Posts by Andy ORourke

Windows 8: Microsoft's tablet-desktop still painful to swallow

I also liked this bit......

" now you'll find most things in Windows work pretty much as before, for desktop users."

So, you can make it work like windows used to in the olden days so why, for the love of all that is holy didnt MS just have a tick box in the installer, I don't know, maybe "Use Windows Clasic interface" or some such.

I havent tried Windows 8, I probably won't till service pack 1 (although I think the X-box interface is suppose to be "like" the new UI in Windows 8 so I have used it in that respect, left me feeling a bit "meh")

The 'experts' who never see BBM will never understand RIM

Re: £5 per month

Of all available pies, stale cat is my favourite.

"Putting BBM on anything else would be like trying to get a petrol car to run on diesel blended with stale cat's pies."

YouTube app wrenched from next Apple iPhones, iPads

Ah, but now.........

You can do it in style :-)

Post-pub nosh deathmatch: Bauernfrühstück v bacon sarnie

Re: Dangerous suggestion

Until you've had a BLT on toast with freshly cooked bacon and lashings of full fat Mayo you will never know just how good mayo can be on something hot (almost as nice as usin mayo as a dip for chips (or "French Fries" if you are of that persuasion))

Opera updated following unexplained Outlook.com lockout

Surface, the new technique for turd polishing

I took a look at this yesterday, the "new UI" appears to only be the very top, do anything else "emaily" and you are dumped back at the old hotmail screen (at least in my very limited 2 minute experiment)

Meh

Lords call for the end of TV transmissions

Re: Prosperity

" I don't see this working well in rural communities"

I also don't see this working well in my 86 year old mums house who doesnt have broadband and struggles with "normal" telly (and she only EVER watches ITV), nearly every other day one of us has to go and "fix" her telly (put it back on the right channel, show her which way to hold the remote etc.)

I guess in 20 or 30 years when you have agenerally more tech savvy elderly population but today (or the near future) I think this would be an absolute nightmare!

BSkyB delights City with record profits: Broadband subs pass 4 million

Re: Sky not too bad really....

Think it might have been the VPN insisting on using a certain port, SKY determining that port was used by VPN and blocking it. The workaround was "enable random port selection" (or something)

When I got a new laptop with different VPN software I had no issues. Like I said, only took 3 minutes to work around

Sky not too bad really....

I mean, I have moved 3 times in the past 6 years, all to fairly large commuter towns and for TV I only had Sky available (I don't really count BT "Vision"), no Virgin TV so no virgin broadband (although that didnt stop them shoving wads of glossy advertising through the letterbox every week!).

Since the Phone / broadband package was cheap I tried it out last move and the service was good, speed was OK, the only bugbear I had was that my works VPN couldnt connect, when I called SKY I was told that I had a consumer broadband product and VPN's were business use.

Not sure if this still stands but it took about 3 minutes on Google to produce a workaround, no big deal.

UK ISPs promise punters 'full' and 'open' internet 'access'

Re: waitwaitwait

You missed the "*"

its UP TO 100% open with nothing blocked

HTC disses Dr Dre by diluting Beats deal

Re: Looks like HTC

ah, but he still has love for the streets......

Washington State to allow voter registration via Facebook

Re: Now all my friends can register

Now, I'm no expert but I'm guessing that the local government might have an electoral roll of people eligible to vote an they would be checking this against all forms of voter registration.

To allow anyone to register just because they have a Facebook account that shows they live in the area, well that would just be daft!

Apple Store staircase flagged as Peeping Tom black spot

Do you mean.......

"Pictures or it did not happen"??

Instagram bug 'exposed' hipsters' private photos to strangers

Re: Moral of the story...

Hiding your savings in a pot at the bottom of the garden seems like a decent idea given the shitstorm the banking industry has caused us, no or minimal return on savings and my pension pot being worth less than I've paid into it.

If you meant to include the joke Icon in your post please ignore my comments

Cheers

Apple boss Cook may have stumped up $60m IPAD pay-out

It's not like

Apple are short of a Bob or two now is it?

Dimming the lights on smart(arse) TV

Got myself a "smart" TV (Sony)

Only had it a few weeks and it has had more software updates than I could think any device would ever need never mind a TV.

Should have known though, as a PS3 owner who only infrequently uses it for Games I am used to switching on the PS3 for a quick blast only to have to download a HUGE update before I can get anything done!

