Posts by eesiginfo

Top Euro court: No, you can't steal images from other websites (too bad a school had to be sued to confirm this little fact)

Re: Prepare for...

"unless an image is explicitly provided as such"

This area of international law is a minefield.

Fix one area, step back ... and BOOM!

I invested some time photographing my village; storing them on Flicker.

I will have ticked a box, explicitly allowing these to be openly published (for everyone to benefit, if they so wished).

However, some moron set up an an automated image grab of Flicker thumbnails, linked to his own site (hive - or something like that).

It seems that he grabbed the entire database (using the flicker api apparently) - so he got millions of thumbnails.

The thumbnails then proceeded to pollute the browser 'image search' system, in place of the originals.

... and clicking the thumbnail loads the hive site, not the original.

All my work was wasted - the images were for the public, and all they get is a crappy thumbnail.

Therefore, in this automated environment 'explicit authorisation' is a mess, because the full consequences cannot be foreseen.

Even Flicker lost out, because instead of link-backs promoting their site, the images were promoting the morons site.

Who's fault?

Mine surely, for ticking a box.

Flicker's for enabling the mass image grab.

But ultimately ... how do you define 'explicit authorisation' when every image is a collection of easily manipulated numbers?

Mirror mirror on sea wall, spot those airships, make Kaiser bawl

Re: It was....

... "Nowadays, for everyone with a new idea, there are 50 or more by-law drafters......"

You forgot to mention Alphabet and the banks, standing by to suppress your innovation.

We should never forget that 'all innovation steps on the toes of established corporations'.

They don't like that.

Remember that $5,000 you spent on Tesla's Autopilot and then sued when it didn't deliver? We have good news...

Re: Let's talk autopilot

You provide a slick argument ... but that doesn't make it correct.

The question revolves around whether the consumer was mislead.

The auto pilot feature was over-hyped from the outset ... hype created by Tesla.

You can't compare it to airplanes, nor Windows.

It was a specific feature that Joe Blogs bought for his car.

He wasn't a highly trained pilot.

The comparison with windows doesn't work either.

Windows was (is) a general operating system, (offering thousands of tasks).

A better comparison would be buying a backup system (to add to windows).

IE. you decide to buy the backup system, but it doesn't work.

It's a mission critical element, that you have specifically bought ... but it doesn't work.

So you get your money refunded.

In reality, the auto-pilot feature was better for donate-ware.

Chuck some money in, and carefully have a play with it, and provide your feedback.

Instead ... pretty much all we heard was 'Tesla Autopilot'.

It seems clear that people were mislead.

... otherwise, why would they hand over $5k ?

Bloodhound Super-Sonic Car aims to wake up Newquay: Rocket work restart in August

Will it ... will it really ... ever happen?

I'm sure that everybody has the same feeling.

... It just can't keep going ... how does everybody get paid?

Yet somehow, it keeps on happening.

'Plucky Brits' is perhaps the perfect description.

... my guess is that this record (assuming success) will stand for a very long time.

Oregon will let engineer refer to himself as an 'engineer'

What is an engineeer?

"Oregon should give anyone that wants to call themselves an Engineer a blunt drill and get them to sharpen it as a minimum requirement"

I agree wholeheartedly with sentiment.

People waving bits of paper, that they acquired decades ago (when they were barely out of puberty).

Where's the body of work?

You get your schooling to start you on a path of learning.

Rare it would be, for someone to leave school as an engineer.

More likely they will have been good at Maths, English, and Physics, and progressed onward to learn theory, and equations, in various targeted areas of the physical world.

When they finally leave school... maybe they will begin to master an individual area.

Fine.

Why not call yourself a 'hydraulics engineer', or an 'electrical engineer' etc.

But Engineer... all encompassing?

It's possible.

But if you are calling yourself an engineer... you'd better be able to conceptualise a solution, design it (with tolerances), make the tools to make the prototype, and make the prototype (sharpening drill bits as and when needed).

... and, if you have kept learning, as most genuine engineers do... you can probably also write the control software for it

If you can't do all that, but you have mastered a specific field, then fine.

Call yourself an xxxxxx engineer with well earned pride, and gain your respect.

But to call yourself an 'Engineer'?

Yes; well I guess that you can get away with it .

The rest tend to wave outdated exam results in the air.

Hey ho....

Radiohead hides ZX Spectrum proggie in OK Computer re-release

Re: Only a Britisher would use a ZX spectrum for music...

The 8-bit bot army exists.

It is activated when 'downvote' is mentioned in a post, when the preceding post received downvotes.

WannaCrypt outbreak contained as hunt for masterminds kicks in

Re: Blockchain tracebility

Ah... thank you for that response.

Strange that none of the mainstream media has explained this.

I guess that they were just too embarrassed to ask :)

Blockchain tracebility

Excuse me for asking this question... but he who dares wins...

I've been involved in computing since IBM DOS.

However, blockchain has simply passed me by.

No matter... I have gleaned an overview that all transactions are registered (rightly or wrongly).

So I'm wondering (as an uneducated person in this field)... why it is that these payments can be counted... yet the ultimate recipients cannot be identified.

