* Posts by Ben 47

61 publicly visible posts • joined 14 Jul 2009

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Reg reader rages over Virgin Media's email password policy

Ben 47

Re: Another issue with VM's password policies is...

The security check password is separate to your online account and email password and is only used during contact verification.

You are able to change it whenever you want.

Netflix and spill: Web vid giant kills password masking in tests

Ben 47

Re: As bad as Amazon video on my TV

I'm not sure about other TVs but my 2014 Samsung TV's main remote doesn't have a number pad on it. It does come with a second one that does but the Smart TV system really expects the main one.

Not sure if Samsung even bother with the keypad one now.

Delete Google Maps? Go ahead, says Google, we'll still track you

Ben 47

Re: Not just google

@Steven Roper

"Sorry, my sarcasm meter must be broken. In what way is it obvious that a banking app requires access to one's contacts list? My business with my bank is managing my money, not my dealings with others."

I would expect it's do to with PAYM:

http://www.paym.co.uk/

I'm with NatWest and when I use PAYM, my contacts appear within the app so I can select the person I want to send money to.

I can't see how this could work securely unless the banking app could access my contacts.

Star Trek film theory: 50 years, 13 films, odds good, evens bad? Horta puckey!

Ben 47

Re: Evens good, odds bad only applies to the first six

"humanity's first trip outside of the solar system evokes absolutely no wonder or sense of occasion, instead becoming a FedEx run to deliver a Klingon back home - and all hope was lost for me."

Although I don't disagree that there a faults with the pilot, it wasn't the first trip. Enterprise was the first Warp 5 vessel, but in-universe there had been plenty of Earth vessels already out there.

It's even mentioned in the pilot where Travis Mayweather (helmsman) grew up on a cargo ship that would take months and years to travel between local systems due to it's low warp capability.

So it does make sense that, to a point, it wasn't a big deal.

It's 2016 and your passwords can still be sniffed from wireless keyboards

Ben 47

Re: Still Happy with Logitech

Logitech have also had security issues but they have been able to issue a firmware update

http://forums.logitech.com/t5/Mice-and-Pointing-Devices/Logitech-Response-to-Unifying-Receiver-Research-Findings/td-p/1493878

Virgin rolls out fibre to 1m

Ben 47

It's pretty clear it's 1 million in Virgin Media's latest press release, which is where this story comes from.

http://about.virginmedia.com/press-release/9512/virgin-media-announces-largest-uk-fibre-broadband-rollout

"The ultrafast broadband provider will connect fibre to the premise (FTTP) to at least a quarter of the 4 million additional homes and businesses being added to the Virgin Media network, as part of its ‘Project Lightning’ expansion plans."

Ben 47

Virgin Media have being doing full fibre network expansion in some areas since 2014.

http://about.virginmedia.com/press-release/9448/superfast-broadband-comes-to-cambridgeshire-village

http://about.virginmedia.com/press-release/9490/virgin-media-gives-leicestershire-homes-an-ultrafast-broadband-boost

The figure being quoted is an expansion of that FTTP install method to 1 million properties not currently connected.

NatWest tightens online banking security after hacks' 'hack' exposé

Ben 47

Re: Why?

Yes, you can now have the app on multiple devices. I've got it on my phone and WiFi only tablet.

Ben 47

Re: Are Barclays...

That's not actually true any more. They changed the app recently to make it possible to pay up to £250 per day via the Mobile app without the reader. For some reason.

http://personal.natwest.com/personal/ways-to-bank-with-us/mobile-payments.html

Three VoLTEs to victory as it jumps into UK 4G voice offering

Ben 47

Re: Pain point

The exclusion of tethering for Feel at Home is on the main page for it http://www.three.co.uk/Discover/Phones/Feel_At_Home

Although they seem to have have change the 'fair usage' limit from 25GB to 12GB since I signed up to Three in June!

Ben 47

Re: Stupid continues...

It's not the same. VoWiFi from EE doesn't require a separate app - it just works and you can use calls and texts as if you were connected to a mobile mast.

With the Three app, you have to have the app running and depending on what it decides to do your text messages will only appear in the app and not in your normal messaging app.

The upside of the Three version is that it's available on more phones than EE's way of doing it

Déjà vu: Virgin Media jacks up broadband prices

Ben 47

Virgin definitely do allow TV on it's own http://store.virginmedia.com/digital-tv/compare-tv/index.html

For instance

More TV:

Price:

£16

a month

No Virgin Phone line

12 month contract

Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4: 4G Android tablet is easy to swallow

Ben 47

Re: What's the point of the 4G?

Depending who you are with and what plan you are on, it's not always possible to tether via your phone.

