Posts by kiwimuso

Re: On Street Parking

"Tesla is bringing out a budget model next year or so. It won't be long before those start being sold second-hand, and we'll all be buying them."

Oh, that's alright then.

And who amongst the less well-off will be able to afford to buy, or at least maintain all this wonderful technology? Even second or third hand. New battery pack? How much to renew those?

Mind you it's as bad now with a lot of modern cars. It's OK for the first owner, and maybe even the second owner, but when the bits start going wrong, how is the 3rd hand owner to afford that.

$400 to replace a key which allows you to unlock you doors, switch off your alarm, and allow the engine to start. It's a joke.

OK for those on regular, reasonable incomes.Tough if you are unemployed and looking for a job, and no adequate public transport for your region.

Re: The Other Side of the Coin

"If half of all vehicles switch to electric, you'll have a surplus of petroleum. Guess what can fuel electric generation capacity? Petroleum - and virtually every other fuel on the planet."

I thought that the whole point of the electric vehicle exercise was to reduce the burning of fossil fuels!

Re: I seem to remember

@Raphael

Jesus! Just what the world needs. More things to distract idiot drivers!

And yes, it looks cool, but really, just no.

Re: Before acquiescing to his demand...

@Elmer Phud

Ha! That reminds of a particularly inane advertisement for toothpaste down in this part of the world (much as I would like to, the brand shall remain nameless) in which a woman in a white lab coat was perched on a stool in front of a white (or black) board and announced that, "I'm a scientist, so I know about equations." and then proceeded to tell us why we should buy the toothpaste she was promoting with know further mention of any equations or proof as to why it was better.

Maybe it also killed 99% of all household germs!!!

I would use the joke icon because that is what it was, but they appeared to be serious about it.

Have a beer instead. It's much better for your teeth.

Re: Manufacturers should put in software to detect when the phone is travelling faster than 10MPH

"The advice from the police is that your phone should be switched off and out of reach when driving"

These would be the same police who use hand held microphones for radios in their cars would it?

Unless they are now using hands-free microphones these days.

Once again people, you are all falling into the same old trap of blaming 'something'.

As been pointed out numerous times, it is distraction that is the problem not an individual device. The phone is irrelevant. It could just as easily be a sat nav, radio, or numerous other distractions, including looking at your passenger as you speak to them, stopping the kids fighting etc, etc.

The problem is purely yours as a driver. If you allow yourself to be distracted by anything, then the problem is totally yours, not anybody else, or any device.

From a safety point of view, it makes me laugh, in view of this conversation, about all the new technology been put into cars these days. I have just seen the latest advertisements claiming that they had a touch screen to control just about everything - which of course, having no knobs to even start to be able to control things by feel, you will have to look at to operate. Safe? I think not. And neither is voice activated technology, probably, when the damn thing refuses to recognises what you are saying as was demonstrated on Top Gear.

Here's a thought. Technology does NOT necessarily solve anything but can quite often exacerbate existing problems.

Re: Old saying

Nah, I prefer the old saying -

"Don't piss on my boots and tell me it's raining!"

Beer, 'cos if you drink too much of it, it could happen.

Re: Sweden is the best comparison actually

@Voland

WTF is a hunta? I suspect you mean junta - pronounced "hunta", as it is originally (and probably still is) a Spanish word.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_junta

Re: 9 to 5

@ Phil O'Sophical

Indeed. Sadly this idea of a company phone has it's drawbacks - like the fuckwit who answered his in the middle of a movie in a theatre, without bothering to leave. Having not even bothered to switch it to silent or vibrate, he then proceeded to have a loud conversation, until I asked him to either shut up, or leave, to which he replied "I'm on call!"

My mind has never been so boggled.

No apologies that he might just have annoyed the shit out of the rest of the patrons who had gone along expecting to see a movie without external commentary.

Even more sadly, none of the staff bothered to intervene to ease other customer's annoyance at said dick-head.

As far as being contacted out of hours. My philosophy was always " I am quite willing to contribute my time in hours of need, but, at the same time, don't push your luck. I have signed a contract with the company for 40 (or whatever) hours per week, and that's all you get unless it suits me, which it quite often did, but just don't expect, as of right, that I will be contactable at will."

