Posts by alexh2o

Re: Ace in the hole

@Lost all faith...

You should actually read about PureView before complaining about it. It doesn't take 41 megapixel pictures (although it can), it takes 8 megapixel pictures just like most smartphones. The difference being it over samples and averages the results of 7 individual pixels down to just 1. The massive oversampling does a very good job at compensating against the smaller lens. Obviously, it's still no DSLR, but it's pictures will blow any other smartphone pictures out of the water! The results are impressive.

Re: If by a "certain company" you mean Microsoft...

"Hopefully it'll be their downfall."

Why do people have this attitude? It makes no sense. Competition is good for everyone. You don't have to like Microsoft or use any of their products, but their presence in the world is of net benefit. Not just in technology, but even down to all the jobs they provide to thousands of people...

I agree to a degree, but if the power increase allows for say, a racing game to include actual grandstands of crowds and not constantly duplicated 2D cut-outs bouncing up and down - you are improving realism in a sense. The closer the simulation becomes, the more immersive it can be.

I don't want super hi-res Call of Duty: Corridor Edition... but neither do I want another Mario clone with last gen graphics. There needs to a happy medium and I fear Ninty might be restricting themselves a little. Especially if Microsoft/Sony pair a Windows 8/Android tablet to the Xbox 720/PS4 and totally gimp the USP of the Wii U...

Re: All in it together

The sad facts are, if you follow the actual economics and not the straight up logic or your ideology, lowering the top rate of tax will result in more incomes being declared and more tax paid.

It's hard for some to understand as people are blinkered by their financial perspective, but if at the end of the day UK plc takes more tax by cutting the top rate, then that's good for everyone!

The top 10% of earners provide 50% of the tax take. You hammer that 10% too hard and they go elsewhere, then your tax take dives. Ignore the annoyance of seemingly giving the rich a tax cut, and realise the harsh realities of economics should outweigh any social ideology.

This BTW is coming from someone whose earnings are very definitely in the lower tax band of 20%...

Re: i don't want to come across as a clueless dimbo but

There is no official release of ICS for the SGS1 coming so you have to do your own thing here.

You could go down the root of a custom ROM built for it:

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1398223

Or you could go for the excellent CyanogenMod ROM which is similar but with some 'extras':

http://www.cyanogenmod.com/devices/samsung-galaxy-s

You can find the relevant information on the what the ROMs are and how to update to them on the sites. Hope that helps.

Re: why London

You ask why London and not the rest of the country.... but shouldn't you just be happy Telefonica S.A., the massive Spanish company, chose the UK at all?!?

As a Northerner shouldn't London be better than Madrid?

Re: Microsoft, stop, for the love of god just stop

Oh wow the rumbling of a bitter old tech nerd claiming the Kinect and controller-free gaming is pointless...

...funny how my family, especially the kids/nieces, seem to adore Kinect. And I adore it because hopefully it will stop them becoming couch loving, socially inept, internet farts!

I'll go back to Half Life now, with my keyboard and mouse, because it's too late for me too.

Re: Re: Ooh look...

The metro start screen implementation of the Developer Preview was simply awful - but it wasn't even remotely finished! There were basically no metro apps and the Windows Store didn't work either. The only way to use the DP was like a Windows 7 install in Desktop mode. Of course it stank!

The new Consumer Preview, also not a finished product and severely lacking in the metro departments, is leagues ahead already! But it still isn't at the point where you could just live in metro, due to the lack of apps.

When it's *finished* it will be a lot better. There is a lot of Microsoft hate on here! And a lot of metro hate! Of course some people will just not like it, but just as with every Facebook redesign, most people will hate it until they actually use it. Then suddenly non-metro will be like using a Windows 95 PC.

Re: Confused by the confusion....

I think they should rename Windows On ARM to...

Windows In Walls!

Re: Re: Re: Back to basics?

"Bzzt, sorry, but if you remove the text and just show the "flat flag" to a random person in the street, I absolutely guarantee that none of them will know what it represents"

In all fairness they would probably say something like "I dunno, a Window? Maybe some tiles?" - which pretty much fits the whole Windows and Live Tiles business.

Once people start using Windows 8 and the logo is on the charms bar, it'll soon get recognition...

Now I'm not really an Apple fan, more into the Microsoft offerings in general, but I hold no grudges against any company - and I really don't see what's wrong with this?!

