Posts by frank ly

Facebook beats the heat in North Carolina data center

Just Wondering

"... the operators would have to be pretty strange people ..."

Is this true of all people who live and work in northern Canada? I'm just wondering because I've never been there.

New York Times uses palpably fake pic to illustrate Syrian warfare

Re: Real?

Hey, I've got a crowbar. I'll help you get your tongue out of your cheek.

Federal advisors urge Congress to look into China's cyber attacks

"The relevant commission .." "The relevant report .."

Do they not quite understand how to use the word 'relevant', or have they cleverly constructed a canned statement that can be used in many circumstances? Maybe they expect to have to use it often in the future.

New flexible lens works like the one in your eye - and could replace it

@Scott

Have you tried varifocal lenses? They take a couple of weeks to get used to (don't get cheap ones), but I've had them for years and I'm very happy with them. An alternative for your particular problem might be carefully prescribed trifocals...?

ROGUE PLANET WITHOUT A SUN spotted in interstellar space

Re: Oh crap...

Thanks for the warning. I'm going out now, to buy a bigger freezer and begin stockpiling beefburgers.

Subjects bestow Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 on Queen

It's not like that when you're very rich.

She'll hand it to a servant and say, "Have this rooted and reflashed. I'd like to try MoDoCo's latest stable offering."

El Reg mulls Forums icon portfolio shake-up

Re: Definitely need icons for

You're thinking about Apple/Samsung aren't you?

Kobo Mini 5in compact e-reader review

Re: only those books downloaded from Kobo

This is the case for my Glo reader and I think it's to be expected. If it could sync and display all your sideloaded content (which would have to be possible on any PC you logged in from), then it would have to upload that content to the Kobo servers and then download to the PC (or provide page content on demand). Apart from the data transfer and storage burden on the Kobo servers, that might cause legal problems for them.

I can't think of any use for the Kobo PC-app apart from buying books, or getting freebies, from Kobo. As far as I can see, Calibre is the gold standard for management of an e-book collection and gives you the tools to make an e-book suitable for any reader device.

Format and margins

" ...manually loaded books - ... - don’t take notice of margin settings, ..."

I noticed this problem with many .epub books in my collection and .mobi books I converted for my recently acquired Kob Glo. They also did not allow you to adjust font, etc and the Glo often locked up if I tried manual adjustment.

The way to deal with this is to reconvert them in Calibre with the Look and Feel -> Filter Style Information -> Fonts checkbox and Margins checkbox ticked, after which they display properly with full control available to you.

Apple granted patent for ebook page-turning

Re: Lotus Organizer, 1995...

Yes, first time I saw it. It even made the 'rustling' sound as I remember. I thought it was 'cool' at the time.

Omnishambles beats off mummy-porn, becomes English word of 2012

Re: 'the verb "medal" (from the Olympics)'

Me too John. It should be 'medalise', obviously.

Google, Amazon, Starbucks are 'immoral' and 'ridiculous' over UK tax

@John Colman Re: It's Political Grandstanding, that's all

"By calling in the big firms and identifying their practices, the MPs can then start to close the loopholes starting with the biggest ones through proper legislation."

I fully agree with your sentiments John but I'd say the following:

These MPs are there for the opportunity to look good and tough and hard talking. You don't identify the practices of these firms by modern gladiatorial interrogation in a public arena, (that's just to impress the party bigwigs and the people who might vote for them at the next election.

Any accountant worthy of the job title can figure out exactly how these companies perform their accountancy tricks. Hint: they use opportunities provided by the tax legislation and the standard accountancy practices.

The legislation and accepted practices have been set in place, and in legislation, by Parliament which is the group of all MPs. The legislation and resulting 'loopholes' were deliberately constructed to be of great benefit to those 'traditional' companies who gave lots of money to political parties and gave directorships to MPs and senior civil servants. I'm thinking banks, large accountancy firms, etc.

Nowadays, there are many new rich companies who are using these loopholes but don't form part of the traditional pig trough for MPs and senior civil servants. That is why the politicians are annoyed.

Plastic screen outfit teams with Epson to offer screen on your plastic

Re: Popular with consumers? Yes

I'm sure you're right about the 'user experience' with a credit card but we can consider other forms of personal card that might benefit from similar psychology.

Consider supermarket or shop chain loyalty/points cards. If the shopper had a card with a displayed balance that increased after every shopping experience, that would make them feel good about having just spent money. (Yes, I know it's pathetic but many people are like that and they look forward to using their points to buy Christmas gifts, etc. I can cite most of my family as examples.)

'Perfect' INVISIBLE SHED stuns boffinry world

Re: Be careful where you leave it

If you could afford an invisible shed, you could afford GPS.

