Posts by davemcwish

The future everyone wanted – in-car ads tailored to your journey and passengers

How many ads? It depends...

Are you using Ad nauseam?

Farewell WordPad, we hardly knew ye

Re: Wordperfect

Those were the days. Still recall Alt-F3 (Reveal codes) on the 5.1 DOS version needed to fix formatting issues when it got itself into a knot.

22 million Brits suffer broadband outage blues and are paying a premium for it

Re: We have bigger things to worry about

My ISP put a blog post out to say that PSTN Stop Sell for new services takes effect this month. I haven't heard yet when I'll move to Digital Voice.

One end of the alphabet ISP subscriber - maybe I'm lucky

In all the time I've been with mine I can only recall one outage which was due to the wholesale provider BT Openreach having and issue. As regards to cost/speed I'm only on a FTTC 67 Mbps DL service as it's just good enough and the exchange/street has only recently been upgraded to support Full Fibre (FTTP). Switching and keeping the cost the same would give me a 100 Mbps service with others available that I don't really need; 300 Mbps (+£5), 500 Mbps (+£10), and 900 Mbps (+£20).

BOFH: WELCOME TO COLOSSAL SERVER ROOM ADVENTURE!!

Re: I miss Infocom...

No but I remember MUD and Vaxtrek from my misspent time at the University of Strathclyde.

Indian telecoms leaps from 2G, to 4G, to 6G – on a single day

640K is enough for anyone

Now that we have devices that have multiple Gb in RAM, it seems to be the case that 'Device has Xgb so we (user/developer) may as well use as much as we can rather than craft something non memory hungry". This now seems to be the case with mobile. From what I've briefly read both 5G and 6G will need more base stations than the prior generation, so really only cost effective in urban areas, which doesn't square with one of the perceived use cases of 6G being autonomous vehicles. I can only think that a meaningful use case is to supplant fixed (fibre) broadband to premises (FTTP).

Pi calculated to '62.8 trillion digits' with a pair of 32-core AMD Epyc chips, 1TB RAM, 510TB disk space

Pi calculations are all very well but

will it play [firstperson_video_game]?

Synology to enforce use of validated disks in enterprise NAS boxes. And guess what? Only its own disks exceed 4TB

Re: very unfortunate move,

Haven’t seen Spacerex, but when I initially setup mine, I watched a load of mydoodads videos. This certainly helped with some non trivial activities like port forwarding.

Here's US Homeland Security collaring a suspected arsonist after asking Google for the IP addresses of folks who made a specific search

If I could turn back the hands of time

Maybe if he had R Kelly on his playlist he would have thought twice before becoming the dumb criminal he is.

From the Department of WCGW: An app-controlled polycarbonate lock with no manual override/physical key

Re: Welcome back

Yes, indeed however he was and still is dispensing his unrestrained weekly opinions on his own blog during Vulture Furlough. Autosave Is For Wimps is just as informative as SFTW. YMMV though.

IBM unleashes AI on two space problems: How to map all the junk in Earth's orbit, and how to put more up there

Crysis Remastered

Using that amount of hardware to run AI calculations is all very good but how about Crysis Remastered?

Scre-EE-m if you wanna go faster: BT's mobile network reigns supreme in UK-wide speed and latency tests

Re: What about?

This works on my unlocked iPhone. It also appears to be available on BT. https://home.bt.com/tech-gadgets/phones-tablets/what-is-wi-fi-calling-new-bt-mobile-service-will-boost-your-smartphone-signal-11364261944920

Re: What about?

I still don’t get why, BT Mobile, the parent offers a different service (supposedly slower) but has the benefit of piggybacking on home users WiFi. I can only assume there’s some competition law keeping the two apart. I (as EE user) wouldn’t mind the occasional use of piggybacking if I’m i b the arse-end of nowhere.

This'll make you feel old: Uni compsci favourite Pascal hits the big five-oh this year

I remember...

The was my introduction to computer programming. I even remember the textbook; Introduction to Programming Principles : Using Turbo Pascal by Richard W. Foley.

Perl and VBA quickly followed and departed leaving me with a few books on Agile.

Apparently JavaScript or Typescript would be easy for me to learn if I had the time and inclination.

BoJo buckles: UK govt to cut Huawei 5G kit use 'to zero by 2023' after pressure from Tory MPs, Uncle Sam

Nokia/Ericsson Execs

Must be planning their future bonuses already given that their two companies have a joint pseudo-monopoly given it’s Anyone but Huawei.

