Posts by Jess

Remix chomps Marshmallow, updates its Android for PCs

Be nice if it actually worked

I just downloaded the iso and tried booting a Dell XPS laptop that works fine on Windows (including 64 bit 10) fine on ubuntu/mint and fine on regular android x86.

It just hung on the splash screen.

Great.

UK membership of Council of Europe has implications for data protection after Brexit

Brexit means Brexit

But what does that actually mean?

The question asked only mentioned the EU, it made no mention of any other European organisation.

Since originally joining the then EEC involved leaving the EFTA, a reasonable interpretation would be rejoining the EFTA, which would be a means to remain in the EEA.

If we remain in the EEA then it is pretty much business as usual (except for farmers, fishermen and UK based EU funded projects, but the latter .)

Leaving the EEA is what would make our economy go TITSUP.

I have also noticed a lot of post referendum promises that would seem to be impossible without remaining in the EEA (some could alternatively be met by the breakup of the UK).

The NI-Eire border being the most obvious one. (If the UK left the EEA it would become a customs border, because there would be no free trade agreement, so how could it be completely open? i.e passports won't be needed, but goods would need to be checked.)

Of course it could mean the whole UK leaves united or not at all. (And to be pedantic, Britain only refers to England, Scotland and Wales. And even more pedantically, it can mean simply England and Wales, i.e if it is not used as an abbreviation for Great Britain.)

What's Brexit? How Tech UK tore up its plans after June 23

Re: EEA membership

"Perhaps you may have a point. I just fail to see how the UK continuing to pay for access to the EU, even more bureaucracy for our business people (think import/export paperwork), potentially the same deal vis-a-vis immigration, and absolutely no say in euro rules; could be seen as an improvement to matters"

Are you sure being in the EEA would mean more paperwork? That would defeat the point of a free market.

The gross amount would be lower, (hopefully) the net amount would be similar to the present situation. The difference is instead of having urban regeneration schemes and scientists funded by the tyrants at the EU, we would be able choose to spend that money on the NHS or tax cuts for the rich.

We wouldn't be bound by as many laws as present. And the English and Welsh people obviously believe that we can trust our own government with those needing replacing. Contrary to popular belief EEA members do get consulted on those EU laws that they will need to abide by, however they do not get the final decision. However, since we are mostly represented by UKIP MEPs I don't see this as any change.

Given that our government keeps watering down or vetoing laws on the environment or regulating banks and such, the EU will be far better off without us having the disproportionate influence Thatcher negotiated for us.

Since the people have decided that the UK government will better represent their interests than the EU government, then my opinion is that England and Wales should return to the EFTA and remain in the EEA. The peoples of Scotland, Gibraltar and NI should be given the choice as to whether they wish to join England and Wales or not. And if their preference is Europe rather than England (which I would think sensible), then England and Wales could quit the UK and no article 50 would be needed. (So you might have Britain = England and Wales, UK = united kingdom of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Gibraltar, which would solve the UK/Britain/GB problem on drop down menus)

Oh dear, Vodafone: Sales dip in UK

Re: They won't leave the UK.

Of course they won't. They will simply downgrade their headquarters to a regional office. As will any other multinational with an HQ here and a bigger market in the EEA than the uk. Obviously subject to brexit referring to the EEA rather than the EU. (If brexit means rejoin the EFTA and remaining in the EEA then the whole thing is a storm in a teacup, if it means WTO rules, then we will see the predicted problems.)

BlackBerry chief: We don't have to make phones to make phones

reinventing the very expensive wheel

Seems very strange to abandon your secure partially android compatible platform (especially when each release improved the compatibility) to try and fix android.

I have given up with smartphones now. The Q5 will never be complete. (Just like the N8).

I now have a 10 inch tablet phone, which I only carry when I am expecting a call (or want to use as a tablet of course)

New phones rumoured as BlackBerry cans BB10 production

Personally I would prefer BB10 on a cheap rebadged phone

Rather than Android on an expensive phone.

I've given up with smartphones now.

Prominent Brit law firm instructed to block Brexit Article 50 trigger

Re: The Spanish economy would not survive throwing out 300,000 £ spending Brits.

