Posts by Matt_payne666

Design guru: Windows 8 is 'a monster' and 'a tortured soul'

Re: Might not be pretty...

My girlfriend is a nice combination of functional and pretty...

My car is more style over function, but with a lot of sensible features...

my kettle is style over features...

Other than my double glazing, or possibly the extractor fan in my bathroom, I find it hard to recommend pure function over form... there are happy mediums, Neilsons an function extremist, to the point that to me - living in a world of rich media I find his website quite difficult to use...

We are not robots, we are able to see the shades of grey in the horrendously black and white wold of binary, celebrate this! enjoy some eye candy and cheer up you miserable sods!!

Windows Phone 8 reboot woe causes outpouring of forum misery

Re: Anyone flashed one of these with Android?

Nope, all the 920's are one piece affairs, no changeable backs here!

and the yellow? Personal preference really, i like it and the finish is great, certainly a change from my old fruity phones!

My 920 has been rick solid, no lockups or reboots...

All hardware will have a bad day at some point, my iPhone certainly had its fair share of moments... Apps closing to desktop, mail wiping its contents and having to re download from scratch, phone needing a reboot and in one case a full restore... Its one of those things!

Automatic Facebook couple pages: Nauseating sign of desperation

Re: What's the big deal?

Bingo... content aggregation at its best... this is what facebook is for, you sign up, you sell your personal data to them in return for webhosting... they then market your details in various ways...

This can only help couples on FB, just think... you have broken up with your beloved, your in tears, close to the edge, this saves the task of putting up a gut wrenching attention grabbing status... you just change your marital status and everyone is instantly emailed...

Christ, ive seen an upside!! just friend all the fit girls you can find, when you get the automated breakup email, dive in for some rebound sex!!

Apple MacBook Pro 13in Retina display review

Cold boot times??

My dell E4300 13" P9400 C2duo will cold boot in 7seconds after the bios screen, include the Bios and its 12 seconds... this is a 3 yearold laptop with a Vertex3!

I don't deny the MBP is pretty, but I feel its time for a little design change, it looks all very, well, been there, done that...

Nokia Lumia 920 Windows Phone 8 handset review

Re: Some questions for the author

You can add multiple sub calendars to that list too!

On my iPhone I have my main google calendar which has a sub calendar for work and the subscription to my girlfriends calendar, all works a treat, on my win8 metro calendar I can get my main and sub calendars up, but not the subscribed one... Then only the main is selectable for adding appointments!

Good review and all that, but it would be nice if someone would tell us when we can actually walk into a store and buy one!!

Will Santa be working overtime to shift Win 8 kit? No. Yes! Maybe

I should be an analyst... I bet these people get paid more than me!

I predict sales will happen, irrespective of how good or bad win8 is... Hardware spec isn't a factor for the os, its not a niche, it's the defacto oem shipping os for manufacturers.

Standard economic factors are what will dictate spending abd in my opinion the big reason consumer sales have slowed is that over the past 4 years, there hasn't been a real need for people to upgrade hardware... Pre core2 machines dated pretty quickly, but anything with that processor and above is more than capable of perfoming all non gaming tasks more than adequately.

HP warns consumers: Don't downgrade Win8 PCs to Win7

The Microsoft downgrade rights only apply to pro and above licences, even then you need a volume licence to activate the downgraded os... So most consumers can't take that route

RIM good for secret jobs: BlackBerry 10 cleared for Restricted data

Re: Secure handsets

And the platform for sectera? windows phone :)

Windows Phone 8 has a secret feature which may activate at any time

the headline makes this sound overly sinister! and its hardly secret! its a live tile and a setting that allows a user to tailor their data usage, offloading to wifi if needed or when approaching the limit on the data plan...

Ballmer: Windows Phone 8 'WILL ramp quickly', god dammit

yep, good specs, like the LG optimus a lovely screen - rdesktop is a dream on that device, but as an android tablet owner, I wouldn't want to rely on that OS for my day to day life...

Android has a very open source feel to it, just like Linux - yes, it is infinitely customisable but in my opinion, that's its downfall, for any one simple situation - ie, copying my photo collection to the device - there is no single way of doing it, just lots and lots of ways that pretty much almost work... generally with poor documentation and I just don't have the time for that sort of malarkey...

as a windows 8 user, I like the idea of some sort of compatibility and with its iTunes integration it means that photos, music, etc are things that hopefully I dont have to worry too hard over...

does balmer realise that you actually have to have devices on the ground to make a sale?

