* Posts by Paul Wells

47 publicly visible posts • joined 30 Jul 2007

Would you blow $5.6m to own a dot-word? Meet a bloke who did just that

Paul Wells

Re: How much for .dot ?

wire.dash

Really... an iKeyfob? Apple continues war on fanbois' pockets

Paul Wells

Re: Aimed at the Merkin market then

There's plenty of motels that can't be walked to, and quite a few where you don't want to walk to.

Ofcom will not probe lesbian lizard snog in new Dr Who series

Paul Wells

Not in the leaked episode?

I'll have to watch the workprint leak again as I don't think the kiss was in that version. Possibly the BBC were planning on removing it for other countries.

Target finally implements chip and PIN card protections

Paul Wells

Nope, neither Chase nor Amex offer a chip & PIN card in the US. If you're willing to jump through hoops you may be able to get a chip & signature from them, but at the moment there's only two credit unions which offer the real deal.

Heartbleed vuln under ACTIVE ATTACK as hackers map soft spots

Paul Wells

Re: Worst thing you can do right now

IVPN.net is probably blocked at a lot of places.

BOFH: On the PFY's Scottish estate, no one can hear you scream...

Paul Wells

Re: Not running out of oil

Wasn't $100 a barrel the proce barrier which was going to change how we use oil? Didn't seem to happen then.

Seven Great Moments in World Wide Web History

Paul Wells

Re: Futurama?

Stephen Fry frozen for a thousand years? How would the BBC survive?

Google gobbles Wi-Fi thermostat maker Nest for $3.2 BEEELLION IN CASH

Paul Wells

Re: More not being evil coming up

The Nest already has motion & sound detectors so that it can turn the heating up if people are about or down if they're not.

Boffins invent LUMINOUS PIGS again, glow-in-dark bacon sarnies presumably imminent

Paul Wells
FAIL

Everyone loses track of the date at the start of the year

The Beeb story that's linked to is dated Thursday, 12 January 2006.

Calling Doctor Caroline Langensiepen of Nottingham Trent uni

Paul Wells

Re: But was there an assignment in the first place?

An excessive amount of lagers? Is this possible?

BBC's 3D blunder BLASTED OUR BRAINS – Doctor Who fans

Paul Wells

Re: "Tax" - really?

Yes, "The Wire" was very good, but is it really fair to pick it as a program to hold up as a target for the BBC without mentioning the huge amount of low quality that's broadcast at the same time?

And there should be some financial measurements included - to get HBO would be another $15-20 on top of the cable charge

Oh, shoppin’ HELL: I’m in the supermarket of the DAMNED

Paul Wells

I thought it was 2013

Ranting about the self service lanes was ever so slightly amusing when they first came out, but that was at least five years ago.

Google goes back to the future with SQL F1 database

Paul Wells

Or just use PICK

Rather than going back to SQL after dumping NoSQL there's always the PreSQL databases that use the PICK model.

First Austin, now live across the US: Watch Americans pay by bonk

Paul Wells

Still no Chip & Pin though

Just finished my annual questioning of US credit card issuers to try and get a C&P credit card - only found one place but the hold times to talk to any one were regularly over half an hour so didn't really want to go with them.

BYOD: Bring Your Own Device - or Bring Your Own Disaster?

Paul Wells
Thumb Down

BUY Your Own Device

Saves the company a lot of money as they no longer pay for any work equipment.

Not got a phone from this list then you'll have to buy one. Not got a laptop from this list then you'll have to buy one. Not got business messaging on your phone plan then you'll have to upgrade.

And you have to allow the HelpDesk to install remote reformatting software.

Netflix tempts binge viewers with House of Cards pilot freebie

Paul Wells
Thumb Up

See the first four hours

It does move slowly, with possibly a few too many characters/threads, but it's a big step up from the drama on any non-cable channel in America.

'SHUT THE F**K UP!' The moment Linus Torvalds ruined a dev's year

Paul Wells
Holmes

Average

Most people have good days and bad days, so if you shout at someone because of their bad day there's a good chance that the next day will be a good one and it'll appear that the shouting has worked.

'Programming on Windows 8 just like playing bingo' - Microsoft VP

Paul Wells
Happy

Visual Basic?

Time to find the old disc of VB6 then.

Apple TV: Rubbish, you don't like documentaries – I'll just flick to porn

Paul Wells
FAIL

Tivo

In case no one has mentioned it - Tivo already does this, it "learns" your tastes from what you've previously recorded and automatically changes channels if it thinks there's something on you'd like.

BOFH: The back-up backdown smackdown

Paul Wells
Thumb Down

At the risk of being serious...

...shouldn't the BOFH automatically schedule the back-ups?

Top Facebook exec begs students: 'Click on an ad or two'

Paul Wells
FAIL

Isn't that fraud?

Or something like it? The terms and conditions for most ad networks say you're not to ask people to click on the ads.

Apple has 7.85in 'iPad Mini' in its labs

Paul Wells

Does no one rememember the iPod?

If you want a small iPad just get an iPod Touch.

Braben sticks knife into secondhand games market

Paul Wells

Re: "Americans complaining about gas prices will get no sympathy over here!"

@Goldmember

But how many miles do you get for that $8.83 per US gallon? An American car doing 20mpg is standard.

Doctor Who girl Amy Pond axed in 'heartbreaking' exit

Paul Wells

The US version WAS the Amy Pond show

As well as being edited to make room for lots of commercials the American broadcasts on BBC America also had to make room for a weekly introduction by Amy Pond explaining that she had an imaginary friend who took her on journeys.

