* Posts by James

178 publicly visible posts • joined 8 May 2007

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Fringe box office system provider goes titsup

James
Unhappy

But ...

.. Pivotal were provided with SMART and SPUR finance:

2003-2004: £50,000

http://www.rsascotland.gov.uk/rsa/files/smart%20spur%20offers%202003_2004%20pdf.pdf

2004-2005: £22,000.

http://www.rsascotland.gov.uk/rsa/files/smart%20spur%20payment%202004%202005%20pdf.pdf

2005-2006: £102,000

http://www.scottishbusinessgrants.gov.uk/rsa/files/smart%20spur%20offers%202005_2006%20pdf.pdf

2006-2007: Nearly £23,000

http://www.scottishbusinessgrants.gov.uk/rsa/files/SMART%20SPUR%20payments%202006-2007.pdf

That's almost £200,000 or OUR money (peanuts compared to other insane government expenditure) but still.....

So Brian the last laugh (as usual) is on the tax payer.

David - if you go to "brightsolid"s contact form page you'll find the Pivotal Integration link still live there ! Seems they haven't disinfected their site completely yet.

IMHO "brightsolid" also sounds like one of those trendy media "luvvie" names thought up over one too many bottles of Moet ...

Old timers rattle zimmers at 'Elderly Persons' sign

James

You mean to say....

.. that this isn't "Warning: Pickpockets operate here".

Sats blunder firm sacked

James
Joke

Front runner for ...

.. a replacement has to be Pivotal Integration !

Apple faithful snared in phishing scam targeting Mac.com users

James

Have to agree ...

with Matt on this one:

www.nolostand.cl/ etc.

Why on earth would Apple have a non-apple domain based in Chile to update billing details - quite apart from the fact (as everyone is continuously warned). YOU ARE NEVER, EVER, ASKED FOR YOUR BILLING DETAILS BY EMAIL.

People should SWITCH BRAIN ON before using their browser.

Perhaps we should have an internet competency license (much like car, plane etc.) before people are allowed access to the internet. Just a thought....

Colchester Hospital sacks manager over lost laptop

James

Can we ask why ...

.. he had his laptop on holiday with him?

Surely we have got to get away from this idea that we've got to take work with us everywhere we go!

As mentioned in the article - ultimately the responsibility lies with the Boards of the companies and organisations involved. If they create a culture in which people feel they have to have work with them 24/7 then this will happen.

But it does show that the Hospital involved must have a very bad work culture.

Fringe organisers launch inquiry into ticketing fiasco

James

Pivotals web site ...

.. seems to have been unavailable for a couple of weeks....

They've had lots of Government funding though - SMART and SPUR awards galore.

Normally considered the "kiss of death".....

South Korean prez turns on the internet

James

Infodemics ??

"The government wants action to stop "infodemics" - false stories which spread rapidly via websites and blogs." and what about TV, radio and newspapers?

Almost sounds like a good idea until you realise that 99% of our medias output would be stopped by this type of restriction.

And, surely, this is what the internet is all about - allowing the largest number of idiots (sorry, users) to spread the maximum amount of disinformation in the shortest possible time !! No other reason for the rise of Wikipedia ....

Nokia 6220 Classic candybar phone

James

Maps....

... it would be very useful to know how the GPS part of the phone performed with OS 1:50,000 and 1:25,000 maps of the type available from Anquet, memory Map etc. not just the proprietory maps from the phone company.

This would be useful to know for ALL GPS capable devices !

SAP user group foments revolt over massive price hike

James
Paris Hilton

Of course ...

.. the other interpretation is that SAP has become "top heavy" and needs to find a way of financing it's fleet of directors.

A good software product should (in theory) require very little in the way of support beyond initial training. If it needs constant calls to help and support desks then there is something seriously wrong with it's design! (Just think how often you've phoned your Fridge manufacturer in the past year for "support" - that's how software should be!). (Says he, hoping that you haven't got a Windows driven fridge!).

Paris - top heavy - geddit ? Ah well, please yourselves...

Brits more hooked on mobile tech than Yanks are

James

What about ...

.. statistics for Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, .... South Africa, Australia, Togo.... etc.

Why do we always compare with the US? They aren't even part of Europe, for gods sake!

EU, champion of the ringtone downloader

James

In a world....

... with millions below the poverty line why do we spends billions on ringtones anyway?

In my opinion these are some of the most pointless items around. And all to show the world that you're a Pratt with a phone! (usually in a supermarket).

Mines the bearskin one - time to get back to the cave..

Top airline bosses launch assault on airport ID card plan

James

"They who would give up ..

.. an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security."

- Benjamin Franklin

And this is exactly where the UK and the US are at the moment. Neither country deserves liberty nor security.

We're being governed by eggnogs that believe that technology can solve what, are, essentially, human problems.

