Posts by Bub

Windows Phone users beg Pokémon Go creators for attention

the worm turns

Just a few years ago it was all about Linux users signing petitions for game/app/whatever to be ported to Linux, only to be told 'it's not worth it'

The times they are a changin eh

Prof squints at Google's mobile monopoly defence, shakes head

Re: The Fire Phone flopped in the famously fair but fickle marketplace

The Fire Phone did- but the Kindle Fire most definitely didn't, and continues to flourish as a non-Google Android implementation with its own app store. Worth a mention surely.

US bus passenger cracks one off for three hours

He'll put it in the hands of his attorny

Android device manager app vuln leaves millions at risk of pwnage

Saying "android device manager" in the headline is absolutely clickbait- intended I think for folk to assume the flaw was in Google's Android Device Manager, rather than a 3rd party app

Frustration with Elite:Dangerous boils over into 'Refund Quest'

Re: Arguing over nothing

No-one purchased it under those circumstances. They invested in its development via Kickstarter.

If you want to be sure of a game's feature set, you wait till launch, and buy it. Then you are protected by consumer laws.

Shades of Mannesmann: Vodafone should buy T-Mobile US

Re: Outlook: fine

http://time.com/3153262/bank-of-america-record-16-billion-fine-mortgages-subprime-loans/

Android busted for carrying Fake ID: OS doesn't check who really made that 'Adobe' plugin

Don't need manufacturer's update

As as been pointed out - patching this does not require a manufacturer Android update- just a Google Play Services update which should happen automatically to all phones that use it on Android 2.3 or above, regardless of manufacturer.

This article really should be updated to reflect this (or at least make it much clearer).

Bluebox security sells 'anti virus' software right? Are we taking their word as unbiased reporting?

Audio tech upstart DTS takes on Wi-Fi speaker juggernaut Sonos

Re: Bollocks

The mesh is actually a huge plus for Sonos and one of the reason it's so stable. You don't contend with data on your own wifi network. And each Sonos component acts as an extender. Plus the Android app actually allows you to use the Sonos mesh to connect back into your own router- so I can browse the internet on my tablet at the end of the garden where wifi doesn't reach.

Brits: Wanna know how late your train is? Now you can slurp straight from the source for free

It's a fairly dramatic change at the point of privatisation though

Whilst I agree that of course correlation doesn't imply causation I think in this case my question would be - what else occurred in 1995 to account for such a sea change? The roads reaching breaking point argument doesn't wash for me- something like that would I imagine would have a gentler effect on the curve. It's not as if half the UK roads were suddenly closed in 1995.

Original iPhone dev team was 'shockingly small' - Apple engineer

Re: And this is whats missing today

Having enough cash to buy any company or talent needed isn't enough. Ask Microsoft.

Nokia launches Android range: X marks the growing low-cost spot

Re: Why?

Yeah I don't get it either. I thought WP ran well on low end hardware. Better than Android (at least till Kit Kat). So - why?

Re: But, but..

Fortunately it's not an Xbox exclusive. So I'll play it on PC.

Lack of coherence?

"Elop said that manufacturers who had gone with Android years ago were struggling to maintain a booth presence at the show, because they were unable to differentiate their wares adequately"

"He insisted Nokia will differentiate itself too with build quality, design, reliability and Nokia's HERE and Mix Radio services."

Aren't these slightly contradictory? None of the differentiating items he points out depend on the use of Windows Phone.

Microsoft's new CEO: The technology isn't his problem

Re: "in the same breath..."

It is absolutely a perception issue. Microsoft is no longer the "go-to" brand in the public mind when a "futuristic, technical" things are discussed. And that is a real problem for them in the consumer space where they want to be.

IBM is still a major and profitable technology player. With a huge professional presence. Who'd be proud to be sporting an IBM branded phone?

Maybe it's a natural progression and it's unfair to blame Ballmer - every company moves from cool teens to boring middle age at some point. But his famous iPhone quote does demonstrate a level of complacency that let the market get away from them.

One more time Steve..

"There's no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance. It's a $500 subsidized item. They may make a lot of money. But if you actually take a look at the 1.3 billion phones that get sold, I'd prefer to have our software in 60% or 70% or 80% of them, than I would to have 2% or 3%, which is what Apple might get. "

"in the same breath..."

"that allowed Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon to be mentioned in the same breath as Microsoft".

Actually, it's worse than that - often, Microsoft these days isn't seen fit to be mentioned in the same breath as Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon.

