* Posts by Tom Jasper

42 publicly visible posts • joined 24 Jan 2010

Windows 10 Anniversary Update is borking boxen everywhere

Tom Jasper
Meh

Wireless keyboard, Webroot, kbdclass.sys and the blue screen of despair

If you're experiencing an unfriendly Driver Irql not less or equal kbdclass.sys triggered by the first keyboard stroke, plug in a USB keyboard that's been gathering dust, reboot and either uninstall (hump) webroot or follow the instructions here:

https://www5.nohold.net/Webroot/ukp.aspx?solutionid=2544&donelr=1

I believe that it only applies to MS Keyboards (like my Comfort 5000).

Whether the Reg edit / Compatibility Flag solution compromises the security of your system isn't referenced.

I think I found other references to Logitech keyboards when I was removing hair.

Lester Haines: RIP

Tom Jasper

Rest in piece, Author 29.

Many an article enjoyed.

:(

New Nexus 5X, 6P smarties: Google draws a line in the sand

Tom Jasper

Can't reach with fingers

Hmm... Fingerprint sensor on the back?

That's going to be a bit of a pain when mounted on a car dashboard.

KILLER! Adobe Flash, Windows zero-day vulns leak from Hacking Team raid

Tom Jasper

Replacement exploits mandated by our friendly government safety oversight teams now that these are being closed?

Cops turn Download Festival into an ORWELLIAN SPY PARADISE

Tom Jasper

So... I guess the solution is wearing hats and neck ties with UV and Infra Red LED lights attached, along with your common or garden makeshift steel mesh (or whatever) Faraday Cage... Get enough of the kids (sorry, middle aged people who can afford the tickets) to do that free the id trackers only when entering / leaving an area or purchasing....

Then there's the opportunity for cloning RFID tags (perhaps the event directors????)

Oh, to be a creative anarchist at Download.

YOU. Your women are mine. Give them to me. I want to sell them

Tom Jasper

A quick google search implies that INgrooves have a bit of a track history

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=ingrooves+youtube+false+copyright+claims+site:productforums.google.com

Grab a SLIM MODEL for Xmas cheer: Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact

Tom Jasper

Re: Like the specs on this, but a little pricey

I agree with Richard.

To use a tablet as an ereader at night it is, in my opinion, essential to be able to tune the colour balance (shift out some of that bright stimulating blueness) - I don't think that's possible without root.

eBay, Facebook, Tumblr ALL go TITSUP in me-too MULTI-FAIL

Tom Jasper

Mandated NSA update which bypassed beta testing?

E-cigarettes help you quit – but may not keep you alive

Tom Jasper

If any of you want to fight the European Union's carving up of this industry between Big Tobacco and Big Pharma through extreme regulation (no one else will be able to afford to compete) and subsequent stifling of development, please sign the formal European Citizens Initiative, to be found here:

https://ec.europa.eu/citizens-initiative/REQ-ECI-2013-000024/public/

Details here:

http://www.efvi-uk.co.uk

Reg man inhales the smooth, non-cancerous, taste of USB nicotine

Tom Jasper

For Heavens Sake, Regulate.

Alas, this article and conversation is proposed to be outlawed.

Please see proposed section 5 (control and restrictions of information to consumers)

http://nicotinepolicy.net/documents/policy/Article%2018%20-%20Electronic%20cigarettes%20-%20Commission%20proposal%2022%20Nov%202013.pdf

This includes

d) any form of public or private contribution to radio programmes with the aim or direct or indirect effect of promoting electronic cigarettes is prohibited;

Anyone feeling just a little bit sick yet?

These proposals were recently rejected by the European Parliament , much to the commissions disappointment (but don't worry, Big Phama, they are still pursuing it.

Rebecca Taylor (MEP) has a buzzfeed which puts things in layman's terms

http://www.buzzfeed.com/rebeccataylormep/8-reasons-why-e-cigarettes-should-not-be-regulated-gjtd

But if folks really want to discover more, please walk over to UKVapers.org

BadNews not so bad, says Google

Tom Jasper

Potentially abusive ad network?

