Posts by Anonymous Custard

Jim Beam me up, Scotty! WHISKY from SPAAACE returns to Earth

Re: A new market for SpaceX?

I'm wondering more if this might shed some light on the X-37B's secret mission?

2 years enough for some decent maturing of product?

DEATH by PowerPoint: Microsoft warns of 0-day attack hidden in slides

Re: Ha!

Quite - I was exposed to one the other day and suddenly found I'd lost half a day of my life...

Trips to Mars may be OFF: The SUN has changed in a way we've NEVER SEEN

Re: Nuclear

Heat sinks and radiators (as in household ones) do most of their work via convection of and conduction with the air around them. The thermal radiation part is present (as they are at temperatures above absolute zero), but it's relatively weak in comparison (compare how hot a conventional light bulb filament gets compared to the glass around it for example).

In space as there's (almost) a complete vacuum, there's (almost) nothing to conduct heat away, and radiation only strongly comes into play when you get to such a high temperature that things start giving off significant electromagnetic radiation in the form of infra-red and visible light (ie glowing red/white hot). And by that point you've probably got other issues to worry about with your spaceship melting.

Re: Nuclear

I wonder if the cooling required for nuclear reactors could involve the void?

I would doubt it - cooling is the transfer of heat energy from the hot thing into something colder, and whilst space certainly qualifies as colder, it is rather lacking in the critical "something" to transfer into in any useful amounts. Hence why the ideal thermal insulator is a vacuum, such as in flasks etc.

Really... an iKeyfob? Apple continues war on fanbois' pockets

Yup, the Knight Automated Roving Robot.

Somehow I think I could have mis-spent my youth more productively, as I knew that without having to look it up...

Watch live! NASA video streams Orionid meteor shower – or go outside and look yourself

Forecast

Looking at the forecast, I think all I'd see is a cloudy rain shower...

Will stick to NASA streaming rather than water streaming. Bloody hurricane remnants.

Doctor Who's Flatline: Cool monsters, yes, but utterly limp subplots

Re: The end ?!

There I would have to agree, but then again after Colin Baker it would have been hard to go further downhill and be any worse. I envy your precious little seeing of him...

And sadly, at least in terms of written character, Capaldi is giving me horrible flashbacks of what they tried to do with CB. A frustrating shame given quite what PC is capable of as an actor if given writing that's up to the job.

Kirk?

Is it just me, or did he start channeling Captain Kirk a bit too much when he was trapped in the TARDIS though when the life support went on the blink? The slow and emphatic delivery (and randomly placed emphasis) to tell us all about it was just pure Shatner...

COMET barrels towards Mars, machines of humanity race for cover

That was similar to my initial thought - looks like Mars is about to open up a big gob along that fault-line running horizontally across it and swallow the thing...

Cosmic Pac-Man anyone?

#Help. There's a STRANGER in my Twitter timeline

"But there are times when you might miss out on Tweets we think you’d enjoy."

"But there are times when you might miss out on Tweets we think you’d enjoy."

<translation>And here's a message from our sponsors...</translation>

Sway: Microsoft's new Office app doesn't have an Undo function

Re: @James51

Or a cross between OneNote and the NSA's inbox...

Mobile coverage on trains really is pants

Re: Hogwart's Express

The two are basically expanding to become one station anyway, so it's easy to accept.

And for those who wish, you can actually have your photo taken at a little "Platform 9 3/4" thing at King's Cross. Admittedly it's not in the movie location, but it is signposted and reasonably well run. It's half a trolly plus a few props stuck on the wall between the bookshop and the ticket office/info bit, although with a few members of staff to run it and take photographs that you can buy.

A bit of fun, and probably quite profitable given what they charge for the pics (my kids did it a few weeks back) plus there's a small Harry Potter shop there too (slightly confusingly with another bookshop outlet between it and the photo area).

Son of Hudl: Tesco flogs new Atom-powered 8.3-inch Android tablet

Power

Nice to hear that they've moved the power connector from the bottom to the top.

Got two of the original ones at home (for my daughters), and the one thing that I don't like about them is they have the power micro-USB at the bottom (when used in landscape orientation). So if you're using it propped up in a case to watch a movie (for example), you can't easily have it plugged in at the same time as the connector is sticking out the bottom.

Indeed that micro-USB is the one thing that actually failed on the thing (ended up so the only way to charge it was to wedge the connector in and prop it in place with a pen), although to be fair one call to Tesco customer services had them pick up the faulty one and drop off a replacement within a few days (and it could have been the next day if I'd wanted, but I had to spend a little while with ADB to back-up what was on it first so I could easily transfer everything).