Can anybody provide an answer?

74 countries hit by NSA-powered WannaCrypt ransomware backdoor: Emergency fixes emitted by Microsoft for WinXP+

Head in hands or head in sands?

Way too much crap talked about people running XP systems.

People on very high horses telling people that they should somehow find the money to upgrade their hardware to then allow them to upgrade their software...

... all to fix a security flaw in the original software.

Fine if new drivers are not supported... new programs don't work... hey that's fine.

But when you first issue a security patch for 'paying support' users... and not issue it to everybody????

Okay... so a few days later (like today or yesterday) they finally list the XP patch as a universal download... but it's already too late for many AND how many people read "the patch is for support paying members only"?

That statement is still up BTW.

However, I know many people still running XP, so I persevered until I found the downloadable patch:

http://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=KB4012598

What would it have cost MS to have released this immediately?

'At least I can walk away with my dignity' – Streetmap founder after Google lawsuit loss

Re: At the risk of sounding controversial...

---- It promoted its own product, ranking it higher on its own network than those of the competition. The competition subsequently lost market share. -----

NO!

It's not supposed to work like that.

When providing access to the data, you're not supposed to manipulate the access in favour of your other products.

Remember windows and browsers?

The concept is to prevent one corporation dominating everything.

... but it looks like this concept is failing.

My fortnight eating Blighty's own human fart-powder

Re: Food is not only sustenance

I believe the writer of the piece, talked about mixing the two - a nutrient filler and a sit-down meal.

This could make sense, as productive members of society are now increasingly choosing how they work.

If the creative urge is upon you, the last thing that you want to do is 'break the moment'.

The key is to run with your productive flow, and that often doesn't conform to a noon break.

Therefore, grabbing a nutrient drink that leaves you satisfied, may be far better than ordering in a Pizza (presuming that it is actually a healthy alternative).

Perhaps you can then get the job done and piss off early, and later sit down with your family or friends for a good nosh up.

Personally, I have a full English to set me up for the day, and then don't eat again until the evening meal (but I do get the concept of a midday filler).

What would stop me is the pricing.

It sounds crazy.

It looks like everything is dry goods, that is simply ground up, and bagged.

It doesn't get any cheaper than that.

Even buying individually packaged wet goods, transported to a supermarket, and sold at a profit, is cheaper than that.

Saucisse de Strasbourg 10 cents

1 egg 11 cents

bacon portion 15 cents

Tomato portion 15 cents

Mushroom portion 15 cents

2 slices of wholegrain toast - 10 cents

Potatoe - almost free @ 30 cents/Kg (1 saved from last night to re-fry)

Drop of mustard - almost free

Stick all that in a decent frying pan on lowish heat, and by the time the tea has brewed, and the computer booted...

... and for way less than a quid... 80 pence tops... you are sitting down to a great meal, and checking out your news feeds.

...... All that, involving special packaging, vacuums, inert gas, food management etc.

Yet a bag of ground, dried food, hits £1.30 per meal (ie. a bit of mass-produced powder)!!!!

On top of that.... your PC hasn't finished booting and loading your apps, and your tea hasn't even brewed after boiling the water.

.... and where's the toast?

Okay, I get that it is cheaper than ordering a pizza delivery.... but everything is cheaper than ordering pizza..... even a top quality steak... and don't even mention griddled kidneys and onions (almost free).

So... as a midday filler at 40p a pop... fine.

But at those prices, I'm not going to give up on a decent breakfast to set me up for the day.

Revolutionary Brit-made SABRE hybrid rocket engine to burn in 2020

Re: This is 'Son of HOTOL'

Tommy Flowers.

Died penniless in an old peoples home.

Turin got all the credit.... but he too was shafted by the state.

Yes... these guys have succeeded against all the odds.... but still I look at the investment figures and wonder if they are developing the next generation of rocket propulsion on a shoe string.

Great that they can do this, but I do question whether this project has received the full support that it deserves.

You mention Tommy Flowers..... but let's not forget Frank Whittle.

This is 'Son of HOTOL'

This project is straight out of a Dan Dare comic, and all things being equal should have been lost to the world when HOTOL was scrapped.

.... but this group of visionary engineers didn't give up. They decided to go it alone.... and succeeded.

That's the WOW!

The story is awesome, the characters in it are awesome, and the space plane is going to be truly awesome.

I just cannot wait.

Chinese demand end to canine carvery festival

Re: A dog isn't just for Christmas...

From what I have learned... pigs are in a different (higher) league to dogs and cats, when it comes to genuine intelligence.

Primarily this is based on conceptual understanding of a given scenario.

One particularly memorable test, was when pigs were taught to control a joystick to manoeuvre a digital ball into a goal.

The pigs quickly grasped the concept... the goal could be placed anywhere on screen, and they would easily move the ball into the goal.

No dog tested could ever become conceptually aware, so they could only ever put the ball in the goal by accident.

The horrific conclusion is that pigs can conceptually understand what is going on around them.

Do I still eat pork?

Yes.... I can deal with this..... but yeah.... don't spend too long thinking about this.

