* Posts by Brian

67 publicly visible posts • joined 22 Jun 2007

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Facebook - The Movie! Exclusive storyboard peek

Brian

genius

WOOOOOOOOOOO Love the ending!!! :D

Kaminsky (finally) reveals gaping hole in internet

Brian
Coat

"please-don't-break-the-internet-again look."

They have so many looks! And they all look the same... how are we meant to know which look is which, especially when the look changes its meaning!

I know *THAT* look.... ok, ok, I'm going... door....

BAE 'skips a generation' in killer robot tech

Brian
Flame

(Hell)fire and Brimstone...

Didn't see that one coming!

Pioneer proudly pitches 400GB Blu-ray optical disc

Brian
Stop

ummm

ummm, great, so probably would cost a few hundred squid, but my mind straight away went for "single point of failure" ie... all that money for a single disk... a single scratch and its all gone... read only...... means another disk is needed...

Seeing as its difficult to return opened dvds of any sort... can't see that changing... which means money down the drain/rather big risk (I'm quite good with my disks... but still accidents and damage do occur).

Now if it was write once, could be used for archiving and such

Komplett closes retail ops across Europe

Brian
Unhappy

What?

I actually liked using these guys, they can't go! Dammit, stupid degree, I haven't bought new stuff in a while... if you stay, I promise I'll find money to get more stuff!!!

Orange launches dance-powered phone charger

Brian

Dance Charger Man

I lament thee!

A poor copy of Duffman, oh yeah!

Verizon sends text messages to the big screen

Brian

but

But I like the "traditional lurid slides of the nearby curry house"!!!

Economist: girls actually better than boys at maths

Brian

lies, damn lies and statistics...

See title

UK electricity crisis over - for now

Brian
Flame

Mass Driver

So you want to send the waste to the sun... easy... build a mass driver and send it that way... you want to power it... well, you have a few larger reactors....

Until we can build the sorts of solar arrays that are in Mobile Suit Gundam 00 or have a suitably mature alternate power source, Nuclear is the only decent solution. Nuclear needs to last, what... 20-100 years until we have the other technologies mature enough to replace it with higher efficiency 'cleaner' alternatives...

I suppose we could always burn all dead biomatter and use that.... anyone???

UK to outlaw cartoons of child sexual abuse

Brian
Coat

F.E.A.R...

Um, does that mean killing the EVIL girl in F.E.A.R and other games would also be illegal?

Mine is the one with the assault rifle sticking out the pocket

Boffins dismiss claim violent games turn kids into killers

Brian

vents

The only thing video games have done for me (negatively), is that I sometimes wonder if some of the vents in buildings lead to secret areas... and if store rooms contain secret weapons caches....

Ian McKellen to reprise Gandalf

Brian
Thumb Up

approve

Now this I approve of...

Hmmm, if I remember right, as time goes on, Wizards get younger.... seeing as it's set before LOTR, therefore Gandalf would be 'older'.... makes sense!

not too sure about this mystical other prequel... only time will tell!

Western Digital uncages ferocious VelociRaptor data hunting drive

Brian
Coat

oops

Oops, I wish I'd seen that comparison before! I think I may have ordered the wrong thing! Quick, to the supply closet, that lies through the dark forrest... I'm sure I can reset the power then hide in the kitchen!

Mine's the one with the dust on it

How BA handles lost luggage complaints: Shock picture

Brian

booty

Darn those luggage pirates getting away with that booty!

Jules Verne gets intimate with ISS

Brian
Coat

sounds like...

sounds like ABORT, RETRY, FAIL to me.. :P

mine's the one with a space helmet

BOFH: Fun with automatic doors

Brian

awesome

my gosh, the uses I could use this for!!!

Arthur C. Clarke dead at 90

Brian

RIP

RIP Mr Clarke.

You will live on in your works and our memories.

You've inspired many a generation and have actually guided our future.

Hats of to you sir, you truly have touched the hearts and minds of the world!

US navy electro-cannon test successful

Brian
Thumb Up

I'll take 4

I'll take 4, drop the top on mine and does it come in black?

