Posts by Rob Davis

Nokia Home Music HD-1

Indeed, timed SD card recording, alarm clock and portability with rechargeable battery would be nice

Not a bad start for diversification into home listening for Nokia, but absence of features in title means it's not for me.

Apple iMac 21.5in 2010

3 thoughts: SDXC = general expansion slot? Use external burner? why leave nVidia and CUDA?

Save wear and tear on internal slot loader: I'd add a cheap external USB DVD/CD burner. Prolly faster at burning too - 18x-20x for DVDs. Doubt the internal slot loader does that speed.

Switched to Radion - curious - thought the benefits of nVidia were CUDA - where some things could be farmed off onto the graphics card, even audio DSP! Thoughts?

SDXC slot as high-speed expansion bus, i wonder? Wonder how fast the transfer rate is of the SDXC slot. Given that this accepts up to 2Tb cards (when they become available), I would think that the transfer rate ought to be very fast, in proportion with this capacity. After all it's no good being able to store so much data on the cards if it is slow to transfer the files. If it is very fast then could the slot be used as an expansion bus - after all there is the SDIO standard, which is used in cameras for providing a WiFi link to a host computer for picture transfer. But maybe here on this iMac, the SDXC slot could provide general expansion capabilities and be a substitute for an ExpressCard interface?

Microsoft digs Macs in back-to-school ads

Agree with posters - as a Mac, Windows, Ubuntu user myself...

Sharing on a Mac - @Anonymous Coward, Posted Tuesday 10th August 2010 09:15 GMT

""you have to manually set up photo sharing, manually set up music and movie sharing, manually set up file sharing, and manually set up printer sharing"

Surely that's a good thing. Especially given how many users never bother to change their default settings on either their router or their computer."

I agree. The default settings possibly have the lowest security.

Convicted monopolist boasting about its monopoly - MacroRodent, Posted Tuesday 10th August 2010 09:21 GMT

""And if most of the Windows computers at the school used OpenOffice for office work, instead or MS Office, Mac users, Linux users, Solaris users, FreeBSD users etc. would not notice much difference, since it works pretty much the same on all those platforms."

In that part of the ad, Microsoft is pretty much admitting it has the office suite monopoly, and you had better go along with it, or else..."

I agree. Their argument fails on merit as it is merely their legacy - which the poster below elaborates on:

Astonishing Chutzpah - Anonymous Coward, Posted Tuesday 10th August 2010 07:06 GMT

"errata

"If most of the computers in your office or school run Windows you may find it harder to get things done with a Mac."

"If most of the computers in your office or school run a different version of Windows, or a different version of their Office products, you may find it harder to get things done with a PC."

FTFY

"

My view?

Well, I own an apple mac book pro 17", run a desktop PC with Windows 7 and Ubuntu Linux and a Netbook with Windows XP, so:

"No blu-ray built-in to apple mac" claim? True, but I have an external blu-ray burner to attach. The barrier is cost for sure.

"No eSATA on high-end macs" claim? Nearly true, but latest mac book pro 17" (in fact that is why I was forced to spend more and buy this rather than lower spec models) still have ExpressCard/34 to add an eSATA card, Mac Pros also with expansion, but yes, a serious mistake on Apple's part to omit this capabaility from smaller Mac Book Pros and iMacs.

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini

SonyEricsson making a comeback: dinky size, flourishing Android OS, microSD not memorystick

A Xenon bulb flash would have been welcome, but at least there is an LED one, rather than not at all.

I'd go for the mini pro though for the qwerty keyboard as predictive text becomes tiresome sometimes.

Why mobile data quality matters

Connecting in the first place is slow

I find it slow to connect to a mobile data service. I thought that mobile data was supposed to be an "always on" and "packet based" service.

Nokia debuts four cheapo phones

FM cast-off UK DAB scrappage scheme foiled by more useful multi-function cheap mobiles.

As the title says.

Bolt browser brings HTML 5 to J2ME

Why don't they opensource the conversion server so you can put it on your own hosting?

Or instead there should be an opensource competitor?

Teac R-4iDNT Wi-Fi/DAB/FM radio and iPod dock

R-4iDNT slips off the tongue. Get a Revo Ikon or Revo Pico Radiostation.

Much nicer looking kit are the Revos. http://revo.co.uk/

iPads may be outselling Macs two to one

High resolution options available

High resolution laptop options are available and always have been:

The new April2010 updated Mac 15" has a 1680x1050 option. The 17" has 1920x1200 option.