Whilst I understand that the airlines are concerned with their bottom line I am very happy to see that one industry is fighting back against the insane techno-juggernaut of the "security industry" as subsidised by our government and hence OUR money (our Taxes). Where common sense fails perhaps some commercial interests will succeed.

/rant !

Mars whacked by object bigger than Pluto

James

No ..

immediate danger to us earthlings then...

UK clamps down on bus-spotting terror menace

James

Sieg Heil !

nuff said...

Post Office aims to collect ID card fingerprints?

James

But ...

there won't be any Post Offices left.

(They're trying to remove all the rural Post Offices within 10 miles of our office!)

What I learned from a dumb terminal

James
Alien

Learn to "not assume."..

... it takes a while.. but it's always a case of not jumping to conclusions and not "assuming". And very often it's the obvious. I once, (when a student) with others, pushed a friends car around a square in Aberdeen at 2 am trying to get it to start. It was 15 minutes before someone thought of checking the obvious... (fuel gauge!).

We've found systems like "LogMeIn" rescue are invaluable for software based support - now we can see exactly what the user sees and does.... and I guess video links can help with the hardware (CDs upside down, printers upside down !!! coffee cup in the CD drive holder!).

Must always remember that the user's perspective is entirely different from yours! "Is it plugged in?" (or similar) is always a good place to start.

How many support people have asked the question: "What version of Windows are you running?" and got the reply "Office 2003" (or whatever!).

Ho hum!

Mother pleads not guilty in cyber-bullying suicide test case

James

"US legal experts....

.... are worried that a succesful(sic) prosecution could criminalise anyone who posts fake information online."

Why? We should be dealing with a world of truth. Fake information = LIE - I don't see what's wrong with prosecuting liars especially if they have lied for malicious or criminal reasons which this woman allegedly did.

Or, is it because "US legal experts" will find themselves prosecuted for lying ??

CSC cranks the whalesong up to 11

James
Happy

I prefer ..

.. the real CSC (http://www.csccrop.co.uk/).

Back to the article - sounds like the company board have just reproduced what the Design Company said when it handed over the invoice for £5m for the "redesign".

Again, Clothes, Emperor, New - re-arrange as you will.

Does anyone else remember Private Eyes Pseuds Corner? A great place for this type of "VapourSpeak"

NHS IT loses key contractor

James
Paris Hilton

Why the big expensive contractors only?

A friend of mine developed Out Patient software for a number of hospitals some years back. It worked, it was on-time and it didn't cost the earth. It was (last time I spoke to him) in use in a good number of hospitals. It had full 24 hour back-up and support and was run on a staff of a few people (it's probably changed by now).

He had a fight to get it into the NHS because:

a) It was inexpensive.

b) his wasn't a large company (1 person originally).

c) his system actually worked.

Interestingly, the NHS wanted to create their own system (this was several years ago) - so they tried to "copy" his system - it was a massively expensive failure.

So, yes you're correct - some Register readers could do a damn sight better - BUT they would have to have worked in the NHS, know what is needed from a "grassroots" - i.e. user - perspective, ignore specs from the NHS "empire builders" and get a commercial system up and running without interference from the self-same empire builders.

Paris - because the obscene, immense waste of OUR taxes on these project would make you weep!

MPs demand US spooks' guarantees on census data

James
Stop

NO NO NO NO !!

Have our government totally lost any sense of reality?? (Maybe some would say they had years ago).

There is absolutely NO WAY that UK personal data should be in any company or organisation outside the UK itself.

What sort of brain dead moron in the government actually thinks that any large US company can be trusted in any way whatsoever when it comes to a "request" from the Department of Homeland Security ?

STOP because these morons have to be stopped before the rights of every citizen of this country have been sold, supplied, traded.

Spotigo promises Wi-Fi mapping within 5 metres

James

Bet it won't work...

... in the wilds of Knoydart.

Metal Storm reveals pocket bunker-buster test outcome

James
Happy

@dodge

I suspect that Lewis was indulging in a bit of sarcasm.....

James
Flame

It seems that ...

the Australian Stock Exchange will prostitute themselves to any company. No sign of ETHICAL investment there, then.

Naomi Campbell banned from BA flights

James
Happy

Sounds good to me.

Great stuff - perhaps BA should ban all customers who have (inconveniently) "lost their bags" or who have turned up on time expecting (how arrogant) that their flights have not been cancelled.

In this way BA will have much fewer passengers and, perhaps, be able to cope with them in their wonderful, shiny, but totally inoperable new terminal.

I must admit I start to wonder if Terminal 5 was sponsored by other airlines to get the Pariahs away from the main Heathrow area?

Apprentice contestant to offer Zeppelin trips above London

James
Alert

Building sites?

