Posts by Russell Hancock

EU operators PLEAD for MERCY, may get roaming rates cut ‘reprieve’

Surely for the bigger providers (i.e. vodafone) this should be a non-issue as they already have networks in most countries so they are only paying themselves...

Oh, wait, this is about being able to charge 10x as much for the same services.

This has given me a new idea for the networks - Segregate the UK into parts and then roam from part to part - i.e. London, South East, South, etc - that way they can say it will only affect a small number of users because most people stay in their "local" area... Kerching..

Man's future in space ... Barack Obama: Mars. Narendra Modi: Mars. Vladimir Putin: Er, Moon

Re: Moon is a harsh mistress

4. Build a hotel and charge people to visit - i would personally love to visit space and look back at the earth. Mars is just too far away to do that and while i will probably never be able to afford to visit the moon i can always dream.

5. Docking / repair base for the comet / asteroid / space miners / pirates / whatever to come and get easy (ish) repairs - easier than earth, also good place to store the minerals / water / what have you ready for use in space.

6. Why NOT...

iPhone 6: The final straw for Android makers eaten alive by the data parasite?

@QXL Re: lets look at this in another way..

I was exactly the same, having killed my One X with one to many drops (broke the in call speaker this time) i looked at what was available - i wanted the One (M8) until i saw the SIZE of it... Looked at Samsung, Sony, LG etc the only one close was the Xperia Z1 compact but did not like my last xperia... Looked at Apple - 5S but it was just too(oooo) expensive for what it is.

I wanted something smaller than the One X with a good camera - so that only left one option - Nokia and windows phone! I got the Lumia 1020, brand new, full guarantee, boxed, etc for £190 (No contract)... so far, call quality is amazing, camera is great and battery is pretty good...

Re: Emerging markets

Has Mr Anonymous Coward tried a Lumia? i got one recently and so far - no bugs, no crashes and every app i had on my android that i used is now on my Lumia - Amazon Kindle, London Underground Maps, Train Times, Sat Nav, Tide Times app, etc etc...

So same apps, no bugs and better call quality (nokia make good phones)... looking good from here!

Man buys iPHONE 6 and DROPS IT to SMASH on PURPOSE

Re: Apple & Milk

The HTC HD2 was amazing at surviving drops - it had a raised metal edge all around to the screen glass generally did not get hit and the metal shell had a removable section on the back (for SIM / SD / Battery changes) and this would ping off taking most of the energy with it... the battery always stayed in place so phone carried on happily... the biggest problem was hunting the removable section as this could fly for miles!

That phone still has no cracks but ALL of my newer phone have broken screens now as they were sealed units and the screen took the energy...

Does this float your boat? Dead Steve Jobs to hijack yachts from beyond the grave

Re: Repeat after me.

@westlake... You do understand that a patent filing is just a piece of paper right? They have not built anything, so it is exactly the same as the as the ideas in Sci-fi - just some ideas on paper!

In fact it is even worse than x sci-fi, at least they had something physical...

iPhone 6 will make you fork over with Apple Pay if you want to BONK

Re: $300 mobe?

Whilst i agree about the whole "less capable than a laptop..." line i would love to see you take a laptop out of your pocket to answer a call!

It is the same for any top end phone - they all cost as much as, or more than, a very nice laptop and are all less useful to me in one way or another (can't run Visual Studio / SQL management studio on any of them)... But then i wouldn't try and carry my laptop in my pocket either...

Cheers

iOS 8 release: WebGL now runs everywhere. Hurrah for 3D graphics!

Was VRML that long ago...

I remember when i was starting out in web development i found a book on VRML and got it running on my machine, built myself a small virtual forest and then showed all of the other developers - they were really impressed (until they found out it was only about 30 lines of code)...

I had forgotten all about it until this article, will have to see how easy WebGL is in comparison...

Why Apple had to craft a pocket-busting 5.5in Plus-sized iPhone 6 (thank LG, Samsung etc)

Re: It's all about the screen size @SuccessCase @Russell Hancock @Simon Harris

You are of-course correct - for some reason it was in my mind that it was e-commerce related...

but the question still stands, when i pay by card (chip and pin) or pay by bonk - what difference does that make to security? in neither circumstance do i hand over any personal details...

p.s. i have given an up vote for correcting me...

