Posts by Shagbag

Apple 'offered Samsung $30-per-mobe' patent licence truce

Re: Android should stop using multi-touch

"It is not about rectangular objects at all."

It is actually. The US legal term is "Trade Dress".

Google to axe 4,000 Motorola Mobility staff

Re: Hey Google

Hindsight is a wonderful thing but you can't put a bet on at the finish of a race.

Tosh unzips 3.5incher for video, cloud, anyone with a wallet

Looks like an iPad

I had a double-take with the photo. That brushed-aluminium with black trim and rounded corners had me thinking it was a slavish copy of an iPad.

Microsoft: It was never 'Metro,' it was always 'Modern UI'

Apple does

Those Metro/Windows8/Modern square icons look 'slavishly' like enlarged versions of those on an iPad.

Sony Xperia tablet snaps spied on web

Looks like an iPad

It's rectangular, has rounded edges and has got a black bezel. I had to take a serious second look before I realised it wasn't an iPad. Damn it's confusing.

Vodafone and pals can't kick the habit of cheap mobe prices

Re: Hi, Mr. Cynical here

eBay auctions are usually a good indicator of the 'worth' of a phone. I use those prices to way up the resulting monthly contract. In every situation I've looked at, I'm better off with buying up-front on eBay + PAYG SIM + selling 6 months later on eBay. But then my usage is quite low (around £7pcm for talk, text and data).

Huawei Ascend P1 Android review

I thought it was an iPhone

It confused me with its shiny black look and rounded corners.

Apple, Samsung whip out mobe sales in patent trial showdown

Re: Awww bless

Even if the Jury decides Apple has proven it's case, with those unit sales, it seems bizarre that Apple claim their sales were affected by Samsung's phone and tablets. It would be interesting to compare Samsung's sales with Motorola's, HTCs, etc. to see if the alleged 'We Duped You' effect really had a positive impact for Samsung or whether their unit sales are no different from Motorola, HTC, etc.

Ex-Goldman Sachs coder cuffed on fresh 'source theft' charges

Knight Capital

Anyone want a copy of Knight Capital's HFT code?

'It is not something you are good at, so please think twice'

Re: Visually impaired Apple graphic designer?

I have to put my faith in the Jury on this one. They are all reasonable people with the capability of independent thought. I don't believe these Jedi Mind tricks are likely to have any effect on that.

Apple pounces on Samsung doc as proof of 'slavish copy' claims

WTF?

"Samsung has argued before that of course it looked closely at what Apple was doing, because (duh!) the two firms are competitors so they're going to analyse each others' gear. But this document gives Apple yet more ammunition in its claims that the Korean firm had set out to intentionally copy the Jesus-mobe."

I must have missed it, but I couldn't make the connection between analysing a competing product and 'intentionally copying' it. Or is the sole purpose guilt-by-association?

HSBC brands EVERY Apple iPhone 'an insecure PC'

Is this really worth reporting?

C'mon El Reg. You've got better stories to report, I'm sure. Is it really that much of a slow-news-day?

Samsung lengthens Note phone-cum-tablet to 10 inches

Re: Uh-oh

Lawsuit - IN THE USA - incomiiiiiiiiing

RBS: June's tech enormo-cock-up cost us £125m

Management will do their damnedest not to admit that

...they'll throw every possible excuse but they won't recognise they got it wrong.

"I should be clear that over the first 3.5 years of our recovery plan, we've increased tech spend quite significantly and we've increased spend on the infrastructure as well as the fancy new stuff."

As an accountant, there is no clear definition of what "spend" means. It can mean many things. For example, it could include depreciation/amortisation of assets, ie. a non-cash "spend". Accelerate your depreciation - ie. write it off faster/over a shorter period - and your "spend" has increased without actually "spending" any cash. It could also include the cash spent on redundancy. Those costs could be allocated internally to the IT Department at RBS. If they were, then they could account for some of the increased "spend".

I'm not saying this is what happened. I'm saying this could be what happened.

Samsung tells Apple: Quit your 'frivolous' whining over court doc leak

You'll no doubt read tomorrow that the Judge did not allow Apple's "Recommendation". This is one of the most succint comments I've read about that:

"Actually, I felt whilst reading Samsung's filing that there was a continuing, albeit unstated, thread running through it: that their side of the story of the F700 design would have been a slam-dunk against Apple's case; that her refusal to let it be admitted would definitely be coming up at any appeal; and that if she didn't want the embarrassment of being reversed she'd better find a way to save face and let it in. But that's perhaps just me."

It came from Groklaw, btw.

@Rob Beard

Thanks for the Groklaw tip.

HP and Dell to 'unveil Windows RT slabs in October'

Interesting, but too little too late.

I'll be interested to finally see these Win8 tablets that have been getting more press than Elvis. However, they're unlikely to change my believe that people have already "locked" themselves into the App Store or Google Play. I just can't see how MS will ever be a serious competitor in mobile.

Software bug flattens NYSE trader

Zero sum game.

Knight Capital's $440m pre-tax loss = someone else's $440m pre-tax gain.

Will Samsung's patent court doc leak backfire spectacularly?

Re: @ Tom7

...and the point that it was Apple that raised the original objection to the use of this evidence.

Everyone can see that this trial is no longer about the validity of any purported intellectual property rights. It is about using the law as a weapon to deal with a strong, credible competitor.

