Posts by Peter Ford
93 posts • joined Friday 13th July 2007 10:34 GMT
Peter Ford
Future funding? → #
Posted Thursday 25th February 2010 14:22 GMT
In British Library wants taxpayer to gobble the web
"Then the Library told us that the private sector couldn't be trusted to do the job, because future funding couldn't be assured"
Given the way this British Government (and, to be fair, several previous British Governments) have behaved, what makes you think that source of funding is any more secure?
Peter Ford
Double Oook! → # ↑
Posted Wednesday 24th February 2010 12:40 GMT
In Chimps don't like short measures: Official
... especially if you called him a chimp!
Peter Ford
Not a typo → # ↑
Posted Thursday 11th February 2010 10:38 GMT
In Google will build 1Gbps fiber networks to the home
just good old-fashioned English - go check you dictionary...
Although it probably should behyphenated thus: "search giant-cum-world power"
Peter Ford
What's really surprising about this... → #
Posted Monday 25th January 2010 11:33 GMT
In iSlate leaves fingerprints all over the net
... is that Apple are actually testing the device.
I thought they left that to the fanbois who buy their stuff...
Peter Ford
Ducted fan? → #
Posted Wednesday 13th January 2010 12:41 GMT
In Israeli ducted-fan robo sky-jeep in hover trials
What, like a Harrier you mean - in service so long ago that it's almost obsolete now?
Peter Ford
An upside-down laptop → #
Posted Thursday 7th January 2010 11:05 GMT
In Lenovo demos mini laptop with slip-out screen

that's quite cunning - put all the processing stuff in the lid (disks, cpus memory and stuff) then make the clamshell a kind of docking station...
I like that, although it might need some ballast in the base to stop it falling over when the lid is opened.
I guess the base could hold an extra battery pack and DVD drive as well as the keyboard...
Peter Ford
Why can't we ... → #
Posted Wednesday 9th December 2009 17:03 GMT
In Revolutionary triangular-key keypad out on Android

... put some more keys into the spaces - eliminate the need for SHIFT or whatever...
Oh, I see... never mind :)
Peter Ford
24heures du Mans? → #
Posted Monday 7th December 2009 16:47 GMT
In FIA to oversee first e-car 'grand prix' series
I hope one of the French events is a 24h race at Le Mans: with present tech it would be about two hours of racing and 22 hours sat in the pits recharging!
Gentlemen, start your engines!
click...whirrr....hum...
Not the same, is it?
Peter Ford
Re: Diesel Electric → #
Posted Friday 9th October 2009 15:18 GMT
In Toyota Prius fourth-generation e-car
I have a feeling this is something like the design Jaguar are looking into - a small 1.2l "Generator" to keep the batteries topped up.
Seems like a good idea - after all, if you detach the generator from the drive train like that you could plug in all sorts of generator units (diesel, petrol, LPG, paraffin, hydrogen, gas-turbine, fuel cell, solar, wind-powered, nuclear, Mr Fusion™ ...)
Peter Ford
@The BigYin → #
Posted Friday 18th September 2009 19:29 GMT
In Sony and BBC clash over PS3 problems
+1 on Dyson service - my 10yo dyson is about to be fixed on the same £64 service deal.
And their web site will sell you just about any of the bits that occasionally break, even down to the lurid lime green or purple accessories for my DC04.
Peter Ford
Look, I know it doesn't count for much, but ... → #
Posted Tuesday 15th September 2009 14:14 GMT
In Cyclists give TV chef a Wikikicking
Cyclists were there first, or at least the bicycle was invented before the motor car.
I operate both a car and a cycle regularly, and I try to consider other road users equally, at least up to the point where they demonstrate their foolishness. Then they're fair game.
I avoid running red lights, and even stop at pedestrian crossings. I DO occasionally mount the pavement - part of my regular cycling route is a fairly busy but narrow road, so when a HGV starts dropping gears behind me I often roll up the pavement for a few metres to let it through.
I've had a couple of scrapes when on my bike - mostly they were 50-50 cases where I had let my concentration lapse or I was pushing my luck.
Except for the guy that cut me up three times in one short stretch of high street. I removed his passenger side wing mirror. A few days later he passed again, stopped and actually stood in front of me in the middle of the road. I duly cycled straight into him, and suggested that he would do well not to draw my attention to him ever again. No trouble since then.
To be honest, I think anyone uses a car rather than a bike for short journeys (less than 5 miles, say) on their own is a bloody fool. Aside from VED and insurance, much of the running cost of a car is proportional to mileage. Fewer miles, less money. Save that for the times you have to carry passengers/DIY goods/leisure equipment or take longer journeys.
Peter Ford
Power!!! → #
Posted Tuesday 8th September 2009 09:13 GMT
In Lotus details meths-drinking hybrid e-car engine
Or not... those outputs seem pretty low for a 1.2l engine.
Of course, Lotus always specialized in chassis and handling, and let someone else do most of their engines.
I reckon you should get more like 80hp from that engine at 3500rpm. Probably needs a turbo too... :)
Peter Ford
Just of to turn up the thermostat... → #
Posted Tuesday 1st September 2009 09:40 GMT
In Intel says data centers much too cold

