* Posts by JDX

6847 publicly visible posts • joined 28 May 2010

4K-ing hell! Will your shiny new Ultra HD TV actually display HD telly?

JDX Gold badge

Re: I don't give a **** about the TVs

It's not hard to buy a hi-res monitor. iMac have them and you can buy the same basic monitor for your PC if you have the cash.

JDX Gold badge

Re: But will there ever be anything worth watching?

Boring argument. Films, TV drama shows and live sport all offer great content depending on your tastes. If you don't like any of those or the normal drivel, then maybe TV isn't for you.

Smog-hit Beijing shows sunsets on a giant TV to remind people what the sun looks like

JDX Gold badge

Re: Not great

A few thousand dying immediately due to smog is not the same as hundreds of thousands, or millions having their health substantially damaged longer term. Work unprotected in an asbestos factory and you'd not immediately die either. It might be the case that everyone living in Beijing is losing decades from their lifespan.

Haribo gummy bears implicated in 'gastric exorcism'

JDX Gold badge

Re: Maybe not trolls

Or since it was Xmas, he could have also eaten 4Kg of Dairy Milk.

JDX Gold badge

Re: Drama queens

This one is fun:

How to avoid huge ships

JDX Gold badge

Breaking news

Or not, this was doing the rounds months ago. This is a news site, not Reddit :)

Also - I wager those suffering distress are doing so because they ate huge quantities in one go.

Dart 1.1 bullseyes JavaScript performance in latest benchmarks

JDX Gold badge

If you're going to compile down to JS, why not write it in a proper, widely accepted language in the first place and have that compile down to JS?

Ninten-DOH! Japanese giant slashes Wii U sales forecasts by 70%

JDX Gold badge

It seems to me most people are just confused by the U, with the massive tablet controllers, a little like they are by Metro in W8. The wii was super-simple and intuitive, relatively cheap and nice and small as well - the U seems to fail on the core strengths of the original. Perhaps trying to come up with something totally new every generation is not the best plan and they should have gone for Wii2.

MANIC MINERS: Ten Bitcoin generating machines

JDX Gold badge

EC2, Azure, etc

I wonder if companies like these use or are building ways to automatically utilise un-used PCs for BC mining? They have the hardware available for free other than power usage and wear'n'tear, on a massive scale.

In fact if they did this, couldn't they make mining BCs commercially non-viable for everyone else as the difficulty increases with product rate (IIRC)?

Now we're cookin' on gas: Google crafts sugar-alert contact lens for diabetics

JDX Gold badge

Re: Would you put a beta product in your eye?

FDA would require it to be "out of beta" before doctors could recommend it in the US.

JDX Gold badge

Re: They did say

If it's a bona fide medical product, the incredibly strict regulations will mean they can't harvest the data. They would (unusually) make money from selling the product, not the data it generates.

Google Glass driver told she CAN wear techno-specs while on the road

JDX Gold badge

So GPS systems, car stereos and passengers should also be banned?

Using Glass while driving would allow GPS and driving information to be put in your vision without you having to look away from the road. If you're using them for email you're an idiot, but people use their phones while driving already anyway.

You might say it makes it easier to do without being caught, but if there's an accident the forensics people could probably tell what you were using it for at the time,

Facebook gets a 'trending topics' box (just what its cluttered pages need)

JDX Gold badge

When you say "new" and "rolling out"...

... do you mean the feature which has been around for weeks at least? There were dozens of pages about how to turn it off in 2013...

Microsoft buries Sinofsky Era... then jumps on the coffin lid

JDX Gold badge

Re: It could have all been so different had they....

Your typical user wouldn't understand the question.

And they DID add the option of boot to desktop in 8.1.

JDX Gold badge

Even when I can't figure out how to do something in W8, a simple Google search finds the answer very easily. Techies just like being angry about change, or are too autistic to be able to cope with it (i.e. Sheldon). If they put half as much time into learning how to use the new OS as they do complaining about it on the internet, they'd have mastered the changes and got on with the whole purpose of the computer, which is using it to do stuff.

JDX Gold badge

Re: Sinner

It's been like 7 years. Get over it already.

JDX Gold badge

Re: Don't forget W12K

You're supposed to use the command-line like a man!

JDX Gold badge

Re: What we want to know is...

