Re: It's rollocks isn't it.

There aren't as many holes as you suppose- the article doesn't mention tricks such as using the GPS-jammer itself as navigation aid.

If you imagine it constantly triangulating a range of frequencies and building a 'map' on the fly, you might see how it won't be so bothered by losing one means of determining its location, or how it can know if it is suddenly having its GPS spoofed.

Put like that, it only seem sensible and straightforward way of bringing redundancy to a device you really don't want to hit the ground in the wrong place- as that poor fella in S Korea who got killed by his own drone last week would surely agree.

fire with fire

>I also fail to see how this does not suffer from exactly the same problems as GPS regards spoofing.

Because to spoof this system you would have to spoof all other radio transmissions too. Imagine it triangulating a range of signals all the time, (building a database in real time) and then suddenly the GPS disagrees with everything else, including its gyroscopes...

It can also use a GPS-jamming itself as a reference point for navigation. Cheeky.

http://www.baesystems.com/article/BAES_053641/bae-systems-locates-opportunity-to-replace-gps

Re: Battery

> if I run a task-kill on the bullshit (Facebook app, etc,

I seem to remember some story about 3G not being very power efficient for small quantities of data, of the kind that widgets like FB use.

My current dumbphone wastes a lot of power looking for (and failing to find) 3G when I'm in more rural areas- why it thinks that I might need 3G for incoming calls (as opposed to just turning on 3G when I'm actively web browsing etc) is beyond me. Changing the Network Mode to GSM 900 / 1800 helps the battery a lot in such circumstances.

Re: info

Thank you kindly. The info you supplied is the exactly the sort of thing I like to know about phones and the like, but isn't always clear from manufacturer's spec sheets. It usually means I have to read through reviews, in the hope that the reviewer mentions a particular feature / limitation.

The note about MTP rather than MSC storage is especially welcome, since I plug phones and MP3 players into my cheap car stereo. I seem to recall some story about Android supporting MTP only and Linux users (and others) getting peeved, though I may have got my wires crossed...

Re: Samsung had this coming

Maybe they have:

'New Samsung chief: I want SOFTWARE'

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/06/19/samsung_better_software/

Re: Stalling tactic

Er, it seems to be Android handset manufacturers who often delay the latest releases of Android.

Re: Someone explain to me how the Nexus looks anything like the iphone?

I can't, because it doesn't.

"Friday's ruling centers on U.S. Patent 8,086,604, which covers a user interface for conveniently retrieving information from a computer system. The patent was filed by Apple in 2004."

(Google search 'Galaxy Nexus' and filter by 'News': the pcworld.com story carries links to the patents in question. Confusion is understandable because there are several devices and patents being slung about)

Re: Don't think Samsung will be too upset...

>designs for the iPhonesque touchscreen UI, patent them and sit on that for 10 years doing totally nothing (no comment why).

It invented by a small company who made multi-touch keyboards and trackpads before Apple bought them. I guess Apple were waiting for battery and mobile CPU technology to get to where it needed it to be - even then, the first iPhone had to forgo 3G in order to get an acceptable battery life.

Re: Holy Crap!

> like Windows Update but without the nagging reboot reminders every X minutes

Yeah, the Vista implementation was marvellous- a forced restart that couldn't be prevented, resulting in some lost work; not a lot of work, but than I have ever lost to a virus.

Win7 is better behaved.

Re: The Curse Of Bladerunner

Like seeing Pan Am, AT&T and IBM (consumer hardware) in 2001: A Space Odyssey

Re: Why use "The Cloud"

MicroSD cards are too small... it wouldn't be so bad if they were made from a bright day-glo plastic so they were easier to spot on the ground.

However, I tend to use them in SD card adaptors, just to give me flexibility. Camera, Laptop and Car Stereo: SD. Phone, MP3 player and Keyring Card Reader: MicroSD.

