Posts by Ian Yates
767 posts • joined Tuesday 12th June 2007 08:17 GMT
Re: First Direct Bank have it right.....
Also a First Direct fan, but I wanted to mention Smile as well, since they have a similar policy.
Both companies seem to have made the common sense judgement that call centre staff should actually have the ability to help, rather than apologise that the system won't let them do something.
Oh, and both have 0845 numbers. Perfect.
Re: The perfect gift . . .
You mean Dasani? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dasani
It's still going strong in America (USA and Canada), and is just treated tap water.
Re: You what?
No excuse. The Sensation has one-click rooting and a plethora of excellent ROMs from pure AOSP to CM 10.1.
I'm not suggesting that everyone can/should root their phones, but I'm sure a silver-badged commentard knows what they're doing ;)
Personally, I buy a phone based on it's hardware and current ROM status; not interested in the manufacturer guff.
Just because manufacturers can "add their duplicate/bloated/useful/pointless apps" doesn't mean they have to, so the fault lies firmly with them.
Extracting bodily fluids from our corpses? Apt metaphor
Re: World Travel...
From what I've seen, the camera (pictures and video) is pretty poor, especially in low light. It's possible this is to allay some privacy concerns.
Other than that, it's an Android device, so (eventually) you'll be able to be in complete control of the device and how it behaves. I can imagine a lot of XDA et al. focus on this.
Re: @Ian Yates - Not from my Android phone!
Good for you, although I don't see the relevance here.
In order to use Glass you will need a Google account, so my point stands. I wasn't trying to say that Google can trace all Android phones, I'm well aware of how to remove Google from Android.
Honestly, I don't trust Google any more than the others, but they have no need for covert ways of harvesting your data, most people are happily giving away enough to keep the advertisers happy.
The camera isn't always on; the battery is actually quite weak.
The only location data the big G is getting is something they could already get from Android phones.
I'm still not sure what I'd use Glass for, but I'm very interested to try it out.
Re: Sir
But... "cyberspace"!
Re: We told you it was shit
"good UI developers identify which approach is best"
Best for whom?
In my experience, existing users want new features to fit with the current style, new users don't know better.
Over time, existing users may come to prefer new styles (I actually prefer 2007's ribbon to 2003's menu system now, mostly because of the visual cues, though I still have to hunt for some things) but they don't want to be forced to learn a whole new "user experience paradigm" (that's probably going to change in the next release) just to continue doing what they've always done.
I think this fits perfectly with TIFKAM, which I've disabled on my only Win8 box as much as I could, and have never felt like I'm missing out on something.
Re: Shouldn't that be...
Not subtle enough and it turns consumers away, too subtle and a simple reencoding can corrupt or strip out the watermark info.
It's an interesting idea, and certainly better than the full DRM options, but it's still security by obscurity, which just doesn't last (see AACS and others).
Re: And who in their right mind puts a BMS on the Internet?
Agreed. Certificate-based VPN (possibly IP-restricted) should be the minimum for such a critical system, if it has to be accessible externally.
Re: Let's see....
It's blue
Re: Have a gorilla...
Please... don't do that
Or your local router? Seems like a logical place for such a broker
"in the past year I have seen 4 computer monitors and 3 TV's die"
Have you got surge protectors? If so, you seem to have the worse luck with electrical equipment I've ever heard of
(maybe you project an anti-technology field? useful for the robot uprising)
All banks "relend" investment, it's how they create the credit in the first place, which is what powers the economy.
One view is that a "responsible" bank should hold enough assets at any time to cover a minimum of 20% of their exposure.
And although Lehmans practiced some truly irresponsible trading and lending, they were far from the cause of GFC (sounds catchier).
Re: Brilliant initiative from Google's end
Look on the BBC today and you'll see an article about a woman parking a car being filmed. It's already here, if people want it, using phones; I don't see Glass changing that. Upskirt shorts are far easier with any of the hundreds of "spy" cameras available for sub-£100 than Glass.
Plus, the current specs of Glass mean that you really wouldn't want to video things unless they were of real interest as the battery just doesn't last that long. Google also limited the mic to only pick up the wearer's voice properly, and their low-light ability is terrible.
"How long before a salesman in a shop you've never been in before knows your sales history and credit rating before even speaking to you? Google sell the info and the facial recognition data, heaven forfend!"