So switch to desktop mode. You don't need to see all 28 applications when you're launching a new application. Even in WinXP the start-menu was by definition a modal experience.

JDX Gold badge

Sinofsky’s logic was that this would brute-force...

The "we know best and we're going to force it on you" approach is not fundamentally bad, and even if you're wrong, can succeed if you really do force people to get over the changes so they can get on with things. Ribbon is a good example of that; some people hated the thing until they were forced to use it and then decided it was great, others hated it but had no choice but to learn it and then get on with doing some work... mission accomplished for MS (before someone says "OO was an option", it wasn't an option for the masses).

But if you're going to ram something down users' throats which is a big change, you can't at the same time make it confusing what the change IS, and that's the problem with W8. A clear vision, even one which wasn't very good, could have been pushed through and accepted after initial griping - regardless if it should work that way, it can - but a messy vision like W8/RT meant nobody even wanted to try.

Boffins find ALIEN WORLD orbiting the Sun's LONG LOST TWIN

JDX Gold badge

We won't know for absolute certainty

If you put it that way, we won't know for absolute certain that other planets exist until we send a man in a rocket to land on them. But then you mightn't believe it wasn't faked so the only way would be to send you to see for yourself.

Nokia Lumia update spreads Black death

JDX Gold badge

It's not like Apple and Android updates ever introduce problems.

Mountain bike mishap man suffers SEVEN WEEK stiffie

JDX Gold badge

Re: Sometimes

It just means tiny tubes went in and were used to release radioactive dye (so x-rays could be taken of the blood vessels), and blocking selected vessels to reduce blood flow. The tubes were inserted through the guy's artery, not stuck up his willy.

So sounds pretty OK, considering.

Large Hadron Collider competition: VOTE NOW to choose the WINNER

JDX Gold badge

Re: Really!!!????

I didn't enter. I think I'd have written about someone who gains powers of a Bose-Einstein condensate.

JDX Gold badge

Re: Really!!!????

Indeed. These are the best? You didn't accidentally sort them backwards?

Tech titan Bill Gates: Polio-free India one of the 'most impressive accomplishments' ever

JDX Gold badge

Re: Mumps!

In which case it should be the law you have to be immunised. Saying schools should be allowed to exclude people for entirely legal decisions is idiotic.

JDX Gold badge

Re: Mumps!

Why would you exclude them when everyone else is immunised?

'You win, Kanye': Coinye creators throw in towel after rapper sues

JDX Gold badge

Re: Humourless.

Probably his legal team informed him about it and told him he needed to oppose it, and as he pays them to know best about his legal affairs, he did.

It might be a bit of fun, on the other hand they are using his brand to get recognition. He worked to create that brand as something valuable, why should someone else cash in on it?

Two websites you should show your boss if you want to be paid in Bitcoin

JDX Gold badge

Re: Savvy?

The ones who were paid in them previously and made huge profits seem that way.

Audiophiles: These Wi-Fi speakers have a stereo drift of less than 25μs – good enough for you?

JDX Gold badge

Re: No, it is not

Hearing it go wrong as you move rooms is far more noticeable than a minute difference in the 120-125Hz range.

Mozilla CTO Eich: If your browser isn't open source (ahem, ahem, IE, Chrome, Safari), DON'T TRUST IT

JDX Gold badge

Excellent Bandwagon-jumping Mr. Eich

Well done you.

Google stabs Wikipedia in the front

JDX Gold badge

Re: Competition

I assume you people jumping to criticise Google for taking away other sites' sources of advertising revenue don't run ad-blockers. Otherwise saying it's short-sighted to support this for a better user experience would be pretty hypocritical.

JDX Gold badge

The thing is, if I search for something and Google can show me what I need without me having to manually load another page, that's of benefit to my user experience.

Furtive ebook readers push Hitler's Mein Kampf up the charts

JDX Gold badge

@Tony Green "Religious groups often try to portray atheists as monsters"

I've only ever heard the opposite, atheists claiming Hitler as a Christian to support their arguments. I didn't even realise religious folk had tarred him as an example of atheism!

It's a funny old world.

JDX Gold badge

Re: Even worserer

I'm not sure the Koran is a rule book, but the Torah and Bible aren't so I'm going to assume you're just a lazy troll.

JDX Gold badge

Re: Depends which parts you are reading

Yes but AC wanted to make a really original and cutting joke about "fairy stories", which we hadn't all heard before.

