* Posts by semprance

76 publicly visible posts • joined 27 Jul 2010

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Virgin Media wipes out websites with routing blackhole

semprance
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Re: you are clearly a shill

As a VM customer, I agree that they throttle and that the numbers are marketing ploys to snare the kind of people who change their electricity provider every year for £14 cashback ...

... but it's so damn fast. Way faster than any other home connection I've used (home business doesn't count) - I notice a considerable difference between my cable connection and the ADSL connections of my family and friends.

On another note, I don't pay for so called "100Mb", I'm on one of the lower packages. After two downgrades in connection over the last year (not including when they "double" the connection speed for free - i.e. nothing happens) I've noticed no difference in speed, but it's still consistently faster than any other connection I use and rarely ever kicks the bucket.

Passwords are for AES-holes

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Re: Fuck me, eh? Class!

Aaron Em: "I don't know where you're getting your users"

Yeah, you're right, no true scotsman would, would they?

You know where the door is.

Game of Thrones Blu-ray disc set

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re: Jaime Lannister

You're not the first to notice...

http://totallylookslike.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/prince-charming-of-shrek-totally-looks-like-jamie-lannister-of-game-of-thrones.jpg

Ice Cream Sandwich gives Android mobes brainfreeze – Sony

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Re: So nobody has a real answer to my question then?

"What I am asking about is why people with perfectly useable devices suddenly decide they don't work any more because a new OS is out? "

Because they AREN'T perfectly usable, or there wouldn't be a new update available! It's only the new Apple-induced culture of updates that makes people believe that a new update could only be available because there are new features to add. I see people on the net every day who are actually disappointed when they receive an update that doesn't add new features, even when it fixes a thousand bugs under the surface

Once up on a time updates were about fixing things that were wrong with your devices but nowadays - in the tablet and phone market at least - it's just a dick-waggling contest to see who can put out the lamest new home screen. I'd hazard a guess that this is why updates are so less frequent nowadays. Yeah it pisses me off that Ubuntu asks me to update some obscure X component every 30 minutes, but at least my system won't be compromised by an exploit that's been in the wild for months and months.

iPad queue hog doesn’t want it, won’t be first

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Re: dispair

"In space there is no oxygen!"

Yeah, and 80% of the surface of the plane is made up of water, so either we're all drowning or your analogy is heap of bullshit.

Seriously, get out.

Just like a real computer: Android gets Android IDE

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Facepalm

Re: This could be the tipping point...

Small experiment: 1) Rip keyboard off of your netbook. 2) Attempt to use netbook.

Damn. And my tablet does it so well!

Mozilla to drop Windows 8 Firefox bomb on IE 10

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Holmes

Who cares

Wow, Mozilla is going to continue to make their product compatible with one of their supported operating systems?

*yawn*

IT guy answers daughter's Facebook rant by shooting her laptop

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If you mis-hammer, it won't travel a mile in the wrong direction and potentially kill someone?

That said, you don't have to be pro-guns or a member of the NRA to like his style and see his point. I'd hazard a guess that where he's from, gun culture is a lot more 'relaxed' per-se, and the message he's sending has more focus on his point, and less focus on "OMG HE'S GOT A F***ING GUN!"

I guess that's harder to get here in the UK, thus the many disagreeing posts, and the reactionary thumbs-downs they have received...

Node.js sees Windows compatibility as key to success

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Translation

I do like node.js but it isn't exactly in common usage at the moment. Python and PHP are so well established as system/server scripting languages that it will be difficult for it to really establish itself without being available on as many platforms as possible. So all in all this is a pretty good move.

I personally use it as an alternative to PHP on the server side, and an alternative Python on the desktop, so it is at least nice to be able to use a single scripting language ubiquitously.

Survey: Android set to beat iOS in battle for coder love

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@Sean

"And to develop for other platforms, you need to have a PC of some sort too. What's your point, exactly?"

Well, one has tens of thousands of choices at a range of prices. And the other has less than a dozen choices, all available at extortionate prices and from a single manufacturer

Trying to smart-alec developers who know how it is - how the Apple lock-in works - won't win you any friends around here.

