* Posts by David Paul Morgan

334 publicly visible posts • joined 20 Aug 2007

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Disk stuck in the drive? Don't dilly-Dali – get IT on the case!

David Paul Morgan
Facepalm

a melting mystery

when I was a teenager, we came home from a shopping trip and followed the routine of "put the kettle on and make a cup of tea while putting away".

I picked the kettle up and noticed that there was a curved melt mark in a shallow crescent with a hole at the centre of the curve.

I showed this to my mother and father and we puzzled for more than a few minutes (after locating the top-of-stove whistling kettle to make tea) what couold have caused it.

I worked it out when I noticed that my father had been shaving in the kitchen - the convex side was facing the rear (south facing) kitchen window and the kettle body was at the focal length.

As the sun tracked the sky, the hotspot at the focus basically melted and burned through the plastic kettle.

I'll never let go, Jack. I'll never let go: Yes, Sony's Xperia 1 II has a 3.5mm headphone port

David Paul Morgan
Thumb Up

looking forward to using this one

I've been out of contract for some years, using the OnePlus 3T then 6T after years of Sony Xperia S, T, Z1c, Z3c (and Sony Ericsson before that!)

This is the Sony Xperia I've been waiting years for. Looks like they've done a half decent job on the camera and the Walkman part is top quality.

not bothered about the re-appearance of the headphone socket, but understand this matters to some people - I'll stick with my noise cancelling bluetooth Sony 'cans'.

On the plane/train I watch video content on my Sony Xperia Z4 tablet and rarely consume video content on a handset.

As long as NFC/Bluetooth combo also works smoothly, then "take my money" :-)

I was concerned about having to 'reach' in portrait mode, bu I understand the interface will address this.

Just what we all needed, lactose-free 'beer' from northern hipsters – it's the Vegan Sorbet Sour

David Paul Morgan

ISTR Mr Bird invented his cornflour custard because his wife couldn't eat eggs.

the rest, as they say, is history.

make it with soy or almond 'milk' and it's still custard :-)

The time a Commodore CDTV disc proved its worth as something other than a coaster

David Paul Morgan
Facepalm

Re: Copy Space

I made a 'transatlantic' mistake once.

I was on the telephone to our supplier to get a new lending library module installed so...

Me: I've switched into the lib-one user directory. What do i type next.

Support: OK, change into the code directory "cd fixcode"

Me: OK - and I type "cd fixcode"

Me: I've confirmed this with a pwd - yes - right directory.

Support: OK confirm that the module is there "ls -l | grep start-mod1"

Me: (I type the command and) Yes, I confirm the module is there.

Support: OK, now type "period slash start-mod1"

Me: (I type what I hear as ...) "period /start-mod1"

Me: it says command not found

then after some 'chat'...

Me: OH! 'period' - 'dot' or 'full-stop'

Me: ./start-mod1

Me: Thanks - that fixed it!

Right-click opens up terrifying vistas of reality and Windows 95 user's frightful position therein

David Paul Morgan
Facepalm

Re: The arcane arte of using a mouse

back in the Win3.11/Win95 days, I used to try and train the staff to use the terminals and windows terminal emulators. So, one user, the senior auditor, I asked to start the 7561 terminal to connect to the ICL-VME system.

"so, use the mouse to move the pointer over the little picture - which we call an icon - of the 7561 terminal, then double-click on the left button"

the senior auditor picked up the mouse, used his middle finger under the mouse to roll the wheel and move the pointer, then double clicked like it was a TV remote control.

He's never seen anyone use a mouse before.

Brits are sitting on a time bomb of 40m old electronic devices that ought to be recycled

David Paul Morgan
Go

Re: contain elements that could run out in the near future

who is to say that we will still be building circuits & components in the same way in the future?

I certainly think that, if you're on a 'contract' then a trade-in after 24 months should be offered, putting the problem back onto the suppliers.

Time to re-examine the manufacturing chain - someone has already mentioned 'right to repair'.

This handy list on the BBC https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-17357863

How 'fragile' are some of these elements & compounds? Can they be extracted from the metal remaining after industrial incineration? (eg reclaimed from Energy-from-Waste plants)

And we're back live with the state of the smartphone market in 2019. Any hope? Yeah, nah

David Paul Morgan
Thumb Up

Re: daylight viewable screen

yotaphone - I'm fed up of trying to see google maps in sunny climates - canaries, israel, oh - GB last week!

so, 2nd hand dual sim yotaphone (ideal for roaming) with e-Ink screen on one side.

