Plant the lucky wii and a giant wii-stalk will grow, and take you to an enchanced land in the clouds where you must kill a giant to get his bird that lays golden eggs.
Is it not more of an issue that if your PC cannot connect to MSes servers that WGA craps out and says it's a pirated copy?
Failing to have a valid copy and cannot connect to servers are 2 different scenarios, not one. Would it not make more sense for the OS to say "cannot connect to WGA servers", and then not really make a fuss of it for a few days, when it could try again? If servers have been gone for a week, then it wouldn't be unreasonable to say that this might be (I stress might be) a pirated copy and somehow access to the servers has been blocked to prevent WGA notifications, and could you ring MS and have a chat about it.
Not only would this reduce frustration of many users, its bound to save money, as a great number of people are going to ring up about it as they have, to manually validate their OS. Not to mention saving face, and considering a lot of the comments made about MS on this site, that might not be a bad thing.
Why don't you just buy a prepaid sim for €10 which comes with €10 of call credit? If you're not going back anytime soon, bin the simcard when you're done.
Surely it doesn't have to be Nuclear or hyrocarbon based backup. They can be renewable!
I can think of at least one example of storing power in grid like quantities, in Ireland there's a hyroelectric dam (near Glendalough, Co. Wicklow) which is already does this.
Aside from generating power from water flowing from a man made lake to a natural one, at night it takes surplus power from the grid and pumps water back up to the top lake again, ready for the morning surge.
Matt Milford
Is an ionic wind anything like static electricity? →#
Remember that Freeview's implementation of HDTV will be probably suffer from the same problem that affects freeview today.
Freeview looks like bollocks because they cram too many channels into the multiplexes. Analogue TV looks soooooo much better. Standard definition Sky is also compressed, but there's a lot less compression artifacts floating around.
If anything, it could sky's much better (premium) HD service a lot more tempting. It'll look better, and there'll be more channels.
"Um, doesn't this also mean that the police can get ANY phone to report its position? So if they suspect you of possibly doing a crime in the future (hasn't el Reg already reported on this?), they can watch your every move (tie the mobile to surveillance cameras).
How far behind can the FBI be?"
They already can do this, just not very accurately. The police can tell which cell tower your mobile phone is connected to. In large cities where there are a lot of mobile cells, they could certainly work out what street you're on, and track your phone changing mast as you move, giving an indication of your direction.
I would have thought the legal dept at Ann Summers where well aware that apple would probably do this, as this is quite clearly copyright infrigement.
But now its on the register, and no doubt being reported in the media elsewhere, how much free advertising have they got in this way?
True, they have to remove the poster, but as apple don't own the copyright on the letter i, people will still remember the iGasm.
Take a bad example, I wonder if Thermos could sell the iFlask, with the same type of advertising campaign, and wait for the all free press about copyright infrigement.
Err... of course they will go up, HP make a LOSS on every printer sold (certainly the low end ones) and make the money back from Ink.
Buying new printers every time for sample paper and cartridges, I'd be careful, a lot of manufacturers give you a set of starter cartridges which are only half filled to get you started, making buying the new printer a false economy.
You may be able to buy a gallon of ink in the large scale printing agency, but with an HP printer you replace the print heads with the cartridge, which I'm sure make up the bulk of the cost.
Thats not to say that there isn't a signifigant markup on ink (and paper too).
".for 2 u-shaped bits of metal and a plastic bar, then? There's no height or angle adjustment, which makes it an ergonomic no-no as far as I'm concerned. Kensington do it better - for a few quid more, you get full height and angle adjustment, and a 4-port USB2 hub.
Nick"
Why would you need to adjust the angle? You should never be using the keyboard when you have a laptop on such a stand because that makes the keyboard too high. You need an external keyboard and mouse to use it properly.
That said, you should be able to adjust the height, as you definatly can't stack them.
IBM thinkpad users wont think much of it either, getting your thinkpad dock on the top of that won't work too well.
24 posts • joined Monday 19th February 2007 12:06 GMT
Matt Milford
Maybe theres a bird that lays golden eggs at the end of it → #
Posted Wednesday 5th December 2007 14:06 GMT
In Chancer punts 'lucky' Wii for $1,234,567...
Plant the lucky wii and a giant wii-stalk will grow, and take you to an enchanced land in the clouds where you must kill a giant to get his bird that lays golden eggs.
Matt Milford
...Why? → #
Posted Tuesday 6th November 2007 10:50 GMT
In Microsoft hawks Home Server
Why would you buy this?