My 5 year old Dell Inspiron 8600 notebook has 1920x1200 in 15.4"

Many PC laptops ship with 1920x1080 full HD screens, at 15.4", 16 inch etc.

My 9" Toshiba NB100 has 1024x600 and that works fine thank-you-very-much.

For smaller screens, a selection of suggested tools like these here can force non-resizeable windows to be smaller:

http://superuser.com/questions/85362/looking-for-an-application-that-scrolls-or-pans-netbook-screens-running-windows

All of the above plug into external monitors and digital TVs for explanded split screens for extra space.

Take your pick.

New attack bypasses virtually all AV protection

RE: @A/C bootable Cd's...

How about a dual/double layer 50Gb BD-DL Blu-ray disk to hold it all. Will that do ya?

Re: What a load of FUD, sort of.

"The problem now with Linux is that there are more and more non-technical users who don't understand the model"

'ere we go again. Techie snobbery, everyone else who doesn't have technical knowledge is inferior etc. etc. Let's make a virtue out of complexity etc. etc. What do you want Linux to become? Do you want it to increase in popularity or not. Many "don't want to understand the model" and shouldn't have to. The funky computer should itself sort that out - just like the one in the 80s Ulysses cartoon. I'm with Shuttleworth and Ubuntu on this. Oh yeah and don't get me started on the nerdy Linux names: G-this K-that etc...

"still insist on installing packages with sudo instead of putting them in their own home dir. "

And why is that? If it was just as easy, if not easier to install the package in their home directory without needing sudo, then don't you think they would do it? Obviously its not so easy that's why they do it.

"Encouraged by the infrastructure of apt/yum/etc...."

Well that is a problem: the plethora of distribution and installation methods. No benefit in this duplicity. If there was just one OR a standard for them to follow then it would be simpler.

Go on, thumb me down.

Vodafone to introduce out-of-bundle data charges

So if my usage was 501Mb - i.e. 1Mb over do I pay just 1p?

"Vodafone, he said, will charge £5 for every 500MB - one pence per megabyte, essentially - transferred beyond the 500MB of data bundled with most phones."

What is not clear is if this is pro-rata, i.e. pay extra for just the extra, out-of-bundle data used. This fine level of granularity would suit me -as the example in my post title illustrates.

As a media outlet reporting and explaining technology issues I would have thought TheReg could have done better to get the right information from Vodafone.

I've always wanted to have more occasionally allowance legitimately. I don't find their data network coverage and performance worse than any of the other operators. If this is the aforementioned pro-rata approach then I'd be happy to pay just for what I use on top.

Of course, I could put my cynical hat on and say that they levy a charge of 5 pound once the threshold is crossed but I have no info to prove that, TheReg?

Porky Visual Studio way over the hill

C# & VSTA for making custom add-ins for Windows Applications

".NET is an also ran" - depends on what for.

For customising/extending/enhancing many Microsoft and 3rd-party Windows Applications, C# in Visual Studio Tools for Applications (VSTA) is the successor to Visual Basic for Applications.

C# within an existing Application provides the benefits of full-blown modern Windows application development to extend that application to more efficiently meet your business needs.

With C# (vs Visual Basic) you get a C-like/Java-like/C++-like language that many are used to, a modern thriving technology, advanced language features to minimise source-code needed.

So as an extending technology, I would say .net is not an also ran, partly though because one is forced to use it in VSTA (i.e. you don't always get Java or C++ as choices).

But yes, for standalone, from-scratch client application development, server application development: the choices of platform technology, languages and development environments are wide open. So in those areas, yes it is an also ran.

Transport for London gobbles up Oyster

Telling it how it is...

...with delicious descriptions. Very enjoyable read.

Ten Essential Android Apps

Missing: Fax from mobile via Fring/Skype/Truphone

I'd like to be able to send faxes of images (and word/pdf etc docs - converted to fax compatible images) from the phone via a Skype/Fring/Truphone account.

Since all of these services can connect calls to the plain old telephony network, then they ought to be able to do the same for sending or receiving faxes.

I know that faxing isn't a major (or exciting) method of communication but it is still necessary or useful for some business transactions.

Having a fax application/service on a mobile via a pay-as-you-go service such as Skype/Fring/truphone would mean no need to pay for a landline, be able to do it on the move and not have to pay a regular (e.g. monthly) subscription to the usual internet-based replacement fax service - much more economical for irregular occasional use.

