* Posts by Lamont Cranston

1555 publicly visible posts • joined 28 Apr 2010

That PERSONAL DATA you give away for free to Facebook 'n' pals? It's worth at least £140

Lamont Cranston
WTF?

I'm confused.

Are these prices that the social networks/ad agencies have put on personal data, or values that consumers have put on their own data?

The first set would have some meaning, the second set would be hot air.

US Attorney Gen latest to roast Apple, Google mobe encryption

Lamont Cranston
Unhappy

Theresa May was playing the same card during yesterday's conference speach.

It's very important that we all give up any thoughts of privacy, so that she can protect us from the paedos and jihadis.

The politics of fear is alive and well.

Microsoft WINDOWS 10: Seven ATE Nine. Or Eight did really

Lamont Cranston

If there's any justice in the world,

they'd roll this out as a free upgrade to anyone who got Windows 8 bundled with their PC, and have a handy checkbox to switch off all the Metro crap.

And who is it that's going through this forum and downvoting every single post?

Spammer uses innocent hacked blogs to punt NAKED PICS of JLaw, McKayla Maroney

Lamont Cranston

Re: Am I the only one here...

I was shocked to read past the sub-head, and discover that this wasn't about Jude Law.

WHY did Sunday Mirror stoop to slurping selfies for smut sting?

Lamont Cranston

Re: Depends on the context of the incitement, surely?

I'd hate for the ends to be used to justify the means, but if he's the sort of dingbat who thinks tweeting pictures of his wang to party groupies is a good idea, it's probably best for us all that he be removed from government office.

Oz carrier Tiger Air takes terror alerts to new heights

Lamont Cranston

I'm reasonably certain that ID cards have died off,

in the UK, at least.

Lumia rebrand begins: Nokia's new UK web home is Microsoft.com

Lamont Cranston

"Microsoft Lumia XXX with Windows."

Windows is a bit misleading - maybe they should drop the brand all together, and launch Windows 9 as Microsoft Tiles?

And then relaunch Windows 7 as Tiles For Desktops, just to maintain the air of confusion.

EE buys 58 Phones 4u stores for £2.5m after picking over carcass

Lamont Cranston
Unhappy

Re: "something more useful"

In the case of my town, that'd be dummy shop fronts, in an effort to make the town look less deserted than it actually is.

'Kim Kardashian snaps naked selfies with a BLACKBERRY'. *Twitterati gasps*

Lamont Cranston

Re: She's already released a sex tape.

"sex file" just doesn't sound right. Unless it involved David Duchovny, I suppose.

Top Gear Tigers and Bingo Boilers: Farewell then, Phones4U

Lamont Cranston
WTF?

Re: Targeted marketing..

If no one ever clicked on those ads, they wouldn't be there (and Google wouldn't be making all that money). But, they are there (and Google are raking it in), therefore: someone must be clicking.

Who are these people?

Lamont Cranston
Unhappy

Re: bollocks

Surely an understanding of the way someone sees themself is invaluable if you are trying to sell them a modile handset, which would more than likely be something the customer would use to reinforce their self image?

I can't believe I just came out in favour of marketing.

justWatch sex app promises blind date hookups

Lamont Cranston

Re: What the hell was that

I think someone has invented an app that will lead horny men to other horny men, on the off chance that one of them might be a woman.

Microsoft staff brace for next round of layoffs – expected Thursday

Lamont Cranston
Stop

Re: So why is Microsoft firing so many people?

No, REALLY, writing your posts in OCCASSIONAL caps makes you look like a MENTAL.

First Irish boy band U2. Now Apple pushes ANOTHER thing into iPhones, iPods, iPads

Lamont Cranston
Happy

At the risk of a) feeding the troll, and b) sounding like a shill,

the nice thing about Android is that I can "fiddlarse about" if I so choose, but it's not a requirement (unless you have a shitty handset - but even then, it's just a case of finding out how to remove all the shit that Samsung have preloaded it with).

Microsoft buys Minecraft for $2.5bn. Notch: I'm getting the block outta here

Lamont Cranston

I've not played Minecraft, so don't know what made it so good,

but if the creator is off with his big pile of cash, I doubt it'll stay good for much longer.

THREE QUARTERS of Android mobes open to web page spy bug

Lamont Cranston

Re: Why the Telcos?

Telcos and manufacturers should be required to cooperate, to ensure that users always have access to the most up-to-date OS (that their hardware can support). Still pie in the sky, but at least all the bases are covered!

Phones 4u website DIES as wounded mobe retailer struggles to stay above water

Lamont Cranston

Re: This is a positive thing.

Much like CarphoneWarehouse, they were OK if you knew what you wanted

Me: "Can I have [handset] on [contract]?"

Them: "No, but you could look on our website."

Never got any pressure off of the salespeople in either CarphoneWarehouse or Phones4U. Stark contrast to the greasy little shits in the network shops (with the exception of the nice boy in one of the O2 stores), who all seemed to want to a) get me to upgrade to 4G, or b) convince me that a crappy handset was a good reason to stay with their network.

