Posts by Colin Millar

Can I just say?

That I completely agree with the daft bint

Crap on the screen?

People who are so fanatical about never having any crap on their screen are probably making their first mistake when they click teh intertube icon.

Advertisers self-regulating on the web is just stupid - let em have a free-for-all.

Seagate cutting corners?

The firmware on their 1.5 TB was a bit crook too - intermittent freezing up. Sounds like marketing is making them rush stuff out the door to keep up with the rest of the pack.

Pedantic I know but

"Performance gains extrapolated from Moore's famous Law can't be sustained"

Well who ever thought they could extrapolate performance gains from a prediction about miniaturization processes.

If supposedly technical people were to stop using inaccurate terminology they might save some confusion later. Moore's famous law wasn't even a theory. Relying on it to predict performance gains is idiotic.

@ what to click

Don't click - the whole box is poisonous

Ctrl-alt-delete

End process autorun.inf

Execrable Steaming Pile

Researchers used to research? When was that? When I was a researcher I spent all my time redrafting my CV. Research is for geeks. Journalism is for press officers. Cut and paste is for journalists.

@ Dan

The short straw will end up with the users (as usual)

The information commissioner

"....might give the impression that too much weight is being given to the rights of the industry at the expense of the rights of individual users"

There's a reason that we all got that impression Mr ICO

Network managers

XP and Ubuntu (8.04) are as bad as each other for this. Ubuntu Network Manager keeps losing settings and needed to be reset every startup with my belkin dongle (using ndiswrapper). Fix (permanent) - install wicd - works every time - why can't they just stick in a bit that works instead of the miserable failure that is Network Manager. (Maybe they have done this in 8.10?)

XP repair should be

1) release

2) cleararpcache

3) renew

But instead it appears to do 1,3, 2, phonehome so if 2 is the problem - tough luck cos it will never run that bit. Fix - pull out dongle (or disable), cmd netsh interface ip delete arpcache, push in dongle (or enable). Better still

open notepad

copy and paste

ipconfig release

netsh interface ip delete arpcache

ipconfig renew

Save to desktop as repair.bat. Right click>open whenever required. Haven't experienced the arpcache problem in ubuntu (yet).

No permanent fix for windows that I have found yet - probably would work by disabling automatic connection and running a batch file at startup to clear the cache and then connect

Still not working ? Switch off router, wait a minute, switch on router.

So you can get a permanent fix for Ubuntu without going near a terminal but with Windows you only get a temporary fix which requires the use of a command line.

Oh - and all this after you have checked that your router hasn't simply dropped the connection and neither Ubuntu nor Windows is going to tell you that even though it would be a simple thing to check if you were getting as far as your router and letting you know.

Neither xp nor ubuntu come out of this looking good but it's only the windows os that requires a command line fix.

More of this please

This detailed review is great. Reg hardware reviews had been getting a bit thin on such detail lately. Please keep it up - THG is just such a PITA web site.

Shame the product is so crap. The fact that it is pointless isn't in itself a bad thing but the state of the software (manually entering file paths? In a consumer product?) makes it look like the manufacturer has given up on the product and is just trying to shift a few units to the gullible to get some cash back.

can we have a full list

Of those firms using the wisdom of crowds - so we know who to avoid

The problem with the wisdom of crowds is that they aren't wise - just instinctive. -'show them what they expect to see and they will embrace it' gets em every time

As for cloud computing techniques - is there some less vague information as to what this means?

title

" rotary engine, which with supercharge and fuel ignition "

Handy extra - that fuel ignition thingy - all internal combustion engines should be fitted with it as standard

Oh the ironing

"If you don't watch Google 24x7, they will go behind your back and get as deep into your wallet as they can"

Says an adman.

Complete garbage

Optymystic you beat me to it.

I was reading this article with an increasing sense of disbelief and the bit about changing the law to get out of the contract - well - gobsmacking. As for consulting with the opposition to ensure a smooth transition? Yes - once the election has actually been announced - not when some journos start speculating on a possible date.

This really was just making up some crap to hang a doom and gloom story off. Please stop.

@ Gregory Kohs

"Your readers want to know things like that."

Don't kid yourself - the comings and goings of wikians are web soap opera - sometimes mildly entertaining, often engendering a feeling of schadenfraude but ultimately meaningless to grown ups.

Calm down dears

Its only Toyotas - who cares what they do to Toyotas

unregistered loaded firearm??

I know we're getting real big brother these days but having to register your co....