Buyer's Guide: Qwerty Smartphones

Nice comparison review of Qwerty smart phones

Can't beat tactile advantages of a real QWERTY keyboard, even in this (multi) touchscreen age.

A great reference for my next 'phone decision one day.

Radio lobby 'hides' 2m analogue receiver sales

Stop DAB development. License fee rebate to DAB listeners. Use internet & mobile. Keep FM.

Here's what I would do, If I was among the powers-that-be:

1) Stop further DAB development: technical, transmitter roll out/upgrade, marketing, administration, now.

2) Pass on the resultant potential cost saving that the BBC makes to go towards offering a temporary discount of the license fee to those who own at least one DAB set.

3) Leave DAB services running as it is - no further new services, no development, no new sets. Close it to new stations - it's proven to be uneconomical to commercial stations - all of them broadcast on other platforms anyway. Use spare capacity to increase bitrates of existing stations to improve listener experience.

4) Leave FM running as it is. If it ain't broke don't fix it for the sake of being digital. Digital does not always mean better.

5) Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) - digital radio over AM. First need to tackle same atmospheric interference issues that prevail as with analogue. If this is fixed, don't roll out services using a consortium, walled-garden, big-players-only, multiplex approach which was the failings of DAB - make platform open to anyone with appropriate credentials to set up a station using their *OWN* AM/DRM transmitter.

6) BBC should embrace internet and mobile internet radio and be at the forefront of the development, with reasonable or better bitrates using modern codecs e.g. AAC+. Not drag their heals with Real at 64kbps.

7) BBC should make its internet streams available to be listed on all major Internet Station Directories - particularly the Nokia Internet Radio Application directory listing (for listening on mobile phones) where it is conspicuous by its absence.

8) BBC should educate the public and make them aware of the increasingly viable and generous 3G data packages available for internet radio listening - NOT scaremonger about their self-created Billshock(tm) term. This is not advertising: after all they promote how to receive digital TV by letting people know about Sky, cable etc.

9) Migrate broadband and TV user households from license fee to internet tax - same cost - not increased but use part of internet tax to fund BBC (as before), some of it to compensate for free content (e.g. youtube) to support creative industries and remainder to subsidise further mobile broadband roll out.

Nerd alert: First Lucid Lynx Ubuntu beta fun

For "everyday consumers?" first get rid of god-awful nerdy names: GNOME, KDE... K this G that etc.

Encouraging news, but how about they get rid of the awful, awful nerdy names like GNOME, KDE, libgpod, Gwibber.

Facebook users warned over stalk-my-profile scam

...and there's no way to stop the App suggestions either

I agree. And I wish there was a way to stop receiving application suggestions from your friends, but there isn't. Yet. I don't want any either.

BBC might pay for Tory broadband promises

Scrap DAB with rebate and convert license fee to internet tax, no losers

Given that creative content to mass audiences is increasing delivered over the internet via fixed line and mobile, it would make sense to reflect this trend by making the license fee internet-centric rather than broadcast and TV centric.

The internet license fee could be exactly the same as the TV license, meaning no extra cost. But every premises with broadband internet pays. Those without it who own a TV would still pay the old TV license.

Also Scrap DAB for all its performance, content and choice shortcomings, save on ongoing development and running costs, pass that saving as a rebate or waiver the license fee for 1-2years for DAB owners in compensation for their white elephant. Take a short-term financial hit but longer term it would pay off.

Wholeheartedly embrace the mobile internet as a broadcast platform.

Tories ask: Why BBC3, BBC4?

@Wifi 3G you say ?

"Neither of which are any bloody use in a car, where I and I suspect many others listen to the radio."

WRONG! I get near perfect internet radio coverage, for example, via 3G on the M27 in Hampshire from central Southampton to Havant using my Nokia N95 or N82 with Nokia Internet Radio Application over Vodafone.

I can't speak for every region but at least I can give an example covering a fairly large area - can you?

"Using 3G to listen to the radio ? Seems an awful waste of resources/bandwidth."

No - if the operator gives an allowance of 500Mb/month it is up to you then its up to you how you choose to use it. I choose to use it to enjoy internet radio. That is my entitlement. You can use your allowance for youtube or email or whatever - that is up to you.

