New tech cartoons

Among all the flowing tributes to Neil Armstrong, it was a small cartoon from xkcd.Com that best summed up his achievements. Tweeted and retweeted, the comic didnt lament the great mans passing. Instead, it pointed out the number of people to walked on the moon and the depressingly small number who were probably to do so in the future. As obviously as any opinion part, it said weve lost our way. Its no surprise that xkcd managed to do in a single panel see below what most obituaries struggled to do in a thousand words. Geek comics are the tech worlds fairground mirror, presenting a truth thats distorted but still familiar. Theyve been with us since before the internet took its 1st tottering steps, distilling complex issues into some panels and a dozen words. In this feature, we talk to some of todays most prolific tech cartoonists, discussing the difficulties of what they do, how their profession is changing, and the joys of tackling the tech worlds biggest issues. Meet the men holding the pencils. Weekly wisdom Its hard being humorous on a weekly base, particularly in an business where issues tend to be as inflammatory as a footballers tweets. So its testament to John Klossners skill that hes been a professional cartoonist for 25 years, contributing illustrations to The UNIX Haters Handbook and many other publications, before being taken on as Computerworlds inhabitant comic writer. When I started out, I didnt have a computer, less create technology related cartoons, says Klossner. But cartoons and humour arent essentially about the specific topics, theyre about the relationships, human and otherwise, inside those subjects. A caveman having trouble lighting a fire is feeling the same emotions as someone whose computer keeps crashing. Anybody whos ever dealt with a belligerent office printer will understand how apt this image is. Just like the caveman, Klossner claims the black art of being steadily humorous is more hard work than inspiration, particularly in those rare weeks when the tech business forgets to do something amusingly calamitous. I read lots to familiarise myself with many subjects, says Klossner. I find the best procedure for me is to use up a couple of hours sketching and thinking about a subject for a day or two, , then coming up with two to three ideas after sleeping on it. I like to share a couple of possibilities with clients and, after getting their reactions, pick one of the ideas to draw the finished part, which takes me anywhere from 30 minutes to some number of hours. I have a weekly deadline, which certainly helps me. It makes my thoughts flow. If I waited till the perfect joke or idea came along, Id end up doing one cartoon a year , then putting that off till next year, in case I came up with something better. Its a somewhat different story over on GeekCulture.Com, where the wonderfully monikered Nitrozac and Snaggy produce the delight of Tech comic. GeekCulture is an ad supported web site pushed into the black by merchandise sales, giving its artists free rein when it comes to their creations. So long as people keep clicking and purchasing T shirts, the artists can draw whatever they want which is like giving somebody the gift of flight, just so long as they keep flapping their arms. We publish thrice weekly, so the constant deadlines hinder our lives as human beings more than as artists, says Snaggy. We used to publish a new comic every day, which was brutal, but it honed our technical and creative expertise, and our discipline. That was the fire we were forged in. I like to think of it as our Hamburg Period, la The Beatles.

It's a far cry from the early days of the web, when geek comics were dominated by the weekly belittling of Dilbert the office automaton being ordered around by a clueless manager in a shirt and tie. Dilbert resonated with every IT worker whose boss had more desk than brain. These days, its just as probably the boss will be wearing a hoodie as a shirt, and unless hes handling an IPO, hell be far from clueless. consequently, Dilberts imitators, which were ubiquitous in the early 1990s, have disappeared, replaced by comics that take aim at wider issues in the business, rather than the offices they take place in. Sure, just like everything else, comics have changed, says Paul Johnson, who graduated from writing jokes for chat show host David Letterman to drawing comics for ITworld.Com. The audience changed also, but Im not sure theyre more sophisticated than they used to be. Peoples sense of humour changed, related to general changes in society and culture.

HP is happening this year

HP revealed the situation at the PC giant is probably to become worse before it gets better. CEO Meg Whitman said that revenue could fall in every division except software and warned not to expect any signs of recovery till 2014. While Whitman pinned much of the turmoil at the struggling tech firm on its management woes shes the 3rd CEO in as many years part of the firms trouble is down to slipping PC sales. HPs part of the shrinking PC market has fallen from 18.9 three years ago to 15.5 this year, according to analyst firm Gartner, which said Chinese competitor Lenovo had pipped HP to the top spot in world shipments in the last quarter. HP disputed the figures, preferring IDCs numbers that demonstrate that it still holds the top spot, but theres no denying Lenovos success the firm has nearly doubled its market share in the past three years. What we said: Its hard not to feel sympathy for Meg Whitman, as the mistakes were made long before she arrived, said features editor David Bayon. HP still has its fingers in so many pies many of them going stale that a period of cost cutting is inevitable. Whitman needs to choose on HPs major concentrate, as the things for which many consumers may know the company are not the things earning money. While weve suggested many of its buyer products over the years, a smaller HP that concentrates on enterprise could well be the most stable long term solution. What you said: Rhythm said HPs troubles were a shame, adding: We primarily use the EliteBook/ProBook range at work and I have the 8470p, which is great. Come on HP... Get it together and come out fighting. Anteaus isnt surprised by HPs troubles and its nothing to do with CEOs. You have to provide what the buyer wants.

