* Posts by JaitcH

3904 publicly visible posts • joined 12 Oct 2009

Starbucks' iPhone barcode app easily scammed by screengrab

JaitcH
Happy

"NFC-based payment systems obviously can't be copied in this way"

Just give someone enough time and incentive!

EC parades common phone charger

JaitcH
Unhappy

Lucky Continentals with small pinouts - UK monster plugs fail again

As a technician my universal plug comprises two wires with bared ends - the damn monster plugs they use in the UK are far too big to carry around. Malaysia, Singapore and HongKong also use the UK monsters - as do some Singaporean owned hotels in their region.

Chinese outlets offer combo sockets - they even accept the weird Australian ones.

Don't forget plugs and sockets don't indicate the voltage - better to check the lamp/bulb ratings for that.

Council dives into crematorium-heated pool

JaitcH
WTF?

Bet not many Chinese will be swimming there!

Chinese have an aversion to places and things associated with death.

You'll never find a Chinese person buying a house near a cemetery or in a hotel near one, either. The Caravelle Hotel in SaiGon is a suicide jumpers favourite spot and the Chinese avoid it, too.

In the swimming pool they possible would be worried that their ancestors might happen by, as they often do, on a day when the rest of the family is enjoying a dip. If you see a Chinese person burning make-believe money, often it is for their deceased family members.

Facebook expands in Asia

JaitcH
WTF?

Still persona non grata in China, VietNam, etc

No matter how close to mainland China they get, Facebook still isn't welcome although Twitter is.

Given the central governments aversion to social unrest and Facebook's participation in Tunisia and Egypt the chances are the status quo won't change.

In fact, Facebook might be increasingly unwelcome in a number of authoritarian countries.

NY hookers cross street from Craigslist to Facebook

JaitcH
Pint

Where is the Sheriff of Chicago, or all those other prudes?

I guess the Sheriff has another problem, in his mind, he must deal with but he has all those Attorney-Generals from the bible thumping states to lend a hand.

Facebook's reaction might be different to Craigslist so this challenge to the Sheriff's morals might turn out differently.

iPhone owners get walked through confessional

JaitcH
Happy

Why not go the whole hog?

The App should include the ability to play the Hail Mary's in audio and then do whatever with the rosary on the screen.

Then they could have a fully automated version whereby the type of misdeed is selected from a menu, a designated penalty is awarded and the iThingy chants the HM's and then displays the rosary action for the appropriate number of times.

This way RC's won't have to drop in to the church - saving gas and time, or giving the preacher a good laugh. Best of all there will be no need to drop any coin!

Texting teenager plunges to his death

JaitcH
WTF?

1 down, millions to go: building owners shouldn't have to pay tp protect idiots

Building owners have enough responsibilities without having to extend walls designed to prevent cars from popping over the edge to be tall enough to prevent people stupid enough not to pay attention as to where they are going.

I have just measured the balcony wall off my bedroom and it is 110 centimetres tall and sufficiently high to hold me back even when leaning over to check whose ringing the front door bell.

Death by dumbness should be the coroners decision.

CDMA Verizon iPhone 4 contains GSM chip

JaitcH
WTF?

"nothing to stop Apple incorporating a second, GSM-tuned antenna"

No need to, GSM can piggy back on the CDMA antenna and the degraded signal will be little worse than a Lemon 4, which everyone will remember, didn't stop iPhans from buying it.

Maybe they could deposit an antenna on the glass.

DEC founder Ken Olsen is dead

JaitcH
Pint

I still have callouses on my fingers from keying in the bootstrap!

Two things stand out about both the PDP8 and 11, of which I have an 8 in storage somewhere, was that they were built like the proverbial brick sh*thouse and defective components could even be changed by a technician.

You could actually 'scope' an IC pin and watch a flip-flop change state - try that on those big, black blobs nowadays. A great technical teacjing computer.

Another big thing was interconnectivity! You could buy PC boards that would provide interfacing for almost anything - the PDP series were used by credit card companies in the early days for telephone line input at which they excelled.

Phillips, amongst others, produced a chipset for both the 8 and 11 that ran DEC software - none of the Apple crap in those days.

