Posts by James Dunmore

Play unveils AspireRevo launch date

PRE, PRE, PRE is everywhere!......

YOU CAN'T "PRE"-ORDER (well, you could, but it's stupid....)

Ordering is something you do BEFORE you get something, i.e. you place an order to get something. Therefore a pre-order is ordering your order !! It doesn't make sense, it's rubbish.

It may be on "pre-sale order", fair enough. But it is not on "pre-order". Exactly the same way you can't "pre-register" or "pre-warn" or "pre-book". You don't post-invoice someone do you? The whole (and dog) seems to have gone mad recently, shoving the word "pre" in front of nearly everything. Sorry, I know it's silly, but it's one of those things that bug me!

</rant>

Anyway great price for a media centre, etc - just a shame you can't get a bigger disk on the Linux version (Mythbuntu media server type thing). Mind you, can buy a 250GB pocket USB drive for £50 (from the same site) so would make more then enough sense to buy that separately and discreetly hang it off the back.

3 and T-Mobile announce site provider

So it will mean "3"....

....could have more than 3 people in network coverage at once. Can't wait to get off that terrible network!

Microsoft claims Firefox- and Chrome-whopping IE8 speeds

how well did it do....

...in the acid 3 test?

( I know that answer! )

Firefox went ton up in bugs in 2008

@Andrew Norton

Opera has less bugs/flaws because less people us it, and therefore has less exposure to allow bugs to be found/exploited.

Still Firefox or Opera > IE by a country mile !

Gmail phishing attack hits on heels of outage

Whoops, great typo by me there!

if you can't laugh at yourself.... hehee.

If you fell for it, you deserve everything coming to you

If a bugler asked for your door keys, would you give them to them!? Do you leave your wallet on tables cafes with a 10ft high sign saying "first come, first serve", etc.!?

What will it take for people to realise!? They were already logged into gTalk FFS, and what was so great about that video that they just had to click it. Grrr !

HTC waves wand, pulls second Android phone out of hat

iPhone killer

That phrased wasn't used, I'm impressed !

Due an upgrade on my phone end of march - do I wait for this !? :-S

Gmail adds location-aware signatures

how many divorces/sakings will be generated because of this!?

"Yes dear, I was round Dave's playing Pro Evo" - but your signature says you were somewhere else....

You know what I mean !

Or

"can't make it into work today boss" - signature says "the pub"

It's going to happen (but not to me!)

Cuba crafts extra-communist Linux distro

Raulix and Fidelix is....

...the funniest thing I have read in a long time.

Just been to Cuba, and can vouch that the internet PCs (at least in the hotels) were Windows, which I did find surprising. Although the connection did feel slower than a 56k modem!

Amazon: Kindle 2 to sell internationally

How much !

It's clearly a book version of the iPod - but it'll never take off in the same way - sorry, but you can't replace a good book - there is something great about holding a book, etc. and at that price, it'll never prove to be cost effective.

Plus most people read on the bus/train/beach/plane - sort of places you don't want to be holding £200+in public view

Nokia reveals Tube's UK launch date

Operators

No rumours about which operators will be doing it? I heard that this will "compete with the iPhone" due to being cheap - so if it can be given away on a competitive tariff (compared to the expensive iPhone tariff), then nokia will shift a lot of these....

So which networks .....

Linux: this year's silver lining?

@Paul Smith

...perfect response !

I'll add that you can run IE on linux (google: ies4linux)

Yes, not all hardware/software runs on linux, but how much hard/soft ware broken going from XP -> vista?

And whoever complained about too many updates - okay, lets do it M$ style and wait a month for the latest security updates?! Tell you what, too many updates vs no virus' - tell you which wins every time!

*nix is already dominate on the server, so misleading title, but I think its time will come on the desktop (hopefully this year)

Granted, it's not for everyone, and compitition is the only way things improve

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

Don't "normal" cars run out of petrol

Whilst I love the show, if it didn't actually run out, then why push it. Normal sports cars run out of petrol, but they don't push them every week.

Still, the tesla car is pointless - where does the electricity come from, it isn't greener. The car that May tested at the end - now that's the future

Unseen touchscreen Nokia leaked

Still waiting for

The 5500 - which was supposed to be around by Christmas!

Jezza Clarkson cops flak for 'truckers murder strumpets' gag

It's not the presenter at fault

FFS it's not like it's live telly - it is pre-recorded - if it goes out and "bad stuff" is said - the person up against it should be the editor/producer - end of.

But again, if you like Top Gear + Clarkson, prepared to be offended!

Ubuntu 8.10 - All Hail new Network Manager

Good review

I'm planning to update later this week, once their download servers stop melting and the first wave of bug fixes have been done.

