Posts by Andrew Harvey

Festive streamers caught in Vulture's claws: Gadget-ogle for audiophiles, video geeks

Re: RIP Squeezebox :-(

Couldn't agree more with all comments about the Squeezebox line. Some idiot with a spreadsheet convincing some other idiots that it should be killed off. I still have one working Squeezebox and a Raspberry Pi/Wolfson DAC setup that acts (brilliantly) as another. I forget the details as it's all at home and I'm not. What I love best of all really though is the remote (I use iPeng) for controlling players via phones/tablets (you can guess from the "i" which ones, although my daughter's Sony uses SqueezeCommander). I get so frustrated using a lot of other players at the crappy inability to arrange/rearrange music on the fly. It's really democratic when all of the family can add tracks to a playlist of an evening.

Snowden: You can't trust SPOOKS with your DATA

Re: "setting fire to the future of the internet."

Except that the bit about "killing the planet" is pretty much true in the "build everywhere, kill off other species, pollute endlessly, consume much" sort of way. Or do you really think it's going to all be okay even in 100 years time?

Just sayin'

Iceland thinks long and hard over extreme smut web ban law

Re: Parental Responsibility

Creepy... are the down voters of the previous post either fans of violent pornography (as opposed to just being fans of pornography), fans of towns having dangerous and violent parts or simply fans of a completely 100% unregulated web (with all that that would entail)?

Apple: Blue-shirts can fix iOS Maps in their spare time

Re: Of the people commenting on this thread..

I'm an iPhone fan. I don't use GPS every day. But we HAD (I still have as I'm resisting IOS6) a decent app with reasonably good maps, good satellite imagery and street view. WTF did Apple - who, as someone has already pointed out, have a lot of dosh in the bank - go and bugger that up?

You sound you rarely/never use the app - in which case you obviously don't care. Fine. But it IS a "story" as you put it - 'cos it's a mighty step backwards.

Tim Cook: 'So sorry for Apple's crap maps app - try Bing or Nokia'

Re: Deal breaker...luxury segment

Oh yes - good f*****g good point. What the hell does it all matter. Buy it or don't. You won't drown because of it.

Watchdog tells Greenpeace to stop 'encouraging anti-social behaviour'

Re: Most possible solutions to these problems will be outstripped...

What's the problem? Do you really think it makes sense to keep on upping the population? Give me one single reason why that's a clever and sensible thing to do? I'm not - as I said - advocating killing people - just for us to stop treating the earth it like it can go on forever.

Meanwhile - you enjoy your concrete cities, endless traffic, crowded beaches, denuded forests, growing deserts, polluted seas.

The Register is rocking on Windows Phone 7

Re: Fixed the iPhone version yet?

Yup I agree! Deleted mine as it seemed to be complete sh*te - always sat there, spinning a little circle and doinghttp://www.theregister.co.uk/Design/graphics/icons/comment/thumb_down_32.png nothing.

Game of Thrones Blu-ray disc set

Re: Undoubtably a good series

How about £31.99 from Amazon? Price is dropping... and personally I thought it so good I might - for once - buy a boxed set. Agree about the Murdochs too... They're actually in GOT - metaphorically speaking.

Apple CEO: 'Amazon Fire didn't dent our sales'

@alex 39

I think that was EXACTLY what he meant - he was just being a little more subtle.

Official: File-sharing is a religion... in Sweden

Also starting to hate Microsoft adverts...

I have to say I don't think I experience the same up and down on any other site - but perhaps I'm being selective. It IS bloody irritating.

@Jake : "Anyone who thinks that digital content can't be copied & shared is deluded".

Yes... I don't think anyone is saying it can't be done - isn't the argument "should it be done"?

Or "When can/can't it be done"?

I'll be honest I haven't read all of this - but I'm tired of the same old arguments (most of which I agree with - e.g. DRM penalises those that pay, stuff is too expensive). It does NOT justify stealing "property" (i.e. depriving "people" of revenue).

And a religion... grief! As already said - just some form of legitimisation for hairy good for nothing freetards.

Ofcom grills pirates, loses report under fridge for two years

The original survey was evaluating research methods NOT piracy itself

Having taken a look (at the Kantar survey at least)...

The primary brief of the Kantar Survey was to evaluate different methods of questioning individuals about file sharing NOT to evaluate file sharing issues themselves.

This was a pilot survey for the purpose of understanding differences between Online, Face to Face and Telephone interviews for this area of research (yes, even more boring than the original topic).

Whilst "I find music and video files that you pay for on the internet expensive" is somewhat leading, it is the difference in response that was of interest not the responses themselves. Often there are reasons for leading questions.

Take a look at the survey (@Ellie) and see if you're really appreciating what it's purpose was.

Regulator reckons telly advert caps are just peachy

Good decision - I commend it to the house!

Advertising gives us free TV! Or does it? We pay extra for products to provide a marketing budget so they can spend our time and money telling us what we (mostly don't) want or have already brought.

Those I know (including myself for a year) who have gone from the UK to the US or Australia (as two examples) almost give up on any non timeshifted TV for commercial channels. It is an absolute nightmare. The UK has slowly been slipping in that (very wrong) direction (e.g. sponsored weather and just about everything else). Even worse really is the commercial/brand pressure on TV programme making.

Because it becomes almost ubiquitous we forget how many hours of our lives can be spent watching adverts - and that it is an intrusion on our quality of life.

</rant>

Swedish political party pledges War On Wolves

Never mind arming bears!

Give the wolves guns. Time to hunt some land grabbing selfish humans for a change!