Im getting more and more fed up waiting on the 920, Ive resisted the iphone 5 thus far, but if there is nothing by the end of the week, then windows looses out and Ill be on my 4th Iphone...

Mexico to Apple: You WILL NOT use the name 'iPhone' here

A lovely day out walking with the girls, home to find this story... what a great end to the week!

Analyst slams Apple innovation FAIL

Re: Bad idea

Ive a touch screen on my old Toughbook, specced a touch on my replacement XFR, and back in the day had a 21" iiyama CRT...

Touch for all day computing will make your arms do funny things, but once you get used to poking the screen, going non touch is a shallow learning curve.

Free Android apps often secretly make calls, use the camera

lots of scaremongering again, but with some justifications... like the listed examples... an app that requests the ability to use camera, gps, address book and text messages... it could be setup to take photos when your on the loo and send messages to your ex's... or it might just be an app that allows you to take a photo, geotag and send to a contact without leaving the framework of the application...

It should be as simple as adding in the small print as to what extent and reasons an application wants access to various bits of phone...

Sony admits PSPs will not fly off shelves, says phones and PS3s will

Re: Ive got a Vita

the vita experience is head and shoulders over any phone, and I was truly envious with a friends device.... but the game support has been typical sony handheld... dire! the headline games are still pretty much the headline games from launch!

Sky squeezes even more money from customers, gets fewer new ones

am I the only one that actually thinks they offer a fair product? I certainly do not begrudge the amount I pay them each month...

all copper based Broadband requires a telephone rental - Sky is cheaper than the others...

Sky offers a truly unlimited, non shaped, non-blocked, fast internet connection for less than the others...

Sky TV offers more HD channels than any other non cable supplier

Sky HD+ box is free, phone app works well, planner is add free and easy enough to navigate

All in, after paying for a PVR and for what Id pay to BT for this area, for a comparable product (ignoring the speed/shaping on their broadband) I actually make a saving... If I was in a cable area things might be different, but my only experience with cable is laggy internet, huge speed fluctuations and a pretty poor cable box experience.

Nokia primes Lumias for Windows Phone 8 push

Bingo, my Iphone 4 came off contract in August and Ive been waiting to get the 920... the lack of teasers, etc has almost had me reaching for the Iphone5 on several occasions... (im an iphoneite since the 3s came out)

I live out in the sticks and am quite happy with a 3g connection, my provider 3 gives me a great deal for and I don't feel the need to move - but I just want the yellow 920! now Ive been railroaded into one provider, through one store... its almost enough for me to laugh it all off. Especially as none of the monkies wants to give any indication as to availability of the damn thing...

Nokia should have just opened up the phone to everyone, its got some great selling points and they do kinda need the money!

N00bs vs Windows 8: We lock six people in a room with new OS

Re: There. Is. Just. No. Point.

Yes, why upgrade from a 10 yearold OS wich reaches EOL in 2 years...

Your machine is obviously perfect for you, but some of us like (useable) support for more than 2gb of memory, some of us like to enjoy the day in performance boosts of SSD technology, some people enjoy the overall performance increase from moving away from XP... there are other pros, like useful consumer backup optons, security, increased battery life, eyecandy, built in driver support, better deployment options, better group policy options, etc, but you, know, none of these are really compelling reasons to not live in a cave!

Thanks for a sensible article... Win8 doesn't deserve the bashing it gets... It is different, but it doesn't take a genius to fathom it out...

Windows 8: Is Microsoft's new OS too odd to handle?

Upgrading as soon as its available on my subscription - running the release preview and have become used to its changes - a small learning curve, but like the live email and calendar tiles, the screen snapping is well thought out and very useful on a large display... battery life when undocked is a little better, boot, hibernate and restarts are slightly faster, all in enough small tweaks to make it a good update.

Apple's skinny new iMac line: Farewell, optical drives

Laptop - no optical drive, the space is better taken up with an extra battery.

Desktop - Optical drive - true, its hardly used, but its a nice resource to have.

Sods law dictates that the time that you need to copy something from a optical disc, you will be in a hurry, you will have to dig out your external, then find the power and usb cables, that will be the day you remember that you lent it to someone else that had to burn a presentation dvd, or some such other obsolete task... its almost 5PM and everywhere is shut, time limits your ability or order a drive online..... all for the sake of 5.5mm of thickness...

'Looming menace' of evil browser extensions to be demo'd this week

seems odd that everyones most hated browser is not in the list of exploitable systems

:)

Man files FCC complaint over AT&T FaceTime blocking

If I tether my girlfriends iPhone to my iPhone (both unjailbroken) she can FaceTime just fine using my 3G connection so no, nothing special needs to be at the telcos end...

