* Posts by Dick Emery

841 publicly visible posts • joined 19 Feb 2008

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Wikileaks tells Aus censorship minister to rack off

Dick Emery

It's down

Wikileaks is down right now. Google search shows something about it being overloaded.

Apple preps netbook 10-inch touch screen thingy

Dick Emery

iBonk

Touchy feely 10" OLED screen would be nice.

Intel dubs 2009 'The Year of 10Gb Ethernet'

Dick Emery

Routers

I would like to see most routers supporting 1gibit. It seems that unless you know what you are doing you are likely to end up buying a router with only 100mbit ports. They should have stopped selling a couple of years ago.

Ten of the Best... laptop stands

Dick Emery
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Bah!

If you are using it on your lap and not a table just get an Ikea rest. One of those beanbag types with the plastic top. I don't need no extra cooling as the clearance between the feet of the laptop and what it rests on is enough and I am not trying to cool my crotch!

Windows 7 to take Surface mainstream?

Dick Emery
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For Surface tow work

Ideally you would need an angled table that is at a comfortable level and you are able to get you legs under properly. The screen needs to be at an eye level that does not cause you to crink your neck.

The other problem is when typing characters there is no tactile feedback. This could actually increase RSI. And of course the issue of smudges on the screen.

The current input method is actually pretty good in comparison.

MS warns testers to activate Windows 7 beta

Dick Emery
Pirate

No worries

TPB to the rescue! Well that's if they don't get taken down by the IFPI first.

UK censors revolt against 'pornalone' ordeal

Dick Emery
Paris Hilton

Wanted

People who are too old/infirm/castrated etc to be sexually aroused to watch porn all day and tick boxes saying 'sick', 'depraved' 'not fit for human consumption'.

Generous bonuses for extra censoring of anything that 'might' cause an erection or harm a poor wickle childs wickle mind.

Job for life (Or until braindead).

Paris. Because...

NASA CO2 scan satellite launch fails

Dick Emery
Flame

Damn!

And I was so looking forward to nerr nerring those global warming doom and gloom mongers!

They should have gone with the French space agency. They know how to launch rockets.

NASA = Not Another Shuttle Accident

Boffins to unveil gesture-controlled 3D TV

Dick Emery

3D or not 3D

I really want to see the latest incarnation of 3D TV's that do not require you to wear glasses. The last one I saw was several years ago and used a system similar to those old 3D photos where you turned it in one direction and it produced a 3D effect. Lenticular that was it.

It did not look too great back then. I wonder how the technologies have developed.

Ten of the best... noise-isolating earphones

Dick Emery
Stop

Warning!

If you use open backed headphones outside in noisy places you inevitably crank up the volume to compensate. You could be damaging your hearing and not realise it. I now have permanent chronic LOUD tinnitus because of this.

Get some good in ear or closed back noise cancelling headphones so you don't have to crank up the volume to overcome external noise. Protect your hearing folks!

Microsoft asks laid-off staff to refund overpaid redundo cash

Dick Emery
Jobs Horns

NO WAY SUCKA!

I wonder if the ex-employees have any legal right to refuse handing it back. Probably not. But I am curious.

The lord Balmer giveth with one hand and taketh away with another.

UK 'bad' pics ban to stretch?

Dick Emery
Unhappy

Time

For that encrypted VPN tunel. But I bet soon that will be made illegal and blocked in some way at the ISP (Read: Government endorsed filter).

Mobes will save the world - just give us some spectrum!

Dick Emery
Coat

10% of a fixed line?

SO WHY ARE MOBILE DATA CHARGES SO FUCKING EXPENSIVE!!!???

Mobile operators are 'doing OK' because they are scum sucking ripOff merchants overcharging for thin air!

Landmark copyright trial against Pirate Bay gets underway

Dick Emery
IT Angle

Searching for torents on Google

Onlt appears to search websites with links to torrents on them. AFAIK Google does not link to the torrent files themselves. The websites however do.

This is the difference I see between TPB and Google. PB links to the actual torrent files whlst Google just links to websites that list links to torrent files.

Spotify: We kick the tyres

Dick Emery
Stop

Not multi-soundcard aware

I have two soundcards. I use the one on the motherboard for Lo-Fi PC speaker playback of Youtube type crud and a high quality one with SPDIF output to a decent amp.

I want the music to go to the amp but it has no option to set the output device. It uses whatever the default audio device is. So in order to get it to output to the preferred soundcard I would have to change the default Windows device everytime.

I have sent a request for this feature but seriously this kind of thing should be included by default. Most media players give some option to choose your output device these days.

