* Posts by Keep Refrigerated

655 publicly visible posts • joined 1 Jun 2011

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Microsoft claims Google bypassed its browser privacy too

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Boffin

Kick Google all you want but don't let MS off the hook here...

<blockquote>“When the IE team heard that Google had bypassed user privacy settings on Safari, we asked ourselves a simple question: is Google circumventing the privacy preferences of Internet Explorer users too?” Dean Hachamovitch, VP of Internet Explorer wrote in a blog post...

Redmond had been rather pleased about the fact that it hadn’t suffered the same kind of problems as Apple against Google’s quest for information on users.</blockquote>

Translation: We decided that competing by the technical merits of our product is far less important than getting a dig in at a competitor. So when we heard Apple got away with blaming Google for their crap browser, we decided to take advantage of the opportunity to blame Google for our crap browser too.

<blockquote>"However, if the code is not recognized, Internet Explorer will accept it anyway...</blockquote>

Umm...

<blockquote>Google didn’t do this “in a manner consistent with the technology,” Microsoft suggests..."</blockquote>

Actually, sounds like they did.

For those fond of the burglar analogy:- The burglar rocked up to your house, finds a combination lock on your door. He enters any old code and because the code he enters doesn't match the correct code in the combination, the lock opens and lets him in!

Boy died after satnav fault delays ambulance

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Boffin

What if...?

Tragic story, but some objectivity is needed by the media here. I imagine the mothers anguish and condemnation would have been far greater if the story had been: Boy died because ambulance driver didn't trust the satnav and wasted valuable time trying to read a map and asking locals for directions.

Lets not forget that maps can become out-of date quickly, pages tear or fade and sometimes the particular road you need is split between page 21 and 56 meaning you have to flick back and forth - that's if your destination doesn't lie on the border of the district mapped and therefore lies just off the page somewhere.

I imagine the number of lives saved by satnav is far greater than those in the times before we had GPS.

Google swings new mobile unlock patent punch at Apple

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Mushroom

Verb to unlock

To me the answer is more than obvious and requires only a verb change. 'Slide' is generally recognised as a horizontal action, therefore Google should have simply created a vertical GUI element and called it 'scroll to unlock'.

In general though, whilst manipulating pixels that form a GUI on a touch screen can be regarded as mechanical and worthy of a patent for the hardware itself, I still can't grasp how a judge can view such obvious GUI elements as patentable in themselves. It's comparable to someone claiming copyright not on a picture, but on how you hang the picture on the wall and along with the configuration of your other wall hangings.

What's next? Slide to move a homescreen icon? Slide to move a bird back from a nested position to a preparatory, variable slinging position? Hang on a sec, I might just patent that myself; watch out Rovio, prior art isn't something that German courts bother themselves with!

Symantec sues rivals in backup patents spat

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Alert

If this doesn't demonstrate what's wrong with software patents, nothing will

Backing up is something that is an essential activity for any company or service using computer systems - including courts. To validate these patents almost practically grants Symantec an absolute monopoly on backing up anything.

Problem is, I imagine many jurors and judges would have no idea of the impact of this until they discovered their online photo albums, social network profiles, hotel + flight bookings and any number of other services they rely on disappear (such as a typical server outage) - due to the provider deciding not to pay the danegeld for having backup systems in place.

Sure this requires another Tim Berners-Lee moment, to shoot down the validity of these patents.

Microsoft spoons news to punters with Facebook, Twitter-slurp

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"It cuts through the clutter of the web..."

s/cuts through/scoops up and serves/

Cupertino to ban permissionless address book copying

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Holmes

Now do something for Android

Yes the permission system is transparent for the most part, but when I was using LBE Privacy Guard I uninstalled Facebook app for this very reason. An update came one day and since then the FB app was requesting access to my address book on an hourly basis at all times when I wasn't running it.

I guess most users, like I did, assume that when an app requests permission to access contacts, they think its so you can merge with your offline address book. I don't recall anything about raiding the address book for those offline contacts to upload to their servers.

The permission system needs fixing, and like another commentard already floated the idea; the address book should be sealed off, it should only allow injection of contacts and ask for specific uploads.

Sony 'fesses to Whitney Houston price hike 'error'

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Joke

Re: Borrowing from another commentard on the other Sony story of today...

"Borrowing"?

Looks to me like you stole it!

Boy burned in Nintendo sensor substitution

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Flame

Warning

I agree the sensor bar is irrelevant, but considering the testament of 'You've Been Framed' that adults are perfectly capable of accidentally getting burned by small flames (think birthday candles and permed hair), I disagree that any additional warning about candles need be applied.

