Technology
Twitter Meet Manchester
Thursday 16 August 2007
Flickr have had their Manchester meetups. Now it's the turn of the Twitterers. Of course, any Twitter meet must be announced. Via Twitter. So what's the plan? Frankly I don't know. Graham Gilbert is organising, so feedback on dates (currently set as the 22nd September), meeting places, SMS pricing plans and how the iPhone might just help us with our addiction (or not) should be address via Graham's post. It should be fun. I'll be there in my Twittervision shirt, so see you there.
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Tumbling
Tuesday 26 June 2007
So there's a new addition to my own writings and links that some of you may well be aware of: nikf.tumblr.com. But what is it?
You can subscribe via a new link I've added in the RSS links to this page (you'll need an RSS-detecting browser to see that), by clicking this link, or following the image below to the site. I've also now added a nifty RSS extending box that shows you the main feeds I have in the sidebar.nikf :: misc is 'stuff' collated from the tubes, but not fully blogged. a link blog. a quote blog. a whatever I find blog. enjoy
Steve Jobs and Bill Gates at D:Conference
Thursday 31 May 2007
Zooomr needs some lovin'
Wednesday 30 May 2007
Zooomr: It's the next big photo-sharing site. I've been registered over there for over a year. And since then it's been snowballing into something of a killer site. Sure, there's not an Aperture plugin (yet!). Finally after over a week of hard work, today saw the launch of Mark III. During the 10 or so minutes that Mark III was up and running, I was blown away (and for the record, there's an API to help developers create said Aperture plugins coming with this release). Unfortunately, the database servers crashed, as I post, the folks behind it are scrambling to a datacentre to fix the issue.
Zooomr is just two people wanting to create something brilliant. But it's more than that. It's an entire community, and one that, once Mark III goes live, I'll be involving myself in. Mark III, whilst it works, is not coming back from the ether, however, until there's more funding and the all important servers to help ensure an app such as Zooomr Mk III can run just great.
(Read more on the Zooomr Blog and Technorati)
Zooomr is just two people wanting to create something brilliant. But it's more than that. It's an entire community, and one that, once Mark III goes live, I'll be involving myself in. Mark III, whilst it works, is not coming back from the ether, however, until there's more funding and the all important servers to help ensure an app such as Zooomr Mk III can run just great.
Robert Scoble is calling for people to support Zooomr on his blog, and I'd urge you to spread the word. Zooomr Mark III was, and still is awesome. Let's hope it's not too long before we get to see it again.
Quite why Zooomr, unlike Photobucket, Flickr etc, has not had more funding, or been snatched up is frankly beyond me.Lots of companies claim to care about startups. Here’s a chance to help one.
(Read more on the Zooomr Blog and Technorati)
Machine Tag Me
Sunday 06 May 2007
Yesterday's exceptionally fun Flickr Meetup brought up the need, or perhaps desire, for some kind of person-acknowledgement in the tagging, similar perhaps to FaceBook's exceptionally cool tagging ability that creates hotspots where you click the person as being. Like this one of me:
So what tag should be all agree on? I'm suggesting of:user=(username) - so of:user=nikf for the one above. It'd be great if Flickr built this in, and then linked up photos automagically. Of course, it'd be better for the Flickr system to use your Flickr ID (so, for example 80573242@N00 for me - find out yours here) but I'm sure that, if something such as this were implemented, there'd be some kind of automation to make this a really consumer friendly idea.
Like the idea? Then post on Flickr in the Ideas thread for it!
The Fate of my Nokia [Contains Rude Words]
Friday 04 May 2007
I have a love-hate relationship with my Nokia 6280. Well. I lie. Mostly a deep hatred relationship - except for the camera, which at 2MP is handy to have on me all the time. To date:
Someone else got kinda frustrated with their 6280 (Ondra) - and threw it against a wall. I salute you. My 6280 is already cowering with the fear of the iPhone's arrival already.
1It must be noted that I'm holding judgement on iPhone purely for contractual reasons - if the deal isn't right when the carrier's packages are announced, I'm honestly not sure what I'll do. Probably head back to Symbian. Symbian rocks.
- It refused to charge at random periods for a period of 4 months. Replacement charger has only delayed this happening again.
- It crashes. Like Windows Mobile. For no reason
- If you're lucky to get it charging, it'll crash when a phonecall comes in. But only after you've answered the god-damn call.
- It's a cheap, nasty handset. Feels horrible, the springs inside the slider are making funny sounds. For the first time ever, I'm glad I agreed to buy specific insurance for the handset from Vodafone. Never before has a phone felt to likely to break.
- I have yet to make a successful 3G video call. Not that I really need to, but it'd be nice if my 3G handset were to, y'know say actually work?
- Syncing. Sucks. The phone doesn't offer the ability to specify what each number is - Mobile, Office etc - until after you've saved them to the phone. And then you have to access it through way to many menus. Problem is, when it syncs, iSync simply puts numbers into a 'Other' category.
- The music player is all right, I guess. But so utterly primitive, that I can't believe they used it as a marketing point.
- I've been utterly disappointed that I've had to send it in for Firmware updates. Vodafone didn't do enough testing.
Someone else got kinda frustrated with their 6280 (Ondra) - and threw it against a wall. I salute you. My 6280 is already cowering with the fear of the iPhone's arrival already.
1It must be noted that I'm holding judgement on iPhone purely for contractual reasons - if the deal isn't right when the carrier's packages are announced, I'm honestly not sure what I'll do. Probably head back to Symbian. Symbian rocks.
Easter Tweets
Friday 06 April 2007
Thankfully Twitter's been far more reliable recently, and so I've given the Twitter badge a green light. If it gets too bad with regard to site loading times, I'll turn it off. If you're not on Twitter, then head over to twitter.com, and have a look. If you're wondering who's on, well there's luminaries such as Leo Laporte, RapidWeaver, myself, ElixirGraphics (sponsors of the RW Tips Screencasts), Larry 'Sundog' Pollock (RW Guru), Isaiah (The genius behind all the YourHead plugins) and Adam from SeyDesign and so many more.
What are you waiting for?! :)
Another Petition: Stop the Vista Overcharge
Monday 26 February 2007
Another petition to sign folks:
I blogged about this overcharing a few weeks ago - so sign the petition right here. I'm glad to see someone's trying to do something about this extortion.We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to bring pressure on Microsoft to stop them overcharging the UK for its Vista Operating System.
Macrovision: Drinking the DRM Kool-aid.
Friday 16 February 2007
This whole DRM thing has caused quite a stir recently, with Steve Jobs' Letter, and numerous other semi-delusional responses from the Zune team, not mention a few others. Now the CEO / President of Macrovision has posted a truly interesting response. Fred Amoroso starts with an interesting paragraph about Macrovision's proud heritage:
Also worth a read: Engadget.
