Comment Re:Slander? (Score 1) 256
My understanding of the UK's law on slander and libel is that if you are accused of such an act, you simply have to show that what you said is true.
I don't think that's a bad thing.
Comment Re:Fix it? (Score 1) 171
I think a bad launch is probably irreversible. I didn't pre-order the game but planned to buy it on my next payday after release; I ended up not doing so.
If they patch it up and fix the bugs (and it gets good reviews), I'll buy it pre-owned and the money will go to the retailer/person selling the game.
Comment Re:I really don't understand smart watches... (Score 1) 415
Sometimes attendance at an event is mandatory, even though undesirable. Company-wide briefings by Senior Managers, for example. I don't mind checking a notification discretely on my Pebble, but I would never pull my phone out and make it obvious.
Comment Price needs to be realistic (low) (Score 3, Interesting) 225
For this to work and reach a mass market, the price needs to be (i) realistic and (ii) generate an impulse purchase.
There are too many subscription services out there; everyone wants their £5 per month or £7.99 per month or £9.99 per month, and it all adds up. I think an ad-free YouTube at £1.99 per month would entice a lot of people. Any more would probably not be worth it.
BTW, Adblock is great and I love it. But it doesn't stop the adverts which sometimes play before a video when I'm using the YouTube app on my iPhone.
Comment Re:No comments here yet... (Score 3, Insightful) 471
Their iPhone is stolen from Sony's blue-prints, for example.
I saw this a while back and the similarity is certainly striking. It raises the question as to why Sony hasn't seen the same success as Apple, if the iPhone is a mere copy of Sony's design.
Comment Re:Too many zeroes (Score 1) 312
On the continent, the thousand separator is typically the full stop instead of the comma, so the actual fine amount would be €250k (and not €250).
Comment Opportunity Cost (Score 3, Insightful) 544
You don't tell us the question you asked your survey respondents so I'm making the assumption that you asked a simple question to see if people prefer a slideout or virtual keyboard. It would have been more interesting to ask users if they would still prefer a slideout keyboard at the expense of extra thickness and cost when compared to the non-slideout model.
Back in the day, I loved my Nokia N97's slideout keyboard; it was one of the best mobile keyboards I've had the pleasure to use. But I wouldn't want to swap the thickness of my current phone for a qwerty - it's just too much of a tradeoff.
Comment Re:Apple no saint with 2 year disposable iPads (Score 2) 288
Turns out the iPad still worked after two years, only for the user to feel that they had to replace it.
Is this an Apple issue, or a user issue?
FCC Looking Into Paid Peering Deals 37
An anonymous reader writes The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced on Friday that it has successfully obtained the details regarding paid peering deals between Netflix and Comcast as well as Verizon and is working to obtain similar information for other video streamers and their respective ISP peers. The FCC's goal is, as they pointed out themselves, not to regulate as yet but to examine these deals with the goal of providing some transparency to the American public regarding the internet services they pay for. Verizon and Comcast issued statements expressing their willingness to be open about their peering activities and stressed that no regulation is required. The peering market 'has functioned effectively and efficiently for over two decades without government intervention,' Comcast claimed at a congressional hearing. The Free Press policy director nevertheless points out that 'when the FCC required reporting from AT&T after the company blocked Skype in 2009 and Google Voice in 2012, the disclosures revealed that AT&T was indeed misleading its customers.'
Comment Not Unique, pretty much standard (Score 1) 482
Smartphones are like most other consumer electronic goods which need some form of service contract to get the most out of.
- Satellite/Cable box - free, but you can pay more to get a PVR.
- DSL/Cable Modem - free, but you can pay more to get a fancy WiFi router.
- Smartphone - free, but you can pay more to get a better model.
Not sure what the difference is and why this key point was missed in the blog.
Netflix Gets What It Pays For: Comcast Streaming Speeds Skyrocket 328
jfruh (300774) writes "Back in February, after a lengthy dispute, Netflix agreed to pay Comcast for network access after being dogged by complaints of slow speeds from Comcast subscribers. Two months later, it appears that Comcast has delivered on its promises, jumping up six places in Netflix's ISP speed rankings. The question of whether this is good news for anyone but Comcast is still open."
$250K Reward Offered In California Power Grid Attack 111
An anonymous reader writes "The Associated Press reports that Pacific Gas & Electric Co. has put up a $250,000 reward for 'information leading to an arrest and conviction in a startling attack mounted nearly a year ago on telephone lines and the power grid in Silicon Valley.' Besides cutting power lines, the attackers also cut AT&T fiber-optic phone lines, thereby denying some people access to 911, and fired shots into a PB&E substation, knocking out 17 transformers in Silicon Valley and causing $15 million in damage. As of this post, the perpetrators are still unidentified and continue to elude the FBI. Meanwhile, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on Thursday was brought before the Senate Energy Committee to explain why the FERC disseminated via insecure media a sensitive document describing where all the nation's power grids are particularly sensitive to a physical attack. FERC responded with assurances that databases are currently being scrubbed and procedures being implemented to safeguard critical data."
A Bid To Take 3D Printing Mainstream 143
Nerval's Lobster (2598977) writes "Can 3D printing go truly mainstream? Startup M3D is betting on it, having launched a Kickstarter campaign to create what it terms the first truly consumer 3D printer, built around proprietary auto-leveling and auto-calibration technology that (it claims) will allow the device to run in an efficient, easy-to-use way for quite some time. According to The Verge, the device is space-efficient, quiet, and sips power: 'One of the main obstacles between 3D printers and consumers has been clunky, unintuitive software. Here too, M3D promises improvements, having designed an app that's 'as interactive and enjoyable as a game' with a minimalist and touch-friendly interface.' Do you think 3D printing can capture a massive audience, or will it remain niche for the foreseeable future?"
Why There Are So Few ISP Start-Ups In the U.S. 223
An anonymous reader writes "Despite whispers of growing dissatisfaction among consumers, there are still very few ISP start-ups popping up in communities all over the U.S. There are two main reasons for this: up-front costs and legal obstacles. The first reason discourages anyone who doesn't have Google's investors or the local government financially supporting them from even getting a toe in the business. 'Financial analysts last year estimated that Google had to spend $84 million to build a fiber network that passed 149,000 homes in Kansas City, with the cost per home at $500 to $674.' The second reason will keep any new start-up defending itself in court against frivolous lawsuits incumbent ISP providers have been known to file to bleed the newcomers dry in legal fees. There are also ISP lobbyists working to pass laws that prevent local governments from either entering the ISP market themselves or partnering with private companies to provide ISP alternatives. Given these set-backs and growing dissatisfaction with the status quo, one has to wonder how long before the U.S. recognizes the internet as a utility and passes laws and regulations accordingly."
Comment Re:fuck me (Score 1) 125
Depends how you define free.
When I'm stuck on a complex Excel or Access issue (typically involving a complex formula or macro), most of the time there is a forum thread where someone has solved the problem already and I can learn from this and integrate it into my formula or code.
The same cannot be said of Google Docs and as my time is not free, the cost of MS Office suddenly looks a lot more appealing.