Watch as SpaceX's latest Falcon rocket burns then crashes

Hmmm... not convinced!

Definitely a supporter.... but I'm not really convinced by the explanation.

I just don't cast myself in the mould of the sycophants that hang on to every word spoken by Musk.

I watched the video a few times... it seemed to slow correctly above the barge... it simply failed to land correctly.

For myself, I see this as a typical teething problem with the system.

Perhaps there is a financial need to explain this, in the language used.

But I'm not interested in that.

I'd rather he just said.... shit... this is difficult to get right.

Oooooklahoma! Where the cops can stop and empty your bank cards – on just a hunch

Very good link.

I think it is a must watch!

It's kind of hard to believe that this is true.

TBH I'm a bit stunned.

EU referendum frenzy bazookas online voter registration. It's another #GovtDigiShambles

Re: I'm in two minds about this...

The thing is.... this wasn't an advertised meat sale.

(So you turn up, late Saturday afternoon, and all the cheap meat has gone)

The date and time was set... where a person could register to vote.

It wasn't stated with the caution, that 'if you turn up backendish you might not be able to register'.

Add to that, the fact that the final dash to register, was always going to happen.

.... then factor in the technical capabilities that the government could bring to bear on managing this registration system...

What we get is a pure and simple failure to provide the correct systems.

It's no good blaming people for behaving like people, when dealing with the mass of general public.

This is what governing people is all about.

So who's fault is it?

It's probably down to the Civil Servants.

They are employed to implement the will of the government.

We can be sure that they are now developing complex excuses.

It's not even beyond reason that they are turning the failure to their advantage, to gain an increase in their IT budget.

Every cloud has a silver lining.

Should space be a biz-free zone? Join us on June 22 to find out

Sounds like a good event

... though the question may be a little simplistic.

With communication satellites surrounding the planet, not to mention the business support infrastructure creating the hardware and software..... space is already a business zone.

I think that the big question is, how can our orbital sphere be managed, and kept clear of debris.

Apparently the Chinese destruction of their satellite has created a chain reaction of materials hitting other materials.... with the individual debris getting smaller, yet multiplying.

It seems that we as humans, just can't keep our backyard's clean.

Hmm, developing a fleet of vacuum bots might make somebody a few quid.

Guilty! Trump delivers orange justice to Amazon

Re: Channel The Apprentice?

> Trump's a RINO <

Oh... so Trump is 'Republican in name only'.

I honestly think that you need to take a reality check.

As I understand it.... the current voting is party based.

Therefore, Trump is espousing ideas for the republican electorate (have I got this wrong?)

Given that within a democracy, the party is effectively a legal association, with 1 vote per member.... or at least in principal, if not in reality...

... are we not witnessing the true colours of this party?

Unless somebody can explain otherwise... I can't see this any other way.

He (Trump) IS winning the republican vote.

Ie. Republicans en masse are agreeing with his ideas... to such an extent that he now has no realistic opposition.

He therefore, represents Republicanism, at this moment.

So is this a 'don't give the Plebs a vote' scenario?

(Cos they are fundamentally bigoted {through no fault of their own [being a product of their own society]}).

Well, perhaps the Republican flirtation with bigotry, is now coming home to Roost, when a candidate takes all that has been done and said before, and says:

"You know who we are, and what we stand for.... and I'm gonna give you that".

... and the republican party has just said yes.

Of those who didn't say yes..... half of them (guess) simply felt that by saying these things openly, they would be unelectable.

The other half need the immigrant workers, to maintain their profits.

What's left of your imaginary party-split?

In Real Politics - not a lot.

One black hole, three galaxies, four BEELION solar masses – found by accident

Re: Metaphysical musings and what-ifs about unobservable events may be fun

> ..... but not science <

I agree, but there apparently exists a fine line.

Prediction through calculation produces unobservable events or conditions of existence.

I think it's more a case of 'knowing your science forum'.

I was recently looking at Physics forums QM section.

A poster asked for confirmation that, in the two photon entagled experiment, one photon would change its state if the other photon changed its state...... regardless of distance.

This was confirmed by a top member.

So the OP concluded that "communication outside the realm of space and time exists".

This conclusion is highly logical..... how can one photon 100 light years away react to the changed state of the other.

Result..... the thread was immediately closed.

Yet on the very next thread, all sorts of theoretical musings were presented on 'what is observation'.

Many of which appeared ridiculous.

Yet no complaints.

From this, it is clear that 'discussion of science' has boundaries, that change with mob, or tribal values.

You need to know where you are at, and what bollocks the rest of the chaps are prepared to put up with :D

How innocent people 'of no security interest' are mere keystrokes away in UK's spy databases

Re: It will become a lot easier for them

It will become a lot easier for us, if Google Chrome simply loads the linked page:

"PI has today dumped hundreds of pages of these discovery documents online" https://privacyinternational.org/node/843

This site can’t provide a secure connection

privacyinternational.org uses an unsupported protocol.

I loaded Firefox, and there was no problem loading the page.

Is this just coincidence?

What's wrong with the Daily Mail Group buying Yahoo?

Re: So the good news is....

