Don't knock blogging

Subject: self-repair chips

This sounds like a disaster waiting to happen!

Imagine if Intel were to implement this in their CPU's: It wouldnt take long for a virus writer to come up with some code that could turn half the worlds PC's into bricks!

Tom Farmer

Subject: Teachers

While i agree with the sentiment of "there are much worse things than this" i do not agree with the predation on teachers who have had virtually ALL power taken away from them. While i'm not a teacher or related to teaching in any way, i can safely say that if a video was posted of me with my pants being pulled down - bullying in effect. I would go an beat up the person who posted it and make sure they never did it again. Then i'd complain to youtube and they'd take it down with no problems.

Seriously though, all the rules are about protecting the kids in school and not about protecting the rights of the teachers. While i don't want to bring back physical punishment (as giving power to those small-minded teachers is just as bad as those politicians) teachers need to have more power over the small-minded kids they help to rear. It's not surprising that you see all this lack of respect towards older people from teenagers when they're taught that they can get away with anything with not even a slap on the wrist.

You complain about the small-minded policy makers but not about the small-minded kids who will one day grow into these losers?

Get a proper perspective.

Regards,
James

Subject: One Laptop Per Child OS emerges

300mb? for what?

Sascha Krohn

Subject: Memory vending machines begin to tip up

We have had a very similar vending machine operating in the lobby of one of our buildings (University of Surrey) since the end of 2006.

It sells USB flash drives, USB cables, various bits of blank media and other goodies.

Il be sure to grab and send you a pic soon. Regards
Jacob Friend

Subject: INQ solar panels up a month

Mike,

If the local power utility doesn't want to give you anything for your electricity, do you produce enough to power a microbrewery? The conversion from kilowatts of electrical juice to pints of suds would be a marketable idea, that is if the staff didn't quaff it all before it could be sold.

Charles Greene

Subject: Puk off

Hi Paul,

Couldn't resist the subject, sorry. I've used mousepads with gel wrist rests for years now and find them incredibly good at supporting my mouse hand. All this proves though is what you said: some people will like it, some won't.

regards,
Graeme

Subject: Worlds first

Its not really a worlds first as there's been on in the library at Lancaster University for at least a year. Or is this just the worlds first that any one gives a crap about?

Chris

Subject: I Pukkered up Butterkup

I tried a mousepad with one of those gel wrist pads once, I felt it blocked flow of blood to my hand and found it uncomfortable and not beneficial at all, so I agree with your writings.

I once heard drinking plenty of fluids prevents RSI, I bet that theory gets a lot of bartender points! although I don't know if it's really true. :)

W

Subject: cheap 1973 graphics card.

Hi Mike, I hope I haven't used the wrong e-mail address. I wasn't sure who to contact.

I'll get my praise out of the way first, KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK! Gotta love the inq. I feel better now.

Anyways, back to what I was originally going to say, I got a little (senti)mental the other day and thought back about all the old computer stuff I've had over the years.

My old graphics card was one thing that stuck in my mind. A Guillemot Maxi Gamer Xentor 32.

Cost me a hundred and eighty bleedin quid when I first bought it. Was top of the range at the time and the absolute bane of my life as far as getting the thing to work for more than 2 minutes without crashing.

Well, I thought I'd have a look on the internet for some old reviews for a laugh and found quite a few so I thought "Hey, I wonder if anyone still sells these things?"

Turns out they do! Linky

For a mere $90 and $5 shipping you can get yourself this amazing refurbished card.

Quite why anyone would go as far as refurbishing one is beyond me, but hey! It's vintage! - According to the page, they've had them in stock since September 4, 1973. One year after pong.

I think I've had a lucky turn though! Some silly fool has it going for 50p on ebay!

Mr Lee Stuart

Subject: inq solar

JEez,

393kWh costs you 180 euros? I think that would be ~0.65 GW dollars per kWh.

And here I wqs complaining about 15c/kWh (or 13c for dirty stuff) in Tx for wind energy....Back in Florida where I grew up it's ~10c/kWh.

I hate to expose some of my socialist side, but I think its good to have that high of energy costs to provide a disincentive for consumption. People are going to call me a flag burner for that, but I do think we use way too much energy over here and raising prices is the only way its going to stop.

The way I see it, we have two choices add taxes to it or wait for it to run out....at which point prices will go up. Of course, then there's the question of climate change...

Glen

Subject: humiliation of teacher by You Tube

You wouldn't be so flippant had the teacher been female, would you?

Let's suppose the teacher had been female, how would doing that to her be describable as anything other than sexual assault? What happens when some pea brained little moron get's it into their skull to go one step further on you tube?

Just because it's a male teacher we shouldn't assume any less humiliation or emotional injury.

Perhaps you wouldn't mind having some group of kids rush you and de-pants you for the pleasure of You Tube views around the world? Obviously, it's just a bit of fun. To you at least.

GMT

Subject: Blogging

Dear Inquirer,

Don't knock blogging.

It provides a useful outlet for loonies, who otherwise might take up hacking.

And as security experts, we're very much against hacking.

Our intrusion detection systems aren't picking up so many amateur hacks these days. Not because we've missed them. But because attention seekers have given up on crime and taken up publishing.

Hooray for blogging. Just don't ask me to read any of it.

That's the good news.

The bad news is that there are more professional hackers than ever. And they are mighty devious. So thank God for Countersnipe and its SNORT based intrusion detection and prevention software.

regards

John Dawson
marketing manager,
Countersnipe

Subject: Worlds first flash vending machine

Uh, in the Bedford Library at Royal Holloway, UoL they've got a vending machine that dishes out flash drives and a few other bits and bobs. So sorry its not a worlds first.

Mike

Subject: Memory vending machines begin to tip up

I was in the Minneapolis airport on the 10th of March and they had all those gadgets in vending machines as you walked out to the gates. They certainly weren't brand new machines. They also had stuff such as disposable cameras and such. You guys are way behind the times.

Bob Gleason

Subject: Tom's Hard Wares

Fuq Tom,

I quit reading tom's spew after happening upon the egos of Tom and Kyle(of hardocp) ass-reaming one another in a dark alley in Old Taipei.

Now, I just read the the Inq & the Rog... all they do is just kack one another.

(kacking = ball smashing(at least where I come from)

Woodchuk

Subject: Memory vending machines begin to tip up

Whoah, I'd like to see the classic harddisk in the upper row please. Finally a good shock test in live conditions ;-)

Greetings
Bertho

PS. Does the machine provide an external USB connector to test the device (like you used to test lightbulbs)?

Subject: Tom's Hardware Sold

I' used to visit Tom's Hardware guide daily since 2000. THG had a profound influence on me when dealing with hardware to the point that if something wasn't reviewed by them I would not buy it. After they made the change on the site interface I visit them maybe once a month just to see if they are ever going to change the super bloated interface. There is too much content on their pages. They may still be good with the reviews and opinions but the site is painful to read.

Aholguin

Subject: Fabulous...

The only way it could get any better, would be to fill the disks with free porn. Along with my tribute to porn, I will give you a free advertisement.

Porn: The only reason Al Gore invented the internet.

Mataroo

Subject: 8800 Ultra to arrive on May Day

That's likely to translate to more than 600 pounds in real money, which is a bonkers amount to spend on a single component."

Although true it's funny coming from the inq who lately is happily spouting on about the QX6800 and QX6700 CPU's from intel, which you can't really get for less than 600 quid either can you now.

Plus the inq tests low-end graphicscards using the same £600+ CPU as if they are given away free with every purchase of a bag of crisps.

W

Subject: Flash vending machines

They installed (at least) one at Manchester Uni back in September. Doesn't just do flash either... Of course the prices are highly inflated but it does do chip & pin. The best part is - if it gives you the wrong product, instead of whinging to our help desk and we sort it, we simply tell them to pop it in an envelope, send to some address somewhere and assuming it arrives, get a refund!

Simon

Subject: Repair hardware with software

Great.. and how long before we get a virus that destroys our hardware instead?

I prefer to return broken hardware at the store i bought it at..

regards,
Dennis Jakobsen

Subject: the kind of reforms that the RIAA is after

Actually it is quite surprising that RIAA and the Chinese government have not already made a deal.

I mean, both organizations see no problem in arresting someone on the flimsiest of charges, and neither have big problems in sending people to jail with only a simulacrum of judiciary oversight.

And, of course, both will do whatever it takes to find some element of proof to support their suspicions, as flimsy as it may be, even if it requires planting it in the first place.

No, I really don't see any difference between RIAA and the Chinese government. Except, of course, that one has a billion users to lock down, track and spy upon, whilst the other has a billion citizens and the future of a country to manage.

Just a question of perspective, I guess.

Pascal

Subject: Dark Side of Technology?

Violent video games doesn't make people violent. People make people violent.

Money doesn't make people happy. People make people happy.

There is no such thing as a dark side of technology, and there never will be. The only dark side of anything is the people.

The Dude