Posts by Dave 126 10675 publicly visible posts • joined 21 Jul 2010
I stopped to think of a legitimate use and thought of a TV promo spot featuring a football being kicked from the point of view of a boot - but nah, one would just use a GoPro or similar for that.
Reducing the number of upskirt photos is the reason many camera phones make a fake shutter noise that can't be disabled by the user.
And you've inspired me to find an electronic copy of the Usbourne Book of the Future (1979) which I read a lot as a child in 1985.
It's got mention of Buckminster Fuller, space elevators, linear mass accelerators for shooting ore off the moon, giant flat screen TVs, watch phones that take their time from satellites, video discs...
Great stuff.
https://archive.org/stream/Usborne_Book_of_the_Future_1979_pointlessmuseum#page/n0/mode/1up
Cheers Dan 55, I remember hours reading Write Your Own Fantasy Games For Your Microcomputer by Usbourne, and plotting dungeons and sprites on graph paper. I don't recall actually doing any programming though for reasons I forget (it might be that that I only had a Vic 20 with cartridges and no tape drive, it might be because I was climbing a tree or damning a stream)
When it comes to things I plug into to wall sockets, phone chargers use very little juice. Whilst it's not ideal that wireless charging is less efficient than using a cable, far more electricity could be saved by looking at other appliances and behaviours.
Where wireless-only charging would really inconvenience me as a user would be when using portable power banks, and if I wanted to charge in a hurry.
A happy compromise is phones with external nubs for receiving power, akin to MagSafe. A few generations of Sony Xperia featured such a system. The Nokia 6210 and earlier models could also be charged in docks using external contacts.
> Uber... ..put a car on the road that clearly, from the video footage, wasn't ready.
Hence the testing with a human driver. How else can a be made 'ready' for the road?
If one wants to find an organisational failing, it might be in the area of psychology - i.e not putting safeguards in place to ensure the human driver is fully engaged with the job in hand. Perhaps requiring then to give a running commentary on the road situation, as is done in training for advanced driving licences (police drivers etc). If this police report is verified, then the human driver wasn't expecting her employers to routinely review video of her eyes.
The vast majority of vehicles on the road today have human drivers and no Volvo-style automatic braking.
I haven't used it myself, but people used to swear by an app called Tasker. I'm not sure if it required root to run, or only needed root for some features.
I'm not sure that you can have your phone recognise a car charger over a wall charger, other than your Samsung-supplied adaptive wall charger will supply more power than a 2.1 amp 5v car charger.
You might consider an NFC tag to alert your phone to where it is. Again, I've not tried this but forums might give you an idea of how well it works.
An alternative is to use an older or second hand phone as a dedicated car unit. As a bonus it could be a model with a larger (not necessarily that high resolution display) and its storage used for music instead of camera photos. However, you'd still be turning on the WiFi hotspot on your primary phone unless you stretch to a second SIM
.. . That sometimes vendor's additions (either the concept or the actual code) to Android are incorporated into AOSP.
I'm thinking of:
-Power saving modes (Sony, concept)
-LDAC (Sony, code)
-24bit audio support (LG, Code)
If Samsung create something useful that isn't patented, it could well be incorporated into Android.
My S8 works fine, my first Samsung since a feature phone in 2008 . Feel free to trawl my old posts to see my previous Androids have been an Xperia P, Xperia Z3 Compact (both close to stock Android) some cheap but surprisingly cheerful Huawei (couldn't budge their weird launcher, other weird changes to Android), a Nexus 5 (stock, obviously). No complaints about Samsung's skinning of Android in the S8 after one switches the soft Navigation keys to Android standard and turns a couple of things off.
Still competition is good, so if you buy Sony, LG or Motorola, you'd being doing me a favour.
Similar techniques have been used on iPads and other devices for years. The software doesn't simply ignore touch input on a margin of pixels around the screen but rather uses algorithms to distinguish between what is probably a deliberate prod or swipe and what is probably an accidental brush or tap.
Numerous websites report the Galaxy S9 has Project Treble - as Google mandate that all phones that ship with Oreo must do. The S8 which shipped with Nougat does not support Project Treble and may never do.
Not only does Project Treble allow for swifter updates (something Google wants), it also makes life easier for the custom ROM crowd as Android builds don't have to be so fine tuned for specific handsets.