Re: It's all about the screen size @SuccessCase

Just a question, not looked into at all but you say:

"They also keep your name and contact details away from the merchant also"

How does the merchant know how to send you the goods you have ordered (in situations where you order physical goods) if they are not given your name and contact details?

Colour me confused...

BBC Trust candidate defends licence fee, says evaders are CRIMINALS

Re: Evil @Technological Viking

I read that as feral government - i think that may be more appropriate on both sides of the Atlantic!

Vodafone pay-by-bonk launch may signal iPhone 6 NFC plans

Same here (sorta)

I am in the same place - i have had NFC for ~2 1/2 years now (HTC One X) and have not once found anything useful to do with the NFC on it - i have played with it many times - reading the contents of pre-pay electric meter cards, testing what is on some hotel key cards, etc but not once found a way to actually use it on a day to day basis - this would include:

1) Pay for something (anything) in a shop

2) Use it in place of oyster card

3) Use it as key card for hotel rooms (some are NFC based...)

4) Use it to unlock computer / server room / cabinets / piggy bank!

5) Loyalty card at Cafe / Supermarket / other places

Please people - get this technology to work so i can just carry my phone and ditch the wallet!

Tim Cook on pale, male Apple: 'As CEO, I'm NOT satisfied'

Re: Race

I like that idea - i am one of the "white heterosexual males" listed above and i do believe in "may the best person get the job" so in America, Most of Europe & Australia that person will probably be white (that is by far the biggest ethnicity).

If you set-up in India, China, Brazil or Botswana and then end up in the same place (mostly white males) then something is very wrong...

Come on Apple - show us how much you really care and start a campus in Botswana and start training the next generation...

Hollywood star Robin Williams dies of 'suspected suicide' at 63

Re: Goodbye Robin,

An easy way to laugh as hard is to watch his films again - personally i love mrs doubtfire and always laugh out loud when watching that...

Sad day.

Multiple user accounts coming to Android phones 'n' slabs

Re: Already on tablets

Was going to say exactly the same - the Asus Transformer i have has had this for about a year now... will be good to come to phones though....

Car hackers build kit to protect you and your motor from fiery death

Re: Simple Solution

I would imagine the single network is down to costs and space - wiring looms have to run somewhere so the more wires the bigger they get. Again, more wires, more costs...

I know that these things should not matter but we all know how big companies work - £1 per car can add up to millions so lets not do it...

Personally, if i was building a car with a web browser in, it would be based on a concept similar to "3G hotspot" with only power to it and then "tablets" around the car - again with only a power cable to it - everything else these need can be done on WiFi / Bluetooth / etc - separate from the cars network.

Cut price Android on steroids: OnePlus One – should we look gift horse in the gob?

Battery Life

I used to feel the same way about battery life and having swappable batteries - until i got my HTC One X - i was a little annoyed that i could not swap the battery as i had always carried 2 batteries for all phones until that one, but honestly i have very rarely had issues in this regard...

It is now a couple of years old and on the original battery (obviously) and i still get at least a day out of it - generally it is charged in the office everyday and then topped up on Sunday afternoon - I get all of Saturday and until around 4/5pm on Sunday - i use internet, phones, email and txt during that time..

I guess what i am saying is that, as long as it has a decent size battery, it not being swappable should not be an issue - even two years later...

World Solar Challenge contender claims new speed record

Re: Tesla S?

@Dave62 - true about the electric motors having less issue with the stop start cycle... i know that a couple of cars i have had (the MG TF especially) was most efficient cruising at 50 MPH - at that speed i could get close to 50MPG, doing 10 - 20 MPH i would only get 20 - 30 MPG so not sure how that would change on an electric car - does the Tesla (or this car) use 10% more power per 10 MPH speed? i.e. doing this at half the speed it would have gone twice as far?

What i would love to see is the Tesla do the exact same thing and see which dies first! i also would like to see the same thing done again but with the solar panels turned ON - so i can understand what extra benefit these give - 10 miles, 100 miles, 1000 miles...

Re: Tesla S?

@Myself - Also want to re-iterate my first point...

WELL DONE...

(not trying to p on their parade, just want to know what they have done that will make it possible for me to personally own a nice new electric car that can get me the 350 miles i drive each way to customers most weeks without having to stop for an hour along the way...)

