Posts by Jim 48

In tribute to Galaxy Note 7, BBC iPlayer support goes up in flames for some Samsung TVs

Re: DIY

For the 99% of the population who aren't going to be farting around setting up a tiny computer the actual real answer is to get a Roku/FireStick/Apple TV/whatever all -in-one media device floats your boat.

FYI: Get ready for face scans on leaving the US because 1.2% of visitors overstayed their visas

Re: cannot escape your face

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genii

You mean Google updated its smartwatch OS and nobody noticed?

Re: Easy to charge?

@gskr: you echo my thoughts precisely, the transreflexive screen is a fantastic asset, no waving the watch around or pressing a button to see the time. I've not seen any of the current crop of devices that replicate it.

@CraPo: I've got an adapter so I can use standard straps and currently have a two-piece NATO style strap. This completely exposes the back and makes charging a doddle. I did get a right-angle micro-usb which made it easier when I was using the standard rubber strap.

I seem to have to reset the watch more and more as it starts missing notifications though. I've just upgraded to Oreo on a OnePlus Three and I'm not getting any text or calendar notifications.

First iPhone X fondlers struggle to admit that Face ID sort of sucks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lI6Ci-fkFtA

Itchy-fingered OnePlus presses refresh, out pops value champ 3T

"The capacitive buttons alone caused me prefer using the OnePlus to just about any other Android I’ve used this year. Manufacturers removed these in a spasm of penny-pitching a couple of years ago, but they make it vastly easier to operate the phone in the car, I find. Curiously these never light up"

Unless things have changed for the 3T, there is a setting to have them light up, but annoyingly they only light up when you have used one. I'd much prefer that they were on whenever the screen is on. And agreed about car use, the fingerprint reader as a physical home button makes life much easier and less distracting.

As an aside, apparently the back camera now uses a sapphire instead of whatever is in the standard 3.

I'm glad I got my 3 when I did as I don't need the extra features and wouldn't have spent that the extra for a 3T.

Edit: I've just noticed that you included a screenshot of the Buttons settings page and it shows the the Backlight option for the capacitive keys.

Local TV presenter shouted 'f*cking hell' to open news bulletin

Re: Pre-recorded?

Or maybe you should actually read the article? Just a thought.

Nokia's great lost smartwatch? #SavedYouALandfill

It looks exactly the same as the Sony Smartwatch 3.

A British phone you're not embarrassed to carry? You heard that right

We have two of the first gen Swifts in this house and they are very capable devices. I'd be tempted by one of these for myself if the screen was 1080p and the fingerprint scanner was on the front, but I guess I'm just going to have to wait for my OnePlus Three order to get to the front of the queue.

Google finds its G Suite spot: Renames apps, talks up AI and BigQuery

Google For Domains

The interesting thing for me, is how this G Spot will affect those who signed up when it was Google for Domains and use it for family accounts. We still can't sign up for Family Subscription/Sharing on Google Music, although Google Trips & Google Spaces has just started working.

So. Why don't people talk to invisible robots in public?

When I've had a need to talk to a device (Google Now on phone or watch) in the vicinity of other people, it has failed first time, every time. If I'm on my own then it usually works.

(Ok, I imagine I probably change how I talk, such as being quieter, out of sheer embarrassment.)

Google to unleash Android Pay on UK shoppers within 'months'

I'm going to lay my bet right now that it won't support rooted devices or Google Apps domains so I'll be SoL.

Holy litigation, Batman! Custom Batmobile cars nixed by copyright

Re: What is it with the reg...

Hmmm, I don't know, may be it is because THEY ARE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ISSUES!

Alcatel Idol 3: Holding its own with a pretty decent 5.5 inches

Re: Stick your 5.5"..

"We don't want massive slabs, we want a normal-sized phone "

Strange, I don't remember being polled as to whether I want a 'massive slab' or not. FYI I'm more than happy with my 5.5" OPO thank-you very much, and I can't see myself downgrading to a smaller screen any time soon.

Thousands cut off from email after EE bungles domain renewal

I'm just surprised that nobody else had picked it up in the meantime, they could have made a tidy profit.

Someone at Subway is a serious security nerd

Re: Expensive locks on cheap flimsy doors that lead to empty cupboards

I've got to ask, why the hell is 'meat' (I presume, from the context, that that is what the 'm**t' is) bleeped out? Is it some kind of vegan trigger warning and if they see the word written out in full they will instantly want a bacon sandwich (on sliced white, no butter, brown sauce). And of course they'd never be able to figure it out for themselves, like dogs and the b-a-t-h.

Two foreigners, a desert and a jeep full of bank statements

Re: spam source ?

> Texas has TOWNS devoted to junk mail? Hmm...are they well defended, do you think?

It's Texas, I think you can probably work it out for yourself.

Google spins up 'FREE, unlimited' cloud photo storage 4 years before ad giant nixes it

"I pay nothing for 30GB .."