Google worked with Samsung to draft the Enterprise Certified guidelines, but Samsung declined to be a launch partner. I don't know why, it may be because Samsung has it own enterprise administration tools it wishes to promote (Knox).
https://www.androidauthority.com/samsung-galaxy-s9-plus-project-treble-841067/
https://www.androidpolice.com/2017/11/25/googles-project-treble-start-custom-rom-revolution/
https://www.zdnet.com/article/google-launches-enterprise-android-device-recommendation-program-omits-samsung/
No, sorry. Android updates are (or rather, have been) slow because of the process: Google creates new Android version, sends it to silicon vendors for them to release a binary driver blob if they can be bothered, they send that to the phone vendor, test, repeat, phone vendor combines binary blobs with new Android and their skins, tests, if applicable sends to regulators and network operators, test, maybe repeat.
Of that, the vendors skin, which is often not much more than an app, is not the stage that takes the time.
Since we're talking about Android P here, the first phones to get it will be those that *shipped* with Oreo (here, Galaxy S9) and thus are built atop the modular nature of Project Treble - which means new versions of Android aren't dependant on silicon vendors creating new blobs.
Judging by the past, the S8 which shipped with Nougat (no Treble) will likely get Android P beginning of next year.
I've been suspect of TouchWiz in the past (so have had more stock Android phones from Sony and Nexus) but my S8 is actually fine (once I'd flipped the navigation soft keys, t and urned off Bixby and Edge Actions.
White hands on a dark grey background - it's rare to see a watch display the time as clearly as an Omega Chronostop. A new company called Roue* come close but no cigar.
*On the subject of targeted advertising, I saw an advertisement in the Register for Roue after writing a post about the sheer functionality of old Omega, Braun and Seiko wristwatches - the very brands Roue state as their inspirations.
You'd need a team of auditors to screen applications for spyware - the job is too big to do it yourself. This auditing could be open source (for apps whose developers wish to disclose the source code to all and sundry including competitors), or could be run by a company that uses its business model (hardware sales plus hefty percentage of app store sales) as a differentiator to Google's (data collection to fuel advertising). You'd have to pay a bit more upfront for the latter, and even more so if you use the same administration software that sensitive organisations use (e.g Blackberry Suite for iOS).
Auditing the source code is time consuming and thus unfeasible (remember how long it took a team to audit TrueCrypt) but I guess a middle ground might be crowd-sourced monitoring - i.e, everyone inspecting packets sent from a phone with 'Bob's Scientific Calculator' installed against a control. However, this would only catch the trawlers, not the tailored attacks.
Another approach is to spoof the data harvesters with false information as Safari has done for a few years now. It's still cat and mouse, but at least you're denying them the low hanging fruit.
Is there any reason why the people who wanted a portable ZX Spectrum gaming experience didn't buy a PlayStation Portable and run an emulator?
As a bonus, they can also play C64 games, and, gasp, PlayStation Portable games.
I believe a similar emulator is available for PlayStation Vita machines.
For all these Sony consoles, the method of enabling homebrew software, including emulators, depends upon the firmware version.
...is to provide a way for developers to publish apps without them being made available for people sideload for free. There's not currently a great incentive for Android app developers to abandon In App Purchases and Ad-Supported business models. Compare this to the Apple App store where more apps are bought outright, and users spend more. This is why many apps are available on iOS first, and some never come to Android.
> Knowledgeable techie-types like ElReg readers may go for this, but for "Mom & Pop" this will be just like asking them to run Linux instead of Windows on their laptop.
It's worse than that: out if the 'mom and pop' segment, Eelo won't sell to those who have already bought into iOS because it's simpler. And then, other parts of the 'mom and pop' segment will have iPhones because they have read about Googly privacy concerns in newspapers. Nor will Eelo sell to moms and pops who are happy with their Nokia 3310 'for emergencies' thank you very much.
So there's three of you who think that DJs use audio out from an iPhone instead of balanced output from a FireWire/Thunderbolt soundcard? Okaaaay
Some DJs will use an iPhone as an XY control surface (ersatz Kaos Pad) in conjunction with with other devices. Some will even take advantage of its gyros and accelerometers. Either way, its just a control device.
Nobody uses just iDevices, but they are common as part of a setup. They're not typically used to output audio though - there are external DACs with a variety of balanced outputs for that, usually from the MacBook as you say. The low latency and compatibility with legacy standards (eg wireless MIDI) make iPads good control surfaces. A multi-touch screen offers a better UI for some applications (eg a virtual mixing desk) than a MacBook does.
DJs use a variety of gear, some just using two turntables and a cross-fader, others using time-stamped vinyl to control digital music, others a Kaos pad or other XY pad to apply effects in real time.
> I never understood why people dont like it..
It wasn't the Ribbon per se that people didn't like, it was the way MS used it to replace menus (except on Macs where Apple's rules meant the menus had to remain).
