* Posts by James Pickett

1321 publicly visible posts • joined 23 Apr 2007

Government pipedreams on internet ratings doomed to fail

James Pickett

Free'm

"don't know offhand if.. Gitmo is actually in the USA"

I'm not sure anyone knows where it is, politically. That, of course, is/was the great attraction to the Pentagon, who could apply whatever rules they thought of that morning, or at least they could until they realised that everyone else was watching. I really wanted McCain to win, as it's going to take at least four years to clean up Dubya's mess (and he is pushing through laws right now to queer the pitch for the Democrats).

To return to the original subject, I heard Burnham waffling on about protection of minors using the Internet, which makes one wonder how he polices his own children's use of it. Presumably he doesn't know about filtering software (which is strange, as his wife is a 'Communications Consultant') but perhaps he has just had the Home Office paranoia chip implanted...

Record industry refused Jammie Thomas appeal

James Pickett

IYO

"the GD were rubbish"

In your opinion, assuming you've actually listened to them. I liked them, despite never having smoked anything other than tobacco, and I like most music, from Albinoni to Zappa.

James Pickett

Encouraging

That is good news though, isn't it? If the RIAss.A can't even make the case stick against someone as inept as Jammie Thomas, they really should think about giving up. Personally, I'd like to see a labelling system on CD's that shows how much of the purchase price gets returned to the artist and how much to the other participants in its production. I assume (in the absence of any other info) that a £3 album download from Amazon is as rewarding for the artist as the full-price version in HMV, but it would be nice to know.

Boffins bust web authentication with game consoles

James Pickett

Big bang

"A cluster of PCs using modern graphics cards could come close"

And would cost..? The PS3 appears to provide more raw number-crunching bang for your buck than anything currently available, which is probably why each one loses Sony money (who must be a tad worried that so many are ending up in the hands of non-gamers!)

Home Office death list 'stops ID fraud'

James Pickett

Ho ho

"zaNu Labour"

LOL!

Microsoft staff cuts due next month?

James Pickett

Cue Nelson Muntz

"to try and grow a successful online services business"

Oh dear. Never mInd. I wonder if Ballmer's productivity get assessed, too? I guess he could always get a job testing furniture...

Investment firm slips $100m into Palm's stocking

James Pickett

Mmmm

"Palin's stocking..."

Me too. Interesting thought... :-)

BBC: Top Gear Tesla didn't run out of juice

James Pickett

Carp

"It's an entertainment show"

It doesn't entertain me. My 10-year old likes it, though.

Enormous HP box spotted from space

James Pickett

A+

Presumably you need a box that big to keep all the Playmobil in?

Good work Lester, especially for a Monday! :-)

Hasbro drops lawsuit against Scrabulous creators

James Pickett

Rev.2

"Monopulous"

Strikes me there's an opening for a version with derivatives, sub-prime mortgages and where the banker can fail - bailing out by the other players will be optional...

Attack of the quarter-ton, 'fridge-sized' killer jellyfish

James Pickett
Happy

Blimey!

Do all El Reg contributors have a metaphor quota? Lewis seems to be attempting it in one article...

Nintendo whacked with $5m Wii strap lawsuit

James Pickett

I expect...

..that's why the Wii shows a warning every time you switch it on, although I suppose that assumes the user can read...

Germany tests tadpole airship

James Pickett

Eh?

"tadpole-like segmented design"

Since when were tadpoles segmented? I know it's Friday, but...

Hutton robs forces, pours MoD cash into UK arms biz

James Pickett

Slip

"the UK would wind up with a Navy"

Funny - I read that first as "wind up the Navy". I wonder which is right..?

Google removes Chrome beta wrapping

James Pickett

Er...

"We have removed the beta label as our goals for stability and performance have been met "

What does that say about Gmail and Docs..?

Atari promises it won't suck this time

James Pickett

Hmm...

I'll take them seriously when they bring back their operating system. TOS wasn't it?

Security pros groan as zero-day hits Microsoft's SQL Server

James Pickett
Gates Horns

Typo

"stop using OUR browser", surely?

Datawind PocketSurfer 2R internet palmtop

James Pickett

Relative values

"I think 200 quid's cheap for a gadget"

I wish I did! It depends on the gadget, I suppose - it's not excessive for a Wii or a Netbook, but it seems an awful lot for something so crappy.