Quote "They will be able to take in all the sites as it goes over the River Thames."

I assume these are the building sites for the Olympics - can't wait !!

Wanted: Gordon Brown's fingerprints, £1,000 reward

James
Thumb Up

@law

as far as I read it copyright belongs to the creator of the work in question. You didn't create your fingerprints but perhaps there's a good case for arguing that your mother did !!

Of course, a more general argument could be for the Creator. Hence government would need to obtain permission from whatever/whoever you believed to be the creator of your fingerprints.

Hackers target outsourced app development

James
Happy

There's a surprise.... !

My company has always avoided, and still avoids, outsourcing (at least beyond a half hours drive!).

Handing over mission critical development to a remote location, in a different culture, seems to me to be asking for problems. How do you control IP? Security? Basically - you can't.

A bit like asking all those great programmers in China to develop Britains defense software ("well, they were the cheapest quote, sir!").

Best way, is to create a very good, small development team in-house and pay them what they are worth. This should usually be on a par with the directors and board members!!

US teen cuffed for disposable camera 'Taser'

James
Coat

The real crime is

that the boy adapted the camera himself. It wasn't produced by a commercial organisation which charges huge sums of money and pays taxes to Good Ole George.

If he'd been "United Shockers, Inc." under contract to the military or police it wouldn't have mattered how many people he'd rendered unable to be mobile !!

Mines the cynical jacket with the upturned collars

Storm Worms exploit April Fools

James
Alert

@Ian

Sounds like a plan - except keeping the PC switched off 365 (or 366) days a year would seem to be the most effective anti-virus method. Probably a damn good way of reducing stress, electricity use and a lot of other bad stuff!

James
Thumb Up

Wasn't aware of...

..any of this. Mail spam filters must be working a treat !

Apple 'most successful world brand'

James

Just wait for the latest...

.. release from the above named Apple. The iDiot - an automaton that is designed to buy, without question, any iTem which has a lower case "i" as it's first letter followed by any CAPITAL letter.

But how can you take marketing seriously that pitches access to Facebook as a reason for getting an iPhone ??? (The latest TV ad campaign with it's feel good music) Surely this is one very, very LARGE reason NOT to buy one of the little pieces of shiny plastic and metal !!

It's the green, apple (sorry Apple (TM)) scented mac near the door....

Dot Mobile goes titsup

James

MVNO =

Mostly Vacuous Neds Organisation

Nvidia drivers named as lead Vista crash cause in 2007

James

Trying to do too much too fast..

I'd suspect that these driver errors were caused by the developers trying to do too much, too fast with an overly complicated operating system. Possibly with inadequate documentation and information.

Maybe it'd be better if the various developers took time to fully and properly document/describe/develop/test everything before it was released. It may be a much longer development cycle - but it may actually produce a much more reliable operating platform and better "user experience". Which is what everyone wants, right?! (Ching ching, go the cash registers.......)

Laptop vendors burned in battery plant blaze

James
Thumb Down

Eggs / Basket / All

Seems totally ludicrous that any company would not disperse it's essential supply requirements across dozens of suppliers rather than one or two...

The Guardian ditches Phorm

James
Happy

Translation...

"Guardian Newspapers has reiterated to us its goal of participating in the OIX. They have told us that, from an immediate resource perspective, and prior to the full deployment of the OIX, they are simply focused on more urgent projects."

Translation:

"Guardian Newspapers will do advertising. But they're not going to waste money on Phorm."

Why can't they just say that instead of Luvvy "marketing-speak". What does "immediate resource perspective" mean"? Surely spouting rubbish like this should be an "immediate loss of job situation" offence!

But what does OIX mean? Shorthand for OIKS I guess:

"If you refer to someone as an oik, you think that they behave in a rude or unacceptable way, especially in a way that you believe to be typical of a low social class. (BRIT) "

Sums up Phorm I guess.

US auto-emissions cleansed in urine-tech shower

James
Happy

So,,,

We now have the initial exhaust from the engine which is squirted with urea something which is then put through the Cat ? This is beginning to sound like Microsoft Windows Service Packs !!!

Maybe time for a re-design from the ground up (both of vehicle engine systems and Windows!)

Anglophone cybercops team up to fight fraud

James
Stop

Why no acronym...

Strategic Alliance Cyber Crime Working Group (SACCWoG).

Ah I see why.....

FSA acts as rumours send bank shares crashing

James
Coat

Traceability and accountability...

... should be paramount in all share trading and financial dealings. At least to the company from which it originated.

Any financial company that is found to have processed and acted on "rumour" should be barred from trading indefinitely, it's directors should face personal fines of minimum of £10m and have all assets and pensions etc. removed from them. That'd focus their attention.... and give the rest of us the satisfaction of seeing these "fat cats" suffer...