My account shows (and Vodafone themselves assure me) I don't even come close to this limit for the 45min morning and evening commute each working day each month. Also, to restate, exceeding this allowance doesn't incur a fine but other reasonable measures are taken.

Internet radio is very efficient, as state of the art as can be, with modern codecs such as AAC+ and eAAC+ providing good listening quality at very low bitrates, e.g. 48kbps.

"But even that aside, pretty bloody useless if you are trying to listen anywhere without good 3g coverage (large parts of the UK) or while moving at anything above walking pace."

Please back up your statement with your own personal experience or reference to a good survey. Obviously it won't work without 3G coverage but where it is available, it does.

"Broadcast radio is a good technology that fits its purpose pretty well. the alternatives are technically more complex while being less useful."

Over-generalisation: it depends on the technology - for FM I would agree with you that this works well. But for DAB in a car, no, sorry, this is no good at all.

Again *from personal experience* I bought a good brand DAB adapter for my car stereo for a road trip. It was fine when I was stationary but when I moved off either no reception or the dreaded burble. I took it back got a refund. I use mobile internet radio now and haven't looked back.

"the alternatives are technically more complex while being less useful."

Over-generalisation: sure mobile internet radio is not quite as basic as just turning on the FM radio, but it sure isn't too complicated either.

Switch on phone, select Internet Radio Application, plug in cassette adapter jack into headphone socket of phone, insert cassette adapter into cassette drive of car stereo and off I go, leaving it completely untouched (because no need to fiddle -and also legal req.) for the duration of the journey.

Relax and enjoy radio from all over the world instead of white-van-man blandsville provincial tinpot local radio with carpet ads and diy store ads radio with boring rock or a break from the BBC.

Moreover, internet radio provides precise and more detailed info about listeners rather than RAJAR so apart from the listener advantages, broadcasters get some as well.

There, I hope I have enlighted you.

ResonanceFM: Listen via internet inc. mobile - halt DAB & offer license fee rebate to DAB owners

You can listen to ResonanceFM anywhere in the world via the internet - and you don't need a PC.

Instead you can use the Revo Pico Radiostation dedicated internet radio with your WiFI connection.

Or listen on an internet radio player app on your mobile, e.g. on Nokia 3G phones, most data packages with 3G phones are generous enough now to offer many hours of listening and many operators don't fine you if you stray over the fair-use policy limit, just send an advisory, with throttling if the allowance really gets abused. But for most this might never occur.

The BBC should have been wholeheartedly embracing these platforms instead of DAB.

If they halted investment in DAB immediately and offered a one-off license fee rebate to everyone who bought a DAB radio then they would take a one-off finances hit or maybe break even, but longer term they would free up cash that has been wasted on DAB's ongoing costs and development of other limiting one-to-many digital platforms such as DAB+ (too late) and Digital Radio Mondiale (similar atmospheric caused reception limitations as AM).

Young people are lazy, think world owes them a living - prof

A balanced reg article

Thanks for balancing the discussion with your final paragraphs in favour of the GenMe/GenY (My demographics mean I don't belong to this group (but close to it in some ways) BTW so my feedback is not self-serving).

According to how you report their survey, they have a point about the increasing demands of this social group but they fail to explain why, dismissing these as unjustified.

Your interpretation offers reasons why - which have gravity: increasing housing costs and longer hours to meet these. Before I got to the last paragraphs I was ready to say "too right", but was enlightened by your views when I finished the article.

Refreshing to read your interpretation that avoids clique maintenance whereby a generation views others with disregard and less worth than themselves.

Canon EOS 7D

Record limit - actually 3 poss. reasons, no definitive answer. Why PVRs and Blu-ray handle larger?

"It still has the 4GB limit of using the FAT file system. So recordings in HD will tend to end about the 12-minute mark, with only the 480p taking you anywhere near the 29min limit on devices like this."

Actually this is one of three possible reasons why there is a limit, the other two are:

- the dreaded EU/EC duty imposed if it could record longer because it would be classed as a camcorder

- the thermal limitations of the sensor, gets too hot

(according to dvinfo.net, here: http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/canon-eos-7d-hd/355721-7d-maximum-sustained-recording-length.html )

No definitive answer is given by Canon.

Moreover, if the limit was FAT32 4Gb then why can Personal Video Recorders and Blu-ray handle longer lengths? Either because they use another file system or break the recordings up into several files BUT employ a system to provide seamless, back-to-back flawless recording/playback of these files, perhaps enabled my some sort of playlist table file.

