Posts by David Paul Morgan

BBC in secret trial to see if you care about thing you plainly don't

I quite like DAB & FM

I have one of these Pure portables http://www.pure.com/products/product.asp?Product=vl-60799 when out-and-about. It's rechargeable and I certainly get a day's use out of it. Use it in the car via the phone socket and works along the M4 corridor from Bridgend to Newport but can't vouch for the Intercity to Paddington!

I rarely listen to AM stations and the bedroom radio is a Pure DAB and I have a small DAB in the kitchen. Nation Radio and Nation 80's are not on the FreeSat and a lot of the 80's / 90's stations are only available on DAB.

the two questions to ask are (a) is the BBC going to save much money by switching off some or all of their AM transmission but (b) is there anything sensible that can be done with the FM spectrum?

O2 roaming rates to rise by up to 140%

What annoys me most...

... is that you should still have to pay extra if you're in spain or germany, connected to telefonica or O2-de.

I have a 3rd party roaming card that also lets me roam with a Us cellphone no when in the US, so I'm not that bothered.

I do think the EU data allowance is still a bit mean, especially when using the same computers and a system (GSM) that's designed to allow free (physical) movement!!

It does sound like price-fixing rather than competitive pricing..

(sticking with O2 as I've managed to keep my unlimited data allowance)

BBC pulls plug Ceefax ahead of analogue TV's end tonight

Re: Does anyone remember....

It was a Philips.

The paper was like the zx81 printer!

http://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/showthread.php?t=54404

Apple hires top Amazon search exec to take over Siri

Alta Vista

Aren't the Alta Vista algorithms being used in Symantec Enterprise Vault search?

Samsung says 'yes' to iPhone 5-sized Galaxy S III

Re: Just stupid. FYI:

Xperia T is 4,6in

Xperia S is 4,3in

and great camera/media functions.

I want the T...

Don't delete that email! Why you must keep biz docs for 6 YEARS

Re: Why don't they say the sad truth? It's all a farce

that's why you should use a third-party product to do your vaulting and indexing - it's independent of the mail/calendar system, but compatible with it.

Re: Personal folders

no. if it's on the corporate system, then it's fair game - and you should not be using the corporate system for 'personal' items anyway.

Why not use...

Symantec Enterprise Vault?

It's a brilliant product that manages and indexes your mail and file content.

Set up classes of expiry etc.

Warning - it does make eDiscovery very very easy!

The difficult bit is getting your organisation to actually MAKE a policy.

Just make sure that your vault LUNs are mirrored to your continuity site, make two tape backups and then forget them. We were getting 70% dedupe/single instance compression too.

HTC profits lobbed off a cliff by rivals Samsung and Apple

Re: Downhill

... oh yes, we love our Flyer too! Suddenly that form-factor is flavour of the month and it seems to have been left behind.

Clearly an inspiration for the Galaxy Note range..!

It's a tricky decision to make..!

Having been early Panasonic users, we went Sony-Ericsson for 3G/video calling with the V800 many years ago. then, consolidating palm pilot & telephone, we went HTC Wizard, (O2 XDA S2) which was great. HTC did a lot of good work for SmartPhones in those early days.

Also, our HTC Desires have seen good service, both with Sense - which /was/ the face of Android at one time - and with CM 7. However, my partner now has the Xperia S, which is great and I'm waiting for my Xperia T, which is also great.

I like that fact that i can plug them directly into the HD tv for media playback and that sony have brought back the Walkman function!

Other posters are correct about the brand visibility of Samsung - I can't remember the time i saw a decent spread for HTC product. Both Samsun and Sony are helped by the fact that they are cross-platform manufacturers and designers. i've noticed a lot more Sony advertising too, but that may be because I'm liking the product range. I'm pleased that the Xperia T has an expansion slot for more memory. The Xperia S seems to be lasting the day with mixed browsing/media use.

Samsung Galaxy Note 2 review

HTC Flyer would have been nicer...

if the 3G version had had voice enabled by default.

Yes, I know that you can root it and enable voice, but we love our Flyer and it's little e-stylus .

These notepad devices are coming to be very popular and do seem to be meeting a demand.

More choice, I say.

(I'm still using Palm graffiti on my Asus transformer...)

i think Samsung could have saved themselves a LOT of bother by not putting the oval ON button right in the middle of he bottom border!

Analogue TV snuffs it tonight on UK mainland

Re: I can't belive it's taking so long.

I think I had sky digital and NTL digital as soon as they were launched.

Remember BBC Choice and the lad of a presenter just lounging on a couch doing the announcements?

