* Posts by James

143 publicly visible posts • joined 12 Dec 2007

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Vehicle spy-cam data to be held for five years

James
Boffin

@spam

The right side of that map you linked too...

Subliminal messaging?

UK launches major road signage review

James
Stop

Powers?

You need powers to do this??

"Consider new powers to reduce street clutter and ensure out-of-date signs are removed"

That's how the government think at the moment, create a new law! Yea! Woop! Give us power! Woop!

They don't need power. Just hint to someone on the sly and it will disappear overnight for free! As a souvenir (students) or scrap value. I mean people are already removing man hole covers for us!

Judge safeguards anonymous web commenters

James
Thumb Down

@Peyton

The law of unintended consequences...

Happens a lots these days.

eg. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article33928.ece

Not that I read the sun of course. I remembered the story from somewhere else and searched it.

OMFG, what have you done?

James
Thumb Down

Annoying Arrangement of a few words

The fact the Share this story is before the Comment link is annoying me.

Is this just a shameless stab at marketing?

Otherwise this is good!

James
Thumb Up

Good!

I wondered what had happened to the Reg at first, I thought it was a squatter!

But I like it!

And you said you were doing routine maintenance to the comments!...

Judge: Breath test firm must hand over source code

James

Intoxilyzer 8000?

^^ LOL.

With a name like that it's bound to be shite.

Reg readers rage at comment icon outrage

James
Pirate

Reg Easter egg?

I just tried to swap the usual icons for the reg editors icon and it said:

There are some problems with your comment:

* A title is required.

* This ain't flickr. <-- Apparently not!

I guess its so you cant hack it and put your own images in there of Paris' nip or such like.

'UK's Chernobyl' spam spreads Trojan

James

Seriously?

Why would anyone think that was normal/safe?

Since when did anyone begin emailing the news to random people, maybe it's me, do people really get their new by email from random addresses?

Literacy leads to happiness and luuurv

James

@ D@v3

"small shoe box will set you back upwards of £150k,"

At least there will be no stamp duty...

Is anyone really surprised at the findings?

The Hadron Collider: What's it all about, then?

James

Would It hurt...

If you stood in it? (Ignoring the fact that it is 1K above absolute zero and the vacuum...)

I'm pretty sure an aircraft carrier would hurt but maybe I'm mistaken.

China plans spacewalk by end of the month

James

@evilbobthebob

Exactly the journalists point I think...

DARPA develops zap-bomb electropulse countermeasures

James
Thumb Up

Good for...

Satellites etc. during Solar Flares?

Anonymous fights Scientology in schools

James
Jobs Halo

It takes one to be one

I would hazard a guess and say that people who get taken in by cults [especially these: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult_suicide] are people who are already slightly messed up in their various ways. They will be people who either need help or think they need help when someone steps into their life and says 'follow me and you will end your pain' or whatever...

I went to a cousins wedding once and two of the guests introduced themselves to my mother as her Parents, my mum was obviously a bit confused as they definitely weren't. It turned out they were here 'church parents'. She has since become a missionary in Siberia or something (why??) and we rarely hear from her except occasional letters to say she has found god... (She did have a hard life when a teen, suffering from severe anorexia and probably slight depression, this is when someone stepped in and helped her 'find god' and her new 'parents'.)

Secret of invisibility unravelled by US researchers

James
Boffin

Can Anyone say...

...IEPC's?

Improvised Explosive Paint Cans?

Site guesses your sex via age-old web flaw

James
Unhappy

How Dare it!!!

Likelihood of you being FEMALE is 55%

Likelihood of you being MALE is 45%

Government kids website pays £6 for every visitor

James
Go

You don't even have to answer the questions...

...to build your dream play area.

Keep clicking submit and you get more credits. A well built site...

BBC must reveal EastEnders costs

James
Happy

The BBC is a world leading service and should be cherished.