[Initially published 16/2/07 - 15:25. Update 17/2/07 13:45: I just knew Gruber would have something to say about this. As usual, he hits the nail on the head here.]
By working closely, he more likely means 'effecting every last possible item on the RIAA and MPAAs requirements list'. If you're wondering what all these innovations in consumer-screwovers come from, take a look at the back of your DVDs. Macrovision is there. So, this company has quite a history. Next choice quote:Macrovision has been in the content protection industry for more than 20 years, working closely with content owners of many types, including the major Hollywood studios, to help navigate the transition from physical to digital distribution. We have been involved with and have supported both prevention technologies and DRM that are on literally billions of copies of music, movies, games, software and other content forms, as well as hundreds of millions of devices across the world.
DRM is not an enabler. It just isn't. DRM is there to screw over the (minority) market of online downloads. DRM doesn't prevent piracy, as there's already a medium available to pirates to rip and share: CDs. All DRM (and I'm talking mainly music here, as DRM has been part of DVDs for over a decade) does is penalise those who legitimately purchase music through an online service. Next:It is critical that as all forms of content move from physical to electronic there is an opportunity for DRM to be an important enabler across all content...
Re-read that quote. Ask yourself 'How?'. And then join me in laughing.DRM increases not decreases consumer value
Read: We're on the verge of shipping shitloads more DRM-infected systems, Microsoft took the bait and shipping Vista with all our crap in it. Let's go screw yet more honest consumers. Finally, one of the funniest quotes ever:We are on the verge of a transformation in home entertainment that can be as significant as the introduction of the PC into the home or the invention of the television.
Apple will never give up FairPlay to a company that's been in bed with the RIAA and MPAA since the start. Apple having leverage in the DRM market makes sure that consumers interests are remotely more represented, even if Apple does have an agenda with iPod+iTunes, because Steve Jobs and Apple know what people will buy and accept. The others just don't. Whilst this letter looks like a valid response, the more I read it, the more it becomes clear it's a sign to everyone except Apple:At Macrovision we are willing to lead this industry effort. We offer to assist Apple in the issues and problems with DRM that you state in your letter. Should you desire, we would also assume responsibility for FairPlay as a part of our evolving DRM offering and enable it to interoperate across other DRMs, thus increasing consumer choice and driving commonality across devices.
Dear RIAA, MPAA and our shareholders: We're fully aware there's a guy trying to break down our business model, but don't worry. We're here, and DVDs are still protected. And we're in it for the long run. Hell, our salaries depend on it! Much Love, Freddie.
How do the folks at Macrovision sleep at night?Also worth a read: Engadget.
[Initially published 16/2/07 - 15:25. Update 17/2/07 13:45: I just knew Gruber would have something to say about this. As usual, he hits the nail on the head here.]
What IS Microsoft Thinking
Monday 12 February 2007
I consider myself widely read when it comes to RSS (I'll be sharing some of those feeds in the coming weeks), but a particular post from David Chartier (who writes for TUAW and DownloadSquad) really made a very, very, good point. Choice quote:
I'll repeat it now. What IS Microsoft thinking?
I've heard more in the last few days about the successor to Vista than anything else. OK, Vista has technically been out since November, so features (not to mention reviews) have dried up. But if people are already being warned something better is just two years away (not the 5 or 6 Vista was), is it going to make the, frankly extortionate, Vista prices any more stomachable? (Vista Home Premium is £115-135 / £163-203, Vista Super Splendid Uber Freakin' Awesome Edition - or Vista Ultimate - costs £188-222 / £284-330 from Amazon. If like me, you're going to need a full install DVD, then perhaps this is the answer for Parallels ;) ).What the fuck is Microsoft thinking by talking about Vista’s successor barely two weeks after Vista’s launch?
I'll repeat it now. What IS Microsoft thinking?
Urgent - Don't Let The Beeb Use MS Content Delivery, Just Don't
Thursday 01 February 2007
Earlier today, I was alerted by RSS to the BBC's consultation over its use of Microsoft DRM Content Delivery. This post was started then, for publishing at some stage, however when now I see that John Gruber and BoingBoing are also pushing the cause I brought the post forward. Here's BoingBoing's take, Gruber's short, but to the point answer, and here's the source I first came across it via this morning.
I cannot, cannot, emphasise how important this consultation period is for Mac users. If you are a UK Mac User, then you simply MUST fill this form in. Even if you're a Microsoft Windows user, please please PLEASE consider filling the form in against the use of Microsoft's DRM Content Delivery that's being proposed. The BBC is a Public-funded body that has 'access for all' as part of its pretext for operating. They must not leave out the ever-growing body of Mac users - especially with the continued growth of Apple's marketing presence in our country - this is completely against the idea of the BBC's public funded status.
I cannot, cannot, emphasise how important this consultation period is for Mac users. If you are a UK Mac User, then you simply MUST fill this form in. Even if you're a Microsoft Windows user, please please PLEASE consider filling the form in against the use of Microsoft's DRM Content Delivery that's being proposed. The BBC is a Public-funded body that has 'access for all' as part of its pretext for operating. They must not leave out the ever-growing body of Mac users - especially with the continued growth of Apple's marketing presence in our country - this is completely against the idea of the BBC's public funded status.
Fill in the Anonymous Questionnaire here, and ensure you are clear in Question 5 about your unhappiness at the prospect of it being Microsoft only.
Love it or hate it.... Pah. I hate it.
Friday 26 January 2007
Windows Media Player and RealPlayer are here to stay. Mainly because all Beeb content is in either format. But will I install them? On the MacBookPro? You must be kidding I'd rather gouge my own eyeballs out with a red-hot poker before I install either of these horrible pieces of media software on my laptop. I haven't seen any Beeb content on the net since well before Christmas, so I'm officially saying that for 2007, I'm giving up RealPlayer and Windows Media Player. But the DMGs are here for posterity's sake. Universal or not, I hate these two pieces of software.... as demonstrated previously. :)
The Joys of Tech. Resolved?
Wednesday 24 January 2007
Back in April last year (was it really that long ago?!) I moaned about how I hated the extra cables I had to take with me. I didn't like having to take tonnes of cables everywhere with me, and still don't. My ideal product was a Nokia large -> small adaptor that meant I would be able to not worry about taking the 6280's small charger everywhere with me.
Since then, I've been contacted by a number of people about the aforesaid Nokia adaptor. Now, I did look around Manchester for one at the weekend. And failed, but one person managed to find an adaptor on the web. If you need such an adaptor, get it here! (Note: This is not an affiliate link).
