* Posts by Just a random academic

13 publicly visible posts • joined 4 Oct 2011

Google stiffs Samsung on price, now wireless charging too

Just a random academic
WTF?

I don't know...

where this persistent belief that Google charges manufacturers to license its apps on Android (mainly Google Play, since once you have that, you can get everything else) . As detailed here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Play#Device_compatibility , the license is free of cost if your device passes the compatibility test. Somewhere in the depths of the Android documentation, they even say that they'll help you out, free of charge.

India preps craft for first mission to Mars

Just a random academic
Joke

India...

does have the largest population of buffalo in the world, perhaps they're planning to open a buggalo ranch there before the Wongs can?

Supersize shifting sand dunes stalk surface of Mars

Just a random academic

That's not wind...

I for one welcome our Shai-Hulud overlords.

Jazz Jackrabbit

Just a random academic
Thumb Up

This was an epic game

I wonder if I can find a copy on the intarwebs (shareware version only, of course. Ahem).

Google dings missive to lawmakers: 'We're misunderstood'

Just a random academic

A title used to be required and had to contain letters and/or numbers

TBH, Google are far better than most companies. At least they tell you *exactly* what data they're storing via their dashboard service.

Vodafone Android app babysits lazy parents' kids

Just a random academic

Err... talk to your kids much?

Immigrants face £49k wage minimum to stay

Just a random academic

Junior Academics...

...are screwed then. It's already very difficult for universities to employ non-EU postdoctoral researchers, but this rule means that "permanent" lecturer jobs for new lecturers (which never start at anything near £49,000) can't establish a long-term research group in the UK. I know that my University (one of the top Universities in the country) already has trouble attracting lecturer-level staff of sufficient quality.

Well done uk.gov, you've just badly hurt research in this country. Have fun reaping the rewards!

Apple gets patent for ‘unlock gesture’

Just a random academic

You've got to be effing kidding me...

Google! mulling! Yahoo! slurp! claims! insider!

Just a random academic

I've taken to referring to the Google-Motorola entity as Gootorola, not sure how to make that work wity Yahoo. Goohootorola, perhaps?

Just a random academic

Antitrust anyone?

No way in hell could this possibly go through. Perhaps Google are just being smart and making a huge bid to prevent others from buying? That way, if by some miracle, the FTC lets the deal through, Google win, but if the deal is nixed by the FTC, Google still win by virtue of pricing the others out of the market?

Pay Jobs due respect - by crushing the empire he created

Just a random academic
Thumb Up

For once...

For once, Matt Asay gets it right. With the iPad and the iPhone, Apple got things right *for them*. i.e. they did what was best for their walled-garden model of doing business. There are a huge number of ways that tablet manufacturers could differentiate.

For me, a tablet is a pointless device *unless* I can do something with it that I can't do with a laptop. Where are the outsize (say 13") tablets that have graphics tablet capabilities built-in? Why can't I open, in a split-screen view, a reference (say mathematical formulae) and a whiteboard-type app so I can (for example) derive mathematical models while looking up relevant stuff on the other half of the screen?

The tablet form-factor has tremendous potential, but everyone is busy aping Apple.

Why grill Google over web dominance? It has none

Just a random academic
FAIL

Gah! Matt Assay just has no clue does he?! I don't understand why a respected publication like El Reg still has him writing columns.

Tuesday's iPhone event more than Apple.com can bear

Just a random academic
FAIL

Who checks these things

apple.com's woes would appear to be due to a compromise of their DNS provider. At the time of posting, their whois reads:

APPLE.COM.WWW.BEYONDWHOIS.COM

APPLE.COM.WAS.PWNED.BY.M1CROSOFT.COM

APPLE.COM.MORE.INFO.AT.WWW.BEYONDWHOIS.COM

APPLE.COM.IS.OWN3D.BY.NAKEDJER.COM

APPLE.COM.IS.0WN3D.BY.GULLI.COM

APPLE.COM.BEYONDWHOIS.COM

APPLE.COM.AT.WWW.BEYONDWHOIS.COM

APPLE.COM