Posts by Shagbag

Apple files avatar automation, emotion patents

Is this just a US thing? If so, then I'm not bothered. Just as long as it doesn't escape that Patent 'asylum'.

NASA busts booster booster

What would've happened if the sale was not advertised on eBay?

Ultrabook prices to fall as manufacturers slash margins

WTF?

From the DigiTimes article:

"Lenovo, Hewlett-Packard, Toshiba and Dell will launch ultrabooks starting mid-November"

Date of the DigiTimes article: 30 November 2011.

Go figure.

Samsung gets a win in Oz patent battle

the Court has said that some of Apple’s touch screen patent documents... “provide greater support for Samsung’s defence of non-infringement than they do for Apple’s case on infringement"... A similar statement is made regarding Apple’s heuristics patent

LOL. Says it all.

Office 15 beta ready for fondling by early 2012

Still using Office 11

It must be hard for MS to get people excited about ANOTHER release of their office product.

I'm using Office 2003 and I have little need for 50% of its functionality.

Actual computer hacking by UK media: Suspect cuffed

Arrested on suspicion. Not (yet?) charged with an actual crime. Police will be searching his house right now.

Apple boots MacBook Air wannabes out of slim case fabs

Macbook Air 11" is shyte

I bought one and I deeply regret it. No 'Delete' key. No '#' key. Instead, multiple finger combos that are a PITA when you're on a train with a cup of coffee in one hand. That an £1300 for a hardward spec that I could get at DELL for £600. That makes it £700 for the 'design'. Yes, I got sucked in by Apple's marketing machine, but once bitten; twice shy. It will take a lot for me to ever be interested again in an Apple device.

As for aluminium: big deal. I've seen and fondled Samsung's 900 series with its lighter, stronger, Duralumin and, you know what, it's actually BETTER than aluminium. So, IMHO, this article is not 'news'.

New claim: iPhone 5 was a goer until Jobs bottled it

Really?

I was going to release my own smartphone. It is 2mm thin, has a 4.1" screen and a 10.1 megapixel camera. It had a brushed titanium back plate. It was an "iPhone killer" but it had poor battery life so I decided not to release it to market.

Bloke gets wedding tackle trapped in ring

Arab strap.

Apple kills code-signing bug that threatened iPhone users

Another Apple PR Disaster

Apple shoots the messenger.

When someone buys an app from the App Store, 30% of that cash goes straight to Apple.

Someone else points out a problem with that App Store infrastructure, Apple ex-communicates them.

Mm, Silverlight, what's that smell? Yes, it's death

Stick to C/C++ then.

Linux Mint moves to Gnome 3, keeps Gnome 2 MATEy

As a well-known Physicist said:

"If I have seen further it is only by standing on the shoulders of giants."

US Army orders more Judge Dredd smartgun ammo

Double Edged

How long before Arms Dealers get their hands on these and start using them against our boys? I hope the answer is 'never' or at least after they've evacuated the 'stans.

Crime-fighting Seattle superhero unmasked, fired

Job opportunity

Maybe he could get a job in pron - clubbing someone with his stick or punching them in the ring?

Samsung demands iPhone 4S source code in Aussie row

Go Samsung!

I hope they stick it up Apple's jacksie. With no mercy.

Blogger freaks after airport lackey fondles checked-in vibrator

"personally" apologize

"Agency officials have also reached out to the passenger to personally apologize for this unfortunate incident."

"personally" apologize... o_0... I wonder who in the FAA performed this "personal" service.

A rapid first hands-on: Nokia’s Windows phones

Boring

The only excitement I can see anyone getting from those handsets is a bowel movement.

Intel, MS destined to remain tablet underdogs

What a load of 5hYt

Anyone who thinks they can predict the future is kidding themselves.

Telstra's branding plans leaked to El Reg

...so Australians will wake up on Monday 19 September and think...

..."Telsta is my favourite brand. We don't need to see his identification. These aren't the droids we're looking for. You can go about your business. Move along. Move along."

Samsung to show Galaxy Tab revamp next week

More consumer choice

A 7.7"? Wow, Samsung really are gearing up their consumer offering and now consumers will have a more to choose from. Sry Apple, I guess a lot of people just don't want your 'one iTunes fits all'.

Acer to announce ultrabook at IFA

Game on!

I own a MacBook Air and I really regret buying it. Apart from the apoplectic annoyance of no 'Delete' and '#' keys, I paid about £1300 for hardware I could get retail for under £500.

