* Posts by Stephen 2

200 publicly visible posts • joined 15 Jun 2009

Page:

08 Wizard

Stephen 2

Be careful of phishing

While these apps are useful and can save you money, you should be careful about using alternative numbers for your bank. Fake numbers may be inserted which include the same background music, welcoming staff and such like but it could all be a ruse to phish details from you.

I use saynoto0870.com since they're very reputable and verify numbers.

Anonymous launches OpRobinHood against banks

Stephen 2

Another example of how Naive and Idiotic these kids are

Most of the donations will end up as charge backs which will likely result in the charities having to pay fees. Not only that but if the charity receives too many chargebacks then it's quite possible that they'll be booted by their payment provider and be unable to continue receiving donations by credit card.

And as SuperTim says, the cost incurred by the banks will simply be passed onto us consumers.

Jesus christ these kids are annoying. I wish they could at least admit they're just in it to cause trouble and stop pretending that they're helping the world.

BUSTED! Secret app on millions of phones logs key taps

Stephen 2

Interesting

I'd like to see the data being sent off. Right now we're only seeing local logging, I didn't spot any of the data actually being sent off to anyone.

Grooveshark bunged staff bonuses 'for pirating music'

Stephen 2

Who do these guys think they are?

Google!?

Supply snitches: 4in iPhone 5 screens shipping now

Stephen 2

With padding

I wouldn't mind if the articles were to the point. This article has been padded out by repeating the same shit with some rewording.

Ice Cream Sandwich

Stephen 2

uber fugly

It looks uber fugly.It's like someone trying to recreate iOS with just HTML 1

YaCy takes on Google with open source search engine

Stephen 2

While the rest of the world is moving into the cloud

these guys are going backwards.

Personally I don't want to store my files in the cloud. But basic services like search engines should really stay in the cloud, in the browser. I don't want to download anything to do web searches.

Psst, kid... Wanna learn how to hack?

Stephen 2

We'll see. I can say with certainty that regular people like you and me will NOT be able to buy this thing for $25 this year.

Stephen 2

Fed up

I'm getting a bit fed up hearing about this system that is STILL not available. We all know that it's going to be 60-100 quid when it becomes available for public purchase.

Amazon Kindle Fire

Stephen 2

I'll wait for the kindle two

I like the price and I like the fact that it's made by Amazon.

But these things bother me:

No microphone support and no camera - which means no Skype voice/video calls.

No hardware volume buttons - so quickly adjusting the volume when watching a video is a no-go

Seems a bit sluggish - From what I've seen on youtube, it seems a bit sluggish compared to the ipad

If they made things a bit smoother, improved the accuracy of clicks and found a way to make a microphone work (even if it's only via a headset) so I can at least do Skype calls then I'd get it in a heart beat.

Groupon offer burns cupcake baker’s profits

Stephen 2

Wahh they gave me too much business

Is she for real? She's complaining because she was given TOO MUCH business?

Why did she create the offer if she wasn't ready for the masses to gulp it up? Surely she had a business plan that showed it was feasible to sell the cakes at that price? Sounds like she's just a big stupid wally.

Samsung jumps into bed with Google TV

Stephen 2

Why? Samsung is great already..

Why are Samsung taking this risk? They already have great software on their tvs.

HP offers devs £130 32GB TouchPad tablets

Stephen 2

To apply for a voucher/coupon, it seems you need to email them. Anyone else know different?

Apple MacBook Pro 17in 2011

Stephen 2

HDMI via adapter

Although there's no built in HDMI, you can use a minidisplay port to HDMI adapter or thunderbolt to HDMI adapter. Either will work since the thunderbolt port is backwards compatible with mini display port adapters. You can buy this adapter for 5-10 pounds on ebay.

I use HDMI out via this method to carry audio and video to my TV in a single cable.

It has a card reader on the side..

I agree with you about the slow HD. You'd think on a machine this expensive you'd at least get 7200.

What you read about the fan is on the big mac desktops, not the laptops. You can swap out the HD without any problem. I swapped my boot drive to an SSD and then moved the original HD into the place of the dvd-drive thanks to a caddy I bought on ebay for a tenner.

Stephen 2

Big fan of Macbooks

I'm a big fan of Macbooks and use a Macbook pro 15" myself. This review seems like a waste of a time though. It's pretty much repeating the same thing that everyone already knows about Macbooks.

The 17" has beefed up CPU and GPU. Great. There's nothing new with it that isn't with all the rest that have been out for a couple years. There's really been no major changes for awhile. Just upgraded hardware inside.

PCTV NanoStick T2 USB TV tuner

Stephen 2
FAIL

Need better antenna or stronger towers

If all you could get is one channel in your area then it's not really much good is it.

Nearly all freeview channels that can be picked up through the stick can also be picked up online, tvcatchup etc. So if you're at home, you could just stream it over your internet.

The only time you'd want to use this is when you're out and about. And based on what you've said, it's no good when you're out and about!