Back in the old days, we had a small bunch of our company servers sat under a bench in an unventilated room with a SW-facing window. In summer (this is UK, so not like real summer) the room was too hot to enter, but we never had any downtime.
Some of those machines are still with us, but in a 20-degree C server room. They are still running just fine.
This company is small enough that saving money on AC *will* have an effect on my salary (or at least, won't make it any worse...)
Peter Ford
Not Nessie, but much scarier! → #
Posted Friday 28th August 2009 14:45 GMT
In Loch Ness Monster surfaces on Google Earth
Looks more like a squid than a plesiosaur: every time I saw Nessie she was a dark colour that wouldn't show up on a Google Earth photo very well.
'Course, it could be a rare albino Nessie...
Or worse (looking squid-like) ... no that's too horrible to contemplate...
Really, it just looks like a pale-coloured motor boat with a couple of waves of breaking wash trailing behind it.
Peter Ford
As any good chemist will tell you... → #
Posted Tuesday 18th August 2009 14:50 GMT
In NASA: Extraterrestrial sample holds ingredient for alien life

glycine != glycerine
nitro or otherwise
There's probably tonnes of glycerine floating around the solar system (it being a failry simple molecule), but glycine is a bit trickier to make and far more useful
Peter Ford
It must be the cops... → #
Posted Thursday 13th August 2009 12:00 GMT
In Underground forum r00t-y0u.org gets pwned

...there's no l33t or even spelling mistakes
Peter Ford
In 1000 years time, we will know how to build a DVD player → #
Posted Friday 24th July 2009 09:16 GMT
In Startup crafts DVD-Rs for the 31st century

... cos the plans are all archived on 1000-year DVDs!
Oh, wait a minute...
Peter Ford
We don't know why Microsoft positioned the news as something it was not... → #
Posted Thursday 23rd July 2009 09:35 GMT
In Microsoft opened Linux-driver code after 'violating' GPL

Yes we do.
Business as usual for MS
Peter Ford
All the features customers have come to expect → #
Posted Monday 20th July 2009 15:28 GMT
In Nissan to build e-car batteries in Blighty

.. 100 mile range ????
I want at least 300 miles on a charge, with a full load (2 adults, 3 kids, boot loaded, roof full of kayaks) before I consider an electric vehicle.
If they spent money on achieving that, rather than "unique design" and "premium amenities", then we might get somewhere.
I reckon if you put in a lump of batteries equivalent in weight to a small-block chevy motor, and get someone like James Dyson to sort out the smallest, lightest motors possible, we might be on to a winner...
Peter Ford
Phorm share price down... → #
Posted Thursday 9th July 2009 09:41 GMT
In Phorm confirms TalkTalk fail
.. but presumably TalkTalk's share are on the up now :)
Peter Ford
Still missing one thing... → #
Posted Friday 3rd July 2009 17:55 GMT
In Panasonic TX-L37V10 LCD HD TV