However, I'd like to see a review of the latest Kubuntu using KDE 4 (I prefer the gnome Desktop, but the KDE apps are far far better)

Windows 7 early promise: Passes the Vista test

Looks just like KDE4

Really, it does - the chunky icons on the taskbar, etc. (I know KDE is probably a rip off of windows/mac in the first place, but still), for once, microsoft, do something innovative.

Fancy nipping for a quick two-thirds of a pint?

Just like then abroad eh

Most places in Europe (okay, they serve in half litre, etc.) but you can get the 2/3 measure ish - if your drinking beer with a meal, it's a much better quantity.

And I agree, that is your drinking a premium larger, you don't necessarily want a whole pint. The trouble is, they will price the 2/3 pint at the same price as a pint.

But with all the excess "binge drinking" it will surely only be a good thing - for example, at uni, some of the foreign students used to comment that a pint is not the norm where they came from (the 2/3'ds is), so where they would have 3 maybe 4 2/3rds, the limited themselves to 2 pints, where as we carried on to about 6 normal sized pints! What I'm trying to say - if your drinking beer cos you like beer, not to get drunk, then 2/3rds is much better!

Skiving Aussie fingered on Facebook

FAKE FAKE FAKE

Got this email twice yesterday (i.e. the day before it appeared on the reg), and it was already different.

It is funny, but someone has clearly set to work with photo shop, made up a few emails, and pressed send - nothing more than a viral email (why else has it taken 2 months to surface?!)

T-Mobile Googlephone to hit UK in two weeks

if it doesn't use iTunes....

Then it already has won the "iPhone" beater battle !

3 threatens, T-Mobile shoots on late payments

@jeremy

I don't want to sound rude, but you do realise that you can have both an overdraft facility on your account if you happen to be paid a day later than a DD goes out, and you can also call the company taking the direct debit and request which day of the month they take payment out on (for example, when I changed jobs, my pay date moved from the start of the month, to the end of the month, so I moved all the DD's to the 4th - problem solved).

@wayne tavitt DD's are guaranteed - (what Lee said) if money goes out in error, and you notice within X number of days, you can call you bank to reverse the DD and as part of the DD guarantee you'll get the money back then you can dispute the payment with the company whilst you in pocket (rather than trying to get it back on your next bill) .

Anyway - 3 are terrible - won't be with them once the 18month runs out....

Direct Debit

Seriously, who doesn't pay their mobile bill by DD!?

Sky told to hand over footy and film rights

@Missed the point got it spot on

Exactly what I was going to post - this is not about Sky having to split content, its about sky selling the whole Sky Sports package (for example) to virgin media subscribers at a reasonable cost - i.e. the same cost as to sky dish users.

This is came about after sky put the wholesale price for Sky1, etc. too high, so that VM dropped it from its packages - this recommendation would mean that there is a fixed wholesale cost so that they effectively have to sell it to themselves at the same price - so that it is fair, and other providers can offer the channels to their customers.

Interesting point in the article that I have said for a long time - Sky Broadcasting should be made into a separate entity from the Sky Satellite dish provider (so content and delivery should be made separate, thereby making the whole system fair - so sky broadcasting have to sell content back to themselves and to other delivery systems at the same cost).

The important thing is that the consumer doesn't get hurt - like it did with the football - now paying more for the split content

Apple channels Pandora with iTunes 8

@Matt Smart

Oh yes - I use Amarok, by far the best music player on any platform (well, I think so!) and there are plenty of Linux Apps for putting content onto my iPod+connecting to iTunes for buying music.

But sometimes - mostly for updating the iPod software, and some of the functionality - I need to use iTunes - rarely, like once every couple of months - but a pain to reboot when it does occur.

(although I just got iTunes talking to my iPod, via a VMWare XP machine (with a Linux host) - quite happy with that!)

@Jared Earle okay, perhaps I wasn't quite right - buy you know what I'm getting at!

Where is the Linux Version

Come on Apple, get your finger out - at least do what google did with picasa and do a Linux version which is essentially a windows version packaged with wine, but works.

It's not as if it is a windows software with no Mac version - surely Mac OS isn't a million miles away from Linux (they are both *nix flavours).

I know the market isn't massive, but it is a market they haven't touched on.

Holiday text messages to cost less than 9p

Outside inclusive texts anyway

When I go to Europe, I always come back with a massive phone bill, despite attempts not to use my phone - I get 600texts inclusive here, so I just send without thinking, and sometimes its very easy to forget whilst your away.