Star Wars VII: The Disney Movie signs Toy Story III script genius

For an alternative analysis ....

... see South Park season: 16 episode:14; available from 'various sources' since last Thursday morning.

BBC places news chief and her deputy beyond use in Savile row

"Why was the chief of BBC TV called "Head of Vision" ....?"

It seems obvious to me, but I've always been very literal-minded. (I'm assuming that the chief of BBC Radio is called "Head of Sound".)

Man, 19, cuffed after burning Remembrance poppy pic is Facebooked

Logical progression:

Senior politicians and senior police officers have often made public comments that offend me. Can have them arrested and charged from now on?

Teen project sparks WORLD-WIDE PEE-POWERED HYPEGASM!

@Dan

" ...use the hydrogen to drive a vehicle or in other areas where batteries are less practical."

Compressing and then storing hydrogen under pressure takes energy and infrastructure. It also takes maintenance effort on the compressor and storage containers to prevent them from becoming extremely dangerous, instead of just very dangerous. I'd prefer batteries if at all possible.

IBM begs Britain's new top cops: C'mon, set up pre-crime units

Predictions

"Fellows said it had reduced crime by 30 per cent by predicting where a crime would happen."

This is, of course, impossible. What they actually did was put more plods on the street in areas where there was a high level of crime. They also did the 'community liaison and outreach ' thing in a sensible manner. Apparently, the marvellous computerised system was able to predict that areas with a historically high level of crime would have lots of crimes committed in the near future. It sounds like old fashioned and sensible policing to me. It's a pity they'd lost those skills and needed computers and consultants to teach them about it.

Facebook's IPO was a disaster? RUBBISH, you FOOLS

Re: Buy a turd

I see what you did there. Or do I?

SEC staffers slammed for serious security snafus

A simple way to ensure security ....

If you must take a laptop (for notetaking, e-mail, websurfing, etc), take a brand new one, or one with a brand new hard drive, set up with minimum needs and only communicate from a disposable webmail address to other disposable webmail addresses. Scrub the hard drive after you've taken any needed .txt files off it.

Apple-v-Samsung $1bn iPhone fine: 'Jury foreman was biased'

How long before ....

.... a drama-documentary is made, based on all this (and more to come)?

I could put together a rough and generic script, have it registered with the appropriate organisations, then sit back and wait to sue anybody who makes a successful product.

US condom rules 'will cause nasty RED RINGS on porn stars' todgers'

Re: Not that readily

You should try getting them via mail order from internet based suppliers. A rainbow of choices is out there.

The GPL self-destruct mechanism that is killing Linux

Re: And your point is?

"... you only have to offer your code to the people who end up with the end product of your derivative work, which is probably just you."

As far as my understanding goes, (please correct me or give other opinions if you can), this also extends to in-house corporate use. If a company decides to use Linux, or any GPL software, for purely in-house use as part of its internal operations (e.g. process monitoring/control, networking, e-mail, etc), and they develop clever modifications and add-ons; then that corporation does not have to make their new source code available. In asking their employees to operate the clever machines and systems they have developed, they are not actually 'distributing' the code (as specified in the GPL license), they are simply making tools for employees to use.

There are some people who argue against corporate use of GPL code by saying, " .. if we develop anything useful and clever, we have to give it away to the rest of the world, according to the license." I believe this is not true. They also say, " .. at least with Microsoft, we'll get years of product support." Hahaha.

ALIEN DETECTION was SUPPRESSED by the BBC - top boffin

Beaurocracies:

They can't handle change, or anything new.

Bald? Looking old before your time? Don't panic, but you might DIE

Oh dear,

I'd better contact a solicitor and start making my will.

President Obama declares VICTORY over JUSTIN BIEBER

re. sex doll likeness

I'd feel secretly flattered, but go to court in a huff and demand a percentage of sales to compensate for my hurt feelings.

Apple tries to add Galaxy Note, Jelly Bean to patent slapfest

Cruel and unusual punishment?

If I were Judge Koh, I'd ask to be excused, because one trial already with Apple and Samsung is more than anybody should have to experience during their career.

Snake-fondling blonde nude punts Polish coffins

Re: Elvens Afety

You're getting confused between 'risky' and 'risqué, which is perfectly understandable in this situation.

I'm not an expert, but if you run your eyes along the sinuous and slender body of the python, you will notice the gently undulating curves of its slender body, which may indicate that it has been regularly fed in the recent past, to make it calm and languid.

Prudential cops £50k ICO slap for giving customer's life savings away

Retraining?

"The insurance firm also said that it would be improving staff training and updating its processes."

