Posts by Alpine_Hermit 32 publicly visible posts • joined 4 May 2021
My earliest was the Sinclair QL Abacus, loved it because it totally transformed my brain. Then used SuperCalc, then Lotus, then Excel. Must admit that Excel has been very good to me, although since 2003 there has been no innovation except for the loved-hated Ribbon.
There are many CSV files which I receive for my job of monitoring emissions compliance and then reporting it to the government. I use Office 2019 as standard for inter-operability, however, certain CSV files MS Excel cannot handle properly. I've never got to the bottom as to why this issue happens, and I've been using Excel since at least 1995 and Lotus before.
Anyway, if I load them up in my standby tool of OpenOffice or now LibreOffice, absolutely no problem for the CSV files to open and format 100% correctly. I then do what I need to do in LO and then save as xlsx to send it down the line.
If LO could somehow get more corporate sponsorship and thereby investment to smooth out the usability and MS Office inter-operability to a higher level it would definitely become #1 choice for even more people, especially small businesses like mine. That said, for my own requirements, VBA is essential, wish LO could emulate it all.
No it’s unfortunately not OK. Granite contains radon. In granite areas it accumulate in adequate amounts to be a significant health risk.
It’s why houses and especially cellars need to be reasonably well ventilated in those areas.
I guess the NL authorities have determined that granite (if that’s what the substance is) containing radon permanently around your neck is not a smart idea.
It’s probably something more immediately harmful though. It wouldn’t surprise me if those entrepreneurial crooks in the Ukraine were actually digging up contaminated soil at or near Chernobyl and selling that to the gullible.
I don’t wish to be disrespectful in any way, but I feel that your questions may be answered if you actually did what I recommended.
And by the way, I did not say that their sources of funding were nefarious. Your own investigation should clarify this misunderstanding.
Bon week-end.
Do a 10% ISP tax, give customer tokens, anonymous customer pays Mozilla using the tokens.
That's definitely blue sky, idealistic thinking, and there's zero chance of ANY bunch of politicians having such a vision and implementing it. But well done for trying at least.
In your case BT provide the pipe. It's no different to your other service providers.
And I'm baffled at your rationale. By the same token, do you expect EDF to give you 10% back of what you pay them, so that you can purchase devices which plug into the power socket???!!!
But I'm a hermit, so what I do I know about the modern world which becomes ever more baffling by the day...
“a spokesperson for Apple told The Reg - you heard that right - that while it "shares the European Commission's commitment to protecting the environment,"
As an iPhone owner this comment bugs me. It’s entirely obvious that USB-C should have been adopted by Apple, not only for environmental reasons, but also for performance reasons.
And if Tim was really caring for the environment he wouldn’t be pushing convenient but lazy and very energy-wasteful wireless charging which some tests have shown to use 50% more power than cable charging.
Lead by example Apple, practice what you preach.
I agree with some of your points. But ProtonMail has always made it clear to anyone who reads their T&Cs that they come under Swiss laws and they are obliged to provide information to the authorities IF supported by a court order.
The Swiss legal system is robust and the right to privacy strong. It fills me with hugely more confidence than in my old homeland which has sadly become an authoritarian tinpot nation, especially since the Johnson Junta took over.
I use ProtonMail occasionally and never regarded it as a service that is totally hidden from the law, rather a service under stronger Swiss laws than the US and elsewhere.
The REAL challenge is not where to place the chargers, it's where on Earth to get all the extra electricity generation needed, and baseload rather than fickle wind and solar.
As importantly, the current network cannot handle the extra load required.
As for all UK "strategic" planning in the recent decade or two, it's just pie in the sky because it's not a proper plan and it certainly won't be properly executed.
Far more logical would be to use LPG as a fuel, it's available already and existing cars can be easily and cheaply converted to it, we've had it for 3 decades. Then increasingly scale up hydrogen as a fuel, and both to be made available from the existing fueling infrastructure / locations.
Problem solved, and no digging up of Andean salt flats needed, nor kids digging in central African deep pits for rare earth metals to keep Elon's factories busy.
Well, it's possibly the way forward for me, but not as MS might have intended!
I reckon this will allow me finally get rid of Windows off my laptop and replace it with Linux, and then be able to sign in to Windows 365 just to do my office work via the browser, yet leaving me free from Windows Woes in everything else that I do.
"in fairness you can say that pretty much about all router vendors"
I tend to agree, but over the past 3-4 years I've been using Fritz equipment at home and I'm quite impressed. Not perfect, but settings are in XML at least and you don't lose them when you upgrade firmware, and there are typically one or two firmware updates a year. Old kit is also well supported with updates.
"...Alternatives like a private, separate, wired or wireless communication system would likely be costly..."
Not as costly as this shutdown.
The internet is totally inappropriate for many use-cases, but because it's there, ubiquitous, cheap/free then the CFOs and CIOs insist on it. Hopefully this will now change.
I have a 6s and an SE from 2016. Both now updated to 14.5.1 same as their latest 12 series. Works as quick as always. Batteries at 85% and 95% respectively.
I make sure my photos etc are uploaded to iCloud and OneDrive and a few times a year i hard reboot and all is well.
I’ve owned several Samsung phones over the years since about 2010. Plus Acer. Plus Nokia, plus Microsoft. The Samsung’s were lucky to receive 2-3 updates in their lives.
Three years ago I finally bought my first iPhone out of sheer curiosity as well as a smashed Microsoft phone, a 6s for just £350 new.
First released in 2015, September 25, that’s approaching 6 years. I’ve had security and functional updates every couple of months and last weekend it upgraded to iOS 14.5.1….same as a £1000+ iPhone 12 series.
Not only is the software up to date, the hardware is rock solid and in superb condition and the photos and audio remain excellent despite being 6 years old. Best phone I ever bought.
And no, I’m not a buyer of fashion, fanboy etc, just always choose function and this time i got a superb ROI for this phone primarily used for my business.
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