Volvo S60 DRIVe

Stephen 2

Looks alright

Looks like a pretty decent motor

Sony says virtual reality is virtually a reality

Stephen 2

Haha, nice way to drown out negative PR

What a lovely story to drown out all the negative PR about Sony right now.

We have all this power, we can do it but we're only really just starting to look at it so ya know, don't bother coming back to us for more info.

I wish it was true in the here and now, it would beat the crap out of the Wii. I once tried out VR at segaworld in London and it was awesome. That was many many years ago - so I don't understand why we dont' have it yet.

OverDrive

Stephen 2
Thumb Up

Good start

Seems like a great start and once it gets featured on more places like theReg and shared around Facebook, it could be a real winner. More users = more libraries coming on board and improved software.

A great way to modernise the UK library system.

Ads watchdog bites Virgin Media over 'con' claims

Stephen 2
Megaphone

The truth hurts

See title.

Echostar HDS-600RS Freesat HD recorder

Stephen 2

Looks fine to me

Looks fine to me. Just looks like a larger Slingbox.

I have been thinking about ditching Sky in favor of Freesat. I could of course watch Freesat with no extra charges by simply cancelling my Sky which automatically converts the card to a freesat card. The problem is that I loose the SkyHD box features such as pausing, recording etc.

So I'm in the market for a new box. This one seems alright. I have a slingbox so this would consolidate two items down to one, and perhaps even save a bit ont he leccy.

But I can pickup a regular 320GB Freesat box for 150 quid and I already have my Slingbox. So I dunno. Doesn't seem worth forking out another 150 quid just to consolidate my two devices into one.

Apple sues teenager for white iPhone conversion kits

Stephen 2

I think you're right

Indeed, I think you're right. If they let too many things slip through then they could well loose their trademarks. They have no choice but to take action. At least they dropped it immediately, probably for some minuscule fee, like $1. So they can tick the right boxes for their trademarks.

Elite coder readies £15 programming gadget for schools

Stephen 2

Sorry to be a negative nelly

Sorry to be a negative nelly but we seem to read about this kinda thing all the time and then by the time it's released it will be $100-$200, it will only be available to schools (not private geeks) and wil probably be much weaker.

I want to dream and believe it's possible but I don't think so. I can't see myself ever being able to get one of these for 15 quid. If I could, I would take a couple.

Asus Eee Pad Transformer

Stephen 2
Thumb Up

Wait for the next model

Looks really nice and with the keyboard addition, I could actually imagine myself using this thing for more than a week.

If this was priced at 200-250 quid, inclusive of the keyboard, I'd buy it and put up with a usb 3g dongle sticking out of the side.

But priced as-is, I'll wait for the next version to come out with 3g built in.

Ten... tech treats for mum

Stephen 2
FAIL

give up

Give up El reg'. Most of those suggestions absolutely sucked.

I recommend anyone looking for ideas to just check out Firebox or similar.

Google preps identity spotter app

Stephen 2
Thumb Down

Mobjustice

How long before we see a story 'Mob attacks man wrongly identified via Google face search'

Samsung rolls out 22in see-through screens

Stephen 2

Remove the backing from an lcd

So essentially they just removed the backing from a regular LCD panel?

Apple Mac OS X: A decade of Ten

Stephen 2
Thumb Down

yes :(

Unfortunately it does look like OS X is gradually being turned into iOS :(

Nintendo 3DS launch games

Stephen 2

Tokyo

When I tested the 3DS In Tokyo, about 3 weeks ago, the best game for showing off the 3D effect was this samurai style game. I forget the name. Basically your character runs around in this huge 3d world fighting bad guys. Very impressive for the 3d depth.

Sapphire Edge HD

Stephen 2
FAIL

MSI Wind without the LCD

It's basically an MSI wind laptop, with the LCD removed. And 50 quid added to the price.

WTF is... cloud gaming?

Stephen 2

Bandwidth

I can barely stream regular 240p video in real time. HD gaming over the internet? Ugh years off.

Nintendo 3DS bothers Brits about blinkers

Stephen 2
Pirate

Tested the 3DS in Japan

I tested the 3DS in Japan last week. Even after a couple of minutes I was wanting to turn the 3D effect off because my eyes were feeling so tired. Plus as someone else said, holding it in an exact position becomes a pain and invariable you'll move it now and then and get a nice painful double vision. Moving it up and down is pretty much okay but move it more than 1cm left or right and you'll get a harsh shock to your eyes.

As for the price of the games, I don't think anyone really buys them, do they? I thought 98% of DS owners used an R4 (or similar) cart and downloaded the games?

35 quid for a game that can (usually) be completed in an hour. No thanks

Make your own guitar with a 3D printer

Stephen 2
FAIL

ASA

I thought the ASA now control internet advertising regulation in the UK? I believe a requirement is to disclose paid ads like this.