To smart for their own good, I do however wholeheartedly reccomend the Logitech Harmony remote, superb

Google claims Chrome is the world's most popular browser

Turd Polish

I think Mythbusters proved it can be done : HERE

Brits get to fondle Google Nexus 7 slab in just a fortnight

Re: better than I thought

Why not do the same with your iPhone? I got a £10.00 SIM from T-Mobile and can tether whatever I like to it......

BT to fibre up another 98 exchanges, puffs 'FTTP on demand' offer

New Builds.....

Just rented a brand new house and went to have a look round, I saw a fibre NTU in the cupboard under the stairs (says to the wife "We'll take this one")

Got in touchwith BT, sorry sir, we can't supply your property with a phone line for telephone OR Broadband.

Maybe it's Virgin, tried them, nope, not virgin.

Got in touch with the landlord and it turns out there is a company called see thelight (Ironic really, given its fibre to the property and the one thing you can't do is "see" the light) seems they have some kind of deal with some new home builders to supply phone / broadand.

I could have 200 Meg if I wanted to shell out the £80 a month, in the end I settled for 50 Meg (only 10 times what I get now) with a 10 Meg upload for just £8.25 a month. I even took a phone line and some phone extras before I realised I didnt need them!

Anyway, who says monopolies can't be a force for good!

Microsoft's Surface plan means the world belongs to Android now

Re: Not quite true.

" they have to charge for apps"

You sure about that? I have LOADS of free apps, some of which were compelling enough for me to upgrade (either to the "full" version or just to get rid of the Adverts)

There is even a top paid / top free listings in the app store

Microsoft Surface: Join the Windows 8 teardown

Re: This is soooo MSFT

Yep, iPhone does this too

Crime Map

Loved the buy from amazon button

at the bottom of the review :-)

Pegatron named as Microsoft Surface fondleslab foundry

Re: cash cow

I don't think (but i'm probably wrong here) the iPad was ever really meant for "productivity"

It's great for consumption and even a little bit of productivity (I can do One Note and edit my spreadsheets etc) but obviously if you are trying to do anything "major" on it then you just had the wrong device.

I think they (Microsoft) could be onto something with the surface but it's trying to get the differences over to joe public. I can imagine the confusion:

"iPad - £400 or Microsoft pad £500" no brainer really, I am guessing a lot of "Consumers" wont know (or care about) the difference.

As usual, it's horses for courses. I can browse the web, watch movies, listen to music, keep up to date in my spreadsheets and check my works emails without getting off the sofa when I "work from home" so the iPad works for me.

If you need more than that then the iPad isnt for you, doesnt mean one is better than the other, just one is more suited to your requirments that's all

Storage company promises INFINITE IMMORTALITY

Re: Not being picky at all

It's pretty close, I mean everyone is used to seeing Unlimited* so I guess that's how they get round this.

The Wife's Orange contract comes with unlimited* text messages (* the small print says, and I quote "Subject to a maximum of 3000 text messages per month")

OK, she's not likely to use 3000 texts in a month but still to say it's unlimited and then place a hard limit on it, well, that's just wrong.

Now if only we had some kind of authority that monitored advertising standards.............

Three touts 'unlimited' Euro data roaming for a fiver a day

Still Pricey.....

I just got back from Tunisa and I slapped a Tunisia Telecom SIM in my iPhone, topped up 20 Dinar (about 9 quid) and managed to get 500 Meg per 24 hours for 1 Dinar a day (about 50p) Still got a few Dinars credit left after my 12 nights

The network also allows for cheap calls to UK as well

Much easier and cheaper to use local infrastructure when you can. That also allowed tethering as well.

Facebook changes data-use policy despite 87% poll opposition

Re: @Graham Marsden

Also, Mr. Aardvark

I wish people would get used to the fact that facebook users are the PRODUCT of facebook and NOT the "customer"

Facbook (Google, Microsoft, Apple etc) are in business to make money for the shareholders, they don't really care about the "user" (if they did, Microsoft wouldnt be foisting Metro on the desktop, Google wouldnt be foisting G+ on everyone and Apple wouldnt be doing whatever it is they are doing today)

TiVo spits out monster 6-way Pace box for US eyes only

Re: Six?!

The good thing about the shortage of decent programming is that it can be found at really unusual times, we almost never have clashes because the programs we like on Discovery, SYFY, Nat Geo etc can generally be found at 02:00 three days after the original airing, or even (espescially crime & investigation) the stuff that's on at 21:00 is generally on againa t mifnight and 03:00 so it's easy to avoid clashes.