It is totally ridiculous that "gossip" and "rumours" could trigger such a drop is share price - perhaps the financial markets should be governed by objective logical machines - not a bunch of "scaredy cats". Get rid of all possible subjective and emotional and human based perceptions for the financial markets and they'd maybe be in a better state.

</rant>

The shrinking coat by the door ...

V-22 Osprey combo-copter hits fresh tech snags

James

But then I remember

the Tramiel Operating System.

But who gives a ....

Google's riches rely on ads, algorithms, and worldwide confusion

James
Alert

Try scroogling...

If you want to google without the various payloads try scroogle

www.scroogle.org (the org is important - the com version is NSFW ).

Adobe pulls bug-riddled Photoshop update

James
Happy

Lets see how this sounds...

"Vista, the latest version of MS Windows, Microsofts operating system upon which millions of users rely for work and play contains dozens of "frankly unacceptable" bugs, Microsoft said. The software company has removed the system from its site."

"Microsoft says anyone who has installed the OS should now uninstall it."

"The Windows Vista update Windows has been temporarily removed from the Microsoft site," wrote Steve Ballmer in a blog post. "Those Windows users who have installed Vista should uninstall the update and install Windows XP [the prior version]."

Can't see it myself, though. Even though I think MS have got a great deal more apologising to do than Adobe at this time!

Net think tank: Phorm is illegal

James
Coat

Have they got phorm?

It's a fitting name for a shady past company. They've certainly got Phorm, guv!

Mines the old, bright orange cagoule (very late 70s!)

Gates calls on Feds to plug tech investment gap

James
Unhappy

With all...

.. the amazing digital cock-ups of the first "Digital Decade" I really, really fear what will happen in the second one.

Just remember if your supermarkets computer system goes down - you can't buy food. At a small local shop you probably can.

And, Bill, how do you see the poor, the starving, the dispossessed, the uneducated, getting on in your brave new second digital decade ?

Analysts call for secure Facebook access for workers

James
Coat

Make it a sackable offense...

.. because anyone that is sad enough to want to access Facebook shouldn't be working for your company.

I say it again, anyone that willingly uses Facebook, YouTube etc. really needs to Get a Life

Ok - where'd I leave the coat?

AOL buys a friend for $850m

James
Alert

WHY?

and again WHY?

Microscope-wielding boffins crack Tube smartcard

James
Coat

Sorry but...

.. a company that can't quantify the number its sold more precisely than this...

"NXP says it's sold 1 billion to 2 billion of the cards"

...may not be the most reliable for number based operations.

A bit like saying "My wife gave birth to 1 to 2 babies"

The only excuse for this type of imprecision is vast overindulgence in alcohol or other mind twisting substances.....

Mines the one or two coats on the one or two coat racks in the one or two cloakrooms over there (or there)

Brit apiarists demand £8m to save honeybees

James

Well said Danny...

... but then again loss of Bees doesn't involve lots of people queuing outside banks making the government look bad...

No doubt when our food supply is reduced to 10% of it's current capacity, our wildlife is dying and people are starving in the streets then the Morons Political will start to take notice.

Perhaps this would be a good area for the Gates Foundation to look at.?

Why you should care that Jimmy Wales ignores reality

James
Boffin

Sounds like ...

Jimbo Wales is highly narcissistic. Rewriting the past is one of the things they do best so that they get all they glory.

Strangely, there's a reasonably accurate description of this on Wikipedia.

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

but then Narcissists don't recognise descriptions of themselves!

Old Bill break up Bournemouth Bebo bash

James
Happy

Darwin award...

... if people are so stupid as to advertise their parties on gutter trash sites like Bebo, Facebook, YouTube etc. then they deserve all they get.

Can we not use these sites to round up people, put them in space ships and send them somewhere else (as in Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy)? This would improve the human gene pool amazingly! But it would probably totally mess up any planet they landed on - belay that order!

Greenies give IT industry a black eye

James

Good points Matt

I agree with Matt on this one. Also harking back to an article yesterday - surely all manufacturers should be trying to produce systems that use LESS power than their equivalents of 20 years ago. I have been building PC systems since 1985 and seen power requirements leapfrog from less than 100W to over 600W per computer (that's the box alone).

Manufacturers should start designing for low power, for recycling / reuse of system components.

Perhaps manufacturers could also have a "take back" scheme where they take back used systems and pass them on to other users.

Also - no Standby modes. Should instead have systems that have only full on-off switches. When they are switched off they save the exact configuration the user had when switched off. When Switched on then they should (within 10 seconds) have restored entire system to pre-switch off state. None of this pathetic 2-3 minutes start-up time that bloatware requires.

Get all systems slim, fast and very efficient. This is the job of both hardware and Operating system designers.

/end rant

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