What a shame about this limit. If only it wasn't there then this camera would be a fantastic all-rounder and a contender for making proper decent film footage with the flexibility of SLR lenses providing all manner of filmic nuances and quality.

Length should only be limited by size of memory card.

At least it has 24p for easier compatibility for transferring to blu-ray for archiving and sharing.

Toshiba Camileo S20

Why not 24p mode as well - for easier archive to blu-ray?

Why not 24p mode as well - for easier archive to blu-ray?

Manufacturers still haven't seemed to have got it into their thick heads: They don't all offer full true hd at 1920x1080 at 24p - 24 full frames per second.

24 is blu-ray compatible which means less transcoding work needed on the original footage, compared with a non-24p format such as 30p reviewed here.

Blu-ray offers a final, permanent (debate about longevity about the chemical compounds aside), solid-state, reasonably robust and portable medium to archive and share your precious footage.

Or do movie-makers want to leave their precious footage on a more delicate, easily deletable, flash memory card that will fill up, or a hard drive that could crash?

Sagem DTR94500S HD Freesat+ DVR

No recording to USB storage. BORING. EPIC FAIL.

"There's a USB port on the front, but it's unused.". TEASE!

oh la-dee-dah, is it for:

- for "service centre"/technician use

- to view your photos and MP3s on. Boring! So many devices do this.

Record to USB storage - expand the recording capacity AND make the recordings portable to watch (perhaps with the assistance of the cheap CoreAVC HD codec) on a laptop during a train commute, for example.

But no, that would be far too useful.

FAIL. FAIL. FAIL.

Dell Inspiron Zino HD

nVidia for CUDA to speed up supported Apps

If only they'd used nVidia for their graphics hardware - then they could have gained from programs that support nVidia's CUDA - which can provide speed increases.

PHPers prefer Windows desktop to Linux

because its easy and free

Windows for development platform - why? one or more of:

- it's easy to use, not many settings file, scripts, env variables, etc, to mess around with

- all the applications run on it

- it's a corporate standard

- necessity, tools/support by a company is for Windows

- convenience, developer may work with Windows-specific IDEs alongside PHP development

- Cygwin/Linux/X-server environents available on Windows

- it comes with most machines as standard

Linux for server - why? one or more of:

- it's free, no licenses

- it's fast

- large support communities, lots of very good free advice: howtoforge.com superuser.com

- it's reliable, not so much viruses etc.

BBC clambers onto iPhone bandwagon

Fragmentation of web standards through custom platform solutions

Bill, I couldn't agree more with the last paragraph of your article.

These are just web services and therefore shouldn't require custom solutions per device: CSS media type should take care of that for near or complete automatic re-purposing of content for different platforms with different screens.

Fragmenting the standards, iPhone Apps that just serve up information are one example of this when the web was all about equality, compatibility and open standards. Another is iPhone banking Apps, again, banks have already provided secure web based systems.

If iPhone Multi-touch capability is made use of then there is a justification, unless web standards that handle events (e.g. Javascript) can cope with such gestures. We already have onClick() event etc. what about onPinch() event.

The commercial hunger of a company to push through enhancements to the user experience, on the other hand might be required, putting pressure on perhaps slower, maybe unfocused, committee-led standards bodies to catch up.

The .mobi standard and W3C need to push forward with open standard equivalents, perhaps?

Panasonic preps Freeview HD Blu-ray DVRs

Record to SD for mobile watching please (in reduced resolution, of course!)

An extra feature to record any broadcast to SD (or a microSD in a full-size adapter) auto-converted (if necessary) to MPEG4/H264, in a selection of reduced resolutions (e.g. 640x480 or 640x360 for widescreen) in MPEG4 would make it possible to watch programmes on a mobile during a train commute.

This would make a convenient, PC-less solution for watching recorded TV on the move.

Most recent to latest smartphones could handle such MPEG4 H264 playback, whereas the older MPEG2 was not possible (as explained here: http://ideas.symbian.org/Idea/View?ideaid=5182 )

Voda goes ultra-cheap with handsets for the developing world

It's expensive being poor, this initiative by Vodafone might help

It's expensive being poor - because being poor means:

1) restricted communication options, including lack of internet - which means people can't afford things or save money because they can't surf for the cheapest deals often found online

2) because credit is expensive, poor credit rate hikes up the interest rates

Looks like Vodafone might help on both of these with this initiative:

- for 1) as the original poster "Not overblown at all" said being able to call a friend for best deals gets the user more opportunities to afford things and get cheaper deals, OK it's not internet but its slightly closer to it, and internet may come.