Talking about the California fruits, DEC had one hell of an App library that saved many a programmers neck.

Thanks, Ken, in spite of my callouses!

Android Open NFC gets a bit more open

JaitcH
Go

Potential alternative uses

When these things start 'flying' there are, potentially, a myriad number of uses for them such as security or checking out library books, rental car out-of-hours releases, door openers, etc.

Really interesting possibilities are lurking out there.

Critics slam feds for 'unprecedented' domain seizure

JaitcH
WTF?

American's moralities exposed - really strange

Whilst US Senator Ron Wyden is to be congratulated on bringing this up officially (I wrote about it here on the same grounds last week) you have to question U.S. moralities.

Imprisonment without trial: OK

Rendition: OK

Torture: OK

Spying on Americans against The Constitution: OK

FBI 'dial up' telephone monitoring anywhere in USA without warrant: OK

Copying contents of any U.S. computer: OK

Authorising Executive murder of American citizens: OK

Shooting Kent University students: OK

Seizing InterNet domain names: PROBLEM

HP intros 'lay it flat' all-in-one touchscreen PC

JaitcH
WTF?

Apple has attempted to patent the idea ...

Apart from the fact that Jobs sticks his name on anything Apple patents screens supplied to certain industries, including the airlines, have had this ability for positioning built-in for years. Adjustable, yet!

Of course, since Jobs only flies corporate jets he wouldn't recognise a check-in counter if he saw one.

The U.S. Patent office ... a standing joke.

Vodafone nabs new Nexus

JaitcH
Happy

It would be good to get a Nexus 2 without frills ...

as the carrier software seems to spoil the experience.

I live in a country where cell handset manufacturers have to sell unlocked, from the factory, units. They are also able to sell through carriers with all their 'bling' added.

Although not a smartphone owner I have had the opportunity to use friends units here as well as identical units in North America, loaded with carrier ware, and the perceived operating is remarkably different in many cases.

Our 'unlocked prices' from manufacturer stores are lower than PAYG units of the same type from carriers.

Oz road safety strategy moots mobile phone ban

JaitcH
WTF?

By the time 2020 arrives a lot of the existing problems ...

might be dead.

We've all heard of people walking into others, or lampposts, etc., well driving adds the potential of serious injury or death to these texting drivers. Often their driving careers are short-lived.

That's the good news.

Unfortunately these characters often hit others, en route to the hospital or morgue, which is a tragedy.

Automobile drivers at least have four wheels under them, but motorcyclists only have two yet these drivers frequently text and drive - and have major and minor accidents in the process.

Out here in the Far East we don't only have the mobile phone menace but we have mobile television and video players. These devices aren't only for the high-end cars but can be found in the dashboards of even modest vehicles and, even worse, are clearly within the eyesight of drivers. The TV receivers fit into the aperture meant for radio/CD players and in use the screen pops out and up. Viewers in the back seat can see the screens quite clearly.

The TV receivers don't take signals off the air but are fed with high quality, low loss signals through 3G systems. In VietNam the system is almost country wide and not one or two channels but all sorts of programming from local, in-country sources, as well as satellite channels.

Stroppy Belgian students in Ryanair mutiny

JaitcH
Unhappy

Landing agreements supersede dumping, denied boarding, etc

Bumped can be used to describe any number of reasons that results in 'denied boarding'.

Your phrase: "let them find their own way home" is EXACTLY what will not happen if Ryanair is required to meet it's obligations. What usually happens is they use a different carrier - Cathay Pacific terminated a pilot who happened to be in the U.S. on lay over and flew him back on a competitors aircraft.

And Ryanair wouldn't get away with dumping across the nearest border, either, as present travel tracking can be used to prove a passengers intent.

Single, as in no return flights, can be purchased for most destinations. the right terminology in 'onward' - countries can require 'onward' rather than 'return' ticketing.

I live in a country that requires proof of onward travel, so the difference is familiar to me. Onward travel can be by any means, as well, including road, rail sea or air.

Besides, proof of onward travel is very ephemeral with e-ticketing, since changes/cancellations can be made by e-mail these days. Whenever I fly through a drug hub, such as Bangkok, I always depart on the passport of entry to Thailand (a necessity) but land at the next destination on one of my other passports - removing any thought I might be carrying drugs. Never been challenged on this, either.

