Posts by Simon Hickling

GNOMEs beat Microsoft: Git Virtual File System to get a new name

DDDVFS

Developers, Developers, Developers Virtual File System

UK exam chiefs: About the compsci coursework you've been working on. It means diddly-squat

For authenticity

Why not produce a suite of unit / automated tests that the students can use to show that their particular implementation meets the acceptance criteria. That removes the issue of whether it's been done "the right way", and with a quick glance at the code, can be assessed to ensure they haven't just returned the values expected by the tests.

There are also plenty of tools for spotting plagiarism, that the code could be passed through to spot people who may have been "outsourcing" the work. Though obviously it may well be that the specifics mean that a lot of people use similar constructs for the same outcomes - just like the real world, a lot of it will be copied and pasted from github, Stack Overflow, etc.

NoSQL databases not just for the 'cool kids'

I think it's telling that the article mentions the number of developers, but not the number of people who can design a database. In my experience the 2 are often mutually exclusive.

Shareholder demands RIM sell itself or spin off patents

Really?

Can you remove the PIN now that you've set it? I can and there's not much I (as an admin) can do about it. Granted it's not a. Company iPhone, but the tools for the company ones are poor too, and iPhones give exchange a right battering. They should ( IMO) be considered a consumer device rather than a business ready device for now.

Italy sues Microsoft for box-bundling bungling

Even the least techy people don't need windows now

With most people using web based mail, Facebook, Twitter and moving towards products like Google docs etc. The reliance on the Windows OS is diminishing. You can access these from anywhere. I haven't used the browser based Facebook for ages - I use the mobile client on my "phone". Again I get my mail on my "phone". I use Linux almost exclusively at home and there are few internet based things which I cannot access. I have no need for the Windows only products which seem to be the things of yesteryear. I think Microsoft should be very worried in case the world realises this sometime soon. In my experience of non-techs (family and friends) they use their computers for internet based services, and before long people will see that they do not need the latest quad-core beast to do their shopping, read their e-mail and tweet their latest thought - nor do they NEED windows for that.

Doctors call for NHS Direct review

"completely made up statistics"

Is there any other kind?

NHS chief explains NPfIT delays

Hmmm

"suppliers have found it difficult to deliver products that work"

Should they not have taken that into account when bidding? What do the penalty clauses look like?

BBC vs ISPs: Bandwidth row escalates as Tiscali wades in

@ Anonymous Coward

That's the technology I was trying to remember - the one that provides on demand over multicast. Looking on the IEEE site there seem to be a couple of techniques and quick Google suggests there are (or have been) a number of investigations into this. You don't seem to have picked up on my other point - no, there is currently no benefit from multicast due to network structure. What have my ISPs and BT been doing with the money I pay them every month? Not investing in infrastructure or planning a network structure that can cope. Given this weeks fines for water companies (another regulated industry) doing wrong by their customers, I just hope OFCOM will start to do some regulating.

They shouldn't be broadcasting

over the internet, they should be multicasting. I remember reading a comment (I think on Slashdot) by someone involved with a method of multicasting which packaged the data up in such a way that you never had to wait more than a few minutes for the video to start. Sounded very clever. Gives you time to get a cup of tea before you start watching. With a server caching popular packets at the exchange it could make a real difference.

Of course the internet is not geared up to mulitcast as the ISPs don't want to invest in the technology, just take the money and run without giving anything back. Multicast would be great for P2P as well :-)

I think Paris has been cast in multi films?