* Posts by Arif Rashid

22 publicly visible posts • joined 11 Jul 2007

US spooks won't get UK census access

Arif Rashid

Of course there is no evidence...

of US companies giving info to the security services because they are also bound by various gagging orders or just the need to keep it quiet!

US boffins create GM 'supercarrot'

Arif Rashid

Rather than GM'ing everything

Instead of messing around with something that has already been pumped full of junk and near enough manufactured instead of grown, why not just go back to basics.... like eating a more healthier balanced diet

Retailers: Xbox 360 to win next-gen console war

Arif Rashid

Missing key points

The console wars aren't over yet, however, we can see that Microsoft is winning the hardcore gamers market and wii is capturing new markets. The PS3 cant even capture their old markets properly at the moment.

Its really sad, the PS3 had so much potential, in fact i really wanted one. But Sony tried to cram too much into it a device that while may be technically superior, not only misses its' target market, but also manages to price it out. In addition to this, Sony took forever and a day to bring out the console, then took even longer to bring out a technically inferior one to europe and charge them more (talk about slaps in the face Sony!). The games are at least £10 dearer and take longer to come out than the 360 and there has been no noticeable difference in the quality of the graphics or playability between the PS3 and 360. The final problem with the PS3 is that it is difficult to program for due to the symmetrical nature of its CPU.

All of these factors don't spell the end of the PS3, but it definitely means it wont make it to first place anytime soon. The PS4 is going to have to be something special....

As for the Wii, this is really the true winner, even though it's technically not next gen, (more like 1.4 gen instead of 2.0) its unique controller and 'fun' type games make it very accessible. Its also cheap. I can still buy (when in stock) a Wii and a 360 for the same price as a PS3 and still have change left over for a game and the bus ride home.

So to sum up:

PS3 is too expensive, to buy and develop for. Identical games are cheaper on 360 and Wii is much more fun. Sony may have got away with the higher pricing, but it didnt offer anything new other than Blu-ray, which is still fighting the next-gen-video format war.

Sony when are you going to learn....

HMRC coughs to more data losses

Arif Rashid
Stop

To those "you have nothing to fear" idiots

Ha in your face! Nothing to fear eh?? Its now (well it always was to us privacy buffs) become obvious that the government is inept at security. They cant even manage to securely transport data from one location to another....internally! What makes you think that the government will be able to look after all the info that would be stored on ID cards?

Imagine the potential damage that could be caused from the release of the 25million records that they lost now, imagine if it held biometric data as well! It would (in theory at least) be possible for someone to clone your fingerprints and leave them at the scene of a crime (think of every sci-fi conspiracy movie you have ever watched; enemy of the state anyone?) in addition to knowing all of your most private data. ID cards are a good idea in theory, but as any security nerd will tell you, its only as secure as the weakest point. In the case of ID cards the weak point would be some silly public sector prat who thinks windows ME is a good stable OS, thinks encryption is something that happened in ancient Egypt and who is working for the government because no private sector company would employ such a numpty...

Nothing to fear? my a*se

Warner puts 'Glu-ray' disc on hold - again

Arif Rashid
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Morons in the Media World

Thanks a lot Sony/Panasonic/et al for producing 2 completely incompatible and opposing media types. You should have learnt the first time round with the VHS Betamax fiasco that people just want to buy one type of media and be able to play it regardless. Stop being a bunch of money grabbing idiots (Sony...etc) and just agree to a standard....

Mobile games not bringing in the bucks

Arif Rashid

Mobile Gaming, Pah!

Mobile gaming (as in gaming on your mobile) is really a joke. The games out there for mobiles are all well and good, but most people dont buy games to play on their mobile, they got their mobile to make calls. The only people who really buy games are children and (hardcore) gamers. Both of these groups are more likely to have already purchased a dedicated gaming machine, instead of relying on a device that normally has a screen size smaller than a watch display. The only way more games are going to be shifted is if the price reflects what their main target audience (kids) can afford, which can only mean reducing their prices.