Mio Navman V575 TV satnav and Freeview tuner

Stephen 2

I would drive and watch tv

If I was still in the UK, I'd definitely get this and I would watch tv while I'm driving. Unfortunately the country I'm in right now is still limited to terrestrial or cable/sat. No digital freeview type thing.

Coca-Cola and Facebook get touchy with Israeli teens

Stephen 2
Joke

The title is required but must contain letters and/or digits.

Wow man, you just threw my emotions. For a second I was really feeling for Tim but then I read your reply and suddenly I just burst out laughing.

Undead Commodore 64 comes back for Christmas

Stephen 2
FAIL

Point

And the point of this is...?

I was expecting it to be a 'retro machine' that would sell for like 50 quid. Instead its just a regular PC in a crappy looking case. What a load of jip.

Dawn raids catch 9 for massive iPhone 'fraud'

Stephen 2

Fake docs

So, some fake documents were found and If I'm correct, some fake documents were found?

Dell accused of hiding incriminating evidence in defect case

Stephen 2
Thumb Up

@Fihart - Caps in monitors

Yep, we had a whole bunch of LG monitors die within a few weeks of each other. I emailed LG and they called the next business day. We arranged a date for their techs to come out and they came wielding soldering irons and replaced the caps on-site!

NatWest calls off legal attack dogs

Stephen 2

Phone support

"However, I suspect that their Department For Knowing What the Company Is Called has been

outsourced to the lowest bidder, just like every other aspect of their business. "

Uh I contact Natwest over the phone all the time and they're English language, UK based staff. Can be a bit stupid at times, saying they'll do something and then just not doing anything. But otherwise they're ok.

Google's Wi-Fi sniff probe reveals 'criminal intent' - PI

Stephen 2

Not stupid for having open networks

Regardless of whether its right or wrong to grab the packets (it's wrong), why do people assume that anyone with an open network is stupid?

What if you're providing a free wifi point and don't want the hassle of giving an encryption key to every user. Or if you simply don't want the extra overhead of encryption.

MSI Wind U160

Stephen 2

No ubuntu out of the box

We have these at the office. Installed Ubuntu 10.04 and it doesn't recognise the wifi cards. On one of them, it won't even get as far as the installer before having graphics problems.

Windows works fine.

Three In-Car Wi-Fi

Stephen 2
Thumb Up

The title is required, and must contain letters and/or piglets.

I think the reviewer of this product has completely missed the target audience. This device is not aimed at bandwidth heavy applications like Youtube. It's for general surfing and working on the go. For which, it's perfect.

However, anyone with a Apple laptop can simply connect their regular dongle and turn on internet sharing via wifi. Effectively providing the same thing. No doubt you can do the same thing in Windows but I bet its not 3 clicks away.

DVLA off-road system seriously off-message

Stephen 2

Dispute

I opened a dispute with the DVLA last year after they fined me even though I had sent in the relevant paper work. Their defence was that I should have contacted them after not receiving a reply letter.

So if I don't receive, their letter, it's my problem. If they don't receive my letter, it's my problem.

Does the decision of this more recent case mean I can go back to them and ask for a refund?

PARIS hacked Canon test (almost) runs on rails

Stephen 2
FAIL

FIRST!

lame. waste of space post

Elgato Netstream DTT networkable TV tuner

Stephen 2

Slingbox Warranty

Also note that Slingbox only provide a 6 months warranty. And phone 'support'/warranty enquires are only provided for the first 90 days. Considering how many known faults the slingbox has (especially related to power) this is quite a cheek.

I've been looking for something similar to slingbox for quite some time. This may not be it but it's a step in the right direction.

Street View plays spot the army numberplate

Stephen 2

@AC 12:06 GMT

Wouldn't make much difference, my vintage beetle wont even hit 70 MPH :P

Voda goes ultra-cheap with handsets for the developing world

Stephen 2

Fihart

As Fihart said, there are already many phones being sold in the UK for the same kind of price. I bought some old school nokia from the voda store for £10 with a £5 topup voucher..

Police cuff citizens for videotaping arrests

Stephen 2
FAIL

Brighton, UK

I was stopped in Brighton, UK and forced to either delete a video clip I took of cops arresting someone or hand over the phone. The officer told me it was now evidence and those were my options.

Apple wins attack of the clones

Stephen 2

Microsoft forced to disable IE

Reading this reminds me of Microsoft being forced to remove IE as the default browser in Windows OS.

Everyone keeps commenting about how Apple have the right to do what they want with their software and limit what others can do. Why don't M$ have this right?

Samsung shines a light on first solar cellphone

Stephen 2

Sunny countries

I'm currently out in the Philippines where its Sunny practically every day. I agree that back in the UK this phone isn't going to be much good but this would be ideal when you go on a treck or beach trip here.

To be honest, I'd be happy with a solar powered phone that can do just text messaging... but the calling side of things is a bonus. Right now I'm lucky to get a couple days from my iPhone and charging this beast via solar would be impossible.

Page: