Posts by David Barrett

Returning a laptop to PC World ruined this bloke's credit score. Today the Supreme Court ended his 15-year nightmare

Re: I know his pain, partly

Silly question, but could you not have asked for a refund for the cost of the mini PCI card and fitted it yourself?

Of course, Id have expected some other compensation as well. memory and some cash maybe...

I just had to have a look on-line because I thought that 3 should make the cancellation easy if you were still in the cooling off period and found this:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/technology/2009/12/cooling_off_mobile_phone_online.html

Another reason to do everything online, already knew about the distance selling act, but didn't realise that there was no cool down for contracts bought in store!

"Alternatively you could plan ahead, save the £80 a month for a year and then buy the laptop without a loan."

Yes, or you could have it now and pay out the £80 a month in loan payments... either way you are still left with £80 less a month, at least with the loan you have the laptop first, as long as you can pay for it there is nothing wrong with taking the loan.

"But a laptop on credit?"

Yes, a laptop on credit, consider you have two options take £500-1000 out of your account in one go or take £41-90 a month out.

Personally Id notice a £1000 dip in my account, but £80 a month over a year - thats not going to make a dent.

The problem isn't taking out a loan, there are may reasons for taking a loan rather than buying outright, myself I bought a new laptop on credit because I needed one for some freelance work that I was schedued to start, my old one had died and it happened right after moving house and before xmas so funds were at an all time low!

The problem is taking out a loan without having means to repay it.

Regardless, the issue here wasn't that he had a loan, it was that they refused to cancel the credit agreement when he returned the item.

Romanian 'ransomware victim' hangs self and 4-year-old son – report

Re: A logical problem with a physical answer

Fair enough, have the resus team on standby!

Re: A logical problem with a physical answer

How do you bludgeon some one to death "Multiple times"?

I get the first time... but I don't think you can double kill some one.

5 Eyes in the Sky: The TRUTH about Flight MH370 and SPOOKSATS

Re: Surprised?

You know that as you zoom in it switches from satellite to aerial (I.E. Taken from a plane) photography don't you?

Monkey steals iPod touch, loses interest in minutes

The picture on the home page is not a monkey...

Help a hack: What's in your ultimate Windows XP migration toolkit?

I have read the article and skipped the comments now I am going to go through the comments and count the comments that completely disregard the requirements given and suggest a Linux install...

At least it passes the time...

Microsoft to get in XP users' faces with one last warning

Re: That message will appear on all XP desktops.....

If you don't have automatic updates enabled anyway then the end of support probably isn't going to affect you...

Welcome to the internet where the facts are made up and it doesn't matter.

Java or .NET bod in the Midlands? Congrats - you've got a DOUBLE DIGIT payrise

Re: Undesirable?

Im in the north west, doesnt seem too far off the mark. :)

Whitehall and Microsoft negotiate NHS Windows XP hacker survival plan

Re: Balmer for the win!

Not sure that including no dos support will help in an argument which is focused on the issues from being tied to.old software....

'No, I CAN'T write code myself,' admits woman in charge of teaching our kids to code

Re: Schol Reform

One actual problem with that... You talking about kids doing 8am-5pm days?

So a 9 hour day... For kids, how much do you think they will take in in that last hour or so?

That's more than I work full time and I cant concentrate at the end of the day!

Boffins demo re-usable paper and waterjet printers

"Water is getting harder and harder to source"

Two points, I disagree that water is getting harder to source, last I heard the sea was made of it and there's loads of that.

secondly, there may be areas where water is difficult to get hold of, but lets face it, if we can get ink to those places now, we can get them water too..

Google Glassholes, GET OFF our ROADS, thunder lawmakers in seven US states

Re: Hmm,

Anyone who thinks glass can be worn safely while driving I set you this challenge, focus on the glass of your windscreen (not out side it- the actual glass) next time your driving...

now imagine the person behind you on the motorway, driving a little to close, is doing the same thing.. Feel safe?

Google bus protests are Kristallnacht against the rich – tech VC legend

Re: The Problem

You raise some good points, but the basic idea of having these services available "under one roof" is convenience to the employees, If I'm having to rush out to collect dry cleaning before the shop shuts, or post a parcel in my lunch break then its going to be a distraction for me whilst I am working - offering the services within your company means that the employees do not need to worry about whether they can be back at work in time.. It reduces stress and is a great way to make your company stand out from the crowd when you want the best people... Or they could offer higher wages, but I doubt that would help the current situation...

"a rising tide of hatred of the successful one per cent,"

OK tech workers are well paid, but well enough to qualify for being in the top 1% or earners?

Ill give a hint, the top 1% don't get the bus to work, their transport has significantly greater ground clearance!

Elderly Bletchley Park volunteer sacked for showing Colossus exhibit to visitors

Re: Conflation?

"he contents of the two are inextricably linked - BP in particular makes no sense without Colossus. Moving them apart would be daft."