Vile Twitter trolls thrown in the cooler for rape abuse tweet spree

Re: @bub

Yes, but once again you are equating discipline with physical punishment, as if they are the same thing.

I bring my children up with discipline and strong boundaries and consequences. They are loving and kind and socially adept and well adjusted and know right from wrong. As are the children of the large numbers of friends I have who also don't use physical punishment. So I just can't see the argument that it's necessary.

Plus, to be honest, unless I was extremely angry or in a very strong emotional state I don't believe I could mentally bring myself to actually deliberately hurt my children.

Re: @bub

You incorrectly reversed my logic. I am not saying that all children who are hit grow up to be socialpaths. (I was one. And I'm not. I hope.)

I called out the original post on the fact that:

- I think it's incorrect to say that the "problem" people so often cited as part of our "society gone wrong" would be less of a problem if they'd been hit as children. Because they probably were.

- equating "consequence" with physical punishment is a simplification oft used by those in favour of it, in my experience. It does not follow that failing to smack your child means you offer them a consequence free existence.

There is no ban on smacking your own child (in the UK). So even if I believed such a thing could achieve a utopia, I wouldn't be surprised that we weren't there yet.

Re: Unfortunately. a lot of this trouble comes from....

That's right. (Sarcasm alert:) Because I'm just sure it's the case that the thugs and disturbed sociopaths of the world are those who haven't been hit *enough* as children.

It is ironic that the above poster doesn't seem to realise that there can be 'consequences' other than violence. And that presumably the reason for this is because violence was the only or the most important consequence learned in childhood. And so the cycle continues.

I've seen the future of car radio - and DAB isn't in it

Re: In 2014?! A new service "offering" 48Khz?!?!?

But I think the point is there's no point in distributing audio at much above 16/48 (even though as you say there's a benefit in recording/mixing in 24 bits)

This is a great article for those interested why http://xiph.org/~xiphmont/demo/neil-young.html

Ex-Nokia team unveil Jolla smartphone with added Sailfish OS

"scramble for apps like Blackberry"

A little bit unfair, as Blackberry can also run Android apps

Sony and Panasonic plan 300GB Blu-Ray replacement for 2015

Re: Sony... Oh well.

Sony.... root kit... DRM.... evil evil evil..................yawn

Man sues Apple for allowing him to become addicted to porn

Re: No chance.

He should put it in the hands of his solicitor then.

France's 'three strikes' anti-piracy law shot down

Re: You can't.

The idea that someone passionate about music wouldn't want anyone to hear their compositions if there were no copyright law could only be promulgated by someone who doesn't understand music.

Those in the music biz only for the money might think twice - but would that be such a bad thing?

Minty fresh Linux: Olivia hits the virtual shelves

What's an iOS style widget?

I wasn't aware such a thing existed.

Review: Pure Jongo S3 multiroom speakers

Surely worth spending an extra £100 and getting a Sonos Play:3

The only thing missing with Sonos is Bluetooth - but it does support DLNA push

On-demand streamed music services compared

Napster - other platforms

Why "N/A" for other platforms for Napster? It certainly works on Sonos for example.

Who runs UK? 'Tories, Lib Dems and Google' says Labour

She was speaking at the BPI. Of *course* she was going to slam Google.

Facebook boss-lady is up the pole on the glass ceiling

The personal view is the point of the article. The author is not saying, "Everyone must aspire to raising a family". He is saying, "ambition is a personal thing". Your ambition (chilled life), the author's ambition (a family), Sandberg's ambition (COO of major tech company) are different. He's saying it's unfair for Sandberg to criticise others for having different ambitions to herself. Of course, it's quite right to criticise organisations that have "glass ceilings" preventing the realisation of ambitions of those who do.

Seems fair enough to me.

Google's legal boss is fed up with patent warfare

Whilst no-one believe Google is saintly in all respects, it certainly can't be accused of *started* any patent war. When search was on the rise, they didn't build up an arsenal of patents on search then aggressively go after Microsoft and Yahoo. (Perhaps they are regretting that now!)

Sony Tablet S

Not adding IR to PS3?

PS3's remotes work via Bluetooth - so IR is redundant - sure the question is, why doesn't the Tablet S have a Bluetooth remote app (integrated with the IR one)?, not, why doesn't the PS3 have IR?

