Posts by wsm

Dell introduces 10in netbook

No go...

This looks like one of the line of non-upgradeable "mini" models from Dell. No way to add RAM and an impossibly expensive hard drive replacement costs.

Philips prices up 21:9 ratio 'cinema' TV

Wide, wider, then...

Stupidly wide, perhaps? Ludicrously wide might do it. How about a cottage industry to come up with uses for all that wasted space in the side bars before the green crowd begin to limit it?

Microsoft SKUs Windows 7 clarity

Amazing marketing

The marketing gibberish spouters are obviously still in charge at what should be a software company.

Just two versions, Home and Professional--what's so hard about that? Do they really believe they get a larger income stream from having an Ultimate version? It's more likely they cause more resentment than income.

Ah well, some lessons are still not learned from Vista.

eBay revenue shrinks for first time in history

feeBay anyone?

Of course the CEO is not happy. Why won't his plan to continuously increase fees and restrict payment to his own PayMePal system work like it should? Well, it is--working like it should. Nearly everyone is looking for alternatives while the executive management hasn't a clue.

Watching my coat pocket closely enough to avoid eBay...

Mac mini said to get Ion innards

What?

Great, another set of predictions for Mac products that don't make any sense. A giant leap backwards in product usability for the lowliest Apple? Is Jobs really that sick?

Jacqui calls Vodafone man to run massive snoop database

Really?

How could anyone object if you could get George Smiley to run it all? No one would notice the difference between with and without the spy network. Nothing to fear here, move along...

Apple's holiday Mac sales flatline

Waiting...

for the rumored $500 mini at twice the specs. Well, at least it's supposed to be available after MacWorld. Since Steverino denied it, it must be true.

Inside Dell's containerized data centers

Now...

every time I see one of those surplus ocean-going cargo containers in a parking lot, I will have to wonder what is really going on inside of it.

Is the supermarket down the street really a front for another cluster of government data processing nodes examining our Internet traffic?

Nintendo whacked with $5m Wii strap lawsuit

Basic physics

Let's see, add the force necessary to break the strap to the force necessary to send the wii-mote across the room to the said television, then figure up the force times mass to equal the energy needed to damage the same.

NASA should hire this kid to throw things into orbit!

Even if the wii-mote could ruin the TV when hurled at it, there is the question of why the screen was so fragile. Better ask another $20m from the TV manufacturer for the emotional distress caused by the loss of SpongeBob viewing.

Entire class fails IT exam by submitting in Word format

Another example of...

It's not the technology we struggle with, it's the users, or, more likely, the management of same.

007 Warhead screenplay sold for £46K

Nuclear robotic shark attacks

Just the sort of thing that's been worrying me lately. Isn't this what happened in Mumbai, minus the robotics and the sharks, but nearly the same?

Israeli Linux fan squeezes Windows refund out of Dell

Customer choice

Dell has been giving MS refunds for years--so it's not clear why this happened. But the main reason they don't want to make this easy is obvious: customer choice. In other words, Dell doesn't want this type of customer.

US rolls out 'Vicinity RFID' to check IDs in moving vehicles

RFID blocking...

Where have you people been. I got mine long ago:

http://www.travelonbags.com/BoardingPass.html

No need for the special coat if you carry the right wallet.

Brand new Star Trek prequel pics and trailer

Well, ...

It's trek-like anyway. But the trailer does play like some of JJ Abrams "Lost" promos. No rush on my part to see this one. But I'll bet there are some trekkies who won't be able to move on.

Palin webmail 'hack' trial delayed

Hax0r?

Did his attorney really argue that his client was too dumb to be a hacker? Since when did the law require a certain amount of expertise before a crime has been committed?

Endeavour launch heralds new dawn for piss-drinking

Re: Makes sense

Has the BOFH taken on a space-supplies contract?

Yes! It's the Darth Vader breakfast toaster

New possibilities for Star Wars 8

Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase: "The Empire is toast!"

MPs join fight to save McKinnon from US prison

Possesives

Odd how some people want to claim criminals as their own, therefore they did no wrong. Let's turn this around the other way with a few simple questions. 1) Would you want this man loose on your network, particularly one that provided your livelihood or secured your data? 2) Even if you believe he would only look at things he deemed to be related to UFO technology, would you allow him to go anywhere he wanted? 3) Why would it be OK for him, or anyone else, to trespass on any other network?

Is it really possible to excuse his actions? Though he may not be entirely effectual in any capacity, he definitely is not quite right in any respect, legal or otherwise. I wouldn't let him loose and say it never happened. The only problem I see is in the legal precedents for exporting hackers for prosecution.

Led Zeppelin plan Plant-free tour

Plant-less LZ

If they tour without Plant, it might be worth doing with someone like Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes. Anyone else remember their show with Jimmy Page "Live at the Greek?"

HP loads PC with nonexistent web browser

Registry

Separate from a machine's registry? As if it didn't need one to run an application? What kind of operating system could do that?

World of Warcraft upkeep costs only $200m

Captain Kirk expensed?

I wonder if that upkeep figure includes the advertising featuring William Shatner. If not, you could subtract another few dollars for the initial appearance and the repeat royalties. Still, you are right--I am in the wrong racket, bracket, et. al.

Artemis Fowl scribe to pen sixth Hitchhiker's novel

Started off wrong already

They've even chosen a lame title. DA himself, caught off-guard during an interview, said he would call a sixth novel, "...well, something else." Which is what this will be--something other than a DA work.

Hurricane Ike snuffs out Galveston webcam

Google was there?

Is that a Google-cam mounted on the mini-suv in the Gulf Cam photo?

Slimmer and lighter cameras promised

So?

The whole point of a mirror within the camera is for the photographer to see what is coming through the lens. Without it, 4/3 cameras are just another point-and-shoot toy with bigger lenses. So, the professional still needs something to see through and the digital Instamatics will continue to be sold to the truly amateur.