* Posts by John Bailey

811 publicly visible posts • joined 7 Jun 2007

Doctor Who season eight scripts leak online

John Bailey

Re: Spoiled?

So will everybody else who was going to watch. So really.. What harm is actually done?

A few people get less suspense. Their loss.

A few big mouths "spoil" the totally unpredictable and original stories that are not borrowed from anywhere else.. Honest.. Avoid them.

And a few over excitable people go into a sulk.

The horror..

Alabama quadchopper hits THREE THOUSAND FEET next to AIRPORT

John Bailey

Nope.. Autopilots have been available for remote controlled aircraft for ages.

And radio controlled aircraft are not necessarily fragile balsa wood and tissue paper things. If they were, the jet engine models wouldn’t survive take off.

Main difference as far as I can see is UAV sounds far more menacing than toy helicopter, in a story about a bloke being stupid enough to fly a toy helicopter near an airport.

Maplin Electronics sold for £85m to Rutland Partners

John Bailey

Re: I knew that had got expensive... but not THAT expensive!

Don't know about Rapid, but the CPC one is big. Phone book big. They sent me one once. My purchase must have been over a certain limit or something.

Easier to use the website.

John Bailey

Re: I knew that had got expensive... but not THAT expensive!

Yeah..

Problem is.. very little is supplied, and the prices they demand make it daft to go there.

These shops have had their day. Just as the old hifi shops and electronics shops that they crowded out of business have had their day.

Replaced by a bloke with a spare bedroom and a box of components he got cheap, and is now splitting into hobbyist friendly lots.

CPC are worth using. Free delivery, great range, and real electronic components for a competitive price.

And they have a nice range of cheap crap to keep the kids happy too.

Maplin.. Too expensive, too poorly stocked. Too many shop assistants who have no idea about the stock trying to sell extended warranties.

When PR backfires: Google 'forgets' BBC TV man's banker blog post

John Bailey

Before this degenerates into the usual EU phobic nonsense, can we remember this little bit of the article..

"The Court of Justice of the European Union said in its original ruling that courts will ultimately arbitrate on each request - and their decision must balance freedom of expression rights, as well as privacy rights."

Which basically means it is NOT GOOGLE who gets to decide. And any deletions they make are 100% their call, not forced compliance with any rules.

Google is basically pulling a work to rule ploy. Not complying with a law. So if you want to rant at someone, rant at Google.

BBC offers briefest of teasers for the next Doctor Who

John Bailey

Re: Fingers crossed

"But please please can we get back to some old-fashioned simple 'bad guys get butts kicked' stories, with a bit less of the brain-aching season-arcing uber-plots??!"

No.

We got behind the wheel of a Tesla S electric car. We didn't hate it

John Bailey

"I thought most developments (with regards driving aids rather than the 'leccy windows) were originally developed in Formula 1 cars - like ABS, semi-auto gearboxes, etc"

Quite possibly.

But OP stated "introduced" Not developed.

The Ford Fiesta was not the first street car with ABS was it?

Today in IT news: iPad Fleshlight a reality

John Bailey

Re: N! S! F! W!

Well they can use it when they get home then.

Slippery Google greases up, aims to squirm out of EU privacy grasp

John Bailey

Re: I wonder...

"...how quick MPs and MEPs will be to have all record of their expenses fiddling and sexual conquests purged from the public record."

Not very.. Public interest. Non qualifying. Not deleted.

"The EU can't even get their accounts in order; tells you something about how little they actually care about public interest."

And as you can't even stick to the scope of the law being discussed, tells us all we need to know about your credibility too.

Women are too expensive to draw and code – Ubisoft

John Bailey

Re: non story

"A lot of people on El reg work in IT. This story of extra costs rings true."

No it doesn't.

"No-one ever wanted a female mario or female sonic."

No one ever played a mario or sonic game that was a proper RPG, with customisable characters.

In games of this type however, it's the norm. Not just two genders, but multiple body types/species/heads/voices/outfits..

"The guy sounds reasonable, they wanted a female character but realised the costs.... simple.!"

Not really..

Female meshes abound. Add an extra mesh option with the same animation rigs, and job done. Near zero costs. In fact, the modelling for a single building probably would cost more.

Other RPGs allow players to play which ever gender they like, AND which ever species they like, with individual animation styles for each species. Elves don't move like Dwarves, and mages don't lumber like big human barbarians.

