Posts by WTF

US teen cuffed for sending nude phone pics

As an American

I keep thinking that I can not be any more embarrassed about what my country has become. Then I am.

Chrysler plans electric car production model

Question

If it's electric, why does it have a (big, ugly) radiator grill?

French storm the bastille over 'Sarkozy's Big Sister' database

Question for the Yanks, Brits, Frogs, and Sweeds...

Why did we fight the Nazis and then the Soviets? So the pigs could become the farmers? Seriously? It's a fucking travesty to see what has become of the 'freedom' of the West.

Apple preps patch for 'problematic 3G' iPhone?

I'm curious...

What happened to this forum? Seems to me like all (tech related) postings now end up down one of three paths:

1. Group therapy sessions for Webster Phreaky's obssesive-compulsive disorder that is driven by the deep seated anger and resentment he has from his infatuation and unrequited love of Steve Jobs. (It's a very thin line between love and hate my friend, and me thinks you doth protest entirely too much.)

2. Pinhead comments from pinheads with just enough knowledge about technology to be dangerous or insulting, usually both, blathering incoherent technobabble, usually with the right words used in the wrong places, or spewing on about how nobody else "gets" the technology they so obviously don't get.

3. Whiney little bitch sessions reminiscent of spoilt six year olds upset because their new pony only came with three legs instead of four.

Maybe an analogy will get me point across on the last two (the first is painfully self-explanatory): I have a car. My car has bugs, like a bell that rings incessantly when I open the door after I've started the car. I imagine that this bell is there to tell me that the door is open and the engine is running, but I already know that, because I'm the guy that started the car and then opened the door. My car has obviously missing features, like it doesn't fly. And I can't run it through walls and buildings on my way home from the pub on Friday nights without scratching the paint. I mean, come on, any idiot marketing genius should have figured these things out by now. I got so frustrated by this that I even took the time to contact them to suggest that their next gen car absolutely had to be flight capable, or I was never, ever going to buy from them again. I also suggested that it be amphibious and have machine gus turrets behing the headlights. And just cause I was feeling generous, I told them that they could really, really increase their sales if they set up a deal where they give away the car for free... and the buyer kicks in for the petrol. Genius, right? I bet I never even get a "thank you" for that brilliant insight. They should have made me V.P. of Marketing for that one. So anyway, here's the problem: no marketing/designer feedback on the website. Figures, right? So I went and spoke with one of the guys at the dealer. He was absolutely clueless, told me that non-flying cars were a feature, not a limitation (yeah, like I haven't heard that one before), and then he said that my car was perfectly good as it was, non-flying AND non-amphibious. Can you believe that guy? What a tard! After the look I gave him, he said he would see what he could do. Yeah, that's what I thought. Bitch! So, weeks and months go by, and no word from the arrogant bastards. And guess what? the latest model just came out. Can you fucking believe it!?!? It still doesn't fly, AND no machine gun turrets. Bloody bastards! See if I ever buy another car from those looser wankers again!

Just a thought...

iPhone 3G isn't necessarily

@Mike

I think you need to check your maths my friend. The whole point of CDMA is exactly that everyone is sharing the same spectrum. The best analogy I know of is trying to hold a private, two person conversation in a small and very crowded room. If everyone is speaking the same language (most first generation cellular technologies), it's very hard for any pair in the room to hear what their opposite is saying. But, if every pair is speaking a different language (i.e. CDMA orthogonal chipping sequence), then holding the conversation becomes a bit easier because all the other conversations going on around you are essentially noise. Another key to this 'different language' analogy is that all pairs have to be holding their conversations at the same volume (i.e. signal power level referenced to the base station). This bit gets to the previous posting about CDMA base stations "breathing" (but this happens so fast that people do not, can not, notice it). The hook for the carriers (and what made Qualcomm very rich) has always been that the more users you cram into the room (i.e. paying customers per unit bandwidth of spectrum), the noisier the room becomes, but all the conversations can continue essentially uninterrupted, at least until the entire system reaches a critical threshold and catastrophically fails (obviously safe guards like selectively dropping calls ensure that this never, or vary rarely ever, actually happens). None of this is to say that CDMA is in anyway inherently superior to current or future competing cellular technologies, and there are a variety of reasons to suggest that it isn't, at least as far as the user is concerned, but rather to suggest that, yeah, some of us do actually "get it."

Thanks for posting.

@ Richard - Sorry mate, late for lunch...

As far as what's superior, WCDMA [is] UMTS. [A]nd basically all advanced cellular technology going forward [will be] essentially the same at the air interface (i.e. some form of multi-carrier OFDMA). The main differences [will be] at the network and higher protocol layers. Good news going forward (for us Yanks that travel internationally, anyway) is that LTE (4G) will be adopted by the U.S. (thank Vodafone) and, even if it wasn't, [it] is the defacto international standard for 4G. LTE is a UMTS derrivative [but will use OFDMA, not CDMA], enough said.