Companies are all too keen to insist that we abide by the contract provisions, but I found that some managers really did push their luck. I guess it made them look good to the higher ups - at our expense of course.

Having said that, many is the time that I have been called in when the shit hit the fan, and worked for possibly 24 hours straight (along with the rest of our group) to correct, a serious problem, sometimes even recreating data manually.

Re: Windows 8 was built for one reason only

@ mmeier

Really? What research have you uncovered that suggests that. Or is this just a case of you opening your mouth (figuratively speaking) and spewing any old garbage out into the ether to justify your own personal choice.

Personally, I don't even like the Win 7 Start menu. Mainly because I no longer can find the things I want to use, easily and quickly, as they have renamed some functions or buried them as a sub-task under some other name which doesn't bear any resemblance to what I am looking for and I don't like the concept of pinning stuff to the desktop or taskbar.

Call me old fashioned if you like, but I still use MS Office Toollbar on my old XP laptop as that is the way I have organised my stuff. I have several customised toolbars in there so I can go to the stuff I use most of the time in 2 mouse clicks. And that can be programs or folders or even specific web pages, and having got myself organised I don't really feel inclined to change my organisation just to suit you or Microsoft.

For the rest I resort to the normal program list.

How I organise my computer is surely up to me, not to you, not to MS nor anybody else.

The search facility in Win7 sucks as far as I am concerned. I still prefer the 'right click menu' Search as being far more usable.

I have yet to meet anyone in the real world who actually prefers Metro versus a Start menu, so can I use that fact in saying you are talking crap.

Perhaps you should leave it to other people to voice their own opinions, rather than trying to foist yours on them.

You don't have to like my opinions or agree with them, but perhaps you would be good enough to allow us to have them.

Incidentally, for the record I have been in IT since the early 60's, writing software using Assembler as well as higher level languages, through mainframes and pcs, and all the various guises of Windows. I have never had any problem transitioning from one version to the next until we got to Vista, which fortunately I only had a fleeting look at and disliked at first sight. I am now retired and simply can't be bothered trying to learn something I have no interest in other than a system which works for me.

There used to be a saying that 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' now seemingly replaced by 'change for changes sake.'

Re: XP Needs to Die

@LDS

No, it's a legitimate copy but I just don't fucking NEED most of the stuff you mentioned. So fuck off you patronising bastard!!

Don't let your prejudices get in the way of an actual debate!

Actual cash is supposedly outdated now (by some) but it still hangs around as it it still has it's uses.

You and MS may consider it outdated code, but if it does all that one needs, then it's not actually outdated - is it!!

@Fibbles

What's the point of all that fidelity if you're going to listen to Neil Young?

There, fixed it for you.

Re: Fear Uncertainty Doubt

Still using XP Pro. I have no reason for moving as it does all I want and some of the ancient software I use on it will simply not run under Win7 or later.

However I thought it was broken, so finally bit the bullet and bought a new laptop, but with Win 7 definitely not Win8.

Bottom line, while I acknowledge that Win 7 is a far superior OS to XP, I hate it because of the GUI. I can't find anything that I want. I had a way of working still using the old Office Toolbar. I created my own toolbars for various category of program that I use. I.E. Common functions such as Word, Outlook, Excel etc, Music, Video & Photography, System Stuff. I know some people denigrate Office Toolbars but it works for me, and as I have used it for years, I know how to invoke anything I commonly use with a maximum of 2 mouse clicks rather than having to use awful cascading menus to find anything. It means I can keep my desktop uncluttered without the hundreds of icons, or short-cuts to programs etc that WIn 7 appears to force the user to have - or search through the Start menus to try and find it.

Even something simple like the old Control Panel they have messed around with so I can't find stuff - or they have decided to rename the function, or changed the navigation to it.

I thought I would make life a little easier by having Virtual XP installed so I could continue running my old programs, but still can't access my network printer from programs running within VPC. I am probably doing something wrong but so far I have not found anything online to help.

