Comment Re:ummmm.... (Score 1) 102
Well, I guess the firmware blocks downloads via their APN.
Submission + - Could a meteor have brought down Air France 447? 1
niktemadur writes: In light of an Air Comet pilot's report to Air France, Airbus and the Spanish civil aviation authority that, during a Monday flight from Lima to Lisbon "Suddenly, we saw in the distance a strong and intense flash of white light, which followed a descending and vertical trajectory and which broke up in six seconds", the Cosmic Variance blog team on the Discover Magazine website muses on the question "What is the probability that, for all flights in history, one or more could have been downed by a meteor?". Taking into account total flight hours and the rate of meteoric activity with the requisite mass to impact on Earth (approximately 3,000 a day), some quick math suggests there may be one in twenty odds of a plane being brought down in the period from 1989 to 2009.
Intriguingly, in the aftermath of TWA flight 800's crash in 1996, the New York Times published a letter by Columbia professors Charles Hailey (physics) and David Helfand (astronomy), in which they stated the odds of a meteor-airplane collision for aviation history up to that point: one in ten.
Submission + - Second Google Android phone revealed (apcmag.com)
KrispyDroid writes: "The world's second Google Android phone has been unveiled — by an Australian-based electronics company called Kogan. It will ship worldwide on Jan 29. It looks like a surprisingly nice form factor, not unlike a Blackberry Bold. The phones will be sold without a contract at low prices — $A299 ($US192)."
Submission + - World first review of Dell's 12.1in netbook (apcmag.com)
An anonymous reader writes: Australian Personal Computer Magazine has the world first look at Dell's 12.1in netbook.
Comment LOL!!! Truth stranger than scammers. (Score 2, Funny) 272
"I run a merchant bank that went bankrupt and have recently come into possession of $900 billion in US treasury funds......"
Submission + - XP cheaper than Linux on new Eee PC (apcmag.com) 3
KrispyDollars writes: "It sounds crazy to say this, but the XP-based version of the Eee PC 900 (the new version with the 8.9" screen) will actually be considerably cheaper than the Linux based version. At the official launch today, the company told journalists that "Microsoft has been a longstanding supporter of Asus" to explain the price discrepancy. And — get this — only the XP-based machine will be sold at mass-market retailers, while the Linux-based model will be consigned to computer stores."
Submission + - Prepare for your laptop to be searched (apcmag.com)
Nothing to Declare writes: "If your notebook is filled with porn, P2P or even just too many iTunes downloads, you might want to think twice before taking it on your next holiday — especially to the US. An appeals court in California this week unanimously upheld a ruling that border security officers at international airports can search personal computers without requiring any specific evidence of criminal activity. The appeal was made by a US resident, Michael Timothy Arnold, charged with child pornography offences after an airport search of his notebook PC in 2005."
Submission + - ASUS to use special XP build on Eee PC (apcmag.com)
KrispyChips writes: "This could be a first: Microsoft creating a special build of Windows just because Windows doesn't run very well on a certain computer. ASUS' runaway success Eee PC is now "officially" available with Windows XP, but it is not exactly a great experience, says APC magazine which has reviewed the unit. There are none of the nice pre-loaded apps that come with the Linux version, for example. And XP has some real problems coping with the screen size and limited system specs of the unit. As a result, ASUS says it is going back to Microsoft and working on a special XP build that will be lighterweight and more suited to UMPCs."
Submission + - Pirates crack Vista at last (apcmag.com) 5
El_Oscuro writes: A genuine crack for Windows Vista has just been released by pirate group Pantheon, which allows a pirated, non-activated installation of Vista (Home Basic/Premium and Ultimate) to be properly activated and made fully-operational. It seems that Microsoft has allowed large OEMs like ASUS to ship their products with a pre-installed version of Vista that doesn't require product activation — apparently because end users would find it too inconvenient. The question, how can I do this with XP?
Submission + - 185 pages of Microsoft emails show dirty truths (apcmag.com)
KrispyRasher writes: "Even internally, Microsoft couldn't agree on what the base requirements to run Vista were, but that didn't stop it from inaccurately promoting the OS as running on some hardware. 158 pages of Microsoft internal emails reveal scandalous truths about the squabbles that took place in the lead up to Vista's launch."
Submission + - Microsoft battles Vista perception issue (apcmag.com)
LambAndMint writes: "In what can only be described as an act of utter desperation to overcome Vista's mostly negative public perception issues, Microsoft has put together an online "Fact or Fiction" quiz about Windows Vista. Every person who submits themselves to Microsoft indoctrination gets a free shirt and the chance to win a $15,000 prize. Some of the supposed "fact" will make you feel dirty and ready to get a job as a computer salesman for a mass-market retailer as you go through the quiz."
Submission + - Group puts Windows Update library on CD (apcmag.com)
KrispyKofta writes: "When was the last time you installed a fresh copy of Windows XP SP2? The process is still straightforward and relatively quick...but then you think "I'll just make sure the patches are up to date", and then proceed to stare with horror at the 100+ security updates and critical fixes which Windows Update or WSUS demands you install. And it takes forever. Now, a group has put all of the updates into one downloadable CD, from which you can update PCs without an internet connection. It's poor man's XP SP3, but even when SP3 is out, the project will continue to offer a CD which will install all patches offline."
Submission + - Microsoft junks Vista kernel: new version in SP1 (apcmag.com)
KrispySausage writes: "One of the "big" features discussed in early speculation of Windows Vista SP1 was the kernel upgrade, which was supposed to bring the operating system into line with the Longhorn kernel used in Windows Server 2008. And yet with Vista SP1 going RTM, there hasn't been so much as a peep from Microsoft about the mooted kernel update. Has it happened? Well the answer is yes it has, and presumably the main reason for Microsoft's silence on the subject is that as they're keen to promote the improvements and enhancements to Vista, rather than placing emphasis on a kernel upgrade, which some people might see as a risk of newly-introduced instability."
Submission + - Windows 7 to be released next year (apcmag.com)
KrispySausage writes: "A recently-release roadmap for the next major Window release — Windows 7 — indicates that Microsoft is planning to release the new operating system in the second half of 2009, rather than the anticipated release date of some time in 2010."
Submission + - WARNING: driver updates causing Vista deactivation (apcmag.com)
KrispySausage writes: "After weeks of gruelling troubleshooting, I've finally had it confirmed by Microsoft Australia and USA — something as small as swapping the video card or updating a device driver can trigger a total Vista deactivation.
Put simply, your copy of Windows will stop working with very little notice (three days) and your PC will go into "reduced functionality" mode, where you can't do anything but use the web browser for half an hour.
How can this ridiculous situation occur, and what is Microsoft's response... read on."
Put simply, your copy of Windows will stop working with very little notice (three days) and your PC will go into "reduced functionality" mode, where you can't do anything but use the web browser for half an hour.
How can this ridiculous situation occur, and what is Microsoft's response... read on."
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