Until prices fall to reasonable levels, I'll never own another Apple appliance (it's the only one I have).

New Apple move against Galaxy Tab on Euro front

Apple = Shit Scared

I just wish the mass media would get a hold of this one. It bring the whole 'patent troll' thing to the attention of the general public.

Dell Streak 7 Android tablet

DOOMED to fail

Why do manufacturers even bother producing such low-spec kit and then unload the second barrel into their other foot by puting a fantastic price tag on it?

Please note that I'm using the word 'fantastic' in its true grammatical sense, ie. Dell's desire to sell this shit at that price is pure fantasy.

Police charge Scottish teen over Soca attack

Now let's wait for the CPS...

... to see if it does its usual thing and drops the charges announcing "a low prospect of securing a conviction".

Samsung-Apple Wars: Galaxy blocked Down Under

It'll fail.

It is obvious from Apple's reaction to the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 that it considers it a serious competitor to the iPad. I just hope (i) the courts will see Apple's claim for what it is, and (b) not give them any leave to appeal.

FFS Apple, just give the consumer what it wants instead of trying to stop them getting it.

Ballmer: Time up for 'stuck in the past' Microsoft CEO?

Faecal touch

When you're a monopolist, it's pretty hard to increase market share but much easier to lose it. Maybe he should've given the 8.5bn back to the shareholders as a return of capital or special dividend or something. Buying a business with a long-term history of losses and 'waiting for a turn around' (if Skype's management can't do it, why would MS's be any better?) - is not a good way of creating shareholder value. It would be better to give the cash to them and let them go to the Casino.

Jobs takes swing at Google over Android activations

Of those Apple registrations...

...I'd like to know what proportion was (a female, or (b) male "in touch with their feminine side" as the iPhone has an overtly feminine design.

Microsoft should starve on radical penguin diet

Forget the tech and follow the money

I'm always surprised why hardly anyone focuses on the non-tech failures of Microsoft. Sure MS makes "record" profits, but the use of that word clouds the aweful truth that, as an investment, MS stock is a poor performer. It's PE ratio is embarrassingly low for a company with the resources it has and it's Market cap is now less than Apple (which has a much lower OS Market share).

That is why Steve Ballmer is being questioned. Shareholder don't give a crap that xbox is supposedly such a "money-spinner" when those profits are being frittered away, time and again, on failed R&D projects. On top of that is the abject failures in market timing. Windows Mobile 7 is a thorn in the side for many investors.

Microsoft's Linux patent bingo hits Google's Android

***rolls eyes****

I see MS hasn't managed to put together a case against Red Hat despite the latter's public "no thanks" to MS's offer of 'protection'.

What upsets me is not so much MS's spin on these agreements (that they're somehow only cover use of Linux when they actually are a blanket agreement covering all OSes the counterparty is using) but the media's constant reporting of these claims which lend tacit support to them.

The facts are these:

MS has been making these unsubstantiated claims for several years now and no one has gone to court.

The media continue to report these agreements whenever the MS press office announce them.

The media never report on MS's failed attempts to negotiate these terms (save for the Red Hat case I mentioned previously), thereby knowingly or unknowingly lending further credence to MS's claims.

MS has not negotiated such deals with the likes of IBM, Oracle et al who all actively Market Linux based products and services.

IBM have said publicly that they will use their formidable patent portolio against MS if the ever try it on.

It is clear to me that MS are simply using the mass media as a tool in their efforts to try and discredit the undiscreditable. C'mon guys, how about some balance in the reporting of these things?

White hats release exploit for critical Windows vuln

History Repeats

Time and again Microsoft releases a new version of its Windows plarform proudly declaring it "the most secure yet".

Time and again we see exploits appearing shortly thereafter.

Isn't it about time we all recognised and admitted that the proprietary software development model is not superior to the open-source development model?

ARM wrestles Intel for netbook crown

Any Real Machines?

I've seen a lot of press about ARM vs x86 over the past 12 months and I can't help but think of an analogy to the hype that was WAP in mobile telephony. In particular, I recall the phrase "Where Are the Phones?"

I'm growing impatient reading about "the x86 killer" and am beginning to think 'ARM vs x86' is nothing more than a media myth.

Windows better off closed, says Microsoft

I totally agree with you Bill.

"most of the 'knowledgeable people' are actually asking not to be given the source code for Windows"

Amen to that. Most of the knowledgeable people run Linux, *BSD or Solaris.