Analyst says Surface could hurt Ultrabook, Windows 8 tablets

News Flash

Analyst predicts life on Mars... (and gets 100 lines of press coverage).

Apple demands Samsung flogged for 'unethical' court doc leak

Oh the irony

The judge didn't want the jury to see the photos/designs/whatever yet, by expressing her "extreme displeasure" those photos/designs/whatever have gotten more press coverage than, I suspect, Samsung could ever dream of.

LOL. The US "justice" system at work. LOL.

Apple iPad fondlers are about to enter a THIRD DIMENSION

"protected Apple tech"

I'm not sure about that one. I thought the validity of a patent was decided in a Court and not at the Patent Office.

Beak explodes at Samsung's evidence leak in Apple patent spat

US Justice

lol.

Microsoft: Gmail rival Outlook.com will 'look good on your iPad' 

"We think the time is right to reimagine email"

Where does this crap come from?

Samsung docs tease 11.8in, 2560 x 1600 tablet

Re: Next lawsuit

Samsung won't call it 'Retina'. They'll call it something like RE-10A. Just to piss Apple.

More reports that Apple plans iPhone 5 September surprise

Misinformation is the problem

El Reg tries hard to break new stories but, like others, it gets trapped by the rumour mill and sometimes it's stories are just plain wrong.

Jackson’s Hobbit becomes a trilogy

Hollywood short of ideas

3 films? Christ, it's going to be dull.

Jury selection delays start of Apple/Samsung patent showdown

Re: Can you think

Free iPhone? I'll take the cash thanks.

Microsoft unveils fondle-ready keyboards, mice

Ugly

I don't like them.

Beeb stuffs $21tn into Olympic-sized swimming pools

Re: Measurement confusion.

Yes. And they should use the expression "stuffed to the gunwhales" rather than "packed to the rafters" as the former is more British.

Galaxy S III dumps universal search, tries to dodge Apple's sueballs

Germany = EU ?

"after winning an EU-wide ban on 7in Galaxy Tabs."

I'll have to go and look at my atlas again as the last time I looked I could swear that Germany wasn't renamed 'EU'.

Santander's banking website craps out

Re: It's a matter of priorities

Sponsoring races? I thought they just sponsored UK tax exiles.

Russian cargoship fluffs Space Station docking test

Yeah, and it won't be long before Blackpool Council try and put some speed cameras up there.

Apple wins EU-wide Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 ban

Re: Headline: "Apple wins EU-wide Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 ban"

You're right. They can't. No member state can impose its law on another member state. Only the European Commission (EC) or the European Court of Justice (ECJ) can bind their decisions to member states.

HTC disses Dr Dre by diluting Beats deal

No.

Nike+ Fuelband activity monitor review

Re: Stop cycling, start watching the gymnastics instead

I've just been watching some internet-enabled video content and my Nike Fuelband says I've just swum the Atlantic.

Re: Jesus f***ing H Christ

If you watch Team America: World Police, I think you'll find that it's Jesus T*tty-f***ing Christ.

Samsung flogs 10 million Galaxy S IIIs in 7 weeks

Re: Tortoise vs Hare

Yeah, the bear wiped his arse on him.

Samsung SMACKDOWN: US appeals court keeps ban on Galaxy Tab

Re: The patent

Thanks for the link. If that's the 'patent' then the US patent system is seriously f**ked up.

Does this stop Americans buying them off eBay internationally?

I like the fact that I, being in the UK, have the choice to buy either product and the courts aren't taking that away from me.

Microsoft promises Metro developers 'fame and fortune'

Re: really? special access to exclusive development documentations? sign me up

"it's like becoming a RIM developer"

or just getting 'rimmed'.

Re: This sounds so familiar

I've got a WinPho 7 and I resemble that remark. While I like Metro, WinPho 7 is $hyte. It's the Mother of All $hyte. Now they want to 'bronze' the desktop with it. I expect t won't be the only quarterly loss MS will be experiencing.

Microsoft posts first-ever quarterly loss

"Most of that drop is attributable to a previously announced $6.2bn charge that resulted from Redmond's botched acquisition of online ad service aQuantive."

So they paid too much for it. How embarassing and now its official: Microsoft are losing money for their shareholders.

Judge: Apple must run ads saying Samsung DIDN'T copy the iPad

Re: How big is your fine judge?

Ignoring my give rise to Contempt of Court by the company's officers.

Re: Should do EXACTLY as the judge said

Yeah. I can see "the kids" really "getting down" with Apple products when a guy wearing a wig and stockings says using a iPad is "cooler". Yeah. That'll work.

Re: Wow

That will depend whether the High Court gives them leave to appeal and on what grounds.

Outage outrage: O2 dishes out 3 free days, £10 voucher

Re: Good for O2

Quit your complaining. If you actually suffered a loss that you can prove was caused by their negligence, then give them the opportunity to compensate you for the FULL AMOUNT of your loss. They've admitted fault so, as long as you can prove your loss to your local County Court, they really don't have a legal defence.

Should you accept their current offer, however, then you may find it very difficult to make a further claim. So you really need to weigh up what they're offering with the size of your loss and the hassle of going through the Civil Justice system.

Microsoft 'didn't notice' it had removed Browser Choice for 17 months

Re: Admission of Guilt

Neelie Kroes in March 2004 said: "Microsoft was the first company in fifty years of EU competition policy that the Commission has had to fine for failure to comply with an antitrust decision."

...and they've now gone and done it again. I don't think there'll be any leniency from the EC.