Xbox 360 outsells PS3 in Japan

Arif Rashid

HAHA Sony

Dear oh dear Sony! how the mighty have fallen! It doesn't take a genius to figure this one out and even though there is a new model of PS3 coming out, it doesn't change the fact the Microsoft has finally managed to outsell Sony in Japan, even if it short lived. Facts are:

1) PS3 is overpriced, especially in Europe (you bunch of **nts)

2) Games are too expensive (new ones are normally £10 more than the same 360 version)

3) Lateness to market, especially in Europe (you bunch of **nts)

4) Games availability - there are hardly any decent games out on the PS3 (except maybe pro Evo 2008)

The only thing the PS3 is currently good for is a cheap Blu-Ray player, but that will change once the Chinese whiteboxes start churning them out by the boat load. Its a shame because i dont really like Microsoft as a company, but they have seemed to got their act together and as for Sony, they just went from a good company with a great product, to a lousy company with an overpriced and overblown product

Oracle 'cheated' in TPC benchmarks

Arif Rashid
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You can cheat tests...

It is possible to cheat a test, if you know what is on that test. Then you could revise only those answers. In the case of a database, you only optimise the functions that are going to make the test run faster, but not necessarily optimise the database itself to have any meaningful increase in speed (i.e. the speed increases only benefit the speed test performance and not day to day). Oracle should be ashamed' Larry Ellison likes to take the p**s out of Micro$oft every two minutes when his own house is out of order.... Pot calling the kettle black anyone?

SaveTheInterneters to save the internet from Comcast

Arif Rashid

There is another way...

I work for a major UK ISP. We 'traffic shape' torrent traffic, but with a difference. Bit Torrent traffic is ALWAYS allowed on the network and not 'dropped' in anyway. The difference is that it is 'throttled' (i.e. slowed down) during peak browsing times. This peak browsing time is between 5pm-8pm when everyone comes home from work etc and steadily declines after 9pm. We still allow torrent traffic to pass, but the amount of bandwidth for torrents during that time will progressively decrease until the end of peak time. This way everyone gets a balanced service and their torrents...

At first I didn't think this method is fair, but once I actually saw the amount of bandwidth being eaten by torrents (anywhere between 30-55% of total traffic!) I realised that in this instance, its fair. People downloading torrents need to be a bit fairer; you can't leave your PC on 24/7 constantly downloading, why not just download overnight?

Sony said to have sub-$100 PS2 in the pipeline

Arif Rashid
Stop

Sony shooting itself.... again!

Have Sony finally lost the plot? Firstly they release their new console a year late and heavily overpriced (although cheap for a blue-ray video player). Then they announce they are realising a cut down (crap) version of the PS3, even though Sony laughed at Micro$oft for doing the very same thing. Now instead of concentrating on reducing the costs of the PS3 or coming up with some other innovative way of shifting PS3's (like making more decent games and cheaper too) they sell cheap PS2's instead.

Message to Sony: Wake up and get with the program you complete and utter plonkers. Make the PS3 cheaper and the games too. Why would i want to buy the same game as realised on a Xbox 360 and pay £10 more? especially since they look identical when played on their respective systems??? P.S. You have especially upset and insulted the UK gaming community. This is gonna cost you long term Sony, don't forget a large number of games are developed in the UK and you will lose out all round unless you get your collective fingers out...

Facebook sued for mis-sending dirty texts

Arif Rashid

Standards.... the lack thereof

Ha Ha Ha... Thats what you get for not adopting the GSM standard! Crap phones, even worse service, not being able to roam AND having to pay to receive calls and texts in your own country! now that is progress....

DA suppressed Alabama Baptist pastor autopsy

Arif Rashid

Silly billy

This article is awesome, the El Reg should put more of these to illustrate the stupidity of our atlantic cousins (sorry yanks but you guys really are dumb compared to the rest of the planet, just look at how much oil u guys use, buy a more economical car stupid!). Sorry to generalise but these are the people (Americans and especially their government) that preach moral authority over the rest of the world, claiming to 'spread democracy' and 'protecting the free world' and are always the first ones to impose their views and values on anyone else, regardless of whether they want it or not (one of the reasons why America is hated so much around the world). Note to all californias who will no doubt say how much their state (and a couple of others) are trying to make climate change get noticed im America; you guys still elected Arnie (a dumbass nazi, i mean republican) as governor...

