Re: Can somebody explain...

>Explain it to me and how humans contributed to the before/after effects.

This reminds me of someone who disagreed that humans didn't exist at the same time as dinosaurs. They said "Well how did they know what they were called if they weren't around at the time?". They weren't joking!

Not exactly the same but it's just such a stupid question that spending 5 minutes reading a website would tell you the answer.

>..and there was a point 97% of scientists thought:

And then the breakthroughs showing these things were wrong was made by people who know nothing (or at least less about it) than the scientists? I mean - science is telling us something yet people with no relevant qualifications want to try and figure out what the answer is. The answer is going to come from scientists - listen to them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjD0e1d6GgQ

Re: Plastic back maybe?

I've ended up buying the official bumper partly because of this issue and also to reduce my stress when putting it down on something and worrying about scratches. Miss my old Motorola Defy sometimes!

Re: Simple

@Mage - interesting definition of Broadband! I remember being told it just used a wider frequency range which would allow the normal voice signal to go down the wire as well as the data. So you could call something broadband which was actually slower than dial-up. I think you're just describing a level of service for your internet access rather than defining the term "broadband".

Re: This is getting silly

I used to use streemap or I think multimap. Anyway, Google came along and even though the maps were not as of such good quality, the interface was a lot better. For me there was a very simple killer feature. You could click on the map and drag it around. With the other mapping websites you had to click on buttons to scroll over a set amount - fine at the time but things move on.

Re: watching video is surely one of the reasons you’d buy an Xperia Z

>I've sat and thought quite hard and I'm struggling to figure out how a phone can ring,... alert ... etc without the use of a built in speaker

Not sure why you're thinking about that mate - nobody is saying a phone shouldn't have a loud speaker. The reviewer complained it was raucous at high volumes which is fine for alerts. You'd want it to be raucous for alerts if you have it turned up high - that's the point! I'm guessing the reviewer is saying the sound quality isn't so good at high volumes which I don't think is much of an issue myself.

Speaker phone can be handy mind.

Re: watching video is surely one of the reasons you’d buy an Xperia Z

I agree with the comments here. I have never used the loud speaker for any length of time to watch a video. Just for showing a youtube clip to the wife so not really bothered about that.

Also - Why should I care that the screen doesn't so good when looked at from the wrong angle? I always watch videos with the device (usually a Nexus 7) pointed roughly at me. And the fact that the colours aren't all over saturated like on the Samsung phones also isn't a minus point.

I also agree with the point someone made about good support for custom ROMs due to Sony being good with open source stuff.

I'd be tempted by this phone if I could afford £500 but with a Nexus 4 available for £280, I'll have to stick with the cheaper option.

Re: Sounds great

>IAs an expat, the translation thing might have been useful had it included the language of my chosen home.

Have you tried installing "Google Translate" on your One X? I'm not sure what the S 4 gives you above that. Nobody seems to mention it in the reviews.

Re: Destroying trust

>what's next? Blogger? Picasa? YouTube?

They are getting rid of Picasa! The web part of it anyway. They're trying to encourage you to move over to Google+. I'm sure its removal will follow.

http://connect.dpreview.com/post/9680126717/picasa-redirect-google

Re: FYI there's a petition

I did sign it but I wonder why. Google must already know how many people use Reader.

Re: It's my device

>They can remove it if they wish but they can't stop it being used so it seems rather petty and pointless to remove it.

Here's a shit analogy to help explain why it isn't petty. If I gave people the use of a car in my business with the idea that they would make me money (somehow), then I found someone was actually taking money out of my bank account thanks to the the use of this car - would it be petty to stop them using my car? Sure they can use another car so perhaps I shouldn't bother. Would you like me to just post you a cheque and save the bother?

I don't think it's petty to stop helping someone to take my money - it'd be mental not to.

Regular updates good or bad?

>Until you find some DRM obsessed broadcaster (BBC and Sky are examples) who take one look your newly installed Android x.y.z+1 and refuse to allow their apps to run ...

That's interesting - I had not thought of that. But, as long as you're aware of it, this is still an advantage for the Nexus brand as you have the choice to accept the update (admittedly it's pretty naggy!) or not. With other tablets you might get stuck on an old version which will lose you bragging rights at the pub.

Re: @Spartacus

Another big selling point for the Nexus range is the regular updates from Google.

Re: Current tablets

Laptop still required for proper work shocker.

Not all iPhones on iOS 5+

It's true that Apple users are in a much better position for updates than non Nexus Android users.

I have a friend with an iPhone 3G which sounds really ancient now, it came out in July 2008 and it's stuck on iOS 4.2.1. And it sounds like that's too much for it really - it's very slow. Anyway - my point being that, assuming iPhones generally last more than 4 years, there will be quite a few with 4.2.1 at best.

