Hacker News: SmellyGeekBoy

New comment by SmellyGeekBoy in "Microsoft begins showing an anti-Firefox ad in the Windows 10 start menu"

SmellyGeekBoy — Mon, 10 Feb 2020 13:37:55 +0000

It's advertising. Smack bang in the middle of the OS you paid hundreds for.

New comment by SmellyGeekBoy in "Microsoft begins showing an anti-Firefox ad in the Windows 10 start menu"

SmellyGeekBoy — Mon, 10 Feb 2020 13:36:59 +0000

One of the many reasons why I hate Windows 10. Just get out of my way and let me use my computer how I want.

I'd put on my "smug Linux user" hat but to be honest my distro of choice (Ubuntu) has Amazon search integrated by default. The only saving grace is that it can be easily, completely, and permanently removed with just a couple of commands.

Seriously considering a Macbook for my next computer at this point.

New comment by SmellyGeekBoy in "I ordered a box of boxes from The Packaging Wholesalers via Amazon.ca"

SmellyGeekBoy — Mon, 10 Feb 2020 10:23:13 +0000

This comment seems to be the mail order equivalent of the "they can't legally make you stay after the bell rings in class" kid at school.

New comment by SmellyGeekBoy in "Tracking systems of TV streaming devices"

SmellyGeekBoy — Mon, 10 Feb 2020 10:10:09 +0000

It's mind boggling that they continue to make life so difficult for paying customers when it's possible to go to a site like Pirate Bay and get a bit-perfect rip in less than 15 minutes without Hollywood making a single penny.

Just let me buy DRM-free movies and download them to my NAS - and without all the tracking bullshit!

New comment by SmellyGeekBoy in "Linux 5.6 is the most exciting kernel in years"

SmellyGeekBoy — Mon, 10 Feb 2020 09:24:22 +0000

Ubuntu takes all of about 10 minutes to install a full blown desktop and Just Works™ based on my recent experience. Not to take anything away from the amazing tweakability and customizability of Arch, but the target audience is completely different.

New comment by SmellyGeekBoy in "Magic Roundabout (Swindon)"

SmellyGeekBoy — Thu, 23 Jan 2020 13:19:49 +0000

I bought a DEC MicroVAX on ebay a few years ago and the seller lived in Swindon. I passed through the Magic Roundabout on the way there and the way back (during rush hour). Having never encountered anything like it before it was... Well, I'd love to tell you a horror story, but to be honest it was all very logical and flowed very well.

New comment by SmellyGeekBoy in "Every Google result now looks like an ad"

SmellyGeekBoy — Thu, 23 Jan 2020 13:00:31 +0000

To be fair this exact behaviour has been happening since pretty much day 1, Google no longer being run by engineers is a very recent development.

New comment by SmellyGeekBoy in "Every Google result now looks like an ad"

SmellyGeekBoy — Thu, 23 Jan 2020 12:47:02 +0000

The Fastmail app is very good, for example.

New comment by SmellyGeekBoy in "Microsoft to force Chrome default search to Bing via Office365 ProPlus installer"

SmellyGeekBoy — Thu, 23 Jan 2020 12:31:40 +0000

Not just the constant notifications but it even shows messages on the lock screen!

New comment by SmellyGeekBoy in "Logitech limits number of additions and deletions of Harmony Hub devices"

SmellyGeekBoy — Thu, 23 Jan 2020 10:26:54 +0000

Seems you have your answer right there. Time to get hacking!

New comment by SmellyGeekBoy in "Logitech limits number of additions and deletions of Harmony Hub devices"

SmellyGeekBoy — Thu, 23 Jan 2020 10:25:02 +0000

8bitdo make some really nice gamepads.

New comment by SmellyGeekBoy in "Adult site leaks data of cam models"

SmellyGeekBoy — Thu, 16 Jan 2020 16:52:38 +0000

To be fair I had to use this very process to book a hotel in the Caribbean just last year - a hotel owned and operated by a British company!

New comment by SmellyGeekBoy in "Adult site leaks data of cam models"

SmellyGeekBoy — Thu, 16 Jan 2020 16:51:09 +0000

You have fake passport and credit card scans? I'm not sure you should admit that on a public forum.

New comment by SmellyGeekBoy in "Show HN: Tired of mobile games with IAP and ads, I made No-Bullshit Games"

SmellyGeekBoy — Thu, 16 Jan 2020 13:33:18 +0000

I played the original to death "back in the day" so I'm really sad to hear that they went down this route. Probably also explains why nobody talks about Angry Birds anymore.

New comment by SmellyGeekBoy in "Climate Change Is Killing Alpine Skiing as We Know It"

SmellyGeekBoy — Thu, 16 Jan 2020 13:00:58 +0000

Why assume they're using non-renewable energy? These resorts are in mountainous regions where hydro, wind etc are all very viable options.

New comment by SmellyGeekBoy in "Google is finally killing off Chrome apps, which nobody really used"

SmellyGeekBoy — Thu, 16 Jan 2020 11:38:33 +0000

To be fair, Windows 10 does this.

New comment by SmellyGeekBoy in "Many games are held together by duct tape"

SmellyGeekBoy — Wed, 15 Jan 2020 12:30:54 +0000

I'm not sure about the others but Minecraft's code was notoriously bad for years, but it didn't seem to hold it back.

New comment by SmellyGeekBoy in "Tesla Surges Above $500, Leaving Analyst Targets in the Dust"

SmellyGeekBoy — Mon, 13 Jan 2020 16:51:21 +0000

> They did not have any disadvantages besides the high price

iPhones couldn't run Flash (which powered all of the interactive content on the internet at the time), couldn't send MMS (which was the way everyone shared photos at the time) or run apps (which was how feature phones added functionality at the time).

"Why on Earth would anyone want one of those!?" was a pretty common reaction, yet they still sold like hotcakes. In the case of Flash and MMS, the whole mobile internet changed to suit the iPhone. In the case of apps, Steve Jobs finally relented, leading to the single biggest software marketplace in the world.

New comment by SmellyGeekBoy in "Gandi loses data, customers told to use their own backups"

SmellyGeekBoy — Thu, 09 Jan 2020 15:57:00 +0000

> And honestly, if you don't keep data of stuff you host on a server provider like this, you kind of get what you deserve...

While I agree that everyone should have their own off-site backups, this does come across as incredibly crass victim blaming.

New comment by SmellyGeekBoy in "Gandi loses data, customers told to use their own backups"

SmellyGeekBoy — Thu, 09 Jan 2020 15:55:00 +0000

They put a rude word on their homepage, that makes them edgy and cool and anti-corporation!