Posts by Tom 35

Re: Simple. If it can connect to the net, it is subject to the law.

The basic $69 Kindle would not exist. It's an e-ink device with no sound, it uses almost zero power while you are reading as only page turns require power. If you add text to speech it's going to be using power all the time.

The more full featured units like the Kindle Keyboard 3G includes sound. Can play audio books, and has Text to Speech included. It costs $159. I think they had a wifi version too for about $120 but I don't see it right now.

So what you are saying is 290 million Americans can't buy a $69 kindle because it will not meet the needs of 10 million Americans, even though there is a model(s) available that will do what you want. It costs more, because it can do more. And it's a tiny fraction of the price of that Jaws program you talked about ( $895 for the standard version).

I'd say it's you that should STFU.

Re: I hope so

I expect he is going to smell real bad after 90 years (age 116 if they count from now)...

This is like "We have reduced your sentence from life + 40 years, to only life +10 years. He must be thrilled.

Re: @ Tom 35 - @ unitron - I must have blinked and missed it.

That's totally different. Same for any recent versions of photoshop.

It's just not going to copy a banknote, it's not going to copy it and change it to read "in dog we trust"...

Or copy your passport and change your name to Carmen Sandiego.

Re: Solution

"declassify more information about the NSA spying programs"

Not enough. As long as secret gag orders exist they can say anything they want, and no one can trust anything they say.

- They would have to declare all existing gag orders void.

- Only allow gag orders for a fixed time for a specified investigation. After that time it's public. No exceptions.

- And the one that will never happen, it has to apply to EVERYONE, not just people in the US. Not the current "your not a US citizen and your on the wrong side of the gate at the airport so you have no rights".

Not going to happen.

Expect some more leaks.

Re: People hate monopolists.

With Apple, you have one choice, buy another Apple or all your aps are gone. You have a choice of the expensive latest model, or the old model.

With Android you have to buy another Android but it can be Samsung, LG, Sony... you have a lot more choice when it's time to upgrade.

Re: BAN THE DAILY MAIL

"Yes, but only to those who read it, I'm safe. ;)"

But you have to watch out for second hand Mail, you can be exposed in an elevator, the train, even around here!

Re: A good opportunity to sell stock at cost and look big'n'caring

No technical difference but...

Since the apple part is more expensive, and even the licensed 3rd party are more expensive due to the apple tax on the connector they can charge more for a fake apple adaptor then the same unit with a micro usb. They always bootleg the expensive handbag, not the cheap one.

VHS worked in any VHS tape player.

Not true.

In Canada 99% of TVs can't play PAL. VHS players can't play PAL. If I wanted to watch a PAL VHS tape I would have to buy an expensive VHS player that could convert PAL to NTSC (not all that well). I can play a Japanese VHS but the black level is off because they use NTSC-J.

My fist DVD player was a DVD-Rom drive. It was region free 5 minutes after I installed it. It can play PAL just fine too (First set top was region free too, but still could not play PAL).

I only have a handful of PAL DVDs like the BBC's The Day of the Triffids series (1981) that was shown on TV here once, but never released on R1 DVD so I bought it from Amazon.co.uk (it was released later, I can buy it now for $37.29 from Amazon.com).

Re: Thank god for the war on Terror

Stop saying pressure cooker. AAAArghh! ... I've said it ...

the knights who were formally Ni

Unregulated content

It's terrible, people can watch "stuff we don't like" on their TVs and they don't even have to sign up to our I'm a pervert list!

Maria Miller: But how is this possible? We have our new 100% effective "stuff we don't like" filter don't we?

The TV apps drill right through the filter, we can't even tell what they are watching! We could block the app but it would be unpopular, we have to do something!

Maria Miller: Ok, you go stir up the rabble, I'll start talking about needed regulation and we will get this sorted out just like the ISPs.

If you want to build a gun

See zip gun. I expect I could make something just as (not) effective from the junk I have on hand using basic hand tools in a lot less time then it takes to print that plastic "gun". It would not look much like a gun I expect so it would not be as good for scarring fools.

"3D printed rifle"

It's not a rifle as there is no way there is any "rifling" in that thing. More like a musket (even needs a tamping rod).

This attempt to make 3D printed guns out to be a big thing seems to be one part Shit Disturber and one part forget about AR15s, crap plastic one shot guns (way more useless then the zip guns that have been around for years) are what you need to ban.