Either this or 'hack' my sony kobo to put google maps on it (don't need GPs, I suppose)

so, yes to more differentiation - HQ Walkman sound from sony, e-paper/ink for hilers/travellers, bigger screen 4k (no notch) screens for movie watchers, tiny 10cm screens for nights out etc.

It's not your imagination: Ticket scalper bots are flooding the internet according this 'ere study

David Paul Morgan
Pirate

as long as it's not last minute,

if it's a gift, how about a proper, paper ticket with a holgram & a barcode and a nice gift card featuring the band?

it is getting ridiculous. I only ever want to buy 2 or maybe 3 tickets for any particular event, you're lucky to get in a sales queue, then the mission-impossible countdown clock puts added pressure on, then you find, the last time you used a card on the vendor site, it's already expired, then you rush to find the card 3-digit number - and all the while the mission impossible clock is ticking. I'm surprised even the bots have the patience!

The Palm Palm: The Derringer of smartphones

David Paul Morgan

Re: Oh look, they re invented the HTC Touch Diamond.

less than 20GBP delivered...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Soyes-7S-Dual-Sim-Small-Mini-Android-Smart-Touch-Screen-Mobile-Phone/232721622830?_trkparms=aid%3D555017%26algo%3DPL.CASSINI%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D55149%26meid%3D41675ce80d674442bd36ac59bf5c02b5%26pid%3D101006%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26%26itm%3D232721622830&_trksid=p2045573.c101006.m3226

Total Inability To Support User Phones: O2 fries, burning data for 32 million Brits

David Paul Morgan

Re: Backup?

well, dual-sim OnePlus6T here...

my main data sim is O2, my 2nd sim for work is, you guessed it, O2.

My JT sim for international roaming (and does have a bit of data in it) is actually in my Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet, so cue my 'Dom Jolley I'm on the phone' moment...

OnePlus 6T: Tasteful, powerful – and much cheaper than a flagship

David Paul Morgan

Re: Dumb dumb dumb

comes in the box - same as the pixel 3

The Chinese are here: Xiaomi to bring phones to the UK next month

David Paul Morgan

Re: If this was five years ago...

same for me and my Z1 compact - but instead of a Z1 Compact coming back, I had a Z3 compact instead.

Because it was under warranty. :-)

actually, we had an Xperia S some years ago that was affected by the yellow-tint screen issue. changed immediately without a fuss.

such a shame that Sony have abandoned the Z1/Z3/Z5 design language as I'd have one like a shot.

Apple boss decries 'data industrial complex' while pocketing, er, billions to hook Google into iOS

David Paul Morgan
IT Angle

Tim Cook - seperated at birth ...

... from Actor/Performer Paul O'Grady..?

https://goo.gl/images/QLbJ17

Silent running: Computer sounds are so '90s

David Paul Morgan

Re: Wot, no Trio?

Nice.

years ago, on my Panasonic GD93 , I'd recorded Majel Barret's "You have an incoming transmission" for e-mail & txt (2001-ish) and I also typed in "danse macabre" on the midi setting.

(That was a nice handset. slim, light and 7 colours you could assign to different callers.)

https://www.gsmchoice.com/en/catalogue/panasonic/gd93/Panasonic-GD93.html

WWII Bombe operator Ruth Bourne: I'd never heard of Enigma until long after the war

David Paul Morgan

well,

I've heard a rumour that, as the newly formed DDR continued to use the Enigma rotor system, it was in the best interests of British Intelligence NOT to 'let on' that they knew how to read it!

can anyone verify this?

If you drop a tablet in a forest of smartphones, will anyone hear it fall?

David Paul Morgan

Re: mature market ?

agreed,

we're still using our Z2 & Z4 Xperias at home.

I have a Dell windows hybrid, but it's not able to compete with the battery life and sheer portability of my Xperia.

There's nothing as thin and light on the market atm. The Z4 is 'waffer thin' and light as a feather.

but they do the job for years and years.

Sur-Pies! Google shocks world with sudden Android 9 Pixel push

David Paul Morgan

Re: Set the brightness to how you like it, depending on your setting

i really like 'messages'

I was using hangounts until they stopped it doing SMS.

Messages lets me txt from my PC, tablet & 'phone.

very handy.

Time to party like it's 2005! Palm is coming BAAAA-ACK

David Paul Morgan

Re: Bah!

this thin handspring was my favourite 'palm pilot'!

http://www.idsa.org/awards/idea/computer-equipment/handspring-visor-edge

I also had the cellphone module, so was able to use it as a smartphone.

(before that, used my panasonic gd93 as in infra-red modem!)

My first Palm III was in Nov '99 and it was the one in the translucent green body!

fantastic times.

bizarrely, I never took to the Palm Pre and much preferred my O2 XDA / HTC Wizard WinMo handset.

