* Posts by Andrew A

11 publicly visible posts • joined 14 Sep 2007

Swiftkey: We just want to be free - Apple didn't bump us

Andrew A

"hundreds of thousands" of paying customers have already flocked on to the Swiftkey store

Yes, we have, but only because Swiftkey told us that as paying customers, we could have some themes for free. Not the same thing as SELLING a bunch of themes though is it?

Netflix dares UK freetards: Watch new Breaking Bad NOW or torrent it?

Andrew A

I already pay my tv license and a monthly fee to Virgin Media for my telly. Now I have to pay NetFlix to watch Breaking Bad, Sky to watch F1 races live and, next year, BT to watch MotoGP. They can all get lost! I watched Breaking Bad at lunchtime after downloading it when I got up, it was awesome.

Randy dwarf galaxies are making billions of baby stars

Andrew A
Headmaster

Rather than "prolific" in the sub-headline, "fecund" would have been the perfect word to use!

Also, the light from distant galaxies has taken quite some time to get here, so we're seeing what happened over there x million years ago. Makes sense to me that galaxies used to create stars more quickly than they do nowadays.

Dual File Manager XT

Andrew A

Ah yes, but...

... If you are short on screen space, does the UI menu let you adjust several key settings including the height of the panel tabs at the top of the screen? This question hasn't been answered enough times in this article!

IRISnotes Executive 1.0 digital pen

Andrew A
Headmaster

I have no interest in this product whatsoever...

...but the product name is eyecatching when scanning the headlines on the front page. However, this is only because my brain keeps catching the word Snot in IRISnotes!

Virgin Media downed by thick Leeds 'copper' crooks

Andrew A

Only twice?

First it was off from 6am until 6pm on Friday 12/03/2010. Then, 8 days later, it was off ALL DAY on Saturday 20/03/2010. 6am this morning we found it was off again...

At least it's not Virgin just being rubbish, as I had suspected! Thanks for the info TheReg, Virgin have told us nothing!

Pirate Bay says tracker tech is so yesterday, man

Andrew A

Yes, that's definitely the real reason for shutting down the trackers

It's absolutely nothing to do with the fact that TPB were tracking so many torrents their trackers had become horrendously unresponsive, and users were having to rely on DHT anyway - or other trackers tracking the same torrent.

Tesla takes Top Gear test to task

Andrew A

Reason for failure?

So Tesla want to argue about the reasons that the car failed? OK, let them. From the point of view of someone who may be interested in buying one (not myself, obviously, but from the point of view of some rich foolish person), Top Gear observed two failures of this machine on the same day. Getting the car "back up and running immediately" is certainly due to a mechanic of some sort being on site. If I bought one of these would I get a mechanic with it, so if a fault occurred they could get it back up and running immediately? Actually, at that price, perhaps they SHOULD...

Data Protection the DVLA Way

Andrew A

Moorcroft debt recovery

I had Moorcroft debt recovery chase me for an unpaid electricity bill. I had moved house, and the letter reached me via Royal Mail's letter redirection scheme. It being a valid debt, I called them to pay up.

I informed them that I had moved house and that they didn't have my current address. When I was asked to give them my new address, I told the operative that I now lived at 123 Fake Street, postcode PI55 0FF. She challenged me on this, but I insisted that this was my new address. She refused to take payment, informing me that she was unable to do so unless I gave them my real address.

I told her that Woolies didn't need to know my address to take a payment on my debit card, so Moorcroft bloody well didn't either. A brief chat to her supervisor later they grudgingly took my payment.

Jimmy Wales resigns from Wikipedia

Andrew A

I was taken in...

until the third paragraph. Didn't bother reading the rest.

McLaren fined $100m for spying

Andrew A

The pinnacle of motorsport?

Not any more. With all the restrictions placed on F1, the top American racing series are now reaching higher top speeds than F1. Just compare lap times (that is, if the champ cars race on any of the F1 circuits these days).

The problem with the FIA lies right at the top, and its name is Max. Employ a businessman to run an association and you get decisions made on business principles. Surely we need an ex-driver in Max's post?

My advice to all who are disheartened by the politics in this year's F1 is: watch the bikes! Admittedly this year has not been the best for MotoGP due to changes in tyre rules, but if you want to see competitive racing without foolish restrictions and rules, and *overtaking on track* instead of in the pits, this is the way to go.

I feel compelled to watch the rest of the F1 season to see whether Hamilton can win, but my disgust at the FIA only increases. No more live races for me this year! I shall record them on my PVR so I can skip the adverts. Take that, advertisers on ITV!

Seriously though, McLaren will now have a hugely dented budget, which can only have a detrimental effect on their performance next year. If Ferrari resume their winning ways, or indeed if they continue to fight for constructor championships in court rooms instead of on track, certainly my interest in the "sport", and likely the interest of many other, will wane.