HPs problems started when it dropped support and drivers for anything other than the preinstalled OS. Years ago, IBM learned the hard way that regardless how big you're, you can not force the buyer to purchase the product that you want to sell. It works the other way around.

What do you think about this?

Microsoft revealed its Windows RT Surface could be released in the UK at 399 for the 32GB version. but, that doesnt include the keyboard cover a key differentiating feature. Instead, the Touch Cover will cost 99 and the conventional keyboard Type Cover 109. A 32GB variant of the tablet will be available with a black Touch Cover for 479, while a 64GB Surface with the cover will cost 559. As promised, thats on a par with competitor tablets, the 16GB iPad is 399 when a 32GB variant is 479. but, there are major differences between the tablets, notably the new iPads impressive 2,048 x 1,536 resolution see p20 for more on the tablet market. What we said: Ever since the Surface RT was declared, its been seen in quite different ways by different people, said technical editor Darien Graham Smith. To some, its a plucky upstart with everything to prove, to others, its a new breed of professional tablet that makes the iPad and its Android counterparts appear like toys. if or not theres any truth to reports McKinnon was searching for data on aliens and his Aspergers Syndrome is no excuse. but, its probably that had he stood trial in 2002, hed already be out of prison. Now, he faces a UK trial more than ten years after the hack happened. What you said: PC Pro readers were divided over the case. Its shameful that this person has had to suffer years of uncertainty and fear to assuage the feelings of Americans who were so incompetent that they didnt properly secure their important military systems, argued qpw4141. Others disagreed. I have no sympathy with hackers, said rjp2000. Even if security was weak, it doesnt give anybody the entitlement to hack into military systems looking for little green men. Is hacking into military computer systems to leave anti American messages illegal or not? asked Tony_Yeah. The looking for UFO info angle is a red herring. If he dedicated a crime, he should be extradited, as should Americans who commit crimes here. The pricing details released this month do nothing to resolve that ambiguity to be just, this will rely as much on the maturation of the Windows Store as on the hardware itself. but, if its too early to say if the Surface and the RT platform all together is worth the money, one thing is for sure: by sustaining curiosity and anticipation, Microsofts pricing approach is already a success. What you said: Once again, opinion was split on Surface pricing. Great price for what I hope to be a great product, said onegin101. If all Ive seen pans out then the build quality and capability of this device puts it out in front. This new software is unproven in the tablet space, so making the price higher than the current market leader is crazy, argued Chatan. It will come down to taste for majority of people, but for the corporates it'll be a question of dependability, compatibility and price, said baldmosher. I suspect Microsoft will rely on its base and the rest will sooner or later follow.

Camping soon?

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Garmin echoMAP 54dv transducer features:

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What was your last vehicle?

These Pure One oil filters are grossly overhyped. They aren’t a bad oil filter, and for the money have some value. I think if you get them free with the oil deal then it is a more nice. FYI, I have heard tons of complaints about Fram oil filters failing, so that’s the only filter I could avoid. My German and Austrian oil filters weigh 100 heavier, and appear more lasting. They’re also nexpensive. I typically use Mann or Mahle oil filters, with full synthetic Mobil One oil. I think Wix filters are decent and could use them if I could not get the better OEM European filters.

Hi to all. Im Chris from Durban, South Africa. I have had the alike problems on my polo classic comfortline 2007 sedan. I sent my car for full service in Feb 2015. But after receiving it, power steering light, abs and handbrake lights came up. Steering got tight. Did a battery test. Battery was changed. Car went well. But few weeks ago, same thing happened. Power steering light, abs and handbrake lights came on. Took it to an auto electrician. He re-connected the earth wiring. Put the diagnostics machine, cleared faults. It ran well. Till last week. Just HANDBRAKE AND ABS CAME ON. He checked car and said fill brake liquid. I did. Fault never come back till today. Same HANDBRAKES, ABS, POWER STEERING LIGHTS CAME ON. IGNITION WAS ZEROING FOR THE LAST 2 DAYS. What may be the because? Ive put my spare key on and waiting to see what happens. The faults have cleared and car is running but I still don't have peace of mind. Chrisrk from South Africa$. (roadtestreports.co.uk)

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The class action lawsuit that GM is facing in Texas federal court was filed by a group of car holders stating that the defect has devalued their vehicles. The suit claims that GM was concealing a defect that because its vehicles to have a sudden engine power loss, adding that the companys tries to hide the problem were revealed by the recall, thereby diminishing the value of its vehicles. . (classaction.org)