Yet more beeb bashing from Register readers. This is what happens when you spoil children, they are never happy. Travel a bit, go to Europe, America (especially), Australia, Asia, anywhere, and you will find watching the TV a lot worse than here. You will also find a large number of BBC programmes.

Take away the BBC and the other terrestrial TV stations would descend into what SKY and plenty of the other digital channels are. 5 minutes of programming spaced with 5 minutes of adverts, it is HIGHLY annoying. (Watch gladiators and see what I mean).

Soon people will be wishing they had the BBC back.

@Louis Cowan

Probably a negligible amount.

At least we don't have state owned TV. Like Iran et al.

Bon-viveur boffin: Biomimetic bird, bat & bug bots are b*llocks

James
Joke

@Captain DaFt

>I chose the penguin, it's rather inefficient at flight too.

No its not... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pG5dzybHgTo

The BBC said so...

Google penetrates fake sex world with Lively

James
Stop

@soaklord - RE: coloured balls

No its not, a racist person is

" a person with a prejudiced belief that one race is superior to others "

If indeed he was referring to a coloured/black/white mans balls (which is unlikely) its not racist to say so and nor should it be. Unless he says one race is better than the other.

I know your comment is a jest but it just annoys me when someone says that you are racist when you say someone/thing is black/coloured/white, even though you have not said anything about them(it) being better or worse because of its colour.

Black boards are supposed to be chalk boards, black Labradors are now ebony Labradors... WTF??? Is my old car no longer a white car? What about my current black car?

Trousers Brown: Blighty faces 'food security' threat

James
Stop

@Peter Dawe

Are you a Daily Mail reader?

Maybe not, just something about that post gave me an inkling...

Flirty texting could land Scots in jail for 10 years

James
Thumb Down

And yet...

Actually raping someone gets you eight years...

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2008/03/11/pole-gets-eight-year-jail-term-for-rape-86908-20347218/

Could pen-sized GPS jammers paralyse UK shipping?

James
Alert

Common sense Vs. Sat Nav

A jammer would be handy to place near the end of small country lanes that GPS devices like to lead people (or people like to be led by GPS), (on the same note don't follow a GPS on the shortest route to Alton Towers) causing problems both for residents and drivers:

http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/22/trucker-blindly-follows-gps-gets-wedged-in-farm-lane/

http://www.engadget.com/2006/10/10/motorist-has-faith-in-gps-drives-into-sandpile/

http://www.engadget.com/2007/03/27/faith-in-gps-sends-mercedes-downstream/

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/article707216.ece

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/north_yorkshire/4879026.stm

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1584594/Sat-nav-drivers-'damaging-ancient-buildings'.html

http://www.itnews.com.au/News/67782,satnav-turns-drivers-into-kid-killers.aspx

The list goes on. And all the occasions this happens and doesn't make the news.

James
Joke

Image of what Sat Nav users see

Sorry but I had to illustrate my interpretation of what sat nav users see when driving:

http://img211.imageshack.us/my.php?image=satnavir4.jpg

eBayer slaps $714 price tag on $630 in cash

James
Pirate

Ebay = CAPITAL crap or crap CAPITAL?

Sifting through results in ebay (esp. electronics) is like reading through your spam folder.

Granted there is a lot of good stuff on there but most of the listings are IN CAPS AND APPARENTLY ARE <><><><><-------THE BEST TH!NG YOU HAVE EVER SEEN EVER!!!! ------>>><><><>>><<<<<

Very annoying. They need some sort of quality control/retardedness filter. And looking at the feedback comments everyone is either: A++++++++++++++++A+A+++A++A++A++++ or SCAMMER ARRRRRGGGHHH STAY AWAY!!!!111!!!

Is this an example of Americanis(z)ation? Ebay could do with a bit of the old British Reserve. eg. "This seller/buyer was ok, they sent the goods post haste and gave feedback when asked."