I believe basic internet/WAP has taken off in some developing countries already, as the first means to internet access they experienced, even though it was a flop in the UK - because we already had full access to compare it against.

- for 2) the micropayments system Vodafone are providing might enable more financial options

I like Vodafone for what they are doing here and for their SureSignal Femtocell system.

No, I don't work for them but I am a subscriber.

I know there may be other socially useful initiatives going on elsewhere, but I'll shrug off the archetypal, dour, cynical, sneering geek persona not uncommon here on the Reg, and embrace this article: would you rather be happy than clever?

Weeny SIM Wi-Fi hotspot is here! But why?

WPA security? Wireless Infrastructure Mode? On old phones?

I agree with those here saying that it is another method to provide internet access for another device like a netbook/laptop/etc.

Does it support secure wireless, like WPA/WPA2?

Does it support Wireless Infrastructure Mode? Like proper hotspots do, not just Ad-hoc/Computer-to-Computer mode.

Can this work with any old phone? Could I pop this WiFi-capable SIM into an old Nokia 3210 and use that as a WiFi hotspot. For this would the SIM use the phone's built-in antenna, or can an additional one be crammed in via the battery? If it requires a new phone with a purpose-built antenna then the scope is limited - most new phones are 3G capable anyway.

I'd like to use it as a WiFi hotspot for my portable battery powered Revo Pico Radiostation WiFi internet radio down the allotment.

I use Joikuspot with success, on a N95/N82, but Symbian doesn't (yet) allow it to have Wireless Infrastructure Mode, or secured WPA access. Look up my request for this feature on the Nokia Forums or on ideas.symbian.org

Symbian shares the source

So, can anyone build the source and install it their phone?

So, Symbian is open source. It's a stable platform and still has a large user base.

But can *any* of these users get hold of it in this open source, build it (in, say, Eclipse IDE with the appropriate compiler) and then download and install the resultant firmware on their phone?

Steve Jobs dubs Google's 'don't be evil' motto 'bulls**t'

Competition for Flash is good for Flash.

This is a good thing because I think Flash and HTML5 might co-exist which is the best situation for competition and innovation as they both have strengths. Apple's decision provides fuel for HTML5 being established - which is a good thing - Flash needs competition for its own ongoing development, otherwise it becomes complacent. All of your devices you mention could potentially support HTML5 etc. as well as Flash.

Flash is a closed, proprietary bolt-on binary format which 1) makes it less easy to search within, 2) less easy to integrate with the rest of the web page its in and 3) excludes smaller developers innovating with it because of the cost of its tools. All three go against the open-to-all principle of the web. Streaming flash video and audio is unnecessary and superfluous: I don't believe flash itself adds value as to the efficiency of the video codec. The two value adds by Flash here is 1) a large existing de-facto installed base of browsers, backed by a well respected company called Adobe and 2) a cross-platform DRM facility provided by the A.I.R. that is favourable to publishers such as the BBC that want to protect their content (rightly or wrongly). Flash is great for visualisation, training and games with its powerful animated and interactive anti-alisaed vector graphics features.

Meanwhile, open standard plain-text, searchable XML based HTML5, SVG with AJAX and alternative video and audio codecs such as MPEG4 AAC can potentially do the same job as Flash, with sufficient development.

Ofcom opens debate on Freeview HD DRM to punters

Watermark it -digital & invisible deterrent, makers need to be paid

Watermarking, digitally and invisibly, of the content with the license payer's account id would allow such convenience whilst deterring the mass sharing of such content that would damage further income streams into the UK's creative industry.

DRM systems tend to be company/product/platform specific. A common DRM standard could fix that, perhaps that might be included in the BBC project Canvas feature list. This would enable the convenience of sharing between your own devices.

Wider sharing recordings between friends could be allowed if limited and done via social networking sites to harvest user habits for targeted advertising : it is give and take: you get to share content for free, they should get something in return for allowing you to do so, you pay them with your information.

Unrestricted ownership of a recording is a burden to me so it's not important to me and I believe many commentators here don't realise the time out of their lives it requires having to manage such material (organising, backing up...). Unless you are a content producer and want to remix someone elses work in an innovative way - but you'd have the means to do that as part of your specialist set up, e.g. via analogue out and re-capture.