Re: Useless benchmarks

Certainly: Go to a specialist hardware review site, type in the name of the CPU and filter by 'reviews'. You will find pages of benchmarks, both artificial and based on specific games, along with analysis of different platforms and future offerings. You can also check their monthly 'Best [usually gaming, but other sectors too] CPU for the money' charts. More data than you shake a laser-pointer at.

The same is true of reviews of cameras and cars... other sites will have controlled lab tests, and the tools to compare X with Y and Z.

The Reg's strengths lie elsewhere.

Re: AMD still trailing

> consumers who do care about graphics generally get discrete graphics cards.

Some consumers want a small PC to use as a home theatre PC. Having the graphics built into the CPU allows them to decode HD video, for example.

Re: Didn't.... America used to be cool?

America was cool when I was a boy... every time I drew a rocket or space ship, it would have Stars and Stripes on it. Not to mention the Dukes of Hazard ( sorry, I didn't know what the Confederate Flag meant when I was four), and the A-Team...

America used to be so cool!

Re: USB Charging

>Oh, and it withstands EMPs, which the Sony clearly can't.

Might be a good idea for a poduct competing in the daft price bracket of watches: A gold plated rad-hardened quartz watch http://www.datasheetdir.com/HS-82C85RH+Clock-Timing. Place it in the obscene price bracket and you might sell one to a Russian politician.

Re: Please someone tell me the point in this?

I assume that there are a fair few people wearing watches in Sony's home market, given Japan has a watchmaking culture of its own and and a large range of strange watches that make reading the time a puzzle.

Also, I can imagine that people who spend time commuting on over-crowded subway trains* might see virtue in a device that lets them read messages without having to wrestle their phone from their pocket.

*http://lostinjapan.groth.hm/archives/2006/01/frustrations-in-japan-part-2-public-transportation/ links to Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure & Transportation - (I assume it is: I can only read English and some menus so can't check)

Sony has released an analogous product before in the mid-nineties; called the Walkman Wireless, it was a light matchbox-sized box with playback controls that you plugged your headphones into. It communicated wirelessly with its partner Walkman (a real one, it took cassettes!) that you kept in your bag. Handy for crowded places or for playing basketball. It probably extended the life span of the Walkman because the user couldn't drop it if they weren't holding it.

Then, as you consider the multitude of devices (Walkmans, Discmans, DATS, MD and MP3 player) that Sony have released with wired remote-control units, this new watch doesn't seem too surprising.

Strange how my, and that others here in 'the West'', first thought was of 'outdoor pursuits' applications like hillwalking and mountain biking- tasks this watch is unsuited for. Maybe it was the rubber strap that made us think that - it looks like something that reads your heartrate.

Re: So.... pebble watch was not a totally new idea?

>Sony must be in financial desperation to even market this.

Can you expand on this? I would have expected the release of niche/ experimental/ useless* products would be a sign of confidence.

Also, have you considered how this might be received in Japan or other territories beside your own?

*AIBO

Re: Wrong device at the wrong price

Indeed. It's two not-yet-here competitors share with this Sony a meh-looking silicone strap. The Sony looks weird, the other two both look like iPod Nanos... At least Sony know that anodised Aluminium is not used on watches for a reason- it soon dents and scratches - and have what appears to be stainless steel trim around it.

A nice aesthetic solution would be to copy Rado (known for their black ceramic timepieces) since the black screen of the watch wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb from the black casing and strap. It would look half-way civilised.

The trouble is that we are comparing phone tech (replace every 18 months) with watches - even a cheapish Casio comes with a ten-year battery.

Re: USB Charging

We'll be stopping Mr Morris in the street and asking him the time when the EMP hits us... but yeah, I have a fascination for tiny mechanical things and I'm glad that they, and the people who can make them, exist.

But that £10 Casio is the terrorist's favourite watch for good reasons. Accuracy, durability, affordability, internal contacts to the alarm that can be re-purposed to operate a...

