* Posts by Bill Cumming

209 publicly visible posts • joined 22 Jan 2008

Page:

Chip and PIN security busted

Bill Cumming
FAIL

I want one of those kits....

...the number of times i've forgotten which 4 digits go with which card is annoying... :)

Google (Voice) solves universal translation soonish

Bill Cumming
FAIL

Hope the translaton is better...

... than it's Goggle Voice mailbox translator

http://bit.ly/cWilmo

iPad runs Windows, Nokia runs OSX

Bill Cumming
Linux

I give it 3 days....

... After iPad is released for someone to install a slightly modified Ubuntu ARM edition on it...

Now if they could do *that* it would make me want to buy an apple iPad...

Windows 8 possible July 2011 release?

Bill Cumming

@Fraser

I'm not aware of any ARM based netbooks running a full blown "Windows OS" (Win mobile / WinCE are NOT full blown Windows OS IMO...)

Most Linux Flavours have an ARM based version so there's nothing stopping you....

Hackintosher goes titsup

Bill Cumming
FAIL

Psystar NOT gone; just been neutared...

...The reports of them shutting up shop have been exaggerated.

It looks like it will be Business as usual for them in the New Year. (well without the "selling OS X" bit that is.)

Reports going around is that they will be "redesigning the site" to remove all mentions of their OSx pre-installing services.

You'll still be able to buy "Hackintoshes" Desktops and Server, from them but without the Mac OS install option... you'll still get the "Rebel EFI" on every box though....

Hackers declare war on international forensics tool

Bill Cumming
Linux

So...

...what most of you's are suggesting is to use a linux ''LiveCD'' as your main OS?

Bill Cumming

In 3...2...1...

Microsoft logs 'decaf' as a virus in their anti-virus software, closely followed by other AV makers.

Hisense 1080p Media Player

Bill Cumming
Happy

sounds great bit of kit...

As for the no ''iPlayer'' problem I suggest you go linux and 'get_iPlayer' ;) problem solved.....

Wikileaks publishes BNP 'member list' (again)

Bill Cumming
WTF?

@ EX-IT

it's more like the bmp 'bumped up' the membership I.D. By 100,000 for new members to make it *look* like they are getting huge numbers of new members when in fact their numbers or paying members have not rised that dramatically...

Sky News goes free

Bill Cumming
FAIL

Thank the gods for Ubuntu..

... Thank the gods that Moonlight did a flit on my Ubuntu Laptop. ^_^

No "SkyNews" player... ^_^

Sky's "News" + Microsoft "Silverlight" + Novel's "Moonlite" = Total "Fail"....

Google strips Pirate Bay homepage from search results

Bill Cumming
FAIL

Looks like it's just a "Google Fail"

ThePitareBay.org is back on top of the searches.

Looks like the DCMA was against another party and TPB's domain name was in the request by mistake (or something like that) and some bright spark at google flagged PirateBay instead of the party listed in the DCMA request.

Nokia brandishes superfluous Booklet

Bill Cumming

@ Steve 70

Drat!!

I was hoping that they would use the better ARM cpu's instead of the power greedy Intel CPU's ^_~

I'd thought Nokia would be tripping over all those ARM CPU they use... lol!!

Bill Cumming
Linux

Looks like...

... This will be the first of those mythical 'ARM' based netbooks (or booklets as nokia calls them) that geeks and techies have been waiting for... ;):):)

Nokia 'actively looking' at own netbook

Bill Cumming
Linux

Moving off the S60 series..

Nokia have came out to say they are looking to move their newer mobiles away from symbian to the Gnu/Linux Debian based OS that is Maemo....

Can't wait to take a look at the N900 ^_^

Sony reveals slim PS3, drops price

Bill Cumming
FAIL

Also...

They are dropping the "install other OS" option. So no more Linux on the new slimline PS3

#fail

Telco offers 911 by txt

Bill Cumming
Black Helicopters

Most phones have GPS

Why don't mobiles have a "Emergancy" button or function that grabs the GPS co-ords and sticks it in a txt with the words "Need HELP!" and sends it to 112 or 911 or 999

The chopper 'cause it's black and perfect for those stealth "Rescue" missions...

