Posts by Lyndon Hills

Google enjoys summer of mobility

Reg Influence

I didn't know I could do this until I read about it here a few months ago, so Google should be giving El Reg a cut. Sadly I'm unable to recover the cost of accidentally downloading the satellite view from Google Maps

Novell won't pull a SCO

@Does MS have Unix Code?

I think you may be thinking of the old IP stack, which came (perfectly legally) from BSD. Also MS have had Unix licenses of varying sorts for years, they even had their own brand Xenix back in the 80's.

US phish feeder jailed for seven years

@Stupid crook

I'm amazed it's possible to do this at all. UK cards have daily limits, mostly somewhere around £300.

BT rubbishes BBC bandwidth throttling reports

@p2p Andy

<quote>We never had this when kazaa was released near on 5 years ago or channel4od for that matter. SO WHY NOW</quote>

At a guess because with the BBC backing it takeup is likely to be massive. I wonder how many normal (ie not IT folk or kids) people actually use p2p, or know that Channel4OD exist?

Blockbuster reels in MovieLink

DRM etc

Well it's US only for a start. Format is Windows Media. If renting you can store for 30 days, and watch as many times as you want in the 24 hours following the first viewing. You can watch on a TV if you have the right kit (Xbox, set-top box, media center etc). They also do purchases, which they state you cannot burn to DVD for anything other than backup. You need to use the 'Movie Manager' software, described as to 'help you manage and view your downloads' but probably more accurately described as 'to allow us to control your download'.

Sorry I can't find any details of the movie quality.

UK.gov publishes alien sightings list

e-Borders?

We're told here that alien tourists won't be chased away by officials but what effect does this policy have on the e-Borders project? I don't expect to see my taxes spent on a bunch of sponging aliens.

Half of GPS users given duff information

Maps as a public service

This would be a nice thing, however, in the UK the OS is required to recover it's costs by charging anyone else for the use of it's maps, including other government agencies. This leads to the situation where OS own the copyright of maps, the post office own the postcode files, and local government, which names the streets pays both for the right to map the areas they govern.

Apple takes flak as AT&T drops iPhone bomb

@Bill Fresher

Is that a blatant attempt to sway the results of the latest Reg Hardware giveaway? If so then nice one, wish I'd thought of it.

Nurses express doubts about patient e-records

Records harder to lose?

Not if the experience of the Inland Revenue is anything to go by....

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2000/07/24/inland_revenues_pathetic_net_effort/

Night of the Living RegisterFly: Randy Travis concert in jeopardy

Pete

I think the idea that a congregation might have fans is unlikely enough, without you suggesting that they're randy to boot.

Durex seeks hardened condom testers

Original report

Originally reported by stuff.co.nz - perfect.

Google slapped with libel claim

re: newsagents

Actually that is exactly what happens in this country (the UK). Some friends of mine used to run a satirical magazine, a bit like Private Eye. They had no money and were barely worth suing, but were effectively put out business by having their distributors pull the mag off the shelves for fear of being sued. This is also partly why WH Smiths (a major UK newsagent) refused to stock Private Eye for many years.

The logic is that the newsagent can be held liable as they are assisting in publicising the libel, as your comment states.

Microsoft makes another Linux friend in Xandros

re: Microsoft vaccine

<quote>Maybe Linux isn't so bad after all, maybe everyone should give it a go before buying Vista?</quote>

Or not buying Vista......

Gov. resists ID card scrutiny

Newspeak

Lets put it the other way around, what would discourage someone from making untruthful submissions? Perhaps the likelihood of their being exposed to public scrutiny.

Microsoft too busy to name Linux patents

re: Peter missing something

Peter, You are missing something. Dave in Essex is not liable, not least because you can't patent software in the UK. This stuff is happening in the US however, where a) you can patent software and b) end users can be held liable.

Recently Microsoft was found guilty of infringement of an MP3 patent. MS defended the case and is coughing up the money but it was actually Dell that was originally sued. Something similar happened on a patent infringed in Sql Server. There was a possibility that all SQL Server users could be sued, but MS stepped up and settled the suit on behalf of thier users.

Enthusiastic power users still a danger?

It's still a nightmare

People write a report and then fail to update it as the business changes (think long where clauses which include various rows and aren't changed as new types are introduced). The original writer leaves and someone inherits the report, and has no idea how wrong it might be. These things become part of the monthly reporting cycle i.e mission critical.

We are currently trying to identify all 'critical' reports which will then become 'owned' by IT. Any changes required will be managed by IT and the business folk will be able to run the reports but not change them.

Extra work for IT yes, but we can then make sure the SQL used is efficient and the results accurate. It will end calls for help on reports that no-one has ever seen before which can take a large amount of unscheduled time to resolve.