Posts by Another One

The real reason Google bought Motorola

Hammer

meet the nail's head.

And don't forget a few "telecoms" companies 13 years ago deliberately running at a loss or even set up to fail for the same reasons.

Bitter? Me - noooooooo.

Will the looters 'loose' their benefits?

not...

whores then?

Parmo v poutine: Your cut-out-and-keep pdf guide

Try a kapsalon...

In The Netherlands we have the infamous "Kapsalon" - it's even got it's own English wikipage:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kapsalon

One of those after a night out - or even before, during AND after - can't be beat.

Spielberg flung Fox from Transformers 3

guess...

you won't be going to see it then?

Swiss jetwing backpack-birdman flies the Grand Canyon

Cool

Very cool:) Of course - you'd have to be crazy to fly something like that but still:)

I also love the use of duct-tape and cardboard(?) or something taped to the underside of the wings - can be seen at end of the video.

Bletchley Park opens U-110 Enigma exhibit

and

it wasn't the Midlands - it was Hadrian's Wall. Well - ok - he walked back again as well I guess?

Reg reader lost for words over blank HP keyboard

and

don't even go there with the problems of troubleshooting password problems and other such things when keyboard mappings don't match the keyboards.

Vote now for the best sci-fi film never made

No ALL button?

'Tis a shame there is no "ALL".

Watson? Commercial – not super – computer

What if...

you put two or three of these things together but not linked - as stand alone - and get them to talk to each other? Could they group solve problems? and if you slighty bias each ones algorithms - they would come up with slightly different best answers and learn from these?

Even just playing jepordy against each other?

If it's possible with these - then that would be a really interesting experiment.

Maybe we don't want to go there for real fear of having to welcome our new overlords?

Sun spews out massive solar flare

Void...

I'm just on the last volume of the Void trilogy - good reading.

Airport face-scanning robots switched off

Google Picassa

I used the face recognition feature in Picassa - it worked really well. Would pick out faces of family correctly even if they were in the background etc. What also suprised me is that it matched pictures of my parents now (both >80) with pictures from their wedding - some 60 years ago and scanned in. Interestingly - there were very few false positives.

Maybe someone in Manchester airport wants to have a look at Googles offering - can't see it being any more evil than the current one;)?

And...

travel to be provided by RyanAir?

IT grad claims £5m for crap degree

Old Equipment?

WIth appologies if your comment was loaded with sarcasm etc...

I wonder just how much having that latest and greatest processor really is going to make someone more clever or intelligent etc? Just how much is a brand spanking new young lecturer going to be better than an old and experienced one?

Just not sure if you can equate top class to new rather than old? Sure it's better to have good quality than poor but shouldn't it be down to the individual student to make the best and do the best rather than be stimulated by eye candy?

From my experience I got my degree from the OU over a number of years while holding down a full time busy job and gaining 3 kids on the way. So I'm perhaps not the best one to judge.

Visa's chip-and-PIN exemption rules given cautious welcome

To be fair

To be fair this article isn't about that...

It's about relaxing the rules around security checks of vendors who have the equipment to help allow them to offer the service.

As for chip-and-pin in the UK - it's better than just a signature. it's not perfect but I think no system is. Travellers that have a chip on their credit card "should" have received the PIN and if not then should request one.

In case you don't have PIN - many stores will do an override if you show passport as well but I guess it depends on how this is asked of the seller.

Also around the globe - many places will ask if you want to sign or use PIN. Sometimes the PIN is enforced but not often.

Gatwick Airport security swoops on 3-inch rifle

We shoot them with our plastic guns.

I fly through Schiphol a lot. Normally things are fine, the security there is friendly, tolerant of humour and alert. However...

One sleepy morning going through the Schengan line one mother with her child are stopped at the X-Ray machine. The child has a plastic flint-lock pirate pistol. The security guy explains that even if it's a toy gun it could still be real and the proceeds to pull the trigger several times whilst pointing the offensive toy in random directions!

What should one do in that situation? Hit the dirt? Laugh? Or just leave the area very quickly wondering and sadly shaking head?