I think only three people were involved in that programme - the lad, the cameraman and me, the viewer!

Much better than the analogue signals, IMHO

Re: Welcome after

see above...

I think Norway inherited the Marco-Polo satellites (ex BSB) which became your THOR system?

Re: Two Ariels

Happy Days!

Bruce Hocking & Jan Leeming reading the west country news.

"and now, on BBC Wales, Eisteddfodiau I have Loved and on BBC Network, the TV premier of Jaws"

As we had TV in the front room and the back room we had four ariels - west / wales front and west / wales back.

(Newport boy then later living in Talbot Green (jn34/M4) where you could also get west and wales.)

But you can't match the heady days in the 1990, from March to November when D-MAC programming from the BSB Marco-Polo satellites was available! Super quality and HD-MAC in the pipeline until the tragic merger in Nov/Dec 90, before the christmas push...

I only had four of the five BSB channels 'cos I didn't want the sport.

RIP Galaxy, Power Station, Movie Channel & Now...

Eric Schmidt: Ha ha, NO Google maps app for iPhone 5

Re: It is a popularity contest

with regards to product placement, I find it depends on the movie studio.

Columbia - Sony - all computers are VAIOs and all smart/cell phones are Sony.

Take a look at the recent james bond films.

Warner (used to be time/aol) it is usually Dell and a mixture of 'droid/blackberry and winMo phones - check out Smallville etc.

It's not a hard and fast 'rule' but it's always fun to look!

Archos 101 XS 10.1in Android tablet review

re: Onscreen Keyboards

I find my TF101 keyboard is fine. I have not seen any strange behaviour since the ICS unpgrade.

However, I prefer to use a stylus ( the poundland one - two for a pound!) seems to work the best.

I also use Swype, which has a half-width option, which makes for easier stylus use.

Also, the Palm Graffiti also works well, if I'm feeling nostalgic.

At least, with Android, you can pick and choose the onscreen keyboard you're happiest with.

I, for one, do not like using onscreen full sized qwerty. just feels wrong...

As an aside, I'm finding the HDMI output to big screen really useful via my Transformer and our Xperia-S. Quickly transforms your Tv into a smart-ish TV!

Google's stats show few Android tablets in use

media playback at home

I think this is the main use of Slabs in in the house - and when away.

The advantage of many Android slabs is you can plug them into your TV with the HDMI cable.

We're doing this with our Xperia S and Asus Transformer. I'm thinking of getting another cheap tablet or plug in 'Droid just to convert the TV into a 'smart' screen.

Wireless streaming is OK as long as not too many devices are trying to do it at the same time at home!

I prefer the 10" transformer and my partner prefers his HTC Flyer. We both prefer the 16:9 ratio for both reading (portrait) and media (landscape). We both download eBooks from our Public Library (ePub & drm PDF formats, I think...)

I definitely think there's a role for the unbranded Chinese Slabs. Have one per room! I tend to watch my BBC programmes in the shower (taking slab to bedroom when drying off..!). It would help if Andoid handled multi-profiles. (incorporported in Khulfi?) I only know one of my friends with an iPad - and he's a Fanboi. The rest of us seem to be Fandroids.

Microsoft dumps Metro from Windows 8

why not...

... Windows Live Tile?

WLT

Windows LT

Better than 'surface'.

they already use Windows Live and Tile does describe their widgets equivalent.

Sony Xperia Go waterproof Android phone review

Re: Almost waited...

Still waiting on O2 for the ics update

Not sure why..?

Almost waited...

we have the Xperia S on one contract - it is superb, but I opted for cash-up-front and bought a dual sim chinese handset off ebay. One for home/data & one for work/voice (or carry around a horrid little nokia).

As I'm using my Asus Transformer, the T9919+ shares it's 3g over the wifi and the combo works really well - especially as the chinese handset came with 2 batteries.

I'd like to get an advanced handset via a service provider, but it's quite hard / impossible to get a decent 'Droid with dual sim in UK.

Same chinese company (MTK ?) also doing a 5" screen with ICS - looks really smart too.

I agree too about the ridiculous wait to get ICS on the Xperia S - it's been 'due' since June

Microsoft to announce new Office version on Monday

Re: Transformation?

Good point about the screen ratio. I love 16:9 for most thinks, but I'm tempted to rotate my 2nd screen for Word documents into portrait mode.

I'm also a ribbon fan. Most people only use one or two features they know. I found it easy to scroll the ribbon with centre-mouse wheel.