As for seeking assistance from diplomatic sources, most countries reps aren't worth even contacting for assistance for their first line is that 'We can't help you with legal matters, only ensure that the host countries legal procedures are followed'.

JaitcH
WTF?

Better reaction than tame British passengers

Passengers who are bumped in a foreign country should always remember that every airline agreement permitting flights to countries contains a clause that each airline is responsible for the removal of all passengers from a country that were brought in to the country.

It doesn't mean you will travel out on the same carrier but it does mean you will get out and, usually, home.

It is high time passengers vocalised just how venal Ryanair is - the only thing it has in common with other airlines is that is has aircraft. They have never heard of service.

Sir Elton outs iPad 2 release date

JaitcH
Thumb Up

Given that Elton is a fashion trend setter ...

he is most in line for one of the thousands of promo samples sent out free by Apple PR.

And if he wrote a song about it, Apple would be even happier.

First fondleslab found in 1970s kids TV sci-fi gem

JaitcH
WTF?

I admit it, I was wrong, Jobs didn't copy the Chinese ...

who had pads/tablets out months before Apple. but it was devised by ROGER PRICE in his story of the The Tomorrow People, produced by Thames Television for the independent (commercial) British ITV Network, running between 1973 and 1979.

Still, even though Jobs wasn't the world's slab/pad/tablet inventor - could it be Moses - he was the first in Cupertino. Still prior art though.

Bold as brass metal thieves disrupt rail, comms, electric

JaitcH
WTF?

Fishermen in on the deal, too

Underwater cables look much alike whether they are carrying copper communications cable, fibre-optic or high voltage electricity.

Starting about three years ago Vietnamese fishermen went after a new species - the underwater cable. The cables laid during the American War became redundant being replaced by fibre and some bright spark in the telecoms industry said the fishermen could recover and sell as much of the old cable and sell on to supplement their incomes.

Unfortunately an old cable, to a fisherman, looks much the same as a new one and as a result the InterNet capacity was slashed. We are talking tens of kilometres here!

Every so often around the Gulf of Thailand, a major feeder area for many countries, another cry of anguish goes up as yet another species is caught. Now all fibre cable have GLASS printed in four languages along the length of the plastic sheaths.

Funny thing is these fishermen know which the electrical power cables to the many islands look like - and that they go BANG when cut!

Bradley Manning 'is British' – campaigners urge UK.gov to act

JaitcH
FAIL

His Mother is British and your court system is sort of, too

Since his Mother was born in Wales, and Manning was even conceived in Wales - important if you subscribe to the belief a person exists at the time of conception.

Still, even if Manning isn't British (which he could easily claim) ordinary, decent morals require that prisoners be treated in a humane way. Even the guys down in Guantanamo have it better than Manning because the thick sculled Marine regime in Virginia have pre-judged him OR want to reduce his mental capacity to such an extent that he will be unfit for trial.

The U.S. screams loud enough when one of it's personnel get banged up in Korea or VietNam but Manning, remember, is one of your own. The U.S. is sticking it to their own people which makes the Marines Corps as despicable as the captors of Americans, if not more so. Of course Manning's abuse is a great moral booster, too, knowing that your government is capable of permitting this to happen.

This will enable the aforementioned thick sculled Marine regime to disown him and say he was accepted by mistake, etc.

Hell, some bent characters might even say that's what happens when you let gays at the secrets - seeing how the Marines are so enamoured with people of alternate life styles.

The fact is the U.S. government is dumb. It gave over 3-million people clearance to view these 'secret' messages that were little more than what people write when visiting another country. There have been no 'secrets' revealed unless you call the murderous bastards flying the helicopters that were used to serially murder two Reuters reporters and a bunch of unarmed civilians featured in the leaked video.

No other country has suffered such embarrassment because (a) None is dumb enough to give so many people, in so many places, access to material that is superfluous to their job; (b) over use of the term 'secret'. It would appear that only toilet paper escapes being given a secrecy rating.

