Posts by turnip handler
84 posts • joined Wednesday 10th November 2010 13:42 GMT
Who is the market?
If you are into social media then chances are you have multiple social media accounts. If you've got multiple social media accounts then what you really want is to have updates brought together in a single feed, or single place for notifications so you don't need to check multiple sites.
Apps with notifications work well for this, but a dedicated Facebook phone seems to miss this completely instead assuming everything a user does is via facebook.
Re: At the end of this..
"Apple could buy the White House, the Senate and every member of Congress for , oh about $5bn and have change left over for streamers."
That is either the plot for a great film or a great way for Apple to get some smart looking East Coast offices.
HTC One - a turnaround for HTC
My most recent mobile choice was between Sony Z and HTC One, having read the reviews on The Reg the only handset really making a difference for me was the HTC One, one of the key features being forward facing speakers.
The HTC One is so much better than previous HTC models that I've used - my main concerns where the battery life and camera quality. The battery life easily lasts two days with moderate usage and the camera quality is great too, with the 'Zoe' feature enabling me to get some improvements on people shots over previous phone cameras.
Unfortunately I did have to wait about 4 weeks longer than I was expecting to get the phone due to supply but it was worth the wait.
I hope that HTC is able to capitalise on their recent handset improvements as it is good to have as many manufacturers coming up with new ideas as possible. The worst case will be a Samsung vs Apple smartphone choice both fighting with minor incremental updates.
Re: An open letter
"If you're going to talk language, get it right."
Agree - you could even try using Google:
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=somantics
Did you mean: semantics ?
Re: No Chip and Pin in America?
If you made less money selling fraud insurance than you lose to fraud then you shouldn't be in the business of selling insurance.
Hey guys, maybe we could do watches too!
I'm sure there will an announcement in the next three months on this...good for el Reg to get in early.
Re: How did they manage to log on?
The least 'techy' person does not use encryption. The least 'techy' person you know uses encryption just means that you know a lot of technology aware people. I don't know anyone who uses encryption on their home computer even the most 'techy'. The least 'techy' person I know regularly presses the WiFi button on their computer in an attempt to turn it off and then wonders why the internet doesn't work next time the machine is switched on; they haven't considered encryption...
The additional point is that even if everyone you know does use a feature such as encryption it doesn't mean everyone else does. An encrypted machine is definitely a techy thing to have.
And yet...
"Managing directors of small businesses do not lay awake at night worrying that they are not on the latest version of a software suite"
And yet this is one of the big advantages sold for any cloud based application.
Re: How did they manage to log on?
"...even the least techy person uses full hard disk encryption these days on laptops."
Really?
Also depends on what the phone shop staff choose to sell...
"The conventional wisdom is that once users are locked in an online software store they will never leave."
This is partly due to phone staff selling what they what to and as fast as they can. Basically if you walk in with an old iPhone they will try to sell you a new iPhone. Anything else and they will try to sell you an iPhone or Samsung S3. And if you actually want to test any of the phones then you'll struggle in most shops.
Oh no - it's all coming true...
...toasters will fight back on command! Time to start training some guinea pigs to save the day.
G-Force: http://www.imdb.co.uk/title/tt0436339/
"A specially trained squad of guinea pigs is dispatched to stop a diabolical billionaire, who plans to taking over the world with household appliances."
Re: Listening to your customers....
"Technology companies don't listen to their customers "
Tech companies tend to listen to those that actually pay them. If you are in the top 10 customers list for a tech company they will do all sorts of crazy things to add colour, menu items and hold off retiring applications that only you use.
Whilst I agree that business users now expect services to be running 24*7 or more likely just when *they* are awake...the current trend in news reporting of network outages means that people are generally more aware that Twitter, Amazon, Blackberry and mobile networks are not 100% reliable and so that expectation has slightly lessened.
Also, even those Apple devices (iPads, iPhones) need software updates and so the explanation that the system needs an update is actually understood and appreciated by users rather than them demanding a non-critical system stay available whilst updating.
Posted in Medicos hack iPhone into lab 'scope
Am I missing something?
When saying that poverty is an issue in not having the best equipment it seems a little strange to then develop a tool for the most expensive phone available...
Posted in El Reg contemplates the ultimate cuppa
Re: options
"cofftea" I've always called it a nice cup of toffee...good to hear others enjoying the beverage.
Posted in Reg Hardware Awards 2012: The Winners...
Re: The Apple what?
I wondered if it were mainly for the Apple Maps - the only real Apple product that could be thought of as 'rusty'.
But maybe it just shows that more people dislike all Apple products en masse.
Re: THEY RELEASE THE UPDATE (@Mark)
"I've seen some security researchers be quite concerned about the slow proliferation of Android updates too, and I'm pretty sure they're not motivated by iPhone fanaticism."