Thanks for the link, Lucy!
Since then, I've been contacted by a number of people about the aforesaid Nokia adaptor. Now, I did look around Manchester for one at the weekend. And failed, but one person managed to find an adaptor on the web. If you need such an adaptor, get it here! (Note: This is not an affiliate link).
Thanks for the link, Lucy!
Useful Little Things & Service Message
Friday 12 January 2007
A while back, Griffin launched a neat little ExpressCard 34 memory card reader. This is one product I'll certainly be snapping up once I've got the MacBookPro - frees up another USB port on the hub and the laptop - plus it seems to be blisteringly fast!
Service Message: Couple of brief items to note:
Service Message: Couple of brief items to note:
- RSS has seen a significant upgrade. I've turned on a whole plethora of Feedburner options that allow:
- Flickr. Any new photos I post to Flickr will appear in the feed, up to a maximum of 5. I use Flickr quite a bit, so expect some fairly heavy traffic there.
- del.icio.us. Every day, anything new I post to my del.icio.us bookmarks account will be added to the feed in the form of a post with all the links in it.
- If you don't like this then please get in touch with me. I'm interested to see what people think of adding more content of mine from around the web into the RSS feed.
- Linkage. If you want a link to your site, then also contact me. I'll review each one, and all I ask is that in return you link back to me in a similar fashion.
Surely Google shouldn't run ads like these?
Thursday 28 December 2006
Premonition?
Monday 18 December 2006
According to this, my iPod is going to die in 11 days. Eeek. It's been a good 2 years, but somehow I really don't want it to die. Not before the true video iPod comes along anyway ;) !
Shuttle Launch & Interesting Tidbit
Saturday 02 December 2006
It appears NASA are due to launch another shuttle some time this month. Given the huge leap in technology that we're seen, it's easy to think of the shuttles as 'cutting' technology (something they're very much not). Take this for example:
I'm always in awe of things like the shuttle, and you perhaps don't realise just how complex the beast is until you look at the stats on Wikipedia!If the launch doesn't get off Dec. 7, NASA can keep trying through Dec. 17. After that, the agency will likely call it quits until January. NASA wants Discovery back from its 12-day mission by New Year's Eve because shuttle computers aren't designed to make the change from the 365th day of the old year to the first day of the new year while in flight.
Flickr Does UK Mapping Properly!
Sunday 12 November 2006
Endorsements
Tuesday 31 October 2006
I receive a fair number of emails asking people to publicise their site via a mention on the blog. Whilst I'm grateful that people send in links (I do read all emails) I'd like to make it clear that I will not talk about sites that I don't use regularly or actually find a use for.
Whilst I talk about links to sites, this brings me onto the topic of which I intended to post. A researcher from the University Of Manchester is interested in gauging Blogger Privacy Concerns. If you're a blogger, and want your views to be used to "inform academic and policy discussions on blogging practices and attitudes towards privacy" you'll want to head over to the site and take the survey. It takes about 5 minutes to complete (I can vouch for that). As someone who's studying just across the road from that particular school of the University, I thought I'd try and spread the word!
Whilst I talk about links to sites, this brings me onto the topic of which I intended to post. A researcher from the University Of Manchester is interested in gauging Blogger Privacy Concerns. If you're a blogger, and want your views to be used to "inform academic and policy discussions on blogging practices and attitudes towards privacy" you'll want to head over to the site and take the survey. It takes about 5 minutes to complete (I can vouch for that). As someone who's studying just across the road from that particular school of the University, I thought I'd try and spread the word!
Facebook + Flickr = Happy Nik
Sunday 29 October 2006
Facebook is the new MySpace. It's true. There's so many reasons why:
- Clean Easy UI - Hassle free to do simple things
- Unlimited Photos - OK, they are uploaded via Java and downsized, but it's good.
- I can listen in iTunes and surf Facebook. It's not possible with MySpace because I have to ensure some shitty music (read: Not My Choice of Track) when surfing MySpace. Sure I love Stravinsky, but Firebird doesn't go well when I've got Bon Jovi playing!
- The Clean Easy UI means fast loading
- Photo tagging is great - and something that Flickr ought to be buying and using!
Flickr Meetup!
Sunday 29 October 2006
Today saw Manchester Flickr User Meetup 3 go down. It was a great afternoon and lots of photos were taken. We saw no less than 3 celebrities (well, 2, with an extra being seen after we'd dispersed) and had a great laugh. If you were unable to be there, I'd urge you to head over to Flickr and check out the Manchester group pool....... In the meantime, here's a photo I took of Jimmy Carr (who is doing his show at the Apollo this evening). Of all 7 of us, I was the only to get a photo snapped before he went on his way! Kerrrching!
Schwag from the States!
Saturday 28 October 2006
How big's your tube?
Friday 20 October 2006
As you may recall, the internet is (not) a series of tubes (Video #1, Video #2). However after seeing a photo on Flickr, I thought I'd run a series of tests on my net connection to find out how fast it really is.... Given that it's been known to download 60MB OS X updates in a minute here's the stats.....
For a UK based test:
For a East-Coast USA based test:
Yes. I know. My net connection rocks. :)
For a UK based test:
For a East-Coast USA based test:
Yes. I know. My net connection rocks. :)
Sony: Are you ready for the Big Bang?
Tuesday 17 October 2006
I had to laugh when the email from Sony came through asking 'Are you ready for the Big Bang'.... I almost expected a warning about my iBook battery (what with the battery recall affecting every laptop manufacturer even Sony!). But apparently it turns out they're proud of a new ad (quite a good one too I guess) about their new plasma TVs. See whether any exploding laptop batteries were used in the ad here.
In fact, I laughed so much I screen-grabbed it! Check it out here.
In fact, I laughed so much I screen-grabbed it! Check it out here.
Manchester Blog Awards
Monday 16 October 2006
How I missed this I don't know. But Manchester's very first Blog Awards take place tonight at Urbis. Hopefully I'll pop along and see what people are up to if my class isn't too late running. Chances of winning of an award? Hah! None as I'm not in the shortlist. Given that, this sorry excuse of a blog is hopefully going to fall upon better times and more readers. I'm open to ideas (apart from the suggestion to 'donate the webspace to russian spammers') on what I can do to make it far more gratifying to read. Thanks to Newfred for the tip-off. Great work on the logo too Andrew!