JDX Gold badge

Reading the Bible on a train can get you some funny looks, especially if you're young and dressed for a smart city job.

Faster, more private, easier to read: My 2014 browser wishlist

JDX Gold badge

Block by default

Blocking outgoing data by default could be argued. Blocking all scripts on a website by default couldn't. Modern websites are not static HTML+CSS with a bit of JS thrown in for sparkle. JS is an integral part of a modern website!

If you make your browser safe than JS can't hurt it.

Blasphemy! Finns trample over Windows Phone home screen

JDX Gold badge

Re: Almost.....

It already was, to those who have used it.

Didn't get a Nook for Xmas? That's OK, hardly anyone else did, either

JDX Gold badge

Re: Grab one before they disappear

Not bothered about the Nook app/store, we buy all ebooks through Kindle anyway. Might look into it once we've properly got to grips with it.

JDX Gold badge

Re: Grab one before they disappear

I bought a regular HD one for £80 or something, several months ago, as an Xmas present for the wife. We're both very impressed with it, after an initial panic before realising we needed an update to add Google Play Store. For 1/3 of the price of an iPad mini, it's pretty sweet.

I wondered about rooting/wiping it with stock Android but not sure what it would gain us on a device used mostly for internet, Netflix and silly games from the Play store?

Thought sales were in the toilet before? Behold the agony: 2013 was a PC market BLOODBATH

JDX Gold badge

Re: End of the sensible world ... @ Michael Habel Posted Friday 10th January 2014 15:33 GMT

Crap joke. Even if it was fully replaced with the HTML5 web version, you still need processing grunt to run the code.

JDX Gold badge

@Michael Habel

You've got to be a proper, proper nerd to not just feel disdain for those who can't build their own PC, but to express disbelief such people exist. You are more out of touch with the common man than most MPs.

JDX Gold badge

Re: Worst. Year. Ever.

It's measured on growth not absolute number.

ANYONE on Google+ can now email you, with or without your Gmail addy

JDX Gold badge

Re: Another opt-in by default...

If only GMail had really good anti-spam measures. You'd have to expect that since you're messaged from within G+, this will make it even easier for them to detect spam.

JDX Gold badge

Re: In answer to that question

I often want to contact people I'm friends with on FB (and know in real life), and don't have their email. Which means I just send an FB message to them instead. So it doesn't seem a bad idea, except all my online friends are on FB not G+.

No sign of Half-Life 3 but how about FOURTEEN Steam Machine makers?

JDX Gold badge

Netflix won't run natively on linux at the moment

Oh, I hadn't realised that was the case. Getting it on SteamOS would then be a major differentiator.

JDX Gold badge

@adniam

You totally evaded his question. He wasn't talking about the cost of the OS. The entire point of the article is that Valve are pushing special SteamOS "consoles". Sure you can install the OS on your own PC but that is not what they are promoting.

And the original point stands... why bother with SteamOS on your own PC when Steam already works on regular Linux?

JDX Gold badge

Re: The purpose of Steam machines is to attract console players

Saying Steam has hundreds of games while XB has only a few is a bit silly, because there are hundreds if not thousands of companies already working on XB games. And Steam games are generally not as big or fancy. Remember that indie games are sold on both XB and PS so there will be a glut of those on top of the big-name games.

Besides if number of games is the important issue, you'd go for a PS3 or 360 which have far more titles than Steam and are still getting new games.

JDX Gold badge

Difficult to predict

If they are going up against consoles, I can't see this taking off. Console owners like the ease of use from a console.

On the other hand if they are wanting to attract Steam users - the people who will actually have heard of it - these people are generally PC gamers and PC gamers are normally PC gamers because they prefer playing games on a PC.

The niches of nerdy console gamer or PC gamer who wants to play on their TV seem pretty small to me... if they're not going to market this in a big way to compete with MS/Sony it's a bit hard to see it taking off.

Question: since it's basically a Linux PC does this mean it will support Netflix and all those things and/or some sort of app-store, so it can be used as home entertainment hub in the same way as a PS3/4?

Rogue Android: We show you how BlackBerry's pain can be your gain

JDX Gold badge

8gb, or 16gb isn't enough nowadays, and certainly won't be enough in 2 years time

Why not? Are all my MP3s suddenly going to be in a much higher bitrate?