It's always about putting as many humans on as much land as possible - and screw nature. Roll on the Extinction Level Event - for humans.

</rant>

Sea eagles menace Scottish children

Also @someone pretending sympathy for crofters

Presumably you don't fit the category of the "urbane middleclasses" - whatever that may be.

However you seem to side with mankind (the crofters) against nature (the Sea Eagle) without giving a sh*t about the natural world and what mankind's encroachment has done and is doing to it.

It's about time people got real and started to reverse some of the ridiculous belief in endless growth that apparently is the only way to economic happiness.

Tell that to your great grandchildren when land is either used for housing, industry or agriculture - and nothing else. Oh yeah - and there won't be enough oil left for people to use, gas to heat or cook - but that's okay, because science will save us. And crofters...? They'll possibly be okay if they can live of the land - the rest of won't be.

Amazon's cloudy vid-tablet breaks cover: Not an iClone

Ease of use trumps openness

I agree 99% - the 1% is reserved for the key holders of various walled gardens using that position somewhat abusively on occasion. Oh and having to deal with e.g. iTunes.

I love the Kindle for exactly what it's for - reading books. Mind you my interest is piqued by "Ian K"'s comment regarding custom screen savers. I'll check that out.

As far a new iPad/colour Kindle - an eReader needs electronic ink - i.e. an unlit screen that's a pleasure to read from - like a Kindle.

Steve Jobs unveils 30% subs model for ... everything

@WR - Saving a few bucks over venal Apple

"Some people will pay for the convenience of an in app purchase and others can save a few bucks by logging into the content provider web site"

This is one of the issues - content providers apparently cannot charge less for content bought directly than for content bought through apps - so there is little motivation to buy direct.

I love my iPhone - but have always been wary of Apple. I'm actively starting to dislike them (no comment necessary - thanks) as they appear to be increasingly venal. I would buy directly from providers rather than "in app" to deny Apple their pound of flesh.

I really do think Apple are starting to sow the seeds of their own eventual decline.

Apple clips publishers' wings

Ditto from happy iPhone owner

I don't mind the walled garden - to SOME degree. And I know it's expensive. But I like it (yes, it's shiny etc.). But this is ridiculous. The DVD player example above is spot on. This is Apple simply abusing its position (even further). Categorically I would not have an iPhone if the Kindle app did not exist for it (I'd be using something Android based). I'd be surprised if they can apply it retrospectively - since it's destroying existing functionality.

Basically it seems about as anti-competitive as you can get. Well done Apple. Not.

Apple without Jobs: Who's next?

Lots of things are stupidly expensive

But surely only evil if we HAVE to buy them (e.g. bread, water, electricity)? Not when they are entirely optional consumer items such as laptops and phones. Ditto for "closed" - you pays your money and you takes your choices.

Apple posts $20bn+ quarter

Not sure about that...

I would not describe myself as an Apple fanatic or fanboy. I do have a 3GS and I do like it - and I accept it's "locked in" to the Apple way and it cost more than it should have. The same could probably be said for many brands of car - e.g. BMW or Mercedes - versus e.g. Ford - which cost less to buy and service and in all honesty do not seem any less reliable (personal experience only).

People in the UK that I know with iPhone 4s seem to like them and do not complain particularly of problems (I'll expect contradictions here shortly). So I don't think Apple are going to suffer particularly on that score.

I do absolutely hate the iTunes/iPhone/iPod syncing experience. It drives me absolutely crazy sometimes - and it's nothing to do with running on Windows.

Amazon sues US state on customers' privacy

It reminds me of the fortune I've spent...

I LIKE being able to track back through the things I've bought over the years. If only to remind myself of just how much money I've spent on all manner of things (unfortunately no "Girls gone wild..." etc.) I absolutely prefer to have the information there - but then again I've got no particular bit of it to hide (not that I'm suggesting AC has either) (probably).

H Ross Perot Jr fails to grab rhino by the horns

Perot Jr's head stuffed would be better

I say stuff H Ross Perot Jr and put him on display as a trophy. Pillock! He obviously feels like he's done something manly and brave, by being handed a "shot on a plate" (and even bungling that!). Power to the rhino rather than the dumb animals with more money than sense!

Texting peer gets prison

Whilst I agree that...

There often seems to be one rule for us and another for them... And, possibly, that this peer is a "ferret faced piece of scum" - I don't know.

However - in this case - the judge said that the "texting had nothing to do with the accident itself" - and, I presume that the statement "there was red car facing the wrong way in lane three" was provably true. So, it is possible, that the phone usage (inexcusable though it is) had little or nothing to do with the incident - whilst the "red car" could have been a surprise to any one of us depending on other circumstances (such as distractions finding CDs, changing station, day dreaming, pretty girl in car on the left).

I'm not saying he shouldn't have been clobbered harder (possibly).

Is Amazon censoring anti-DRM reviews?

Bad DRM, bad Amazon, bad freebie downloaders

Personally I agree that DRM in general punishes only those who pay for software/music/films - whatever. Ideally we'd do without it.

Amazon possibly need to police against the review process being hijacked by a few individuals with single theme issues possibly posting under multiple identities. Perhaps as has been suggested, only allowing posts if you've purchased through Amazon/market place would help.

Either way it does seem to be a real way to bring pressure to bear on the purveyors of DRMd products.

What really amazes me is the number of adults I know, with decent jobs/salaries who download illegally - music, films, software. Even for their children and with absolutely no shame. Although it feels a lot less tangible that stealing things from e.g. an electrical retailer for your kids - that's basically what it is. Don't like the price - don't buy it/wait for the price to go down.