* Posts by JDX

6847 publicly visible posts • joined 28 May 2010

USB-C for Surface owners arrives in form of a massive dongle

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Re: Eh?

A mouse? A keyboard? A headset? All these you can get wireless versions, or wired versions for a tiny fraction of the price?

Not to mention an external hard-drive.

GitLab's move off Azure to Google cloud totally unrelated to Microsoft's GitHub acquisition. Yep

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Cynical much?

This is a major undertaking not to be done at the drop of a hat. Also, you think MS would move their platform away from their own servers just to win points from anti-MS people? I bet most people never even knew GH was using MS servers (I didn't)

You've seen the hype. Now you're curious. Why not have a crack at AI using this online lab...

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Re: Is it just me?

We're really off to a flying start with the idiotic comments today. This is a lab for noob AI developers wanting to get some understanding, and you're complaining it's not solving formerly unsolved problems?

This especially:

>If this is AI then we have AI since the 80's.

Seriously? If a problem has already been solved by non-AI/ML means then solving it a new way is meaningless?

I hope when your kids get into coding and proudly show you their version of Pong you will tell them kindly, how useless their efforts are.

Now Microsoft ports Windows 10, Linux to homegrown CPU design

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Re: Well, it's Microsoft

That is rather the point - they are speculative R&D projects that may through out some interesting results even if the project itself is never marketable. Like concept cars.

What's all the C Plus Fuss? Bjarne Stroustrup warns of dangerous future plans for his C++

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Re: Disagree....

>The idea of writing a large scale system with a modern distributed architecture in C++ is ludicrous. Even if you could, what would be the point? And where would you get the developers.

What do you mean, where would you get the developers? As the dominant applications language in the recent past, there are a vast number of experienced C++ developers out there. Many of them still relatively young (30s).

Every bloody gadget in the house is ringing. Thanks, EE

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Bully for you. Don't turn it on.

For me it sounds great if I can answer my phone on my PC using my headset like I do for Skype et al, rather than having to hold the phone to my face or muck about finding a hands-free kit.

Oddly enough, when a Tesla accelerates at a barrier, someone dies: Autopilot report lands

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So Tesla has follow-distance control but no emergency stop? Isn't that becoming standard even on regular cars?

Microsoft commits: We're buying GitHub for $7.5 beeeeeeellion

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Re: Alternatives?

Oh no, flat 2D buttons. Definitely unusable now. Sheesh. And you complain Windows users can easily adapt to Linux...

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Re: You may want to read the license

You certainly used to be allowed to use VS Express for commercial stuff pretty freely, I had thought the same was true of community edition. Annoying if so... seems they keep swinging back and forth on this!

I do wish they'd stop treating it as an income stream - it can't bring in THAT much and surely more developers! developers! developers! means a better ecosystem

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Re: Alternatives?

Skype was always crap, and is a user-facing application.

MS are good at developer tools... VS is not only great but free for commercial use.

Also MS might already use Git (?) or if not, want to use it. If they are going to use it internally, it probably won't be terrible.

I'd wait a year at least before making a silly jump just because it's owned by MS.

John McAfee plans 2020 presidential tilt

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Re: Finally!

He makes Trump look like a safe pair of hands.

Foolish foodies duped into thinking Greggs salads are posh nosh

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Re: Greggs the pie shop

Really? I can't imagine any small-medium sized town doesn't have a baker and a butcher. It might be a trendy baker but round here even the larger villages still have traditional butchers. And we have greengrocers. Outdoor markets are also popular though again a bit more trendy; farm shops are also pretty au fait these days.

Beardy Branson: Wacky hyperloop tube maglev cheaper than railways

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Re: UK too small

Which has been a big success

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I'm amazed that Hyperloop is still a generic term, and nobody trademarked it. How is that the case?

Headless man found in lava’s embrace

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Headless man found dead

I rather think the last word is superfluous.