This is not a new and unusual thing. This is the default for RPGs. Even the free ones..

So please.. cut the crap. A female option is not actually expensive.

Hire some out of work actor to do the voice acting, and job done. Probably for less money than they pay forum stuffers.

Something else is the excuse, but it ain't costs or animation complexity.

Puritanical policy decision?

Worries about ratings being tightened up to avoid impossibly over developed female stereotypes?

Insecure male management?

But cost and complexity.. Please.. The other one's got bells on.

Apple seeks 'friendly' mouthpiece after losing tight-lipped Cotton spinner – report

John Bailey

Hmm..

Anybody know what Peter Mandelson is doing these days?

Flying cars, submarine cars – Elon Musk says NOTHING is beyond him

John Bailey

Re: When you are clueless...

When you are powerless... You believe all things impossible.

Flying car.. Done, Years and years ago. Utterly impractical, but still done. It drove, and it flew. Bolt on wings and tail carried in a trailer. It did however require a pilot'#s license as well as a driving license, and all kinds of permits.

Submarine car.. With electric motors.. why on earth not? Possible?.. Yes. Practical? Hell no, but an interesting design challenge. Being able to spend six months parked at the north pole is not a requirement. Being able to convey one or more people under power while fully submerged is. Scuba gear requirement optional.

Retracting wheels, propulsion pods mounted at the sides.. Not actually that hard.

To achieve these (for want of a better word) goals, a retail model is not actually required, So doesn't even need to be street legal.

If he wants to blow his money on this, nobody has any need to stop him.

If he wants to make things for the fun of it.. More power to him.

Report pegs Apple for October smartwatch release

John Bailey

Re: What, only one?

Someone must be doing a Tokyo Flash review somewhere.

John Bailey

"Do you actually believe Teenagers will" miss out on a chance to display another logo on their person.. a watch... a pair of boxer shorts, shoes, sun glasses, hats..

Fixed it for you.

Big question that nobody has asked..

Will it be waterproof from launch, or does that come as a firmware update.

Thanks for nothing, OpenSSL, grumbles stonewalled De Raadt

John Bailey

So....

Throwing a hissy fit and taking the ball home not found endearing..

Shocked surprise.

Feds crack down harder on 'lasing'. Yep, aircraft laser zapping... Really

John Bailey

"Unfortunately it's virtually impossible to legislate against stupidity."

It is however, quite possible to punish the stupid once caught.

Apple Fanbois are the biggest pervs, say people who know

John Bailey

Re: Not surprising

"Its not surprising as iOS has the most mobile traffic on the web with people who actually use their devices."

And did you at least wash your hands before you posted that..

No point making excuses.. we know what you were doing.

Amazon workers in Germany celebrate strike anniversary with ... ANOTHER STRIKE

John Bailey

Re: Perhaps it's time Amazon delivered a solution.

@ James

Perhaps it's time you figured out what happens in a warehouse in a business like Amazon's..

hint.. Not just storing stuff.

I believe Wally world had the same unhappy ending when they came across the concept of trying to apply American staff relations to European employment laws.

Rap chap tapped for $3 BEELLION: Apple buys Dr Dre's Beats

John Bailey

Re: Has

"Hasn't someone pointed out to Apple that Beats headphones are mediocre? Style over substance? Show but no go?"

But you can see the logo from ten feet away.. What else matters?

It's Google's no-wheel car. OMG... there aren't any BRAKES

John Bailey

"You've clearly never been in a car with my wife driving."

So more of a die switch then.

Still using e-mail? Marketers say you're part of DARK SOCIAL

John Bailey

Re: For added irony, on the story's page

"btw, how do you encrypt a pigeon?"

Have you considered a shotgun?

Watch: Kids slam Apple as 'BORING, the whole thing is BORING'

John Bailey

Re: heh

"Its nice to see that at least one kid was interested. You have to worry that we will eventually run out of interested people and just be left with the iPhone generation who are clueless when the "Cloud" stops working after the last engineer dies."

I wouldn't worry much. Our generation hardly distinguishes it's self as technical savants. Twelve o'clock flashers exist. As do the geniuses who use their computer until it finally stops booting before they bring it for repair..

The kid who gets more fun from grabbing a screwdriver and taking stuff apart than playing with it will always be with us.

The kid who takes stuff apart, if nurtured will also learn to put it back together again.

The kid who puts stuff back together will also figure out how to make it better.

