Posts by Paul Murphy 1

Virgin cops to bad routing

Had problems recently

In the South Watford (herts.) area, last Tuesday I guess. After 24 hours it started connecting again, but only to their registration server, which rejected us since it had no record of us as dial-up subscribers! (yeah, like maybe 8 years ago!).

Also the registration server doesn't support Windows7 RC1 yet either.

Anyway, after a call to the Indian center they reset our modem and account and things are working again.

On the whole I find the service is not bad, though having Indian-based support makes things difficult for people like me who have problems speaking 'Indiaglish'.

ttfn

PH - the Pr0n is flowing again!

Investigators blind on P2P child abuse

Wots a title look like?

Well, there's a surprise.. how long before the baying hounds are heard whenever somone starts up bittorrent for any reason, or you try to protect yourself online?

I share a fair number of files on BT - mainly driver and game updates for anyone who needs them, as well any other free files which I doubt anyone could object to be sharing. Hardly the same as a paed2paed user, but I bet the same wide brush will be used by the media and politicians.

If I started to use Tor by default to try and make things difficult for internet criminals to find out my details would I then be placed on a watchlist until I furnish my passwords etc.

I think that we need to send off letters to our MPs to give the reasons why people need to be encouraged to use these things, rather than using them being viewed as suspicious. Maybe we should also be concentrating on the people doing bad things, rather than the tools that they use.

ttfn

Android app puts signs where they should be

Sounds like an ideal app for a mini-projector

Connect the phone to a mini-projector and point it at the windscreen, what could possibly go wrong?

ttfn

iPhone thieves collared by Jobsian GPS

What might work

Everything that connects to your WiFi hub - have it bleat to you and/or the police when it loses contact for more than 10 minutes,

Everything else - make sure you have good doors and windows, and keep them closed and locked.

ttfn

Fire at Google UK

Maybe someone typed 'google' into google.co.uk?

But a firewall stopped it from spreading further......

Or maybe they were testing bbq/ip?

that is all

PH - cos if you rub her fast enough she'll burst into flames.

Lightning-gun tech 'approaching weaponisation'

Land mines ....

Used to be set off by an explosive that would apply a downward force on the ground (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_Viper if interested), so the natural extension for IEDs would be a way of projecting an EM field that would, not only screw up a lot of electrical equipment, but induce a charge in circuitry such as that used to detonate mines.

In places such as Iraq and Afghanistan the use of a wide-band EM pulse probably wouldn't affect anything aside from people mobile phones.

Just a thought anyway.

ttfn

MS phishing filter blacklists everything

A thought

Would I be wrong in suggesting that Microsoft is approaching site filtering is a different way...

Cut everybody off and see who complains, after all a real phisher won't contact Microsoft to complain would they?

ttfn

Men in Green step back from GM's 230mpg Volt claim

My use would be..

Unplug and drive 25 miles* or so to work,

plug in again,

unplug, drive back home and plug in again.

x 4 for the rest of the week

At the weekend it would be a few local trips, probably not exceeding 30 miles total per day and then plug back in.

Occasionally we would be travelling further, but by far the most time would be around 'short' trips which would not use fuel.

How to get an agreed measure on economy would be tricky, but at the end of the day I am more insterested in a car that can travel at, say, 60mph for 30 to 40 miles before being recharged or using it's engine.

I suspect I'll have a long wait.

ttfn

*should be around 15 really, but London traffic doesn't equate to straight-line driving.

GM Volt to deliver three-figure fuel economy

Now thats more like it.

But will they be around to produce it? especially in Europe where people may buy it.

Also when is the diesel version coming out? that would be more efficient that the petrol one I would have thought.

ttfn

If there was a diesel version of PH she would be called the PHd, and could go all night I would expect.

Vulture 1: Calling all electronics wizards

DIY hypobaric

How about making one to start with? a couple of vacuum cleaners, a pressure gauge and a pressure cooker (?) should do the trick for the small scale stuff.

For larger scale testing a real one would have to do I guess, but if there is a spare gas container anywhere you could try using that???

Only a thought.