The complete lack of any overseas catalogue and indies also makes this a pile of crap. Could not find UK dance musos Hybrid on there. Nor any Jpop idols.

It does feel responsive though and the quality seemd good. Better than iTunes by far. I just hope they can do better.

Jacqui Smith ecstatically ignores more scientific advice

Dick Emery
Stop

Does not matter

They could give taking illegal drug users the death sentence. It would not stop people taking drugs.

The laws are as dumb as those that abuse drugs.

Red Dwarf touches down in Coronation Street

Dick Emery
Thumb Up

Age for RD

Or rather they're looking somewhat older. But they could be decrepit and we'd still enjoy it.

Beeb borrows copyrighted Flickr image

Dick Emery
Coat

Wish it was my photo

I'd be chuffed to bits if a photo of mine was used by a big broadcaster like the BBC. I would send them a thank you letter but ask that they in future request permission to use it out of courtesy. I would probably still have got a cheque too. No need to go overboard on this kind of issue.

The BBC tax on the other hand...

Virgin Media trials longer bandwidth throttling

Dick Emery
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50mbit

But you can't use it.

Microsoft SKUs Windows 7 clarity

Dick Emery
Joke

Mines the version...

...with The Pirate Bay crack.

Sky hints at 3D TV launch

Dick Emery
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lolwut?

Red and Green specs? That may have been the big thing back in the 50's but this is 2009 people!

Western Digital Caviar Green 2TB hard drive

Dick Emery
Coat

Too expensive?

If you hunt around you can get 2 x 1TB drives cheaper. I understand the law of 'new' products and supply and demand etc. But surely it costs them less to manufacture one drive than two despite the higher capacity platters?

Hands on with Sony's Vaio P netbook

Dick Emery
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Overpriced

Sexy looking at over £800? As bad as Mac idiots if you buy one.

Supremes defend American net smut (yet again)

Dick Emery
Happy

Great!

I can now freely download Simpsons pr0nz!

Seagate isolates 'potential' Barracuda flaw

Dick Emery
Thumb Up

And so they should!

Looks like Seagate are trying to cover their asses from a potential class action. The furor generated by this problem has got them running for cover. Still at least they are offering to recover data for free if you are affected.

I guess it takes time and pressure from external sources to get them to admit there is a problem. Really though they should have been on this right from the get go. Way to dent peoples confidence Seagate/Maxtor.

Cowon iAudio S9 PMP

Dick Emery
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No gapless = insta-fail

The lack of gapless is a deal breaker for someone who listens to dj mix compilations a lot.

Also lack of Wi-Fi. If you are aiming at iPod's you need to aim a LOT higher.

Freesat signs up LG

Dick Emery
Stop

Channel 4 HD

When the hell are Channel 4 going to broadcast in HD on Freesat? They only broadcast HD material on SKy right now.

Spinning the war on the UK's sex trade

Dick Emery
Coat

It's all about money

These laws are put through because the government is just pissed that they cannot tax it. If they could tax drugs and prostitution you'd see a crackhouse and brothel on every street corner. But since the moral 'minority' have been shouting about how vile and disgusting it all is over so many years it's been drummed into the public psyche. The governments hands are tied in that they cannot be seen to be legitimizing something that every person who reads 'The Daily Bumwipe' thinks is a vile thing.

But they still want their pound of flesh and if they cannot get it then then will try to ban it.

If they could tax the air we breath without being thrown out of power they would tax that too.

I think the old addage needs changing. There are only 3 things certain in life. Death, Taxes and people who are too stupid to think for themselves.

MSI mobo ditches Bios for EFI

Dick Emery
Boffin

More fluff

But at least it's pretty fluff and may even be useful. BTW you are only truly hardcore if you have done a live BIOS swap and firmware flash :)

iPlayer chief pushes tiered charging for ISPs

Dick Emery
Stop

TV Licence not needed for TV

It's a little known fact that you do not have to pay for a TV licence if you do not RECIEVE LIVE TRANSMISSIONS AS THEY ARE BEING BROADCAST.

Link to official site that proves this.

http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/information/conditions.jsp

As long as your TV is not connected to an aerial, satellite dish and is detuned (Meaning NO channels must be being recieved no matter how badly). Then you do not require a TV licence to own a TV. You can even have an aerial on the roof, satelllite dish and satellite box etc as long as it is not being used to recieve programs as they are being broadcast.

Most of the general public does not know this. The BBC assume that EVERYONE watches TV and try to put the frighteners on you even if you own a TV and never watch a TV program.

You can playback prerecorded material (Even BBC TV programmes) as long as they are time shifted. You still do not require a TV licence.