David Paul Morgan

I remember that episode

Also, columbo quite often had story lines using video tape, telephone answer machines, paging / text devices, secure keys etc.

Automated payment machines do NOT work the same all over the world – as I found out

David Paul Morgan

reminds me of two recent experiences

the first, when picking up my hire car in Ben-Gurion Airport, Israel, the girl behind the counter reminds me "... and you're not allowed to turn right on a red light".

I smiled and said "Why would I even think about doing that, I'm british, not american"

so, the instruction to bring back the car 'filled up'

In UK, put card in machine, type in pin, fill up to a max of £99gbp...

In Israel, put card in machine - well, either swipe through the reader in the old fashioned way or put the chip'n'pin in the slot.

It comes up, helpfully, in Hebrew script, "get non Israeli cards pre-approved" (there might have been an 'english' button, but I can't remember)

The boy behind the counter is able to swipe my card and pre-approve but only to 200NIS/40GBP

that was fine.

2nd occasion, different town, similar machines. I tried anyway, but failed, of course.

but, there was no kiosk.

I tried the traditional way of looking helpless and after a few minutes, noticed one guy to-ing and fro-in and noticed he had a terminal.

nice chap, no english. however, said I was 'angleet' אנגלית and he approved me.

none of this was as embarrasing as when I was in California.

Tried to fill up, couldn't get the pump to work.

tried another pump, still no joy.

asked the guy in the kiosk, who laughed, and said I had to switch the lever to make it work.

how very 70's I thought, but at least I could understand the instructions!

Potato, potato. Toma6to, I'm going to kill you... How a typo can turn an AI translator against us

David Paul Morgan

Re: Time to do things the easier way

perhaps we should table that?

The future of radio may well be digital, but it won't survive on DAB

David Paul Morgan

Re: Wait

we love Planet Rock in our house. I had to buy an extension antenna for my sony monolithic bluetooth/fm/dab/cd brick to reduce (but not eliminate) the warbling.

it's very annoying.

However, when i get up, I just shout "OK Google, Play Planet Rock Radio " and it's ready and waiting when I make the morning coffee!

Dawn of The Planet of the Phablets in 2019 will see off smartphones

David Paul Morgan

Re: Design Opportunity

yes, I remember them.

I wish the studio had done a man from U.N.C.L.E. tie-in when the new film was released.

Groovy baby!

"OK Google, open channel D"

Amazon warns you have 30 days before Music Storage files bloodbath

David Paul Morgan
Go

so on punch paper tape...

... in ASCII...

1,83(hole)+2,54(gap)=4,37mm/Byte

modern picture ~=1 430Bytes

so

1 430*4,37=6,25m of paper tape per picture?

Humble civil servant: Name public electric car chargers after me

David Paul Morgan

I know it's not capitalised but...

... an MP (member of (UK) Parliament) is NOT a 'Civil Servant' .

Why don't we call Cats Eyes 'Shaws' in that case!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percy_Shaw

or even Percys :-)

The new, new Psion is getting near production. Here's what it looks like

David Paul Morgan
Go

other devices also now available?

like this one reviewed by "unboxed therapy" on youtube.

https://youtu.be/KFgbF-oRI8c?t=1m43s

an actual pocket PC!

Whoosh, there it is: Toshiba bods say 14TB helium-filled disk is coming soon

David Paul Morgan

Re: Fuck a duck!

http://www.computerconservationsociety.org/resurrection/images/images74/resn.jpg

these

David Paul Morgan

Re: Fuck a duck!

eds80's

http://www.computerconservationsociety.org/resurrection/images/images74/resn.jpg

David Paul Morgan

Re: Fuck a duck!

luxury!

ICL 1904, punch paper tape and teletype console. Coding sheets.

1977-1979 Allt-yr-yn college, Newport in the 6th form.

ICL ME29 was my first computer I was responsible for. 8" floppy disc. 1984. online TP and EDS80 disc platter (that's 60MB useable) for backup.

Fruit flies' brains at work: Decision-making? They use their eyes

David Paul Morgan

Re: Time flies like an arrow.

colourless green dreams sleep furiously?

Apple exits music player biz by killing iPod Nano, iPod Shuffle

David Paul Morgan

Re: Back in t'day...

We had a 4x Sony and 4x Sharp pair of mini-disc player/recorders . they were great for 2 CD's to a disc or for copying talking books/plays off audio cassettes. Best of all, was being able to time-shift radio 4 dramas to listen to on the way to work the following day. We even had the Reef pre-recorded album on MD.