If I was working for a film or programme maker, I would want to get properly rewarded for my work and to be able to pay for the food on my plate, the shirt on my back and the roof over my head. See how it feels when the IT job you do could be stolen by anyone, then you'd at least slightly favour the DRM system.

It might not seem fair how the money is distributed but you are part of that imperfect ecosystem, and you benefit from the trickle-down. That's life.

It's never perfect. If you don't like it, go without and make your own entertainment instead of looking at a screen for it. Don't obsess about having to own things.

Vodafone revs up UK femtocell program

Alternative: DECT mode built-in a mobile for use with landline base-station

A good alternative might be for a handset manufacturer to build-in DECT into a mobile so it can be used to make landline calls directly through an ordinary DECT base station that connects to the landline - and then reception is not an issue and not dependent on operator.

Nokia reckons its Symbian^4 UI will leapfrog the rest

as long as any enthusiast-consumer can build it and put it on their own phone

I would hope that Open Sourcing Symbian means that anyone can edit, customise and build it in Eclipse and upgrade their phone with the source they have built, all for free.

Microsoft names new date for Visual Studio 2010

Upgrade cost? If buy exisiting now?

What's the policy on upgrade costs?

Say if I needed Visual Studio NOW and couldn't wait until April. Can I pay the price for 2010 but get the existing version NOW and then upgrade for free (having paid the price for 2010)?

TVonics DTR-HV250 DVR

Overpriced USB tease

For the same money you could buy nearly three single-tuner Grundig GDB20USB3 USB Digital TV Recorders and ACTUALLY record the programmes onto your attached USB storage: harddrives, solid state flash drives, memory cards with USB adapter...

I agree that the front USB is unsightly, but this would be compensated for if it provided direct to USB recording rather than just boring "view your photos" or "play MP3s".

Google delivers Java 'convenience' APIs

"notoriously complex"? compared to what? alternative: commons.apache.org libraries

I agree with others disputing "makes the notoriously complex Java easier to work with". WTF to the power of n!

"notoriously complex" - compared to what other language/development/environment? The article author should qualify this statement by comparing it with something else.

On the subject of libraries to enhance the language, take a look at commons.apache.org

Google expands plan to run own internet

Re: This is, well, annoying

Good luck with the internet dating agencies...

Freeview HD - your questions answered

Good article.

Well written.

North England to replace satanic mills with iPhone app factories

Will help London-centric finance-centric UK out of recession

With high tech exports outside of London, this should enhance the UK's portfolio of economic growth opportunities and provide new alternatives to London and finance as the major earners.

The BBC's move of its future media technologies department to Salford Quays will help set the scene for this trend.

"But 90 per cent of iPhone and iPod Touch users are buying applications, surprisingly the latter buying more than the former"

Not surprising: could it be that iPod Touch users have paid less for their device and aren't committed to a monthly line rental, so they have more cash available to spend on apps?

Windows 7's dirty secrets revealed

How refreshingly pragmatic

Keep up the good work, Russinovich.

Sky talks up subscription 3D merits

For real 3D and infinite resolution...

...go to the theatre or a concert.

Tories would scrap 50p broadband tax

Make TV license fee become broadband tax

...after all, the internet may become the dominent delivery method for television.

Households with broadband internet and television would not notice any cost difference - as the fee would be the same but charged against their broadband. On top of the iPlayer and youtube.com in general, consider recent moves from Channel 4 and Sky to broadcast online.

Households with television and no internet would still pay a license fee.

But households with broadband and no televison would now have to pay the tax. Only fair because they likely consume some content funded by license fee payers.

I also suggest that the PRS/MCPS/PPL be combined into a Rights Agency (this suggested before) but this new agency should have a slice of the new broadband tax to offset the costs of piracy and nuture new talent.

Blu-ray dropped from updated iMacs?

Blu-ray versus AppleTV

I think Apple exclude Blu-Ray on the grounds of:

1) Licensing costs

2) Competition with their HD AppleTV and iTunes content; they'd rather people spend money with them and buy videos/films online from these than buy Blu-ray

3) (For notebooks): Power consumption - mobile Blu-ray chipsets is still in early generations and not so power efficient and will impact Apple's headline battery times.

@Matthew 17 Posted Friday 16th October 2009 10:04 GMT "Codec?"

If you plug in a BD drive into a Mac could it play it?