My LG TV has a built-in hard disk recorder, so I can do all those PVR tricks without needing a separate box.
Now that, combined with a twin freesat tuner and twin DVB tuner and all those other input modes would be pretty much complete
Peter Ford
The correct answer is 'Yes', but... → #
Posted Friday 26th June 2009 15:43 GMT
In DARPA: Can we have a one-cabinet petaflop supercomputer?

you need a roomful of computers to do the AI bit.
Might be cheaper and easier just to tack a on cubicle with a geek in it.
Hook it up with a coffee and pizza feed, then just ask the geek to sort your code out...
Peter Ford
Suck on that, Tesla → #
Posted Friday 26th June 2009 15:41 GMT
In Electric plane takes to the skies

How come the Tesla sports car costs $80000 when the chinese can make a plane for $89,000?
This plane is very comparable to the Tesla roadster (as long as you have a runway nearby, I suppose) yet looks like it's only $10000 more expensive. That sounds like a bargain!
Peter Ford
Re: can i ask... → #
Posted Friday 19th June 2009 15:06 GMT
In iPod saves lightning-strike teen
You should crouch down in the middle of the field - make your self smaller than the trees...
Peter Ford
It's not the stealing that's the crime... → #
Posted Thursday 18th June 2009 13:14 GMT
In Royal Navy sailors hurl Ronald McDonald into Chilean harbour
... after all such things are designed to be stolen by [students|squaddies|matelots|scouts|etc.].
No, it's the subsequent throwing it in the harbour - that's despoiling the environment - a much more serious crime!
An aside - as a group of students we once liberated the "Italia" sign from a remote French-Italian border crossing using Swiss Army knives. A big 2 metre square sort of thing, blue, yellow stars, all that stuff. Brought it back to blighty on the roof of the minibus. Typically, as we walked it from the vehicle to its temporary storage location (prior to the planned display in a bar or something) at around 5am, a police patrol car passed us and slowed down. Luckily the quick-thinking rozzers just shook their heads and carried on their way...
Peter Ford
How does that works, then? → #
Posted Thursday 18th June 2009 10:46 GMT
In New green and quiet jet-engine test results announced
Running the fans slower is likely to make less noise (unless the you get a gear-whine...), but how does it give you a greater by-pass ratio? Surely a slower fan pushes less air through the engine, so makes less thrust for the same turbine speed.
I suppose slower fans could run at a steeper blade pitch, but wouldn't that just increase the noise level again?
Peter Ford
No script... → #
Posted Tuesday 16th June 2009 09:40 GMT
In Mobile internet? It ain't just for the iPhone
You numpties! (except Lloyd - I think you got it)
Oli 1 meant you can't run "No Script" on a phone...
Peter Ford
So he's been given... → #
Posted Friday 5th June 2009 13:02 GMT
In Brown to Sugar: 'You're hired'

... the Tsarship "Enterprise" ?
Beam me up, Scotty Brown...
Mines the one with the Tricorder in the pocket.
Peter Ford
Competition → #
Posted Friday 22nd May 2009 09:08 GMT
In Hulu's web TV coming to the UK
Surely this is exactly what Project Kangaroo needed - some competition!
How can the watchdogs complain if there's an alternative.
C4 and ITV should sign up to both, and see which one brings in the revenue.
Peter Ford
Fuel cells could be compatible too → #
Posted Thursday 14th May 2009 20:03 GMT
In E-car supplier demos battery swap-shop
With a bit of careful design, there's no reason why a fuel cell could not be plugged in to the same space as a battery: after all a fuel cell is just a different form of rechargeable power store.
So I don't see there being a conflict with fuel cells and batteries - the stations can start offering a fuel cell refilling option alongside the battery swap during the transition period.
It might even be safer to pop the fuel cell unit out to refill it in a safe area (esp. if hydrogen is the fuel) and then pop it back in using the same robots...
I suspect it might be better to have the access to the battery in the sides or ends of the vehicle - maybe the driver opens a hatch and the robot can get in that way - it could solve a lot of the cleanliness/water seal problems.
Peter Ford
Doesn't work for me → #
Posted Wednesday 13th May 2009 09:25 GMT
In 'Della': Dell's very special site for women
When I type www.della.com into my browser, I end up at www.weddingchannel.com.
Either that or Dell are really branching out into new lady-friendly territory...
Peter Ford
Should be MUDWAY... → #
Posted Friday 8th May 2009 09:32 GMT
In Kent council plans giant 'Hollywood' erection
... as those of us who live on the more picture-skew parts of the river further up call that grotty tidal bit below Maidstone.
The "Medway Towns" drag down the reputation of the whole river (although Maidstone's a bit grim too...)
Peter Ford
No lasting harm → #
Posted Tuesday 28th April 2009 11:55 GMT
In Pig plague 2.0: Can't spell 'pandemic' without 'panic'