Re: PC World...

I expect it's something like...

Run ads, put a surface on display, get a big discount on the MS stuff you actually want to stock.

It's All Fun and Games Until Someone Loses an Eye

I'm not going to worry too much about a falling Styrofoam box.

Much more danger of bits falling off buildings.

Even hail and I'm not worried about that.

"I feel that at least I would have the ability to configure it as I wished and not have a Google/Apple/Windows backdoor."

If the mobile operators are pushing for it you can expect it's because they want to own the backdoor. And to lock you into their content source.

Don't expect anything better then Android, and quite possibly worse. If the operators put in enough money to get a say expect a T-Mobile app store, and an AT&T app store, and ... Forget updates it's time for a new phone and a new contract.

You will end up having to do that same thing you can already do with Android, root the phone and install a non-official ROM.

I bought my first "smart" phone this year, mostly because I needed to have mobile email for work. I had a Motorola Razor flip phone before that. I went for a Nexus 4 as the least crapped up phone available.

Re: Techies hitting the beach perhaps...

I think the normal 1024x600 netbook screen is less then the 1024x768 that windows 8 wants (1366 x 768 with snap). So not much chance it would install (not that I've tried).

Re: Showerhead?

It can print threads? And holes?

I expect you would need to cut threads, and drill the holes.

Sounds like a poorly worded fair use policy

That seems to be more or less standard. Same for privacy policies as well. They have pages of stuff that all seems reasonable and well defined but some place in the middle will be a vague bit they can read anyway they want.

The result is...

Bla bla bla you can't do anything we don't like. Bla bla bla we can do anything we want.

Re: yeah...no

"will now be able to access, view, and edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents"

I already can, on my Nexus 7 too. And it's free/cheap for a variety of apps that can open office docs.

Maybe this will work better for round trip, but so far I have not been desperate enough to need to edit something on my phone/tablet. It is handy to be able to read one though, but don't need 365 to do it.

What next? With Microsoft Skype people will now be able to make calls on their Android phones...

Re: Oh god no!

Coming this Christmas...

A Christmas Carol starring Alastair Sim. In super 3D ultra color! and Sensurround.

And at the same time

A BS "slide to unlock" patent (and a whole list of other "on a mobile device" patents) are worth millions and let you ban your competitors.

It's like moaning that a car doesn't get updates.

You know I've seen a few cars with built in GPS and a stand alone GPS stuck on the dash because the latest update for the built in unit were too old and out of date. Also cars with factory sound systems with Apple docs, only to have Apple change something. I had to update my 71 MGB to run on unleaded fuel too.

Re: Counterfeit Products

Better to use real (made in China) Cisco kit and just have it make a detour on the way to the boat.

Re: @Tom 35

The $18 was poking fun at the original poster.

But this is a civil suit, the idea that someone who is at best a moderately successful artist lost $18 million between what they paid her, and what she thinks she would have received if they had not keep selling her catalogue seems silly/unlikely. Just because the record label have been able to stick a ludicrous value on an MP3 is no reason for this.

Could she even cancel the contract? Did she sign a 20 year contract and then wish she didn't but they said too bad? Why would they keep selling the catalogue if the contract was cancelled?

If millions of people liked the song, and she was able to cancel the deal 8 years ago and they keep selling it, then maybe $18 million would be ok.

Surface RT - Mr Hankey

Having received my Surface RT as a Christmas bonus, and the south park theme of this story caused me to remember and early south park episode...

My Surface is now named.

MrHankey

A very fitting name I think.

People have always come with a range of different finger sizes, your point is?

See sandpaper comments

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/07/16/jobs_on_ipad_mini/

Not just little Jonny

It's the whole house. The adults can't access stuff they might need for work, or just want to see, so they turn it off. Now no protection for little Jonny.

Much better to put a filter on little Jonny's computer. For a 5 year old as simple as using a safe DNS service.

It's not fit for purpose. Unless the purpose is to make points with the Think of the Children crowd.

Re: Gesture politics at its worst

Once it's in place they can add a second list of stuff that's not optional, (kiddy porn, terror stuff to start) then they add "Stuff they don't like" to the list. Now the politicians can be safe from people posting bad things about them online.