Posts by msknight 1429 publicly visible posts • joined 28 May 2013
I got Steamworking under linux a while ago, but the dearth of games meant that I didn't bother. Played Half Life again a bit and that was it. I'm back on modded Minecraft and renting a server in the US.
They will have to really break the game/platform problem before I'll enjoy spending time in Steam again, like I used to in the dark days of Windo$e.
When faced with the massive amount of wasted processor cycles at home, I decided that the only sane way to go, was to actually cut down on the waste by using lower power processors that cost far less energy to run. In truth, I got a bit more complicated than that, but the essence is, cut the power so that I'm not generating the waste.
Cooling the home office became easier as well, because at one point I was talking with an engineering friend of mine about installing decent air conditioning. Now, I don't need it.
OK, there are occasions when I could do with a sudden burst of processing grunt, but, heck, it is a small price to pay. It's a personal choice.
The rewards of hiring out unused cycles, eating in to bandwidth allowances (as I live in the country with pathetically bad internet) just doesn't even come close to the costs it would take me to earn that reward.
Sorry, but this seti/bitcoin cross just doesn't make any sense to me.
Taking the highly technical route of holding a ruler up against the picture, the dimensions of the two plugs look roughly the same that the plug on the right looks not to be fake, but real.
As for Apple expecting the phone to be obsolete by 2017 ... I would have put that to be a bit optimistic given what they did with the iPod battery a few years ago. What was that ... 18 months and then the device dies?
There was a TV program on a while ago, "The men who made us spend" and talked about built in obsolescence; among them printer carts that stop working even though there is plenty of toner still in them. If they can't do it with the device, then why not do it with the connector! After all, I've still got monitoring equipment that needs a serial connector ... and only a few laptops have them these days. Becoming rarer on the bog standard chuck-cheap-out-the-door types of PC's as well.
Call me cynical, but these days I wouldn't put anything ... past anyone ... especially those with a track record in obsolescence.
I base this on the grounds that anyone who made a substantial contribution to an image has a portion of rights to that image. That includes lighting staff if they decided where to place the lights and balance the settings, but not if they just put them where the photographer told them where to put them and what settings to use ... a key difference and one that I believe has been argued in various courts long before now.
Slater set up the camera, tuned the settings, etc. The monkey hitting the shutter is an utter nonsense, otherwise the camera would own the rights to any picture that was taken with an auto-shutter ... the animals would own the rights to any picture which was taken with a trip wire ... an IR sensor ...etc.
Just putting this down to who hit the shutter is just utter stupidity IMHO, and any law which supports the owner simply as the person or entity that tripped the shutter is ... as is traditional to say ... an ass.
Instead of... "offer to pay a bug bounty equivalent to TEN times the price companies are willing to pay for the security flaws, and then make them public after a patch has been developed."
...how about, make them automatically public one month after the purchase, to make damn sure that a patch gets developed in the mean time!
I know ... I'll get my coat.
Bestiality is listed in the extreme pornography legislation. It is covered by other legislation elsewhere but it got duplicity in this one for the "simple ownership" coverage.
The Obscene Publications act (and various amendments) are actually controlled by the CPS and among the things listed in there is the depiction of drug usage. However, note that the government of the time's "Talk to Frank" campaign wasn't prosecuted for breach of the OPA. The guidance also lists, "bondage especially where gags are used" but even Pulp Fiction remains legal to own.
This never has been about actual offending ... it is, "Do we want to nick you," and if the answer is yes, then they throw the book at you.
Spanner crew got an average of four years in jail .. they were adults. Two separate men got their underage boys to slice their backs open with blades on chains in zanjeer matam, and they walk away with suspended sentences.
Don't look for any sense, rhyme or reason in any prosecutions for material of these natures .. there isn't any.
I did actually take the extreme porn law apart on one of my web sites, but as it is NSFW, I won't post the link. I also had a written argument with the Home Office at the time ... they knew they were enacting a load of crap but did it anyway. I've also had correspondence with the CPS over the OPA guidance .. they know that a chunk of their guidance is out of date ... societies morality shifts but apparently legal dinosaurs get stuck in the mud and solidify.
What I meant was - " Don't go the same way as that bloke from Microsoft about the 'Xbox always being on-line' scandal." ... So much for auto compete ... I mean complete!
And for those with the short memory - http://www.t3.com/news/ms-creative-director-resigns-after-xbox-always-online-comments
I use low power computers at home and tried to use Hangouts the other week. (after a break of several months due to a copyright strike from a video uploaded years ago ... long story) They must have changed the codec or something because my system just couldn't handle it any more.