Why port your Firefox add-on to Internet Explorer?

James Pickett
Gates Horns

Snafu

"languages like Python or Microsoft's C#"

MS has a language called C-hash? How appropriate...

Reg readers in the dark over extreme porn

James Pickett

Inclusive

"violence that is life threatening"

Doesn't that rule out just about every Hollywood and TV thriller, or is it only dangerous if there's nudity involved?

Exam board to hear appeal over format cockup

James Pickett

Eh?

"using Word format inappropriately"

How do you do that then? Sounds like the school were using more up-to-date software than Edexhell...

Fujifilm FinePix S100 FS digital camera

James Pickett

Correction

I said "two lenses, at least", which I must now accept as untrue, since the Tamron AF 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC LD lens (28-407mm 35mm equiv.) became available for DSLR's. Mind you, it costs more than the whole Fuji camera, but of course that won't stop the pundits from comparing the price of the Fuji with that of a base SLR...

James Pickett

FOVC

FOVC only applies to DSLR's that are designed to take the lenses from film SLR's (which many photographers have invested heavily in over the years) and which are therefore operating in a different mode when fitted to a camera whose sensor is smaller than the film the lens was designed for. The S100 lens was designed for the camera and would be huge if it was for 35mm! The S100 has a smaller sensor than DSLR's, but it is still larger than most other digicams, and appears to work very well. Fuji's have done a lot of work on reducing noise, and it shows.

James Pickett

Great camera

Ah yes, the purple fringing (or chromatic aberration) issue that some reviews keep banging on about. Well, they've got to keep steering people towards 'proper' cameras haven't they, but where can you get an SLR with 28-400mm range (two lenses, at least), not to mention a tilting display and video mode, for this sort of money?

I've seen some terrific photos from the S100, and I've seen horrible purple fringing from a G-series Canon, so I think the problem may be exaggerated.

If I didn't have eight digicams already, I'd buy one of these without hesitation.

Sony Ericsson Walkman W902 mobile phone

James Pickett

Nice but...

Lovely looking item - shame about the headphone socket! Why is it so difficult to fit a standard 3.5mm one?

Leaked Met letter questions Speaker's version of police raid

James Pickett

Oops

"In a letter to Jacqui Smith yesterday.."

So she IS involved! Funny, I could have sworn she said she wasn't.

James Pickett

Credibility gap

"the Serjeant at Arms Jill Pay said she would seek legal advice"

And nobody suggested that a warrant might be a good idea? Beyond belief...

Jacqui Smith denies any knowledge of police search

James Pickett

Boswelox

If she knew, she's lying. If she didn't, she's not in control (and utterly incompetent).

How long, I wonder, did the police give the Serjeant at Arms to read the document she signed?

And Hazel Blears thinks that bloggers are undermining the state!

Israeli Linux fan squeezes Windows refund out of Dell

James Pickett

Choice

"Devir failed to follow the return policy"

Which is?

It would be simple enough to make the OS a 'delete option' so you can elect to have it or not. Having a simple choice between none ($0), Ubuntu ($10 to install) and Vista ($100) would restore the balance nicely...

Dell should either admit to a cosy (and illegal) relationship with MS or allow the choice. Why do they say the recommend Vista, anyway?

MPs demand investigation into unlawful police action

James Pickett

Gob-smacked

Did nobody present think to ask the police if they had a warrant? Has no-one in Westminster ever watched a police drama? It also appears that the Serjeant-at-arms signed a document she hadn't read! Utter incompetence all round, it would seem - in other words, business as usual. sigh.

MS claims US weekend sales victory in console war

James Pickett
Gates Horns

Oh yeah?

"sales victory in console war"

I take it that's ignoring the Wii, which is so far in front that the word 'war' scarcely seems appropriate. Perhaps that's why they omitted it...

Nintendo in profit on each Wii sold

James Pickett

Oh yeah?

Xboxes breaking even? Not at £129 they're not, although that still seems a lot for a door-stop.