Stalwart hatchback gets a plug-in: Volkswagen e-Golf

Ben 47

"The e-Golf is the first Volkswagen to have LED headlights"

Depends whether you mean just the brand, or the VW group.

The current Seat Leon has had full LED headlights available an an option since it's 2012 launch, and which currently seem to be added as a permanent offer.

Cor blimey: Virgin Media pipes 152Mb fibre to 100,000 East Londoners

Ben 47

Re: Virgin is not quite uncapped

Full details on what management in place is at www.virginmedia.com/traffic including specific details of the upload trigger thresholds

Ben 47

It's definitely expansion, and it's something they've been doing for a while now

http://www.ispreview.co.uk/story/2011/08/08/virgin-media-uk-extend-cable-broadband-network-to-cover-100k-new-homes-in-2011.html

However previously, I think it was spread around the country, rather than a single area.

Shazam! Record labels shovel $9m into name-that-song app

Ben 47

Re: Building music recognition into a mobile OS

Sony have been at it a while too

Mens sana in fibro sano: Virgin Media network-level smut filters are ON

Ben 47

Sony seeks mojo reboot with 147-inch 'honey-you-can't-afford-me' 4K home projector

Ben 47

Re: dark colours anyone?

Pretty sure no matter what it's own colour by the absence of a light being shone on a wall, you will perceive it as black.

The issue is whether you can keep light 'leaking' out from those areas you do want to project onto, to those areas you don't

Virgin Media to hike broadband prices by nearly 7 per cent

Ben 47

Re: Ironic - taking Libertys not providing them -

Re the traffic mananagement - I can't see that it will. The current management is being reduced to no more than 16% off the downstream speed.

So if 152Mb follows that you'll always get at least 127.68Mb even when managed.

Ben 47

The traffic management is being changed to be at most a 16% reduction for the downstream speeds (for those on 30Mbit and above). So 120Mbit will be reduced at most by management to 100.8Mbit

Ben 47

There isn't going to be another price rise for broadband only customers, that price rise was the one in October

Ben 47

Re: Third Price Rise in 12 Months

Standalone broadband customers won't be getting another price rise in February - as the price change for that was in October

Now you can use your phone instead of your wallet at the ATM, too

Ben 47
FAIL

Touchscreen mania

So, it has a touch screen.

1) What happens if it gets wet - unless these are for inside only or we going back to those slide covers.

2) What happens if I've got gloves on

3) What happens if I have reduced vision or am blind - there is no tactile feedback for where the buttons are

I'm all for touchscreens, where appropriate, but buttons work for a reason.

Galaxy S4 radiant, but has black holes

Ben 47
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Understanding what is Android and what is not

"One reason is weak integration with social networks: the photo app doesn't offer a share to Twitter or share to Facebook option until those apps are installed."

As far as I'm concerned that's the app done right, and isn't a Samsung failing. The 'Share' function is part of Android, and relies on apps telling it you can share via them - meaning you can't share via an app that isn't installed.

Much better than baking in sharing options that may/will stop working when the social network either changes it's API or disappears.

If you are going to review a phone, at least understand why it does things, and who is responsible.

P.S If i'm talking rubbish, happy to be corrected

Logitech launches MEGA-PRICEY 15-in-1 remote

Ben 47

The last hurrah / money grab

Logitech probably aren't going to making any more, as they are current looking to sell the remote business off http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/23/logitech-q3-earnings-selling-harmony-remotes/

Review: HP Spectre XT TouchSmart

Ben 47

Re: HP website claims it has gigabit ethernet....

UK spec does mention the SD Card

http://h20386.www2.hp.com/UKStore/Merch/product.aspx?sel=PCNB&id=C1S38EA&opt=ABU

Although that then doesn't mention Gigabit (which the chipset supports). How HP can't get a full spec list together for all their sites is beyond me

Ben 47

Re: Ethernet (not gigabit, unfortunately)

According to the specs here http://h20386.www2.hp.com/UKStore/Merch/product.aspx?sel=PCNB&id=C1S38EA&opt=ABU

it has a 500GB Hard Drive AND a 32GB SSD

What a Liberty: Virgin Media in buyout talks with telecoms giant

Ben 47

It wouldn't change anything

Customer data would still fall under UK Data Protection Law. The Patriot act wouldn't apply as the company that runs cable in the UK would be a UK Limited company, even if it was owned by a US one.

Id' expect the same as is true for any other US company such as Amazon, Netflix and others that operate in the UK

Panasonic pitches Ultra HD 4K x 2K monster tablet

Ben 47
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200 percent

Yeah that's great for text, but unless app development has improved, it's likely that quite a few Windows based apps break will you do this.

I've seen programs where dialogue boxes and pop ups are impossible to do anything with it as the buttons have been pushed out of the fixed size window due to increased text percentage on Vista / 7.