Bloat-free, unlocked Moto X to be dubbed 'Pure Edition', says report

Lamont Cranston
Thumb Up

I hope this sells well,

and that other manufacturers will take note, and reduce the amount of crap that they shovel onto our handsets.

Phones 4u slips into administration after EE cuts ties with Brit mobe retailer

Lamont Cranston
Unhappy

Can't say I was a huge fan of Phones4U,

but I'm less a fan of reduced consumer choice.

It was always clear that the networks resented their existence - the man in the Three shop advised me not to go to Phones4U, as they "wouldn't have tested all of their handsets on our network". Granted, the chap at Phones4U couldn't get me a deal that suited, but he was a lot less pushy than any sales drone from the network-owned shops, and didn't try to blind me with bullshit.

BONEHEAD FANBOIS encamp outside Apple Stores

Lamont Cranston

How do you pitch a tent on a pavement, anyway?

Maybe a stiff breeze will sort this problem out?

Dodgy Norton update borks UNDEAD XP systems

Lamont Cranston

Are Norton giving out updates for free, then?

Last time I checked, you needed to pay an annual subscription.

Gee, everyone who wants a tablet has a tablet. Waiddaminute....

Lamont Cranston

Not "too complex", just unfamiliar, I expect.

See also: people who still double-click on hyperlinks, because that's how they were taught to use their computer. Change can be hard, for some.

Finally, a USEFUL smart device: Intel boffins cook up gyro-magneto-'puter bike helmet

Lamont Cranston

As someone who always wears a cycle helmet when out and about on the pushbike,

I have to ask: aren't cycle helmets dorky enough, already?

Lenovorola TRIPLE-ola: New Moto G, Moto X and 360 wristputer UNZIPPED

Lamont Cranston

Re: Moto X Expensive!

Are you mixing up the X and G? The X is expensive, but I thought it was their flagship model, with the G as the £150 budget model.

The BNP can rip off your works for ‘parodies’ – but only if it's not racist

Lamont Cranston

Re: But the good news is......

Isn't that the opposite of what this ruling says?

CNN 'tech analyst' on NAKED CELEBS: WHO IS this mystery '4chan' PERSON?

Lamont Cranston
Unhappy

Re: "It's just a normal human activity"

Really? Not taking pictures of my junk makes me abnormal?

Lamont Cranston

Re: Journalistic Integruhty

Doesn't "cracker" have a totally different meaning, in the US (other than "biscuit")?

NUDE SELFIE CLOUD PERV menace: Apple 2FA? Sweet FA, more like

Lamont Cranston

Quite.

There's no such thing as bad publicity.

I'm sure that, out of all the affected individuals, some are genuinely upset about their private photos getting out, but you'd think that, on the whole, people who make their living from their image, and who are constantly snapped by the press, would take some measures to ensure they could keep the genuinely private private.

Ice cream headache as black hat hacks sack Dairy Queen

Lamont Cranston
Happy

@ Mike Flugennock

It did occur to me that what I wrote does sound a little like I'm shilling for the banking industry. I'm not though* - I don't even have a contactless payment card, I just like the idea of them, as I've very much gotten out of the habit of keeping cash about my person (I'd quite happily carry a chequebook, if cheques were still a viable payment method, in preference to cash).

With regards to the havoc that could be wrought by the "Russian mafiosi," that's the reason that I prefer to use my credit, rather than my debit card (particularly online) - as pointed out above, stolen debit card details give them access to all my money, stolen credit card details give them access to someone else's money (I've had my credit card details stolen a couple of times, and never been out of pocket as a consequence, and have enjoyed the protection that using my credit card gave me when a hotel billed me for a room I hadn't used).

Lamont Cranston

Re: Is it just me…

You still carry cash? How quaint...

Seriously, though, credit/debit cards are incredibly convenient, whereas cash is messy and easily lost. Contactless payment schemes may be riddled with security holes, but the simplicity at POS is undeniable, and attractive to both consumers and retailers.

Ofcom will not probe lesbian lizard snog in new Dr Who series

Lamont Cranston

Re: "my suspension of disbelief finally broke"

...at a lizard lady doing something improbable with her oxygen supply? How do you cope with the frequently killed immortal, who travels around in an extra-dimensional, time-hopping police box from the 1960s? Doctor Who isn't exactly "hard" sci-fi.

Until we all learn to stop viewing homosexuality as a deviant behaviour, any incidence of such behaviour in any TV show is probably going to seem jarring and shoe-horned in*. The Kirk/Uhura kiss probably felt like that to many viewers, way back when, but I doubt anyone would bat an eyelid, now.

*I honestly don't care if the writers included it solely to piss-off the moral outrage brigade - if it helps demystify homosexuality among Who's intended audience, it served a useful purpose (it prompted a brief discussion between my young son and I, about same-sex marriage - of course, he thinks that kissing is icky, regardless of the participants' genders).

Samsung Gear S: Quick, LAUNCH IT – before Apple straps on iWatch

Lamont Cranston

Kind of looks like a tiny, bent, iPhone.

Sorry, I mean a tiny, bent, Galaxy S#.