It purely is greed... Let's milk an apple user cash cow!

Air China passenger arrested for in-flight phone abuse

Serves him right... Irrespective of wether the devices actually are a danger, he was asked several times to cease using it, so he deserves a slap on the wrist, which in china can be a little more severe than over here!

Office 2013 hits RTM, will ship starting in November

Re: here we go again...

thank goodness, someone that shares the same view as me... I like new hardware and software, ill give it a go before po-pooing it...

All these people running XP and office 2000, come on, this is the year 2012 things move on! and things improve... Im no power user when it comes to office, but 2013 preview has ticked all the right boxes so far, I type and words appear on the screen... I will be downloading the full version as soon as its released too... (OVS subscriber) It will be nice to see what touch/metro integration will be like.

Lenovo unfolds smaller Yoga tablet-laptop hybrid

£687 for a 13" i7 based laptop? thats not bad... oh and its got a touch screen too?? I actually think the price is about right and if this is part of the think business lineup, then the pricing is crazy cheap even if £687 is ex vat

Microsoft fast-tracks Windows 8 Service Pack updates

Re: Err...

I installed OSX 10.6.something the other day, on finishing an install it needed another gig of updates...

Microsoft is just more open about updating its offerings...

I can't wait for Pano to thrust some hard 3D love into size-zero models

Re: Forgive me if I am misunderstanding something here

Yep, the server has one or more Remote-FX capable graphics cards populating some of its PCi-e slots (these arnt magic, just half decent Quadra or Fires) ... the server then virtulaises these amongst the clients... I cant remember the cards or stats, but for general arsing about you can hang a dozen or so VMs from a decent workstation class card under usual circumstances...

Don't panic, but UK faces BLACKOUTS BY 2015

Someones built a small wind farm here in clacton... 5 HUGE turbines... you can see them for about 10 miles away, finished in August, but ive not seen them turning once... Ive come to conclusion that they are the solution for such emergencies - big fans that will be switched on to provide wind for the monster offshore farms that now block my sea view...

Home-grown drone finds ‘missing’ hiker

You score more points for getting the water closer... but do you loose points for killing Joe with a water bottle impalement???

Microsoft sets date for Windows Phone 8 unveiling

Re: Am I the only one...

Nope, your not alone... Ive had iphones since the 3g came out and im sick and tired of the things... they are so commonplace, so samey and well, there is nothing overly new about them... not that id want to spend money on anyway!

Im waiting to get my hands on a 920 as that really seems to be a little different... I have a couple of people that have WM7.5 phones and they love the tiles and im getting used to them on Win8 preview.

Ive tried android - I have an android tab, whilst I like it, it feels like every Linux distro ive tried - unfinished...

Roll on the release... If only I could get a pre order in!!!!

Intel pushes Atom-fueled storage for homes, SMB

Re: HP N40L Micrososervers

Ive got a HPMicroserver and a Qnap Atom based 2U nas and the Qnap runs rings round the HP when under load.

The Qnap saves time, it slots right into a rack and is up and running in minutes integrated into AD with ISCSI and Timemachine support too.

$3500 will get 13.3in Mac tablet in your mitts

a friend of mine just sold his original modbook... it was a lovely bit of kit and it does have its uses... its a niche product indeed, but because of that it has its place - and he sold his for more than he bought it 3 years back...

just a shame the thing was a bugger to use outside of design software... if you thought win7 was a bitch with a touch screen... try OSX10.6!! (I wonder if the new 10.8? is any better with a stylus??)

Mobe app makers doubt Windows 8 will be worth the hassle - poll

this is a shame... and I hope the trend changes... Ive now been using win8 as my main os for a few weeks and starting to really like the live tiles, keeping me uptodate with things...

What Id like is more integration between desktop apps and metro apps... almost client server type setups - fullfat on the desktop, but the ability to poll, quick view and edit from the start screen...

as for only developing for a large userbase? well, once OEM's start shipping post nov or at the latest early new year, any member of joe public will be supplied with Win8. (yes they can install Linux or downgrade to 7 or XP, but most mainstream users wont.) so this time next year win8 will have a pretty large userbase...

From Dr No to Skyfall: The Reg's one month of Bond

Re: MIssing article

Well the invisible car is in existence - sort of... an LCD cloth panel if I remember, using cameras to capture the image behind it - Mercedes used it the other week on one of their electric or hybrid things at some vauge motor show I skimmed over....