They do tend to be motivated by selling their security products though...
Re: @Steven Roper
"making computing accessible" != "dumbing down"
Absolutly agree - but it's a shame that it comes at such a high price. Accessible to me includes those that don't have £1,000's to spend on a machine.
Licensing the Apple OS would go a long way to making computing accessible.
You don't know you've been born!
Nearly 1mb download! - you lucky lucky person, some of us have to struggle with 0.5mb
Re: Why the subtitle?
"But... Android also suits a lot of people - it's cheaper (usually) and I guess a lot of people just do not care as they use their phone as a phone / for texting. I know plenty of people with Android phones who have setup no email accounts on it and some do not even have data tariffs."
You were being so calm until you said this...this strange theme that says just because Android has more market share people people really would get iPhones if they had more money or used email. It would be far better to focus on things that the Apple eco-system does provide than say that poor people with no care for mobile email get by using Android.
But where do I get a cool t-shirt??
My fav bit from the about page: http://www.so.cl/about
==================
How do I get the cool Socl t-shirt I see in many of your profile pictures?
Socl t-shirts are available for purchase here.
http://www.zazzle.com/soclfuselabs
==================
Did anyone really ask that??
Re: Funny thing...
"I had friends being mad at me for having the temerity to object of them putting up a picture with me in it, and worse, TAGGING it. And they were mad at ME?"
It's their picture - not yours. If you didn't want them doing what the hell they like with the picture then you should object to them taking it! At least they did tag you so you could see it, what if they just posted around their neighbourhood as "Watch out for this dofus!" posters.
Posted in Samsung Galaxy Note 2 review
"Perhaps Apple should let people use the iPad as a phone - then they could look equally as daft."
People have already managed that one by using the iPad as a camera.
Re: Try looking!
I don't think that really clarifies the situation - examples of potential defects would be nice, I'm not clear how defects to my sealed consumer electronic product would not be present before shipping. The only defect I can think of post shipping would be damage rather than defect...
Plus in the small print it states useful information, like that the UK may actually allow for longer than 2yrs.
Re: Nfc
You've got to save something for the iPhone 5S...
Re: Sony Tap 20
A 20" tablet - so you can see an 10" tablet user and say, "Call that a tablet, THIS is a tablet."
Re: Well
"The US is the only country where more men are raped than women because of assaults in American jails: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2012/feb/21/us-more-men-raped-than-women"
Actually the article disagrees with that conclusion, although it admits it is an open question:
"And I don't think it's possible to conclude from these numbers that the US is 'the first country in the history of the world to count more rapes for men than for women.'"
Re: Past the peak
"You can be as productive on Office 2003 and XP."
I used to think the same until I actually started working with Win7 and Office 2010. Vista and Office 2007 were ok but an annoyance - the ribbon on Office 2007 didn't quite work as promised and I still find now that I struggle to work well on Word 2007.
However - Office 2010 really seems to have got it right the Ribbon has been in improved in little ways, File menu for example, and to me those little changes that make applications easier to use are what it has made a big difference to actual productivity. In terms of nice little basics in Win7 then windows snapping to half the screen and the screen grab tool make everyday tasks much easier than in XP / Vista.
In XP I have to have little applications installed to perform these tasks and in my corporate environment I'm not allowed to install those anyway. Building basic helpful tasks into the OS really helps productivity.
And for any accountant out there, Excel with more rows than the 66k limit definitly helps productivity.
"Why is the windows user icon a tramp?"
I always assumed it was because windows users are too cheap to buy a Mac...
Re: This has got to stop
As much as I agree with your statements regarding Google's business methods, I feel it should be pointed out that Apple built and released a mobile phone without securing FRAND agreements with companies such as Nokia and then later had to pay up in court.
Like you say they are both businesses, but Apple has not been playing by all the rules either.
Re: One Could Argue
Many people did say it was crazy, espically as the hardware was not better than similar phones at the time (XDA series for example) and there wasn't an app store at the time either.
Turns out those views were wrong, Apple sold loads. Which then enabled them to improve the hardware and app ecosystem.
Re: What's so damn bloody annoying
"A fun read:
http://physics.ucsd.edu/do-the-math/2012/04/economist-meets-physicist/"
Definitly a good read, for me the highlight was: "It's hard to beat a Hostess Ding Dong for dessert."
Sorry - can't help myself
This gives me the perfect excuse to use my favourite line from the IT crowd where Douglas is looking around the department and is confused by seeing no women and so draws the obvious conclusion:
Jen: What department is this?
Douglas: Some sort of homosexual department?
Re: So sad
"Behind the scenes it means that someone will be seriously targetting very young kids for marketing purposes."