And that my dear.. is where engineers come from.

John Bailey

Re: Who taught these children ??

"I think a behavourial science student would have a field day with these children. Modesty was obviously not a prime candidate thoughout their upbringing and what's with the Soap Opera theatrics."

Nah. they would have seen it all before... The girl at the start who simultaneously turned her head as the blanket was removed saying "whaaat iiiiis iiit" in her best "I can't decide if I'm supposed to be confused or disgusted, so I'll be both" voice was so bloody contrived, it may as well be scripted. Not even looking at what she decided to be mystified by before she started speaking. Watch her eyes, she was concentrating on her line.

I stomached about 2 minutes of it.

These are kids who have obviously been coaxed to act up for the camera. And as much as I enjoy making fun of Americans, this is pretty much universal. I could go to any UK class room and find the same personalities to bring out.

It isn't even contemporary society. Just the most self centred part being presented.

Allowed to freely express themselves, kids are fascinating to talk to. And get a smart one engaged, you can practically see their brain light up.

This was "be funny for the nice man with the camera" behaviour.

Anybody notice the kid who liked pushing buttons got so much less screen time than Miss Walmart checkout girl of the year 2034?

Right.. Proceed with fanboy rage.. I could use a good laugh after that.

China ponders ban on IBM servers

John Bailey

Re: Hmmmm.....

"I suspect that all IBM needs to do to make this go away is bribe the right chinaman."

Is that instead of, or as well as, the existing campaign contributions to American politicians?

eBay slammed for daft post-hack password swap advice

John Bailey

Re: ebay's password policy ...

I find the best is something easy to type, and easy to remember.

So mine is "***********".

China to become world's No 1 economy. And we still can't see why

John Bailey

Re: Delusions and Dreams. An Economic Know-Nothings in the FT

So basically..

China isn't doing what we do, so it can't possibly work. Even though our economies don't actually work either.

Consultant.. right?

Scoff ye not: Chap carves crunchy carrot-copter

John Bailey

Re: Some gag about software Bugs

Or a whole new meaning for carrot fly?

Microsoft Surface 3 Pro: Flip me over, fondle me up

John Bailey

Re: Convergence

"What's the point? They're two different things. It's like bridging the gap between your trousers and a hat."

I believe that would be a shirt.

Which is an actual need. This is more like bridging the gap between shoe and sock.

iPhone-stroker-turned-fandroid sues Apple over iMessage text-slurpery

John Bailey

"iMessage is iOS/OS X only.

This lawsuit is ridiculous."

SMS is universal.

This law suit has merit.

Urinating teen polluted 57 Olympic-sized swimming pools - cops

John Bailey

Re: dead animals: yes

"Is it true or urban legend that the sphincter muscles relax on death?"

True. Everybody craps themselves on the point of death.

BEAK DRONE: 1080p HD Wi-Fi quad-copter by Parrot takes to skies

John Bailey

Re: 12 minute battery?

12 minutes is about normal for small RC non fixed wing stuff I think. The general idea is to get a bunch of batteries and not fly for long periods.

Remember this is a helicopter. It's glide path is perpendicular.

$3.2bn Apple deal would make hip-hop mogul Dr Dre a BEEELLLIONAIRE

John Bailey

Re: I always thought it was ......

Because for some, price = quality, and brand = status.

Guess who also buy iThingies..

Sound quality is not a factor here.

And really. If you are only using them in an iProduct, a good set of buds will not turn a sows ear in to a silk purse. No pair of headphones or speakers or amp will ever push out better sound than the source can provide. So a good pair is really a waste of time.

The cans are crap. No argument. But they are expensive, and a recognised brand. And more importantly.. people can SEE the logo. Which is all that matters.

The perfect storm for brandwashed fanboys. Expect Beats phones to become magical products of immaculate industrial design that we haters are only mocking because we can't afford them.

It could really only be funnier if they were buying BOSE.

Potato in SPAAAAACE: LOHAN chap cooks up stratospud with Heston Blumenthal

John Bailey

Re: Serious errata - err, do what? @NoOnions

"Does a ham&lettuce sandwich have the ham and the lettuce on the outside? No, they are in the middle. So a Dave&Heston sandwich would have the Dave and the Heston in the middle."

Whereas a wholegrain, ham, and lettuce sandwich has the wholegrain bread where exactly?

Sometimes the type of bread is mentioned too. Before or after the filling. Or in this case, both.