Whilst not many in the U.S. can see it at this time, Manning has done everyone a favour (if he did in fact leak anything) as (z) the U.S. has reviewed it's security procedures; (y) has implemented some form of security on computers having access to restricted material; (x) has demonstrated to the diplomats that they are little better than gossips.

The other beneficiaries are other countries who now realise, if they didn't before, is that the U.S. doesn't honour agreements, it is two-faced and even stoops to collecting DNA from other diplomats with whom they come in contact and plays dirty.

Two consecutive U.S. governments, of both political stripes, have now voted to deliberately break the terms of The Constitution which goes to show just how amoral the politicians and government is - and they deem to tell other governments how to run their operations!

If you went to school in the U.S. or even joined the military you might recall just how many times you vowed to uphold/observe The Constitution - almost daily. Sort of diminishes the worth of all those pledges to being little better than hot air.

P.S. I carry a U.S. passport.but am too embarrassed to use it.

Motorola Super Bowl ad rips Apple drones

JaitcH
Unhappy

Google, a company whose idea of freedom is to track your movements ...

around the web in order to better sell ads based on your on-line peregrinations, as do Apple, App developers, cellco's and Uncle Tom Cobley and all.

UK police crime map website: Who's the victim here?

JaitcH
FAIL

Home Office/ACPO looking after their friends at Rock Kitchen Harris?

Was this effort even put out for tender?

Quite honestly the data presentations are boring - as if it is a web version Power Point. The Register had a piece on the CEO of the company who does the mapping as used in Twitter - those presentations would be much exiting to look at than boring numbers.

I put in Stonehenge as a location and it offered me two police services (forces suggest violence as used on students). I then put one in each window and then the wondrous cloud based service simply provided some hypnotic rotating icons.

Very disappointing, but should we expect better from Plod + Rock Kitchen Harris + Amazon?

P.S. I just tried 10 Downing Street (SW1A 2AA) - the Plod site just did it's circular trick. (I thought a telephone tapper was located there during December)

Apple pressed to show succession plan

JaitcH
WTF?

Jobs' messianic status challenged

and, hopefully, this will result in Apple governance ad opting traditional values used by most other public companies.

Head hunters intent on capturing what passes for Apple talent can be rebuffed by offering shares redeemable at a future time (measured in years).

World leaders meet to discuss cyberwar rules of engagement

JaitcH
Unhappy

Do David Cameron, Angela Merkel, Hillary Clinton & Sergei Lavrov even ...

have a clue of the technicalities involved?

The absence, seemingly, of the Chinese leaves a gaping hole in the conference.

Dutch get wound up over invisible SMS

JaitcH
Happy

Finding those elusive cell phones

There are two major kinds of cell phone location technologies - the US FCC has different accuracy requirements for them . For “network-based” technologies, accuracy must be within 100 metres for 67% of calls, 300 metres for 95% of calls; for “handset-based” technologies, within 50 metres for 67% of calls, 150 metres for 95% of calls. The remaining 5% of calls are handled on a “best efforts” basis.

“Network-based” refers to, usually, Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) – a carrier has receivers located at cell towers and determines a cell phone location by processing the signals received from that cell phone, which locates wireless phones by comparing the time it takes a mobile station's radio signal to reach several location measurement units (LMUs) installed at an operator's base stations. One advantage is that the technology works with legacy handsets, but the drawback is that it doesn't always work well in rural areas where there are fewer base stations and towers to measure a signal.

“Handset-based” generally refers to a cell phone with built-in Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver – it calculates its own location by receiving transmissions from at least three GPS satellites.

CDMA operators opted for handset-based location technology based on global position system (GPS) technology using satellites to determine the location of a handset. This offers greater accuracy but can't pinpoint callers indoors — because the signal is too weak — and is ill suited in the urban canyons common to cities.

Most of the GPS technologies currently deployed include a fall back to Advanced Forward Lateral Triangulation (AFLT) or Assisted GPS (A-GPS) technology to achieve better accuracy. Accuracy rules require these handset-based systems to provide accuracy within 150 metres for 95% of the calls and 50 metres for 67% of calls. A-GPS also is used on WCDMA networks.