So the good news is...... that Yahoo management have owned up to being crap.

That's the good news.... and it seems to have been lost in all the Daily Mail hoo-ha.

Take Flickr as a prime example.

So..... you don't want all your photographs to be suddenly owned by hivemind or picssr - where they lose all context with your collection (becoming pointless images - try visiting the 'image' page from Google images and you get just SHITE!...... certainly not your 'location related' collection).

Okay... understandable (of course it's too late - you have to get google to delete them AND the new owners) BUT...... to do this..... Yahoo deletes your pictures from their own search system!!!!!!

What?..... this can't be true (but it is).

Yahoo cuts off it's nose to spite it's face....... so now, your pictures in all their contextual glory, stored on Yahoo systems, are now invisible on Yahoo search!

Is this madness?

If so.... what form of madness is it, where you (Yahoo) destroy your own database of images that you (Yahoo) have paid so much to set up (cos it's free storage)?

Vis a vis the Daily Mail...... they are in the image business.

Perhaps they would wish to reinvigorate Flickr.

I honestly don't know.

But in the face of the 'tsunami of complaints' over what Yahoo are doing to image storage & display, yet blindly tripping over umbilical cords, and pushing forwards with their kneejerk manoeuvres....

.... please...... somebody take them over, because the good news is:

They have finally admitted that they haven't a clue (and don't we know it).

SpaceX's Musk: We'll reuse today's Falcon 9 rocket within 2 months

Re: Pricing's gonna change...

@ Bazza

Yes, I understand what you're saying... and in life, there can be winners and losers.

But I'm suggesting that 'gardening leave' is a very suspect clause in any contract.

It's almost a 'gentleman's agreement'.

It seems to still exist in F1 - Jock Clear took a year off, but my guess is that this simply suited everybody.

If it went to a Euro court it would be laughed at, cos you can't sign a contract that stops you from working (I can't quote the law.... but it exists, and it was established using football).

The fact is that Grosjean went to Haas because Lotus was struggling.

Renault bought Lotus and began investing because they saw an opportunity.

It's the future space industry in a micro chasm.

ONLY... that I'm suggesting that the space industry will no longer be a closed market.

Sure.... in a closed limited market, it is old out, new in.

In a shrinking market, it is 'worst out, best stay in'.

But in a growing market, that is made up of individual enterprises that supply space skills and products..... there is going to be an emphasis on winning supply contracts - many of which there will be.

These companies will hold a core of engineering expertise, and will employ according to contractual need.

Any 'contract winning' company, will advertise for the people who understand the technology.

Those staff will be coming from those companies that didn't get a particular contract.

The battle will be for those people AND for any core staff members, that might be looking at 'which way the wind is blowing'....... Grosjean to Haas, LouLou to Mercedes, Jock Clear to Ferrari etc.

.... and in a growing market, there will always be new companies that will be looking to employ skilled staff from companies that didn't hack it (probably for managerial reasons, rather than staff failure reasons)...... again 'Grosjean to Haas' (was it his fault that Lotus had no money?).

AND.... if you need a more 'space orientated' example..... look no further than Musk and Bezos.

These guys were nobody's..... yet they are building successful rockets from nothing.

Like I said earlier... the points you made were interesting...... but I just don't think your conclusion will hold up, or even do hold up, when looking at how new companies have pulled together the talent to build new spacecraft...... both of which have clearly done more than just that.

Re: Pricing's gonna change...

@ Bazza

Interesting comments relating market size, manufacturing capability, and skilled workforce.

My guess is that this will equalise through market forces, with much work being sub-contracted out, and with workforce mobility delivering skills to contract winning teams.

Further.... it would appear that we are now entering an era of greater commercial activity (in space).

Multiple space efforts are under way - LOHAN and PARIS to name but two :)

With private competition on the increase, we can expect much innovation in terms of 'commercial space enterprise'.

This is likely to mean that experienced staff will be in high demand.

Then we have Skylon on the visible horizon, carrying 12-ton payloads into LEO, with a predicted re-use @ 200 space flights.

However, this could easily be a conservative estimate, as that would equate to only 55 hours use of the engines (current jet engines operate for tens of thousand of hours).

This opens up the potential for LEO spacecraft assembly stations.

In a decade, re-usable stages may be becoming redundant.

However, the skilled high-tech workforce will already be moving, to take advantage of the new opportunities presented.

Rather than 'getting out' of the space industry..... I'm telling my 17-year-old son to 'get into it'.

;)

Apple faces €48.5m fine from furious French

Correct, and probably also additionally correct.

The mobile phone game was built on weird prctices..... locking people into contracts, and making it difficult to get out at the end of contract.

Things have improved, but still alot of people are locked in to a path.

Biggest baddest boy is not always great for the consumer.

That's why we have regulation.

Some companies are so big.... they need regulation.

Oz uni in right royal 'indigenous' lingo rumpus

Re: It's a fair cop

Yes, but it's a complex subject.

For sure, we have learned that the Vikings invaded Britain, and then settled; however 'discovery' and mapping are two different concepts, even if they went hand in hand.

I was in Kampala once and discussion turned to the discovery of the source of the Nile.