Cell-based GPU zaps laptop batteries, admits Toshiba

James
Unhappy

Names in the UK (and the US I presume)

"The Japanese giant has rebranded SpursEngine for UK audiences. Due to be incorporated into two laptops later this year, the GPU will now be called the Quad Core HD processor."

Whyyyyyyyyy do we have to put up with names such as the 'duo quad plus power ultra HD 3X toothbrush' in this country? Do people actually fall for this? Shit... that toothbrush has duo quad plus power, I want that one!

(Its not actually a product, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it)

The SpursEngine is much better, sounds less tacky, and is easier to remember. Crazy fools.

The iPhone - yours for €1

James
Thumb Down

$199 - apparently this is not sufficient for a title

What happened to the iPhone will cost no more than $199 WHEREVER it is sold in the world?

Or is this bu$în€$$ speak for "it will be 'possible' to get an iPhone for $199 or less but you have to sign up for a massive tariff" which will end up costing you more in the long run.

Thats annoyed me, I was all up for buying one too, I know my parents were as well. Surely its in their interests to sell a cheaper phone to MANY more people than a rip-off to a few.

PayPal ambushes users with mystery Skype charges

James
Happy

My Paypal

My account has remained untouched for a year or more with £30 and there hasn't been any unauthorised activity. I do use Skype too.

Interesting find though...

Hummer glummer on high oil price bummer

James
Go

@John Freas

HA! hahahhahhaaaaaaaaa, Funniest comment in the thread.

Organised crime law crushes animal rights duo

James
Stop

@Neil Hoskins

The first comment said it all.

I know the guinea pig farm involved in the controversy and I also know the church where the inexcusable crime of digging up a deceased relative took place. What on earth were they thinking?? I am personally an atheist but what the fuck? Could they seriously not realise that doing this would majorley hurt their cause?

Once I heard on the radio an activist saying that if they were trapped in a burning building and were only able to save one thing (out of a dog or a human) they would choose the dog... pretty much sums a lot of these people up.

You can be damned sure that if it was the dog in the activists place, it would save neither.

UK Carriers safe: Other war-tech ripe for the chopper

James
Dead Vulture

Expense and Expertise

I can't help but think that the Reg. (or Lewis Page) doesn't know what they want from our MoD...

>So what will we taxpayers get for our £2bn per ship? Americans spending that

>much money get a Nimitz-class nuclear powered supercarrier, a ship which on

>its own can defeat most national air forces.

>Funnily enough, we Brits won't get anything like that. The new UK carriers, for a

>start, will not be nuclear-propelled.

And yet...

>[British] products always require foreign tech support, their vaunted technical >innovations (in recent times, anyway) often appear to draw heavily on other >countries' work, and their claims to be the bedrock of the UK tech base seem >rather flimsy.

So what would the MoD bashing Reg. like to happen?? A purely UK built supercarrier for half the price? Its not going to happen. If the our kit was 100% British then the price would soar for decades, until we can wrangle the price down because the expertise is easier to get hold of in this country.

If the MoD turned around tomorrow and announced that it was going to build a totally British terrorist-defeating-super-laser-cannon (or just supercarrier) for £3bn, |'m sure that Lewis Page or whoever at el Reg. will, within the bat of an eye-lid start ranting that it is a waste of money why didn't Mr Big at the MoD buy ready made kit from our friends in the USA or France or Israel?

This is Tabloid reporting from el reg. Normally I enjoy reading articles on The Register, but not the large majority of defence articles. Lewis... Get some legs to stand on...

UK.gov will force paedophiles to register email addresses

James
Stop

@ Sad sad sad by Huns and Hoses

Thats the problem, these days the government should be run by 10 year olds as they know more about computers than anyone else. The new generations have been brought up with/by new technology whereas people who work in or for the government are always a generation behind...

Apple 'most successful world brand'

James

@Rob

Haha, me too...

And I don't think I'm dyslexic

Apple sued over 'inflated' iMac claims

James
Dead Vulture

@Everyone reading the comments guide to composing comments on el reg.