In a world where we are encouraged to be more conservative with power usage, it seems nuts that companies (not just google) are assuming everyone is using meaty processing rigs. Just like web designers that assume everyone has fast pipes and unlimited broadband allowance. I HATE developers who think that everyone else is just like them. .. yes, Jolla, I'm looking at you, and you know what I'm talking about because I've TOLD you. Don't go the same way at that bloke from Microsoft about the Xbox already being on-line scandal.
All they do is turn me away from their offerings and in to the arms of their competitors. More fool them.
... but this smells like a chance to sell the same phone twice to the same people. Once on launch with non-saphire, and then again in 6 months time WITH saphire.
I was not impressed with "the men who made us spend" - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01zxm9b - which followed people queuing for the last iphone, one punter in the queue who queued for a long time, but cited colour for the reason to be buying a new iphone. Not security, not faster processor, not larger screen ... colour.
Still, it's his money. Oh, sorry, WAS.
I've been using Sailfish since the launch last year. It has plenty of potential and I would actually put it a very tiny sliver above android in terms of UI.
If I was in Nokia's shoes then come 18 months, I'd be going for Sailfish on new phones and go forward from there.
I don't think that launching with MeeGo at that time would have served them very well, but this has bought them time, and in 18 months I think the mobile phone market will have become thoroughly fed up with iOS, Androis and ... let's face it, there isn't that much user base TO get fed up with Windows phone!
A colleague has one and reported that everything was "on" by default so battery life tanked so he is still researching how to turn stuff off. Some of the pictures he has taken are really nice. As an amateur shutterbug I'm impressed by the colour, contrast and overall performance.
Also, he reported no headphones in his box, but he has, "enough bloody headphones" anyway.
(sorry, his is the 635, but it's a damn nice performer. I'm still not umping to Windows myself, though.)
... "In 1785 Watt and Boulton became fellows of the Royal Society. Watt's condenser was patented, but in preventing others from experimenting with its design, it is said that he delayed the introduction of high pressure steam in stationary engines for many years."
*sigh* - that is all.
Dr Who - "Oh! A Dalek. Now, how do I disarm one of these things. Hang on..." Retrieves flexible overlay and holds it between him and the dalek.... (finish this for yourselves)
Firstly, they would have to fix Haynes. Mechanics call it "the book of lies" for a reason. "Simply undo the bolt shown in picture A..." ... half a day and much swearing later...
Those bastards have had a false copyright claim against my video for months and months now ... my only recourse is to drag them AND YouTube in to court for defamation of character. It seems that a good chunk of Mr Kevin McLeod's royalty free music has been targeted , possibly because it IS, er, royalty free?
So if MadeineTaly gets toasted... that's fine by me.
Actually, the whole issue ISN'T fine by me to be honest, I've been not buying music since the mid of last year in protest at the insanity that is going on in the music retail world ... and you know what ... I've got oodles of good old stuff that I'm not getting tired of yet.
Perhaps if we all stopped buying mainstream music?
The only good thing that could come out of this is if an enterprising soul took the bull by the horns and set up a "do no evil" representation of all the indi's. Anyone got old Beardy's phone number?
Unify's (used to be Siemens) OpenScape and upcoming Project Ansible. I'd be interested to read what you made of that platform, especially the web conferencing facilities it comes with.
Especially with their recent pairing with local suppliers so that you're data always stays in your country and you don't need to invest in installing your own infastructure. Interesting changes afoot.
...and no, I don't work for them, or any reseller for them ... but I'd be interested in another pair of eyes opinion on the system.
I was sat in my office one day when a call came through the system. Can't remember the exact words but it was a detailed report, something like, Computers not working, printers fine, etc., etc, ... strong smell of smoke...
I got up and wandered across campus to the offending building.
Apparently, workers were digging up the road and some unfortunate soul had gone through a mains cable, knackering the supply and presumably leaving a widow, etc. Nothing I could do there, so I proceeded to the building in question.
In the mean time, the generator had kicked in to supply power to the building, which was why the printers came back on by themselves. However, the exhaust pipe for the generator had been positioned next to the air intake for the air conditioning systems ... so as the generator was working, the people inside were being gassed with diesel exhaust.
And during all this, some unnamed "person" instead of evacuating the building, decided to stop and log a detailed helpdesk call as what was working, what wasn't, etc..
*sigh*
And thank you both for confirming that men think that attractiveness is a good reasons for getting married, above love, affection, dedication, devotion, etc., etc. ... it is YOUR problem, and it is sad that women are having to suffer the results of this crap.
And don't bring fifty shades in to it; that is a pile of ficticious rubbish. The BDSM scene in general has slated that work as being completley un-representative codswallop.