MPs slam costly war-tech projects at MoD

Brian
Alert

misc

They are preparing for the unexpected. It's easy to be able to plan to fight the last day of the last war, but the next one may be very different indeed!

All those aricraft won't be in the same place, they'd be stationed on carriers and bases across the world. Not to mention some kept as spares, trainers and test aircraft. I doubt they would be in one big order arriving on a Tues, they'd probably be arriving over an extended period.

They may be anti-sub designed, but consider also patrolling our coastal shores for smugglers, illegal immagrents or the flavour of the day; terrorists. What about when they are used to look for little kids that are swept out to shore due to a boating incident?!

The guys risk their lives to fight to protect the peace all over the world, to protect us, to prevent conflicts escalating, to bring others to a close, all sorts.

Remember also our commitments to the UN, NATO and other treaty groups?

Consider also maintenance costs for everything we have. It can actually, often, be cheaper to replace something with a new device/component/vehicle, then to look for older pieces, sometimes from some groups who no longer make that part. Oh, lets ebay for a wing for a nimrod or scavenge it from a crash somewhere.

These guys are going out there and they deserve not only our support, but also confidence in the quipment they are using. Their families and friends expect them to come back and they place their trust on the line too.

We need to be able to stand on our own if need be, not have to rely on other countries to have to ferry our forces from A-B.

How about, next time there is a conflict, the government just make BA and the other airlines use all their lovely aircraft to ferry our troops to wherever they need to be and we all sit around and NOT fly on holiday or to work or wherever. That's one alternative to our underinvested transport services.

If you were out in conflict, you can't afford doubt about what you're doing and is it right? You have to act to stay alive, keep your team alive and complete the objectives of your mission. You trust in the chain of command and those in power, that they are making the right decision.

Phone with foldable e-paper display to get summer roll-out

Brian
Happy

Interesting

Sounds interesting, but it looks to still be missing a few features before I'd get it... (ie, can it top a blackberry?)? Still though, small steps, is a positive move forward :-)

Spirit discovers life on Mars

Brian
Go

Necron

It looks like a Necron Wraith! We knew it, the machine god does live on mars!

Former top brass call for first-strike nuke option

Brian

Anyone for a game of Nuclear Proliferation

Anyone in?

http://fairplaygames.com/gamedisplay.asp?gameid=3901

Star Trek XI teaser trailer beams onto web

Brian
Thumb Up

Swish

Bring it! :-D

Caffeine doubles miscarriage risk

Brian

more coffee for me!

Well, this just means more coffee for me, even though I hate the stuff... however the way my dissertation is going, I may be turning to it more and more...

How does it equate in the form of the great British tradition of tea? That's what I'd really like to know!

Lightsaber voted top movie weapon

Brian

M41

M41-A, or the sentry guns. Mmmmmmm, now that was an awesome moment in cinema for me! I may dig that out and watch it again while writing this essay...

Nokia N95 8GB becomes first phone to win DLNA thumbs-up

Brian

tag

"Nokia N95 8G becomes first phone to win DLNA thumbs-up

The what got what?"

That tag just had me laughing so hard my chest started to hurt, lol!!!!

Computer system suspected in Heathrow 777 crash

Brian

redundant

Hmmm, I thought they had dual redundant systems......

Home Sec in anti-terror plan to control entire web

Brian
Joke

haha

@steven kraft

I was wondering how far I'd have to scroll before someone said that. It was my first thought upon reading the article!

Village shaken by GPS-driven tank invasion

Brian

*cough cough*

.... secret base?

Highways Agency forecasts last year's traffic

Brian
Coat

lol

No wonder they haven't got to 2008 yet! haha, they lost 2007!

Tekken set to kick big screen ass

Brian

movies

Um, remember that most films are based in some way on a book, comic, game or remake of something previous or on real life.

Most of the unique/classic style of films don't really get the limelight or much publicity because they are so different.