Apollo 11 vets urge Mars mission

Bill Cumming
Alien

We should head for Mars...

..But the getting men back on the moon. would be a slow but good first step.. even to just set up an observatory on the dark side as well as a communication node for future missions past moon's orbit..

But it should be in anything *but* the Aries / Constellation system being developed. It's basically reinventing the wheel.

Buzz has been a proponent of the "Direct V3" system which is basically as close to an "Off-the-Shelf" build that NASA can do safely. Building Rockets using proven technologies from the shuttle program. (basically the booster rockets Fuel Tank and Engines from the shuttle) reconfigured into a "Rocket" configuration with minimal work and development.

http://www.directlauncher.com/

It can be built quicker and cheaper than the Constellation / Aries system.

Riot police raid birthday barbecue for 'all-night' Facebook tag

Bill Cumming
Megaphone

At my next rave....

I'll be playing "Free Form Jazz" with some beatnik poetry readings...

Amazon vanishes 1984 from citizen Kindles

Bill Cumming
FAIL

@ Alexander Hanff 1

According to the New York times 1984's US copyright expires in 2044!!!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/18/technology/companies/18amazon.html

Too thick to boil an egg? Buy 'em preboiled

Bill Cumming
Thumb Up

what's new...?

My local Supermarket has been selling a pack of 2 shelled boiled eggs for a few years now! Great for when you want to make up a quick salad when heading out for the day (the pre-made salad boxes never have enough eggs or cherry tomato in them for my liking... )

Buzz Aldrin weighs into NASA

Bill Cumming
Go

They Should go "DIRECT"

Why spend millions (or a few billions) reinventing the wheel for the Ares components.

The DIRECT plans use the main fuel tank from the Shuttle as the main propulsion body with the shuttles proven rocket engine modules attached to the bottom. It's basically as close to "Off-The-Shelf" building as NASA can do. (no extra R&D costs, just maintenance and improvements costs)

www.directlauncher.com

Costs work our cheaper than the Constellation program and get be up and running years quicker.

...

...

as for the GO sign.. simple "Go, NoGo for launch?"

Brit firm stops anti-tank warheads with cloth

Bill Cumming
Coat

@ The Indomitable Gall

But by the time the tellybannies (say Eh oh!) have fired enough rounds to make it useless the APC's will probably have enough time to use their Heavy Machine Gun on them... or called in an airstrike or make a cup of tea and then take them out with a few mortar rounds...

mines the one with the Kevlar inserts and the militarily colours....

Microsoft fans call for Opera boycott

Bill Cumming

@ LenH

Better car analogy is:

IE is the car radio, It might not pick up all the stations or play the sound correctly. But it's so tightly integrated to the car that if you remove or replace it, your brakes might fail, Windscreen wipers will not stop moving, your horn will go off every time you turn left and you're tires will wear out quicker......

Samsung shines a light on first solar cellphone

Bill Cumming
Thumb Up

Combine this with...

... Nokia's radio wave charging and you might have a mobile that you could keep on standby and keep the battery topped up!

I agree with dumping the Colour LCD screen and all the naff stuff like MP3/G playback.

Make sure it's a Quad band or better Mobile and you've a great little emergency mobile!

Have the radio waves trickle charge the battery 24/7 and the Solar panel takes over when there's enough light...

BOFH: Stick this

Bill Cumming
Happy

So you offer Carrots as a "Reward"!!...

Well i never....

With the Carrot and stick approach I used, If the stick failed I'd use the carrot and placed it sideways into the Users......Oh pub time......

See you lot on Monday.....

BNP pleads for cash after reported DDoS assault

Bill Cumming
Joke

It probably wasn't a ddos attack....

But their is probably a joke here about them refusing to call their ISP's Indian tech support...

Google suffers international outages, slowdowns

Bill Cumming
Alert

Wow....

... with all the outrage from twit(ers) online today I'd thought the whole world's economy has crashed because Gmail / Google / Google Calendar were down for a few hours.

Oddly enough I never even noticed Google or Gmail were down! (and I've been using it all day!!)

Debbie Gibson battles Mega Shark and Giant Octopus

Bill Cumming
Pirate

Where's it showing!!!...