O hang about - they were referring to the .22 rifle

Don't see the problem

Unlike stuff where direct comparison isn't really possible (e.g. mobile and broadband packages) you can always see the bottom line with these items and that's all you should take any notice of. Anyone who thinks "40% off" has any meaning deserves to get mugged.

If ASA want to be useful they should ban the use of the word 'Unlimited' where it is used to mean 'limited'.

Simple things

Why go to the bother of making some complex mechanical thingy designed for a specific purpose even more complex to fulfil another specific purpose?

Why not just design another mechanical thingy that does the other specific purpose?

Re: Re not a chance

You're not a great big feminazi??

Another fantasy goes pop!

Anyone who read that linked report wouldn't have much sympathy for the guy - he needs to be slapped repeatedly in the face while having "stop blubbering you big girls blouse" shouted loudly at him.

@ Paul Hartley

Have you copyrighted "underware" yet?

I feel a whole new computing concept coming on

I will redefine the O/S as underware, applications as overware, lappys (yes I said lappys) would run on outdoorware, accounting programmes on cookware, Firewalls would of course be rubberware

Penguins would get skiware and the apple equivalent would probably be tupperware - oh hang on - thats a real ware ....

Anyway

2) PROFIT!!!!

A history of sensible advice?

Mediocre advice based on a poor understanding of the point of the products being reviewed more like. The sort of firm that is likely to make a car a best buy because it has a three cd changer whilst ignoring a poor reliability record.

And their main sales technique for about a decade was exactly the same inertia selling so beloved of all those book-of-the-month club pirates.

@Saucerhead - Acer Aspire

Yeah - The aspire takes ubuntu 8.04 with few probs although usb NetInstall can be v lengthy (don't give up when it sits at 'installing software 6%' for a few hours). Wireless hardware is an additional install but dead easy and v quick. Still trying to work out the Dial-up modem install for those rare occasions when its the only option.

Also - it wasn't until after the first time I did the NetInstall that I found a reference to removing the bootstick as soon as the language prompt appeared so that the stick wouldn't be needed for all future boots and updates and upgrades would survive beyond the session. I think I'd do a CD install in future.

Of course people should remember that Ubuntu is designed for desktops and there is always going to be compromises to be made. There is Netbook Remix which allows for some tidying up tricks but pingus beware - there is proprietary code in that. Of course none of this is suitable for people who are frightened of terminal - they should get the xp book instead - Linpus Lite is garbage.

The penguins are a bit slow today

So can I just say

"....software to prevent automatic download of its next browser ...."

Its called LINUX!!!!!!

Did you all see the clever joke I made??

@ Toastan Butter

A 2GB SD card is ample for storing "lots of movies"???

Are you from a parallel universe?

Not a sausage?

What about a saveloy?

Not even a chipolata?

How about a nice greasy salami?

Do you really mean that you have bugger-all to say?

What a bummer

BYO for < £300 - piece of p1ss

@ Sam

Off the Google shelf

Mobo £45 (Asus P5N - also a v nice Gigabyte available)

CPU £40 (E2160 £35 - you can probably get some P4s cheap too if you don't mind the extra cooling)

Twin tuner £50 - (i.e. Hauppage DVB-T 500)

500 GB HDD £45 (i.e. Hitachi E7K - but honestly - get the SP1 750)

DDR2 2*1GB £25 (Corsair PC2-5300) (twice as much as you would really need)

Case & PSU £60 (Antect minuet 350 slimline case and 350w PSU)

Mythbuntu Free

£270

Upgrade box to Lian-li c36 for an extra £90 for the best looking box you'll ever shove under your tv.

Personally I would also splash out for XP so that I could use GBPVR which has a better interface than any pre-built box I have used and is very stable (reboots for system upgrades only), HDMI interface with tv, full remote control, access to local network shares, daily tv guide updates that don't interfere with operability and DVD playback. Season recording (3 different options) configurable start and end buffer zones (default and per recording) and transcoding options for various standards including DivX, MPEG4, ts.

GBPVR also has the added advantage that as its win only the user forums aren't full of willy-waving pingus.

Can be quite a lot of work initiallly but I wouldn't go back to a box again given the lack of flexibility that even the best of them suffer from.

Next project - a Mythbuntu box

Alright lads - I'm going in - full speed ahead and don't spare the penguins

Allow voters to express their views?

What great news for democracy. I have thousands of bot-twats set up and ready to flood the intertubes at the click of a mouse.

Happy Christmas

Gerry Mander

Some marketing

Persuading a simple manufacturing/distribution operation that they need $20m of enterprise IT.