People go into films having seen trailors, read the book, played the game, seen a previous film and they have preconceptions and expect it to be just like what they expect. Everyone is unique.

I don't care if it follows the game or not. For me, any film based on something like that, does not have to follow what we all expect, far from it, it is something to explore the 'universe' of that game and to expand on things. The Doom series of games is one thing, but the film opened up the publicity for it again. There will obviously be people who have never played Doom (for whatever reason, age, no access to pc, game is too 'low graphics' for them, whatever), but they now have an experience of Doom.

The FPS part of the film is awesome, yes its short, possibly too short, but if the entire film was like that, then the viewer would see a vent and wonder why the character didn't go through it or would have switched weapon sooner or something. Would you play a game where you actually have no control of anything your doing, at all, but just sit there and watch it happen? Probably not.

Instead of always comdemning everything when you hear something new is coming out, why not actually wait to see it for yourself? Its not your money that they are using to make it. People, in general, are too quick to be negative and complain.

As long as your entertained for a while, then what does it really matter?

Of course, you could feel free to write your own [unique] movie script and pitch that... Maybe if instead of people using all the time they spend complaining, to actually spend it being creative, then there may be more unique films out there? Or games?

US tech support outfit seeks pocket sniffer

Brian
Coat

ahhh

Ahh, so it actually is effectively frisking staff (for whatever reason).

You do realise, though, that the more this happens... the more 'high tech' that staff will go!

Space brains resign over efforts to attract ET attention

Brian
Coat

the gate

Its ok, we'll just use the stargate :-D

*Goes to get his coat and Zat....*

How much does El Reg cost the global economy?

Brian
Go

time...

I'm checking here in the morning after I read mail (sometimes before)... I'm on throughout the day and when I'm at lectures, I visit it on my laptop... I'll often even visit the site from my blackberry....

Facebook CEO capitulates (again) on Beacon

Brian
Alert

settings

"Privacy" -> "External Websites" -> Tick box labelled: "Don't allow any websites to send stories to my profile." then click on "Save"

Power cut hits Rackspace UK

Brian

Five 9s

I didn't think 100% reliability was possible...

I always thought we aimed for the five 9s? 99.999% reliability. :-)

Microsoft's sex-obsessed RoboSanta spouts filth at children

Brian
Thumb Up

@Christopher J Williams@Tuesday 4th December 2007 13:35 GMT

13:33] chrisw: open the pod bay doors

[13:33] - (G) Santa (G) -: I'm sorry chrisw, I'm afraid I can't do that.

Dude, that is genius! :P

IBM to shove ads onto DVDs

Brian
Stop

WTF?!

Seriously, WTF?! The entire reason to get DVDs is to get rid of those blasted adverts that wreak a good film. I stopped counting films that had the anticipation and atmosphere ruined by an ad.

Why not go all out and add them in the middle of films in the cinema.

Sodding gold-diggers...

Kindle ain't no e-book reader

Brian

hmmm

the Cyberbooks quote is quite cool. I've not heard that one before, definitely has me interested :-)

The Kindle though, for Web2.0... now that is clever! The notion of readers becoming authors too... that would both exceptionally cool and exceptionally crap all at the same time.

Not every user could be an author...

but on one side... you could see books coming out in the same was as the Half Life series is progressing on with...

In theory a quicker turnaround for chapters and such.

If I can get my daily+weekly dose of web comics on the thing (at a decent resolution), then I'll be close to opening my wallet too, but not at $400.

Canadian Taser death caught on camera

Brian
Black Helicopters

... various

We know squat all here.

So we have one video and a few witness reports, whoopdy do. It means crap all in real life!

What about other CCTV footage, actual witness reports, officer reports, evidence at the scene, paramedic reports, etc...

Oh by all means we are entitled to our opinion. Jump to conclusions, claim who we believe is at fault, but I'm bloody damn well glad that none of us has any real power in this. Its up to the judge/jury/whoever to look at all the Evidence and then make a decision. The media loves to dramatise things. The ONLY reason this has got a rather big media frenzy is because there was a video, released publicly... yet we see practically nothing said about the recent attacks and murders where I live.

