Anthony

1 hour ago, blandy said:

That was for DRM reasons by the record companies, not Apple reasons. I agree broadly with the rest of your post though. Apple take advantage of their strength for purely commercial reasons (as do others, like google, Amazon etc.). They each do it in different ways and with different “justifications”, only a few of which seem to have any degree of validity to me.

Absolutely the record companies, yes. But the DRM should tie the track to a person, not an Apple or Sony product. I remember at the time thinking that Apple weren't being clear about the T's & C's tying you to Apple's iPods (at the time) and people were being duped. Anyway, if you want to release the tracks from DRM, so you can play them on anything, you have to pay Apple. I wonder how much of that money goes to the record companies?

3 hours ago, Genie said:

Putin is probably quite frustrated that the inflation shocks on the West are settling down now.

Except for his mate in Turkey. Inflation at 67%. Interest rates at 50%.

17 minutes ago, Genie said:

What do you mean? I can still use google apps, google sheets, samsung apps on my iphone. I can connect it to me car via cable or bluetooth.

I have several pairs cheap wireless earbuds that work perfectly.

Do android handsets offer apple pay? 

Yeah, you can use all those apps, but they're hobbled. Apple previously asserted (and won) in court saying that you don't need an App, you can just have a mobile web page, then no need to pay Apple the 30% App Store tax. The fact that apps have access to many more APIs than web pages was missed by the court. And Apple, for some reason. The suit suggests that some functionality is restricted to Apple stuff, for 'security' reasons. e.g. Apple earbuds have lots of groovy ways of interacting with the phone, but non Apple stuff isn't allowed to do quite so much. Same with features that were an innovative 3rd party app. Then Apple add the app's functionality to iOS, but with greater integration and functionality, thereby making the app less attractive and killing it, and, according to the suit, innovation generally, and it's the consumer that misses out. Their 'security reasons' happen to make Apple products more attractive, thereby making Apple more money. 'Security reasons' is Apple's reason for not allowing 3rd party app stores which means Apple can charge 30% on all App Store transactions, or a browser has to use Appe's Webkit, so that the browsers are mostly identical under the surface, meaning that there is no competition to improve a browser on iOS. For 'security reasons' My girlfriend still has a load of songs she bought on iTunes, that can only be played on Apple stuff. And the list goes on.

As for Apple Pay, Google Wallet etc, they're all pretty much identical for the end user. I've no idea if Apple Pay is available on Android, but they're free to make it available if they want. The key thing is that no vendor wants it, as it's expensive, in much the same way that many vendors don't take Amex, because it's too expensive. Because on an iPhone you can ONLY have Apple Pay, Apple has a captive market meaning that a if a vendor or bank refuses to take Apple Pay, then they lose out on the entire Apple user base. Some might say that is anti competitive behaviour.

Apple make some good products. They engage in anti competitive behaviour. So far, so normal for a megacorp. What sets Apple apart is the lies and abuse of trust. "We're doing this for you."

Always good to see abusers held to account

US accuses Apple of monopolising smartphone market

From Apple:

Quote

The lawsuit threatens who we are

Damn right it does.

12 minutes ago, BOF said:

It's often been asked.

Bloody Irish, coming over here, with their sensible loophole spotting. Bastards.

In the spirit of the photo above, I'd like VT to introduce a word filter to highlight a recurring grammar issue, and maybe make the world a little bit better.

Replace "it's" with "it is"

Chatroulette anyone?

1 hour ago, Designer1 said:

Still hoping they give it to Katie Price.

FTFY

42 minutes ago, bickster said:

He can still see the level of discontent by the people that didn't vote, spoilt their paper, poured oil in the ballot box etc and obviously where that discontent is

Lots of discontent in an area, conscript more from there that'll learn 'em. 

It also hammers home the message that there is no hope of rebellion. "Are you thinking of fighting back? I know you're unhappy. You know you're unhappy. Look how cowed everyone is."

I echo what @GeorgeVilla82says. Great for travelling too - no need to bugger about moving cash around, just use starling and get the best rates and no commission.

