The interesting thing is that this is spin, rather than an actual lie. They don't say "destroy photocopies you have in school" - they say "destroy any unauthorized photocopies". The quoted law authorizes school's copies.
England's dot-uk is the fourth largest Internet domain with more than 3.5 million registrations.
For crying out loud! You'd have though the Washingtonm Post would have enough of a clue to know the difference between England and The United Kingdom. At least refer to us as Britain. This is like calling everyone from the US a Texan just because it's the biggest state.
1) To give SIM-less phones something to identify themselves to the network with, so they can make emergency calls.
2) To identify an individual phone or model (IMEIs are constructed so that each model and manufacturer has a known range) in case it's so broken it causes serious problems to the network.
3) To identify stolen phones.
IMEIs are not used to identify users. The IMSI does that, and you can't change it. There is NO good reason to change it unless you want to get around 2 or 3. You're identified by something you can't change, so privacy etc has NOTHING to do with it. (And why would any network allow fully anonymous access? There aren't any that allow totally free airtime + no incoming calls, so they need to ID the subscriber somehow. If you're that bothered, buy a pre-pay with cash. They'll stil be able to track you, they just won't have a clue who you are)
It should also be noted most service providers have only recently started to use EIRs (the thing that lists good and bad IMEIs) because they are of no benefit to them. Someone using a stolen phone but paying the bill? Great! Someone using a stolen phone and NOT paying the bill? Ban the IMSI.
So they just block you based on IMSI, which would be much worse, anyway, as you couldn't change phones. And why would a network want to block the access of a customer who pays his bills?
This is such a non-issue it's ridiculous. You're identified by IMSI. Always. And you can't change it without commiting fraud, as you'd be getting free calls.
The phone only sends it's IMEI if there's no SIM (and therefore can only make emergency calls), and at power on so the IMEI can be checked against the EIR in case it's listed as stolen or non-compliant (i.e. broken so bad it fubars the network.) You can ALWAYS be identified by IMSI/TMSI. There is NO legitamate reason for an IMEI to be changed. They only can be changed because it's easier to store it in the already present flash rather than in a more permanent medium.
You get more channels and better picture and sound.
Hardly. DVB here in the UK uses crappy MPEG sound encoding, not the nice NICAM digital transmitted alongside standard analogue TV. And the picture is horrible compared to stong analogue signals (like cable), too. In fact, AFAIR, the Advertising Standards Agency told off a cable company for advertising "superior" sound and picture quality with digital. Now they just say "digital quality", which, unfortunately for Joe Punter, sound like better quality even though it's horribly over-compressed
While it's true you can't get region free players in Dixons or Comet (who's staff are so brain dead they tell people that they are illegal), you can easily get them in high-street AV specailists. Like Richer Sounds, for example.
(And no, I don't work for them or have any other interest in them appart from buying stuff.)
Actually, Blunkett seems to do a bait and switch all the time. Propose something totally outrageous, then back down and "compromise" to what you actually wanted in the first place AND get to look reasonable and willing to meet people's concerns.
This government has lost all credability when it come to image - you're never quite sure if it's real or spin.
The thing is, they will care when it happens. Joe Sixpack likes to record things off of TV, and if he suddenly can't, he'll be pissed.
But you're right, Joe Sixpack right now couldn't give a monkey's. Partially because it's so unbelievable. "What, the government is going to stop me from recording my TV shows so I can watch them later? Don't be stupid."
The EU destroys you in the long run? Eh? We're not your enemy you know. And the EU itself is run as just one big quasi-governmental undemocratic beurocratic "quango" anyway.
(Me, I'm a pro-European Scot who's quite happy being British, too. But the way the EU is run makes me think we should shake it up like an Etch-a-Sketch and start again.)
Technically, yes. Of course, they're probably breaking the law by using your network without permission (implied or otherwise). The only real difference between wired and wireless is perhaps that it is more obvious that you're "doing wrong" by using someone's LAN without permision when it is wired. Unless you leave wired RJ45 sockets on the street outside your house...