Facebook registers mysterious fBoriGin domain names

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Clearly...

... it is an anagram of FROIBING

Blighty's film biz asks gov to hurry up pirate crackdown

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FAIL

"The Film Policy Review Panel was appointed by the government and has said that copyright infringement is contributing to declining industry revenues"

I just took the liberty of scanning through that PDF and there is not a SINGLE statistic to suggest that piracy is causing any sort of significant detriment. In fact, Piracy only features as 9th on a list of methods for digital viewing. FUCKING NINTH! And they believe that this is enough to call for the application of draconian laws.

Other fun statistics include:

- Paid digital media consumption is growing

- Overall costs for producing film have lowered.

- Much of losses can be attributed to disproportionate box office share between films (so not piracy)..

And yet they insist that the film-makers must line their pockets with even more of their customers' money by dragging them to the court room.

I weep for humanity, I really do.

Best-selling games of 2011 revealed

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Meh

Pointless

1. Angry Birds

2. Angry Birds Rio

3. Angry Birds Seasons

4. Capcom vs Angry Birds

5. Angry Birds 2012 Olympics Edition

6 . etc... (fruit ninja?)

The mobile gaming market mostly consists of casual players so the charts really aren't up to much usually ...

HP throws WebOS to open source community

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Megaphone

It's all about the framework

People seriously need to see past the operating system to the amazing framework that runs on top of it. I've been working with Enyo for around 6 months now and it wipes the floor with any other javascript framework out there. Most importantly, it's portable. I've already tried it in Titanium and it will be fairly trivial to get TouchPad apps running on other platforms with a very small amount of refactoring.

I also think the operating system is great but Enyo has blown my mind. Looking forward to taking it to new platforms and pushing it to it's limits.

'Boss from hell' knuckle-rapped for 'firing contests'

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Actually ...

Ernst is gambling. They're only gambling if they take the bet ...

UK punters happy to pay £3 to top up e-wallets

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Go

@Marvin

There's one outside the MacDonalds at the end of my road; what's their excuse? I'm genuinely starting to think it's because they know that their 'broader' customers won't be willing to cross the road and walk 500 yards to the free one...

I agree with most of the above, many people are stupid and/or lazy, and will be more than willing to use these pay-to-pay services...

PlayBook stock mountain: RIM slashes prices

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Paris Hilton

Um ...

Yeah they did, but it sounded more like: "We want to release this product far too early, what features can we drop? You're right, email is so 2010!"

Paris, because she can't help being naive either.

Java, Adobe vulns blamed for Windows malware mayhem

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Why would you intentionally buy a door with a faulty lock, especially when there are numerous alternative 'doors'?

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Meh

Title is a bit misleading: are they really to blame? After all, if a carpenter fits a door and advises me to keep and maintain a working lock, is he to blame if I don't put a lock on, or put a lock on and fail to maintain it? Admittedly, Adobe (for example) is both the carpenter and the lock-maker, but they can't - and shouldn't - force anyone to install software on their computer, be it a whole software package or a single security update.

Not that they're not guilty of a thousand other crimes against computer security. It's just that the user has to actively click the Update Now button - it's a choice.

WikiLeaks memoir races to 537th on bestseller chart

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Happy

"A pain in the Assange"

Samsung shifts 10 millionth Galaxy SII

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Devil

@Rodrigo

Why where do you keep your phone? Or are you one of those wallies that straps it to their belt?

Rumor: HP giving Apotheker Das Boot

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Well ...

At least Leo will finally be able to relate to the TouchPad. Given no time to prove his worth, and given the boot by a load of guys in suits who only care about $$$.

Google offers opt-out from Wi-Fi router location database

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@Dazed and Confused

The new BT HomeHub does something similar with wireless channels, changing channel when it sees other wifi routers in the area using the same channel for a minor performance boost.

It shouldn't be hard to add a feature to routers to switch your MAC every few hours/days/weeks - I'd pay good money

Google brings out new programming language

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Meh

@ A J Stiles

You mean like C# and Javascript?