The only trouble I have sometimes is that setting a record on one of these from th planner often doesn't trigger a "series link" question. It's still fairly easy to overcome that though.

Ballmer says 500 MILLION 'users' to 'have' Windows 8 in 2013

Re: Betting the farm on tablets replacing desktops and lappies...

I replaced an aging desktop last yaer with a new laptop running windows 7. I now really just use it as a dock for the phones / tablets / NAS.

I can't really remember the last time i did any sit down work with it, not even watching films or catchup TV.

I havent looked at Windows 8 but if the Metro UI looks like the XBox UI then it doesnt look too bad (On an XBox, or a phone or a tablet) but if I had to use that for day to day work............

Not in a rush for Win 8 myself.

Talking of corporates, the global mega corp I work for is *Just* moving to Windows 7, I can see us skipping 8 all together if it's as bad as people say on the desktop for "normal" work

Is there life after ads for St Zuck?

There's the problem......

"The sooner a proper user-centric privacy oriented social media infrastructure is established the better."

Who is going to pay for it? The masses want stuff "Free" (for a given value of their souls!)

Facebook is a company, users are the product, if people really understood that (or even cared to some great extent) then facebook would be in trouble. The reason these things gain critical mass is because they are free and everyone uses them without realising they are the product.

Mobile net filters block legit content too – campaign group

What, like shops having to hide Cigarettes away

The theory goes that if the kiddies can't see them then they wont be tempted to try smoking.

I remember when I started smoking all those years ago, I didnt see the brightly coloured packets and think "oh, I must try those", I saw my dad, my brother and my mates smoking and thought "I must try those" (I know, what a sheep!)

Anyway, 20 years later and I've broken the addiction but I really dont think hiding stuff away makes things less appealing to youngsters, take drugs (as an example, that wasnt a subliminal message!)

Cameron hardens stance on UK web filth block

Re: silly law

Graeme, Graeme, Graeme,

Your doing it again, thinking (and not the good kind (of the children (TM)))

Please desist and just do what youre told!

Barclaycard site falls over, web payments impossible

or even

nip into a branch

Sony to bring Google TV to Europe

Why a new set top box with Blu-Ray Player?

Why not just wrap it all up in PS3, sales for Sony, Google claim sales as well?

Game chain sold

Re: WHY!?

I think you'll find you've got a "cat Flap" rather than a letter box.......

just when you thought.......

Things couldnt possibly get worse for game!

Bring-your-own-mobe pilot for BlackBerry-shunning council bods

Re: Can I bring my near 11 year old Nokia 5185?

Jake, you seem to have found the perfect phone for your requirements and I'm happy for you.

Please remember that other people might like to do other things (like email) without having to boot up the laptop.

OK, we know they just like the latest shiny shiny but If an organisation can reduce costs by getting users to provide their own (shiny) kit then that's a good thing right? (assuming of course it can be done in a secure manner)

Please, just because you are in Nirvana with your own technological solutions, dont berate anyone who doesnt do it your way

Peace man...

4G hobonet stunt was riddled with flaws, doomed to ridicule

Re: I'm all for helping people

"you can't get a job if you can't sleep, eat, wash and wear clean clothes"

You obviously havent met some of the people I work with :-)

iPlayer repeat fees threaten BBC earthquake

Re: Because of the unique way the BBC is funded.....

Watching TV on the internet You need to be covered by a licence if you watch TV online at the same time as it's being broadcast on conventional TV in the UK or the Channel Islands.

Video recorders and digital recorders like Sky+ You need a licence if you record TV as it's broadcast, whether that's on a conventional video recorder or digital box.

Mobile phones A licence covers you to watch TV as it's broadcast on a mobile phone, whether you're at home or out and about.

P.S. I think this is ANY Television broadcast, not just stuff from the BBC. I think in the olden days that you needed a TV licence if you "had a device capable of recieiving a television signal)

The law states that you need to be covered by a TV Licence if you watch or record television programmes, on any device, as they're being shown on TV. This includes TVs, computers, mobile phones, games consoles, digital boxes and Blu-ray/DVD/VHS recorders.

You don't need a licence if you don't use any of these devices to watch or record television programmes as they're being shown on TV - for example, if you use your TV only to watch DVDs or play video games, or you only watch ‘catch up’ services like BBC iPlayer or 4oD.

