Posts by Mark Scott

US.gov - including NASA et al - quits internet. Is the UN running it now?

Warning!

An IT joke I saw on Twitter earlier today:

"America was not shut down properly. Would you like to start America in safe mode, with free healthcare and without the guns? (Recommended)"

Greedy Sky admits: We crippled broadband with TOO MANY users

Re: Business broadband

I've been with them for years at a couple of different locations. No complaints.

Boffins create quantum gas with temperature BELOW absolute zero

Re: Explain like I'm five...

Try this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Teach-Quantum-Physics-Your/dp/1851687793.

Woof!

Secret of invisibility unravelled by US researchers

So...

the end of development of the invisibility cloak is in sight.

Sorry.

Music biz proposes 'iPod tax' in return for format-shift freedom

Podcasts

I use my iPod for podcasts only - listening to it whilst walking and on the bus to and from work every day. Why podcasts? Because it's 1 hr 40 minutes a day and podcasts are always different - I'd have to have an awful lot of music to give me 8 1/3 hours of variety a week. I don't want the player to be taxed - I have already paid for the podcasts because they are from the BBC and I am a UK TV licence payer.

Charges on CDs are unfair - you might not transcode it - and charges on players are unfair - again, you might not be transcoding from anything. Clearly, there needs to be an alternative solution taking payment at the point of transcoding, or no charge at all.

IT depts under threat as City braces for 20,000 job cuts

Re: Outsourcing opportunities?

@ Richard

"Why not relocate "The City" to a lower cost location, such as .. well .. anywhere outside of London."

The banks do. There are many large US and UK financial institutions with offices in Glasgow, and the total cost per employee (salary, office space, etc) is a fraction of London.

Re: Capital in need of Care.

"You can't wipe £ 500bn with a NIL pointer"

Hmmm, bet I can, if I don't set that pointer tomorrow..., then again, it'll just fail to report the £500bn, not wipe it out of existence.

Apple forbids Windows users from installing Safari for Windows

Apple label

Golden Delicious, Braeburn or Pink Lady?

Germans launch flights for nudists

Seat reservations

So do they reserve a seat by putting down their towels?

...mine's the birthday suit at the back.

3,000 chickens paralyse central Scotland

The police started the jokes...

The police started the jokes when some spokesman did their bit for the local radio traffic reports ... "it's a foul morning for motorists" was the phrase they used IIRC.

MasterCard customers hit by system failure

Re: Must have happened for longer...

@ Test Man:

"even though I bought a ticket on the 9th September."

That's probably just Gatwick Airport ticket machines. I once had a car park ticket debited by NCP from my account 5 months after I parked and paid at a machine. My bank said they have 180 days from time of taking payment details to actually submit the debit charge to the bank.