That's the point though, BP trust are erecting a physical fence (At least that's what I have read) to keep them separate, they don't want Colossus to be part of BP, probably because it is part of the NMOC and they would have to pay for their guests to access it....

Re: Fire a volunteer? What?

A good point, what would they do if he started turning up every day, paying £15 admission and giving *FREE* tours...

He could start a small business sitting outside the gate with a sign, "Pay for me to come in, buy me a tea and Ill tell you the *REAL* story".

Personally Id rather take him in than some 17 year old from the local college who thinks that that Steve Jobs invented computers in 1999....

They will probably have a picture of it with a plaque under it saying that it was dismantled after the war and failing to mention the rebuilt one just round the corner....

If its the computers you are after you will still be able to go to the national museum of computing...

You just wont be able to see them if you only pay for admission to Bletchley park.

Basically they are two separate things on the same site, pay for one or the other or both, its your call *

* Though because their history is so intertwined it makes no sense to have it like this, but that's the way it is for now

Exactly, I don't see how you can have one without the other, NMOC should up and move to a different site as it sounds like Bletchley park don't want that particular part of their history to be shown..

Or they could just put up a massive sign informing punters that "This is where the real history happened" lower their rates to be £1 less than the park and watch the parks admissions disappear...

What can Microsoft learn from 'discontinued operations' at Nokia?

Re: Dead Platform

" There was a number already in the received calls list, so I thought OK create a contact. Riiiight... took several minutes of fiddling to achieve that."

So you didn't think that the save button at the bottom of the screen might have done it?

Steps:

1. tap number to save

2. tap save button

3. (optional based on how phone is set up) select storage (Mine is hotmail/skydrive)

4. Enter Name.

5. Tap

So thats 4 steps (5 if you have multiple accounts set up to sync contacts as I do) all available from the call list, and this passes the "My mum has managed this unaided test" so perhaps you had been in the pub a little too long yourself? ;)

Just tried this on an iPhone (ios6) and its 4 steps on there too.. with no option for alternate contact storage!

Anatomy of a 22-year-old X Window bug: Get root with newly uncovered flaw

Re: It looks like NO ONE ever audited X Windows

This is the internet we don't need to provide sources, or proof.

'Leaked' iPhone 6 pics will make cool fanbois WEEP - it's a PHABLET

Maybe its a normal sized phone and the guy just has small hands?

Microsoft: Don't listen to 4chan ... especially the bit about bricking Xbox Ones

Re: Microsoft Fail

"Microsoft will have to cover the cost of fixing said bricked Xbox's as owners can claim a child was messing about with the controller and they happened to hit the sequence shown."

Probably not as its not just a key combination that was mentioned, there was a URL that had to be entered into a text field as well.

I doubt that you will get away with "my 3 year old was mashing the keys, somehow got to the xbox settings menu pressed Left Left Up Down Right Shoulder Left Shoulder A B X Y then typed in 'dev.microsoft.com' into the text box and then pressed start to save the whole thing" *

* This isnt the actual key sequence or URL, I only saw the instructions briefly and ignored them.

DEATH-PROOF your old XP netbook: 5 OSes to bring it back to life

Re: Surface Pro?

"(I'm confused how he thinks he'll play it on an iPad)."

He will probably download it from the app store and just play it.. theres been a version of minecraft for IOS for ages, wife had to take it off her phone because the kids kept nicking it for toilet visits!

Also, I don't think that you can complain about windows 8 not working properly - it did warn you!

Windows 7 is much better suited to old netbooks compared with 8.

Also, lets face it, if this is going to be used at school you can be sure that the teacher will whip out some windows only software that will be required at some point... Not saying its right, but its going to happen!

Im fairly sure you could get an OEM windows7 starter on eBay fairly cheap - might not strictly meet terms of the OEM licence but its close enough to keep me happy!

or... you know...

Buy a new battery for £30 and save the cost of a ChromeBook?

VIOLENT video games make KIDS SMARTER – more violent the BETTER

Re: Question:

Other games are available.

I have a 6 and an 8 year old (Actually they are only a few weeks from 7 and 9.) but they play minecraft, mario cart, Unreal Tournament and Halo amongst others.

Of course unreal and Halo are the more violent amongst the games that they play but its cartoon violence, no worse than power rangers.

The only person to have mentioned GTA is you, by any chance do you read the mail?

CIOs, IT chiefs: ARRGH! What do you MEAN, HR just bought 400 iPads and didn't tell us

Last friday

Last friday I took a call from the service desk:

Them : "We have a priority 1 call logged for the purchase order import system"

Me : "Never heard of it, The purchase order system has an import facility is that what you mean?"

Them : No its an access database that user x made, but its not working and he left last month

Me : hahahahaha, CLICK.