Really?

Surely it's just a matter of blocking ads using AdFree, AdBlocker, Adaware, etc....

Oh, but wait... Google removed all of those from the Play app store.

Thank Goodness for alternative sources.

For those who really want to know (and can be bothered), "Addons Detector" (which is available on the Play store) is a great way of seeing what's accumulated after all those impulsive (or not so) installs and enable the curious to ask questions like "why the heck does Words With Friends need the ability to send SMS messages?"

Spoiler: The answer is so that users can invite friends to play with them.

New Google Play terms ban non-store app updates

Tom Jasper

Err - I see a flaw

This, I think, is on the whole laudable.

However, a subset of developers who are very connected with their customers, will utilise functionality within there application to enable the customer to download a beta version of the next revision...

For instance the wonderful Apex Launcher will, if the "Beta Channel" option is enabled, give the option for the customer to click a download link and install said beta version.

I think this falls foul of the amended T&C.

Saying that, I wonder if the mere notification that a beta version is available would, in itself, also be construed as a method other than the Play store... Or does "update itself" mean that if there's user consent then it's not updating itself all on it's own.

Next Windows 8 version can ditch bits of Metro

Tom Jasper

<Windows Key> + D

First thing to do after entering password on boot. Every time.

Just waiting for the key sequence to become irrelevant or for TIFKAM to evolve into something more useful than a launcher for commonly used desktop applications (which is it's only purpose in my world).

Hope they don't consider abandoning the <move mouse to right hand side of screen> though.

Just saying.

Ten smartphones with tablet ambitions...

Tom Jasper

External storage capabilities.

What's with the lack of micro-SD cards on these devices?

Seems silly to me - not sure I could survive without my external microSD on my Samsung.

Meet the stealthiest UK startup's app Swiftkey - and its psychic* keyboard

Tom Jasper
Thumb Up

"I am a beautiful person"

This is a lie, at least if judged on external appearance, but I'm good with that..

However, at least with version 3 and it's forerunners, if you installed afresh without any history, opened a dialogue box and hit space repeatedly, that is what would be typed.

Wonderful, huh.?

Kii Keyboard is, incidentally, also very good but doesn't (I think) have the ability to seed the Ngrams' with gmail, twitter and SMS sent messages.

Typed with my old clattery much abused desktop keyboard.

Student claims code flaw spotting got him expelled from college

Tom Jasper
Thumb Up

Mature response (!!!!)

See http://www.skytech.com/en/blog-dse-case.sky

"

Are you offering him a job?

Our priority is for him to finish his studies, and yes, we are offering him a job in cybersecurity where he can put his talents to good use, outside his study hours, in a closed circuit research and development environment, all this without any controversy.

What was his reaction?

We were pleased to learn, through an interview with CBC television, that he accepted our scholarship offer to pursue his studies in another college.

"

Tom Jasper
Facepalm

Re: how did they get his phone number?

Perhaps they walked in through the front door of their database web interface and found it there ;)

Good to see http://www.skytech.com/ is #403 as well - partial justice for their protectionist behaviour.

MEGAGRAPH: 1983's UK home computer chart toppers

Tom Jasper

Impressive array of colours for 1983

Considering the kit available...

And wow - I've reprimanded people for better graphs.

Samsung mobes pwned by ANY APP, thanks to chip code hole

Tom Jasper

Re: Chainfire patch

"one of which – Chainfire - has thoughtfully provided an exploit for the flaw"

El'Reg , Hmmm - I read that to say that Chainfire has provided something to exploit the flaw (i.e. making it easier for some kiddie or fiend to do the nasty).

I think what you meant to say was that Chainfire has provided a test to establish whether the exposure exists on a device and, like wot Mr Wibble said, he's produced a nice little patch (although it fcks up the camera so you have to revert and reapply as required.

