Posts by Neural9

Apple forbids Windows users from installing Safari for Windows

Doesn't this remind you ...

Apple == A poor version of Microsoft

Same tactics. Next I'll install a program that uses the Java runtime and find a copy of Linux waiting to be installed on auto-update.

A Shaolin monk, Warren Buffett and a Russian mobster walk into a bar…

@ Patrick

Whats a wriggler mate - cant find the slang term on the old itnerweb

Ban booze in supermarkets, says health adviser

A solution

It's simple. Restrict people from doing something and when they do inevitably do it, they'll go hell for leather. It's true throughout human nature whether it's beer, sex/porn, bittorrent downloading, etc.

Introducing drink responsibly from an early age leads to moderation. Ban it, make it difficult to obtain and when they do, regardless of age, they'll go mad.

That is, unless you actually are a tosser and then you just need locking up.

Paris, because she's ace when she's wankered.

Unlocking the iPhone for pleasure and profit... revisited

danny and ian are right

My £45 1200mins/660 texts(free bundle offer thing)/unlimited (fair use) data O2 mobile contract on the iphone is a bloody good contract compared to most out there. Apart from 3. But then I wouldn't need to brick my phone as I'd have got one included in the contract.

Love your iPhone, just don't LOVE your iPhone.

Reg readers bring down HMRC website

@ Tom C

I think your point would have been better explained by simply saying "you can post your tax return before you owe any money, neural you muppet" rather than give information that people don't need and is basically wrong.

I think you're getting confused with 31st July which is the second payment from the previous tax year if you 'pay on account'. If you've got enough dough sitting in high rate return account to worry about you'll phone up HMRC and arrange this so that you get another 6 months of interest. it's not automatic.

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/sa/keydates/keydates.htm

Paying tens of thousands is no big deal, even your average contractor pays in that boundary given a decent accounting configuration. Even if you earn 35k (which is our industry average) you'll still owe a max of around 10k in tax at this point.

Take your point about the form being seperate from the money. However, you get a fine (in percentage) at this point if you don't pay on 31st Jan, mirroring the tax return. I tend to put both in at the same point and hence tied up together in my head which I'm assuming most people do. Thanks to the screw up on the HMRC webby, I get an extra day's interest.

My concept still stands but a bit more explained than most people could be arsed to read.

At the muppets that say "your own fault/serves you right" ...

I pay tens of thousands of pounds in personal tax at this point in the year. Sending the dough now is the best way of retaining my interest instead of giving it away.

Muppets.

/ Mines the gold lined, real kitten fur coat with uranium gems.

Visual Studio beats SQL Server in 2008 stakes

And can I just add ...

... that LINQ is a 'functional language' addition for languages running under the CLR - not a database wrapper. LINQ for SQL provides limited object-relational mapping and introduces a whole heap of problems that don't have industry solutions yet. Just take a quick oogle at "disconected entities LINQ" and try to figure that issue.

Virgin Media dishes out free bandwidth boost

@ Darren & port blocking

I think he means block port 80/25 for hosting. Lots of ISPs do the same.

Online gamer murders rival clan member

@ Aristotle & Gavin

Yes, crazy people kill people. Regardless of someones state of mind, you have to be pretty f**ked up to kill another human being. So yeah, in my mind, crazy people kill people. if you'd like to tell me otherwise, I might just watch the Stranglehold advert and come round and shoot your ass, John Woo style. Don't worry though, I'm a perfectly sane person, I just have an issue with my state of mind today.

Paris angle for the belief that there is any sanity left in a person that kills another person.

WowWee demos FemiSapien robotrix

Anyone else think ...

... what's the point? They aren't graceful, they aren't particularly programmable, they look cheap. I really dont' get the whole plasticosapien thing. Bring back Aibo.

Government piles filesharing pressure on UK ISPs

I have no problem with legislation

Firstly, I have no problem with filesharing becoming ditched. However, in order to do this I think practices in the music & film industry need to change.

TO THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY

1. No more withholding of releases. When it's out, it's out whether it's broadcast on TV, released on a DVD or in a theatre. I think we're all sick of being treated badly because we're this side of the pond or that you want to make even more money by staggering format and geographical releases. We'll pay for different formats (i.e. cinema) if we want to watch it at a cinema - not just because you make more money by doing it that way first.