One local Ugandan said "hmpf.... all the local people knew it was there" another responded "yes, but they didn't know it's significance (as the source of the Nile)".

Further..... do you discover an island, when it is not inhabited, and map an island when it is inhabited?

It looks to me like they haven't fully thought it through.... most likely because the thinking will have been primarily driven by 'political correctness', rather than a need to improve terminology.

Converged PC and smartphone is the future, says Canonical's Mark Shuttleworth

Where are we with flexi screens?

>Mobile devices use touch screens that are much smaller than desktop screens<

I appreciate what you say re large screen & small screen, but are we not close to the moment when a screen could be unfolded, from pocket size to a decent sized screen and virtual keyboard?

In this mode, the phone would be the PC.

It would be a full sized laptop in the pocket, obviating the need for an oversize phablet.

Given that the phone was truly 'powerful' as a PC, I would definitely buy such a kit.

Presumably, it would need a hydrogen fuel cell, but that's already on the horizon.

Surely this potential is close to being realised...... or not?

Baby Ubuntus toddle forth into the big scary world of beta

Re: Mutiny: not a bounty

>Don't get me started on the mutual tripping-up between pulseaudio, alsa and jack. (Try "/sbin/alsa force-reload". That often works.)<

Ah.... somebody else who has that problem.

A few months ago I went big on trying to fix it.

Hours of time put in involving loads of people, and a long ubuntu forum thread.

I finally gave up, and accepted that my laptop has no internal sound, after the login screen.

Nearly a million retail jobs will be destroyed by the march of tech, warns trade body

Re: Hmmmm

You make a lot of pertinent points, and I agree with much of what you say.

However I would take issue with:

"Competing against internet shops is not radically more difficult than competing against another brick and mortar store."

I would suggest that the difference is entirely radical, certainly for many segments of the retail sector.

For starters, the big 'distribution type' companies pay barely any tax in comparison to bricks & mortar types.

Also with web purchasing, people can very quickly locate, compare, read reviews & technical specs, and find the best deal.

This is a radical change to the entire bricks & mortar retail business model.

I rarely enter a shop now (other than a supermarket).

I don't think that I'm alone.

Computers abort SpaceX Falcon 9 launch

Re: Quite positive really

Agreed... 'failing safe' is good.

As is getting a major part of the rocket back on the ground (for re-use).

It's progress, however, it certainly highlights what must be 'fundamental difficulties' in harnessing rocketry for use as a mundane form of transport.

It's been 70 years since this type of rocket began to fly, with billions and the best brains invested into this technology... and it's still problematic.

Thankfully it has paid off, delivering global communications that we now take for granted...

... but my goodness, my hopes are high for the Skylon project.

Let's hope that it delivers that 'next generation' of space flight that we've all been waiting for, providing genuinely repetitive 'take off and land' operations, in a broad weather spectrum.

Just another 4 or 5 years until the first test flights.

I can hardly wait :)

'Leave' or 'Stay' in the referendum? UK has to implement GDPR either way

Re: Stop repeating rubbish please

> ...And this is what annoys the majority of people who are going to vote to leave. Many if not most of these people have perfectly reasonable concerns. <

I don't think there can be any doubt that many people have legitimate concerns, but perhaps you are missing the point of the post?

The three primary reasons for the 'leave campaign' were stated because they are individually cohesive forces, either angry or calculating, but all 'vocal'.

You may not (do not) like this scenario, but this is how it largely plays out.

How many times do we hear statements like "we are a proud nation, with a history of standing on our own (etc. and variations on the theme)"?

I heard it again, just this morning on Sky news, and it won't be the last time!

It doesn't mean that these spokesmen are speaking to you, but the 'out campaign' know they have to use jingoistic statements because they tap into a potentially serious voting block.

They can't build a campaign on somebody being annoyed about certain packaging or harmonised safety legislation etc.

There are any number of regulations that will be irksome to some people, but in a public debate these issues have no traction, and anyway, can be easily dismissed as 'being for the greater good'.

I'm just being realistic... and check Trumps campaign if you want to see how jingoism is being constantly used:

"I'm gonna make America great again... etc. etc. etc."

No sensible policies.... primarily, abuse your opponents, and appeal to American jingoism.

Hey... and it's working for him (sadly).

Re: Stop repeating rubbish please

>There is only one reason for Tories to be out of the EU.

It is money. The primary financial sponsors of the "leave" brigade are either hedge funds<

The thinking behind this post is not realistic.

The expats abroad are not going to be forced out of their houses.

What country is going to kick out an important cash rich population from their economy?

It's just not going to happen.

Are you seriously suggesting that the 'leave campaign' has been launched on the back of this concept?

It's just nonsense.

There are three primary reasons for the 'leave campaign'.

1) Basic jingoism amongst a certain section of society (including immigration)

2) Political idealism vis a vis sovereign decision making

3) The potential to hammer out trade agreements ie. to be in the economic club, without the general political baggage, that results in costs.

From a 'leave perspective' it makes sense to combine these different driving forces into a cohesive message, as each camp wants the same conclusion.

