* Posts by Andrew 60

18 publicly visible posts • joined 11 Feb 2011

I'm not Boeing anywhere near that: Coder whizz heads off jumbo-sized maintenance snafu

Andrew 60

Re: 767

Also of interest

Air Transat Flight 236 was an Airbus A330 on a transatlantic flight that ran out of fuel due to a fuel leak caused by improper maintenance. Captain Robert Piché, an experienced glider pilot, glided the remaining 65 nautical miles to a safe landing.

And we all know that Captain Sullenberger was also an experienced glider pilot.

Perhaps there's something in this gliding thing.

Nokia scores a $3.5bn deal to inflict 5G on T-Mobile customers

Andrew 60

Re: What?

That would be T Mobile US who "operates the third largest wireless network in the U.S.market with over 65.5 million customers"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-Mobile#United_States

UK.gov mass data slurping ruled illegal – AGAIN

Andrew 60

After almost every terrorist attack it is normally disclosed that the perpetrators were already known to the security services. So there would have been absolutely no problem in going to a court and getting a warrant.

For the cases where they are not know, and thus could not get a warrant, then how do you think unfettered access to data would help? They are clearly so overloaded at the moment that they cannot even keep up with legitimate but low priority targets.

M&S extends customer support contract with, er, Capita

Andrew 60

I find it staggering that any business would outsource this function at all. This is your point of contact with your customers and a poor experience will turn a customer away. Do they think an outsourced employee will do anything beyond what the script says to help a customer?

One of the ways M&S try to differentiate themselves from their rivals is with better customer service. If you find yourself outsourcing your core business then what value are you really adding.

Couple fires sueball at Amazon over faulty solar eclipse-viewing goggles

Andrew 60

Obligatory The Simpsons quote "My Eyes! The Goggles Do Nothing!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juFZh92MUOY

Broadband providers almost double prices after deals end

Andrew 60

Nearly all providers offer an introductory rate. So you don't sign up for an "introductory rate", you sign up with a provider who is offering an introductory rate. Most people are aware that the introductory rate will end. The distinction matters, because for those who cannot tolerate an interruption to their broadband there is not much you can do when the introductory rate ends.

I work from home everyday, I need my broadband to work in the same way a taxi driver needs a functioning car. Based on the 3 week nightmare to get BT Infinity a few years ago I really don't fancy switching providers every year.

100k+ petition: MPs must consider debating Snoopers' Charter again

Andrew 60

Almost total lack of media coverage

There has been an almost total lack of media coverage on the Investigatory Powers Act. In the mainstream media a handful of articles in the Guardian and the Independent , not much else. Many people I have spoken to have no idea that this was being proposed and has been passed. Tthe UK has become a surveillance state with barely a whisper.

EU ends anonymity and rules open Wi-Fi hotspots need passwords

Andrew 60
FAIL

Re: Meh

Because Theresa May is a well known champion of civil liberties and internet freedoms

US 5th graders have a pop at paper plane record

Andrew 60

What, no SATS tests

Shame on the US education system, teaching science and allowing the kids to do experiments. We all know that year 6 pupils should be rote learning obscure grammar rules.

Google human-like robot brushes off beating by puny human – this is how Skynet starts

Andrew 60

Re: "....metal scabs...."

Given that it will work 24 / 7, no wages, no holidays, no working conditions, no taxes, doesn't slack off or steal. I imagine at £200K a go it would looks more appealing to your average warehouse owner than a minimum wage employee.

To employee three shifts of one minimum wage employee would cost around £70,000 a year just in wages. That's without factoring in overheads like line managers, HR, payroll, providing toilets etc.

Three-years-late fit-to-work IT tool will cost taxpayers £76m

Andrew 60

Re: Whaaat?

It seems that all governments are terrified that someone, somewhere might get something to which they are not strictly entitled. Thus spending £100 million to make sure that £1 million is not accidentally overspent makes sense.

Kids' tech skills go backwards thanks to tablets and smartmobes

Andrew 60

Technology Consumers

I got my first computer (Acorn Electron) in 1990 and I was 10. I started programming, guided by my uncle, and although I knew there was a lot to learn it did not seem impossible. This machine was clearly built by mere mortals, people like my father and uncles, and could be mastered.

If you were a child aged 10 today you would only have known the technology we have now and the technology is amazing. Perhaps it just seems so advanced it might as well be magic, maybe they don't comprehend that all this technology was designed by people. Although they must be aware that "people" did design it, it does not follow that they assume they could one day be that person. So they just accept they must always be a consumer of this technology, not a creator of it.

'Gaia' Lovelock: Wind turbines 'may become like Easter Island statues'

Andrew 60
FAIL

When we finally invent fusion power plants, or some other magical power source, the wind turbine can be taken down. The materials can be recycled easily. The concrete base it sits on is small and easily removed. There is no chemical/nuclear pollution on the site at all. After a few years there would be no evidence it had ever existed. So the whole argument about "ecological heritage" is total bull****.

Nokia flogged 4m Lumias, still bled €826m this quarter

Andrew 60
Stop

Re: Suggestion

It's a good idea. So good that Android did it some time ago, they called it "WiFi Hotspot".

New UK network touts FREE* mobile broadband

Andrew 60
FAIL

Back in 1999, while at uni, I signed up with an ISP that not only gave you free access in exchange for watching ads, but actually paid you too. Obviously they didn't last long, but I do remember getting cheques for around £15, equivalent to 15 pints in the union bar back then.

Initially you could just leave it connected and go out for the night, getting paid the whole time. Then they did a software update that required the mouse to be moved every minute or so to get paid. This was shortly followed by some third party software that made the mouse pointer move continuously, and this in turn was followed by their bankruptcy.

Wraps come off UK super-snooper draft plans

Andrew 60

Re: Doesn't Really Help

True, but they propose to record website visited and if a single server is hosting many sites then recording the IP is not enough. You need to record the URL in the GET request..

Software bug fingered as cause of Aussie A330 plunge

Andrew 60
Happy

Cosmic Rays

So they're pinning the blame on "high-energy atmospheric particles" then. I've been trying the old cosmic-ray corrupted a bit in a memory chip for years without any success.

Facebook tagged with $60bn valuation

Andrew 60

Re: Money for nothing

> What would happen to the world's economy?

When half the world's employees stop wasting hours on facebook, surely the economy would soar ;-)