* Posts by Lamont Cranston

1555 publicly visible posts • joined 28 Apr 2010

UK TV is getting worse as younglings shun the BBC et al, says Ofcom

Lamont Cranston
Meh

Ever since I was little,

the complaint was that "there's nothing good on TV*". The difference now being that we can always find something else to watch, be that video games, streaming, or something else on the internet.

I'm a big fan of the BBC but, if TV is going the way of newspapers, then so be it. Just so long as radio can survive.

*kids get way better cartoons to watch, these days, though.

Facebook unveils SECRET logo furtle – in a TWEET

Lamont Cranston

Re: almost identical?

Look at the King! Look at the the King! Look at the King, the King, the King!

The King is in the all together

But all together the all together

He's all together as naked as the day that he was born.

The King is in the all together

But all together the all together

It's all together the very least the King has ever worn.

China's best phone yet: Huawei P8 5.2-inch money-saving Android smartie

Lamont Cranston

Re: fuck everyone else, right

Or the phone could be configured by the manufacturers so that it doesn't inconvenience the user?

Pirate MEP pranks Telegraph with holiday snap scaremongering

Lamont Cranston
Joke

Velma Dinkley should sue.

Someone's using her image without permission.

For fax's sake: Medic chaos as e-Referrals system goes offline

Lamont Cranston
Unhappy

Re: It's no longer allowed.

Decent commissioning should see it classed as Follow Up activity, but I'll eat my hat if tertiary referring really has been stopped just because CCGs don't want to pay for it!

Lamont Cranston

Re: Was never un-cocked before.

That's awful. I understand why you can't just drop in to see the consultant next door, but what is stopping the current consultant referring you on to his colleague (tertiary referring, as it's known)? Have you complained to the hospital/CCG?

The NHS pays up to NINE TIMES over trade price for commodity kit

Lamont Cranston

Re: "use "general" codes as they get paid more for those"

There's little to no evidence of that actually happening, though.

Lamont Cranston

Re: Why?

@LucreLout You're assuming that the NHS is a lot more joined up than it really is. Once you get past the Department of Health, it's really many much smaller organisations (some pulic sector, some private), operating independently. Previous efforts at getting it all better joined up have involved flinging loads of money at external consultancies, and watching them fail.

Google wants you to buy Nest CCTV, turn your home into a Brillo pad

Lamont Cranston

Google may indeed never look at any of the video that these things pick up.

They may never even sell it on. Good for them.

Now, how common are data breaches at large corporations? How confident are you that the feed from the camera to wherever the recordings are being stored is secure? Do you really want more of this?

Nobel bro-ffin: 'Girls in the lab fall in love with me ... then start crying'

Lamont Cranston

Re: "merely reporting observations"

The observations - that men and women are incapable of working together without falling in love, and that women are emotional timebombs - are both obviously bollocks. Sir Hunt may be incapable of working in a mixed environment, but most people are better adjusted than he.

Lamont Cranston
Thumb Down

Re: Why Apologise ?

Most adults are capable of working in a mixed sex environment without giggling like a school kid. If colleagues are falling for each other, is it too much to ask that they be professional about it and not let in affect their work? No need for gender segregation. Despite what Tim Hunt may think, he's more than likely not [deity]'s gift to the opposite sex (or the same sex, for that matter), so they'll probably be able to keep their hands off him - be nice if he did the same, hmm?

As for the crying thing, if he's making his colleagues burst into tears on a regular basis, most likley he is the problem, not them.

Feminazi? Frightened of women not conforming to your hausfrau stereotype, are you?

Cops turn Download Festival into an ORWELLIAN SPY PARADISE

Lamont Cranston

You wouldn't let your kids have your credit card,

so why the hell would you want to let them loose with an RFID payment system?

Not so worried about the facila recognition system, though, so long as the police agree to leave enforcement in the hands of a Jim Caviezel look-a-like in a smart suit.

Using leather in 'leccy cars is 'unTesla', rages vegan shareholder

Lamont Cranston
Facepalm

Excellent Godwin.

Congratulations, AC!

Festival tech: Charge your mobe while you queue for a pee

Lamont Cranston
Facepalm

Re: This is all wrong

Anyone who takes a set of speakers to a campsite, is probably a bit of a bellend. Anyone who takes a set of speakers to a music festival has obviously forgotten why they went there in the first place.

Paper driving licence death day: DVLA website is still TITSUP

Lamont Cranston

Re: "I only needed my passport number"

Not everyone has a passport.

Spaniards get that cinking feeling

Lamont Cranston

Re: "Barthelona"

Surely "Barthelona" has traction thanks to Fawlty Towers? That, and all the "eth-eth-eth"-ing from The Fast Show.

¡Buono estente!

Lamont Cranston

'There's a problem with my whiffy.'

Good moaning. I was pissing by your door, and noticed your awful whiffy. 'Allo, 'Allo was ahead of its time.

The USB Lego, bluetooth coffee cups and connected cats of Computex 2015

Lamont Cranston
Thumb Up

That Lego USB charger is a great idea,

expecially as the minifigures make excellent cable tidies.