Re: Tesla S?

@A Dawson - The "P85" spec is 312 - with the "performance plus" it is 318 - 324 miles (http://www.teslamotors.com/en_GB/models/design)... Whilst i agree that the driving cycle is different for their stats the Tesla is "start stop" driving which uses more energy than a steady 60 around a test track...

I just think the article did not explain why this is a record? does it only run on a single 9V battery? does it have 1/10th the amount of batteries that the Tesla does? can it be built in a garden shed?

@Neil 8 - i agree about the solar panels but the article states that these were turned off during the test so in this case they make no difference (although i am sure if they were on it would make a difference)...

@Salts - Agree, they probably did spend a lot less money and that is a good thing. The article needs to give more info of the specifics of how this was achieved - less money, smaller batteries, more efficient motors, new technology? what does it add... The article needs to give a bit more "meat" on the bones of it...

Tesla S?

First things first, well done... Any advance in this area is great.

BUT...

The Tesla S, in it's top spec is rated for 320ish miles at 60mph - that is more or less the same as this and I am sure that the Tesla is more comfortable and already road legal...

SO

What have I missed? Please enlighten me as so far this article does not tell me why this is better than the rest...

Plucky Rockall podule man back on (proper) dry land

Hats off and glasses raised to that man

I think this guy deserves a pint or two and a couple of nights rest in a proper bed!

Have to say that he is a braver (or stupider) man that me - i like going potholing, abseiling etc as they can get your heart pumping but this is a whole other world of heart pumping...

We need more people like him doing "stupid" things because they can...

BT slapped down by BSkyB over O2 broadband 'switch off' porkies

Re: Standard Form Letter

@SImon - You are right, we should complain more about this type of thing as it is depressing but there are so many things to complain about and so little time - just easier to go back to my apathy and continue ranting on the Interweb as that will make the world a better place!

(also agree about the "if only it wasn't so sad" comment)

Re: Standard Form Letter

I always find that line funny - the damage has already been done and a lot more people will have seen the original ad than will see the "don't do it again" ruling...

It is basically a "do what you want and by the time we decide anything it's too late to matter" thing - typical of the UK.

Re: Ironically....

Sorry, but in 7 years dealing with BT they have never done anything right! (disconnected me, not canceled things they confirmed would be canceled, added charges to my account and taken months to refund them...).

Sky are probably not much better, but they are better than BT, TalkTalk - now that's another story!

Phone charging log helps to convict murderer

Re: What?

Also, just a thought that popped into my head - could it not have been a power cut that reset the charging flag? does it also record the fact that a physical "unplug" happened?

Not trying to cast doubt on the case - just wondering what goes through the mind of phone developers if they think: "I know, it would be really useful to know how many times a phone is plugged in to something, lets add extra bloat to the software to do that..."

What?

Why does a phone keep a log of when it was plugged in to charge? my phone gets plugged in to charge about 30 times day (in and out of car and in charger on desk - remove to take call, put back)... surely recording this info just takes up space?

Have I missed something here? Miss read the article?

I'm confused!

True fact: Your CAT wees ... like a racehorse

Re: Mogpiss Monday Blues

@I ain't Spartacus - have an upvote for making me smile (although the "jokes" are pretty bad)

Silent, spacious and... well, insipid: Citroën's electric C-Zero car

Re: correction needed

While i agree that VED is the correct term for it "Road Tax" can also be correctly applied as it is a "Tax to be able to use the road" - i.e. without it you are not allowed to use the roads...

MOT and insurance could also be called "Road Taxes" as you have to pay them to go in the road and they are just another way to get money to use something - Why are there so many "taxes" on driving? Petrol, MOT, VED, Insurance, Fuel Duty, VAT... Maybe they should scrap the lot and have one simple "Road Tax" that is "the charge for using roads"...

(looks like this turned into a bit of a rant at the powers that be - sorry about that!)

Microsoft's 'CEO of no' on Xbox: NO SALE

Re: What is Bing?

Thanks for the laugh... i liked that one...

Boffins 3D-print biomimetic shark skin

Re: Scientists spend money discovering already known facts?

The point of this, well points i can think of in about 2 seconds, is:

1) We now have a way to actually CREATE "sharkskin" so now we have a way to use the knowledge that sharkskin is quicker in water... This can be used to make boats more efficient, dive suits that are quicker, surfboards that are quicker...