Admittedly this particular man's private should, ideally, be kept private. However as one of the earlier posts so rightly put it, this guy forefits all rights of privacy as he was in a position of moral authority, telling all those around him to follow rules that he could even follow himself. Who knows what other kinks this guy had, who is to say that he didn't kiddle fiddle while dressed as the rubber man? The fact that this information came to light only because of 'leaks' is a complete shambles. The District Attorney et al need to be chucked out for trying to hush this up.

A message to all u religious nuts (of ALL religions) - practise what you preach, otherwise God will shove a lightening bolt up ur behind (or in this case a dildo, make u dress in a rubber suit and then die for all ur congregation to see and laugh). If you feel that u are unable to curb and control ur desires, leave the church/mosque/synagogue/temple/general holy place and never go back, you are not meant to be a guardian of moral authority...

MasterCard caught with pants down twice

Arif Rashid

what really p*sses me off

Banks/visa/mastercard are the biggest bunch of con artists ever. They are very quick to take money out of your account (always same day) and will charge you intereste at the drop of a hat. Try and get ur money back from them, or hell, want to spend your own money when u want and hey presto! Sorry, the systems are down... Yeah right. Its high time that banks, credit card companies and insurance companies all get their fingers out and start providing a proper service.

Ofcom primes broadband afterburner

Arif Rashid

Ofcom needs to get its finger out

While its finally great that BT is giving all of this talk about rolling out fibre to home, they have been saying stuff like this for years... without any luck. Having said that, it is a little unfair that BT is expected to foot the bill for rolling out fibre to everyone at their expense.

If BT or anyone else thinks that trying to keep the existing copper in the ground needs to be shot. Fibre is the only way forward, otherwise in 5-10 years time, as the rest of the world (including africa) will have nice 100mbps connections and we'll still have 10mbps (only in cities).

If BT was clever, it would roll out fibre and chuck its BT fusion product (in full HD) over fibre and be able to pump out all its channels in full HD, give everyone a landline, broadband and about 100 other services...

I think its time BT had their network split from the organisation and had to spin it off to another company which has to sell 51% of its shares to other organisations and to the government to make it truely open access to other network. That way the government would be able to subsidise the independent network organisation and this way no-one can accuse anyone else of getting an unfair boost from the government and the people of Great Britain.

Bioethics group raises DNA database concerns

Arif Rashid

Not a good idea

a few of the problems with having everyone's DNA on file:

1) Police will get lazy (not that they arent already) and immediately assume that if ur DNA is found at a crime scene, ur guity.

2) DNA Profiling - Think of Gattica where u cant even get a decent job without the 'right DNA'

3) i remember reading something about something like 1 in 26 people has the wrong father i.e. the man they thought was their father and who raised them is not their Biological father... a lot of women are gonna have some explaining to do...

4) Insurance companies - the fact that insurance is a legit scam in the first place is neither here nor there. Its only going to be a short step (and some well financed Lobbiests) for MP's to pass laws allowing the likes of insurance companies to look at the DNA database and for them to (NOT) offer insurance to only those who are not genetically more likely to get a particular diesease.

Apple coughs up G4 refunds to dissatisfied Danes

Arif Rashid

Apple laptops dying all the time

I used to work in a computer shop in tottenham court road which was an authorised Mac service centre. We used to get loads of G4's coming back after near enough 1 year (just as the warranty ran out) ending up with the poor sod who bought the thing having to fork out about £300 for a repair, or sometimes even for a new laptop. I couldnt help but think that this was some sort of money making scam from Apple... and the 1st-3rd generation Ipods were even worse than the G4's....