Id say the most impossible gadget would be the whole of moonraker, although Musk is doing a pretty good job of playing Drax at the moment... if only he'd bought a volcano instead of Texas!

WTF is... NFC

Re: It's not too bad

I don't know about you, but I often like change back from my sub whole note transactions....

I would bet my sandwich that tapping my NFC card against the terminal is faster than a PFY at the cash register, struggling to decipher the mindboggling array of different shaped and coloured payment discs to exchange for my paper rectangle...

Windows 8 and you – So, what's next?

Re: Appeal to teenagers, dual screen, low spec machines

dockable tablets are what im waiting for... (currently a docked Lattitude user) lightweight slate for out and about, then dock the thing - a second monitor, keyboard, mouse and discrete GFX in the dock for proper work...

Having a nice standard across all my devices will be great, most of my data is backed up on my skydrive so to be able to move from my phone, to my tablet to my PC will make life all rather easy...

Change is coming... change is good...

Myspace mutates Windows 8 with new look

@jake - and why would anyone care about Facebook too?

I'm not an active user of any social networking, but I must admit the new look is pleasing to me, irrespective of people's views to MySpace, it did help a lot of people get noticed and I'm pleased that there is some one that's coding something that is not a Facebook clone, I won't be using it, but good luck to them... 3rd? Time lucky!

Verizon CFO: 'Unlimited' data is just a word

A word is meaningless...

I hate people sometimes....

the whole point of a word is to convey a meaning...

I challenge him to walk upto the president and greet him by the term 'N****R' or go onto national TV and call the Chinese Premier a 'C***K'

Hell, I wonder what the reacation would be if he went on live TV and called all his customers 'useless c**ts who are only good for revinue streams' just a bunch of meaning less words... what harm could they do............

Apple scrambled to hire iOS 6 maps engineers DAYS before launch

you could hire a million people into the maps team.... the maps app can be the most polished progam in existence, the maps application isnt the problem... the issue is the source of the map data - this is owned, managed and updated by TomTom.... They are the people that need to be investing in staff, cameras, licencing/updating imagery.

Apple's brilliant plan to fix iOS Maps: Get YOU to do it

Re: iOS 6 Maps - Cloud Based Satellite Imagery

deviod of detail? have a look at Brigton - one of the UK's major cities... there is no imagery at all - nor for about 100 miles alongand 25 miles inland of the southeast coast...

Apple iPhone 5 review

Re: Obviously A Fanboi ...

this is true.... and having no imagery for the southeast of the uk is totally fine as its apple I suppose.... Bognor to Eastbourne upto crawley is all black no entry imagery! as is much of the rest of the country....

DARPA demos cyborg binoculars to spot the enemy

And here we have an image of an operator after a few minutes of having images flashed at his face... He's downed tools and fired up the Xbox instead...

Win8 tablets may cost MORE than iPads – AND LAPTOPS

Apple has the cool factor... Irrespective of what the machine does, the current tablet punter has to be wooed... And even as a Microsoft advocate, I'd buy an iPad over a windows 8 tablet if they are the same cost... (oddly my iPhone is being replaced with a win 8 phone!)

I really wanted the win 8 tab to revolutionise abd shake up tablet computing, but I feel as though it's going to be a bit of a damp squip...

Microsoft announces Office 2013, Office 365 pricing

Re: It's not a one off fee

$99 per year for 5 licences

$138 for a single perpetual licence

Devils advocate here, but I welcome the transition to subscription, I tend to upgrade my hardware every few years so upgrade office as I go.

$20 per year for a perpetually upgrading suite with some Skype calls and storage is ok, given current pricing you would break even after 2.5 years = new pc time.

If you have a poor internet connection, well install 2013 onto your hard drive. You have 5 licences after all... The option to run a virtual application on a machine you don't use is also quite neat. Running the cloud app is another option so I don't really see what your loosing with subscribing...

Ready for the down voting!!!

Ten USB 3.0 HDD enclosures

Re: Definitely the Zalman that can mount ISOs

Ditto, I got the 200 when it was released and it is way beyond awesome for storage, building a pc from the ISO is also so much faster than physical cd.

The fact that it shows as a BD drive is also a bonus... I've been lusting after the USB3 version for a while, but try as I might, can't find them anywhere for less than £40...

Viewsonic 22in Android 'tablet' hands-on review

Re: That projector sounds revolutionary

have a look at the casio projectors, lower res but similar tech - lasers and led's - bright, crisp and no cool down time... weve been using them in the office and for mobile training suites for a few years...