2) We now have a way to actually measure just how good sharkskin is - i.e. we know it is quicker than not having it but HOW MUCH quicker - should we do all of the things in point 1? yes, yes - it's not as good as real sharkskin but then neither was V1 sharkskin i don't imagine

3) we can now MAKE laser wearing sharks rather than trying to train them - not sure about you but i don't fancy trying to train a shark to shoot the right thing with a laser - it will probably think i am the right thing to shoot based on the fact i caught it and strapped a laser to it's head.

Think thats it for now - anyone else care to add to this list?

Cheers

Space Station in CRISIS: Furious Russia threatens to BAN US from ISS

Re: I wonder if...

That was my first thought on this one - Space X must be loving the issues if only for the fact that it highlights that having one supplier of anything is a dangerous thing - be it Space buses or toilet paper!

Hopefully this will make NASA look at the manned version of the Dragon in a new, more urgent way...

We'd switch mobile networks, but we can't be bothered – survey

Re: I have a little list...

Thanks - i only know this as i recently swapped from O2 to Tesco mobile and wanted to check it would be the same signal - I was happy with O2 but they would not let me have more than 2GB of data and i wanted more (now have 6GB with Tesco for less than the cost of 1GB on O2 but still using their network :) )

Re: I have a little list...

Google, my friend, Google....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_Kingdom_mobile_virtual_network_operators

Spain clamps down on drones

Re: Reminds me of Ian Banks

@chrisf1, @Radbruch1929, @Irony Deficient - Thanks for the extra info from each of you - i will go and look into the points raised and try and understand things better - as i said, the comment was based on memory and not based on research (yes, yes, dangerous i know...)

Always happy to learn something new...

Side topic [Pet hate] - @Radbruch1929 's down-voters- 2 down-votes but neither explaining why - how do we know what you did not agree with so we can check it out?

Re: Reminds me of Ian Banks

If I remember correctly (probably not) this is the basis of Roman law - it's banned unless it's written in the list of "allowable" things... This is the basis for the laws of most European countries...

The UK is based on Common Law - if it is not on the list, go for it. The problem is now that the list in the UK is massive...

Can anyone correct my tired brain?

Cheers

Greenland glacier QUADRUPLES speed, swells seas

Re: Puzzled @Russell Hancock

Hi NomNomNom, giving the benefit of the doubt - i must assume that your post was made before I managed to find some of the references to the "vague memories"...

Cheers

Re: Puzzled @Russell Hancock

It was Phil Jones, professor at University of East Anglia and part of the Climatic Research Unit - the study was published and used when issues with some of the data were known and the reliability of other data sets was "questionable" - this was back in 2010 and still sticks in my mind...

Then there is the IPCC saying that Himalayan glaciers would be gone by 2035 but this was based purely on nothing more than some "thinking" - no peer reviewed studies, no physical data, nothing! these are supposed to be the people advising government policies and they just "make it up". Again this was 2010

Re: Puzzled @Russell Hancock

I can't remember the exact details of the major studies that were taken as "fact" and then found to be wrong i seem to remember it was a UK university that was then published as fact by one of the major international bodies - Any help me out here, was a couple of years back?

Then there is the BBC changing it's stance to "it is happening" based on a meeting of "scientists" that it refused to name and spent a lot of money trying to avoid disclosing who was at the meeting. Again anyone got any dates (think it was around 2012).

Then there was the "study" that said all polar bears would be dead by now (proven false)...

As you can see - the major details don't stick in a "layman's" mine but the general "they told us something that was a lie" does.

I am not saying that we should disregard all studies, that would be insane, just that the actions of a few have tainted the actions of the many. Like you say the good scientists will figure out the rubbish ones and ignore them - unfortunately the media / government / Quangos wont...

As one of the other replies said - i was taking three mile island, Chernobyl and Fukishima power station issues for Nuclear Physics as these are the only area that most people "see" nuclear physics - i know that there are "nuclear power plants" in the rover on mars (OK radio isotope) and that many submarines are nuclear and don't have any issues but look at France now - no more nuclear and turn off the existing ones...

sorry for rambling this morning - brain is all over the place. If i can remember any more details of the studies i mention above i will post them...

