Posts by Chris Pearson

Google morphs Gmail into Microsoft backup service

Same as apps?

If its the same as Apps Gmail its 7.5GB or 25GB if your paying, that's per user.

We probe the Google anti-trust probe. Vigorously

Possible explanation

As a experiment I searched for a top end digital camera, Google didn't have a foundem link in the top 6 pages. Perhaps their problem is no one uses them so no one links to them so a poor page rank? I had never heard of them prior to this article.

As for the top results they where all links to reviews, bar a small clearly separate "shopping results" section that looks more like an advert than part of the results.

Payback orders for eBay squaddie

this is a title

but offer far fewer customers.

As a side note I can get most that stuff he sold just fine from the surplus shop opposite Sandhurst.

Google could drop Groupon into shopping basket

Valuation?

How do they get $3-5bn? Is that calculated on $x per user?

There is no way in hell that that site can make that back any time soon.

Google Apps offer 'full spectrum' of Google services

Useful for individuals?

Wonder how long this will take to filter through the system.

I have set up a personal apps domain and am using this as my primary Google account now. Be interesting to see how these domain services are managed from this point of view. Ie is there an advantage of using the domain service vs my domain account on the public services. Also be interesting in cases of clashes as I have public accounts using my domain account.

Facebook 'next-gen' comms (sorta) answer Google beef

Lock-in-tastic.

They won't export the email address but they will export a phone number? What's the difference, other than the email can be used on other social networking sites? Just says to me they are scared that if they give you the ability export the full data, every one will run away.

Hadron Collider switches to heavy ions, tinfoilers wet pants again

science says:

I posed this question to a PHD Physics student (my sister) and got:

"The beams are going in opposite directions so one will have negative velocity. The 'closing speed' your talking about I think would be in terms of the energy of the final interaction but it's relativistic so it's all gets a bit complicated from there on."

So I take that as a maybe.

Ex-Sun boss gives Ellison open source wedgie

Why so fast to slag off the boating?

Everyone seems to be tearing Oracle and Ellison a new one for sponsoring a big boat, why are we not having a go at other companies who do the same? And hows this any different to say Formula 1 sponsorship, which again no one bats an eye at?

Apple MacBook Pro 17in Core i7 BTO notebook

USB Spacing

I have the same issue with my 08 macbook and its (2 :( ) USB ports. I find keeping a 1 foot USB extension handy when using some stuff as it saves you having to re plug stuff, or having to choose which you want plugged in at a given moment. They cost me about £1.30 for 3 on the tat bazaar IIRC.

Google open sources Apache server speed mod

Incredibly hard to find

Yes it's very hard to spot the tab cunningly labelled "Source"...

Flash video comes to iPhone, iPad (kinda)

maybe

From what I have read that's down to interpritaion of the apple licencing terms.

Google's 'copied Java code' disowned by Apache

"Portions of the OS are closed"

How are the market place and Gmail part of the OS, they are apps running on top of it just like say iTunes store (not a 1:1 example granted) and Outlook are on PC or the new Mac Store and Mail.app on a mac. Okay they may ship with the OS in most cases of android but they aren't part of the OS and can be removed with no impact on OS function.

Every time some one wants to show how closed the OS is they wheel out these two apps, which are APPS not OS code. The reality is the code may be open sourced but the development is closed and controlled by Google.

App Store II: Steve Jobs sucks Mac's soul

Pass the tin foil please

I really hope this doesn't come to pass, as mac user I like the OS, the built in apps, and general useability. But if this comes even close I suspect I will be going back to MS and I suspect a lot of folks will be joining me. The depreciation of Java seems to be the 1st step, the mac store the 2nd.

1 question though, is apple going to be looking at anti competitive suits if this goes ahead? Yes I can go buy a windows/linux PC, BUT on those I am allowed to install anything I want. I'm surprised that the AppStore isn't under more scrutanty as well to be honest.

Google Nexus Two 'lands November 8'

which is why

That's exactly why my next phone probably won't be an android. Okay don't give us updates, but don't promise them in the first place in that case. There's a lot that was so promising, but now I am being driven away to a more managed platform where I know where I stand.

Microsoft's Office ribbon hits Mac fans

Who needs a mac?

I got enough "slightly different bugs and incompatablities" with just different versions of office on windows.

