* Posts by Giles Jones

2536 publicly visible posts • joined 13 Dec 2006

MS and Sophos incompatible over Win 7 XP Mode

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Rubbish

This applies to all virtual servers. If you run OSes on a server that is running a virtual server then you will have to update the software on all of them. Plus manage the security on each install.

Having a server where one change would affect all virtual servers would be inflexible.

64-bit Chrome takes centre stage in Linux land

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Bad coding?

Anyone programming now should be writing portable code. Chrome should have compiled on 64-bit with no changes required at all.

Apple MacBook Air June 2009

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@David Webb

>(Mac's are toys for fanboyz)

For some people yes. But there are some extremely affordable and powerful creativity tools available for OSX.

The likes of Kraftwerk, Nine Inch Nails and Depeche Mode are Mac users.

Have a read:

http://logicprohelp.com/vip_users.php

Many hollywood films are edited with Final Cut Studio, are these all edited by fanboys too?

Amazon limits PS3 Slim sales

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Uglier PS3

Looks less like a breadbin, more like a george foreman grill.

Microsoft to encircle Google and Apple with Windows Mobile split

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A pet project

At times I just think Windows Mobile is just a bit of fun for someone at Microsoft. Just a bit of a hobby for their developers.

Of course what will happen is mobile tech will grow and grow to the point where it will have a large mobile internet base and Microsoft will wonder where they went wrong and buy up every start up company going to try to catch up.

They may even try to buy a large phone company, HTC would be a prime candidate, but expensive.

Mandy not swayed by ents mogul on illegal file sharing

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Out of touch

Sure, if you go to dinner and you are entertained by a rich media giant that isn't going to make you favourable in any way.

How about concentrating on the real crimes? such as murder, rape, burglary, violence, and hard drugs (heroin).

I couldn't give two flying f's about some media giant not being able to afford a second luxury yacht when there are oaps and war veterans being beaten and robbed. Not to mention all the people are being stabbed to death.

Morrissey tells netdepressives to boycott his re-releases

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@Piracy hurts artists

I'm sure there was some small print in the contract they drew up that got missed. It's pretty common for huge record labels to screw artists over.

First Samsung Android phone out next week

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Capacitive OLED nice...

I really don't know why Apple didnt put an OLED screen in the iPhone 3GS. Maybe then there would be a reason to upgrade!

Adobe sounds Apple PowerPC death rattle

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Hardly a problem

Stick with the current version or upgrade your Mac.

Snow Leopard is Intel only as well, so it's time to move on if you have a PPC Mac. They're pretty slow by modern standards anyway.

Palm slams Apple, hoodwinks iTunes

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Apple and Palm are rivals

Why would Apple let Palm (a rival) do what they like with iTunes?

Should Apple let a Zune sync with iTunes like an iPod? nope, why is Palm any different?

T-Mobile UK starts shifting iPhones on the quiet

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Unlocked probably

O2 have a deal to supply locked handsets on contract to customers. But nothing is stopping anyone else supplying them unsubsidised and unlocked to their best customers.

Microsoft's Windows 7 price gamble - and why it's flawed

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Apple is the target for one reason only..

Microsoft has to grown their business and Apple's sales are contracting Microsoft's home market.

If a business is contracting then shares drop and the company panics.

Apple says jailbroken iPhones endanger cell towers

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Xbox360 PS3 etc...

Why are people not complaining when Microsoft and Sony stop the mod chips? this is "jailbreaking" the console.

Yet if Apple do it then it's wrong and control freakery.

iPhone owners know the score when they buy the phone.

Toshiba TG01 smartphone

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WinMo

If Microsoft could get a decent modern non clunky version of WinMo out there now then they would clean up in the business market.

WinMo is a right dogs dinner at present and having each phone maker provide their own GUI on top is really bad for businesses. You learn one interface and then a completely different one is on your next handset.

Apple iTablet a (virtual) certainty

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@Speaking of fanbois

If the iPhone didnt change anything why is Nokia, Microsoft, Google and Palm all launching or have launched App stores?

If the iPhone didn't change anything then why are all smartphones reviewed as the next potential iPhone killer (thus implying the iPhone is the benchmark).

Have you used voicemail on the iPhone? it's totally different to other phones, you can actually see who the voicemails are from before playing them. How is this not redefining the mobile experience?

Have you noticed all the iPhone lookalikes? minimalist touch screen devices with more than a passing resemblance to the iPhone GUI. Why do you think they are copying the iPhone and not Symbian or Windows Mobile?

I think you need to actually open your eyes to what is happening in the market.

MoD sticks with 'most decrepit browser in the world'

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Web apps vs web sites

Writing a complex web application that uses AJAX and javascript is where it all becomes a pain to move up to a newer browser. There are cross platform javascript libraries like dojo. But if the application is written already it's too late.