I got Pig Flu - didn't do much harm to me, just made my tail go curly...
Paris, 'cos she's a simple remedy...
Peter Ford
There's a big drop in value when it comes to executives → #
Posted Thursday 23rd April 2009 09:23 GMT
In Lost laptops cost companies $50k apiece

I think we all knew that...
Peter Ford
Standards across the Atlantic → #
Posted Wednesday 22nd April 2009 14:12 GMT
In It's US vs Europe as world e-car plug standard race nears end
It would be perfectly normal for our American friends to adopt their own standards. Just try sailing across the Atlantic: do I go to port or starboard of that red mark? Depends if you're in American waters or the rest of the world...
Peter Ford
Time for a coup... → #
Posted Friday 17th April 2009 12:38 GMT
In Police, Cameras, Inaction!
UK police are overreaching their powers so much, we need the government to crack down on them.
But the UK government comprises of corrupt, money-grabbing liars, so we need the police to sort them out...
Time for the military to take over, me thinks. I hope there are enough left!
Peter Ford
To quote the squirrel hugger... → #
Posted Thursday 16th April 2009 14:38 GMT
In US parkies in 'burrow-buster' marmot detonation campaign
"That borders on cruelty,"
But only *borders* on cruelty, so perfectly OK then!
Would sending terriers into the burrows to get the wee beasties be just over the border?
How about laying itching powder down around the burrow entrances?
Peter Ford
@Walter Brown → #
Posted Thursday 2nd April 2009 10:58 GMT
In Conficker botnet remains dormant - for now

Much as I admire your theory, surely the correct response to a virus that only infects older versions of Windows is to move to Linux...
I think Microsoft would have thought of that.
Peter Ford
It works for me → #
Posted Wednesday 1st April 2009 10:59 GMT
In Which desktop Linux distribution?

I use Ubuntu 8.10 and 8.04 at home, and OpenSuSE 10.3 and 11.1 at work.
As far as I can tell, there's not much to choose between the leading distros once you have your apps in place, at least on the desktop. OpenSuSE don't give you video codecs and some proprietary things without a fight, but for a work desktop that's usually fine.
Most of the servers at work are running OpenSuSE 10.3 too, although there is a Gentoo, a couple of old Redhats, a Slackware and something else I experimented with (but I can't recall what) lurking in the racks too.
An awful lot of modern hardware works perfectly out of the box at least with Ubuntu and OpenSuSE, and the more enlightened printer etc. makers produce Linux drivers where necessary.
The only software I've paid for in the last twelve months is World of Goo (on Linux), and the only downtime on any of the linux machines has been due to hard-disk failures.
Peter Ford
Not quite what I need, but close... → #
Posted Monday 30th March 2009 09:25 GMT
In Tesla unwraps Model S
When they make an estate/tourer/station-wagon version, with nice rails on the roof for my kayaks, then I'll be interested. Surf-boards and mountain bikes are one thing, but can't get a 20-foot racing K2 inside anything you would honestly call a car...
'course, that roof-rack might just shorten the range a little: it certainly does with a petrol engine :(
But the extra boot in the front sounds perfect for the wet kit after the race.
On the styling - it's not an Aston, Maserati, Jaguar, Audi, Renault look-alike: it's a Mazda RX8 with proper rear doors.
Peter Ford
Re: Antivirus!!....Whats the point? → #
Posted Wednesday 25th March 2009 14:20 GMT
In Newfangled rootkits survive hard disk wiping