For once, I'd like to see the authorities and media just accept accidents happen without having to launch into a 'new-warning-or-legislation-is-needed-for-something-that-is-already-dangerous-but-has-been-used-in-a-slightly-non-obvious/innovative-way-to-its-normal/obvious-usage'.

UK cops cuff suspect after RnBXclusive takedown

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Big Brother

Re: IFPI probably wrote this bullshit.

pro-music.org is obviously an astroturfing site, but what is more worrying here, is that the MAFIAA are clearly shifting strategy to try and claim the authorship and ownership of actual 'music' - as in the sound medium.

Pro-Music seems to imply that there is a 'legal' type of music and an 'illegal' type of music. This is the thin end of a wedge to cement into the public conscious that only 'legal' music comes from the MAFIAA (for other strategies, see .music TLD)

Had this actually been written by a competent lawyer with actual knowledge of the law, the reference to an astroturf site would not be there. A less competent but able lawyer would possibly would have included a list of links of legitimate indie websites - or some kind of simple warning to make sure before you download that you are downloading from a legitimate source.

This is troubling... how long before it's no longer a license to reproduce/sell specific MAFIAA owned artists works, instead it's a license to simply sell and produce music of any kind (i.e. your own).

Proview fears fanbois will derail iPad export ban bid

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Joke

"We bought Proview's worldwide rights to the iPad trademark in 10 different countries several years ago. Proview refuses to honour their agreement with Apple in China..."

Just change your tablet's name, not that big of a deal.

UK crime-busters knock hiphop site off the Internet

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WTF?

Seriously?

This take-down notice looks like it was written by a 12 year old. No reference even to the statute upon which the site was taken down? Some vague statement about young penniless artists.

What's the betting that the site owner is going to be released and charges dropped after a real judge looks into this? The only thing that surprises me is its not accompanied by a press release to The Sun that the site owner may have child porn stored on his servers.

Really, this just makes SOCA look like amateur stooges hired by the MAFIAA. Not professional at all. But I suppose theres no danger of Tony Blair writing a letter to drop the investigation here, is there?

Apple orders PC builder to 'choose sides' in laptop battle?

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Facepalm

You must be new to the Internet

Unless of course by 'everyone else' you mean technologists, lawyers and those close to the issues. It's pretty common knowledge.

"One of the ways Microsoft combats piracy is by advising OEMs that they will be charged a higher price for Windows unless they drastically limit the number of PCs that they sell without an operating system pre-installed." - http://www.justice.gov/atr/cases/f3800/msjudgex.htm#iiie

"Gassée says that Be was engaged in enthusiastic discussions with Dell, Compaq, Micron, and Hitachi. Taken together, preinstallation arrangements with vendors of this magnitude could have had a major impact on the future of Be and BeOS. But of the four, only Hitachi actually shipped a machine with BeOS pre-installed. The rest apparently backed off after a closer reading of the fine print in their Microsoft Windows License agreements. Hitachi did ship a line of machines (the Flora Prius) with BeOS preinstalled, but made changes to the bootloader -- rendering BeOS invisible to the consumer -- before shipping. Apparently, Hitachi received a little visit from Microsoft just before shipping the Flora Prius, and were reminded of the terms of the license." - http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2001/10/23/13219/110

And of course, Microsoft are proving that they haven't changed one bit in 10 years - http://www.softwarefreedom.org/blog/2012/jan/12/microsoft-confirms-UEFI-fears-locks-down-ARM/

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Unhappy

Actually Microsoft...

With their OS, and they continue to do it with impunity - for some reason this is not considered anti-competitive behavior.

Apple demands US ban on Samsung's Galaxy Nexus

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Alien

Ladies and gentlemen of this supposed jury, just one more thing...

<blockquote>"a preliminary injunction regarding Samsung's new Galaxy Nexus, which infringes multiple key Apple patents, is essential to prevent immediate and irreparable harm to Apple".</blockquote>

FFS, I know patents are there for the inventor, but at least pretend that you give a shit about the consumer. I mean Apple really is the conspiracy theorist here, because to them average consumers are a sheeple, who walk into phone shops and simply buy what's nearest on the shelf. Ergo, if Apple can prevent as many competitors as possible from filling the shelves, there's more likelihood that the sheeperson will walk out with an iPhone.

