Posts by Mark Lawson

Behold, the insides of Samsung's Galaxy Fold: The phone that tears down all on its own

pholdleslab

Analogue radio is the tech that just won't die

The other issue with DAB (possibly other digital radio systems too) is that since all models process the digital signal at their own rate based on their own hardware, multiple radios (even the same model from the same manufacturer in the same room on the same signal) will be noticeably and unpleasantly out of sync with each other. Not great for clock radios triggering at around the same time. Or walking around a house with different radios on the same station. The solution is simple - switch back to FM, better reception and everything is in sync. Oops.

Zero Tech Emitted: ZTE halts assembly lines after US govt sanctions cripple mobile maker

Re: Trying hard to care

...apart from the apparent cancellation of the Oreo update you would otherwise have seen?

Five ways Apple can fix the iPhone, but won't

Re: Lower case keyboard

They eventually got round to that with iOS 7.

Samsung rebrands store as Galaxy Apps, eyes up Google Play customers

Re: "Galaxy Essentials" ... you have to ask yourself why they were left off the phone to begin with

The horribly underpowered stuff like the Galaxy Ace and Galaxy Y have had Galaxy in their name for at least two years. Galaxy doesn't mean high-end.

Whatever Samsung call the store it will still suffer from being stocked with stuff you wouldn't want to buy at all or that you wouldn't want to buy from Samsung (and tie to just their devices).

Netflix needling you? BBC pimps up iPlayer ahead of BBC3 move

Re: Charging

That might work with a fixed household IP address.... but many ISPs still assign a different number from a pool of IP addresses every time their users reconnect. Enterprises tend to have a fixed IP address...

Black Ops has best videogame ending ever

Twin Kingdom Valley. The "secret of life" as a sparkly/ gemmy thingy that literally took hours to render on screen (this was in the 8-bit days) :)

User data stolen in Sony PlayStation Network hack attack

Possible new slogan?

IT

ONLY

REVEALS

EVERYTHING

How to host your very own Windows 7 launch party

The trouble with launch parties is...

....deciding what to use as a payload

Easter Island dirt may hold key to longer life

Mice

"...and I for one welcome our geriatric murine overlords...."

Dinosaurs actually slimmer than we thought, say boffins

The T plan

So dinosaurs were never fat, they were just big boned...

I'll get my coat - its the one made out of genetically-modified T-Rex skin.

English vocab poised to hit 1m words

Lingflation

Makes a nice change from the swinepocalypse. :)

PC Gamers get Bill of Rights

Software specs

"Fair enough, but shouldn’t a PC gamer know their machine’s specifications and then match these up to the system requirements listed on the game’s box?"

That depends on whether the "minimum specs" are genuinely based on requirements for the thing to run at all, or merely represent what someone putting together the box art thinks sounds like a likely spec of an average PC within the last 2-3 years.

I run a machine elements of which are on the ancient side (GF3Ti200 and an Athlon 850). I regard even the minimum specs on the box as suspect - my machine chugs along with Doom 3 happily whilst miles below the official specs and handled Prey without issue but won't touch Quake 4 as it specifically needs SSE (which the old Althlon lacks) - the QIV specs don't mention this, they just demand a P4 class or above (even though it would probably run fine on a P3). I understand that companies can't test their software with every feasible hardware combination but the information provided isn't enough to make an informed judgement - its frustrating knowing that on the offchance that your purchase won't work you're potentially out of luck "because you don't meet the published specs".

(I'm not a hardcore gamer and the machine works very well for its main role as a family PC/ PVR - it'll get replaced when it dies)

With hardware purchases its even sillier as you are very unlikely to need a 2GHz+ machine to install a new DVD burner or printer successfully... but it still gives the reatiler a get-out clause should it not work.

IBM solves world's 'paper or plastic' crisis

@Sam

Four words.

"Would you like cashback?"

(If I wanted ***ing cahback I'd have ***ing asked for cashback)

Russell T Davies bows out of Doctor Who

@Andy

"And don't even get my started on why a time lord with a ship that can take him to anywhere in the universe spends every episode on earth!"

That would be due to the dark machinations of his ultimate nemesis, The Beancounter...

Even accepting the limitations of the format, the RTD-penned shows have seemed to be generally, weaker, sillier and more reliant on a McGuffin of the week than others. He's good at setting up a two parter but does seem to have problems with wrapping up the second part. He still deserves kudos for getting the show revived.

More Moffattt should be a very good thing :)

BBC iPlayer for iPhone and iPod Touch is iGo

Wonder if it'll ever work on an old Netgem?

The old Flash 4 limitation probably doesn't help - but what's wrong with wanting to see iPlayer via an iPlayer?

UK men would stay out of bed for 50in plasma telly

Comet, you say?

Remind me - what was Comet's old slogan?

Stripogram councillor rocks Devon Lib Dems

So she's left them short of two Inches?

I'll get my coat.

Derbyshire cops get into deep water

Wet Fuzz

So now we know what Pegg and Frost can do for a sequel...

Computer crash causes bad attitude on ISS

NASA Tech support

"Have you tried turning it off, then turning it on again..."