DIALTONE

Of course being a finance application its now "BUSINESS CRITICAL" so the end result was that I fixed it because people several grades above me wanted it done, but thats with the understanding that they will raise a project to get it moved into a properly supported process right away (yeah right), this will be the last I hear about it until it breaks again next year!

Users/Departments outside IT should not be doing their own thing without some input from IT.

Undercover BBC man exposes Amazon worker drone's daily 11-mile trek

Lets just remember

This is panorama.. the same series that brought you the WIFI routers of death a few years ago.

Hmm

I've had a few jobs which I think qualify as worse than this, whilst finishing high school I worked NIGHTS in a salmon gutting factory, there wasn't as much walking involved, but it was a chilled warehouse with ice, water and fish guts being splashed over you at regular intervals.

I then upgraded to working the summer on a prawn trawler - similar conditions but better pay because of the threat of falling overboard...

I get what they are getting at with this documentary - the conditions are hard, the workers are stressed... but lets face it, their conditions are quite good by comparison to some people.

As for the walking, is this really a problem? I have a desk job but just the walk to work clocks up 3 miles a day.. and as for people saying "try doing it every day" yeah, it will be boring, but 11 miles isn't that much of a challenge, you might be stiff on day 2 if you are not used to it but a few days you'll be fine.

Microsoft touts SCROOGLE merch: Hopes YOU'LL PAY to dump on rival

Re: So...

Lies, using my Nokia 620 right now, been on fb and twitter... Don't have a live/passport/whatever they are calling it today account set up on the phone...

Be prepared... to give heathens a badge: UK Scouts open doors to unbelievers

Re: Nice to see them catch up with the girls

"Without brain-washing, atheism is the default position of any educated person. And by "educated" I mean actually educated with and understanding of critical thought and the scientific method."

Id argue that its the default position for EVERYONE not just the educated - whether you remain atheist depends on your upbringing, there has never been a religious baby born (to my knowledge).

Re: Nice to see them catch up with the girls

"Atheism is a religion thats core tenet is that "There is no God" this is a belief as it cannot be scientifically proved."

"Atheism is a religion..."

And that's where you lost your credibility I'm afraid.

Microsoft parades Windows 8.1, the version you may actually want

Re: Start Icon != Start Menu. This the problem.

"What key? I ask, you tit- this is a tablet."

Probably the one, bottom centre below your screen... you know, the one with the windows logo on it...

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-57360734-64/microsoft-lays-out-window-8-tablet-hardware-requirements/

Apple designer Sir Jony Ive holding up iOS 7 development: Report

Re: Fine.

"Indeed. Fandroids can be dismissive but anything Apple does tends to get imitated by others."

yeah, anything.... Maps? *cough*

Microsoft's summer update will be called Windows 8.1

Re: 8, 8.1, 8.2, 9.0

Ahh yes, because the jump between windows 7 and LINUX is much smaller than the jump between windows 7 and windows 8...

Another MYSTERY evacuation: Google UK empties swanky offices

Fire drill

"The Googlers had spent around 20 mins outside at the time the shot was taken and hadn't been told of a fire drill"

Why would they be told if it was a drill? Its not a proper fire drill if they all know about it and are sat with their coats on all packed up and ready to go five minutes in advance.

It's JUST possible, but Apple MIGHT not make an iWatch in 2013

Unfortunately like copy and paste this will be missed in iWatch 1 but will make an appearance in iwatch 3 to much fanfare and screams from the media about how original it is.

Cheaper, slimmer Google Nexus 7 rumored for Q1 2013

manual?

Manual seriously?

Its the 21st century there is no paper manual but there is one in the form of an eBook preinstalled on the nexus.

Id guess alot of people buy these to get away from printed books, what's the point of printing a manual?

Kim Dotcom shows off new mega service

Re: Pseudo-random?

Bash the keyboard like a mental monkey... Pretty sure I saw this message in some encryption software in the 90s.

Tim Cook’s 'One more thing': Apple TV rumor-stoker

Re: What would I do if I was running Apple's TV project

Quote: 'tuners (too much localisation work) so input by HDMI'

Yeah HDMI I'm certain that apple wont ditch that for their own proprietary connection then sell you a $100 adapter.

Apple unveils iPad mini, upgrades its big brother

Re: iNexus

The mini is 7.2mm thick the nexus is 10.4mm thick

So its 3.2mm thinner, why bother posting something so easily disproven?

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

This is what the (Teletext) service existed for...

C4 text page 182 BAMBOOZLE!

Four in ten Brits have had to change all their passwords to foil crooks

Re: doddy sites?

* Dodgy.

Re: para-what?

Larvelove.com

Though I suspect that would be on the IWF list of doddy sites.

WTF is... NFC

Re: I still like

@Giles Jones --

At least with optical if nobody can see the screen then nobody can scan it.

I imagine that grabbing a screen shot of your QR code could be quite easy... at the simplest wouldn't it be trivial for a member of staff with ill intent to hide a small web cam near the scanner? At least NFC has some level of security.