Oh, the Japanese also make some fine mechanical watches - see Grand Seiko- as does the Isle of Man.

Re: Wristband

Materials exist to make the strap far stronger than is necessary, and last for a very long time. But you usually wouldn't do so, on the grounds that it is better to lose your watch than your hand, in the event of the strap getting caught on anything. The weak spot is usually the pins that attach it to the 'horns' of the watch.

Materials used for watch straps: Silicone 'rubber' (like this one), Kevlar, Nylon, stainless steel, leather, titanium, and others.

This is Sony we're talking about.

A normal person would integrate the cable into the strap, with a slim contacts-only male USB A plug on the end. The strap would be replaceable so that a, it can be replaced because cables do fail, b, Sony can offer different colours and styles.

Whilst we're talking about connectors... what would it take to make a microUSB female socket waterproof? Can it be done, or would partial shorting of the contacts upset the electronics inside?

Re: These sorts of things

Inspired by the first commenter to skim-read-up on it, I see the Pebble Watch will support Windows Phone8, as well as iOS and Android. When it comes out. Sometime.

Re: Please someone tell me the point in this?

Good point. Rain, and / or gloved hands... Is a touch-screen really necessary, or could its functions be navigated by a four-way menu system like phones of old?

There was a patent for a watch screen that would move slightly (up 12 down 6 left 9 right 3) when pushed by a finger, giving you input without adding a separate D-pad. It might be better for these outdoors enthusiasts than a capacitive touch screen, though as a breed they don't seem to mind big chunky watches with barometers sticking out of them!

(Hehe, my local train station has an exposed ticket vending machine with a touch-screen that goes haywire in the rain. All the train operator's dire warning notices about boarding the train without a valid ticket are to be ignored)

Re: So.... pebble watch was not a totally new idea?

Actually, +1 to Sony for bringing not one, but two products to market. The Pebble Watch and a similar Italian effort called 'i'm watch' -from people who previously tried to sell alcohol-free wine- have yet to materialise.

Re E-Ink display... depends how much of its energy the watch spends on the display, and how much on its radio and brains. Other factors such as how often the display changes, ghosting, colour, night-time and sunlight visibility would also influence the choice.

It is easy to imagine simple applications not requiring a conventional display at all: a light to alert you to new messages, a watch hand could be used for hiking navigation (like a compass but changing bearing based on the maps and GPS of the linked phone) voice memos, vibrate at call alert etc.

And regarding charging, I would have thought that the strap could function as a cable, with its end slipping into a Female USB A socket. Alibaba has dozens: http://www.alibaba.com/showroom/watch-strap-usb.html but strangely they all use full size Male USB connectors, rather than the thin contacts-only version seen on some slim USB thumbsticks.

Re: Not that big of a deal

Captain, that is not the logic that I am espousing, so I won't defend it. I will admit that I could have written my comment less ambiguously; I was describing a more mature and wealthy demographic, some of whom buy Macs (not because they are 'Fanbois') and some who buy PCs. And I wasn't saying all the PC buyers were unhappy - or that all the Mac users were content, I was just trying to get across this demographic group's attitude to things. First of all, even before buying anything, learning about the technology is something they have limited patience for.

My point was merely that there are people who place a different dollar value on their time than you or I might. If they have more money, it is unlikely that they are 'morons', as one commantard put it. Identifying the cause of BSOD by getting acquainted by Symbols and crash logs and then hunting down and installing a better driver for their laptop's built in SD card reader just to stop the bloody thing crashing is not something I would expect members of this crudely-defined group to do. (Thanks, Dell, all your customer support did was to sell my name and telephone number). I use PCs, but I do like little tossers blindly insulting the people I share my streets and pubs with.