Tories release MP office raid footage

James Pickett

Uncle Joe

>clueless morons who're referrring to this as "stalinist"

It's exaggeration for effect, as in 'clueless morons' for fellow readers of El Reg! Have you never said you were 'starving' when you were merely a bit peckish?

McKinnon gets date for final showdown

James Pickett

Fair

Perhaps Obama could give him a job as security advisor? He must be better at it than the present incumbent(s)...

LG FA163DAB 160W iDock micro hi-fi system

James Pickett

Comparison

But is the sound as good as the Aego M system at nearly half the price? I bet it isn't, Mark Levinson or no Mark Levinson. Also, neither having nor desiring an iPod, I find the 'dock' a positive discouragement, as must everyone else with other types of MP3 player...

Orbitsound T3 mobile 3D stereo speaker

James Pickett

@Dan

Not portable in the 'all in one box with a handle' sense, but easy enough to carry, durable and the best bang for your buck I know of:

http://www.trustedreviews.com/multimedia/review/2006/05/17/Acoustic-Energy-Aego-M-Speakers/p1

Phorm, Norman Lamont, and the Broadband Stakeholder Group

James Pickett

Progress?

Does anyone know how BT are getting on with their trial? Surely somebody here has been asked to opt-in, or did BT forget again..?

Mandy preps list of UK businesses to save

James Pickett

Oh dear

No chance for Woolies, then? Too common.

(Mandelson, visiting a fish-and-chip shop in his then new constituency of Hartlepool and anxious to make a good impression with the locals, is alleged to have seen the mushy peas and requested a helping of their 'guacamole'.)

Obama tries to stay connected

James Pickett

Gander sauce

"the secret service are the ones who say he can't have his blackberry"

So what do they use? If security's so important, perhaps they should practise what they preach...

James Pickett

Merkins

Clearly this wasn't something that troubled the current incumbent. Obama can probably ditch the Etch-a-sketch and Speak-and-Spell too...

How Microsoft blew its own RIA invention

James Pickett
Gates Horns

Innovation...

"not following up more quickly"

Plus ca change. MS turns up late to the party, but tries to compensate by bringing lots of beer. Not sure it will work this time, though.

Significant, perhaps, that Anders left to work elsewhere. It must be tough being a programmer at MS - you do brilliant stuff and it either gets ignored or bastardised, and on the odd occasion something gets through, Ballmer takes all the credit!

MoD kit chief: Blighty unsure of supersonic stealth jumpjet

James Pickett

Progress

Please remind me - why did we ditch the Harrier in favour of this electro-mechanical lump of lard? It's American - of course it's overweight!

MPs lost for Word over creaking Microsoft packages

James Pickett
Gates Horns

Resolution

"will be resolved in conjunction with Microsoft"

Who will doubtless flog them a zillion more copies of Office 2007, rather than the free reader or a conversion tool...

Given the lack of money for everyone who isn't a bank, perhaps now would be a good time for the Civil Service to switch to Open Office.

Prosecutors gather evidence on secret BT-Phorm trials

James Pickett
Pirate

Go to jail. Do not collect £200

"Complex Casework Centre"

Really? The case looks blindingly obvious to me, but then I don't work for the government.

Mobile shields man from death bullet

James Pickett

Selective

Amazing how God intervenes on the part of morons (sorry, merkins) but doesn't do anything for the deserving inhabitants of Darfur or Muanda...

London Hospital back online after computer virus shutdown

James Pickett

Treatment

That's the trouble with viruses - they don't respond to antibiotics.

PM quizzed over McKinnon extradition

James Pickett

Gander sauce

"The UK has important obligations in that area"

So does the US, but it always ignores them!

Ballmer: We're so over Yahoo!

James Pickett

Coincidence

"Microsoft shares are down 45 per cent on the year"

So what did Bill know, and when did he know it?

Inside Microsoft's 'New Xbox Experience'

James Pickett

Legal

I read an MS ad on Sunday that contained a reference to the Nintendo Wii with no acknowledgement - not even an R or TM. I hope Nintendo's lawyers notice...

Employees sue for unpaid Windows Vista overtime

James Pickett
Gates Horns

Damages

I've long thought that MS will be doomed once someone successfully sues them for consequential losses and/or lost productivity through security, crashes and reboots. Looks like we're one step towards it, at least...