Why? Given that the British public has shown it will react badly to banks that impose this, I fail to see why the euro would make any difference. The reaction was so bad it even forced banks that charged you when you used other bank's ATMs to stop.
You might be charged to withdraw cash in other euro-zone countires, but that happens at the moment. At least with the euro you would see what was being charged.
Unless, of course, you live in the UK, where no bank dares charge ATM fees.
In most cases, not even if you use another bank's machine. Barcalys tried to introduce it a while back, but there was such an outcry they had to back down. In fact, it was a PR disaster for them, and now a lot of people refuse to use them for that very reason.
The switch knows the incomming number, it just didn't send it to the phone. So they can technically get the number. However, if the caller has opted to remain anonymous, they may not be able to legally give you the number. Either that or it's just more hasle than it's worth to them.
Not really true anymore. Yeah, it used to be, but now must European countries have internet calling plans where you pay per min, some where you pay per month, and some where there is a combination (e.g. cheaper per month, but pay for peak calls only).
More specifically, English media. Us Celts (I'm Scottish), spend too much time slagging of the English to worry about Germany. And some of us have a soft spot for the German team because the USUALLY beat the English.
(Although I'm part German, so would support them anway.)
The funny part is, the English media slag off the German team something rotten, yet don't understand why the Scottish media is negative about the English team. It's rivalry, you idiots!
(Yes, I know the Scottish team sucks right now, but unlike the English press, we don't think we have a god given right to win every tournament.)
Slashdot Mirror
Yeah they did. It's just not been formatted right:
:-P
China eh? Funny,
I always thought Haiku was
a Japanese art. . .
How would giving away for free something that has an actual normal sale price of $0.00 be a bribe?
The interesting thing is that this is spin, rather than an actual lie. They don't say "destroy photocopies you have in school" - they say "destroy any unauthorized photocopies". The quoted law authorizes school's copies.
No, it makes me ignorant about the individual US States - particularly while ranting. For which I apologise.
England's dot-uk is the fourth largest Internet domain with more than 3.5 million registrations.
For crying out loud! You'd have though the Washingtonm Post would have enough of a clue to know the difference between England and The United Kingdom. At least refer to us as Britain. This is like calling everyone from the US a Texan just because it's the biggest state.
The intended use of the IMEI is 3 fold:
1) To give SIM-less phones something to identify themselves to the network with, so they can make emergency calls.
2) To identify an individual phone or model (IMEIs are constructed so that each model and manufacturer has a known range) in case it's so broken it causes serious problems to the network.
3) To identify stolen phones.
IMEIs are not used to identify users. The IMSI does that, and you can't change it. There is NO good reason to change it unless you want to get around 2 or 3. You're identified by something you can't change, so privacy etc has NOTHING to do with it. (And why would any network allow fully anonymous access? There aren't any that allow totally free airtime + no incoming calls, so they need to ID the subscriber somehow. If you're that bothered, buy a pre-pay with cash. They'll stil be able to track you, they just won't have a clue who you are)
It should also be noted most service providers have only recently started to use EIRs (the thing that lists good and bad IMEIs) because they are of no benefit to them. Someone using a stolen phone but paying the bill? Great! Someone using a stolen phone and NOT paying the bill? Ban the IMSI.
So they just block you based on IMSI, which would be much worse, anyway, as you couldn't change phones. And why would a network want to block the access of a customer who pays his bills?
This is such a non-issue it's ridiculous. You're identified by IMSI. Always. And you can't change it without commiting fraud, as you'd be getting free calls.
The phone only sends it's IMEI if there's no SIM (and therefore can only make emergency calls), and at power on so the IMEI can be checked against the EIR in case it's listed as stolen or non-compliant (i.e. broken so bad it fubars the network.) You can ALWAYS be identified by IMSI/TMSI. There is NO legitamate reason for an IMEI to be changed. They only can be changed because it's easier to store it in the already present flash rather than in a more permanent medium.