Film Trailers in iTunes
Wednesday 04 October 2006
Many people don't realise just how many movie trailers are available online courtesy of Apple.com. But what I've looked for is Movie Trailers in iTunes. Now it appears my prayers are answered. I don't have a Video iPod (yet) but this link may come in handy for those fortunate enough to do so. My particular favourite is the Casino Royale Trailer 1a. Daniel Craig may not be everyone's favourite choice as the new Bond. But from this trailer, I'm looking forward to seeing the final film on November 17th. The soundtrack too sounds like it will be blistering!
Photos
Sunday 01 October 2006
For clarity, that's not my entire active library..... that's 2036 photos (including W17 ones) and is 3.8Gb in size. I really never envisaged having this many photos (or that much disc space being used!) so it's kinda suprised me. I always shoot at 7MP quality (just so I can do more with any photos) so that might explain a lot!
WOOHOOO!
Wednesday 20 September 2006
Earlier in the week, I saw a post from David Chartier which expressed annoyance at not being able to use a Gmail Account in the great (Google-acquired) Writely. I fully agree, so I was suprised to hear my prayers answered!
Dear Nik,
In a few days, we will update your Writely account to use your address@gmail.com Google Account registration settings. This means you'll need to use your Google Account password when signing in, not your Writely password (if they're different).
If you've forgotten your Google Account password, just go to https://www.google.com/accounts/ForgotPasswd
Thanks!
Google Writely Team
Woohoo! No more funny usernames! Rejoice oh Googleholics!
Dear Nik,
In a few days, we will update your Writely account to use your address@gmail.com Google Account registration settings. This means you'll need to use your Google Account password when signing in, not your Writely password (if they're different).
If you've forgotten your Google Account password, just go to https://www.google.com/accounts/ForgotPasswd
Thanks!
Google Writely Team
Woohoo! No more funny usernames! Rejoice oh Googleholics!
Dashalytics!
Wednesday 06 September 2006
If you're as interested as I am in knowing more about website visitors, you probably use something like Mint or in my case Google Analytics. The other day I somehow managed to come across a really useful widget for Dashboard that might be useful to all those who use GA. Get Dashalytics here! It really is useful - in fact so useful I've now re-activated Dashboard after 6 months of not using it. It's good to be back in Dashboard. Expect me to link to more widgets as I re-discover this bit of Mac OS X!
Oh, and if you're a RapidWeaver user visiting Apple Expo Paris, check out the RapidWeaver User MeetUp next Tuesday evening. Hopefully we'll be in a WiFi-enabled location to catch the 'It's Showtime' event.
Oh, and if you're a RapidWeaver user visiting Apple Expo Paris, check out the RapidWeaver User MeetUp next Tuesday evening. Hopefully we'll be in a WiFi-enabled location to catch the 'It's Showtime' event.
Flickr GeoTagging is great!
Tuesday 29 August 2006
My liking (or love) of Flickr is almost as well known as Seb's somewhat less enthusiastic thoughts about it. However one thing I really like now is the inclusion of GeoTagging. However, the one thing thing that sets it apart is that there is no more Long/Lat pallarva. Simply search:
Click on the correct result (in this case Manchester, England, UK) and the map will then take you there.
In the example above, I've already added photos - Apple Stores in Manchester. Now, drag any photo (or multiple selection of photos onto the map:
And Flickr will place them on the map, and the Additional Information will show up some more info (with some cool AJAX-y map stuff too).:
What are the dowsides to this? Well the map data is particularly inaccurate (probably out of privacy concerns) so placing any city centre landmarks is pretty near impossible. Overall though, it's a far more user friendly setup than the Zooomr one - and no numbers or such like - an intelligible location. I had my doubts that Flickr would not be as dynamic as it's smaller rivals (purely as the amount of servers that would be needed would be many times greater for Flickr and thus any major migration surely would be harder) but given this new, exciting (if not entirely necessary in my experience) feature and Zooomr's lack of uploaders (yes, they're coming, but so's Christmas) means that Flickr is now continuing to innovate and means I'm not likely to move my loyalties elsewhere.
OK - I acknowledge that Flickr's features are not new unique features, but bringing it to my Flickr collection and the way it's done is worthy of merit IMHO.
Who will finish first? Wembley, Vista or Leopard
Thursday 10 August 2006
I've been pondering this post for a little while. Last week I travelled to London last week to help get CocoaDevHouseLondon going, and noticed in The Daily Telegraph that the new Wembley is running even later than anyone thought. Given the next few hours were spent chatting Mac, OS X, Vista (bashing) and more, I asked myself the question: Which will be finished first? Vista or Wembley. Since then, the question has expanded to Which will be finished first? Leopard, Vista or Wembley. Now that IS a tough question. My gut instinct is in this order:
For the purposes of this post, 'Finished' means a statement that everything is operating and fully functional, not the date of any statement that says when the project will be finished!
- Leopard
- Vista
- Wembley
For the purposes of this post, 'Finished' means a statement that everything is operating and fully functional, not the date of any statement that says when the project will be finished!
Google AdSenseLess*
Tuesday 08 August 2006
I'm looking at the conversation, and I just find it incredible that a talk about web technologies brings up the ad. Perhaps it's a cue we're spending too long at our keyboards and ought to make sure they're hygeinic..... Weird
* A brief acknowledgement that Google AdSense is a trademark of Google Inc. And that this post should not be the basis of a lawsuit!
2 Million Downloads a Day.... of REAL PLAYER?!
Thursday 03 August 2006
My love, or rather lack of it, for RealPlayer is well known on this blog. However it appears that my hatred is not shared by net users. According to Computer Buyer, 2 million people a day are downloading the POS known as RealPlayer and now it seems Google's done a deal with Rob Glaser. Well done Google.
In better news, Google has released a Picasa Web Albums plug-in for iPhoto. Fraser Speirs, developer of FlickrExport for iPhoto has a brief, though interesting, post on the history of Google's plans. I'm fortunate enough to have been either accepted, or invited to pretty much every Google beta. I'm going to check it out now, however as it stands, I won't be leaving Flickr and it's unlikely I ever will completely no matter how good the likes of Zooomr get.
In better news, Google has released a Picasa Web Albums plug-in for iPhoto. Fraser Speirs, developer of FlickrExport for iPhoto has a brief, though interesting, post on the history of Google's plans. I'm fortunate enough to have been either accepted, or invited to pretty much every Google beta. I'm going to check it out now, however as it stands, I won't be leaving Flickr and it's unlikely I ever will completely no matter how good the likes of Zooomr get.
Sibelius bought by Avid
Tuesday 01 August 2006
I'm a very happy owner of the Sibelius music notation software - it's arguably the world's best selling and most renowned composition tool (used for Harry Potter, Narnia and more) - and it's been announced that Avid has acquired Sibelius to place it in their DigiDesign audio division. For those of you who don't know, Sibelius is a British company started in 1993 in Cambridge. The price paid? A cool $23 million. The guys behind Sibelius are clearly very happy (rich) guys now, and I'm sure this means that Sibelius will continue to get even better in the future. Oh the possibilities of Pro Tools and Sibelius 5+!