Not much of a point as I agree that the general update slowness does exist for Android! Not that most normal users care.

Re: @AC 10:36

The counterargument to saying it's like giving out "SS" or "KKK" is that the SS and the KKK actually exist.

Re: "Google receives no signalling information from these devices"

"While Google may not harvest data, which I agree is a good thing on the face of it - what other code might be in there that you can never audit? What information could leak out to other places?"

That must apply to any phone OS. At least with Android you can look at the code so it's less of a risk than other systems.

"Would you like to leave the safety of your frying-pan and take your chances in the fire?"

I guess your frying-pan must be not having a smart phone at all!

Re: yawn

>Is this The Register?

Yes - can't you see the technology angle?

It was on TV.

TV is technology.

Therefore it's relevant. I think that's how it works.

The wife just got a Paperwhite to replace they Kindle keyboard she had. God knows why they moved the physical buttons - she can't hold it just in her left hand anymore. No doubt she'll be getting the Paperwhite 2 next year when they add the buttons back!

Re: Note 2

Gosh it hurts when they go and define words by how people use them. :-)

It's almost like pedantry doesn't matter - shame as it's a great hobby.

Re: A bit of a spanner?

>You disagree? You're wrong.

I think you're talking at cross purposes. He's saying it's nice that (in this instance) a passer by asked after his welfare having seen him going through the strange dance that is required for photosphere.

You're saying that he's wrong because some people ask stupid questions.

I also thought it was nice someone actually interacted in a positive way with a stranger - not enough of that these days.

Re: Worst. Graph. Ever.

I can't even figure out what the numbers mean on either of the axes.

Re: What do they need?

"Google maps was laughably bad when it was first released"

I've used it for many years and it's always got the location of towns correct. If it didn't - I'm sure there'd be plenty of stories still hanging around on the internet somewhere but I've somehow never seen those either. It's almost like it wasn't every anywhere near as shit as iOS maps which is the point I'm making.

Re: What do they need?

"Google maps was probably no better in the early days"

No - Google maps always tended to get the location of major towns correct. Never mind minor land marks.

"do you really just want one major supplier of mapping"

There are other mapping services other than Google and Apple already.

Kind of doubt anything else you've said now!

Re: No SD slot . .

"you don't need additional software or root as long as the device supports USB host."

True but they seem to be talking about the Nexus 7 which doesn't support it without additional software. I've got one on my desk which I'm about to do a factory reset on so I'll confirm! :-) I know I wouldn't have pissed about rooting the thing if I'd not had to in order to get Stick mount to work.

Re: This is so funny

"Google could not be bothered to update the Map App "

Are you sure that's how it worked or is it a theory? I've heard people say it wasn't down to Google - Apple were in control but I have no definite information.

His choice

Any other country would have put him in jail. He had that option so it must be less cruel in his mind right?

Re: Hahaha

Why has darkpill's post got downvoted for providing a link with more detailed information. Information is good!

Games

Maybe most paid apps are games and therefore don't need access to much - that'd explain this difference they noticed.

Re: I'm confused by this story...

"At first glance, it sounds as though it's just scaremongering by a PR firm more than anything"

Same way I read it - so free apps use the camera more than paid for apps. They imply some sinister reason for it but when they check into it - there's nothing wrong. Perhaps there's another reason for a difference between paid apps and free apps? There's no evidence here - just some figures.

Re: when you can get a 7in tablet for £160

I don't think he's suggesting you use a 7" tablet instead. He's just saying if you can make a 7" tablet for that price, can't you make a 4" mp3 player/tablet (or whatever it is) for less?

Re: Second screen options

Yes - shame they didn't use DLNA so I could use my non i devices with it at least for the streaming. I hope to get a Humax soon unless I find anything better. I understand there are modified versions of the firmware to get around the HD streaming and copying limitations. And the remote acts as a universal remote so that's a nice bonus.

Re: So how come

"Anonymity or education of course, you have to be somewhat of an idiot to attack a paediatrician instead of a paedophile."

No - I think it's still Anonymity unless you're saying it's acceptable that people go round attacking offenders based on the crimes they've committed.

"And if you plan on using the thing for more than a year then you will just accumulate junk. The average user knows how to add things but rarely deletes things (probably out of fear of breaking something) so if this problem is real then google needs to do something."

Er right - so if they fix it then suddenly people will start deleting things? The 2GB (or whatever it is) that they lost isn't going to see them through to old age is it?

Re: You get what you pay for

Yeah - that's why I have no issues with the 8GB model!

"keeping the mice levels down and from infesting the house"

Not in my experience. The little rascals bring their victims in to torture them in comfort and then lose them behind something so we end up with mice where we didn't previously have them!

VAT

Re: Agreed

> the second cop to turn up managed to shoot another cop who had already arrived at the house

Upvoted for comedy value - even better if it's true?