Re: So... the news is USB doesn't work in real life...
"Seriously, USB has so many flaws"
Still not as bad as bluetooth. If it works, it works great, otherwise their stance is "screw you".
2242 publicly visible posts • joined 16 Jun 2007
"That's not how I remember it. Maybe you meant 5W ?"
Less than that. 500mA max, and that's with the devices "asking nicely" (there's some USB negotiation before it'll do that.
1A is however, routine, if not out of spec, and I've seen them squeeze 2A out of it too. Standards are treated like suggestions, if it doesn't fit your needs - just ignore the documents and do what you want.
"Bugger... is social melt down really upon us already?"
Yes it is. A lot of the boxes aimed at domestic use, simply don't have windows 7 drivers, and conveniently, they all have new hardware that is not automagically recognised by Win7 even if you try it.
So, stocking up on freeze-dried hardware might not be a bad idea.
"Since Australia is the arsehole of the world, and that's not available to us"
I've since found out that CBS has done a deal with the 10 network, so presumably it's going to be showing on free to air. That means it's likely to air at 2:00am, and laced with on-screen commercials for either cooking or home renovation shows. You know, because they're important.
That's the 10 network - the same one that starting this year butchered the Formula One seasons to an hour long "best of". With ads, that's 42 minutes program material, with the trophy handouts and top three interviews, that leaves maybe half an hour of racing for a race that's nearly two hours long in real life.
Torrents here we come.
"other than those subscribed to US broadcaster CBS' "All Access" video-on-demand platform"
Since Australia is the arsehole of the world, and that's not available to us, we'll have to persevere with the torrents. Nicely packaged, without ads, a mere few hours after it's available in the US, terrible, just terrible.
"There are loads of decent mail clients with PGP and GPG support built right in. It's not really that hard."
No, it really is that hard. Just because YOU can do it, doesn't mean EVERYONE can do it. Built-in support is only one tiny aspect of getting it to work. Most people I know continue to choose outlook, and since I don't have to support it, I don't. Bottom line is they go without - they don't even try to google it, or ask anyone else.
So, it really IS that hard.
"So when is Microsoft pushing Windows 10 on to that platform?"
Accounting for the quite slow communications bitrate, it won't get the win 10 install before it drifts into the next solar system. By that stage, the intelligent life there will be getting ready to communicate with us.
Then they'll notice Voyager, take one look at windows 10, and they'll launch an intergalactic war instead.
"Potential applicants will need to do their own research into exactly which CPU's assembly language they need to be fluent in, because El Reg couldn't be bothered to look that information up, and include it in the article."
Potential applicants would be proactive enough to do the research themselves, and not wait for El Reg to do their homework for them. Sigh.
"It might be hard to hit a kangaroo at less than 30 mph"
It's pretty easy actually.
We were 4x4ing on a firetrail (at about running pace) with a cliff on one side, and a mountain on the other.
A roo comes down the mountain, bumps us, and continues it merry way down what looked like a cliff.
There was no apparent damage done anywhere, but we were after all in her backyard.
That was in broad daylight, but the real problems come at night when they get "hypnotised" by the oncoming lights. They wait till last moment, then move in directly in front. When you hit it, you 'aint doin' 30mph at that point... Amazing how much damage even a smaller roo will do.
"How big are these people's houses? I don't really need to be able to adjust the mood lighting in my living room from the pub down the road."
Firstly, note that 1km distance specified is ideal under ideal environmental conditions, with no wind, with no walls, with no interference, as long as nobody sneezes... You get the idea.
Also, regular WiFi won't get from end to end on a typically sized property. At our place, almost to the end doesn't count, I've had to install a wifi bridge to span the entire property.
.ah would be ideal here - if the price is right of course. Which it won't be, because I'm doing the same thing here with cheapo off-the-shelf bridge wifi devices - right now.
"Marissa Mayer, who has been trying for three years to turn the company around, with limited success."
She could start by pissing off that abominable and faulty new mail interface. I'm quite sure not only her users, but internal staff would be quite happy to say the improvement would be significantly more than "limited".
"the European regulations state that vacuum cleaners should be tested in a laboratory without any attempt to replicate real-world conditions – which leads to misleading results, a Dyson spokesperson said of the claims."
That's just stupid. If the test method doesn't at all replicate any real-world conditions, then what's the point? It's like having a vacuum that works really well in the lab, but utterly pointless in the average home. Now that's misleading.
"From that description I'd say you've got a fairly watertight legal case against Apple."
"In legal theory, nothing is black or white, just shades of grey. Grey is guilty with a good excuse."
Apple knows full well, with that class of money you won't fight it, because if you lose against a multinational, multi billion dollar company, you're automagically up for everyone's lawers. And in this case, the plantiff has limited depth to their pockets. Apple doesn't.
I'm not saying you can't win, you just need to make absolutely sure that you're making it more economically viable for them to "lose". It often means you have to come to the table with more than just what you have right now. This is how it works, I've dealt with enough bastard insurance companies to know they'll use their legal team to save several hundred dollars if they can.
"Five of those and a bag of nuts usually does the trick."
Had a friend who was unconvinced that a large chunk of metal could fly, he could only get into the plane if he was entirely completly rip snorting drunk. (back in the days when you could still do that).
The family knew this, and would setup and prepare prior to any required flight.
Last time he flew, all went well, staggered down the aisle, plopped down on his seat and fell asleep soon afterwards.
He woke before they landed.
I would like to say the shit hit the fan. But I can't. It was worse.
On the upside for him, this was before the era where smiling at the stewardesses not only will get you shot on board, they chop up your body into small pieces and mount your head out the front of the airport to discourage other travellers from molesting staff again. When did saying "nice tits" go out of fashion?
"The computer looks sound enough, save for “One chip at B12 incorrectly inserted”"
Don't expect to ever have this functioning again. Ever. Someone's had a "play" with it, meaning, half the logic is blown sideways, and the other half, well, good luck with that.
I used to get (more modern) gear like that on occasion. If it looks like someone's had a play, I won't touch it. My sanity is worth more than that.
"I had a novel experience with them recently."
An aquaintance once mentioned how he (inadvertantly) dealt with JoHo's.
He lives on a rural property, hears the doorbell ring, but was busy butchering chickens at the time round the back of the house. He didn't want to trample chook blood through the house, so he walked along the side of the house, wearing a plastic apron, covered in blood to the elbows holding a knife in one hand.
He peeks around the front, says "yeees?".
He said they ran pretty quick.
"...the question is if the hardware and software is legal..."
Since you can do the same on an x86 architecture, are they going to ban PCs too?
You can't legislate against a combination. It can and will be ported so some other hardware, or software, or more likely, the rantings will be ignored from the start.