Additionally I had my debit card cloned and used. I got in touch with Starling immediately. They cancelled the card and refunded the cash immediately. 

Fulham 

1 hour ago, fruitvilla said:

FIFY

Do you live in a country where you get real snowfalls? I do and my Ford Focus, at times, just does not cut it.

I grew up in my teens in rural Norfolk. Not even in the village. If you need a 4x4, get a 4x4. Nobody needs these things, which look like they might be good at off road because they're big, but are shit at it. 

7 hours ago, mottaloo said:

Climate protesters latest.....letting down tyres of SUV. 

Not that I would ever be able to afford one....and yes, some proper words removed own them but if you've earned it through hard graft then to see some unwashed, tree hugging eco warrior using mung beans to help deflate the tyres.....well.....it does my head in.

Why not spray paint the local BMW dealership in tasteful orange instead of picking on the man in the street ?

No dig at anyone on here who is passionate about saving the planet - I get it, but does Swampy really believe he is going to influence the government by picking on the odd SUV parked across the road from his squat ?

This style of campaign started iirc in Sweden, and it worked. Wankpanzer sales tanked. 

Society doesn't need them. People don't need them. The planet doesn't need them.  The idea is that people who buy one don't think about their impact on the environment or other people at all. Once their tyres have been let down, maybe they wake up a bit. 

The only need for these **** things is with the people that make them. There are some great skilled people all over the world making these pieces of shit. Imagine what humanity could achieve if their skills were put to something useful. 

My sympathy with people on the receiving end of this type of protest is nil. 

I wonder if people could choose what plane to fly on, would anyone choose Boeing? 

8 minutes ago, Marka Ragnos said:

We should challenge people when they use the "b word" because, no matter how casually or innocuously it may be meant, it always* carries the gendered freight of ugly sexism, and ultimately, its meaning is based on denigrating women. It's especially a problem when we use it for women as a noun.

* The one exception may be in dog breeding, where the term is still used widely, if awkwardly. 

I just had a mini unserious moan to the other half, and in order to avoid the b word, I said 'witches'. She pointed out that whilst she admired the intent, I was doing it wrong. 

18 hours ago, Davkaus said:

Can you? How?

On android you can see what permissions an app asks for in theory. I read a thread a while ago on reddit about Tiktok and its devious arseholery. I'll see if I can dig it up. 

8 hours ago, OutByEaster? said:

It's not that the App syphons data - they all do - it's that it syphons it to the wrong people. Global control of data is important to the US. Can't have other nations doing the same things now can we?

Of course they all do, but you can see what data they're siphoning. Except Tiktok. 

There's something not mentioned in all that above. It's a surveillance app, disguised as a quirky short video app. The lengths it goes to disguise how much data it siphons is astounding. 

4 hours ago, mjmooney said:

You reckon? 

Yeah, hence the words 'sort of', but particularly compared to what's happening in the US where the Republicans have been 100% taken over by Trump. 

Interesting split between UK and US conservatism, the Conservative Party in the UK has managed to sort of keep its soul (as much as it ever had one) because the lunatic fringe is mostly outside, i.e. in the UKIP/reform parties, so that's where it shoves the loonies. As the US is such a severely 2 party system, there is nowhere for the loonies to go and they've infected the Replicans. 

Refute. 

It's not just a firmer way of saying 'reject' 

You reject something and provide evidence. If people agree with you, then, and only then is it refuted. You don't get to refute something yourself you **** spunktrumpets. 

Looking at you BBC, who really **** should know better.  You should be calling this shit out, not reprinting it without a thought. 

**** clearings in the woods. 

Do we know what flavour IL76 crashed? I can't find anything saying it was definitely the surveillance one, but maybe I've missed it. 

Back buttons that don't go back, but take you to an extra page of crap they think you might want to look at. They are always wrong. 

I miss the times when this thread was possibly page widening. 

As someone who lives in that there London, and neither owns nor wants a car, I spend a lot of time on public transport. Playing music or watching endless videos out loud on speaker cuts across all ages, all cultures. They're all around us and you never know who it's going to be.