I think that staff replacement is called for. No amount of training can cure stupidity and complacency. (I don't mean the front-end people who took the complaint reports, I mean the managers who make the decisions.)

Kyocera boffins make on-screen buttons feel real

@Craig Re: Moor accurate tiepin ...

Yes, there is, but I'm not telling you where.

NASA snaps revealing pix of visiting near-Earth asteroid

"...1.6 kilometer girth ..."

It's not the girth, it's the radar cross sectional size, which is roughly the diameter of a very roughly spherical object.

Ohio voting machines have 'backdoor', lawsuit claims

Re: US Civics 101

Thank you for that cogent explanation David. The only point I'd make is in respect of point 1); if UK voters were voting for a *European president*, it would seem reasonable to expect the Germans (etc) to have a say in the mechanics of the UK voting process. In such an election, then as a UK citizen, I'd be concerned about reports of flaws in the German voting process.

China tries for 2012 WORLD cluster compo DOMINATION

Re: Footnote

Was that 2nd April (UK convention) or February 4th (US convention), or 4th February or April 2nd ?

Firm-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's tax dodge profit shift? Totally legit

"the one we're not allowed to talk about"

WTF is this pussyfooting around for? When individuals are investigated for 'wrongdoing', their names are splashed all over the papers and they get doorsteped by reporters. Why are the big corporations cosseted in this way?

Mystery robot-bringing UFOs sighted by Indian troops on Tibet border

Wet blanket time:

The Tibetan statue was _not_ of extraterrestrial origin. The material it was made from was.

Classic game 'Elite' returns … on Kickstarter

Will you be able to take on assassination contracts?

You never forget your first assassination :)

(Note: I only accepted contracts on politicians and Mafia bosses; I have principles.)

Apple to ditch Intel – report

Re: @ M Gale

I feel that you have an outdated and quite biased view of us Rolls Royce owners. I shall enquire of my butler if he encounters many people like you on his weekly shopping expeditions.

Facebook Phone rumours are back: And probably true this time

call it the FaceFone from now on

Just an idea; it's easier to remember than TIFKAM and others.

Verizon staff arrested for stealing customer's nude pics

Up to a point

I used to develop my own colour slides, because it was an interesting techie thing to do (stereoscopic views using two small viewers stuck together; try it, it works). Once you start printing, that's a big step up. You're right in that it's not 'rocket science', but I'd suggest that it's beyond the immediate capabilities and interest of the majority of people.

Asteroid belts could be key to finding intelligent life

Re: Pay attention to the axis of time...

They are not saying that life started on the asteroids. They are saying that a stable planetary/asteroid system is required and that the stability is linked to the history of how asteroid quantity and distribution was affected by the planets in a system.

Elephant which speaks: Rare. One which speaks Korean: Even Rarer

Re: Yes and No

In that case, I'd suggest:

"As the last remaining members of the order Proboscidea ... the elephantidae can use their sizeable larynx ..."

Is it Hadoop?

First thing I thought of.

Post-pub nosh deathmatch: Souse versus scrapple

Re: BRAAAAINS!!

It's a long time since I had one of Mr Brain's Faggots in my mouth. (I'd better stop now.)

Virgin offers unlimited action on the cheap

From Virgin Media T&Cs

"For customers on the Big Data & Texts tariff excessive use over 10GB of data per calendar month will result in their maximum bandwidth being restricted to 3G speeds (384kbit/s) on our network between midday and midnight."

That's not bad actually. Tethering not allowed, as to be expected.

I'm wondering, if I tether my Asus Transformer (running Android) will they notice the difference from my Android phone?

Facebook trial: Tell everyone where you are, have a Wi-Fi peanut

'Check In' on Facebook, .....

.... open up new browser tab, surf for free?

Sony Xperia T Android smartphone review

" .. but it lacks Jelly Bean ..."

Can anyone tell me what improvements would be noticeable if an Android phone was upgraded to Jelly Bean from ICS?

When my HTC Incredible went from Gingerbread to ICS, all I noticed was some changes in the UI and definite sluggishness in some operations. I'm very wary of updating the software on working systems that I'm used to.

Analyst slams Apple innovation FAIL

Re: Simply becuase

I've got an Asus Transformer and I have it docked all the time, using the keyboard and a USB mouse. The tablet thing is fine for e-books and videos but a bit heavy for long term use in the hand/s.

Reaching over the keyboard to touch the screen feels weird and awkward when I can use the mouse from my hand's 'natural rest position'.

Felix Baumgartner sadly turns out to be blinkered FOOL

Re: Bit harsh

Possibly. He certainly ain't Spartacus.