Posts by Neil Spellings

We need to talk about desktop virt

Whilst I agree that your server should be Gigabit networked, theres no reason why having 100mbit down to the end user device should impact performance. VDI protocols like RDP and ICA/HDX work all the way down to GPRS bandwidths, so 100mbit is more than ample for a virtual desktop.

Elite coder readies £15 programming gadget for schools

Perhaps it could run BBC BASIC?

Given it's based on an ARM CPU, the now-open source RISC OS could potentially be a suitable target OS, and that includes the original BBC BASIC

https://www.riscosopen.org/

WTF is... cloud gaming?

XBox in the cloud

Microsoft have a great protocol technology called RemoteFX they are currently licensing to TV, STB and monitor manufacturers. I think this will be used to offer a cloud-based XBOX Live service.

If MS give you the ability to play XBOX games "in the cloud" the age of the console under your TV is dead - all your TV needs is the RemoteFX decoder chip, an ethernet port and way to connect the controller (Bluetooth/Wireless?)

Games developers will be released from the physical constraints of the console hardware - their games can scale up, and down as needed and consume as much, or as little, CPU and/or memory as "the cloud" can provide.

Uses won't need to fork out for expensive consoles that are obsolete in a few years, break down, get hacked, develop red rings etc. All you'll need is the TV and a fast broadband link.

It's gonna happen, trust me.

/Mine's the one with the wireless controller in the pocket.

Google responds to Czech ban

Streeview bikes

If Streetview is "about buildings and streets" why do they have bikes with cameras capturing all the locations that the cars can't reach?

I was at Lands' End in Cornwall last week and up popped the Google bike with camera cycling up and down the footpaths .

The temptation to push him off the cliff just to see if the image of me standing victorious at the cliff top would make it into the Streetview when searching for "bottom of Atlantic near Lands end" :-)

ARM flexes muscles with fivefold performance boost

@Nigel11

Note quite mATX buy check out http://beagleboard.org/

They provide small motherboards with networking, USB etc based on the ARM PCU.

Alternatively, buy yourself an old Acorn or Iyonix system to play with.

Dell crafts mother of all graphics cards

Perfect for RemoteFX

This type of expansion will become increasingly common once Microsoft release RemoteFX for VDI deployments which will allow this bank of GPUs to be shared amongst hundreds of Virtual Desktops.

Using group policy: GPOs good, scripts much better

Other tools available

Both AppSense and RES PowerFuse enhance the functionality provided by AD GPOs. Neither are cheap mind you.

Windows 7 SP1 'beta' leaks, hits torrents

Versioning

Can't believe people base still base their judgements on "how much has changed" based on a single build version string. Very short sited commentards!

Atlantis spacewalkers snapped through shuttle windows

Velcro also popular on the ISS

See this photo:

http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/456834main_iss023e047254_hires.jpg

Also used to hold Laptops to the ceiling/floor

MS botches Office 2010 prices, hikes Professional by £30

Where have you all been?

Has everyone on this site been living in a cave the last few years and really had no clue on how much the full Office suite really costs?

And as to those who are saying "who the hell will buy Office?" I think you'll find the answer is "majority of large corporates and most of the public sector"

You don't think Microsoft makes a large percentage of it's overall revenue by giving away Office for next to now't now surely?

Orchestration and the server environment

Citrix provisioning server

I've used Citrix Provisioning Server (part of the XenDesktop suite) to boot servers from a single central image. This gives great agility when provisioning, and re-provisioning servers to particular roles.

It allows the hardware to be seen more as a resource, rather than dedicated "web server" or "file server". It takes IT deps a while to get their heads around this concept that a piece of tin can change its role as fast as it takes to reboot, but once they realise the agility this gives them - especially with rapid upgrades, easy rollback etc they generally quickly come on site.

This provisioning technology of course works best when you've virtualised your servers as it removes the hardware dependacy in the images but can be applied to "legacy tin" to achieve similar benefits.

UK taxpayers hit by wave of tax refund scam mail

@Dave93

I found the contact email address with ONE click. On the very front page of the www.hmrc.gov.uk site:

Online security

Online protection advice, including reporting phishing scams

Click through and you will see:

If you have received an email from HMRC that you consider to be fraudulent, please forward it to [e-mail]. HMRC cannot reply to every email, but action is taken on each report received.