What does this do that a NAS box doesnt do.
Aren't servers more for like... running web applications? How many homes do that.
You need your media centre on 24/7 to make sure it records everything, do what I did, stuff it full of disks. Job done.
Matt Milford
GM Organic → #
Posted Monday 29th October 2007 15:28 GMT
In Europe grows more (and more) GM crops
Could it be that growing GM crops organically is a damn sight easier than growing non gm crops?
Whatever insects eat the crops dont have to be killed with pesticides... is that not the point?
Matt Milford
Plusnet's Analogy → #
Posted Monday 29th October 2007 09:47 GMT
In 21CN: It's not the data saviour
An analogy based on all you can eat pizza, bless...
What happens when there isn't enough pizza again...
Matt Milford
Memory? → #
Posted Tuesday 23rd October 2007 16:57 GMT
In Microsoft opens Xbox 360 Arcade
256 meg memory card... and cartoon downloads from xbox live...
Assuming that it has no hard disk like the core... where are these downloads going?
Matt Milford
Errrrr..... → #
Posted Monday 8th October 2007 18:30 GMT
In Canadian prof develops drunk-driving sim
Won't some high scoring chavs think that since they can pull off drink driving the game, they can pull off drink driving for real?
Matt Milford
Do they even have to turn it on? → #
Posted Tuesday 11th September 2007 15:49 GMT
In London council to use lie detectors to finger benefit cheats
Won't this put a lot of people off if they think they're taking a lie detector test on the phone, regardless of whether it works or not?
Matt Milford
Badly Designed → #
Posted Tuesday 28th August 2007 10:47 GMT
In Windows Genuine Advantage cries wolf (again)
Is it not more of an issue that if your PC cannot connect to MSes servers that WGA craps out and says it's a pirated copy?
Failing to have a valid copy and cannot connect to servers are 2 different scenarios, not one. Would it not make more sense for the OS to say "cannot connect to WGA servers", and then not really make a fuss of it for a few days, when it could try again? If servers have been gone for a week, then it wouldn't be unreasonable to say that this might be (I stress might be) a pirated copy and somehow access to the servers has been blocked to prevent WGA notifications, and could you ring MS and have a chat about it.
Not only would this reduce frustration of many users, its bound to save money, as a great number of people are going to ring up about it as they have, to manually validate their OS. Not to mention saving face, and considering a lot of the comments made about MS on this site, that might not be a bad thing.
Matt Milford
Prepaid SIM? → #
Posted Monday 27th August 2007 16:28 GMT
In AwayPhone aims to slash mobile roaming costs
Why don't you just buy a prepaid sim for €10 which comes with €10 of call credit? If you're not going back anytime soon, bin the simcard when you're done.
Matt Milford
Backup Hydrocarbon plant? → #
Posted Thursday 23rd August 2007 11:31 GMT
In Tidal power project fails to start on schedule
Surely it doesn't have to be Nuclear or hyrocarbon based backup. They can be renewable!
I can think of at least one example of storing power in grid like quantities, in Ireland there's a hyroelectric dam (near Glendalough, Co. Wicklow) which is already does this.
Aside from generating power from water flowing from a man made lake to a natural one, at night it takes surplus power from the grid and pumps water back up to the top lake again, ready for the morning surge.
Matt Milford
Is an ionic wind anything like static electricity? → #
Posted Thursday 16th August 2007 12:18 GMT
In Boffins chill chip with ion wind
Would it draw the dirt and dust off the heatsink for my CPU as well? No dust on your heatsink is bound to be worth something in terms of efficiency.
Matt Milford
To answer your question → #
Posted Monday 23rd July 2007 14:00 GMT
In Dubai claims world's tallest building title
"Like how many seconds of free fall for a base jump from the top of it"
That would be about 10.2 seconds, neglecting air resistance. Also that would be about 100m/s when he hits the ground.
(except it wouldn't, it will be longer, and the max velocity a falling man can ever reach is 55ish m/s, with all that air in the way)
Matt Milford
Freeview HD → #
Posted Thursday 5th July 2007 17:16 GMT
In Sky is 'silly' to whine about HD for All
Remember that Freeview's implementation of HDTV will be probably suffer from the same problem that affects freeview today.
Freeview looks like bollocks because they cram too many channels into the multiplexes. Analogue TV looks soooooo much better. Standard definition Sky is also compressed, but there's a lot less compression artifacts floating around.
If anything, it could sky's much better (premium) HD service a lot more tempting. It'll look better, and there'll be more channels.