Meantime, only download stuff that is from an established good developer and not some fly by night screen saver / crass game developer from the Play store (or elsewhere).

Amazon prices up Kindle Paperwhite for Blighty

Tom Jasper

Re: Hmm - sold at cost for £75 in the US or with a 46% margin in the UK

Thanks folks - fair point. I'm have one of those days (think Pink)

Tom Jasper
Flame

Hmm - sold at cost for £75 in the US or with a 46% margin in the UK

Looks like an excellent e-reader... Bezos `admits` sold at cost (great advertising) at $119 / £74.5 and £109 in the UK (109-74.5)/74.5

Reckon all purchasers should acquire their ebooks to a value of £34.5 and donate a bit to authors declared favourite charities...

Reckon I feel pissed that yet again the UK is exploited by the lack of equivalency to the US.

http://www.reghardware.com/2012/10/12/amazon_ceo_bezos_confirms_content_pays_for_kindle/

Polish Samsung Galaxy S IIIs first to scoff Jelly Bean update

Tom Jasper
Angel

Re: I just got an S3 for the wife.

It is Kies.... Unless you're sensible and have the nerve to compromise warranty (easy to un-compromise)

Odin is the initial tool of choice.

Follow the instructions from the start of this "[Guide+ROMS]Odin Flash+Root Guide & Stock Firmwares" thread carefully : http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1671969

Then you can pick up one of the stock firmwares from the same thread (either official or `leak` / beta) .

Alternatively, you can enter the quirky and somewhat interesting world of custom ROMS (for heavens sake read a bit first from the forums).

And if you really can't wait for the formal JellyBean update, play with CM10 / ASOP or one of the Jellybean leaks that are starting to show up (this thread shows promise, for instance http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1855963 ).

Divinity 'cause I reference XDA.

Smartphones may soon listen in on you while they sleep

Tom Jasper

Wakelock wakelock wakelock

Will no-one think of the poor batteries

Skyhook offers 'Always-On' background STALKING feature

Tom Jasper
FAIL

I reckon this companies on a fools errand

Hole remover, left handed screw driver, water hammer, aqueous water and, my favourite from my scouting days, the legendary Sky Hook.

Android Market morphs into 'Google Play'

Tom Jasper
Happy

Block them dubious perms

Suggest hunting out a V1.2.1131 (standard edition) of LBE Privacy Guard (if rooted) - not the new one, which doesn't have a formal translation from Chinese (but you can find some repackaged with translations versions if you hunt hard enough).

Android malware victims offered free WinPhones by MS

Tom Jasper
Facepalm

Open invite to the next soft target?

Can't help but thinking that Microsoft have inadvertently issued a challenge to all those black hats and script cowboys to come along and have fun with WM7.x / WM....

Until now, it's rather just been about the size of the installed base.

Vodafone coughs to Galaxy S II GPS glitches

Tom Jasper

/etc/gps.config

It would be interesting to see the contents of that file.

One would hope to see the Network Time Protocol Server configured as

NTP_SERVER=uk.pool.ntp.org

and then

XTRA_SERVER_1=http://xtra1.gpsonextra.net/xtra.bin

XTRA_SERVER_2=http://xtra2.gpsonextra.net/xtra.bin

XTRA_SERVER_3=http://xtra3.gpsonextra.net/xtra.bin

and just maybe for AGPS

SUPL_HOST=supl.google.com

SUPL_PORT=7276

Wifi assist is nice too...

FasterFix on the market will do this for you if you have root (but then if you have that, you've probably moved to a custom ROM and discarded Vodaphone's blunders and the bloatware you don't care about (yay! Battery life extends).

"GPS Status and Toolbox" (also on the market, root not required) will keep AGPS agile for you without root.

Nipples and teen lesbians sexy even when ironic, ASA rules

Tom Jasper
Childcatcher

Whoooaaaa - Baby Milk Feeding bottles....

