Posts by andreas koch

Fire danger as iOS mislocates towns, again

Re: your question:

>

So: why on Earth use a place-name lookup on someone else’s map service to reproduce the information?

<

Because: "Apple. Hurhur. IPhone. Apple IPhone.Hurhurhur. Urg. Hurhur. Yeah. IPhone"

Because everything, EVERYTHING, has to be an IPhone app or be compatible with an IPhone these days.

Want to buy a torch to walk the dog? "Will it* work with my IPhone?"

"I want a kettle, but it has to have a Lightning connector."

"I was told to buy an 'AirPort', so that I wouldn't have any problems when I buy an IPhone in the future"

"I'm sure there's an app in the Apple AppStore to jumpstart my flat car over bluetooth."

The force of persuasion that the malic logo makes a product peerless is strong.

* Not sure if the dog or the torch . . .

Permafrost melt to boost atmospheric CO₂ faster than thought

WE . ARE . ALL . GOING . TO . DIE !!

yep.

A new Mac Pro coming this spring? 'Mais oui!'

Whatever the change will be,

it will be "revolutionary", "beautiful" and "amazing".

I'm starting to get used to it.

Yawn.

Boffins propose satnav tracking for 'KILLER KOALAS'

@JassMan - Re: Calling it a drop BEAR is a clue

You, sir, are a true descendant of the great sleuth.

No sh*t.

Apple users: Only Apple can track us! Not Google

But

. . . but IOS and Safari are safe, they're made by Apple! So it can't be.

I'll have a skinny soymilk frappucino.

Squillions of bytes in one cup of DNA

The open questions are:

- How does one apply copy protection to that?

- Do the rounded corners infringe patents?

- Is the encoder/ decoder Lightning compatible?

- Is it tweetable?

Spanish startup to ship first Mozilla-phones

@ calonddraig -

I doubt that, nothing to gain there, neither Mozilla nor GeekPhone have any sueworthy amount of money.

So this is

another *nix based OS with a bit of something on top.

Wow, that makes WinPhone8 almost look like a novel idea.

Google denies smacking Botswanan ass

Newsflash:

'Google gets Botswanan transport back onto it's feet!'

Wireless charger posse smacks down rival in EXPLICIT video

I can see where this is going:

This is going to be like this:

The Alliance will support their standard and the Consortium will support their own. Then they'll talk about a consolidation and bring out a third, completely incompatible standard that exceeds the former two in some way. This future standard will then be the one that some company* will have invented first and it'll cost all other makers something like 25$ per unit to use.

Then the treehuggers will come and find out that the field density is a lot higher than anything that any cell phone tower or overhead power line ever produced** and will rally against it for a couple of years and try to get it banned for health reasons. All companies will decide to drop it because of the negative publicity and promote the healthy new "wireless-free charging" per "eco-friendly", "environmentally-conscious" CW2AP***, at which point we're all back to square one, just 10 years older.

Hurhurhur.

* guess who. . .

** strange, really, that they haven't done that already; makes me wonder.

*** Copper Wire With A Plug

Ubuntu for smartphones aims to replace today's mobes, laptops

@ BigG - Re: @ taxman - Anything but Unity

Oh, the phone does exist alright, and it would be surprising if the OS would be restricted to just one model.

What I was trying to say is that Mr. Kelion did not have a lot of content apart from quotes in this article and that even these quotes are knocked together quite randomly. A few statements show more misunderstanding than understanding and some remarks are just wrong.

It reads like an 'F' homework essay where the task was to write something about smartphones and it was done between cornflakes and toothbrushing in the morning, using buzzwords and cut-'n'-paste.

Just my personal impression; I'm sure he's really a very nice, learned guy.

K?

@ DougS - Re: Lack of apps

>

Or do you think that all the Linux apps that expect a keyboard and mouse will work just fine on a touchscreen?

<

Yes, actually.

@ taxman - Re: Anything but Unity

The BBC says. . .