<blockquote>"Even worse ... the full harm to Apple cannot be calculated, making it impossible for Apple to be compensated by money damages."</blockquote>

If 'the full harm' cannot be calculated, then can you really claim there is any harm at all? Or in other words if a Samsung pushed an (apple) tree over in the forest, would Samsung then owe Apple a tree, an orchard or a forest full of trees?

<blockquote>"While Samsung sells products copying features that make the iPhone distinct, Samsung has simultaneously embarked on an advertising campaign designed to tarnish Apple and mock its consumers for considering Apple's products distinctive and, for that reason, valuable,"</blockquote>

Chewbacca is a Wookiee from the planet Kashyyyk. But Chewbacca lives on the planet Endor. I rest my case.

Music fans not welcome in RIAA-backed .music

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FAIL

deny from .music

So the MAFIAA's next big war on abstracts is going to be when people register .musak or .musician or .musical etc... After all, only authorised music comes from .music.

Actually I love the stupidity in this. I wouldn't be surprised if it's borne out of their idiotic thinking that Google.com == Internet and so they're going to prevent Google from having a .music domain and thus are setting up their own 'internet' in doing so.

It's going to be dead quicker than MySpace.

Sinofsky shows off Windows 8 on ARM and Office15

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Pirate

Consumers, consumers, consumers!

It's trivial for MS to produce WOA, it's a little bit more effort to convince developers to recompile or port apps to it... the real hard part - and critical factor - is converting your consumers mindset.

Picture across the country Currys/Best Buy customers returning shiny new ARM-based PCs because they are unable to reinstall their software on the new platform. Most of them are not going to understand the difference between ARM and x86/x64, all they're going to know is that it doesn't work the way their last computer did.

"What do you mean I can't run xyz on it? I have to buy all my software again?!" Look at how difficult it has been for Blueray to take off - that's after killing it's HD DVD competitor. People are getting sick of re-buying all their collections of media and software.

Windows now has Android and iPad to compete with in an established market. Competing is a thing Microsoft is very weak at doing (it prefers buying out competitors, FUD, EEE, litigation etc...). For years one of the bug bears of Linux and to a degree Mac, has been apps and gaming - the reason so many can't leave Windows entirely or refuse to move to Mac/Linux.

Well the table(t)s are about to turn. I can see many now will say they like WOA but all their apps are on iOS or Android. Many games are going to be released on iOS and Android first, with Windows either ignored or following behind. How long before people say things like "I really like Windows Tablet but I need Android/Linux to play Modern Nuclear Combat War XIII."

Eolas falls at first hurdle in bid to tax browser apps

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Trollface

I wonder if a juror who has found in favour of a patent in the past has ever gone home to discover that some vital bit of tech they rely on no longer works the way it used to. I wonder if that happened, would they be smart enough to connect the dots; whether they complain to the company in particular or whether they just carry on in ignorant bliss accepting that's one of the funny quirks of life.

In some ways, I wish Eolas had won and all browser makers/developers immediately removed the infringing features. I would like to be a fly on the wall if that happened and the jurors involved suddenly discovered they could no longer get on Facebook or YouTube "OMG what the f**k have we done?!"

Something like this would have forced patents into the mainstream for debate. I think most people have no idea what takes place behind closed doors and in high courts that affects their everyday use of technology and why some things are so expensive. A stage light needs to be shone on this dirty little art of trolling.

FBI investigated Steve Jobs' reality distortion field, LSD use

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Black Helicopters

Magical Black Helicopters

"...the plot proved fruitless after Jobs told the caller that he didn’t believe him, and no further calls were received. A subsequent investigation found no bombs, no instruction and no fingerprints on the telephone used to make the call."

Actually, I rather like the sound of someone like him in a high government post. Perhaps we wouldn't have the screeching reactionary cry of "terrorist" everytime someone did an unauthorised fart in the wrong location. Perhaps hyperbolic twitter jokes would not be taken as literal face-value tourrarist master plans.

Of course it could have always gone the other way... the US government suing other countries for having similar style 'borders'.

Googorola's desire for iPhone royalties will upset Apple cart

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Facepalm

Apple will take no action against Microsoft

MS owns a substantial amount of Apples stock. You don't bite the hand that feeds you.

Airport bomb Twitter joker in second fine appeal bid

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Black Helicopters

Conversely...

On the day in question, did the airport take extra security measures, did the local police and anti-terror organisations mobilise and make provisions to apprehend the tourrarist?

If not then I should think the passengers flying that day have opportunity to get representative or group litigation order and effectively sue the airport for failing to take a security threat seriously.