2. You need to provide it digitally and of highest quality. There is no purpose to us owning DVDs anymore, hidef or not. Computers are more than capable thank you and we don't play the bluray game. Media Center all the way. Even a basic xbox will do it now.

3. You need to provide a better service than a bittorent network. We want to be able to download at full capacity without delay. You can really differentiate yourself here and make us feel like we're getting something better than we get now.

4. Pricing. Don't be daft. We want a movie at £8, an episode at £2.50 and a season at £30. Charge us extra for extra work you've done - content like "making ofs" or similar. If it's old, drop the price. Let us buy the basics.

Don't put us in a position where we reduce our consuming of your products and suddenly realise that we don't need your products any more. A bit like the waste of money that is Sky.

TO ISPS

Agree to this legistlation and watch your high-paid subscriptions dissapear, people find more insecure wifi and increase the development of trjoans that connect to the bittorrent network to provide plausable deniability so that ISP traffic is inadmissable in a court of law.

/rant

Microsoft previews TellMe phone voice control

Is it just me ...

... or is this boring technology? Haven't we been working on this for years and years? I still don't use my voice dialler because clicking 'r', then 'down' and then 'go' works 100% of the time.

'Heavy' handset challenges all comers to prove its mettle

Ah but ...

... stoppit with the rather crap will it blend gags. Boring. Me. To. Death. It's just not funny and a rather crap marketing gimmick.

iPhone to get 3G in May 2008

Guys, guys, guys

El Reg isn't a place for fanbois. it's a place for fanboi haters!

I've had Windows CE/mobile devices since the XDA launches many years ago and the only one I'm actually impressed with was the orbit being small enough and having GPS in it.

Saying that, I bought an iphone last week (and a vista based macbook) and I've honestly got to say it craps all over the windows devices. Coupled with a £45 contract (er wifi at 7.5k hotspots and unlimited GPRS, 500 text and 600 minutes - do you honestly think that's bad? I mean, come on) it has made using the phone a nice experience. Well, for my uses anyway. Nice bit of kit.

Apple iPhone

Boring

Yes it's pretty and fully featured for the general population but I couldn't not have GPS in my phone ever, ever again.

I would ask how many iphone owners have ever had a phone with GPS built-in?

I've ditched my 4g ipod, pocket pc, nokia phone, creative Zen (for video playback) and tomtom for the o2 XDA Orbit. It works that well that it's the first phone that I truly shove in my pocket all the time and forget about because it works (for my style of use) flawlessly.

To get a shiny iphone (which of course I want one of the first - if it wasn't old news in the states) - I'd have to give up and go buy a seperate GPS which to me, now, I wouldn't ever, ever do again. I'm sure it'll be fine for the average person in the street though.

But for me - GET WITH THE TIMES APPLE. I like your design, interface and hype control but, like your natty ipod, this stuff has been around for years and you've only gone half way. Please, please, please use the tech that's been invented recently instead of doing old stuff better so we can all have shiny phones.

Xbox 360 Elite games console

Xbox360 IS GOLD

Consoles have changed. No mention of Media Centre capabilities here which is real key factor for many 360 owners. I'm not booting linux or converting my entire divx collection to a PS3 compatible format and then copying it to the 60gb hard disk. I mean, come on - (as Sonsaku Hakufu puts it "Kihon!!!"). I have 3 xboxs knocking around the house - to stream my tv to, watch movies in the lounge or bedroom and make sure I can watch stargate while I'm slaving away in the kitchen (erm, not).

There is no comparrision at the moment - but I think the key is here "at the moment". EVn if it will be a really long moment. The PS3 is a lovely machine. It's quieter and shinier even if that does bring on some issues. However, I wouldn't recommend a PS3 to anyone because it just doesn't have the scope for playing that the 360 does currently. I think this is the flaw that Sony will be coping with for a few years to come yet - the 360 is just years ahead in maturation.

And yes, I was one of the gimps that bought a PS3 on launch day. It's proping open my kitchen door at the moment. Honestly.

Sony unveils PlayTV telly tuner for PS3

Why does the PS3 continue to lag so badly?

I'm so annoyed at Sony. I went out and bought a PS3 the day it came out and it stillllll can't do the basic media work of the 360. Now asking me to add more pounds to the pile I wasted to pick up some tv is insulting. Just connect it to media centre Sony or write your own you profiteers.