The officers acted in a way they believed was the right thing to do. Without actually being in their position, knowing what they knew and facing the same situation, we don't know how we'd act. Oh we'd like to think we'd know, but in truth, we dont. EG You can prepare for weeks for a presentation in front of quite a few people, but then when you go to do it, you can choke and lose it.

The bottom line here, is that the poor man cannot defend himself, give his reasons or speak up, more importantly, the officers will have to live with their actions.

The key lesson here, is probably to ensure that staff and officers communiate more and to be a bit more cautious. Regardless though, a swift and preferably non-violent solution should be a priority.

On a sidenote... how many minutes later was the ambulance team that arrived... did they really do 'everything' to save him? I'd like to think they did... but after being zapped by a taser quite a bit... I wouldn't be surprised if there was nerve damage...

My heart goes out to his family and friends.

To everyone else that reads this, instead of "jumping on the bandwaggon" or making accusations, remember that you don't know all the facts, they all probably wont be known for a little while yet, maybe change your perception once in a while and place yourself in another persons shoes, try a different perspective. Everyone has their own reasons and beliefs... one of the greatest causes of conflict is that so few people are willing to respect the differences between people or even to try to see another point of view.

I believe the TRUE IT angle here... is what OS was the computer using that he 'destroyed'?!

MySpace makes kids fat, claims minister

Brian
Happy

@Edward Rose

"Obviously it's as much use as a waterproof teabag", today hasn't been all that great (partly because I didn't remember it was even Thurs until about 1pm.... but that just made my day! LMAO

Cig-lighter electropulse cannons offered to US plods

Brian
Coat

"be attached to an automobile or aircraft carrier"

... I guess the naval varient is somewhat larger... and doesn't need to get within 15m of a target... but hey, I've been wrong before!

Reno 911: World's largest reboot underway

Brian
Coat

homage

Are we sure this isn't just a giant staged homage to Scotty...

"we canna do it cap'n, we don't have the power!"...

Flying cow destroys minivan

Brian
Coat

Moo game...

Maybe it is a varient on the Moo Game.... ?

DARPA selects 11 robotic grunts to take driver's license test

Brian
Thumb Up

@ FathomsDown

LMAO! Here here!

Demon satnav imprisons plucky trucky in pasty hell

Brian
Thumb Up

genius

Oh my! This is literary genius!

Snooping on users Facebook 'staff perk' - claim

Brian
Thumb Down

3rd party app

I think there is a 3rd party app called Traktor or something that does it... I remember looking through its details and actually reading the condition, freaking not cool stuff in it!

More gnashing of teeth after Microsoft update brings PCs to a standstill

Brian
Stop

@fanboys

Bottom line:

Business's want software that had support. There are a number of OSes out there and each has their own use, but the bottom line is that there is a decent amount of software out ther ethat works on Windows. If you can find a decent alternative to all of the 100s of applications that some companies use (1000s when you consider some of the larger companies), that all have support, DECENT documentation, are remotely manageble, have a suitable learing curve and are still supported, then kudos for you. BUT, any decent LARGE business out there would have to go through hell and back with finance and putting through a business case for any software used, usually tested against other alternatives, including free versions. I've seen it before that it comes back to going with what works and what has support (ever heard of an Service Level Agreement? Try getting one of those on something with a GPL!).

Anyways, thats my two cents, flame all you want, meh.

B

Sign up for our virtualization e-Symposium or we'll kill a puppy

Brian
Boffin

What sort of puppy?

Hmmmm, what sort of puppy? a terminally ill dog that is about to die? one that is a sick puppy? one that was abused mistreated and on 'death row' anyways? one with rabies?

*shrugs*, I'll signup anyways, its actually a decent reason to skip a lecture... hmmmm, half tempted to let my lecturer know, but he might actually get our lecture group to sign up and then mark us on it...

Pentagon: Chinese military hacked us

Brian

tag

"We'll need a whole bunch of expensive stuff"

I love that tagline!!!!

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