Another time - in San Antonio, TX - Going through the security. I get singled out for a "special" security check. Fine. I get put in some sort of glass walled cage and feel like I'm on show. I ask why this is being done. I get told I'm special and that if I don't like it - to go and complain to airline security rep at the check in desk. Very useful. Not.

Anyways - I eventually get let out and my bag is gone through with various explosive sniffers and such like. I have a small bottle of hand cleaner (alcohol based) that raises his interest. I explain it - no problem. I comply with questions an such like - I've nothing to hide. Anyways - after 10 minutes of questioning and "sniffing" my bag - I'm allowed to go on with my journey and have a pleasant flight. Fine.

I get home some hours later VIA a connecting flight in Houston and similar treatment. I find my 4" lock-back army knife hiding in plain sight in one of the side pockets. I mean - ok - it's green - but no-one commented or saw it. Makes me wonder.

National Identity Card holding chumps have buyer's remorse

Stupidity?

I really don't understand why there is this desire to call those that purchased their ID cards as stupid. I also still don't understand the UK's continual negativity to the concept of an ID card. Many harp on about hard won democratic freedoms. When were these won - and by whom? I would say that at least 80% of the posters on this board have done nothing to fight for their rights but they are happy to consume them.

In the rest of Europe - ID cards are accepted and used for crossing borders etc. ID cards from say The Netherlands can be used to enter the UK. In many ways they are a substitute for a passport.

Anyways - That argument is obviously beyond a lot of people so - why worry.

I hear so much moaning and bitching about the UK and how bad things are with the Government and wasting money and life's not fair and all that crap so to paraphrase what one Australian PM said...

"You also have the right to leave".

Myself? I fucked off from the UK a long time ago - I didn't moan or bitch - I did something about it. I didn't make myself the victim. At the risk of being a troll I would suggest those that don't like it do something to improve their own situation.

Multiple travel firms refuse ID cards as passport alternative

re: And the problem is?

John

Thank you

"our" council registration is centralised - and we alseo have checks made against that database for instance if you wish to become a teacher or such like. The check is basically to check you aren't a mass murderer or anything like that.

I don't know the cost of ID cards here - we only use our passports or drivers license. I do know that some folks use the ID card.

What I fail to understand - and yes - I may just be being blond and dense here is what is the difference between ID card and passport. Passports cost more than ID cards but allow you into more countries. All travel is logged regardless of possport or ID card so that can't be it.

A drivers license is a valid EU identification document - so this should be sufficient. The ID card is just another document that you don't need unless you want one.

The database idea I can well understand but then again - you are on that database whether you like it or not. You pay tax, you have NI number etc etc. You are in there. We are all in there.

I wonder if this really is just a reaction to things appearing to change and a government that lies so badly?

And the problem is?

Like TimBinstead above - I too live in The Netherlands and have done so for nearly 20 years.

Here - you need to register with the local council when you move in to and area. "They" then know who you are and where you live. "They" also require that you carry official ID and be able to present it when requested. This has happened to me once when I was on my bike when I shouldn't have been. So were all the others which I pointed out and the nice (very stressed police lady) put up her arms and let me go.

No one here worries about these regulations. Note this is also the same country where prostitution is largely legal and so are certain drugs (although that is changing).

And yes - many people here do travel on EU ID cards only - I see this regularly as I travel a fair bit for work. It's accepted here.

Many other European countries require you to register where you live and also have a legal requirement that you are able to identify yourselves. Note that this was before 9/11.

Whilst I am originally from the UK and still am a UK citizen I really fail to see why people get so upset and irate at the idea of ID Cards. Maybe it's the cost or the fact that that the technology maybe isn't there yet? Maybe it's the reasons/exucsuses the government is using to advocate them? I just don't know.

Can anyone explain the reasons for the dislike of these cards (in a calm logical none-knee jerk reaction sort of way)?

(Can we have a simple ? type icon please)

Chinese villager jailed for eating tiger

Surf and Turf?

Not normally on the local menu but maybe he wanted to branch out?