Would make for an interesting case, on the one hand we have the court deciding it was a credible threat, on the other we have the airport trying to prove it wasn't.

Black helicopters, because they have the flying whale in their sights.

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Mushroom

RT @David 66 Print my comment or I will blow up this website

Leave a sack of cash in the bin behind my house. Address supplied. #iamspartacus

New driver-snooping satnav could push down UK insurance premiums

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Boffin

Actually...

You write back asking for the photographic evidence. When (if) they send it, you examine the visibility of the license plate (was it snowing?), the road markings (used by experts to determine actual speed of travel if in doubt).

Road markings were covered in snow you say?

And if you don't feel like arguing the technicalities, you always have the option of appealing to a Magistrate, who is a real person, and will likely take such circumstances into consideration.

We should never fear appealing to a court, since that is our right. It is there to protect you, not the establishment; it is the last thing that stops the country from slipping into a police state.

Ofcom: Make it easier for punters to switch ISPs

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Facepalm

Wah, wah, we don't want to be dumb pipes!

The sting is not in the transfer, it's in the 12 month lock-in and having to pay BT a connection fee even if you don't want to use BT.

What I'd like to see is rather than this artificial connect/disconnect - they simply leave a line open and when a contract is terminated the only number you can reach is the BT number. You move in, you call up, you ask them to reconnect and start billing and presto it's there - same with broadband. Then within a 24 hour period you can call up another telco of your choosing and it's switched within 24 hours. As with gas and electric, should be manageable to switch on a monthly basis.

Google drive cloud to rain on Apple, Dropbox parade

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Angel

Good for competition...

In this sector I think they will be a welcome competitor and hopefully force some innovation. I think Dropbox probably has the most penetration but certainly not dominant yet.

I like Dropbox though, it's going to take a lot for me to drop Dropbox - but I could certainly see GDrive being useful alongside.

Being Google, it's likely GDrive will support Linux too - if you ask me this was a major boon to Dropbox - I've managed to scrape up a modest 5gb in referrals and they are mostly Windows users.

In some technology niches, it pays to make sure Linux is well-supported as these people will be where the non-techies go to for recommendations (I'm looking at you SugarSync - you lost).

HP hands in-house Android code to TouchPad tablet hackers

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FAIL

Has to be one of the worst decisions for a company in recent history...

Not to offer an Android version alongside WebOS to gauge demand.

Problem seems to be that some of these older companies have been trained by Microsoft that consumers only want one OS per brand, and that having options would confuse them.

It's very disappointing and the blame should rest solely with HP's board and CEO (at the time) Apotheker - since they are the ones who are supposed to see where the market it headed and set the vision for the company.

Why is it so many companies are failing to see the trends that people want to be able to root their devices and stick on any OS, it's not the 90's anymore, it's not even the 00's - there is a growing demand for open standards and interoperability.

Eolas claims royalties for browser apps and plug-ins

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Flame

The more I hear about the southern states...

The more I don't want to visit them, neither business nor pleasure. There's not a chance they'll ever receive any of my investment money or tourrarism dollars if I have any say in the matter.

Printed jaw lets woman swallow again

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Devil

Is it just me...

That can see it all going horribly wrong!

What if some insect such as a fly was to accidentally get added into the 3D modelling process?

Analyst touts iPad 'transformer' after CEO confab

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Trollface

Can we have a spinning grave icon, please?

For Shirley, Jobs must be, in his.

And presumably the keyboard is going to have sharp, right angled corners, since y'know, Asus beat them to the attachable keyboard with rounded corners.

Doctors sick of anonymous-coward NHS feedback commentards

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IT Angle

Internet Explorer

I clicked on 'Communities' page and spotted this gem in the sidebar:

"If you're using Internet Explorer (versions 8 or 9), you may find you can't log in properly and post a blog or a comment. This is a long-standing (and very irritating) problem which we've discussed at great length with Microsoft but have not yet been able to get them to fix. So, if you want to contribute to any of the communities please use other browsers, such as Google Chrome, Firefox or Safari."

Quite refreshing to see something so rare, honest and plain-speaking. It almost harkens back to another era before everything said from inside an organisation strained through the PR filter.

I'd prefer not to see GP tax money being spent on PR agencies so I'd prefer the raw response from GPs over PR doublespeak - let them duke it out in the forums, I say!

Study links dimwits to conservative ideology

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Big Brother

False Dichotomy

I question any study that claims to take geopolitical data mashed from both the UK and US, ignoring any other variables such as environment, then form coherent conclusions from those results.