No, what they would do is to make it too expensive for the poorer 40-60%

Microsoft's Windows 10 nagware goes FULL SCREEN in final push

Re: It's fine

Yes, yes and WTF? It's scarcely any different to mint. That's why I quite like it. I'm already prepared to jump to mint as soon as they do something I really don't like.

Re: Your Mac's what?

Since "Mac's" is actually an abbreviation of Macintoshes, I don't believe it is incorrect.

Fear and Brexit in Tech City: Digital 'elite' are having a nervous breakdown

Re: The current plan does not matter

> Nope, we have up to 2 years to invoke Article 500

We can do that when we like. (Assuming 500 is a typo)

> and the renegotiation can take 2 years more

After two years we are out on WTO rules if nothing else has been agreed.

Re: free movement is by and large what brexiteers voted against.

So what?

The question was whether the UK should remain in the EU or not. No mention of the EEA.

Since 48% obviously supported freedom of movement/EEA membership because that is part of EU membership, it means that if less than 24 in 25 exit voters support leaving the EEA then there is no mandate to leave the EEA.

Brexit government pledge sought to keep EU-backed UK science alive

Re:But more for them than us, since we run a £50-100bn a year trade deficit with the EU.

They won't be able to assume that will carry on because of the drop in the Pound vs the Euro.

Also quite a bit of that may relocate back to the EU.

I think the EU will suddenly decide the Crimean Plebiscite was valid and they can be friends with Russia again, and they'll take up the slack.

Brexit: More cash for mobile operators or consumers? Pick one

Re: I am for leave because I am pro Europe

Basically you think our government are wrecking the EU, and it would be better off without us?

Then they wouldn't have to settle for watered down laws that help Cameron's mates, at the expense of ordinary citizens.

However that ignores the risk of a chain reaction and the whole thing fragmenting.

That would put us back in the old situation of Euro-squabbles escalating, which the EU has managed to do a fine job of preventing.

And a few years down the line someone will probably try to unify Europe again, by the old methods.

Re: unelected bureaucrats in Brussels

Please don't play the BS democracy card.

Despite voting in every General Election since I was old enough, my vote has NEVER counted to elect anyone who votes on my laws.

However my Euro MP votes do.

So how would I get more democracy by losing the latter?

Brexit: UK gov would probably lay out tax plans in post-'leave' vote emergency budget

Re: scratch a Brexiter it turns out they're also a climate change denier

On the upside, Brexit would be good for the environment.

Britain is the country that keeps vetoing and watering down EU environment regulations.

Currently there are 28 Countries with compromised regulations. After Brexit there would be only one.

It would be good for the environment, just not ours.

Re: that MEP you like has almost zero power

Still more representation than I personally get from voting in Westminster Elections.

So therefore I totally dismiss all sovereignty arguments as completely irrelevant.

However there are much more important reasons to stay.

Freedom of movement and the fact that the EU prevents the national bickering between countries escalating into something more serious are the primary ones.

If we end up in the EEA, that would be fine, and the irony of the position we would be in being exactly what the UKIP falsely claim we are in currently would amuse me.

Re:Scots Nats should campaign for Brexit as that is the only way to gain their stated goals.

That wouldn't work. (Unless they campaigned for the English to vote leave and the Scots to vote remain.)

The only way the validity of their recent plebiscite would be undermined is if they UK as a whole votes to leave, but Scotland votes remain, and the vote is higher than the vote to remain in the UK. (Which seems likely at present.)

Anyone voting to leave in Scotland would be voting for the whole UK to leave intact.

Anyone voting to stay is voting for the whole UK to stay.

A solid vote to stay in Scotland but an overall UK leave vote would undermine the referendum, because of a material change.

They would then have to be asked if they wish to be an independent state within the EU, or to remain in the UK but leave the EU. (Or alternatively, PM Boris could send the tanks in, of course.)

You can't make any accurate predictions,

because we don't know how it will pan out.

We don't know if the UK will survive intact.

We don't know if we will be in the EEA or not.

(If we were to be, then Brexit wouldn't really bother me.)

Will we get a deal at all?