I still know ^KD to save a file in WordStar

;^)

Ex-Nokia staffers team up to revive MeeGo

Perhaps...

they could call the company aiKon (<== see what I did there)

Good luck to them, but Android & iOS too well established.

Panasonic Eluga DL1 waterproof Android

the perfect "night out" handset

Clearly, battery life won't be an issue. You won't be using it as a media player so the battery should last.

Ideal for Saturday nights out, some texting, Facebook and Google maps for restaurants.

Nice to see Panasonic back on the scene. My first three handsets were Panasonic. G520, gd93 & gd87.

This one looks ideal for outdoors professional types.

Menage á tablet: Apple vs Amazon vs Google

choice is good.

I love my Transformer tf101. My partner likes his HTC flyer. I view a lot of pdf's but he prefers e books. It also had a lot to do with how you read. I need reading glasses and a bigger screen, he takes off his glasses to read and likes the smaller form factor. I've also noticed a few 5" Samsungs out and about. We also like the Android interface and have never been locked into iTunes.

That new 'Microsoft GCSE': We reveal what's in it

Re: You say that

Centre justified numbers in word and excel tables annoy me.

Right-justify, fixed decimal or use the decimal tab.

Nor product specific. They have not "picked up" how to do this week or correctly.

Pocket

I still miss...

Avantgo that I used to have on Palm and Windows Mobile. Sync in the morning and take on the train! Whatever happened to them?

Ten... tablet survival accessories

Re: £25 for a stylus?

... Forgot to say that Poundland also has a coated steel-wire Slab stand. guess how much? I have one at home and one in work.

Re: £25 for a stylus?

My pack of 2 for a pound in the shop of the same name work better than my 10gbp carbon fibre stylus. Also, same store occasionally was three pack of short white USB cables, mini, micro & i connections which I use with my emergency charger.

Asus Transformer, on which I Swype atm does not require additional keyboards or stands. I did buy the optional usb adapter for when I don't have the keyboard/dock.

Higher voltage car/USB adapter for tablets is very useful - I have one of those too :-)

Asus teases MWC 'retina display' revelation

ics arrived overnight

Very pleasant surprise. Tf101 seems much smoother in looks and speed. I think I need to reinstall Swype, but that's about it - had to reinstall G+ too. Subjectively, my Transformer still turns more heads than the Cupertino product. Asus seem to be quietly excelling!

Ten... Freesat TV receivers

not just for cash strapped.

Some of us don't want to subscribe to the Murdock Monopoly. We have freeSat in thePanasonic TV and a Humax HD recorder. Very pleased with both and also not giving £££'s to the evil empire.

O2 quietly cans gratis Cloud Wi-Fi connectivity

o2 never worked properly

Neither of my accounts has connected to their WI fi spots. Always have to use the Cloud.

sign up...

... for the Cloud. Use your junk email to sign in. I don't think it costs at the moment.

Analyst touts iPad 'transformer' after CEO confab

gentlemen...

... Your lawyers.

Orange Tahiti 7in Android tablet

our Flyer upgraded to Honeycomb too

I have a Transformer 101 and my partner has the Flyer. He liked the original Sense interface, but finds Honeycomb much better. The 7" form factor seems to be better on the Intercity for reading and movie viewing. His workmates have also commented how much they like the Flyer - including some of the hardcore Fanboys!

This reviewed product looks pretty good, as long as it's easy to remove all the Orange customization

Pure Highway 300Di in-car digital radio kit

pure PocketDAB 1500...

... Clamped into the Sat Nav claw, audio cable for antenna tucked into base of windscreen, plugged into aux.

Works well on M4 and mainline rail from Bridgend to Newport.

Losses apparent on train from Rhoose to Llantwit Major. (no O 2 signal either).

My favourite stations are Absolute 80's and Radio 4 Extra.

Enjoy.

Panasonic to punt smartphones in Europe

good old Panasonic

My first 3 GSM 'phones were panasonic:

G520 http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B0002DENHQ.02.MZZZZZZZ.jpg

GD93 http://kursk.me/uploads/images/74/9b98ae3f22.jpg

(One of the lightest handsets ever and a nifty recorder utility for custom ringtones ) and

GD87 http://www.unlockadvantage.com/images/products/Panasonic-GD87-GU87.jpg

My first 2G picture messenger phone which i used as a "modem" for my Handspring Visor.

The 93 & 87 had e-mail & wap.

Quality products & i had no problem selling them on!

Apple applies to patent a SIM you can't remove

If a suitable infrastructure is in place....