Yeah, they seem like real big failures. Or maybe you just decide what languages to use based on minor details rather than, say, its strengths and your needs.

iCloud Communications ditches Apple lawsuit

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Fair enough

They could have played this one out nicely, but instead they threw a big hissy-fit tantrum.

Now everyone remembers them as "that company that threw a huge hissy-fit tantrum" and thus they have ruined their 'iCloud' moniker all by themselves. It's no wonder they want to redress themselves as something else, I wouldn't want to hire a company that publicly embarrasses themselves so thoughtlessly.

Christ appears in phone advert, secular authorities act

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Trollface

Really?

Wow, I didn't know the church of Little Mindedton had 98 members

Twitter to serve unsolicited ads in Facebook style

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rgdsgdfgdfg

It would be relatively simple. If you think about it your Twitter feed is just the public timeline with your following filter applied (i.e. filtered so that only those selected people appear). All you have to do is implement this manually in your Twitter client by checking that each tweet's owner is in your followers list.

On the other hand, the chances that Twitter won't consider this a violation of their API conditions (which I imagine are being rewritten as we comment) are very slim...

Sony prices up PlayStation telly for UK

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Maybe it will make sense

when you have 8 of them with slightly different logos and slightly different games... TV should be separate from console. Definitely.

BBC explains 'All your Twitter pics are belong to us' gaffe

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False Analogy

"Only if you copied the expensive sports cars using your own raw materials, and left the original vehicles in place. False analogy."

The analogy is with regards to real content that is replicated by a simple button click. Thus your point is fallacious. The use of sports cars in the ANALOGY were not meant to be taken LITERALLY...

Will the looters 'loose' their benefits?

semprance
Stop

@Anonymous Chav

"The amount of downvotes for people speaking sense on here is ridiculous. Probably all analysts. Seriously, you're all crying out for Martial Law and disproportionate sentencing for the unemployed! Cast them out! Why not stone them too!?! Bunch of fucking pricks!"

Congratulations on posting such a trite piece of hyperbole.

Now do shut up.

50 day lullaby of Lulzsec is over .. for now

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Stop

Scriddies

Calling them script kiddies and talking about "MY personal details. MY PERSONAL DETAILS!" just detracts from the point that they have publicly embarrassed numerous companies and shown that they are as equally untrustworthy as LulzSec.

People are acting like their personal details weren't already at risk. If they were hackable by Lulzsec they were hackable by any other group and so essentially just as at risk.

There was no break-in on theses sites, just trespassing and entry through an (essentially) open door, and I for one expect companies I make privvy to my personal details to keep the door shut.

I'm not condoning LulzSec but you're letting EA's suit-and-tie facade mystify you into thinking they aren't in the wrong in some way.

Don't eat up the bullshit.

Nokia unveils Contractual Obligation Meego Phone

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the C2-03, bears an uncanny resemblance to the Palm Pre

Really?

In the same way that the N9 can be said to bear "uncanny resemblance" to the iPhone? Stretching it a bit I reckon..

Is Microsoft's Javascript chief killing his .NET creation?

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titlerific

Having built quite a few large and complex applications (my latest an FTP client) I can say from experience that there is absolutely no reason complex applications cannot be built using javascript.

It is the javascript APIs that a platform provides for interaction with OS services that makes the difference, and it is this that will make or break it for Microsoft.

As for the idea of them dropping .NET, I'm also a long-time C# developer and I can't see this happening at all. In fact I don't doubt that the JS APIs will be built using some CLR language (probably C++ but I'm just wildly guessing).

Memo to iPad mimics: No one wants a $799 knockoff

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Yawn

Bored of articles that make vague generalisations about the tablet market...

Lacks depth and does not show evidence of in-depth research. D-

HP launches webOS products, but no ecosystem

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Ridiculous

A second read has enraged me even more.

This article reads like it was written by someone who is totally unaware of the Palm dev community, clueless about webOS in general, and hasn't watched the webOS Feb 9th event video.

This is just a set of lazy generalisations about how HP 'need to get in the market' due to them being 'niche'. They're not niche, they just arrived late to the table. Yes they will arrive late AGAIN thanks to the ridiculous amount of time they are waiting to release devices.

But to accuse them of not nurturing an ecosystem for their devices is absurd to the point of just being entirely incorrect.