Not totally sure of the relevance but I'll bite; following that logic you could have an almost infinite amount of space (exaggeration for effect) as you can keep on creating new Google accounts, but in the context of this article (where the principle is keeping all your photos in one place) how does that help you?

Most of my bonuses I would have gained whether I pay for storage or not, but admittedly some of these will eventually expire.

A thumb down for a factually accurate account of the current state of play with storing photos on Google services? I am perpetually surprised how petty some people can be.

I really don't understand why there is all this song & dance about this magical new service. I've had all my photos uploaded to Picasa Web Albums for years, these photos were also visible through Google+ Photos and now all they've done is split Google+ Photos into it's own URL (https://photos.google.com).

From the Android side, my photos were automatically uploaded and you could select to have them compressed if you didn't want them to take up your storage allowance. I pay $5 a year for 20GB (a legacy deal that I get to keep as long as the payment never fails) plus through various offers have a total around 100GB available so I upload full size.

Picasa Web Albums is still available and offered easier organisation of photos than G+ Photos. I had to switch to G+ Photos in Chrome in order to edit the photos though. In addition to this, the photos are also visible through Google Drive.

_I_ want to decide what constitutes an album not some algorithm. Also, I would like to tag people in my photos without an email being sent to them and the photo automatically being shared with them, so that I can keep track of who is in which photo, something that was available in the Picasa desktop software but I haven't used that for years.

So what's new?

Edit: The article mentions 1TB, implying that is the lowest paid tier offered, but you can get 100GB for $1.99/month.

BOFH in mugnificent return to Cash'n'Carrion

A size indicator for the mugs would be useful. I like big mugs and I cannot lie.

Kyocera: Torque among yourselves on our unbreakable ruggedmobe

"Not going to be stock Android with all the extra icons for gloves etc.. did you read the article?"

Yeah, if only there was a way to install additional functionality on to these mobile computing devices without updating the whole ROM. I imagine they'd be called applications or even 'apps'.

Netflix to Cuba: Care to spend half your wages to see Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights?

Re: All over the world?

I don't know which Netflix you are using but my UK account has a lot of foreign films from many & various countries. A cursory scroll through shows around 244 films.

Want a cheap Office-er-riffic tablet? Microsoft Windows takes on Android

I'm wavering over whether to get one of these, partly as a media player connected over HDMI to the tele. It should allow me to retire the NowTV, AppleTV & Chromecast.

Also of note, you can get a £30 trade-in cashback (you have to send off an old working tablet) by buying from some suppliers (incl. Amazon, Staples & eBuyer).

Still wavering though.

Moshi Monsters' daddy Mind Candy: Falling sales, £2.2m loss...

Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker

#Help. There's a STRANGER in my Twitter timeline

"Worried about what you see on Twitter? Turn off the computer and do something else. Problem solved"

Why Don't You

Strange tale of an angry bean counter, Comcast and a shock 'firing'

Last paragraph is a bit random, not related to the rest of the article except by the tenuous link of somebody being fired.

Special iPhone trousers will ease Apple into the fashion world

Re: Burn baby burn

This OnePlus One battery ignited in somebodies pocket and left them with a nice burn.

"Be careful my One has burned"

Apple iPhone 6 Plus: GORGEOUS FAT pixel density - but it's WASTED

"You won’t be able to touch all areas of the screen without using your other hand"

I can very easily reach all parts of my OnePlus One's screen with my thumb whilst holding it in the same hand, although admittedly I do have to adjust the position of the fingers that are supporting the device's back but the sandstone finish gives me confidence that it's not going to slip. It'd be interesting to see if it's technically possible to do the same on the 6 Plus but the smooth back & sides makes it feel unstable.

Divinity Original Sin and Wasteland 2 reviews: Turn-based gaming's not dead yet!

Wasteland

The very first computer game I completed, probably on an Amstrad PC1512 (upgraded to 640k). Staying up very late to play. Happy days.

Speaking in Tech: 'I'm an Apple guy and I COULD CARE LESS about the iWatch'

Considering that they've highlighted that particular phrase, I wouldn't be at all surprised if all the pedants above have been righteously trolled.

Huawei: Our sales in Europe and US are TINY, admits red-faced exec

Re: Change the name...

I always thought it was "highway", but am probably wrong

Top ten car gadgets: Get your motor running with new shiny-shiny

Re: iODB2 Engine Data Reader - Cheaper option

Beat me to it.

Google Glass faces UK cinema ban: Heaven forbid someone films you crying in a rom-com

Re: Glass Eye of the Pirate: Cams on the High Seas

There's these things, you may have heard of them, called re-views where somebody, stay with me here, who has ALREADY SEEN THE FILM writes down their opinion of said film in a medium you can access, such as a website or magazine. Now, I know precisely what you are going to say here; "How do I know that the re-view-er" (for that is what these self-less individuals are called) "thinks the same as me?", well, I'm glad you asked, what you can do is view their previous re-views for films that you have also viewed and see if their view matches your view! I know, right, it's mind-blowing! And get this, you can even read/watch multiple re-views for the same film from different people to get different views!