There is also another technology from Rosum Corporation (www.rosum.com) who is exploring TV-GPS, a system that combines television signals with global positioning satellite (GPS) technology for tracking assets/people right to places where GPS alone can't go, such as in the high-rise “canyons” of urban centres and even inside buildings and garages.

Location Technologies include:

E-CID - Enhanced Cell-ID (500-1000 metres depending on cell-site density)

Derives additional timing advance and power measurements from the wireless network.

A-GPS - Assisted Global Positioning System (>30 metres)

Uses modified handsets that contain a GPS receiver and a special network server to assist in location calculation.

U-TDOA

Uplink Time Difference of Arrival (>50 metres)

Uses low-cost location measurement units installed in the operators' base stations to precisely calculate location using trilateration (aka Lateral Triangulation).

AOA - Angle of Arrival (100-500 metres)

Uses two or more antennas with multiple element arrays, allowing the exact location of each AOA element to be calculated precisely.

Links: < www.gps-practice-and-fun.com/a-gps.html >, < www.911dispatch.com/911/wireless911.html >.

In the States the FBI can also use credit card transactions in REAL TIME. Cash remains king (or queen).

Suspicious people can always have their cell GPS receiver disconnected - a -minute operation at any cell service centre. Emergency calls can also be made when the SIM is removed or a cell is not in their providers area.

ISPs and Vaizey set to bump heads over default porn filter

JaitcH
FAIL

The UK's facing unforeseen financial challenges and they waste their ...

energy and resources discussing InterNet filters? Some one has their priorities severely mixed up.

Porn for one person is light titillation for others. It doesn't matter what medium looks in to there is someone's idea off porn. It doesn't matter whether it is an art photograph, a famous painting, a statue even abstract art - someone will complain about pornography.

The government would dare allow standards to be set by communities - it means relinquishing too much control.

It works in other countries. Police in other countries consult with the prosecution and then, if judged as having crossed the line, off to court and a judge, with a jury, render a decision - some decisions are quite forward looking.

Why should the decisions be made by do-gooders who think their morals should be foisted upon the general population?

Let the government clean up the banking industry, the pollution crisis and the crowded roads before they waste their time on this.

Crocodile keyboard becomes top Android app

JaitcH
Pint

Not available on Apple as Jobs didn't think of it first as well as being recently patented

A fellow employee has this on his Android device and even I, being large of finger, found it a breeze to use compared to those squarish keys with small spaces between them and the adjacent key.

Well done, David Baker.

Microsoft lands big handbag on Google's copy kisser

JaitcH

Who cares how many MS pooh-bars deny Google's claim

The facts are simple. Google caught Bing copying.

So what? Bing is still an inferior product - and an attempt to shore up MS revenue which is none too healthy compared with it's history or other competitors.

Scanner snares senior servant

JaitcH
Unhappy

Hard to believe, I thought knockers were door knockers

Having grown up in the UK countryside where every house worthy of the name mansion boasted a custom-cast 'knocker' from Gomme's Forge, Loosley Row near Princes Risborough (UK) so I did a Google and surprise, right at the top were pictures of female apertances.

At least my naivete was countered when I found door knockers at positions 4 and 7 (A hinged fixture, such as a metal ring or bar, used for knocking on a door).

What's wrong with the word 'breasts'?

ICO pays through the nose for 'website development'

JaitcH
Unhappy

You should also be loyal to your friends - and give them the contracts

This even pre-dates a couple of millennia (including our present one) as Proverbs 21:21 (NASB) states, "He who pursues righteousness and loyalty finds life."

So ICO, in handing out this contract was only following biblical practice, which is kind of hard to argue against unless you are of a different faith.

So much for Cameron's cut-the-costs regime.

After all this expense I hope they copyrighted and registered the work.

Hack spies 'iPad 2' at mag launch

JaitcH
WTF?

Apple PR at work

Have you noticed when the California fruit factory is out of the newspapers something crops up to bring it to peoples attention.

Given the flap about the boozy Apple employee who lost his pre-production Lemon it is doubtful that the would make that mistake again.

This is what PR companies do - tease iPhans in to ignoring all the new, improved competition until another Apple upgrade is ready.