Why can't these bloody things just WORK!!! We hear so many claims that it all does and is intuitive. Most so-called intuitive GUIs I find just NOT. Maybe I'm just getting old and grumpy (Getting?)

Now seriously looking at Linux as an alternative, but fear that I may not find equivalent programs to those I use, written for Linux. I might be wrong, I need some more investigative work. Linux Mint sounds promising. I was recommended Ubuntu but although the interface is Windows like, having booted to it, I didn't find it easy to find my way around it, but if I have to do that for a new Win OS I might as well do it with Linux.

/rant

Incidentally, my XP machine wasn't broken, just needed a replacement screen, so now I've got 2 laptops, 1 XP which I am still using daily, plus a shiny new Win 7 which is raising my blood pressure.

Re: Anonymised data - why the problem

"So why the concern?"

'If' the data is not intercepted by other agencies, 'if' the data is not able to be processed and identified as outlined by a previous poster, and 'if' that's all that happens to the data, then there is no concern.

Rather big 'ifs' though don't you think?

Also the thin end of the wedge. As we know from past experience, there is ALWAYS scope creep.

Bottom line, while the original scope of these systems is intended to be a 'good thing' it only takes one unscrupulous bastard to use it for their own benefit - power!

Best not to give the bastards the chance.

Oh, but I forgot, it's for our 'own' benefit. It always is. Don't argue.

Re: Confused

@wowfood

What you are suggesting is just downright dangerous.

While most people seem to think that the brake is your safety device, there are times (just occasionally) when your accelerator is the most appropriate safety device, as I have experienced myself on a wet motorway in a borrowed car, when a car (a Porche as it happens) 100 metres in front without warning, turned right into the central armco barrier, then started slowly moving backwards towards the near side, by which time I had no wish to test out my brakes and tyres on a wet motorway so I dropped down a gear and accelerated - hard!

I think I missed him by mere inches but if I had attempted to use my brakes I would have probably have t-boned his driver's door.

Now I have no idea what my top speed might have got to during the manoeuvre but I certainly wouldn't want some clown trying to limit my top speed in those circumstances.

Would you have wanted to use that moment to see if the car you were driving was equipped with ABS?

@Irongut

"My hair is longer than most women's."

Ah, but the beard might be a dead give away!!

Re: @ShelLuser

@Chris Miller

Yeah, and I bet that the catastrophic systems failure will NOT be on the mainframe side of things.

It will be caused by 'modern' systems which have been poorly designed, written and integrated in the first place.

But then, as a now happily (hence the smile icon) retired mainframe programmer (Assembler no less) who has written stuff for the banking industry and airlines with a side sprinkling of COBOL and PL/I, I would say that, wouldn't I.

I wish I could have 2 icons, as my second one would be the beer icon, which would cause the first icon, and which I have more time for these days anyway.

Re: Moral superiority of having less tech

@IHateWearingATie

My sincere apologies. I'm sorry if I misconstrued your comments.

Your humour did not manifest itself in your first post. I just took you as being fucking obnoxious and replied in kind.

Perhaps your "enormous intelligence and humble nature" might allow you to confer a modicum of intelligence to those, about whom you know absolutely nothing, who happen to voice an opinion which disagrees with your world view. I think that you are assuming a great deal when you state that "some people" think that using an old phone confers some sort of moral superiority. That's just being rather silly on your part.

Debate is good. Opinions are just that - opinions. Doesn't make them correct.

Enjoy the rest of your life

Fuck off HP!!!!

"Ever thought that perhaps the printers are subsidised by the cost of the consumables?"

So? That's their business proposition is it? That's fine by me, but what they are up to now is NOT fine by me.

I had an excellent HP 1210 All-in-one printer. Worked beautifully. I took it to UK with me. Sadly it broke down, so based on my experience with them I bought another on, this time a wireless one.

Although it prints fine and scans OK, it is the biggest heap of shit I have ever come across. Not only does the software not allow you to change the default page size to something that works in 90% (guess) of the world (A4). Correction, it will allow you to change it, but if you go into one of their other icons(?) to say, print a picture, when you return to 'Ordinary, everyday printing' (who thinks up these things), you have to reset the default to A4. When one complains to HP Service desk (an oxymoron if ever I saw one) they tell you that Letter is the same as A4, and all they will tell you is to reinstall the software - over and over and over. The robots don't read anything that is in your emails, just insisting that they are 'pleased to be of assistance' and to kindly reinstall the software - or switch it off and switch it on again. Doesn't do my blood pressure any good I can tell you.