Welcome to the Party Microsoft
Friday 21 July 2006
So it's real. Microsoft is creating an iPod rival. Zune is the name, and boy are we all excited about it. Er, not. You see, just like Windows Vista, it's taking Microsoft 5 years to try and catch up with Apple. Sure, Amazon might be about to work with Microsoft on downloads, but can you see people abandoning iPod + iTunes? I certainly can't. I'm not going to comment on the device - but if this is anything to go by, Microsoft just gave away too much to Apple. Nice try Bill, Steve and Ray. Better luck next time!
Apologies for the sketchy postings, some web-design work has been priority number 1!
Apologies for the sketchy postings, some web-design work has been priority number 1!
iusethis.com
Monday 10 July 2006
Digg.com clones are springing up everywhere nowadays, however iusethis.com is one of the best. List your apps (go vote for RapidWeaver if you like it!) and see who's using what. OS X for now, I'm sure more is on its way.
Here's my profile!
Here's my profile!
Northern Bytes is Back!
Saturday 24 June 2006
After a long hiatus, Northern Bytes is back in a brand new format! We've got an interview with a developer with the developer of one of my most used tools (Flickr Export) - Fraser Speirs of Connected Flow. Go check it out here, and digg it here!!
Corporate Blogs
Wednesday 14 June 2006
My co-host on Northern Bytes, Seb, was recently ranting his frustration on how annoying it was that Apple was so secretive. Microsoft, thanks to the now moved on Robert Scoble, has really changed its corporate perception in recent months. It now encourages employees to blog (about 3,000 do), and it's encouraging to read that the Mac Business Unit (MacBU) have a few bloggers. One relatively recent entrant for the MacBU is Erik Schwiebert. It's a really interesting read, and if you're a fan of the MacBU, want to know more about Mac Messenger (that was one of the biggest request in comments!) or just want another relevant Mac feed to go in your RSS reader, I'd recommend it. (Incidentally, links to other MacBU bloggers can be found here). Personally, I don't think Apple is going to open up. Certainly not as long as Steve is there. Whilst the publicity can beckfire with rumours, the hype before a keynote gets Apple so much positive press, their secrecy isn't going away soon.
An amusing read - another blooper from one of the idiots of technology investments John Enderle:
"Apple is really the only firm that doesn't use nondisclosure agreements and, as a result, they stood alone in this."
Excuse me?! Apple is possibly the most tight lipped company on the planet - they don't comment on future stores, even if on a forthcoming store the Apple logo is visible, turned on, and proclaiming it for all to see. What a ****wit.
An amusing read - another blooper from one of the idiots of technology investments John Enderle:
"Apple is really the only firm that doesn't use nondisclosure agreements and, as a result, they stood alone in this."
Excuse me?! Apple is possibly the most tight lipped company on the planet - they don't comment on future stores, even if on a forthcoming store the Apple logo is visible, turned on, and proclaiming it for all to see. What a ****wit.
Google Spreadsheets & Writely
Tuesday 06 June 2006
Earlier today, Google released Spreadsheets, to go with their recently acquired Writely word processor. I've taken to using Writely quite a lot, and in fact had a post drafted about the experiences I've had using it - that will be coming soon.
So, onto Spreadsheets. It's a nicely written web app, sure, but does it actually work? I have to say, in my 30 minutes of use, YES! I managed to import, export and save files from Spreadsheets onto Excel 2004 (Mac Office!). In fact, I even tried it with a number of quite advanced spreadsheets, and it still managed to keep all the numbers ticking along nicely.
General Interface:
So, onto Spreadsheets. It's a nicely written web app, sure, but does it actually work? I have to say, in my 30 minutes of use, YES! I managed to import, export and save files from Spreadsheets onto Excel 2004 (Mac Office!). In fact, I even tried it with a number of quite advanced spreadsheets, and it still managed to keep all the numbers ticking along nicely.
General Interface:
Here's what it looks like with a few documents on the service - one imported, the other created online:
Importing was easily done - my time sheet for my part-time job imported just fine and was easily editable - the Googlers have clearly done a bucket load of work to get formulas etc to import!
Export wise? I'm impressed. CSV and XLS:
As with Writely, the collaborative air to the product is very clear - in the top right of the main 'window' you'll see a "Share this Spreadsheet". Click it and the following appears. Add some email addresses (I though I'd let Steve, Steve, and Bill have a chance to see Spreadsheets as I can't imagine them being actively invited!) and click "Invite People". Presumably this 'Invite to collaborate' also allows the invitee to use Spreadsheets for themselves (as with Writely), but I can't vouch for this.
Now that I've raved about how much the product rocks, there are some downsides. I'm a huge fan of the Merge and Centre Cells button in Excel, however Spreadsheets (for now) only allows you to merge the cells with a single click (see "Merge Across" in the top right of the screenshot below).
Having said I miss the Merge and Centre button, Google makes it easier out of the box to separate the cells if required:
Overall I'm impressed - it's a slick product from Google that uses some of the key GMail interface elements and puts them to use on a really useful collaborative Spreadsheet app. With Writely and Spreadsheets, those whingers who cannot, or rather would prefer not to, run Office 2004 under Rosetta on Intel Macs have no excuse! If you register for the 2 Google services & buy yourself iWork '06 for Keynote and Pages, you've got a really good alternative to Microsoft Office without any compromises in file formats running natively on Intel Macs. Note that Safari is not supported, but it does in my experience work in Camino (something that isn't mentioned specifically on the Google FAQs)
P.S. I'm not offering collaborative invites, so please don't post asking for one - life's to hectic for me at the moment to be able to do that for everyone! The sign up process is linked to your Google account, and even if you have an invite, will not work unless your account has been activated for Spreadsheets. If you want to try it, go here. Remember it is a Labs beta (so it could be even more erratic than a normal beta)!
If you like this article, digg it!
Read if you're a Windows user
Tuesday 06 June 2006
Microsoft's CEO Steve Ballmer was recently asked to help clear a friends Windows XP computer of malware. This rather funny, if somewhat tragic, story will make you consider switching ;-)
Flickr is no longer Beta. Behold Flickr Gamma!
Tuesday 16 May 2006
Flickr's got a brand new look and feel, as well as some nifty enhancements. Nice work Flickrites! Check it out by clicking the image below.
Listening to ''Beneath Alrischa'', from The Da Vinci Code Soundtrack
Listening to ''Beneath Alrischa'', from The Da Vinci Code Soundtrack
Classic!
