Posts by Alhazared

New dole system is 'digital by default', like it or not

Which they closed in Nov 2010

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/08/10/home_access_scheme_dropped/

Cabinet Office government-by-Facebook plans probed

But what's actually driving this...

... is UK Gov's Digital by Default agenda.

This government (specifically Francis Maude and his Reform Group cronies from big business) wants all government services to be delivered by default online, as a cost saving measure, which mandates a single digital ID. This will turn into a gov mega project, and as we have seen countless times before the usual suspects in the shape of IBMFujitsuHPMSGooglecorp will be the only bidders with the capital resources capable of convincing the contracts teams that they can deliver.

This on the day when MPs declare that the usual suspects operate a cartel which is "Ripping Off Whitehall" (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-14314935) with contracts which are 7 times overpriced

Nevermind that we the people:

* Didn't vote for a digital identity Card via the backdoor

* Don't have any trust in Gov or Big Business's ability to safeguard our data

* Don't believe in the ideology of conservative cuts

FAIL for democracy

HP intros 'lay it flat' all-in-one touchscreen PC

RTF Patent

The patent applied for is titled "TRANSITIONING BETWEEN MODES OF INPUT" and dsescribes the mechanism by which the screen detects the change in angle and changes the input mode and GUI accordingly. I see this as an extension of the tilt / rotate aspect ratio function of the iPad and potentially means that if you're using the screen in upright mode it has a desktop GUI with mouse and keyboard input and the touchscreen may or may not be disabled. Use it in laid back mode and you get an iPad GUI with lower resolution big chunky buttons for your fingers.

Amazon sells board games by inch and ounce

But surely

Settlers of Catan should be priced in wood or sheep?

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/7475/wood-for-sheep-and-other-things-that-sound-dir

US netwar-force Cyber Wings badge unveiled

Does Gary McKinnon get one?

...for pointing out all those security flaws.

Wonder when they will be available in the militaria section of fleabay.

Microsoft launches iPad-happy website for wimmin

Don't work in Firefox either - FAIL?

Although as a bloke I'm not sure it matters

Brits to get 3G iPad early - and at a reduced price?

Pound for Pound and tethering

Historically speaking the apple dollar has been at parity with the pound for some time, so I expect to pay about £400 for the ipad.

Will I be able to tether a wifi iPad with an iphone 3GS? that should get around the need for another dongle dataplan. Otherwise I might take up residency in Costa coffee.

I'm gutted that I can't play farmville on my iphone (not). I'll just have to put up with all the free games I can download from the appstore.

If you haven't tried it use www.appshopper.com, it makes navigating the 160,000 apps a lot easier and if you select the "price change" option you can pick up some bargains as the developer releases their next version.

Evil Steve because If Google don't someone has to and you can't take Steve Ballmer seriously these days