Posts by Will Gilpin

Official: Kindles get heavier as you add e-books

Bad Physics?

Does this article hold water?

It's beren a long time since my degree, but it seems to me that the kindle maintains the memory state irrespective of whether there are books stored within it. Although one could imagine a computer memory using a scheme such as run-length encoding, or at least switching off entire chips when they are all zero, this is not how it works. The entropy of empty memory is the same as that of full memory under most designs.

Furthermore, flash does not use energy to maintain state, so there is no energy difference between a zero and and one. Is there?

Ten... Androids to outshine the iPhone 4S

Why people like iPhones

People don't choose smartphones because of a minor improvement in specs. There are some people who will always buy Apple, some who never will, but many who see their friends with a phone and say "what's it like?"

This is where Apple wins. Simply put, people like using their gadgets. Top of the JD Power smartphone customer satisfaction survey for the 6th year running.

It's not about GHz or GB. It's about enjoying the whole package

New company to lead UK police ICT procurement

The Met leading the way

Ailsa Beaton to lead the new organisation. The shining light that is the MPS to trailblaze? The MPS is the most hidebound process-driven anti-delivery organisation I've ever worked for. "Making London Safer ... but not today"

It's bound to be a success.

UK's Reaper flying hunter-killer fleet 'to double'

RE: Re:

it is a bad thing. War is dynamic, and remote control degrades situational awareness enormously. We don't put humans, ejector seats, canopies, instruments, oxygen etc. in fighter aircraft because its fun, we do it because its the best processor we have and worth the extra weight.

One day soon, maybe machines will do better. Not yet.

What Tosh

This article is so cliched it's almost funny. A new toy will solve all your military problems eh? Have we heard this before?

Try air to air refuelling for the round trip from the UK with your drone. Try attacking more than one target. Try carrying a 'bunker buster'.

Drones are great. They have changed the face of warfare, and one day there will be no more manned strike aircraft, but not today. These slow, vulnerable aircraft with their small payloads are just another tool in the box, that's all.

MPs urge action as spooky caller ID-faking services hit UK

Electronic Tagging

CLI is used as part of the UK monitoring of electronically tagged offenders. Another nail in its coffin I fear.