Posts by Ian Sneyd

PARIS threatened by the bends

The title is required, and must contain letters and/or digits.

but solarfilm isn't paper....

Social-engineering contest reveals secret BP info

errrm

actually, the cli you present can be almost anything, present say 4 digits (4628) and how many people would assume it was an internal number even if it rang like an external call...

I (used to) regularly got international cold calls (via a crap VoIP link, incidentally even easier to spoof cli using SIP) showing only 5 digits for some reason, maybe they's just set up their VoIP server incorrectly!

Swedish factory fined $3,000 for robot attack

If it's not on YouTube....

It didn't happen...

Government data protection standards are protected data

At the risk of being accused of advertising...

if you need to physically destroy HD's etc. the PHB won't let you play with thermite and a lump hammer is too hard work for weedy PFY's then get a

http://www.mmco.uk.com/products1.html

HD TV in the UK

HD artifacts

I've seen no artifacts on BBC HD, I'm guessing it would be pretty pointless to over compress the HD signal and cock it all up, there are however plenty of artifacts on the SD broadcasts I receive, presumably because they all use the same shit feeds they've created for freeview which is completely awful to look at on a 1080p TV...

I'll stick to a combo of downloading and watching anything I can find that's free to air on my HD sat system and Freeview HD if/when it happens, but then again I'm a tight northerner ;-)

Captain Cyborg creates human bat with Reg baseball cap

???????Isn't this a sort of title??????????

Am I the only one who read echolocate as e-chocolate hmmmm a device that helps us find chocolate..... oh bugger I get my coat, it's the one with the snickers in the pocket, If I can find it....

Sony: world PS3 sales pass 12.8m consoles

@AC

"Ah, more lies and hearsay...

GTA IV for XBox - 39.99

GTA IV for PS - 39.98"

I'm not sure who the moron is here, I've never paid more than £30 for a 360 title but can't seem to ever find the PS3 title discounted.... that was pretty much my point but thanks for the insult any way ;-)

Oh and as for GTAIV, I wouldn't rate it 10/10 like some of the games magazines but it is pretty good and I guess it's going to take me a lot longer to finish than Halo3 or CoD4 did.

First time for everything...

Having both of the offending consoles GTAIV is the first cross platform game I have bought for the PS3, what really annoys me, but at least it seems to be changing now, is that the PS3 games are still more expensive than the 360 games no matter where you buy them from...

buggers!

Roll on PS3 only games that use huge chunks of the BRdisk storage available then I'll be a bit happier (or maybe we'll just have much bigger shit games ;-)

Ofcom taps water network for next generation broadband

@Red Bren

Sadly this will have no effect, the franchises where only of any value because they were "exclusive" once the cablecos had laid the cable to all of the chav housing estates to compete with sky they knew that everywhere else wasn't going to make a profit so surrendered their franchise knowing full well no-one else would want the cost of digging up unprofitable areas....

The only "punisment" for not completing the 100% build out would have been the withdrawal of their exclusive franchise... oh but wait haven't we just voluntarily surrendered that... oops I think I just spotted a tiny flaw in the system ;-)

London Olympics drives dash for terrestrial HDTV

And how does this help exactly....

"DTG is hoping a cheap CI slot module will allow them to receive DVB-T2"

So you can decode MP4 on a set top box connected via a scart lead.... and this will be acceptable how?

Buy some kit so you can receive something to downgrade it through scart?

someone's having a laugh.... at least be honest and tell people they'll need a set top with HDMI (or component) out put to be able to see the content properly.

Retailers: Xbox 360 to win next-gen console war

My 2p

My thoughts, having bought all 3 when most palatable to my wallet, the 360 gets the most use (for now) because it has the best games and even when they are ported to the PS3 they are often only 720p instead of full HD (oh and 5-10 quid dearer for some reason)

Gears, Bioshock, Halo3 (slightly disapointed by the flakey slowdown on Halo3, maybe it'll get an update)

PS3 has a couple of good games but won't take off until someone developes specifically for it and actually uses it's power, GRAW2 for example is utter shit (graphically) on the PS3 compared with the 360, I hope to compare CoD4 on both soon...Bluray discs are pretty cheap second hand, I'm happy with upscaling ordinary DVD's rather than replacing my collection.

And the Wii, in a different league, still having games of bowling a year after purchase now that's longevity... oh and lego star wars using the wii controller as a lightsabre.... it doesn't get much better than that ;-)

BBC HD channel gets green light

HD - the dogs or what - discuss...