Well, the few ratings for this article speak volumes.

Wanna puff the Old Republic? Only if you do it for free

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"There's a difference between press and fansites"

No, there isn't.

Bioware are saying "If you're small enough that we can bully you, we will".

Assholes.

PSP playing boy plunges onto railway

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Yay

Another story that will paint the PSP as the baddy rather than the child's neglectful family.

Shame on them.

Flash versus HTML 5

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Choices

"so too are Flash-laden pages which load slowly, eat battery life with unnecessary multimedia"

1. As people said above, HTML5 will result in similar problems.

2. I'm yet to encounter a device that just loads flash when a webpage is opened. In all cases, I've been required to activate flash on the page by tapping one of the elements.

The fact is that Jobs blew on about this a long time ago, and no-one is buying the argument. His criticisms, while mostly correct, distract from the point that Flash in browsers is an OPTION on nearly all mobile platforms except his.

Also, I've noticed many people saying that mobile flash is sluggish based on their experiences with Android. I use a Palm Pre 2 and flash runs seamlessly within the built-in webkit browser. Seriously, I also have an Android tablet and my Pre 2 put's it to shame, even with it's less powerful specs. So maybe these problems are due to Android or it's particular Flash implementation, rather than mobile flash as a whole.

Archos 101 8GB Android tablet

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Better than I expected

I've tried this model and own the 70 which is very similar. It's decent hardware with the exception of the camera. Also the touchscreen can be a little insensitive around the edges but what touchscreen isn't?

I doubt any of the new range will see Honeycomb though..

Wanted: 1 solution architect to fist bankers' asses

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something assets?

I'm at a loss...

Assange relishes US banks 'squirming' over 'megaleak'

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1917 Espionage Act and other laws

Other laws?

I suppose at least they have more than one straw to clutch at.

Amazon wraps up Kindle crashes

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Ttiramclod

Of course £30 is too much. That's why I spent £15 on a third party case (with addons) instead - one that doesn't make my kindle fritz...

Bad show Amazon, you release a case, charge a stupid amount essentially because it's 'official merchandise' and then it messes with your device.

And for that matter £50 for the light-equipped case, when the device costs £109? Honestly...

Gawker rooted by anonymous hackers

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Ttir,amctao/d

"We're deeply embarrassed by this breach,”

You absolutely should be.

Facebook homes in on world of Google

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Er...

You can set multiple home pages for most browsers....

Google sued for scanning emails of non-Gmail users

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@Fuzzy

So if you send a parcel via UPS, you don't mind if they open it up, see what's inside, and then mail you spam related to the contents?

You're weird...

/strained_analogy

Berners-Lee: Facebook 'threatens' web future

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Ttir,amcla/od

"This is just the complaint Google made earlier this month as it banned Facebook from tapping Gmail's Contacts API. Mountain Views won't allow netizens to export email addresses to Facebook unless it reciprocates."

Oh come on, that's a bit of a stretch isn't it? If Google were all for 'playing fair' they wouldn't have revoked Facebook's access to their API like some petty child. They probably hadn't even considered it before they didn't get there way.

Not that Facebook is in the right, let's just not pretend that Google's temper tantrum is an echo of Berners-Lees insightful comments, when really it's just a corporate hissy fit.

Palm Pixi Plus budget smartphone

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Ttir,amcla/od

"WebOS is great, just needs a proper phone."

Amen

iPhone 4: the best built smartphone...

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"Won't that provide grip? - See it's a feature, not a bug"

I applaud you for coming up with a fairly coherent and reasonable justification for bumpers. Expect a 'Jobs' offer any time now! (See what I did there? Yeah you do!)

Scroogle busted again after Google tweak

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Ttir,amcla/od

"Some random website can't scrap from Google.

Why is this news?"

This post made me wish there was a Let Me Scroogle That For You site.

Honestly, how uninformed do you need to be about a subject to stop yourself making a post about it...

Strange, blobaceous 'alien pod' lifeform found in Virginian lake

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"the texture appears to be that of a rock with algae spots"

Is it at all possible that they've discovered a rock with algae spots?

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