@ Tim

Almost forgot you there Mate. Dunno really. This is the first I've read or heard of this problem. Just going by what the article says, and my own experience with these kinds of transition issues. Could actually be a problem across the entire product line. If that is the case, it's a design problem, and possibly a recall. Hard to believe though, as Apple uses an Infineon reference design for the cellular radio, including (iPhone) processor interface software (SDK, hardware and software integration engineering support, etc.). Then there are the various government and carrier certification processes (certainly not bullet-proof). If there was a problem with the reference design, it's hard to believe that it has not been noticed before, and it would be seen across a large percentage, though maybe not all, of the phones using it. Infineon has a large customer base for this product line, and this platform has been stable for a relatively long time. Granted, you are right. It is certainly possible.

Here's to hoping I don't have to eat these words.

@ Richard (and Mark)

No. Just someone who has spent a great deal of time developing wireless products (not cellular), and therefore knows first hand how 'incredibly expensive, ridiculously complex, and difficult they are to develop'. Simply put, 3G phones push the limits of current wireless and networking technology, or at least they did a few years ago. LTE is the R&D focus now, and when that technology finally deploys, after literally tens of millions of man hours and tens, if not hundreds, of billions dollars invested in making it comercial, I imagine it still 'won't be good enough' for the likes of Phreaky.

@Mark: America just does everything infrastructure different than the rest of the world (communications, power, weights and measures, etc.). Don't ask me why, personally I think it's retarded, and a bit narcissistic. As far as what's superior, WCDMA, UMTS, and basically all advanced cellular technology going forward are essentially the same at the air interface (i.e. some form of multi-carrier OFDMA). The main differences are at the network and higher protocol layers. Good news going forward (for us Yanks that travel internationally, anyway) is that LTE (4G) will be adopted by the U.S. (thank Vodafone) and, even if it wasn't, is the defacto international standard for 4G. LTE is a UMTS derrivative, enough said.

Finally, on the comment of signal bars that vary while the phone is sitting still. Sounds like signal fading to me. That could be a simple as big metal truck passing by on the street, or even a plane flying overhead. Yeah, we're pushing the limits that hard.

Seriously?!?!

What's with all the conspiracy theorists? Is there a full moon out tonight?

A few things to consider while trying to decide if Apple et. al. conspired to do this deliberately, you know, cause Steve is actually Dr. Evil and wants billions and billions:

1. The phone uses Infineon's HSDPA chip set for cellular radio access.

2. Due to a variety of design trade-offs and specifically the WCDMA standard itself, the radio signals the phone receives are very weak, under the thermal noise floor---in fact.

3. A few decibels lower than standard, at this scale, could be something as simple as one of the assembly houses mounting the antenna improperly, micro-faults in the RF signal path, or loose quality control at the antenna vendor, or literally a thousand other minor issues in the manufacturing and assembly process.

4. The fact that this does not affect all phones is indicative that the problem is not software or OS related, but hardware. The wide variety of phones currently using the Infineon chip set makes it highly unlikely that there is a fundamental flaw with the chip set.

5. The WCDMA standard was designed to deal much more serious signal path problems and impairments than this. That's why the phones still work, but just don't have the highest possible connection speeds for a given signal path environment.

Finally, shit happens. This is, as all 3-G phones are, an incredibly complex device, sold at a ridiculously low price. Products launches are rarely perfect. That's why, if you get seriously bent about this sort of thing, you never buy v1.0. Rest assured, the component and QC engineers are on the case, it will be fixed, quietly, just as it has happened when ironing out the wrinkles in every other product launch in the history of technology.

p.s. In case you're wondering, I do not work for Apple, Infineon, or any other company involved with the iPhone.

Paris Hilton - the compromised candidate

Paris has saved America!

Someone call the guys out on all those deep sea platforms and up in the arctic refuge that Paris has vanquished the America-hating environmentalists! At long last, they can finally turn on the spigots and get that sweet black gold flowing! SUVs and Hummers for all my fellow Americans!

Not there, eh? Details, details....

p.s. Phreaky, seriously man, you don't know funny. Knock it up a notch or two, or knock it off.

World+Dog lines up for iPhones

@ Webster Phreaky - Just can't resist...

"The BEST you can do is a personal attack?" - No. But that'll come later.

"No rebuttal with facts, not retort with substance..." - Here ya go...

"After 20 years of VERY HEAVY advertising Macs are STILL less than 5% of the world and US market"

So? I never understood this whole market share argument. As if having the largest market share has anything, anything at all, to do with being the "best". However you happen to define that. And Apple defines that by being Apple. BMW, Porsche, Bang & Olufsen, Apple, Ferrari etc... all have less than massive market share in their respective niches. Some would say that's part of what makes their brands what they are. In any event, Apple is doing what Apple does, and they definitely are NOT focused on dominating the desktop market. That would unequivocally be looking backwards for them, and probably the sentiment of most people who truly understand the convergence of computing and media.

"Fact, the iPhony is STILL only in a distant THIRD PLACE in Smart Phone Sales , a tiny blip on the radar in total mobile phone sales"

Fact. It's been out less than ONE year. Fact, the smart phone market has been trying to become more than a blip in total market sales for nearly a decade. The flush of recent `Me Too's' is an obvious indication they have made an impact on what has been a staid market (in sales growth). We'll see where it goes from here, but nothing flatters like imitation.