The BBC hire a debt collection firm called CrAPITA who are just glorified bullies who harrass people all the time. Even if they have no TV (agaib because everyone has a TV right?).

I don't pay for this crap and never will. Know your rights. If they come visiting just do not answer the door or if you do close it on them. You do not have to talk to them or let them in unless they are accompanied by a police officer and have a warrant.

If you do wet your pants with fear. Buy a cheaper black and white TV licence instead (Although I bet they try to phase that out too).

Join the resistance!

http://www.tvlicenceresistance.info/

Photography: Yes, you have rights

Dick Emery
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And...

I was taking photos at an underpass last night (Sidcup bypass actually) just testing long exposures on my new camera. You guessed it. Van pulls up "What you doing?" What the fuck does it look like I am doing? Waiting on a bomb?

I did not say that of course. I stayed polite and gave my details for them to check then went on my way.

Broadcasters and ISPs cosy up for iPlayer on Freeview

Dick Emery
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I already have on demand

It's called Bittorrent ;)

IWF pulls Wikipedia from child porn blacklist

Dick Emery
Stop

Wow!

Did this ever come at the right time. Did anyone see Eastenders last night?

What we have here is a whole questioning of the legal system as to regards what constitutes 'child porn'. Clearly we are at odds with our own laws regarding the subject and the internet again challenges these assumptions of what is right or wrong.

As for the Eastenders coincidence, the other night the characters involved were in conflict as to what constituted an offence with regards to sex with a minor. I was glad to see they allowed both points of view to be heard and even though the character who had had sex with a minor was arrested under what is clearly the current laws of our land there was no attempt to batter the viewer over the head with 'it's wrong and it's illegal'. They merely presented the viewer with a set of questions. The character who had sex with the minor was allowed to present his case. The character who played the minor presented her case and the character who was unaware of the activity and found out about it presented hers (and called the police).

Now I have my own set of views on the subject. Clearly I feel the character who had sex with the minor character was in the wrong and the minor was also in the wrong thinking that it was 'OK' to have done so. But it gave the viewer a good grounding for thinking more about the age of consent and what constitutes abuse/rape.

Plus we also have the Shannon case being used as a football to 'have a go' at those on welfare. 'You must be a bad pedo because you are poor' etc. I bet the new welfare reform being proposed today has no opposition and it will be a 'screw the consequences to those who are wheelchair bound' type attitude.

But I digress.

Laws need to be set by moral majority and NOT by those few given charge of policing them. I think in this instance (the IWF debacle) this shows that we need to take back control of our laws and make the police, politicians and any other bodies accountable to the people who put them in power in the first place!

Is filming someone in the street a breach of privacy?

Dick Emery
Paris Hilton

Photo snappers

Photographers face this problem everyday. Especialy so in parks for obvious reasons.

Paris because she knows all about photographers.

ITU plots third dimension

Dick Emery
Stop

OKAAAAAAAY

Leaving aside 3D for the moment I cannot understand this Ultra-HD stuff really. I've seen digital projection of movies on large screens and although slightly higher than HDTV's 1080 resolution it was 'good enough'. I saw no problems with lack of clarity or visible lines/pixels on those projections.

So why do we need such a high resolution? HDTV was about making the image clearer and allow increased TV sizes without having an attack of the fuzzies. Plus in order to feel those benefits the medium itself needs to be clean and artefact free.

Why do I need my film grain for instance to be even sharper?

3D is where it's at. As 3D digital cinema projection becomes ever more popular they will need a way to translate it to the home viewing experience without those crappy red and cyan glasses.

Higher resolutions are not really needed other than for super duper large displays and even that is debatable. Waste of bandwidth.

Why the IWF was right to ban a Wikipedia page

Dick Emery
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Bollocks

So you are saying that the IWF are right and Wikipedia are wrong? Wikipedia is using a different kind of censorship. It may hold a blacklist of IP's that have been known to be disruptive to the website in handing out false information in order to try and corrupt the database on their site. Whilst it's true that anyone can edit the pages it's also true that there are a lot of people trying to spread false information for their own personal agendas. Whilst I cannot speak for the Wikipedia foundation and it's members on what their right to censor others views are I can clearly state that it is totally unlike the methodology being used by the IWF.

Wiki's blacklist is entirely different to the IWF's in that it is selective of singular IP's to a singular person or set of people.

The IWF's blacklist however is a blanket ban.

Wiki's blacklist is about preventing dispersion of false information from a single source (An IP address) whilst the IWF's aim is to prevent EVERYONE from accessing certain images or information deemed 'potentially illegal'.