Many people only have experience of using a browser to browse the web and can't see why people stay with old browser versions. Upgrading the browser can break web apps just like upgrading your OS can break application compatibility.

Sony Ericsson Xperia drops Windows for Android

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GPS was present in the original X1

So how can this model add GPS when it was a feature of the original?

Apple, Microsoft sued over iPod, Zune controls

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Rubbish, Apple had touchpads in 1994

Apple's powerbook 500 had a touchpad back in 1994:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PowerBook_500

A laptop is a "mobile electronic device" and therefore their patent is rubbish.

BT brings jobs back from India

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Multinational sheep

Why is it that once one big multinational company does something different all the other multinational sheep follow suit?

I thought the whole reason these multinational management types were paid so much was due to their vision and leadership? well it seems many of them just wait for a rival to try something and then follow suit.

So we can expect that may BT competitors will now be following suit?

Is there anyone out there who actually has any original ideas any more?

Unlock your iPhone, miss your messages

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Unsupported configuration

Just like you can't expect every game to work if you fitted a modchip to your games console.

Pssst... Apple tablet on way, whisper Chinese moles

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Won't be a Mac

It won't be a Mac if it's using an ARM CPU, more like an iPhone tablet.

iPod fingered in car inferno

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Left in the sun?

Was the iPod left in a car in bright sunlight? modern rechargeable batteries are dangerous when left in a hot car.

Acer Tempo F900 Windows Mobile smartphone

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Wait for WM6.5

It really isn't worth bothering with a Windows Mobile phone until 6.5 comes out. I really struggle to see why Acer aren't supporting Android instead?

The 3G map Ofcom didn't want you to see

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@3G in the sea?!

So people with boats should be denied the wonders of modern technology?

Google uncloaks Chrome OS hardware pals

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The Apple model

Google are following the Apple model, create an OS and then specify the hardware it will run on. That way you don't need to write thousands of drivers and get people complaining that XYZ doesn't work.

So all those who criticise Apple for doing the same should be critical of Google for doing the same.

Orange UK exiles Firefox from call centres

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I'd pay £250

I'd sooner pay £250 than use IE6.

Apple MacBook June 2009 release

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Uninspired update?

It's a legacy model that's just being slowly phased out. If they improved it then it would cost the same as the aluminium Macbook.

If they cheapened it more it would tarnish Apple's image.

Swiss public sector allowed to buy Microsoft software

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Is this the right way to do it?

I know the government departments are trying to avoid the Microsoft lock in. But surely they can do this by simply mandating standard open file formats to be used to store information?

That way the tool used becomes irrelevant. Sticking to a standard that can be implemented in any platform is the fairest way.

Amiga Forever updated for Windows 7

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Commodore

The alarm bells were ringing early on during the C64 reign. They released a console version of the C64 which bombed. They tried the same thing numerous times after with the CDTV and the CD32.

There was only so many ways to rehash the same technology. A500, A600 and the AGA chipset which was a tweaked version of the ECS chipset (which was a tweak of the OCS),

New computers like the A3000 were scaled back and just ended up being marginal improvements instead of having DSPs and improved sound.

I did more creative things with the Amiga than anything I've used since. So it is a shame nobody who has owned the technology since has done anything with it.

Apple's iPhone 3G S: the $179 handset

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Compact Discs

CDs are sold for for approx £10 yet the CD costs pence to make.

So why aren't CDs £1 or less? oh yes, recording costs, wages, artist royalties etc..

Google mocks Bing and the stuff behind it

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Windows...

That's Microsoft's problem. Everything has to be Windows based and using fairly standard protocols or extensions.

If Microsoft produced custom versions of Windows for their online services they would be able to improve things. Google can tweak the hell out of their server software, from the kernel all the way to the application software.

In the long tun they would be better hosting using the best tool for the job. Microsoft used to write their own internal software but dropped this in favour of using other peoples tools. This saved them a lot of money. Maybe they should realise that the same would be true when it comes to their online services?

Maybe they would learn something too, the whole "banish anything non-Microsoft" approach they seem to be taking means they have less exposure to the competition.

DARPA: Can we have a one-cabinet petaflop supercomputer?

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Makes a change...

They didn't ask for it to be Windows and need to run Word or Access.

I really don't know what the DARPA people do, I thought it was their job to do research and development? not put down a bunch of specifications and ask the commercial firms to see if it can be done.

Blue chip FTP logins found on cybercrime server

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VPN

Surely employees working for these companies should be accessing the FTP server via VPN?

Any other public FTP server should have nothing of interest on it (patches, freeware) or just don't have a public FTP server at all.

Web swoons as Jackson dies

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Six to eight weeks?

That is the time quoted to establish the cause of death?

Seems pretty long to me, But then they have conspiracy theorists to please so they have to be thorough.