My favourite was 2 decimals in excel, even after being hand typed, not being equal. The fix involved some creative use of rounding and casting to strings iirc.

Gosling blows lid off Jobs Java nonsense

Unlikely

These students are unlikely to dump a ~£1k investment purely because of lack of Java support.

The ones who need Java for their course will likely (or at least should) know how to duel boot or VM into windows or Linux (or single boot OpenBSD like my flat mate on his MacBook). Also I know of most the courses at my former are now dumping Java for C# so macs are screwed even then. Of course this lot can always attempt to use a lab computer but that's another problem.

Those who need it for their courses will likely be design types and their lectures will be in the same boat as their labs will be full of iMacs. They will work around it.

The ones who got it because "macs are cool" probably won't need Java either unless there's some random app or course tool they need in which case they may well be boned.

MS to unveil fresh Flash challenge next week?

a title

As with a large swathe of MS stuff, it's probably more use in the business environment. Means a business can use it's existing .net developers to create flash like content with out having to retrain.

Having been to a Siverlight session at last years DDD, I can see it bring a bit of shine to the intranet but for 90% of stuff you could do it in ASP.NET.

Google Android chief smacks Steve Jobs with Linux speak

Re: Re: Only on IOS

No it can't, but from what I can work out neither can 90% of PCs.

Only on IOS

On OSX I can install what I want when I want and do what I want. No different to Windows or Linux (fact is I can build most linux apps from source and have them work if required)

On IOS however, well you know how that one ends.

I am hoping this current idea for mobile and desktop OSs to meet in the middle doesn't happen, they are 2 OSs for 2 very different things. That said there is room for features to swap between the 2 in places.

Facebook games maker sued in privacy flap

Missing the point

I have my profile all set to friends only, turned off external search indexing etc. However as the wife made me do Farmville so she could get gifts I will have had my ID shared.

This may or may not do much due to my privacy settings (I'd have to try an API call) none the less this personal and identifying bit of data has been shared with a 3rd party breaking the Facebook and Zynga privacy policy at the very least.

iPad tethering does disappearing trick

So what it I buy direct?

If I buy my 3G enabled iPad/iPhone from Apple direct or some other non operator outlet do all these settings controlled by the operator still get controlled by the operator simply due the fact I have a Orange/O2/etc SIM?

I am considering jumping from Android to Apple for various reasons and this is one thing I am trying to work out and how it affected me.

Opera: Can someone free Korea from IE?

based on?

Based on what metric, downloads or people who actually keep and use it, and if so how are they measuring it?

Can Windows Phone 7 help Microsoft come from behind?

license

While there may not be a license on the OS it's self I am pretty sure there is to use a lot of the Google stuff like maps, Gmail and more importantly the market.

Amazon shrinks books with Kindle Singles

but they mostly run android

And if they run android then they can run Amazons Kindle app which is actually really rather good. And is also available on IOS so the iPad isn't going to kill of anything but the hardware, that or force some innovation.

Samsung names Galaxy Tab launch date

The first real contender

and it fails on the most important issue: price. No sensible person would pay extra for this over the iPad.

Also the iPad has the apps, the android store really doesn't come close in 90% of the fields. And even when it can compare there's few that are better or only available on Android.

Internet tethering spotted in iPad iOS beta

AT&T

I suspect it has a lot more to do with the AT&T deal than apple wanting to screw the US customers. It would also be less work to not have to do a 'If AT&T then remove feature' every 3rd feature.

Google frees Gmail updates from Android

100% of internet stats are made up.

And you pulled that statistic from where exactly? Close to 100% of android users will have a Google account as its mandatory for the market. While a lot wont use Gmail I suspect it's a lot higher than 5% of android users.

Post Office complaints: Write to M.BARRASS

title and such

Last time I signed on one of those I couldn't make out a single letter in my signature, in effect any one could have signed.

ACPO defuses impending photo row with police forces

Or they could just ask nicely...

That's the trick isn't it. I can't see many people refusing if they got a "look we think there's evidence on that, can we borrow if for a few hours to make a copy?" You'll always get the odd tog who will instantly pipe up about their rights etc but most of us would oblige I suspect.

Sussex police try new tactic to relieve snappers of pics

There's a memory card for that.

http://uk.eye.fi/

Nokia latest to feel wrath of Jobs

HTC is the same

I can drop at least 12dB on a HTC hero using a death grip. But As others have said it's probably the Bridging of the antenna that's the big issue.