The IWF are an independently elected body that appears to be unnacountable to nobody but themselves and performing censorship of the masses without the masses request or even any knowledge that they are doing so (Until now).

This is thought control of the worst kind. Because it denies you the freedom of choice. Good or bad. It also has unintended consequences like the censoring of an entire page on Wikipedia.

You also go on about images being potentially illegal should be blocked NOW rather than subject to scrutiny by a proper legal body. So you are now acting as the judge and juror of what constitutes an illegality with no authority whatsoever? Get bent!

I am appalled at this opinion El Reg.

Clangers creator dies at 83

Dick Emery
Unhappy

Sad :(

My childhood just got a kick in the Clangers.

UK.gov resilience website feedback page falls over

Dick Emery
Joke

Blocked

Brown's underpants.

Reg readers in the dark over extreme porn

Dick Emery
Thumb Down

and...

...we all know how trustworthy the IWF is right? RIIIIGHT???

What a shambles. I hope this blows up in the governments faces. The IWF should be scrapped immediately. This stupid law should also be scrapped. Time to boot out this crappy government. They've been in power for too long and like any 'regime' that holds power for too long it becomes corrupted.

Waits for the sound of jackboots at the front door.

iPhone lights a fire

Dick Emery
Joke

I'd buy that!

Fer a dollar! Definitely not 2 dollars though.

Mozilla boudoir shoots out second Firefox 3.1 beta

Dick Emery
IT Angle

Will this fix...

...the problem with blurry thumbnail images that so plagues the current version? I find it annoying when viewing chan boards that the thumbnail images are fuzzy looking. It also screws with pixel art. They have been promising to fix this problem for a while now.

Scorpions tale leaves IWF exposed

Dick Emery

The problems here

Are that this is a self elected body. The government only got involved in as far as they asked all ISP's to use the IWF or face having regulation forced upon them.

Being a self elected body means they are not truly accountable to anyone but themselves. This is a bad idea.

The second problem here is that they are technologically behind the times and their effectiveness appears to be unproven and in fact as the wiki incident has shown in fact, disruptive.

Then of course there is the whole issue of whether people should be censored in this way at all. The whole point of freedom is that you can do and say what you like (within the bounds of the law of your locality). If you break your local laws intentionally then that is your choice.

Censoring of the internet takes away that choice. Good or bad.

Please refer to 'A Clockwork Orange' to see why this is a bad thing.

Aussie convicted over Simpsons sex pics

Dick Emery
Joke

Oh I forgot...

..think of the cartoon children!

Dick Emery
Black Helicopters

If this were the UK

Then expect jail time and having your name on the sex offenders register plus not being able to disclose it to anyone lest you face more jailtime. You are a pedo. End of story.

Thin end of the wedge is here people.

Brit ISPs censor Wikipedia over 'child porn' album cover

Dick Emery
Black Helicopters

Power corrupts...

...and people are sheep. We 'lefties' as 'terrists' as those in power like to tag us are few and weak. Daily Mail 'Soccer moms' who don't have a brain cell to work with are the majority here.

Don't expect some V for Vendetta type uprsing to occur anytime soon. If ever.

The government is the power. The media is the controller. The people are the weapon.

Thought crime tin foil helmets on!

Armed anti-paedophile cops swoop on video site uploader

Dick Emery
Thumb Down

Gotta say it

But think of the children!

Blu-ray backers highlight rising demand

Dick Emery
Thumb Down

Re: Oh for goodness sake...

"The 'I can't see the difference' view: Only football? Rubbish! Try watching this clip from last Monday's Gadget Show:

That isn't that informative considering they tell you NOTHING about what player was used for the upscaling. Some players are better at it than others. Indeed some HDTV's upscalers are better at it. Toshiba even has a new upscaling system coming out that proclaims near HD quality from standard definition. Granted it will NOT be true HD but if it looks as good at a reasonable viewing distance then who cares.

They comparison is so bogged down in questions as to what equipment they used for the test that it fails in my eyes at least.

Dick Emery
Joke

Blu-Ray Alliance?

Read 'Sony'.

Nuff said.

Dick Emery
Happy

Watch this!

I forgot about this but it's SOOOOOOO funny! It's from an anime called Kannagi. But there was this part about Blu-Ray that made me scream with laughter. Everyone should view it for the lulz.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UC50F5pyMhI

Atlantis Hubble mission set for 12 May

Dick Emery
Coat

Question

More out of curiosity than anything. Who picks up the tab for the Japanese Kibo lab maintenance? I assume Japan?

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