Posts by Subban

Gov advisers slate Home Office over innocents' DNA retention

Thanks...

...for the responses guys.

To respond to a point above. I was aware that DNA evidence alone *shouldn't* be enough to convict, but I think that isn't as inflexible as it might once have been, things are changed now,, people clearly are NOT innocent until proven guilty any more.. Circumstantial evidence + a DNA "match" is liable to be enough I fear :[

Either way, taking and keeping DNA from people simply arrested and acquitted is plain wrong. Its should not be allowed period but the heck can we do about it. I've tried contacting my MP about things before, all you get at best is a nice letter back saying, "nice to hear from you, but I'm gonna do this anyways," .... Guy Fawkes.. the only bloke to go to parliament with the right idea :[

Question...

When we hear about DNA its usually with a statistic such as, "There is a certainty of 1:3,000,000 that the DNA belongs to the defendant."

There are what, 60 million people in the UK, doesn't that mean that a decent number of people can "share" that DNA? Spread them around the country and what with the UK being pretty small, you can have 6 people within easy driving distance of just about any crime (made up figure alert)

For the example, lets say the police have a couple of hits on their DNA database, one has a great alibi (He was having dinner with a vicar) but one has no alibi... Dare I ask what happens next?... A bunch of other people "share" that DNA, but do we think the police would look for them?

Now someone with some background in DNA/biology/law tell me I'm worried over nothing.... please ?

MS discovers flaw in Google plug-in for IE

Hang on a minute....

To quote:

>Successfully exploiting the flaw creates a means for hackers to bypass security controls though not to go all the way and drop malware onto vulnerable systems.

So using the plugin, will stop things getting installed on your PC, though there is some kind of bug?

If you don't use the plugin, IE will invariably install malware/viruses you don't want installed on your PC....

I must have read this wrong or something, or Microsoft are becoming more masterful at spin.

Next, "Microsoft claim you should use Internet Explorer, because Firefox sometimes has bugfixes."

IBM lab builds computerized cat brain

@ LaeMi Qian

>I see this sort of CPU being useful in solving issues with String theory.

Hahahaha, bloody excellent :]

And

>So they've created a chip that slinks off into a corner, ignores you, attempts to eviscerate you when it feels like it and only comes to you when it wants feeding?

They could have achieved the same effect by embedding Windows into a standard chip ;))

Activision denies Modern Warfare 2 Russian ban

@dead4ever

I think people will stop going on about your "friggin spelling" when you stop beating the English language with a shovel. Consider the use of punctuation, spelling as grammar as somewhat necessary when communicating via written material, rather than optional.

Otherwise... Facebook that way >>>>>>>>>>. From what I have seen many there also view well written English which includes grammar, spelling and punctuation with the same contempt you appear to show, writing clearly essentially means, PEOPLE WILL READ WHAT YOU WRITE, not stop after two lines and take the piss.

Getting back on topic... Haven't bought the game yet for PS3, but will do at some point I expect, I did watch a video on youtube of the level and did feel it was "excessive" and I think I would be very uncomfortable playing it.. I do normally try and leave civilians alive in these types of games, maybe its my age, or parenthood or something but perhaps I got "soft" somewhere along the lines.

Play.com leaves Modern Warfare 2 buyers empty handed

Re: Play Look stupid now

"I had pre-ordered the game via play.com. It did get delivered on release day, but didnt turn up until after 3 pm. I had already had enough of waiting and got it in Tesco that morning."

........

...... Speechless....

It was delivered, when they said, on day of release, and you already went to the shop that day to buy it........ I'm.... I don't know what I am... In awe of your impatience or something.. in a bad way, not a good way.

Your title is:

"Hello Pot, Kettle is on line 2"

Swiss roll Street View into court

Well..

If I wander down the streets with a camera mounted on a 6ft pole (which if I am carrying would seem to be the height of the google cam) .. I wonder how long before I'm arrested for invasion of privacy and such.

GNOME 3.0 release hits six-month buffer

Good.

I am a linux user, and I dearly love gnome.

Gnome 3.0 however or more particularly Gnome Shell is a turdfest in my humble opinion. The Gnome crew must be on drugs to consider this A Good Idea(tm)

Yes I tried the beta and am not just casting opinion willy nilly, and yes I know it will be adjusted, changed, tweaked and generally differ from the current snapshot. Maybe they will pull off some kind of miracle, but I can't really see it.. Gnome Shell is just a bad idea. I am not alone in that thought as many people have said much the same in various discussions such as on Ubuntu forums.