Monday 15 May 2006
Gmail with Integrated Chat
Friday 12 May 2006
Listening to ''Barbarian Horde'', from Gladiator
Au revoir Safari!
Thursday 11 May 2006
I've been nagged by lots of people that Safari [the default browser on the Mac] shouldn't be used - or rather just abandoned - for the great Camino browser. WTF is Camino? It's the Mac-dedicated version of Firefox - something that everyone should use as it is a) more secure, and b) shows the web the 'right' way. Now I've got rid of Safari completely from my Dock, imported my Bookmarks, and tweaked the interface to take up less space on my iBook's display, I've glad I made the switch. It means I can use GMail's rich text editing when writing mail, along with many more features that aren't supported on Safari. There's a few little niggles that I find annoying [like not Apple-1,2,3,4 etc keyboard shortcuts for the bookmark bar] but I will be filing a request on the Camino forums soon. That's my little bit o blog for now. Time to go back outside and enjoy the sunshine!
Listening to ''I Predict a Riot'', by Kaiser Chiefs
Listening to ''I Predict a Riot'', by Kaiser Chiefs
Apple, Sony and Blu-Ray
Thursday 27 April 2006
Rumours are flying around the interweb about how Apple is apparently likely to pressure Blu-Ray content providers into enclosing an iPod Video version of the feature for playback on a video iPod. It's possible - Blu-Ray has 50Gb of space to use per disc, so the technical part of it is likely. But there's other forces at play - namely Sony - who are staunch supporters of Blu-Ray too. Sony has, for too long, relied to clunky and closed proprietary systems of content storage, playback and management. First there was the ATRAC3 codec, then the Memory Stick and Memory Stick Duo] and then the NetMD. None of these acheived mainstream adoption as very few companies obtained licences to use the technology - Memory Stick has Sony's Magic Gate copy-protection technology which only works on Sony players, ATRAC3 is Sony-only, and whilst NetMD wasn't exclusively sold by Sony, Sony was the only company pushing NetMD when everyone else was looking at flash memory and HDD MP3 players. One of my friends said yesterday how displeased they were with the fact that their Sony Ericsson W800i's Memory Stick Pro Duo worked in nothing, and it's a fair point. Not only is Memory Stick proprietary, it's obscenely expensive unless you buy it on eBay [something I'd highly recommend as I saved over £140 on a 2Gb MS Pro Duo High Speed and adaptor]. Sony wanted £180. eBay was just under £40 from a highly efficient UK seller. Sweet. Now, back to Blu-Ray.
Sony has, for too long, backed too many failed formats, and with Microsoft choosing HD-DVD as their High Definition DVD format of choice, it seemed that Blu-Ray was going to become the modern-era Betamax and go the way of the dodo. However this rumour, if true, gives Sony a magic opportunity if they play it correctly. Allowing Sony movies to be distributed in an iPod format would be the ideal thing to do - hell if they were to persuade Apple to implement a Blu-Ray consortium-wide memorandum that meant Sony could also use the videos in its players, then not only would Blu-Ray become the standard through wide-spread use [because let's face it, when a proper Video iPod comes out, every man, child and monkey is going to want 7 of them], it would give Sony's lagging media players a lifeline they maybe didn't deserve, whilst sticking a firm 2 fingers up at Microsoft. The move would also mean that there would be a way to put video legitimately on your iPod without violating any laws [such as the DMCA in the US]. Of course, this is all speculative, but if there were Sony and Disney movies available on Blu-Ray with an iPod version to boot it would take some serious work from Microsoft to be anywhere close to the position Apple and Sony would be in.
The iPod with HD video will settle the HD wars - especially if it's done with the ease, simplicity and functionality that iTunes offers users with their music.
Notes: Not only are Apple, Sony, and Disney backing Blu-Ray, but so are Dell, HP, Warner Brothers, Paramount Pictures and 20th Century. A full member list for Blu-Ray can be found here.
Listening to ''Bui Doi'', from Miss Saigon
Sony has, for too long, backed too many failed formats, and with Microsoft choosing HD-DVD as their High Definition DVD format of choice, it seemed that Blu-Ray was going to become the modern-era Betamax and go the way of the dodo. However this rumour, if true, gives Sony a magic opportunity if they play it correctly. Allowing Sony movies to be distributed in an iPod format would be the ideal thing to do - hell if they were to persuade Apple to implement a Blu-Ray consortium-wide memorandum that meant Sony could also use the videos in its players, then not only would Blu-Ray become the standard through wide-spread use [because let's face it, when a proper Video iPod comes out, every man, child and monkey is going to want 7 of them], it would give Sony's lagging media players a lifeline they maybe didn't deserve, whilst sticking a firm 2 fingers up at Microsoft. The move would also mean that there would be a way to put video legitimately on your iPod without violating any laws [such as the DMCA in the US]. Of course, this is all speculative, but if there were Sony and Disney movies available on Blu-Ray with an iPod version to boot it would take some serious work from Microsoft to be anywhere close to the position Apple and Sony would be in.
The iPod with HD video will settle the HD wars - especially if it's done with the ease, simplicity and functionality that iTunes offers users with their music.
Notes: Not only are Apple, Sony, and Disney backing Blu-Ray, but so are Dell, HP, Warner Brothers, Paramount Pictures and 20th Century. A full member list for Blu-Ray can be found here.
Listening to ''Bui Doi'', from Miss Saigon
Da Vinci Code with Google
Tuesday 25 April 2006
I'm incredibly excited about the Da Vinci Code movie that's being released worldwide on 19th May. Great cast [the likes of Tom Hanks, Ian McKellan, Jean Reno, Audrey Tautou and more], a great production team [Ron Howard and more from "A Beautiful Mind"] and what promises to be a blistering soundtrack from Hans Zimmer mean it will be one of the biggest movies of the year, and maybe even all time. So in steps Google to leverage their brand in conjunction with the launch of the blockbuster film:
The Da Vinci Code Quest on Google
This is really smart - the film gets a huge amount of publicity on Google, whilst entrants into the Quest get to pass the time solving clues that [by the site's own admission] are solvable using Google! Find a video on, suprise suprise, Google Video; search the Web using, shock horror, Google web search, whilst all the time your progress is tracked through Google's Personalised Homepage [something I love as it tracks my Gmail, as well as providing a true internet "Start" page with bookmarks and RSS feeds] to complete all the tasks. By the time you complete the challenge [sometime after the final puzzle is released on 11th May] you'll no doubt have used most of Google's features - and maybe not realised how much exposure to, and brainwashing by, Google you've had. Just as the word iPod has become synonymous with MP3 players, and ultimately added the name to popular culture, so too has Google. How many people say "Search for it on the net" compared to "Just Google it"? I sure do, and no doubt after this latest marketing blitz, many more people will to!