Will the EU actively help businesses to relocate to remain within the EU?

Will it be Cameron or Boris negotiating?

Will there be a snap general election?

Will the rest of the world spring to our rescue, or take advantage of our situation?

It seems to me about as good a move as Nokia ditching their own systems for Windows. We could all see it was a likely train wreck, but they still did it.

Re: "stay" in EU and keep the £, neither of which were remotely possible.

Actually they both were.

Of course they would keep the pound, have you never seen Scottish bank notes? The question really was whether both versions would be linked. When Southern Ireland left the UK, its pounds were linked to ours for decades. Even to the extent of having the same size coins.

The EU would not have wanted to lose territory and citizens. It would not have been in the remainder of the UK's interests to have it on the outside. Any technicalities would have been sorted out.

And if we wanted them to stay in the EU, we could easily have managed the situation. (Dissolve the union, so that either we were all out or none out.)

Re: MEPs make the laws

I will take it lightly because of the following.

I have voted in every election I was able in the last 34 years.

Never has my vote contributed to any MP who votes on the laws my country makes.

However in the EU elections it has.

Therefore I get more representation with the EU than without it.

I don't see any reform in the direction of more democracy and accountability coming from Westminster in the foreseeable future.

Re: can't agree how they would leave, then the UK couldn't leave.

"If the UK was to reach the end of the two year period specified by Article 50 without

having reached an agreement, and if any of the 27 other Member States vetoed an extension

of this period, this would lead to the UK leaving the EU with no immediate replacement

agreed, without any protection under EU law for the rights of UK business to trade on a

preferential basis with Europe or the EU’s free trade agreement partners, UK citizens to live

and work in Europe, or UK travellers to move about freely in Europe."

ref: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/504216/The_process_for_withdrawing_from_the_EU_print_ready.pdf

And grudges, it would be easier to ask which countries haven't. The whole point of the EU was to set aside all the historical garbage that has caused problems of varying degrees in the past. If we pull out, especially since it will cause them some damage, it will resurface.

The most obvious one is Spain, with Gibraltar.

Re: Norwegian option

Large contribution to the EU budget with nothing in return. Requirement to enact the majority of EU rules and laws without any veto or voting rights. Freedom of movement, with less opt outs than EU members.

I can see the Brexiteers loving that.

On the upside, Britain is usually the country vetoing or watering down good laws. (Protection for steel, anti-corruption powers, etc.)

Re: MEPs make the laws

No. They vote on the laws. They don't propose them.

That is one thing that could seriously do with changing,

But it's certainly not a good enough reason to leave.

Re:.can't agree how they would leave, then the UK couldn't leave.

No. If that happens after 2 years we are out with no agreements.

My guess is the only way such negotiations would go smoothly are if either:

1. We go for Norway style EEA membership.

2. Scotland votes to stay in the EU, and subsequently to quit the UK and the negotiations include sorting this out (The Auld Alliance would help this I think.)

Otherwise I would predict stalling by any nations holding a grudge against us.

I also predict EU compensation for any businesses who move to remain within the EU.

So for all us contractors out there there will be two years of solid work, before the bottom falls out of the market.

Re: 'or be effectively locked out of the US market.' - so how does that work?

I think it refers to free expansion of the market, not what we already have.

Poorly worded, I grant you.

Re: Norwegian option

The Norway option is in reality pretty much what the Brexiteers claim our situation is at present.

Re: Russia is currently under sanctions

I think this is why Putin will be pleased to see us quit.

We won't be able to afford to keep the sanctions, if we don't leave the 2 year negotiation period with an agreement. (And the period can only be extended with unanimous support, somewhat unlikely I think)

Anyone else reckon that all the old historical disagreements will come back to haunt us during this period?

My guess is Spain will block everything unless we give them Gibraltar.

Time to start learning Russian seriously, I think.

Windows 10 free upgrade offer ends on July 29th

If MS really want to force it on everyone..

They could issue a new service pack for windows 7 that is the 10 core with a Windows 7 shell. They could then drop support for Regular 7 very quickly.

However I suspect they will probably drop Skype support for Windows 7, or something similar.