SHOCK: RIM PlayBook outsells Apple iPad

Re: US Government Agencies Ignore Security Threats...

I must have missed that feature on my iPhone (and iPad) where the battery goes flat every afternoon, I can get 2 days out of my iPhone if I'm careful, no worries (Like I did when I did a 2 day safari round the Sahara desert and forgot to take any form of charger with me. Took photos, made call, checked emails, just kept an eye out for power draining stuff, GPS, WiFi etc)

I guess I musn't use mine to it's full potential, the only time I've noticed a considerable drain on the battery is when I use the GPS, since I don't use it all the time I just turn it off until I need it - Simples

Oh, I know I'll get downvoted for saying something positive about apple products since I'm clearly a deluded fanboi or a corporate shill but seriously, my phone and tablet do exactly what i want them to do, if yours does the same for you then that's great.

I'm not here to tell you something is better than something else, that's all down to personal preference right?

BBC iPlayer boss: smart TVs not sufficiently simple

Re: If it doesn't pass the Mrs Miggins test it's a fail

when did you go and visit my mum?

Facebook looks for more credit with the banks

I don't really understand the tax laws

Espescially in the USA but If I have a benefit (like my company car) I get taxed on the value of that "perk" (despite it being essential to me performing my work both 9-5 and out of hours!)

So if my employer suddenly compensated me to the value of whatever I pay in tax then doesnt that become a taxable benefit in itself (or is it different when you are talking Mega Bucks?)

Election hacked, drunken robot elected to school board

Re: Secure?

I've always wondered about the pencil bit, I know it's a stretch but couldnt it be tampered with by the application of an eraser?

OK, you'd have to be pretty desperate but I'd have thought a pen would be a more permanent mark?

Microsoft drops 'risky' Windows 8 preview on World

Re: Sharp Ugly Corners

rounded corners! you dont think MS is made of money to pay those royalties for licencing apples "rounded corners" patent do you?

Court rejects Tesla’s latest libel spat with Top Gear

Re: Re: Re: A valid question which is currently still unanswered .... apparently.

Or if you're from Oop North like me the phrase Like a bulldog licking piss off a thistle :-)

Apple chief thinks about his MOUNTAIN OF CASH a lot

but how much of an area.....

....the size of wales would it cover?

Lantronix xPrintServer

I never thought about printing from my iDevice

Until recently, tried Bonjour print services - Doesn’t seem to work

Tried Airprint - Didn’t work

Tried Fingerprint (£6.69 from http://www.collobos.com) and it worked first time.

Now, I'm no apple fanboi (OK, maybe the devices are growing on me but I still can’t get over my hatred for the 1st iMac that my wife had, I detested that machine) but given my experiences of these just working I was kind of surprised that I couldn’t just print to my PC printer without some outside assistance (and then I thought, “no, this is apple we're talking about, of course they’d make it difficult to interface to a PC!”)

Southwest One gets £10m IBM loan amid 'staggering' losses

This is news?

"It is failing to deliver promised savings; failing to cope with a changing financial landscape; failing to be flexible enough to adapt in challenging times and provide the best possible value for money."

Shirley this could be said of almost any Government IT contract?

Cable thieves wreak havoc for cops, BT punters

You ever repaired a fibre cable?

I have in the back of my nice warm, clean long wheel base, high top transit van.

Nope, the real delay is getting the trouble ticket opened, getting it looked at by the first line maint teams, getting a good decision on what the cause is likley to be, finding what has been cut (fibre or copper), where it's been cut and then getting the right people to site.

Repairing a fibre (even a high strand count fibre) is a pretty trivial matter, it's the 200 pair copper cables that are a real pain in the arse!

T-Mobile's Full Monty speed 'capped at 1Mb/s'

I Recently got a T-Mobile SIM

for my iPhone and topped up a tenner which (allegedly) gives me 12 months "unlimited" internet.

I have regularly used the 3g Data, watched catchup TV etc and never hit a cap and at the last measurement get 2 Mbps down / 0.5Mbps up speeds which for a total cost of a tenner is not bad really.

iPhone 4 incapable of handling Siri, says chip chap

Or, if you MUST have SIRI functionality

you could just use Vlingo, freely available in the app store (No I don't work for Vlingo or Apple) for the 3Gs or iPhone 4

Just saying