"Fact, Apple is an iNOvator, they copy other innovators products and then claim the breakthrough as theirs"

No they don't. For a really good coverage of this 'fact', I suggest the Economist cover article "Apple and the Art of Innovation." Very clearly spells out that Apple does not suffer from `Not invented here' syndrome. They take ideas from wherever they find them, clean up the user interface and dial in the user experience. That's always been their forte.

"Face it Apple Sheeple, YOU are the losers. You CAN'T even carry on a debate."

Now for the personal attack. Do you obsess much? Seriously, this much hatred and fume for a piece of cheap electronics? My god man, I simply can not imagine how you manage to muttle through life with such fixation, mania, and neurosis. Please see my previous posting, and especially Lee's --- Get a girlfriend, get a boyfriend, get some help.

@ Webster Phreaky

Gotta agree with Lee on this one. You got some obviously serious issues, and man was that was quite an erratic rant. Ever thought of getting some professional help? If not, could you at least be a good chap and spare us of your haphazard invective in the future? Most of us are here for serious technical news and occasionally a good laugh. Not for your therapy sessions.

Europe's first mobile WiMAX goes online

Minor correction

The standard is 802.16e. 802.11x being the standard for WiFi

Boffins: Roadrunner hypercomputer could drive a car

I just want to know one thing...

Are `Equivalent Mouse Brains' going to be officially added the the El Reg System of Weights and Measures?

e.g. At 98 Hiltons, the standard weight of a mouse brain is 10 milliJubs and has a volume of roughly one-half a Walnut, while measuring a full quarter linguine in circumference. The Equilvalent Mouse Brain Intelligence has been defined as exactly equal to that of one highly talented heiress.

World+dog ignores Sweden's Draconian wiretap bill

Re: Destroy All Monsters

Here! Here! No one in the main stream media ever seems to hit on this point. If your party is in power, say for example the Republicans, and you want it to stay that way, and you have unrestricted access to all communications channels, you would, of course, not take a wee peek here and there at what your major competition is doing, right? Even if the election were close? And it was `..the defining election of our modern (read post 9/11) time, upon which the very survival of your way of life depends'? I mean, who would do such a thing that clearly flies in the face of a free and democratic peoples?

But hey, that's America, right? Would anyone in Sweden, government or industry (states explicitly some industry WILL have access), use this information for anything but the greater good of protecting the population from fanatical terrorists? Would say, someone at Ericsson maybe want a little leg up on what their competition at Nokia is up to? Just a peek isn't really cheating, right?

Human nature.

T5 Transformers t-shirt bust: Shock snap

Absolute genius...

Ridicule them relentlessly!

Vista on your iPhone - almost 'perfection'

In the words of the late great Ren...

I think I'm going to be sick!

* Of asthma-hound chihuahua fame, if you have to ask.

OpenOffice.org 3 beta lands

@ hate MS Office, but...

Thing is, I tried opening a spreadsheet I originally created in Excel 2003 on my Excel 2008 install last week, and the workbook formulas in there went to shit - they just would not work. This could be MS bypassing some standard, it doesn't really matter. I originally created the spreadsheet used MS Office, and the person I'd ultimately be sending my amended version to was using MS Office. And MS Office couldn't handle what was going on. What use is that? Should I ask my suppliers and my customers not to downgrade their software too?

But wait! There's more... "Save As..." Excel 2003 (.xls) format from Excel 2008 (.xlsx) , you know, to ensure collaboration and interoperability between office mates with upgrades versions has worked correctly/well exactly twice of eight or so attempts. And don't even get me started with PowerPointless. Need to take a mid-morning break? Open a '03 presentation with '08, grab a cup of joe, smoke a fag, graze back through the cube farm, and still have time to check El Reg for the latest in breeding habits of highly talented hotel hieresses.

US warrantless wiretapping predates 9/11

@ Paul Foot

Here's the perfect example of the *real* problem with what is going on with American's acquiescence of these ongoing governmental intrusions and violation of civil liberties --- "I don't care if they monitor my porn surfing habits, so long as they keep me and my family safe." etc.

It's your opinion, so it's the only one that matters, right? Your opinion matters asymptotically for shit, which is to say it is exactly the inverse of the number of voters in the country (~220M). Your safety matters for shit. Because...

Point two: There is this document called the `Constitution of the United Sates of America', it has this really nifty part called: `The Bill of Rights'. It is the best this country has to offer, and you're disregard/ignorance of it is an affront to the tens of thousands who have struggled and died to protect it.

My humble adivice --- before you post your self-indulgent fluff on what is and is not acceptable behavior by your government, no doubt based on your vast legal, historical, and international knowledge, wisdom, and experience, I would suggest that you take a moment to actually glance over Ye Olde Parchment (cf. the First and Fourth Amendments). You may be surprised on what you find there. Then take a moment to reflect on the fact that IT is what matters, your safety does not.