Posts by Owain 1

Women crap at parking: Official

Re: Nw for a spanner in the works..

It appears you drew the 'witty and intelligent' card from the skills pile instead. Madam, I salute you.

Fed up with Windows? Linux too easy? Get weird, go ALTERNATIVE

I've got one here...

Oh. But no floppy drive. Hmm.

No mention of RiscOS either. Obviously not x86 but an alternative to look at for those with a Pi lying around unused (or just running squeezeplug stuck on the top of a kitchen cupboard with £18 of mains powered speakers attached as mine is - cheepest multi room music system around. My brother in law spent £1000 a room on his system. Ouch.).

Boffins debate killing leap seconds to help sysadmins

Make them predictable

I agree with this thinking. I.e. instead of them deciding each time they need one, if they simply agreed that they would add some at predefined times. (Say 30th June in 2013, 2018, 2025, 2029 etc) to keep time with the predetermined slow down of the earths rotation, then we'd just have a fixed list that lasted 50 years or so. Then we'd all be dead and the children can think about how/ when to add more to that list.

Easy to implement (simply publish them, and then stick to them). Easy to embed in closed systems (just used published seconds - no system is likely to last more than 50 years with no maintenance).

And they could simply decide not to add any more leap seconds at all. That way there is no need to change existing systems (they just read the existing leap seconds from the existing list) and you don't need to change any embedded systems either. The GPS and 'updated' clocks are simply defined as being 18 seconds apart from each other from now on.

Everybody is happy.

Drone to deliver beer-as-a-service

Re: Improvements

Hmmm, obviously if you had a 11 foot pole, then you'd be able to steal the can as it came down. Which means the purchaser needs to have a 12 foot pole. And then the 'can rustler' would need a 13 foot pole. Or just a big net to catch the drone and swipe the whole cargo of precious amber nectar.

Hard luck lads, todger size DOES matter: Official

Re: Size does seem to help but....

"The ultimate aphrodisiac has long been green in colour."

I shall begin working on my lawn right now!

It's quite long.....

The healing hands of guru Dabbs

Cardboard cut out

I used to work as a software designer and coder in a small part of the HP offices in Reading (now closed). A colleague of mine used to sit in the cubicle behind mine. His job (and he was very good at it) was to sit there, normally silently, and have other people explain their problems to him. Regardless of whether he knew anything about the subject matter or not. Normally about half way through their explanation, the explainer would normally stop. Say "Gaarh!! I've got it!" and walk back to their desk fully armed with the solution. Stuart, I salute you and your ability. I believe he was outsourced to a cardboard cut out :(

US woman cuffed for 'booking strippers for 16th birthday bash'

Probably ill advised

The link in the article points to the DA's office (or something) and there's more detail there. I quote

" they had sufficient evidence to charge at least 5 counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child relative to the acts performed on the children by the dancers all at the alleged direction, arrangement, organization and supervision by and of Ms. Viger. As difficult as it may be for us to have to weigh in on these kinds of cases, certainly exposing the unsuspecting children to this sort of "entertainment" goes beyond the pale when it comes to what is appropriate for 14, 15 and 16 year old child. It is important to remember that it is the other kids and their parents who came forward and who initiated the investigation. The police correctly followed up on legitimate, good faith complaints and the police owed it to them to conduct an earnest investigation into the matter."

I guess the invitations didn't read: "Come to my bowling and strippers party".

Medical scan record that the NHS says will cost £2k to retrieve: Detail

Lend him the disc

That is all.

RISC OS comes to Raspberry Pi

Speedy!

Gosh, that's a quick desktop. You drag the windows and they move in real time. Although it nearly made me cry when I looked at the task manager to find the free pool was 128000K. I remember spending weeks on end cramming my games to make them fit in a 640k free pool to support the 1Mb machines.

Visions of the Impossible.

Neil Gaiman’s saucy pop wife agrees to pay her musicians in money

Triangle

For a triangle I'd give you 1 in 3... and there's the 'stick' to consider too of course. Have you considered taking up the 'shaker'?

Sony delays micro-PS3 and colours current crop

Sad

I do struggle to see why offering the product in a different colour would somehow encourage somebody who wasn't already going to buy the console to buy it. Although given that they all do this, presumably its proven to work. "I don't think I will buy a new PS, I'll just wait until the next gen box comes out..... Ohh it comes in Scarlet blue now? Well why didn't you say! I'll take 10."

Gamer fails STAM roll, dies after 40-hour Diablo III stretch

Some responsibility on the game developer

It might be reasonable for the game server to kick you off for a certain amount of time (say 30 minutes) if your account has been active beyond the safe limits stated in their games terms and conditions: I'm sure they must have some sort of guidance on this kind of thing? Obviously you would need to be (moved to) somewhere 'safe' in the game. Or perhaps all the NPCs should start shouting "You must drink some water" and "Go eat something" or "Get some sleep"

Or is there a fear that this might be the developer accepting some sort of legal responsibility? If somebody dies because they fall asleep at the wheel of their car from driving for too long then I assume it's not the car manufacturer's fault?

Raspberry Pi to skipper microship across Atlantic

Looks like a greenhouse

I'd be a bit worried that that tupperware was going to act like a greenhouse and 'bake' the RPi quite quickly. Although given that it's still raining outside maybe that wont be a problem on a uk duck pond.

Code glitch floored Reg reader altimeter

Re: @Robert E A Harvey

I may be an idiot, but if we know that the balloon is going to burst due to getting too big, then can't you fit some sort of 'hole' in it so that it loses gas as it rises. Or doesn't that help.

Aga cooks up phone-controlled 'iOven'

Re: Puzzled...

Always on? Indeed. Ours is. It comes complete with absolutely no user controls what so ever. You want a particular temperature? You use the oven that's already at that temperature. Cooks great pizzas on the floor of the roasting oven. Bake a cake in the baking oven at the same time, while simmering your vegetables in the simmering oven at the same time, and warming your plates in the warming oven at the same time. If you want you can also be ironing clothes by leaving them on the top of the simmering plate lid (at the same time). However I think this is for one of those new-fangled lectrickery stoves. Best kept in the city I think.

Hang on, I think I can smell burning. I'll be back in a moment...

Sality botnet takedown plans posted online

Re: if you shoot me, tough, but I could never shoot you

You mean forcibly install software on somebody elses computer, that has already been compromised by somebody else?

Ah, two wrongs. Yes that would make a right.

On the other hand. I kind of agree with you. If granny's machine is spewing out spam, then it needs to be stopped. Presumably in the real world you can force farmers to slaughter animals if they become infected with certain viruses by law. Would it not be possible to construct such a law to force owners to clean up computers infected by certain viruses, or force cleanup software on them remotely. Presumably you would need some sort of compensation fund in case of data loss or something.

'Thermal cloak' designed, could solve major chip, spacecraft issues

sterilisation or pasturise or desalinate

Presumably more useful to the world in general would be the rapid heating/cooling potential which could be used to pasturise water using (for example) the sun as a heat source. Or perhaps use it to desalinate water. I'm thinking of pushing to heat into one area (used to heat the water) from another area (used to condense it back again). I'm no expert (obviously).

Brazilian cops hunt pillaging 'gang of blondes'

Re: why not have a second "under duress" pin code

I thought that there was some plan to have it as being your existing PIN in reverse. That way you don't have to try to remember it. I.e. if pin = 1234 then panic = 4321. Note ATM gives out the money in any case.

It would seem reasonable to have a low impact panic system such as having the card blocked for the next x hours (after the panic transaction completes), rather than squirting ink in the face of the user. That way, the mugger knows they have the right PIN, but they can't use the card again. They would have to hold onto the mugee for x hours until the card became free, or else Mugee would raise alarm. Also having got 1 'amount' of money out (i.e. the panic transaction) they would be more inclined to just chuck the card away.

So more of a damage limitation for both customer and bank... Also means mugee can give out PIN without having fingers broken etc.

Archos 35 Home Connect

Tablet?

Presumably you could just run up the clock app on any tablet?

BT, Scotland Yard form copper theft crackdown supersquad

shipped abroad

I was thinking about this, but it would never work. They'd just (and they probably do already) ship it abroad. No way you can catch this at the scrap yard :(

Marmitek Gigaview GV820 wireless HDMI sender

please try and break it

Come on reviewer! Bit more detail please!

Can you give us an indication of what your walls are made from? Mine are 2 or 3 foot thick stone....

Can you push the system to see how far apart you can get it before it starts dropping or doesn't cope etc. would be a good rounding of the review. Also can you review the picture quality using 2 tvs next to each other, but one using the transmitter, and one the 'through' channel. Any difference? time lag? etc.

I find it very annoying when there are two sound sources (e.g. TVs) and they're a fraction of a second 'off' in timing. Does this apply?

ICO smacks Welsh council with record £130k fine

Printer requires password/ID swipe to print

I've seen two solutions to this actually used. In C&W you had to swipe your ID card on the printer to print your jobs there and then. We had a big office, but this seemed to work ok.

Or more cheaply: I've seen printers requiring you to enter a password at the printer to print something out. Job is held until password is entered.

Not rocket science.

Just seven solar cars reach Adelaide alive

it probably is 3000k

but that sounded too rounded. So they knocked off 2k to make it seem 'accurate'.

Mars trips could blind astronauts

Constant acceleration

I thought the mission to Mars would be under constant acceleration / deceleration. Would that provide enough "gravity"? Surely they're not going to coast all the way?

LOHAN to suck mighty thruster as it goes off, in a shed

Pictures otherwise it never happened

Presumably you might want some sort of cheap camera and lighting inside just to check for rocket deformation / other problems. Otherwise you've just got a big lump of metal to look at, and a charred mess afterwards. Mind you, not sure how they'd function at that pressure/temperature, but presumably you need a camera etc to work under these conditions anyway since you'd want to mount them on Lohan for the real launch.

End of UK local dialling in sight as numbers run out

Always change your number

I was stupid enough to take the phone-number already allocate to the line to the house we bought. It had been empty for a couple of years and so I thought nothing of it. However 4 years later we are STILL getting calls from debt collectors for the previous but 1 owners. We hear they emigrated to Spain. Swines.

Vodafone Smart Android smartphone

Why such a low %

65% ? Value for money wise, I would be looking at a much higher rating.

As your last paragraph states, its horses for courses. This is no £400 phone, but it still does everything that your non-hardcore user wants to do. How about comparing it to Android tablets from ASDA etc which cost £100. That would be a good comparison point I suppose.

Football goal-line tracking tech delayed

They got it right...

on the snoods.

Viewsonic ViewPad 7 Android tablet

Stock Android features

<rant>

It does annoy me when the reviewer reviews the stock features of the operating system. "Whoa! Android (tablet) comes with an on screen keyboard? Well shiver me timbers!" What I need to know is, is it More than just stock android, has it any "special" features etc. I need differentiation factors between this and any other Android tablet/phone.

Hardware is important,

button position - important,

the fact that holding the power button brings up the 'power menu' is STOCK!! All android devices do this.

CPU - important.

Battery - important;

Storage - important,

connectivity - important,

Resolution - important.

User experience due to combination of the above - important.

Wallpaper is interchangeable - STOCK

Music player - STOCK

Let me guess? It has google maps? Wow. That is a shock.

... </rant>

WALL-E spaceliner smart hoverchairs debut in Japan

Spoiler

You've ruined my 4 year old's day.

RockYou hack reveals easy-to-crack passwords

princess ??!!

Where did that come from?

World standards body maps out 3D TV generations

eeek

They already have......

UK ID card project descends into muddle

rat a tat tat

I've tried knocking on the wall. It doesn't work.

Thai firm flies in early-80s style keyboard PC

No D-pad

Or do they expect me to balance this thing with a really long wire coming out of the back of it to the TV on my lap, rolling my mouse along the sofa. Oh if only there were something that you really could just put on TOP of your LAP, perhaps with a built in display, and maybe someway of moving the pointer. I'm sure there's a catchy name you could come up with.

Apple preps adaptable gadget adapter

missed point

I believe that the article is about a holder to take the weight of the device, not to actually connect to it. Presumably a micro USB socket cannot reasonably support the weight of a device without breaking after the 100th plug/unplug.

Personally I employ a small trained monkey to bear the weight of my mobile devices.

Combat walker machines: $3m for new studies

Eh haw

Are we still talking about the donkey here? Seems a little harsh.

Belkin Powerline HD Gigabit mains Ethernet adaptor

@Peter Gathercole

My vote is for homeplug in an old house. Ours is 400 years old. We drilled through one wall once to take some plumbing outside: Our 50cm long drill didn't break through, and we finally got out the other side after 70cm. Not a task to be taken lightly. Our (original) skirting board goes down to the (original) floor boards. Wi-fi drops out from one room to another. We have ended up with homeplug from the adsl/wifi router, to another homeplug in the attic with our 'server', and another homeplug connected to a wifi router on the other side of the house to get (patchy) wifi in all rooms downstairs. Works a treat. Horses for courses I think.