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* Posts by James 51

3426 publicly visible posts • joined 23 Jun 2009

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Google: Surge in pressure from govts to DELETE CHUNKS of the web

James 51

`revelations of federal officials collecting mass archives of user activity`

Am I the only one who read this as feral officials?

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Datawind's low cost Aakash tab comes to UK, US

James 51

Sounds a lot like the spec for a N900.

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Soghoian & Greenwald tell EU bigwigs: Fight state snooping on mobe networks NOW

James 51

“European Parliament's Inquiry on Electronic Mass Surveillance of EU Citizens”

I was expecting something much more Orwellian like the European Parliament's Inquiry on Electronic Mass Protection of EU Citizens

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Vodafone dodges UK corporation tax bill - AGAIN

James 51
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Re: Interest in debt is their own fault

VAT is a comsumption tax paid by customers.

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Two Brits face criminal trial for sending 'menacing' tweets

James 51
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Childcatcher

Bring back the banhammer.;

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James 51

Remember a time when it was though the web would be a lawless place? Sooner or later people are going to realise that the stuff they do on line has consequences (and the law for things like libel or incitement work just fine on-line, no need for a separate ‘on a mobile device’ bit of paper). Sure, if you’re savvy enough you can make it very difficult but it seems obvious that the people sending the tweets here don’t have that.

One thing that wasn't mentioned in the article is apparently one of the victims only heard about the arrests from the media rather than the police.

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Former US POLITICIAN gets 6 years in slammer for FACEBOOK SCAM

James 51
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Someone is a profession runner if they come fourth in a race so it's resonable to describe him as an ex-politican as he had to act like one to get even that far.

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James 51
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Coffee/keyboard

Re: Berkman, who had unsuccessfully run for governor as a Republican in 1994

I need a new keyboard (and another cup of tea) and it's not even Friday.

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James 51
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Re: biggest Ponzi scam of all:- National Insurance?

AC but still a resonable defence of NI. Have an upvote.

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James 51
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Re: In other news...

The legal issue is con rather than greed. But sure if you listen to Boris greed it good (at least in moderation and greed is ever so moderate).

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Bogus Firefox add-on FORCES WITLESS USERS to join vuln-hunting party

James 51

It wasn't me guv, it was my plug in.

Could be a clever defense if you wanted to attack a particular website but for some reason had to use your own machine. I just wanted to block these ads and then my internet started to slow down...

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Unlocking CryptoLocker: How infosec bods hunt the fiends behind it

James 51

Given the tension between the CIS and the West, unless they start targeting people at home it's hard to see how the people behind this are going to be stopped (as oppsed to the latest version of their scheme being stopped by some clever fix).

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Data Retention Directive CLASHES with EU citizens' privacy rights, says top lawman

James 51
Joke

So, how long before we start to hear 'Bloody foreigners, coming over here and stopping companies, the spooks, the police, councils, people who work for councils, contractors and civil servants from invading our privacy.’

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Ghosts of Christmas Past: Ten tech treats from yesteryear

James 51
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Re: Big Trak

No one else reminded of a mako?

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Got a one-of-a-kind N9? Get ready to adopt Meego's baby Sailfish

James 51

Noticed one of these in a second hand tech shop a few weeks ago. If it's not too expensive, might take a look (though I won't be trading my n900 in against it).

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MPs: Ancient UK Border Force systems let gangsters into country

James 51
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Re: Overstaffed

There's a free movement pact between the ROI and the UK. I am surprised you were stopped at all.

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

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James 51

Title is too long.

"This system was stuffed full of "low quality data" which made the database so unwieldy that staff had to block delete almost 650,000 records relating to tobacco and alcohol smuggling without first checking to see if they contained actionable data. It is estimated that at least 200 of the records contained enough intelligence to lead to seizures."

And there was no backup? Sounds like a criminal level of negligence. Destroying evidence etc etc.

I had wondered if some smart criminals were bankrolling politicians who were particularly likely to let the system trundle on without adequate investment or get/turn staff in the various agencies but cockup is still the most likely explanation.

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Los Angeles' weather is just like Mordor, says Brit climate prof

James 51
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Re: As with all Climate models

The background books expand of the geography of middle earth. The 'west' in middle earth (were Frodo is going on that boat) is hidden by magic so there's huge swathes of it 'missing'.

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Malware+pr0n surge follows police op to kill illicit streaming sites

James 51
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Re: "confirmed by analysts"

Let's not forget the juries either.

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James 51

"Geoff Taylor, chief executive of the BPI, said: “The early results from Operation Creative show that through working with the police and the online advertising industry, we can begin to disrupt the funding that sustains illegal websites."

We don't know that they were illegal, there was no criminal convictions. They were suspected and on that basis ISPs were told to redirect access. Even if they were clearly breaking the law, it's devolving to the level of we don't like you so we're going to throw the book at you. It's only a matter of time before this gets abused (if it hasn't already).

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IBM turns plastic bottles into life-saving 'ninja' MRSA, fungus fighters

James 51

This is stuff worth patenting. Hope it doesn't end up not making out onto the hospital floor and more power to them.

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This one time at Apple Camp... Tech titan offers to school US fanbois on coding

James 51

I know there is another el reg story saying that real world experience is more valued than a degree but this feels like taking it a bit far.

What's the language they are learning?

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WTF is... NFV: All your basestations are belong to us

James 51

Someone is going to go for vendor lock in at some point or plant a patent land mine. It's just a matter of time.

Still, if they can get their act together perhaps the roll out of 5g or 6g might actually so fairly smoothly.