Google is the EU Remain campaign's secret weapon

Evens out the bias from other media

and even beer mats.

(It occurs to me that a certain pub chain who specialise in undercutting the prices of others would not be disadvantaged much if the average Brit's spending power was decimated. They would just inherit the customers from more expensive pubs. The end of cheap booze runs would not hurt them either. And if it were a little harder to go to Euro matches in person, then their pubs would be fuller on those match days.)

The Windows Phone story: From hope to dusty abandonware

I think there are many reasons that combined to cause this.

By slipping Nokia a bung to kill their own systems, they alienated a large chunk of Nokia's smart phone customers. (Of the four former N8 users I know, 2 have Samsungs, 1 a Sony and the other a pureview.)

Techies will be aware of Microsoft's history of pulling the plugs on non x86 systems. (And incompatibility of hardware and software between major Win CE/pho versions is effectively the same).

Non techies will be aware of the amount of work required to keep a Windows PC running smoothly and the phone will be associated with that reputation. (Despite the fact that the windows core itself must be pretty damn good to even work at all with amount of garbage they load it up with by default).

And because each version is a new platform features and apps are lacking.

However, I do not see it as a total loss for them, without them killing Nokia phones and gifting their market to Samsung, Symbian might have held onto its market share (since each new version fixed more niggles) and so Microsoft would have missed out on lots of Android patent use royalties.

Bank in the UK? Plans afoot to make YOU liable for bank fraud

Re: When banking is possible without javascript

Lloyds bank works fine without it.

The ‘Vaping Crackdown’ starts today. This is what you need to know

They should exempt unflavoured liquids.

I am extremely irritated by smoking, but I have no problem with people using unflavoured vapes right next to me, however the flavoured ones are often close to as bad as real cigarettes.

Reduced roaming charges, net neutrality come into force in EU

That will be why my VOIP suddenly works over my mobile data

At least for a couple of months, until England votes to leave the EU. :(

Ireland's tech sector fears fallout of Brexit 'Yes' vote

Everyone seems to be missing the point of the EU

It prevents all the silly squabbles between the different EU nations from escalating. (Trade wars, hundred year wars, world wars, etc.)

It seems to me that there are only two likely outcomes of the two year exit negotiations. (To extend it beyond that requires unanimous agreement of all states, which would seem unlikely).

A complete exit with no agreements. This will result in the obvious tit for tat regulations and actions (perhaps the £35K rule for foreign workers which would then apply to EU workers, might be adopted by the EU for English/UK workers in the EU). Any EU country with an issue with us would be free to screw us over.

The other option is England becoming simply part of the EEA. This would mean business as usual, (except that we would not have to meet so many environmental and work related minimum standards) however this would be exactly what the kippers wrongly claim the EU is, so is hardly likely to be satisfactory to them.

Also has it occurred to no-one that after a brexit the EU might offer relocation grants/sweeteners for businesses that wished to remain within the EU (the obvious ones being data centres and multinational EU headquarters)?

Of course all relevant business decisions will wait until the result of the referendum. (I have already noticed that the contractor market has been a bit dry, with upgrades and expansion being put off, because it would be simpler to buy new kit in the new offices in the event of a brexit vote.)

If the result of the referendum is overall exit, but with Scotland being stronger remain than they were remain in the UK, then decisions might even be put off until after that had been sorted. (Easier to relocate to a different part of the UK that won't be leaving.)

Business will assume the worst possible result for the exit conditions and plan for that. The one thing they know is that the UK will remain within the EU for 2 years from the date of notices of withdrawal. (Which in my expectation will be 31st Dec this year, to allow time for a second Scottish referendum.)

2017 (and perhaps 2018) should be rich pickings for IT contractors (all those relocations) , however it would be very wise to invest any earnings carefully for the drought that will follow. I certainly wouldn't like to be poor in a post brexit England.

Intel loses its ARM wrestling match, kicks out Atom mobe chips

It was the presence of an Atom processor that was the deciding factor in me not buying an Asus Fonepad. (It was a choice between that and a Q5, so I was stuffed anyway of course)

IBM says no, non, nein to Brexit

Someone always makes money out of a depressed economy.