Before the Ribbon came to Office, I'd used a ribbon-like Command Manager in a CAD package. The difference was that menus, customisable toolbars, and radial menus where still present, as well as keyboard shortcuts. The Command Manager was optional and could be repositioned - though it was pretty useful in its default spot. The user had complete control of the workspace. The other difference was that due other tool pallettes and windows, vertical screen space was at such a premium as it is in a word processor.
Also: why don't more applications use pie menus (aka Radial Menus)? They're quick, require little moving of the mouse, and work well with muscle memory.
Seriously, a lot of people here have got the wrong end of the stick.
https://www.xda-developers.com/oneplus-6-bootloader-protection-exploit-physical-access/
In no way can it be described as a 'feature'. The *option* to leave a Yale lock open using that little nubbin is a feature. This is akin to a lock that can't be locked at all - clearly a bug.
Given the upvotes given to Steve the OP, it would appear there's general misunderstanding here. Perhaps the article should be rewritten for clarity?
It is desirable for many owners to be able to load their choice of OS on their device. I can't see how it is desirable for an owner to be unable to prevent an attacker from loading an OS on their device - which is what this story is about.
A phone is more prone to being lost or stolen than a PC - or even just mislaid for half an hour. Of course if you have people's sensitive data on your laptop then you are legally obliged to encrypt it.
The issue here isn't that the OnePlus 6 can load an arbitrary boot image, but that an arbitrary boot image can be installed by someone other than the owner.
> Is that a vulnerability? I'd pay extra for it.
It is a vulnerability - it means anyone with physical access to your handset can put whatever they want in it without your knowledge. This is in contrast to a phone that requires the user to unlock it and turn on USB debugging and jump through other hoops before flashing it with a new OS image.
> There are many other GPU creators out there. Qualcomm, ARM, Imagination
And Apple and Google too. The former having ended its relationship with Imagination Technologies. Google and Apple likely looking at mobile GPUs that do more than shade polygons, but can also be more efficiently put to other tasks such as DSP and object recognition.
Oliver Reed in Gladiator - though he was partly through filming before he passed on. Carrie Fisher in Star Wars Rogue One ditto - though she'd completed her filming, they used CGI to recreate a c. 1978 Ms Fisher. Peter Cushing, similarly recreated, was sadly long gone.
It seems Lucas Film are routinely making 3D scans of all their actors (and puppets) for future reference:
https://www.esquire.com/uk/latest-news/a19742240/lucasfilm-digitally-scanning-faces-star-wars-cgi-princess-leia/
Obvious mods:
Game controller. Tricky because Android devs don't make much money from games due to the ease of piracy. Many Android titles that would benefit from a physical controller don't support one (I've tried, using an Xbox controller over USB OTG).
Camera Sensor. There is a zoom camera Mod, but it isn't as great as Weird Sony's QX100 which was an RX100 without a screen - it talked to a phone by radio. A Moto Mod would solve the shortcomings of the QX100. However, it was a serious bit of sensor and lens, too much of an investment to tie to a single phone. Sony discontinued the experiment.
Speakers are less obvious. You either want a speaker built into the phone for podcasts, or you want something bigger than a Mod for music - there isn't a sweet in-between zone.
The obvious and sustainable market for Mods would be in industry - barcode scanners, thermal cameras etc - that is to say, many niche markets.
For people wanting to continually use a phone throughout the day, a Moto Mod battery pack is a better option than a removable battery since it incurs no down time whilst the phone is power cycled. For people wanting to extend the life of their handset by changing the battery, the cost of having it done by the original vendor or 3rd party shop is small compared to the original price of a premium handset (removable batteries are still found in low and mid range phones).
For safety reasons a removable battery must have a durable, hard to pierce shell (especially if it's slung in a kit bag) that is bulky (a slimmer metal shell would interfere with the phone's radios), so it results in several millimeters extra thickness over an internal-only battery that could otherwise be used for storing power.
The need for a removable battery is further mitigated by rapid charging and the ubiquity of power sources, planes trains and automobiles. In the case of no mains or vehicle power outlets, power banks are inexpensive and universal (an investment not lost when a phone is eventually changed) and, whilst ungainly, don't need to be attached to a phone for very long (rapid charging again).
Then of course there is the economics - why would a phone vendor go out of their way to appeal to a group who by their own admission only want to buy a phone every three years?
You could get yourself an LG V20 with a Snapdragon 820 SoC with removable battery - and as a bonus it not only has a 3.5mm socket but a socket driven by an ESS Sabre DAC and amplifier.
I'm not against removable batteries, I'm just trying to outline how the current state of affairs came to be.
