it, which are already working on a 2.2 ver.
http://blade.modaco.com
Posted in Jobs savages 7-inch tablet competition
He's Mostly Right Too
tbh I think he's right. 10" puts the device nearer the laptop side which is what the tablet replacing. Its never going to replace your 2"-4" smartphone, but it can replace the light usage netbook or your cheaper 13/14" that you only use for internet anyways.
I also agree that buying a tablet with 2.2 and no guarentee that it will be upgraded to 3.0, is daft. Having another app market isn't the solution either.
Posted in iPad tethering does disappearing trick
Tethering != Strain
Sorry but I fail to see how tethering affects the operator at all. You're not going to get any faster speeds, or any lower pings just because using a laptop instead of your phone.
Due to the relative ease of use, your probably going to go through your unlimited allocation quicker, and then have to pay them more. But that's not a technical restriction.
Put it another way, all operators sell mobile broadband dongles...which are nothing more than just the radio part of the phone...so its just greed they want to double charge you for doing nothing themselves.
Posted in Amazon loves LoveFilm (true)
cdwow
LoveFilm owns CDWOW too, as well as running Tesco's, WHSmiths and Nectars film rental ops.
So if this did go ahead it would really only leave Play.com (and a number of so-so high street online equivs) as the only competitor to Amazon in the UK. Not sure if that's good for consumers.
Fail for Intel Maybe
This might fail for Intel, but for consumers it could be that we get what's been missing for a while: Decent laptop graphics capability!
If SandyBridge is 'good enough' to make the current AMD and Nvidia offerings too expensive for the performance, then I'd imagine one or both of them will release updated products that will outperform the Intel offerijng. And then we might actually have laptops that can run most games at the native res of the monitor...and not rely on horrible scaling or running everything on low.
But having said all that, gaming laptops is niche, even if OS's and other products start to use the GPU for offloading more work...the general consumer probly doesn't care, and SandyBridge will be a cheap all in one solution for most OEM's.
PS3 Better, nope!
mmm, odd seeing as even now the 360 often comes off better in direct head to heads, better AA and less tearing normally.
Ok its a pointless slight margin but hey, just see http://www.eurogamer.net/digitalfoundry.
What about the bumpers?
Some people can't get Apple UK stores to refund the bumpers yet either!
Apparently they've not heard anything offical from the mothership.
Point?
Not sure what this will do? I do doubt (even with the current education standards) that these kids want to go off with someone to be attacked. So if they don't think they are at risk why would they ever press a 'panic' button?
Posted in Buyer's Guide: Freeview HD TVs
Tightly Specced? wtf
Freeview is hardly tightly specced!
Take the sound format, apparently the broadcasters can use AAC or Dolby Digital+, unfortunatly they didn't specifiy that the output should be transcoded to a more universal format (dolby digital or dts)...so your fancy HD TV will just be feeding stereo to your amp...how 'modern'!
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcinternet/2010/06/questions_around_surround_soun.html)
Nor did they specificy a minium bitrate, so you end up with overly compressed crap that only looks good on youtube or your phone.
They don't even correctly apply the H.264 video standard, so your recorded programs can't be played on devices that 'support' h.264.
So all in all its about the same as all the other tech standards, incomplete with masses of room for user confusion and 'new' versions.
Typical Tech Standards
Half-Assed, over complicated, standards rushed out to meet some invisible and pointless marketting effort. Just one extra line in the spec mandating transcoding would have solved it.
The whole tech industry keeps doing the same thing. HDMI, 3D, blu-ray, bluetooth, the list just goes on.
vb.net but not c#
What the hell is behind this thinking? If one .net language is suitable for teaching then both should be. Arguably C# also has a seconday benefit of being similar in syntax to Java and C++ making the future learning of those easier. Which will be needed as you aint going to getta job with Delphi or Pascal!