I agree that on paper 720p is not much better than 625i and I thought that HD was something that would be big in the US because of their abysmal NTSC standard but a bit of a damp squib over here.

BUT once you have bought a decent size LCD/Plasma and lets face it tech workers tend to "refresh" their TV's etc a little more often than most (unless they've more money than sense) and once I had a 42" full HD box I got a bit hungry to see what 1080p looked like....

Fire up the PS3 and the free blu-ray copy of the bond movie, 2 hours later pick up jaw from floor, go to maplins and buy HD sat receiver to hook up to the now redundant sky dish and watch the BBC1 HD preview....

I now start praying for some decent free to air HD content, as soon as possible, I for one am happy to lose over half of the current DTV dross if it means I can watch the better channels in HD

Axe hangs over UK town's analogue TV signal

Someone will probably answer first making me look like a dick...

But, technically the problem with Channels 4 & 5 is the difference between free to air and free to view....

You can get a card from Sky that will decrypt 4 & 5 and you don't need to subscribe for this facility but you do need a sky receiver rather than a generic sat box (because of the proprietary encryption, having a card slot on the receiver doesn't help) the reason is some obscure deal done in the past and there are rumours that they will both become free to air in the new year.

Bacteria to blame for global warming?

Response

You mean you get the same re-heated crap REPORTED all the time, I'm sure you meant that applies to both sides of the argument......

or Mark, you are as evangelical as the others I have already mentioned...

I must say I like the sound of finding a way to lock up additional carbon rather than just drop emissions, now that's what I call scientific debate ;-)

Stifled debate...

I don't particularly care if they think it's "beyond doubt" that humankind is responsible for global warming because the whole point of scientific research and theory is that you are supposed to try and debunk your own theories, that's how you get closer and closer to the truth.

Any "scientific" group who get so stressed about being questioned are by their actions behaving more religious than scientific.

I haven't made up my mind personally as both arguments seem flawed but in the interim I will choose a green option if it's available and not stupidly more expensive.

I will stay inland and never buy property in a flood plain, I will use biodiesel in my cars (though apparently that will make the 3rd world poorer), I will use the motorbike to travel into city centres, in fact generally speaking I will continue to live my life normally but take a little bit more care for the future... After all, some of the alarmists say we're already past the tipping point so we could be screwed either way, have a nice weekend everyone!

Biofuels make poor people even poorer

The end of the world party

The end of the world party has my vote...

and while we're on the subject, if biofuels are the answer then why is there still such a high tax on it in the UK, it's zero rated in Germany.

I suppose at least we can take comfort in the fact that because it will be kept at the same price as ordinary Diesel in this country we won't be responsible for pillaging the rest of the world... not this time anyway ;-)

Ubuntu laptop clan trapped in hard drive hell

WTF...

I see a lot of opinions here.... but as I type this on a Tosh laptop running Ubuntu 7.10 I don't hear my HD in its death throes. Neither am I a "hardened linux nut" I have an MCSE (work demands it and paid so who am I to argue) but some tools I want to use work better, or are open source on linux so I thought it was about time I took the plunge and started using Linux as my main OS on one of my machines...

IMHO if this is only a problem on a couple of manufacturers machines then how can it be an Ubuntu problem or even a Linux problem...

People just cant help themselves but pick a side and fight over it... now which end of my boiled egg shall I cut off today?

Toshiba DVR dumps HD to HD DVD

@Ross Fleming

The evesham iPlayer is technically capable of receiving it but I can't vouch for it as I don't live anywhere near London.

I got one end of line quite cheap as it's also a HD network player, it had some overheating issues which can be cured by standing on it's end (the vents are on the sides.

It even has a topTV slot...and 80GB HD for recording, not sure what format HD broadcasts would be saved in as I can't receive any yet (and may never if they flog off the vacant airspace)

Nokia slides latest Linux tablet onto market

In two minds

I'm seriously in 2 minds about this kit, I already have a 770 (bought for £70 from expansys) and the GPS built in sounds sweet if I can get it to work with Kismet but I'm not sure I could justify buying one... but if I could get it cheap with a contract it would be a possibilty... otherwise I'll just have to wait for whatever is 2 generations down the line so I can buy one cheap as end of line stock ;-)

Ofcom: no comeback for TV on analogue spectrum

HD DTV

To a certain extent I agree with the OFCOM statement about using existing bandwidth, I would certainly prefer to receive some HD content before 2012 when Yorkshire's analogue signal goes.