Strap-on fiddle factor: We poke ten Apple Watch apps

Lamont Cranston

Re: kitchen computer

That is fantastic! I do hope I haven't been suckered by an out of season April Fool.

Lamont Cranston

Re: Re Recipe App

Quite. If it's paired with a phone (or better still, tablet) anyway, you'd be far better off propping that up and reading the recipe off it, surely? Plus, the tablet can double as a chopping board, if needs be.

LG G4: Be careful while fingering this leather-clad smartie pants

Lamont Cranston

Re: Nice LG advert...........

It's certainly a gushing review, but the author does admit to preferring the S6.

New kid on the blocks: Lego Worlds game challenges Minecraft

Lamont Cranston

I hope they make

the Minecraft-themed Lego bricks available, in game.

Swordfish fatally stabs man after man stabs, fatally, swordfish

Lamont Cranston

@TRT

Sorry for the downvote, but you made me think about that terrible, terrible film.

Lamont Cranston

Re: "hundreds of metres away with high powered, sniper-scope equipped weapons."

Given that he lept into the water and stuck it with a spear, I'd say this guy at least had the stones to tackle the fish on its own terms.

Colour me bad: Kraken time or damp squid with Splatoon

Lamont Cranston
Unhappy

Was really looking forward to this,

but was crushed to learn that local multiplayer is restricted to 1-on-1. Did Nintendo forget how well-loved GoldenEye was?

Hacker uses Starbucks INFINITE MONEY for free CHICKEN SANDWICH

Lamont Cranston

Re: "... finds cheeky exploit a bitter taste"

Coffee is bitter, but Starbucks only serve warm milk.

MARIO MOBES: Nintendo hooks up with DeNA, births NX gaming system

Lamont Cranston

Re: Leave Nintendo Alone

We got the kids a WiiU, mostly so they could play Disney Infinity on it - it's an awful experience, constantly throwing up warnings about there being too much on screen at once. I don't know whether to blame Nintendo or Disney for this, but I hear it plays really well on the PS4. The news that Splatoon will not have 4-player, split screen mode, suggests to me that the WiiU really is underpowered. Which is a real shame.

Doom is BOOM! BOOM! BACK!

Lamont Cranston

Re: I see your shotgun, and raise you a chainsaw

Bezerk Pack and fists, please - nothing like watching your enemies explode in one punch!

Windows 10 to MELT YOUR BRAIN and TAKE OVER YOUR LIFE

Lamont Cranston

Re: evidence @Lamont

I attempted my 50m swimming badge on a full stomach, and threw up in the pool. Make of that what you will.

Lamont Cranston

Re: evidence @edge_e

Something my dad told me when I was about 7, when I enquired as to why Minesweeper was present on the laptop he'd borrowed from work. Seemed like a plausible enough reason at the time. I don't recall him making a similar excuse for the presence of Rogue, though!

Lamont Cranston

Re: Not just Eye Candy then

Windows has always come bundled with a few games. My understanding was that Solitaire and Minesweeper were there to teach new users how to use the mouse - surely this is no different?

Blocking pirate sites doesn't weaken pirates say Euroboffins

Lamont Cranston

Re: "You mean Amazon?" @h4rm0ny

No, the point I was making was that the service being offered by torrent sites was considerably superior to the experience of using "legitimate" means of obtaining music/films/whatever. My narrow example was a neat illustration of why an otherwise thoroughly law-abiding citizen would go poking around the less salubrious corners of the internet - and once said citizen has gone down that road, he/she/it might as well stay there, as they'll often find it a more pleasant experience than using the legal means of obtaining their chosen content.

The whole waah waah, you're stealing from people approach that you are taking, appears to be the same line of reasoning that leads the music/film studios into the endless hunt for pirates, when they would be better served by putting their own house in order by providing an attractive service to their potential customers.

"It's people's work that you refused to pay for"? No, people's work that I attempted to pay for, but wasn't permitted to.

Lamont Cranston

Re: "You mean Amazon?" @h4rm0ny

the huge, huge majority of it IS available for purchase?

The bit I wanted to purchase wasn't. Do you want a list?

Not that I recall, see previous point.

Nice that you're so well catered for - anybody with different tastes can whistle, eh?

Maybe you bought a second-hand one?

No, bought it new, but the expiry times on those codes is surprisingly short. Happened on more than one occassion, too. Taking it back's no good - the staff at Asda won't be able to offer anything but a refund - and getting on to the distributor might eventually get me a code, but who has time for that? (I tried, the first time, with a 20th Century Fox DVD and was rewarded, after much to-ing and fro-ing, with a low-res copy of my film - totally worth it!). Making my own digital copy (playable in every device that I own) is by far the simpler option. UltraViolet is a pretty good idea (you buy the DVD, you get the digital copy - exactly what I want) but it's implementation is somewhat lacking (I can watch some of what I buy, on some of my screens). I haven't quite got the point where I'm thinking "sod all this effort, I'll just torrent it", but I can certainly see why other people have (and I wouldn't condemn them for doing so - and this brings me back to my earlier point about the "illegal" service being far superior to the "legal" service, and why won't the content providers learn?).

poor logic and argument in bad faith

Ooh, you got me! I'd better rush home and put a drill through that hard-drive full of ill-gotten gains.