Hmm. I read that as stimulated. I need to get out more.
You get more channels and better picture and sound.
Hardly. DVB here in the UK uses crappy MPEG sound encoding, not the nice NICAM digital transmitted alongside standard analogue TV. And the picture is horrible compared to stong analogue signals (like cable), too. In fact, AFAIR, the Advertising Standards Agency told off a cable company for advertising "superior" sound and picture quality with digital. Now they just say "digital quality", which, unfortunately for Joe Punter, sound like better quality even though it's horribly over-compressed
Balls. Pressed submit when I meant to press preview. Try here instead.
While it's true you can't get region free players in Dixons or Comet (who's staff are so brain dead they tell people that they are illegal), you can easily get them in high-street AV specailists. Like Richer Sounds, for example.
(And no, I don't work for them or have any other interest in them appart from buying stuff.)
No, I don't. But "New" Labour seem to have been the ones who started the focus on image above all else.
Actually, Blunkett seems to do a bait and switch all the time. Propose something totally outrageous, then back down and "compromise" to what you actually wanted in the first place AND get to look reasonable and willing to meet people's concerns.
This government has lost all credability when it come to image - you're never quite sure if it's real or spin.
The thing is, they will care when it happens. Joe Sixpack likes to record things off of TV, and if he suddenly can't, he'll be pissed.
But you're right, Joe Sixpack right now couldn't give a monkey's. Partially because it's so unbelievable. "What, the government is going to stop me from recording my TV shows so I can watch them later? Don't be stupid."
The EU destroys you in the long run? Eh? We're not your enemy you know. And the EU itself is run as just one big quasi-governmental undemocratic beurocratic "quango" anyway.
(Me, I'm a pro-European Scot who's quite happy being British, too. But the way the EU is run makes me think we should shake it up like an Etch-a-Sketch and start again.)
Surely you could do it magnetically using a couple of inductor coils?
That might be beacause the US is about the only place which currently accepts software patents - they're meaningless in Europe (at the moment).
ISTR that the patent on LZW has expired now, anyway. Therefore the push to move away from GIFs is reduced.
Technically, yes. Of course, they're probably breaking the law by using your network without permission (implied or otherwise). The only real difference between wired and wireless is perhaps that it is more obvious that you're "doing wrong" by using someone's LAN without permision when it is wired. Unless you leave wired RJ45 sockets on the street outside your house...
But they disallow you from re-distributing the service - for a fee or otherwise. While these people are not theives, they are commiting fraud.
Why? Given that the British public has shown it will react badly to banks that impose this, I fail to see why the euro would make any difference. The reaction was so bad it even forced banks that charged you when you used other bank's ATMs to stop.
You might be charged to withdraw cash in other euro-zone countires, but that happens at the moment. At least with the euro you would see what was being charged.
Unless, of course, you live in the UK, where no bank dares charge ATM fees.
In most cases, not even if you use another bank's machine. Barcalys tried to introduce it a while back, but there was such an outcry they had to back down. In fact, it was a PR disaster for them, and now a lot of people refuse to use them for that very reason.
The switch knows the incomming number, it just didn't send it to the phone. So they can technically get the number. However, if the caller has opted to remain anonymous, they may not be able to legally give you the number. Either that or it's just more hasle than it's worth to them.
Not really true anymore. Yeah, it used to be, but now must European countries have internet calling plans where you pay per min, some where you pay per month, and some where there is a combination (e.g. cheaper per month, but pay for peak calls only).
More specifically, English media. Us Celts (I'm Scottish), spend too much time slagging of the English to worry about Germany. And some of us have a soft spot for the German team because the USUALLY beat the English.
(Although I'm part German, so would support them anway.)
The funny part is, the English media slag off the German team something rotten, yet don't understand why the Scottish media is negative about the English team. It's rivalry, you idiots!
(Yes, I know the Scottish team sucks right now, but unlike the English press, we don't think we have a god given right to win every tournament.)