Posts by Julian 1

Campaign to kick NSA man from crypto standards group fails

Conflict of Interests

In other circumstances, this would be viewed as a conflict of interests and treated or viewed very seriously, as indeed it should be.

Chairman's suport ????? Situation normal.

Slow broadband blackspots mostly in south, not north

Slow broadband blackspots mostly in south

Agreed. My connection grinds almost to a halt at busy times in fairly central London. So it's all about capacity and contention. And by 'almost to a halt' I mean figures well below 52K and long waits for any activity, in other words virtually unusable..

First tube station to get Wi-Fi next week

Oh What A Crazy World

Don't you think?

TalkTalk turns StalkStalk to build malware blocker

Dissapointed

I am very dissapointed to read this. Notwithstanding the privacy issues, I have noticed an apparent falloff in performance recently. I had attributed this to the World Cup, but the reduced performance has continued. Bandwidth and all that.

The secrecy of the trial mitigates heavily against TalkTalk integrity and intentions. It'll be hard for them to dig themselves out of the hole which they have dug for themselves.

Linux police offer deviant Android return from exile

Horses for courses.

A phone is a phone. A friendly fork seems to be the best solution with a view to a potential merge in the future but, please, no fudges. Google must also take care not to become another Apple/Microsoft, as mentioned by AC (12.19pm) above.

The Reg guide to Linux, part 1: Picking a distro

Re;Ubuntu by AC

There is a simple solution to this 'problem'. Download and install Ubuntu Tweak. This programme will do lots of housework tasks including resetting the windows controls to the right side.

I wonder that Ubuntu do not include Ubuntu Tweak in either their distribution or their repositories. It is great and safe set of tools.

Westminster politicos told to grasp Vista nettle

@ One majore reason

I'm trying to detect the irony.

If I understood correctly, Vista is proposed for existing computers running Win 2000 and Win XP. So the hardware and memory will be inadequate for running Vista/Office 2003/2007/2008. Judging from my own experience of Win7 Ultimate on a netbook, Win7 might be feasible on the older hardware with enough extra memory.

However, Ubuntu Linux for example, can import most Windows data during installation and can run well on older computers, with a wealth of available software included.

So what are the future choices, assuming a Microsoft only choice, Win7 or Win8 and new machines, and more expenditure and more profit to Microsoft.

I must remember to write to Parliament from Office 2007/2008!

Of course, there's no email client in Win7, perhaps that's an issue, I know so many who prefer to use Windows inbuilt email client for it's simplicity and ease of use.

As David Arno said 'Luckily these folk only run the country.'

Home Office spawns new unit to expand internet surveillance

RE: RE: Email Not Via ISP

I use TextMagic.com for sending and receiving texts from my computer. The other day, an error on their site exposed that they were using 'clixby' on their site. This, clixby, records everything you do on their site, something like a superkeylogger.

I wrote to object to this invasion of privacy, and questioned the safety and security. I also asked their reason for doing it. Bear in mind I wouldn't have known about it if it hadn't been accidentally exposed.

Their rather (very) unsatisfactory response was a) I had agreed in the terms and conditions and b) it was to improve their service. How in hell do they need such aggressive and pervasive 'spyware' to improve their service.

If the terms and conditions has included specific reference to clixby and detailed the extent of the information collected (everything), rather than the usual weasel words, I would not have agreed.

Go here to see how 'clixby' works and, perhaps, be surprised. www.clixby.com

Just goes to show what we are signing away when we agree to the weasel words of the terms and conditions.

Welcome to the out-of-control decade

I only speed read the article but

I saw no mention of Microsoft who, in my and many peoples opinion, has sought to own large areas of our life without our consent and without any apparent accountability.

Not being an Apple product user, I'm not directly affected. Google I may abandon.

However, Apple, Google, and Microsoft (and a few others) are setting the Agenda against which we have no (democratic) control. Being of the older 'grumpy' generation, I cannot imagine a future of genuine freedom, choice and self- discipline etc., as I experienced it, any more, just one of 'control' as portrayed in various well known science fiction and espoused by our government(s).

Lenovo IdeaPad S10-2

Negative negative

I have a Lenovo s10e and I cannot recognise the negative review and responses.