Mi first! Latest Xiaomi flagship storms DxOMark rankings with quartet of powerful cameras

8K videos on s smartphone

Ok I appreciate that I’m not the target audience but I’m really not sure of the use case of this. I would have thought given the relatively small amount of glass you would get something that would scale up to a reasonable viewing size. Additionally, and maybe it’s because I’m way behind and only recently got an HD tv but why 8K now? Is there a real need or just marketing hype?

Very little helps: Tesco flashes ancient Windows desktop on Scan-As-You-Shop device

Re: How long...

For the nerds, my local one is running Symbol MC18 02.57.07 on Windows CE 07.00.2848. Another was showing WordPad Meeting Template and a third revealed it's IP and MAC addresses.

Close the windows, it's coming through the walls: Copper Cthulu invades Dabbsy's living room

Re: Conduits?

The prior owner of my house does (ex council). It had 5mm steel conduit for the lighting circuit and brass faceplates. On trying to diagnose a non working light, I viewed in the summer so wasn't aware, I discovered the interesting feature; there were no earth wires.

Multitasking is a myth: It means doing lots of things equally badly

It's not called 'slasher' these days

According to a yoof broadcast station I was listening to a while ago, the PYTs call it a 'side hustle'.

Breaker, breaker. Apple's iOS 12.4 update breaks jailbreak break, un-breaks the break. 10-4

Re: How long...

Surely its just a matter of:-

Apply this rule after the message arrives

from The Register

move it to the Spam folder

Apple kills iTunes, preps pricey Mac Pro, gives iPad its own OS – plus: That $999 monitor stand

Monitor Arm

@phuzz

"This is not just a monitor stand, this is an Apple Pro Display XRD monitor stand"

Microsoft: A new Windows 10 build arrives while another remains in hiding

Spring

I think you're being very generous to M$ by giving them an extra 3 weeks using the astronomical date as opposed to the meteorological one. Either way they'll probably either be late, de-scope the build, or both.

Sky customers moan: Our broadband hubs are bricking it

Cisco 887va

@Mike_G now the American TLAs can spy on you :)

Cheapskate Brits appear to love their Poundland MVNOs as UK's big four snubbed in survey again

I'm not a statistician but

How is EE a 'wooden spoonist' given the data shown gives them a 5% customer score advantage over VF ?

Other factors will apply into network choice e.g. network availability/performance, tethering, or home phone/broadband bundle deals.

Facebook cuts off independent political ad reviewers, claims security concerns

Re: How long...

Indeed. There also the Facebook Research VPN app that managed to slip though into the Fruity App Store.

Happy new year, readers. Yes, we have threaded comments, an image-lite mode, and more...

Re: How long...

I suspect quite a few the back-end Vultures know what we're like; let's try anyway...

In Space, Still: 20 years since Russia hurled first bit of floating astronaut hostel into orbit

Oh look there's the ISS

As with Michael H.F. Wilkinson it is an amazing achievement. Sadly I can't see in my light polluted part of East London. I do however go a camping event every year and it's a joy to stand outside and spot the ISS with the naked eye.

Bruce Schneier: You want real IoT security? Have Uncle Sam start putting boots to asses

6 years (and counting) for a fridge

@h4rm0ny is lucky, my £600 one lasted 3 before getting a leak and discharging the coolant. I was quoted £300 for a re-gas with no guarantee it would even work. It's now in landfill.

I wouldn't be surprised manufactures use built-in obsolescence along with new shiny shiny to keep the profits rolling in. As for IOT a similar would apply. Sorry but that standard is now obsolete you need to buy the new product as we're not going to let you do a s/w upgrade.

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave me tea... pigs-in-blankets-flavoured tea

Re: Sprouts

I thinly slice mine before frying with porky goodness and butter; no need for ruining by microwave either. Those that have more time on their hands and/or wanting to emulate Heston, the chef not the place on the M4, can separate the leaves individually.

Self-driving cars may not have steering wheels in future, dev preview for PyTorch 1.0 is here, etc

Johnny Cab

Is this like they have on Mars using a yoke and if I'm suitable enraged, and physically endowed, have a manual override by removing the robot figure, which is only there for psychological reasons, from the vehicle ?

TSB goes TITSUP: Total Inability To Surprise Users, Probably

Re: How long...

@Valeyard Or that there is one that is significantly better

Southport: Come for a round of golf, stay for the flesh-eating STIs

Kielbasa Fest

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FFS - Another reason to use a VPN. S***e GDPR blocking.

Your Twitter app stopped working? Here's why

Advertiser Pressure & Monetisation

Suspect these are the reasons as I don't recall getting many or any ads on TweetDeck; I'm buggered if I'm going to use a broswer when an app on my Macbook works just fine. Having said that, although this is my primary social media platform, Facebook is just there for seeing what friends are up to and hobbies (Geocaching).