HEY ARSEHOLE: STOP SENDING ME ANGRY EMAILS

Google...

Gmail has that as a labs feature you can turn on.

YouTube, iPlayer on a TV? Simples

Yet another box?

So do I put this on top of my: DVD, BlueRay, Cable HD box, Xbox 360, Wii or my PS3? And more to the point do I have any inputs left?

iPad not hindering Mac sales

Not that surprising

I was in Apple store Kingston on iPhone 4 Saturday and they must have sold about 3-4 iMacs and a few macbooks while I waited for my Genius appointment. That's more than I have seen sold in the Regent Street store in the same time.

Microsoft goes AC/DC with Instaload battery tech

title goes here

But in said dark room how do you tell what way round the device expects them if they both use springs like, for example, my daughters camera. Putting batteries in that right is hard enough when I can see the very cunningly hidden polarity symbols.

HTC posts Android 2.1 update for Hero phone

Don't try debranding

I de branded my orange hand set to get the update, which worked fine. The issue is the Network sim lock has kicked in and I can't use my SIM in the bloody phone :(

Southpaws up in arms over iPhone 4

Not just south paws

I am right handed and I am incapable of holding a phone to my head in my right hand for more than is absolutely necessary. It just feels wrong.

Diary of a somebody - life in iPhone 4 land

600,000 preorders remember?

I'm not surprised. I suspect Apple looked after their own first and allocated most stock to those massive pre orders from the Apple store then sent the rest to bricks and mortar apple stores.

HTC speaks out on Hero Android 2 update

They better not be lying again

or I'll be upgrading away from HTC and android all together to the iPhone and to hell with the closed nature. People going "sod it I'll just get a desire" are doing exactly what HTC want them to.

The platform was sold on the promise of timely updates, the first of which should have appeared Q4 last year.....

Microsoft rejects porn, iPad protesters fake it

not so

Or just open the browser on any of these phones and go to the sordid website of your choice.

Orange to 'dump unlimited data tariffs'

Not an issue for a high percentage of users

Even on my most heavy of months I struggle to break 100MB, often far less. From what I have read and people I know this is pretty common.

So it seems that this isn't as big a deal as it sounds and will only really affect a small percentage of users who really hammer it, or have this as their only connection.

Garmin Connect exposes cycle trip details to world

Perfectly normal

Your tracking a route starting at....wait for it....your home to your home, where else would you fire up the GPS?

Google in shock reveal of AdSense revenue shares

Same problem with same app stores

I have the same issue on SlideMe.org android app store, until I break $100 they won't pay me a penny, which is very aggravating. As a small niche app with 0 advertising, sales are slow to say the least.

I was contemplating on adding advertising instead of charging but I suspect I will have the same issue again.

US iPhone ready to be tied down?

Over bluetooth maybe but....

Plug in a USB wire and then go to:

Settings > Wireless controls > Mobile network sharing.

The usb cable needs to be plugged in for the option to be enabled though.

Twitter-controlled botnets come to the unwashed masses

You don't have to use it for it to work.

You don't need to be using them for this control mechanism to work though, twitter merely has to exist and not have suspended the control accounts

What can Google's tablet deliver?

erm.....

But if the AdMob deal goes through it will soon.

Jobsian email axes early-iPhone support

Comming soon

A lot of 1.5/6 phones are getting 2.1 as we speak. Hero released last week, and most other HTCs are due it or have had it. Moto is rolling it out as well.

That said I suspect this is the last major update I can expect. Seriously considering an iPhone next time around.

Fennec comes to Android

Comming soon

This friday for unlocked, 2 weeks Friday for Orange. This is serial number based so if yours is on the locked list you will probably have to wait.

Microsoft to extend Silverlight for Mac?

silverlight is not for the internet

I really can't see silverlight stealing much of flashes market share.

Where it can make great inroads is in the corporate intranet. You already have .NET devs working on other stuff and the shift to silverlight isn't that huge really. These corporate shops will also probably be mostly windows ones so COM integration is a genuinely useful feature for automation.

Besides COM only works OOB anyway so you have to have already jumped through the install to local machine hoop on the security side of things.

Hero update blocks Marketplace

Issue now fixed

What ever it was all the missing apps are now back.