Apparently, this combination is not easy to achieve, as it means getting into bed with people who you would not want to be seen dead with.

Plus there are contradicting needs, as the trade bods are quite happy with cheap work hungry labour entering the country.

My personal assumption, is that we'll 'stay in'.

The majority of people will accept the €8b membership fee on the basis that Britain is doing quite nicely out of the deal, as is evidenced by the UK's vibrant economy.

In effect... why fold a winning hand?

We'll then see the Swiss card being played, with details of the fact that it is not all roses.... many Swiss companies having had to establish factories in the EU in order to fully benefit from the internal market.

On top of that, pretty much every other country on the planet will be saying "we have no wish to influence the views of the British people - but we would really prefer it if you stayed in".

Of course the arguments will be made, that Britain will anyway need to maintain many agreements that will be driven without their full seat at the table, but...

...Funnily enough... the final blow may be the timing of the vote.... just when all the Brits are paying for their holiday, and finding it so much more expensive with the pound on the floor (due to the risk of leaving).

Yes.... my guess is that this will be Scotland all over again.

Brits unveil 'revolutionary' hydrogen-powered car

Re: So what about congestion

The thing is... going to the shops IS one of the primary needs (for owning a vehicle).

It's bad enough carrying the shopping down the path, never mind hulking it onto a bus, and then somehow getting it from the bus stop to your house.

That is unless you are poor, can't afford a car, and are forced to pay twice as much for your limited choice of food.

Oh yes... and forget popping out to the DIY store to get the kit for that home repair job.

Don't even think about taking the kids camping.

The congestion that you see, is a result of people living life as it is today.

This cannot be changed by a single dictate, unless you belong to that happy band of well off idlers, who want to see travel priced out of the range of the common citizen, so that the roads are freed up for them.

... only that won't happen because transport is too important to a vibrant economy.

The solution will be technology.

Hydrogen fuel cell cars are going to happen, and ultimately they will be networked into convoys.

Like packets of data, the routes chosen will reflect the optimum route from A to B.

Traffic lights will function according to traffic flow.... no more waiting for the light to change at an empty junction.

We'll then get driverless cars on an Uber principal, the nearest free unit picking you up, dropping you off, and going to the next client.

Everything will develop to match the needs of people, because they'll be the ones paying for it.

$30m stands between you and the contract to run all .org domains

Re: What have the Romans done for you (or are going to do)?

Jawohl!

What have the Romans done for you (or are going to do)?

As an owner of a .org domain, I read this article with interest.

It (the title) addressed itself to me.... but I gained no real insight on how I might be affected.

We do learn that there is plenty of money for the boys - $30m to Afilias & $30m to ISOC, leaving $20m for itself and advertising.

I'm not quite sure why we need to advertise .org but hey ho.....

Okay... so this group of people have managed to get themselves into an enviable position.... with money pouring in (well done them I guess).

So we learned this much.

... but what are the implications of "$30m stands between you and the contract to run all .org domains".

Okay... it's journalism, reporting events, only it's a bit like reporting a new medical procedure, without explaining what it does.

It seems PIR are gonna save themselves $20m.

Fine!

So is it a better class of pop at lunchtime for them, or do we see domain fees slashed.... or what?

What does it all mean to us (perhaps a new viaduct)?

:)

Coding is more important than Shakespeare, says VC living in self-contained universe

Re: Shakespeare? who is he anyway?

Bookmarked!

My own creativity is expressed not through writing plays, but through writing code to make programs.

You are completely missing the point (a fact perhaps indicating that your coding may never truly match the needs of people).

Learning to code will be an ideal career path for certain people (with the mindset).

Learning about the rich tapestry of humanity and how they interact with each other, will be ideal for everybody.

As for the Economist being more relevant than history (what?)

If some of these so called leaders had studied more history, humanity might stop making the same mistakes over and over again eg. Iraq war and the aftermath (but the list is endless).

Putin's internet guru says 'nyet' to Windows, 'da' to desktop Linux

Re: Anymore proof needed that

All fine if you are a sys admin, or a big IT team for roll outs.

But, for the average computer literate user, the problem is knowing what snooping software is installed, or planned to be installed in a future auto update.

The Xbox One is a prime example..... the camera always on and transmitting - in your own home... always on!!

Probably one of the contributing reasons why it's launch was a flop, once this fact became highlighted.

Their proffered solution was to unplug the camera each time you switched off.

What the hell is going on there?

AdBlock Plus, websites draft peace deal so ads can bypass blockade

"I decide what ads are acceptable. No fucker else."

......... Admirable sentiment, but it implies that 'to decide' one must first view the ads.

My perspective is: that you really needn't bother looking... because the advert offerings are ridiculous.

I switched adblocker off (try it)!

I was repeatedly presented with an advert for packing cartons!!!!

Just bear in mind that the (my) research related to extremely specific sizes, that ultimately matched std. production of just one company.... and I found that company after ploughing through the sizes on offer..

An advert for frigging industrial cartons.... FFS!

Perhaps this was just me..... but try switching off adblocker for a day, and just see how amateurish are the ad companies.