I run triple boot Win XP, Win 7 Ultimate and Ubuntu Netbook Remix. Clearly Ubuntu loads and runs the fastest and would be even faster as a plain Ubuntu, but Win 7 beats Win XP by a significant margin, even with all the bells and whistles turned on. Splashtop wireless connectivity presents me with no problems whatsoever.

Considering the specification, I am very satisfied. Of course it doesn't compete with the latest dual, triple and quad core computers but it is no slouch either. A memory upgrade probably helped.

Battery life is a bit disappointing, but I do not understand the criticism of the screen angle.

I love the format.

PC World punts Windows 7 £100 trade-in promotion

£100 Trade-in?

As of 21.00 hrs tonight, Wednesday 21st., PCWorld had only one computer listed on the Internet with Windows 7 installed, a Sony netbook at £399 with Windows 7 Starter Edition.

Does that qualify?

Revolting postmen force early Windows 7 launch

Amazon

Amazon have not despatched mine yet!

I suppose there's still time if they are not using Royal Mail, but I will be disappointed if it's late!

SCO boots boss McBride

Why

Why don't SCO just go away and die a natural death?

Snow Leopard data-munching bug predates Snow Leopard

As an Apple non-fanbio

Is there no software in Snow Leopard, or that works with Snow Leopard, to recover lost data. Surely there is!

Lost data can be recovered from both Windows and Linux, surely Snow Leopard too.

Apple chokes on Woolworths logo

Apples and Pears

There used to be Apricot computers with a logo which could have confused users - except it was apricot coloured - orange for those who do not know the colour of an apricot.

SFO kicks BAE corruption charges upstairs

The Real World

I have considerable experience of working abroad. In order to get contracts overseas it is almost mandatory to oil the wheels. Furthermore, it is often also necessary to have local representation to operate successfully in many of those countries. That is the nature of things.

By way of example, Britain lost (and has virtually never recovered) all it's trade with Malaysia after The Times reporter opened up 'The Arms for Aid' issue and accused Maggie's government of bribing the Malaysian Prime Minister etc. I worked in Malaysia shortly afterwards and the consensus of opinion that I encountered was that we (the British) were idiots for making an issue about this since it was considered a normal way of doing business.

Of course, if UK don't want the business, lets be righteous about it. No 'oil', no contracts.

The arms trade - well that's another story. A dirty business. As for the US, just opportunistic.

Microsoft throws $1m open-source party

@not really fair on MS # By Will

Since when have M$ been fair to anyone else. Note that the licence defaults to BSD - if you understand the implications. It is surely a covert move on open source.

The leopard has not changed its spots, c/f this article concerning i4i from which it appears that M$ have not only 'stolen' i4i's code for Word after partnering with i4i, but are also attempting to 'steal' i4i's established medical records business using the'stolen' code. i4i faces extinction if it looses to the appeal.

Partner with M$ at your peril as the long list of precedents of the victims to 'M$ policy of Embrace, Extend, Extinguish' demonstrates. Bear in mind that M$ have a very large legal department and that their own champion of Open Source is leaving their company.

Might is right and all that.

Would you leave your child alone with a cabinet minister?

For those few posters

who support these rather draconian and unconstitutional measures, there seems to be one very clear reason to reject the system. There does not appear to be a satisfactory right of appeal or measures of redress. We are already hearing about lives ruined as a result of this legislation and Operation Ore.

To understand where legislation like this is taking us, consider reading some of the classic literature on the subject like Fahrenheit 451, Minority Report, 1984, and so on.

Think of the kind of world our children and grandchildren should inherit, think what it would have been like if the Nazi's had prevailed. Think what our fathers and grandfathers might think about this use of the freedom that many of them gave their lives for.

@ MJG on the very sad events at Dunblane, I would venture to suggest that there were some rather serious failings in systems of the time, given that so much was apparently already known, and that consequently this justification is flawed.

Government defeats Tories in 'McKinnon' extradition vote

What a bloody disgrace

Parliament, under such public scrutiny just now, is still a bloody disgrace. Parliamentary shinnanigans before the interests of the country,

The treaty, as is, should be voided. No question.

Really won't matter who we vote for. It'll still be a Punch and Judy show.

Eurostar tunnels through UK border ring of steel

@ I Wonder by John Stirling

I concurr. You've really hit the nail directly on the head.

The answer is, of course, a very big no.