Another thought on a chase-plane would be the SR.177 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saunders-Roe_SR.177) or 187.

But then that was cancelled as well...

ttfn

El Reg space paper plane christened Vulture 1

Chase plane

I nominate the TSR2, might cost a bit, but it would look very cool :-), maybe a Black Arrow?

Or the SR71, or Concorde.

Hold on, I'm seeing a trend here :-( yes I think we are going backwards...

ttfn

Simple or complicated?

Simple - how high would the balloon go anyway? if the balloon won't go above a certain height anyway then it won't matter when it releases, just set a timer (digital watch circuit or an incrementing ASIC) to ignite a small charge (you only need to blow the PARIS off!) to affect the release.

Complicated - well, talk to NASA, but assuming you want a certain altitude you could use the (A)GPS for this as well since that would give you an altitude reading as well as the earth-bound position.

Ok - a silly one: a REALLY long bit of string, or another ballon carrying a small person with a pair of scissors on a stick.

ttfn

Tyre firm sketches rubber SUV concept

ECO-Hummer

Now with forged-titanium windscreen-wipers to reduce weight to a class-leading 4.4999 tons.

Interesting concept I guess, but hardly practical in a city, so I guess they will sell millions :-(

ttfn

Microsoft ultra-thins to 'out cool' netbooks, Apple

Didn't take long did it?

>Netbook users can also look forward to price increases on Windows.

Meanwhile I bought a CnMBook off ebay, and didn't realise it was the windows one that you can't do anything with! I was hoping to install Linux and all sorts of things (like a mobile broadband dongle) but it's just one long list of 'not supported' - whereas the Linux one is much more game for things.

Frickin MS and their Windows fixation!

ttfn

I guess the 'evil gates' needs to be updated...

This page has been left intentionally blank

I for one welcome...

Our 'two mums, no dad' overlords.

I feel sorry for the kids...

ttfn

Apollo 11 vets urge Mars mission

<font color="white">I wonder if this will work?</font>

The main problem with a mission to mars is the time necessary to get there and back, with enough equipment and material to make sure it doesn't turn into a disaster. Putting that lot together and launching it direct from the Earths surface just isn't going to happen.

The two choices are to assemble all the bits in Earth orbit and go from there or to set up a colony on the moon which would be capable of producing the bits required from the moon itself.

The best long-term solution is to get a colony on the moon, capable of mining and refining everything that they need, but that would take a long time, which politicians don't tend to have a lot of, so it's unlikely that it will happen that way.

So we will be left with a larger version of Apollo, only leaving from orbit.

Since I was born in the 60's and was expecting to live in space, see flying wings and jet cars I can only say I am really disappointed by all this short-term non-risk taking, since to my mind it just means that humanity is less likely to 'inherit the stars' and more likely to go quietly into the night.

By the by - is PH acidic or alkaline?

TTFN

Swedish devil girls fingered on Street View

Is it Friday already?

Nice one El Reg, good to see that liquid lunch being put to good use in tracking the really important stories.

Probably a good thing that you didn't get hold of the web-cam footage of the vixens practicing their attack methods before they go out, that would be truely horrific - just imagine their oil-covered bodies glistening in the light, as they get to grips with their intended foe.

Ok - lie-down time I think.....

ttfn

Smut downloads pound Japan's 3G network

A new business model??

So if I opened up TPB (The Porn Bay) there might be some interest?? I find your suggestion (that people want porn) intrigues me and I would like to know more..

Oh and by the way I believe it's spelt pr0n.

I'm sure I don't need to explain the PH

ttfn

'Non-compulsory' ID cards poised for a makeover?

ID <> innocence

The thing that gets (out of many) me is that there seems to be an assumption that people with ID cards won't do anything they shouldn't.

I appreciate that tracking people would be aided by being able to see what they have bought and where they have travelled, but even if people have just their own cards and otherwise behave legally it still doesn't stop them from doing anything harmful to the country.

And if you throw illegal behaviour into the mix and even with full coverage of the population it just means that the wrong people will use others' id's to do illegal stuff, while they use their own for legal things.