Have to say my old tablet (Nexus 7 2012) is starting to show its age a bit, so might ponder one of these myself perhaps.

Vanmoof Electrified Bike: Crouching cyclist, hidden power

Dang varmint

Misread it at first as Vamoosh, and now have the mental image of Yosemite Sam in a cycle helmet and six-shooters on this here iron (ok, more likely steel or aluminium) horse.

Take CTRL! Shallow minds ponder the DEEP spectre of DARK CACHE

Re: CTRL-C

OK, next time I walk into a room of users, I will ask for a show of hands:

I would say just ask if any of them know what a command prompt (or a terminal window) actually is, but I get the feeling the answer would be depressing.

Jaguar Sportbrake: The chicken tikka masala of van-sized posh cars

Re: Nice Review

Come on, you've missed a trick here. Work out how many NAS boxes (or indeed storage media of your choice) you can fit into the boot, and then you can calculate the data transfer rate between two offices or similar locations and so give us a proper IT angle on all this as well as a car review.

No one wants iOS 8 because it's for NERDS - dev

Re: version 8?

All hail Bel-Shamharoth, sender of 7a...

Apple KILLS SUPER MARIO. And Zelda. And Sonic

Retro

Kinda ironically symmetric that you're now going to need to use a retro version of iOS to play retro games...

Nokia Lumia 735: Ignore the selfie hype, it's a grown-up phone

I can do it on my HTC 8X running WP8.0 (no sign any updates sadly :( ). If I plug it into my Win7 laptop via USB it pops up under Windows Explorer, where I can access folders for documents, music, pictures, ringtones and videos. It's not as open access as Android is, although that may in part be down to how it's set up (it's my corporate workphone).

There is a Windows program that you can download and install for the PC, but it's utterly useless and doesn't give much additional functionality than going directly in via explorer, other than a bit of hand-holding.

Ingredient found in TASTY BEER is GOOD for your BRAIN

Re: GAZZA'S been researching this for years...

Well it does say the flavinoids are also found in red plonk...

That said I'm sure they were also the enemy in some of the space shoot 'em ups I played when I was mis-spending my youth.

Windows 10: One for the suits, right Microsoft? Or so one THOUGHT

Re: So what is new in Windows 10?

Personally I'd say the highlight is that they've vaguely listened to what people were complaining about and what they wanted.

It looks like a step in the right direction, although whether it's too little and too late is another question, as is if they can manage to botch the "One Windows" concept again by giving us "features" in places where they have no place in being. There sadly I do not hold out much hope.

Hot wet alien world discovered in constellation Cygnus

That's lucky for us because it means clouds didn't block our view of water molecules.

Just as well, or else they'd be reaching for their Illudium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulators.

Bash bug: Shellshocked yet? You will be ... when this goes WORM

I'm currently helping beta-test a new OS version for a NAS box from a well-known vendor which is BusyBox based, and we had a report from another tester overnight indicating that it too was vulnerable (at least if I'm interpreting his report correctly - I'm not a Unix guru but the test code is repeated in some of the posts below so I think it is the same item).

So running busybox might not mitigate things quite so well, unfortunately. But I can see it's going to be worth checking myself tonight to confirm.

Heatmiser digital thermostat users: For pity's sake, DON'T SWITCH ON the WI-FI

Re: Reverse Engineer

Hey, don't knock percussive maintenance!

That's the stupidest combination I've ever heard in my life! That's the kind of thing an idiot would have on his luggage!

Hail Skroob!

Re: Reverse Engineer

But surely, in the words of the Haynes manual, "reassembly is a reversal of disassembly" ;)

From observational experience, it depends on how many excess pieces you have left afterwards...

Re: Where are the crims?

Telly Denial of Service

Or more worryingly have your TV only able to play cheap and tacky "reality" TV, Cash in the Attic and such daytime-TV fodder at all times.

A bit like waterboarding, but without the refreshment...

Range Rover to fit trendy new SUV with FRIKKIN' LASER HUDs

Patriotic?

an especially patriotic version of the Evoque, which inspired by the colours of the Union Flag. It will come in Firenze Red, Fuji White, Loire Blue, Santorini Black and Corris Grey

Sounds very patriotic, with colours named for Italian, Japanese, French and Greek places! OK I give you Corris is Welsh, but the others aren't exactly part of the Union, unless the British Empire has a major resurgence planned...

Bracelet could protect user herds from lurking PREDATORS

Handcuffs?