Exogear Exomount universal gadget mount

Tom Jasper

Alternative Spider

As an alternative, might one recommend the Breffo Spiderpodium as an alternative generic mount

ALK CoPilot Live Premium HD

Tom Jasper

Significant improvement on V8

I've been using this for a week now - so much better than before.

Annoyances:

Copilot central doesn't work (yet / who cares)

live.alk.com was down for ages once they introduced the 1/2 price for a week thing (introduced either as marketting gimick to get Android market ratings or too compensate for the impossible off market to market upgrade path).

Traffic subscriptions do not carry from V8 to current (although they say the will soon).

Am I pleased with it? Damn right!

Ten... Premium Android smartphones

Tom Jasper
Pint

You Missed One, an oldie. Insert between #2 and #4

I am looking at new smart phones and I'm stuck.

I have an HTC HD2 (originally a WinMo 6.5 device).

It's got a 1Ghz CPU, 4.3" screen, 512Mb of usable on board RAM, run's Gingerbread 2.3.4 Cynogen Mod 7.0.6...., holds a 32GB SD card (A2SD enabled although I have a comfortable 267Mb of internal memory), Camera is good (not as good as some anymore but this is a 2009 device). Linpack recording ~39 MFLOPS and runs most of Sense 3 if I so desired. It's not hard to find a new one for under £250 and you can halve that cost on fleabay for a second hand one.

So... what do I do if this finally gives up the ghost (no signs yet) .... Buy another one and wait for the Sensation to loose it's various security locks? I don't see anything else on the market that significantly out performs this... And bangs per buck.... I have lots of beer money left.

What sets this below the pack? No front facing camera, AGPS is not working well (30 sec to first lock,... tedious) and some devices have more internal memory. Not much, huh?

And I can play to my hearts content running WP7, Ubuntu or whatever Android <3 flavour I desire, dual boot or native.

The best sci-fi film never made: Also-rans take a bow

Tom Jasper

Stand here

Huh? Some mistake, Shirley.

Stand on Zanzibar by the late John Brunner is the movie that I dream of being made.

Agreed that Halo Jones should never ever be made - but just maybe `Hangin Out with Halo Jones` should be played every day...

And we need Mr Mulligan today

O2 tries to explain its new prudish nature

Tom Jasper
Paris Hilton

Great to see this finally on El Reg

I became a bit passionate about this when spammed by O2 in November and was vocal on the O2 Customer Forum (t=56214) although the first trials were back in 2009 (search their forums to see how well that was received). Vocal enough to write to a journo here... The topic eventually received good attention from O2 bods, btw...

I eventually gave up and walked into a crowded O2 shop and, as a reward, loudly asked to be able to visit sites suitable for over 18's... Although I lowered the tone of my voice, the silence in the shop was sufficent for all to take delight in the subsequent conversation.

Imagine the sniggers when I discussed the irony of using Bango with the (by that time) shop manager (a great company to manage your revenue if your running a mobile pron site) to monitoring govern what unconfirmed adults can view...

There was a request for a credit card made to prove age - I declined based on ethics and then corpsed along with other customers.

Mucho fun :D

Who the heck would visit pron sites using mobile internet on their phones anyway?

With this topic "It's always back to Paris" (to quote an old Doctors Of Maddness lyric)

Nuance Flext9

Tom Jasper
Go

El Reg Does and App of the Week for Android... Yay!

Regarding the app itself, I fail to understand why companies new to the market don't release a time limited trials for anything over a dollar, especially for a keyboard....

OK - market fed time limited trials are flawed in nature but it wouldn't be hard for the company to generate a phone-home and check expiry for a key tied to the gmail account

The keyboard itself is interesting but I don't think I'll invest in that with less than a thousand downloads and no comments now that Android Market only has a fifteen minute refund...

We watch and learn

Rare metals found in Cornish tin mine

Tom Jasper
Boffin

Wheal Jane under the sea? Shirley Some Mistake

Whilst true of Geevor (my first place of employement) and various other mines, Both South Crofty and Wheal Jane are firmly under land not sea... However, a lot of deposites ran to the sea in the form of waste water / sludge.

