Posts by Adam, Kent

EE coughs to BROKEN data usage metrics BLUNDER that short-changes customers

Been down this road before!

Many years ago I was with a carrier (I can't be 100% sure which one as it was at work and don't want to name names incorrectly) who sent me a bill for ~650MB of data used in a day.

The device was a 2G (No, not even edge) device (M2M device) connected via GPRS which had a theoretical maximum of 48Kbps (yeah, like we ever saw that).

I tried to make clear that the theoretical maximum even if the device had been transferring data at 48Kbps all day long was ~520MB of data but they refused to budge and threatened to disconnect the entire businesses mobile comms if the bill wasn't paid.

The beancounters just paid the bill to keep the rest of the company running :-(

From my own experience, I've not yet found a telecoms company I can trust...

World's richest hobo (Apple) has worked 'tax-free' in Ireland since '80s

Re: Easy answer then

Significant profits *in* the UK or significant profits *from* the UK.

AIUI, The UK pay a "licencing fee" to Swiss Starbucks who then pay it to US Starbucks as profit having had the profit taxed in Switzerland.

If they're charging a lot to the UK for licencing then they can make significant profits from the UK whilst making a loss in the UK.

Library ebooks must SELF-DESTRUCT if scribes want dosh - review

Seriously, why don't the libraries (and the govt.) just tell the publishers to go and stick their ideas where.........

Meanwhile, have a chat to Google who (thanks to some UK and US libraries anyway) have nicely digitised large stocks of dead-tree books and I'm sure would happily carry on doing so if they were given an exemption in law which permitted them to and made them nasty lawsuit things go away!

Library still buys "dead-tree" books to match the number of digital downloads they offer so no claims of unfair from the publisher and we'll even "deteriorate" the digital copy if they so wish.

The British Library claims that the oldest book still in existance is the Diamond Sutra from 868 AD. So, to guarantee that we preserve books for the future this will have to be the benchmark. That's 1,145 years and I'm willing to bet it's got a lot more years in it yet so..... say after 1,500 years it can auto-delete itself?

I trust the publishers will be happy with this arrangement? If not, then how about sorting out an acceptable alternative before government will do what government does best and write a nice bit of legislation........

Get lost, drivers: Google Maps is not for you – US judge

TomTom

Where does this leave TomTom (other GPS devices are available!), with their "connected" PNDs?

The live traffic feature utilizes a SIM card so it's a mobile phone... does this mean that all modern TomTom devices have just been banned in CA?

Osun MushRoom Green Zero USB charger

Timer?

Surely this would be better if I could have some kind of timer system built in?

ie. either a setting that I plug my phone in on my bedside cabinet and, once full, it cuts off the power. At 6AM it then switches charging back on ready for me to get up at 6.30AM and have my phone on 100% again?

Or, perhaps an option that it would provide power every 3-hours for the device to charge back up to full.......

Data-mining technique outs authors of anonymous email

Correct 80% when finely tuned.

So, wrong 20% when finely tuned and even more wrong when not in perfect lab conditions.

So, hanging at least 1 in 5 innocent men is OK then....... FAIL as this should *never* be accepted as evidence in court!

'McDonalds' burger-lers making millions

Police not interested?

For all those saying the police aren't interested - I had this before myself where a scammer on eBay tried to get stuff from me.

Contacting the police with an address where I knew he'd be waiting, I got told it's a civil matter and to take it up with the bank who would reimburse my card!

I then escalated the case straight through complaints procedure at the local station, making it clear that I was happy to involve the IPCC if necessary and also an email off to my local MP made sure that the guy was swiftly arrested.

It shouldn't have to take all this, however, for the police to be forced to do their jobs. Of course, if I'd told them I'd just seen a granny speeding by doing 31 in a 30 then there'd be the whole force, including helicopters, out looking for them............................