Just can't get quality pedants these days. Even in a sandwich.

Mines the one with a pitta pocket.

NHS patient data storm: Govt lords SLAP DOWN privacy protections

John Bailey

Re: These peer fellows...

Yes. Not that winning a raffle has much to do with immunity to twattage. Especially as the ones proposing this in the first place were elected.

But the thinning out by Teflon Tony a few years ago of hereditary peers means that more and more are ex ministers and people who can be "relied on" who are granted peerages.

Solaris deposed as US drone-ware, replaced by Linux administration

John Bailey

Re: I've missed something here

No.

Behold! World's smallest 3D-printer pen Lix artists into shape – literally

John Bailey

Re: Bah! Old news

Yes. But not with such fine control and delicate lines. Kind of important with artistic tools.

People have been doing pyrography for centuries too. But a nice wire tipped pyro pen is a very different tool to the end of a poker shoved in a fire until it is glowing red. Still just scorching wood though.

There is nothing new under the sun, so demanding it be otherwise is futile.

Quid-a-day Reg nosh posse chap faces starvation diet

John Bailey

Re: Think 3rd world...

"Doesn't anyone hunt animals for food anymore?"

Not unless they refuse to drop my sandwich on command.

Samsung Galaxy S5 owners hit by fatal camera error problem

John Bailey

1) Newer batch = problem solved.

2) Newer batch uses different camera module.

3 Newer batch uses different revision of the board.

If the camera was one of a faulty batch from the manufacturer, then the next batch may very well be fine. Even though it is the same model number, same spec, same everything.

The parts used, the PCB, and sometimes, even the machinery used in manufacture are not necessarily the same from unit 1 to the last one to roll off the line. So a new unit of the exact same model can often be quite different inside.

In the electronics world, even high end test gear that costs thousands is not immune to having a few little bodge wires put on at the factory or a different revision of the board used part way through the product's manufacturing life.

CEO Tim Cook sweeps Apple's inconvenient truths under a solar panel

John Bailey

Re: Outgassing

I believe a cranial rectal insertion might solve the problem of noxious emissions from both ends.

'Maybe I'll go to Hell, but I think it's a good thing' says plastic Liberator gunsmith Cody Wilson

John Bailey

Well. if it's his little plastic popgun, then it's probably true. Not so many people are going to continue mugging someone after they blow their own damn fool hand off.

True optical zoom coming to HTC smartphone cameras

John Bailey

Re: 90 degrees

There was actually a camera that did this years ago. Can't remember who made it, or even if it was any good.

My preference would be for a sensible thickness phonecamera with room for a proper zoom.

Dropbox defends fantastically badly timed Condoleezza Rice appointment

John Bailey

Re: Drop box (US based) --> US Laws --> THE PATRIOT Act --> Privacy f**ked

"So they lose the free accounts of a few hundred users - and gain a few hundred phone calls from Condie to heads of US Govt Depts and CEOs of honest right-minded US corporations."

Yep.. Cos the whole American spying on everybody with a pulse backlash hasn't impacted cloud companies at all. Right??

Here is the fire bucket you ordered. Should fit your head quite nicely.

Bendy or barmy: Why your next TV will be curved

John Bailey

Re: If you sit too close to the screen...

Surely rectangular these days..

Lego is the TOOL OF SATAN, thunders Polish priest

John Bailey

And this dear listeners..

Is why I became an atheist.

Homeopathic remedies contaminated with REAL medicine get recalled

John Bailey

Re: An excellent article

"Without a trace of irony."

Which was originally a full of irony, but has been diluted so many times, it has no irony left, yet is now more ironic than it was at the start.

Brit game devs WILL get tax relief for, er, EastEnders Game and Legend of Slough

John Bailey

Re: Croydon

Nobody knows........

John Bailey

Croydon

A survival horror game..

Microsoft frisks yet another Android gear maker for patent dosh

John Bailey

Re: Accomplishments?

Shhhhh.. They have been mentioned twice in one thread. Nobody say the name a third time. Or they'll be back in court again.

Returning a laptop to PC World ruined this bloke's credit score. Today the Supreme Court ended his 15-year nightmare

John Bailey

Mistake 1

He entered PC World

Ugh! This DUNKABLE wearable tech is REPELLENT

John Bailey

Re: Yes please.

It's ok..

Apparently Apple use a firmware update to make their phones waterproof.