Mr. Kelion, who wrote that BBC article must be a close relative to amanfrommars here on the forum, scoring -1 out of 10 for understanding and 11 out of 10 for randomly rehashing quotes.

I don't think that there was much comprehension involved about any differences between the 'nexus' range of devices, the 'Galaxy' model name or the 'Samsung' brand.

'Samsung Galaxy Nexus phone' probably came up first on a Google search because it has all the popular buzzword names in it.

@ frank ly - Re: As a matter of relevant interest ....

I think the laptop will be a lot more powerful on floating point performance, and still a good bit better on integer. The graphics will not be up to too much on a smartphone, but still enough to run video in a good resolution.

Ever tried a RaspberryPi? Plenty powerful enough for office tasks and a bit of homework and research, even enough for a bit of entertainment. And that is powered by a single core ARM @ 700 MHz.

I think that a modern high-end smart-phone (think of a quad-core system @ 1.3 GHz like the LG Google Nexus 4) is plenty powerful enough to work with as long as you're not expecting to replace your CAD workstation with a mobile.

But you wouldn't use a Range Rover to take your kid 1500 yards to school . . .

Oops.

;-)

@ mark l 2 -

>

lack of apps

<

###################

tl/dr: lack of useless apps

###################

OK. I've got to out myself on the other side of the public opinion here: I would welcome this.

I tried the first Unity interface and hated it and it went after 2 days. 3 months later I tried again and still hated it and replaced it with xfce. When 12.04 came around I thought "wait, give it a real chance, man, you hated Windows 95 too and it was quite usable in the end" and promised to keep it at least 4 weeks on my everyday laptop. And I started to hate it less. It's different, OK. But not inferior; and some things actually work better for me using Unity. I now think it's rather nice. I find it less confusing and more intuitive than going from any other, essentially still "Xerox Star"-like, GUI to The-Interface-Formerly-Known-As-Metro of Windows 8. I do understand that a lot of people dislike it big time, but I think that it's actually a "change dislike", not something specific. I'm breaking a lance here for Unity; give it a real try.

Oh, and by the way: The Amazon search integration i s pants, but as it's possible to turn it off I don't see the problem! We're all doing the same thing when we install a new Windows on a PC: If we don't scrap IE altogether, we go through the settings and nail up the holes. Same thing, I think.

But back to mark's comment about the lack of apps.

Yes, you are right. there will be less apps on Ubuntu mobile. Techland once counted the number of "fart" apps in the Apple AppStore and came up with over 1100 (!), all of which will be missing from Ubuntu mobile (I can live with that.). And just how many "I can drink beer/ latte/ wine/ whatever-it-is-that-Bear-Grylls-drinks with my iPhone"-Apps does one really need? Some of the more popular time-and-byte-wasters might even be ported, I'm thinking of the likes of Angry Birds here. While it's not useful, it's at least mildly amusing.

Other than that it would run stuff from the Ubuntu software repository, which is not bad at all for useful stuff (and most of the useful stuff even for free). And that would make it better than Windows RT, which does not offer the same compatibility to it's desktop equivalent.

Just, as always, my own personal opinion on this; feel free to disagree, but try to keep an open mind about it . . .

If you find any typos, you can keep them, cheers.

It's JUST possible, but Apple MIGHT not make an iWatch in 2013

@ DrXym - Re: Been done before

>

a wrist is a stupid place to put either a phone or an mp3 player since it is impractical in either role

<

You're holding it* wrong . . .

* The wrist.

@ Bush_rat -

>

NFC based charger

<

Is that like powering a smart TV over WIFI or jumpstarting your car over Bluetooth?

SCNR

@ Simon Harris -

>

eye-phone

<

futurama . . .

University of Western Sydney hands out 11k iPads

@ ChrisInAStrangeLand -

I think that this is not the only reason. There's usually also a lot of 'my boss and his boss are in the same yachting club and my boss suggested that his kit is probably better [winkwink]' involved.