If you experience anything like I experienced, then I don't think we even need to waste our time deciding on any adverts.

When adverts can beat me on research for products at 'highest quality, with highest efficiency, and dimensional accuracy'.... then I think they will be worthy of a decision.

Anyway..... try it (say for a morning or afternoon, or the entire day even)..

For the test, it won't impact too much on bandwith (if visiting decent sites).

The question is:

Will you be presented with any adverts that impact upon you?

I honestly saw no displayed adverts that were even worthy of a second glance, never mind a decision.

In my opinion, adblock is ideal for people that keep abreast of what is available, and do their own research.

But.... I'd probably go along with a very limited bandwith ad... only to help a site that might be contributing information (and needs the revenue to survive - eg. El Reg).

In effect, by opting in, I'd be (like) committing fraud: oh yes I really want to look at the crap you present - and maybe I'll buy it. LOL

However; what's more important is, that ones favouriite websites will gain more revenue, while the ads will be less intrusive.

Hmmmmm! it just might work for us, and our content providers.

If done correctly, it will cost us nothing, and our favourite sites might gain.

Anyway.... I'll try it..... and if it's a fail, I'll simply switch to the new adblocker.

:)

That's cute, Germany – China shows the world how fusion is done

Re: Soon...

Oh!

So it's not true about those 5 booksellers going missing in Hong Kong?

Ubuntu's Amazon 'adware' feature to be made opt in

Re: Either that or...

I think that you are right, only that I see it in a more positive light.

It is worth bearing in mind that many people actually like adverts!

I was on a person's computer the other day and was shocked to see she hadn't got 'ad blocker' running.

She looked at me in a vacant manner, and I realised that 'she liked seeing the ads'.... she's got disposable income.

She might not be uber rich, but she can enjoy glancing at tantalising prospects (for her), and it's part of her computing experience.

I'm not talking about the great 'Guiness/Moneysupermarket/Specsaver' ads, but just the general appearance of 'stuff', that one has been recently looking for, on eBay or whatever.

An 'opt in or out' makes great sense, if you are trying to offer what many people want.

The fact that it's (linked ads) probably not relevant to most Ubuntu users is no reason not to try it... rather it is a reason to try it (to discover if it could become relevant).

Overall, the experiment made sense.

... and on that basis, perhaps we should view Ubuntu as an ongoing experiment (without end).

Sections of the community vote, on any given experiment, with their feet.

How wonderful to know that, there are other choice options available (after voting).... it's not like you are completely stuffed.

So.... I was shocked by the ad route being taken..... I got over it.

With 'Shuttleworth Bounder of Adventure' we are all on a voyage of discovery, knowing that there are so few other companies offering interesting voyages.

I love it!

Yes okay; criticism of where we are going..... but also hanging on, to see if something needed time to succeed, is also not necessarily poor judgement.

The question might be better phrased 'how long do you need'?

Perhaps the decision took too long..... perhaps it was a close run decision.

I don't care.

It didn't affect me one iota.... and for most people on this board, my guess is that it didn't affect you either.

As for 'U' turns.... they are a sign of an advanced civilisation.

Bizarrely knocked in the press, like as if we must put up with a bad decision (when it's been shown to be a bad decision).

Personally, I'd rather have an administrator that can learn from 'errors', rather than one that stupidly hangs on to a concept that has failed.

;)

Dry those eyes, ad blockers are unlikely to kill the internet

Re: @werdsmith - People who use adblockers & Leaflet blockers

While it may not be the case in all countries... certainly in the South of France. accepting leaflet drops is critical to gaining more disposable income OR eaking out a reasonable existence on limited funds.

Meat is sold everywhere in small quantities at very high prices, for the wealthy... but for everybody else, it is released to the supermarkets in enormous bulk quantities (when herds/flocks are slaughtered).

One doesn't buy a kilo of liver, one buys 3 or 4 entire livers (or a dozen hearts) @ €1 per Kg.

Or Duck @ €1.30 per Kg, or pork @ €2.25 per Kg. etc.

Each type of meat is released at a different time, and is available until it is sold - usually over a 3 day period.

Therefore the only way you that you can buy meat without stupidly burning your money, is to check through the leaflets.

It takes no more than 30 seconds to discover if meat has been released onto the market, because the 'meat sale info' is very prominent, and clear (always same format).

One also, naturally, can choose to glance longer at other leaflets, during the rapid scan.

When one prominent supermarket stopped having their leaflets in our drop... I just stopped going there... and others must have done the same, because some while afterwards their leaflets began to appear again.

So the moral of the story is: make your advertising relevant, clear, and easy to identify, and therefore easily avoided.... perhaps an advertising section, effectively allowing you to opt in.

This would provide the advertisers with a platform, that would be self-targeting; as compared to the current car crash system that forces one to run unthinkingly with adblocker enabled.

BUT; that will not suit everyone... one woman I know doesn't use adblocker, cos the adverts are part of her lifestyle.

Perhaps then... an opt in for page ads, otherwise put the ads in an advertising section.... Wow... that sounds a bit like old style newspapers..... oh well... sometimes we go backwards.

