* Posts by Bill Neal

472 publicly visible posts • joined 10 Aug 2007

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Windows 8 for Kindle-like gear hinted by Microsoft bigwig

Bill Neal
Unhappy

Re: sigh

"that consistent user experience" will not necessarily be a positive experience, but at least it will be consistent, right?

Bill Neal
Unhappy

Re: Metro on TV?

Call me a lazy american, but WHY should I be bothered to get up & touch my tv? That is why I have a remote control.

Russia plans manned moon shot by 2030

Bill Neal
Meh

Re: To be quite honest

Doesn't make sense to goto the moon instead of further exploiting the excess of resources under water. For some reason, we seem content to just drill for petrochemical stuff, and eat the fish out of existence. As COOL as space is, we really have no hope of colonizing anything without more tech. This is like humans building the autobahn because we just invented the wheel.

Bill Neal
Joke

FLAG

The US already claimed it, with the cunning use of flags.

Bill Neal
Go

The race to the moon started when?

Who knows, at this rate the SPB could show them a thing or two by sending a playmonaut to the moon. Vulture 11 perhaps?

Kim Dotcom seizures 'null and void'

Bill Neal
Pirate

Re: Funny, wierd

If getting rich quick off piracy-as-a-service a crime, then I'm sure most/all of his assets are proceeds of a crime. Funny thing is that it seems nobody else got so wealthy off other ideas in that area.

LOHAN to straddle meaty titanium rod

Bill Neal

Re: Swingers Delight

Frost will form on teflon, but fall off at the slightest touch. A rocket should have no problem without serious icing. I don't see how you could prevent the same icing from forming on a rail.

Bill Neal
Go

Re: I am not an engineer...

It seems there is only one way to resolve that question: a low altitude test launch/flight. It won't really matter until we know what mass the Vulture 2 will actually have in its final form. I would think some back pressure from the plate is a good idea to help push the whole rig out of the way.

Bill Neal
Thumb Up

Re: The Vulture 2 will simply slide off the rod

Agreed. I see no need to counter-balance the electronics package. Love the design though! seems solid enough

Supersonic silent biplane COMING SOON ...ish

Bill Neal
Pint

Re: The real problem with Busemann's biplane:

a high-lift wing profile isn't needed at high speeds if you have enough surface area & enough stability to land without stalling. Laminar flow has been used even as far back as the WWII P-51 Mustang. Of course this biplane isn't truly laminar flow, but similar in the concept to reduce drag. Sounds promising.

Boffins build cyborg snails to generate electricity

Bill Neal
Thumb Up

Re: I'm waiting for the animal rights campaigners to break in and open all the cages.

I'm sure the police could walk and still get there in time.

Bill Neal
WTF?

Re: Not there yet.

Really? Apple makes data centers? You're kidding right?

Bill Neal
Go

Re: There is no snail.

a lettuce lattice for your snail matrix? Surely they would be fed by some liquid/paste nutrient suppliment

Moore's Law savior EUV faces uncertain future

Bill Neal
WTF?

Nikon?

Who makes these machines anyway? I mean the various chip printing machines. Who manufactures them? Does intel make their own, or is there some competitive market that we never hear about?

Silicon nanowires: The Next Big Thing™ in chip design

Bill Neal
WTF?

depleted...

So depleted uranium is a (mostly) spent heat source, but "depleted silicon" refers only to it's valance electrons? Do they just make this jargon up as they go along?

Films-on-USB kiosks come to airports

Bill Neal
Pirate

WiFi

Many US airports have free internet via WiFi anyway, so you could just download while you wait to board.

Readers suggest LOHAN mount single mighty rod

Bill Neal
Joke

Rail

LOHAN flies high after taking entire rail in one effortless quick snort ...or shot? ...something like that.

I still think you should launch/release LOHAN balloon rig off donkey, if only for headline writing purposes.

LOHAN's fantastical flying truss takes to the air

Bill Neal
Thumb Down

Tube?

a bit difficult to launch a winged craft from a tube

Bill Neal
Go

Re: Exxxxxcellent news smithers

You mean LOHAN & the Special Projects Burro? I'm sure that will rack up the views on youtube. LOHAN LAUNCHED OFF DONKEY!!! HOT LOHAN-Donkey ACTION, etc.

Bill Neal
Go

Re: No beer necessary

flat on the bottom as I posted last time: http://forums.theregister.co.uk/post/1325111

but the mount is the tricky part isn't it? shouldn't be too hard. Tracking & control sounds like a bigger challenge to me. I know they'll make it work. Lester seems up to the task.

Why Windows 8 server is a game-changer

Bill Neal
Happy

Awesome

Its about time M$ did something productive not only for their company, but all of us. Even as a 'nix user, I can't wait to get my hands on it.

X-com reboot's gameplay showcased

Bill Neal
WTF?

Ok Firaxis...

now where is our Alpha Centauri remake? (a game people STILL play)

LulzSec SMACKDOWN: Leader Sabu turned by feds last summer

Bill Neal
FAIL

Re: Singing like a canary

So much for hackers on steroids

Audi shows off OLED-illuminated concept R8

Bill Neal
Unhappy

Re: Ugly.

Just what audi needs! more electronics to fail

Moles say Sony will kill Cell CPU for PlayStation 4

Bill Neal
Flame

Re: Money?