I mean, really now, there must be something fishy with this. All over the world companies are more and more going towards Buy-Your-Own-Device, and down under this doesn't work?

Instagram back-pedals in face of user outrage

Re: Oh, they are everyone's friend

Awwwwww.

@ all - Re: @ AC 2349h - fickle hipsters

SCNR

@ AC 2349h - Re: fickle hipsters

. . . unless you're Apple Inc. , of course.

Facebook: 'No merit' to claim we broke German privacy law

@ NomNomNom -

>

i am not a man i am a complex number

<

shouldn't that be:

i am not a man, i is an complex imaginary number

?

Apple loses iPhone patent lawsuit

Pity . . .

that those 'merkin courts don't seem to talk to each other.

Like this it will take decades until all judges had a case of overwhelmingly obvious morosity and learned to just kick them out.

Mind you, I did snigger a bit at the creators of the leaf-adorned-rounded-corner-device-unlocking slider having a taste of their own medicine.

MPs: 'Chilling' new libel law will CENSOR THE TRUTH online

@AC 1629h - Re: Hmmmmm...

Welcome to the "I didn't get it" side of the forum!

. . . and I'll have you in court for spreading false rumours about my chest, right after shutting down El Reg for publishing your post.

;-)

This post was removed due to its defamatory nature.

Pioneering spidernaut snuffs it after short Smithsonian stay

It seems to be a bad week

for re-entries.

Cleo DOA

Neffie dies after 4 days

Playmonaut MIA

Sad times.

Hero Playmonaut lost at sea as SPEARS ditches in Channel

@ NoneSuch - Re: A Suggestion

Sir,

a styrofoam core would have added so much windload as to take the truss all the way to Ushant . . .

Littlest pirate’s Winnie-the-Pooh laptop on the way home

@tkioz -

The laptop is not the main reason, I think.

It's being bothered by this "agency" that seems to have all the rights and methods of the Gestapo to make your life miserable. 300€ isn't really too bad to get out of a deportation train to Treblika . . .

Why did he pay?

Because he wanted a stop to this farce. Understandable, from a dad's point of view, and I would have most likely done the same.

That it is absolutely wrong, wrongetywrong wrong is beside the question. He bought peace for his girl at a reasonable price.

Which, in itself, shows that the accusing body is not fair: How can you negotiate a penalty? You either are guilty of something or you aren't. There is either a law deciding a penalty for that or not.

Everything else is just extortion by a fancily named gang of racketeers.

Children increasingly named after Apple products

@ John Brown (no body) - Re: Suse?

You err, Sherlock, albeit being not too wrong. It's not a list of approved names, but names can indeed be refused. "Suse" specifically would not be refused. Try a 'Phone book.

@ AC 1405h - Re: Suse?

It's perfectly OK in Germany as a short form of Susanne. Thousands of them about.

Re: And CSI fans will also recognise the name Mac

Gyver, anyone?

Re: Apart from the fact that parents who name their children

Wouldn't know, honestly; but I seem to remember there were cases of kids named "Tetris" and "Sonic". . .

Apart from the fact that parents who name their children

after any products whatsoever (in my opinion) should themselves be shagged back and then aborted:

It'll take quite a while to catch up with "Suse", at least in Germany . . .

By the way: still better than "Moon Unit" or "Dweezil".

Prisoner found with phone + charger in anal cavity

He didn't want to smuggle,

he only heard what happens in jail if you bend over and thought to block that route.

As Mr. J. Rotten so poetically put: The cabin boy was Flipper, he was a naughty nipper . . .

Minecraft coming to Raspberry Pi in hackable edition

@ AC 0653h - Re: all very well but..

void answer post() {

if (AC 0653h is troll){

votePost --;

} else {

post reply " What are those PR lies (from a non-profit foundation?) and what's the USB problem? It's ususally solved with a better power supply or an active hub. RPi are made to tinker with; if that's not your thing, buy an iPad."

