Posts by Keep Refrigerated

Sounds as though it was only an inter-departmental breach... not as serious as mailing to an external address list.

I think mistakes like these are not entirely preventable, especially if you have a hyperactive Exchange server, where hundreds of random distribution lists (which anyone's free to add to) and similar sounding group names are used.

I've seen this kind of thing happen in the private sector on occassion - there are procedures in place to deal with it and when the breach is inside the same company it tends to be handled fairly well without any public outcries or calls for sacking.

"the right of free movement of data"

That's a new one, never heard of that before... wonder who's words were stuffed in that politicians mouth and how much they paid for it?

It's a nice thought...

That a US senator would think of US citizens privacy first, but I can't help thinking if this had been a US company attempting to do the same thing there would be no resistence based on some bullshit premise that it "creates jobs" or something.

I note that to this date no formal prosecutions have taken place against AT&T for monitoring calls, and they even received amnesty for it from the current presidential incumbent no less!

Losing the FAT?

I may be barking up the wrong tree, but would the lack of SD card slot effectively mean no need to support FAT in the device itself, therefore an attempt to subvert the MS license?

Since all SD cards come with FAT, then any Joe the Plumber attempting to plug it in would immediately complain when it wasn't recognised, or that their card was reformatted and would no longer work in their Winblows. Not providing a slot simply avoids that confusion.

I hardly use direct connection to PC now for my phone and tablet - I find QuickSSH or dropbox more convenient - I usually stream music and movies.

Tech-head because would be nice to hear from someone with knowledge of the patent issues around FAT.

Got to experience my first Black Friday

Thought I'd experience it for myself. Went out after midnight to Macys, wasn't too bad in my neck of the woods. I picked up a George Foreman grill, but decided it wasn't worth the queue.

Headed to Target, bought nothing. Headed to BestBuy, saw the nightclub style queue outside and the thuggish looking blokes hanging around outside the exit door, turned around, went home empty handed.

Couldn't really see what the fuss is about, especially since I found what I needed online.

Deutschland Unter Alles

Is it just me or does it seem Germany is becoming a hotbed for a war on innovation just lately? It seems German companies and German courts are doing their best to prevent consumers from having a choice and now prevent any technological progress.

A great shame, for I've always found Germany quite progressive with high engineering standards - I wonder if this will have an impact on that status in the future, if these patent trolls are allowed to run rampant all over Europe?

I feel safer already!

"People convicted of sexual offences, harassment or anti-social behaviour could have their internet access restricted to protect the public."

Fantastic, protected from people saying rude things about me on the internet! And what will these anti-social, sexual deviants do with all that spare time they now have on their hands, not spent sat at a keyboard because they're banned.....?

Could they just leave abstract digital universe alone and get back to protecting people from, y'know, actual physical harm that does pyhsical damage irl?

Interesting response...

"I'm just a nobody, me".

Pearls before swine

<pulls ring, lobs grenade>

I have an in-law who is deeply entrenched in the cult of Apple. He's a geek, I'm a geek, nethertheless I try to avoid getting into any geekie techie conversations with him as it's a lose-lose situation which invariably ends with him pointing out how technically superior his choice is (iPhone, iPad, Mac etc) to my own choice, regardless of facts on the ground.

My last conversation with him went something like...

Me: Well I rooted xxxxx's phone and put on a firewall (Droidwall) so it's pretty well protected from rogue apps and gets less ads now. I like the fact I can root and get custom roms, overclocking, firewalls etc...

Him: That's why I love the iPhone, I don't have to do that it's already done.

Me: What, a firewall, custom rom and overclocking - out of box?

Him: Yes

Me: Umm, I'm having a hard time believing that...

Him: You don't get it do you, I don't have to hack it to make it work like an iPhone.

Just got to chalk it up to the reality distortion field I guess...