You mean like all the advertising currently targeting children! See any children's TV channel, magazine or even youth activity sponsorship. Why is web advertsing more evil than the other forms of advertising??
Given that there are plenty of sites currently aimed at children under 13 out there, ranging from CBBC to Moshi Monsters. Is a Facebook really that much worse?
Total contract cost
If you are looking at the total contract cost it can also be useful to look at when you can reduce the tariff. If you are only on a higher tariff to subsidise handset cost then you may be able to reduce the tariff after half the contract length.
On my current contract with O2 you can reduce the monthy tariff after half of the contract has elapsed and then by one tariff notch each month, so a 2yr £31 a month contract can be reduced to a £26 tariff after 1yr and further reduced if you don't need the relevent calls/txts. This reduces the amount you pay each month and also means that it reduces the cost of buying out the contract early if you want to upgrade a few months early.
Re: FFS get a grip
"People -- lots of people -- are dying"
And our public funded broadcaster use an image from a computer game...who is the one not taking the issue seriously.
It is important to highlight these errors as it shows that these news programmes are rushed and corners are cut.
This is one thing that people have spotted, how many other mistakes are there in the news we see and hear - is the same quality control being applied to the images of the conflict? With 24hr news it always pays to be wary of news for the first hour or so as it takes a while before they (all news agencys) bother to check the source / facts.
Educating the masses
One issue that would be concerning in terms of security is that someone who has a Apple machine doesn't see any difference between a virus and basic internet security. For example they hear that Macs don't get viruses and so click on any dodgy link they get emailed, open any attachment without thinking and click through on phishing links without worry as they believe they are protected.
The message that people should be wary of all the basic internet traps even with a Mac should be made, it is a shame that the only people who get this message pushed out are the security vendors as it lessens the message.
Re: a simple, £5.99, tally counter was enough for a traffic survey
Judging by the vastly over complicated spreadsheets that no one in the finance department knows how to change, which are then printed out anyway, they would be better off with quill's.
At least then they might be busy for the whole month rather than just for the two week 'month end'.
"I've got mates still using four or five year old Apple phones. How many people are using four or five year old Samsung or Sony phones..."
Whilst I agree with your view on smart TVs, I doubt your mates have an old phone because it gets software updates...people generally have old phones because they don't want additional functionality - the latest iPhones include forward facing camera and retnia screen which are not provide for older models.
FRAND patent still a patent
If FRAND patent owners are being mean surely it is reasonable to expect a company to take them to court first rather than just use their patent and then complain that the FRAND patent holder isn't being fair.
Re: Waste of time, money and effort
For something revolutionary.
Energy company PR
<rant> The thing that gets me about smart meters is that the energy companies try to sell it as a benefit to me. If I want to know what my energy use is I have a meter which I can look at when ever I like. Not that I can easily work out the cost or compare the cost as they like to have so many tariffs so as to make it very difficult.
The smart meter is for them to build a picture of my energy use to either charge me more (to at least cover the cost of the smart metering system and provide some shareholder value) or to better control their costs (reduce costs and deliver shareholder value).
</rant>
Re: Re: Re: Re: Ok...
"alternatives are available"
Such as smarties, minstrels or jelly tots.
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: huh?
Is the iPad additional to your notebook/desktop?
A friend asked me if they should replace their windows notebook with an iPad and I felt that I couldn't recommend that as they would still need to have a 'proper' computer to store family photos, document processing etc. As well as the additional costs surrounding a iPad such as app costs and iAccessories.
So the cost might be £399 but that is still additional cost on top of a notebook / desktop.
Posted in Apple iPhone 5 to debut at developer gig
Hardware or services?
It's difficult, for me anyway, to image what hardware enhancements they could make for an iPhone 5 - a bit faster, a bit bigger, NFC, 4G tech. I would have thought that they would continue the focus on services and linking to the Apple infrastructure - amazing services using Apple TV perhaps...
So may prediction is amazing new services via the phone rather than an iPhone 5 in June.
"...it's kinda common sense..."
This is why scientists investigate even those things which are 'common sense' to some people, in order to see whether they are actually true. Because until it is investigated it is only a guess.
I think the press mainly look for any story involving Apple and print it.
Sometimes they might be pro or against the article, but if you post a bland Apple storty to the web you can usually just leave the Apple fans and haters to do that for you.
Posted in Asus pushes Prime pre-orders
171 left when I visited and you can pick out of two colours:
http://www.ebuyer.com/asus?hpb=3
Set top box...
Want to connect your digital media to your tv then you can use a TV that is 'net-connected' unless you have a Mac in which case you'll have to stick to your propritary format and use Apple TV.
So the 'digital contect to TV' market is split between those that can use various offerings including consoles and inbuilt to TV where as Mac users can only use a 'net-connected set-top box' - Apple TV.
Completly pointless set of data.