SpaceX starts nine-day countdown to first flight of the new Falcon

Matchless 500 single?

We all follow this story with interest.

... To land a rocket on it's tail is something that was written into science fiction in the fifties.

We've achieved so much with rocketry of this type, but I wonder whether the basic concept has legs for the next phase.

I'm not questioning whether it is possible.... only whether it can ever be viable as a 'launch and land' mundane solution, much as is the case with current aviation.

Even the shuttle pushed the limits.

But the concept had legs.

VTOL seems to be the best development route.

Clearly early days, but..... getting very high, and lobbing the next stage further, seems an enticing prospect.

Is this just a Matchless with titanium everything?

We place our bets, and wish them the all the best.

:)

El Reg revisits Battle of Agincourt on 600th anniversary

Re: dear, dear Larry

St. Crispin's Day Speech - fight off:

Laurence Olivier's - Henry V 1944:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9fa3HFR02E

Richard Burton's - Henry V 1951

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TU7NrnLsr5g

Kenneth Branagh's - Henry V 1989

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-yZNMWFqvM

For myself, I find LO too wooden, lacking the emotion required for such a speech.

RB starts well (and what a voice)..... but loses tonality, and ends up shouting and out of breath (the 40 woodbines before the show can't have helped).

KB - is this perfection or what?

The emotion and enthusiasm, is maintained throughout, till end of scene.

You can really believe the cheers shouted by his followers.

:)

VW offices, employees' homes raided by German prosecutors

Re: To be honest...

To be honest...... LOL.

That just about says it all.

This isn't about whether you, as an individual, believes that the VW engine is fine enough. It's about a corporation that in pre-meditated manner, decided to defraud the public, and break the laws of the countries that they were operating in.

This by any standard, is 'organised crime'.

We've seen it with the banking crisis.... where the only guy to hit the cells, was a nondescript french bloke.... anybody of any importance got out with millions..... leaving the general public to pick up the gambling tab, and provide the fresh 'stake money'.

Open your eyes man, and stop doffing your cap to your 'betters', while they rifle through your pockets.

Apollo 15 commander's lunar timepiece goes under the hammer

Re: Perspective

I see what you are saying.

... but I need to try this myself (on earth :) )

The angle of the shadows, seem to meet up just above the shadow of the head.

I could understand it, if they were pointing to the horizon.

Anyway... a good confident answer.... but definitely worth testing, due to the extreme angles that we see, and because, in my experience, the wide angle lens causes divergence, and not convergence (as you suggest would occur)

:)

Re: Re:

>because the space suits were bright white, the earth was bright in the sky, and the LM was fairly reflective....<

Yes... if you look at a number of photos, you can see that there is a lot of bouncing light, due to there being no atmosphere to hinder it.

However, the particular linked photo stood out.

The LM is away to the top right (so not affecting the shot), and the sun is definitely behind the astronaut..... in this case, it's hard to see how the space suit is having an effect in this situation.

... and if it was (say off the shoulders) it would be directing light outwards from the center, pushing the shadows outwards (right & left).

I do note that somebody agrees with the wide angle lens suggestion..... but if we take this to the extreme, and consider a fisheye lens: everything to the left and right of centre would be pointing outwards.

... at least I think I'm right about that.

I'm an ameteur photographer, and like you, have heard about these odd shadows.

I was so pleased to be able to find such a good example to post here.

Maybe there is an El Reg pro-photo contributor reading this thread, that can clear this one up?

Re: Re:

Hmmm!

The rocks on the left of the body shadow, and the rocks to the right of the body shadow...

... how can they be pointing in such severely different directions when they are clearly quite close.

Parallel sunlight would have them at least in generally the same direction (they had no other lighting).

These shadows are around 40 deg to the right and 40 deg to the left.

Re wide angle lens...... were they swapping lenses on the Hasselblad?

... and wouldn't a wide angle have the opposite effect vis a vis shadow direction?

I haven't noticed this effect on other photos.

Have you seen that all the moon shot photos have been released?

Check out this one:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/projectapolloarchive/21039122783/in/album-72157658601662068/

The shadows of the rocks on the left, point right to top centre...... the shadows of the rocks and lander on the right, point left to top center.

How?

Read our lips, no more EU roaming charges*

Re: Could the UK leave the EU?

>Not really. They are in plain view.<

Of course information is in plain view, if you are prepared to look in that direction.... but even then the media guidance interpretation is typically negative, because negative news makes for a better story, and even more so when it can be formulated in jingoistic terms of 'us and them'.

Do you really believe that 'immigration' media reporting is balanced?.... that many sections of society see it like you do?

How many times do you see a 'good news story' relating to EU membership..... and how many times do you see a 'bad news story' relating to EU membership?

The BBC and The Guardian regurgitate these stories.

As for the FT and the CBI..... do vast swathes of the UK voting public listen to them?

However, they will listen, and their voices will gain traction once the debate begins in earnest.

Hence, as with Scotland, the vote will be in favour of remaining in the community.

... and similarly as with Scotland, once it's all decided, we will return to EU bashing once again.

I guess it's in our tribal (and tabloid) DNA.