IT blokes: would you say that lewd comment to a man? Then don't say it to a woman

Lamont Cranston

Re: "That's more what I'd expect from a 12 or 13 year old."

Like the man said: "in the local Weatherspoons".

Reg man looks through a Glass, darkly: Google's toy ploy or killer tech specs?

Lamont Cranston
Thumb Up

Re: Let's see...

I think there's a fair gap between uploading skills to your brain, and being able to read a wikipedia page about an activity. Still, it's a start.

Raspberry Pi B+: PHWOAR, get a load of those pins

Lamont Cranston
Facepalm

Re: "pirate movies and stream them around your home"

So, anyone who uses media streaming is a pirate? I'm ripping all my DVDs to a load of reclaimed hard drives in an old tower case, and using Raspbmc to play them on my TV - should I cower in fear at the thought of the police beating down my door and hauling me up before the beak? My long history of VHS useage would surely count against me.

On a serious note, I did intend to use the Pi for the kids to learn programming on, but it's just too damn handy as a cheap, versatile, media player (and I get to reclaim shelf space from the DVDs, too)!

FEAST YOUR EYES: Samsung's Galaxy Alpha has an 'entirely new appearance'

Lamont Cranston
Trollface

Quite.

The article could do with the "troll" icon.

The sooner manufacturers get over this whole "your rectangular device looks like my rectangular device" bollocks, the happier we'll all be. Or do they just do it to guarantee column inches on sites like this?

New voting rules leave innocent Brits at risk of SPAM TSUNAMI

Lamont Cranston
Unhappy

"officers employed in the the interest of local people, rather than marketers"

This seems charmingly naive. My experience of local council officers would suggest that they couldn't be less interested in the interests of local people if they tried.

Wetsuits, sunshine, bikini babes and a competitive streak: Epyx California Games

Lamont Cranston

I think the comment about the initially baffling controls is spot on.

Mate of mine bought this, and we played it a couple of times, but swiftly got bored of watching our skateboarder fall off, or hacky-sacker drop his sack, and returned to playing Gauntlet.

Sports games peaked with Daley Thompson on the Speccy (was that Hyper Sports?), and went downhill from there (if you couldn't win by hammering the life out of the keyboard/waggling the joystick until it broke, what was the point?) - until Speedball II arrived on the Mega Drive, of course.

What's the nature of your emergency, Vodafone?

Lamont Cranston
Facepalm

So,

1) the ASA decision was wrong (the advert wasn't misleading, as it stated that x% of the emergency services used Vodafone's services, not that x% of emergency services employees used Vodaphone's services in their personal time)

and

2) the ASA decision was irrelevant, as this advert has been and gone.

Are they paid to remind us that Vodaphone still exist, or something?

Chinese cops cuff teen over Heart App Android malware flap

Lamont Cranston
Facepalm

Re: I see what you did there

Good old sensationalist journalism that explicitly mentions the need for everything to be sideloaded in China?

Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4: 4G Android tablet is easy to swallow

Lamont Cranston

Re: It's also a phone!

I felt like a total tool using the Nokia 8110, so I doubt I'd feel particularly comfortable holding an 8 inch slab to my ear!

Beware WarKitteh, the connected cat that sniffs your Wi-Fi privates

Lamont Cranston

What's the dollar bill for?

Did he tuck it into the cat's collar?

Wait, an actual QR code use case? TGI Friday's builds techno-restaurant

Lamont Cranston
Thumb Up

TGI's are probably smart enough to realise that a bulk of their customers

are in the "get in, get fed, get out" crowd. Particularly at a train station.

Not having to hang about waiting for the bill sounds ideal for those accompanied by small children, too.

OK Google: Gobble chat app Emu. OK Google, now shut down Emu

Lamont Cranston

Was this a free app, or had the users paid for it?

If it's the latter, do they get their money back?

fist-bumping is good for your health, says respected surveyor

Lamont Cranston

So, being a wigger is an accepted norm, now?

Stop the world, I want to get off.

Sneaker-maker Reebok cooks up performance-enhancing BACON

Lamont Cranston

Re: Confused "bacon"

Very much this. Curing is preserving.

Pity the USA - all that farmland, and not a clue what to do with the produce.

4K video on terrestrial TV? Not if the WRC shares frequencies to mobiles

Lamont Cranston

Re: I've not watched broadcast tv since 2000 when I got my first tivo

Aren't TiVos just PVRs? In which case you were just time-shifting the broadcast TV to suit your schedule.

Lamont Cranston

Re: Cut or compress

Can't we just cut the dedicated shopping and porn channels? Maybe shunt them over to IPTV, so those who want them can still get them through their smart telly/box.

Too rich for an iPhone 6? How about a gold-plated Brikk?

Lamont Cranston

Re: Really...

This piece is anti-Apple? I thought it was anti-slathering-tech-in-gold-and-diamonds.

Dusty pre-Facebook, pre-Twitter laws will do for social media crimes

Lamont Cranston

Given that facebook goes into meltdown

if someone posts a picture of a woman breastfeeding her own child, is it really a viable method of distributing revenge porn?