Ten of the best... iPhone beaters

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iPhone beater

Funny how everyone is so critical of the iPhone, if this is so why is it the benchmark device?

Why does everything have to beat the iPhone if these other devices are so wonderful?

I take issue with the assertion that Android and the HTC Magic is the most obvious competitor. The Palm Pre is closer to the iPhone and has the multitouch capability with it's capacitive touchscreen. It also syncs with iTunes and has the most innovative features.

HTC devices just aren't designed well enough, they're not sexy or desirable.

HTC Hero comes with Adobe Flash

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Flash

Other than games and awful banner adverts what is the "killer" application for flash?

I run Flashblock with Firefox and don't notice any impairment.

As for the iPhone, YouTube is about the only think flash is useful for and the iPhone has a YouTube application.

Is your cameraphone an oxymoron?

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SLR

Try fitting your SLR in your trouser pocket.

What this proves is the difference between the sensors and the default adjustments.

What you should try is adjusting and sharpening the images with some photo manip software and see how close you can get them.

The Palm pre image looked better than the iPhone, however this is largely due to contrast being increased. The iPhone images would look similar with some processing.

Safari 4: Apple's crash-happy shipper

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Hacks

There's a number of Mac users who like to run hacks and then complain when things don't work.

If you don't install hacks and tools that reveal hidden settings then your machine tends to work better.

MS no-frills security scanner gets thumbs up in early tests

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Full blown version should be part of the OS

When you buy a car you expect an immobiliser, locks and an alarm. Why should Windows be any different? given it's atrocious record for being the staple OS in botnets.

After six months, Steve Jobs speaks

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@With over 50,000 applications available

Turn by turn is provided by Navigon mobilenavigator, out now for £54.99.

Steve Jobs spotted at Apple HQ

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@The Jobs stalking brigade

Woz was indeed the technical brains, but that was back in the day when home computers were scarce and one man could design a computer.

These days it's all about the ideas, once you have a good idea you can then get lots of little people to design and build it.

People just not that into Blu-ray

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Player price

Once the players drop sub £100 then it will become more popular.

Windows 7, Bing and security: Mr Ballmer regrets

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@file copy

It's comes to something when an OS can't even do the basics well.

Microsoft goes green to win IE 8 and Bing users

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You know when your products are dire when..

...you have to pay people to use them.

Microsoft are two faced, they try and put technology out there and get it used under an open source model (silverlight). They steal their server improvement ideas from Apache and Linux (Server 2008) and then want to kill off the (open) source of all their good ideas.

Is it any wonder most people can see through their silly schemes?

That Digital Britain report in full

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DAB and low signal

When DAB struggles for reception it goes all garbled and is really annoying. When FM struggles for reception it just hisses a bit.

DAB in a car will be fun, it will be so annoying most people won't use it.

US record industry wins $1.92m from file sharer

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Scapegoat

File sharers are the scapegoats for the decline of music. The reality is there are games consoles, DVDs, blu-ray, mobiles and mobile games to pay for. Music as a purchase has been sidelined.

The RIAA and others would sooner sue people and earn money that way rather than deal with the problem.

Every download is a lost sale according to their calculations, they don't take into account that the person downloading may already own the music on vinyl or may have damaged their CD. They may also have absolutely no money to buy the music anyway.

iPhone 3.0 - born on schedule...

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Whine whine whine...

You complain when there's no cut and paste then complain when it's not that easy to use?

It's not an easy feature to implement in the iPhone OS with it's low button count.

SCO inks last-second life-saving Unix pact

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Crazy

In this difficult financial times you would think high risk investments would be out of the picture.

This company has nothing other than a dubious claim over Linux. Why don't they just give up, they're not going to win.

Microsofties lose their iPhones

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@No different to us...

"....our IBM resellers have IBM laptops, our HP resellers have HP laptops, so why not MS use MS products?"

It's bad because it creates a monoculture where nobody who works for the company has an experience of technology other than their own.

It creates a kind of limited technology gene pool.

How on earth is Microsoft going to compete with Apple or Google (in terms of mobiles, search and online services) if they stay in their own little technology dream world?

Johnson shuffle returns ID cards to the table

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Multiple forms of ID work better

It is better to require multiple forms of ID. If you have one form of ID then the criminals can focus on these.

It is rubbish that the cards will not be forged due to "biometrics" as one MP put it. All biometrics will prove is that the card contains your retina scan, DNA or other attributes. It does not prove the information on the ID card is valid.

When applying for an ID card you will still have the process where someone will have to vouch for you. Sure, they will toughen this up, but once someone has stolen your identity and registered an ID card with it then you're screwed.

It's a similar argument to the banks saying chip and pin is secure and don't believe ATM fraud is possible. They believe so much in the technology being secure that they won't listen to anyone who says otherwise.

Having multiple forms of ID means you're not putting all your eggs in one basket.