Learning the language of Tabloid speak

I hadn't notice this before, but when a Tabloid newspaper writer uses the word claim, that writer wants you to disbelieve the claim, but when he uses the word admit he wants you to believe the admission. It was most noticeable this morning when I glanced at a headline saying, Katie admitted she still loved Pete. That seems fine until you think about the alternative: Katie claimed she still loved Pete. See what I mean?

I lost an argument on the train yesterday

Yesterday I was on a train talking to a man seated opposite. He was using a Laptop and muttering. This is roughly what was said:

MAN I hate this new laptop.

ME Yeah?

MAN Yeah I've had to change to Windows 7, managers orders.

ME What were you using?

MAN XP.

ME What's the problem?

MAN It's completely different.

I stay silent.

MAN I told them I was quite happy as I was.

ME But you're gradually getting used to it?

MAN Yeah.

MAN (More animated now) But that's not the point. I knew how to use the old system already. Why do they have to change the Interface. I can understand why they have to change how it works underneath, for new technology, music players and all that, but why make the user change What's the point of that?

ME I suppose they'd argue it makes it more usuable.

MAN But how can anything they change be easier than what I'm already used to?

I'd already lost the argument.

What do you think is the best way to defeat terrorism?

Educate people and tackle poverty. Sadly there are no short term solutions.

Ask me anything

If you could wake up as anyone tomorrow, who would it be?

A much cleverer version of myself

Ask me anything

formspring.me

Ask me anything http://formspring.me/silner «» This is quite good fun actually

Why Apple may never reach the mass market and why it's so obvious

OK in every new market (such as tablets right now) Apple surges to a massive market share. Why is this? Well here's the deal. The people who buy Apple products are rich, so as soon as a new product comes along they can just take those hundreds of pounds out of their petty cash and buy it.

The rest of us meanwhile, the ones who covet an Android phone for example, have to budget for items like that. Once we have the reserves, we'll get out and buy what we want. We make take longer, because we're not as impetuous as these Apple Junkies, but what we are, is a lot greater in numbers, so eventually we'll swamp the market and Apple's share will dwindle, because Apple only has early adopters.

There is no mass market for Apple goods and there never will be. There's no magic about this. It's so obvious and yet no one in the Apple press gang ever gets it. They really are wearing roses.

So there are programs that rip Blu-Ray after all

I was discussing this topic on IRC recently. At the time I wasn't aware of any applications that performed this task. So I was of no help to my fellow chatter. Since then I've asked more widely and come up with the following list.

AnyDVD HD

MakeMKV

DVDFab

HD Decrypter

As I understand it, these programs would be illegal to use in the USA, because of the DMCA, as well as being illegal in many parts of the EU, depending how member states interpret the EU copyright Directive, but by the same token, I assume they're perfectly legal to use in countries like India and New Zealand. I'd be interested if anyone can correct me on these assumptions.

Personally, I won't buy Blu-Ray films, precisely because I can't copy them. If I can't make back ups, then I don't really own them and I've never believed in renting. It's dead money, as they say.