Matt Milford
Re: What about the pr0n? → #
Posted Friday 22nd June 2007 12:23 GMT
In Internet users living secret lives online
Evidently noone in Ireland is embarassed they are looking at porn.
Matt Milford
Cooooool → #
Posted Thursday 14th June 2007 11:06 GMT
In Jet-powered go-kart roars onto eBay
That doesn't even look slightly safe
Matt Milford
More appropriate? → #
Posted Friday 8th June 2007 11:54 GMT
In Paris Hilton dragged back into court
"house arrest was a more appropriate sentence for a celebrity"
Yeah, but there's shit to do in your own house. Isn't this like sending a child to their room when their toys are in there?
Matt Milford
Re: Open Door Policy → #
Posted Monday 28th May 2007 16:03 GMT
In Linux fans go nuclear over Microsoft's patent teasing
You might not be arrested for walking through an open door, but you would be areested for stealing the things in the house.
Matt Milford
Reporting back to the police? → #
Posted Monday 28th May 2007 16:00 GMT
In Home Office discusses thief-proof phones
"Um, doesn't this also mean that the police can get ANY phone to report its position? So if they suspect you of possibly doing a crime in the future (hasn't el Reg already reported on this?), they can watch your every move (tie the mobile to surveillance cameras).
How far behind can the FBI be?"
They already can do this, just not very accurately. The police can tell which cell tower your mobile phone is connected to. In large cities where there are a lot of mobile cells, they could certainly work out what street you're on, and track your phone changing mast as you move, giving an indication of your direction.
Matt Milford
Asleep in your car → #
Posted Monday 28th May 2007 16:00 GMT
In Notorious car clamper facing Asbo
Are you parked if you're asleep in your car?
My understanding is, while you're in the vehicle you are "waiting".
How legal is it to remove a clamp, without damaging it of course, and leave it at the side of the road?
Or bring 4 clamps, and clamp your car there, lets see your man clamp you then. (Maybe cutting off your nose to spite your face)
Matt Milford
Free (Illegal) Advertising? → #
Posted Thursday 24th May 2007 10:31 GMT
In Apple moans over sex toy ad
I would have thought the legal dept at Ann Summers where well aware that apple would probably do this, as this is quite clearly copyright infrigement.
But now its on the register, and no doubt being reported in the media elsewhere, how much free advertising have they got in this way?
True, they have to remove the poster, but as apple don't own the copyright on the letter i, people will still remember the iGasm.
Take a bad example, I wonder if Thermos could sell the iFlask, with the same type of advertising campaign, and wait for the all free press about copyright infrigement.
Matt Milford
Re: Want to *bet* printer costs won't go up? → #
Posted Wednesday 25th April 2007 07:53 GMT
In HP to sell low-cost ink
Err... of course they will go up, HP make a LOSS on every printer sold (certainly the low end ones) and make the money back from Ink.
Buying new printers every time for sample paper and cartridges, I'd be careful, a lot of manufacturers give you a set of starter cartridges which are only half filled to get you started, making buying the new printer a false economy.
You may be able to buy a gallon of ink in the large scale printing agency, but with an HP printer you replace the print heads with the cartridge, which I'm sure make up the bulk of the cost.
Thats not to say that there isn't a signifigant markup on ink (and paper too).
Matt Milford
Perhaps Ergonomic? → #
Posted Tuesday 3rd April 2007 16:05 GMT
In Griffin Elevator laptop lift
".for 2 u-shaped bits of metal and a plastic bar, then? There's no height or angle adjustment, which makes it an ergonomic no-no as far as I'm concerned. Kensington do it better - for a few quid more, you get full height and angle adjustment, and a 4-port USB2 hub.
Nick"
Why would you need to adjust the angle? You should never be using the keyboard when you have a laptop on such a stand because that makes the keyboard too high. You need an external keyboard and mouse to use it properly.
That said, you should be able to adjust the height, as you definatly can't stack them.
IBM thinkpad users wont think much of it either, getting your thinkpad dock on the top of that won't work too well.
I do agree though, £30 is a bit steep.
Matt Milford
Chocolate contains Sugar... → #
Posted Monday 19th February 2007 16:39 GMT
In Could chocolate protect your brain?
Chocolate contains sugar, your brain runs on sugar...
I'm no expert but... it seems sensible enough.
Matt Milford
Sensible advice → #
Posted Monday 19th February 2007 12:30 GMT
In Are there secrets to life-long brain power?
Makes sense, not overly surprising I must say, basically what all these reports say: Eat less junk, exercise more.