Apple have the right idea when it comes to the high res screens, why can't Windows do the same?

Microsoft says Google trying to undermine Windows Phone

Ben 47

Re: Same functionality as Droid and Apple?

Don't think it's got anything to do with the video format

Google have got a syndication policy which allows some channels to restrict where the videos are available http://support.google.com/youtube/bin/answer.py?hl=en-GB&answer=2453875

Google's Drive + Gmail: A 10GB Dropbox killer

Ben 47

Re: My email server

The email you get will be very small as the 'attachment' is in Drive, not in the email

Virgin launches TV Anywhere streaming

Ben 47

Re: How many accounts?

You can give access to 5 additional users, and set an appropriate viewing age restriction for each one, but they would have to access it via one of the 2 registered devices

Ben 47
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iOS isn't just phones

That survey said it overtook on Smartphones, but doesn't mention iPads and iPods, which can also run the TV Anywhere app

According to this page, iOS is still bigger than Android when looked at across all devices http://www.complush.com/android-vs-ios-in-market-competitive/

Cisco vs TiVo DVR smackdown: Whose patent is it anyway?

Ben 47

The really odd thing is that in the UK, Cisco makes the hardware for the Virgin Media:TiVo boxes (although Samsung have recently been brought in as another supplier).

You would have thought if Cisco had that much of an issue with TiVo, they wouldn't haven't done so.

82 London Underground stations to get free Wi-Fi for the Olympics

Ben 47

Not a monopoly

From www.virginmedia.com/wifi

"After that, full internet access will be available to customers of Virgin Media and selected networks, as well as on a Pay As You Go basis."

Virgin Media snags London Underground Wi-Fi monopoly

Ben 47
Unhappy

Re: Paris...

Because the mobile networks didn't want to do it http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/04/01/tube_ditches_mobile_plan/

Everything Everywhere pushes towards 4G, wants to show off its wad

Ben 47

HSPA+

I assume this is on the Orange side of the network, as I was under the impression that T-Mobile has already done it? I get the H+ symbol on SGS II when I'm on the T-Mobile network

Or am I getting confused with something else?

Samsung shows 55in OLED über-TV

Ben 47

Upgradeable TVs

@GrumpyJoe

Samsung also making some of their TVs upgradeable by allowing a customer to swap out the 'brains' of the TV for a newer version

Saves having to ditch the whole TV.

Adobe confirms mobile Flash Player's race is run

Ben 47

Flash based apps still going

@TJ1

It's only the browser flash plugin that's being stopped. Adobe are continuing with AIR so standalone Flash based apps - like the iPlayer app - will still exist

Paypal emits cash swap tap app for Android

Ben 47

Not only NFC

As far as I can tell the Paypal app also hooks into Bump (if installed) for those phones without NFC

Tesco's iPhone app gets barcode reader

Ben 47

Go Ocado

This is hardly news

The Ocado app has been able to do this for ages now.

And has an Android version as well - which also has a voice search built into it

Microsoft: IE9 will never run on Windows XP

Ben 47

@Matt Hawkins

re: MS Malware Development Kit - IE9

As far as I can see all it does is;

1) A better taskbar icon

2) Some button colour changes to pick up the favicon colour

3) Some Jumplist options specified in HTML

There is nothing to say the the site itself operates outside of the browser or it's security model.

Lucky Macs get Flash speed bump

Ben 47

@AC

I'm assuming that other H.264 videos play without turning on the fan because they are already Hardware Accelerated?

The update allows Flash to do the same, so makes it perform the same

HTC Wildfire Android smartphone

Ben 47

Samsung Galaxy vs HTC Wildfire

@Carl Williams

Yes the Samsung is available free on contract, but not the same contract.

For instance on T-Mobile you can get the Wildfire free on a £20 a month deal. To get the Galaxy S you have pay £35 a month.

Over 24 months thats a significant difference in price (£360), which some people won't want or need to pay if the Wildfire suits their needs

Beeb sends teaboy outside with iPhone

Ben 47
FAIL

Soo....

that's have a go at them for using a stock photo AND have a go at them for taking one themselves

ID cards poster girl laments her £30

Ben 47

Expiry on Cards

@Captain DaFt

Actually:

"Their cards will become invalid one month after the Identity Documents Bill gains Royal Assent, to allow owners to fulfil travel plans. Shortly after the National Identity Register will be destroyed."

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/05/27/id_cards_bye_then/

Blighty to get mobe-download barcode rail tickets

Ben 47
Thumb Up

Ticket Barriers

I was in Newcastle the other day and they have got barcode readers on the barriers there.

Also Virgin Trains online printed tickets already have 2D barcodes on

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