- "Wanting devices that work well doesn't have to equate to spunking a load of chase for $Brand_name." You're right, it does not necessarily meaning spending loads of cash. However, it means spending some- otherwise all the manufacturers are just going to cram as many Ghz and GBs into a box and whack their sticker on it - if the customer is merely comparing two lists of numerical data, the manufacturer would be a fool to spend time improving other aspects of the machine. Things such as: the feel of the keyboard, quality of the sound*, responsiveness of the track pad, does the power cable yank your laptop to the floor... these and many other considerations that can't be expressed in a list need to be signalled to the buyer, in order to get a return on the cost of developing them. How to do that? ONE way is to establish a reputation and then use your brand name. Take ThinkPads, for example. If you have always had a good experience with them, and found them comfortable to use and durable, would that make you a fool for spending an extra 10% on getting one when you next need to upgrade?

As for marketing... marketing is marketing. See Bill Hicks. But basically, any advert is going to talk up its product, you expect that, you don't worry about it. The Ridley Scott one was fun, the Jeff Golblum ones with tanks were confusing... many of the current ones appear to show an Apple product being used to do something like video-calling. Maybe there are some weirder ones - I don't watch much TV - but Scarlett Johansson and her mates seems more like a Lynx deodorant advert aimed at PFYs. And curing cancer? Surely that's the PS3? (see Folding @Home)

*Sound... we see a few laptops with 3rd party stickers... Harmon Kardon, Beats by Monster, B&O etc all trying to use established brand names with perceived quality in order to distinguish THIS laptop's speakers from something tinny. The system kinda works because B&O would suffer 'brand dilution' if they stuck their sticker on shit speakers, so we trust any laptop featuring them will sound better than average.

Re: What is it?

>All it shows is that Nokia has lost its way and so the downward spiral continues.

Really? Even in all this Elop-era mess, Nokia still have a reputation for good reception and clear phone calls, and also for having best cameras found in phones. These are its current strengths, since it has lost the rest. This new device plays on its current strengths, since they can't differentiate themselves in other ways.

Re: Most peculiar. I may have misunderstood of course but when a judge granting a.......

>she is giving the rather unfortunate impression that she has already made her mind up about the final merits of the case before the full trial.

How so? By kicking the case out, only to having dumped back on her by an appeals court?

Re: Probably good for everyone in the end

Okay, so you don't want a 10" screen in a minimal case (there are only so many ways of achieving that)... Perhaps you want:

- Sony Vaio clamshell tablet, with that split screen

- 7" Samsung Tab

- Asus Transformer - tablet with keyboard.

- My idea- a 10" tablet with a couple of analogue joysticks.

Can you give us a clue to what sort of differences you would like to see? No cheating and specifying roll-up flexible OLED screens or pixie dust, now!

Re: Touch screen on laptops?

Not only grimy finger smears on the screen (its bad enough when showing someone some drawings and they insist on prodding the screen) that puts me off touchscreen, but the poor ergonomics of reaching that far forward, too.

A scaled-down Microsoft Kinect might be better suited- (might be, with the right software) to interacting with laptops, as it doesn't merely replicate what the mouse does, doesn't leave smears and doesn't require me to lean forwards.

> I mean, how many people really use the stocks app?

Like a newspaper... contains stock prices, weather forecasts, tv listings and a crossword. Just ignore or throw out the bits you don't need. A stock-price app works well as a proof-of-concept of what a real-time app might be used for, just as a ticker-tape machine did generations before.

Re: That's how it's fucking done!

Mr Roper

-did you read the article? You saying their choice of Apple costs them money, but they are still likely to be richer. And in this case, they are getting a better room for their money. Apparently these 'retarded fanbois' are good at making and holding on to money. Something in your reasoning doesn't add up. I suspect that it is that 'fanbois' mainly exist in your head, and that the reality is that most Apple users are older and richer.

Your business sounds like a garage that charges a young lady in Nissan Micra more than it would a middle aged bloke in a VW, on the assumption she is probably easier to fleece. The only difference is that the garage wouldn't make up some idealogical bullshit about ever-charging the Micra owner as part of a holy war against slow motorists.