Must have been champers all round in the marketing department when they landed that sucker.

redirect - just don't do it

There is no need for redirect at all. If it's internal then how about just transferring to another page - if its external and honest then putting a clickable link would suffice. All browsers should offer a disallow redirect/reload/refresh that is obvious and up-front.

I know you can do it in FF

Why don't they do something useful

Like fixing the loss of usb support between boot-order and confirm boot from CDROM.

Will I have to keep my old serial keyboard forever?

The good thing about the current BIOS changing is that you have to give it some thought just to get in there and navigate. You have to be doing this on purpose and with a purpose. Non-techies would probably only be doing it on the advice of someone else (not a guarantee but at least some thought will have gone into the process as opposed to randomly clicking on icons)

Anyhoo - this UEFI will probably get itself a bit restricted after a few punters burn out their GPUs.

And FFS will someone tell mobo manufacturers to stop letting their five year olds do the graphic design on their software

Wireless is misleading

There are perfectly good names for this stuff - inductive for the techys or contactless for the layman - calling it wireless suggests that the marketing department tail is wagging the dog (again).

It may be the time of year....

...........but the commentards are particularly humourless today.

Although I have seen a couple of good jokes such as

"The only reason the things are so fast is that they weigh nothing"

Yeah - about the same as a Ferrari Enzo

Ask yourself this.............

Who gives a sh**

To normal people the web is somewhere you can (a) get some free stuff and (b) go shopping. As long as people are making enough from (b) then (a) will continue.

Neutratards are just another (minority) bunch of people who want to write a load of rules for something and think that they know whats best for the rest of us.

70 on the outside lane of the M6

So you're the bastard holding everyone else up - I bet you drive a Renault.

Last minute bug?

I know that project plan - debug and error testing time = buffer zone for dev time overruns

About bloody time

Someone needs to put a stop to all these Guy Ritchie films. Wouldn't have thought BT would be doing the investigating though. Oh well - I suppose Mr Plod is too busy with his RIAA sub-contracting work.

Stalin would be proud

Wikipedia complaining about censorship? That's good. The organisation that revitalised the idea of the non-person has a moan when someone blocks their child-porn stash. Of course it is but a minor hiccup on their road to the complete corporate ownership of all knowledge.

@ Alexis Vallance &Penguins & Mr K

I don't know what version of windows you last used but for Windows Update you click on 'Windows Update and it lists what's new, explains what it is and tells you whether it will require a restart or not - pretty much like OSX. Of course some of the updates will kill your pc (sp3 - I'm looking at you) but that's another issue.

As for those claiming that Linux never requires a restart after an update - it may be not nearly as often as Windows but it certainly ain't never.

Mr K - get a proper firewall and don't take the 'do it all for me' option - then ban those phone home apps from accessing the intertubes.

Wrong question

They'd be better off mutating arms dealers and manufacturers into human beings.

The world is perfectly capable of producing enought food to feed itself.

Most starvation comes about because of loss of access to food because of war.

Or, in the words of Brecht

What keeps mankind alive, the fact that millions

Are daily tortured, stifled, punished, silenced, oppressed

Mankind can keep alive, thanks to its brilliance

At keeping its humanity repressed

For once, you must not try to shirk the facts:

Mankind is kept alive by bestial acts.

So what's the difference in value..........

............between spam and arsebook pages?

Honestly - I would have thought that a bit of spam might brighten up the lives of LOIPs (Life Over Internet Protocol)

Maybe he needs to sue w3c

For daring to publish the xml DTD

Max Ehrman should charge royalties

Anyone who reads the twelve platitudes of agile development and still buys into them probably did fengshui and definitely deserves to be relieved of all their money.

The agile business plan

1) Read desiderata

2) Write platitudes of similar mind numbing tedium

3) Inspect platitudes for any semblance of actual meaning

4) Remove any actual meaning found under (3)

5) Find some suckers

6) er

oh yes

PROFIT!!!!!

The sexual habits of the luvvie class

Are simply too boring to contemplate as are their schoolboy japes

Ross should be sacked for being boring and predictable - for £6m a year we should get a bit of original thought.

Installing OSX on a PC?

Is that what they call snatching defeat from the jaws of victory?

Let the flame begin

Pingu cos i Wibu'ed recently and its not too bad so far.

USB 3.0 - meh

Just so long as the mobo people keep ps/2 support going we should be ok

USB - what is that used for anyway - oh I know - those toy missiles, um, cup-warmers? Not WiFi dongles thats for sure.

Fucktard 2.0

Which summarises very neatly the concept of a victory of style over substance and the complete subversion of something useful to flatter the vanity of the digerati

Also any *tard and fuck* combo

so probably fucktard 2.0 would get my vote