Am I missing something, or wouldn't you need one of these on each wrist, at which point you end up looking like you've just partially broken out of a pair of handcuffs?

If it's going to sense/trace movement to confirm and correlate inputs to actions, then both wrists/hands would need to be tracked, especially if a touchscreen is also being used (rarer I know at the moment, but would still be needed). I know rodents are normally operated single-handedly, but typing is a two-handed experience for most people.

And also one wonders how it differentiates actions that the valid person who should be using the terminal may make when they are sat at it but are not related to inputs? Or are they now not allowed to drink coffee or pick their noses?

What the 4K: High-def DisplayPort vid meets reversible USB Type C

Re: Nirvana

Hint: If using proper cables, the side with the USB logo on it goes upwards. This even works in the dark by touch.

Indeed, unless some fool's installed the (micro-)USB socket upside down, like on my Nook, and iirc herself's Moto-G.

Re: Good cables are better

Do your Thunderbird cables have gold plated connectors?

Are those for Lady Penelope?

Bono: Apple will sort out monetising music where the labels failed

Can't be pirated?

If it can be played aloud then it can be sampled, and if it can be sampled it can be recorded.

Perhaps not to the same quality as the original, and not with all the fancy stuff, but it's still the songs in the end.

That said given the reaction to the recent give-away, maybe it's something of a moot point in their case when some people don't want their outpourings even for free..

Plucky Playmonaut parties as LOHAN hits Kickstarter goal

Re: Not sure about the one in the bikini ...

I dunno, the one on the left looks more like a younger Mary Berry to me, complete with bomber jacket.

I need to get out more...

Damien Hirst, eat your heart out - these guys chop up TAXIS

Re: Prior Art

That episode (or at least them doing it) was what sprang to mind when I read the article too, although my Google-Fu hadn't got as detailed as yours in finding it again. So have an upvote for saving me the trouble.

Making furniture and other stuff from car parts has been around for years even aside from that, although I guess the pedigree of some of the stuff in the article lifts it above that somewhat (and does something similar to the price). Certainly the chair is nice though.

Driving with an Apple Watch could land you with a £100 FINE

Re: Knee Jerk Off

The average PC is probably more pissed off that on his salary he can't afford the iStuff himself...

Amazon rekindles e-readers and Fire OS without weeks of whack-a-leak fun

•The Fire HD Kids Edition, a US$149 machine that offers a “kid-proof case”

So they like a challenge do they? That's fightin talk where I come from, or where my kids are concerned... ;) Both are on their second Hudl's (which to be fair Tesco provided without any quibble at all) after the initial ones micro-USB ports went bad and to charge the things you had to wedge the cable in at a weird angle with a pen.

They're both getting (original keyboard 3G model) Kindles for Christmas, as Staples had a few reconditioned return ones that they were flogging off for a tenner each. They look and work fine (for now), and at that price you can't say no...

Top Gear Tigers and Bingo Boilers: Farewell then, Phones4U

Look it up?

So that's several entries for next year's OED then I presume?

4K-ing excellent TV is on its way ... in its own sweet time, natch

Re: Chicken and Egg

Isn't it just that we're at an evolution vs revolution argument? The ones that need everything to be re-bought tend to be the revolution ones, whereas the ones that are "backward compatible" are the evolution ones. And it tends to be the revolutionary items that need (and hopefully give) the incentive to update.

For example:

Film projectors --> VHS - convenience of viewing on the telly, plus being able to fast forward/rewind easily without the risk of your media ending up around your feet.

VHS --> DVD - random access, bonus features, not having to rewind the damn thing afterwards, physical size (for physical storage and transportation) and durability.

DVD --> Download/Stream - playable on wider range of hardware (e.g. phones and tablets), no physical media to store (but nothing to own either, plus DRM), reliance on net connectivity.

Blu ray of course was an evolution of DVD, giving nothing new, just stuff that was better (resolution mostly, but also maybe more extras due to higher capacity). Blu ray 2 (or Violet ray, or whatever it will be called) will be more of the same, but again better still for resolution.

I would wonder between discs as physical media and streaming for non-physical if there would be anything more that could be revolutionary rather than evolutionary, as there's not much more that could really be bolted on or made more convenient?

Re: Alternative name for Blu-Ray 4K...

UHDD

That sounds like porn-star milk...

*'scuse I whilst I go and wash my brain out after that thought*

eBay promises to refund seller fees after latest MASSIVE OUTAGE

Re: Difficult to compensate

And the useful trick is also never bid a round pound/dollar/euro (as appropriate) amount - always add a touch on. For example, if your bid would be £10, bid £10.12 or something like that. It seems that most people (sellers and buyers) like round figures, so they will tend to bid them. If you bid loose-change over that, then your bid will be larger than theirs and you win.