If it was only 9p (or even up to 15p), I would probably double my usage - I reckon most people would too. So I think this would actually work.

Google releases open source browser

acid test

On linux, so got to wait a bit before I can try this - but does it pass the acid 3 test?!

Harness XML with PHP 5 extensions

Sorry, it should be LAMP, but I see why your WAMP'ing it.

"find it a challenge to find a Linux web host out there that offers PHP 5 with the XML and XSLT"

Google found some pretty quick. Whilst I agree that your saying you looking to show the Microsoft unhappy people what they can do with PHP and XML, think writing all about PHP+XML would be enough, I don't really want/need to know how to install it. Plus if your going down the unhappy MS route, why not write about how to make PHP work on IIS?

Plus I agree, you'd want to host it under Linux anyway.

Nokia 6220 Classic candybar phone

@Captain DaFt + others - Snooze Time

Okay, I know you were joking - but seriously, the point of snooze time is to snooze a bit more.

Some people wake up differently - some can jump straight out of bed, others, like myself, need 20mins of gently being re-introduced to the world ! Plus its not just the the wake up alarm - you can set reminders for things, and sometimes you'll be in the middle of something else, then for the buzzer to come back 5mins later is annoying, so you cancel the whole reminder and then forget about it - whereas setting somewhere up to 20, 30 mins later would be helpful.

And yes - after text, calling and phone book, alarm is the most important feature to me on a phone; anything else is an added bonus!

@Stuart - thanks for the info - does make me happy !

Have they fixed the snooze time....

I've got a 6120 and the snooze time on the alarm is fixed to 5mins - on older nokia's (and on current nokia's that don't use s60) you can set the snooze time for x number of mins - usually 10 - which is far more useful that a 5 mins snooze (I use my phone as an alarm clock - sorry if I'm fussy and want 10mins for a snooze, rather than 5).

Really simple, but annoying feature they've missed off if it isn't there on feature pack 2.

Next Debian's 'Lenny' frozen

@AC - Ubuntu

Think your correct, i.e. Ubuntu goes from testing/unstable.

Plus it will add the latest versions of packages that are important to it (latest Gnome, firefox, etc.).

Still, debian on the server is great (stable, etc.)

Happy Sysadmin Day!

We splashed out

And bought our sys admin team a 4 pack of Tesco Value larger (that's to share between them).

They said it was the best present they had ever received, although we later found out it was the only present they had ever received.

We think that we'll show them how much we appreciate them today by creating them lots of work, then we can thank them lots of times for fixing it....

Built-in browser expiry proposed to fight botnet menace

It's not FF2 vs FF3

...is it... It's FF2.X vs 2.X+1, or 3.x to 3.x+1 So quit the arguments about fanbois upgrading to the latest and greatest etc.

Auto Updates?!

FF and opera check for the latest version at startup and randomly during your session and say "do you wish to upgrade". Therefore the browser can be updated there and then when needed, and not mixed into an update a month next tuesday or whatever it is.

No need for a best before if it's done automagically is there?!

Virgin Media collects customer banking details on CD, then loses it

They have 3000 new customers

Really ! Wow.

Microsoft chases satnav market

Hey, it looks like....

In a true "clippy" style, you can see it now... half way on your drive to Mancester, up pops clippy, "it looks like your trying to drive to london, would you like to send an email to London to let them know you are coming"

It'll end badly.

Brings a whole new meaning to "blue screen of death"

Next Ubuntu LTS in 2010, unless Linuxes synchronize

I think your all missing the point

The idea is not to have exactly the same hardware, but to use the same kernel, and X-systems so bugs can be fixed at Kernel level / X all in one go, otherwise developers spend time fixing version x, then y, then applying fix for y back to x, etc. etc, Also, the different distros already use each others fixes for hardware patches, etc. just as they are at all different stages of kernels and x, etc, so there is no cohesion to what they are working on.

It really makes sense - as developers can all concentrate on fixing one set of bugs, rather than a mish mash spread over different versions over differnent distros; then they can spend their time doing fancy UI stuff.

Debian fixes serious crypto bug

At least

They are open about mucking up, and quick to patch it (unlike ms who say, yeah we'll patch it a month next tuesday)

Fedora 9 - an OS that even the Linux challenged can love

Bar Raised

It seems since Ubuntu came along, all the distros are starting to raise their game... which is really good - competition, etc. always drives development, but with these being open source, they can use each others bits as well - everyone is a winner!

I read with great interest the reg article the other day with Mark Shuttleworth, and like his comments about distros sharing bug patchs, release cycles, kenerl versions, etc., if that does happen, Linux on the desktop will continue to go from strength to strength and become more than a fan boi OS

Windows XP SP3 sends PCs into endless reboot

Tux

[insert smug comment]

What did happen to all those London mayoral votes?