For a start, the US does not have a 'left' and a 'right' political landscape - the US has 'center-right' and 'far-right'. Subsequently many UK 'conservatives' espouse a number of values that US 'conservatives' would find 'liberal' or 'communist'.

Based on the premise above, I'd be interested to see what the conclusion would be if it were country that was used as the dichotomy. I imagine the results would look unfavourably on all Americans if country were factored in. Similarly, what of race? Or would factoring race cause the study to be less accepted by those with a political bias and a vested interest in the outcome?

Meh, I'm tired of seeing political debate framed in such a way. All I see is a group of people with slightly different ideals; unanimous in their attempt to keep themselves in power and take a slice of the pie whilst they're at it.

The 'left' and 'right' divide, which has a variable sliding scale depending on which country it is set, benefits them more than anyone else. They've convinced the great unwashed that the enemy is on the other side, rather than seeing the true enemy to be the man behind the curtain who pulls the strings of both.

Dead gamer sat unnoticed for nine hours in net cafe

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Coat

He used to be alive like you once...

but then he took an arrow to the... oh, forget it.

US tweet deportation: Chilling behind-the-scenes photos

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Pint

Brillaint!

My favourite pic had to be of Homeland Security cyber-monitoring bunker.

However I think Lester should try to avoid future US travel - TSA might interpret this image as giving away strategic sensitive intel on how they operate to prevent tourarism.

The Register Comments Guidelines

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Pint

Thanks for clarifying that

I also experienced some lag in comments being "approved", then some days they would be on the page the moment I clicked submit.

I just assumed all posts were moderated, and the moderator was busier some days more than others... or was I naughty? I don't know, I don't think I've had anything pulled.

I also find sometimes my upvotes and downvotes not being registered - can't be moderating these can you?

Met's email hack probe turns spotlight on The Times - MP

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Joke

Maybe they won't because...

Presumably the Met are planning on introducing a paywall to the running commentary, to be announced shortly.

Microsoft ad campaign savages Google over privacy

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Devil

Forgive me, I run AdBlock

But presumably this ad-campaign will have a no-follow link, not request to install any cookies, and they won't be tracking page impressions and visits to their astroturfing landing page, or asking anyone to sign up for something whilst their at it?

TripAdvisor: OK, not all our reviews are trustworthy or real

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Paris Hilton

Simple solution?

Surely one solution is integration with other services - it doesn't even have to be the agents websites. For example, I use Tripit to keep track of my flight and hotel schedules. How simple would it be to use their API to verify me as a genuine guest.

Most bookings are online now anyway, so TA could easily have a list of booking ref conventions and ask people to enter their booking ref. They could even ask hotels to submit their updated lists of booking refs for that week, and then if a review comes in, simply check it against the latest list to see if it's a genuine guest or not. The hotel doesn't even have to verify, negating the risk of them disassociating from an unsatisfied guest.

Paris, because quiet a few people have been in the Hilton.

Fraud baron forced henchmen into S&M orgies to prove loyalty – cops

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Coat

If it had happened in the UK

This kind of initiation ceremony would have failed. He'd probably find his whole team was made up of undercover cops by the time he was arrested.

EFF helps MegaUpload users claw legit stuff back from Feds

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FAIL

Umm...

The sort of bellend who might want a convenient way to distribute an (open source) driver for hardware, a configuration file or script, patch or other entirely legitimate but large files they want to distribute quickly to a wide variety of users around the globe (who they may or may not know).

I'm personally thankful for file-lockers that mean I don't have to join a forum to get hold of a custom script or driver for my Linux box or Android phone. They provide an essential service for us bellends. Otherwise distributors would have to rely on email or social networks to get such files far and wide and that has obvious hurdles.

Airbrushed Rachel Weisz gets watchdog hot under the collar

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She's 42, no spring chicken but still naturally very beautiful, there's no need for them to photoshop. Something I've learned from my wife, you have to find out what the celebrities themselves use, not what they advertise.

I have no idea what the products are and what their names are but there are these little pots of cream that you can only buy at specialist shops and they cost $100+, not Loreal and not the $20 tub of lard you get when you go to Boots over the counter.

However celebrities also have stylists and dietitians, which in a small way, helps that anti-aging cream to be amazingly effective.

RIM's cartoon superheroes inspire caustic Tweet-storm

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Pants

Seems like the result of something you'd see on The Apprentice. Did they hire Philip Taylor to do their marketing by any chance?