I suspect that within 5 years, Microsoft, Google, Apple and maybe Sony will have their own smartphone VoiP-based 'phone systems, able to by-pass the GSM system completely, so bye bye Vodafone, O2/Telefonica, Orange and the rest.

If thine brown eye offend thee, blast it with a laser

Dr who did this first..?

... to Leela. Actress had blue eyes, but Leela had brown, so she had to wear lenses, until her eyes were flashed from brown to blue.

Apple cofounder Steve Jobs is dead at 56

a sad day for the tech world.

An inspiration to us all & a true leader of his company.

R.I.P.

Anti-gay bus baron rages at being stuffed in Google closet

actually...

...-istr that 2 gay lads were forced of a stagecoach public bus.

what stinks is that for some out-of-town gay folk, we don't have a choice but to fund his hate.

Designer styles bendy Samsung smartphone

quick before...

Apple say you copied them!

How to... re-energise your Android smartphone's OS

google & cyanogen are your friends!

Searched for wiki desire cyanogen & now have a rel 7 desire.

Took about 2h. Great fun - hardest part was reading the boot rom menu screens!

how do i get rid of the initial O2 splash boot screen? (I'll search..!)

Microsoft unveils file-move changes in Windows 8

whatever happened to..?

... the replacement file system for NTFS?

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

Calculon Doing Fine.

My Transformer upgraded to 3.1 after switching it on.

It went to 3.2 yesterday.

Several people have asked about my Asus Transformer & have enjoyed my demo.

they are also more impressed when i demo the plug in keyboard, swype & Grafitti. This choice of input is something they did not know was available as they'd only seen onscreen QWERTY.

Microsoft's MS-DOS is 30 today

What a great wander down nostalgia lane!

I recall in college that we could copy our dec-20 & dec-10 programs onto a cp/m discette. I did not realise that cp/m was a cousin of RSTS/E

I also recall using concurrent cp/m? CCP/M on a device called an ICL Quattro - a forerunner of the DRS300 machines, that used CCP/M to drive four terminals on an 8086 machine? Must have been '85 or '86 when i started at the council. The drs300 's were pretty nifty too. Modular and expandable, we used them for running our ICL VME terminal sessions as well as our Wordstar sessions. (ctrl-KD, anyone?)

We had some 386 machines after that with ms-dos 5 then windows 3 & 3.1

However, us old-school boys are now dicovering the joys of managing our Active Directory, vSphere and EMC environments using PowerShell. The command line is dead - long live the command line!

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy: Blu-ray extended edition

Traded them in...

... at CeX. All the bogof's and bogo-half-price some with the wrappers on.

We only keep the special film collections now and rent by post with Blockbuster.

Extended versions? I love the novel (except Tom B) but you'll need a special chair and rations to watch this.

Who'll keep taking Windows Tablets in the iPad era?

Asus EEE 'fAndroid' says...

... I've been very pleased with my Asus EEE winXP 1000HE.

the form-factor is just right for my daily rail commute.

However, I thought the Asus Transformer was the 10"-er that I wanted.

I bought the one with the keyboard dock and it updated to Honecomb 3.1 Android as soon as it was on the wifi.

It's lite and has a great screen.

As a local government Councillor, I'm using it for PDF reading instead of printed reports that would kill the cat if they landed on it in the morning.

The e-mail and Google integration, along with Evernote and the bundled Polaris Office make it a great travelling companion.

With keyboard dock, it's the same 'form factor' as my WinXP, but as a fondleslab (nice use in the article, btw) I'm using small-factor swype, or palm-pilot grafiti and a Griffin capacitative 'crayon' rather than trying to type - I don't like the lack of feedback.

plus, the ability to stream web content direct to the TV via the hdmi is a great added bonus for music and video. (I recommend Ghost for audio).

I love it and so do the friends and colleagues I've shown it to, not just fAndroids, but Fanbois too!

Winklevoss twins are back in Facebook's face

However, I

enjoyed the film immensely!

There's nothing like intrigue and human greed to sell a good story!

It was like Dynasty crossed with Twitter - oh, sorry, that's Gossip Girl.

I'm fascinated by the fact that Facebook has uber-triumphed whilst all the rest are left behind - friends reunited, myspace, bebo et. al.

big brother, because - we're all watching eachother?

Asus Eee Pad Transformer Android tablet

ordered mine Sat 18th.

... & it's now (20th) in the llanelli depot. As i work in Bridgend, i might get it today. (Via amazon)

i came, i saw,

... i bought one.

Held the Slate part - lighter than i thought.

It's on its way from Amazon!