If you're a defence contractor, doing work for a particular Government, that work is 'ring-fenced' (can't think of a better term). You aren't allowed to use the knowledge or ideas to assist a foreign Government to create similar technology.

That's just one example, but their are many instances of suppliers having to abide by similar arrangements. It's obvious that Apple had to do a lot of research with manufacturers to perfect the unibody construction. Pegatron could easily slip Asus a few hints to help them avoid similar problems that Apple may have encountered. So it's easy to see why Apple might be a little annoyed!

If Pegatron wants to profit off Apple products, then they must obey the terms Apple sets out. I'm not arguing that it is a wise business decision, there are plenty of pitfalls, but when Apple holds all the cards and supplies a massive chuck of your profits, it's a decision to consider...

Wow judging by the voting here, IT professional =/= automotive engineers!

Showing a very basic lack of understanding about how cars perform, and even just driving, if you fail to see why a Ford Puma can corner safely, faster than a Smart Car. It's not actually worth bothering trying to explain if it isn't just strikingly obvious to you. GCSE Physics? CoG? Moments? Friction? Ringing any bells...

Well said! No one argues Flash will die... but why people demand it's death NOW when no suitable alternative actually properly exists is nuts!

@ratfox

"Windows Phone 8, codenamed Apollo, will reuse code from Windows 8, due this year - specifically the kernel, network stacks, security and multi media. That means Windows Phone 8 will ditch the current Windows Phone 7.5 core that uses Windows Embedded Compact."

That basically states that the underlying kernel will move from WindowsCE to WindowsNT. That's it! At no point does it imply the entire operating system is becoming Windows 8!

Think of it like a car. The kernel is the engine and the OS is the car. Two cars can share the same engine but have very different performance. An example, the Toyota 2ZZ-GE 1.8L engine (Windows NT kernel) is used in the Toyota Corolla, a big family saloon (Windows 8), but is also used in the Lotus Elise (Windows Phone 8). The Lotus is demon fast in comparison, because it is lightweight and tuned, whilst sacrificing certain amenities.

Careful there OffBeatMammal... you'll have all the Reg commentards downvoting you like mad for suggesting such things!

Stick to the script - Android is the one true saviour of humanity, iOS is for fashionistas with no tech knowledge, Windows Phone is the worst thing since Hitler, and BlackBerry users might as well just be shot for support a "dead" platform!

Oh sh*t... now I've gone and broken the rules too! Thumbs down o'clock!

You do realise how stupid a comment "I have no respect for a company that is reactive" is, yes?

No one company can solely survive on innovations. It's part of the whole competitive market process. Every company must be 'reactive' to its competitors innovations. That doesn't mean for one second that said company can't also be innovating.

If you said, "I have no respect for a company that is solely reactive", then fair play.

Based on your comment, you're an Android user. Android was built as a complete reaction to Apple's iPhone. Note how it looked uncannily like a BlackBerry before the iPhone. That doesn't mean Android is not innovating or great in it's own right.

Whatever hatred you might have for Microsoft, and I agree they were slow at "reacting" to the arrival of the iPhone, you can't deny there is also a lot of innovation in WP7. Some of those innovations will have Apple and Google reacting, and adding them into their own offerings.

If everyone had an Android - what is to stop Google from just sitting on the asses? Competition, innovation, and reaction are all essential! No one company is immune from the dangers of losing any of those three things...

Wow some people really are naive and just sound like a broken record spitting out the same old tripe!

Do you really think that Vodafone plc completely avoids paying all tax in the UK?

Do you believe that one man's decision to "let them off" would be vindicated by the Chancellor, the Treasury, and the Supreme Court, if they actually legally owed £4/5 billion?

Do you believe our political and legal system is that corrupt, that buying a few dinners will revoke the need to pay tax?

A company that employs thousands, pays £Bs annually in tax, has contributed £Bs in buying telecoms licenses, and is one the few remaining globally successful FTSE100 companies - is in actual fact "a damage" because they came to a legal agreement to pay £1.2B in tax on OVERSEAS earnings instead of a phantom £6B. Generally, we should be happy we got over a billion as normally companies don't pay tax on overseas earnings!

But here come the downvotes from bandwagon numpties who fail to understand the big picture!

(and please get the company's name right - it really does degrade your argument when you don't even really know who you're talking about!)