Posts by Fred Flintstone

Re: execute people on the Reg forums

Dunno, I did say I was for bringing back hanging, just not by the neck. Seems appropriate here given the sentiment :)

I do agree with some that the correct statement is is that he is wanted for questioning in relation to a possible rape. The circumstances seem to support a charge, but until a judge say he is guilty he is just a weak tosser - oh, no, that he isn't, make it jerk.

He is not actually a rapist, nor was the original charge this - it escalated into one at that level because he didn't cooperate with what I personally don't see as a wholly unreasonable request from the women involved. So, principally he is wanted for being a jerk, with questioning potentially elevating that to rapist.

Is that enough to get downvotes? It's been pretty poor so far - just as if nobody cares.. :)

Re: @jeebus

Oh dear - pot, kettle and all that.

He does have a point, which is why I think it's a bit early to tell if Apple is no longer Apple. The first thing that happens after you take over from a control freak is that you discover the bits he/she/it (to keep it generic) has been shoving under the carpet because it didn't agree with their "vision". The predecessor has to first remove those bumps from under the carpet, and in such a way that it does not diminish the past glorious leader or the shareholders do a runner (it's not like they're not nervous already - the stupid ones still think they "missed out" on Facebook)..

First job (pardon the pun) is to keep the ship going, the *next* time is when I expect to get an idea where the new captain is taking the company. That's the point where you can judge if the company has a future, or becomes a slow leaking version of the Titanic (i.e. becomes Microsoft under Ballmer).

IMHO it's still too early. Steve's ghost is still lingering, which will not be helping as everything Apple will do will still be somehow attributed to Jobs, for or against. It needs to lose that shadow. The problem is that it may need to lose the shadow, but show new strength in vision. Not quite sure Apple has that yet. As I said, too early.

Re: @Benjamin 4

Yes, but there's never a sledgehammer handy when you are stopped for a search at customs.

Finally a use for those armed guards walking around.. Aim here, please..

Actually, I can see it now - a new coin driven machine with the kind of pulse degausser that is guaranteed to melt the NHS amalgam out of every Brit in the vicinity with NHS dental treatment. Hmm, must go and look in the old shed if I find parts..

Re: How much Google pays NASA?

I don't think it's just the value to the taxpayer, it's also the reasons why they were given permission to do this. If Google has knowingly made false statements as to the purpose of their use they ought to hang like everyone else for deception. If they did not, they have nothing to lose by providing clarity.

"Nothing to hide" - heard of it?

At the moment it *is* just a question, and I think it's good they should check. Google has every chance to help those cheap fuel rumours out of the world, and if they cannot they ought to cough up. They too should have nothing to hide.

If it's such a good deal for NASA it can be trumpeted as a model for others. If not, Google should pay its dues and fess up that the basis on which they got that concession were fraudulent (which seems to be the case). I don't see the problem here, I think it's good someone checks this out.

Re: Witch hunt

These were unused facilities Google is paying the upkeep on. If not for this the site may have had to be razed at great cost.

If that's true I would guess Google has nothing to hide and will be happy to answer a totally legit query. I think the enquiry makes sense - clarity is preferable over assumptions so if Google can document that all is well there is no problem. I cannot see the detrimental effect here at all.

I can see especially evading fuel duties as an interesting question - there is no reason why accompany that is already employing every possible trick in the book to avoid tax should get an easy ride. It's not like they would fold overnight if they had to pay their dues..

Re: More than enough...

Hamsters and breakaway makes me think of Richard Gere.

I seriously need to get some coffee..

Re: Don't knock the old phone boxes!

And they don't even stink of smoke any more!

True. These days it's urine..

Re: contact details?

.. and Pay-as-you-go SIM. My main worry is still that somewhere a telco will start offering free SMS - the cost of SMS is the only thing stopping you being flooded with ads and make your phone unusable. Case in point: try to cross a border with a UK O2 or Orange SIM and you get several text messages telling you how wonderful their service abroad is. No way to avoid it - the system finds you abroad and whammo, provider spam.

Now imagine that door open to every idiot on the planet..

Re: cybersquatting

Yes, we all *know* that they are a cybersquatter looking to make some moolah, but actually we don't really know because Apple won't admit it.

It's easy. Do a WHOIS on iphone5.com and iphone6.com and you get the same org. All names registered at the same time, all behind a privacy shield. BTW, an accidental mistype showed there's also an iphone78.com out there :).

New measurement!

Actually, that inspires a thought: how about expressing the charging time in PoE minutes? Not sure what the max is, but for e-cars it will be a whopping big number - maybe worth using "PoE weeks" instead..

Yup, just you wait until donors are starting to have accidents, or until the next "upgrade" which just happens to set your permissions for organ harvesting to "on", especially that helpful option "if I have 2, come and get one even when I'm still alive".

I'm OK with the publicity, but I dislike donorship being trivialised in this way. But that's just me.