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Facebook offshores HUGE WAD OF CASH to Caymans - via Ireland

James 51
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Re: Good for them

It's legal in the way that councils using anti-terrorism laws to spy on people who might be putting the wrong material in their recycle bins or live outside the catchment area of their kid's school is legal. Might not cross exactly the letter of the law an expensive barrister can convince a jury could might technically be valid but it’s an obvious abuse.

These rules were designed to not penalise a company for being international and take account of the different points of the economic cycle around the globe and now they effectively punish companies which are at a national level or lower.

It also allows them to benefit from the regulatory environment here without having to pay their share of the upkeep.

The revolving door between HRMC and the consultants who set these schemes up is an obvious conflict of interest as well.

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James 51
Joke

"reported a gross profit of €1.75bn and sales of €1.79bn for the year."

Apple called, they want their profit margin back.

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Apple's 'Smart Dock' patent filing makes Siri your new roommate

James 51

And this is the richest company in the world!?!?!

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Oh no, RBS has gone titsup again... but is it JUST BAD LUCK?

James 51
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Re: Ha Ha Ha

Sounds like they got what they paid for. ^^

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James 51
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Re: Title is too long.

IT for big business is a cost in the same way that the car in F1 is a cost. You might save money by getting rid of it but you aren't going to get very far.

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James 51

Title is too long.

" It seems like the technical people that develop and keep the systems running are the real masters of the universe, not the bankers."

But the attitude is IT is a cost centre, not a profit centre. Every penny spent on IT is wasted but spend millions on X manager or Y sales persion or Z broker, why look at how they are cutting costs/selling stuff/????

Every bank and insurance firm in the land is in the same postion.

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NSA sez NO to prez: Spooks ban Obama from using iPhones

James 51

Yea, but the telco situation in the US is just bonkers.

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Brit inventors' GRAVITY POWERED LIGHT ships out after just 1 year

James 51

Am I the only person who saw this and thought mobile/night light for the kids?

The psion keyboard, particularly in the 5mx was very clever. Nice to see this one working out.

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Unite: HP 'addicted to culture of job cuts' as axe raised again

James 51
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The only problem with that option is that you can't make infinite cuts. Sooner or later you've got to stop or sever something fatal.

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Judge upholds UK ban on HTC phones, but HTC One gets a pass – for now

James 51

They have sold their handset business but they kept a hold of the patents. They're free to sue now without fear of their own products being targeted. Quite a clever move on MS' part.

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Microsoft leaks reveal 'Threshold' projects looming in 2015

James 51
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Re: Major revision to Windows RT will probably be to kill it

True, but I use calibre and sigil a lot. Doubt if I'll see them in the app store any time soon.

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James 51
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Re: Major revision to Windows RT will probably be to kill it

That's insulting to playbooks.

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Stuxnet 2 in the works, claims Iranian news agency

James 51
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Re: Title is too long

The tag 'sources close to' is usually cover for an offical non-offical leak. If this was a whistle blower, I'd expect a lot more in the way of evidence.

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James 51

Title is too long

Citing “an informed source close to the Saudi secret service”,

Yes, because if I was planning to stop someone aquiring nuclear weapons the first thing I'd do is warn them I was coming and how I was planning to stop them.

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Asus Transformer Book T100: Xbox One? PS4? Nah, get a cute convertible for Christmas

James 51
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Re: Almost there

There is a 64gb version for $50 more but it also has a micro sd slot.

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James 51
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Every review I have read have all commented on the lack of a bettery in the keyboard. Hope there's a third party options for that.

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James 51

Funny you should post this review today:

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Search/searchTerms/5089844.htm?tag=ar:Static:BlackFriday

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Microsoft Surface slabs borked by heat-induced DIM SCREEN OF DEATH

James 51
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With MS I wait for the fourth.

That's a little unkind. Generally they get it right on the third go.

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Samsung to spend ENTIRE budget of London 2012 OLYMPICS... on ADS

James 51
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Re: To put it into perspective ...

The difference is that apple gets other people to do its advertising for it.

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Telcos can be forced to turn copyright cop, block websites – EU law man

James 51
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Re: Why do these idiots insist on trying to tackle the wrong end of the problem?

There's a lot more money to be made from treating the symptons than curing the cause if you're the one handing out the invoices and charge by the hour.

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Valve pal iBuyPower touts cut-price Steam box as powerful as PS4 or Xbox

James 51

I wouldn't mind a games machine/media centre PC that was no bigger than an xbox 360 with a big HDD in it.

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Romance is dead: Part-time model slings $1.5bn SUEBALL at Match.com

James 51

$1, 500, 000, 000 seems like a lot. Has Match.com even got those kind of reserves/insurance? If she does win and gets those kind of damages, most likely outcome seems to be Match.com will fold with very little being paid out.

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Xbox One FAILS to beat PS3 - yes, PS 3 - week one sales

James 51
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When it launched the PS3 was half the price of the cheapest Sony blu-ray player if I recall correctly. Know a lot of people brought it for media and discovered games (compared to the xbox were it was bought for games and discovered media afterwards).

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My name is NOT Dread Pirate Roberts: Silk Road accused's fam'n'friends stump up $1m bail

James 51

Any idea why he is solitary?

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3D printing: 'Third industrial revolution' or a load of old cobblers?

James 51
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There is a project to make a 3D printer than can print a copy of itself. Ask a mate to pirint it for you. Or buy a second one.

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James 51

For replacing broken parts, unless you have it on file already you'll need some serious CAD skills to make another or a 3D scanner and software that can scan it and put it back together virtually for you. It's going to take a lot longer before they're as common as inkjets.

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XBOX ONE ROUNDUP-of-the-ROUNDUPS: Everything YOU need to know

James 51

No usb media playback is just stupid. Having a usb stick with a few movies for the kids in them is a big thing for me (wi-fi interference makes wireless streaming unreliable).

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