It really does make interesting reading these days, the comments section of the register. I think their should be a guide for those people unsure how to wade into an el reg comments OS/hardware war:

When writing inflammatory comments about "the enemy" do not forget to use linux as an argument for your own side. For example:

"windows is shit, get a mac and if you don't like the OS just put linux on it, simple" or

"macs are shit, get a cheap box with windows and if you don't like the OS just put linux on it, simple"

Also remember that by appending "..., simple" to the end of a remark you are demoralising "the enemy" by making them feel as though they are thick and/or as though you are more wise thus giving your argument more weight.

Spelling is also important, take the following sentence by Mectron

"The thrue comes out of the bag... Mindless Drone Mac users finally confronted with reality: Mac is pure crap,"

By spelling badly you give "the enemy" a false ammunition, so when they inevitably counter with "...and lern to spel you 12 year old thick sh*t..."

even though their age guess is likely to be right they do not need to know that and you can counter their counter with "before you write a comment like that learn to spell yourself. Also is that all you can say to beat me 'learn to spell?"

Usually your initial witty inflammatory comments (and all proceeding witty counter attacks) should finish with a witty but badly spelt put down such as:

"Why Here? because she have the IQ of a typical Mac user." - also by Mectron

making good use of the new comment images. Or even a more heartfelt I-know-better-than-you line:

"The MAC is the future; without innovation as Mac has show they can do and do well we would still be driving a Model T car." - by someone above but I cant remember the name.

But also remember that as you start to grow older and wiser you need to take reality checks. Because people like Vernon Lloyd who say:

"Remember: 'A Computer is a tool for a purpose, whereas a fanboys purpose is to drool over the tool, is blinkered by the tool and cannot see the beauty of other tools'

They are all the same, some do some jobs better than the others. Simple and to the point."

Can't be right, they are admiting "the enemy" is OK, they must be ignored...

Disclaimer: All of the above post was submitted in jest, but any resemblance of examples to actual posts is purely... coincidental...

And my moral standings lie with Vernon Lloyd, NOONE GIVES A FUCK WHAT YOU THINK WE SHOULD USE. - note the capitals to make my opinion look louder, and the use of "noone gives a..." implying that there are lots of people who take my view and I must be right...

Teachers cower in face of cyberbullies

James
Stop

RE: some posts above this one somewhere

>> "There were two kinds of teachers when I was at school. Those you were scared of, and respected, and those you weren't scared of, and pissed about.

Unfortunately, thanks to the fluffy-bunny PC liberal brigade, the former are all but extinct in today's schools."

I agree with this partly, one of my favourite teachers (whom is one of the only ones I am in touch with today) kept a calm jokey atmosphere 95% of the time and always used to hit me on the arm if I was messing about or being stupid and tip all my stuff out of my pencil case on the desk/floor. It was all in jest and it kept me and the others quiet when need be, one of the skills a teacher needs to have is to be able to use the social dynamic of a class to calm them. Because I liked the teacher and was confident in myself it didn't affect me at all.

But then teachers needn't be physical either my other favourite teacher had complete control of every class he took, it was also a calm jokey atmosphere 95% of the time but when he wanted quiet he got it. It may seem harsh at first but a new teacher to a class needs to ask for quiet maybe twice or three times and then when they don't get it SNAP at whoever is the centre of the disturbances and hand out harsh punishment, a detention or whatever the school has available. After a few repeats of this the pupils get the message that there is no negotiation and what the teacher says goes. The pupils will hate the teacher for a few weeks but then are able to settle into the lessons and a light hearted atmosphere forms because the pupils know the boundaries and won't cross them, although sometimes a reminder is needed.

>> "And schools that are "inclusion" schools (who on earth thinks inclusion is always a good idea?) are worse, because there is a financial incentive on the school not to permanently exclude any pupils.

Although you have a point, when I moved from the state sector to the independent sector (at GCSE level) I found, much to my disappointment at the time, that it had a much better atmosphere and more effective punishments. This is probably down to smaller class sizes.