I'm not willing to pay as much as £108 pa + x to use another provider on my phone so I suppose between a level that high I'll just use the native app and select "I don't like this ad" every time it appears with increasing prevalence. What I do on my Macbook with no native app remains to be seen...

Wasted worker wasps wanna know – oi! – who are you looking at?

HP Fruity Sauce

Having done a study a couple or weeks ago when I was camping with friends in the West Riding of Yorkshire, we discovered that Irn-Bru was no use. The effective solution, albeit coupled with a wasp trap was diluted HP Fruity Sauce. Vespula Germanicae in other parts of the UK may have different tastes.

ReactOS 0.4.9 release metes out stability and self-hosting, still looks like a '90s fever dream

Re: 3D skeuomorphic design

@bombastic bob

And lo Saint Jony of Ive came forth and looked at the form of the tablet. Unto all men and women he speaketh with a clear intent "Thy visual ornamentation displeases me greatly". And all responded with a single voice "Skeuomorphism is dead, praise be to flat UI"

Leatherbound analogue password manager: For the hipster who doesn't mind losing everything

Re: Captain Scarlet: Name > website / Phone No. > password

@fruitoftheloon

LassPass works fine for me, either browser plugin or the app, syncing automatically with my iPhone and Win 10 PC.

IBM memo to staff: Our CEO Ginni is visiting so please 'act normally!'

The boss is coming, quick act normal and busy.

Wah, encryption makes policing hard, cries UK's National Crime Agency

Re: Vocalising your thoughts

Just don't do anything negative/sarcastic in response to a Police post, apparently that can be classed as a malicious communication

Blame everything on 'computer error' – no one will contradict you

Ely Cathedral

Dabbsy must have been really unlucky. I was at Ely Cathedral last month, staying on a boat. No problems at all with the Cathedral queue, it was a walkup for me. Went all in on the trours as it was a treat for the Mrs, payment was a quick swipe.

The 2 tours were very good although the Mrs didn't like the West Tower so much.

No top-ups, please, I'm a millennial: Lightweight yoof shunning booze like never before

Yoof drinking

In my case it was Diesel (Snake-Bite & Black) at < £2 a pint. Latterly I matured to Stout / Newky Brown / Cider as tastes changed.

Icon - I'll give the cheapo gassy lager (Tennants) a miss.

Boring. The phone business has lost the plot and Google is making it worse

Re: Form factors

Try Caterpillar. They have a range from £50 feature phone to this years all singing and dancing £800+ s61.

Also this retailer. (No affiliation)

IT peeps, be warned: You'll soon be a museum exhibit

Museum piece

The first system I supported as a fresh young thing at my current employer is now at The National Museum of Computing. I'm not aware of any plans that will see me follow....

Apple to devs: Code for the iPhone X or nothing from April onwards

Cheap "no nonsense" iPhone 8

@DougS £699 for the 64Gb model is 'cheap' ?

ASA tells Poundland and its teabagging elf: Enough with the smutty social ninja sh*t

Re: How long...

@waldo kitty

The original Elf/teabag/woman image had the product box shown.

It knows where the gravel pits and power lines are. So, Ordnance Survey, where should UK's driverless cars go?

User Case pt 94

Arterial road, by name not designation, changed it's contraflow overnight recently from the westbound to eastbound carriageway. I'm guessing that the AV would just follow the correct traffic or would it get confused wit potentially incorrect mapping?

Additionally I'm guessing OS bean counters are working out how to provide daily electronic mapping updates and to appropriately monetize.

Here we go again... UK Prime Minister urges nerds to come up with magic crypto backdoors

How did this incompetent, brainless, insipid excuse for a human being become prime minister?

@eldakka

She is PM as she became leader of the governing party during their current term of office and IMHO was viewed as the least worst.

Why did I buy a gadget I know I'll never use?

Re: sprouts cannot be fried

This is not only wrong, but IMHO the only way to eat them; gently sauted in a pan with lardons

Jocks in shock as Irn-Bru set to slash sugar and girder content

Hangover cure of the gods..

When coupled with a square sausage in a morning roll.

Can get all three versions of the fizzy ginger quite easily down south here in East London. I kinda like XTRA ; the Sugar Free one doesn't taste of much really TBH.

How much will Britain's next F-35s cost? Not telling, says MoD

HMS Obvious Target

@Warm Braw

No, this is precisely the reason a small renegade force should attack, watching us spend another £3.1bn, another round of UK Defence Spending navel gazing and angst amongst the media.

HMS Queen Elizabeth has sprung a leak and everyone's all a-tizzy

Re: Optional El Reg measure?

@chivo243

Try this