@On a more serious note by BS

And anyone talking about checking who votes and anonymity.

Sorry, when I say it wouldn't be hard, I mean it wouldn't be rocket science. And I agree, it would probably end going to the lowest bidder on some rubbish windows box with an excel backend - but still, in an ideal world, it is a relativity simple system, and I'm amazed we don't do something better.

Anyway - I'm not talking about online voting here - still talking about polling booths, which I can turn up with a piece of paper someone shoved through my front door a few weeks ago - I wouldn't log onto a voting booth, I just record my vote - just like you do with the paper.

Yes - checking that your vote is counted is harder, but at the moment, what guarantees do we currently have that your vote is actually counted 100% correctly?

As someone mentioned, the both could even print off a unique id that you look up on the net the next day, and check that what you put in matches the website. How about the polling machine printing off a ballet card too that is also counted (for the first few times it is run) and see if the results are comparable.

Anyway as "Niall Campbell" says - they can do it on Holland, so why not overhere?!

In a country where more people vote for Big Brother, the whole voting processes need to modernise and gear up so that you can somehow one day vote from the comfort of your front room

(and before anyone starts the whole "you be bothered to vote, people died for your voting rights", etc., I agree, but unfortunately that attitude isn't going to convince the 35% of the population who don't vote).

Still counting by hand

Okay, it's using scanners, but it is still by large a manual process.

WHY - when you go to a polling both, isn't there an electronic console - press the buttons, job done, vote counted - then when the stations shut at 10pm, 10mins later everyone knows the results - during the day you know who is in front, etc. etc. (although releasing that figure maybe unfair as it might cause people to go and vote for someone as someone else has taken a lead)

It wouldn't be hard, and as long as an idiot didn't implement it, backup/failover/redundance/etc would all be built in.

Microsoft rolls out Live Mesh preview

Surely, knowing microsoft, Live Mess is a better name

Already got it (my coat)

El Reg celebrates 10th birthday

Happy Birthday....

...Shame you couldn't get Paris, or the EEE PC girl to pop in to help celebrate !!

But thank-you for 10years of education/entertainment, here is to many more!

Music biz proposes 'iPod tax' in return for format-shift freedom

Why not....

....Have a slice of my TV Tax, sorry I mean license.

What next - Tax buskers, Tax people listening too buskers. Sorry, even better, Tax people sitting next to people on the train with their mp3players too loud !!

Concerns build over Debian delays

Simple

If you want cutting edge, use something like Ubuntu - all the debian advantages, plus the latest developments.

If you want trusted, stable, go with Debian.

Works well for most

Windows Vista update 'kills' USB devices

So...

"Microsoft wants to ensure customers have the best possible experience with Windows Vista"

So by disabling the keyboard and mouse, you just look at the pretty desktop - so the best possible experience is to not actually use it !!!

BBC vs ISPs: Bandwidth row escalates as Tiscali wades in

Like Mobile phone contracts

Surely the solution is to charge like mobile phone contracts - you get x amount included a month, if you go over that, you get charged. So if someone wants to watch IPlayer day in day out, they get charged over the £8 a month (whatever), if another just checks email, they only pay X amount a month.

Simple.

Obviously, given current models, ISPs will have to restructure the pricing.

BBC can't be blamed for this (and I'm not a big fan of the BBC) - they just provide content. Sky + Channel 4 have on demand services, don't hear them being mentioned.

But surely, as the upload costs to BBC must be sky high, it'll be in their interest to push a p2p version, which will surely help ISPs, because surely some users in the same network will be viewing the same content, thus making less overall outwards/inwards bandwidth, etc.

HSBC pops thousands of customer details in the post

I don't get it.....

"Our electronic transfer system was down that day, so we sent it in the post"

(or whatever it said)

Surely it would have been quicker to wait for that system to come back up!!?

Fixing the UK's DAB disaster

What about Cars

A whole DAB article with no mention to the car radios!!!

I have a DAB radio at home and use it - great to have 5live without the MW crackle - but otherwise, all stations I can get on FM without the mud !

However, cars are where the problem lies.

I always listen to radio in the car (well, sometimes CDs, but 90% of the time, its the radio)

I agree that radio via Broadband is the way to go (wireless network around the house, and a radio receiver that can pick it up) - but what about my car? Do I have to have a 3g receiver in my car to get broadband, to listen to radio?

I think that how any format is adapted to be used in the car radio will be instrumental in deciding the successor of FM/AM radio - look at the moment, hardly any DAB in cars.