OnePlus 6: Perfect porridge? One has to make a smartphone that's juuuust right

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"with 64GB and no slot I'm not sure why you'd want to"

>Only the 128GB model has crept up to £519 (for 8GB of RAM). You can get one for £469, but with 64GB and no slot I'm not sure why you'd want to. Maybe you live in the cloud

Huh? Only a few years ago 64Gb was a lot. Phones didn't typically have SD back then either, and I don't think MP3 files are larger these days. And the fact is people DO use streaming music services far more than in the past.

When I got my Lumia 1020 64Gb, I am not sure anyone was selling 128+Gb back then (maybe just?)

Mobile app devs have, oh, about 9 hours left to decide whether to stay on Google's ad platform

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Re: Facebook

I think they mean legally it's FB's issue, that's all.

Microsoft returns to Valley of Death? Cheap Surface threatens the hardware show

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Re: Low Cost? at $499!

This puts it bang in iPad pricing... but for a full OS. The issue is if they can make that run smoothly, because iOS (with all its limitations) runs well on iPad.

Surface Hub 2: Microsoft's pricey whiteboard gets a sequel

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Re: hefty, hefty indeed

If you read the article it's clear people are paying them. This isn't for home use.

And THIS is how you do it, Apple: Huawei shames Cupertino with under-glass sensor

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Re: Too good to be true?

Not really, it's about the same pricepoint as the OnePlus, and broadly similar specs IIRC?

Don't try and beat AI, merge with it says chess champ Garry Kasparov

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Errata

Stockfish is not "a chess computer". It's open-source software you can install on your PC or mobile device.

On the BBC I wouldn't comment but one would hope an IT site knows the difference.

Brit healthcare system inks Windows 10 install pact with Microsoft

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Re: Half solved, you mean

Don't forget the several billion you'd have to spend retraining everyone including your IT departments.

AMD CEO Su: We like GPU crypto-miners but gamers are first priority

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Is a mining rig still worthwhile?

I'm curious about BitCoins and mining but only cursorily so and there's so much nonsense and so many scams out there. Reputable Reg friends, is it in any way worthwhile to buy a PC and stick it in the cellar 24/7 other than for heating my house slightly?

Danish submariner sent down for life for murder of journalist Kim Wall

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Re: I know Justice demands that everyone get a proper defence...

Until they make a movie from the story.

X marks the Notch, where smartmobe supercycles go to die

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Re: The line must be drawn HERE!

I'm fairly sure you can get an adapter for either end of the cable phone<==>audio device. I agree this is a right PITA but for car stereo and home AV equipment this can't be that much of a problem. For headphones on the go, ugh.

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I don't 3.5mm or SD or swappable batteries are "high end" features. The former is a standard feature they're replacing with something worse, the other two are niche features.

The idea that a top-price phone should have EVERY feature doesn't make sense in a world where slim & sleek is seen as a key feature.

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Re: My problem with the latest top-end phones

So nobody makes phones with SD slots, headphone jacks and replaceable batteries? This seems unlikely.

I struggle to see why SD/battery are ironclad must-haves though, what use case makes them mandatory rather than convenient?

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So the top-tier, super-premium, extremely expensive model isn' the most popular... surely that's exactly what you'd expect. I bet they sell more mid-spec MacBooks than fully-loaded MacBook Pros too.

How do I get a job as an analyst, it seems an undemanding role?

The tech you're reading these words on – you have two Dundee uni boffins to thank for that

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I was going to say "how do you know I'm reading this on TFT?"

Since I could be on an old CRT... until I remembered you probably CAN tell exactly what I'm reading it on.

Facebook faces foe formation in facial fingering fight

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Re: Seems like a direct correlation...

Oh dear Graham, are you worried you might catch a computer virus from an email you receive in WhatsApp?

I'm nowhere near being a millennial; I'm old enough to have children who are.

People who are scared of FB can simply not use it.

Cool and Scary and Life-threatening are NOT mutually exclusive, FWIW. Nuclear weapons are certainly the last two but the nobel-winning physicists who created them certainly thought they were cool applications of science. Bio-weapons and genetics are fascinating but terrifying. AI also.

As someone interested in tech, all these things we can do are exciting and very cool - but that doesn't mean they're good ideas.

