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Comment Re:a more emotionally engaging vision for Android (Score 1) 35

Oh I'm sure it will be, like a LOT of UI these days, very emotionally engaging.

I suspect that the emotions will be: frustration, annoyance, irritation, exasperation ...

I know I'm an old fogey, but I'd just like software to do what it's told - no 'interpretation', no 'personalisation', no AI hype -- just do what you've been asked to do and do it well.

Comment Re:The problem (Score 1) 164

I know you're joking, but there's an element of reality in this - at least in my case when I'm using a desktop setup.

Get QR on phone then either

locate a webcam I bought 15 or so years ago and try to get it to work or

root around under my desk; find the laptop that's plugged into the big screen; move it without disconnecting any wires (screens, usb hub, speakers, ethernet, power; open it up; remove the covering from the camera; contort myself so that the camera and phone can see each other and finally hope that it hasn't timed out !!!

Or just use Thunderbird to retrieve mail instead. At least until my gradual migration away from GMail is completed.

Comment Re:Nothing could possibly go wrong (Score 1) 33

In the early 1970s there was a series on TV in the UK called Doomwatch. The opening episode was called "The Plastic Eaters" and featured just this scenario.

The story line was expanded into a full length novel "Mutant 59 - the Plastic Eater" by the original screenwriter.

the TV episode is now on youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

Comment Nothing new (Score 1) 79

20 + years ago, the company I worked for set up an internal "social network" on its intranet.

It did have a rather simplistic and aggressive content filter.

For example: typing in "press down hard on the cover and turn the locking screw" would result in "press down *** the cover and turn the locking ***" Your post has failed content checks. You have been reported.

(I can't remember the exact text, but that was the gist)

Two things came as a result: either spurious spacing (eg sc r ew) and/or deliberately convoluted circumlocutions (eg "press down the cove with more than usual [but not excessive] pressure and rotate the locking device which is fitted with a raised helical structure")

Somehow, when they were looking for increased collaboration, synergies and innovation plus employee engagement, I don't think that this was what they envisaged/wanted.

Just typing that last sentence triggered my internal management speak filter.

Comment Mandy Rice-Davies and Sybil Fawlty (Score 1) 128

Who would have thought that these companies would object to any curtailment of their parasitic behaviour?

Yet another case where two of the greatest quotes apply:

Basil's comment on Sybil ("Can't we get you on Mastermind, Sybil? Next contestant - Sybil Fawlty from Torquay. Special subject - the bleedin' obvious.")

and Mandy ** "Well he would say that, wouldn't he?"

** this is actually a slight misquote - but often used.

Comment Wrong way round (Score 1) 6

It would be better in reverse

One of the joys of being retired is never having to sit through another boring PowerPoint session again.

But for the benefit of those people who do have to suffer them, I'd like to see an AI development that "attends" a presentation and summarises the bloviating waffle (slides and voice) back down to a few key points.

Rather like

https://marketoonist.com/2023/...

Comment Baguettes as an aphrodisiac (Score 3, Funny) 25

Old joke

Over conversation in the pub one night, someone told Fred (as a prank) that french Bread was an aphrodisiac.

Next day, Fred goes to the baker and asks to buy GBP50 worth of baguettes.

The woman behind the counter says "Are you sure you want that much? By tomorrow morning it'll be as hard as nails?"

Fred answers "Great - give me GBP100 worth then !!"

Comment Re:Download all your monthly statements (Score 1) 50

Completely agree with you Mean Variance !!

There's a particularly annoying [to me at least] advert running in the UK at present.

it features an office type staring at a PC alone in the office after hours - (a stereotype of a working all hours banker type) who hears a colleague using a shredder. He leaps up saying "Don't do it, that document's the only proof we've got!" to which his mate replies "We don't need this, everone's gone paperless these days". The advert finishes with a voice over that TV Licences needn't be a drama and suggesting that we all go paperless.

To me that's wrong! Almost to the point of being dishonest and misleading.

And it's why I stick to having a paper licence; the paper licence is literally the only proof I have that I have a licence [apart from being a curmudgeonly old Luddite :-) ].

Paperless implies that I must trust implicitly that the records held are accurate, complete and up to date; one database error and there would be no proof that I have a licence. Given the history of government and quasi government (privatised and given to their buddies) with IT systems [most notably the Horizon scandal, but this is one of many], I have very little faith in "the system".

Paper documents and/or well maintained backups plus screenshots are an insurance 'cost' well worth enduring.

And before the usual rants about TV licences, this is not unique to them [but the advert is] - the same applies to banks, utility providers... the list goes on.

Comment Perseverance pays (Score 4, Funny) 33

" Luke took it for a maiden flight which immediately resulted in yet another fire. This setback made Bell almost quit the project but he decided to remake all the parts and try again - which also ended in fire. "

Good on them for keeping on trying.

But I must say it reminds me of the classic scene ** :

"Everyone said I was daft to build a castle on a swamp, but I built in all the same, just to show them. It sank into the swamp. So I built a second one. That sank into the swamp. So I built a third. That burned down, fell over, then sank into the swamp. But the fourth one stayed up."

** If you need to look that up - you're either too young or insufficiently nerdy -- :-)

Comment Re:it's $20 (Score 1) 26

Totally agree with you.

Apparently (and this may be an urban myth) the pricing at a fraction near to (but not quite) 1 was done to ensure that shop assistants had to register a sale in order to give change - it stopped them taking the money from the customer and then pretending to process the purchase, but instead pocketing the money.

Early cash registers would only open the cash drawer when a sale was made.

Then the psychological effect was noticed and (ab)used to dupe people into thinking things were less expensive than they were (esp when the decimal part [pennies, cents.... whatever applies in your domain] was in a smaller font size than the main part [pounds, euros, dollars...].

In today's environment with most transactions being electronic, the original reason no longer applies, so (to a cynic like me) it appears that such pricing is intentionally deceptive at an initial/emotional level.

As an aside...

In the UK, the Monster Raving Loony Party proposed in its manifesto the minting of 99p coins as a pushback against this practice

(yes, they do exist
https://www.loonyparty.com/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... )

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