I think Asus are going to be the ones to watch in the tablet space for 2012. Can't speak for their netbooks but they're quick on updates and have put a lot of work into the design and support for keyboard. Latest Transformer update was a few days ago and I could swear the keyboard felt more responsive than it had been.

3 words would have saved a fortune...

"While stocks last"

He should win the industrial tribunal

Not for any religious reason, but considering many American buildings choose to label the 13th Floor as 14 for superstitious reasons, it seems like a very petty boss who would fire someone for not wearing a badge with a temporary integer variable.

On a side note, I played Iron Maiden's Number of the Beast at a bible study once - it was not the most well recieved message I've shared, but I enjoy the odd reaction when I also share that Nicko McBain is a Christian.

Copying Apple again!

Why don't they just release a phone without bugs instead of copying all Apple's ideas?

Umm...

On reading TFA I had to scroll back up the page to check the familiar red banner of Vulture Central was there. Yes, it is. So why does it feel like I stumbled onto a Grauniad Technology article?

More like Pot suing the Kettle

This is like the Pot suing the Kettle because it is black and also heats water the same as Pot leading to tea and coffee drinkers to become confused.

But then Kettle suing back because Pot refuses to license the right to brew under The keep Everyone hAppy (TEA) agreement. Then Pot complaining this is unfair because Kettle has entered into TEA agreements with all the other appliances in the kitchen to share electrical power outlets of which Pot has none.

Paris, because she's also been screwed over things with rounded corners.

Trying not to incur the wrath of the giant troll

HP, along with a number of other manufacturers strike me as companies that see the value in Linux and Open Source in general, and desperately want to use it. However they all live under the shadow of a giant troll which they fear would see what they are doing and immediately stomp them into the ground.

Which leads to this kind of befuddlement where a Linux shop announces some partnership and there is a rush put out press releases saying "it's not really that big/important/profitable/etc..."

Tablets will go the way of the netbook...

... if Windows becomes dominant through consumer ignorance again.

***The Rise and Fall of the Netbook***

1. Consumer spies mini form factor cheap, portable, capable device for surfing, email, docs.

2. Consumer enjoys netbook for a time.

3. Reign of the netbook begins.

4. Microsoft says, "I want some of that", brings XP back off the shelf, twists oem arms.

5. Consumer says "Ooh, netbook now with Windows" answers to primal herd instinct that says stick with brand no matter how unsuitable to the task.

6. The cheap, portable, capable intent of the Netbook is poisoned by the MS chalice, slowly dying.

7. Consumer complains "Windows is a dog on Netbook".

8. Rise of the fondleslab. Netbook cries out "Et tu, Jobs?"

9. Consumer no longer enjoys netbook.

10. Reign of perfectly useful and capable netbooks comes to an end.

Disclaimer: I own 2x netbooks and 1x (non-jobsian) fondleslab

I want to believe

Another burned Milestone owner here. The non-removable battery is a deal-breaker for me. Since getting the long-awaited (almost canned) upgrade to Froyo my phone became buggy as hell and I had to constantly pull the battery.

Installing CyanogenMod reduced the need for battery pulls by about 90% but it still needs the ocassional bounce.

Motorola have only made Android phones to last for 6-12 months on the current release. I think they were rather taken aback by the demand of 12+ month owners demanding upgrades and creating negative publicity.

After having sworn off Moto forever, on news of the Google aqcuisition I intend to give them another chance - but I'm waiting for after the approval and to see if Google actually take control of the unholy beast that is Moto upgrades.

But where would all the calculators go?

Those who think Back To Earth was bad have obviously never seen the US Pilot. The US Pilot makes Back-to-Earth seem like brilliant comedy!

@threesome = ("wife","friend","man");

$thirdwheel = pop(@threesome);

print $threesome[3] || `bash -c TV1.sh && TV2.sh`;

Another satisfied (and rooted) TF101 owner...

They've put a lot of thought and effort into the Honeycomb experience, as well as decent keyboard integration - not just a gimmicky add-on - it also gets its own updates. Speaking of updates, very good, so looking forward to see if they push ICS as well.