I wonder how you would prove that your card has been stolen? would the Police believe you are the person you say you are if you can't produce your ID card?

Too bored with this topic to carry on.

ttfn

Apple admits to iPhone 3GS heliophobia

Oh great

"Using certain applications in hot conditions or direct sunlight for long periods of time, such as GPS tracking in a car on a sunny day or listening to music while in direct sunlight," it added

So no navigating myself to the local park and listening to music when the sun is out, that's Ok, I;ll just wait until it's dark to do my sunbathing.

Is there any other normal usage for this product that will be discouraged? maybe the volume level will be restrained to avoid ear damage, or the battery will be non-removeable to avoid people playing with it, or maybe it won't take storage cards so that we can't lose them.

What a great product - makes me want to go and get one.

ttfn

PH - can I get one of those to play with please?

Hollywood prepares to battle Asteroids

Shirley you jest

>It will, wait for it, "create a plot from scratch" - stop that crazy talk since between 'The Last Starfighter' and 'Impact' Hollywood has more than enough source material to draw on.

Also like the idea of the bizarre Wii fit accident - I suspect you are a Spinal Tap fan Lester.

pew pew, rotate, thrust.

Whereas for PH it's 'thrust, thrust' then 'pew, pew'

ttfn

ESA lifts world's largest telecoms satellite

Buzzword bingo..

"With the successful launch of TerreStar 1, we are *redefining* the mobile communications landscape. We are creating a new *paradigm* in mobile broadband network services and devices that will *leverage* our *integrated* satellite and terrestrial communications components to enable true *ubiquity* and reliability - anywhere in the United States and Canada."

House!!

Russian's Bulgarian airbags burst mid-flight

Be quiet my disturbed mind!

Am I the only one that imagines a new form of female-mounted* altimeter? one where the cup-size is dependant on air pressure?

'hmm - feels like 10,000 ft, (to co-pilot) do you concur?'

time for a lie-down I think.

ttfn

PH would be what? 500ft?

* don't go there - it's not a happy place..

Bloke uses nail clippers to go roundhead

Ouch ouch ouch

Somethings cannot be un-imagined.

Darwin would have been proud.

ttfn

Oh - no Darwin icon? oh well better use PH since at least she can't try this at home.

NASA reacquires original Moon landing footage

rotating heads etc etc.

I'm sure that someone will think of the idea of just reading the whole tape over a static head and then getting one of Collossus' great-grandchildren to work out the correct order they need to be in.

After all it can't be more difficult than enigma.

And of course there is always ebay... :-)

Anyway where's the IT angle -- wait wot??

ttfn

Chaps: Give up, you'll never understand women

Hmm - was this in any way predicatable?

Research into the male angle:

5 mins down the pub and the results are in. 'hourglass figure and a smile (preferably a sly/dirty one)

Research into the female angle:

maybe 20 million years and still ongoing....

And that's mainly because they don't know themselves what they want.

PH - well I find her attractive at any rate (as long as she keeps her mouth shut anyway).

iPhone grows boobs at last

Overactive imagination

an iphone app that would keep a picture or movie centered on the iphone screen in the event of repeated movements of the device (err iphone that is).

I don't suppose there would be a use for it though.

Maybe PH could think of a use for my idea?

Ten of the best... noise-cancelling headphones

Jabra C820s?

These are my current ones - came with a very good clamshell hardcase that also included spare leads and converters.

Pictures at: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Jabra-C820s-Active-Noise-Cancelling-Stereo-Headphones_W0QQitemZ230348158695QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_AudioVisualElectronics_HomeAudioHiFi_Headphones?hash=item35a1d1f6e7&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12|66%3A2|39%3A6|72%3A1683|240%3A1318|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A24

Not the cheapest (nor the most expensive by a long way), but I was also looking for headphones that had a single, detachable, cord since I find that having two cords rather fiddly.

Shame the pictures didn't show what the cordage was like.

Still, I use mine on trains and the tube and they make a real difference in comfort terms - even if I'm not playing music.

ttfn