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Seems like a direct correlation...

...between the potential usefulness of any feature and the potential for it to piss people off, where the internet is concerned.

As a nerd, the idea that FB can automatically detect me when someone uploads a photo of me is bloody cool from a techy point of view and obviously very powerful. As a user the idea of not having to tag everyone in photos, and to be notified whenever someone uploads a photo of me, is straight out of sci-fi.

The obvious flip side is that any clever tech to help FB identify me and track me for cool reasons allows them to identify and track me for nefarious reasons... or for others to do so if FB deliberately or accidentally exposes this data.

Reg writer Richard went to the cupboard, seeking a Windows Phone...

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Do we think MS will have another go?

Things are often cyclical, do we think MS will try again for the phone market? I've no idea if Surface is selling well - they seem lovely but pricey - so maybe they don't have a springboard?

Motorola Z2 Force: This one's for the butterfingered Android lovers

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If you can slap on a protector then physics says so can the manufacturer.

Windows 10 Spring Creators Update team explains the hold-up: You little BSOD!

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Re: Windows insider Program

>I know I'm repeating myself, but why don't common Linux distros have these problems? You can take a stable release of RedHat, Debian, or pretty much any popular Linux OS, install it on any non-exotic hardware (aka anything Dell) and it just works. You can update it and it just works. You can update the kernel and it just works

"it just works" is certainly not the first thing that springs to mind when thinking about installing Linux.

That aside, Linux is installed on FAR fewer home PCs than Windows, by people who are on average FAR more knowledgeable about how to set their system up. I don't think it's a fair comparison. And I'm sure Linux MUST brick some people's machines but because there are fewer of them and they will spend time fixing it, we don't hear about it as much.

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Re: Windows insider Program

Isn't the Insider program broadly akin to open-source software where the vast majority use the stable version but early adopters can use the pre-release new version and real adrenaline junkies can use the nightly build or active dev branch?

Chrome 66: Get into the bin, auto-playing vids and Symantec certs!

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Re: Ok, so you have fixed some bugs

When did Google ban ad-blockers? I've had one installed for years - since they ported from FF - without issue.

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Re: Ok, so you have fixed some bugs

>But does it still send everything you do back to the Chocolate Factory?

>If it does then why would anyone use it? Or don't you even care?

I don't really care. I rather assume everything I do online is viewable by someone who really cares, but that they almost certainly don't. If Chrome is working within the law(?) I'm OK with that.

Car-crash television: 'Excuse me ma'am, do you speak English?' 'Yes I do,' replies AMD's CEO

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The only confusion is why he went up to someone he didn't know, rather than anyone else. In what world is a tech boss recognisable other than Gates or Zuckerburg?

Microsoft has designed an Arm Linux IoT cloud chip. Repeat, an Arm Linux IoT cloud chip

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Re: So

If it means IoT devices are properly securitised this might be preferable. Better than hundreds of 2-bit no-name companies mass-producing chips we haven't the slightest clue about, perhaps?

Of course your whole argument is predicated on the supposed axiom that proprietary = bad, this dogma is after all only opinion.

UK pub chain Wetherspoons' last call: ♫ Just a spoonful of Twitter – let's pull social media down ♫

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Non-story?

If it's a non-story then you're gullible fools for covering it... a major company dropping all SM is significant.

Google's not-Linux OS documentation cracks box open at last

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RE: the Fire is a crippled tablet

Apart from the fact you can as already mentioned get Google on Fire quite easily, you're missing the point.

To many people, a tablet that can browse the web, do email and stream content from Amazon+Netflix+iPlayer+YouTube is as functional as they need. It can cast to a Fire stick too. Not everyone installs lots of apps on their tablet the way they do on phones.

In fact to many just being able to watch Netflix & iPlayer is all they want. At the price of a Fire tablet, that's pretty good for them.

Apple, if you want to win in education, look at what sucks about iPads

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Re: Whole thing's nonsense

Your arguments aren't actually backed by any kind of science.

Your main argument seems to be "before tablets existed billions of people, in fact 100% of people, were educated without tablets. All the smart adults around today were taught without tablets so clearly that's the best way".