You're welcome.

Google adds 'data protection' WARNING to Euro search results

Is this proven or are you just postulating? If the former, do you have any live examples?

Another article I read on the subject suggested that they use location based logic to determine what should be missed off the results.

'THERE'S BEEN A MURRRDER!' Plod probe Street View 'slaying'

It's a good job that they had a pick-axe handle just lying around ...

Hello Moto... It's the Nokia Lumia 630

Re: No front facing camera

Oh, you went there!

(Have an upvote)

EBay, you keep using the word 'SECURITY'. I do not think it means what you think it means

I think some people just down-vote if there is a bit of 'blue' language.

(And I agree with your 'not linking ebay & paypal' sentiment)

Motorola Moto E: Brill budget blower with one bothersome blunder

Re: Front facing camera

A down-vote, really? I'd love to hear the chicken-shit excuse for down-voting a personal anecdote that backs up a statement by the reviewer.

It must be the latest hipster must have (not); "hey, my phone is so cooool that it doesn't even have a front facing camera, other people photo _my_ beard"

Some people seem to be so small minded that they can't imagine a scenario why they'd want to use something (x-ref; Facebook & Twitter articles) so they seem to feel they can slag off anybody who might be able to.

Front facing camera

"The Moto E doesn’t have a front facing webcam, an omission that rendered me slack-jawed with surprise when I first noticed it. Initially, I assumed it was an oversight on the spec sheet."

Ditto

My eldest needs a new phone and I would have been all over the Moto E but this is a deal breaker. As it is I got a 16GB Moto G for £20 more and son-of-mine can have my Galaxy Nexus.

Kingston DataTraveler MicroDuo: Turn your phone into a 72GB beast

Re: I don't get it. Can someone answer if you have one?

The other end is a USB-A male connector so you can attach it to your computer, allowing you to copy items from & to the device.

That's it, we're all really OLD: Google's Gmail is 10 ALREADY

Re: Shame about scanning emails to target advertising though

It's free, get over it.

If you want private mail you have to pay for it.

Ugh! This DUNKABLE wearable tech is REPELLENT

Re: Memories

Investigating this I've found that the BBC has an archive of _some_ TW episodes at

http://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/tomorrowsworld/

I can't find the waterproof drill one though.

Memories

It's funny the things that trigger long buried memories; this has reminded me of an edition of Tomorrow's World where a spray coating had been applied to an electric drill and the inventor put the connected drill in a tank of water and started it. It must have worked as he wasn't immediately fried. I think the presenter at the time was Maggie Philbin.

Reg tries out Google's Chromecast: Yep, we even tested smut sites

I've had an import for a few months and have just received a UK edition. For my use-cases it works perfectly, everything is done from an Android device and the content I use it for is mainly from Google Play Movies (both rented & bought; Game of Thrones series 3 was available a long time before you could get it on DVD), YouTube and now iPlayer. I also use an Xbox360 for streaming LoveFilm or NowTV but it's rare that I don't get any buffering though this, the Chromecast seems to handle it better when I have one kid skyping and another watching youtube.

I have a RaspBMC for streaming local content from my NAS.

Florida bloke cuffed for pit bull shag outrage

Re: Takeover imminent

It's probably the context of the story, but I read that as "fisting for a buy-out"

LOHAN chap brews up 18% ABV 'V2' rocket fuel

I think that's bollocks, I don't believe there is a legal limit on the alcohol level but it is illegal to produce alcohol by distillation.

Re: Never seen that airlock before

Pretty much what I came here to say.

Also, in my experience, mead is a brew that benefits from time, unless you are just going for alcohol for alcohols sake which seems to be the case here.

Blasphemy! Finns trample over Windows Phone home screen

"a folder opens in a couple of seconds"

After you've tapped, a couple of seconds for a response can feel like a lifetime. People want instantaneous, no0lag, nowadays.

Shopping list for Tesco: Eggs, milk, bread, tablets (the £60 7in Android kind)

Presumably that's the Nook HD? A very good device for the money; no camera (don't need a screen on a tablet) & no GPS (I tether to my GNex if I ever want this) but the same screen resolution as this Tesco jobby.

Re: cheap cheerful

"but does it have a memory card slot?"

RTFA, you only needed to get to the end of the second para.

And a very quick search says it does have a GPS.

That wasn't too difficult was it?

Exposed: RSPCA drills into cops' databases, harvests private info

This does not surprise me. The RSPA has always been a rogue organisation which tries to scare the general public into believing that they are part of the police force by the use of uniforms and calling their agents 'officers'. They do do some good work, but they also persecute others, especially those that aren't taken in by their bully-boy tactics.