The uncertainty of the result especially now it seems there is a significant risk England will vote to leave, has caused a drop in the pound. Someone will have made some money from that. I wonder who.

That is the reason for the referendum.

If we happen to leave they will make even more money.

BlackBerry is pivoting from phones to enterprise software

Re: Hopefully the hardware/BB10 combo is on pause

It would be nice, but I don't think it is sadly.

My Q5 is failing (Battery) I have pretty much decided to replace it with a dual sim phablet. (If there isn't a physical keyboard, I need a BIG screen.)

I certainly won't be paying BlackBerry prices for a new phone that comes with Android or an abandoned system (that isn't feature complete).

However since I may be getting a work tablet, I may just hold off as long as I can. (I just noticed linphone is available for BB10 now, thought very buggy as yet).

TalkTalk broadband customers continue to flee

I certainly won't be recommending them.

After about a year of arguments after leaving them, they finally gave in. So that alone would stop me advocating them, but then they bought Blinkbox converted it to TalkTalk TV and dropped support for the PS3.

They cited lack of popularity, but I think that many potential users were waiting for it to support HD before investing in it, for anything other than UV replay. I know I was.

BlackBerry boss mulls mid-range Androids

Re: Passport SE is about £325 on blackberry at the moment.

That's the sort of price I was waiting for when they hadn't killed the system.

I certainly won't be buying a new BB, unless it's in a 'fire' sale.

I was gearing up to get a Passport to replace my Q5, when they announced the Priv, and I had convinced a friend to get a Q30 to replace his N8.

He has now decided to get an N808 (there are still unused stocks, apparently.)

I am now planning to get an E6, (if I'm going to have an obsolete system, I may as well have one with good maps and battery life.) Though if a Passport came along at the right price, I doubt I'd turn it down.

I suspect their transition to Android will be as successful as Nokia's transition to WinPho.

Microsoft drives an Edge between Adobe and the web: Flash ads blocked

Re: Firefox set to require activation for Flash

I've gone one better - the plugin isn't installed on Firefox

We bet your firm doesn't stick to half of these 10 top IT admin tips

Word

About 12 years ago I worked in a school.

I demonstrated to a social worker how much information was hidden within word files. All the blood drained from her skin.

Another time I had to try to email a security video viewer executable to the local police. Obviously their firewall blocked it. When I embedded it in a word file it went straight through.

Re: If the pad detected more than 100Kg

If I had a Mac Pro Tower in each hand I'd be well over that. (In fact one, would probably do it.)

Windows 7's grip on the enterprise desktop is loosening

Re: Is your mac over 5 years old?

Mine are all well over that.

WhatsApp at BlackBerry? For one thing, BBM's now free

Re: ICQ!!! Blimey, there's a blast from the past... is it still going?

Yes. (The old clients still connect, and pidgin works fine, I generally set it up on any multi client I use.)

Several months ago I mentioned in a forum that I'd not used it for several years, and of course within 24 hours I'd had 2 unrelated conversations using it. (I have an 8 digit user name, which is old)

I used to like BBM

But I think I have used ICQ more recently than BBM.

I generally use Telegam Messenger and Whatsapp now.

Brexit: Time to make your plans, UK IT biz

Re: Laws don't change overnight, and they are certainly not revoked.

That is exactly what could happen.

If no agreement is reached after two years, our membership is terminated. This means EU laws do not apply here, unless they are adopted by act of parliament.

I am not sure it would even be viable to adopt the whole lot, I suspect each law would have to be looked at and judged adopt/replace/drop.

It will certainly keep our civil servants busy, re working 40 years of law.

Re: what kind of people do you want to make the rules

I take it you mean Brexit better for the rest of the EU, not us?

If so, I have sympathy for that viewpoint, however, self interest means I'm not about to run with it.

BlackBerry's still losing millions – but hit its revenue target, finally

Re: but can run android apps from the play store.

Lots of apps work on my Q5 from the play store. Some fail due to the square screen. And some complain about lack of google services, then appear to work.

Facebook throws BlackBerry an HTML bone

I beat them to it.

I removed the FaceBook app from my BlackBerry months ago.