So, why do you pay for Antivirus?
I don't:
1. Install Linux
2. Install clamav (www.clamav.org)
If you don't want to (or can't) do step 1, at least try ClamWin (www.clamwin.org)
Peter Ford
It's very hard to understand you ... → #
Posted Wednesday 18th March 2009 10:27 GMT
In ISS space bio-experiment freezer to return on Discovery
... when talk with your tongue in your cheek like that :)
Of course, if any of the major newspapers wrote such an article, that would be scaremongering, wouldn't it?
"NASA Space Station Creates Mutant ... er ... blood and stuff" - Daily Mail
Peter Ford
re: Nano-prefix overload → #
Posted Friday 27th February 2009 15:15 GMT
In DARPA orders 'Katana' monoblade nano-copter

Agreed. Given that (for example) a Merlin (EH101) - a fair-sized helicopter - has a main rotor 18.6m in diameter, and (for eample) a UK 5p - a small coin - is 18mm in diameter, then "milli" seems like the appropriate prefix. This baby is about 1000th the size of a helicopter.
Of course, if you then scale all three dimensions by 1/1000 you get a billionth of the *volume* (in the same way that a millilitre is 1000th of a litre, but a cube occupying a millilitre is 10mm on a side, while a cube of 1litre is 100mm on each side), so perhaps "nano" is remarkably accurate...
Helicopter icon, because that's about actual size for the Katana
Peter Ford
re: Don't exaggerate → #
Posted Thursday 26th February 2009 13:01 GMT
In Hertfordshire drivers endure 200-year roadworks
apparently they started eight years ago, although that is a estimate - maybe the don't know when the work started for sure, again sounds about right for a water company :)
Peter Ford
Battery life ... → #
Posted Friday 30th January 2009 13:41 GMT
In Asus N50 15in laptop

... would probably be better if it wasn't ionising the air around it.
Peter Ford
Sex on a stick → #
Posted Monday 12th January 2009 11:10 GMT
In Asus' angular laptop-of-the-future designs spied

That looks cool - I love the ring-binder effect when it's closed.
Can I have one in titanium grey instead: it reminds me of the Lamborghini Reventón (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamborghini_Revent%C3%B3n)
Peter Ford
Laying off staff whose... → #
Posted Wednesday 7th January 2009 11:16 GMT
In Barclays cuts more IT jobs

... 'roles and responsibilities are unclear'
Can someone persuade the British government (and, especially, the UK Civil Service) to try this?
I suspect there might be some significant long-term savings for UK taxpayers...
Peter Ford
most gadgets... → #
Posted Wednesday 17th December 2008 12:31 GMT
In Designer pitches solar-powered AA battery

...now run on batteries of all shapes and sizes?
You clearly don't have children - a huge number of electronic toys (especially pre-school and early-years stuff) use AA batteries - we go through hundreds in a year.
This is a cool idea for that sort of thing...
In any case, why would it not be possible to make a different form factor (like, say, a Nokia BLB-2-compatible) that folds up - might even be easier than a roll-up.
The sooner mfrs standardise on a sensible Li-ion cell size, the better - we managed nicely with AA and AAA (and C and D, and PP3) for decades.
At the moment I have a pile of USBCells for the kids toys, and a pile of always-on servers charging them at work :-)
Peter Ford
Enough with the nannies already → #
Posted Wednesday 17th December 2008 10:28 GMT
In Toaster used to recharge gadgets

To all those whingeing about this idea encouraging people to put batteries in real toasters...
Please go back to reading the Daily Mail - nothing to see here.
"But think about the children!" - if you are thinking about the children then you should have your toaster (and your battery charger) out of easy reach until they're old/smart enough to look after themselves without burning the house down.
If someone is fooled into starting a lawsuit by an evil liar^h^h^h^h lawyer, let the courts sort it out. I don't think for one minute a reasonable judge would honestly rule in favour of such a suit.
Anyway, that's what the Darwin Awards are all about.
Peter Ford
Just use another font → #
Posted Friday 12th December 2008 20:10 GMT
In Man trademarks ;-) emoticon
As far as I know (IANAL) you trademark the typeface and so-on as well - the whole logo.
So we just need to know which font he used in his trademark application (comic sans MS, probably), and pick another one...