Google aren't that dumb. There's a legal limit (currently) to what information can be shared without direct user's consent, based around legitimate relevance to what the information was given for.
I'm not saying Glass isn't a privacy issue, but I don't see it as any worse than current smart phones. I never know if the people on the train are holding their phone up to read the screen better or take a picture/video of me.
Anyone know if Glass has a light to show it's recording?
Re: No Chip and Pin in America?
"the easiest method of stealing card numbers"
Didn't you read the article?!
Re: Another app?
I use SMS, Google Messenger, and WhatsApp, depending on the friends involved.
I actually prefer GM because I can start a session on my phone and continue it on my PC and back again. WhatsApp's group feature is also very useful, but (as you said) everyone has SMS so it's the default point of contact.
The real crime here is the cost of SMS; telco's are laughing for every text they charge for.
@Andrew Orlowski
"Of course, some people were in a hurry. When the"
... comment was written?
+1
How do I upvote the article tagline?
Re: Not out of the woods yet...
"each time they sell a phone, they simply create a dissatisfied customer, who won't go back. Why? The phones suck, Nokia hardware is not state of the art any more, but a generation behind. The operating system also sucks."
So when does this Eadon report come out?
I have 3 friends on WinPho (all Nokia) and they're all very happy. Do you know why? Because the phones do exactly what they need them to do, and they do it well.
These are not people who want to customise their phones, and they don't need whizz-bang features. Essentially, they would also have been happy with the older BBs (can't say I've looked at BB10/QNX yet).
True, it might not be the demographic that MS were hoping for, but I can see it being a good growth area for them.
Like it or not, WP8 is a functional, simple, and (arguably) elegant OS for a phone.
And what do you mean by "state of the art" hardware? Nokia has the best camera sensor and microphones that I'm aware of (although, the HTC One camera looks to be getting closer).
Re: Egg sarnies
Also, add some vinegar = pickled eggs! Last for ages
Re: Excuse me
I should probably check, but I was under the impression that Flickr did provide ownership controls that updated the EXIF metadata?
It'll be interesting to see how defensible the claim of orphaned work is.
Re: Sad realities
"What do we get now?"
Well, I have a Cowon J3, which has a superb sound and plenty of EQ controls. Battery lasts 50+ hours and I've currently got 64GB on it (32GB onboard + 32GB uSDHC card). Plus, it plays everything from classical and opera through to rock and indie without concern.
I can't see me moving away from a dedicated music player for a long time; I don't have to worry about using up phone battery to listen to music and the device is designed specifically to play music well.
Re: Another dodgy practice...
YMMV, but I've had good experiences with duckduckgo
Re: could have been worse
It would also be slightly rude if they had both hands in their pockets
Re: Gates vs Politician - college is not necessarily good. Brunel.
"they knew more by 10 than modern teaching teaches kids by 18. Brunel had mastered Euclid's elements by 8 years."
You mean, those that could afford it? Brunel had by no means a standard education of his day
Posted in Galaxy S4 radiant, but has black holes
15 minutes? I fail to see how this is an issue... If you'd said a day, then I'd agree.
Personally, the ability to customise it massively outweighs the time to do so.
On the very rare occasions when I do a full wipe, it takes longer for my installed apps to redownload (automatically, though) than it does for me to customise the home screens.
Also, on the discussion of lag, I can't help but feel that this is Samsung's issue more than Android itself. I have the original Sensation running a kang of CM 10.1 (Albinoman887, for those that are interested) and don't have any issues with lag.
(Isn't it time for a Google/Android icon?)
Re: No
Why, is that what your current GPS does?
Re: Overreaction?
This seems to me just a way to prevent scalping. True, it comes across as horridly totalitarian, but how else do you prevent people buying up the (limited) stock for their personal profit?
The purpose of the first release is to get the device in to the hands of devs so that they can create cool stuff for it, which would be hurt by allowing anyone to buy and resell them.
Arguably, "free market" blah blah blah, but they have a point.
Caveat: the above is void if this clause remains for the final product.
Re: Wrong...
"I have always found that it is the same or cheaper to buy the phone outright and use a SIM only plan. In fact, buying the phone on some credit cards can sometimes work out cheaper!"
Agreed. I don't change my phone every year, but I always buy outright.