Skagen are thin and light, but they are still around today's near ubiquitous diameter of 42mm. Watches used to be around 38mm, which is all you need if the display is clear and uncluttered ( which Skagen are). Examples of 38mm watches include the afore mentioned Omega, Dieter Ram's watches for Braun, the similar looking quartz Seiko worn by Steve Jobs in the 80s and many a Timex.
I like what Skagen do, which is why I'm frustrated they just go with the herd regarding watch size. I'm not anti big watches, I'm for variety.
Dissolved oxygen in the water is crucial for tea - that's why it's recommended to pour cold water into a kettle and then boil it. I suspect it's why tea tastes better from a pot than directly from a mug.
Occasionally I'll brew tea in one mug and then pour it into another mug before adding milk and sugar. As a bonus, I then don't have to wait as long before drinking it.
In the late 1960s, an Omega Chronostop was £19 with a convention steel bracelet, and £23 for the same watch with a steel mesh bracelet. Roughly, let's say that 20% extra, and say an equivilent watch would now be nearly a grand... it's in the same ballpark. That said, watch brand Skagen charge around £150 for a quartz watch with a mesh bracelet. Nice simple designs, shame they are unnecessarily large.
In any case, I'm sure there's some forum online discussing the quality of 3rd party metal straps for Apple watch.
Sticking blue LED lights on stuff just to make it look 'modern' is a prime example of shit product design. The base level of annoyance is further raised by the evident lack of consideration in its design. I'm not going to lay all the blame at the designers - they need time and respect from management in order to do a good job. Whilst Diester Rams is a very good designer ('Form Engineer' in his own words) he would have been able to operate without the culture his boss Mr Braun instilled in the company.
Unfortunately the economics are such that spending time on thoughtful design can't always give a return. If you've owned a well designed Sony radio you might buy another - but this only works because there is a recognisable brand to associate with the quality, and a wide availablity of Sony stockists so you can actually buy one.
Yeah, using this twin-screened laptop in a docked setup with external keyboard actually makes sense. Keyboard at home, keyboard in workplace - and sub optimal typing on the train in-between. And heck, how much are external monitors these days anyways?
It could work well for some people, but not everybody.
Heck, I'm now thinking of a laptop that hinges on the other edge so it opens into an ultrawide twin display. Sticks some glowing lights on it and sell it to gamers!
There would be applications for a dual screen laptop in music production (UI consists of virtual sliders and the like) but that market is fairly well served by iPads already (wireless MIDI built in, good 3rd party developer support). Windows isn't great for music, never know when Windows is going to scratch it's arse, insist on an update, or decide it wants to use its audio subsystem instead of ASIO. It might be better these days, but I'd still research forums extensively before buying into a Windows-based DAW.
For years Adobe has had companion iOS apps that present OSX Photoshop et al tool pallettes on an iPhone or iPad, freeing up work area on the Mac's desktop.
I don't know one how well this Asus idea will work (the act of switching between touchpad mode and touchscreen mode might be clunky) and it's not making want to rush out and buy an Asus laptop, but there are some workflows where using a combination of touchscreen and mouse (or stylus and keyboard, or whatever) can work well.
Hence my chef/farmer analogy. Take a HDD drive from a HDD company, add the scroll wheel from a Bang and Olufsen telephone (though they were also present on Sharp Minidisc players and Sony AV equipment), add a FireWire interface (first iPods were Mac only, and most PCs only had USB 1 which wasn't fast enough for the job). Place it in a case that resembles a cigarette case (a time-tested and refined object that goes in and out of pockets). That's not meant to make it sound easy - if it were others would have done it. Sony had the expertise in all areas (UI, product design) but didn't make it.
Remember Apple has been near death in the 90s except in audio and design sectors where FireWire was invaluable for soundcards and scanners.
It's also why I asked about what @Christian Berger meant by 'innovation' - I'm not sure why some think the manner in which ingredients are brought together cannot be considered innovative, and that innovation can only be found in the components themselves. I also question the value of 'innovation' in a device for its own sake - it's only useful if it improves the user experience.
> Just look at Apple which became successful after they stopped trying to be innovative.
How do you define innovation? In the areas in which Apple has released products the low hanging new fruit has already been taken (and good, maturity is actually a good thing for end user experience, since the bugs are ironed out and a stable base has been established for others to build upon. Innovation for innovation's sake alone is daft). Those areas Apple is researching but has not yet released a product we hear very little about (though there's evidence that they're looking at AR, micro LED displays, self driving cars)
Apple are largely chefs not farmers - though if it suits them they will finance those who grow their ingredients. The iPod was the result of looking at a new form factor of HDD and thinking 'what can we do with this'? The iPhone similarly came from looking at available ingredients (wireless data networks, SoCs, Apple's own tablet skunk works and previously acquired companies).
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