Microsoft reinfects Chrome with closed video codec

JaitcH
FAIL

I am tired of all this underhanded downloading of bloatware

The early versions of Windows Media Player were of a reasonable size and I left the on my machines. Slowly they grew in size as new 'features' were added. What really grabbed me was bloody advertising appearing under "Media Guide".

So I dumped it and live happily with Irfanview and some very handy plug-ins and VLC which handles any video I am interested in.

EU Commission proposes new directive on storing air passenger details

JaitcH
WTF?

PNR data is overkill for a security check.

The PNR contains first name, initial and last name; DOB; passport number/place of issue/expiry date; credit card information; meal preferences; seat assignment; special needs; potentially an address in the country of departure; cell/telephone numbers; e-mail address(es); frequent flyer plan number(s); date of departure/flight info; date of return; hotel - if made through GDS**; car reservations - if made through GDS; itinerary if multiple segment; travel agent notes.

Of this data there seems only 9 needed by Plod and company: first name, initial and last name; DOB; passport number/place of issue/expiry date; date of departure/flight info. The rest are quite unnecessary for a security check.

I deliberately obfuscate my information, and pay cash, because it simply an unwarranted intrusion into my business. Fortunately my travel agent has a separate database in which she stores cell/tel numbers, etc. so she has no need to include this in the PNR. She also understands she'll lose all my and my employers business if she ever handed it out.

** GDS = Global Distribution System (Amadeus, Galileo, etc)

UK's Supreme Court greenlights Twitter usage

JaitcH
WTF?

The higher the court, the more arcane the arguments

The juicy stuff in a trial goes on in the lower courts where all sorts of information is input in to a case.

One case I remember centred on the word 'may' as in "if you find there is insufficient evidence you MAY find the accused not guilty". This word went through several levels of appeal and ended up in the Canadian Supreme Court where is was decided that MAY doesn't mean the same as MUST.

Case dismissed!

Interesting to the legal profession but as boring as hell to the public - except the accused.

Mobile spectrum gets more mobile

JaitcH
WTF?

What about new networks and technologies?

Canada now has moved the newest cell voice networks in to the 2+ GHz range in addition to the 900 and 1800MHz bands.

Will the new UK spectrum plan preclude/lock-out new entrants into the business?

If it does it seems that the public could lose out, again.

Sky loses pub footy case

JaitcH
Alert

Murdoch losing? Just give him a little time to show his 'appreciation' so the judges get it right.

There are so many price differentials in the EU - it always seems the British are getting the short end of the stick. The EU has been in existence long enough for all external vendors to understand the rules.

Unfortunately Canada also suffers from the same price discrimination but only with different countries.

There are English and French TV networks with different 'blackout' rules and often English speaking people will view a match on the French network with the sound turned down using the English radio network as the source of commentary!

Post-a-puppy woman hit with cruelty charges

JaitcH
WTF?

This is on a par with drying small dogs in a microwave or X-raying a baby in check-in

It appears the days when ignorant New Yorkers 'nuked' their miniature dogs are fading but this particular women is little better.

There was also the cases in the U.S. where babies carrier were X-rayed for dangerous weapons, with the BABY still INSIDE! See: < http://articles.latimes.com/2006/dec/20/local/me-baby20 > and <http://www.securityoracle.com/security_forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=267 >.

Canada? The computer vendor says no

JaitcH
Alert

"... preformed admirably from -40c up to 35c. Why can't a tablet do the same?"

They are generally larger than smartphones and and harder to keep warm and lose heat more quickly. Then there's the wind-chill factor. Smartphones can keep snug and warn under your clothing.

The rapid temp changes with a Chinook might cause condensation. Apple has admitted that it's warranty denying moisture detectors are defective and rely on the ability of an Apple employee to 'interpret' the colour of the detector not exactly scientific.

Of course, if it's an Apple product you are out of spec, anyway, with your operating specs.

JaitcH
Unhappy

Your problem is you live in the middle of nowhere

If you lived in Toronto you wouldn't be having all these complaints.

Besides living in the cold of Alberta your pad/tablet will only be operable a few months each year unless the Chinooks** happen by.

** See: < https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Chinook_wind >

Documents in Assange rape probe leak onto the net

JaitcH
Stop

Assange can't comment without compromising his legal options

Given that these are 'privileged documents' in the jurisdiction in which he might be charged, Assange would be well advised to keep his mouth shut otherwise any benefit to him arising from the release of these documents will be lost to him.