Simples...as our Meercat friend would say!

Amazon eyes wander as Royal Mail strike looms

HDN

All my Amazon stuff arrives via "Home Delivery Network" which appears to be a network of home-workers who act as couriers in their local area. My stuff gets dropped off by someone in a old Volvo...but at least it arrives unlike the farce that is Royal Mail.

HP strikes back on charges for 'free' Windows 7 upgrade

Neil's response

Hi, I'm the "Neil" quoted in the article.

The "tagline" on the online adverts read:

"Purchase any eligible Windows Vista® Home Premium, Vista Business or Vista Ultimate PC and get a free upgrade to Windows 7"

Note the word "free".

There is a line in the terms and conditions that read:

"Each vendor will charge shipping and handling fees. These charges vary by vendor."

Still, I consider HP's charge of £27 for shipping and handling obscene when I'm capable of downloading the same thing for free.

Campaign Monitor reels from hack and spam attack

SPAM delays

More email marketing campaigns delayed...am I the only one not crying into their keyboard?

Apple won't let Commodore onto its baby

ICA client

How does Citrix get around this condition with their ICA client for the iPhone? That involves running other code elsewhere "outside of iTunes"

Gordon Ramsay breaches f**king broadcasting code

Double standards

I find it bizarre that everyone is berating Gordon for not being able to express himself without the excessive use of expletives, whilst filling their posts with an incredulous amount said expletives themselves.

Why does everyone need to feel the need to stoop to the same level to prove thier point?

Mine's the one with "chef" on the pocket..

Dixon of Threadneedle Street plan threatens confusion

Police not interested in online fraud

I run several online eCommerce sites, and regularly get obviously fraudulent orders placed with stolen credit cards. Despite have the "perps" contact details via the delivery address, the police just arent interested in me reporting these incidents having tried several times.

Evesham Technology confirmed dead

Car..

Anyoneone know where this abandoned car is? I'll happily "uplift" it :-)

Blazing Vaios: Sony's hot-tops hit the UK, too

Sony quality

The "Select" button on my Sony Vaio laptop wore out after only 6 months of use. (Fixed under warranty.)

I was also p*ssed that I couldnt enable the CPU Virtualisation extensions that the chipset supports but Sony disable in the BIOS so I could run HyperV under Windows 2008.

Paris 'cus I've not used her icon before..

Google to build 80,000 foot radio tower?

Business model

So these guys are sending up $2500 worth of equipment every day and just hoping that someone will retrieve it for a $100 bounty?

How sustainable is that? Also, what percentage of fallen balloons are recovered? Their "green" credentials wont be that great if there are hundreds of lost transmitters, all with batteries presumably, decaying away across the countryside.

Call to curb 'frustrating' tax admin

@Andrew

Yes, not all businesses that deal with HMRC are registered companies. There are also sole traders, partnerships etc - all of which have to pay tax, and VAT if their turnover is high enough.

Legal loophole allows Manhunt 2 to be sold in UK

GTA..

"I remember when they tried to ban Grand Theft Auto thinking that people will start highkjacking cars"

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/gloucestershire/7056843.stm

"...drive-by shootings",

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7055814.stm

"...running people over"

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/nottinghamshire/7006712.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cambridgeshire/7037325.stm

"hiring prostitutes then killing them to get your money back."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6166635.stm

At least with the traffic nowerdays there are no town centres that you can scream round at high speed...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/6991597.stm

oh..

Fraudsters feast on credit card scam

What has the secure symbol got to do with fraud?

I'm confused how having "the padlock" symbol (ie you credit card details are transmitted over SSL) would help in this situation.

When you have fraudsters that have setup a fake website selling non-existant goods to harvest credit card details, whether your card details are encypted or not when they are winging their way to the fraudsters is surely irrelevant?

The only thing you'll gain is the knowledge that they won't be intercepted by any other fraudsters out to defraud the original fraudsters!

Cheers,

Neil

www.purleyhosting.com