I've won several auctions over the years by doing that, combined with using sniping rather than early bidding.

Edge Research Lab to tackle chilly LOHAN's final test flight

We really are going to have to define the "Scottie Scale" as an el-Reg unit of measurement, aren't we?

The question would be whether it's a unit of work, effort, achievement or probability...

Drones CAN'T deliver goods ... oh. Air traffic control system backed by NASA, you say?

Re: Paging the Fat Controller...

@A_C a couple of posts above - OK, maybe adding the word "random" into my line above that you quote would have been more accurate to what I meant.

At ground level, everything is in 2D, and a lot of the changes (crossings, roadworks, parked vehicles and perhaps even accidents) would be fairly easy to have notified and/or detected (crossings and road works would presumably have some sort of transmitters to make all the automated stuff aware there they're there, and vehicles will have that to talk to one another anyway for synchonisation and ensuring that their autonomy works).

In the air, you have another dimension to worry about (although in fairness also another one to maneuver in, presuming you have some height), but the random variability either tends to be more natural in origin, or not related at all to the transit system and so less likely to be squawking out that it's there and so will need to be dynamically reacted to.

But in any case I would guess the economies of scale are working against them too. The drone use is the pizza delivery model, whereas the requirement is more the UPS/Fedex multi-drop model to make it worthwhile. I entirely agree that if the use of drones is going to have a future then something like the ATC will be needed and will be fine for the "highway" part of the journey, but it's the local bit (especially the "parking" at the end) where things will fall down.

Paging the Fat Controller...

•The drone's aerial environment is 3D-mapped to a high degree of granularity: similar, perhaps to the roads mapped by Google's self-driving cars.

Problem being the road environment is much less prone to change than the low-level aerial one. Even things like trees growing, sprouting leaves and blowing in the wind for example would be much more variable, not to mention similar temporary hazards like flags/banners, washing lines and other nice drone-snares.

•Every flying vehicle in that environment is controlled by the system. That's the only way possible, we think, to rule out controlled vehicles crashing into un-controlled ones.

Even leaving aside the uncontrolled elements like birds, quite how would control be achieved? Everyone knows quite how difficult it is to get a signal into built-up areas (sat navs vs urban canyons for example), plus the tussling between the requirement for overall control vs local autonomy so any drone could avoid the uncontrolled obstacles already mentioned.

If this kind of automated air traffic control was so easy, we'd already have it for our existing transportation like cars (ok, not air traffic control, but general control) and more integrated with that for normal planes or even small ones.

Plus to carry anything worthwhile (ie more than just a single small package over a very short distance) you'd need a large and powerful drone which would probably be getting to the realms of a small helicopter equivalent anyway.

One sixth of the ENTIRE PLANET will buy a new smartphone this year

Re: Good enough is the enemy of great

So it was for PC's, and so it shall be for smartphones and tablets...

eBay DROPS DEAD AGAIN - tat bazaar says sorry, scrambles to resurrect site

Re: Tinfoil Hat time?

And this is before the IoT dawns and everyones fridge, toaster and bathroom cabinet join the fun.

Who thought that was a good idea again?

The Apple Watch and CROTCH RUBBING. How are they related?

Re: Friday afternoon?

I'm still in two minds whether it's better as a Friday wind-down work avoidance device, or a Monday morning one to get me going before trying to get back into it all again. This Dabbie on a Sunday concept is still odd though, I mean who wants to avoid doing stuff on their own time (or could get away with it when applied to SWMBO rather than your work-boss)?

Generally I agree Friday is preferrable, although could perhaps be alleviated if Simon was a bit more regular in BOFH output. Any chance Mr D?

Or at least change the title from "Something for the weekend" to "Something on the weekend"?

SanDisk's record-busting 512GB SD CARD will fit perfectly in your empty wallet

Re: "and will still work after being run over by a five-ton truck."

I notice they don't mention how quickly a two year old could destroy one...

Or one of the brainless numpties on the Gadget Show (or are the two equivalent these days?)

It's official: LOHAN's arboreal avoidance algorithm is PANTS

Re: I'm glad that LOHAN has PANTS

Anything else would be just to Britney for words...

Even better than the iThing: Apple's Cook is strictly pro Bono

They'll be watching you?

which it hopes fanbois will use to track their every step, breath or heartbeat.

Maybe they should have got The Police to reform for the event instead?