Murdoch & Co unveil iPad news rag The Daily

JaitcH
FAIL

I've never associated Murdoch with professional journalism

The Wall Street Journal used to be a reputable newspaper until Murdoch came along and made it as tasteless and worthless as all his other titles.

Why should we expect any better now he has discovered smartphones?

Wrinkle-faced smartphoners demand 'BlackBerry Botox'

JaitcH
Unhappy

Jobs has a patent for this

The new App, still being developed, uses a special algorithm derived from Picassa, that softens the focus of the camera and reduces the tonal range so that dark areas in lines, usually representing a wrinkle, are reduced or eliminated.

Another feature will enable hair tones to remain the same thereby allowing the elimination of grey hair.

Feds seize 10 domains accused of illegal sports streaming

JaitcH
FAIL

Due process of US law - kick the doors down

In the days of the observance of law, the U.S. recognised legal niceties like The Constitution, territorial limits and due process.

Now it has just about trampled on all other countries - did you know the U.S. Coast Guard now operates world-wide - it is turning on it's own people.

Just because some brain-dead puritanical do gooder thinks on-line gambling - which is what these streams are used for - is wrong but in-person gambling is OK, the whole country/world has to adopt their thought process.

Not the PR blurb language: "accused of illegally streaming live pay-per-view sporting events", "accused of selling or distributing".. Hey, Obama, you're a lawyer - do you know the difference between accusation and conviction.

No wonder the U.S. is held to be in decline, not far to the bottom now.

Ryanair disses booking system security fears

JaitcH
WTF?

Lost your res info? No problem, just contact ...

U.S. Homeland Security as they get everything about you and your flight including e-mail address(es), credit card numbers, passport number and DOB, meal preferences, seat assignment info, frequent flyer card numbers, home address and telephone number, cell number (if used anywhere in flight process), etc.

They draw down credit bureau info, too. Hotel reservations, other transportation details booked through any res system is also fully accessible to them.

Murdoch, The Daily, and life without the web

JaitcH
Unhappy

If the news letter pay wall is anything like Murdoch's pay TV satellite security ...

out here in the Far East he won't be making much money.

Modded Pay TV receivers can be bought openly in many markets along with all the necessary cards, etc.

Total failure.

UK probes ebook pricing

JaitcH
Happy

Unreasonable pricing will encourage hacking

If a product is perceived by customers to be unreasonably high hackers will likely render any security software mute and then the e-book industry will really be in trouble - no market and mass piracy.

Hopefully the UK government will produce sufficient information to reduce sale prices to a reasonable level allowing reasonable returns for all the players involved..

No new copters for Afghanistan troops

JaitcH
Go

Psst! Going cheap, low mileage and only two owners

The Canadian government is tiring of fighting wars started by the U.S.A.

They have some used Chinooks for sale. They bought them from the U.S. forces for only $282-million.

So far there have been no takers for the five CH-147D choppers. If no buyers are found for the Canadian Chinooks they will be packed up and brought home when the combat mission ends in July.

So if Cameron figures out the cost for shipping these back to Canada - the props come off - tosses in an extra couple of million for goodwill he'll have the gear in situ and for a bargain!

The Canadian looking after this deal is Brigadier-General Charles Lamarre.

Netgear CEO sorry for 'when Steve Jobs goes away' bit

JaitcH
WTF?

Quote: "Appalling grammar too."

How's your Chinese?

You shouldn't point a finger at anyone as three are pointing back at you.

Dating site and hacker in online spat over security breach

JaitcH
Unhappy

Has the worst UI I've ever seen. Did you go ...

any further and check out the 'fish'.

Pretty rough looking.

Julian Assange wins peace prize

JaitcH
Pint

Australian Sydney Peace Foundation gives the finger to Oz and U.S. governments

Whatever you think of Assange he's in good company with Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela, and Buddhist leader Daisaku Ikeda.

He deserves it for his personal bravery alone. Must be feel pretty exposed with the U.S.A. threatening you and your very own government forming the cheer leaders for the U.S.