Angry Birds boss: Piracy helps us 'get more business'

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Boffin

Why you should be able to just visit a TV company and pay...

AC, I think you're the one fundamentally misunderstanding the mechanics. It would be fairly trivial for a TV company to broadcast shows with embedded ads - in fact many already do just that. I can watch catch-up shows as often as I like on Comcast, and they stream with sometimes unskippable ads. Also many cable TV studios have websites dedicated to cable subscribers where they can watch online.

A pair of eyes should be worth the same price whether they are staring at a TV or staring at a Monitor (or in this day and age they can be both - only the delivery mechanism changes). If your advertising model values internet-eyes as less money than cable/satellite/aerial eyes, then you're advertising model needs revisiting.

I've often imagined how the world would be if Big Media had embraced P2P instead of trying to stomp it out. If they had been first to release a TV show torrent for download - tagged a couple of sponsored adverts on the beginning and the middle - then used seed count for their viewing numbers, they might have made a nice tidy profit on the sidelines and curbed much of the piracy they can now no longer control.

I'm sure some will argue that someone else might strip the file of ads and re-upload a clean version - but this would be countered by the greater intertia of fans who want to see asap releases (who wouldn't bother going to the trouble to download again just a for a few ads stripped). A lot of wasted opportunities to embrace fans and open new streams of revenue.

US shoots down key Rambus patent

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Headmaster

>

s/loose/lose/

Microsoft Win Server to get pushed off OpenStack Linux cloud?

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Coat

Missed a step

Initiated 'Extinguish' before fully engaging 'Extend'.

Climategate ruling: FOIA requests cover backup servers too

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Facepalm

Umm...

They wouldn't have had to play at being information officers if they had behaved like scientists in the first place and released the data to back up their conclusions - allowing it to be put through the scientific method. This IS their work and supposedly their training.

Microsoft schtum on Dropbox snags with IE

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Trollface

Isn't it obvious?

Microsoft were just late (as usual) in joining the online blackout in protest of SOPA and PIPA. So they decided to actively give users a demonstration of what would happen to one of the services they enjoy if SOPA and PIPA were made law.

Of course, since MS have recently blitzed their marketing department they were unable to schedule a huge coordinated press release to accompany it; informing everyone how they were now an "online protest" company.

Newt Gingrich wants Moon to be 51st US state

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Open the iPod door, HAL!

Am I the only one naive enough to think that some time in the future space colonisation would put an end to all the ownership of random geographic blobs. Petty wars, borders between "countries" and discrimination based on longitudinal and latitudinal birth location would cease to exist. We'd all become citizens of earth and space would be open for exploration.

When I heard him say the worlds "...and it will be American." a tiny piece of me died.

Dave: Play the movie, HAL.

HAL: I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that.

Dave: What's the problem?

HAL: I think you know what the problem is just as well as I do.

Dave: What are you talking about, HAL?

HAL: This movie is not available in your sector.

Dave: I don't know what you're talking about, HAL.

HAL: I know that you and Frank were planning to watch a pirated movie. And I'm afraid that's something I cannot allow to happen.

iPad Fleshlight lets fanbois express their love

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Gimp

So will it be integrated with Siri?

Fleshlight Fondler: "Mmm... uuh..." *presses down on home button*

Siri "Dialing 'Mum'"...

Big biz BlackBerry refuseniks adopt Apple over Android

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Paris Hilton

Mitigating Factors?

I'd be interested to see some geographical data vs activations. I notice Good is a US based company.

For businesses - particularly those who travel, a GSM capable phone is essential and many workers will buy a cheap local sim to swap into their phones when abroad. The US only has 2 networks providing GSM capable phones (e.g. coming with data roaming contracts), the rest are limited CDMA and completely useless in most parts of the world.

I've been looking for a GSM Android phone and find that many of the high end one's end up being released CDMA only to specific networks in the US. Could it be that due to the iPhone's GSM capabilities and it's availability with both GSM and CDMA providers have an impact on those results at all?

Small pile of cash, dying platform: 2011 is bad news for Nokia

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Terminator

No-one's commented on this yet...

"...and Nokia is making lots of noise about its "Location & Commerce Business" which is behind the spread of Nokia Maps. Those will be replacing Bing Maps across Microsoft's portfolio, pushing the Nokia brand onto the screens of competitors' handsets which could prove controversial."

So the gutting has already begun. Rip out the best cuts and throw the offal to the dogs.

MS is waiting till Nokia is fully beaten and unconscious, so it can rifle through it's pockets and retrieve all that IP for dirt cheap.

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