Listening to ''The Might of Rome'' from the Gladiator Soundtrack, by Hans Zimmer
The Da Vinci Code Quest on Google
This is really smart - the film gets a huge amount of publicity on Google, whilst entrants into the Quest get to pass the time solving clues that [by the site's own admission] are solvable using Google! Find a video on, suprise suprise, Google Video; search the Web using, shock horror, Google web search, whilst all the time your progress is tracked through Google's Personalised Homepage [something I love as it tracks my Gmail, as well as providing a true internet "Start" page with bookmarks and RSS feeds] to complete all the tasks. By the time you complete the challenge [sometime after the final puzzle is released on 11th May] you'll no doubt have used most of Google's features - and maybe not realised how much exposure to, and brainwashing by, Google you've had. Just as the word iPod has become synonymous with MP3 players, and ultimately added the name to popular culture, so too has Google. How many people say "Search for it on the net" compared to "Just Google it"? I sure do, and no doubt after this latest marketing blitz, many more people will to!
Listening to ''The Might of Rome'' from the Gladiator Soundtrack, by Hans Zimmer
Is that Spam really mine?
Tuesday 11 April 2006
How many of us actually read the spam messages in the GMail spam box? Well occasionally I do, and I've found something rather odd going on. Messages that are not addressed to me are being delivered to my Spam box. Take this example:- I receive an email addressed to nik.hnhjkdbhfebwhefbq@gmail.com [as an example] and nik.diamond@gmail.com even though I have no address like that! So what does this mean? Well, it means that either someone's confusing the SPAM filter at Google, or more worryingly Google is actually sending the spam to me*! Yikes!
*Well, they're sending it to me instead of bouncing it to the sender ;-)
*Well, they're sending it to me instead of bouncing it to the sender ;-)
MacZot
Monday 03 April 2006
MacZot is giving away 1000 copies of software if at least 259 people link to them. Hopefully this link will ensure I get a copy of the software ;-)
Steve Ballmer - Amusing Video
Wednesday 22 March 2006
This has been around the interweb for ages, but still makes me crack up - especially given the comments on Mini-Microsoft blog:
In case you're wondering who TF is Steve Ballmer - he's the CEO of Microsoft. The videos behind this clip are also amusing, and can be found following the links:
"Developers, Developers"
"I LOVE THIS COMPANY"
If you were Bill Gates, would you trust this man to keep you wealthy?
Ouch. Here it is, just for comedy value, courtesy of GoogleVideo!"Microsoft is depriving some village of its idiot. Send him home."
In case you're wondering who TF is Steve Ballmer - he's the CEO of Microsoft. The videos behind this clip are also amusing, and can be found following the links:
"Developers, Developers"
"I LOVE THIS COMPANY"
If you were Bill Gates, would you trust this man to keep you wealthy?
Browser Grievances....
Monday 20 March 2006
Kit Roundup
Friday 17 March 2006
The last few days have seen me get the chance to play on the new Intel Core Duo based Mac Mini, MacBook Pro at my local Apple Retail Store as well as getting a new mobile.
The New Macs
Mac Mini - A good new model. The Front Row inclusion makes it all the better. The Core Duo model is fast and runs things like iMovie quickly.
MacBookPro - Whilst I did try the slowest model on offer, it didn't wow me as maybe it ought to. Safari was slow to load and iMovie HD was not as fast as I'd hoped. The model I tried also ran very hot. What I was impressed with was Office for Mac running under Rosetta. The speed at which Word opened was still noticeably faster than my iBook G4, and once Universal, Office looks to be brilliant. One thing I did think was good about the MacBookPro was the MagSafe connector. I know it's a slow news day when I extol the virtues of a power connector for an Apple laptop, but this really is a very clever invention and one that from my own experiences will be useful!
Overall - I'm impressed with the new Macs, and Rosetta astounded me in all honesty! The Mini and iMac seem incredibly fast - and the iMac is almost certainly on my "To Buy" list for after MacWorld next year. The MacBookPro is probably faster than I make out - but my opinions still forming about the MacBookPro. Maybe another trip to an Apple Store can convince me?!
Mobile mania!
With my contract on O2 coming to an end, and Vodafone offering a brilliant student offer of Unlimited Free Texts and Picture Messages (within their "Fair Use Policy") I finally got hold of the elusive Nokia 6280 :-D I'm working on a review and sample photos from the 2MP camera, and will post it soon. My number's transferring over the course of this week, so no video calls or fun until then but I can use the phone without the connection for things like Salling Clicker. Sadly iSync doesn't work, and BluePhoneElite only partially works, but I do think it's a brilliant handset nonetheless.
The New Macs
Mac Mini - A good new model. The Front Row inclusion makes it all the better. The Core Duo model is fast and runs things like iMovie quickly.
MacBookPro - Whilst I did try the slowest model on offer, it didn't wow me as maybe it ought to. Safari was slow to load and iMovie HD was not as fast as I'd hoped. The model I tried also ran very hot. What I was impressed with was Office for Mac running under Rosetta. The speed at which Word opened was still noticeably faster than my iBook G4, and once Universal, Office looks to be brilliant. One thing I did think was good about the MacBookPro was the MagSafe connector. I know it's a slow news day when I extol the virtues of a power connector for an Apple laptop, but this really is a very clever invention and one that from my own experiences will be useful!
Overall - I'm impressed with the new Macs, and Rosetta astounded me in all honesty! The Mini and iMac seem incredibly fast - and the iMac is almost certainly on my "To Buy" list for after MacWorld next year. The MacBookPro is probably faster than I make out - but my opinions still forming about the MacBookPro. Maybe another trip to an Apple Store can convince me?!
Mobile mania!
With my contract on O2 coming to an end, and Vodafone offering a brilliant student offer of Unlimited Free Texts and Picture Messages (within their "Fair Use Policy") I finally got hold of the elusive Nokia 6280 :-D I'm working on a review and sample photos from the 2MP camera, and will post it soon. My number's transferring over the course of this week, so no video calls or fun until then but I can use the phone without the connection for things like Salling Clicker. Sadly iSync doesn't work, and BluePhoneElite only partially works, but I do think it's a brilliant handset nonetheless.
Windows Vista Launch Celebrations
Thursday 09 March 2006
Looks like Microsoft is going to be trying to flog its latest version of Windows - Vista - to anyone and everyone. Shame it's going to look remarkably like Mac OS X and confuse consumers with the six different versions of the operating system....... Bet Bill's wishing he'd copied another Apple idea now..... One operating system sold to all..... Just like Mac OS X is.