Put down the Java manual

C++ on a cheap netbook

I would imagine the system requirements for learning C++ are similar or lower than Java. All you need is a cheap netbook, gcc and emacs. As opposed to a cheap netbook, javac and emacs.

Microsoft to Apple: 'Oh, yeah? Well, your font is too small'

But Microsoft does consider just "Windows" a trademark

See http://www.microsoft.com/about/legal/en/us/IntellectualProperty/Trademarks/Usage/Windows.aspx

iPlayer Global iPad app price announced

"Ripoff Britain"

God that phrase makes my blood boil, as every time I read it a mental copy of the Daily Mail pops unwanted into my head. Enough to completely spoil my afternoon.

Ten... fantasy swords you wish you owned

Surely Nothung should have a mention?

As it was broken, and reforged by a hero seeking a ring of great power - and corruption - at least fifty years before Narsil.

iPad 2 spawns updated iOS and apps

"the ability to send your edited vids to ...

...YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, CNN iReport, and your iTunes library"

Surely MobileMe too?! I hope!

iPad 2? Let's be kind and call it iPad 1.5

Not magical and revolutionary

Just practical and evolutionary. Which is fine.

Killzone 3

AI

It's interesting to hear the reviewer's opinion that the AI is dumb - many other reviews have presented the polar opposite - one in particular mentioned setting up bot vs bot matches and watching it play out. I'll be interested to see - mine arrived today! (my copy of Killzone 3, that is, not my artificial intelligence.)

Credit cards at the turnstile across London by 2013

"Contactless"

I didn't think that contactless cards (ie Paywave etc) make a connection to the bank at all?

I’m not a Trojan horse: Nokia’s Elop hits back at neigh sayers

Many Nokia shareholders aren't idiots..

.. given the share price has dropped 20% since the Microsoft deal was announced

http://www.google.com/finance?chdnp=1&chdd=1&chds=1&chdv=1&chvs=maximized&chdeh=0&chfdeh=0&chdet=1297761299645&chddm=1955&chls=IntervalBasedLine&q=NYSE:NOK&ntsp=0

BBC iPlayer iPad app out this week

Not BBC's fault though is it?

That's not the BBC's fault though - Microsoft won't let them offer a free app to all Xbox users - only to Gold subscribers - and that's apparently against BBC's terms of service.

PSP 2 'as powerful as PS3'

@Calaerial1

I don't think it's a matter of the market shifting. The market is growing wider and there are whole swarths of people playing Angry Birds on their iPhone who probably wouldn't have played video games at all before.

My point is that Sony is not pitching the PSP at the iPhone market. It's pitching at a different market. Whether that market exists of course is a matter of debate, but it's certainly a market for which no device currently exists.

I'm a "professional" in my 30's, used to commuting and business travel. I get far more time to play games when on the move than at when at home with my family. I've love to be able to play "proper" PS3-style games on the tube, on the plane and plugged into the hotel TV in the evenings on business trips. Lots of my colleagues play video games. So I'd imagine "we" would be a reasonable part of a target market.

The right market

"In a hand-held, i dont want to play cut down versions of full console games,"

... so use your iPhone or your DS.

There are lots of people, myself included, who *do* want to play proper console games on a handheld. The original PSP wasn't quite good enough for this - the lack of dual analogues being a massive factor.

The new PSP is aimed at a market that neither Apple nor Nintendo nor Microsoft is competing in. Makes sense to me.

If Sony had aimed squarely at competing with the iPhone and DS markets they would indeed have been making a bad mistake.

HTC DG H100 Media Link DLNA adapter

Sonos

All Sonos components are DLNA aware. I can push music from my Desire HD staight to my Sonos with no special configuration required.

LG Optimus 7 smartphone

DLNA

Not sure DLNA is a particular selling point, as Android does DNLA - at least my HTC Desire does (Menu > Select Player in Music, and I can push straight to a Sonos device for example)

Boris bikes for tourists delayed till year end

Re: Absolutely

@Annihilator

17,000 trips a day and you're still waiting for that news report of a demise - sounds like something that's not going to happen very often.

Google cracks open Android's closed development

Isn't it more a brand thing?

I think Google could draw a distinction between brand and the actual product though. As they own the Android trademark they could just prevent anyone who ships prerelease code from calling it "Android". This would prevent negative impacts on Android's reputation whilst still allowing development to be open (in much the same was that anyone can distribute a buggy broken version of the Firefox code base, but not necessarily call it "Firefox")