My only bugbear comes with their proprietary power cable and lack of accessories - which to be fair is more the fault of resellers and accessory designers. Replacement cables only available through their online shop. It's a crying shame for this has to be one of the best tablets on the market currently and deserves more uptake.

At that price, I could afford to drop my less than tough Transformer and replace it twice over.

It's the platform, stupid!

Microsoft was convicted for bundling IE with their platform, essentially using it as a tactic to squeeze out competitors on said platform.

I think Schmidt is making a dangerously wrong argument about Google as a platform. Unlike Microsoft, Google has not offering a platform on which other search engines compete. Then creating their own search engine offering, bundled it with the platform and squeezing other search engines off the platform. Instead, the browser is the platform that Google, as a product, sits on top of.

Comparibly it would be like Microsoft having to offer not a choice of browser, but a choice to install Linux, Unix, OSX or Other OS when you first boot into Windows. Much as I'd like to see that choice and think it would be beneficial to society - it's technically not what the anti-trust case was about.

As one other commentard has stated already, I don't want to search for results on google, only to be taken to another limited search engine rather than what I was after.

With regard to Google's other services that it does offer in competing search results, it's not as though their rivals are investing development time on a specific app that sits on top of Google's platform that people can choose to install at will. It's an independent and free listing service where they have used an algorythm to determine what results they deem useful. As part of this service they display their own offerings.

Has Google anywhere published an algorythm that allows someone to install their search result into their search platform - that users can choose at will?

No-one complains that Tesco put it's own brand on the same shelf as other brands or that their brand is slightly higher or lower on the shelf than the competing brand. I don't hear calls for Tesco to offer Sainsburys own brands either. Neither are Tesco obliged to put my own home-made product on their shelves.

I may even find when I enquire about where to find canned food, that a Tesco employee advises me to go with their brand because it's cheaper - someone call the police!

Even if you believe Google should be treating their search results as a kind of entitlement list for number 1 spot, I think the demise of Buzz and Wave is proof that they are competing fairly in search results and have been beaten by rivals' better offerings.

Purchase from street ads

Actually I'd be quite interested in being able to scan something from an advertisement on the street and order it right there and then.

The amount of times I've seen something and thought "Oh yes, I need to (compare the price and) order one of those when I get home" then subsequently forgot...

Copyright issue, surely?

So, say someone posts their digital work to a private online service but I, being a priveleged member, make an exact copy and share it by downloading or reposting outside of the service. Would this mean I'm in the clear when it comes to legal action under civil law, as the original owner of the digital work in actual fact shared it 'publicly', and therefore should not expect any level of 'privacy'?

Thought not...

So perhaps the ex-cult member should counter-sue their facebook frenemy under civil law on 2 infringements:

1. Breach of copyright in downloading and distributing original work of art (namely facebook post denigrating Apple) and,

2. Damaging reputation of ex-Apple worker leading to loss of income?!

If it was me I'd definitely go for the copyright breach - I'm pretty sure there are some good examples knocking around the web to use as a template for a PAY-UP-OR-ELSE copyright infringement letter. Being an unworldly and loyal Apple devotee, the frenemy will probably be reaching for their wallet before they've even finished reading it.

To the mattresses...

If I were a Samsung exec right now, I'd fling some cash at marketing and get them to come up with some TV and newspaper ads that said in effect "Our Tablet is that much better than iPad, that Apple are trying to prevent us from selling it to you..." then maybe (if it's not illegal) provide a list of international stores (e.g. partner with Amazon or whatever) where someone can order online and get it shipped internationally. Definitely not illegal for individual consumers, just have to pay import duty.

Play Apple at their own game and make it seem like their tablets are exclusive, coveted and worth the extra effort to get. Just like people were smuggling iPads from the States when they first arrived on the US market.

Stage 1: Embrace...

That is all.