Lamont Cranston
FAIL

Re: "You mean Amazon?" @h4rm0ny

Have you ever tried to buy a CD/DVD and found that it's no longer available, or not available in the appropriate region for your player? I have.

Ever tried to get around the above problem buy purchasing the album/film as a digital download, instead of physical media, only to find that it's not available as a digital download? I have.

Ever purchased a DVD with the intent to use the UltraViolet digital copy, only to find that the code inside the case has expired? I have.

Mind you, I have been know to borrow CDs and DVDs from other people and then make copies for my own use before returning the originals! I should probably go to jail.

Lamont Cranston

@h4rm0ny

This cartoon is getting old, however it is still true.

The pirates are giving consumers the content that they want, in a timely and convenient fashion. Rather than endlessly chasing the pirates (an exercise in futility, I'm sure we can all agree), maybe the content producers should look at what the pirates are offering, and make sure that their own product more attractive?

Next-gen Freeview telly won't be another disruptive 4Ker

Lamont Cranston
Unhappy

Re: Live TV and record everything

I miss News Bunny.

Lamont Cranston
Joke

Re: Freeview Play

No need to worry, I'm sure that Panasonic et al. will be pushing out firmware updates to all their existing "smart" TVs that will enable access to this revolutionary new service.

Lamont Cranston

Re: uhd? i dont want hd!

I can spot the difference between Freeview and Freeview HD but, on a 32" TV, the difference isn't so great that it's worth worrying about.

BUZZKILL. Honeybees are dying in DROVES - and here's a reason why

Lamont Cranston

I would just like to confirm

that dandelions are indeed very nice to eat. Easier to harvest than nettles, too.

EE squashes Orange UK: France Telecom's been 'destroying it for years'

Lamont Cranston

Re: Orange might have many customers..

I think I originally went with Orange because of the Orange Wednesday deal. Switched to Three, when I realised I wasn't going to the cinema very often. The only thing keeping me on Orange now is the Deezer subscription that came bundled with my contract. Lose that, and I'll be off.

Amazon creating 500 ‘fulfilling’ jobs in the UK

Lamont Cranston

Re: "order picker in an Amazon warehouse is pretty far along from the worst jobs in the land"

From what I've heard, it has a fairly high attrition rate.

Besides, a job might be dirty and dangerous, but that's no reason for an employer to treat its employees like dirt.

BTW, automation seems to have done for ticket inspectors (no doubt fare-dodging is now non-existant, and ticket prices have fallen to the floor).

Lamont Cranston

As a resident of the town in question,

I'll look forward to my freshly re-elected MP trumpeting this triumph of job creation, and singing Amazon's praises. I doubt he'll make any mention of an Amazon warehouse being shit place to work - he not required to, of course, but that shouldn't stop media outlets drawing attention to it.

Forced sale of Openreach division would put BT broadband investment at risk, says CEO

Lamont Cranston
Unhappy

Re: If the board @Lamont Cranston

Sooo, private and public ownership are equally shite? Yay!

Lamont Cranston

Re: If the board of BT plc won't invest in a demerged Openreach....

I can't say that the situation would be better under public ownership, but the UK's water network is crap: 22% loss through leaks, according to this.

Spooks: Big-screen upgrade for MI5 agents fails to be a hit job

Lamont Cranston

Whenever I've seen Spooks on the TV,

the agents always seemed very keen to walk into an obvious trap (and die as a result, which is at least different from the usual TV formula). Expecting the film to feature intelligent characters seems hopelessly optimistic.

Harry always seemed to avoid the fate of his younger colleagues by preferring to remain in the office, pouting and frowning like he was auditioning for Hollyoaks.

Apple MacBook 2015: Twelve inches of slim and shiny fanboi joy

Lamont Cranston

It's an iPad with a keyboard.

Credit where it's due: Apple know their market.

Not pro-Bono: Russian MP wants Apple to face stiff action for cramming 'gay' U2 into iCrevices

Lamont Cranston

Re: Would it be ok...

Looks to me like a picture of a vulnerable adult, desperately clinging on to the son who is growing up, and growing away from him.

That's it's being perceived as homoerotic, says much more about the people doing the perceiving.

Barclaycard axes bonking payments bracelet

Lamont Cranston

Re: "For people who can't afford cars then?"

Buying a car is easy, finding somewhere to park it is the problem.

Who thinks Microsoft Edge sucks? Erm, Microsoft

Lamont Cranston
Thumb Up

Re: Edge Logo

Ha! I had to squint to get that to appear - otherwise it just looks like the old IE "e" with a Flock of Seagulls haircut.

Lamont Cranston

Re: Hatters Will Hate!

What's Luton Town Football Club got to do with this?