This is a good link http://www2.brgm.fr/mineo/SiteReport/UK_site_report.pdf

Android's Gingerbread finagled onto iPhone

Tom Jasper
Happy

How do they deal with the lack of physical buttons...

Probably in the same way us WM6.5 HD2 owners do once we've ported to Android... We use a *sliding soft key representation of physical buttons 'cause we reckon (based on evidence) the hard keys on the H2 aren't going to take the volume of presses Android use encourages.

* Look up "Button Savior" (misspelt) or similar on the Android market.

ISPs under pressure to control online porn

Tom Jasper
WTF?

O2 Age Verification, data privacy and maybe shared profit from porn

There's a bit of a discussion going on at the O2 "Discuss O2" forum forum.o2.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=56214 regarding O2, their use of Bango, the collection of data, incompetent site categorisation and just which sites are the 18 which are referenced in the spamming SMS

"O2: You'll need to prove you're over 18 to go on 18 websites on your mobile. Call our free automated service 61018 or go to http://o2.co.uk/ageverify . You'll need a credit card"

Bango:

* Site categorisation (translate.google.com is a naughty site)

* Mobile content (of questionable taste?) billing

* Site analytics

* Boasters of how much data they can grab, store and pass on to their customers.

* Age verification...

I fear it's not a give us your credit card, we will deduct a pound and give you two pounds fifty back... more of give us your credit card, we'll sweeten it a bit and then be able to bill again and....

This is what they say on their registration website

"The first time you use a credit card to prove to us that you are 18 or older we will charge £1 to your credit card and credit £2.50 to your mobile account. Please note that each time you age verify, your credit card will be charged £1. You will only receive £2.50 credit when you use this service for the first time. "

Personally, I think this smells a bit like a the uncollected bins left out the back of the local fishmongers during a summer council strike

Anyhow, take a peak at the forum and make your own judgements

Reg Hardware Reader Awards 2010

Tom Jasper
Happy

HTC HD2 running a homebrew Android from a fast SD Card

OK - best phone hardware last year but crippled by Windows Mobile 6.5, regardless of ROM used... then those nice XDA Dev folks ported android and wow... this is the device to use.

Google shocks world with unthreaded Gmail

Tom Jasper

Not sure how to feel about this

Threaded email conversations... yuk - that never worked for me.

However, with my Droid HD2, I've started using Gmail to backup my SMS's and that's a fantastic thing and even better with threading. I hope we can selectively thread / unthread based on labels.

British Airways sorry for 'landing on water' nonsense

Tom Jasper
Paris Hilton

S/W Airlines had more finesse

I recall flying with my wife and 5 year daughter between SF & LA on S/W airlines in 2000 where the safety announcements included "offensive passengers will be removed from airline during flight" and "In case we have to bring the plane down in water we hope that it will become a boat".

The same flight also had my daughter making announcements and the cabin crew singing her songs over the tannoy.

The return flight was equally memorable where the cabin steward slipped me his phone number, much to my surprise and my wifes amusement.

Paris because I can't imagine her being treated so well on S/W Airlines

Brits left cold by mobile internet

Tom Jasper

Sadly not a surprise.

I can't imagine not using the interweb on my phone... O2 have a unlimited (i.e. more that 500Mb) as a free or £5 per month `bolt-on` with certain contracts - that was the decider for my O2 XDA Orbit 2 and for the HTC HD2 I have now. Prior to that, accessing the interweb through my O2 XDA Orbit via wi-fi when at home or where ever I could legitimately find a signal.

However, with ludicrous data charges coupled with pretend-to-be unlimited (I was shocked to see Phones4U reducing the 500Mb Vodaphone `unlimited` to 120Mb when researching for last months contract renewal) + horror stories like the poor person who picked up the £640 , it's not a surprise that the masses shy away from the converged world I and many friends live in.