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Re: Just nonsense from teachers that are too dumb to do anything...

Try managing 30 kids at once who don't quietly follow instructions. Duh

BT to slash landline rentals by 37%... for the broadbandless

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Re: Seriously

You just wait for a deal and then get a new one when it ends by threatening to leave. Anyone who pays the advertised rate to their ISP is missing out.

El Reg deep dive: Everything you need to know about UK.gov's pr0n block

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Re: @JDX - Here's a question... does the porn industry WANT to restrict underage access?

1."Mechanisms like Age Verification will affect *everyone*, whether or not they have children, and remember the majority of households in this country *don't* have children, so why do we all have to be "protected" from this stuff?"

What kind of argument is that? It's not about protecting adults, but checking users are adults. Where have you got the notion this is about whether we have kids from? Besides, the idea a rule is needed only if it affects the majority is clearly nonsense. I submit you're just acting out of self-interest that YOU don't want to have to jump through hoops.

2. I (deliberately) never made any comment on porn being harmful but I'd hope we agree it's not a great idea for pre-pubescent children to be exposed to hard-core porn, or to explicit sexualisation in any sense.

That said, "it doesn't do anyone any harm" is just a load you've swallowed (ahem). Whether or not it harms the consumer, it is a matter of fact that porn is linked to abuse and trafficking. It is very hard(!) for you to know if the stuff you're consuming is legit when it's just a stream on some website. Some people might go out of their way to source "ethical porn" but most just type some search term into Google.

But while we're on the topic, I refute your claims it's harmless. It just smacks of tobacco companies funding research showing smoking wasn't bad for you. Whether it has a negative affect on mature adults, to suggest that children who grow up consuming porn before they start interacting with the opposite sex in real life won't be affected AT ALL is a very bold claim. It's not like there is any line between soft and hard stuff so a curious 10yo is just as likely to come across(!) some really dark stuff. It has also been shown that porn is on average getting harder. Maybe we grew up thinking a topless woman was pretty exciting, these days content very typically includes violent overtones, dominance, etc, not two people having a fun consensual time together.

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Here's a question... does the porn industry WANT to restrict underage access?

They say they do, but that any actual restrictive mechanism is likely to be harmful. Do we really believe them... genuine question? Do we think pornographers are good citizens running legitimate businesses, or dodgy types who - like cigarette makers in the past - are more than happy to get the next generation hooked?

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Can be bypassed by putting in a fair bit of effort to steal a CC... you could say that about many things now but most people don't immediately turn to theft or identity fraud the moment they can't have something they want.

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"Parents and schools need to be having discussions with their children about pornography"

Parents and schools need to be having discussions with their children about pornography, explaining that it is not a representation of real life and it is often a fantasy that can take things to extremes," said Lust, who has created a site that aims to help do this.

"Instead of trying to fix a social problem with technology, children should be educated and given a safe space to explore their sexuality."

Girl on the Net agreed, saying that young people have been crying out for "properly funded sex ed, which doesn't just cover the very basics like pregnancy and STIs, but which is broad and covers issues such as consent, self identity and pornography as well".

The many teachers I know bemoan the fact that they ALREADY have to teach this stuff at a younger and younger age and that this clearly isn't helping. They say they should not be having to talk to under-10s, or even under-8s about porn, consent and sexuality, and that the focus is all on sex not on relationships. They definitely don't like the idea of pre-pubescent children being encouraged to "explore their sexuality"

It seems like the things being requested are already part of modern sex-ed, but they don't seem to stop modern kids growing up with the impression that spaffing on your GF's face is a respectful relationship as long as they consent to it.

Your code is RUBBISH, says GitHub. Good thing we're here to save you

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Re: Ambiguous headline

Way to be an arrogant douche.

What a surprise, hobbyist and amateur coders don't write very good code. We definitely should criticise them for using version control - they should keep all their ugly code on c:\codez so us professionals don't have to see it.

Fermi famously asked: 'Where is everybody?' Probably dead, says renewed Drake equation

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Who said it di?