Of course this will mean a new "set top" box, after all how many of the existing kit (immaterial if it's integrated or a separate box) has HDMI or similar output to the TV screen? I don't believe getting another box if you want HD is such a terrible thing, many people out there will have kept their original SD tellys even after 2012 so they simply won't bother, for the rest of us we should have had at least an incling that any new HD transmissions would need a new box!

I do feel a little sorry for those non techy types that have fallen for some slightly dodgy advertising and bought a HD ready TV and will only ever watch SD programming, but to be honest they've probably been ripped off for a fairly low res "half HD" set anyway....

If the BBC's half arsed channel on Sky is anything to go by it will be some time before it's worth watching anyway ;-)

Sony talks up PS3 update

why oh why oh why

Does everything have to be "interactive"?

I just wanted the PS3 to watch content that made the most of my telly, I don't even bother with most of the "extras" on normal DVDs what is this fetish with extra gimmicks just give me the bloody film in high def and the same price as a DVD with "extras" that I don't want anyway!

# end rant

TV for those who enjoy massacres

Erection? it's bloody boring

I'm sorry but if anyone isn't bored watching the same shot taken from a dozen different angles of a bullet going through something then they are not only welcome to watch but also demonstrate the perfect level of intelligence to sign up for the marines and toddle off to Iraq and "get some" for themselves....

The article is an interesting little rant, but when all's said and done the arms companies only create what they think they can sell, if people want a tactical torture device (I like that description) then they can buy one or then can get their local bobbies to beat the crap out of the protesters as they do in Burma for example. Personally if I happened to get caught up in a protest I think I'd prefer something that doesn't leave a scar, but then I'm no martyr...

And finally if you want to start lecturing on the morals of arms maufacturers then I can think of plenty of other industries that deserve your attention, tobacco manufacturers spring to mind...

Online car tax saves planet from carbon hell

Continuous taxation b0110cks

If, like me (and I'm not a rich man by any yardstick) own a couple of family cars, 3 bikes (which I can only ride one of at a time) and an old campervan that I'm doing up then it is quite easy to "become a criminal" (the fine for not taxing or SORN) I'd rather see the tax disc done away with, it no longer serves a purpose... the physical item is no proof that you've taxed the thing as the DVLA database is what you get slapped by.

BTW if I SORN my bike (at least one of which I do during the winter as it's a sumer bike only) I'm not allowed to go and get a tax disk 2 weeks in advance like a "normal" person who tax expires at the end of the month can anyone think of a reason for that?

And while I'm in full moan how the hell do I get my bike to the MoT station when it's SORN and I can't get a Tax disc without an MoT?

And why the hell do I still have to go through the whole tax disk rigmarole for my bloody campervan when it's Tax exempt /*aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah I hate bloody burocracy*/

Euro consumers favour plasma over LCD

All hype?

Not sure I agree with this one, LCD's woek very well as PC monitors, I was impressed by the better (perceived) quality of TV on my PC TV tuner (higher res than my Sony 32") and so bought a cheap 32" LCD HDTV which wasn't great but you get what you pay for...

I'm now typing this on my media PC connected to a recently purchased 42" LCD (1080P) and it's perfectly readable 6 feet away, I play Xbox360 and PS3 games on the same screen with no visible blurring and way better than the Sony CRT it replaced, and yes my legacy Humax DTV box doesn't look fantastic if you get up close but guess what, when I'm watching TV I sit on the other side of the room on my sofa...

Oh and PS3 BluRay on 1080P, a phrase involving canines and their reproductive danglies springs to mind...

Boeing touts feeble Hummer-mounted raygun

HMS Camden Lock

Reminds me of the early Hyperdrive episode, the super death ray being fired at a "rebel" and would kill him in probabably less than 3 days.... and when it has recharged in a week, you're next...

Sony threatens to evict naughty gamers from Home

Anti-Fan boys

I can't belive that there are so many negative comments on here!

I have all of the next gen consoles because they are all good for certain games, I applaude Sony for having free online gaming, though I still pay for an X-box Live account (though this may change as M$ have only just admitted receiving my duff 360 at the repair centre after I sent it 4 weeks ago)

I'm also glad that they reserve the right to ban people, though I also feel sorry for the mug who buys the banned machine on flea-bay thinking they've picked up a bargin...

Land Registry denies ID fraud risk

Not open to the public?

Not sure I understand why people think this is a "private" system, I have recently been looking for a piece of land to buy and have therefore used this quite lot,

Last time I looked I was member of the public....