As for excluding pupils, the schools have a massive reputation to uphold and don't blink twice when contemplating suspensions and expulsions. Although when expelling someone the school usually sent a letter to the childs parents saying something like "we advise you to remove the child from our school before we do it for you and it goes on his record and we keep your money"

Has your shifty foreign neighbour got 16 mobes?

James
Flame

IF YOU SUSPECT IT REPORT IT

The other poster saying terrorists use protective equipment (goggles, masks etc.) and terrorists use garages and sheds is insane.

I use protective equipment and have many masks and goggles and gloves etc. hanging up in our barn. We also have a barn its a step up from a shed therefore we must be TERRORISTS!!

F*ck it, we also have chemicals and barrels of diesel. And syringes, I'm sure we could terrorise with them...

I also have a debit card and a passport OH NOES!!!

Here are the respective ads: http://www.surrey.police.uk/npage.asp?artid=4599

Court lifts lid on Saudi terror threat claim

James

eh?

I don't understand all this. So BAE supposedly payed Prince Bandar more then £1bn(fuck thats a lot) so that he in turn could pay them £4.4bn for the deal????

So BAE are effectively selling the Eurofighters and support etc. for £3bn? Why not sell it for £3bn then and not swap cash under the table?

Someone clear this up for me?

Rocket train smashes world land-speed record

James
Boffin

I remember

IIRC a TV program on this was aired here in the UK and it showed the sled accelerating along the track and the polytunnel kind of shattering/annihilating or something as it sped past.

At the end of the rail the tunnel opened to the air briefly and the payload went flying into a long & thick concrete block, the actual moment of impact was classified and thus the end of the video wasn't shown but presumably the test was for bunker busting warheads.

Top secret UK data network goes live two years late

James
Unhappy

"counter-terrorism priorities"

"This has led to a focus on counter-terrorism priorities to the possible detriment of other work."

Surely priorities should be focused on real threats such as China/Russia/NKorea/Iran/especially the USA. and counter-espionage against these countries. I'm not saying that a bomber setting off a bomb and killing people isn't bad but I would say its not the biggest problem is it?

Its not a regular occurrence or as bigger threat as the gov./media would like us to believe.

Also ROFLCOPTERS at the guy above who said just use TOR: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/09/10/misuse_of_tor_led_to_embassy_password_breach/

Hull disappears off t'internet

James
Boffin

@Tanuki

"Hull drops of Internet: nobody notices. Film at 11."

HAhahahahahahahahaHA, that made me laugh. I think thats how most people think of Hull.

As a student here I can happily say that the uni network is just fine :D. Doing 1.1MB/s constantly day/night.

UK gov sets rules for hacker tool ban

James
Flame

Prosecuting the innocent

This, like many laws will only end up making it difficult for legitimate users. These users will find it difficult to use/create/distribute these programs without being on the wrong side of the law. The actual criminals will continue doing what they do now with little or no extra hassle.

Heavily armed cops raid IM chat

James
Coat

"surrounded by more than a dozen...

...heavily SWAT armed officers"

Surely thats not as dangerous as people are making it out to be? They could be really big swats or, heaven forbid - a rolled up Daily Mail!

Flash-based iPlayer is go

James
Unhappy

Error messages

When playing videos The iplayer often shows me a message saying

"Some thing went wrong

There seems to be a problem playing this video - please try again"

Does anyone else get this?? I am using Mac OS X tiger. On my mates (XP and tried it on Vista) laptop(s) it says something like this video cannot be played here. Some Beta bugs??

BBC's iPlayer launches Christmas Day

James
Thumb Up

The iPlayer...

...will, if it works, be extremely good for me as a student living in halls.

There is hardly any point in all of my block mates buying a tv license at £135.50 as it is like buying a tv license for each room of your house which is just stupid.

As a result, we turn to the internet and all its infinite goods to watch our favourite shows as we could at home.

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