Well of course I meant the whole playstation market. There is no market without a console, is there? I was going by the Reg article: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/02/02/sony_slashes_full_year_forecast/

It said that the LCD business & Sony-Ericsson were costing the company more that anything, right? Of course it also doesn't make clear how much profit/loss the whole playstation market is making.

Bill Neal

Re: Doesn't make much sense now.

Didn't IBM already kill the Cell?

Bill Neal
Stop

Money?

"Sony could save a lot of money by not selling any consoles..."

Their console is just about the only thing making them money.

Bill Neal
WTF?

Re: Re: Yay

Explain why we haven't seen anything like Wipeout's 1080p at 60FPS on the xbox

Asteroid could SMASH INTO EARTH in 2040

Bill Neal

Re: Hypothetically speaking...

why is this more news-worthy than Apophis? Is it just because we can practice something on this little rock before the next bigger one comes by?

Microsoft drops 'risky' Windows 8 preview on World

Bill Neal
Joke

Well you have to consider the Windows 8 target demographic.

Metrosexuals

Interpol attacks hacks

Bill Neal
Meh

Re: Re: A mere 25?

"We are legion" was already a common phrase in Warhammer 40,000 before anon used it. I'm sure many of them are familiar with such fiction/tabletop culture.

Bill Neal

Re: This is not unexpected

...cannot be seen as a safe haven for criminal activity.

That doesn't seem to stop criminal activity at all. If it was a safe haven, then it wouldn't be criminal anyway.

Virgin Galactic announces test flight plans

Bill Neal
Joke

Re: Top Stuff

...comes hard on Virgin...

no nonsense?

Dell has rapier-thin blade server in the works

Bill Neal
Meh

Don't people usually get excited?

Don't people usually get excited over this sort of thing? Forrest looks like an expressionless zombie. Its as if he found that thing, picked it up and said, "Oh, and we have this. I'm not sure where it came from, but you might want it."

ZeuS Trojan embraces P2P – becomes even more sneaky and sticky

Bill Neal

Re: where'd she get it?

Not sure, but she is a prolific facebook user & facebook gamer. That would be my 1st guess at a vector.

Bill Neal
Meh

Re: Re: Nothing new.

Seen it. It does work on 7. Killed it promptly of course. Lucky for the notebook owner I was there to notice it before she got any ideas of online banking. Still, it is a persistent bugger. I'm surprised it hasn't popped up any other time for me.

Sony shifts more than a million PS Vitas

Bill Neal
WTF?

Moar games?

I thought you could take ANY PS3 game on the road with you, making the vita a portable PS3. Was that not the point of the thing? If you can, then that would give it more games than any handheld.

Boffins build blood-swimming medical microbot

Bill Neal
Joke

Calling Dr. Poon...

Dr. Poon to O.R., We have a little problem here.

ahh but seriously, amazing stuff here. What wonderful times we live in. I for one can't wait until they figure out how to make grey goo. Keep up the good work!

Death to Office or to Windows - choose wisely, Microsoft

Bill Neal
Linux

Re: " . Office is a kingmaker in the enterprise, and the iPad is already king there."

never seen one in my office. CAD is the only reason I'm on a Windows machine right now, so what will AutoDesk do? I'd love to run that on my Fedora box, but I don't think I have the excessively modern hardware needed to make that work with virtualization. Is there an easier way to run CAD off Windows?

Smart has high IOPS for super-fast, smarter SSDs

Bill Neal
Go

SS SSS SSD?

So, when will we see an external USB 3.0 Super Speed Smart Storage Systems Solid State Drive?

Intel joins The Document Foundation, pushes LibreOffice

Bill Neal
Linux

Redmond and...

I'm sure Oracle is just thrilled to hear it too, even though their relationship with Intel is obviously quite different. It must burn them to see so much support against their ideas.

LOHAN's fantastical flying truss cleared for lift-off

Bill Neal
Facepalm

Re: why not

For some reason that made me think of the insane spinning rocket contraption designed by the nazis. Can't think of the name though

Bill Neal
Thumb Up

Re: Re: Single balloon elevated

Agreed. That was the 1st thing that came to mind for me. I see no need to change the truss. Just have the flat side on the bottom perhaps. I'm eager to see the launch rail (or whatever system you choose to use).

Samsung warms up smartphone operated oven

Bill Neal
Pint

Almost there

Now, if only they could make some sort of digiorno-pizza-dispensing magazine... I'll drink to that!

Megaupload honcho sprung from slammer (for now)

Bill Neal
Trollface

rich people above the law in the US

Is the same not true for the noble class in the UK?

LOHAN's flying truss: One orb or two?

Bill Neal
Happy

...soon as we can get our hands on some helium.

How difficult is it over there?

In 'merica all we have to do is go to walmart. $20 for a tank the size of a standard 30lb refrigerant jug.

Boy died after satnav fault delays ambulance

Bill Neal
Terminator

Re: Non story

It would have been a story if it were posted under RoTM.

DNS flaw reanimates slain evil sites as ghost domains

Bill Neal
Joke

Haixin

Haixin? Really?

Reptile boffins spot world's smallest chameleon

Bill Neal
WTF?

...used genetic analysis...

How many did he kill to get enough blood for a DNA sample? Just one perhaps?

Mars, Europe losers in Obama's 2013 NASA budget

Bill Neal
Unhappy

Good point, but...

We will not run out of energy or metal & mineral resources since these are highly reusable & abundant. FOOD is what we are about to run out of, and I doubt there is much of THAT out there.

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