I'll be there!!!

my 2 fave secret vices in one Movie....

1) Asylum films

2) Deborah (Debbie) Gibson!!

Shwing!!!

Major law firm drops filesharing threats

Bill Cumming
Pirate

Never said I was a Lawyer

@ Anonymous Coward Posted Tuesday 12th May 2009 23:19 GMT

I've 3 Civil court appearances

All 3 were to do with reclaiming from Credit card agency's for the charging of "Overdraft fee's"

In ALL 3 occasions the Credit card company Failed to show up at court and judgment went in my favor I got my court fee's and the overdraft charges awarded to me.

Best 45 mins total in court i've ever had :D

Basic moral : If you ignore the threat THEY WIN!

Since you (AC) are a HUGE coward you'd probably have you're chequebook opened as soon as you read their letter....

Try posting with an ID then people might take you seriously.

Bill Cumming
Stop

Worst Advice EVER!!!

@ Anonymous Coward Posted Tuesday 12th May 2009 12:41 GMT

DO NOT DO what the AC suggested.

If you Ignore the letters the all ACS have to do is to get a trial date. They turn up, you don't, they win by default and no not have to give any evidence! All you get is a huge bill backed up by the County courts.

best thing to do is:

When you get the first letter, reply with a letter stating that the allegations are false, that you have NEVER downloaded or even heard of the title in question and you are willing to go to court to defend yourself.

You will receive a second more strongly worded letter.

Reply like the first letter.

NEVER ADMIT to anything! DENY everything. it's up to them to prove on the balance of evidence that you broke the law since this is a Civil case.

After 2 or 3 letters they will give up. They do not want it to go to court if the other party is willing to fight!

Playboy to take on World of Warcraft with Bunny-themed MMORG

Bill Cumming
Coat

Come on El Reg....

You never told the BEST bit....

If you sign up now you can enter a draw for a lifetimes subscription to the Aforementioned Magazine. :D

And NO i'm not posting the link... 'cause i want to win it.... :P

mine is the grubby MacIntosh with some "reading material" in the pocket....

BOFH: Spontaneous Legal Combustion

Bill Cumming
Coat

all this needs....

... Is a gravely voice over....

"In the world if I.T. their are 2 different and separate organizations.

The I.T. Department who investigate and solve serious Network issues.

And the managers who appose them...

...

...

These are their stories....."

<Clunk-Clunk>

Mine is the judges robe with the black hankie in the pocket....

Pirate Bay loses trial: defendants face prison time, hefty fines

Bill Cumming
Pirate

Why they won't go after Google...

....Gmail... That's why!

--Hands up who's got a Gmail account?

--Keep them up if you pick up your ISP's mail via Gmail

--Keep your hands up if you have searched for a torrent using Google

--Keep them up if you believe Google has NOT linked the search you your Gmail account...

that many hands still up... tut! tut!

So now they have your gmail account and ISP name and User login name add to that they have your searches for torrents. I'd not be surprised if they then sell or give the data to the MPAA et all.

Google = the MPAA/RIAA's search engine....

US parkies in 'burrow-buster' marmot detonation campaign

Bill Cumming
Flame

That reminds me...

I've bought Caddyshack on DVD a while ago. Think I'll watch it tonight...

Ad watchdog gives thumbs up for female TV orgasms

Bill Cumming
Joke

I got my GF some of that "play O"

Now all she does is moan at me all the time!!

Microsoft cries netbook victory against Linux

Bill Cumming
Gates Horns

I Agree with Charles Manning

Once the ARM based notebooks start to go on sale (hopefully by the end of the year!) You'll see Microsoft scrambling to either release a trimmed down XP (or Win 7) to try and compete, (Hope they don't port Windows Mobile up to ARM Netbook!).....

3 and T-Mobile announce site provider

Bill Cumming
Thumb Down

So what will happen?

In my area I get Perfect 3.5G signal with "3". But with "T-Mobile" i'm in a signal dead zone, literally!! My house is in the center of a 30m "T-Mobile" Black spot where i get Zero signal! (My area does not even get full 2G coverage from "T-Mobile"!!

So when they combine networks will i loose "3" or gain "T-Mobile"??

Sex offender email monitoring plan mothballed

Bill Cumming
Alert

How about...