Oh well, XFCE is getting nicer ever release, its been one of my alternate desktops for a while, that and Openbox, plenty of other choices thankfully :]

Icon, because I wish Gnome devs would stop, rethink things and decide to build on the UI they have rather than start over with Gnome Shell.... /sigh

Firefox flaws make up 44% of all browser bugs?

Opera would be ok, if...

.. it had a decent adblock and noscript.

Without those I cannot see it ever really being taken seriously by too many folks. With them and the browser landscape might be looking a littlle different.

Loud sex a human right, says loud sex woman

I think she has a point...

>The kit recorded noise levels of between 30 and 40 decibels, "with the highest being 47 decibels".

Given a quick google shows that:

60 dB = conversation, dishwasher

50 dB = moderate rainfall

40 dB = quiet room

Given the recent years weather its more likely she is late because of the pitter patter raindrops keeping her awake than her neighbour. And that equipment measured 30db on one occasion.. Ye Gods, that is apparently...

30 dB = whisper, quiet library

If only we all had neighbours so stealthy!

Regardless, I don't think you can always help being a little vocal during sex unless you are trying to deliberately restrain from making a noise, which fair enough sometimes has to be done, but perpetually seems a bit unfair, sex should be a time when you can let go and enjoy it. within normal parameters (No screaming in agony while your other half whips you etc)

Love icon, because the neighbour needs to be getting some of her own.

EU block to Mandelson's filesharing laws removed

@Nathan Hobbs

Quote:

>IsnoHunt already offer all their pages/torrent files on SSL

That won't help you one jot, the *AA download that torrent file and then download the movie or whatever from it. Logging all the IP's on the swarm blah blah blah.

Using https will only help when the govt rumoured system of logging every webpage/phonecal/sms/email you send comes into effect, then it will prevent them logging what site and files you grab, but still won't protect you from the *AA tossers wanting you disconnected.

Re: But How can they tell ... by Shaggydog

The UK equivilant would join the swarm and log IP's in the same way as the *AA's have been doing.... then download the torrent data and check what it was... Then all those IP's that sent chunks get nabbed. The software used has never been peer reviewed, its accuracy is unknown but certainly has been shown to NOT be error free... Legal threats to a network printer and such.

They don't just randomly look who has a large amount of bittorrent traffic... yet.

Three strikes sucks very, very hard. Penalising an entire household for the actions of one individual is wrong. If one member of a household drives to quickly through a "safety" camera and gains an SP30, should the entire household also get points on the license and even ultimately all be banned from driving?

If one person shoplifts, should the entire household face the judge and punishment?

Punish the individuals, in a manner proportionate to the crime and there really wouldn't be all this brouhaha

Early adopters bloodied by Ubuntu's Karmic Koala

Flawed poll much?

A poll on a forum where people normally visit to get answers to problems might just possibly be giving a skewed result... maybe ?

Aspiring model pleasures Taoist master

o_O

Perhaps that 5 minute online application to become a Minister in the Church of Life with a authentic printable certificate or whatever the hell it was could get me some payback... I just need to relocate!

Transparent OLEDs demoed

Everone asking "why"

Think about glasses with computer overlays, car sat nav and displays on the windscreen, the same for many other vehicles of course (aircraft etc, better HUD), the latest compact digital camcorder (like Flip) that uses a transparent display with overlays rather than a full LCD display to extand battery life by hours.

Thats just three uses right off the top of my head, these guys are a heap smarter than me, they probably have some stunning ideas for this.

Clock stopped for McKinnon extradition

@Well

"I now support whatever course of action would mean I would never have to moderate this thread ever again. "

Was that a quote from Alan Johnson, Sarah ?

Wales adopts mobile average speed cameras

Police Announce 2010 revenue improvments.

""While the UK may have, statistically, the safest roads in Europe we should not rest on our laurels. We believe the Welsh government should grab the opportunity to affect real change in positive improvement to our revenue stream.", Committee chair Gareth Jones said to his shareholders.

http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=1208

How about penalising dangerous driving, instead of just speeding. the two are not mutual but can be very definitely exclusive. I read somewhere recently that in around 80% of accidents the vehicle brakes were not applied, I shall try and remember where I read that and post a link for validation. Either way, speed cameras are not going to help driver awareness, in fact my own experience would suggest that forcing a lower speed on a road that the majority of drivers feel should be higher leads to a massive increase in lack of attention due to false sense of security at the lowered speeds.

Mozilla plans to tie Firefox 3.7 pigtails in pretty Ribbon

Oh dear...

I am glad to hear that the linux version will dodge that bullet for a while, but its certainly going to appear sooner or later which is bad. OpenOffice is threatening to implement a ribbon liek interface as well, and again after playing with the preview I cannot see the upside to it at all.

Morrissey tells netdepressives to boycott his re-releases

a title

@Eddie

Yeah because no-one ever gets caught out by some shitty contract, right?

Now what would be funny is someone ending up in court with one of Morriseys tracks as evidence, I would be wanting subpeona Morrisey and ask if as an artist he is being hurt by downloading his back catalogue.. Yes or No please and speak loudly so the jury can hear.. kthanx

It would never happen, but I can dream right.

I used to buy a lot of music, and download little, often buying what I liked that I had downloaded. I now avoid buying any music from the big four and only support independents with my wallet, I just wish more who felt the RIAA were evil incarnate would do the same. If they really did care about the artists getting the money would make a big difference, but the artist they sue "on behalf of" don't see a penny.

Texting makes kids faster and dumber

this si what SMS has given us....

http://imgur.com/MFEQB.jpg

.... and it makes me want to cry everytime I encounter it on an IM, email or blog.

Palm slams Apple, hoodwinks iTunes

And if M$ did this with Zune...

"From where we sit, however, Palm doesn't have the right to tweak its iPhone competitor to make it pretend to be something it's not."

If microsoft had done this with Zune and Media Player, your article would of course been identical defending the poor Microsofties thier right to look after their own interests and position.

I don't flipping think so. Their would have been a shit storm.

Council punished over theft of laptops from locked room

It may sound harsh punishment.

Given they were password protected and stored in a locked room might seem sufficient but the ICO is correct in saying that personal data should be encrypted. Encryption shouldn't be optional, it does need to be mandatory with this type of data. That should be on all devices not just mobile/portable.

Microsoft opened Linux-driver code after 'violating' GPL

Funny..

All the comments in the original story saying that microsoft doesn't do anything if it isn't to benefit itself are instantly validated,

Too-tall terror snapper stopped by cops again

blue card

I do hope the Bureau of Photographers is going to update its Blue Card, which is a small pocketsized card with a breif summary of the law regarding photography in public places. It is for the benifit of the photographer and also to perhaps produce to an officer upon what may be an illegal stop and search.

link below.

http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/news/photography_body_launches_rights_card_news_257561.html

Irish ISP downed by DDoS

They may not know....

..but they must suspect, it was the first thing I thought of as I read the story.

... a link for you at the back under the rock that may not already know

http://www.p2pnet.net/story/18327

"Eircom will operate a three-strikes-and-you’re out policy “against illegal peer-to-peer (P2P) downloaders"

Icon especially selected with love and thrown at Eircom.

Music labels take (more) Irish ISPs to court

IANAL.. but..

Counter sue them in the European Court?

The EU already said that 3 strikes is not acceptable I believe and member states should not do it? So I would imagine there would be lots of back peddling and some serious spinning when they opt for not testing it in court.

UK DVD sales plunge...

So how long until....

The obligatory "Piracy is killing DVD sales" outburst rfom the relevant media companies.... totally ignoring the recession we are in ofc.

Dell accidentally sells 140,000 monitors for $15 a pop

@simon newton

If Dell issued a reciept, then they had accepted your payment, it wouldn't matter if you had sent in a cheque, payment was offered, the reciept idicates it was accepted a contract is then entered into.

If they only issued a "thank you for your order", then no purchase contract was entered into. So they are not obliged to honour it,

It then boils down to whether the offer was too good to be true, such as the offer in this article (unless of course they had "sale, or special offer emblazoned everywhere to make it appear a genuine clearance). In the UK if a price would appear to any normal person to be too good to be true, the company wouldn't be forced to honour it, whether or not an automatic sales receipt was issued or not. Clearly Taiwan has a different legal position, the joys of global trading :]

I have experienced this first hand with an "offer" kodak ran a few years ago. It was for a new digital camera and dock, a couple packs of photo paper etc and other bits for £100, rather than the £399 RRP. Kodak refused initially to honour it despite the automatic receipt issued on ordering it. A bunch of us got together though, a lawyer gave us legal advice for free and the long and short of it was that because the web page we ordered from had "SALE" on it, the offer appeared to be genuine, not a mistake. We all got our cameras, it wasn't worth £399 (digital zoom etc) but it was a damn fine one for £100 :]