Showing 1 - 10 of 10
Q&A, truth, lies, the web and you
Life, James Hein, Published on 10/04/2024
» The online world is changing and not necessarily for the better. I'm old enough to remember what you were looking for came up as the first search result, when there was a search facility, that is. The old Bulletin Boards kept their subject matter to the topic of the board with opinions kept to opinion sites. Sites on science were not one-sided as they presented the facts along with the supporting data for checking and verification. If people disagreed, they also brought their data along to challenge a thesis and a healthy and often robust debate followed. That was then.
Finally, an iPod replacement
Life, James Hein, Published on 20/11/2019
» Those who have known me for a while know I'm a lover of new technology. Aside from computer- and guitar-related items, I also like to listen to good quality sound playback. To further that goal I recently picked up a few FiiO devices. The M5 is a small, square, HD music player. It supports all Bluetooth protocols and when they are available up to a 2TB microSD card. While the unit will play back MP3s the focus is on the high-end codecs including FLAC. I paired this with the new FH7 in-ear headphones, which provided the broadest soundscape I have ever listened to and allowed me to follow a single instrument through the entire song. The last item was their BD3, a small unit that plugs into a cable allowing the headphones to act as a Bluetooth unit that can be paired to the M5 if I decide to wear it like a watch. As I found out when researching, you can pay some very large sums for headphones and related equipment but this set seems to be a nice sweet spot of quality and flexibility without going crazy.
The limits of simulations
Life, James Hein, Published on 09/10/2019
» I've recently been assigned to a team working on a simulator to model and test some business scenarios. The details aren't important but the upshot is that a model will be built, some decision points assigned percentages and times, then 1,000 transactions run through to see what the baseline is.
Free stuff, TVs, and hacking
Life, James Hein, Published on 25/02/2015
» If you use email and the internet then you will have been bombarded with offers for free stuff. These offers take various forms, but the most common one is the chance to win something for free, where your chances increase with the more friends you get involved with and then there are the mandatory pages of offers that you need to say "no" to, in order to complete the application.
The year Samsung outsmarted Apple
Life, James Hein, Published on 31/12/2014
» It is that time of year where I look back and see how many of the predictions I made at the start of the year happened.
Are Padfones one step too far?
Life, James Hein, Published on 11/06/2014
» Sometimes all you need, or want, is a simple version of a device that will meet your needs. All too often in the IT and technology industries, builders keep adding bits and pieces to a product to try and make it all things to all people. Microsoft Office is one example. How many people use all the functionality of, say, Word — or even 50% of what’s available?
Don't bank on security of websites
Life, James Hein, Published on 22/01/2014
» In more hacking news this week, the names, home and email addresses, phone numbers and other personal information of around 70 million Target shoppers were grabbed in yet another a database raid that included 40 million credit card details. One of the reasons I use PayPal is because I only have to give my credit card details to one provider. I try to minimise who gets access to my credit card and banking details and PayPal is one way to do that.
News in the mobile world
Life, James Hein, Published on 06/11/2013
» Apple has outperformed the financial projections of Wall Street moneymen but income is still down. Earlier in the year, things were not looking so good but Apple had a strong finish on the back of the sale of their latest products and claimed that 340 million iPhones were sold. They also sold 14.1 million iPads last quarter and more than 4.6 million iMacs.
Paying through the nose
Life, James Hein, Published on 03/04/2013
» A report out of Brisbane, Australia highlights an interesting but predictable issue. A specialty food store put a sign in the window stating that they charge A$5 (150 baht) to enter the store, which is refundable if you buy something. If you don't make any purchases then the store is assuming you are comparing prices to goods which you then buy online. Also, in this particular example, the store owner told reporters that about 60 people a week ask for advice then shop elsewhere, so she considers the $5 to be an advisory fee. She also believes that her policy is echoed by other store owners like those in sports, electronics and clothing.
Backtracking Apple allows ad tracking
Life, James Hein, Published on 24/10/2012
» So you have your new iPhone 5 and you love it; good for you! The first time you access iTunes you'll need to provide a payment gateway of some kind. Unlike with Android-based devices, you'll need to give Apple financial access in order to be able to get to the free stuff. My advice, especially if you have children, is to use a debit card with a low ceiling on spending, or something similar, so that when your children use your phone and inadvertently start paying for stuff, your liability will be kept within acceptable limits.