Oh, by the way, what difference does it make to you what OS other people use? It's not like the range of software on PCs is limited because Windows doesn't have enough users to make developers' time worthwhile...

And you enter a restaurant whilst talking on your mobile? I know restaurants where that would get you no table at all!

Re: Not that big of a deal

>They're all baristas rich, successful, desirable people aren't they?

Er, often they are rich, successful, grumpy old gits who don't have much patience for faffing around with awkward computers. Part of the same group who might drop £10k on a fast motorcycle on hitting middle age, or regularly spend a couple of hundred quid dining out each week. I do know blokes like this who use PCs, and when inevitably Windows goes all slow, they just curse at it and go buy a new one. Oh, they are also the same group who will buy computers and printers from small local PC retailers, and not begrudge them their mark-up over internet prices. They probably won't scrimp when it comes to hotel rooms, either.

Are you getting any sense of how readily they will spend a little extra on a computer that doesn't piss them off? Don't base your opinions on marketing, g e, look at the world around you.

Re: Advertising does what it does.

Oh do piss off Jeebus.

The evidence is against you. In the article 'Apple users are likelier to be wealthier' would suggest that they have enough wits not to be poor, and to avoid being ripped off at every turn. There is a good chance they own their own business, or otherwise have a good job- not necessarily a technical job. They don't buy their machines purely on how many Ghz they get for their buck, but are prepared to pay a little extra for features that cost money to design and implement.

Re: 'No plans' isn't much of a commitment

* that's 'Gigabeat', sorry for typo.

Re: 'No plans' isn't much of a commitment

And before the Zune, WinXP MCE and MS's attempt licence Media Centre to PMP hardware makers. Toshiba bit, and released the Gigbeat. What is it with Tosh and MS? They released a 7" WinCE tablet, too.

Re: Makes sense

>the Android route was a dead end in terms of sales and profits.

That isn't too important to the people making Android hardware.

Re: Nokia

> I do like the idea of a unified UI across all devices.

Whereas I like the idea of using a different UI depending upon whether I'm using a mouse and keyboard, my fingers, or a joypad.

Re: Problematic updates are normal?

>"... the relatively routine task of backing out of an upgrade to the CA-7 tool. It is normal to find that a software update has caused a problem; IT staff expect to back out in such cases."

Seems reasonable. To expect an upgrade to one system that is interlinked with other strange old systems to go absolutely perfectly every time is naive; to have a mechanism to undo it or cancel it safely seems sensible. However in this case it seems that this procedure was either not idiot proof enough or the operator was having a bad day or a bit of both,

Re: Lets not pull any punches

@ ukgnome Thank you for your considered contribution to the topic in hand, and your careful handling of the issues it raises.

Re: how is this under copyright?

Indeed. In the case of mobility aids such as electric wheelchairs, they work on the assumption that user can't fix it themselves using generic parts, or use the man down the road who used to fix televisions in his shed.

One would expect niche hardware to cost more per user than mass market stuff, but many times more?... The Prentke stuff looks like generic rugged touchscreen devices that have been used in industrial, automotive diagnostic and stock-control settings for years. The professional user doesn't mind the cost as much, because it helps them do their job quicker/better than the previous solution- an investment.

Re: how is this under copyright?

It begs the question - where the hell is the equivalent (competing?) product from the company that owns the patents? Oh, I see- they embed it in their own hardware and charge you between $3000 - $7000. Fairly generic, hardware too, though thought has been given to how different users might use it (carry it around or have it mounted in a wheelchair, for example).

In fairness, this cost isn't just for a competing App, but buys you a whole suite of accessibility software and various input methods, including external joysticks etc to cover a wide range and combination of disabilities. Maybe overkill for a mute child with a narrower range of requirements- they don't need the extra adaptability features that cost R&D dollars to create.

Hmm..