I should think so. Apple application Toast disc burning software supports burning to (external) Blu-ray. The codec for Blu-ray isn't esoteric; it's a matter of someone writing the software if Toast, VLC, Core or others haven't already. Using similar hardware to PCs, Macs are more than adequately able to run such Codecs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blu-ray_Disc#Codecs

@jason 7: I think Apple are banking on people obtaining and exchanging content online, assuming that internet speeds catch up. Not the first time that Apple have omitted removable storage from their offerings: think back to the Angle-poise iMac not having floppy discs.

That said, people may still want the piece of mind of being able to robustly archive large amounts of data conveniently in one place. For that, Blu-ray is a worthwhile consideration: I have an external LG Blu-ray USB 2.0 burner for just that reason: saves me burning several DVDRs when one Blu-ray will hold the same.

Sony HDR-TG7VE

Follow up

"The raw .MTS files from your MemoryStick Micro/Pro can be copied directly to a DVD, renamed as .M2TS, and played at full resolution directly in your PS3"

But can this DVD be played on anything else other than a PS3/Sony device? Still fiddly: as have to rename the file.

"your PS3"..."your MemoryStick Micro/Pro":

Agree with @handle: too much proprietary lock-in Sony here, not enough versatile inter-operability between different products. Sounds like what I would hear at the local Sony Centre shop. Fine if you want to stick with all-Sony though.

Fact still remains: No complete simple chain of solution. Such a thing needs 1) the camera to record in 1080p at 24p in H.264 2) a standalone Blu-ray recorder to directly accept this from a memory card straight onto a standard Blu-ray recordable. Panasonic come close to this but use proprietary AVCHD like Sony do. Quite expensive too.

For the rest of us who want quick archiving from memory card to reasonably permanent robust Blu-ray rather than remaining on the more delicate, wipeable memory card (which we want to re-use anyway) there is the plethora of dreaded PC-based (or Mac or Linux) solutions. Fine if you are working on a masterpiece with editing tools at disposal but not if too busy to want to bother and need a quick simple archive solution. Fine if you want to wait for the tedious boot ceremony of a PC (etc.). Fine if its you that's doing it; not fine if it's your dear old technology challenged relatives that want to, unless you want all your free time consumed being their technical support. So they rushed this camera out without thinking of the whole picture - pardon the pun, just like many other manufacturers have. Some poor souls will buy it then face the burden of managing their precious recordings.

@Aaron10: thanks for explaining 1080i: So for 1080i at 60Hz this would mean field 1 is all the odd 540 lines displayed at once (1,3,5...1079), spaced out/interleaved by black blank lines where the evens would be (2,4,6...1080). Then frame 2 is all even lines displayed at once (2,4,6...1080) spaced out/interleaved with black blank lines where the odds would be (1,3,5...1079).

As with all interlaced standards, there will be a comb effect seen where there is motion, i.e. edges of moving objects will have a comb-like pattern due to the interleaving. This may or may not be noticeable depending on the scene, the recording equipment, the display, the distance of the view from the display, their vision.

As for 1080i "Should this standard die? Yes and no" Yes because it is clearly inferior to 1080p and incompatible with Blu-ray and no because we need to support legacy for a while yet perhaps.

Google Chrome gets friendly with Native Client

Windows apps on non-WinTel. Make it a x86 emulation, Google could buy wine and/or ReactOS

Thanks to @BlueGreen for doing the hard work and reading the white paper. I agree that reliance on x86 hardware limits NaCl.

However, if an x86 emulator was built and google ported free WIN32/Windows OS alternatives such as WINE and/or ReactOS into Chrome then one could run standard Windows applications within Chrome independent of hardware.

Which makes ChromeOS on alternatives to x86 such as ARM more appealing as it cirumvents the blocker: "compatibility is the enemy of competition" because access to the vast, comprehensive x86 Windows application base would be available on non-x86 and non-Windows machines. Non-x86 netbooks suddenly become more appealing with the WinTel monopoly challenged.

Sure, an x86 emulation on non-x86 will run slower than on x86 hardware but it might still be usable. Perhaps some clever folk could come up with optimisations such as JIT. Lots of expertise out there regarding emulation: consider Apple's Rosetta for running PowerPC based programs on their Intel machines.

Will Google buy WINE and/or ReactOS? Perhaps at least we can expect more Google Summer-of-Code seasons where these programs are developed.