Not only that, but having returned to New Zealand I find that I can't just go out and buy a cartridge to fit, even an HP cartridge, as I did with my old one one in England. The fuckers have actually regionalised the printers!!! They are getting as bad as the big studios. I can't just buy a cartridge (even proper HP ones) off the shelf as they won't work. Oh no! I've got to waste my time calling HP to have the 'region' changed.

I spent over an hour pissing about with a service desk agent while nothing they suggested worked. In the end they said they would replace the printer, which on the face of it, sounds fine, except they insisted that I had to give my existing (working) printer to the courier. I told 'em that they will get the old printer back when, and only when, I have the new one installed and working properly. Bad grace but they accepted it. What else could they do. I told the courier the same thing. They came back the next day to collect the old one.

As of now HP, I will never buy another HP product ever again. To stoop to regionalising printers so that each country can charge their own price for consumables is despicable. Incidentally, one of their agents admitted that's why it was done. Quote "We have to protect our resellers' unquote.

. Sad really, as it was a damn good printer.

Re: Bad faith all around

Ah, it seems that you don't understand.

This decision has been made by a 'manager'. Managers have been especially trained to make decisions. He must be right.

Duh!

Re: Wow!

Whoops! Perhaps I should have posted that anonymously, but still, how could they ever track me d.......

Re: So...

"carbon dioxide and water"

Urrrggh! Fizzy coffee!!!

Re: "currently living in New Zealand"

"North Island isn't really New Zealand."

I think you are confusing that with Australia!!!!

@ MrXavia

Well bugger me!

I must have been doing it all wrong for the last 50 odd years.

I have managed to find my way about for most of my driving years `with just a map in the glove-box, and my own memory. Very rarely been lost.

Having said that, I do have a GPS these days, but still remember, that it is just a tool, and that like an out of date map, GPS mapping data is NOT infallible and one must apply a little common sense. to instructions.

Re: @cracked - Rights and wrong(s)?

I don't see it as any different to an old fashioned phone call, which, although carried on a public network was, to all intents and purposes, a private conversation unless the forces of law and order applied to a judge/magistrate/court official for a warrant to wire tap, and had to produce evidence to show that there was reasonable cause to do so.

I don't see this as any different on the internet with emails, VoIP calls etc. It should all be private unless a warrant is issued.

Having said that, it is obviously a piece of cake for what is laughably still known as the forces of law and order to grab any or all data or communications that they wish at any time at all.

Re: "cruelling punters"?

Aha, but the punchline, I like immensely.

"Maybe we can eventually make language a complete impediment to understanding." - Calvin & Hobbes

Sadly for some people, it is already an impediment - and that's just standard English, be it the U.S. version or the rest of the world's version(s).

Beer, for no other reason than looking at that tall frosty amber liquid with a beautiful head on top makes me crave one. Off to the fridge!

/*/NEWSFLASH/*/

Oh no! I just noticed "dudding customers" as well.

Is this guy Sharwood REALLY a journalist, or just someone they pulled in off the street to write the story. Or maybe he's just being 'ironic' as well - I hope!

Re: Responsibility????

Damn! "country's workforce'' - of course

Re: Ooooh Shiny shiny

I cannot, for the life of me, see what Twitter can offer........ period.

Each to their own, I guess.

Re: @kiwimuso @James Hughes 1

Hi chezstar.

You should have stopped while you were ahead. You gave a reasonable answer in your first 2 paragraphs, then rather spoilt it all on an irrelevant rant toward my question.

It's funny, but I didn't need flashing lights to learn programming - or retain an interest in it. I just had plain old-fashioned curiosity and an old-fashioned decent attention span

You've now given me the answer as to why stereos now come complete with flashing lights in their speaker cabinets.

Not quite sure where pacemakers come into it. Do they have swirly lights as well?