M$ also seem to want a huge amount of coverage for Vista, however Apple have got OS X "Leopard" up their sleeves for the WWDC during August, and I'd bet there's gonna be a release this year - just to show that M$ has copied a nearly 2-year old OS. ;-) Until then, Apple fans have got more retail store openings, potential 30th Birthday Announcements [more Macs please Steve!], WWDC announcements [and WWDC itself if you're devloping and going!] and Apple Expo Paris [wooohooooo!]! It's going to be a great rest of the year!
M$ also seem to want a huge amount of coverage for Vista, however Apple have got OS X "Leopard" up their sleeves for the WWDC during August, and I'd bet there's gonna be a release this year - just to show that M$ has copied a nearly 2-year old OS. ;-) Until then, Apple fans have got more retail store openings, potential 30th Birthday Announcements [more Macs please Steve!], WWDC announcements [and WWDC itself if you're devloping and going!] and Apple Expo Paris [wooohooooo!]! It's going to be a great rest of the year!
Ricky Gervais Show BACK! :-D
Wednesday 01 March 2006
I'm a MASSIVE fan of the Ricky Gervais Show Podcast, so with the launch of the new series yesterday, I was rather excited. The Ricky Gervais show is the No. 1 Podcast in the World [from the Free 1st Series on The Guardian], and the departure towards paid-for podcasts is breaking new ground. I love the show, so I went ahead and bought the 1st episode of Series 2. My observations:
1. If I purchase a Podcast, I expect it to be placed in both my Podcast list and Purchased Music list in iTunes. I'd also like a subscribe option as it's a show I certainly love and one that I would listen to and pay for every week.
2. I don't want a "This show is presented by Audible.Com" jingle. I would rather not have the jingle at the start at all but at a bare minimum, at least in a British accent.
3. The audio quality MUST be better. Series 1 was in Stereo, but for some bizarre reason Series 2 is in mono. That sucks. Why is the free series' audio quality better than the purchased one? Weird.
1. If I purchase a Podcast, I expect it to be placed in both my Podcast list and Purchased Music list in iTunes. I'd also like a subscribe option as it's a show I certainly love and one that I would listen to and pay for every week.
2. I don't want a "This show is presented by Audible.Com" jingle. I would rather not have the jingle at the start at all but at a bare minimum, at least in a British accent.
3. The audio quality MUST be better. Series 1 was in Stereo, but for some bizarre reason Series 2 is in mono. That sucks. Why is the free series' audio quality better than the purchased one? Weird.
Google Hosted
Sunday 12 February 2006
As I've mentioned before, I have a bit of a hatred of Hotmail, and a deep love of GMail. So I was deeply pleased to learn that Google is now offering Google Hosted [well, it's offering it if you're selected for the beta!]. Why is this good news? Well it means that it's going to be possible to check domain email via Gmail's interface! :-D That means I'll probably go to using NikFletcher.Com email addresses if I get selected for the beta. Most people won't care, but if you know and love Gmail like I do you'll probably want to go and apply for the beta with your own domain name!
Where's my Phone 2.0?!
Thursday 09 February 2006
Where's my Phone?!
Monday 06 February 2006
UK Government to give away free iPods to all...
Thursday 12 January 2006
....possibly not! This ZDNet Article has a lot of serious facts, apart from the fact that the Government isn't actually going to give away iPods. :-( But that doesn't mean it's not a good idea. Where do I sign up for the trial, and when does it begin?!
Windows Glitches ruin CES keynote
Sunday 08 January 2006
I found this story very amusing. It appears even Micro$oft's allies are taking pot shots at Windoze. Look out for a remark from Steve Jobs during his MacWorld San Francisco Keynote on Tuesday [Morning for the USA, 5pm for us Brits]!
iTunes to settle $ony XCP claims.....
Saturday 31 December 2005
....of sorts. Rumour has it that $ony is going to offer a download of XCP affected albums to complaining customers via a number of online music stores, of which iTMS is going to [apparently] be one of them. It's all backfired this XCP rootkit plan!
Congratulations to Mr Jonathan Ive, the designer of the iPod and iMac, who has been given a CBE.
I've added a Frappr map page so visitors can see where others are visiting from! Last post of 2005, so have a great new year! :-D
Congratulations to Mr Jonathan Ive, the designer of the iPod and iMac, who has been given a CBE.
I've added a Frappr map page so visitors can see where others are visiting from! Last post of 2005, so have a great new year! :-D
Internet Explorer is no more! [on Macs]
Tuesday 20 December 2005
Finally, Internet Explorer for Mac has been put out to rot away in cyberspace. Apple no longer ships it on Macs, and M$ has finally announced that IE for Mac is dead. Why am I glad of this? Well IE for Mac doesn't work well at all. It hasn't been updated in nearly 3 years, doesn't even display M$N properly, and doesn't accept the web standards this site is built on. Time to party I think :-D
In other news, Apple's Online Stores have run out of iPod shuffles! :-o The website states:
In other news, Apple's Online Stores have run out of iPod shuffles! :-o The website states:
Sold out for the Holidays and we hope to have supply again later in January
Let the plot thicken, as by late January, any MacWorld releases will be shipping! 1Gb Nanos? Let's hope so!
Has Hell Frozen Over?
Wednesday 14 December 2005
Well, I've noticed that Microsoft Mail Live [i.e. Kahuna, Hotmail of the Future] now works with Firefox, however I've just tried in in my trusty Safari browser and it works, with only a Delete button to hand for the time being. I wouldn't mind, apart from the fact that the spam filter doesn't seem to be any better than the old Hotmail. Ah well. It's only a beta. Mind you, so is Gmail, and that doesn't suck.
MTV & Microsoft get into bed with an Urge
Wednesday 14 December 2005
I've become a great fan of MacDailyNews.Com, and article today made me laugh. MTV is trying to attract people to its non-iTunes/iPod store whilst the "demographic" of its potential users [MTV viewers] are the most likely to use an iPod, or already using an iPod. With 80% marketshare, iTMS is leading the way, and MTV clearly wants to be better than that.
MTV states they need concentrate on where there's going to be a bigger market than iPod+iTunes
Umm, wheres the bigger market than iPod+iTunes?!! The service will offer paid-for downloads, subscription services and free streaming of music videos, and most interestingly will be the fact that Urge "will be the prefered service" in Windows Media Player. That's gonna hurt RealNetworks, who chose $300 million worth of service advertisement with Microsoft as part of their settlement. Do read the article above as it's a really good read, and RealNetworks: PlayedforSure? I think so.