... Having the same type of 'megan's law' for druggies and house breakers? They pose more danger to the general public in my view. I'd rather know where they all live so i can keep family safe from drugged out hoodies breaking in to steal my comp to sell do a quick fix...!!

BOFH: Cable entanglements

Bill Cumming
Dead Vulture

Think it's....

...part of the BofH's master plan...

He's actually been writing one a week as usual but...

Get us all worked up about Monthly Episodes then he'll take our wallet (For safe keeping security reasons you understand.)then invite us in to the Tape Safe to see all the hidden stored Episodes....

*<Clunk>*

*<Evil Chuckle>*

"Ok" the PFY say's grabbing his coat "His round then?"

"And the next 5 or 6" BOFH say's pulling out the Credit card and a wad of cash...

"Think we'll need to get a bigger safe..?" The PFY muses...

"Well seeing these demographics..." the BofH mutters looking at El Reg's Phorm log files....

"We just might..."

BBC botnet investigation turns hacks into hackers

Bill Cumming
Linux

@ Paul

Well there were probably more infected MAC's than GNU/Linux machines in that test...:P

Conspiracy theories fly around Norton forum 'Pifts' purge

Bill Cumming
Alert

strange file...

Think the file has been altered or was not intended for commercial release. The file has been "padded" out to size (the last few Bytes of the file is filled with the word "PACKINGPACKINGPACKING" etc... etc... this is usually found in tampered or virus like files...

Did TomTom test Microsoft's Linux patent lock-down?

Bill Cumming
Gates Horns

two things i can see...

To start... IANAL

Now to continue:

First:

People saying that GPL Section 7 is at fault. Was the intent of that section to stop law this type of law suit by saying If you use patented software you can't legally release all the code as per GPLv2 rules? or am i missing something?

Second:

Would it be much of a hassle to set up a firmware upgrade to set the device to use EXT2 file system instead of FAT? That way they could have the "Closed Sourced" current FAT based system or a "clean source" version using GPLv2 compliant code and EXT2 filesystem.... and let the Users decide which they use...

Diebold e-voting software includes delete audit logs button

Bill Cumming

@ Steve

The Designers were thinking ahead....

About who would give them the biggest cheque to win an election...

Google's email service goes down

Bill Cumming
Paris Hilton

Web down Imap up??

Some people have been getting intermittent service via Imap (like me!) and it's fine for others.

Some have been getting the basic HTML site to work (i've not got ot to work!)

Pain in the neck! was gonna clear out 3k worth of junk emails today!

paris... 'cause when she goes down it's fun!

iPhone app simulates political corruption

Bill Cumming
Dead Vulture

So basically....

...It's a mod of the old "Drug Wars" game then..?

...Headstone because the game is older then most el-Reg readers.... :D

BOFH: Aspie no questions

Bill Cumming
IT Angle

Classic Great!!

"And reading between the lines you're suggesting that working in IT makes you a spiteful vindictive bastard with borderline Aspergers?"

love that bit! it's so true.. :D

Brits 'a bunch of yellow bastards', says irate Yank

Bill Cumming
Coat

How to annoy gun toting Americans....

in 2 easy steps...

1) Print the image of the "Stars and Stripes" flag on a tea-towel

2) Use said tea-towel to dry the dishes

3) Watch as the rest of his neak and head turns red..... :D:D

Mine is the one with the kevelar vest inserts...

Wrong kind of winter brings England to a halt

Bill Cumming
Alert

Just seen some 4x4s...

3 of them stuck at the bottom of a hill waiting for tow-trucks :) lol!! Seen a couple of mini's flying round the streets (due to lack of grip and lack of driver brains!!) A+E will be busy today!!

Windows 7 UAC shutoff 'bug' leaves Microsoft unmoved

Bill Cumming
Alert

This might sound stupid but...

Should the UAC not pop up asking if you want to shut off or silence the UAC? Another footbullet for microsoft? Or a win for linux?

Microsoft Songsmith ad trumps Seinfeld shocker

Bill Cumming
Alert

Coming to a Music chart near you....

....I'll give it 2 weeks before a song made by this is in the UK or US Top 10!!!

Page: