Posts by russell 6

Panda-monium as Google updates key search algorithm

Just checked. Phew

Must admit, just did a quick check to see if my book Syria: Refugees and Rebels still comes up on the first page. As does my blog.

PEAK APPLE: Mystery upstart to hurl iLord from its throne 'by 2020'

I'm not so sure

Not that I am a fanboi, I can't say that I am a fan of any particular company. The situation is this, the only way for the big technology companies to stay on top is by acquisitions of smaller start-ups. The patent system is making it all the more harder for new companies to come up with something innovative that isn't covered by a generalized patent which has been registered by one of the big companies.

Also the big companies reach a point where they simply stop innovating, after a period of time they all lose their mojo. It is a fact of life. What we will see with the current economic system is less innovation over time, the markets dominated by a few big players who are locking out the capacity for truly innovative start-ups to play among the heavyweights. It seems the way of the market now is to develop an idea, show it can work and then sell it on to the big players before you have the chance to be majorly successful and as a result hit by a patent lawsuit by one of the established players. This is the fault of the patent system which allows such generalized patents that the only way to get a result is if you already have a shed load of cash at your disposal if you want to defend your claim. VC's know this and work from this point of view.

I would be very surprised if a new company could come along today and grow to the size of Google, Apple, Facebook, Oracle etc. The system is set against that happening.

Vladimir Putin says internet is a 'CIA project'

Getting out of control

Putin will be doing what he can to control the internet in Russia because it is closer to the brink of financial collapse than many realize, any sound of dissent will need to be closed out. The upcoming war with Ukraine is going to be a tool to feed the masses sense of Nationalism, not only this it will be useful to have external sources to blame for the coming financial problems.

You can be sure that the US will put even stronger sanctions on Russian banks, effectively cutting them off from the global banking system, I wouldn't be surprised if Putin ordered full on cyber warfare as a result against USA/EU, something for which we are not fully prepared.

Google confirms Turkish ISPs 'intercepted' its DNS service

Turkey is preparing for war

I know this is a little off topic but I am hearing from so many sources that the potential for war between Syria and Turkey is extremely high. I was in Syria last year to photo document the conflict and am very well connected in the middle east. I started hearing things about 6 months ago and recently the suggestion is coming to me from many different sources. I sincerely hope they are wrong but they have been spot on about so many things in the past.

Cops bang up 'drunk, naked' Virginian

More likely she was picked up by the fuzz rather than had her collar felt. Getting my coat.

DOOMSDAY still just MINUTES AWAY: As it has been since 1947

Only 5 minutes before the hour?

If they understood what is really going on then the clock would only be 15 seconds before midnight.

Coming in 2014: Scary super-soldier exoskeleton suits from the US military

Re: Another boondoggle.

KISS. So very true. I reckon they are looking at 2018 because by that time there is going to be real friction between the American general population and those who suppose to govern them. Also I don't think they will ultimately been worn by humans. Considering the direction that robotics is going in, it looks as if they are looking to build some sort of drone that will be very well armoured and armed, which can be controlled from a distance.

Bitcoin price soars after US Senate hearing on 'legit' currency

The thing is people are treating it like an asset rather than a currency. If you ask me this is going to end up like tulip-mania. It is essentially valueless because there is little you can actually do with bit coins at the moment. It is based an a perceived value rather than anything that is real, a bit like fiat money in general but at least I can spend a tenner in the pub or buy groceries.

Baldness fix from foreskin follicles

Smeghead if they don't wash daily

Marissa Mayer in Vogue fashion shoot

Re: Awkward

Yup. Her hair has definitely been 'shopped' with a blur effect

Yorkshire police lose 9,000 guns in rogue BOFH database blunder

When you think about it, gun crime has risen dramatically in the years since Dunblane. All the gun control has absolutely no effect on the criminals who want to get hold of a weapon.

I would be curious to know the percentage of gun crimes that are committed with a registered weapon.

Airport security boss calls time on tech

Case in point

Recently flew from Bergamo airport in Italy to Tangier. Got talking to the guy sitting next to me when he suddenly pulls a pretty substantial bolus of hash out of his pocket and offered me some. So much for all the security screening.............

Most consumers reuse banking passwords on other sites

Passwords

I'm a Brit living in Switzerland and my bank has a pretty good system. I have a standard password which I must use in combination with my account number. Then I have a one time password each time i log in based on a set of passwords the bank send me. This list is kept very secure. Without this list no one is getting into my account. Simple but very effective.

US monster-truck roboguns to blast enemies autonomously

And for time off....

Looks like its got some fishing kit built in as well