Re: Puzzled

I can't comment for everyone, only myself, but the reasons i don't fully believe either side of this argument is that many of the studies have been proven to have been falsified. Other studies have refused to release all data so that they can be verified and replicated. With out full transparency neither side can claim they unquestionably correct (if they are why not release the data...)

A similar issue may be around nuclear physics - because we have had 3 major issues in 50 years (not sure exactly how long nuclear power has been used) people are scared of it - could it not be that those 3 issues distort the whole field, i.e. 3 bad "models" have skewed the picture for the other 10,000?. If so is that not what is happening with climate science? a handful of "bad" studies condemning the rest?

Ho, ho, HOLY CR*P, ebuyer! Etailer rates staff on returns REJECTED

Re: I feel it in the air

You can also reject returns if they are incomplete (i.e. no power cable, missing manuals, etc) or if the packaging is missing - the main point being it has to be in the original condition so that it can be sold again...

Cheers

Wait for it, waaiiit for it: We update an Atom tablet to Windows 8.1 Pro

Nice install

Installed on a Lenovo IdeaPad 13 (core i7, 8GB, SSD) - took less than an hour and, as the article says, freed-up about 4GB on the SSD - not bad - wonder what they removed though (not my AV as others say as mine is still installed and running)...

The only issue i had was the trackpad stopped doing the multi touch stuff (simple 1 min install from the Lenovo partition on the SSD with all drivers there) and Microsoft changing the display to low res - again about 5 mins but really shouldn't have had to!

So far so good (but then i quite like win 8 so I'm probably too old and/or stupid to understand why it is rubbish!)

Boffins spot LONE PLANET roaming interstellar void

Re: Naming of astral bodies

Hey - you don't have to be over 40 to know that tune... i'm *only* 31 and i know the tune!

iPhone rises, Android slips in US, UK

Re: Pardon?

You do know that you can get very cheap Samsung "Galaxy" phones - i.e. under £100 - try the Galaxy Y, or Galaxy Europa (not sure if they are still sold as i got one of each a couple of years back - one was £30 and one was £60)...

I can tell you for a fact that they are cheap tat... so not just Nokia selling low end phones with the same branding as their top end phones...

Facts - great aren't they...

Peak Apple: Samsung hits DOUBLE the market share of iPhones

Re: Druthers

Have to correct you there - Range Rover (well, actually Land Rover) are doing really rather well at the minute - along with Jaguar, Aston Martin, Ferrari…

Yep, lets go for low profit high volume like Renault, Citroen, Vauxhall – they are all doing really well right now!

The O2 4G Lottery: Are YOU in one of the three LUCKY cities?

Re: Here's a thought...

thanks for the tip about the 30 day now being £18 - i was paying £25 as this is what it used to cost...

Only 1 in 5 Americans believe in pure evolution – and that's an upswing

Re: Abducted!

Would you keep them?

62,000 fewer shops: Welcome to the High Street of 2018

Re: High Street

@Joe K...

Nice attitude there... i would say that the original post was spot on - i work 9 to 5 most days and then spend some time with the kids before they go to bed...

What does this mean? when i need something it has to be from a shop that is open after 6:30 / 7:00 pm and has parking (have you tried public transport in Cornwall?) so that rules out every single shop in every single town center within 30 miles of me...

Where do i shop then? Tesco (open 24/7) or other supermarkets and other out of town centres as these are open till 8 / 9 pm and have parking...

so yes, free parking for us "tw@ts" with cars would be a start, as would being open when we are able to shop - i have spend several hundred pounds on clothes in the last couple of months but none of this was at a high street shop....

Review: Sony Xperia Z

Re: I like the waterproof feature

While i agree that the inductive charging would be much better than a charging socket i have the Xperia Go (baby brother of this and also waterproof) and that has the same (i assume) covers for USB / Headphones. I have to say there is very little risk of breaking them off or wearing out - they are really well made and i am 6 months into the phone with zero signs of wear on them...

Truck-maker CAT flogs smartphone spawn to butter-fingered fondlers

Re: Cool for CATs

Get a Sony Xperia Go - Slightly smaller screen, granted - but also IP67 water / dust proof and so far the screen has not cracked on drops that killed a HTC One X... Have tested the water proofing several times with dips into the sea, lakes, ponds and the bath!

Great phone.