Anyway, for portable music, we used our Sony-Ericsson V800's as portable music players.

http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_ericsson_v800-893.php

Sony had crippled them with DRM, but there was a way around that.

you registered as a 'developer' and it was dead easy to sync your mp3's onto the memory stick duo.

shame about the MD Net player. Sony Music, columbia/sony pictures and the hardware division were always infighting :-(

imagine a VAIO computer with MD disc storage...

David Paul Morgan

Re: podcasts

I always thought that was "programming on demand" - ie one to many direct radio programmes.

well, well.

Radiohead hides ZX Spectrum proggie in OK Computer re-release

David Paul Morgan

Re: C90 cassette, as that medium was the dominant way? No!

good old OPD/QL

We had one briefly in our office, as our junior operator 'inherited' one from an uncle in BT [cough]

we had a lot of fun with it - the precursor of things we take for granted today, but do via our pocketslabs

Wowee, it's Samsung's next me-too AI gizmo: The Apple HomePod

David Paul Morgan

Re: Mono?

doesn't matter for google home.

you just say "hey google, play bbc radio 4 on lounge" and the sound goes through my sound bar,

or "... on Kitchen" to play on the kitchen stereo brick

These things work better as part of their own eco-system.

For listening to radio in the morning "hey google, play planet rock radio (on itself)" the sound is fine when pottering about.

Presumable, the Apple device will not play well with others?

Now, is there such a combination chromecast led speaker light bulb..?

TVs are now tablet computers without a touchscreen

David Paul Morgan
Unhappy

my hdmi chain 'broke' sort-of

my fairly old panasonic hdtv is basically plugged only into the sony sound bar.

It has three hdmi inputs: humax freesat, PS3/blueray & 2xhdmi chromecast/multi-region-DVD (which PS does not do).

However, do NOT try and play back a 3-D film in the PS3 as it doesn't come up on the TV.

The sound-bar correctly handshakes with the PS3 and says "3-D? OK"

however, the TV is old enough to not know about 3-D hdmi, so you get sound but no picture.

ho hum.

Up close with the 'New Psion' Gemini: Specs, pics, and genesis of this QWERTY pocketbook

David Paul Morgan

Re: $600

... perhaps, if the concept gets 'leaked' to the lower brand Chinese manufacturers, they might turn up on ebay etc for < £$€250 ?

David Paul Morgan

I'd like one of these

or at least an up-to date version.

http://cdn2.knowyourmobile.com/sites/knowyourmobilecom/files/styles/insert_main_wide_image/public/Array/clie03.jpg?itok=fB69QE2U

well, maybe call it the Sony Xperia Flip - Nougat or 'Oreo' o/s,

microSD slot and hdmi / chromecast output and 'sync' to your cloud of choice.

The windows 10 version could be called the Sony Vaio Flip (yes, I know they sold /that/ brand...

UK's Virgin Media subscribers suffer fresh email blocking misery

David Paul Morgan

old NTL world here...

I had several NTLWorld accounts, which were subsequently transferred to Virgin Media (still with the old NTLWorld.Com domain).

Unfortunately they managed to lose 3 of the sub-mailboxes and finally managed to lock me out of the prime account - so I can manage my virgin statements, but I can't 'manage' my own e-mail sub-accounts.

I've given up and moved my seperate accounts to gmail.com, outlook.com and , yes, yahoo.co.uk who all, surprisingly, seem to have pretty good anti-spam/phishing policies.

Annoyingly precocious teen who ruined Trek is now an asteroid

David Paul Morgan

when his marquis ship was blown up in Caretaker...

... who saved his mystical prayer wheel/carpet/stones/flute?

Or where they in his backpack..?

David Paul Morgan

Re: Blame the EU?

I blame the Universal Translator.

I love the way it 'fails' and people who are dying, seem to utter their dying phrases in their native language. (DS9, the hispanic guy who gets shot, for example).

Best use: when Julian Bashir switches it OFF to analyse a cardassian conference with his guest geniuses.

Also, when the Ferengi are back on earth causing the roswell incident, and they have to reboot using a hairpin.

Whuich then begs the question, where does Odo keep his universal translator/communicator...

Amazon files patent for 'Death Star' flying warehouse

David Paul Morgan
Coat

Amazon (Cloud) Base

Gerry Anderson Lawyers, line one!

or Skyship One from the film...

https://goo.gl/images/f8iYnH

2016: The Rise of the Intelligent (cloud) Machines

David Paul Morgan
Terminator

Re: A.I. could free humanity... @W Donelson

upvote for the acronym I.AM.IN.LOVE

IntelAIgent Machines in Live Operational Virtual Environments,

:-)

Blue sky basic income thinking is b****cks

David Paul Morgan
Facepalm

Re: Mixed feelings

we've been talking about this really since the late 70's / Early 80's.

