Posts by jeremy gray

  • Hard News: The other kind of phone tapping,

    Phreaking is the term. Here's what wiki says:

    Possibly one of the first phreaking methods was switch-hooking. It allows placing calls from a phone where the rotary dial or keypad has been disabled by a key lock or other means to prevent unauthorized calls from that phone. It is done by rapidly pressing and releasing the switch hook to open and close the subscriber circuit, simulating the pulses generated by the rotary dial

    point chev • Since Apr 2008 • 44 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: MegaBox: From f**k-all to zero,

    This seems like such a bad idea. It is a throw back to bonzi buddy and free internet providers that showed ads in exchange for dial up.

    Since those days I think IT security has got a lot more important. Is anyone really going to trust a program dedicated to displaying ads from these guys? It will have to be closed source in order to not be modified and turned off, and have pretty high privileges to overwrite ads (network access, presumably read/write to store data). If it isn't 100% secure there is potential for a lot of damage if something goes wrong, and the number of users they will have makes it seem like a big target. No way any smart sys-admin will allow it on any remotely sensitive computers.

    This is of course to say nothing about the problems of replacing site owners own ads, which is its own kettel of fish.

    point chev • Since Apr 2008 • 44 posts Report Reply

  • Capture: BOTY Potty.,

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    All clean. After Rena, they deserve a break

    point chev • Since Apr 2008 • 44 posts Report Reply

  • Capture: BOTY Potty.,

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    Little blues....

    point chev • Since Apr 2008 • 44 posts Report Reply

  • Field Theory: Never alone with Metenolone,

    Re looking like real people, the bbc has a page here to find your body double http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19050139

    point chev • Since Apr 2008 • 44 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: The Engagement,

    Given that the BBC was forbidden from covering the royal wedding in 1923 in case "the service might be listened to by men in pubs wearing cloth caps", i am looking forward to the reason given for banning of youtube coverage.

    point chev • Since Apr 2008 • 44 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Moving targets,

    If the government can retrospectively add on a yearly "administration fee" to my student loan, I don't see why we can't retrospectively end past members travel perks.

    point chev • Since Apr 2008 • 44 posts Report Reply

  • Legal Beagle: At least we have MMP,

    Tim, your argument about splitting a party into two parties contesting electorate and list votes happened in Italy in 2001. The two main parties put all their electorate members in a decoy party and asked for voters to not give their paty votes to the original party. The problem was both sides did the same, and it kind of evened out.

    point chev • Since Apr 2008 • 44 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Meaning well with the money…,

    According to the herald, they only release the amount collected by the scheme at the end of each year, and as of June 30 2009 had collected $228 million.

    The $900 million is money set aside to pay for defaults. The difference of $700 million is crazy - insurance generally takes in more than it expects to pay out. The $700 million difference could do a bunch of better things - like universal student allowances ($728 million).

    point chev • Since Apr 2008 • 44 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: My Mum and other good things,

    Do iPhones not allow tethering? The 2.2 android update comes with an app which lets your phone act as a modem and router with its 3G connection.

    point chev • Since Apr 2008 • 44 posts Report Reply

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