}

}

Apple granted patent for ebook page-turning

This is Apple innovation at it's best!

It's groundbreaking! It's beautiful! It's so creative!!

How can the competition ever think of catching up this?

Will it be the signature feature of the new New new iPad? Can I preorder or queue now?

iPhone senses you typing on table, bit of wood etc, turns vibes to text

@ Rick Brasche - Re: one possible use

Take gun, aim at foot, pull trigger.

Or was this supposed to be a joke?

Seems legit . . .

. . . as all the keyboard-app has to do is to count the taps. A synergic data collation unit (SDCU) then polls SIRI, aerialcucumber analcircumcision acidic comment autocorrect and iOS6 maps to decide what you wanted to type.

Apple decides a lot for the user already, why not the message contents as well?

Seriously: without 2 independent accelerometers to triangulate and the "sorry, no live show", I'd put it into the same box as the iPhone5 laser keyboard and holoscreen demo. Fanboi bait.

Apple to ditch Intel – report

@ CmdrX3 - Re: I'm really trying

See icon. That was not nice of you.

@stpete - Re: @ M Gale

If you really have to take the joke seriously:

The hitch with Apple is that while "it just works" most of the time, it just works because there isn't anything that you don't need. And the need is defined by Apple: If we don't do it, you don't want it.

Your opinion seems to me like calling a Nr.12 Torx screwdriver a good toolkit. Good screwdriver no doubt, but a little less useful if you need a soldering iron.

If it's commercial, then it will be done for Windows (thinking of, for example, CNC controllers); chances are, if it's cool and interesting, someone might tinker about with it on Linux. On Apple OSs you eat what you're given.

Mahlzeit.

@ frank ly - Re: @ M Gale

Your butler goes shopping? That's a job that is usually delegated to the servants by the housekeeper on behalf of the butler.

You cannot possibly be a typical Rolls Royce owner.

. . . antelope gorrrrn . . .

Thumbsup nonetheless!

@ M Gale

>

I don't think Apple is going to drop x86/64.

<

Why not? It would be revolutionary, beautiful, truly magical and whatever else Mr. Cook can think of.

And it would be bought: because Apple fans don't give a poo about what's inside. It's inside an Apple computer, so it has to be top quality and it will "just work".

It's like asking a Rolls Royce owner what spark plugs he prefers: The answer would, most likely, be something along the lines of "I say, I shall ask my butler to tell the driver to query the mechanic for you. And would you excuse me now, it is time to shoot an antelope."

How accurate is a Rolex? Who gives a fsck. What thread is a Pierre Cardin dress stiched together with? Couldn't care less.

Fashion ware. Veblen goods. Apple. No need to be rational.

New trend: Trojan which steals your pics instead of your text

@ umacf24 - Re: Finally!

. . . specially when you're lazy as me and just search for *boot*.* to find a bootlog and end up with a 500 file picdump of heeled ladies in leather . . . hurhur.

T'was darn funny, though, specially the clients face going ff0000, as he was looking over my shoulder.

KDE 'annoys the hell of' Linus Torvalds

@ reg readers - Re: Linus Torvalds

Are 6 lines really TL/DR ?

@ Reg mods: can we have a bigger joke icon?

Linus Torvalds

doesn't do praise, he only ever disses.

Which is fair enough, he's the face of the Linux Community and with this attitude will keep it forever a "tinkerer's desktop OS". If he would be like Ballmer or Cook then everything would be beautiful, revolutionary, outstanding and whatnot, and the hoi polloi would go for it, giving it a user base at which it makes sense to spread more malware specially designed for it. Do you want that? No? Linus doesn't either. See?

Felix Baumgartner sadly turns out to be blinkered FOOL

His Wikipedia entry: part 2

There must be something strange going on at the end of July in Austria . . .

I looked him up on Wikipedia

Herr Baumgartner's primary accomplishment appears to be to jump from things. And then fall down.

Toast can fall, too, and makes less comments about things outside it's area of expertise.

I prefer toast.