What could have been an opportunity to use automation and re-skilling to share the benefits of a more 'leisured society' became the selfish race to the bottom of Thatcherism/Reaganomics. We know now that pure unfettered capitalism will NOT filter down benefits to the less fortunate, less able and less skilled. (ironic that manual labour and ditch digging still has not been fully automated, but many middle class 'white collar' skills have!).

In terms of 'the work shy' there will always be a very very small number that don't want to participate. let them. we can carry a small amount of slack. However, my issue with a fixed income is that it's too crude. I would suggest 'negative income tax' and scrap all other allowances and benefits.

eg. Everyone would have a 'tax code' which would factor in their circumstances. In order to bring them 'up to' a level of income guaranteeing a level of dignity in society, they would receive the correct 'negative income tax' in their payslip. Then, as they are able or skilled to take on more work, eventually, they would get to the 'zero' point and then as their income increases, then 10k @5%, up to 25k @10% etc up to 50% 'private' income tax bands. A better continuum.

This would all require a re-negotiation of "the social contract". what does industry expect from society (workforc & politics) - what do the workforce expect from their governments? I think at the moment, no-one knows their roles and are too confrontational, rather than cooperative - and in the UK 9& USA?) our political system is 'adversarial' rather than altruistic.

Of course, underlining this is the fact that we have way to big a population to sustain any of this. An elephant in the room, consuming resources. We need a big push to encourage population shrinkage - especially in the more resource-hungry rich 'west' and as a way to improve people's standard of living in poorer countries.

Basic income after automation? That’s not how capitalism works

David Paul Morgan
Coat

Re: Errrm

there's a phrase in economics - something called 'inferior' goods?

anyway, certain products become so inexpensive to make, that, theoretically, at zero 'cost' goods should tend to 'infinite consumption'. clearly, if bread is 'zero' there's only so much you can 'consume'.

For TV's, as an example, the key here was the technology and the patents. When europe switched to colour, Philips, Thorn et.al. kept hold of the PAL patents, allowing Europe to keep its manufacturing base. Hence, Philips, Ferguson (Thomson, JVC [J2T]) and (yes!) Sony TV's made in europe. (at one time, Sony near Bridgend made most of their Trinitrons for the euro market here). However, come flatscreen and HD, all the TV's are made in China and Korea.

Once a 'good' becomes a commodity, then yes, you can own 2, 3 or 4 at low cost, but they quickly reach saturation point. But, 'robots', to quote Henry Ford, don't buy cars - people do.

I've forgotten my point now...

iPhone fatigue and fading Samsung. This planet is bored with big brand phones

David Paul Morgan

I've recently 'jumped ship'...

... long time Sony-Ericsson/Sony for handsets.

I've just sold on my Xperia Z3 Compact (superb, btw) and my daily driver is now the OnePlus Three. (My other daily driver is the dual sim Doogee X5Pro which was £65 on ebay and runs the Good for Enterprise mail client, for work).

My partner will be picking up his Pixel tomorrow (Sat) as he's taken the Google Shilling. We'll sell on his Xperia Z3C too.

We will continue to use our Z2 & Z4 tablets which are very very good.

Clearly, the market is now mature/saturated and, for android at least, the market has become commodity.

"what features do you want, what software do you need, how much are you prepared to pay?"

Good God, we've found a Google thing we like – the Pixel iPhone killer

David Paul Morgan

Re: DUAL SIM

have you checked out the One+ Three?

I'm very tempted. 64GB internal, too.

I'm torn over this, I really am.. :-(

David Paul Morgan

Re: You had me at...

I know a lot of people like cabled headphones, but I havn't used them since my Xperia Z1C and my Sony noise-cancelling bluetooth headphones. NFC tap-to-play - brilliant.

David Paul Morgan

Re: Clearly...

OTG and a memory stick.

Which is why I'm now seriously considering either the oneplus 3 (or will stump up for the 128GB version of the Pixel).

32GB is a bit too small for me.

I like the way that this model shuffles your full quality pictures into Google Photos.

A year living with the Nexus 5X – the good, the bad, and the Nougat

David Paul Morgan

Re: But why did they use USB-C?

I like MHL/HDMI output as I like to plug my Xperias into the TV.

The One+ Three does not support MHL. Is it a USB-C 'thing'?

Paper mountain, hidden Brexit: How'd you say immigration control would work?

David Paul Morgan

Re: Simple is best

West Berlin might have been a better analogy.

Or 'turn UK into East Germany'?

It was West Berlin that was 'cut off' from the main part of Germany.

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