New GPS sats to lack Selective Availability

Arif Rashid

American Government are liars

The American Goverment doesnt have a good track record on things and they are especially good at backtracking and changing the rules at any moment when it suits them. So its quite possible the Bush administration might turn around and stop anyone it doesnt like from using the system and it could (in theory) even send out a wrong signal...

Given the reliance on SatNav these days it makes perfect sense to have more than one system. For one it means that if (in the unlikely event) the GPS system goes down (and it has done, albeit only once if memory serves) there is another system to use instead.

Top judge: put everyone in UK on the DNA database

Arif Rashid

Its a good idea but

While in theory its sounds like a good idea; sample everyone and then we always know who has been where, whenever someone leaves DNA. But there are a few minor problems in reality which will never allow a system like this to work:

1) the Government is totally incapable of running large scale IT projects without c**king them up.

2) this could be HUGELY misused, from everyone from criminals to the insurance industry (legally sanctioned criminals), banks (biggest crooks) and anyone else who would like to screw you over. Imagine never being able to buy insurance because you are a 'genetic risk'

3) eugenics - controlled population births. The government could in theory decide who marries who for genetic consistency?

4) false evidence - someone could easily steal or 'borrow' your DNA from a cup, fag butt, etc. and then plant it at a scene and you could be inadvertantly placed at a crime scene.

5) cost - the cost of maintaining a system of this size would be immense, they might be able to add it to peoples National Insurance information, but i doubt it without some seriously expensive upgrades.

I'm sure there are many more, but thats all i can think of right now. But as you can see, its far too risky. What the hell is wrong in society today? i thought once you have paid for the crime (providing its something minor) you are forgiven...

MS tweaks Vista with minor updates

Arif Rashid

Vista is a shambles

I hate when people bash windows all of the time, after 2-3 years of its initial release, it does get stable (normally after the SP2 has been released). I like Windows XP, better than most other O/Ss including Linux and OSX) just because it works, does what its supposed to and runs my games. But Microsoft does need to get a serious kick in the n*ts by a class action or something for them releasing an operating system that is not fit for use. They claim its reliable, good for playing media and games, plus some other nonsense. But obviously for many users this is simply not the case. I know of only 2 people who have had a painless experience of vista, and both were pre-installed on the machine when they bought it.

In my personal experience, i liked the interface on vista and the quick load times. What i didnt like was the fact that it took years to copy anything over a network, half my network devices stopped working, game performance dropped significantly and a whole load of apps and hardware refused to work. I had high hopes for vista (but i think i was just high when i had the hopes) but ultimately, companies as well as people are creatures of habit, Microsoft will forever release buggy, beta and bloated operating systems and other software until the end of time...

Egg.com server cracks

Arif Rashid

Dont put all your...

I know C&W are completely useless but Egg should have been prepared! A C&W link has gone down, but i cant help but think that Egg could have avoided this by purchasing another link from a different provider in case of emergencies (like this) especially because its Clueless & Witless (Cable & Wireless) who are providing them with connectivity and they have a habit of being well crap.

Ahh well you know what they say, dont put all your eggs in one basket, sorry folks couldnt resist.

Golf and Intel Inside China threaten life as we know it

Arif Rashid

what is wrong with some people???

God almighty! I thought that the Reg was supposed to be a quality news site that takes the p*ss out of anyone and everyone at every opportunity. Why do some people get so offended, or take everything they read so seriously?? Its no wonder that the IT profession is full of t*ats. All you people moaning about El Reg being unprofessional and immature need to get a life. IPHONE IPHONE IPHONE, i had no reason to say it, but i went there anyway.

Sky hails broadband explosion

Arif Rashid

I hate murdoch but...

I have to say, even with with reading all the bad press and the fact that i dont like that meglomaniac Rupert Murdoch, but Sky Broadband has been nothing but perfect. I switched from Virgin a while ago and the TV service is 100 times better, no crashing boxes.

The broadband was just as seemless; got a letter telling me my activation date and password. On the day, just plugged in the router (they posted the day before) and wham, worked first time! I hate to say it, but it looks like Sky has the LLU process down to a Tee.... If only other ISPs could get their collective fingers out of their....