You've been caught, red handed, and of course I'm going to get a thumbs-down battering.
"Heck, I'm a shy computer nerd and have an attractive wife and two kids myself."
Way to go, AC. How about, "a wife I love," or some other quality of your relationship together rather than the fact that your wife is attractive?
That's what really get people like me angry (actually, I don't feel anger, just despair) that blokes still think of women as trophies; rather than partners who they love dearly and are proud of them for who they are.
...and I do use DuckDuckGo instead of Google on principle, but there are searches for which I do have to switch back to Google, because it finds what I need. Bing and DuckDuckGo, don't.
I fear users will not like Apple for this move once their search result take a nose dive.
I curently have two active UK sims (one for work and one for personal) and am about to supliment that with a German PAYG on a third mobile so that I can use the unlimited data bundles while in Europe. That will make one person with three active SIMs. (and three phones which will all be going, "Mamma, Mamma," come feeding time at the charger-zoo.)
If they need to cut down on these things, then the industry needs to become a little bit more intelligent with how they do things. I mean, with the market the way it is at the moment, what else do they expect?
(in case you're wondering, one is a works iPhone which doesn't do dual SIM, my personal preference is the Jolla and the third is an android that I'm using for SatNav ... so dual simming isn't realistic)
Best option is to buy a refurbed and vamped up BBC B and 6502 co-pro cheese wedge from somewhere like RetroClinic ... like I've got ... then you get to play the executive edition :-) - http://www.retroclinic.com/
If you hit flea bay, then be prepared for a BBC which has an unknown series of components and needs repair. I've documented my journey here - http://msknight.com/bbc/ - hope that helps. Get the soldering iron out! - comparison here - http://msknight.com/bbc/buying.html
Oh, and there are alternatives to the standard cheese wedge, but somewhere like the stardot forums are the best place to ask about those - http://stardot.org.uk/forums
@Pete 2
Actually ... I'm wearing ankle boots which have rounded heels for driving. OK, I'm IT literate but I don't have much time on my hands. I am snatching the dead time that happens between installations; I'm a 70wpm typist, I just ramble quickly ...
I'm also not stressed and I'm just defensive about moronic claims from people who think they know the truth about my job and what life is like in the public sector when in reality they know sweet FA.
I thought you were an IT pro; and you tell me that you beleive everything you read on the internet?
Also, I'm actually transsexual; I have worn suit and heels in my time on this planet, and I left my nearly-silver status after a discussion more than a year ago. This very thread is just more proof that I should have not bothered to comment again; partaking in some discussions is just not worth the grief.
Truth? Lie? Do I care? No. Believe what you like.
@Pete 2 - Andaluca - lucky you; you've probably worked hard for it, and good luck to you. me? I'll be enjoying two weeks in a static caravan in the New Forest ... again.
The sad thing is that you feel the need to look down on me from on high and berate me for things that you think are happening, but in reality you haven't got much of a clue as to who I am, or what I do.
Now that's what I call sad, and why I don't give a fuck about what you say about me in here.
@notauser - and you're bashing me for what exactly? I get bashed for being lazy, then bashed for doing overtime, bashed because I actually do like my job enough to not want to give it up for a few grand more ... what are you going to bash me for next? Giving a fuck? ... 'cause here's the kicker! I don't!
@larsg @bearden - actually I started in programming, then went to hardware maintenance as a European engineer and now I'm technical lead on a multi-customer cloud telephony project ... and there are actually days when I get up and look forward to coming to work because I'm "engaged" with what I do, and that is worth the few grand loss at the moment. However, I could do with a holiday ... now where'd I put that sick form...
Oh, yes, right, like the 40+ hours of overtime that I've had to put in to my local government IT job this month, and more needed next month to keep things running ... and not leaving work until 4am some mornings during telephony system upgrades ...
...and someone in the private sector moaned at me the other day because they'd taken a hit from 45k to 35k and i had to tell them that they're still a fair few grand above me. Take you're private/public crap and kindly put it somewhere that the sun doesn't shine.
"This could drive those workers into the welcoming arms of hard-pressed retailers - but those retailers may not have the biz spec gear demanded by corporate overlords."
After an article on the Reg the other week that said that people's own kit outstripped their employers, sub-standard kit?
Either it is one way or the other; either retail kit outstrips corporate supply, or it can't live up to corporate standards. I know which one I'd put my money on!
The only sad thing is that this kind of money won't buy you a lot from the outset, and any cash gains by bulk buying are lost. inefficient use of cash, even IF the individual is allowed to top up the spending wonga with their own cash.
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