The Guardian iPad Edition

Paul Wells
FAIL

Free?

It's annoying how all of the newsstand papers are listed as "free" when really it's the app that you can't do anything with that's free and you have to subscribe to the content.

Bug-Byte Manic Miner

Paul Wells
Happy

Manic Miner - The Opera!

The Franz Kafka Big Band did a long sketch about an opera based on it, there should still be three arias from it available somewhere on the net.

California set to impose 'Amazon Tax'

Paul Wells
Thumb Down

But which rate of sales tax should Amazon collect?

The sales tax charged by the shops a couple of blocks from me is at a different rate to some of those in the middle of town - yes, it does get a localized as that.

Naked cyclist streaks through Suffolk village

Paul Wells
Thumb Up

Fremont Solstice Parade

He needs to get to Fremont for the Solstice Parade on June 12th, we always have a lot of naked cyclists then.

When is a database not so relational?

Paul Wells
Happy

So part two is all about PICK?

Long before SQL, still faster, still easier to use.

Seagate to unveil 'perfect iPad companion'

Paul Wells

Can't be the remote file app

There's plenty of apps which allow ipod/phone/pad to play files from drives attached to other computers (Windows and OS X, not sure about Linux) on the same wifi network.

Beeb reworks Wuthering Frikkin' Heights

Paul Wells
FAIL

So you've never heard Drama On 3 or The Wire?

Anyone who is surprised by this obviously doesn't listen to the drama on Radio 3 where the programmes that DON'T have a warning are the exceptions - you're probably expecting it to be as cozy as Radio 4.

New owner slips into unwitting BoJo's domain

Paul Wells

Forgot or didn't want?

If someone registers a domain and doesn't renew it, doesn't that imply that they no longer want it? There's a few I've used then abandoned after the project was over.

US may disable all in-car mobile phones

Paul Wells
Unhappy

using median for the average...

...always makes me want to see the data.

Almost always when "average" is mentioned they're talking about the mean (add all the values and divide by how many), so when median (sort the values and find the one in the middle ) or mode (which value occurs the most) is used it suggest all three have been tried and that one that suits the bias is used.

BOFH: Join the club

Paul Wells
Stop

Hardware?

That amount of modding is dangerously close to being an engineer.

Dell to take on iPad with ton of tablets

Paul Wells
FAIL

in the shops yet?

Until I can walk into a store and buy one I'm not going to consider them a real product.

1 in 10 Americans prefer colonoscopies to PC security

Paul Wells
Thumb Down

do you die if you don't have a secure PC?

Having colon cancer is more serious than having a virus on a PC. Been there, done that, got the scars.

Teletext toddles off as licence taken

Paul Wells
FAIL

a TV in every room, a PC in only one

Isn't that the arrangement most people have? So we go from quick access (turn on TV, press teletext button) in every room to slow access (boot PC, wait, wait longer, open browser, go to one of many pages) in one room?

Why get rid of something that works and has a niche?

El Reg receives message from planet 'Female Pigeon'

Paul Wells
FAIL

How about the Christian mythology?

If you're going to use the Roman, Norse, Hindu, Polynesian, Egyptian or other mythologies then you should really use the Christian one as well.

No more premium rate numbers for docs

Paul Wells
Unhappy

no email?

Do people really still phone hospitals and clinics? Isn't email or messaging available?

I just log into a secure website, and read any messages from the surgical team, and ask any questions I need. If I want to make an appointment that gets done on-line as well.

Apple Store pillaged in 31 seconds

Paul Wells
Thumb Up

So very tempted to do that my self

It's not surprising that people have to resort to a smash and grab at an Apple store - given that 90% of the Apple staff seem to hang around the doorway to welcome people or to cheer them when they leave, and when you do find someone you discover they're wearing the wrong colour t-shirt to actually help you.

Amazon cloud welcomes airplanes of data

Paul Wells
Happy

Your 747 may be full of USB drives...

...but my hovercraft is full of eels.

Gmail adds location-aware signatures

Paul Wells
Alert

Labs depends on the browser you use

"...Gmail labs aren't yet compatible with all of our supported browsers. Labs are available only in Internet Explorer 7.0+, Firefox 2.0+, Safari 3.0+, and Google Chrome. You won't see a 'Labs' tab in your Settings if you're not using the newer version of Gmail on the browsers listed above. Please note that if you're using Internet Explorer 6.0, you will not have Gmail Labs..."

Spotify: We kick the tyres

Paul Wells
Thumb Up

@Paul Murphy

The Goons shows, The Navy Lark, Men from the Ministry, and lots more can be found on BBC Radio 7.

Amazon SimpleDB: a database server for the internet

Paul Wells
Thumb Up

It's looking more and more like Pick

Every bit of information that comes out suggests it's either based on or at least inspired by Pick.

Brit workers: The Xmas skive starts today

Paul Wells
Unhappy

I live in America...

...which means work 9-5 every day except the 25th.

Tesco punts Xbox 360 bundle for £33.24

Paul Wells
Unhappy

Given the current exchange rate...

that seems pretty much the price you'd pay in most American stores. Well, almost.

US denies entry to security researcher

Paul Wells

A tourist visa is not a work visa

He wanted to work in America but didn't have a work visa, so he wasn't allowed in Where's the problem with that?