As I'm on a one-month rolling "contract", I can change whenever I like and am always on the lookout for a cheaper one.
Re: Not a particular google fan but
They want them to stop being so successful so that everyone can have a go at Internet supremacy.
This just sounds like MS (and others) moaning that they didn't take the 'net credibly until it was too late.
I'm sure Google could scale back some of their integration in to everyone's 'net use, but it's difficult to say that they don't deserve their current position, given the innovations and effort they've put in.
Re: Only quoting the bits where Steig agrees with you?
"It's a popular tactic amongst commentators of all stripes."
There, fixed that for you.
Proponents do it as much as denialists; it's pretty standard rhetoric.
Posted in Movie review: Oblivion
My first thought (on seeing the trailer) was where did all this shiny futuristic tech come from? My understanding is that this is set ~65 years in the future...
Re: I can imagine receiving the alert
Or "I told you I was ill"
Apologies to Mr Milligan
Re: But it takes 2lbs of frozen peas
... Only if your peas can initiate/sustain nuclear fusion
Very cool tech (no pun)
Re: Ha!
I was thinking that with this line "embolden Google to repeat its desktop abuses"
Seriously? This came from Microsoft (by proxy)? They have the biggest ones I've ever seen
Re: I always use my phone for Google's GPS when I'm in California
"Never had an accident in 30+ years of driving, so your implication that I can't control a vehicle is a bit absurd by the simple evidence."
Not that I implied such a thing, I merely said that it was your responsibility to be in control.
And 30+ years or 100+ years, it only takes a few seconds for someone to pull out in front of you at high speed to cause an accident, and it won't matter whose fault it is if someone is seriously injured.
The default position I have when driving is to assume the other drivers are about to do something stupid (and I see enough doing things like high speed undertaking or sitting in blindspots). Driving is not a right.
Re: ObJoke
I love the progression of replies to this and how they were increasingly poorly received
Re: It shouldn't be patentable....
Even if you said "mobile electronic device", my very first ThinkPad back in the dark ages of the 90's had a single sliding catch on the lid in order to "unlock" it.
Re: I always use my phone for Google's GPS when I'm in California
"when I go to California, I'm in a rental car - I don't have a GPS holder on the dash."
I think it's pretty fair to say that this is your problem.
"If I need to look at the GPS on the phone, I've got to pick it up in my hand"
You really don't. You need to have sorted it out before you set off.
Not to make it sound black and white, but you are the one in control of the x tonne vehicle capable of doing serious amounts of damage, it is your job to stay in control of it. Everything else is secondary.
If you get the first part wrong, someone could die (possibly you); if you get the second part wrong, you might get to your destination late.
Re: Actual Satnav units
Cool movie; when's it out?
"amongst the cheapest ISPs as far as the general public are concerned"
Not in my area (London). A pitiful 10GB/m is £28.45 w/ line rental or £31.45 for unlimited*.
Their competitors are offering unlimited (w/ line rental) for £28 (O2; less if you have an O2 mobile), £23.98 (PlusNet), £21.45 (TalkTalk), and I pay £19 for EE (£24 if you aren't on Orange/T-Mobile).
* For the 18 months I was with BT, I ended up with a total of over £50 in hidden costs, that I had to argue with them about and eventually got removed.
Re: Gender over Quality?
While I applaud seeing more gender equality, especially in the sausage-fest that is IT, adding a quota of females is still sexual discrimination.
Re: Shame...
I'm a big fan of Double Fine. I've always considered it a great injustice that Psychonauts passed so many people by
Re: Shame...
Check out "Ben There, Dan That" and it's sequel "Time Gentlemen, Please!".
Not quite as long as DOTT, Sam and Max, Full Throttle, etc., but still a good laugh on a similar vein.
While I'm not going to tout doom, I do think it's a shame that this sounds like it won't be a compatible fork that Google can use to feed back fixes and improvements to WebKit.
I don't believe multiple engines is the answer to a better web, it's multiple groups maintaining and using engines, whether they be the same engine or different ones. It's the competitiveness of the engine use that promotes the improvements.
Who knows, though, maybe in a few years Safari et al. will have moved to Blink.
As long as it's open source, there's no harm done.
Re: Really?
From someone who isn't a Firefox user, is this story true? Seems like a glaring omission to have been lacking this feature for so long...
